All right this one is going to be a long one! But, we got some GOOOOOOOOD action in this one! Enjoy! Leave a review if you're feeling nice! Thanks so much!


Chapter 13:

Fateful Crossroads

...

Once into the atmosphere of Bespin, Luke and I were guided in by Bespin Security Forces and, after an improper use of the Force, the orange fighter showed us to the landing platform A-114. We landed and I leapt out of my cockpit, seeing something across the way that caught my eye: a ship that I would never forget.

Luke came up beside me, "Isn't that the Falcon?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Unless someone else has a beat-up YT-1300. They're here."

Luke turned to the metal door that led into the cone-shaped structure conjoined to the platform. The door opened up and a contingent of gray uniformed security soldiers made their way onto the walkway. They were escorted by a bald human figure with cybernetic implants attached to the sides of his head. Blue and red lights flashed as information continuously passed from the central database directly into his brain.

"Lo-Bot." I said.

"Friend or?" Luke asked quietly.

"We're about to find out." I said as the group finally got close.

Lo-Bot spoke with a monotone voice, "You are not on the schedule for arrivals. State your business."

"My name is Jedi Grand Master Blaze Marko of the Jedi Rebirth." I said, then gestured to the right, "This is Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. We find ourselves in this neck of the woods due to the fact we are tracking some of our own."

Lo-Bot blinked, information flashed behind his eyelids, "There is no official Republic or Jedi Order representatives that have checked in with central control."

"I understand." I said. "However, these representatives are not here officially and may have been seen through by someone here. Is Lando Calrissian the Baron Administrator for the mining facility?"

Lo-Bot nodded, "He is."

"One of the individuals that are here is named Han Solo." I pointed to the Falcon, "He is the captain of that ship. He knows Lando personally. Are you able to tell me where they went?"

Lo-Bot's face was impassive, "My jurisdiction ends here. This conversation is terminated until the proper management can be obtained. You shall remain on this platform until the Baron Administrator can be summoned."

I frowned, "You seem to be under the impression that we are here with an abundance of both time and patience."

"Master." Luke murmured.

I saw it.

Lo-Bot repeated himself, then added, "Any and all forms of noncompliance with these actions will result in containment and imprisonment as well as an open channel of communication between this space and the Republic. Such an event could end in legal misfortune."

The gray security officers brandished small but powerful blaster pistols.

Luke leaned in, "Hard way, Master?"

I nodded, "I really wish I could talk my way out of these things sometimes."

Lo-Bot's cybernetic implants must have been upgraded with some sort of foresight technology because before I had moved a muscle, he already had his fingers up to the guards, and the guards responded in kind.

With a snap of my fingers and a hint of Force energy, the guards found themselves stumbling and their blasters clattered to the floor. Luke dove forward, throwing one hand in their direction, a blast of Force energy sweeping half of them off their feet and flying back to crash into the metal wall behind them. I moved myself, throwing my right fist at the first guard, breaking his nose and sending him to the floor, then I drove a knee into his already broken face. The last few guards were easy work, but while Luke and I were fending off the guards, Lo-Bot had moved away and was about to escape behind the metal doors to the facility.

As the door opened up, Luke pulled it down with the Force. Lo-Bot turned to face us and I had a lightsaber ignited and up towards his chin, "Let's try this again. Where are they?"

"I have already alerted security." Lo-Bot said, still as monotone as ever.

"He really doesn't know how to answer a question, does he?" I asked Luke with a wry smile. Then, I frowned hard and laid a hand on his head, pushing through the mental shields that the cybernetics afforded him. It was difficult at first, but, once the code was broken, it was child's play to dive as deep as I needed and find the info…

"They broke off from the main group." I said, eyes closed and in tune with the Force. "He doesn't know after that."

Luke sighed, "Can't feel them and don't know where they went. That makes it difficult."

I nodded, "Normally it would. But, I did feel through the Force that Mara asked for a console. She's looking for the ship." I turned back to the cyborg and pushed deep into this mind, "Where are the hangars to the secondary load drop-offs?"

Lo-Bot struggled but said, "…Sub-Hangar…lower levels…41."

"There it is." I muttered to myself as the image came unbidden into my brain. "Thanks, Lo-Bot." Then, I promptly pressed my finger into the center of his forehead, sending a burst of Force energy there until he collapsed to the ground.

"What do we do about security?" Luke asked.

I reached down to Lo-Bot's wrist, pulling a data chip out of his wrist-pad. I inserted it into my own and looked up as the structural blueprints of the entire Bespin Mining Facility appeared through my HUD in the form of a 3D hologram.

"Copy and transfer to Luke Skywalker." I muttered to the AI in my HUD before it sent the files to Luke. In a moment, Luke was looking at the same thing I was.

Using my mind, I scrolled through the blueprints until we came across Sub-Hangar 41. The blue section of the 3D hologram highlighted in a crimson light that blinked rapidly. There was a sub-section through the East Corridor that ran directly above the level. However, that section was across a few of the buildings.

"Track bio signatures heading this way." I said and the 3D hologram suddenly shifted as twelve points highlighted as yellow dots of light.

"We make our way through them but no killing." I said, closing down the HUD and transferring a guide to my wrist-pad. "This will lead us through the structures in the fastest way possible."

"Then, we better get a move on." Luke said, unclipping his lightsaber and holding it at the ready.

I did the same and we made our way into the building before us.


Mara and Leia had their lightsabers up in an instant, their backs pressed against one another. Two blue blades of plasma were beacons of light as they were surrounded by an army of darkness. The resounding sound of a dozen blasters being brought at the ready was enough to send a spike of apprehension through the two Jedi Knights.

The captain wore a victorious smirk as he leveled his blaster rifle at the two women, "If it was up to me, I'd vape you both right now. However, Lady Brie wants you both alive. Or, to be more specific, Mara Jade. We have discretion of whether or not to vape you, Skywalker."

Leia made a face, "I can imagine what you would love to do."

The captain grinned, "Smart one, eh, dearie?"

Mara frowned, waving her blade from side to side, "You all won't live long enough to make good on that threat."

"Mara." Leia said, a warning tone.

"They've got blasters on us, Leia." Mara said, a bit exacerbated, "A friendly chat is out of the question."

"There are alternatives to fighting." Leia said, lowering her blade.

The captain merely laughed, a dark throaty chuckle that sent ice up Mara's spine, "Are you serious? You're making it too easy on us."

Leia was not swayed, "I can feel your emotions, Captain. I can feel your…trepidation. You believe this mission to be foolhardy."

The captain didn't flinch, "Conversation is futile, young Jedi."

"I don't think it is." Leia said. "Or, we would already be dead. Me at least. You haven't fired for the singular reason that being an unprovoked murderer wasn't on the list when you took this job."

"Maybe it was." The captain said. "Perhaps, it was the thing that led me to take this job."

All the while they were talking, Mara was gathering her strength in the Force. She knew that if anyone could talk down a group of trained assassins, it was Leia. However, even the most skilled negotiators could be unsuccessful when it came down to the final account. If Mara's father had taught her anything, it was to be ready at a moment's notice.

Leia shook her head, "I don't think so. You are unsure."

The captain cocked his blaster carbine once, "Get out of my head, girl."

"I apologize." Leia said softly. "I just don't want either my friend or I to die today."

"That's not up to me." The captain said.

Leia leaned her head slightly to the side, "It could be."

"If she found out that we let you go," The captain said. "we would all be on the chopping block. Both figuratively and literally. I've seen what she can do."

"Then, you know she can be stopped." Leia said. "We've beaten her before; we can do it again."

The captain scoffed, "You had more Jedi then. That boy isn't with you."

Mara looked backwards, "That boy was my brother. On equal ground, I would destroy that scutta."

The captain's tone changed to one of begrudging dismay, "A risk I cannot take."

Before that instant, Mara had entertained the idea that Leia's diplomatic abilities might actually prove to be the way to go. However, a second later, the boiling pot that was their current conflict exploded. It all started with a feeling of sharp danger-sense that traveled down both the young ladies' necks.

Mara lashed out, using the Force to expel the air outward. The nearest soldiers flew backwards, slamming against the bulkhead of the freighter. The next set found their weapons flying almost out of their grasps, but they were able to hold on just barely. That second of uncertainty, in actuality, was more than enough time for the two women to strike.

Both Mara and Leia swiped their blades in two sharp, long arcs that cut deep gashes into the closer guards, watching as they fell to the ground. Neither woman liked taking life, but they knew that they were not exempt from that dirty deed from time to time.

The captain took a step back, raising his comlink to his mouth, "Kill Solo and Calrissian."

"No!" Leia exclaimed in distress.

Both women made quick work of the rest of the soldiers, but the captain leapt through the now opened door to the outside of the ship, dashing away towards the starfighters in the corner of the hangar bay. Mara ran after him, but she turned when she heard Leia call out to her.

"Mara!"

As she started to move towards Leia, her danger-sense came flaring back to life. Mara fixed her gaze beyond Leia's exposed backside and felt her skin turn to ice.

"Leia!" Mara yelled. "Duck!"

Without questioning the order, Leia dropped to her stomach just as a malleable whip of light slashed through the air where her head was just seconds before. Leia rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another blow. She pushed off the ground into the air, slashing her lightsaber just in time to deflect a third blow. When she hit the ground, both feet planted, she saw her opponent.

"Shira Brie." Leia said, voice hollow.

Shira Brie had her hair up in a bun and wore a mask across her face that did more to accentuate her eyes than anything. Her body was clad in a skin-tight metal armored suit. Her lightwhip was flicking back towards her before it shut off and she held the filament in her hands, coiled around her fingers like fine strands of jewelry.

"Near miss." Brie said, eyes squinting slightly in what both Jedi women could only think of as the hint of a sardonic smile.

Mara took a step forward, "Leia, go save Han and Lando. I'll take her."

"What?" Leia blinked. "Alone?"

Mara nodded, "Mhm."

Leia shook her head, "I can't leave you to face her without me. She might…she might kill you."

"Or," Mara said, clenching her lightsaber. "I might kill her."

"She has information that might be vital to finding out who she works for." Leia said, giving voice to her main intention once again. "We have to take her alive."

"We might not have a choice!" Mara yelled, then gestured, "Go save them, Leia!"

Leia's face was awash of mixed emotions. On one hand, her duty as a Jedi was to stand by Mara and face their enemy, taking her into custody and finding out more surrounding this mystery. But, Han was in trouble. The man she loved. If she didn't act and he died, she'd never forgive herself.

In a move that surprised both Jedi, Brie turned her body to the side, giving access beyond, "Go. Try your best to save Captain Solo and Calrissian. In all honesty, neither one of them will survive the next few minutes without you."

Leia's heart leapt into her throat as she locked eyes with Mara. Against everything fighting inside of her very being, Leia turned and ran through the doorway that led to the main building connected to the hangar. Once she was out of sight, the air became colder than the darkest night on Hoth at the peak of winter.

Slowly, Brie turned to face Mara, her eyes tightening again, "And, then there were two."

"This is what you wanted, right?" Mara said, brandishing her blade in front of her. "A rematch."

Brie flicked her wrist to the side, her lightwhip crackling to life with a sharp snap, "Our final confrontation. As it should be."

"Tell me first." Mara said. "This was all your plan, wasn't it?"

"To lure you here to kill you?" Brie said, "Yes. It was. After our last confrontation, my superiors said that in order to further our agenda, we needed to move you off the board. Plus, I really want to kill you."

"So, you do have a master." Mara said, taking in as much information as she could. "Or, multiple masters by the sound of it."

"As do you." Brie said. "Without you, your family will crack. The Skywalkers as well. Someone will get sloppy. We will find your base. Destroy the Jedi once and for all."

"We aren't the only Jedi." Mara retorted.

"The Jedi Order on Coruscant can be dealt with whenever we please, but we can't do that without eliminating a bigger threat." Brie said darkly. "The Rebirth. Your Jedi sect has stayed in the shadows for far too long and present too much of a threat to deal with later."

"Why now?" Mara asked. "What makes the timing now crucial?"

"I can't give everything away." Brie cooed, taking a step towards her prey. "All I will say is that this has been in the works for far too long. And, your father should have never stopped all that he did. Some actions, indeed, have steep consequences. The death of his daughter will be but the first."

"You can try, scutta."

"Let it begin."

Both women charged at each other, and as their saber and lightwhip came together, they knew the future had irrevocably shifted. Towards the Light or Dark, neither of them knew. But, the shift was pyridine. This was the beginning of a reality that no one was truly ever prepared for.


When Luke and I passed through the entrance way to the main building complex, the Force whispered a warning into my ear. A cold shiver ran through my being, causing the hair on my arms to prickle up. It wasn't the same feeling as when danger was close, which meant that something had shifted irrevocably.

"Did you feel that?" I asked, turning to the Jedi Knight.

Luke nodded, "Something just happened."

"We need to move. Fast."

"Agreed."

The Bespin Mining Facility was an array of above ground buildings with dozens of floors and thousands of workers that ensured every job was done to perfection. The entire city was a honeycomb of the hustle and bustle that created the galaxy proper. With that in mind, that meant that each of the buildings that we would find ourselves in would be almost identical with only the Force to guide our way.

Positively, the Force was a powerful ally. As was technology.

We dashed through the corridor and if anyone saw us, they would have sworn it was a phantom. We left nothing in our wake to prove that we even existed. The security force was dumbfounded as they were sent to deal with a disturbance and possibly need to use deadly force, but all they were met with was a gust of wind.

Before long, we found the disturbance directly below where we were. After clearing the hall, I took my place right above, placing a hand to the ground and reaching out with the Force. Through the intricate patterns of life energy that wove reality itself, my presence passed through the cracks and seams until my destination was reached.

All at once, my brain was blasted with information at the speed of light. I could feel the very air singe at the heat of the battle that was taking place dozens of floors below. It was Mara!

"She's fighting Lumiya." I said, keeping my eyes closed and using the Force to build a semi-accurate mental image of the fight. "She's alone."

"Where's Leia?" Luke asked, worry in his voice. As much as he came here for Mara, he also came for his twin.

Expanding my presence in the Force, I threw a blanket of energy over the surrounding areas, pushing past the boundaries of time and space to locate the singular light that was Leia Skywalker. When I finally detected her, she was on the move, running through the lower concourse until she came to a lift. It took her upwards, higher and higher. Following that direction, I found the presence of Han Solo and Chewbacca. To my chagrin, they were engaged in a firefight by the feel of it with a dozen other hostile presences. They were in retreat, as it seemed, heading directly for…

"Leia's trying to get to Han and Chewie. They are headed to the Falcon." I said, opening my eyes and unclipping my lightsabers, igniting both black and blue blades. "We need to get down below. Stand next to me."

Luke did just that as I threw both sabers to the side, blades piercing the ground as I gave the flick of my wrist. The blades moved, carving a perfect circle into the ground before flying back into my hands. The perfect circle gave way, the perfectly tiled flooring cracking and creaking before it sent both of us downward to the next floor.

"How many floors are we going to have to go through?" Luke asked as I started to cut the next circle.

"I don't know." I said, "As many as it takes."

Once we reached the fourth level, I felt a huge spike of danger-sense slam into me with the power of a neutron star. I pulled my blades up too late before the floor fell out from us. We landed on our feet, but when my eyes came up, they looked into the visage of a man shrouded in darkness with a protection barrier covering his face through the Force as well as his presence was cloaked. But, there was one thing that was certain, he resonated with power.

Luke ignited his blade, holding it at the ready, "Master?"

Without missing a beat, I knew that the opponent before us was something different. His energy was controlled and deadly, the darkness almost permeable in the very air.

"Go." I said to Luke, "Go to Mara. Keep cutting."

Luke blinked, "What?"

"You have to back her up!" I snapped, "Go! Now! I'll catch up."

Luke didn't argue but moved a few feet back, cutting a smaller circle before falling through the flooring down below. As much as I wanted to join him, I knew that Luke and Mara together were a better choice than Luke and I against this Dark Side user.

A crimson blade of energy sprouted forth from his hand, revealing the dark hilt of a lightsaber. Without a word, the hooded figure slashed his open hand at me, a wave of blue lightning springing forth to life.

On instinct, I pulled my blades up in an X in front of me, catching the attack a foot from my face. Twisting my right foot, I pivoted, transferring the lightning from both blades to just my blue one, mixing in my own residual energy. Once my turn was completed, I threw it forward, the attack redirecting out from the tip of my blade at double strength.

The hooded figure broke into a sprint directly at me, falling down to his knees under the lightning. In half a heartbeat, he was before me, cutting up to take my head off. This, however, wasn't my first fight. Far from it.

I easily caught the attack on my saber, blocking and parrying when I could as my assailant came in with ferocious strikes and jabs. I backpaddled, gaining a few feet of space to regain my footing, but he wouldn't let me. He was there, taking quick slashes and strikes towards my mid-section before diverting his energy towards cutting my limbs from my body.

He took a step towards me, driving his shoulder at my chest. With the Force flowing through me, I spun around, my body sliding off of his shoulder as I came about, kicking out my right leg in a snap-kick that connected with his back, sending him skidding down the corridor.

Wasting no time, I lunged, both blades poised to kill. Whoever this guy was, he was going to die here on Bespin. Didn't matter who he was. All that mattered was that he was standing in my way, in the way of saving my daughter. I was nearly upon him when I felt the Force click in my ear, a warning that I had heard thousands of times before.

Using the Force, I halted my momentum less than a meter from my downed opponent. The light fixture above came down with such speed I almost didn't have time to react. I brought both blades up to block, plasma cutting through plastic and glass, sparks flying as electrical cords were severed. Once I was through, my enemy was back up and stabbing his blade directly for my eye.

With nothing but the power of my mind, I sent my body straight down, slamming both feet into the tiled floor, cracking it with two deep impressions as if my body weighed five hundred pounds and was dropped from fifteen feet in the air. The red blade passed over my head, singing a few hairs from atop my head. In that same moment, I shut off my blue saber, letting it fall from my hand, then I reached forward, grabbing the leg of my opponent and, using the Force to enhance my physical strength, propelled him in the same direction he attacked from. Before my fallen saber hit the ground, I scooped the hilt back into my waiting palm, falling back into a defensive stance.

My opponent righted himself quickly, his boots screeching across the ground as he came to a halt, red saber poised for that same brand of defense.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded.

Without answering, the hooded figure vanished in a blur, using the Force to enhance his speed as he dashed to get away. I quickly gave chase, matching his stride step for step. Right away, it was evident that he wasn't trying to get away.

So, where are you going? I don't have time for this. I thought, pushing my body farther to try to get within striking distance.

The hooded figure suddenly cut left down a hallway, but I quickly made up the ground lost and was only a few strides behind him within seconds. While his power was great and his speed phenomenal, it was obvious that he didn't have the same experience with using the Force as I. Which, in all honesty, stemmed from my long connection to the Blue Kyber Shard.

I was almost within reach when his lightsaber suddenly shot out a second beam of plasma backwards through the other side of his hilt. With only a heartbeat to react, I jumped, soaring above my target but slashing my blades down in a protective swipe, blocking a fatal strike to my chest and abdomen.

When I landed on my feet, my target was already getting into a lift that was directly to his left.

"Damn it!" I muttered, throwing out a Force wave to cut his path off, but the lift was already climbing upwards into the elevator shaft. Wall tile shattered from the pressure of my Force blast but the overall lift door stayed intact.

As I went to give chase, my Force sense went off again, and I turned around to defend my backside…

…only to see an identical face to mine staring back at me from the doorway to the next hallway. Except, this one had a clean-shaven jawline, black hair, and the dark garbs of one who was fully engrossed in the Dark Side of the Force.

"Kane?" My mouth fell open slightly, "What in the hell are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you I would assume." Kane said, clipping his lightsaber back onto his belt. "Chasing after the one in the dark robe."

"You're also after that guy?" I asked, pointing upwards. "He gave me the slip. He's heading up. Wait, why are you tracking him? Who is he?"

Kane looked past me, then gave me a knowing look, "Someone who shouldn't be here. He reeks of the same type of pseudo-Dark Side connection that all clones of the Dark Influence created."

I blinked, "You're saying he's one of you?"

Kane nodded, "Yeah. But, I don't know which one. All I know is that he raided one of my bases with a sizable force in the Unknown Regions. When I sensed that he was like me, I made it my mission to come after him. I tracked him down to Bespin and I thought I was about to get the jump on him…then, I ran into you. If you're not here hunting him, why are you here?"

"My daughter, Mara, went after Shira Brie without my knowledge." I said. "All we could spare was myself and Luke to come after her. I had to break off from Luke so that I could chase the same bastard you're here for. I have to get this guy before going to help Mara and Luke. And, now that you're telling me he's a Dark Influence Clone, that makes this even more important. The web just keeps getting more tangled with each new development."

Kane's face became pensive, "So, both Lumiya and that Dark Influence Clone are here at the same time? That's quite the coincidence."

"Maybe." I said. "Maybe not."

"Well," Kane said, pointing to the lift as it clicked back down into place, "shall we follow?"

"Why don't you just go back to your dark corner of the galaxy and I'll handle this." I said, turning to the door to the lift.

Kane laughed, "Oh, is that what I should do? I don't remember needing to ask you for permission to go where I want or do what I want. Remember, Counterpart, you and I are cut from the same cloth at the end of the day. It's not the smartest decision to try to command someone who's just as strong as you."

"Arguably." I said, looking to the side of the wall panel and pushing a button. "This way, it gets done the way I want it to."

"There's more than one way to do things, James." Kane said, pushing past my shoulder and stepping into the doorway as it opened. He depressed the panel inside. "Coming?"

Seeing that any further arguing with him would probably lead to a fight that didn't need to happen, I stepped into the lift and crossed my arms as it shot upwards.

"Any idea on who this copy is?" I asked.

Kane shook his head, "No."

I raised an eyebrow, "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

"You don't. You'll just have to trust me."

"Trust you?" I said, then chuckled dryly, "Never been able to do that."

Kane turned to me, lips down in a frown, "If memory serves me correctly, all our dealings have culminated in success."

"Yes." I said, then held a hand up, "But, you orchestrated a war that killed a lot of my friends. You aren't exactly on my list of trustworthy people no matter how many things we partner on."

Kane grunted, "That seems unfair."

"My parents and my best friend's parents are dead." I said, whirling on him, "That's not fair."

Kane rolled his eyes, "I thought Jedi were supposed to let go of attachments and not hold grudges."

"I'm not that kind of Jedi." I said, "You, of all people, should know that."

"Oh, I do." Kane said. "That's why you haven't tried to kill me. You're smart enough to know that it would result in the death of those who we care about."

"Speaking of those I care about," I said. "the longer we spend hunting this Clone the longer I can't help Mara."

"She's a trained warrior." Kane said. "Skywalker too. They will be fine."

"You don't know that." I said, reaching out into the Force but my senses were blocked. "I can't feel them anymore. Any of them."

"Neither can I." Kane said, voice pensive as his eyes closed. "This Clone must be casting an interference field with the Force."

"That's no easy feat." I said as we reached the top, unclipping my sabers. "Stay alert."

"Don't tell me what to do." Kane said, mimicking my exact movement with his saber.

When we stepped out, the corridor became a narrow path of tile and plastic, leading to a circular depression with orange lights. Immediately, I knew where we were about to head into.

I looked up, "That's the Carbonite Freezing Chamber above us."

Kane's shoulders tensed, "Something doesn't feel right."

"You think we are walking into a trap?" I asked. "It would make sense. The hooded man didn't seem like he was trying to get away per se. More like he was trying to limit my options."

"Only one way to find out." Kane said, stepping onto the circular depression. I followed suit, gathering the Force throughout my body as it rose upwards, taking us directly to the lit floor of the Carbonite Freezing Chamber.

Orange lights blazed to life along the grated ground, lighting up a trail throughout the room. Steam hissed as the chamber came to life, awakening from a slumber that I couldn't even begin to guess the timeframe of.

I leaned forward, seeing the hole that was woven with tubes and connecting conduits that fed directly back into the carbonite freezing system. There was a control panel a few feet away with a few switches in the downward position. The indicator lights were all on, blinking blue and green across the display, but there was nothing that signaled that the chamber was ready for a freezing session.

Then, a presence made itself known.

Both Kane and I turned around at the same time, our attention falling on a shadowed figure at the top of a set of stairs. The hooded figure was in the same spot Darth Vader was in the Original Timeline when he faced Luke Skywalker.

Without delay, my lightsaber and darksaber came to life in my hands, the standard and high-pitched hum creating an air of power around me. Kane's own red saber ignited, a darker hum customary to one who's kyber crystal was soaked in the inky blackness of the Dark Side of the Force.

"You shouldn't have come. Either of you." The figure finally spoke, but his voice was modulated and warbled. Not like he was using technology like a voice modulator. It sounded more like the illusion he was casting also spread to his voice.

"I believe you led us here." Kane said.

"I did." The figure said. "I said you shouldn't have come. I never said this isn't where I wanted you to be."

"You are picking a fight with the wrong people." I claimed. "I'll make this as easy as possible for you. Surrender. This is your only chance."

The hooded figure waved a hand. There was a metallic click and, suddenly, ten droid figures dropped from the ceiling. To my utter surprise and horror, the humanly skeletal resemblance was a dead giveaway as our attackers became known. Decked out with blasters, thermal detonators, darts, and vibroblades, Kane and I pushed ourselves back-to-back as our eyes came upon YVH-Combat Droids. Not only was it daunting to come across such enemies, it was also impossible. Those droids were not supposed to exist until decades later during the Yuuzhan Vong War in the Original Timeline.

But, here they were.

Each of the YVHs reached behind their backs, pulling out a small cylinder that could have been the hilt of a lightsaber. With a soft click, the small cylinder extended to a two-meter-long pole of pointed, vibrating metal. Each droid clicked their weapon against the ground, a clang ringing out through the chamber with the sound of a crystal bell announcing the end of days.

"What the hell?" Kane muttered. "They aren't supposed to be around."

"No shit." I said back, holding my blades up in front of me.

Kane nudged my back, "I'll handle these bastards, you get that clone. Subdue him. I'll catch up."

"Those YVHs are no joke, Kane." I said, "You sure you can handle ten?"

"Don't doubt me. Now, get ready." Kane said.

"For what?"

Without warning, I felt as Kane pushed his free hand into my back, sending me into a flying aerial acceleration towards the man draped in shadows. The man must have been surprised at the move, as was I, because it was a full three seconds before he made a move to dodge my incoming attack once I gained my bearings.

My strike was true, but my opponent spun away, his double-bladed saber igniting and twirling around his body in a graceful move. My descent ended and I came up, slashing both blades towards the hooded man, to which he blocked, locking the sabers close. For an instant, my presence in the Force started to wipe away the illusion that he was casting, but it wasn't enough through such a passive connection.

In order to find out his identity, I would have to make a greater effort.

The hooded figure struck, stabbing and slashing, going for the kill, but I had fought such a style, such a saber, such a person. Each attack was strong and came from different angles, showing that he had skills that rivaled even the greatest lightsaber duelists. Darth Maul had specialized in the double-bladed variant, and I was sure that this clone had more of an affinity for the style than even he.

My black blade connected with one end of his and I pushed it down to the ground, going for a strike to the head, but he ducked, sweeping his leg towards me. I jumped, blocking three quick attacks in succession before my feet hit the ground.

As I pushed forward, the hooded figure fell away, leaping down from the platform to the lower level where a door opened up. I jumped down right after him, a few steps behind as we passed through the hallway into a control room that was for the weather controls. Again, I recognized the area and knew that the fight was reaching the end of its physical pathway. Soon, we both would be out of room to run.

I threw my hand out, blasting away the wall on the far side of the room, opening up a pathway that led directly to the walkway to the weathervane. The hooded figure wasted no time and jumped through the new hole, but he didn't count that I was already bounding through the air towards my target.

He brought his weapon up, crossing against both of my own. With the distance between us closed, I reached deep into the Force and remembered my training from Obi Wan. There was an intricate way to dissolve a Force illusion, and in order to do it there had to be a few things present.

One, the one dissolving the illusion must use the Force to focus on what the illusion represents in the Force. Two, the one dissolving the illusion needs to break down the barrier that the illusion casts without trying to rip apart the physical matter behind such a technique. Finally, the one dissolving the illusion needed to pull back at just the right moment so that the enemy couldn't push their own presence into the fray and prevent the illusion from being destroyed.

Luckily enough, I had done each step with perfection. The illusion fell, but the hooded man turned away, sensing that his deception had fallen away. I pushed upwards from our clash and kicked my leg out, sending him skidding a few steps back. I was about to rush, sabers blazing to strike when he finally looked up.

My heart stopped.

"Dad?" My voice wavered, blade lowering slightly. Impossible.

His eyes met mine and they were indeed the eyes of my dead father. Or, perhaps, not as dead as I thought. Then, it struck me. Like being hit in the head with a carbonite slab.

"You." I whispered, taking a few steps back, gaining distance, "Kane was here for you. He knew who he was hunting."

My father stared at me, his double-bladed crimson saber still burning in his hands with a dark, deep hum. It was as if my words were passing through his brain and he was trying to process them.

"What are you doing, Dad?" I asked, emotion starting to rise. He had been dead for almost a decade and a half. And, now, he was right in front of me. He had been attacking me.

"You are my target." My father said, voice devoid of emotion. "I have no son."

That stabbed deeper than any lightsaber could.

"How long has Kane been hunting you? Obviously, he's been lying to me." I asked, pushing out with the Force to gauge his mental shields. That, it turned out, was a bad idea.

My father lunged.

I blocked his strikes as they came in quick succession, dodging what I could in the mix while trying to gain distance once again. But, as we continued to exchange blows, it seemed clear that he was starting to adapt to my fighting style. It was as, somehow even at an unconscious level, finding out that his son now knew his identity gave him a strange new hold on his power.

I ducked, narrowly missing a strike that would have taken my head. My blue blade came up towards his left arm. While I didn't want to kill or hurt my father, he would survive without an arm and it could be replaced.

My aim was true, but he wasn't a slouch of any kind. He dodged that attack, spinning his saber in a back handed slash towards my offhand. The darksaber twitched in my grasp on instinct and I caught the attack on my black blade, bringing it up to mid-level in a cross-clash.

"Back down, Dad!" I roared, connecting my blue blade into the connection, forcing my father to a knee.

"Stop calling me that, Jedi!" My father shouted, kicking his leg out, supporting his posture in a half crouch. His foot smashed into my knee and I pulled away, parrying a weak stab at my mid-section.

I stepped away, blades up, "Don't make me hurt you."

"You won't." My father replied.

"Who did this to you?" I demanded. "Tell me."

"Silence." My father growled in response.

"You know me." I said. "I'm your son. James. You're Ryan Kentic. Born October 23rd in 1973."

My father's eyes glowed orange, "I am Darth Hadeth, last of the old Dark Lords."

I scoffed, "You're not Sith, Dad. They're gone."

"You think so?" My father said, dark undertones seeping through, "If you truly think that then you're already dead."

"Been doing a good job staying alive so far." I said, deflecting a few strikes at my face before kicking him in the stomach, pushing him back a few paces, "You can't beat me, Dad!"

Sith lightning exploded forward and I caught the torrent of energy on my open blades, crossing onyx over sapphire. The resounding energy reverberated through the air then echoed into the chasm below. My father stopped the attack and readied himself again. That's when I realized for the first time that it had been almost fifteen years since the death of my parents, and my father looked as if he aged maybe only five years maximum. This wasn't a clone that much I could feel through the Force, but something was wrong.

"How did you survive?" I asked as he twirled his blade around his body. "You were dead. No pulse. I checked. I wouldn't have left you if you were alive."

My father scowled, "Your father is dead."

"Then, what are you?" I asked. "A ghost? No. You're my father and someone did something to you."

My father growled, "Enough drivel, child!"

"Who sent you?" I demanded to know. "Who holds the leash of Darth Hadeth?"

"I am a tool of the Dark Side." My father said in a low monotone, "There is no leash. Only the Sith as one."

Ice prickled at my neck, "Wait. One Sith? Are you telling me that the One Sith are assembled? That's impossible. Krayt never existed. He never formed them."

"There is no One Sith." My father said, his tone changing to one of a teacher informing a student. "But, you were correct to try to search out the last vestiges of the Lost Tribe."

"Damn it." I muttered. "So, the Lost Tribe then?"

"Again, no." My father said, "I see that dissuading you will not happen and you won't just die." His demeanor suddenly became placid and calm, his saber switching off. "You know what I am even if it has been some time."

It clicked.

"You're his alter ego. The Dark Influence personality." I said, frowning hard, "We purged you long ago when we first saved you all."

"It can be done multiple times before permanent damage occurs." My father said "I am the second iteration: Darth Hadeth. A more perfect version of Darth Candrouth. Your father's body contains just as much latent potential as you, but it seems that my training has been less than sufficient if I cannot best you."

"Fighting some of the deadliest foes to exist will do that to you." I said. "How did my father survive, Hadeth?"

Darth Hadeth chuckled, "When he died, and he did die, his spirit was caught between realms. He was stubborn and refused to let go…ah, I see. When you died, you had a similar transition didn't you?"

"Yes. I stayed in between this life and the next for two years." I said, looking upon my father and seeing so much more gray than before and it made my heart hurt.

"Your father was trapped for seven years. When he pushed through and came back, his body had been revitalized and I awoke instead of him. It seems that while in the care of the Shadow Brigade, they attempted to use the Dark Influence to push a new personality into the body's brain, in theory awakening the consciousness to create myself. It did not work as they intended, and the body was placed in stasis. When I was reawakened, I was given commands. I have been meddling in your affairs for quite some time, Blaze Marko."

"Why didn't I feel anything?" I asked.

"You left the galaxy proper. It was easy to operate without you close by. Granted, you would pop around the galaxy with your Rebirth soon after and then we had to get creative. We had to be more secretive." Hadeth said.

"Who woke you?" I demanded. "I'll deal with Kane later on the subject of your resurrection."

Hadeth smirked. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Because, deep down, my father is in there and he would want to tell me. Plus, that means I can tear you from him." I said, gathering Force energy into my hands. "And, if you tell me, then I can face your master one on one."

"Always charging in headfirst." Hadeth chided, "Your father taught you better than that. I would know."

"Better than letting him gather his force for all out war." I countered. "Hadeth, I'll give you one chance: either give me my father back and tell me who is behind all of this willingly, or I will rip you from my father, take the information from your skull, and kill you promptly. You decide. You have ten seconds."

"Oh, Marko." Hadeth sighed. "Your negotiation skills are the exact opposite of your combat skills!"

"Well," I grinned. "I do hate politics."

"I know."

The Force sparked in warning just before Hadeth released a wave of pure Dark Side Force energy. I threw up a protective shield, blocking the attack. What I did not see was when Hadeth attacked, he had also thrown his saber in a twirling arc and it was approaching from the rear. Even though a lightsaber itself wasn't a living thing, the crystal inside was to a degree.

My black saber flashed, deflecting the attack, sending it spiraling back to its owner. Hadeth caught it and charged, striking low then high in a series of intricate patterns, causing me to switch movements mid-swing to protect my legs from a clean hit. His saber came down in an overhead slash which I caught on both my blades.

Holding it there, I grinned, "Remember when we used to play with toy lightsabers when I was a kid in the front yard?"

"You overestimate your father's ability to actually hear you." Hadeth said, pushing harder down.

I grunted, pushing just as hard, augmenting my physical strength with the Force, "Oh, I know he can hear me. You forget, Hadeth, I've dealt with your kind many times before."

"Trust me." Hadeth said, twisting the bottom half of his hilt. "No, you haven't."

The bottom half of his weapon snapped off and the hand that held it struck. With less than a second till impact, I released a portion of the energy I'd been storing outward, blasting the hand with the second saber to the side, hitting the metal railway. Using that half-moment of confusion from Hadeth, no doubt he thought he'd won, I disconnected myself from the clash, pushing the blades off balance. Using my left foot as backing and my right foot as a forward plant, I drove my shoulder forward into his chest, sending Hadeth flying backwards, both sabers staying in his hands despite such a hard hit.

Before Hadeth hit the walkway, his hand jutted and I realized too late that it was an attack. There was a creak of metal before part of the guard rail slammed into my side, pushing me completely over. Out of reflex, my arm shot out to grab the walkway. A line of fear passed over me as I stared down into the almost depthless cavern. Little lights peppered the expanse, but it was not something I wanted to become intimately familiar with.

My eyes came up at the sound of a flashing lightsaber. Hadeth was soaring through the air toward my hand. He had both blades, one in each hand this time, and he had a look of almost contemptible glee.

Once my feet hit the metal flooring of the walkway, I pulled my lightsabers back to hand, but I clipped them to my belt even as Hadeth took a short backswing. I drove my elbow into the back of his hand, causing the hand to spasm. Hadeth yelled and shoved backwards, causing me to take a step back.

Hadeth blinked in confusion when he found that his right hand was now empty. I now held the other half of his inactive lightsaber.

"Don't need this." I said, throwing it into the abyss. "You keep swapping styles, and I won't lie, it's getting annoying."

Hadeth frowned, "Do you truly believe you have more of an advantage now?"

I smirked, "Better question: do you really think I thought you had a chance to beat me to begin with?"

Hadeth leaned his head slightly, "Arrogant as always. According to your father's memories, you've always been that way."

"I'm sorry. Are we here to fight or have an insult match?" I said. "Because, I'm ready to fight on that front if you are. I think it's time you gave me my father back, asshole."

Hadeth ignited his remaining lightsaber and his eyes burned with fury, "Speaking of that, dear Jedi, didn't your father die in front of you? Isn't it strange how people keep dying around you?"

I paused. Not because what he said held any truth, but I stopped because there was the faintest hint of my father's presence in that statement. As if, Hadeth was echoing something my father had thought at one point. Or, it could have been a feint.

"Your parents. Ziv's parents. His sisters. Your apprentice. Satine. Windu. Cultrous." Hadeth sounded off each name one at a time. "Some friends. Some enemies. All dead. And, I know that Kane is your clone. I know that you could have added him to your list of kills, but you didn't. A champion of darkness and you let him go on about to whatever he does. He could be planning your downfall, but you don't care. You trust him because you share his DNA. Or, because he shares yours more specifically. Let me tell you something, Blaze or James, just because you share that DNA doesn't mean you can trust him."

"You must be desperate to try to turn this around on Kane." I said. But his words hit hard. Not too long ago, I had been thinking of all we had lost and the one's I'd personally killed. The dream of saving the universe had slowly transformed into something else. The bright idea gave way to grueling realism. A pearly sheet of life soaking in dripping crimson.

"I'm trying to state something." Hadeth said. "As dangerous is the one who woke me, the one who brought me back, so too is the one who shares your face…and the original face that bore it."

"Kane and I have a longstanding agreement." I said, a sour taste in my mouth as I remembered what that truce had cost. "I do not trust him. But, sometimes, you have to work with untrustworthy people to get the job done. That isn't to say we don't have failsafe plans. On occasion, there is no choice."

"I couldn't agree more." Hadeth said lowly.

I raised a brow, "Is whoever woke you up an untrustworthy person? To you? Someone we know?"

Hadeth was silent.

I continued, "Does my father know? He was always a purest. Even if you did take his body, his memories would still be yours. That includes his limited knowledge of this world. But, I sense no such confusion from you. Which means it is someone from the prequels or original trilogy. Is it Palpatine? Is he back?"

For a long moment, Hadeth was silent. His eyes were locked with mine in what almost felt like a battle of wills. The air thickened. I reached out with the Force and found Hadeth ready. His mental shields locked me out immediately and the silence continued.

"Why would you suspect him?" Hadeth finally said. "There are no lack of enemies here for you."

"He's the only person I can believe to be able to do what has already been done." I said, narrowing my eyes.

"What truly has been done?" Hadeth asked, then said, "If Palpatine was behind this, then you know one of you would already be dead."

"He would hide. Gather power." I said. "He's patient."

Hadeth nodded in a non-committal way, then gestured with his lightsaber igniting it towards me. Strangely enough, it held no intent. My danger-sense was quiet. That did not bode well.

"Would you believe me if I said yes or no?" Hadeth asked, gazing at his blade. "Would you truly be satisfied? Would you, son?"

"I have to know." I said. "Dad. Lyra is dead."

That shook Hadeth. For the first time, a bit of hazel came through the yellow. My father knew Lyra since she was ten years old. But, there was no surprise.

Hadeth frowned, "I know."

"Then, come with me." I held my hand out to him. "Help me prevent other unnecessary deaths."

"No death, son," Hadeth brought the saber to his own neck, "is ever truly unnecessary."

"No."

The word came from my lips, but it was tinged in emotion and power. His saber deactivated as it came in for the kill. He tried to turn it back on, but he found it impossible. When he looked up, I was there.

I slammed my hand into his chest, the Force power stored there coursing through me into him. Pure universal energy tore away at Hadeth, separating the molecules of another identity off the original cells. There was a gust of air and a slight whine, as if a speaker's internal core had gone bad. Then, a body expelled out the back of my father, coated in black robes with black and gray hair with wan skin.

My energy plummeted and I needed a moment to catch my breath. But, there was no time. I caught my father's body in my arms.

"Dad." I said, tapping his face, "Dad. It's James."

His eyes opened blearily, "J-James. What's-"

The red blade had fallen to the ground when I made my move, but now it flew upwards and behind my father. I knew what was next.

"Sorry, Dad." I said and fell onto my back, throwing his body over mine just in time to see Hadeth bearing down, saber burning to kill.

I threw both hands up, one palm up and the other directed like a knife strike, cracking lightning between my fingers.

Hadeth blocked the lightning that followed, but he could do nothing about the Force blast that sent him four feet back up into the air. That was enough time for me to kick back up onto my feet with both sabers ready to end this once and for all. No more holding back. Hadeth didn't have his leverage.

Hadeth slammed his lightsabers down with such force that the entire walkway shook. I pushed him off into a backflip. I crossed the distance with a dash, crossing our weapons and hitting his with enough torque to stumble him closer to the end. He stabbed and I parried. Again and again, he tried to regain ground, but I wouldn't budge. Not for a moment.

When we came to the edge, Hadeth looked slightly stricken. But, his dark aura never wavered. He held his blade in a cross against his chest, waiting for me to move. My blade blurred even to my own eyes, coming high with my blue blade while my black blade sliced through the air with a high-pitched hum. He pivoted, his body going into a half-spin, using his blade as a shield, effectively blocking both strikes with that single move.

I recovered quickly, using the Force to enhance my physical body once again as he struck. We traded blows one after the other until he found himself quite literally with his back against the wall, or in this case the rail.

"Killing me doesn't bring you any closer to figuring it out." Hadeth grunted, using all his strength to stay up.

"Then don't make me destroy you. Because, I will." I said, then paused, affording myself a second to realize what I said and where I said it.

Hadeth smirked, "Ah. You see. The Force ebbs and flows, but some things remain consistent no matter how much you try to change it."

As much as I hated it, he wasn't wrong. Hadeth and I were locked in a battle between father and son on Bespin at nearly the same time as if in the original timeline. And, I had inadvertently quoted Darth Vader.

"Who's behind all of this?" I asked, ignoring him completely. "Who sent Lumiya? Who woke you up?"

Hadeth shook his head, "The answer, my boy, will never come from me. You have your father. Leave with him and with you victory. And, most importantly, with your lives."

"Victory isn't achieved until I find out who is behind all of this." I scowled. "Tell me or die with all the other Dark Influence Copies I've already killed."

Hadeth frowned, "You disappoint me, Marko. You lack imagination. Why not try to take me alive? Why not bring me back with you and interrogate me?"

"I will never bring you back to where we live. No one knows that besides our Order. Not to mention, you'll never get near my family." I said, then sighed, "You leave me no choice."

"There's always a choice." Hadeth said, jumping back onto the weathervane, rattling metal echoing into the chasm below.

Then, as I took a step forward, he stabbed his blade at me. The tip of the plasma weapon scraped my shoulder, sending a stab of burning pain across my skin. Acting on instinct honed from years of saber fighting, I lashed out, driving my blade around and upwards.

His hand fell away still clutching the saber tightly in its grasp. Hadeth didn't scream however, he just clutched the stump and smiled maniacally at me, his eyes blazing with a yellow fury that hinted as a mind incomplete and controlled by raw emotions.

"Best of luck, son." He said before falling backwards, disappearing into the ever-present darkness. He wouldn't die from such a fall and I cursed myself for not finishing him sooner. Even though I could no longer see him, I stared down into the ventilation funnel, reaching out into the Force to track my target. Mysteriously, he was nowhere to be found.

It seemed that Hadeth could hide his presence in the Force just as we could.

"Must be using a cloaking technique." I muttered, deactivating both my blades and snapping them to my waist, "Great. Another Dark Side user to deal with."

"James…" The weak voice of my father echoed.

I whipped around, "Dad!"

My father was on his knees, struggling to stand. I immediately sat him back down, Sit down, Dad. Being separated from a Dark Influence Clone is never easy. And, you were in there for a long time."

My father blinked, tired and slightly foggy eyes turned to me, "H-How long? You look…older."

Now, I couldn't stop the tears in my eyes from falling, "Dad." I hugged him fiercely, my chest aching at a pain I had long ago suppressed came bubbling back up, "It's been a while."

Hugging me back just as tight, my father was insistent, "How long, James?"

I held him at arm's length, "Almost fifteen years."

His eyes almost fell out of his head. His gaze wandered in infinity for a moment before they found mine again, "What about your mother?"

I shook my head, "I'm sorry, Dad. She died at the same time I thought you did."

His eyes spilled, but he did not whimper. He was, as he always did, trying to stay strong. Then, he said, "Wait, What about –"

"Only Lyra survived that explosion." I finished for him. "And, recently, she died too. Someone killed her. That's what drew me here. Only David, Jake, and I remain of our families. But, now, you're back too."

My father's head lowered, "This…"

"…is a lot." I said with a sad smile, "I know. Unfortunately, I'm gonna make it even worse."

"How?"

"I have to leave you." I said. "I have to regroup with Luke."

"Skywalker?" My father asked.

"Yeah. He's a Jedi Knight now trying to rescue my daughter. Another thing we will have to go over. For now, just stay put."

"What's going on with your daughter?" My father asked, blinking rapidly to absorb all the information being thrown at him.

"Short version." I said. "This is a rescue mission. My daughter is hunting an enemy that might be too much for her. Luke and I followed her here."

"Where are we?" My father asked. "This walkway looks familiar."

"Bespin." I said, reaching into my pocket on the left side of my belt and pulled out a communicator, "Here."

My father took it and activated the device, sending a test signal to my wrist unit. I nodded, pulling the blaster I'd taken from one of the Bespin Security Guards off the back of my belt.

"I need you to stay here." I said. "Don't need to be worried about a cripple."

My father scoffed slightly, "James…"

"You're in no shape to fight." I said sternly. "I don't want to have to make sure I cover your ass as well as mine."

"Both of you will be staying put."

I looked up to see Kane at the beginning of the walkway, saber ignited and ready to strike. His face was hardened, almost as if it was made of polished granite. A few scrapes and cuts from his fight with the YVH was any indication that he had been in a recent altercation. The lack of droids meant he was successful.

"You lied to me. You were hunting him." I said, pushing my father behind me. "You're also in my way now. What the fuck are you doing, Kane?"

"Keeping you right where you are." Kane said, voice monotone.

"Why?" I asked, feeling the anger bubble inside.

"You need to let that battle happen the way it needs to. You can't always be the hero, James. You leave no room for growth. No growth equals no progress." Kane said. "If the Force wills them to survive, they will."

"If this was your child, "I said, unclipping my weapons again, "You would tell me to fuck off."

"Your arrogance astounds me." Kane actually chuckled. "The one who defied all and surpassed his limits, abilities, and even death itself will not allow his own order to do the same. You have no faith in them. No faith in your own family."

"James…" My father echoed. "…is that you?"

"Long story." I said, then turned back to Kane, "Faith has nothing to do with it. They have all grown on their own journeys that I had nothing to do with. The last encounter with Brie–"

"Ended up with them triumphing over their enemy." Kane interrupted, "Their glorious leader is nowhere to be found."

"Get out of my way." I said firmly. "Don't make me move you."

"Think for a moment!" Kane almost shouted, his green eyes flashing yellow with barely contained annoyance. "If you go down there, then you interrupt what could be a pivotal moment in their development. Both Skywalker and your daughter."

"It's just them against Brie?" I asked. "Where's Leia?"

Kane nodded, "I broke off from our battle and did some legwork of my own. Leia Skywalker is on the way to rescue Captain Solo, the Wookiee, and Calrissian from Brie's soldiers. Mara and Skywalker currently face her alone. It seems even. It could go both ways."

I stayed silent.

Kane continued, "If you join, you rob them of their ability to overcome evil on their own. You and I think the same way, so deep down, you know I'm right. So, what do you choose? Do you go after Leia who is trying to rescue your allies, or do you help Luke and Mara? Or, do you take your newly revived father out of a potentially fatal environment before he is befallen again?"

I…couldn't respond. He made valid points. But, if Luke and Mara weren't enough to defeat Brie, then I would lose a daughter and Anakin would lose a son. Or, worse. That was a game of chance. But, Kane wanted me to have faith in the Force and trust that all I'd done till this point in their training was worth it.

I had to trust that they could and would protect themselves and, by grand association, the galaxy as a whole. They had been on countless missions, but this was different. They were fighting one of the most cunning Sith apprentices in the galaxy. Yet, Brie was as her original counterpart Lumiya was in the Original Timeline.

Lumiya was the same age as Luke. In the original timeline, she was trained in her early twenties by Darth Vader, later becoming one of the Emperor's Hands. Now, her teacher remained unknown, but she was still highly skilled. Luke and Mara were trained since they were children. They were two of the most skilled duelists that adorned the Order. A shining example.

I lowered my weapons, "Fine."

Kane deactivated his own saber, "Good."

I turned to my father, "Dad. This is Kane. My clone."

"Clone?" My father echoed.

"Yeah." I said. "He was actually the leader of the attacking force that day who killed you. Since then, however, we have a…mutual understanding. We work in tandem for a specific goal. But, he's not good."

"Never claimed to be." Kane piped up. He walked over and gave my father a grin that held pleasant intent, "Your son caused quite a mess for me. It was only natural that I made him an ally. And, technically, Wrath ordered the attack on the Temple. Not my idea."

"Regardless, we are two leaders who share one goal." I rebutted. "Protection of those who we love and the Balance of the Force."

My father nodded, then turned his head slightly as if he heard something strange. He followed the turn until he was facing completely around.

"Dad?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Something…" He whispered. "…is coming."

Then, Kane and I picked up on it. There was something heading right for them. Fast. Something big…

"I've got a bad feeling about this." My father muttered.

"Well," I said. "That's not good."

The wall on the far side of the weather funnel exploded outward in a flash of iridescent plasma. Kane and I both threw a shield of energy out, protecting us as rubble and leftover kinetic energy washed over us. Through the smoke, a Gozanti-class light cruiser loomed through, all turbolasers directly aimed for the three of us on the walkway.

"No." Kane said grimly, "No, it is not."