STAR WARS
JEDI PRINCE: LEGACY OF DOOM
The Adventure Continues...
It was an era of darkness, a time when the evil Empire ruled the galaxy. Fear and terror spread across every planet and moon as the Empire tried to crush all who resisted-but still the Rebel Alliance survived.
The headquarters of the Alliance Senate are located in a cluster of ancient temples hidden within the rain forest on the fourth moon of Yavin. It was the senate that now led the valiant fight to establish a new galactic government, and to restore freedom and justice to the galaxy. In pursuit of this quest, Mon Mothma, the Rebel Alliance leader, organized the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network, also known as SPIN.
SPIN conducts its perilous missions with the help of Luke Skywalker and his pair of droids known as See-Threepio (C-3P0) and Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2). Other members of SPIN include the beautiful Princess Leia Organa; Han Solo, the dashing pilot of the spaceship Millennium Falcon; Han's copilot Chewbacca, a hairy alien Wookiee; and Lando Calrissian, the former governor of Cloud City on the planet Bespin.
Lando now runs a space theme park known as Hologram Fun World. He had been forced to abandon his post as Governor of Cloud City after gambling away his position to Zorba the Hutt, a sluglike alien who is the father of the deceased gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Princess Leia follow the path of the Jedi. The Jedi Knights, an ancient society of brave and noble warriors, believed that victory comes not just from physical strength but from a mysterious power called the Force. The Force lies hidden deep within all things. It has two sides, one side that can be used for good, the other side a power of absolute evil.
Guided by the Force, and by the spirit of his first Jedi teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker was led to the legendary Lost City of the Jedi. Deep underground on the fourth moon of Yavin, the Lost City proved to be the home of a twelve-year-old boy named Ken, said to be a Jedi Prince. Ken had no human friends and had never before left the Lost City to journey aboveground. He knew nothing of his origins-only that he had been brought to the Lost City by a Jedi Knight in a brown robe-and had been raised from early childhood by a loyal group of caretaker droids who had once served the ancient Jedi Knights. Ken has since left the underground city and joined Luke and the Rebel Alliance.
With the Empire's evil leaders, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, now destroyed, a new era has begun. A bitter feud developed between Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side, and Trioculus, a three-eyed tyrant who was formerly Supreme Slavelord of the spice mines of the planet Kessel.
An impostor, Trioculus falsely claimed to be Emperor Palpatine's son. With help from Kadann and the Imperial grand moffs, Trioculus was aided in his rise to power so they could all share the rule of the Empire. Trioculus eventually failed in his rule and Kadann wrested control of the Empire for himself, although the grand moffs remained loyal to Trioculus.
The evil Emperor Palpatine did have a three-eyed son-Triclops, whose existence was kept secret. For most of Triclops's life, he remained a prisoner of the Empire, locked away in Imperial insane asylums. Eventually he escaped from the Imperial Reprogramming Institute on the planet Duro and denounced his father's Empire. After being discovered by Luke Skywalker, Ken, and Han Solo, he took refuge with the Rebel Alliance.
While Trioculus and the grand moffs were feuding with Kadann, they also had a dispute with Zorba the Hutt. Trioculus eventually defeated Zorba by tossing the old Hutt into the Mouth of Sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine, expecting to be rid of him at last. But still Zorba survived when the Sarlacc spit him out, unable to digest the slimy Hutt's sluglike body.
Having also captured Princess Leia, Trioculus tried to turn her to the Dark Side, wanting to marry her and make her the Queen of the Empire. However, his plans were thwarted by a clever Alliance plan and a new Rebel weapon-the Human Replica Droid, which was a lifelike droid built to resemble the Princess. It fired lasers from its eyes, striking Trioculus in the chest and wounding him.
Safely rescued from the Imperial Moffship, Princess Leia and Han Solo intended to resume their wedding plans, but not by eloping at Hologram Fun World as they attempted before. Instead, it was to be a formal ceremony at the Alliance Senate. Everything should have proceeded according to plan-until Kadann and his Prophets of the Dark Side ruined the ceremony!
The young Ken, having just learned about his true heritage, set out on a quest to defeat the evil that has corrupted his family. To do so, he got in touch with the Force, and the shadowey figure of the legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Having escaped his new enemies, the vengeful Grand Admiral Makati and the brutal Dark Warrior Azrakel, Ken has failed in rescuing his father Triclops from the evil High Prophet Kadann on the famous gambling paradise known as The Wheel .
Before he can continue his plans to save the father he never knew and accept his own dark heritage, Ken must first face another legacy of doom…
CHAPTER 1
Return to Endor
Whoosh!
With a flash, the YT-freighter Millenium Falcon appeared in the blackness of space. Directly in front of the ship was the green forest moon of Endor, and nearby still floated some debris from the last battle against the evil Galactic Empire.
The moon had become the base of the Alliance, and had withstood a major attack by the alien Nagai invaders about a month after the destruction of the Second Death Star.
Ken saw the Sanctuary Moon for the first time, and was fascinated by the simple forest world. Here, one of the greatest battles in recent Galactic history had taken place!
At the thought, Ken's eyes roamed around the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Not only did he now get to see a historic scene, he was even traveling with the people who had fought here and gone down in history.
Han Solo, at the helm of the famous freighter that had played a role in both the First and Second Death Star battles. Chewbacca, his faithful co-pilot, a huge, hairy Wookiee.
And, of course, Luke Skywalker. The last of the Jedi, and the man who had destroyed the evil Emperor Palpatine and his right-hand man Darth Vader here above Endor aboard the space station.
When Luke fought his own father...and my grandfather, Ken thought.
Thinking of the epic battle between good and evil that once took place here, Ken touched the lightsaber hanging from his belt.
It was not his own weapon, but that of a dark warrior, the monstrous cyborg Azrakel, who had recently captured Ken. But he had managed to escape and steal the warrior's weapon.
But one day I will actually have my own lightsaber. As soon as Luke thinks I'm ready for it.
At this thought, Ken directed a look at the Jedi Knight, which Skywalker misinterpreted.
"I'm sorry we had to interrupt the search for your father, Ken. But Lando's message sounded pretty urgent."
"The only thing that bothers me is that Leia couldn't come with us," Han Solo commented as he continued to fly the ship towards Endor's surface.
"She's still needed at SPIN on Yavin 4, Han. After all, we know Lando's problem probably isn't too much of a threat to the Alliance, since Mon Mothma or Admiral Ackbar would have promptly taken care of it themselves."
With that, Luke alluded to the fact that Endor was still the New Republic's seat of leadership at the moment.
"What exactly is Lando's problem?" asked Ken.
"Knowing him, Lando has probably blown some business idea again, and now needs our help to solve his problems," Han commented.
"He just screwed up another project after losing Cloud City, so it was obvious there would be more to come."
Han was referring to the amusement park Hologram Fun World, which Lando had taken over, and where Han had wanted to spontaneously marry Leia. However, this had failed, and a later ceremony on Yavin 4 was also interrupted by the Empire. Han felt as if the universe had conspired against his wedding plans, but of course he would never openly show how much he disliked it.
"All right, we're landing near the Bright Tree Base, Lando is waiting for us there."
"The Bright Tree Base?" asked Ken, turning to Luke.
"Actually, it's simply called the Endor Station. It was built after the battle of the Second Death Star and serves as a command center for the New Republic. We call it Bright Tree Base because the Ewoks from Bright Tree Village stood by us so bravely in battle."
After safely landing the Falcon in an open area next to Bright Tree Base, the group was already met by Lando Calrissian as they exited the ship.
Like Luke, Han, and Chewie, Lando was one of the heroes of the Rebellion, and at the Battle of Endor it had been he, along with his Sullustan co-pilot Nien Nunb, who had destroyed the second Death Star from the inside.
In the months that followed, he remained on Endor for some time, carrying out missions for the Alliance, but soon returned to his business, including the recapture of Cloud City, which was by then in the hands of the slimy Hutt Zorba, father of the late Jabba.
Chewbacca emitted a mighty cry, which was a simple greeting.
Lando, an elegant carved walking stick in hand, and clad in an immaculate suit with a burgundy cape, smiled cheerfully at the newcomers.
"Good to see you, too, Chewbacca. I see Leia isn't with you at all."
Han waved it off with a sour face.
"She's still needed on Yavin 4. The war against the Empire isn't winning itself either. So, what's up?"
Lando smiled encouragingly at Han before making a sad face.
"I heard your wedding came to a messy end," he said.
"It hadn't even really started when it got messy. Get to the point."
"Hey, I'm really sorry, my friend. Who knows, maybe it was an omen. Maybe you're not meant to be a husband. Or maybe the universe is trying to tell us there are better alternatives for Leia."
Han looked angrily at Lando, but he was already turning to Luke and Ken with a smile.
"So how have you two been?"
As the group made its way on foot to their destination under Lando's leadership - and while Han continued to scowl - Ken told Lando about his recent experiences, the discovery that he was the grandson of the evil Emperor Palpatine, and his experiences on the space station The Wheel, where he had managed to trick the Dark Warrior Azrakel, and finally make contact with the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Truly amazing," Lando remarked, glancing at the lightsaber on Ken's belt.
"Apparently there are now two Jedi in the New Republic already."
Ken waved that off sheepishly, and Luke, who was still unsure of his role as teacher, felt compelled to correct Lando.
"Well, Ken's not a Jedi yet, but he has the potential to be. I probably can't really worry about his training until we've managed to rescue Triclops."
"So the Emperor really is your grandfather?" turned Lando to the young Jedi Prince.
"Yes, he is." It still hurt to say it so openly, but he knew he couldn't keep this from his new friends. And he couldn't fool himself, after all.
Lando seemed to notice how upset Ken still was about it, which is why he went toe-to-toe with the boy.
"Believe me, Ken, you don't have to feel bad about it. The proof that your lineage doesn't define you as a person is right here beside you, after all."
Smiling, Luke patted his friend on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Lando."
"I wasn't talking about you. I was thinking more of my old man. A real penny pincher, old Raan. I could tell you a few stories..."
"I'd rather you finally tell us why you called us here," Han interjected.
"Ah, of course, of course. We're already here."
Lando pointed ahead with his walking stick to a dense cluster of trees.
"Welcome to my new factory."
Han looked around searchingly. Then he turned to the gambler with raised eyebrows.
"Lando, have you perhaps spent a little too much time here alone among the Ewoks? You know better than to touch their home-brewed juices."
"Let me surprise you, Han."
With these words, Lando turned again to the trees before him. Then he extended his walking stick in front of him, as if raising a sword for a duel, and pressed a small button on the handle of the stick.
Suddenly, the trees in front of them disappeared, and the group stood in front of a large hall, which was obviously assembled quite quickly from whatever materials the builders could find. It appeared to be made of both metal and wood, and Luke's first thought was to be confirmed by Lando.
"Looks like the Ewoks put this building together from all sorts of scraps."
"Exactly!"
Visibly pleased, Lando beckoned his friends to accompany him inside.
"I'll have the factory camouflaged by a hologram that will give the illusion that there are only more trees here. Probably a pointless safeguard, but better safe than sorry."
Lando proudly stopped in the middle of the large hall. One look was enough to make the others realize what kind of factory this was.
"It's a droid factory!" exclaimed Ken excitedly.
Calrissian pointed a finger at Ken in a confirming guest, and then with a sweeping motion of his arm surveyed the entire facility, which contained only the two Ewoks Teebo and Wicket, chattering excitedly with each other in their language, in addition to the small group.
"That's right, and now let me introduce you to my latest stroke of genius."
As if on signal, a dozen or so figures marched from a dark corner behind the gambler. They marched in perfect unison, and might have made a fearsome impression were it not for their appearance.
"Ewoks?" asked Han, confused.
Laughing, Lando turned to him.
"Oh no, even better. These little guys here look like Ewoks, but they're not. They're droids!"
"Droids?" asked Ken as he looked at the small figures. Ewoks were naturally small, furry, and generally more reminiscent of cute stuffed animals. This dozen Ewoks that had taken up position behind Lando looked the same.
"Yes, droids of an entirely new kind. I call them the LGC droids, or simply the Legacys."
"And what's the deal with these Legacy Droids?" wanted Luke to know, as he looked at the exact duplicates of real Ewoks with mild amusement.
"That's the genius of it!" said Lando. "The LGC's have two important purposes. First, we can use them as hidden guards here at Bright Tree Base. If there was another attack, like the one by the Nagai back then, we'd have a defensive force that our enemies wouldn't suspect."
"And the second purpose?" asked Han, who now knew with certainty that Lando must have some strange business going on again.
"Their second task is basically the same: to work as a secret security service. Who could guess that under the fluffy fur of an Ewok is a killer droid? Only, for their second job, they would be for the security and surveillance of tourists."
"Tourists? What kind of tourists?" both Han and Ken wanted to know at the same time.
Lando continued to explain.
"Endor, even before the battle of the second Death Star, was a destination for tourists who wanted to live in the woods for a week under the open skies of the moon. Both Star Tours Travel Agency, with its Endor Express, and Galaxy Tours had the forest moon as a stopover. Star Tours has since gone bankrupt, however, and so has their Endor Express. That leaves only Galaxy Tours, and I have since joined the travel company. Now that Endor is a historical site, more tourists from all corners of the galaxy will want to come here. There's a lot of credits to be made out of that."
With a quick sideways glance, Lando added, "But of course, the Legacys serve primarily as protection for the base."
"Of course," Han remarked sarcastically. So he had been right, and Lando was already in the middle of his latest project.
"And what do you need our help for in this?"
"Simple, Han," Lando said with a suddenly somber expression.
"Someone found out about my project, and is trying to sabotage it. And if I had to bet, I'd put all my credits on our old acquaintance Zorba the Hutt having his greasy fingers in the pie here."
CHAPTER 2
Revenge of the Dark Warrior!
Threateningly, the huge Imperial Star Destroyer Steadfast hung in the darkness of space in the Zorbia system. The crew of the battleship waited tensely for their next orders. First Officer Vivant finally mustered the courage to address his superior, Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati, who stood in his immaculate white uniform at the bridge's viewport, gazing into the void of space around them.
"Sir, the Steadfast is ready to make the hyperspace jump to the Endor system. If you-"
The admiral cut Vivant off.
"A waste of time even coming here!" thundered Makati, clenching his hands into fists in frustration.
"That damned Azrakel is lucky he's still useful to me at the moment, otherwise-!"
The Admiral himself was suddenly interrupted by a deep voice as said Dark Warrior Azrakel entered the bridge.
"I could say the same about you, Admiral."
The red-robed cyborg with a breathing mask covering the entire lower half of his face just spat out this salutation.
"I was done with the Empire and wanted nothing more to do with the likes of you. Your offer that together we would hunt down my old master was the only reason I changed my mind in that regard."
"But the cursed prophet of the Dark Side, Kadann, got escaped us last time," Makati said, referring to their failed attempt to capture the dwarfish prophet on the gambling space station, the Wheel.
"The disaster at the Wheel was your fault, Admiral! I told you we would find Kadann on Scardia Space Station, sooner or later, it's the only place he and his followers can retreat to. But you didn't want to go there and just wait. First you wanted to make sure he wasn't on Yavin 4 after all, in the fabled Lost City of the Jedi; and then you took the word of that damn young Jedi prince, and led us to the Wheel where that kid managed to steal my lightsaber!"
During this tirade, Azrakel had slowly moved closer and closer to the Admiral, while Officer Vivant slowly and unobtrusively retreated.
Admiral Makati, however, did not retreat a step, and offered the Dark Warrior a defiant stare.
"I can see what you're getting at," he said through clenched teeth.
"You want to get your oh-so-precious lightsaber back."
"More than that, Makati! I want REVENGE on this self-proclaimed prince! He will pay for humiliating me. Just as we both want vengeance on Kadann, I want my own vengeance first, on this child!"
The nervous Vivant stepped forward again, and the two Imperials interrupted their heated debate and turned their attention to the officer.
"Excuse me, Sir, scanners have just detected another ship in the immediate vicinity of the planet Zorbia II."
"Probably pirates. Zorbia II is the homeworld of a band of outlaws who simply attack anything and anyone who enters their system. Savage barbarians, nothing more."
"Well, Sir, this ship has been identified as an ancient space yacht of the Hutts, the Zorba Express..."
"Zorba?" the admiral commented thoughtfully.
"Does the name mean anything to you?" asked Azrakel to him.
"Zorba the Hutt is the father of Jabba, that slimy spawn who was killed on Tatooine. Apparently Zorba must have been released from prison early."
Makati turned to Vivant.
"Make a connection with the Zorba Express. I want to know what this Hutt is doing here."
"Yes, Sir!" said Vivant eagerly, while the Dark Warrior joined the admiral, slightly confused.
"Why should we care about that? Presumably this Zorba is doing some kind of business here. You even said Zorbia II is home to pirates."
"Yes, but of stupid, disorganized pirates. I just think it's suspicious that this Hutt is here right now, so close to Endor. His son Jabba was killed by the rebel leader Leia Organa. And here is Zorba now, a short hop from the Rebel base on the forest moon."
The admiral's musings were interrupted when Vivant reported that a link had been established with the Hutt's yacht.
Suddenly, a life-size hologram of Zorba appeared before the Admiral and Azrakel, and the two looked into the gigantic eyes of one of the most vile creatures they had ever seen.
Zorba was like all Hutts - a fat, slug-like creature, with short arms and a mouth so big it could swallow an entire human at once. His hair and beard were braided, and his skin looked slimy even through the hologram. With a wide grin, he greeted the admiral.
"Ahhh, what a pleasure to talk to one of my honored Imperial friends."
"I am not your friend. But also not yet your enemy. I am Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati of the glorious Galactic Empire. I demand to know what you are doing in this system, Zorba."
The Hutt's smile did not falter an inch, but he eyed the admiral even more coldly than before.
"Of course, I am merely going about my business here. And I can assure you that they have no connection whatsoever with the Empire."
Azrakel, who wanted to speed up this pointless conversation, stepped into the holocam's detection field.
"And what exactly are you here for? Spit it out, you -"
"That's enough!" Makati resolutely grabbed the Dark Warrior by the arm, and actually silenced him, but the look Azrakel gave Makati could have cut durasteel.
Zorba appeared extremely amused by the scene.
"A-haw-haw-hawww! Very well, Admiral, I will tell you why I am here. I have learned from one of my sources that a scurrilous businessman named Lando Calrissian, a competitor of mine, is working on something new. I have already sent a Twi'lek spy to Endor to scout the situation. He succeeded in finding Calrissian's secret base."
"A secret base?" asked the admiral.
"Jaaahh, a factory where Calrissian is having a new weapon built for the Rebels. An army of terror! State of the art killing machines! According to my agent, these battle droids are called Legacys."
The admiral rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Even Azrakel, who was more eager than anything to get his hands on young Ken, took notice.
"An army of battle droids you say? Very well, Zorba. This was a fortunate encounter. Have no fear, the Empire will now take on Calrissian's factory, and finish off your competition."
"Ahhh, I see." The Hutt narrowed his eyes. Of course, he was aware that the Admiral was now planning to take possession of the Legacy droids. But he had no way of knowing that this was perfectly fine with Zorba. Zorba had little interest in the droid army, his main goal was to get one over on that fool Calrissian. This was pure relaxation for the mighty Hutt. Having recently narrowly escaped death on Tatooine, Zorba longed to return to Bespin and continue his business.
But he couldn't just let the Admiral off the leash; he had to pretend to bargain, after all.
"Thank you very much, my dear Imperial friend! But of course, it would only be fair if you would let me have some of those Legacys, since after all, I brought them to your attention. Good workers are so hard to find, after all..."
The admiral smiled coldly.
"Of course. You will receive an appropriate amount of those droids as thanks for your energetic support of the Empire."
"Long live the Empire, Admiral!"
With these words, the Hutt ended the connection, just before bursting into loud laughter aboard his ship.
""A-haw-haw-hawww!"
"Have a unit of stormtroopers get ready. They are being dropped on the moon, and are to take this factory." The Admiral turned away, and the Dark Warrior followed him.
"So suddenly you are interested in Endor, too?" he asked Makati.
"I am now. Now we will not only waste our time with your revenge, but also seize important resources at the same time. These legacy droids could prove extremely useful. As I have told you many times, Azrakel, I do not have unlimited soldiers at my disposal. An extra army of battle droids comes in quite handy."
"Very well," the dark warrior finally said. "But the capture of this factory is secondary. Once I and the soldiers have landed on the forest moon, my first objective is to get to the Jedi Prince. I will get both my lightsaber and my revenge today!"
Ken just looked at one of the Legacy droids up close. At close range, they seemed less like the Ewoks. They smelled of lubricant and oil, and their artificial fur looked very different from real Ewoks up close.
Lando had ordered one of the droids to show its true form. To do so, the Legacy cut open his left arm with a blade hidden in his right hand, exposing pure metal instead of blood and bone.
In addition to Ken, the two real Ewoks in the factory, Wicket and Teebo, were fascinated by their mechanical counterparts. Cautiously, Teebo tapped one of the Legacys on the chest, whereupon it swiveled its head around to look directly at him. With a horrified squeak, the Ewok jumped back and then gave the machine a swift kick to the leg before turning away.
Ken looked back at Luke, and Han, who were again conferring with Lando.
"So you saw a Twi'lek who shouldn't be here, and apparently was spying on the area around your factory?"
"That's right, Han. Call me paranoid if you want, but I suspect bad things. I know career criminals when I see them, and that Twi'lek just reeked of a Hutt servant. I'm telling you, this Zorba is making a hobby out of ruining my business."
"Yeah, I get it. After all, a crime boss like him has nothing else to do but ambush poor old Lando Calrissian." Han now also examined the Legacy droid's exposed arm.
"I could be in my dream Skyhouse with Leia right now, enjoying my honeymoon, but instead I'm standing here in a factory making artificial killer Ewoks."
Luke patted his friend's shoulder encouragingly, then turned to Lando.
"I'd really like to help you with your problem here, Lando, but I think Ken's search for his father takes priority. Please excuse me."
"No need to apologize, Luke, I understand completely. Do you have any idea yet how you're going to proceed?"
"Ken can still sense Triclops through the Force. That's how he was able to track him on the Wheel. His connection to his father is our best chance right now. Maybe he can sense again which system he's in at the moment."
Ken joined the conversation. Finally! Of course he wanted to help Lando with his recent problem with Zorba, too, but stopping Kadann and rescuing Triclops had priority at the moment.
"I'm sorry we can't stay and help, Lando."
Luke suddenly smiled as he looked at Ken, then turned to Lando.
"Yes, but don't worry, Lando. I'm sure you and Han will be fine on your own with Zorba, if he really has something new planned."
Jerking his head up, Han looked at Luke, puzzled.
"Wait a minute, you're leaving me here alone with this-!"
"Great!" exclaimed Lando gleefully.
"I knew I could count on my friends."
CHAPTER 3
Father and Son
On another world that was much like Yavin 4's jungle moon, a lone man silently pondered his current situation while sitting on the dirt floor watching his companions.
It was difficult to estimate the man's age. He could have been twenty, but also fifty. Only his complete shock of white hair, and his sad eyes made him seem older than he actually was. At his temples were scars from the electroshock treatments he had been subjected to by the Empire. He wore ill-fitting gray prison clothes, and was also wrapped in an oversized and dirty cloak with a hood, which his companions had forced on him.
But the strangest thing about the man was the third eye that protruded from the back of his head, watching the surroundings behind him just as his two front eyes watched the area in front of him.
Triclops wanted nothing more than to avert his eyes from the men there, but he could not. Of course they were part of the empire his father had once led. They were his prophets of the Dark Side, and their prophecies always came true. Now he was their slave.
Triclops gritted his teeth at the thought, which only reminded him more of why he couldn't escape. In one of his teeth was a holonet transceiver, which the Imperials could use to take complete control of him. Triclops thought he remembered Ken trying to find a cure for this problem, some kind of chemical consisting of mushrooms from Arzid...
The thought of Ken was the only thing that could give Triclops hope. He couldn't even say goodbye to his son before the prophet Kadann had taken control of his mind. Only one letter had he been able to write, asking his son for forgiveness.
After that, almost all Triclops could remember was pain. Worse than all the electric shocks he had been subjected to in the Imperial Asylum. He hated the Empire. He was not evil, as his father, the late Emperor Palpatine, had wanted him to be. He had been one giant disappointment to him. That's why he hid him from the world, had him tortured, and tried to break his will.
But he had not succeeded.
Thinking of Ken, Triclops naturally had to think of his lover Kendalina. She had been able to successfully hide her son in the Lost City of the Jedi under Yavin 4 before she was killed.
Ken gave Triclops hope. He was still free. And he wanted to find Triclops, the father he had never known.
He almost found him, on the space station known as the Wheel. There the Prophets had sought a new ship, when suddenly a riot broke out, and they had to flee. Kadann and his two followers, Jedgar and Gornash, did not know what exactly had happened. Suddenly, a group of Imperial stormtroopers had appeared and opened fire. Kadann had immediately fled, and Triclops had to follow them.
But that was when the Emperor's son had sensed it: the familiar presence of his son, in that room aboard the space station.
The Prophets and he had escaped the station in a derelict YT-2400 freighter, not unlike the famous Millenium Falcon, and had traveled on without stopping until Kadann ordered a halt on that little-noticed swamp-and-jungle world of Mimban.
Triclops did not know why they had landed here. The prophets always spoke softly and secretly in his presence, while ignoring him most of the time. To Supreme Prophet Kadann, Palpatine's son was nothing but another trophy he would display aboard Space Station Scardia.
Jedgar and Gornash had talked to Kadann during the flight, talking about escaping either to the Corporate Sector or to the Crseih system. But Kadann would hear none of it. Mimban was on the way to Space Station Scardia, and was a world of no interest to anyone, except perhaps adventurers who dreamed of finding the legendary Kaiburr Crystal, which was said to give its bearer infinite power.
The Supreme Prophet knew that this fairy tale was foolish, and that the crystal became worthless as soon as it was removed from its sacred temple. Moreover, the Kaiburr Crystal had been found several years ago, and had been stolen. However, the abandoned temple would make a good camp during their stay.
Kadann had explained all this to his prophets, and Triclops could hear most of it. He thus knew at least which world he was on, and this gave him an idea.
Kendalina had once told him that Jedi could sense those close to them, no matter where they were in the galaxy. Triclops knew he was not a Jedi, and never would be. But the blood of Palpatine flowed in his veins, and the Force was strong in him.
As darkness slowly fell in the swamp of Mimban, and the Prophets and Triclops returned to the ruins of the ancient Temple for the night, the three-eyed mutant clung to a thought, hoping his son would hear. Wherever he was at the moment.
The planet Mimban! The temple of the Kaiburr Crystal!
In orbit over Endor, Luke and Ken were aboard the shuttle Cobra, a model built by Sienar Fleet Systems and owned by Lando Calrissian. The gambler had been kind enough to leave the Cobra with the two of them while the Millennium Falcon remained on Endor with Han and Chewie.
Luke thought of how he and Lando had traveled to Iskalon on the Cobra, and had encountered Kiro, a friend they had thought dead. Kiro had been receptive to the Force, and could have become a Jedi, but he had chosen to remain on his homeworld. And before Kiro, there had been young Dev, whom Luke could not save...
Upset, Luke rose from his seat in the cockpit, and walked toward Ken, who was just entering the room. Determined, Luke tried to put his doubts behind him. He didn't know if he was any good as a teacher, but he wouldn't fail with the young Jedi prince. Not like he had with Kiro and Dev...
"How did it go, Ken? Did you get any ideas during your meditation about where we should start looking?"
Ken, clad in a gray tunic similar in style to Skywalker's black Jedi robes, shook his head.
"I really tried, looking at all the maps and hoping that once again in the Force I would sense where my father was approximately, but nothing happened. What are we going to do if this doesn't work?"
"Just take it easy," Luke reassured the boy.
"You can never lose your patience in situations like this. If you can't find your father with the help of the Force, we'll think of another method when the time comes. We could, of course, continue training with the lightsaber, if that's what you want." With that, Luke pointed to the weapon hanging from Ken's belt, the lightsaber of the Dark Warrior Azrakel.
Ken was about to answer Luke when he heard a voice out of nowhere. He could only make out a few words, but he recognized the voice nonetheless. Triclops was calling out to him in the Force!
Ken staggered and had to brace himself against the wall, and Luke rushed to him.
"Ken? What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Slowly, Ken calmed down again. He used the breathing techniques Luke had taught him until he regained his balance. Finally, he answered, his voice all agitation.
"Luke, I just felt my father's presence! But not like last time. He was speaking directly to me! He was trying to tell me where he was!"
"That's great, Ken! So you know where we need to go?"
Ken thought hard about what he had heard. The words had been unclear, like a bad holo-transmission, but at least he could pick up a few scraps.
"I couldn't make out the whole thing, but he said something about a planet and a temple. And I could almost see the world, some kind of jungle or swamp."
Luke shook his head.
"I'm afraid that's not too specific. Did you hear anything else?"
Ken frowned and thought feverishly. There had been something, a word that he had heard, something that Triclops had wanted him to know, if only he had...
Then he had it!
"Kaiburr! He said something about a Kaiburr crystal. If we can figure out what that's supposed to be, we could - Luke?"
Luke had startled at the mention of the crystal and rushed to the pilot's seat.
"Buckle up, we're leaving right now!"
Ken complied immediately, while wondering what had startled the Jedi Knight. When he asked Luke, the latter smiled.
"The Kaiburr Crystal is a local legend on the world Circarpous V, also known as Mimban. The crystal supposedly has the ability to increase a person's Force powers immeasurably, and become all-powerful."
"Wow. And do you think this crystal really exists?" asked Ken.
Luke actually laughed out loud.
"Ken, I not only believe the Kaiburr exists, I know it because I own it! Leia and I crashed on Mimban during the war against the Empire years ago, and we took the crystal with us so it wouldn't fall into Darth Vader's hands."
Ken's eyes widened. He had never heard of this during his lessons in the Lost City of the Jedi! Yet he had been so eager to learn all about the heroes of the Rebellion back then. Of course, there had been so many stories about them that it was only understandable that some had escaped his notice.
''Kadann landed on Mimban?" asked Ken as Luke entered the coordinates for the hyperspace jump.
"Maybe he just wants to lay low there for a little while. Kadann now knows that someone is on to him after everything that happened on the Wheel."
After Luke had taken care of everything else, the Cobra prepared to jump into hyperspace. Ken looked down from the viewport once more on the moon of Endor, where Han, Lando, and Chewie would now face off alone with Zorba the Hutt. He was confident that they would deal with the criminal with ease.
"Goodbye, Endor. Hello, Mimban, here we come!"
Whooosh.
And the Cobra disappeared into hyperspace.
Alarms blared at Bright Tree Base as an Imperial Star Destroyer appeared in the system, sending out a ship headed straight for the forest moon.
Han and Lando, who had left the LGC factory, were also among the worried attendees at the station.
"What's the Empire doing here?" asked Han, addressing no one in particular, while inwardly cursing like a true Corellian. That's what he got for rushing to Lando's aid. First he said Zorba the Hutt was going to attack him, now the Imperials showed up.
Lando himself seemed no less nervous, and confused, in the face of this sudden appearance.
"This day is really getting worse and worse."
"Finally, you say something I can agree with." Han turned to a tentacle-headed Quarren officer.
"Have you been able to figure out which ship it is yet?"
"Yes, Sir, the Star Destroyer has been successfully identified as the Steadfast, flagship of the Imperial Grand Admiral Makati."
Lando saw Han's face contort and drew the obvious conclusion.
"Let me guess: the same Grand Admiral who had kidnapped Ken with that mad, Force-using warrior?"
Han ran a hand over his face in exhaustion.
"I really wish only Zorba had a hand in this. We could easily take on that slimy Hutt, but I don't feel like taking on a maniacal admiral and his personal wannabe Vader right now."
CHAPTER 4
The misty world of Mimban
"Down there, there it is! The Temple of Pomojema! And you're still sure the prophets are here?"
Ken stared, transfixed at the crumbling ruin below them. All around the black stone temple stretched the green surface of Mimban, shrouded in mist.
"Yes," Ken answered Luke's question. "I sense Triclops down there. He's in the temple."
Luke nodded.
"All right, then we'll have to land here. There's an open area that should do it."
Slowly, Luke lowered the Cobra onto Mimban's surface. Once the ship had landed safely, Luke turned to Ken and looked at the boy seriously.
"There will almost certainly be a fight. You're not experienced enough with a lightsaber yet, so I'm going to have to ask you to stand down, Ken."
Ken looked to the ground in disappointment, but he knew Luke was right. Ken really did need more practice, and right now he wasn't even sure he wanted it. The Dark Warrior's lightsaber still felt out of place in his hands, despite everything. Finally, he nodded.
"I get it, Luke. So what do we do when we run into the Prophets?"
"Well, first we give them a chance to surrender and let Triclops go. We must try to capture Kadann and his companions so they can be brought to their just punishment. Should they decide to attack us..."
Luke sighed and touched the lightsaber hanging from his belt.
"Should they attempt to do so, I will defend you with whatever it takes."
Slowly, the two left the Cobra, moving toward the temple. Ken could hear every little branch crack under his boots. Sweat trickled down his forehead, which had only partly to do with the climate of the jungle.
About ten meters from the entrance of the temple, the two suddenly stopped when they heard a mad screech coming from the jungle.
In that moment of distraction, a figure appeared in the stone entrance to the temple, and fired a single shot, which found its target.
Luke Skywalker fell to the ground with a gasp, while Ken stared in shock at the ragged figure before him.
Triclops, the smoking blaster still in his hand, stared back.
The Imperial shuttle had landed safely on Endor, and a battalion of stormtroopers was on its way to attack Bright Tree Base, the command center of the New Republic.
Azrakel wished the Rebel leaders Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and Princess Leia were there. If they were there, he would have been only too happy to go with the soldiers to slaughter these pathetic weaklings.
Instead, he had split up as soon as they landed, and had hurried through the forest in search of the Rebels' secret droid factory. Now, he was sure, he had found it.
The holographic illusion Calrissian had placed might have fooled ordinary soldiers, but not a master of the Dark Side! The Dark Warrior saw through the camouflage with ease, and gained access to the inside of the building. There he stood rooted to the spot as he found himself face to face with an army of Ewoks.
His shock immediately vanished when he realized that he could not perceive these Ewoks in the Force. Upon closer inspection, his suspicions proved correct: these ridiculous Ewoks were those Legacy droids Zorba the Hutt had spoken of!
At the thought of leading this army of cuddly animals into battle, Azrakel would have loved to burn this entire forest moon to the ground. The admiral wanted revenge on Kadann for humiliating him, but Makati himself had no problem humiliating Azrakel now as well.
Ah well. He had to do what had to be done. After a close examination of the machines, Azrakel changed his mind. They might look ridiculous from the outside, but these LGCs had some nice extras built in.
With a short laugh escaping from his breathing mask, he got back to work. Before long, he would have reprogrammed most of the Legacys, turning them into obedient killing machines that served only one master: the Dark Warrior himself!
The battle for Bright Tree Base was in full swing. For well over an hour, which felt more like a week, the Rebels had been under fire, defending themselves against the Imperial stormtroopers, who seemed to have unlimited ammunition.
Han and Lando had taken up positions at a ground-floor window of the structure, firing steadily back.
"Han! It's getting crowded in here!"
"Tell me something new!"
Barely, Han managed to duck to safety as a shot thundered past just inches above his head.
"How about this? If we can make it to my factory, I can activate the Legacys and have them attack the Imperials! Then not only do we finish off our enemies, you get a free demonstration of my droids!"
"You could have come out with that idea when those Imps showed up here! Let's get the hell out of here. These guys will be able to defend the base for a few more minutes without the two of us."
The stormtroopers had the building almost completely surrounded, but they had already made provisions for such a situation. Through a hidden trapdoor, Han and Lando entered a small, narrow tunnel that led them under the base, and into the middle of the forest, where they lifted a second trapdoor that was indistinguishable from the forest floor around them. With enough distance between them and the besieged base, the two made their way to the factory, passing the Millennium Falcon still standing in the clearing near the base. Upon closer inspection, Han spotted a figure hiding from the Imperials with his weapon drawn by the ship.
"Chewie!"
Han called out as quietly as he could, and fortunately his hairy friend heard him. The giant Wookiee looked around until he noticed the figures of Han and Lando hiding in the shadows of the forest.
"Come on, buddy! We'll get reinforcements from Lando's factory."
With a snort and a nod, Chewbacca voiced his agreement, and hurried toward his friends. The three of them continued on their way until they finally reached the secret location of the factory.
Lando used the remote control in his walking stick to deactivate the hologram, and the trio hurried inside.
"All clear," Lando said.
"Once we activate the Legacys, the Imperials are finished."
Suddenly, a deep voice, amplified by a breathing mask, sounded from the shadows.
"Oh, I don't think so, Calrissian."
And then the fearsome figure of Azrakel stepped into the rebels' field of vision. His skin was downright gray, his shock of red hair braided into a pigtail, his muscular body draped in red warrior garb. The lower half of his face was hidden behind a black breathing mask that brought back bad memories in Lando of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.
"In fact, I think your droids will serve the Empire well. Forward!"
With that shout, the killing machines suddenly activated. The Ewoks in the hall assumed posture, their gazes fixed straight ahead, their artificial eyes glowing blood red. And there were hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at Han, Lando and Chewbacca.
And then they marched off.
Ken did not dare to move. Triclops, too, stood rooted to the spot, blaster pointed at his son with a trembling hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Ken saw Luke grabbing his shoulder as he lay on the ground. The shot had only been painful, but not fatal. When he could stand it no longer, Ken broke the silence.
"Father, please! Throw the gun away! You can come with us. We've found a cure for the mind control! We can save you!"
"Stay away!" Triclops pounded out the words through clenched teeth. Sweat poured down his forehead, his veins stood out, and the scars on his temples hurt so much. Slowly, he raised the blaster further and aimed it right at Ken's head.
"Get out of here! Go now! Go!"
Ken knew his father was just trying to protect him. He had no control over his actions. It was Kadann who was controlling Triclops against his will. Slowly, Ken walked toward his father.
Luke, who lay wounded on the ground, watched the scene tensely. This could be it, the moment of truth.
The closer Ken came, the more Triclop's entire body trembled. His fingers squeezed the handle of the gun so tightly that he almost broke it. Finally, when Ken was only about two meters away from him, he dropped the gun. Still trembling and with his face contorted in pain, he stood there as his son reached out to him.
"Trust me. Please."
Slowly and painfully, Triclops held out his hand to his son - and all at once he felt a
pain so deep in his brain that he almost fainted. All at once he grabbed Ken by the arm, lifted the horrified boy, and flung him all the way back to Luke.
With a screech that made Luke and Ken's blood run cold, the frantically twitching Triclops turned around and began pounding on the stone wall of the temple. In fact, the mutant managed to shatter large sections of the masonry with his bare hands.
Ken could hardly believe his eyes. What his father was doing required superhuman strength! Then he remembered how Triclops had broken free from his cell on Yavin 4. When Kadann strengthened his control over him, Triclops was capable of almost anything.
Ken's back hurt like hell as he slowly picked himself up next to Luke. Luke himself was now getting back to his feet as well,holding his injured shoulder.
"Luke, what-"
"I'm going to try to stun him using the Force. He's too much of a danger to himself and others in this state."
But when the tormented mutant felt Luke extend the gentle feelers of the Force toward him, he cried out again, and charged the Jedi!
Hampered by his injured arm, Luke was unable to dodge in time, and Triclops grabbed the Jedi by the throat. Luke punched him in the stomach with his fist, but this only further incited the madman. Triclops threw Luke against the stone wall, which would have undoubtedly broken a normal person's back. Only by using the Force was Luke able to muffle the collision.
Ken looked at all this in horror, and just didn't know what to do. What could he possibly do? There was a solution to the mind control, but the chemical that had to be administered to Triclops was at DRAPAC.
Then Ken caught a glimpse of a glittering shadow hiding in the doorway to the temple. One of the prophets, Jedgar, judging by the size, was watching the fight and had drawn a blaster, which he pointed at Luke. Luke was standing with his back facing the entrance and too focused on Triclops in front of him to notice.
Without thinking, Ken ran toward the two fighting men.
"Luke, watch out ! Behind you !"
Seeing the Jedi Prince approaching, Jedgar swung his blaster around, firing at Ken. The shot whizzed just past Ken's head.
Suddenly, Triclops turned to Jedgar, who threatened to fire again. For the first time during the fight, the mutant actually appeared angry at someone in particular. Suddenly, Triclops extended both arms, and without warning, Luke and Ken were grabbed by the Force, and flung all the way to their ship.
The two hit the ground hard, and looked back at the temple, where Triclops had fallen to his knees, shrieking in pain.
"Wild beast! You dare defy me?!"
That was a voice Ken would have recognized anywhere. Supreme Prophet Kadann, an ugly, dwarfish figure in glittering robes, stepped out of the doorway, accompanied by his two other prophets, Gornash and Jedgar.
"Ah, look! The grandson of Emperor Palpatine himself does us the honor! Then let us give his majesty's glorious successor a fitting welcome!"
The two Prophets flanking Kadann on the right and left raised their blasters and opened fire on Ken and Luke, who barely managed to escape inside the Cobra in time.
Luke couldn't just get out there and fight because he was still wounded. Ken was too inexperienced to take on the three prophets alone, and he certainly couldn't fight his father. So, Ken thought while he could hear Triclop's insane screaming from outside, we're stuck here.
CHAPTER 5
Attack of the droids!
Han and Chewie followed behind Lando as he ran out of the factory. The Legacy droids had started moving, and were exiting the building as well.
Lando ran back the way he came to Bright Tree Base, moving through the denser parts of the forest, hoping the Legacys couldn't catch him so easily here. Han and Chewbacca did the same. Finally, the trio took cover behind a tree trunk.
"This is not good, Han, this is not good at all."
Han turned to the gambler, while the mighty Wookiee continued to keep an eye on the surroundings.
"Yeah, I guess now we're really going to get a demonstration of your oh-so-great droids. Please tell me you can disable them somehow."
Lando sat up, and looked around. No sign of the Legacys anywhere. They had to be headed straight for the base.
"I'm afraid not. I just don't believe that. This guy is using my own droids against me. It'll ruin my business before it's even turned a profit."
Lando rose, gripping his blaster tighter.
"I'll show that bastard!"
Han grabbed him by the arm, holding him back.
"Wait a minute, what about the droids? We've got to stop them from attacking the base somehow."
"We can't, Han." said Lando with a pained face. "I had the LGC droids developed, after all, and I know how dangerous they are. We'll never be able to handle them alone. We need support, and for that we need to make contact with the Alliances forces. From my factory we can do that."
"Alright, let's contact Leia, she's still at SPIN on Yavin 4. But first we have to take care of this Azrakel, and from what Ken told me, I don't think that's going to be easy."
Lando waved it off, already walking back to the now abandoned base.
"Trust me, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve!"
The stormtroopers had now surrounded the rebel base for well over an hour and were taking fire. Their instructions were to continue the assault until the Dark Warrior Azrakel had completed his part of the mission, obtaining the LGC droids.
The Star Destroyer Steadfast in orbit over the forest moon could have made short work of the base, but Grand Admiral Makati had no interest in the rebels. He only wanted to get the battle droids into his possession and continue his hunt for the prophet Kadann. Only reluctantly had the admiral allowed Azrakel to distract him from his goal. And all because the warrior wanted revenge on this young Ken.
Originally, it had been their mutual desire for revenge that had made Makati and Azrakel allies. They both wanted to find Kadann, and kill him.
Azrakel, because he had learned to hate his former master. And Makati, because the dwarfish prophet had once humiliated him in front of his entire crew.
The Admiral had a live holo-broadcast of the battle on Endor playing before him, waiting patiently for a sign that the Dark Warrior had completed his task.
And finally, something new happened.
A noise was heard, quiet at first, but steadily growing louder. Finally, the Imperial soldiers recognized it as a march. Slowly, the stormtroopers ceased firing, and turned their attention to the noise. Behind them, hundreds of Ewoks marched in step in a straight formation along the clearing. It was a most strange sight, made all the more bizarre when the little balls of fur stopped abruptly, their eyes glowing red as they surveyed the scene before them.
The confused stormtroopers, suspecting that these strange creatures were the LGC droids they had come to retrieve, continued to stare dumbly at the Ewoks as they suddenly lifted their arms and opened fire.
Immediately, about ten of the soldiers collapsed with their chests pierced, the rest were just able to duck to safety, but were now also fired upon by the rebels in the base behind them.
The Legacys made no distinction, firing the blasters built into their arms at just about anything that moved.
Aboard the Steadfast, Admiral Makati watched with interest. On the one hand, he was angry about losing resources again, but on the other hand, this was a good demonstration of the Legacys' destructive power.
The Legacys continued to fire uninterruptedly. Unlike the Rebels or Imperials, they did not have to reload their weapons. Once again they began to move, sometimes engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the outnumbered stormtroopers. One of the Imperials grabbed the weapon arm of one of the Legacys, but found that the droid was much stronger than a real Ewok. The Legacy drew a long metal blade from its left arm, leapt at the soldier, and slammed into him again and again until the stormtrooper lay lifeless.
Another soldier shot a Legacy in the head again and again. The Legacy's artificial Ewok exterior burned away, exposing a nightmarish skeletal metal skull. The Legacy's red eyes began to glow even more, and suddenly a tongue of flame shot out from its eyes, completely enveloping the soldier. The stormtrooper threw himself to the ground in panic as the flames ate at his armor, and the Legacy stepped on him, instantly breaking the soldier's spine. The killer droid just kept running over the now lifeless, still burning body, focusing its fire on the rebel base.
The holo transmission to the Steadfast ended abruptly. The last thing Makati saw was an army of Ewoks mowing down everything in their vicinity. Satisfied, the admiral leaned back in his seat. These Legacys would indeed make a good replacement for his lost stormtroopers.
Lando Calrissian had taken off his red designer cape to have more freedom of movement. Clad only in his now slightly soiled suit, his blaster in his right hand and his walking stick in his left, the gambler once again approached the entrance to his factory. The hall looked deserted, but Lando knew better. The Empire wanted his LGC droids, and therefore wanted to take over this factory as well. However, he would not allow that under any circumstances.
Han and Chewie stuck to Lando's plan, and he was now standing alone in the middle of the hall when he felt an invisible hand grab his throat, lifting him several inches off the ground and into the air. The blaster fell from his hand, but Lando clung doggedly to his walking stick.
"I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to come back, Calrissian. But that's fine by me."
The tall figure of Azrakel stepped into Lando's field of vision. The gambler drew in a breath, trying to keep his cool. He still had the advantage here, despite everything.
"I will be kind, and put a quick end to you if you answer my questions. Where is the Jedi Prince who stole my lightsaber?"
The grip around his throat slackened a bit to give Lando a chance to answer.
"He...was...here..."
Azrakel began shaking the gambler in the air in annoyance.
"I know he was here, I want to know where to find him now. Him, and my weapon."
While Lando was being tortured by the Dark Warrior, Han had surreptitiously gained access to the factory, and reached a console through which he had made contact with Leia on Yavin 4. In addition, he sent a message to the Cobra, hoping that Luke and Ken were not too far away. At the moment, Han would be grateful for any assistance from a Jedi Knight.
Lando could not see Han from his vantage point, but he felt he had waited long enough. With effort, he choked out some unintelligible words.
"What, what did you say?" the Dark Warrior demanded to know, pulling Lando, still suspended in mid-air, closer to him.
Painfully, the gambler managed a smile.
"I said...game...over."
With that, Lando pressed his thumb on a button on his walking stick. But this button had a different function than the one that camouflaged the base from the outside.
"Fifteen seconds! Fourteen seconds! Thirteen seconds!"
The monotone voice boomed loudly from the speakers, and with the realization of what was about to happen, Azrakel hurled Calrissian against a wall, and sprinted for the exit. With the help of the Force, he covered an enormous distance from the factory in a few seconds. As he made his way to the rebel base, he hoped that Calrissian would survive the coming explosion of the building. Then he could skin him personally later.
After the Dark Warrior fled, Han ran toward Lando. Meanwhile, the loudspeakers announced, "Five seconds! Four seconds!"
Han's whole body trembled. He knew they had no more time to escape. Lando scrambled to his feet, and Han screamed as if out of his mind, "Turn it off! Turn it off!"
But the countdown continued.
Three.
Two.
One.
Han buried his face in his hands, but nothing happened. Lando, still reeling from Azrakel's torture, smiled at him.
"You didn't really think I had a self-destruct button, did you? After all, I've invested so much in this droid factory."
"You miserable son of a-"
"Roaaarrghhh!"
The mighty Chewbacca came inside, gun drawn. As previously agreed, he had been standing guard outside in case any more Imperials or Legacys showed up.
"Have you been able to contact Leia?" asked Lando.
"I think so. I also sent a message to the Cobra. To take down this Azrakel, we'll need Jedi support."
"I just hope they make it back to Endor in time," Lando said.
"And that they're not already in trouble themselves."
CHAPTER 6
Cry for Help
Neither the continuous fire from the Prophets nor Triclops' pained screams had subsided. Ken knew he and Luke were safe inside the ship, but at the same time they were stuck in here. Right now, they couldn't take on the Prophets alone.
Luke, meanwhile, had tended to his injured shoulder; fortunately, the blaster shot hadn't done too much damage. Ken looked out the viewport again, and saw the Prophets Jedgar and Gornash continuing to fire their blasters at the Cobra, while Kadann had retreated further behind them. Triclops was still kneeling in the dirt in front of the temple, unheeded.
Ken was finally so close to his father, but Kadann's influence was too strong. Because of the implant in his tooth, Triclops was controlled by the Imperials, and the cure was still at DRAPAC on Dagobah.
Ken turned to Luke, who had just finished bandaging his shoulder.
"What are we going to do now? We've got to think of something so we can get Triclops out of here."
"I'm also still thinking about what-"
Luke was interrupted when a signal announced that a message had arrived. Luke sat down in the pilot's seat, and called up the message, which was marked "Important." On a small screen on the console, the text appeared in Basic, and Luke read aloud.
"Luke, Ken, trouble on Endor. The Grand Admiral and Azrakel are attacking Bright Tree Base. They're using Lando's LGC droids against us. We need your help.
-Solo"
Ken looked at Luke in shock. If they launched now, maybe they could still show up in time to help their friends. But then the Prophets would escape again, taking Triclops with them.
Luke looked at Ken, and waited. The boy had to make this decision alone.
Finally, Ken swallowed, and looked at Luke with determination.
"We have to help them. We have to get back to Endor."
"And you're sure about that? Possibly this is our last chance to capture Kadann and free your father."
Ken touched his left pocket. In it was the letter Triclops had written before his escape from Yavin 4. Triclops had written that they would meet again someday, and Ken wanted that to become a reality.
Triclops also said that Ken should never lose faith in the Force.
And he didn't. He felt he had to return to Endor to stand by his friends, even if he had to face Azrakel again. He would leave his father behind now, but he would not abandon him. He would save him.
"I'm sure, Luke. Let's take off! If Azrakel is on Endor, it's because of me."
Luke nodded, and got everything ready. A few minutes later, the Cobra rose from the jungles of Mimban, and shot out into space.
Kadann and his two prophets looked after the ship with slight confusion, but also satisfaction. They had scared off their pursuers, and could finally travel on to their real destination: the safe haven of Space Station Scardia.
With a sardonic laugh, Kadann turned to Triclops, who was still staring at the sky as if he couldn't believe the ship was actually gone.
"It seems your son has abandoned you. How tragic."
And as the prophets returned to their camp inside the temple, the Supreme Prophet began to laugh. He laughed and laughed and laughed.
The rebels at Bright Tree Base desperately continued to defend themselves. The Imperial Stormtroopers had all been killed by the Legacy Droids, and now the Droids had the base under siege.
The Dark Warrior Azrakel watched the battle with silent satisfaction. These droids were actually useful. If he still had his lightsaber, Azrakel would have joined the battle immediately, but without his weapon, the warrior stayed in the background. Instead, he activated his com, and contacted Admiral Makati. Immediately, a small hologram of the admiral appeared in front of his face.
"The LGC droids are functioning flawlessly. The attack on the rebel base was a useful demonstration."
"You fool, Azrakel!"
Even through the holographic image, the warrior could see Makati spit at those words. The admiral briefly wiped his hand over his mouth and chin and continued.
"You were merely to take possession of the droids, and get them aboard the Steadfast, not attack the Rebel headquarters! They will no doubt send reinforcements here, and believe me, I will get my Star Destroyer out of this system at the first sign of a Rebel fleet, whether you are aboard or not!"
"Are you threatening me, Admiral?"
"No, I'm just setting the facts straight. Break off the attack, get all the droids aboard the shuttle, and return to the Steadfast immediately."
Without waiting for a response, Makati cut the connection. The Dark Warrior closed his fist tighter around the com until it shattered, then turned his attention back to the battle. Suddenly, something caught his attention. He could feel it in the Force. Something was about to go wrong.
Not far away, in another part of the forest, a second army of Ewoks began marching toward Bright Tree Base. Thanks to the help of Wicket and Teebo, Han, Lando and Chewbacca were able to convince the Ewoks to make a joint attack. According to Lando, the Ewoks were their only chance to stop the LGC droids, since the murderous machines would classify the inhabitants of Endor as allies.
And indeed, when the real Ewoks arrived at the base, they were completely ignored by their artificial counterparts. This allowed the Ewoks to carry out Lando's orders. The LGC had a weak spot on their necks, a manual switch that allowed them to be deactivated. Anyone else would have been unable to ever get that close to a Legacy, but the Ewoks could.
Thus, the brave inhabitants of the forest moon were able to simply walk up to their fiendish counterparts and disable dozens of the droids.
Lando, Han, and Chewbacca watched this bizarre scene from their safe hiding place behind a fallen tree trunk. In a very short time, most of the Legacys had been disabled.
"See! I knew my plan would work!"
"You could have been in for a treat if the plan hadn't worked! After all, those blasted killer droids are your doing! Now all we have to do is wait for Leia and Luke. The two of them can then take care of the admiral and that Azrakel. I'd say I've earned a break."
Suddenly, the imposing figure of Azrakel appeared on the battlefield. The Dark Warrior stretched out his arms and whirled around in a circle, and suddenly everything in the vicinity was grabbed as if by a whirlwind, and flung away. The warrior marched off, shouting an order to his remaining killer droids.
"Retreat! Save as many Legacys as you can!"
Each of the still-functioning droids grabbed two of their deactivated comrades, and the army began to follow the Dark Warrior. The Dark Warrior kept the way clear by using the Force to finish off the attacking Ewoks. He smashed some of them against the tall trees, and broke the necks of others with the Force. The rebels inside the base were too exhausted after the ongoing battles to be of much help.
Finally, Azrakel and his droid army disappeared into the forest. Han, Chewie, and Lando looked after them, exchanged brief glances, and ran after the warrior without a word. They could not let him escape under any circumstances!
The last of the Legacys just boarded the Imperial shuttle that had originally brought the stormtroopers to Endor. Azrakel watched them with clenched fists. These droids were useful, but he hadn't gotten what he came for. He wanted his lightsaber, his weapon! He wanted to taste the blood of the Jedi Prince.
Suddenly, the sound of ship engines rang out. Azrakel looked up, and sure enough! A ship was landing, right here, in the same clearing where the Imperial shuttle stood.
Out of the landed ship stepped two battered looking figures. One was a blond man with a shoulder bandage. The other was a boy with dark hair and gray eyes. Both carried lightsabers on their belts.
Before Luke or Ken could react, the lightsaber was ripped from Ken's belt, flying straight into Azrakel's waiting hands. With a hiss, the blood-red blade activated, and with a cry of rage and joy the Dark Warrior pounced on his prey!
CHAPTER 7
Closing in on the target
The lightsaber whizzed down at Ken, but Luke Skywalker had already activated his own green blade, deflecting the blow.
Azrakel was as pleased as he could be. Not only had he finally gotten his weapon back, he would even take down the last of the Jedi Knights with it!
Again he struck, and Skywalker blocked the attack, contorting his face in pain. His injured shoulder weakened him, almost making him an unworthy opponent for the warrior.
He would quickly incapacitate Skywalker, and then deal with the boy. The wretched little prince who had humiliated him. The Admiral had made it clear that they had to get out of here immediately, so Azrakel would take the child with him. That way he would have enough time to take proper revenge.
While Luke and Azrakel were engrossed in their fight, Ken sensed movement behind him. He whirled around, coming face to face with a huge Wookiee.
"Chewie!"
Han and Lando also emerged from the forest, weapons drawn and aimed at the Dark Warrior. But with Luke in the way, they didn't dare to fire.
Luke fended off another blow from Azrakel, jumped over the latter's head with the help of the Force, and landed on the ground in front of his friends.
"It's over, Azrakel! In the name of the New Republic, you are under arrest!"
Azrakel assessed the situation. He could handle the wounded Jedi Knight. However, he had not reckoned with the three rebels. So Calrissian had tricked him by self-destructing his factory! Enraged, the warrior reached out, grabbed Calrissian with the Force, and began choking him with invisible hands. As Skywalker lunged at him with his sword, Azrakel blocked the attack, hurling Luke to the ground. He easily deflected the shots that Han and Chewie fired at him with their blasters.
Skywalker lay on the ground with his face covered in sweat; his wound weakened him too much. Suddenly, Luke's deactivated lightsaber flew straight into Ken's outstretched hand, and the boy threw himself at the warrior.
"Ken, no!"
But Ken was already striking, not in an attempt to kill the warrior, but to distract him. Azrakel jumped at the bait, let off Lando who fell to the ground, and parried Ken's clumsy attack, expecting to cut off the boy's weapon hand, when Luke rose and, with the help of the Force, swept the distracted warrior off his feet.
Azrakel, who had landed in front of his Imperial shuttle, called two of his Legacy droids outside and had them open fire on the Rebels.
Finally, a real fight! The Dark Warrior looked forward to the bloodbath to come, but suddenly Calrissian's triumphant voice rang out.
"A fleet has just arrived in the system! Leia and reinforcements have arrived; Bright Tree Base just notified me by com. Your friend the Admiral is finished, Azrakel, and so are you!"
With an angry howl from behind his black breathing mask, the warrior deactivated his weapon, and hurried into the Imperial shuttle.
The two Legacy droids provided a good distraction for escape, and in the few minutes it took Luke and the others to destroy them, the ship lifted off, fleeing back to the Steadfast.
Han helped the exhausted Luke make his way back to Bright Tree Base. Ken, Lando, and Chewbacca ran alongside them. Once there, they met Princess Leia, who had traveled on to the forest moon immediately after arriving in the system.
"I see Lando had another great business idea?"
"Yes, he really did a first-class job." Han was glad to finally see Leia again. He vowed their second attempt at a wedding would go better. In due time.
"What's the situation up there?"
"I left Yavin 4 as soon as I got your message. Apparently I was able to round up just enough ships to scare that Admiral. The Star Destroyer jumped into hyperspace a few minutes ago."
Knowing that the threat was over, Luke and Ken recounted their side trip to Mimban, while Han and Lando, occasionally interrupted by Chewbacca, told what had happened on Endor.
"I'm really sorry you lost your father again, Ken."
"Thank you, Leia. But he is not lost yet. Kadann will continue to take him with him, as a living trophy. And there is only one place Kadann can return to, and that is Space Station Scardia, home of the Prophets of the Dark Side. And from there, I will free him!"
"And we will stand by you, Ken." Luke turned to the others. "Right?"
Han, Leia, and Chewie voiced their agreement, but Lando rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I'll help, of course, if I can. But I think first I need to take care of my problem with Zorba."
"You still think Zorba had something to do with this attack?" asked Han.
"You bet! I don't know how, but I just have a feeling about it. Anyway, I guess my business with Galaxy Tours is down the drain now. Who's going to trust my LGC droids after a disaster like that. No, I think I should pay Cloud City a visit."
"Cloud City?" asked Ken. "But the city belongs to Zorba the Hutt now! Are you going to walk right into your enemy's home?"
The gambler just smiled at the boy.
"As I understand it, Ken, you're planning to do exactly the same thing."
"You thrice-cursed fool, Azrakel! Now I know why you are no longer in the service of the Empire! Because of you utter inability to carry out the simplest of orders!"
The Dark Warrior, who was alone with Makati in the latter's quarters, silently endured the Admiral's tantrum and saliva bombardment. Azrakel was not happy about the events on Endor, but he had his weapon back. He was satisfied with that.
After Admiral Makati dropped into his chair with his head held high, the warrior began to speak.
"So you're actually giving this Zorba part of the Legacy droids?"
The admiral wiped his brow with an embroidered handkerchief.
"Yes, let that slimy spawn have a handful of droids. We still have enough of those Legacys to attack Scardia."
Azrakel raised his eyebrows.
"Then you'll finally follow my advice and wait at the space station until Kadann shows up?"
"Yes, yes. I had hoped to catch him on Yavin 4 or on the Wheel, but that failed. That's why now we're already going to ambush him when he returns home."
"You use the word 'we' a lot, Makati. But once we destroy my old master and the rest of the Prophets, this short-term partnership is over."
The Grand Admiral of the Empire and the Dark Side Warrior looked at each other across the desk.
"So be it," Makati finally said.
Concluded in The Admiral's Wrath