Contents
Chapters, etc
Dramatis Personae: Main Characters; Others of Importance
Prologue: Afore the Flash-back
Chapter One: Who are you, Jahita Krass?
Chapter Two: Training Days
Chapter Three: Cruelty – why?
Chapter Four: New Friendships
Chapter Five: There is no Passion?
Chapter Six: Art of the Lightsabre
Chapter Seven: Backgrounds
Chapter Eight: Tears of Agapè
Chapter Nine: Dark Hunter(s)
Chapter Ten: Actions of Individuals
Chapter Eleven: Seek, and Ye Shall Find
Chapter Twelve: Different Predators
Chapter Thirteen: Shiala's Quest
Chapter Fourteen: New Encounters and Problems
Chapter Fifteen: Exeunt Flash-back et Vrilas K'tor
Chapter Sixteen: Dathomir Crescendo
Chapter Seventeen: Tears of Agapè II
Chapter Eighteen: Preludium: Jedi Redemption
Chapter Nineteen: Concerto: Battle of Ithor
Chapter Twenty: Postludium: Ruin
Epilogue: Song of the Force
Dramatis Personae
Main Characters
Jahita Krass: Jedi student; human male.
Shiala Meno: Jedi Knight; captain, Corellian Sparrow; human female.
Tarrik Wend: Jedi Knight; human male.
Eyoul Gaad: Jedi Knight; Bith male.
Vrilas K'tor: Jedi Knight; spacer; captain, Backspace; human male. (Vrilas K'tor appears by special courtesy of my good friend John Egholm)
Alkanor Feldacha: Captain, Inquisitor of Pain; Yuuzhan Vong male.
Daryut Njirg: Master Shaper; Yuuzhan Vong male.
Kam Solusar: Jedi Master; human male.
Tionne Solusar: Jedi Knight/historian; human female.
Gholpa Klutyrr: Subaltern, Inquisitor of Pain; Yuuzhan Vong male.
Others of Importance
Luke Skywalker: Jedi Master; human male.
Corran Horn: Jedi Knight; human male.
Kyp Durron: Jedi Master; human male.
Crem Telerik'ala: Jedi Knight; Bothan male.
Traest Kre'fey: New Republic admiral, Ralroost; Bothan male.
Gola'hum Huirti: Priest of Yun-Yammka; Yuuzhan Vong male.
Prologue
Afore the Flash-back
Jahita Krass stood firm amidst the small group of Yuuzhan Vong warriors that had encircled him. He lifted the crimson red lightsabre up to his ear and felt the flow of the Force filling him up, leaving no corner of his body empty of its guidance. He let the Force flow freely and stretched his senses. He felt the empty spots, like little voids, where the Yuuzhan Vong warriors stood ready to strike him down. It was not possible for him to anticipate their movements, since the Force did not exist within them, but Jahita Krass had a surprise in store for them. They were fools to follow him into his lair. Ignorant fools! He laughed quietly for himself. Though the Force could not tell him the movements of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors, it could tell him the movements of the small bacteria that rested upon them. Upon their entry, the Yuuzhan Vong had walked through a seemingly insignificant little waterfall – the gate to his temporary home – and that waterfall of green water held a great quantity of these small beings, whose microscopic bodies were part of the Force. They were living subjects and part of this galaxy.
Jahita smiled – now he would make them pay for all the deaths they had caused.
A single Yuuzhan Vong warrior stepped forward and held aloft an amphistaff – a snake, whose species can petrify themselves and are able to withstand a lightsabre. His pale grey, horrid and disfigured face – mutilated in honour of his gods – smiled, or at least it seemed like it since the Yuuzhan Vong warrior had no lips. "Let us see if you are worthy, Jeedai!" the warrior mocked in very bad Basic, signalling that the battle had begun. The warriors made themselves ready to inflict deadly wounds, while chanting prayers to Yun-Yammka, the warrior god of the Vong.
Jahita ignored their chanting and felt the Force flow more strongly through him. He sought the images that he had seen in the Force as he had learned about the great Sith of old. He called upon the powers that dwelt within him – the powers bestowed upon him as he had surrendered to the darkness, which had called for him.
"You are no match for me. Your petty gods can't stand before the Dark Side," he said, closing his eyes.
The Yuuzhan Vong warriors went quiet as his words sank in – obviously understanding him. His insult was sacrilegious, filling them with rage. In fury, their leader ordered them to attack. With the vile battle cry, "Do-ro'ik vong pratte!" they charged Jahita, who stood silent, smiling. In the Force, he could see the movements of the small bacteria, which covered the bodies of the Yuuzhan Vong, and he began to dance. They did not stand a chance. By each turn, swing, and loop Jahita made a Yuuzhan Vong lost his head or more. Before long, only the leader remained to face the Force wielder.
Jahita stood still and opened his eyes, taking dark pleasure in what he could see. Around him lay dead Yuuzhan Vong warriors. In front of him was the leader, who was lacking a left arm now. He had come too close to Jahita's sabre, whilst trying to inflict a deadly blow to the Jedi.
"You insult the Yuuzhan Vong with your infidel mockeries and yet you fight as a worthy warrior. You shall die a warrior's death!"
Jahita answered him not, but waited for his move. Through the Force, he could see an image of the Yuuzhan Vong's body covered with the small bacteria, moving to his left flank while he held his remaining arm high. Jahita immediately reacted as the Yuuzhan Vong leapt to his left side, striking with the amphistaff, using his remaining arm. All for naught. Jahita knelt down and let the staff to fly over his head. Then he lifted his blade with his right hand and held it nearly diagonal. The half-flying Yuuzhan Vong had no chance in stopping himself. The energy blade cut itself through his flesh. He fell to the ground. Jahita turned off his lightsabre and looked at the leader.
The Yuuzhan Vong coughed a sentence in defiance, "Yuuzhan Vong…embrace death… Doom will…come…Jeedai." The eyes of the alien widened. He was dead.
Jahita looked around the room. Such a mess. However, he would not stay to clean it up. More of these maniacs will surely come. This was only a scouting group. Blast it! What can there be done to stop these destroyers of life? Jahita felt how anger welled up inside him. Surely, the only thing that would stop the Yuuzhan Vong is the darkness. He halted his thoughts. Yuuzhan Vong are like the servants of evil, but the light does not affect them – then truly only the darkness can…
Suddenly without warning, the tiredness arrived again. Every time the Force had filled him with tremendous power, he had become extremely exhausted. Many times, he had simply collapsed. He did not understand this fully and not even Master Skywalker could explain this. Jahita struggled to remain awake and tried to use the Force to help him. His first attempt almost failed. He fell to his knees, but fought to get up again. He could not afford falling asleep now – not when the Yuuzhan Vong could send more warriors. It meant certain death staying here – he only needed to get back to the ship. Blasted aliens! No peace and no rest for the weary. I have to leave quickly. Strength began to leave him again and he felt dizzy. He quickly took hold of the doorway so that he would not fall. His eyes and other senses slowly threatened to fail him. "Must not fall…" he whispered. A figure stood in front of him, or so it seemed. He tried to focus his eyes – tried to force them to see the approaching person. It was Shiala Meno. How has she found me?
"Jahita! Are you all right!" she almost shouted. She was accompanied by Tarrik Wend. They took hold of him and lifted him up. "Come, we must leave quickly. They've already sent more warriors," she said as they supported him in walking.
Jahita felt that he was about to collapse and struggled to ask them a question, "How did…y-you…find…?"
Shiala did not wait for him to finish his question. "Master Solusar sent me and Tarrik, when you left Yavin Four. It was quite a chase you lead us on."
Jahita did not reply. He had finally collapsed and almost dragged them with him on the floor. This stream of power had utterly drained him of his strength.
"Sithspit!" Tarrik said irritated and struggled to remain on his feet. "As if we don't have enough problems as it is."
Shiala ignored his statement and likewise tried to hold up the fainted student. She knew that this had happened before. She had witnessed it with her own eyes as Jahita had rescued her once from a pack of wild beasts on Yavin 4. That was during one of Jahita's many trips into the forest. He had sometimes suddenly run off into the wilderness, seeking solitude for reasons unknown to her. Of course, he was a little weird – at least to many of the other students at the Academy. However, her curiosity had prompted her to follow him in secrecy, which almost proved to be fatal for her.
If she only knew the cause of his need of solitude. If she only knew the things that had happened to him during his training on Yavin 4. If she only knew, then perhaps none of this would have ever happened.
Introitus: Flash-back.