Kazu entered Chenowei's atmosphere and landed the Edge near the only source of life he could find on the planet: on the border of a dense forest half a kilometer away from a massive building that looked to be a cross between a castle and a cathedral. Dark clouds shifted together to combine with each other in the sky.
He left the ship and cautiously walked toward the entrance, one hand on the hilt of his lightsaber while his eyes darted everywhere looking for possible threats. He reached the door and raised his hand to knock it swung open and Kazu came face to face with a thin man of average height with thinning light brown hair.
"You must be Kazu Starskimmer," he said, beckoning the boy inside. "My name is Aldreck Olien, I am Khondo Shogar's assistant. We have been expecting you," he added, closing the door after Kazu.
"I'm… I'm sure you have," Kazu replied, following Aldreck. "Khondo said he could help me find someone."
"My master likes to help people. He believes the Jedi Order to be too focused on maintaining peace for the galaxy at large rather than aiding the individual person. Whatever your desire, he offers his hand."
"How did you come to be in his service?"
"I had just been released from five years in prison, framed for a crime I didn't commit. I went back to a family destitute and starving. It's only thanks to him they're alive now. Because of what he did for me, I vowed to aide him for as long as I lived."
"Fascinating…" Kazu whispered. "I have kind of an… odd situation," he continued at a normal volume. "You think he can actually help me?"
"I have no doubt," Aldreck replied as they came to another door. It opened by itself and led into a cavernous chamber empty except for a man Kazu recognized as Khondo Shogar reclining on what looked to be an old and dusty but ornate throne.
"Ah…" the man cried out, standing. "Kazu Starskimmer. I'm glad you've finally arrived. What do you think of the place I've decided to call home?"
"It's very… spacious," Kazu responded.
"You don't have to hide your feelings from me, my boy," Khondo said. "I know it must seem overwhelmingly magnificent," he chuckled. "This place used to be the home of a religion called the Church of the Light. They believed technology to be an evil destroyer of families and society. Most took vows of poverty and chastity. Others decided to use their wealth and build this place. Divisions and disease and dwindling numbers caused them all to die out years ago and, well… I find it to be a wonderful home. Now," he continued. "We do have much to discuss but first, we eat!"
# # #
Tycho set the ship down next to Kazu's and he walked out followed by Saa'na, So'lia, and Xinnaa. The three of them held their lightsabers at the ready and Xinnaa held a small blaster Tycho had given her. The sky was filled with nothing but deep black clouds. Thunder could be heard in the distance.
"Creepy," So'lia said.
"Yeah," Saa'na agreed. "What's the plan?"
"Get Kazu, deal with whoever's got him, go back to Corstris," Tycho replied. "Kill anyone who gets in our way."
So'lia made a sharp hum in response as it started to rain.
"We can talk about necessary and unnecessary later, So," he said, turning to the other three. "Our friend is in trouble. I don't really care what we have to do to save him."
The three of them readied themselves, giving him nods of approval. More thunder clapped in the distance.
"Let's ride."
# # #
Kazu looked around at the elaborate dining room that Khondo had taken him to. The two of them sat on opposite sides of an extraordinarily long table, with a full meal before them. He glanced at the walls, all lit by candlelight that glowed almost eerily. Behind Khondo was a coat of arms with a shield and two vibroblades crossed. A chandelier hung above the middle of the table.
"You don't seem to be eating," Khondo said, making Kazu snap his head toward him. "I take it the cafeteria back at the temple still holds back on the portions? You look like you haven't had much lately either, you must be famished."
Kazu poked and looked at the meat with a utensil, before moving his eyes to meet Khondo's gaze.
"If I didn't know any better," he said. "I'd assume you'd poisoned this."
"Poison! Ha," Khondo chortled. "My boy, you are far too paranoid for your own good."
"Comes from experience."
"I want you to follow me, to be my apprentice, Starskimmer," he laughed. "Why would I poison your food?"
He looked back at the food, stabbed the meat again and shrugged.
"Fair enough," he said before taking a bite.
Khondo smiled at Kazu and kept eating his own food.
"So…" he said after a few minutes. "Tell me about that past life of yours."
"Where do you want me to start?" he asked with a mouthful of food.
"The beginning would be nice."
"Well…" he said, taking a drink. "I don't know how long ago it was…"
# # #
Kazu's friends inched down a narrow corridor, braced for whatever trouble might come their way, ready to start fighting at a moment's notice.
"Been a long hall," Xinnaa said, holding the blaster in front of her, finger on the trigger. "Where do you think it leads?"
"Hopefully Kazu but…I just want it to be somewhere," Tycho said. "Been too long not seeing anyone or anything."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Saa'na said.
Just then, a forcefield dropped down from the ceiling, encircling them. Xinnaa tried to shoot but it dissipated into the energy. Tycho ignited his lightsaber and struck the yellow blade against the side to no effect. He extinguished it.
"Kriff. I thought we were smarter than this."
A hissing noise started and the four of them looked up to see a gas emitting from the ceiling.
"Apparently not," So'lia replied as the four of them lost consciousness one by one with her being the last to fall.
# # #
"You tell a very compelling story, Starskimmer," Khondo said, leading Kazu back into the cavernous chamber. "I still feel like you're not being honest with yourself about wanting your status back," he said with a small laugh. "Heaven knows what I would do in your situation," he continued, now in the middle of the room. He turned toward Kazu. "So… I think I can help you… with everything," he said with a smile. "Join me. Become my apprentice. I can help you find your lost love as we take this galaxy and bring harmony to all the systems and worlds within it. No more hostility, just peace. No more chaos, just order.
Khondo reached a hand out to Kazu and the cavernous room gave way to them on the viewing platform at the top of a spire. He looked to his left and saw Princess Jupiter. She wore a long, dazzling green dress that matched her eyes with her ruddy brown hair hanging down to her lower back. She smiled at him and took his arm. He looked to his left to see Khondo motioning out before him, showing a display of soldiers and warriors in formation as if they were awaiting his next order.
"This could all be yours."
The vision wiped away and Kazu found himself on his knees in front of Khondo, breathing heavily. The sound of rain and thunder echoed from the outside.
"You could have… everything you've ever wanted," he said, reaching out with a lit, red lightsaber in his other hand. "Agree to be my apprentice, Starskimmer. I can further your training in ways the Order never could. I can allow you to unlock all of your potential. It could all be yours… glory… power… her…"
Silence hung for several moments before Kazu spoke again.
"What… what must I do?"
"Simple," Khondo replied, snapping his fingers.
Within seconds, four holes in the floor opened up and poles with Tycho, Xinnaa, Saa'na, and So'lia tied to them rose from underneath. They were awake and squirming but with gags over their mouths.
"These… hangers-on…" he said. "They don't believe you. They would only get in our way, stop us from our goals. Stop you from ever seeing your princess."
He walked closer to Kazu.
"Kill them. Strike them all down. Actually," he chuckled. "I'd love to see what you do with the two Neti. Hard to kill, they are. I guess you could incapacitate and throw them in a pit. The lack of sunlight would do them in, eventually."
Kazu dropped further, his hands holding him off the floor.
"Kill… kill my friends?"
"They're not your friends, Starskimmer. They're parasites leeching off of you, hindering you from reaching your true potential, keeping you from who you want the most."
Kazu gave a small laugh.
"What would she say," he said quietly.
"What was that?"
"What would Jupiter say?" Kazu asked again.
"She would be in awe of your power, amazed at your dominance of the galaxy, thrilled at what you did to find her."
"No…" Kazu whispered again before raising his voice back to normal. "No, she wouldn't."
"You don't know that."
"You don't know her… My answer is no…"
"Fine. Then I'll kill them. But first," he said, raising the blade. "I'll make them watch you die."
Khondo reached the apex of his reach, the crimson blade hung in the air but right as Khondo brought the weapon down, a voice pierced the air.
"FIREFLY!"
Kazu smiled and rolled out of the way just as the blade hit the floor. He rose up, hunched over.
"The hell was that!?" Khondo yelled.
"That," Kazu replied with a smirk, glancing at the four of his friends whose eyes were all wide, "was her voice."
"Absurd! That tale you told couldn't possibly have been true!"
"I know what I know," Kazu said. "I know what I heard."
"No matter," Khondo responded, turning to face Kazu again. "An initiate couldn't possibly be able to defeat me. You'll be dead soon enough. You and your delusions."
Kazu stared at Khondo who started toward him and started to reach for his lightsaber but stopped just as quick.
I'm not good enough. Not with that anyway. Gotta even the odds… but how? Wait…Jack… A lightsaber's useless against a slug or…
Still hunched, Kazu crossed his arms reached deep within himself and for the first time since the Silver Millennium, he brought his hands to his side and ignited them. He stared at Khondo who had stopped walking as the flames danced around his fingers.
"Oh, good. That still works."
"Wha… How? No Initiate would know pyrokinesis!"
"What part of 'magic' did you not get!?" he yelled, throwing a fireball at Khondo who dodged out of the way.
He threw another at Khondo's feet. And another. And another. But Khondo righted himself, brought his lightsaber up and charged.
Kazu extinguished his hands and ran toward Khondo, reaching inside his tunic. Khondo swung the blade and Kazu ducked, barely missing the plasma. As the two crossed paths, Kazu took a knife he had pocketed after the meal and thrust it into the hilt. The blade flickered out of existence.
The two of them turned around, staring at each other again and Khondo looked at the hilt of his now-disabled weapon.
"I will not be bested by some young boy!" he yelled, throwing the hilt and running back toward the dining room. Kazu followed, running down the dark hall.
He entered the room but saw no one. He continued to edge inside, turning around to get a better look and looked at the coat of arms.
That had two vibroblades.
He felt a presence and jumped onto the table just as Khondo reappeared with the other blade in his hand and sliced where Kazu used to be. Khondo swung again and Kazu leapt again, grabbing hold of the chandelier and swinging to the other side where he could grab the second blade.
The two crossed their blades and spent minutes stabbing, swinging, and parrying. Eventually they were face to face in a contest of strength.
"How do you have this much skill, Starskimmer…" Khondo grunted.
"What part of 'captain of the guards' did you not get," Kazu replied with a wild look in his eye.
The two stepped backward. Kazu held his sword out in front of Khondo.
"I spent hundreds of years learning from the best. I was always trying to find new techniques to learn and teach my men."
"Right…" Khondo said, thrusting his sword down to his side. He glared at Kazu before leaping through the window into the storm outside.
Kazu ran over and saw him running away. He started to climb out the window before he heard footsteps coming down the hall and moved all the way back in as Xinnaa came into view.
"Where'd he go?"
"Coward ran away… How'd you—"
"One of the girls shrunk enough to get out," she replied, walking toward him. "Untied the rest of us."
"Okay," Kazu breathed, moving toward her. "Let's… get back onto the Hammer. We'll figure out what to do from there."
"Yeah."
The two were right in front of each other. Both of them chuckled lightly before Kazu passed her and stopped.
"By the way… I haven't named my ship yet. A Twi'lek would remember the name it has," he said before taking his blade and stabbing Xinnaa in the abdomen. She fell to her knees and onto her side, clutching the wound before turning into Khondo. Kazu picked up the other blade off the floor.
"H-How?"
"What part of 'spymaster' did you not get?" Kazu asked. "You think you're the first person to make me hallucinate?" he continued, kneeling down in front of him. "Motherfucker, you were barely even good at it."
Kazu stabbed him again before standing and walking away.
"You could have had it all, Starskimmer!" Khondo yelled. "You'll never find her, you're chasing the wind! Love is a fool's errand!"
Kazu turned around in the doorway connecting the room and the hall.
"Maybe… but I'd rather be a fool chasing wind than get the whole galaxy while losing my soul."
He turned again and walked through the corridor back into the chamber. He made his way to his friends and took off their gags and cut the ropes binding them.
"Now do you all believe me?"
