Chapter 13
Kyle was cast adrift in the Force, struggling to maintain the link to his physical self. He knew he was truly on Ziost, but his eyes gazed upon a location unknown to him. Twelve seats remained unoccupied in a vast plain. The location was soothing to the Jedi, but he still wanted to depart.
A woman in a blue robe approached him. She was shorter than him and a hood obscured her face. But Kyle could sense her sadness, a life cast adrift in the Force.
"Kyle, I have watched you for many years," the woman said. "I knew your destiny was to restore the line of Jedi Guardians of old."
"But Luke is more gifted in the Force," Kyle objected. "Surely that should be his responsibility."
"My son's destiny is to rebuild the Order, to teach," the woman told him. "He is a Jedi Consular like his master before him."
"Your son?" Kyle asked. Luke never knew of his mother and Kyle was speaking to her.
"Luke will face my husband and he will have a choice, just as you will have a choice," she said. "You will face my daughter again."
"But Leia is too powerful for me to defeat," Kyle argued. He cast his gaze to the ground. "I was confident in my skill with a lightsaber. I shouldn't have lost."
"You are a great Jedi, Kyle," she said. "But you must learn to accept your father's loss. The Empire will answer for its crimes. Do not follow Leia down the path to the dark side."
Kyle looked to the woman's face. "You want me to kill your own daughter?" he asked.
"Let me open your eyes to the future, Kyle," the woman said. She raised her arms and placed her hands over the Jedi's eyes.
Kyle saw Leia as she was meant to be, a beacon of light in the Force, fighting beside Luke, Mara, Kyle, a middle aged man and a young boy. He then saw Leia holding a set of twins strong in the Force. She was filled with joy, an expression Kyle never saw on her face before.
The woman pulled her hands away from Kyle's eyes. "If you give in to the dark side, Leia will have no future," she said. "You have the power to destroy her, Kyle."
"Were you a Jedi?" Kyle asked.
The woman shook her head. "No," she revealed. "I loved a Jedi once and I love him still. But a Jedi Master has allowed me to keep my form in the Force because he said it was not my time to depart. He rests here, in this temple. You must meditate in the tomb to redeem the temple."
"Padmé, he cannot stay here much longer," a man said. His form materialized. He was dressed in full body armor. A cape hung from his shoulders and a mask obscured his face. There was no mistaking who the man was.
"Revan?" Kyle asked.
Revan nodded. "I am Revan," he said. "You have found the Promised Land. Find the strength to face the darkness within yourself or you will surely fall."
Kyle began coughing and he closed his eyes. He opened them again to find himself in the temple. His body ached, but he still lived. Kyle stood slowly, using the Force to dull the pain. He then called his lightsaber back to his hand, only to discover that Apostas had destroyed it. He cursed before walking deeper into the temple.
+
Darth Vader stared at Dantooine from the bridge of the Executor. He could sense a trace of his son on the pastoral world, but he was not on the planet. Luke must have grown powerful to leave such a strong mark on Dantooine. Perhaps he was stronger in the Force than his sister and even the Dark Lord himself.
The battle was inconsequential. Only finding Luke mattered. He would either join Vader or die. That was the way of the Sith, the way of the dark side.
"My liege, I've just received a report that the Rebel base will be breached soon," Admiral Piett said. "Shall I prepare your shuttle?"
Vader turned to address the Admiral. "No," he said. "The battle is far from over. Send orders that they are to form a defensive line. No one is to enter the Rebel base until I give the order."
"But my liege, we have the Rebels within our grasp," Piett argued. "Why wait when we can take advantage of this situation?"
"Do not question my orders, Admiral," Vader said. He held out his right hand and closed his index finger and thumb together as he employed a Force choke on the man. The Dark Lord held him briefly before releasing Piett.
The Admiral gasped for air. Curious onlookers on the bridge returned to their business. There would be no promotions today.
"Give the order, Admiral," Vader said. "I will return to my chamber to meditate. You have the bridge."
"Yes, my liege," Piett said before Vader turned.
Vader walked towards the turbolift, leaving the officers to conduct the affairs of the battle. He knew the real battle was waiting for him. The currents in the Force were flowing too furiously for him to ignore them. Vader needed to prepare for his own confrontation.
Kyle Katarn entered the lowest level of the temple, noting a single sarcophagus. He could sense the power in the room. It was like a shining light in the dark struggling to survive.
Kyle sat before the sarcophagus and closed his eyes to meditate on the Force. He focused on the negative within himself and attempted to purge it. His hatred towards the Empire, his resentment for his father's murder and his fear for the Rebellion swirled within him like a storm.
"There is no emotion; there is peace," he said. No, that was only partially true. One sometimes needed to think clearly to accomplish a goal.
"There is no passion; there is serenity," he recited. Was all passion dark in nature?
"There is no ignorance; there is knowledge," Kyle said. Yes, he knew what he had to face. But how would he face it?
"There is no chaos; there is harmony," he recalled. Disorder was a powerful driving force, but how could one completely purge disorder in oneself?
"There is no death; there is the Force," he finished. The Force was in all things. But was he truly prepared to face his own death?
Kyle recalled Yoda's teachings. He remembered their first spars, the first times they meditated on the mysteries of the Force. Was Yoda truly right? Did one have to do things his way in order to achieve greater power in the Force?
"No," Kyle said. "I must follow my own path." He opened his eyes and stood. "Is that what you wanted, Revan?"
No one answered Kyle. Then, he felt the familiar tingle of Mace Windu materializing in the Force.
The deceased Jedi Master said, "It is what you wanted for yourself. Revan sent me to guide you to the Promised Land." He held out his hands, producing a lightsaber and a holocron. "Now you must guide others here as I have done for you."
Kyle took the lightsaber and holocron from Mace. "Will I see you again?"
"You will," Mace told Kyle. "But now you must go to Dantooine and face your destiny. Luke will need you to ensure the survival of the Rebellion."
"I will not fail you, Master Windu," Kyle said.
"Promise not to fail yourself, Kyle," Mace said. "May the Force be with you." He then disappeared, leaving Kyle alone in the tomb.
Kyle stretched his perception outward, feeling that the temple was indeed purified. The Jedi activated his new lightsaber and a cyan blade emerged with a snap-hiss. He then closed the blade. He would return, but he had a job to do.
The Rebel fleet emerged from hyperspace near the planet Dantooine. Admiral Ackbar already regretted going with Thrawn to Kessel, effectively leaving the planet defenseless. But now he would make things right.
"Admiral, the Rebel base has not been breached!" an officer announced.
"That is good news," Ackbar said. "Deploy as many troops as we can to push the Imperials back. We must take the battle to the Imperial fleet."
+
Luke Skywalker could sense his father in the Force. Darth Vader was waiting for him aboard the Executor. It was a confrontation he would not be able to avoid. But for now, he had a battle to win.
"All wings, report in," Luke ordered.
"Blue leader, standing by," one pilot said.
"Gray leader, standing by."
"Black leader, standing by."
"Red leader, standing by."
"Rogue leader, standing by," Luke said. "All X-Wings, set your S-foils to attack positions."
"General Skywalker, Master Yoda is requesting that we go down to the surface to assist the battle on the ground," Han said.
"Permission granted," Luke said. "May the Force be with you."
"Captain Solo out," Han replied.
The first wave of TIE fighters attacked the Rebels. Luke quickly took evasive action and began returning fire. He could only hope that Thrawn would arrive with more reinforcements or the battle would be over before it began.
