STAR WARS
JEDI PRINCE: THE ADMIRAL'S WRATH
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 could continue his plans to save the father he never knew and accept his own dark heritage, Ken first had to face another legacy of doom, the deadly LGC-Droids, used by his new enemies for an attack on Endor! After having abandoned his search for Triclops and the Prophet Kadann on the misty world of Mimban, Ken is now ready to face his ultimate enemy and prove himself worthy of being a Jedi. But before he can face the evil that has haunted him for so long, he will first have to face the Admiral's wrath…
Chapter 1
Duel on Cloud City
Slowly and determinedly, the Mu-2 long range shuttle Cobra approached the city in the clouds on the planet Bespin. At the helm of the Cobra was the gambler and former baron administrator of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian.
At the sight of the saucer-shaped city hovering many kilometers above the core of the gas giant, all sorts of memories came flooding back to the gambler. This is where he had once betrayed his friend Han Solo to the Empire. To be fair, the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader left Calrissian no alternatives. Nevertheless, Lando still felt bad about what he had to do back then, even if he had repaid that debt several times in the meantime.
Shortly after the Battle of Endor, in which the Emperor had been killed, Lando and his special strike force - Lando's Commandos - had retaken the city from the Empire. Cloud City was a mining station for valuable tibanna gas, and thus an important resource for both the Empire and the New Republic.
But recently, Lando had once again lost control of the city. The devious Zorba the Hutt, father of the late Jabba, had tricked Lando in a card game, winning the city, including the Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino, which had since been financially ruined by Zorba and his gangster cronies.
The gambler turned to his only companion. Clad in a plain commando overall, the human looked very grown up, even though he still had the stature and face of a twelve-year-old boy.
"We will be able to land without any problems. Zorba the Hutt won't just shoot us down; he'll be slime-friendly at first to find out why we're here. This is your last chance to stay out of this, Ken."
The young Jedi prince shook his head.
"I wasn't on Endor to stand by you against Azrakel, Lando. I owe you at least that much. And once we bring Zorba to his just punishment, I will travel to Space Station Scardia, and get my father out of there."
Lando nodded. He knew Ken felt responsible for what had happened on Endor. The Dark Warrior Azrakel, who had a personal score to settle with Ken, had taken control of Lando's new droid factory on Endor, sending the newfangled LGC droids - or Legacys for short - into battle against the New Republic headquarters. Eventually, the warrior was able to escape with some of the killer droids, and return to his ally, Imperial Grand Admiral Makati. Lando couldn't prove it yet, but he just knew that Zorba the Hutt had had a hand in this as well. How else would the Imperials have found out about his secret factory? After all, Lando had found out shortly before the attack that one of Zorba's men had been spying on him on Endor.
The Cobra set down, and was already awaited by an escort. Weequays, Rodians, and Barabels stood on the landing field with grim expressions, hands dangerously close to their blasters.
Lando stood up, straightened his cloak, gripped his new walking stick tighter, and marched out of the ship with determination and a relaxed expression to meet the crooks. Ken ran after him with equal determination.
"It was a mistake to show up here again, Calrissian!" said one of the Rodians.
"That's for Zorba to judge." The gambler regarded the mercenaries boredly, hands on his hips.
"Come on out, Zorba!" he shouted. "We both know you want to see me in person."
"A-haw-haw-hawww!"
The monstrous laughter was heard even before a gate at the end of the landing platform opened, revealing the huge form of Zorba crawling toward Lando and Ken.
The obese Hutt with the mighty braided beard stopped a few feet from the player, and gave him what Zorba thought was a friendly smile.
"What a surprise this is! Welcome to my humble city, Calrissian."
"Yes, it is still your city, Zorba. But that changes today."
The Hutt regarded the human with feigned astonishment.
"Now, now, my dear Calrissian, surely you remember that you lost this city to me in a fair game. And who do we have here?" asked Zorba as he turned his attention to the boy standing next to the gambler.
"The Jedi Prince himself! Truly a surprise."
Ken calmly returned the Hutt's gaze. Zorba had captured him once before, exchanging him for the captive Princess Leia with the Slavelord Trioculus. Zorba wanted revenge on Leia, for the murder of his son Jabba, but Trioculus had fallen in love with the rebel princess, and refused to accept the offer. His desire to make Princess Leia his queen had ultimately been Trioculus' death sentence when he was deceived and killed by a Leia replicant droid.
Ken remained silent. He knew Lando had a plan, and he was curious himself to see how the gambler was going to single-handedly take back an entire city from this Hutt gangster.
"Here's my suggestion, Zorba. A new game of Sabacc. If I win, I get Cloud City back, and you and your henchmen return to Hutt space where you belong."
Zorba licked his lips with his gigantic tongue.
"And if I win this game?"
Lando smiled charmingly at the fat slug. "Then you can have whatever you want from me. Because then I'd have nothing to lose anyway."
The Hutt thought about it for a minute, then agreed. The group started moving toward the Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino, where the Sabacc game was to take place.
Lando knew by now that Zorba had cheated at their game that time; he had used rigged cards, and only the Hutt, who could see ultraviolet light, could see the markings that had been placed. Lando therefore insisted that they play with his own cards.
Zorba was about to complain about this when Lando raised his hand and interrupted him.
"I'm sincerely sorry, but we'll take my cards. You're welcome to have them checked. After all, unlike some of the others here, I don't cheat."
Zorba narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be thinking about whether he should come up with an excuse so they would play with his own rigged cards. But finally, in an ominous voice, he announced his agreement.
Ken sat apart on a couch, guarded by Zorba's men. The young prince anxiously watched the game between the two mischief-makers who sat across from each other at the card table; Lando's new white walking stick leaned against the table beside him.
After some time, Zorba began to visibly sweat. The Hutt knew he couldn't win fairly against Calrissian at Sabacc.
Lando, on the other hand, seemed relaxed throughout, sipping his glass of zoochberry juice a few times, not letting on what he thought about the cards in his hand.
Finally, the gambler laid the cards on the table in front of him.
"Sabacc!" he announced with satisfaction in his voice. Ken tensed. He knew Zorba wouldn't give up control of Cloud City just like that.
"A-haw-haw-hawww!" laughed the monstrous Hutt.
"You have won, Calrissian. Congratulations!"
As if on signal, figures suddenly marched into the room from two directions. They were small and covered in fur, reminiscent of the cuddly toys of small children. They were Lando's Legacy droids, which were modeled after the Ewoks from the forest moon of Endor. Originally, they were supposed to act as a kind of discreet security service for Galaxy Tours, which brought tourists to Endor. But in the wrong hands, the machines became merciless killers that simply destroyed everything in their vicinity.
"Here's your reward, a-haw-haw-haw!"
But Lando only calmly reached for his walking stick. As the Legacys raised their arms to roast the gambler with the blasters built into them, Lando pressed an unobtrusive little button on the cane's handle, and the droids paused in mid-motion.
Zorba's already wide eyes snapped open even wider. His huge mouth opened in horror, but no sound came out.
Calrissian enjoyed the horror on the Hutt's face, and leaned back in his seat.
"I learned from the attack on Endor by your new friends. I figured a remote control like that would be a good idea, in case someone else gets the idea to use the Legacys for their own purposes. By the way, thanks for just confirming that you have been working with the Empire. I see they paid you for your help with some of the droids. I hope the Legacys live up to your expectations?"
While Lando spoke, Zorba had given his henchmen a quick look. The two Rodians, three Weequays, and the one Barabel who had surrounded Ken slowly and stealthily reached for their blasters.
"Well, not so fast." said Lando, then pointed his walking stick at the rogues. In unison, the assembled killer doids now turned to face the group.
Lando waved Ken over, and he quickly walked over to the gambler at the table.
"All I have to do is give the order, and the Legacys will finish off both you and your men, Zorba. So, what do you say? Let's make this deal official, and then go our separate ways, all safe and sound."
Zorba glared hatefully at the gambler, but nodded. The Hutt saw no way he could get out of this situation. The damn business on Cloud City wasn't even going to well anyway, he thought.
Shortly after, everything was officially settled. Zorba was no longer the governor of Cloud City, and Lando handed over ownership and control of the City to the native Ugnaught workers, who had suffered under Zorba's reign of terror.
A little later, as the Hutt yacht Zorba Express disappeared into the distance, leaving Bespin behind, Ken turned to the gambler standing next to the Cobra on the landing platform, gazing into the clouds.
"So you don't want to be the administrator of the city again?"
Lando laughed. "Oh no, Ken. I just can't commit to one business for too long, I need variety. I just owed it to the residents and workers here to get rid of Zorba."
Ken's gaze wandered to the Cobra, the ship he had narrowly escaped death on the world of Mimban only a short time ago. When he had to leave his father, the mutant Triclops, in the clutches of the prophet of the Dark Side, Kadann.
"Then this is really it. I must face the Supreme Prophet Kadann. Alone, as you did against Zorba."
Lando put a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Not alone. Me, Luke, Han, Leia and Chewie will help you save your father. And either way, this Kadann must be stopped. I've had bad experiences with such religious fanatics and sorcerers. The last thing I want is someone like that declaring himself the new emperor."
Ken touched his silver necklace with the birth crystal; he had owned one half of the necklace since he had been brought to the Lost City of the Jedi as a child. The second half had been kept by his father all those years in Imperial captivity. Now the crystal was reunited.
Ken hoped that his plan would succeed, that he and his father would soon be reunited as well.
But the young prince knew that two other people were also hunting for Kadann, the self-proclaimed new ruler of the Empire. And those two others would not hesitate to dispose of Triclops in order to get to Kadann.
CHAPTER 2
The end is near
The Imperial Star Destroyer Steadfast suddenly dropped out of hyperspace in the Null Zone. The only thing that existed in the Null Zone in the Expansion Region was the cubic Space Station Scardia, the base of the Church of the Dark Side.
On the bridge of the Star Destroyer, First Officer Vivant approached Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati. The admiral gazed spellbound at the station hanging in space in front of the viewport. There he would find his nemesis, and finally get his revenge! Vivant briefly glanced nervously at the man standing next to the admiral. The two could hardly have looked stranger next to each other. Makati, a middle-aged man with a wrinkled face, and black hair in which gray was already showing, dressed in his shiny white admiral's uniforms with gold epaulettes.
Azrakel, the Dark Warrior, his robe as red as his hair braid, with a breathing mask that completely hid the lower half of his face, and a lightsaber hilt hanging from his belt.
The only thing the two men shared were their cold stares, and their insatiable desire for revenge. And at last, the time had come. Here, in the sacred place the Prophets of the Dark Side called home, and where they kept their stolen treasures, these two hunters would finally find their prey. The Supreme Prophet Kadann.
Vivant swallowed his nervousness, and stepped into the Admiral's field of vision.
"The crew awaits your further orders, sir."
Slowly, Makati turned away from the sight of Scardia, and gazed blankly at the officer. Vivant knew all too well how fortunate he was that the admiral's ire was not directed at him; after all, it had actually been Vivant who had been responsible for Makati's humiliation by Kadann.
The officer remembered that incident well. The Steadfast had been sent to Thila to investigate rebel activities before the destruction of the first Death Star. They were accompanied by the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side, Kadann.
Vivant didn't know too much about those prophets at the time, so he quietly made fun of the prophet's glittery black robe in conversation with some other officers. But Kadann overheard this, and in response he attacked the admiral with blue lightning bolts shooting out of his fingers. "Learn to rein in your subordinates, dear Admiral." Kadann's words still haunted Vivant's nightmares.
The Dark Warrior Azrakel now turned away from the viewport as well, and toward Vivant. The officer knew far less about the Dark Warrior. The admiral had gone through all sorts of Imperial Intelligence files until he found an entry about someone who could help him find and destroy Kadann. The warrior had once been Kadann's disciple, but eventually he had disowned the Empire and become a mercenary. Allegedly, Kadann and the late Emperor Palpatine had personally conducted diabolical experiments on the cyborg. Ever since they had allied to destroy their common enemy, a tension had been in the air between the two men. And after recent setbacks on the space station The Wheel, and the forest moon Endor, it was clear that their partnership would end after the victory over Kadann.
The admiral finally averted his expressionless gaze from the nervous Vivant, and turned on his heel to address the entire crew on the bridge.
"We will shortly dispose of an enemy who had the audacity to proclaim himself the new Emperor! A sinister dwarf with false prophecies who tried to pass off a mutant slave of Kessel as the son of Emperor Palpatine! The Supreme Prophet Kadann and his followers will die here! The Empire will never come under his control. Soon he will return to Scardia to lick his wounds. And when he emerges, he will be in for a surprise."
No one on the bridge dared to stir. The only sound was the steady breathing of the Dark Warrior, amplified by his breathing mask.
"Azrakel. You will lead the attack. Together with some of our new LGC droids, you will board the station, and eliminate all the Prophets that are currently still there. If you feel like it, you are welcome to help yourself to Kadann's private treasury."
The dark warrior's mouth twisted into a grin behind his mask. He touched the sword at his side, already looking forward to the chance to use it again.
Azrakel's thoughts briefly drifted back to Endor. There he had fought a duel against the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. The warrior had been looking forward to this for a long time; in fact, he had wanted to finish Skywalker off before he had even allied himself with Makati. But that cursed Jedi prince had interfered, and ultimately Azrakel had been forced to flee before he could kill them both.
His revenge on Skywalker and that troublesome boy, however, could now wait. Today he would feast on the blood of the lesser prophets. And soon, when his old master showed up here, he and the Admiral would both finally get their revenge.
Ken awoke in his quarters on Yavin 4 to the familiar "kshhh" of his pet Mooka, Zeebo. For a moment, Ken thought he was back at his home in Dome-house 12 in the Lost City of the Jedi beneath the surface of Yavin 4.
The young Jedi prince had spent most of his life there since a mysterious figure in brown Jedi robes had brought him there. The droids of the Lost City had been his teachers and friends. The loss of his teacher, DJ-88 - or simply Dee-Jay - still pained Ken. The droid had been deactivated on Kadann's orders.
Ken's thoughts drifted to Microchip - Chip for short - a droid who looked like a twelve-year-old boy, and was supposed to be a friend to Ken. Although he found him mostly annoying, Ken actually missed Chip now. The droid was currently still at DRAPAC - the Defense Research and Planetary Assistance Center - on Dagobah, where Ken was supposed to be attending school.
But instead he was now here, at SPIN - the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network - planning to rescue his father, Emperor Palpatine's three-eyed son Triclops, from the clutches of the Prophet Kadann.
Ken had returned from Bespin with Lando only a few hours ago, and had needed to rest immediately. He knew this was his last chance to get some sleep before the rescue mission began.
Hastily he dressed, then ran at a quick pace into the great hall where they had gathered the remaining rebels. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, the Wookiee Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian were already waiting for him. Also present were the white-robed Mon Mothma, and the fish-headed Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar.
"Well boy, finally slept in?" asked Han Solo.
"Yes. Sorry I'm late." Ken glanced at Luke. The Jedi Knight had more or less become Ken's master lately - even if Luke himself didn't want to call himself that. He had already taught Ken many of the basics of using the Force, however, and the Jedi Prince was eager to learn more.
At first, Ken had been nervous about his talent in the Force; especially after his vision on Dagobah, when he had glimpsed the form of his grandfather - Emperor Palpatine. But thanks to Luke and his other friends in the New Republic - as well as the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom Ken had been able to contact briefly on the space station The Wheel - he slowly began to come to terms with the fact that he was Palpatine's grandson.
"Who your parents or grandparents were has no bearing on you as a person." That's what Luke had told him when Ken had revealed the awful truth to him. Ken had mostly accepted this by now because it gave him hope. He knew he wasn't like his grandfather. Nor did Triclops have anything in common with Palpatine.
Mon Mothma turned to him.
"We've already discussed the situation, Ken. We know how much you care about freeing your father from the clutches of the Prophets. And thanks to our scientists at DRAPAC, we also have a cure for the Imperial mind control he's suffering from.
The New Republic also has an interest in seeing Triclops safely returned to us. Kadann wants to increase his own power, and he could potentially use Triclops as the son of Palpatine to secure more Imperial support."
"And that means?" asked Ken. It was Admiral Ackbar who answered in his gruff voice.
"We will support the rescue mission, but unfortunately we don't have unlimited resources at our disposal. Princess Leia and Master Skywalker felt that a single commando unit would be sufficient to infiltrate the station."
Ken turned to the siblings, looking at them questioningly.
"So we're really going to take care of Kadann and his prophets on our own?"
Luke looked at Ken reassuringly. "Don't worry, my shoulder is fine by now. If it comes to a fight, I'll be ready. But I hope we can arrest Kadann without violence. He must be made to understand that his game is up. Even other Imperials, like Grand Admiral Makati have turned on him." "Speaking of the dear Admiral," Han Solo interjected, "what do we do when he and his pet show up at Scardia?"
At the thought of the Dark Warrior Azrakel, Ken had to swallow. The malevolent Force user had a score to settle with Ken.
"We can worry about that problem when the time comes," Leia said. "The Admiral and Azrakel both want the Supreme Prophet dead. We do want to capture Kadann alive, but our main goal is to rescue Triclops."
She looked at Ken with an encouraging smile, which the boy returned.
"We'll take the Cobra, and fly directly to Scardia," Lando said.
Chewbacca emitted a bloodcurdling shriek, which was a simple question.
"That's right, Chewie. Why don't we take the Falcon?" replied Han.
"Okay, here's my idea. Have Luke and Ken enter the station with the Cobra, and the rest of us man the Falcon, watching their backs in case the Admiral has already arrived there as well."
The others agreed with this plan. After a brief farewell to Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar, the rebels made the final preparations. Ken and Luke sat down in the cockpit of the Cobra, while Han, Leia, Chewie and Lando boarded the Falcon.
"Then let's get this thing started. We'll get Ken's father out of there, and maybe grab a dwarf in sparkly robes," Han said over the com.
"May the Force be with us!" said Luke, and the two ships rose into the skies of the jungle moon Yavin 4, and began their journey to the null zone.
CHAPTER 3
Prophets' doom
An Imperial shuttle departed the Star Destroyer Steadfast and approached the cube-shaped Space Station Scardia. Aboard the shuttle was only one living being.
The Dark Warrior landed the ship in the station's large hangar, and remained motionless in his seat for several minutes. The lesser prophets, who were still in the station at the moment, obviously did not know what the admiral was up to. The order of the Steadfast to land a shuttle on board had been obeyed by the Prophets without hesitation. Azrakel suspected that Kadann had not been able to contact his subordinates on board since his escape from Yavin 4.
After about three minutes, several of the black-robed figures finally appeared in the hangar. Azrakel stood up and left the ship, walking past the waiting LGC droids who were just waiting for his orders.
The warrior set foot on the hangar floor, sucked in the air of the station, and faced the three prophets rushing toward him. All three were of average height, sporting long black beards, much like their master Kadann.
Visibly nervous, they stopped before the mighty appearance of the warrior. Then the prophet in the middle took over the speaking.
"Dark Greetings, and welcome to Scardia, the hallowed center of the Church of the Dark Side. We had not expected a visit from our Imperial allies."
So these fools actually knew nothing of Makati's true intentions. Very good.
The Dark Warrior clutched his chest, where there was a tiny holocamera lens. The admiral had insisted that Azrakel record everything. He now activated the camera, which sent a direct image to the bridge of the Steadtast, and answered the Prophet.
"This visit should also remain a secret. Where is the Supreme Prophet, Kadann?"
The prophets looked at each other nervously.
"The Supreme Prophet is...still on a secret mission. But I am sure he will be able to spare the time for you when he returns."
Yes, I'm sure of that too, Azrakel thought, suppressing a smile.
"I am Azrakel. Kadann was once my master, and I have come to pay my respects to him, as the new Emperor."
The prophets had tensed when the warrior revealed his past as a disciple of Kadann, but now they seemed to have calmed down. So the warrior was going to join the new ruler of the Empire! Presumably, as a former disciple, he hoped to occupy a high position of power in the Empire.
"Give me a tour of Scardia while we wait for the Supreme Prophet" said Azrakel.
The Prophets complied, leading the Dark Warrior through the many corridors of the station. Throughout the corridors were glass display cases containing the glittering treasures of Kadann. Priceless artifacts from the far corners of the galaxy lined up, all with cards containing information about each piece.
The prophets showed Azrakel just about every chamber and hall, including the Chamber of Dark Justice, where the prophets had judged the Moffs to death, and the Chamber of Dark Visions, where the prophets supposedly glimpsed the future. In fact, these were nothing but hoaxes. Kadann and his prophets relied on a spy network to get information, and to predict what might happen. And if their predictions threatened not to come true, the prophets made sure they did. By bribery, manipulation and murder they kept up their reputation and kept their position in the empire.
That was over now, they just didn't know it yet.
Azrakel listened to the prophets' worthless talk and praise of Kadann in silence and boredom. On the bridge of the Steadfast, Admiral Makati continued to follow the events with interest. As expected, Kadann had not yet arrived, and his subordinates had no idea why the Grand Admiral was actually here.
In the Chamber of Dark Visions, Azrakel set about putting an end to this charade. One of the prophets was saying something about the sacred book 'Secrets of the Dark Side', which contained the collected prophecies of Kadann, when the warrior abruptly interrupted him.
"And tell me, Prophet, how many men are currently on Scardia?"
The prophet, who had been doing the talking since Azrakel's arrival, was visibly offended by the interruption, but he answered politely.
"About thirty men are on board at the moment."
The dark warrior sighed in disappointment. He had hoped for more.
"Call them all together. There is to be a demonstration here in the Chamber."
The three bearded prophets looked at each other in confusion.
"A demonstration? Of what?"
"Of my skills as a warrior," Azrakel said from behind his breathing mask, smiling.
"I'm sure you'll put in a good word for me with the Supreme Prophet after you get a taste of my abilities."
The Dark Warrior pulled his lightsaber from his belt, holding it out for the curious prophets to examine.
"As you can see, I carry the traditional weapon of the Jedi Knights, but I am far more skilled with a saber than the Jedi were."
Visibly curious to see a lightsaber in action, the Prophets complied with Azrakel's request, summoning all the Prophets in Space Station Scardia.
Meanwhile, Azrakel drew his com, and activated the LGC droids.
After the thirty or so prophets had gathered in the chamber, the Dark Warrior stood in the center of the room, raising his arms in a gesture to quiet those present.
"My honored prophets! Today you will witness an important demonstration. I hope Kadann will be as impressed by it as you undoubtedly will be."
Azrakel reached for his sword, activated the glowing red blade, and moved into attack position. Behind the prophets, the LGC droids had entered the chamber almost unnoticed, and now blocked the exit.
One of the bearded prophets, who was as much a dwarf as Kadann, turned to the warrior.
"Hey, what's this all about? Are those Ewoks?"
Azrakel let out a ghastly laugh.
"That's right. They're part of the demonstration, too. Then let's get started!"
With these words, the warrior threw himself forward into the crowd of prophets with a yell, splitting the dwarf who had asked him about the Ewoks in two.
The remaining prophets stood there paralyzed at first, before screaming to get to safety. But the Legacys prevented them from escaping the chamber by opening fire on those who fled.
The Dark Warrior gave in to his hatred, and gleefully slaughtered the prophets. He used the Force to hurl them against the walls of the chamber, breaking all their bones. He squeezed their throats with the Force and left them gasping until they died hanging in the air. He stabbed them with his blade of pure energy, cutting them to pieces, slashing them.
Admiral Makati, who could watch all this through the holocamera on Azrakel's robe, clenched his fists, laughed with joy, and wiped the sweat from his brow with an embroidered handkerchief.
After a few minutes, it was all over, and the Dark Warrior stood in a pool of blood.
The prophets of the Dark Side had been wiped out. Now Kadann would have no help once he showed up. Azrakel deactivated his blade, and made his way back to the hangar. The Legacys followed him in step.
Aboard his sleeping cabin on the Cobra, young Ken sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes were closed and his breathing was regular. He had been meditating for a while now, hoping to make contact with Master Kenobi's spirit again. Since he had heard Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice on the Wheel, the Jedi Master's spirit had not appeared to him again.
Ken himself did not know exactly what he hoped to accomplish. He had already learned much from Luke about the Force. He had slowly begun to accept his descent from Palpatine, even though he still had a long way to go in that regard. In fact, he should be completely focused on saving his father.
"But you still have many questions."
Ken opened his eyes when he heard the Jedi's voice. But there was nothing to be seen of Master Kenobi. Ken closed his eyes again, and answered.
"Yes, I think so. I had wondered what would happen on Scardia. Whether I will be able to save my father. And stop Kadann."
"But that is not what concerns you most."
It was an observation, not a question.
Ken knew he couldn't lie to the Jedi Master, nor did he want to.
"What will happen if I fail I can guess. Me and my father will either die, or be captured by Kadann. Perhaps, as Palpatine's grandson, Kadann would use me as a puppet to consolidate his rule. But what happens should I be able to save Triclops? There is still war with the Empire, and though neither of us can change it, we are direct blood relatives of the Emperor."
"But it is not only the blood of the Palpatines that runs through your veins. Your mother, Princess Kendalina, had once been a Jedi."
Ken opened his eyes, glancing around the empty quarters.
"Did you know her? I know next to nothing about her, except what Kadann had told me."
"Kendalina was the daughter of Queen Lourdes and the Jedi Knight Raph-Elan. As you already know, she was later captured by the Empire, and met your father while working as a nurse in Kessel's Imperial Insane Asylum. Before her death, she managed to make contact with another surviving Jedi, who left you in the Lost City of the Jedi under the care of the ancient teacher droids."
Ken wanted to ask who that Jedi had been, and if it could have been Obi-Wan himself, but he held back.
"As Luke has already told you, Ken, who your ancestors were has no bearing on you. You come from a bloodline of good, and one of evil. Which side you ultimately belong to is up to you."
Ken felt Master Kenobi disappear with these words. The prince stood up, and joined Luke in the cockpit.
"We will be arriving at the Null Zone shortly. Then we'll see if Kadann is there yet. Or the admiral."
Ken pulled a folded letter from his pocket. It was the letter Triclops had written just before his escape from Yavin 4. Ken had decided then not to share the contents of the letter with Luke for the time being, but by now the Jedi Prince felt the moment was right.
Silently, Ken gave the letter to Luke, who gave the boy a questioning look before reading through it. After he finished, he handed it back to Ken.
"You know you have my word, Ken. Triclops will be freed from mind control, and become a free man."
"I know."
Ken looked out into hyperspace outside the viewport as Luke announced that they were about to arrive.
"Let's do it, then" he said.
CHAPTER 4
Deadly Diversion
The Dark Warrior walked through the silent and deserted halls of Space Station Scardia back to the hangar where his ship was waiting for him, leading the Legacy droids. Only once had he stopped to pocket a particularly interesting artifact that Kadann had brought into his possession.
At a bend just outside the hangar, however, a strange feeling came over the warrior. Azrakel stopped and looked around the seemingly deserted corridor. But there was nothing here but shadows.
Azrakel shook his head, and continued on his way.
After the warrior disappeared from the corridor, one of the shadows detached itself from a wall, and crept quietly behind him. Defeen the Defel, a species of wolf-like creatures with a talent for concealment, had only one thing in mind: to ensure his own survival. He didn't know who this warrior with the breathing mask was, but he had secretly watched him slaughter all of the station's prophets.
The wolfman Defeen was not one of the prophets himself. He had only recently been promoted to Interrogator Supreme by Kadann, and had been present when the traitorous Moffs had been sentenced to death. Shortly thereafter, Supreme Prophet Kadann had left for Yavin 4.
Defeen the Defel did not know where the Prophet was now, nor did he care. He would try to gain access to that warrior's ship, and get away from Scardia. The wolfman merged with the shadows again, and continued on his way.
And aboard the Star Destroyer Steadfast, Grand Admiral Makati turned to the First Officer, Vivant.
"Azrakel's work is complete. The Steadfast will now withdraw from Scardia; after all, we don't want to frighten Kadann with the presence of the Star Destroyer. I want him to arrive home without arousing suspicion. His surprise at the sight of his dead followers will give me satisfaction."
"Yes sir!"
"And contact Azrakel. Let him know that he should rejoin us here on board."
"Right away, sir!"
And in one fell swoop, the Steadfast disappeared from space above Scardia Station, lying in wait in a nearby system.
Whooosh!
With a flash two ships, the Cobra and the Millennium Falcon, emerged from hyperspace and approached the cube-shaped Space Station Scardia.
Over the com, Han Solo's voice sounded in the cockpit of the Cobra.
"Looks like we're the first ones here. No sign of any Imperial ships. Or does the Force tell you otherwise, Luke?"
Luke closed his eyes and focused entirely on the Force. He could sense no other ships in the Null Zone. The only thing he felt was a familiar presence aboard Scardia Station.
He opened his eyes, and turned to the com. "No, but I sense Azrakel's presence. He's already on Scardia."
Han emitted a series of Corellian imprecations.
"So, what do we do now? Do we all take him on together?"
Ken turned to Luke before he could answer Han.
"If Azrakel is here, Admiral Makati is not far behind. The Steadfast is probably somewhere outside the system waiting for something."
Luke nodded. "Yeah, they're probably still waiting for Kadann. Can you feel your father's presence?"
Ken closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on the Force. He also sensed the presence of the Dark Warrior aboard Scardia, but that was all. Ken, however, thought he sensed that Triclops was relatively close. Maybe he just wanted to hope so, but the Jedi Prince was convinced that Kadann was already on his way to Scardia. He communicated this to Luke as well, who then reconnected with Han.
"Ken is probably right. As soon as Kadann's ship shows up here, the Admiral will also start his attack. I think it would be better if the Falcon stayed here; Ken, Chewie and I will board the station in the meantime."
"And you still think that's a good idea, Luke?" asked Leia over the com.
"It will have to do for now. We've got to try to take Azrakel down, and that should be easier while he's alone on the station."
"And in the meantime, we get to take on the Steadfast alone in the Falcon then, thank you very much," Han's voice rang out again.
"May the Force be with you," Luke said, turning off the com. He then began the approach to Scardia as the Millennium Falcon approached a nearby asteroid. At first, Ken didn't understand what Han was up to, but then he realized that the Falcon could be hiding behind the asteroid.
Chewbacca growled as Luke landed the Cobra in the hangar at Scardia Station. Ken also looked out the viewport, and saw the reason for Chewie's growl. An Imperial shuttle was also in the hangar.
Azrakel's ship.
The Dark Warrior was in the cockpit of his shuttle, and in conversation with the Admiral via hologram.
"And hurry up, Azrakel! We can't be sure when Kadann will show up here. And while I've thoroughly enjoyed watching you trim his subordinates...to size, I don't want you to take him down yourself. I'll take care of that part personally."
"As you wish." The warrior agreed. His blade had tasted a lot of blood today, and he was satisfied with that. But suddenly he felt something again. And this time he was sure it was not a shadow. Azrakel disconnected from the admiral, went back into the hangar, and saw a Mu-2 long range shuttle coming in for a landing. He knew this ship!
The warrior reached for his sword, and readied himself for what he hoped would be a glorious battle!
Defeen the Defel continued to hide in the shadows, remaining invisible even to the eyes of a Jedi. Much like the warrior, the brutish wolfman watched this new shuttle land. He could have sneaked aboard the Imperial ship right now, but he decided to wait and see what would happen here for the time being.
When Ken, Luke and Chewbacca exited the Cobra, Azrakel was already waiting for them. Luke activated his green blade, and slowly walked toward the Dark Side warrior.
"I will give you another chance, Azrakel. Lay down your weapon, and surrender."
"Make me, Jedi!"
With that yell, the warrior threw himself forward and attacked. Luke repelled the attack, and a bitter duel broke out between the two. But unlike their first fight on Endor, this time Luke had no injured shoulder holding him back, and with growing discomfort the Dark Warrior realized that this fight would not be as easy as he had suspected.
While Ken and the Wookiee Chewbacca were forced to watch the fight, Ken noticed movement near Azrakel's ship out of the corner of his eye. The Jedi Prince blinked, but he was not mistaken. A shadow was moving toward the entrance of the shuttle.
Ken alerted Chewie, and the Wookiee fired a shot at the shadow's "feet." Suddenly the creature jerked back, and Ken saw a snarling wolfman - a Defel!
Azrakel, too, had caught on that something was wrong. With a mighty slash, he pushed Luke aside, and glared at the wolfman. The creature looked the dark warrior in the eye, and apparently lost all aggression. Pure fear entered its gaze, and suddenly it ran inside Azrakel's ship.
This Defel was going to steal the shuttle!
Azrakel covered the distance with a Force enhanced leap, and was just able to step inside the ship before the Defel closed the entrance. The shuttle took off, and the Warrior briefly lost his balance and crashed to the ground, his sword deactivating.
Before he could do anything about it, the Wolfman had flown the Imperial shuttle out of the hangar, and was now on its way away from Space Station Scardia.
The warrior rushed into the cockpit, but the Wolfman had once again merged with the shadows.
Azrakel's hatred continued to grow, and the warrior used all his energy to focus on the Force. He knew now that this Defel was here, so he should be able to sense him. And so he did.
Azrakel reached out, and a shadow detached itself from the wall. Suddenly the warrior held a wolfman by the throat!
The Defel bared its teeth, lashing out with its claws, but Azrakel ignored the pain as the monster's claws dug into his skin.
"You wretched, worthless-!" The warrior could barely bring the words out, such was his pure rage. His fingers closed tighter around the defel's neck.
Suddenly, the wolfman began to whimper as he saw the warrior's fingers begin to emit a blue crackle. With his hateful gaze still fixed on the wolfman, Azrakel unleashed all his strength. The fist that choked the Defel's neck erupted in blue lightning, and the entire body of the ship-thief began to tremble. His fur burst into flames, and his eyes ran molten from his eyes, as Azrakel chased more and more dark energies through his body. Finally, the tide of hatred ebbed, and the warrior smashed the Defel's corpse with force onto the floor of the cabin, where he pounded on it again and again.
After a few minutes he finally turned away and got behind the wheel. The Defel had activated the autopilot; it was moving farther and farther away from Scardia.
Azrakel pounded his fist on the console. Oh well, his mission was accomplished anyway. Although it would have been a pleasure to kill Skywalker and the Jedi Prince, the warrior knew they would die anyway if they stayed on the station.
A glance at his sensors showed the warrior that another ship had just arrived in the system.
Azrakel jumped into hyperspace with a grim smile under his breathing mask to rejoin the Steadfast. He did not want to miss the end of his former master under any circumstances!
In the station's hangar, Luke had pulled out his comlink, and established a connection with the Millennium Falcon.
"Han, something's happened here. Azrakel's ship just escaped, can you see it?"
"Sorry, kid, but it jumped into hyperspace. We couldn't risk detection of the Falcon."
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Luke, there's a YT-2400 freighter that just appeared in the system, and it's headed right for Scardia."
Ken looked at Luke excitedly.
"Kadann!" he said. "He's finally here!"
CHAPTER 5
Final Confrontation
The YT-2400 freighter had finally arrived in de Null Zone. And what a journey they had had, Triclops thought.
First they had escaped from Yavin 4 with the damaged Scardia Voyager. Since the ship was too heavily damaged they had made stop on the space station known as the Wheel, which was famous for its casinos, and got this frighter to continue the journey. But there had been a riot in the casino. Kadann still didn't know what exactly had caused it, but suddenly a skirmish had broken out between some Stormtroopers and security. The Supreme Prophet had run for safety at the first sign of trouble.
Then Kadann, his two prophets Jedgar and Gornash, and their involuntary helper Triclops, had traveled to Mimban and gone into hiding there, hoping to shake off possible pursuers. There, a confrontation had occurred with Luke Skywalker and Triclops' own son, Ken. Triclops hated himself for having to attack his son, but the Empire's mind control was just too strong.
After Skywalker and Ken had suddenly fled in their ship, the Prophets had thought they had repelled their enemies. As a result, they had continued to hide in the Temple of Pomojema for the time being, until Kadann recently decided that they could continue their journey back to Scardia.
"Looks like an Imperial shuttle just left Scardia. It just jumped into hyperspace." said Prophet Gornash.
Kadann ignored the remark. The Supreme Prophet had been silent almost the entire trip, and had spoken little. To Triclops it felt as if the Prophet had lost his confidence in victory. He had been defeated on Yavin 4, and was now forced to flee to the safety of his base, which certainly scratched his ego.
The freighter touched down in the hangar, and they disembarked. Kadann took the lead, the giant human Jedgar and the average Gornash behind him, Triclops at the very end.
The Emperor's son didn't know what to expect here. The only comfort he found was in the fact that Ken seemed to be safe. He had once promised his son that they would meet again, and if he could, he would do anything to fulfill that promise.
"My Supreme Prophet," High Prophet Jedgar said. "Look at this ship!"
The tall Prophet in his glittering black robe pointed to a Mu-2 long range shuttle. And the three prophets had seen such a ship only recently on Mimban, piloted by Luke Skywalker and the young heir to Palpatine.
"Is this really the same ship as on Mimban?" asked Gornash hopefully.
"Perhaps we are mistaken, and Skywalker is not here at all."
The dwarfish Kadann turned to him with a cold stare.
"Are you afraid, Prophet Gornash? While you are in my refuge, with thirty other prophets at your side?"
Gornash swallowed, and sank to one knee begging for forgiveness.
"No, my Supreme Prophet! Even if Skywalker is here, we will be able to destroy him!"
"So it is. Still, it is strange that no one has yet shown up to receive us. High Prophet Jedgar, you stay here with the ship for now. Keep an eye on everything. Gornash and our esteemed prisoner here," Kadann said with a snide gesture in Triclop's direction, "will accompany me to my throne room.
"As you wish, my Supreme Prophet!"
As the three figures strode through the empty corridors of Scardia, Gornash visibly grew more nervous, and even Kadann frowned. Something was not right here. The station was deserted. Where were all his prophets? Or that violence-loving Defel, Defeen?
Finally, they passed the Chamber of Dark Visions, and the stench from inside took their breath away.
Kadann visibly, and for the first time in Triclop's presence, completely lost his composure and could only stare open-mouthed at the carnage before his eyes.
Bodies lay scattered around the chamber, and blood was everywhere. After recovering from his initial shock, Kadann looked more closely at some of the bodies. Some of them had been gunned down, while others were ripped and slashed.
"That looks like...the killer used a lightsaber!" Garnash exclaimed.
"That must have been Skywalker -!"
But Kadann was no longer listening; he hurried on quickly to his throne room. From there, he could activate the defenses inside the station. If Skywalker was here, surely he could handle it somehow.
Triclops and Gornash hurried after him.
Aboard the Steadfast, Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati turned with a predatory smile to Azrakel, who had returned aboard moments before.
"So the wretched gnome has finally arrived. The time has come!" exclaimed Makati.
"The Steadfast is to jump back to Space Station Scardia immediately! Kadann will die here and now! Vengeance is finally mine!"
Azrakel hated to admit it, but the admiral's enthusiasm was contagious. He too had been looking forward to this moment. His old master would finally be destroyed. It was almost a just compensation for not being able to crush Skywalker and Ken in person.
Almost.
Kadann entered his throne room, and stood rooted to the spot.
There was his throne, carved from black stone. And in front of it stood two figures, a man and a boy.
"Greetings, Kadann," Luke Skywalker said.
"I'm afraid your reign is hereby at an end."
Gornash and Triclops now entered the room as well. When Triclops saw Ken standing there beside Luke, his eyes widened in surprise - and fear.
Finally, Kadann began to speak. The dwarf's whole body trembled with anger.
"Is that so, Master Jedi? You are here all alone, against me and my followers."
Luke shook his head sadly.
"I saw the massacre in the other hall. And I am not here alone," he said with a nod in Ken's direction.
The Supreme Prophet just laughed.
"The young Jedi prince? He may have that title, but he's not worthy of it. He is a Palpatine, and will always be one. Just like his father."
With a sinister smile, the dwarf's bearded face turned to Triclops.
"Finish them off!"
Triclops again felt control being wrenched from him. Because of the implant in his tooth, he was forced to serve the Empire, and follow Kadann's orders, otherwise it would result in ghastly pain, and death.
Triclops stopped, sweat beading on his brow as he tried to control himself.
Kadann's gaze darkened, and Gornash grew more and more nervous. "Come on, now! Attack them!" yelled Gornash as he drew a blaster of his own.
Triclops could no longer hold back the impulse to attack, so he let it happen. But instead of Ken, he lunged at Gornash, snatching the stunned prophet away and punching him in the face and stomach before finally using the Force to slam him into a wall. The prophet was dead before his battered body hit the ground.
Kadann had watched in horror, and a mini-blaster suddenly sprang from his sleeve, firing several shots at Luke and Ken in rapid succession.
But the Jedi Knight had activated his green lightsaber even before the Prophet had begun firing. Now he deflected each shot with the blade, and the fire slammed into the floor, ceiling and walls.
Kadann ceased fire, turned, and fled the hall as fast as he could. Luke rushed after him, but was stopped by Triclops, who hit him with his fist, knocking the lightsaber out of his hand.
Screeching madly, the white-haired mutant lunged at Luke. Luke was not as easy an opponent as Gornash, and was able to dodge many of Triclop's blows. He managed with the help of the Force to leap over the man's head and land behind him, but Triclops had the advantage of his third eye, which protruded from the back of his head.
"Father!" shouted Ken, rushing toward the struggling men. Kadann was forgotten for the moment. For this, Ken had gone to all this trouble.
Triclops paused, his face contorted in pain. He had to obey his master's orders, or the pain would drive him mad.
But the sight of Ken had calmed him, much as it had on Mimban.
The Jedi Prince stepped forward, holding out his open hand to his father. On it lay the crystal Ken had worn around his neck, a half sphere attached to a thin, silver chain.
Ken had possessed one half of this birthstone since he was brought to the Lost City of the Jedi as a baby. The other half he had received when he learned that Triclops was his father.
When Triclops saw that Ken had reunited the two halves of the crystal into one, he sank to his knees. Tears leaked from his eyes. He continued to suppress the impulse to attack, and the throbbing in his mind grew stronger.
As Triclops reached for the birthstone, Ken clasped his father's hands, letting the Force flow through him. He knew Triclops was in pain, so he concentrated, sending soothing thoughts through the Force. Sensing that this was beginning to have an effect, Ken squinted, and increased his efforet even more, until Triclops finally fainted, and fell to the ground. Ken intercepted him, and with Luke's help, lifted him up.
The two of them grabbed him under the shoulders and dragged him down the corridors of the station, back to the hangar.
"Chewie's still waiting aboard the Cobra," Luke gasped out. The battle had exhausted him.
"What about Kadann?" asked Ken. "We have to get Triclops out of here, but we can't just let the Prophet get away."
As if in answer, a voice suddenly sounded, booming from all the station's speakers. Luke and Ken recognized it immediately.
"Welcome home, Kadann!"
CHAPTER 6
Revenge, at last
The Supreme Prophet heard the voice as well, blaring from the station's speakers. Unlike Luke and Ken however, he did not recognize it. Frowning and beginning to panic, Kadann had stopped. What the hell was going on here?!
"Luke, we've got a big problem out here! Just now the Steadfast reappeared, and it's approaching the station!"
"Roger that, Han," Luke said into his comlink as he and Ken made their way to the hangar, carrying Triclops in their midst.
"Continue to stay out of this and stay in your hiding place! We've got Triclops and we're coming now -!"
Luke was interrupted when a blaster shot was suddenly fired at him. Luke let go of Triclops, threw himself to the side, and activated his lightsaber.
The High Prophet Jedgar, an imposing apparition over 6 feet tall, stepped into view, blaster poised and aimed at the Jedi.
"You'd better drop your weapon, Skywalker, or I'll open fire on that boy."
"I could hold your fire with ease," Luke said as he slowly moved sideways.
Jedgar followed his every step until he finally had his back to the Cobra. And from its open hatch just then stepped silently a powerful, hairy figure.
"But I don't think that will be necessary," Luke said with a glance behind the prophet.
Jedgar whirled around to face the angry face of a Wookiee. Imitating Chewbacca's snarl, the Prophet successfully fended off the Wookiee's first attack, but soon Chewie had grabbed the Prophet's right arm, and while Jedgar shrieked in pain, the mighty warrior of Kashyyyk ripped his arm completely off.
Screaming in pain, Jedgar staggered around, but the Wookiee grabbed the prophet, hammered his fist down on his head with force, and dropped the now motionless figure to the ground.
Ken continued to carry his father alone toward the Cobra.
"We have to hurry!" he said to Luke and Chewbacca.
"The admiral wants to take out Kadann! We certainly don't have much time left!"
Aboard the Steadfast, Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati stood proudly on the bridge, his arms folded behind his back. He enjoyed the silence that had followed his greeting. He waited for the Prophet to report back. He would really enjoy his revenge.
Azrakel, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest, was as excited as the Admiral. This was a moment he had been looking forward to for a long time. Finally, a voice sounded over the open com channel.
"This is Supreme Prophet Kadann, the new ruler of the Galactic Empire! Who dares to bother me here, in this holiest of places?"
The admiral remembered that day, some time before the destruction of the first Death Star. He had traveled to the world Thila with the Steadfast, accompanied by Kadann, to investigate rebel activity. But when the officer Vivant had mocked the Prophet's glittering robe, Kadann had fired blue Force bolts from his fingers directly at Makati.
"Learn to rein in your subordinates, dear Admiral." the Prophet had said.
How often Makati had heard those words in his dreams, in his fantasies of revenge. Kadann had deeply insulted him, embarrassed him in front of his crew.
The admiral never forgot, and he never forgave. His anger was relentless, and did not fade with time. And today was the day of reckoning.
At last the Admiral replied, the last words Kadann would ever hear.
"Your 'subordinate' Azrakel was kind enough to help me find you, my Emperor. He doesn't care for your sparkly dress either."
With that, the admiral ended the conversation, and turned to Vivant. He pronounced Kadann's demise with just two words.
"Open fire."
For the first time during their partnership, Makati and Azrakel smiled at each other. A vicious, but honest smile. It was finally done.
Kadann no longer understood anything at all. Who was his enemy? What was going on here?
Skywalker and young Palpatine had not pursued him. The conversation with "whoever-he-was" ended before he could say anything else.
And when the Prophet activated the station's exterior cameras and saw what was going on, he suddenly understood what was about to happen.
In that brief moment, the mask of Kadann, the Supreme Prophet, finally fell off of him. The dwarf in the glittering robe was now only himself: A swindler, a crook, an impostor. And now he was paying for it.
A few seconds later, after the first laser volleys hit, the man who had once been Kadann was no more.
After safely placing the still unconscious Triclops in one of the quarters, Luke and Ken rushed to join Chewbacca in the cockpit. The Cobra was about to take off when a commotion went through the entire Scardia station.
"Oh, no," Ken said.
Luke nodded. "We've got to get out of here fast, Chewie!"
"Roooarrgh ur roo!"
The Cobra shot out of the hangar as the station trembled under the Star Destroyer's fire.
The ship flew straight to the asteroid where the Millennium Falcon had been hiding all this time. They established a link with Han and the others.
"Luke? What's the situation?"
"Its going well enough, Han. We've got Triclops, and we can go now."
"What about Kadann?" let Leia's voice be heard.
"Kadann is dead," Ken said. "The admiral got his revenge. And Azrakel is with him."
"So it looks like our job here is done?" asked Lando. "How about your father, Ken?"
It was Luke who answered. "Triclop's condition seems stable, but he's unconscious. We need to get him to DRAPAC as soon as possible, and administer the antidote that can break the mind control."
From the viewport, Luke, Han, and Chewie watched spellbound as the Steadfast slowly ceased firing on the station. Han, Leia and Lando aboard the Falcon did the same.
Space Station Scardia was now just a wreck. It hadn't completely perished in an explosion like the two Death Stars, but no one aboard could possibly have survived. All of Kadann's stolen treasures, valuable artifacts, had probably been destroyed as well.
"So what are we going to do about the Admiral? We can't just let him and that Azrakel get away with it!"
"Yes, Han, we can," Luke said over the com.
"This battle is over. Who knows what the future holds, but I know this: we will defeat the remnants of the Empire. That will include Makati and Azrakel. But not today."
The two ships waited until the Steadfast jumped into hyperspace a little later, leaving the rebels alone in the Null Zone. Then they began their journey to Dagobah, where they hoped to free Triclops from his mind control in time.
CHAPTER 7
The Future Awaits
The mood aboard the Steadfast was boisterous. Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati sat in his quarters with his first officer Vivant, and the Dark Warrior Azrakel, draining his second glass filled with an expensive Alderaanian wine. Expensive, of course, because Alderaan no longer existed.
"So what now, Admiral?" the warrior asked. He was the only one of the three men who did not drink.
Makati leaned back in his chair.
"I will soon be moving on to the Corporate sector to maintain Imperial order there. I consider my victory over Kadann and the Prophets a good omen in that regard."
The Admiral seemed much more relaxed now, after his victory over his nemesis.
"And what about you Azrakel? I assume you will keep your word and not continue our partnership?"
"Your guess is right."
"What a pity. Despite our differences, we proved effective in the end. And as for effectiveness, well, I still own the dozen LGC droids. Right now, there's not enough time to have those killer droids examined and replicated, but after my triumph in the Corporate sector, I'm sure that can be initiated."
The admiral rose, and Azrakel did likewise. Vivant remained seated with his glass of wine, glancing nervously back and forth between the two men.
"Farewell, Azrakel." It was hard to tell if the admiral meant this sincerely, or derisively.
"I wish you an honorable warrior death, Makati," the Dark Warrior replied smugly. Then he left the cabin, and returned to his Starfighter in the Steadfast's hangar.
Sitting at the helm of his starfighter, Azrakel felt the object in his pocket. The admiral had mentioned a good omen for the future, and this was Azrakel's.
The glove of Darth Vader.
Well, he thought, the Admiral did say I could help myself to the treasury of the prophet!
The warrior put the glove over his hand, beginning to feel its powers already. With a smile hidden behind his breathing mask, the Dark Warrior steered his starfighter into the darkness of space.
A few days later at DRAPAC - the Defense Research and Planetary Assistance Center - which was located on Mount Yoda, Ken paced in a conference room with the others - Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, and droids R2-D2 and C-3PO.
Ken's droid friend from the Lost City of the Jedi, Microchip - or just Chip for short - was also present, talking with C-3PO, who recounted recent hardships against the Empire. Ken's pet Mooka, Zeebo, followed the Jedi Prince wherever he went.
Ken wore a plain gray shirt and brown jacket. The birthstone, which he had given to his father on Space Station Scardia, now hung around his neck again.
Luke gave Ken a sad look. He went to eye level with the boy, and asked the question he was afraid to answer.
"So you're sure, Ken?"
The Jedi Prince nodded as Zeebo jumped into his arms.
"Yes, I am."
"I understand," Luke said, but his look and voice made it clear that he was disappointed - not in Ken, but in himself. He had failed again.
Although he had never talked to Ken about it, the boy could still guess why Luke was disappointed.
"I'm sorry, Luke, but my training as a Jedi will have to wait for now."
"I really understand that, Ken. After everything that's happened, and now that your father-"
At that moment, Triclops walked in.
The mutant had not quite recovered from Baji's treatment. Baji, a Ho'Din healer, had been able to free Triclops from Imperial brainwashing, thanks to the chemical developed by the mushrooms Ken and Luke had brought from Arzid.
Still, the son of Palpatine was wobbly on his feet, and Lando Calrissian had left him one of his handmade walking sticks.
"I hope I'm not responsible for those sad looks, am I?"
Luke smiled.
"No, not at all. I guess I'm just a little disappointed that Ken won't be staying with the Alliance."
"At least not for now," the latter corrected.
"It's not like I'm staying away forever. But I think it's the right decision. Me and my dad both need time to heal first, after all this."
Luke now smiled gratefully at the boy standing there before him.
"Thank you, Ken."
He blinked in wonder. "For what?"
"I was disappointed in myself for thinking I had lost another potential student. But I completely understand your decision. You were able to save your father, and now you have a chance to make up for everything you never had."
"Speaking of 'catching up,'" Han interjected, "once Leia and I make a new date for the wedding, you'll be high on the guest list, understand?"
Ken smiled "Sure thing. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"So fill us in, kiddo. Where exactly do you want your trip to go?" asked Lando.
"Well," said Ken. "Kadann was right about one thing: I am a Palpatine, and will always be one. I can accept that. Because I am me, Ken Palpatine, a Jedi. And I think it would be a good idea to visit the homeworlds of my grandfathers, and maybe visit my mothers home planet. After that," Ken shrugged, "we'll just see what the future holds, right?"
"Yes, my son," Triclops said as he smiled down at Ken, "the whole future is still ahead of us."
Epilogue
Where are they now?
This is the question some of you are surely asking yourselves. And here is your answer:
Grand Admiral Makati traveled to the Corporate sector as announced, where he died shortly thereafter.
The Dark Warrior Azrakel soon learned that he and Makati had been victims of a lie, and that Kadann was supposedly still alive. On the planet Bosthirda the warrior, more powerful than ever due to the glove of Darth Vader, engaged in a final battle against the remaining Dark Side prophets before going down in a blaze of glory.
Ken Palpatine and his father Triclops discovered Kendalina's homeworld and settled there for some time. But the Jedi Prince had not forgotten his duties, nor his promises, and after some time would once again make contact with Luke Skywalker.
Zorba the Hutt returned to Hutt Space, where he attempted to take control over his entire clan. However, the Hutt Grand Council soon declared that Jabba's will was a forgery, and Zorba lost both his position and all his wealth. He withdrew from the public eye, and soon it was assumed that he had died all alone in exile.
As for the heroes of Yavin: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Lando Calrissian, along with their trusty droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, would continue the fight against the remnants of the Empire. A few years later, Han and Leia would finally marry, and soon after their twins were born.
Many more obstacles were to follow, such as the Thrawn crisis, and the fight against the sinister Dark Empire. But always Luke and his allies would emerge as the victors from these conflicts, eventually ushering in a new era of peace in the galaxy.