Part XXII

"Kyp Durron," Wrynn hissed, coming a few meters closer while his apprentices fanned out behind him; Croyel and the guard remained safely off to the side, both looking apprehensive and finding themselves between nine angry Force-users. "I am impressed; your cunning has far-exceeded that of any I've ever known- save the Emperor, perhaps."

Kyp watched him through narrowed eyes.

"I couldn't understand it," Wrynn said softly. "You were the perfect candidate, you'd already shown yourself willing to use your anger, to betray those who considered themselves your friends and allies… oh yes, we knew all about your past exploits, Master Durron. We never thought twice when we suspected you were our informant- who would have thought that Niwali would recruit such a poor excuse of a Jedi who couldn't even protect herself as Brionia Sumptri?"

Surprise and understanding poured off of Zekk, Hamner, and Sebatyne. "Yes," Wrynn murmured, "I've been piecing together just how you did it, and an impressive feat it was. The attack on Mara Jade… I suppose she gave you information that only her breadth of experience could provide? Information that she had and never dreamed would be relevant even now, long after she forsook her true path? She could have been one of us," he sighed wistfully. "But no matter…

"I've been piecing together the how," Wrynn repeated softly, "but it was the why that had me perplexed, I admit. Why would a twice-fallen Jedi Master risk his life, commit treason against the government and the Jedi who have taken him back both times? What possible motivation could there have been, lying below the surface, to risk everything for the daughter of a failed apprentice, the granddaughter of a friend of two decades ago? But," he smiled dangerously, and Kyp fought to keep his expression neutral, to not give in to anger, not to attack without provocation… "But that's not all that Leyla Solo-Fel is to you… is it?"

He stood and stared, sensing the confusion of everyone else in the hangar, and gritted his teeth. "It doesn't matter anymore, Wrynn- I won. You're only delaying the inevitable the longer you talk. You messed with the wrong family this time."

Wrynn continued as though he hadn't heard him. "The problem," he murmured slowly, "is that our information mostly dried up during the Yuuzhan Vong war. Too many spies killed, gone missing, out of contact due to damaged transceivers- nice work on that, by the way- but since you fled with the girl a week ago, I think I've managed to fill in the missing pieces, pieces which would have alerted me weeks ago that you were not all you seemed. By all means, correct me if I'm wrong on any of them…

"The Yuuzhan Vong are destroying the galaxy, with no regard for civilian life; you, a young, proactive Jedi Master, refuse to sit idly by, waging your own campaign against them- a remarkably aggressive campaign, for a Jedi. You want to strike back in kind, punish them for targeting non-combat personnel, punish the collaborators who sell out their own kind for their lives… and you know the way to do it, but you need someone, someone who can convince the military to do what you can not yourself…

"And so you find yourself luring Jaina Solo to your side, convincing her to persuade generals and admirals, using her family connections, her connections within the military- I understand she's quite the fighter pilot?- and then you find yourself suddenly with a young, impressionable… attractive apprentice, who is just as eager to be active in the war effort as you."

"Wrynn," Kyp growled. "Don't make this harder than it has to be…"

"In an interesting display of a Master's power, you simultaneously train and seduce said young apprentice," Wrynn's cruel smile widened. "And before long, your plans are laid bare and she leaves you- after you've destroyed her innocence, in more ways than one."

Kyp took a deep breath, urging calm and patience to come to him. He still sensed confusion from the others, now laced with discomfort from Zekk especially.

"Your hot-headedness is unable to handle it, and you complete your fall, abandoning Jedi calm and reasonability for action, slaughtering collaborators before they have a chance to defend themselves, attacking whole ships at once… and here is where I'm afraid I'll have to conjecture a little bit, as you and Solo fall on and off the map, but let's see how my deductive reasoning has done…

"You desperately want the girl back, but she's already moved on, hasn't she? So you… what? Confront her? Demand she come back?" He studied the Jedi Master pensively. "No, that's not it… you've already shown yourself to prefer a sneakier attack… you force her to sleep with you one last time by threatening her boyfriend, perhaps? Or maybe it was her decision, spending one last pity-filled night with you, unbeknownst to Fel, after the Jedi captured you…"

He trailed away and stared into Kyp's eyes. After a few seconds, his expression changed to one of surprise. He laughed delightedly. "Wrong again, aren't I?" he exclaimed. "I can see your mind, Kyp Durron, your guilt… you raped her, didn't you? Oh, but this is even better than I imagined… she runs away, Fel follows, they resurface some two years later with a child… and five years later, she has no choice but to turn to you who hurt her to get her daughter back, knowing that you'll do it… out of love for her or for the child that was never yours and never could be, I cannot say… and you do it. You attack Jedi, you commit treason, for what? To rescue a daughter who will never know who you are?

"Did you know, Durron? Did she tell you that she bore your daughter, or did she spend the past seven years pretending she was Fel's, only telling you the truth to acquire your services? I can see from their faces," he smiled back at the stunned Hamner, Sebatyne, and Zekk, "that they were unaware- perhaps Fel even thinks the girl is his? Are you sure that she isn't? Was Jaina Solo using you to get her daughter back, under the pretense that you're her real father? I know of course, I ran a test with DNA samples left behind during your brief stay…"

Kyp smiled grimly. "I confess, Wrynn… you've deduced well until now," he sensed the shock from the other three behind him as he confirmed the truth of what Wrynn was saying, but he wouldn't let that distract him. "But you're off the mark- she did tell me, more than five years ago now. And it was my choice to hide it, not hers, not Jag's. It was my choice, so that when someone like you tried to hurt Leyla… I could hunt you down and kill you."

Wrynn's smile grew deadly, and he drew his lightsaber. Kyp matched his movements, and could feel the three behind him doing the same. "I have one question, before I kill you," Kyp said idly. "Where's Vulcor?"

The other's brows rose slightly before he scowled. "I should have guessed the whelp helped you escape. No matter- he'll die soon, left alone. Still… you are outnumbered; my apprentices are expert swordsmen… do you think you can win?"

"Do you think they're all willing to die for you?" Kyp asked mildly, turning his attention back to the auburn-haired woman who had been his first point of contact. "Tahlia," his voice was soft. "You have a good heart- come back to Coruscant and train with the Jedi. There's no reason you should die here today."

Her eyes flashed. "You used me," she accused.

"You kidnapped my daughter," he smiled lightly. "Would you have done any differently?"

"I…" she hesitated, and it would have been her death sentence, but for Zekk's fast action. He leapt and hurled his blade as Xela raised her lightsaber high over her head to strike down at the unsuspecting woman. Tahlia shrieked and backed away from the lightsaber careening through the air, her head missing Xela's blade by centimeters.

Zekk's did not miss. With a smell of burning flesh, his blade impaled Xela through the chest, and her expression wavered in shock before she fell to the ground, dead. Retrieving his lightsaber with the Force, Zekk took Tahlia's hand and yanked her with him. "Come on!"

And so it began.

Wrynn locked blades with Kyp, snarling. Hamner and Sebatyne found themselves in combat with the other two apprentices. Zekk moved to secure the Moff and his guard, keeping an eye on Tahlia simultaneously, who was staring at Xela's body, stunned.

Suddenly, a roar overhead filled the air, drowning out the sounds of clashing lightsabers. Zekk cursed, knowing that their chances of stopping Wrynn's people was a lot scarcer if reinforcements arrived… but then he listened more carefully… those were X-wings…

Five minutes later, as Saba sent the apprentice reeling with a slap of her tail and followed through for a quick and clean kill with her lightsaber, only Wrynn was left fighting, and his eyes had the deranged look of a man who knows he's been defeated, but determines to take his attacker down with him. He sprang back from Kyp, blade held high, assessing the situation.

Zekk was still standing guard over Croyel, Alurin, and Tahlia; Hamner was limping from a blow to his left leg; Sebatyne had several singed scales, but no debilitating injuries. Wrynn prepared to face his two would-be attackers, when a new sense caught his attention… beings approaching… being strong in the Force…

Kyp smiled and backed further away. "Lord Wrynn," he addressed him, "you have lost. You need not die; you can still surrender to Master Skywalker."

At that moment, the Master in question stepped through the hole in the blast door, looking around with a mild air of curiosity. Behind him came Mara, Corran Horn, Kyle Katarn, and three other Jedi they had scrambled from Ossus. With an exhausted sigh, Kyp shut down his blade and turned to Luke.

"Master Skywalker, I leave this man's fate in your hands."

"Oh?" Luke looked mildly surprised.

Kyp smiled grimly. "If I kill him, I'll be doing so out of vengeance and anger and… I made a promise to a little girl a long time ago that I wouldn't leave her." He took a deep breath, uncomfortable at the beaming pride on Luke's face. "I'm going down to the bunker to retrieve the man who aided our escape- if he's still alive."

"I'll help," Corran volunteered, and, meeting Wrynn's icy glare one last time, the two men set across the hangar and disappeared into the building. "So," Corran commended idly.

"So?"

The older man shrugged. "You just… have a way about you." Kyp glanced at him and shrugged, releasing the panel of the hidden corridor. "Did you tell her?"

Kyp looked sharply at him. "No." He keyed in the code for the turbolift and they stepped inside, careening down below the planet's surface moments later. "She's with her parents now, she's safe and happy."

"Do you want to tell her?"

"Corran," Kyp sighed, stepping out into the dim corridor, reaching out to sense Vulcor and any other hidden presences, "What I want and what's best- those are two different things. She always should have been Jaina and Jag's." He changed the topic. "How did you know to come? Antilles?"

Corran gestured towards a closed door and Kyp nodded. He could sense the young man in there… unconscious, he thought. "Yes," he answered, "he seems confident that the vast majority of the spy sources have been neutralized. He also sent word that the armada has been completely destroyed."

"Really?" Kyp was legitimately surprised.

"Ambushed by Kre'fey, Bwua'tu, and Niathal."

It was all over then.

He opened the door and winced… there was a distinct smell of burnt hair and flesh. "Vulcor?" he called out softly, not particularly expecting an answer. Corran found a light control, and Kyp sighed at the sight before them.

The man was unconscious and looked to be on the verge of death. Corran hissed. "Looks like most of his body is covered in electrical burns…"

"Probably used him as target practice," Kyp said bitterly, cringing at the thought of Wrynn and Xela lashing out with Force lightning. "Do you think he can make it?"

Corran was a little too long in answering. "If he gets into a bacta tank soon," he finally said, unsurely. "The Second Fleet is going to rendez-vous with us just outside the sector, we could have him in Alliance medical care within two or three hours if we hurry."

"Okay… he needs to go into a healing trance. Vulcor," he called softly. The man groaned but did not open his eyes. "Vulcor, can you hear me?"

"Mas… Dur… on…?"

"That's right, it's Kyp Durron. We've come to get you out of here- do you think you can pull yourself into a healing trance, it'll be a few hours until we can get you proper medical treatment." Vulcor exhaled painfully and concentrated; beside him, Kyp could feel Corran lending his strength and assistance, and he quickly did the same. Soon, pain slightly diminished, the hurt man was unconscious again but allowing the Force to begin the long, slow process of healing his body.

Corran studied his wounds. "You'll have to lift him with the Force, I'm afraid to touch him and do any more damage…"

Carefully, they maneuvered him back down the corridor, into the turbolift and, with a last glance at the bunker, Kyp gladly pressed the button to take them back to the planet's surface.

Where they seemed to have missed the rest of the confrontation. Luke was standing there with a grim but accepting expression on his face, the bodies of Wrynn, Xela, and the other two apprentices had been collected, and some of the others seemed to be collecting some materials to make a quick and impromptu funeral pyre.

Luke saw them coming and moved to intercept. "Kenth went to get your ship," he told Kyp quietly. "Is he going to be okay?"

Kyp grimaced, looking at the man floating eerily behind. "If we can get him back to the Fleet soon; we helped him into a healing trance, but that's only going to get him so far." He glanced around. "Where are Croyel and his man?"

"Ah," Luke pointed up at the blastboat. "Zekk decided that we should appropriate a ship here to assist in prisoner transport. He's securing them, and then one of our fighters can fit in the bay to fly it out of here and assist Zekk. If you think you have things covered with Kenth and Saba, that is…?"

Kyp nodded. "And Tahlia?"

Luke shrugged. "Zekk doesn't seem concerned. Are you?" He shook his head. "I think she's stunned more than anything."

"Yeah," Kyp said wryly, "she almost got her head lopped off by her own people. Zekk saved her life."

"Ah…" Luke said slowly. "That explains… that." He studied the younger man for a minute. "You've done well here, Kyp. You should be proud."

"I'm just happy that it's over; that Jaina and Jag have Leyla back. Besides," he smiled sardonically, "I've still got to face the music for everything I did to get inside their confidence. Speaking of which…" he turned and saw Mara Jade Skywalker stalking towards him.

Her face was set. "I've got a bone to pick with you, Durron…"

He held up a hand. "If I may?" he reached out and placed his fingertips against her temple and closed his eyes. She tensed but did not object, and after a few seconds, she stiffened and flinched, and then jerked away suddenly.

"That was… interesting," she blinked a few times, and then searched her restored memories. "Oh… shavit, Durron," she sighed. "Fine."

He laughed. "What?" Corran asked.

Mara glared at Kyp a moment. "I don't believe I'm about to say this… I told him he could memory-rub me."

Luke chuckled, but then turned grim once more. "What about Brionia Sumptri, Kyp? You did a lot of damage there…"

"She was working with them, wasn't she?" Corran guessed.

Kyp hesitated. "Sort of. Don't be too hard on Brionia; she never really knew what she'd gotten herself in to, she just passed information to Trina Belotab. From what I gathered, she really didn't know that they were going to go after Leyla but… I guess she'd just mentioned that Jaina and Jag had taken her to assess her abilities and that they were… substantial."

"She was still spying on the Jedi," Mara said, voice hard.

"Yes, but now she doesn't even remember being recruited to do so," Kyp pointed out. "It's probably more merciful to just let her build new memories, than force her to live with the old ones."

As Kenth arrived and maneuvered the shuttle through the now-opened blast doors, Luke watched Kyp closely, a light smile playing across his features. "Kyp Durron, you've grown."

He looked away, uncomfortable. "Master Skywalker, can you help Corran get Vulcor aboard the shuttle? I want to talk to Zekk a minute…" he walked away from the group and ascended the landing ramp of the blast boat. Turning towards the cockpit, he heard quiet voices.

Zekk and Tahlia were sitting across from each other, speaking in low tones. He seemed to be telling her about the Jedi and Coruscant and Ossus, urging her to complete her training at the academy or with a Master. Tahlia looked unsure, but something in her eyes softened when she looked at Zekk, and Kyp fought to keep a grin from his face.

"Zekk?" he asked. "Can I have a quick word?"

"Oh," the younger man looked up, surprised, "sure. Should I…?"

"No," he motioned him to stay put. "Tahlia can hear this too. I just wanted to clarify something for you about what Wrynn said…"

Zekk flushed and looked away, uncomfortable. "Yeah. Right." Tahlia watched him in surprised curiosity, remembering the shocking revelation of the girl's true parentage.

"I won't try to explain or justify to you, save to tell you that… events had already been set in motion when Jaina asked for your help in apprehending me eight years ago, it's why she had to do it. And I made my peace with Jaina on Mon Calamari after the knighting ceremony, and with the rest of the family on Zonama Sekot. I met Leyla then, and I love her very dearly, but… she already had a stable family and I didn't want to jeopardize that. Leyla doesn't know, and I'd like to keep it that way until she's old enough to understand."

Something in Zekk's eyes flickered and he nodded. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me."

"And me," Tahlia put in softly.

"Thank you both," Kyp smiled tightly. "I think we're about ready to depart. I'll see you aboard the Mon Mothma."

He swept swiftly back down the ramp and hurried over to the other shuttle while the Jedi made preparations to retrieve their fighters. As soon as he was aboard and secure, Hamner and Sebatyne lifted off, eager to get the patient proper medical care as quickly as possible.

For now though- as Kyp stared out of the viewport, watching the dreary planet sink behind, the black smoke of the pyre standing out against the brown landscape, as he steeled himself to make the same request of Kenth and Saba that he had of Zekk- for now, he was glad that it was finally over.

End Part XXII