Part: 4
Confrontation
Chapter 15
"You've gotten clever, Cordell." Denz said as he glared up at his cousin from the bottom of the crater. "Using Nayanll to pinpoint my location, then luring me here by dropping her down that hole."
Cordell just grinned and snapped his fingers. Immediately a sound like heavy footsteps was heard coming from beyond the rim of the crater. As they came closer, Denz and Nayanll began scanning the edge of the crater, waiting for whatever it was to appear. Suddenly, the unmistakable heads of three vorts poked over the rim. As they continued forward, Denz realized that these were different from the ones at the pit. These were bigger … much bigger. Easily three times larger than the ones they had encountered previously, the vorts cast massive shadows over the crater.
"How in the world are you able to control vorts? Even I couldn't break through the simple programming that plagues their minds." Denz asked Cordell.
"Who says I reprogrammed them?" Cordell shrugged. "I merely promised them the ultimate reward for their loyalty."
"And what might that be?" Nayanll demanded.
Cordell laughed aloud. "Why, an entire planet of Jedi, of course!"
"You wouldn't dare!" Denz was taken aback by the open threat.
"Why would you do such a thing?" Nayanll asked.
Cordell shrugged again. "Well, I figure once I've killed Denz, I'll need something else to do with all this power I have. And what could be better than destroying all the Jedi and becoming the most powerful being in the galaxy!"
"There's always someone stronger, Cordell." Denz said solemnly.
"Fool! That's why I'm getting rid of all the Jedi … so none have a chance to become stronger than me." With that Cordell nodded and the three giant vorts stepped into the crater and began to make their way toward Denz and Nayanll.
After the middle one had taken only two steps, a concentrated bolt of Force energy struck it square in the chest. The attack spread quickly through the monster's body before it fell forward, hitting the ground hard and sliding the rest of the way down into the crater where it lay still.
Denz attempted the same attack on the vort on the right only a second later, but this one, seeing its brother dropped with only one hit, swatted the bolt of energy away with one of its extremely long and heavily armored amphiarms. Denz turned to Nayanll. "Don't move." He said right before dashing forward, leaping over the smoking vort, and coming to a halt directly between the two advancing vorts.
Nayanll withdrew her lightsaber anyway, but before she could even activate it, Cordell was standing beside her, his own acid-yellow blade hovering inches from her throat. "If you're smart, you'll stay out of this." Cordell said as he lowered his weapon and held out his hand.
Nayanll slowly went to put her lightsaber in Cordell's hand but dropped it at the last moment and instead grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, bringing her knee up into his stomach. Cordell whooffed as the air was knocked out of him and grunted as Nayanll whacked him on the back of the neck with two clenched fists. Cordell fell to the ground with a thud. Nayanll bent down to retrieve her lightsaber and gasped when Cordell suddenly grabbed her wrist and said, "Is that the best you can do?" Without waiting for an answer, Cordell flung Nayanll away as if she weighed no more than a womp rat.
Nayanll landed upright a dozen feet away and glared at Cordell as he climbed to his feet. Cordell smiled and said. "I'm afraid all you managed to do was hurt my feelings." He chuckled. "I had expected you to be a good little girl and hand over your lightsaber." He said this as Nayanll's weapon floated up to his hand. "Which you did, albeit violently." He gestured at Denz who had engaged the two remaining vorts. "But for now I suggest you sit back and watch the show."
Nayanll scowled but said nothing.
Denz was relieved when Cordell did not kill Nayanll for her defiance, now he could focus on his fight. He easily predicted and avoided the vorts' attacks, even with one on each side. Finally, one made the mistake he had been waiting for. The vort swung his huge amphiarm downward hoping to crush Denz beneath it. Denz sidestepped the swing, however, and the vort's deadly limb slammed into the ground creating a small crater. Before the vort could withdraw its amphiarm for another assault, Denz reached out and grabbed the vort's arm, sending waves of Force lightning through the connection. The ten-foot-tall vort exploded as its body was unable to contain all the energy.
Denz erected a Force shield to keep the vort's innards from getting on him as well as to deflect a blow from the remaining vort. Denz turned his attention to the only one left standing. It screeched as it swung its arms wildly in long sweeping arcs. Denz leapt backward out of the ampiarms' range. The vort paused and pointed both of its amphiarms at its enemy. From the snake-like mouths shot dozens of needles made purely of poison. Denz saw the attack in time and stopped only those needles that would have hit him, letting the rest fly harmlessly past him. Before the vort could launch another volley, Denz sent the needles he had stopped back at the creature. While some bounced harmlessly off the vort's armored plating, many found purchase in soft spots and joints. The vort began to jerk and spasm as the poison took effect. Even while the vort still clung to life, Denz turned and began to walk directly toward Cordell. Finally, the vort sighed its final breath and collapsed behind him.
"Aww, such a pity your performance had to end so soon." Cordell said with a sneer. "And you don't even seem the least bit flustered. Tsk, tsk, I'll just have to fix that won't I? Think fast!"
Denz had expected Cordell to launch an attack at him, but instead Cordell flung Nayanll's lightsaber at her. It moved so fast that Nayanll did not have time to catch it, and just as his hit her chest, Cordell used the Force to activate the blade.
Nayanll gasped her final breath as the weapon pierced her skin and extended out through her back. She fell onto her side as Cordell deactivated the lightsaber and it fell to the ground next to Nayanll.
Cordell turned to Denz and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. "That should be sufficient to draw a crowd." He said and then noticed something different about Denz. His eyes, they're glowing!
Denz had done well to keep his emotions in check up till now, but witnessing the death of a friend at Cordell's hands was almost too much to handle.
"Ah, I see that bothered you slightly." Cordell grinned. "Good, 'cause that means the real fun can start now."
Each group of Jedi felt it. The loss of a friend stung strongly on their hearts. They were instantly in contact with each other via comlink.
"That was definitely Nayanll." Zeek said.
"In that last moment of pain, I got a mental picture of Cordell grinning with satisfaction." Ben said to the other two groups over the comlink.
"I saw something as well." Luke added from Ben's end. "They were standing in some kind of crater."
"I'll contact Din, and see if he can find out if Yibin knows anything about that crater." Zeek said, although he knew it was a long shot.
A few moments after conversing with Din via comlink, the Jedi Knight contacted his apprentice with the news that Yibin, unfortunately did not know anything about a crater of the size they were talking about. "But," Din said before Zeek could respond, "Yibin had the idea to call Rolind, Denz's personal aide, to see if he knew anything, and sure enough, Rolind said that where that crater is, is where his settlement used to be."
"Great!" Zeek exclaimed. "Send me the coordinates and I'll retransmit them to everyone else."
"Consider it done." Din replied.
Zeek checked his data pad and found the numbers displayed on it. After re-transmitting the information, he turned to Tay and said. "It's going to be dangerous. Are you sure you want to come?"
Tay laughed lightly, but the nervousness was evident in her voice. "I'm not backing out now! I want to see Cordell stopped once and for all!"
"But won't that put you out of a job?"
Tay took a step back, a shocked expression on her face. "How could you say something like that?"
Zeek put up his hands in an apologetic gesture. "Hey, I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
Tay scowled at him as she got into the speeder. "That wasn't even a little funny!"
Zeek was silent as he started up the speeder and set their course.
Cordell slid his deactivated lightsaber back into its holster and said. "Now, let's test you out, shall we?"
Denz glanced again at Nayanll's lifeless body before taking a deep breath and turning to face Cordell. "Cordell, you don't have to do this."
"Oh, but I've been wanting to do this for so long." Cordell sneered before rushing forward and delivering a staggering right hook to Denz's jaw.
Denz stumbled backward a few steps before righting himself. He massaged his jaw briefly, and then straightened up once again facing Cordell with his hands clasped behind his back. "I don't want to hurt you, Cordell."
"Don't worry, I won't give you the chance." Cordell rushed at Denz again, this time hitting him hard in the stomach.
Denz bent over and coughed once before resuming his previous position. "You must put the past behind you. Though Nayanll is never coming back, I have accepted the fact and have forgiven you. If I can forgive you for something like that, what's to say the others won't forgive you for everything else you've done? All you have to do is choose to accept the forgiveness being offered to you."
Cordell frowned. "I never asked to be forgiven. You just assume that I am sorry for what I've done, when in reality I don't regret one thing!" Cordell spun around and aimed a kick at Denz's head.
Denz raised one hand to stop the kick from connecting. "Drop the tough guy act, Cordell. I liked the slightly hot-headed cousin that enjoyed a good physical challenge better."
"Guess what." Cordell said as he swung with his right fist only to be stopped when Denz grabbed it in mid swing. "I find this lifestyle much more thrilling."
Still holding Cordell's fist in his hand Denz's voice took on a pleading tone. "Please, Cordell. We're family."
"You're such a wuss." Cordell snickered as he brought his left fist around and having it stopped in the same manner.
Now staring face-to-face, Cordell's fists trapped in Denz's hands, the cousins felt it at the same time. "The others are coming." Denz said.
"I guess that means I'll just have to finish you off quickly so I can take care of them as they arrive." Cordell replied through clenched teeth.
Denz sighed deeply as he accepted the fact that Cordell would not be persuaded by words alone. "Very well. I will use other methods to show you that choosing the dark side was the wrong way to go."
"Bring it o—"
Cordell was stopped short as his nose met Denz's knee. He staggered backward and growled in pain. His vision could not even clear before Denz followed up with a sharp blow to Cordell's gut. As Cordell bent over, Denz crouched down and delivered a Force enhanced kick to Cordell's chest. The dark Jedi Student groaned in pain as the kick connected, propelling him up and backward out of the crater.
Denz walked slowly up the slope of the crater. As he breached the top he was met with a bolt of Force lightning that was easily deflected by his Force shield.
"You're stronger than I thought." Cordell said. "Let's see you block this!"
Cordell raised both of his hands into the air and launched a massive lightning attack. The bolts flew up before beginning to rain down on Denz.
Denz's eyes recorded and analyzed the attack providing him with the best way to stop it. Denz raised one hand into the air and pointed his open palm straight up. The lightning storm immediately calmed and condensed as it focused in on one point. The void Denz created in his hand started to suck in each and every bolt of Force lightning until Cordell finally stopped feeding energy into his attack.
Cordell let his arms fall to his side and he began to breath heavily. Denz's right hand glowed and sparked with power as the last of the Force lightning was drawn into it. Denz felt his hand go numb, and it took all his concentration to keep it from spreading up his arm. He lowered his hand and pointed it off to the side. Sending a wave of Force energy down his arm and through his hand, he pushed all the Force lightning out in one giant ball of energy. The pulsating orb flew off into the distance before making contact with the ground and exploding into a dome of electricity that expanded for several miles before dissipating.
Denz shook his right hand to try to get rid of the numb feeling; then he said. "Not bad. Now try some of mine!" Denz made a fist with his left hand, and it began to glow. He pulled it back; then punched the air in front of him. Just as his arm fully extended, the concentrated Force lightning was released from Denz's clenched hand.
Cordell tried to stop it, but there was just too much at one time. The bolt slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward a dozen feet. He hit the ground and slid for a ways before stopping and getting to his feet. Bewildered, Cordell rubbed the spot where the attack had connected. Except for a slight tingling, he did not feel anything. He looked up at Denz and frowned in confusion when he saw Denz still holding his clenched fist out in front of him.
"Cordell, please stop this." Denz pleaded.
"Why? You may be able to stop my attack, but yours didn't even hurt me!"
"Cordell, I'm begging you!"
"Begging for your own life? How pathetic!"
"Cordell!"
"NO, DENZ! This ends now!"
Denz sighed in defeat. "You're right, Cordell. This is the end." He said solemnly; then slowly, he opened his hand.
Searing pain shot through Cordell's entire being. Every nerve, every muscle screamed out in agony, as did Cordell. It took every ounce of Denz's concentration to focus the Force lightning's effects on only nerve endings and minor organs, keeping it a safe distance from Cordell's heart and mind.
The attack wore off after a moment, but that was all it took. Cordell fell face forward to the ground and passed out. Denz also fell to his knees and began a calming exercise. He could sense the others approaching. It would not be long until…
"…We're here!" Salah announced from behind Jyo. She hopped off the back of the swoop bike and surveyed the crater. Suddenly she was taken aback. "Oh, Jyo…" She cried.
"I know." He said quietly. Besides the two gigantic vort corpses that littered the crater, they had also spotted Nayanll. They had almost overlooked her, because her fur was almost the same color gray as the ground.
Jyo and Salah slid down into the crater, and Jyo removed his outer cloak as he did. He approached Nayanll and draped his cloak over her. He picked up the Bothan girl's lightsaber and handed it to Salah, he then picked up the cloak-covered body and began the arduous task of carrying Nayanll's lifeless form back up the incline of the crater. However, by using the Force to steady himself, it was only a matter of minutes before he breached the rim of the crater.
He laid the cloak-wrapped form beside the swoop bike and said to Salah. "She'll have a traditional Jedi funeral once this is all over." Nayanll was officially the first Jedi to die at Cordell's hands. And she'll also be the last! Jyo thought determinedly.