The Jedi King II: War for the Rim

by Blitzkrieger

The Militia have made their move plunging the Galaxy in a new war, with the Rebels caught in the middle. After Ahkilleon chose stayed in Militia and the New Jedi, he enters an arena of politics, light and dark. Facing either his past he left behind or going forward to seize a future as prophecy fortold to become the Jedi King, but nothing is ever certain and no one can be trusted.

30. The Valley of the Jedi

Chapter 30

The Valley of the Jedi

REBEL FLEET
7 years ago,

"Holds still or your hair won't dry." Ahsoka said as she doused Ahkilleons hair with a towel after he got out of the fresher, the small youngling had a messy head of white and blue hair as his mother had just finished giving him a bath and he was now dressed in loose robes for bed. Ahsoka was dressed in her usual gray and brown tunic with her armor on, she rarely went without it. "But why, you don't ever have to do this?" Ahkilleon moaned as he pulled the towel off, his hair still a little damp but otherwise it would dry in a few minutes.

Ahsoka folded her arms "Because I don't have hair?" She said pointing to her lekku. "Hmmrrr." Ahkilleon folded his arms cranky from being up so late, "How about a story before bed?"

Eyes lighting up like stars fists held up close to his chest "Yes yes yes yes!" Ahkilleon bounced up and down in excitement and ran to his bed in their cot aboard the Phoenix Home, he jumped onto it and Ahsoka smiled as she walked over to a small stack of books. Actual books she reached for a dusty old brown cover and pulled it out, opening it the pages were yellow with old text on it "Long, long ago in a galaxy far away there stood The Old Republic, protected by it's Guardians of Light-" "The Jedi!" Ahkilleon leapt up taking out a wooden lightsaber from under his pillow waving it around.

Ahsoka looked at him with a cocked brow for the interruption, "Sorry." He plopped down next to her looking at the book as she read, there was a picture with the Jedi Order's sigil next to it and two robed jedi holding blue and green lightsabers. "But this time of peace was not to last, for a group of rogue jedi came forth to declare a new way of the force, to dominate and control through fear and power." She said as she turned the page.

The image showed a group of dark robed figures that made Ahkilleon grab onto his mothers leg, she wrapped her arm around him and laid the book on her lap, "These jedi were cast out of the order and fled, only to return as the Sith." She turned the page to show the same dark jedi with red lightsabers "The sith were cruel, dark and evil, they forged terrible Empires from slaves conquering system after system without anyone to oppose them and a dark age we called the Hundred Years of Darkness came." Ahsoka said as she turned the page "As the Jedi began to fight so did the sith, the war got so bad that Coruscant itself fell to the Sith and the Republic almost broken until…" Ahsoka flipped the page to show a picture of Jedi "The Army of Light." There were a ring of Jedi lightsabers raised against one another, there was one man broad and graying hair tied in a ponytail with a goatee wearing purple robes under armor with golden fleurs on them, beside, on the left of the old man was a younger man with long black hair, iron armor with a red sash also holding a blue saber, beside him clockwise was man in dark iron armor with a helmet and a green saber, then a twi'lek with white robes and a yellow saber, beside her a jedi in full plate with a green lightsaber with a plume of hair sticking out of his helmet, lastly next to the old man was his left a light skin man with golden hair, horns wearing a breastplate over a red and silver gigot sleeves, with a flowing purple cape and matching saber raised next to the old mans blue one. "Led by the great Lord Hoth and Lord Valenthyne Farfalla." Ahsoka said, looking at the old man.

She looked down at her son, stroking his hair as he listened "Lord Hoth and Lord Farfalla declared a crusade and the Jedi rode forth into the galaxy to fight." She said as she turned the page showing jedi and sith battling in a large double page image showing a great battle, a sith with a red lightsaber attacked a warrior holding a metal ax, surprisingly the ax blocked it behind them were other jedi and sith fighting, some even just had swords and bows "The Jedi fought the sith across the galaxy breaking apart their empires, but without the Republic the Jedi were called to serve as Lords, so many planets were led by Jedi that there was even a Jedi Supreme Chancellor."

Ahkilleons eyes began to droop getting sleepy, but they were just about to get to the best part "The fallen Jedi Master Skere Kaan had fallen back to Ruusan, and Lord Hoth pursued with Farfalla guarding Coruscant, it was only after many battles did the Sith face their end, to strike the final blow Farfalla came with every jedi he could muster and there in a Valley did the Sith spring one last betrayal."

"The thought bomb…" Ahkilleon whispered "Yes, a terrible sith ritual that would destroy the Jedi and the Sith…" Ahsoka said as she showed a picture of the sith gathered around a small orb that reflected light in a darkened cave, "It's not known if the jedi knew they would die, but they had no fear all the same daring to face the Sith they sprung the trap and every jedi and sith on Ruusan died that day their souls forever trapped in the valley."

Ahsoka turned the page as it showed a mournful painting of a statue of Jedi with laurel reefs on their names, "The Valley of the Jedi, so it was named and the galaxy was never the same." Ahsoka said as she looked down to see her son had fallen asleep, sighing Ahsoka tucked him in and looked at the book she didn't turn the page to the next chapter. She simply kissed her son's forehead and went out for him to sleep.

Hyperspace

The Revenant

Ahkilleon sat in the pilot seat of his own experimental light cruiser the Revenant, based on the design of the Ghost with four additional wings extending out of its main haul, the only other person onboard was Beetoo, Adrians dark blue and yellow astro droid. Ahkilleon looked at the void of hyperspace that was drawing him ever closer to the world of Ruusan, the Lost World where the Valley of the Jedi was, a monument to the last great war between the Sith, the original sith and the Jedi forces known as the Army of Light. "Beetoo, prepare a holomessage recorder." Ahkilleon told the droid.

It rolled up to the communication center and set up the holomonitor in the cockpit, Ahkilleon waited till he heard Beetoo confirm he was ready. "Alright, let's get this over with." Ahkilleon said.

"I know you are all wondering where the Revenant has gone, the truth is I found out where Ruusan is and I couldn't waste anymore time. I'm sorry for throwing off the ship Turok but I have to do this alone." Ahkilleon said as he looked at the holomonitor "Even if we had time to mobilize the fleet to Ruusan there's no guarantee this isn't a trap, we'll need every ship if Jerec succeeds in taking over the Empire." Ahkilleon told the recorder "And even if it turns into an Imperial Civil War we'll need to protect our borders even more." Ahkilleon added.

He squeezed the arms of his seat and took a breath, "I know you'd be yelling at me right now Master if I was there, but the Militia, the New Jedi, needs you more than me…. I won't let another Malachor happen guys." He said now speaking to the crew of the Ghost.

"Don't know if I'm coming back, I've given Beetoo instructions to return if I land and don't come back after a certain time so I thought I better do this if this is it. Kanan, I was a jerk when we first met, thank you for trying to understand me more even if I didn't deserve it."

"Hera, you were my mothers friend and you always tried to be mine, you're a good woman and a great leader, the Militia and the Rebellion can coexist, they can beat the Empire only if they stand together." Ahkilleon added.

"Zeb, umm you were nice even for a Space Cowboy."

"Chopper." Ahkilleon leaned his head back "I'll see you in hell."

"Sabine…" Ahkilleon paused, realizing he was thinking of not coming back, he smirked, "I plan to come back, but if I don't thank you for everything."

Then of course there was Ezra, "I'm sorry Ezra. Sorry for everything, I was afraid after Malachor, afraid that everything would fall apart without my mother, that I would be too weak to even come close to being like her, like my father. All this time I've wanted to be like them, I'd even been willing to die fighting like them, wanting to be like them." he paused, his voice cracking as he rubbed his metal arm "I saw it…" He said looking away "I saw life, we should have had Ezra, and when I escaped that fake world…. I asked myself, just like on Malachor why was I still alive, was it just to suffer? Every day, I feel it in my arm and my fingers. The body I've lost and the future we've lost won't stop hurting." Ahkilleon pressed the metal fingers of his mechano arm to his face rubbing it "The Empire, the Sith, Jerec they came after you monsters like them just keep growing, swallowing everything in their path, getting bigger and bigger." He said as Beetoo continued to record it.

"No more, the Sith have won, over, and over, and over and I won't let it happen anymore. They will not defile the Valley of the Jedi, the souls of thousands of our brothers trapped there with the fallen… I'm going to make them give back our future."

"Deep down, I know you all understand." Ahkilleon said as he cut the transmission and sent it.

SALEUCAMI

Fort Nexu

The Militia forces were moving about the base, and in the airfield the Ghost stood with its crew inside around Chopper. Projecting the message to all of them "Deep down, I know you all understand." Ahkilleon said before he ended the transmission and let the speech sink in, Ahkilleon was going to the Valley of the Jedi, to face Jerec and the Sith alone. Lord Asimov stood back to the message hands clasped behind his back "This was sent directly to my private line by Ahkilleon, I thought you all should see it." Lord Asimov said he stepped to the door "I must go, the Imperial fleet is pulling out of Saleucami and I must return to the Vanguard… for whatever may come."

Sabine looked at Asimov "And you're not even going to have a plan to go after him, isn't they're some sort of tracker on the Revenant, your his Master doesn't that mean something?" she snapped at him.

"Do not mistake my calm demeanor for a lack of worry, Sabine Wren." Lord Asimov said back to the rebels "I have trained Ahkilleon the best I can, if he falls I will remember him and if he returns I will honor him, that is the way of the New Jedi."

Kanan had been sitting at the table in silence. "And if he returns differently, you all saw his eyes, they were still yellow."

"Then I will remember the Jedi he was, and personally kill him if he is anything but." Lord Asimov said looking back at the Specters, "You've already killed him." Turok muttered, the old trandoshan was leaning on the wall holding his pipe smoking it in his metal hand trying to calm his nerves.

"Turok?" Hera asked to look at him, but he said nothing. "Turok does have a way to track Ahkilleon." again he said nothing until they heard a pop from the burning tobacco in the pipe before Turok crushed it facing Asimov "Why?" Turok asked "Why does it have to be him, his mother, his father, I never got to bury either of them… now their son…." Turok growled, his voice quivering. "He has made his choice, no one forced him-" YOU DID THIS!" Turok roared, bearing his teeth at "You sent a boy into war."

"The Jedi must be on the front lines of conflict-" "If your religion forces you to send children to war, the Jedi are evil as the Sith!" The room was silent, Lord Asimov knew he had been a hypocrite even if he had tried to be better he knew it wasn't enough, "I loved- love that boy like he's my own flesh and blood, I was there when he took his first step, I held him when he was this small." Turok held both hands together like he was clutching an infant "He was good, he was brave, and you've killed him making him think he could be this Jedi King nonsense, Leo didn't even know who it was!"

Lord Asimov still said nothing, "I know it is Ahkilleon, there must be no one else." Lord Asimov replied softly before Lord Asimov walked out of the room and ship. Turok reached up to his chest clutching it tight, he was sweating and panting wheezing. He leaned on a wall clutching his chest before he left the Ghost too.

The specters all looked at one another, "What do we do?" Zeb asked.

"There's nothing we can do." Hera said "But wait and see who's left standing."

RUUSAN

"Alright Beetoo, time to see what the Revenant can do." Ahkilleon said as he slowed the ship out of hyperspace, "Raise shields and prepare the composite beam." Ahkilleon ordered as the Revenant dropped out of hyperspace to Ruusan to see… nothing? Ahkilleons eyes went wide expecting an Imperial fleet, especially the Chimera but no, it was just a Ruusan brown and parsley green surface with clouds overhead. There wasn't even a frigate guarding the planet, Thrawn had given him the coordinates and left. Ahkilleon let out a sigh of relief and he looked at Beetoo, "I'd say I have a bad feeling, but at this point it's gratuitous." Ahkilleon muttered as he descended to the surface.

Ahkilleon kept the ship high in the clouds and looked down to see a few settlements in the distance nothing he'd go near, Beetoo beeped at him "It's Ruusan alright, it may be a thousand years but I can feel it, there were jedi here and sith." Ahkilleon told the droid.

"Why?" Ahkilleon asked as the droid beeped him, "The Sith and the Jedi have been fighting for centuries Beetoo, at this point now they just fight for the sake of fighting I think."

He flew down to the coordinates to the Valley and the sky started to grow dark, the white clouds become gray then black and he saw it, the Valley of the Jedi corrupted, the vines and growth around it was slowly dying, the great geyser of light from the mound at the center was no long a golden was shifting to a dark black beam of dark matter that bends the light between it bolds of storm zapping the ground. One hit the Revenant and Ahkilleon had to pull up to avoid crashing into the ground "Got to set her down." Ahkilleon told Beetoo, forcing the Revenant to land in an open plane of rocks. The ground trembled not from the ships landing but from what was happening in the valley, Jerec, was causing this. Ahkilleon unbuckled and headed to the exit he grabbed his helmet and walked to the ramp. Beetoo followed him and Ahkilleon stopped him "No, you have to stay here remember if I'm not back by sundown…. Leave."

Beetoo replied and Ahkilleon said "I don't want to die either Beetoo." Ahkilleon said as he patted the droid on the head, slipping his helmet on his head.

Ahkilleon walked out into the growing storm toward the valley, where the light was breaking between a golden ray of light and a dark matter laser of dark side energy, it warped light around it and started to give up bolts of red energy zapping out. Ahkilleon stood on the edge of the valley and leapt; he took out his lightsabers and dragged it down the canyon wall, letting it slow his descent until he landed at the bottom of the valley. A thick mist had taken hold of the ground and as he walked his legs knee deep in the fog he felt his hand shaking and grabbed it "No, no, no."

He took a deep breath "The force is with me i am one with the force…. The force is with me i am one with the force… The force is with me i am one with the force… The force is with me i am one with the force…" Ahkilleon muttered to calm himself.

He was afraid, but he wasn't going to shy away from it, he faced it remembering the code of the New Jedi, his code "Passion without Peace, is emptiness. Strength without Knowledge, is useless. Power without Serenity, is chaos. Victory without Harmony, is defeat. Life without death, is the lie."

He felt himself calming down and he continued on, he could feel the force in the valley, it was like it was being sucked out of everything, and Ahkilleon knew where. He grew closer he started to hear footsteps and soft muttering, stopping he heard the sound of blasters priming and the mist began to fade to reveal a hundred stormtroopers "Drop your weapons jedi, we have you surrounded!" A stormtrooper with a red shoulder pauldron demanded.

Ahkilleon took out both his lightsabers turning them on, "All I'm surrounded by, is fear and dead men."

"OPEN FIRE!" the stormtroopers unleashed a barrage of blaster fire on Ahkilleon who started deflecting it like he had been trained to do in the crucible only this time when he spun around he moved forward through the canyon floor, stormtroopers in the upper rocks unloading blaster clips at him as others got closer to close the gap. Ahkilleon grabbed one and used him as a shield before he cut down two more, and send a repulse of rocks into the upper canyon levels. The others rushed him and Ahkilleon didn't focus on balance, he didn't focus on control, he let go.

Blaster fire bounced off his armor and his saber fells on the heads of stormtroopers, the Imperial elite, zealots who wanted nothing more than to kill him.

They came over and over at him without any hint of retreat, was it the valley doing this to them, or their own sense of duty.

Ahkilleon didn't think on it, he just kept fighting, killing, that was what he was here to do.

To kill

So he killed.

Every.

Last.

One.

When the mist and dust settled only Ahkilleon was standing, stormtroopers laid dead and crushed by rocks, hacked in half by lightsabers, a massacre of death and destruction.

Ahkilleon stepped over the bodies of the slain imperials and continued through the valley, he passed by statues of stone, murals of fallen jedi. He stopped and saw something flickering in the distance "Don't try to stop me Qu." Ahkilleon saw the force ghost standing there arms folded

"Jerec's got to be stopped, no argument there… but you got find a different way, thats the dark side your using, turn back before it's to late." Qu warned him.

Ahkilleon removed his helmet revealing his yellow eyes, "What would have me to, the jedi way doesn't work Qu, I have to fight fire with fire."

Qu dropped his arms, "You know that metaphor sucks, both fires consume each other moron."

"Maybe I'd rather die-" "Fighting I know, but wouldn't you rather live."

Ahkilleon shook his head "Leave me alone Qu, I'm finishing this with our without you." Ahkilleon marched forward into the valley toward main columns where the nexus was. He drew closer to the light leaving Qu behind, and he approached the three acolytes, Maw, Sariss and Yun gathered outside the entrance waiting for him.

"Ah, about time." Yun said sitting on a fallen statue of a Jedi, Ahkilleon looked around at the defaced statue and the three looked at him to do the same. Ahkilleon looked at them under his helmet, Yun was the only one sitting, Maw hovered in his repulsed while Sariss smiled at him, "I'm surprised you escaped the dream prison." She said "You….." Ahkilleon growled and giggled at his anger "Do you have any idea what you did to me?" Ahkilleon asked.

"I fashioned a prison that you couldn't escape without giving up your greatest desire, tell me was it like ripping off your own skin?" She asked, eyes wide and face smug.

Ahkilleon didn't answer and Sariss laughed "I saw your mind you know, how pathetic it was just a sad little boy who wanted a normal boring life as the republic's errand boy." She cackled "Oh and your good old friends Sabine and Ezra, we'll be sure to pay them a visit after we're done here-" Sariss stopped laughing her face twitching, she grunted and grabbed her face

Yun turned to "Sariss?"

Sariss had both hands over her face, like she was trying to hold something back "What was it you said, like ripping off my own skin, now there's an idea?" Ahkilleon growled his hand up and pointed at Sariss, his fingers closing in like he was gripping something nails deep.

Maw drew his lightsaber and Yun watched Sariss muffle a scream as she tried to push her hands against her face as they started to feel what was happening. Sariss's head led her forward and they could hear it, a tearing sound of skin being ripped off flesh before Ahkilleon yanked his extended arm back and Sariss screamed as her once beautiful face was torn right off hitting the stone ground with a wet splat. "AAAAHH- Mah faash!" Sariss looked down, blood streaming down her hands and forearms. Maw roared attacking Ahkilleon, grabbed both lightsabers and met Yun's lightsaber the half beast hacked at him with his saber to the left which Ahkilleon blocked then circled around with his repulsor before Ahkilleon ducked and used the force to grab Maw and slam the beast into the nearby fallen statue of Lord Hoth, then he brought said statue down onto the inquisitor "Next?" Ahkilleon growled.

Sariss looked up her hood had flung over her face, shadowing it hiding the bloody mess of her ripped off face, "Hashtrud…" Sariss said her voice slurred without the use of her lips.

Yun looked eyes wide an exciting smile on his face, "I see someone has gotten a taste for the dark side?" Yun took out his saber and held it up pointed at Ahkilleon. Sariss tore our hers and both of them ran, "You have no idea." Ahkilleon said meeting them.

The sabers danced as Ahkilleon engaged both Yun and Sariss, the two inquisitors attacked him from both sides and Ahkilleon spun around his red and blue saber deflecting their attacks. Maw broke out from under the fallen statue and joined the fray, a three on one duel ensued with Ahkilleon dodging three red lightsabers and countering where he could. Maw tried to take off Ahkilleons head but he ducked and kicked Sariss in the chest, then he slammed the but of his lightsaber into the side of Yun's face "I thought you were threats at first." Ahkilleon said as he attacked Yun.

The single inquisitor backing up and holding his defense as Ahkilleon launched a wave of assaults, "The last inquisitors almost killed me, but they had jedi training, you… I know a novice when I see one."

"Aaaah!" Sariss screeched before coming at Ahkilleon from the rear and he caught both Yun and Sariss's combined attacks, Ahkilleon broke off both of their attacks with a repulse and stood up arms wide leaving himself open looking at them "You think you dark siders can play kist with people's lives, like it's a game." Ahkilleon said.

Yun reset his footing and laughed "Oh great, a jedi with a lecture."

"No, a eulogy." Ahkilleon said looking back, Sariss rushed him from behind thinking she had an opening, Ahkilleon saw her coming and spun around slicing off her lightsaber hand, she screamed and fell down. Maw roared coming at Ahkilleo from above, he backflipped out of the way onto a nearby fallen statue, Yun watched waiting for his moment. Ahkilleon and Maw tangled in a blur of red and blue sabers the "Kill you, kill you." Maw roared over and over, Ahkilleon blocked his attacks one after another before he locked blades with him and head butted the inquisitor with his helmet, the alien the Boltrunian growled and bared his fangs yelling at Ahkilleon from behind the blade lock. Ahkilleon kicked off the stone of the fallen statue, ramming his helmet into Maw's face, knocking out a set of teeth.

He pushed up on the blade lock and with the ends of both lightsaber hilts he smashed the but of both of them into the sides of Maw's head like hitting him with the force of two hammers, Maw moaned for a second before Ahkilleon flipped his lightsaber into a reverse grip and drove both of them down into Maw's shoulders right threw his repulsor engine.

Taking them out Maw's repulsor went haywire sending his upper torso flying into the wall of the nearby valley. Ahkilleon dropped of the statue and looked over at Yun and Sariss, the faceless former femme fatale grabbed her saber out of her severed hand and held it up Sariss spat blood her skin ripped off the muscles of her face laid bare a hole where her nose should be "hehehe, once I kill you, I'll hee sure to aay a hhisit to your friends Ezra and Shhabine." Sariss said her words as mangled as her face, moving toward Ahkilleon who lowered his lightsabers.

Sariss attacked with Yun following before Ahkilleon raised his hand and blasted Sariss with force lighting, Yun leapt out of the way but Sariss was enveloped by it the storm of electrical energy incinerating her body set her clothes a flame and her body burning before Yun, he heard her shriek in agony as her eyes popped like eggs out of her face and her skin crackled and blood boiled before she fell over a charred black thing that was once a beautiful young woman, she rolled over trying to crawl away "Yun… haalp…" Yun just smiled watching Ahkilleon drive his red saber into her back killing her.

Yun looked up the only one left and laughed "Hahah, yes…. yes…YES!" he shouted before he turned his saber off "I submit."

"What?" Ahkilleon asked as Yun dropped to his knees "I have read the sith teaching, I know the signs, Jerec is an unworthy Master he scheme and plots but you, you take your enemies head on, you show no mercy, you are truth Sith, I pledge myself to your teachings Master."

Ahkilleon gapped under his helmet as Yun crawled forward eyes wide with lust for power, "I will help you, tell me what you want and I will help you kill Jerec, I will be your loyal apprentice and we will take the Galaxy for our own, Master." Yun said, arms out wide smiling like he'd won a great prize, Ahkilleon thought about it, Yun would be able to help him defeat Jerec and if he died, so what, he'd have gotten rid of him. He could use Yun as a decoy and kill Jerec in a moment where his defenses were down, and maybe he did need an apprentice, he was strong enough to take on two, no three Inquisitors?

Turning off his lightsabers Yun saw he was accepted, "I will be a loyal apprentice Master I will… Master?" Ahkilleon smashed Yun across the face with his mechano hand in a haymaker of a punch.

Yun was knocked off knees and hit the stone ground of the valley with a great thud before Ahkilleon kicked Yun in the face with his boot, "Wait… I surrender- AH" Ahkilleon grabbed Yun by his hair and punched him again, and then again and again, and again. "You cowardly-" again "Traitrous-" again "PIECE OF SHIT!" Ahkilleon yelled hitting Yun across the jaw so hard he heard the crack of breaking the young mans jaw.

"You're the worst kind of Sith, you hide in the shows of bigger animals and when you see a bigger one you, bow down…"Ahkilleon grabbed Yun and dragged him to a nearby rock and through him against it, Yun crawled up his head leaned on it before Ahkilleon stomped on the back of Yun's head "I'm sick of it, sick of the games, you wanted me- HERE I AM!"

Stomp "HERE"

Stomp "I-"

Stomp "AM!"

Crunch

Yun's head cracked against the rock and force of Ahkilleons boot the rage and power seeping off of Ahkilleon was so immense the rocks around him rose up and cracked, "Three down… one to go." Ahkilleon growled heading into the ruins.

Ahkilleon walked down the winding staircase, he took out his lightsabers "JEREC!" He shouted his voice carrying down in an echo through the ruins, entered the chamber the beam of black and golden light crackled as he approached, then the dome opened, Ahkilleon didn't reach for his lightsabers but he did prepare himself as out of the swirling vortex of dark and lightside energy emerged Jerec's shadow his cape blowing behind him "Hehe…. Hehehe, all my life I wondered what it would be like, this feeling, this thing that was denied to me. Was it the force, evolution, a cruel trick of fate hehehe, it doesn't matter because at long last…" Jerec tossed something to Ahkilleon and he caught it, the rectangle pair of spectacles that covered his eyes "I can see." eyes glowing with black energy of the corrupted force nexus

Ahkilleon paced "Then look and see your death." He said as Jerec dropped his black cape off his shoulders and his eyes, Jerec licked his lips.

"I can sense your powers have grown Tano…. A shame, mine are- INFINITE!" Jerec held out one hand a blast, no a typhoon of force lightning exploded out of Jerec's hand the bolts of sith lightning thunderbolts and the gusts of wind sending dust everywhere, Ahkilleon force a crossguard with his sabers blocking it and pushed all the way into the base of a statue.

Jerec dropped his hand looking at the still crackling bolts of energy, "Long have I been denied my rightful place."

Ahkilleon shoulder his shoulders and walked toward Jerec "And now, I have the power to take it." Jerec reached up to the ceiling and tore down the top of the ruins sending an avalanche of rocks down on Ahkilleon he dodged out of the way of the rocks one by one in a mad dash toward Jerec, he reached him and hacked away at the inquisitor who dodged easily before he grabbed both of Ahkilleon lightsabers with his gloved hands laughing he deactivated the lightsabers and kicked Ahkilleon in the chest. But it wasn't just a normal kick it was a force charged one so Ahkilleon went hurling through the air before crashing down. Rolling over Ahkilleon looked for his lightsabers, without his armor he would be a stain on the ground.

A shadow overhead?

Jerec landed down on top of him one hand around his neck. "You know Tano, for the longest time I thought it was just brutes who liked to get physical with their enemies, I preferred to toy with them, my machinations and all?"

Jerec lifted Ahkilleon up into the air by his neck and then over his head the power of the force amplifying everything about Jerec so that Ahkilleons armored body was weightless to him "Now I see it's far more pleasurable to do it yourself." Jerec laughed, slamming Ahkilleon down on the ground by one leg back and forth before he flung Ahkilleon across the chamber, he hit the ground like a rag doll.

Coughing and gasping, Ahkilleon pushed his helmet off unable to breath sucking in air; he saw Jerec leap across the air before floating down like a cloud of death. Ahkilleon unleashed his own blast of force lighting on Jerec and the Inquisitor let Ahkilleon hit him, smiling as he absorbed the power, Ahkilleon saw one of his lightsabers poking out of the sand of the cavern floor using the force he summoned it turning it on the red blade ignited and he swung it at Jerec who blocked with his bare forearm, the fabric burned but Jerec's skin was like solid beskar.

"Did you think this was going to be a sword fight?"

Jerec laughed, he smacked Ahkilleon across the face like an insolent child, "I am beyond such mortal weapons." Jerec said hitting Ahkilleon again the slap sending blood out of Ahkilleons mouth "Where is the demon I've heard so much about hehe." Jerec licked each side of his mouth.

"Show me boy?" Jerec used the force to lift Ahkilleon up and pull his limbs out so Ahkilleon looked like he was being strung up by invisible ropes "For what is a demon… to a God?" Jerec's voice dropped low like a thunder storm "Ha ha ha ha ha, but a God needs acolytes, and I seem to have misplaced mine." Jerec said boldly forcing Ahkilleon onto the ground kneeling "Serve me instead of oblivion."

Ahkilleon spat blood, he remembered Asimov's words, to never kneel before anyone again, Ahkilleon fought his way to his feet though even standing hurt.

"Fuck…. You." Ahkilleon growled.

Jerec sighed his voice returning to it's original tone, "Impertinent child." he grabbed Ahkilleon with the force making him freeze, and Jerec forced Ahkilleons body to fly toward his open hand, Jerec's glove clasped over Ahkilleons forehead and he squeezed "Behold, my future." Jerec declared and Ahkilleon felt Jerec forcing his vision into Ahkilleons mind all while unleashing dark force lightning into Ahkilleons body, the chamber melted away and Ahkilleon saw himself.

Dead.

Jerec leaving in the Revenant with a destroyed Beetoo left in the dust.

He returns to the Empire, but not to cause Civil War, Jerec is on Coruscant a terrible storm ripping the surface of the city apart laying waste to the entire capital of the Empire, the Emperor included and it didn't stop there "No…" Ahkilleon moaned as he saw a fleet of black Star Destroyers descending over Raxus, Saleucami, Mykapo, Lothal, Garel, even Atollon the bodies of Militia and Rebels alike slaughtered by Jerec's new Imperial legions and worse.

Arcadia burning, Lord Asimov fighting with the rest of the Jedi as stormtroopers set fire to Bastion Temple, Corto, Yumi, Kraggen, Fatima, all of them dead because he failed.

And then Jerec atop a throne of skulls, the galaxy plunged into a new age of darkness.

Then Oblivion.

Ahkilleon's body went limp, Jerec let out a sigh of annoyance, "I don't know what I expected… more?" Jerec said, throwing him over to the mound where the Force Nexus was.

Jerec strode over to where his cape lay and picked it up, dusting it off he through it over his shoulder and walked to the exit, "I will enjoy watching your fellow Militia and of course your rebel friends, give up to the inevitable darkness, perhaps I will take that Bridger boy as my apprentice instead."

A shadow was cast over Jerec and he looked back to see Ahkilleon at full speed above him leg cocked back before he smashed Jerec across the face with the end of his boot staggering the sith turned demigod and then used then spinning, in the air Ahkilleon used the force to smash Jerec into the ground "That 'boy' won't give in to you as long as he's got blood in his veins, none of my friends will." Ahkilleon said standing over him, Ahkilleon watched Jerec lunge at him hand outstretched, Ahkilleon dodged and grabbed his arm using his weight against him he hurled Jerec back into the chambers main floor "None of my friends will…. Me, I've got a different problem." Ahkilleon growled his air billowing in the surge of force power he was using. "For as long as I've lived I've felt like I've lived in a galaxy made of glass." Ahkilleon said eyes on Jerec "I always had to reign in my power, always being careful because when I slipped up people die."

"So let's see it you so called God, if you can handle it?" Ahkilleon held up his hands force lightning spitting between his fingertips, Jerec got off dusting himself off, teeth barred he licked his lips "Very well, but I will make you SUFFER!" Jerec raised his hands and unleashed the full power of the darkside on Ahkilleon and Ahkilleon met it with his own two storms of force lightning crashed into one another before turning into a single bolt of energy Ahkilleons a pale bluish white and Jerec's a dark black with a crimson hue. For a second they were evenly matched but then Ahkilleon felt himself pushed back and Jerec laughed seeing his blast of dark side energy was soon overpowering Ahkilleons.

Through the rouge bolts of storm Ahkilleon saw Jerec's body was… changing, melting away and growing in size, gapping Ahkilleon saw Jerec transform into a monster the likes of which he'd never seen. It was a dark reddish black with a massive head and jaws, no nose with multiple eyes running up and down its body long blade like claws "Is that all?" The beast asked no it was Jerec's voice, but mangled and corrupt the nexus of the force mutating his body into his true form "HAHAHAHA IS THAT ALL!".

Ahkilleon focused on his anger, his fury, all his training to defeat his enemy and still he was getting pushed back, Jerec was walking toward him now hands outstretched the force blast splitting off to shatter rock and Ahkilleon felt his back to a stone every step Jerec took another step and another, getting closer, Ahkilleon focused on the pain in his body, the losses he'd suffered everything he'd been through he channeled it into the attack and…

It wasn't enough.

Ahkilleon couldn't beat Jerec.

Not like this, not with anger, not with the dark side that was Jerec's domain, he was the Sith, Ahkilleon was a Jedi!

Ahkilleon leapt out of the way of Jerec's attacks the long blade like hands blasting apart the rocks with the dark lightning, Ahkilleon rolled out of the way and Jerec saw Ahkilleon from his back eyes running "Coward- NO!" right for the Nexus

"THE POWER IS MINE!" Jerec roared as Ahkilleon held his hand up to the nexus attuning with the power he saw the rocks break apart beneath all the black energy of corrupted force essence Ahkilleon faced the golden light and jumped in the rocks sealing behind monstrous Jerec roared in anger from his wide fanged jaw that nearly wrapped around his entire head and dug his sharp fingers into the stone trying to pry it open.

…

…

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…

…

Ahkilleon fell and fell into the light before everything went dark and he landed on a something, it was strange it was dark but their were walkways of pure light translucent and everywhere like hyperspace lanes Ahkilleon started to get up before he fell from the walkway he was on passing further and further into the darkness landing on another platform "This is your fault you know." Ahkilleon looked behind him to see Qu standing there not as a ghost but in solid form.

"What, where- what is this place?" Ahkilleon asked "A world between worlds, very useful for getting around." Qu said as he looked around, "What- I don't have time for this, where's the power Jerec was using, I can use it to defeat him."

Qu shook his head "And what will you do with it, if you beat Jerec that is." The whole area shook and Ahkilleon saw other pathways falling apart, cracking like glass.

"What's happening?"

"Jerec is, he's corrupted the Nexus here, he's draining the force into him, the more he does the more he tears apart the foundations of reality." Qu explained.

Ahkilleon looked at him "All the more reason to stop him."

"Why should I help you, you've given into your anger, your own darkness." Qu told Ahkilleon who reached up to touch his face around his eyes "I…" Ahkilleon said before he dropped to his knees "I was wrong, but this place whatever it is it can't fall into the hands of Jerec, even if he kills the Emperor he'd be worse with this power he'd be a dark god, I have to stop him.'

Qu looked at him over "The path of blood, drowns everyone who walks it as it did them." Qu said and Ahkilleon looked around to see walking out of the unending starlight of the World between Worlds were hundreds, no maybe thousands of ghosts, dressed in armor and robes, each one of them bore the Golden Flower of the Crusade like the ones he'd seen on Lord Hoth's armor. Ahkilleon even saw Lord Hoth, Lord Farfalla and many other legendary jedi of the dark age, the Army of Light. "They faced their death though, with honor, with courage knowing they would die to stop the Sith but they're souls have been trapped here since that fateful day."

"I am prepared to die, Master." Ahkilleon said bowing his head taking a breath and black smoke releasing from his body, the darkside given form it crackled and blackened Ahkilleons eyes returned to their emerald green as the smoke grew and took form across from him "But are you prepared to live?" Qu asked.

The black smoke took shape and knelt across from Ahkilleon was his own inner monster, The Demon.

It had horns curving out where eyes should be, a skinless bone head with a jaw attached no fangs, the body fell down into a muscular but malnourished physique, it's forearms striped in dark pale blue with it's lower body closed in the black smoke like a tunic of darkness. Ahkilleon looked at the abyss that was his own inner darkness and it looked back "How can I… knowing this thing is inside of me?" Ahkilleon asked Qu.

"There is darkness in every heart, but there is also light you must make peace with, powerful light, powerful darkness balance." Qu said, looking ot his left on the other side of the walkway were hundreds of dark spirits, their bodies black like smoke with red eyes, Ahkilleon saw on who stood out a man with black hair, dark skin a tattoo on his forehead Skere Kaan the leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Ahkilleon stood up and the Demon stood up to, Ahkilleon looked at it and faced it holding up his hand. The demon did the same, mirroring him "Then let's finish this." Ahkilleon and the Demon clasped hands and the spirits of the Army of Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness ran forward toward him lightsabers, swords and spears raised.

…

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…

…

"THE POWER IS MINE!" Jerec's malformed mouth roared tearing open the nexus only to see the Army of Light charging out in a full vanguard of force ghosts, Lord Hoth at their head Lord Farfalla at his side with Qu Rahn even there his force ghost armored but when they hit it was a giant bone white fist that broke into Jerec's face knocking him back. Jerec tumbled back onto his feet and saw clawing it's way out of the Nexus was a new monster, it was Ahkilleon's Demon and him given form, Ahkilleon's face was there the horns above his head like a Lekku with his own hair still flowing down his shoulders, his armor was gone and he wore only a black fog of trousers, Ahkilleon had doubled in size like Jerec "NO, NO, NO" Jerec howled charging he attacked the ascended Ahkilleon with everything he had and Ahkilleon met him smashing a fist into Jerec so hard the entire underground shook.

They wrestled across the chamber smashing through statues, moving at speeds no ordinary eye could see, one moment they would be trading blows the next they were on the ceiling, the ground and across the chamber before they broke out of the underground chamber into the valley itself.

The two titanic monsters fought furiously, Jerec lifted one of the great statues as big as a ship and hurled it at Ahkilleon, and while in the air Ahkilleon grabbed it smashing the rock into a hundred smaller pieces he hurled it back at Ahkilleon, then Jerec dodged his body evaporating from sight only to reappear from behind it locked onto Ahkilleo from behind and flew back down to the bottom of the valley in a pile driver to try and smash Ahkilleon face forward "I will bleed this power from you, I will remake the Galaxy in my image!" Jerec howled.

"Never!" Ahkilleon roared breaking the lock and reversing it so Jerec it the ground with a heavy smash thas causing an earthquake, other statues that had been standing fell down, the ground itself opened up as lava rose from the ruptured core of Ruusan. It's dark skies above continued to storm while the titans battled.

Ahkilleon pulled Jerec up by his large malformed head and the demonic Jerec slashed Ahkilleon across the chest, the wounds healing instantly before Jerec launched a series of slashing attack with his long blade like fingers "No, this isn't how it happen, I trained, I studied, I was destined for POWER LIKE THIS!"

Ahkilleon caught Jerec's next arm and snapped Jerec's wrist with his arm making him roar in pain "You betrayed, you lied, you used people for games like all Sith, and you… are afraid." Ahkilleon said grabbing Jerec by the neck and smashing him back down into the ground, Ahkilleon raised up both hands locking his fingers like a hammer he smashed them down onto Jerec's chest sending them back down into the chamber more of the underground cavern flowing with lava and magma from the core. "I- fear I fear nothing!" Jerec tried to get up but Ahkilleon grabbed onto Jerec's chest and his hand sunk into Jerec's monstrous from making the beast thrash around as Ahkilleon ripped out the dark side energy in Jerec and in a flash Jerec had returned to his normal miraluka form complete with no eyes.

"Noooooo." Jerec grabbed his face in shock feeling his face had no eyes to speak of, but as his force sight returned he saw Ahkilleon consume the power of the darkside his power of light and dark not fighting against one another, becoming…

ONE

Ahkilleon felt the horns evaporate and the demonic form fade away replaced with glowing light of untold heavens, Jerec tried to stand but fell back as Ahkilleon stood there long white and blue hair flowing his green eyes glowing with pure white light, his body burning with golden light of the pure force, even his one metal hand was gone and new one of flesh was there, Ahkilleon had ascended to Godhood.

Jerec looked up disgusted before he staggered to his knees "Damn you…" He growled seeing he'd lost, "Do it then… kill me hehehe KILL ME!" Jerec screamed at Ahkilleon who looked at him while the lava continued to fill the chamber around them with a wave of his hand all of it stopped, the earthquakes, the storms above the lava everything but him and Jerec.

"Death is to good for you Jerec." Ahkilleon said his voice was soft but deep, "You sought to use the power of the trapped souls of Jedi and Sith here, you had no idea what you tapped into… but they know." Ahkilleon said looking behind Jerec, Jerec turned slowly to see behind him just Ahkilleon had seen the Army of Light, Jerec was looking at the black and red phantoms of the Brotherhood of Darkness Skere Kaan standing over him his face gaunt like a skeleton "This is what passes for Sith these days… pathetic." the lead phantom said before Jerec screamed in terror as the ghosts of the sith dragged Jerec kicking and screaming to the Nexus. But Jerec's body went limp outside it was his spirit they were taking into the nexus to be trapped for eternity, "No, no i was wrong, the sith were wrong please Tano help me, I was a jedi once I can be again,... I can be again… Please!" Jerec howled as the Force Nexus opened up and Jerec was dragged into the darkness forever.

Ahkilleon sighed.

It was almost over, Ahkilleon looked to the frozen world around him and let the destruction resume, he flew out of the chamber above Ruusan to see the storm was still thundering, the earth shaking in the distance geysers of lava were erupting the planets mantle cracked from the terrible battle. Holding out his hand Ahkilleon wanted it to stop all of it.

And it did.

The skies cleared, the earth was still the lava was going back into the earth, "All this power." Ahkilleon said as he floated above the valley, "You can do it Ahkilleon, you can stop the Empire with a wave of your hand, you could bring peace to the Galaxy as a God, no one could stop you." Qu said hovering as a Force Ghost.

"Yes I could… no." Ahkilleon floated down from the sky onto the edge of the Valley looking down on the destruction he'd caused, "No one should have this power." Ahkilleon said holding his hand aloft and lifting up a nearby mountain he brought it over to the purified beam of force energy spouting from the temple, and dropped it on it sealing the nexus and any doorways it may hold. Ahkilleon held up both hands and the spirits of the Army of Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness appeared before him "What are you doing?" Qu asked.

"If this power is left unchecked, if these souls are left here to manifest, who will stop anyone else from trying what I've done." Ahkilleon looked at the Jedi and Sith, "Go, be at peace." Ahkilleon said looking at the faces of Lord Hoth and Skere Kaan neither of them said anything, they faded one with the force at last.

And when they did, Ahkilleon felt himself fall onto the ground with an "oof."

The light was gone from his body, the darkness too, he looked down at his left arm to see the mechano arm was there again he was back to normal mortality, "Should have fixed that before- oooww." Ahkilleon fell back onto the ground, everything sore, probably a few broken bones and more.

"Not a bad kid." Qu's force ghost said laying down next to him, Ahkilleon groaned "Oh stars I told you, be at peace."

Qu chuckled, "And risk annoying you one last time." Qu said looking over "You did good Ahkilleon, lesser men would keep that power saying they wanted to do good."

Ahkilleon rolled over and forced himself to stand, he could see the Revenant in the distance, "Yeah well, what's the old saying power corrupts?"

"No, power reveals Ahkilleon Tano." Qu said standing across from him "Reveals who we really are and deep down, as hard as you've tried to prove otherwise you're a good man, and maybe… just maybe you'll make a good King." Qu said.

Ahkilleon looked to the ghost but he was gone, "... Qu?" Ahkilleon asked, looking around but he was alone, Ahkilleon limped back to the Revenant when he heard something "I almost forgot." Qu's voice said Ahkilleon looked back and saw his helmet flung out from rubble of the valley buried under the mountain. It landed at Ahkilleons feet and he picked it up looking at the orange and white paint markings to honor his mother "Hope you'd be proud mom, wherever you are." Ahkilleon said as he headed back to the revenant.

He returned to his ship, Beetoo beeping and chirping in joy as he approached, "Let's go home buddy." Ahkilleon said leaning on the droid as he got to the cockpit, he lifted off from Ruusan and as they flew into space he looked at the coordinates for the planet, and pressed the erase button from the ship's memory.

"Set a course for Salecumai Beetoo, I'm sure I'll get an earful soon enough." Ahkilleon said to the droid, it beeped at him and Ahkilleon leaned back in his chair when they made the jump. He would make things better from now on, he'd listen to his Master, he'd apologize again to Ezra, and Kanan, and Hera, Zeb to, not Chopper though… maybe, and Sabine "Sabine." Ahkilleon muttered smiling at the sound of her name.

In the hue of the blue light of Hyperspace, Ahkilleon noticed the ship's transmitter had gotten a message, "Beetoo, did we get a transmission?" Ahkilleon asked.

Beetoo plugged in and brought it up a static transmission coming through "This is Black Wolf Moon to any and all Militia-zzt under attack zzzt- Under attack more Star Destroyers than I've ever-zzzt To many- zzzt Lothal-zzzt under siege- zzzt last long- zzt Send help!"

LOTHAL

Chimera flagship The Seventh Fleet

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood at the edge of his ship looking over at Lothal, the Militia had built up a massive armada to defend the planet and Thrawn had met it with his own, "Your move." Thrawn muttered.

"What was that Admiral?" Pryce asked looking over at him "Simply reminiscing Governor Pryce.

"I am so pleased you accepted my request to assist with retaking my world" Admiral Pryce said as she walked up behind Grand Admiral Thrawn with Admiral Konstantine in a hologram by the table, there were four other Imperial Admirals there in holographic form the Imperial fleet had launched a combined effort to break through the Wolves fleet and toward the surface below where TIE bombers were dropping bombs after bombs on the planet, all of Lothal on fire.

END OF PART 1