Chapter Thirteen
Arden's heart was heavy for there were many things that Athena had told her about her father that were not only gratifying but at the same time, burdening. She knew he was a Jedi Guardian who liked nothing more than for the galaxy to be at harmony though he had to be away from home. It was from Athena that she had learned about why she was left alone with her aunt and uncle as a child. "He did it in order to save your life from the loneliness and danger that his duty brought," Athena had said.
In more ways than not, this meant that her father had loved her more than most fathers could ever hope to speak about and in others, it made her feel resentful. Athena explained that she had every right to have mixed-feelings about what she heard but she didn't feel right about it, at all. She had always thought that hearing about her father would be a joyous thing to discover when she finally did. But now, she felt bittersweet and it was far worse than anything she had hoped when it came to learning about her father and who he was.
Now, there were only three days left before Xendor sent his main army to engage the forces commanded by Jedi Knight Danzigorro Potts, Jook-jook's pupil and murderer from the Warrior class. "How long does it take to reach Columus from here on a standard engine?" Arden asked Athena. "At fastest, I'd dare say a day and a half but I could be wrong about that," Athena answered. "Then ready one now, I want to see if I can get to Xendor and change the fate of the Talisman's vision," Arden said.
"Arden, be warned. One often meets their fate on the path they take to avoid it. Your desire to save Xendor could only mean his undoing when you arrive at Columus," Athena warned. "It's better than sitting around and doing nothing when his death is on the horizon at this battle," Arden replied.
"Your ship awaits, I was about to power them all down when you requested a ship to Columus so you don't have to wait for the initial booting," Athena said. "Thank you for understanding!" Arden exclaimed. "Anything for the daughter of the Jedi who defeated me in fair combat," Athena replied calmly. In only a couple hours, Arden Lyn was on her way to Columus, Xendor and hopefully to his salvation.
"Theseus, what do I have from 'The Devouring'?" Xendor asked. Before Theseus spoke, he stepped out of the shadows caused by the torches in the tent to reveal the scars of his ordeals. The Jedi thought him dead due to the ferocity of his last battle and his body had indeed gone through breakage. However, Xendor had used the Talisman to heal his worst injuries and leave scars behind for the rest of them.
"You have twelve thousand pirate marauders, six thousand Kashi Mer Macheteros thanks to the revelation of their survival of the Kashi Mer Dynasty's destruction, and eleven thousand criminals. You're only a thousand short of equalling the rabble that the Jedi have managed to rally for this battle as well," Theseus explained. "You will lead our main force into battle while I sneak around with a brigade that will include Tun, Sethul and forty-seven others. Our target will be to get into the Jedi fortifications and either capture or kill Danzigorro, effectively ending this battle with little bloodshed," Xendor replied.
"The Jedi will be expecting this, there's a reason they are countering our rabble with their own," Theseus warned. "True but I doubt they have sixty Jedi to spare even if they have a sizable brigade to counter me. They will need an excellent advantage in order to be able to even equal our number, skill, and ferocity," Xendor countered. "I wouldn't be too sure that they don't if I were you: you've made a lot of enemies and some of them might be waiting for you," Theseus continued.
"Better to have some old enemies waiting for me and me alone than for me and the entire brigade as well. Besides, most of my old enemies are dead or weakened by old age beyond ability to fight," Xendor said. "Most but that doesn't mean all," Theseus insisted. "Theseus, enough!
"I am your King according to the Kashi Mer rules and I am demanding you stop this," Xendor snapped. "Very well, I'll lead the charge against the main army and you lead the brigade into the caves of Columus. With all luck, you'll end up in the exit that leads right into the heart of the Jedi fortress," Theseus replied sadly. What's got him so worried about me when I have survived battles before? Xendor asked himself silently.
"Tun, Sethul, have the warriors assembled: we move within the hour. Theseus, have the army do likewise," he added aloud. Tun and Sethul nodded, racing to gather the brigaders who would be accompanying Xendor into the caves. Theseus stood at the front of the tents and gathered the remnants of the forces of 'The Devouring' for the beginning of the direct assault on the Temple.
As Xendor watched him rally and arouse their anger and thirst for blood, he silently hoped that the Force would be with them and his brigade. We're going to need this victory if we're going to secure a good enough chunk of the galaxy to launch further attacks on the Jedi. Defeat could only mean the fall of the Legions within a matter of months or so he thought grimly. Then he turned to join Tun, Sethul, and the assembled brigade for their part of the Battle of Columus.
"And so the vermin gather to destroy each other for all time. Is Xendor really so desperate for troops that he'll call upon rabble from 'The Devouring' to fight the Jedi?" Loki asked. "No, he isn't desperate in any sense of the word: he is just being a little poetic this time around.
"Besides, I don't think he'd do this without some other plan in the works for us. It's not like him from what Jook-jook told me about him before both their defections," Danzigorro answered. "Then let me take the taskforce and go see what he's really up to! I'm sure I can intercept him at the caverns before he can even reach this place!" Loki demanded.
"No, I have a better idea: I will lead the taskforce myself and you will fall in behind, waiting in the shadows to strike. When I engage Xendor and whatever forces are with him, you'll wait until I give you a signal and then you'll attack him from the flanks and have you revenge. You'll know the signal when you hear it, I promise you that much," Danzigorro replied. "Let me guess, you'll apply some Dun moch when you want to signal me into the attack," Loki said.
Danzigorro nodded and decided that it was time to assemble the taskforce that would go down into the caverns with him and Loki. Half of the Jedi's force of a hundred and twenty would remain behind to defend the fortress should Danzigorro and Loki fail but he had a feeling they wouldn't. After all, even though he was no longer immortal Loki still possessed the strength and power of a god. Recent reports from spies showed that Xendor no longer possessed the Talisman which he need to fight Loki.
With only the strength of a mortal, Xendor would stand no chance against the gigantic half-god giant known as Loki the Destroyer. "We're headed for the caves to intercept what we believe is a brigade of Legionnaires under the personal command of Xendor Kashi Mer. Victory will be slim to say the least but if we eliminate Xendor, it could mean the end of the Legions. Fight hard when we meet them and may the Force be with us all," Danzigorro stated to the assembled taskforce.
Danzigorro had Loki wait until he and the taskforce were at least a few dozen meters away from him before then joining them which the fallen god agreed to do. He even offered to see if he could find a way to climb above the taskforce so that he could attack from above when given the signal. "Do that, the more advantages we can have against Xendor, the better off we all will be," Danzigorro said. Loki smiled and took a seat whilst he waited for the taskforce to leave and begin their climb into the caves for the interception.
I've waited nearly six years for a chance at revenge, I can wait a little longer before its realization Loki thought with a smile. After Danzigorro and the taskforce left, Loki waited half an hour which he knew would be plenty of time for them to get a few dozen meters ahead of him in the caves. Once he knew that to be certain, he ascended the sloping wall of the cave for his ambush attack against the subject of his vengeance and reveled in the excitement of it. Not since he hunted rancors back on his forest homeworld had anything invigorated him and made him as ecstatic as finally having his revenge.
Going into the caves, Xendor was amazed at the lack of effectiveness the glowsticks had here. So dark and gloomy were the caves that the soldiers literally had to throw several sticks ahead of themselves in order to pick up a trail to follow. This shall make our attack all the more shocking to the Jedi when we fall upon them like water on rock Xendor thought to himself gleefully. For several hours, the caves were so dark that Xendor and his brigade could only see the light of their sticks.
Then they picked up a massive opening in the caves where the sun of Columus pierced into the gloomy cavern and the Legionnaires made their way to it. Unfortunately, just as they began to enter the light, they were met by Danzigorro and the taskforce he had conjured to counter Xendor's brigade. Immediately, the soldier engaged each other in single combat with Tun and Sethul taking on two soldiers aside from the ones already being attacked by the fifty-seven subordinates. Danzigorro also engaged Xendor in fair combat and at first, it seemed to be a draw between the two of them.
But Xendor soon gained the advantage and warned Danzigorro against fighting him after knocking his sword aside and pointing his own at the Jedi's throat. "We both know that I'm superior in a swordfight, good as you are. Surrender now and I promise that you will be spared from certain death," he added. "Do not be too sure that you will be victorious here on Columus, the alliances the Jedi have recently made are stronger than you know," Danzigorro replied with Dun moch in his voice.
Xendor made to ask him what the hell he meant when he heard several rocks tumble from the slope on his right and saw a figure charge at him from the shadows. The light of the sun soon revealed this fast-approaching figure to be Loki the Destroyer, his most ancient of enemies. "Hello Xendor, remember me!?" the fallen god asked as he swung his ax and hammer at Xendor. Jumping out of the way just in time to dodge both weapons, Xendor began retreating back into the shadows.
Tun and Sethul, having just finished off the soldiers they were fighting before, saw Loki's entrance and rushed to aid Xendor whilst Danzigorro walked away with a slashed belly and a limp. Brave and strong as the Legion Generals were, Tun and Sethul would soon realize that they were in over their heads to fight Loki the Destroyer. First Sethul fell when Loki swept him aside with a hit in the head from his hammer then Tun had his brain and eyeballs ripped out by a head-blow from Loki's ax.
"No one is coming to save you now Xendor, be sure of that!" Loki shouted. "Good thing I don't need saving!" Xendor replied from within the darkness. "So you think the darkness will protect you, you are merely adopting it to save your life but I was born in it.
"I was molded by it and refined by it, the light never having been in my sight until Stygia and Arkanus banished me from the Plane of Gods then it was nothing but blinding!" Loki stated. Then he caught Xendor trying to attack him from up on the slope, grabbed him, and smashed him against stone. After that, he punched him in the stomach hard enough to press him into the sandy floor below their feet. "You said you didn't need saving, Xendor, what happened to that?" Loki mocked after releasing his hold on the Legion leader.
The demigod waited a few moments to see if Xendor would reply but instead of that, he witnessed the Kashi Mer rise from the blow and create a duplicate of his sword from his scabbard. "Oh so you think your rare Kashi Mer combat techniques will save you where darkness did not? Admirable, bold, but a mistaken and futile attempt to destroy me," Loki stated before preparing his own weapons. Then his favorite game of cat and mouse began as he swung his hammer and ax to and fro whilst Xendor only tried to bring him down with the technique he called Jar'Kai (once known as Niman).
At one point, Loki got lucky and managed to pin down the duplicate with his ax and destroy the restored scabbard with his hammer before continuing the fight with Xendor. "There's no sense trying to run away from your destiny Xendor, you might as well face me now and die quickly!" Loki yelled. "No thanks, I'd rather prolong my death as long as I can if I am indeed to die here," Xendor replied. Then Loki attacked with full force though his blows landed on a stray shield Xendor found and began using.
Having barely arrived to Columus, Arden Lyn could sense that she was already late for Xendor's engagement with Loki the Destroyer. However, she saw Theseus in the distance and immediately demanded that he tell her how to reach the tunnels. "Just to the northwest of you, there's a cave that opens up to the tunnel leading to the fortress, hurry!" he replied. Arden nodded and rushed to the cavern that he spoke of, the fear of losing Xendor carrying her more than the speed of her feet did.
I will not be a victim of fate! Xendor, I will save you Arden vowed silently. Do not be too sure of that Arden Lyn, for fate is usually unavoidable the Kashi Mer Talisman warned her. Shut up, I will reach him! she exclaimed to it.
Master Tiberius, may I interrupt? Danzigorro Potts has just reported that the rabble you gathered has engaged Xendor's rabble and Loki is fighting Xendor himself in the Columus cave system. It will only be a matter of time before the fallen god succeeds in destroying Xendor, if he hasn't already done so, and we can move on to the final phase of our plans," a messenger told Tiberius. "Thank you Sergeant, you may return to your post until I give the orders for the troops to move out," Tiberius said.
"What is this that you're up to, now?" Pina asked. "There was a reason I asked Loki to persuade the Bunduki government to cancel its alliance with the Legions of Lettow. Columus is in close proximity to the systems that they control and as such, any attack on it would pose a threat to them. So I bribed them with intent to get at their troops and wipe out every single bit of rabble here.
"A sort of cleansing effect that will be sure to intimidate any remaining scum into either turning themselves in or choosing a new path in life," Tiberius answered. "Only for the Chancellor's private detectives to hunt them down and have them lined up at the executioner's block. The Rakata resorted to similar tactics near the birth of their Infinite Empire before colonizing Known Space," Pina observed. "Except we will be doing it for the effect of benefitting the economy of the Republic by not having to persuade the Chancellor to expend any more Republic manpower to destroying the Legions.
"Thus, the Republic economy can recover while we shield them from the worst of this great war against Xendor. Hence, we are better than the Rakata who used similar tactics (as you mentioned) for the purpose of uniting the people on a path of bloodshed and conquest," Tiberius replied. "I don't see how that's different from what we do now except for a better polish-job and paperwork," Pina said. "Maybe you should spend less time insulting me and more time observing, perhaps you'll find out how we're different that way," Tiberius retorted.
Doubtful but maybe I will give it a chance. But then, yet again, maybe not Pina thought silently. "I take it you'll be wanting me to go back to Ossus just in case something happens to you here?" Pina asked aloud. "You know me too well, old friend: yes, I'll need you back home but do me the kind favor of preparing all our remaining forces for an assault on Lettow.
"Once Xendor and Loki are out of the picture, Arden will undoubtedly step up to take the former's place as leader of the Legions just in time for the end of this war. And just in time for you to come and do your final service to the Order, assuming you don't live past the end of this conflict. That was what you were hoping for, no?" Tiberius answered, mocking him with the statement about his hope. "I don't hope for death but if that is what's to happen, at least my career will end in a less embittered note," Pina replied.
"Good, I have a ship with standard engines waiting to take you home. You'll have a lot to do when you arrive," Tiberius said. Pina bowed and dismissed himself from Tiberius' tent, an informality that Tiberius didn't mind allowing his former friend just this once. "Now Captain, about preparing those troops: how long will it take?" Tiberius asked the Bunduki officer next to him.
"Since they're armed and ready to fight individually as it is, lining them into formation shouldn't take more than an hour," said the officer. "Then I suggest you begin as soon as possible and with the will of the Force on our side, the rabble numbers should die down enough for a quick victory. That is, when we arrive to wipe them out to the last man, of course," Tiberius ordered. "Yes sir," the officer replied with a bow before rushing off to obey him.
Without a doubt, Tiberius was in for a swift victory when he arrived to clean up the rabble and keep the Chancellor's hands clean of their filth. "If I may sir, our orders under you will be to wipe out even the scum that the Jedi Order went to the trouble of baiting out of hiding for this?" a guard asked. "Yes private, my orders are explicitly clear: even the scum that we goaded into this fight will be wiped out by the swords and spears of Bunduki's army upon our arrival.
"We'll attack from the flank and if the element of surprise holds out, we'll have them dead before even a thirtieth of the soldiers are wounded or killed," Tiberius answered. "It'll look like a containment situation on the part of the Bunduki government, a precautionary military action. Not to mention, something that the Republic would not be required to intervene in," the private guessed. "Precisely: this war has become a game of economics, finance, and strategy, as much as manpower, firepower, and superior persistence," Tiberius replied.
"One thing's for sure, the Republic will have a difficult task in developing an economy that can last throughout peacetime," the soldier said. "They won't be developing a system good for only peacetime: if the Chancellor is wise, he'll attempt to develop a system suited for both times. That way even if war does occur, the citizens can find a way to survive without risk of military drafting. This will lessen the loss of assets on the part of the Republic as well as individual citizens.
"But you are right, developing a new economy in any manner will be difficult for the Republic especially as they may most likely have to go back to the foundation and start up again," Tiberius said. Then Tiberius ordered his aides to get his armor and sword ready for his own entrance into the battlefield of Columus. Never did I think I'd be actually participating in a war after dealing with the Kashi Mer Dynasty with the approval of the Chancellor he thought as his aides obeyed him. Even with all his fortitude and certitude, Tiberius still felt a glimmer of guilt, remorse, and perhaps even pity in the case of Pina though he would have to see to crushing this last glimmer soon enough.
But now was not the time: the rabble needed to be dealt with and Theseus, leader of the Guardians of Breath, had revealed himself to be alive even if not entirely well during this conflict. Without a doubt, Tiberius would be remedying the part about being alive when they met on the battlefield again and perhaps even remedying the part about not being well by killing him. If this was the conflict that would see his death, at least Tiberius would go out fighting rather than in senile old age. At least this way, he would finally achieve historical immortality if he couldn't avoid his own demise.
His armor was donned within a matter of minutes and his sword prepared at his belt for a possible final use against Theseus and the rabble. Joining the army outside, he issued the signal to march.