Chapter 8

Cordell jumped effortlessly on top of a building, and Zeek followed. Cordell pushed off and landed on another structure, turning to face his opponent as he did.

Zeek saw Cordell turn and changed his jump into an attack. He flipped and aimed a kick at Cordell. He sidestepped the kick, but Zeek countered by pushing off of the roof as he landed, tackling Cordell in the back. The two fell over the side of the five-story building. Cordell grabbed Zeek and positioned him beneath him. Cordell then pushed off of Zeek's stomach; propelling himself onto the roof of another, lower building.

Zeek's fall was sped up with this move, and he hit the bottom of the alleyway hard. Luckily, there was garbage piled a couple of inches thick that softened the blow.

Zeek pulled himself up onto his hands and knees only to have Cordell's foot come crashing down on his back, driving him flat into the garbage again. Cordell stepped off of Zeek's back and picked him up by the neck. Cordell began to squeeze, and Zeek thought that it was all over. But Cordell seemed to change his mind, and instead punched Zeek hard in the gut with his free hand. Zeek wheezed as all the air was knocked out of him. Then, still holding him by the neck, Cordell picked up one foot and kicked Zeek squarely in the chest, letting go of his neck as he connected.

Zeek flew out of the alleyway and into the main street. He struck the ground, rolled and tumbled for a moment, then lay still. Cordell walked slowly and deliberately out of the alleyway after Zeek. As he drew closer to his opponent, Cordell's hands began to glow and spark with power. He had clearly beaten Zeek, and would now finish what he had started on Myrkr. Zeek must die!

Cordell stood over Zeek's body and remembered when Denz's body had looked just like this. Cordell thought he had killed him with that slash from his right hip to the left of his neck. He thought Denz would be out of his life, forever. But then I discover that he survived and IS STRONGER SOMEHOW! The anger that emanated from Cordell's body caused a nearby building to collapse. He looked down at Zeek again and felt strangely calmed to know that the end was near for the brother of Denz.

Cordell reached for Zeek's neck, his hands pulsating with electricity. Cordell suddenly froze, and then jumped quickly backward. A piece of the speeder Cordell had thrown earlier landed right where Cordell's hands had been.

Cordell looked quickly around, thinking that someone else was out there and had thrown it; but instead what he saw made him freeze. Everywhere he looked there was a piece of rubble or debris hovering in mid air. Cordell looked back at the piece of speeder that blocked his view of Zeek. It rose from the ground and joined the rest of the debris.

Zeek had pulled himself up and was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his hands in his lap. Dirt had mixed with the blood from cuts on his face. His breaths came in deep wheezing gasps, and Zeek knew something had been damaged internally. But through all of his pain, he smiled.

"How did you gather so much debris without me noticing, and keep your conscious state a secret from me?" Cordell demanded.

Still Zeek smiled. "I guess you were just preoccupied."

Arrgh! He's right! I was so focused on my feelings of revenge that I didn't see this coming!

Cordell roared in frustration as he rushed Zeek.

He did not even make it two full steps before a large piece of duracrete struck him full force in the side, knocking him to the ground and causing him to slide several feet away. Cordell flipped out of the slide, and just as he set his feet on the ground, another piece of duracrete hit him in the back of his ankles. As soon as his back slammed into the ground, Cordell rolled to the side just as a piece of speeder landed flat where he had just been.

There was a pause in the barrage, allowing Cordell enough time to get up. He turned and gave Zeek a deadly glare. Cordell held his right arm (the one that had been hit with duracrete) as he began to walk deliberately toward Zeek.

Several chunks of duracrete flew at Cordell from all directions. Cordell did not even flinch, and the debris struck the Force bubble he had erected.

Zeek raised his eyebrows in surprise as he directed more chunks of duracrete at Cordell. This time they struck with such force that they shattered into smaller pieces. Zeek was growing desperate as he pitched what was left of the speeder at Cordell. It hit and exploded creating a huge fireball.

But through all this, Cordell kept coming. The flames from the explosion licked at the Force bubble, hungrily wanting to scorch Cordell's flesh. Cordell's eyes, however, burned more intensely then the fire as they bore into Zeek's.

Zeek had only one idea left. As he created a hurricane of rock and rubble around Cordell, he also focused on the ground beneath his feet. The dust and dirt shifted and a small fissure formed just as Cordell took another step, causing him to lose his balance … and his concentration.

The Force bubble dropped, and Zeek knew it. He immediately began to pummel Cordell with debris.

Cordell got hit first, right in the jaw, then in the gut, causing him to cough blood. He continued to be hit from all sides, making it impossible for him to concentrate enough to create another Force bubble. He was soon on his knees, and his right arm was completely useless. NO! I can't die now! I must live so that I can get my revenge on Denz! I … MUST … LIVE!

Zeek never saw it coming. The bolt of lightning hit him square in the chest and spread throughout his entire body. He screamed in pain as it attacked every single nerve. Then his whole body went numb, and he collapsed to the ground. Zeek faded into unconsciousness; the last thing he saw was Cordell, slowly pulling himself across the ground toward Zeek, an intense anger in his eyes.

Cordell's look of anger turned to one of realization when he looked up and saw every single piece of rubble that Zeek had been levitating, waver then plummet to the ground. Cordell rolled and dodged as chunk after chunk slammed into the ground. When the storm of stone was over and the dust had settled, Cordell slowly pulled himself to his feet. To his amazement, none of the debris had landed on Zeek. He still lay in the same spot with rubble all around him. Cordell frowned and removed his lightsaber from its holster. He flicked on the acid-yellow blade and started toward Zeek.

Pan knew that this time, Zeek was really out. No! He can't kill Zeek! Moving the rubble will have been pointless if Cordell finishes him off. Denz will feel it and will surely lose control. It will take far too long to find another two subjects to answer the Question! Don't kill him, Cordell!

Cordell stood over Zeek, his lightsaber raised. The darkened Jedi bent down and removed Zeek's lightsaber from its clip on his back. Cordell tossed it into the air and swung at it horizontally, cutting it into two equal halves. He then deactivated his lightsaber and picked up Zeek, slinging him over his shoulder.

Cordell carried his beaten opponent over to the Naboo Cruiser and tossed him into the dirt beneath the ship's bow. Beside Zeek, Cordell dropped his severed lightsaber.

"You will be my message, Zeek." Cordell said to no one in particular.

Amazing! Pan thought. He's using Zeek as a message to tell everyone that by not killing him, he controls who lives and who dies. And the broken lightsaber symbolizes that the Jedi are no longer a threat to him. Most unexpected!

As he climbed into his A-Wing's cockpit, Cordell looked back at Zeek. One part of him wanted desperately to kill him for interfering with his pursuit of Denz; the other part felt ashamed of what he had done. Cordell knew that Zeek had looked up to him as a role model for most of his life.

"Some role model." He had told himself time and again. "A short-tempered, rough mannered Jedi Student with almost no regard for authority."

Cordell sighed as he sealed the cockpit hatch. At least he didn't end up like me.