Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall
Book 3, Part 1: Fall of a Man
Chapter 6: The New Mission
Coruscant
New Republic HQ
Briefing Room
One month later
A/N: Welcome one and all to Chapter 6. I appreciate everyone's patience while I took you on a ride from my imagination. From here moving on, we get into the story from the game. I have a bit more introduction, but by the time you finish this chapter, we will be into the first mission from the game. I also want to take a moment to mention everyone on Discord who's contributed so much.
Thanks to one of them, my original story has been turned into an audiobook An actual audiobook! I can't begin to say how incredible it feels! And with that, let's go to the shout outs and on to the story.
Please enjoy this new chapter and leave a review if you can and will. I love reading them!
Swfb: I hope this answers your question. I'm glad you're enjoying the ride and I hope you continue to do so
"Eccomar III?" Jan asked. "Never heard of it."
"Me either," Kyle echoed.
"Understandable," Mon Mothma said, "there hasn't been much on the planet to garner the attention of the New Republic until recently. Recent reports from probe droids we took from the Empire indicate the presence of Imperial Remnant forces in the area."
"Passing through?" Kyle asked.
"It initially seemed that way," Mon Mothma replied, "but the reports have also shown the presence of Imperial troop carriers."
"You think they're trying to establish a presence in the Inner Rim?"
"That's what we need to find out, which is why I'm sending you."
"No offense," Kyle said, "but if all you're looking for is recon data, surely there are better resources than me and Jan."
"Are you refusing the job?" Mon Mothma challenged.
"No," Jan replied, throwing a look at Kyle, "no we aren't. What are we looking to accomplish?"
Mon Mothma held Kyles' gaze until he dropped his eyes.
"I need you to ascertain if the reports of Imperial Remnant forces in the area is correct and if so, to ascertain if they are just 'passing through' or have another purpose in mind."
"Any bases in the area?" Kyle asked.
"Indeed, there are," Mon Mothma replied, a slight smile in response to the question, "one on Eccomar III itself which is another reason I want you to go there. See if that base is still being actively used by the Imperials and if ships are being stationed there. "
"And if there are?" Jan asked.
"Report your findings," Mon Mothma said, "and we will ascertain if New Republic forces need to be dispatched."
"Okay," Kyle replied, "we'll take care of it."
"Excellent," Mon Mothma said.
Coruscant
New Republic HQ
Hangar Bay
Twenty minutes later
"Do you have to antagonize her?" Jan asked.
"I was just offering an opinion," Kyle replied, "recon work is a waste of our time."
"It's a job," Jan countered, "a job we get paid for, in case you've forgotten."
Kyle paused before responding, cheeks coloring. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said anything."
Jan laughed. "You're cute when you get embarrassed."
"I wasn't embarrassed," he said defensively, "I just… ah forget it."
Jan came forward and put a hand on his cheek."
"Like I said, you're cute."
Kyle couldn't help but smile. He liked it when Jan did this, even if the circumstances weren't the best.
The relationship between the two of them had become more cordial since their time on the Hyperspace Voyager. They'd talked, Jan apologizing for her attack on him. Kyle apologized for, as he put it, forgetting about Jan when he'd been part of the Jedi.
"I'm sorry, Jan. Forgive me."
She had and the two of them had meshed together almost like it had been before their separation, although she still wouldn't let him fly the Raven's Claw.
"Someday," she said, "maybe."
After performing a visual inspection of the exterior of the ship, they headed into the cockpit where Kyle plotted a course for Eccomar III.
"Hmmm," he said, studying the screen," former Imperial base. Looks like a couple of TIE squadrons were based there."
"What about now?" Jan asked.
Kyle shook his head. "Not much recent data. Aside from what Mon Mothma told us, the place has been pretty quiet."
"Or so it seems," Jan replied, "let's find out."
"Ready when you are, partner."
Feeding power to the repulsors and engines, Jan lifted the Claw into the air and out of the hangar bay. Angling the nose upwards, she guided the ship skyward. Kyle radioed their clearance code to the command station aboard one of the planetary defense platforms and received an acknowledgement.
"We're cleared," he reported, "I've got the hyperspace beacon."
Jan nodded and reached for the hyperdrive control. The stars outside became lines, extending out until they disappeared, and the Raven's Claw flickered with pseudomotion as it entered hyperspace.
Eccomar III
Spaceport
One month later
Morning
As Mon Mothma had advised, Eccomar III was an unremarkable world and seemingly worthy of no one's attention or consideration. Despite being an Inner Rim world, it was nearly the polar opposite in reputation of a planet such as Bastion or Tatooine. The unremarkable star that provided light to surface, was like so many other G-type stars in the galaxy. The chemical composition of the atmosphere offered a not intemperate climate, with a few extremes in some regions, particularly at the planet's magnetic poles. Vast tracts of flat, featureless land, a few simple forests, a single ocean, and other smaller bodies of water had enabled the planet to be useful for farming. However, a homesteader would be hard pressed to have any hope of getting rich there. During the time of the Empire, a mega corporation had settled on the world for a time, exploiting what resources were to be gleaned. Having long since left, a few remnants of broken and defunct machinery had been left planet side, with the vegetation around gradually beginning to encompass them.
The one somewhat remarkable part of Eccomar III was the spaceport that had been built at the edge of the continent closest to the planetary ocean. A collection of towers and buildings encompassed the control tower, a maintenance hangar, and a collection of offices.
Now the gleaming white had faded, giving off a dirty gray appearance, the landing platforms showing the marks of ships landing and departing. The morning light played across them, revealing three of them to be empty. On the furthest one, the interplay of light and shadow revealed the outline of a vessel, although it seemed no more remarkable than the rest of the landing area. A gust of wind stirred up a cloud of dust and bits of permacrete. Had there been anyone outside of the ship, it might have buffeted them. But there was no one, the ship seeming as quiet as the rest of the spaceport. Only a few ambient lights along its hull suggested there was any activity at all.
Inside the spaceport control tower, the door on the far wall slid aside, creaking loudly as it did so and then stuck about halfway open. The figure on the other side had to turn his body in order to pass through, a look of annoyance crossing his features.
"Are they ever going to get this thing fixed?"
The comment was directed to a woman sitting in a chair a short distance away. Before her was a curved control panel and a large transparisteel window that gave a view of the outside, including the landing pads. She turned to face the speaker and shrugged.
"You know I've asked the boss about it. He says maintenance will get to it."
She offered a half smile before adding, "eventually."
The figure groaned as he stretched, allowing his wings to spread. A few dead feathers fluttered to the ground as he did so.
"You'd better take care of those Plox," the woman said, pointing, "If the boss sees them…"
"I know, I know," Plox Vyus said with a sigh. The spaceport supervisor was not only slow to respond to the many maintenance requests but was also a neatnik who would call out the slightest issue with one's appearance.
The avian stretched once more as more feathers fell to ground. He looked at them.
More gray.
His feathers, once a healthy crest of tan, brown and white seemed to be fading each day, especially since he had been assigned to this place four years ago.
This place turns everything gray.
With another sigh, he spoke to the woman.
"Shift change. Anything going on?"
The look she gave him was answer enough, but she added, "I saw a few shooting stars last night. It actually gave me something to look at."
"Too bad you can't see them during the day," Plox said. Giving each other lazy salutes, they exchanged places, Plox furling his wings as he moved to sit in the chair. He pointed towards the far pad.
"What about them?"
The woman shook her head.
"Nothing new," she said, lifting a hand in greeting. "Have a good day."
Plox returned the gesture, taking one last look at the ship before sitting down. Looking at the floor, he made a mental note to pick up the fallen feathers soon. No telling when the boss might come by for another surprise inspection. Plox had already been called out for failing to keep the control room clean.
"Sloppy appearance means sloppy work," the officer had said. And while Plox could have cared less, he had confirmed he would be more careful from now on.
These ex-Imperial types are a real pain in the plumage.
Movement suddenly caught his eye. Plox turned his head, his eyes focusing… focusing...
A moment later, he turned back, having identified the source of the movement.
Just another of those small lizards, nothing special.
An alarm sounded.
Recognizing it, Plox found and silenced the alert with a swipe of the appropriate button.
Turning the comm system, he powered it on and dialed in the frequency.
"Spaceport control to Raven's Claw. Come in please."
The reply came back a few moments later.
"This is Raven's Claw. That you, Plox?"
"Good morning, Jan," the avian replied, "how goes it? Anything to report?"
"Plox, why do you ask a question you already know the answer to?"
"Protocol," he replied, "you know the Commander is a stickler for it."
Jan sighed. "Waste of time. In any case, nothing new on this end. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, Jan," Plox said, "Spaceport control out."
After marking off the morning comm check on the day's duty roster, Plox rose from the control room chair and began to pick up the fallen feathers, trying to take as much time as he could. It might be the only interesting thing to happen his entire shift.
Out on the landing pad, inside the otherwise quiet ship, a figure shifted in his bunk, managing to find a more comfortable position, and letting out a brief sigh of relief before picking up the tablet-like device he had been reading from.
What does it mean to be without the Force?
By Dr. Hevik Shavten
Since the days of the Old Republic, the question has been asked, what is the Force? The Jedi of old spoke of it as an energy field generated by all living things and encompassing the entire universe. The Jedi of the modern era have stated that the Force is pure energy and is constantly in motion, moving around us and penetrating our bodies with the same ease as air enters the lungs of a human or water for a Mon Calamari. However, unlike the energy of a plasma drive or ion reactor, the Force cannot be seen or perceived by any of the common senses possessed by humanoid and non-humanoid species. It seems only a select few have the "gift," a kind of perception or mental attenuation that enables them to feel the Force, to be able to experience it and in the case of the Jedi, wield it in tangible ways.
But why is this so? Engineers and scientists both agree. Energy is energy. It exists, it is created and expended. And this existence and expression is able to be measured. From its various forms, including laser, plasma, and ion, what we know of energy, from the simplest to the most complex forms, is that it can be seen or perceived in a tangible way by the majority of all beings. So why then is the Force so imperceptible and yet seemingly, so powerful that it is able to affect and even control matter. Works by others have spoken of the deeds performed by the Jedi of the Old Republic and in modern times, the exploits of the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The evidence of his talents and abilities are abundantly clear and cannot be denied.
It is not the purpose of this text to question the validity or reality of the Force. It has been proven that it exists. Both historical and modern works have shown this. What I wish to examine here is if the Force is truly a source of energy that, in its own way, "fuels" those who perceive and wield it, can this energy be controlled? Limited? Perhaps even turned off? All those with experience as pilots know that, without fuel, a ship's engine will not work or perform its intended task. The question I propose here is, if the Force is indeed energy, and in its current state, always "turned on," could it also be "turned off"? And if so, what would be the result? Just as water flows through river and streams, it can be dammed. Is it possible that the Force can be blocked in some way or turned off just as water from a tap can be started and stopped?
Historical texts do provide a few examples of something very much like this happening. There is a legend from ancient times of a Jedi Knight whose connection to the Force was "turned off" or better to say, severed. Approximately 4000-5000 years ago, a Jedi named Ulic Qel-Droma had served the Old Republic as a Jedi Knight. However, during a failed attempt to infiltrate a group of Sith. Qel-Droma is said to have been overwhelmed by and fallen to the Dark Side of the Force. It was after this incident that it is recorded that Ulic took the life of his younger brother, Cay.
It is written that in the moments after the brutal slaying, Ulic, having realized the consequences of his actions, cradled the body of his brother, expressing remorse over this most terrible of deeds. It was at this moment that another Jedi, the famed Nomi Sunrider used her Force abilities to cut off Qel-Droma's connection to the Force, completely cutting him off from its energies, rendering him unable to feel or use the power of the Force. While the exact method Sunrider used to do this is not known, it has been written that she imprisoned Qel-Droma's powers behind a wall of light. It is not clear if this action resulted in a temporary or permanent removal of Qel-Droma's powers, but it seems, based on the historical texts, that he never recovered them before his death. The question this scholar poses is, in this modern age, is it possible for one who can feel and wield the power of the Force to then be removed from it, to be cut off from it so they can never experience it again? And if so, what are the consequences if this is so?
These are the questions I hope to answer.
"It's possible," the figure holding the padd said in a low voice, "as for what comes next…"
Just then, the device was plucked from his hand.
"Hey!"
"I had a feeling I'd find you here," said the person who had taken the device, "and just what are you rea..."
There was a pause as the figure's expression morphed from curiosity to surprise and then…
"Really?" she asked.
"What?" the man responded, "it's just an article. Kind of an interesting one at that."
"Uh-huh," the woman replied disbelievingly, "Katarn, we both already know it's true. And if you're so curious about it, I'd suggest there's a way to find some answers pretty quickly."
Kyle Katarn sat up in his bunk, looking into the face of Jan Ors.
"What are you… wait, do you mean where I think you mean? Or should I say, who?"
"Where and who else?" she responded.
"Not happening."
Rising from the bunk, he pushed past her and out of the room.
Jan followed him down the corridor.
"Katarn, this is the 3rd time in the last month I've found you looking at stuff like this."
He stopped but didn't turn to look at her.
"So?"
"So," she persisted, "it seems to me that you want to find out. And if you wanna find out, then talking to Luke…"
Kyle wheeled around so quickly; Jan backed up a step.
"Don't say that name around me!" he shouted, then just as quickly, composed himself as Jan stared at him wide eyed.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But I don't want to talk about this. I made my decision and I'm standing by it."
Jan stared at him a moment more and then held the padd out. Kyle took it without a word.
"Okay," she said, "it's good you're up in any case. I just received a communique from Mon Mothma. She's got a job for us."
Kyle sighed, his shoulders sagging, eyes rolling up in a disappointed look.
"What does she want now? Need us to find a lost dog or something?"
"C'mon," Jan said, stepping forward and moving past him, headed for the cockpit.
As she passed, Kyle eyes took her in.
Jan Ors, his mission officer. Born on Alderaan, and fortunately off planet when the Death Star destroyed it. He had first met her on a mission to retrieve part of the plans for the Death Star, and later, during the discovery and elimination of the Dark Troopers. They had started off as strangers, over time becoming acquaintances and friends. It was during the time when Kyle had learned he was Force sensitive and had fought and defeated the Dark Jedi Jerec along with his minions that their relationship had become something more. The two became close, very close and before either had quite realized it, they had fallen in love and for a time, it seemed they were destined to be together.
But when Kyle had broached the subject of marriage, Jan rejected it right away.
"No."
"No? What do you mean, no?
"I mean no, Katarn, N-O."
"Why not? I love you; Jan and I know you love me too."
She looked away for a moment as he said this and when she looked back, the stern expression on her face had faded somewhat.
"I know and I appreciate that, Kata- Kyle. But the answer is still no."
"I don't understand."
"Kyle, you're a former Imperial turned Rebel and on who knows who many Imperial wanted lists. We live in a dangerous world."
"Okay, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Now her expression grew annoyed.
"Think about this for a second. If you're an assassin tasked with eliminating someone importance to the Alliance, who would you target?"
Realization dawned on Kyle's face, and he nodded.
"Someone with something to lose."
"Exactly," Jan replied, "and if that happened, the damage would be…"
"Devastating," he finished.
"Yes, incredibly devastating. I don't want to go through that, Kyle, and I sure don't want you to suffer it either."
Kyle sighed heavily.
"You're right. I just… it isn't fair."
Jan moved forward and took both Kyle's hands in hers.
"No, it isn't. But whether we're married or not doesn't change how I feel for you."
The pair stared into each other's eye for a long moment and then Kyle's expression brightened somewhat, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Well, I hope you're happy."
"Huh?"
"I just lost five credits to Tinuviel and Nerwen. They said you'd say yes."
Letting go, Jan stepped back and glared at him.
"Katarn?"
"Yes, Jan?"
"Shut up."
"Yes, Jan."
It was some time after this as Kyle was growing stronger in the Force that Luke had approached the former Imperial with a proposal, training another fledgling Jedi. At first, the idea seemed like a good one and Jan was initially supportive until the student in question had stepped off a shuttle.
Mara Jade, the former Emperor's Hand. An assassin in her own right that had wormed her way into Kyle and Jan's lives under the guise of Blaze Redlopt. Her disguise had been nearly perfect that no one had suspected anything until the woman revealed herself and nearly succeeded in killing Kyle. And now, she was being presented as a student to be trained in the ways of the Force?
The memory of the pain they'd suffered had been bad enough, but what hurt Jan even more was when Kyle had agreed to the proposal, despite her objections. It created a rift between the two as Jan felt rejected and deeply hurt. The only thing that had kept her from going off the deep end was when she'd been offered a post under Admiral Hiram Drayson to serve in the covert branch of the New Republic. This created a further rift as Kyle was hurt and felt just as rejected as she. Their parting had been far from amicable.
It was while training the fledgling Jedi, Mara Jade, that Kyle had felt an undeniable call through the Force that led him to the planet Dromund Kaas where had fallen to the Dark Side. He'd been saved by Mara who in a critical moment, refused to fight him. Her surrender had forced Kyle to confront who he'd become and with his lightsaber at Mara's neck, he refused to strike, battling against the forces in his mind. It had been a struggle, probably the biggest of his life, but Kyle had managed to escape the Dark Side world with Mara's help.
Broken and searching for the next step, he'd come to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 and for a time, things seemed to be improving. He'd managed, with help from Luke Skywalker, to purge himself of the Dark Side and begin carving a new path back to the light. But the path was far from smooth. As time went on, it seemed to Kyle that Luke didn't fully believe he was striving for the light and committed to staying away from the dark. Even after saving another student from a group of bullies, Kyle found himself blamed for what happened, told that he shouldn't have acted and that his actions had created more problems than they'd solved.
Disillusioned, confused and hurting, Kyle considered, trying to see what path he should follow. It seemed that his connection to the Force was the source of all his problems.
But it's not like I can turn my abilities off.
Having been temporarily suspended from lessons and told to take time to process things after the incident, Kyle had sought solace in the makeshift Jedi library that had been set up in the former Rebel Alliance Headquarters. He'd begun reading and studying, unconsciously looking for answers in the texts. And that's when he had found it, a method to remove a Jedi's connection to the Force. There was only one problem.
If I do this, there's no way back.
Feeling unsure about such a consequential decision, he'd attempted to confide his thoughts and feelings to Luke. However, for the few times the Jedi Master had been available to talk with him, the conversation always seemed to come around to the same topic.
"Fear is a path to the Dark Side, Kyle."
"I understand that, Luke. That's why I'm wondering if I should consider giving up my powers. I don't want to hurt anyone else."
"I can't answer that for you. But you need to understand as part of the Jedi Order, you have a responsibility to use what you've been given for good, not evil."
No matter what tack he had taken or approach he'd considered, it seemed to Kyle he wasn't getting through to the Jedi Master. It was as if the man he called friend wasn't willing to hear or simply didn't want to listen. Over and over, he heard the same mantra.
"Trust in the Force. Do not feelings cloud your mind."
After months of trying with no progress, Kyle felt he had no other path open to him. And so, with the book where he'd found the answer in tow, Kyle hid himself away in one of the many temples in the jungles of Yavin 4. It was there, with the book sitting atop a stone altar that Kyle had followed the steps and said the words. As the last of them left his lips, he waited. He wasn't sure to expect, but as minutes passed, it seemed nothing had changed. He could still feel the Force.
Well, so much for that, maybe I could…
In the next moment, energies seemed to gather around him seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere. There was a sudden pain in his mind, and he grabbed at his head, falling to his knees.
What's happening, it feels like everything is fading.
For one terrible moment, as the light from the swirls of energy brightened, Kyle thought he was going to die. The pain in his mind flared and then, with the sense of a door closing, everything faded away. The pain faded away and after a moment, he was able to open his eyes. The book was still lying there on the temple, the slightly humid air of the temple entered and left his lungs as he took a breath. The space was as quiet as it had been before aside from the faint sounds of the jungle outside. And yet…
Something feels different.
Responding to a sudden urge, Kyle reached out with his right hand to the book, willing in his mind for it to come to him.
But nothing happened, the book remained in place.
Kyle tried again, first with the book, then with a piece of stone lying nearby. Neither responded, remaining where they were. It was then he realized something.
I can't feel the Force.
It was a strange feeling. His mind felt… quiet, no sense of the life all around him in the jungle, of his fellow Jedi scattered about the training grounds. No sense of…
The sound of running footsteps reached his ears as a form appeared, slowing to a halt and becoming visible.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker looked about the room, eyes settling first on Kyle, then the book on the altar.
"Kyle? What's going on here? I felt a disturbance in the Force. Are you alright?"
It was an innocent enough inquiry, but with everything that happened over the last several weeks and months, the relationship between the two men had changed. Kyle no longer felt friendship for this man. And now with what had just happened…
"I'm fine," he said flatly.
"Something happened here, Kyle, "Luke said, stepping closer, "I felt it. It came from this place."
"Well, I guess something happened then," Kyle answered sarcastically.
Seeing the book lying on the altar, Luke focused on it. A moment later, the book flew through the air, landing in his outstretched hand.
"Why do you have this here?"
"I decided to borrow it.
Kyle was surprised to feel a sort of satisfaction as seeing the confused look on the Jedi Masters' face.
"Kyle, please, tell what's happened. Are you… trying to do something with this book?"
"Not trying, Skywalker, already done. I've severed my connection to the Force."
Luke's eyes grew wide.
"No."
"Take a look" Kyle said, pointing at the tome, "it's all in there."
It took a few moments for the Jedi Master to find the text. When he looked up, the expression of disbelief was oddly satisfying to Kyle.
"This can't be true."
"Well, it is," replied Kyle, "I can't feel the Force anymore."
"But why? Why would you do this?"
Kyle gave the Jedi Master a contemptuous look.
"You're really going to ask me that question? You ought to know why."
"Kyle, I realize things haven't been… normal between us. I've seen you trying to come back from your fall to the Dark Side and the incident last month. If I've…"
"How many times are you going to remind me of that?" Kyle said angrily, "yes, I fell to the Dark Side, I gave in, I used my powers for evil, I almost killed Mara. How many more times do I have to hear it, Skywalker? It's been nearly a year since I came here, and it seems every day I get reminded of it. "
"Kyle…"
"I'm not finished," Kyle said with a hint of anger in his voice. "I realize what I did was wrong, and it haunts me all the time to think what I became, what I did and what I might have done. But I didn't. I rejected the Dark Side, walked away from it and I've fought every day to not let myself go down that path ever again. But it seems no matter what I do, it's not good enough."
"You have made progress" Luke said, voice ringing with empathy, "I've seen it. And with time…"
"But you've never acknowledged it, not in the slightest. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I work, all I seem to hear from you is how much further I have to go, that I need to trust in the Force more. I've tried to trust it, Skywalker. Over and over again, I've tried, but nothing seems to change. And as far as last month goes, I did what I had to do."
"A student nearly died."
"And how was that my fault?!" Kyle challenged. "You can't blame me for what happened to that kid! If I hadn't intervened when I did, he probably would be dead."
Luke shook his head.
"It was the wrong choice, Kyle. And look at you now, consumed by anger. That is the path of the Dark Side."
Kyle could feel just how angry he was. It took an effort, but with a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
"Whether I am angry or not doesn't matter anymore. I've closed my mind to the Force, and I won't be able to use it ever again. You should be happy, Skywalker. You won't have to worry about me mis-using my powers ever again."
Kyle thought this might bring some satisfaction to the Jedi Master, but instead, Luke looked sad.
"What will you do now?"
"Leave. There's no place for me here anymore."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't really see where that's any concern of yours. I'm no longer a Jedi or even an Initiate."
Kyle felt a twinge of regret as he said this.
"I suppose I can't borrow the communications room to send a message?"
To his surprise, Luke nodded. "Whatever resources you need, they're yours. I only wish you'd talked to me before making this decision, Kyle. What about your lightsaber?"
"Do whatever you want with it. Keep it, destroy it, give it to someone else. I really don't care anymore."
"I think I will keep it, for safekeeping," Luke said, "you may need it someday,"
Kyle scoffed. "Not likely."
With that, he moved past the Jedi Master and out of the temple. The sun was shining outside, and the air felt cool against his skin. Kyle perceived all this and more as he walked through the jungle. And yet…
Everything feels… muted.
Granted access to the Academy's communication apparatus, Kyle sent a single message, one he'd come up with in his mind earlier. It used a coded frequency that had been given to him and the message itself was simple.
Please come, Jan. I need you.
Kyle didn't know exactly where his former mission officer was or even how long the message would take to get to her, but she'd shown up a day later and piloting what was then a brand-new ship to him. She'd introduced it to him, the Raven's Claw.
He told Jan what had happened and the decision he'd made. She hadn't believed all of it at first until she'd tested him and found that, indeed, he no longer had any Force powers. And when she'd asked him what he planned to do next, the idea he presented made sense. Unfortunately, it also resulted into the two of them getting into a fight. It got so bad that Jan had slapped him across the face, turned her back on him and climbed back aboard the ship. Kyle watched in shock as the vessel lifted into the air and flew away.
It was only thanks to the generosity of Luke Skywalker that Kyle had been provided with transport off planet. Dropped off on some nondescript planet in the Core Worlds, Kyle had buried his anger, pain, and grief in booze until his funds had run out. This was where the pilot who'd been sent by Mon Mothma had found him, broke, hungry and with nothing left to lose, he'd agreed to come along.
And now here the two of them were, together again, although their mission to Eccomar III had proven of little value. There'd been evidence of an Imperial presence shortly after they'd arrived. But their investigation had turned up only one small group of Imperial vessels, their course set for the Outer Rim. Pursuing them made little sense and after confirming with Mon Mothma to not do so, the pair had been ordered to remain in the area in case any other part of the former Imperial Navy showed up. After all this time, Jan was finding herself coming to agree with a comment Kyle had offered after their second week there.
"This is a waste of time."
But now, it seemed a new assignment was potentially coming. And despite Kyle's sour attitude and, Jan wasn't going to pass up on the opportunity.
With Kyle following, she headed up to the cockpit, taking the left-hand seat while Kyle took the right.
"So, are we going somewhere?" he asked.
"Here," she said, leaning forward to indicate a display.
Kyle studied the text on it for a moment.
"Kejim? Never heard of it."
"Me neither," replied Jan, "According to the data, it's some Outer Rim world that, back when the Empire was still in operation, served as one of their bases. The most recent report on it indicates the Imperials abandoned the placed some time ago."
"Okay," Kyle said, "so why are we going there?"
"New Republic Intelligence has detected transmissions coming from there, possibly communications traffic," Jan replied.
"But you just said it was abandoned."
"it's supposed to be," she said with a shrug, "but there's definitely signals coming from there. Mon Mothma wants us to investigate and see what's going on."
Kyle sighed heavily.
"So, there might be something there or there might be nothing."
Jan nodded.
He sighed again.
"Tell me again why we're doing this?"
"I'll give you the same answer as last time," Jan said, "the universe doesn't work on the barter system, and we need to pay the bills."
Kyle shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, then with another sigh, said, "Okay, I'll start pre-flighting the ship.
Jan suddenly reached out and mussed his hair.
"Good boy," she said, "you can be taught."
She laughed even as Kyle looked over at her with raised eyebrows. It was so easy to tease him.
"I'll go check on supplies while you radio for clearance."
Kyle nodded. "Okay."
As she rose from the couch, Jan took a moment to consider her partner.
Kyle Katarn, born on Sulon, was well on his way to graduating from the Imperial Academy when a chance encounter with some Rebels (including herself) and seeing the Empire for what it truly was had changed his life forever. When she'd first met him during the Dark Trooper missions, Jan had found Kyle a typical egotistical, a 'I can handle everything' type of man.
But then, she'd gotten to know him when they were assigned together aboard theIntrepid and watched as Kyle grew and matured… and suffered.
So many times.
Time after time, mission after mission, she'd seen him struggle, get hurt, nearly die a dozen times or better and yet, somehow make it through every time. She hadn't planned on becoming his friend, much less his lover, but as she'd mused more than once, Kyle Katarn was like a rash, unpleasant at first, but after a while, he grew on you. She'd seen him fight and nearly lose against the Dark Jedi, Jerec, emerging victorious and in time, becoming a full-fledged Jedi Knight. She'd wanted nothing more than to stay beside him always. But then, Mara Jade, the former Emperor's Hand who once used the disguise of Blaze Redlopt to infiltrate New Republic ranks and nearly killed Kyle, had shown up once more.
Although Kyle and Luke Skywalker had tried to convince her otherwise, Jan was never quite comfortable around the woman and especially after Kyle has begun training her as a Jedi. Misunderstandings, jealousy and then a call from Admiral Drayson resulted in her leaving a broken-hearted Kyle seemingly in the hands of Jade, although nothing had ever happened between the pair.
She was still digesting Kyle's fall to the Dark Side and redemption by Jade when the message had come.
Please come, Jan. I need you.
Despite everything that had happened, the rejection she'd felt from him, she'd gone anyway. And then she'd left him only to come looking for him again on Coruscant. And now, they were together again, as if nothing had changed.
But that's not true, she told herself, things are different.
The Kyle she was with now was different from the man she'd once fallen in love with. After Mara had brought him back from the hell of Dromund Kaas, Kyle had seemed a lot more reserved than she had remembered. The Kyle she'd know smiled and laughed a lot, this one rarely smiled and laughed infrequently at best. His uniform brown hair now had a ribbon of gray moving up from the nape of his neck and over his ears. It was as if he'd aged years before her.
Still as she looked at his outfit, the sand-colored knit shirt with the brown shoulder guard attached to his upper right arm, his dark brown, almost black plants. The beard Kyle had started growing when he'd first met Jerec's minions, was a neatly trimmed mass of brown hair covering his chin and the side of his face. The beard was much like Kyle, taking some time to get used to. When the gray had suddenly started appearing, first the stark spot of white in his temples, Jan had found it odd, but decided to ignore it at the time. What had bothered her more was all black armored outfit Kyle had chosen shortly after defeating Jerec.
It was around that time that she'd noticed a change in him, the ever-present smile Kyle wore had begun to fade. His exploration of his powers and capabilities in the Force seem to take an ever-increasing dominance in his life, to the point where Jan wondered about their relationship. Kyle apparently sensed this because the next time she saw him, he'd asked why she was doubting what they had. It took a moment for the surprised Jan to understand how he'd learned this.
"You probed my mind?" she had asked, glaring at him.
Kyle's intense stare at her began to fade, as if he had begun to realize he might have made a mistake.
"Well, I… I did sense it."
"You looked into my mind."
Kyle didn't respond for a time, lowering his eyes to look at the floor. When he looked up, there was uncertainty on his face.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I just..."
"Don't ever look into my mind, Katarn. My thoughts and feelings are my own, not something for you to look into whenever you feel like it."
"I didn't. I mean, I wasn't trying to, but you were feeling it really strongly and I..."
Jan came forward until she was inches away from Kyle's face. When she spoke, it was in a clear, clipped tone.
"Don't… you… ever… look… into… my… mind, Katarn. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Jan, I'm sorry."
She glared at him for a while and then stepped back.
"All right then. And since you brought it up, yes, I am concerned about our relationship, and I would like to talk about it."
"Okay," Kyle replied.
And so, they had talked and after making Kyle aware of her concerns, he'd apologized again and vowed to do better.
And even after Jade had come, their life together had been somewhat happy. But then, the offer from Drayson had come and as she seemed to have a limited place in Kyle's life at the time, she'd made the decision to leave. Jan laughed at herself now for how naive she had been to assume the separation wouldn't be messy. It had indeed been messy, very messy indeed, to the point that she'd drawn her blaster on him for fear he would use the Force to stop her. Even though she knew her decision was the right one, the sight of Kyle's face, trying hard not to cry, had stayed with her well after the shuttle had left the hangar bay.
So much had happened between that day and the day she'd come to pick him up on Yavin 4. She'd been so happy to see him. And then the next thing she knew, they'd begun to fight, and she'd left him there.
She moved to the back of the ship, checking the storage lockers along with the ship's systems and power planet. Everything was in order.
It's sure a lot better than theMoldy Crowever was.
Originally a Corellian Hawk class light freighter, the Crow had served her and Kyle through a number of missions until it had been destroyed on the planet Ruusan. When its power plant had overloaded, there was nothing left to salvage and the pair had decided to leave its remnants where they lay. For a time, Kyle had made use of a Lambda-class shuttle that had belonged to Jerec until it had been lost on Dromund Kaas.
It was while working for Admiral Drayson that Jan had been inspired to create a new ship. She had been looking at different models and considering what would be best when fate had dropped a ship into her hands.
Captured from a group of spice smugglers, Jan had come upon the vessel, a Corellian fast courier. It wasn't much of a ship, the smugglers having emphasized cargo size vs. speed, which had enabled their capture. Still, there was something was about it, especially the crane-like nose of the ship, which reminded Jan of the Moldy Crow. Jan decided then and there she was going to make use of this ship.
After convincing the officials in charge to let her take possession of the vessel, Jan had begun working on it. First, she'd replaced the woefully inadequate engines with a pair that were more at home in a pod racer. In order to not have them tear the wings off, she'd modified the hull by adding additional structural supports. Where the vessel had only a pair of front mounted laser cannons, Jan had replaced them with four omnidirectional blasters and used two of the forward cargo bays to mount twin torpedo launchers.
When all was said and done, and she'd chosen the gun gray metal paint scheme, Jan made the choice to add a red stripe to the hull, akin to the Corellian blood stripe. When she'd looked at the finished work, the ships' name had come to her, the Raven's Claw. Kyle had an almost instant liking to the ship and even though it was technically hers alone, more often than not, Jan had yet to let him fly it.
"We're all set to go," he reported as she returned to the cockpit.
"Good," Jan replied," sitting back down. She reached for the control panel, feeding power to the repulsors, feeling the change in attitude as the Claw rose from the pad. A corona of reddish-purple light appeared around the front of the engines as they ignited, lifting the vessel into the sky. Rising higher, the ship accelerated, passing through a few clouds as the sky outside grew darker until the Raven's Claw passed out of the planet's atmosphere and into space.
Jan made a quick sweep of the controls, seeing a readout even as Kyle spoke.
"We've got the hyperspace beacon."
"Engaging hyperdrive," she said, advancing the hyperspace lever.
With a flare from its engines, the Raven's Claw flickered with pseudomotion as it slipped into hyperspace.
Local space near planet Kejim
Some Time Later
Emerging smoothly from hyperspace, the Raven's Claw described an arc as it turned towards the planet. Inside the cockpit, Jan and Kyle monitored their instruments as the ship's sensor began feeding them data about the planet.
"Preparing for final approach," Jan reported, "whatever's causing those transmissions, it's not showing up on any of the sensors. This Imperial outpost looks as abandoned as reported."
Hearing this, Kyle felt his earlier criticism of the mission was indeed warranted. Turning to Jan, he said,
"it's as dead as the rest of Kejim. Mon Mothma must be getting paranoid. She never used to send pros like us out on blue milk runs like this."
Jan was about to offer a response to this when the ship's holo-communicator activated, receiving an incoming transmission. A moment later, a quarter size version of Mon Mothma appeared, her figure outlined in blue light from the imaging crystal.
"Kyle, Jan, greetings," she said, her tone perfunctory.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jan saw Kyle bite his lip. The relationship between the two mercenaries and the Chief of State of the New Republic had once been cordial. And even though they were working for her once more, the relationship was a far cry from how things had been.
"Mon Mothma," Jan replied, "Kyle was just talking about you."
Her partner tuned only briefly to look at her, the look on his face unmistakable. Her comment had not made him happy.
"No doubt," Mon Mothma responded, a bit more dourly before continuing in a normal tone of voice.
"I bring troubling news about your mission on Kejim."
"I hate it when you say troubling," Kyle commented, eliciting a look from Jan telling him to shut up.
"We've managed to decode a small fraction of the transmission we intercepted earlier," Mon Mothma continued, "and... well, listen for yourselves."
Over the speaker came static punctuated by the clipped tones of a man speaking, "Admiral Fyaar...shadow. We may have to… the Valley of the Jedi… reborn warrior."
The static went on for a few more seconds, then ended.
Kyle and Jan looked at each other.
"The Valley of the Jedi?' Jan asked.
"Reborn?" Kyle mused.
Mon Mothma continued.
"We believe this transmission was intended for Galak Fyaar, the suspected leader of the Remnant forces in that sector. It's probably nothing more than a couple of soldiers telling tales around the glow lamp, but as you are the only survivors of the Valley of the Jedi incident, I thought it only fair to warn this mission may be more dangerous than we originally anticipated."
As he listened to this, Kyle shook his head in disappointment at the lack of information, then threw a look at Jan as if to say, this is what we have to go on?
"Your objectives, however, remain the same. Find out what you can, clear out any Remnant forces you may encounter. and may the Force be with you."
The transmission ended and the hologram disappeared a moment later.
Kyle gave a soft grunt of displeasure at hearing the phrase that he'd had once said himself even as Jan turned to him and offered,
"So much for the blue milk run."
Kyle said nothing in response, but both were more on alert. Jan took the Raven's Claw down while Kyle watched the sensors.
"I'm showing a Lambda-class shuttle just past the landing pad, no troops."
"Keep an eye out," said Jan as she lowered the ship onto the landing skids so as to make as little noise as possible.
Planet Kejim
Imperial Base
Exiting the ship, Kyle brought his go-to weapon, a K-16 Bryar pistol to bear. It had been with him since the day he'd left his home on Sulon for the Imperial Academy, a gift from his father, Morgan Katarn. He held the pistol low, ready to use it, but also realizing the first discharge would bring any Imperials running.
"Sssshh," Jan suddenly admonished, her own weapon out and ready, "I think I saw something."
Kyle took a moment to sweep the area. The shuttle Jan had detected was right in front of him, its wings aloft in their landing position and engines dark. A cloudy sky overhead limited the light getting through to the ground. To his left was a square human sized door with two glow panels shining their light down on the area around the door. Behind them was another door, but the red glow from the panels that were part of the door indicated it was locked. Like the majority of the outpost, this space had been carved into solid rock and was the typical dull gray of Imperial construction. Moving closer to the shuttle, Kyle crouched and stared ahead.
For a moment there was nothing and then they both saw it. The unmistakable white armor of an Imperial stormtrooper on the far side of the space he and Jan were in and moving to their left.
There's only one, Jan thought,we ought to…
She saw Kyle taking aim.
"What are you doing?" she hissed.
Without looking at her, Kyle raised his pistol, taking aim.
"It's only one," he whispered back, "I can take him."
"And what if there are…" she began, only to be cut off as Kyle pulled the trigger.
A bolt of crimson energy left the muzzle and rocketed across the space. The stormtrooper was struck in the left side, a clean impact. The operatives hoped he'd go down without a noise, but instead the trooper gave a loud cry as he tumbled and fell off the edge of the platform, his scream continuing until it began to fade.
Jan threw a look at Kyle, who shrugged.
But then another trooper appeared and then another, both moving to the spot where the first had fallen. Jan saw the cocky expression on Kyle's face fade. Inwardly she sighed as she took aim with her weapon.
"Great, what a mess," she said, knowing any chance of continuing to be stealthy on this mission was done.
Kyle lined up his next shot and fired a blast before reaching to wrist and pressing a control on the wrist computer he wore. A glow appeared, indicating the shield system was activated. His personal shield system had undergone some improvements since he'd first used them. The energy field was stronger now and able to withstand multiple blaster impacts. As a backup, Kyle also wore armor, also new and improved that would protect his body should the shields fall. It didn't make him invulnerable. But it would provide backup protection during a firefight. Moving around the sides of the shuttle, the operatives took out the other two troopers, but both had the same feeling.
There's more.
Moving carefully, but swiftly, the pair maneuvered past some cargo crates that had been left in the space and continued to follow the path in front of them. Part of the platform was abruptly cut off and the drop beneath was certainly fatal. To their right, a section of the platform continued, and they continued forward. Suddenly, Kyle lifted a hand as he halted. Jan came to a halt and listened.
"What was that?" a voice called, followed by the sounds of footsteps moving closer. Ahead of them was a 90-degree turn in the path and into view stepped a black-clad Imperial officer. He turned to see the operatives and managed to call a warning before Kyle shot him.
"We're under attack!"
Even as the officer fell, Kyle rounded the turn and found a small set of steps before him leading to another section of the platform. A half dozen or so stormtroopers were in the area and reaching for blasters as the commander had screamed an alarm. Looking down, Kyle found an E-11 blaster rifle on the ground nearby and snatched it up. The weapon was quite familiar to him, and he quickly leveled it and began squeezing off shots. Suddenly, two of the troopers came running at them, blasters firing.
"Get 'em!" Jan called.
Switching to the blaster's secondary trigger, Kyle sent a fusillade of bolts into the two figures. Their charge was halted as, with a cry and a scream, one fell to the deck and the other fell over the edge. But even as they fell, both had managed to squeeze off shots of their own. Two of them hit Kyle, eliciting a grunt from him as the shield covering him flared for a moment, the power output dropping to 83%. Moving up onto the stairs, Kyle spied an elevated section of the base to his right, a balcony of sorts. Above this and to the center was what appeared to be an observation area or perhaps a control room. To his right was a large door and ahead and to his left more cargo crates. He had only a few seconds to take all this in as a stormtrooper on the elevated section opened fire.
"Cover me!" Jan cried, moving to a position where she could take direct aim at the Imperial. Kyle mashed the blaster's trigger, sending bolt after bolt into the air. None of them impacted the trooper, but they provided enough of a distraction for Jan to send a bolt of her own directly into the trooper's helmet. The Imperial went stock still for a moment, then fell out of sight. Shifting her aim and rolling behind a crate, Jan now provided supporting fire for Kyle as they took the remaining troops. Soon the platform was quiet once more. Jan moved to the large door and took aim, but her shots bounced off.
"Blasters aren't going to do much good against that," she said.
Kyle nodded in agreement. Imperial construction might be ugly, but it was solid. That's when Kyle noticed a gun turret almost opposite where they stood. Moving to it, Kyle checked the controls, but received no response.
"Blasters are offline, I need to get them powered up."
Looking at the base, it seemed the only way to do so was to get inside.
"I'll see if I can find a way to get the door open. Wait here, Jan."
But even as he said this, Kyle's eyes caught a flash of movement as a stormtrooper came into view on the far side of the platform. He began firing even as Kyle brought his weapon to bear. Shots from the trooper's struck the shielding, the impact buffeting Kyle and threatening to knock him to the ground. He allowed himself to fall, rolling up and onto one knee with the intention of blasting the trooper.
Instead, he watched as Jan landed a trio of well-aimed shots and the trooper fell with a cry.
Jan had just enough to throw him a sarcastic look when more of the white-suited figures appeared. Ready this time, Kyle moved into cover, then slipped open, firing on the group. More cries of pain as the stormtroopers, one's cries turning into a scream as he fell off the platform. Noticing a dropped E-11 blaster, Kyle dove for it, rolling onto his back and coming up firing. A moment later, the platform was relatively quiet again, though somewhat littered with bodies.
Deciding to check the area the troopers had come from, Kyle called out.
"I'm going to check out the building. Stay here."
Jan nodded. "Try not to get shot again," she commented.
Throwing a look her way, Kyle jogged across the platform, making his way along a curve in the wall. The path ended abruptly, but not before he spotted an open door to his right. Apparently, it had remained open even after the stormtroopers had exited. Roughly circular and with the walls and ceiling all slightly different shades of gray, Kyle found and used a recharge station to bring his shields back to full.
Noticing a door in the back of the room, he moved towards it, the door obediently sliding open.
In the ear-mounted headset, Kyle heard Jan speak to him.
"The Remnant usually has pretty tight security. Make sure you search any officers for keycards."
Though the first part of the statement seemed obvious, the second was good advice. And it turned out to be quite apropos as Kyle spied on an Imperial officer in the distinctive brown uniform. Keeping himself at the edge of the room's entrance, Kyle carefully sighted with his blaster and fired, the bolt knocking the officer's hat off as it drilled through his skull. With a cry, he fell to the ground.
Stepping into the room, Kyle recognized it as a control room, the officer having been standing in the midst of a ring of elevated hexagonally shaped panels. At eye level were several monitors with information scrolling across them. Another doorway was visible at the back of the room, and he stepped through it to find a large circular lift, bordered by glowpanels.
Stepping onto it, Kyle found and activated the control panel, causing the lift to descend, the whine of the machinery filling the space. It came to a smooth stop, revealing an open doorway leading outside. Kyle moved through the opening, his eyes catching what appeared to be an empty room, perhaps used for storage. There was another lift here, smaller than the first and rectangular in shape. Getting on board, Kyle found himself taken up to a larger control room. Stars on either allowed the occupants to descend into a semicircular pit with multiple computer stations. Lamps in the room showed a red glow, as if indicating an alert status. A group of transparisteel windows at the front of the room gave a commanding view of the outside, including the platform below. As he moved towards the windows, Kyle noticed one panel in particular that showed an image of the turret gun he and Jan had encountered earlier. He pressed the image, which resulted in a yellowish, then green glow appearing around it. A male sounding voice issue from a speaker.
"Perimeter defenses online."
"Did that do it?" He called to Jan only to receive an answer in the form of a klaxon going off.
Jan's voice confirmed his fears. "No, but you managed to get everyone's attention."
Kyle closed his eyes for a moment, realizing his mistake. Movement from below caught his eye.
More stormtroopers!
Moving quickly back to the lift, Kyle rode it down and stepped out to see he was one level where he had been with Jan, and he'd been joined by a trio of Imperials.
"Did you see anything?" one of them asked.
Realizing he had surprised on his side for the moment, Kyle stepped out onto the platform, firing. Two troopers went down within seconds, while the third managed to squeeze off a shot or two that missed before being dispatched.
Moving back to the room with the circular lift. Kyle used the controls to ride it down to the ground level. Stepping out onto the platform, he moved towards the turret gun, whose barrels were now pulsing with unleashed energy.
"So," she said, "are you done alerting everyone to the fact that we're here?"
"You might recall," he replied, "I didn't want to come here in the first place."
"Katarn?"
"Yes, Jan?"
"Shut up and find us a way in."
"Yes, Jan."