(Rarsk's Secret)

I barely managed to force push Li'Rinna backwards and propel myself to a standing position, she seemed to be barley phased by my attack, she laughed as fixed her hair, which seemed to be the only thing I'd done any remote damage to and began to slink her way slowly toward me, I leaned against a column, bracing myself for what I was sure would be either my recapture, or my death. Li'Rinna put her hand on the column next to my head and looked at me with her dark, almost soulless, red eyes and begin to lean in towards me, pouting her lips, in what I feared would be, the kiss of death.

Abruptly, I sensed a strong force presence, at first I thought it was Areeva or Master Denai, but I recognized it as the presence that helped me take down the Terentatek and Ssravek. I heard what sounded like a high pitched shriek down below and turned to barely see Rarsk spin around lighting fast with his saberstaff, and cut down all of the surrounding shadow warriors, parts of their chests were missing, which revealed that they were limitedly programmed assassin droids. I watched in awe as Rarsk used the force to leap up onto the balcony and as he forced pushed Li'Rinna with so much force that she went sliding backwards through the debris, she managed to come to a halt before colliding with anything and jumped up into her echani stance. She must have figured that she couldn't have taken Rarsk solo because she leapt off the balcony and sped off down the adjacent corridor.

"Rarsk… you're force sensitive?" It made sense; he was the only one both in the Trandoshan cave and at the forge.

"Yes. Rarsk not have control over power, only sometimes am able to use." He admitted almost as if he was ashamed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I had thought we were close, friends even.

"Rarsk not tell anyone, secret even from clan, if brothers had found out, Rarsk would be banished, unnatural, Rarsk already taint clan with birth, Rarsk not taint clan with Jedi powers." I think I understood, Rarsk possessed abilities that gave him an unfair advantage over his brothers and the creatures he hunted, he would've been considered a cheater.

"I'm sorry; I know what a burden this must have been," I didn't know what else to say.

"This secret, stay between Kradok and Rarsk, no others must know," he was firm, but there was also something pleading, something desperate in his eyes.

"If you don't want me to say anything I won't, you have my word," after all it wasn't my secret to tell.

"Rarsk grateful, Kradok is truly Rarsk's friend, there are no others," I realized then that Rarsk had taken a leap of faith in saving me, he had never even told his clan about his abilities, essentially isolating himself from his family. I could only imagine how alone he must have felt.

I had been about to tell Rarsk not to mention it, that he was my friend too, I think he could see what I was about to say in my eyes, and in that incredibly brief moment we bonded. However, that moment was over the same second it began, a loud scream erupted from down the corridor that Li'Rinna had dashed off down to escape, the blood running through my veins turned to ice, I recognized the screaming voice, Areeva. Rarsk and I exchanged a brief glance and together we jumped of the balcony, landing gracefully, and we raced off down the hallway to find Areeva hopefully before it was too late.

We came to what I believe was the old Jedi Master's chambers, a couple of chairs were overturned but mostly the room was still intact, everything was covered in dust. Areeva was on her knees bent over in front of the Holoterminal in the middle of the room, I could tell she was holding someone; I came up slowly behind her, my legs felt as if they had turned to lead. Areeva turned to look at my tears streaming down her cheeks, sobbing, and there in her arms was Master Denai, lifeless.

I slumped slowly down next to Areeva and looked at Master Denai's body. Her eyes were closed, she looked like she just fallen asleep, like she could wake up at any moment, except for the lightsaber wound in the middle of her chest. Rarsk turned his head toward the ground and began to say the Trandoshan chant for the loss of a great warrior. I looked into Areeva's eyes, trying to find words, but there weren't any. I couldn't think of a single thing to say, I couldn't say anything to comfort her, I couldn't even ask what happened.

"It was Li'Rinna, she found us after Denai rescued me, she struck her down before she even knew what was going on," Areeva finally said in-between her sobs, I still didn't understand how it happened, Master Denai was killed with a lightsaber, which made me think a Sith had been responsible. Then I saw it, there next to the Holoterminal, my lightsaber, the lightsaber Li'Rinna had taken from me, she killed Denai with my lightsaber.

I reached out with the force and my lightsaber shot into my hand, I stood up slowly and proceeded toward the only way Li'Rinna could have escaped. "Where are you going?" Areeva asked, still clinging to Denai, and her hopes that her Master would wake up.

"I have a score to settle." The words hurt my throat; I was fighting back my own grief.

"Rarsk come with, Kradok need help against devious woman." He gargled solemnly; Master Denai's loss hit us all hard.

"Not so fast, Kradok," a voice echoed out from the Holoterminal, and the machine sprang to life, and a very buff, very sleek, very black Cathar appeared.

"All right, everyone seems to know my name, but I know none of yours." I replied icily.

"I am Drakkus, you've become something of a problem for me and my organization." He grinned with his animalistic teeth.

"I have done nothing to you; you are the ones who've attacked me for no reason." I was angry, if he had been there in person, I would've cut his head off.

"True you haven't done anything, yet," he smirked, "An, 'associate' of mine has 'foreseen' that you are going to cause a lot of problems for me, we figured we would merely, 'subdue' you until such a time when you no longer posed a threat."

"Too bad your 'plan' was a colossal failure," I answered mockingly.

"Too bad for you," his toothy grin just got wider and wider, "You see we can't have you mucking up all our hard work, so to some degree congratulations are in order."

"Congratulations, did I win a fancy speeder," sarcasm rolled off me in waves.

He laughed, a deep roar kind of laugh, "No, you have the rare privilege of making it to the top of the Genoharadan 'hit' list," I froze, the Genoharadan was the most elite organization of bounty hunters and contract killers in the known galaxy, how did I pose a threat to them, "Enjoy what's left your life, Kradok, trust me, you don't have long." He gave me one last toothy grin, and with that the Holoterminal went off.

[A/N: Please read and review ;) ]