Prologue

Tishmy Kallig, a Sith Inquisitor and the esteemed Darth Occlus, stood in the main hallway leading to the docking bays of a remote Imperial logistics station. Her apprentice, Ashara Zavros, paced next to her nervously, her Togrutan head tails twitching. Tishmy felt the currents of the Force shifting and sensed conflict approaching. She absently touched the bionic-assisted glove covering her injured hand and focused to draw the Force to her will in preparation.

"A ship has come out of hyperspace nearby," Tishmy told her apprentice. "Prepare yourself."

Ashara turned to look into the dark eyes of her master. She sensed the stirring in the Force as well and knew that Tishmy was preparing her formidable powers. "Prepare for what?" she protested, "we're not here to pick a fight. He's a friend."

"Not my friend," Tishmy replied sharply, stepping toward the window overlooking the docking bays; black cloak shifting around the heels of her boots.

"Please follow my lead on this," Ashara continued, "and don't provoke him."

Tishmy glanced over her shoulder, turning just enough that Ashara could see some facial features under the cover of her hood. "This won't go as you envisioned."

Ashara sensed Tishmy's disdain but saw no wrath in her gaze, indicating that she would play along. "I still need to try."

"You know my feeling about your compassion," Tishmy sighed, "but you may attempt to convince him without a fight." She turned and moved back toward her apprentice. "I will prepare for the inevitable."

Ashara looked down the hallway. A docking sound had chimed, and it would not be long before the confrontation occurred. Inside, she steeled herself, sensing that Tishmy was right about what would happen. There was a clanking noise and a muted rush of atmosphere beyond the inner airlock door. The Jedi were here. With a warning tone, the inner airlock door unlocked and swished open. Jaren moved through the opening in confident strides, his Jedi robe unfurling behind his large frame like a standard. The look in his eyes indicated that he had already sensed their presence. Kira, his padawan, hurried through the door behind him.

Only a dozen paces separated the Jedi from the Sith in the dim lighting of the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Jaren demanded harshly; his question directed at Ashara.

"I can explain," she replied with a raised hand. Her dark cloak matched more closely to the Sith Lord behind her than the Jedi knight she faced. "It's very important that you listen to us, Jaren."

"I don't have time to listen to you anymore. The moment for talking has passed; you made your decision." His voice was growing stronger and his muscular forearms were flexing beyond the sleeves of his tunic.

"This isn't about me," Ashara insisted, "this is about you and the Jedi assault."

A brief flicker of concern shifted Jaren's expression, but he fought through it and took a step toward them. "I don't know what you're talking about or why you're here, but you need to move aside and not delay me any further."

"We're here to stop you, Jaren, and I ask you not to make this difficult." Ashara's voice caught with emotion. She knew the look in his eyes and sensed his stubborn determination.

"Stop me?" his words heaved out of his chest. "You have no idea what you're doing, Ashara." He took another step forward, his body posturing for a fight.

"We can't step aside, Jaren," Ashara continued to stand her ground. "We know your plans, and so does the emperor. He's set a trap for the Jedi."

Concern shrouded Jaren's face, and he glanced back at Kira. "That's impossible," he asserted as he brought his eyes back to Ashara. "Has the Sith put you up to this?" He pointed angrily at Darth Occlus as he spoke.

"No," Ashara shook her head, "this was my idea. I'm here to save you. The emperor fed the Jedi the location of his hidden fortress. They're walking into a trap."

Jaren was visibly shaken then, knowing that Ashara knew too many details of his plans to be guessing. "This can't be," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Jaren, but you must believe me. The emperor is prepared for the Jedi assault."

Ashara's words steeled Jaren's resolve rather than assuaged him. "If what you say is true, then the others will need my help."

"The only way to help them is to stop the assault," Ashara stated.

"Can you contact them?" Tishmy asked from behind her.

The Jedi knight stiffened at the inquisitor's words. There was no love lost between them. "What do you care?" he answered.

"She's here to help you," Ashara defended, "and your friends if possible. Can you call off the attack?"

"No," Jaren said sadly. "We split up under strict radio silence. Each team was supposed to procure an Imperial transport and head to the fortress directly, which is why I must go to them. Someone needs to warn them that it's a trap!"

"That's not going to happen," Tishmy said sharply. "If they're inbound to the hidden fortress then it's already too late, and I didn't risk my reputation coming here to just let you pass and make a bad decision worse."

"I have to help them," Jaren asserted. "I encouraged this plan. They're risking everything because of me."

"Another reckless decision on your part," Tishmy scolded.

The Jedi knight's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Jaren," Kira said as she reached out to touch his arm, "remember Jomar's vision."

He flinched away from his padawan and looked back in frustration. "That was about me, not the others," he replied harshly.

"Still," Kira replied, "it was a warning. Maybe we should listen to them."

"Listen to the Sith over helping our fellow Jedi? Do you hear yourself?"

"You cannot help them," Tishmy declared. "The Jedi have been seduced by a false vision and will pay the price for their error. Rushing after them will only offer you the same fate."

"Tishmy, please," Ashara countered with a glance back at her master, "you're not helping."

"I told you he wouldn't listen," Tishmy continued, "let him go join in his friends' ruin if he is so inclined."

"Did you hear that, Ashara?" Jaren snapped, growing heated again. "Your friend revels in the death of Jedi."

"She doesn't," Ashara shook her head in frustration, "she's trying to help you."

"You've delayed me long enough," Jaren stated confidently as he took another large step forward. "Get out of my way."

"Don't do this," Ashara pleaded as she reached for her lightsabers.

"You would draw against me?" he asked incredulously.

"If I must," Ashara responded.

Jaren puffed his chest out and clenched his fists. "After everything I've done for you, this is your repayment? I stood up to the council and helped you return to that monster," he pointed an angry finger at Tishmy. "I warned you that she would tempt you to the dark side and could cause your fall." He hesitated then; emotion clouding his eyes. "We had something together, padawan. I would have helped you back into the Jedi ranks, and you chose this path instead."

"I have chosen nothing but to save you, Jaren," Ashara insisted.

Jaren did not believe her, any tenderness in his eyes was gone, swallowed up by boiling anger. "I must help my Jedi friends. Get out of my way!" he said as he strode forward.

Ashara drew her hilts from her belt and held them up; ready to strike the blades.

Jaren halted mere feet from her. "Do not test me, padawan," he hissed. "I bested you before, and we were only sparring. If you ignite your weapon against me now, I will not spare you." He stared sharply into Ashara's eyes and saw confidence mixed with concern. He also felt the Sith behind drawing in the Force and beginning some dark incantation. They were serious about stopping him, so he prepared himself for it and took another step forward.

Ashara lit her blades, Jedi blue saber and fuchsia shoto; shifting her form to an attack stance. "Please, Jaren," she pleaded one last time, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" he sneered as he reached for his weapon. "Nothing could hurt me more than you lighting a weapon against me. Now I know that the connection we shared was a lie. Your fate does not rest with me, padawan, or the Jedi order. You stand against me as an enemy and will be treated as such." With that, Jaren struck his blade and attacked. Ashara moved to meet him, and their blades came together in anger . . .


How did the Hero of Tython Jaren Dwar come to face off against Darth Occlus and her apprentice, Ashara?

That story began months earlier.