Chapter 27 – Sacrifice
At first Roganda had believed the horrible creatures to be part of the neverending nightmare she had found herself in ever since she had learned of Irek's death. Therefore she had not even bothered to scream or fight when they had dragged her from her quarters, through the clamor that filled the citadel's hallways with the shrill sounds of violence and battle. Soldiers were engaging more of the creatures, fighting and dying determinedly, and only then did she realise that this nightmare was all too real. She tried to break from the creatures' grasp, but they did not even budge. The fortress shook when something hit, but Roganda was too confused to fully gather what was going on. And so, hanging helplessly between her captors, she found herself being dragged deeper into the bowels of the complex.
The sterile corridors were familiar, and brought back more bad memories. But no matter how hesitant her steps, no matter how reluctant, she was being forced onward relentlessly. By the time they had reached the experimental facilities she was trembling all over. This was where she had conceived Irek. Closing her eyes, she tried to fight the images that rose before her inner eye, but it was a futile struggle, as futile as her struggle against the two aliens holding her tight.
Suddenly she was shoved forward and landed on the floor hard. When she tried to rise again one of the creatures standing at her side put his foot down on the small of her back. Taking the hint, she lay very still, awaiting the things to come. But she felt awful inside, her mind in turmoil and her emotions a dark storm of remembrance and loss.
"Is this the one?" a female voice asked dispassionately.
"Yes, Priestess. Her name is Roganda Ismaren," a man answered. She did not recognize the voice.
"Roganda," the woman intoned softly. "Your offspring was shaped after your master's design?" The words sounded strange, and Roganda thought that the woman was uncomfortable with speaking them.
"Yes," she whispered, and the truth of that statement filled her with a profound sadness that overwhelmed even the grief for her son. She remembered the Dark Lord's words, but they had no meaning now. Irek had never belonged to her, not entirely.
"Get up."
The pressure lifted from her back and she carefully rose again, but was afraid to meet the woman's gaze. Instead she took in the damaged facilities, wondering who had unleashed his or her anger on these machines.
The man spoke up once more. "I am sure your shapers can reconstruct the facilities –"
"And sully their hands on these unholy devices?" the woman snarled. "No, my friend. Roganda can assist the shapers in understanding this process. You say you do not know who destroyed them? A kindred spirit, perhaps?" she added acidly.
"I do not know, Priestess," the man answered slowly. "But perhaps ... The counselor should know. He knows everything that goes on on this world."
"Good. I will question him. Perhaps then we will find out how Prefect Os Dan's worldship was destroyed at the world Bilbringi."
"With all respect, Priestess, it must have been a Jedi," the man reasoned.
"So you tell me. These Jedi seem to hamper the success of the war master's strategy."
"But Nirauan is secured, Priestess, is it not?"
"Not yet," the woman said icily. "The goddess has clouded the intentions of the warriors the infidels have left behind there. And the infidels' resistance also seems to be stronger than you anticipated it, Hah Kima."
"Surely, Priestess, your warriors will prevail."
"The Yuuzhan Vong will triumph, of course," the priestess purred softly. "It must be that way. It has always been that way. But I believe the goddess requires a sacrifice, before she will lend me her wisdom again."
"Welcome to the Dark Side, Skywalker."
Luke turned his head wearily toward the speaker, but he had recognized the voice and tone immediately, and was therefore not surprised to find Roj Kell standing next to him. The ancient Sith wore his long white hair bound back in a ponytail and his forearms were adorned with the familiar armor, this time made of dark brown leather. Apart from that his attire was very simple. Brown pants and boots, nothing else. His only weapon seemed to be a quarterstaff that he held in his left hand.
Luke noted a few fresh scars that decorated the older man's bare torso, and for the first time he realized that Kell was really very old. Usually he exuded such power that his age became irrelevant, but seeing him now, without his usual long black robes, Luke found that he was facing a human being, not a fearsome legend from ancient times.
"Do you have any idea what it cost me to direct those energies here, at Laa'kuan?" the Sith continued, seemingly unpertubed by the young man's scrutiny.
Meeting Kell's gaze again, Luke remembered all too vividly what had happened a few hours ago. But there was nothing inside him that was touched by that memory. Dispassionately he marvelled at his own lack of emotions. He should feel something: fury, despair, fear, whatever. But there was nothing, just a vast emptiness. He turned to look back down upon the maze, where the morning light started painting the rock walls in an orange hue. The stars had faded hours ago already. It was a sad sight. But better than what was looming overhead, like a malevolent black eye of doom.
When the top of the spire had broken under the assault of whatever power he had unleashed, he had managed to get down unscathed, and had decided to flee toward the craggy cliffs, that rose not far from the labyrinth itself. He had not seen anyone else, but he had felt confident that Nuron and Chi'in could look out for themselves. But now, perched on the ledge of the cliff that rose above the maze, far from safe and not caring at all, the young Jedi could see that his foolishness had made the Star People prisoners. Far below, he could see Nolyane and four of her companions, watched over by three Yuuzhan Vong warriors. He wondered very hard if they were expecting the same fate that had befallen Chi'in, when he had been the Yuuzhan Vong's captive on Kynda'bey.
"You destroyed an allied fleet," Kell continued, seemingly oblivious of Luke's current mood. "What is more, you have managed to totally wreck my plan."
Luke barked a mirthless laugh. "Knowing you, you will have backed it up with another scheme."
Pale green eyes studied him for quite some time Then: "It would seem that you have inherited some brains after all, boy."
"So the labyrinth really is a weapon?" Luke asked after a few moments of hesitation.
"A weapon? No. This is a sacred place, a sanctuary."
"But – "
"The weapon was you. You directed those energies."
The young Jedi squinted at the older man quizzically. "What would you have done?"
"The yammosk."
"You would have used all this power merely to defeat the yammosk? But that would have been totally inefficient! With that kind of power you could have – "
"Destroyed their fleet?" Kell finished for him. "Of course. A very easy solution, a warrior's choice. But I am no warrior. I don't go and do other people's work for them, and I don't go and annihilate a people simply because I think them a perversion."
"They are trying to do the same to us," Luke argued quietly, remembering Chi'in report on the Yuuzhan Vong on Kynda'bey.
Roj Kell gave him a tight smile. "You believe that a valid argument? Boy, had your father stuck to so simple a rule he would never have managed to defeat his master."
"I don't understand you," Luke confessed. "I thought you were a survivor."
The old man averted his eyes to study the labyrinth at their feet. When he answered, his tone was distant, cold, harkening back to times long past. "My clan was slaughtered over three thousand years ago. Men, women and children. I only survived because I was not home back then. I did not swear revenge. I continued my journey, confident that with me they would live on somehow." He paused, and a snarl appeared on his features, a predator backed into a corner. "Then I met Exar Kun, who became my master. He was a Dark Jedi, who called himself Sith. He was a bitter man, and cruel, very cruel. You know that he continued Naga Sadow's experiments on the Massassi of Yavin 4, don't you?" Luke gave a mute nod. "I had learned all I believed I would need when I decided to abandon my master. I did not share his view on life." The ancient Sith's pale eyes pierced into the Jedi's heart mercilessly. "I would never ever change the nature of a being. And I could never accept something unnatural as real."
"Yet you seek to change people in other ways – "
"Guilty as charged, Skywalker, yes," Kell replied with a small smile. "But ultimately what I do is show them the truth of what they are. My master showed me that I was not like him, that I still had my ideals. But he also taught me not to accept everything as inevitable. So I decided to avenge my clan. I killed everyone who had settled on my people's territory. I spared no one. That was a grave mistake. I never did anything like that again. Until now." His voice dropped lower. "You always carry the consequences for your actions, Skywalker. Always. And I have set the price for the power you have so carelessly wasted months ago. Had I used it on the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, more ships would have come, and I would have been powerless. As I am now."
"Powerless!" Luke exclaimed. "You aren't powerless! You are a Sith, you could do something! We could –"
"We?" Kell snarled viciously. "I believe you, boy, have done quite enough already."
Hidden among the foliage of the low bushes that covered the forest floor of the valley, Chi'in felt strangely content. It reminded him of home, of Honoghr, before the planet had been so brutally ravaged in what would later be called the Clone Wars. But that contentment also had another source. The fact that he could sense the Yuuzhan Vong now, that he could follow their every move, had reversed the roles of predator and prey once more. Chi'in clan Rim'kai had been regarded as one of the best hunters among a people of hunters. The most cunning, most honorable warrior.
Signaling with his left hand he sent Nuron stalking off to circle the three Yuuzhan Vong clustered together. She was proving to become a skilled hunter too, and he could sense that she enjoyed this hunt in particular. They had not found many of the Star People, only two warriors were with them, and they seemed almost helpless without Nolyane to guide them. Right now they were huddled next to Chi'in, and the Noghri wished dearly that they would not behave like frightened children.
Suddenly loud voices rose from the clearing, and the Noghri carefully raised himself on tiptoe to see what was going on. The three Yuuzhan Vong warriors had seemingly noticed something suspicious, and Chi'in could only guess that they had spotted Nuron. Cursing under his breath, something he did not do very often at all, he started for the three aliens, but a moment later the clearing turned into a display of laser cross-fire that cut the warriors down mercilessly. Dumb-founded, the short Sith Lord stalked into the clearing and frowned into the direction he had sent Nuron.
The Zabrak appeared among the foliage, wearing a faint smile on her lips. "They are good at hiding," she said, half-amused, half-surprised.
"What are you –" Stopping himself short, the Noghri stared hard at the man who entered the clearing alongside Nuron. "Commander, what a pleasant surprise." Al'than'erudo gave him a careful nod, and Chi'in noticed the way he was looking at him. "Where did you come from?"
"Syndic Ech'an'dana sent my crew ahead to get you. The Mahsenda is a stealth ship. Those Yuuzhan Vong never noticed us."
"I am happy that your crew survived," Chi'in replied soothingly, "and I share the loss of your fleet."
The Chiss' glowing eyes narrowed a fraction. "Perhaps you would be willing to explain what occurred up there, Master Chi'in. You are the only one who can possibly be responsible for this disaster."
"Is that so?" ChI'in let his left hand fall down level with his belt, where he wore another set of knives. "What if I told you that Master Skywalker was the one who destroyed the enemy fleet?"
"And our fleet!" Al'than'erudo snapped. "I should have known that he is not to be trusted! He is a Sith, like you!"
"True. I am a Sith. Luke Skywalker was a fool to tamper with things he did not know. But that does not make him a pawn of darkness."
The commander stared at him for a long time. Then he gestured with his left hand, waving more Chiss soldiers forward. In the end twenty of the blue-skinned humanoids had joined them. "Until you have proven to me that this was indeed an accident, and not vile intent, Master Chi'in, you will be my prisoner. You and Nuron Sarin."
Chi'in gave the Zabrak female a questioning glance. The two of them were powerful enough to be able to free themselves at any time, but the Noghri wanted to avoid violence now. They had a different enemy to fight. He saw Nuron give him a small nod. Turning toward Al'than'erudo again, he raised his chin to look up into the other's glowing eyes.
"We will accompany you. Under one condition. You will help us defeat the Yuuzhan Vong warriors in the labyrinth. And you will help us free the Star People."
"The Star People are our enemies," Al'than'eruodo snorted, and his eyes flickered toward the two lanky warriors standing a bit apart. They were studying the Chiss as suspiciously as they were being watched themselves. "Why should we aid them?"
Chi'in smiled slowly. "Tell me, Commander, what were you planning to do, now that your fleet has been annihilated? Take us to Almashin or Csilla to be questioned? Waste precious time? You have a duty, Commander, to defend your people. And you have a duty to defend the Star People."
"What duty? You are making no sense, Master Chi'in."
When Chi'in moved Al'than'erudo was too surprised to react. Pulling hard at the man's collar, the Noghri brought the commander's eyes level with his. "You are gifted," he snarled, annoyed. "And with that gift comes a duty. I will not leave you to waste your powers, and I will not let you discredit mine, or Master Skywalker's. You have exactly two choices. Either you agree to be reasonable or else you will submit to me. And do not believe that your comrades could protect you. I have dealt with far worse than you."
Over the Chiss' shoulder he could see Nuron stare at him, her golden eyes wide in astonishment. We are all changing, Chi'in sighed inwardly. I am getting impatient. No, he realized, it was not impatience that had sparked his reaction, it had been the commander's refusal to see sense. Al'than'erudo claimed to be a warrior, but so far he had been jealous and counterproductive. If he wanted to become a true leader he would have to learn to follow reason first.
"What are they going to do?" Luke whispered as night fell, and the labyrinth lit up with starlight. The Yuuzhan Vong had made the maze their headquarters. A sensible choice. But it felt wrong, and Luke thought the planet itself wanted to repell those creatures.
Roj Kell, seated bside him, was a study of icy calm. "It depends on their priorities," he said slowly. "Perhaps they will make them slaves, perhaps they will sacrifice them."
"Sacrifice?"
"Of course. The sacrifice of captured enemies is highly regarded in many cultures."
Luke suppressed adding 'primitive'. Instead he asked: "What would you do in their place?"
"I don't take prisoners."
Again, Luke swallowed a comment. He had the feeling that something was happening out here that he could not quite grasp. The way the older man was watching the Yuuzhan Vong, with that calculating glance that left no doubt what he thought of them, set Luke on edge. He felt as if he were being dragged into something that was no business of his. None at all. But something else, something that he might understand, was still preying on his mind.
"Can you tell me what I did wrong?" His voice was soft, timid, and at first he did not dare look at his companion. When the other did not answer for some time, though, he risked a cautious glance. By the absent-minded expression on Kell's features he was not at all sure if he had heard his question at all. But just as he was about to repeat it, Kell extended a hand toward the labyrinth.
"The Force, as you call it, binds all things, alive and dead. It is everything, every reality we know. You have been taught to see beyond the obvious, to feel more than is apparent at a single touch, to communicate with the Force. But for that you pay. Master Yoda, for one, decided to step back, to relinquish his power and instead teach you to carry on the burden of responsibility. Your father chose to take matters into his own hands, and he paid a horrible price, as you know. It is a matter of balance, of keeping score."
Luke frowned. "I am not sure I understand."
"A matter of belief, Skywalker. I knew a man once, a Jedi Master, who refused an offer of power to retain greatness. Greatness is in your ideals, and subsequently in your actions. It does not matter if those are grand deeds or small accomplishments. What matters, is what's inside your head."
Shivering, Luke remembered what he had caused and imagined himself becoming mired in darkness, like his father. It was an unsettling thought. "So I did not have the right motives?"
"You have no respect, Skywalker," Kell whispered softly. "Look at the stars down there. They are precious, every one of them. And they will lend power to you, if you treat them with respect, and return their gift to them. Of course, they will also bend to your will if you force it, but you have seen the results of such coercion for yourself. Come." He rose from his seat and started down the slope noiselessly.
Following, Luke frowned. The feeling that Kell had not told him everything was nagging at the back of his mind, and the disturbing thing was, that he did not want to know. It was safer to remain ignorant for now. "What are you planning to do?" he whispered ahead.
"Go hunting."
Straightening from the corpse of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior, Chi'in raised his head wearily to count the cost. Seven Yuuzhan Vong and ten Chiss dead. Even though the blue-skinned humanoids were very adept warriors, they still had not yet adapted to the brutality of their enemies' approach to battle. The Yuuzhan Vong were no cautious fighters, contrary to the Chiss, and unfortunately their armor was so tough that they could reach the Chiss before their armor yielded to the soldiers' blasters. Surprisingly, the two Star People warriors were holding their own despite their more primitive weapons. They were incredibly quick and agile.
"Polay," Chi'in called the taller of the pair, and waved him over. The lanky alien hurried toward him, seemingly loath to leave his companion alone with the surviving Chiss. Once the warrior had reached him, Chi'in was already turning away. "Polay, the labyrinth," the Noghri made a complicated sign that he knew the other understood. "I want you to go there and look." More signs translated the request. Polay nodded, then honked a question, nodding toward Lusha, the younger warrior. "Yes, take him with you. But be careful."
The two Star People left together, and as expected Al'than'erudo and Nuron came over to join the Noghri. "They are excellent scouts," Chi'in commented, for the commander's benefit.
"Yes," Al'than'erudo growled, not bothering to hide his contempt for the Star People.
"You should treat them better, my friend. They have saved your life, after all."
Indeed, Polay and Lusha had been the ones who had recognized the trap the scout team under Al'than'erudo's command had almost walked into. Chi'in and Nuron had joined the ensuing fray too late to prevent the deaths of half if the Chiss troops, unfortunately.
"Perhaps I should," the commander admitted resignedly.
Ignoring him, Nuron pushed the taller alien aside to plant herself directly in front of the much shorter Sith. "Where did you send them? The labyrinth?" Chi'in nodded, and she made as if to follow the Star People. He caught her sleeve in his right hand and met her angry gaze.
"You are not going."
"Why? Luke is out there, and I am sworn to protect him," she reasoned.
"Protect him, yes, endanger him, no. What if he is a prisoner? Your trying to rescue him could draw unwanted attention on him."
"You doubt I'd succeed?"
"Yes."
Her golden eyes lit up with indignation. "Chi'in," she began, reasonably. "I am not a child."
"You are in love. That is almost the same. We will all return to the camp right now and get an update from the Mahsenda's crew. Maybe tonight we will be able to do more."
She pressed her lips together grimly, but did not protest further. Still, he could see hurt pride in the way she held herself when she walked back to join the Chiss. Al'than'erudo gave Chi'in a pensive glance before he also turned away without another word. But Chi'in had his reasons for being careful. They knew now, that Luke was alive. Nuron had felt his presence, and so had he. But contrary to the young Zabrak he had also sensed a subtle change in the Force here at Laa'kuan. Something had arrived, or someone. It was stalking the edges of the Force patiently, as if it were waiting for something to happen. Whenever Chi'in tried to gather more information about the presence it melted away into nothingness. He suspected that he knew who it was, and that would mean that any move they made might be the wrong one.
Two hours later Polay and Lusha returned, and their report confirmed his suspicions.
"Kell," Nuron growled, once Chi'in had finished translating the two warriors' words. "If he is here ..."
"We must move today," the Noghri told his small team. "Whatever he is planning, it must be soon."
"Why? What makes you think so?"
Chi'in met the Zabrak's golden eyes calmly. "Nuron, you know him as well as I do. He never shows himself so openly if he does not have his victim exactly where he wants it. And if his chosen victim is Luke, we will have to move fast, don't you agree?" As expected, she agreed quite vehemently.
Luke followed Kell as noiselessly as he could. In a way this reminded him of his training sessions with Master Yoda on Dagobah, and he found that he could fall back on the Jedi Master's lessons on stealth and endurance easily. Therefore he kept close behind his companion, so that they did not leave clearly distinguishable tracks in the dust. Kell moved with the lithe grace of a predator, gliding across the rough terrain like a ghost. The labyrinth was just ahead, and the young Jedi took a deep, calming breath as they entered the maze. Exactly at that moment the older man began talking quietly.
"When I said I would never annihilate a people just because I despise their belief I lied to you," he said quietly, his enchanting voice reaching Luke's ear easily.
"Why?" the Jedi called back in a low tone, confused by the subject the other had chosen.
"Duty imposes bonds on us, on all of us, and my duties always required me to break all rules and bonds. The only directive I had was knowledge." Stopping abruptly, Kell held up a hand to signal for Luke to remain behind. He closed his eyes briefly, as if searching, then nodded to himself. "So," he continued, "knowledge prevented me from destroying quite a number of people I found offensive, and that I would never have let survive otherwise. My belief, Skywalker, is not so different from the Yuuzhan Vong's."
Luke inhaled sharply at that new information, doubts and suspicion crashing into his mind with brute force. All of a sudden he remembered the stories he had heard from his father and Master Yoda, that trusting that ancient Sith almost always brought trouble, that he never said what he truly meant. He let his right hand drop down toward his lightsaber, feeling very uneasy.
"Why are you telling me that?" he asked cautiously, his blue eyes narrowed somewhat.
"There is no 'why', boy. If you do not know now then you will remain ignorant until you choose to see the truth."
"And what truth would that be?"
"Did you know that I killed my own son to be free of obligations? That his very existence repulsed me, because he reminded me of what I could have been? Do not be mistaken, though. I cannot regret that choice, even though I might regret the death of innocents."
"You are sick," Luke growled. He batted down hard on the black beast of anger that threatened to claw free of his soul to destroy this personification of all he knew to be evil right then and there. How could anyone be so cold?
Roj Kell gave him a mocking smile. "Your lessons have only just begun, Skywalker," he told him softly. "And this one is the hardest. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your ideals to achieve what you perceive to be a higher goal. But sooner or later you must return to them or renounce them forever. If you choose to return you will pay for your betrayal. It is that easy."
"So, which one of us is paying right now?" Luke asked between gritted teeth. "You or me?"
"You are paying for foolishness, Skywalker, for ignorance. I am paying for knowledge."
"What's the difference?"
"A lifetime of understanding," Kell whispered and started walking again. "Have you never thought that you would someday be held responsible for the deaths of the million people that died aboard the Death Star you destroyed? Or did you truly believe that you were innocent, simply because you sacrificed them for a higher goal? What are your ideals, Skywalker?"
Luke felt caught in a whirlwind of doubt. "I want to preserve life. But –" he added hurriedly at seeing that smile form on the ancient Sith's lips once more, "I also know that this sometimes requires a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice, yes. Greatness is not defined by sacrifices, Skywalker, which is why the Yuuzhan Vong have no greatness. Their sacrifices are hollow, routine prayers, if you will. Theirs is a belief that is dying out. " He looked back at Luke pointedly. "No sacrifice can save them from heresy."
"And heresy will destroy their ideals," Luke added pensively.
Nodding sharply, Roj Kell turned away again, his soft voice just barely audible as he breathed: "Did you know that the Star People believe the guardian beasts of Laa'kuan to be the reborn dead of the Abernake?"
The young Jedi gave a shrug. "Are they?"
Kell threw him another mocking smile, and Luke could deduce from the mischievous gleam in his pale eyes that he had not gotten the joke at all. "What do you believe?"
"Truthfully? I believe you're mad, but I suppose you already knew that."
Laughing out loud, the ancient Sith shook his head in amusement. "Mad? Perhaps. Now, when we go out there I want you to get to the prisoners. Think you can manage that?"
"Of course. Let's do it."
They reached the edge of the maze's core shortly thereafter, without ever coming across any guards. Luke was wondering about that, but when they carefully drew themselves up one of the rocky walls of the labyrinth, he could see that a meeting of some sort seemed to be occupying the Yuuzhan Vong's attention.
"Ah. Newcomers, I believe," Kell said with a nod toward a group of Yuuzhan Vong clustered together at the far end of the maze's core.
The young Jedi noticed a familiar scarred face among the warriors. He nudged Kell slightly to draw the other's attention to that particular Yuuzhan Vong, but the old man was already looking in that direction. "I've seen that one on Kynda'bey," Luke whispered.
"Very good. Do you see the one with the red cloak and spikes?" Kell asked back quietly and carefully indicated a particularly ugly speciman. "That is their war master."
"Ah. So he's our target?"
Roj Kell gave him an appraising look. "Good boy. Indeed, that is our prey. Be quiet now, and listen." And indeed, just as Luke fell silent, the familiar warrior knelt before the war master and spoke. "His name is Fahl Dan," Kell began translating, "he is the most senior among the warriors here. The war master tells him that he is pleased, and that he has received news from their other commanders. Apparently they did not fare quite as well. The attack on Bilbringi was thwarted by a Jedi, the war master says, and the Jedi are the root of their problems in conquering Nirauan. He wants to know what has happened to the captured warrior on Kynda'bey."
"Chi'in," Luke breathed, astounded.
"Apparently. The yammosk is recovering and is ordering the troops to regroup. It is confused as to what has happened to the fleet that engaged the infidels here. The war master asks what has happened." Roj Kell gave Luke a small smile. "Do you need a translation for that?"
The young Jedi shook his head. "What do you think happened at Bilbringi?"
"I believe your sister took matters into her own hands. She is a powerful Jedi, almost as powerful as her father."
Luke stared, dumb-founded. "You were there," he stated at last. But Kell didn't answer to that.
"Let's start some mayhem," he said instead and gazed at Luke for a moment. "And remember what I told you."
Chi'in and Nuron crawled toward the edge of the ledge carefully, with Polay and Lusha close behind. The four of them had an excellent view down into the labyrinth and the core of the maze itself. Suddenly Nuron pointed toward two shadows that moved closer toward the Yuuzhan Vong assembled at the center of the giant structure.
"There they are!" she hissed.
Chi'in nodded slowly. "They seem to have the same intentions we have. Al'than'erudo is in position?"
"Yes. He and the Mahsenda's crew should be ready to go."
"Excellent," the Noghri replied tersely. "Then I suggest we – "
A shout from below interrupted him, and suddenly all four warriors' attention was focused again on the labyrinth. One of the shadows had vaulted the last wall separating them from the maze's core, and had been spotted immediately by the alien soldiers crowding the small space. The other shadow was darting along the outer wall, out of sight, toward the entrance to the labyrinth's center. The attack was clearly meant as diversion, and Chi'in found himself following the path of the second shadow more closely. It was Luke, he knew, and he could sense the young man's nervousness and excitement clearly, as he stalked toward where two Yuuzhan Vong were standing guard over the remaining Star People.
"My stars," he heard Nuron sigh, and reluctantly averted his gaze from the Jedi toward the Sith, who hit the soldiers advancing on him very hard.
Roj Kell was using his quarterstaff like a spear, and somehow he always found the weak points in the armor of the warriors opposing him. He would first deliver a dazing blow, then move in for the kill. When two warriors charged at him from opposite sides he brought the staff up in the very last moment to make them crash headlong into one another. One jab with the blunt end of the staff broke one of the warrior's neck, before the weapon reversed and slapped the other across the face hard as he tried to rise. With a kick to the warrior's chest Kell sent that one down again and finished him off by crushing the armor above his heart and piercing through the alien's flesh.
Chi'in felt his breath catch when he realized that that move had trapped the quarterstaff for precious seconds that Kell would need to free the weapon again. "Look out!" he breathed, astounded at himself for cheering the ancient Sith on, but his call went, of course, unheard.
Instead of wasting time on a futile endeavor, Kell abandoned the quarterstaff and turned to face the next row of enemies bare-handed. One armored arm deflected the amphistaff of the first to engage him, and to Chi'in's shock the old man's hand whipped around to take hold of the sharp thing and tear it from its master's grasp.
"Why isn't he using the Force?" Nuron whispered, sounding anguished, and Chi'in risked a glance over at her to see her enthralled by the battle, her full lips parted slightly and her golden eyes wide with excitement. For a moment Chi'in was unsure whether she meant the Sith or her lover.
Looking back down toward the labyrinth, Chi'in saw Kell shear the quarterstaff free from the fallen warrior's body it had become embedded in, and discard the amphistaff for his own trusted weapon. Indeed, why wasn't he using the Force? Kell might not be very powerful in that regard, but it would give him an edge over his attackers, that much was certain. Why didn't he use that edge? Parrying another amphistaff, the old man ducked what looked to be a thud-bug, but it came back at him again, and diverted much needed attention from the Yuuzhan Vong closing in on him.
Chi'in recognised their leader instantly. "Fahl Dan."
"What?" Nuron hissed back.
"That is Fahl Dan down there. The one who captured me." He met Nuron's nonplussed gaze, and saw revelation dawn in her eyes.
"Oh," was all she said.
The Zabrak knew Kell's fighting skills as well as Chi'in did, and if someone managed to defeat Chi'in, then Kell would stand no chance against that warrior. As if eager to prove the two of them right, Fahl Dan caught the thud-bug in one hand and, with a flick of his wrist, sent it straight at the old man's face. Kell, who had been following the bug's trajectory, was caught completely by surprise, having anticipated the bug's attack to come from a totally different direction.
When he leaned back, out of the way of the fast-approaching living projectile, Fahl Dan was already lunging at him. The Yuuzhan Vong warrior, although not as tall as Kell, was much heavier set, and when he reached the white-haired Sith the impact drove both to the ground. Chi'in gritted his teeth, when the Yuuzhan Vong's amphistaff arched toward the man trapped underneath his weight, but a shouted command from one of the Yuuzhan Vong not involved in the fight, this one wearing what looked like a red cloak, prevented the warrior from executing his quarry on the spot. He rose nonchalantly, apparently leaving his subordinates to secure the defeated Sith.
"He must have known he would lose!" Nuron exclaimed, outraged. "He never loses without a reason!"
It was a measure of her feeling helpless that she was resorting to such childish accusations now, Chi'in thought, but secretly he was also wondering what the old man had planned.
Nolyane uttered a low, plaintive hooting noise at seeing Luke, when he dropped down beside her. He gave her a helpless smile and a shrug. "Hey there," he whispered. "Back together again, huh?"
He had used the commotion created by the ancient Sith's attack to sneak up to the guards standing watch over the prisoners, but the fight had ended too soon for him to take out the two Yuuzhan Vong before anyone could aid them. Slightly out of breath he ducked his head, when one of the guards glanced back at the prisoners. When he saw that they had been joined by a stranger ...
"Who are you?" the war master snarled and gestured sharply at the warriors who were holding Kell down.
Two of them hauled the old man upright. Luke heaved a sigh of relief when the guard turned back again to watch the proceedings. Apparently he had decided that a single man who sat placidly among the captives was no real threat. Not after the stunning performance Kell had just given. Luke's heart was still beating in his throat, and he was working hard on calming down again. It was not an easy task.
"I am the keeper of this sanctuary," Kell answered as the two warriors holding him pushed him to his knees in front of the war master.
"A priest?" the Yuuzhan Vong asked softly.
"Yes."
"Very good. And do you think your gods will aid you?"
"My gods?" Kell sneered. "My gods have defeated you already."
"Are they that powerful?"
"More poweful than you can know, little slave."
"We shall see about that. You have killed a number of my warriors. Impressive. Did your gods guide your hand, maybe?"
"Every breath I take is a gift from my gods and every move I make is a prayer that is sent to them. Every one of you I kill is a sacrifice I make."
"Sacrifice?" the war master repeated. "I had not expected to find someone who understands the true meaning of sacrifice among your feeble race."
Roj Kell lauged out loud. "You are so endearing in your innocent stupidity. Go on, sacrifice your gods, show me your heresy."
The war master ignored the ancient Sith Lord's challenge quite pointedly, but Luke could not suppress a stunned smile. It was amazing, how Kell never ever gave up. He hoped that he would someday be half as brave and true to his ideals. If he survived this at all. The war master pointed toward the shattered temple spire that had crashed into the giant labyrinth.
"Let us see if you truly are that wise, priest! Let all see! Your gods will cower before us!"
The two warriors dragged their quarry over to the broken stones and Luke moved with the surge of the crowd as the captives were herded closer, so they could watch the proceedings better. His stomach was churning in dire anticipation, and he whished he could do something. But he also realized that alone he had next to no chance of defeating so many. Not if he wanted to avoid another disaster like the one that had claimed Ech'an'dana's fleet. When he concentrated again on the scene before him he saw that the two Yuuzhan Vong were holding the ancient Sith Lord tightly, with his back pushed against the stone wall.
Kell watched calmly as the war master stepped toward him. With a flick of his hand the alien brought his amphistaff to quivering attention. Obeying an unspoken command, the snake-like creature stiffened its body, flattening it into a blade. Luke drew a sharp breath when the weapon slashed across Kell's abdomen, spilling blood and gore all over the dust-covered ground around. He could not sense the other man's pain, but his imagination conjured the most horrible torture up in his mind. A gasp ran through the captives at his back, and Nolyane sank to her knees beside him. The Star Keeper began whispering a quiet prayer for the Sith's spirit.
"Where are your gods now?" the war master asked triumphantly, and Luke jerked his head away when the alien's free hand moved into the gaping wound and started pulling at the insides of the old man's belly roughly.
The noises were sickening, and all around the young Jedi the captives turned their eyes away or looked on in horror as the war master continued his gruesome business. His face paling, the young Jedi realized that his inaction had doomed the older man, that this was the lesson he had been talking about. It was too late to act now. Too late. Closing his eyes briefly, Luke tried to hold back the tears of failure.
But when he had managed to gather enough courage he forced himself to look at Kell's face. It was an ashen gray. His pale green eyes, blood-shot now, were mere slits, and his jaw muscles were clenched tightly together as he continued matching the war master stare for stare.
"You," he said at last between gritted teeth, his magical voice hoarse, and weaker than ever before, "are ignorant of their greatness. You do not realize that you already belong to them." He stopped, panting, and his eyes widened ever so briefly.
"You have doomed yourselves by surrendering to their rule," the warrior-priest continued finally, and a smile appeared on his lips tentatively. "You fool," he whispered, so low Luke had to strain his ears to hear anything. "You do not understand at all. There is no difference, no distinction."
Kell forced himself to lean closer toward the war master, and the alien bent toward the dying Sith, curious. "You are mine, little slave," Roj Kell hissed. "You cannot escape me, ever."
"Your defiance is worthy of a true warrior, " the war master answered grimly. "The gods will be pleased with this sacrifice."
A gentle expression spread across the ancient Sith Lord's face, causing Luke to cringe inwardly. "They are pleased," Kell whispered.
Suddenly he threw his head back, his shoulders heaving against the hard grip of the two warriors holding him. "Jen motha!" he bellowed. "Bow to your gods, or perish!"
A loud rumble filled Luke's head and he realized that Kell was drawing power through the labyrinth's circles. The ground started shaking underneath their feet and the captives broke into panic. Around them, the glow-stones set into the labyrinth were blazing like miniature suns.
"Run, you idiots!" the ancient Sith screamed in pure anger, his voice sending ripples of terror through the crowd like a tidal wave.
Nolyane clung to Luke desperately, hooting and honking in fear. "We have to go!" he shouted, pushing her toward the labyrinth's entrance.
The earthquake continued, picking up more force with each passing moment. But the Yuuzhan Vong soldiers surrounding them seemed unpertubed, and mercilessly cut at the fleeing Star People. Dodging an amphistaff, Luke tried to keep track of the Star Keeper. In an instant he was out of the labyrinth, and black gloved hands reached for him and dragged him into a crevice that seemed to broaden into a small canyon. He stared into Nuron's golden eyes and saw sympathy and sorrow there. Falling into her embrace, he did not bother to hold back the tears.
"He is dead," he whispered.
The Zabrak nodded. "I know." Averting her troubled gaze, she led him up a steep climb. "Chi'in is waiting for us."
"I do not understand... How could he die now?" Luke continued under his breath. "I thought he'd last forever," he concluded with a bitter laugh.
"None of us is immortal," Nuron told him sternly. "Only the Force is eternal."
"We are the Force," he whispered. "All of us. In that we are immortal."
Nuron gave him a sharp glance that told him all he had to know. She thought he had gone completely mad. Shaking her head at him, she grabbed his right sleeve and started climbing faster. "Come. I think Chi'in should see to you right now."
"No." He jerked free of her grasp deteminedly. "I have to go back. We can't leave Nolyane and the others to those monsters."
Nuron frowed, and the way her forehead furrowed around her black horns gave her a fierce expression, that was emphasized by the dangerous gleam in her golden eyes. She scanned their surroundings with a quick, measuring glance, then turned toward the distant mountain cliff to signal. There was no answer, but Luke could easily guess that Chi'in had received the message. To his utter surprise the Noghri appeared on the ledge just above them noiselessly and dropped down to land lithely on the bottom of the canyon. Two of the lanky Star People accompanied him.
"Luke wants to round up the remaining Star People," Nuron explained, while the young Jedi was still staring at the cliff, trying to understand who the Zabrak had given the signal to.
"Agreed. But hurry. We will join you later." And with those words he darted back into the labyrinth, the two chestnut-furred warriors right on his heels.
"Nuron, what – "
"You'll see. For now, we have a job to do."
A thin veil still separated the two of them, and Belana was straining to cross that threshold, despite the ban he had put on her specter back on Byss. She knew he was still hanging on to life, or else the earthquake shaking the labyrinth would have died down much earlier. But then something changed. She could no longer feel Kell as the source of the giant fist that was shaking the planet mercilessly, holding it in a hard, unrelenting grip, It had eased away so gently that she had not even felt the power fade. Instead a filigrane net of golden tendrils permeated everything around her, reaching out to everything she could see, connecting everything, waiting.
Eyes wide, the Jedi Master forced herself to look at the dying Sith Lord, who was swaying slightly in the aftermath of the enormous effort he had put into this diversion, an effort that went far beyond what she could see. He was the source of the light, that poured from his very being and joined the greater flow that grew in density even while she watched. Belana felt her soul fill with awe. He had told her of this, had tried to explain, but she had never truly understood. The gift, that he had accepted so long ago, was being returned, now that its mortal host had chosen to make the last sacrifice to ensure the future of his legacy. He had chosen death, instead of annihilating these creatures that he despised so much, to make peace with them his own way. To Belana's great horror she found that she had misjudged his motives completely, when he had left her back on Byss.
But now she knew. Now she could see clearly.
All the threats, the hints at what his belief demanded of him, it all came into focus. The heart of darkness. He had kept it safe over the millennia, locked away behind walls of ice and dark cunning, so precious that it could never truly be revealed. She could feel his love then, that innocent, overwhelming caring that encompassed everything, everyone, that transcended every border and that made her tremble in helpless longing. A single tear slid down his cheek, but she knew he was not crying for himself. His pain was much more complex than the wound that was killing him. Sharing his anguish, she was mourning with him, and the veil was broken, as the tendrils of gold withdrew, out of her sight.
"Your gods are defeated," the war master announced haughtily.
At a gesture of his the two warriors released their quarry, and Kell fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut all at once. He hit the ground face down, and the force of the impact made Belana wince in sympathy. She knelt down next to him hurriedly, and found his eyes barely open. His breathing was almost nonexistent, and she could sense that the loss of blood was shutting down his brain gradually. Only his iron will kept him conscious now, but she knew how hard it had to be for him to hold on.
"Hush now," she whispered. "There is no need to fight any longer."
Closing his eyes with a heart-rendering sigh, he signaled his acquiesance. A sudden movement above her caught Belana's attention then, and she gazed up abruptly, to see the war master looming over them, his amphistaff raised high, ready to strike. It came down with bone-shattering force and then darkness fell between them.
"No!"
With a wail of sudden loss Belana threw herself at the barrier, ignoring the stabs of billions of icy needles that seemed to pierce her heart.
"No! Don't do this to me!" she screamed, and hot tears of impotent fury ran down her cheeks, as if trying to wash away her grief. "Come back! You promised ..." Her voice trailed off and she retreated again, defeated. "You promised to come back to me," she said accusingly, her voice breaking.
"Well? You know I always keep my promises."
The voice was achingly familiar, but in the tiniest nuances it also seemed different. The everpresent hints of impatience and thinly veiled anger had disappeared, leaving a glacial silver blade sheathed in a dark, earthy baritone. It cut through her soul mercilessly, but she accepted that wound gladly, and she also accepted the healing power of that enchanting melody, cherished the sound of it reverbrating in her very soul.
"You are here," she sighed as she turned to face him.
"Of course I am. Did you expect someone else?" His teasing her sent her pain away on a gentle breeze of joy.
Smiling, Belana propped her hands on her hips. "You look different," she observed.
Indeed, his features seemed softer, younger, and his hair, pitch-black once more, was longer than she remembered. With wonder in her eyes she stepped up to him, her hands reaching out tentatively to reassure herself that he was really there. Gently, she touched her fingertips to his lips and began exploring his face with mounting pleasure.
"You know," she breathed, when he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against his body tenderly, "I feared you would make your threat come true and go on a rampage while I was gone."
He leaned toward her with a smile and buried his face in her thick, dark hair as he whispered in her ear: "Who says I didn't?"
"You are unbelieveable," she sighed, exasperated. "Now tell me again that you love me."
"I love you."
"Good." Cuddling against his chest, Belana was smiling. It did not matter what he had done, all that mattered was that he was back with her at last.
TBC