The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

This is probably my favorite piece i have ever written part of it was done in collaboration with another very talented friend of mine. Its all absed in the Star wars galxy. The usual good v bad fight. Its quite long and its very much a developed story, cronicalling my development as a writer as well as the characters portrayed.



THUD...

I woke with a shudder. Disorientated for a moment it all came flooding back, fleeing from home stowing away on a ship bound for Tattooine.  So many questions what have I done? How will I survive? How will I find her?

Bing bong "ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking apologies for the rough landing and welcome to Tattooine"

As I stand outside the star port I am amazed by what I see people looking for my allegiance others trying to buy my prized possession my Barc speeder for crazy creds... I move on to find the person I had come here to find the old woman.......

I recite my mantra quickly "I am Heimdalls Kesi named after the god of vigilance, I am the last of my kin and I will survive to seek my vengeance" and move off into the crowd (post from yesterday)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The twin suns coat everything in an eerie light the sand shines like gold, everything looked bleached and it is so very hot.....

Two days of this camping and searching I had searched Mos eisley non stop for 2 days returning to my camp at night, every night I returned I felt more and more lost would I find her? Could she help? Was she even here? And every night there is the nightmare.

I wake in my bed everyone sleeping peacefully except the stranger he has been meditating for 2 days now, his robes black as deep space and his eyes the most piercing shade of blue like Hoths ice.. I sneak past him and leave the hut, since he arrived I have had the strangest feeling a feeling something terrible is going to happen but no one listens they think I am going crazy but I only say what others are too scared to say "the stranger is wrong his demeanor the way he walks and talks something is not right" then I hear the sound a sound I would never have thought to hear in my village the sound of a lightsaber being powered and I know I was right, then the screams so many screams... I run toward the forest and I hide the sweat dripping off me I was so scared, I hid in the jungle at the edge of the clearing, then I felt the hands grabbing me from behind "Over here I found one trying to hide in the jungle" I was picked up and roughly thrown into the centre of the square, the stranger advanced toward me saber drawn, I grabbed the nearest weapon I could find a wooden staff and faced the stranger for combat his laugh the deep guttural laugh then he raises his hand I tense for the coming attack then I feel it its as if a hand has clamped around my throat yet no one is near me..........

I wake with a shudder bolt upright in my camp bed drenched in sweat and weep.

 I set out for my third day, if I couldn’t find her soon I was planning to hook up with the alliance and face my fate... that alley over there such a strange feeling about it I had felt this before the night the stranger arrived, I moved off, the alley was dark so very dark I was surprised by the darkness considering the height of the suns... I stopped at the mouth of the alley and allowed my eyes to accustom to the darkness, eerie chirruping from the rats. The gloom and the stench of decay, then I heard it the quiet whisper of breathing, I moved toward the sound and nearly tripped over her... "Hello Heimdalls" she croaked” you came as I knew you would, I know why you are here." I was taken aback by this "How did you know my name and how do you know why I am here?"  She chuckled to herself; you don’t remember much of that night at your home do you... “I REMEMBER ENOUGH!" I roared "Ahh so very full of anger and the thoughts of revenge, I feel it coursing through you but enough you do not remember. Have you thought on why you alone were spared, why no one else from you village survived the attack, how despite the stranger trying to choke the life from you, you survived." 

 "Enough can you help me find who did this and help me seek my vengeance." I ask quietly.....

12 days of running errands on this god forsaken planet and all the time the old woman stayed in the alley, go here do this, go dancing in the Mos Eisley cantina. Weary veterans looking over glasses and the constant raids by storm troopers. 12 days of killing dwarf numas and Tuskan raiders, the trips to Mos Espa and other backwards towns and the mining of resources, I’d had enough. “when are you going to help me!” I asked “I have been running around after you for 12 days now and what have I learned... nothing, when are you going to teach me something useful. I have learned all I can about hand to hand combat, my skills with a polearm have come on leaps and bounds and WHY have I been taught about carbines and rifles I despise guns?!”



“You are correct you have learned a lot in 12 days and I am impressed, as you may have guessed it was all part of your training. My final mission for you is to travel to Dantooine there you will meet with a Teras Kasi master by the name of Solomon; you will find him in the town of Forsaken. He has much to teach you and it will help with your quest.” I was taken back by this, a Teras Kasi master.



I had seen them sparring on my home planet and I was taken aback by what I saw, the way they spared as if they were dancing an intricate dance every blow, kick and dodge perfectly timed and placed to cause the most damage or avoid blows before they had even been struck. I was fascinated by them and I had always wanted to learn how to fight like them. “You mean a Teras Kasi MASTER will train me?” I said still stunned. “Yes it has been arranged, this is my gift to you, the training you have done here was only to put you in the correct frame of mind and give you some skills to develop when your training begins on Dantooine. Goodbye Heimdalls and take good care of yourself.” I thought I heard the faintest of stutter when she was saying good bye but I ignored it. “I will see you again someday Heimdalls and I know you will get the revenge you seek, BUT while on the long journey to Dantooine and in your training ask yourself this. What will you do once revenge is yours?” and with that she got up and left.



The star port of Mos Eisley still awed me the vendors shouting there wears, the people asking to buy Barc speeders and others shouting for allegiance be it to the evil empire or the struggling resistance. I walked into the main departure and arrival lounge and found the ticket machine “Excuse me sir” the females voice sounded familiar someone. I had not seen in a long time, but surely she was dead now. “Are you talking to me” I asked without turning, thinking she was talking to someone else. “Yes I heard you were headed to Dantooine and I wanted to offer you a lift.” at this I spun round excitement quickly turned to disappointment and then amazement, she was a little over 5 foot 4 with red hair that flowed down the small of her back. Her facial tattoos were of an intricate pattern, I had never seen before they were a shade of purple like some sort of gemstone and seemed to shine and change color in the light. Her horns were the darkest brown I mistook them for black at first, and her eyes a deep green that pulled you in and trapped you “Wow” I said and realizing how cheesy it sounded I blurted quickly “ AridetoDantooinewouldbegreathow much?” “No charge I am heading that way to visit someone.”  She smiled and said “Follow me.”

The travel to Dantooine was uneventful, despite a high imperial presence in space, during this time we talked. Sitting cross legged in the spacious lounge of the luxury yacht, I told her about the attack on my village and as I spoke she wept. “So many kin butchered” she sobbed “yet you were spared... the gods Look favorably on you Heim.” she solemnly told me about the creature that had done these terrible things. She explained he was once a Jedi, but had been seduced by the dark side then she told me his name.



“Malachi” just hearing that name, I felt the hate rising in me I couldn’t explain the emotions I was Feeling. The guilt, the anger, pain and sorrow. She told me of other worlds, she had visited. The things she had seen cities where once thousands lived reduced to rubble and smoking ruin, villages and towns where men, women, and even children had been killed. It was my turn to sob, “I hate the Jedi all of them.” I screamed suddenly, “No Heim they are not all like this Malachi” she nearly spat his name and I could see it pained her to even mention him. “For over a thousand generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace in the old republic, bringing peace and hope to millions.” as she told me of the Jedi and the force I felt my anger subside could I have gotten it so wrong? So it seemed all Jedi were not the same, she explained the Jedi betrayal at the hands of the emperor and how he had declared them enemies of the state and had nearly eradicated the lot of them from the galaxy. 



Then softly she said “I can feel the force within you Heim, a very faint flicker at the core of your being, but in time it will grow. You have a gift Heimdalls Kesi and with help and training you will learn to master this gift and I have faith that you will find that which you seek. But I fear at what cost?”



“But surely if I use this gift to seek my revenge, I would be no different from those that have fallen to the dark side.” I replied she laughed “Heim you will soon learn that revenge is not what you seek, I can feel it at the bottom of your heart you seek peace. You fear your revenge because once it is yours what then? I know you have asked this question a lot, when you wake in the night drenched in sweat from the same reoccurring dream you fear your revenge. Come we are approaching Dantooine” She rose and moved toward the flight deck of the yacht, I stayed seated where I was letting her words sink in, and as they found there way to the bottom of my heart I knew she was right. Revenge could never be mine because to achieve this revenge I would have to become the thing I most hated.



Stepping off the ship and making my excuses I disappeared into the Dantooine night, it was a cool night, not cold and not the muggy energy sapping heat I was used to from Tattooine. The wind whispered gently through the tall grass. I had noticed a guild recruiter in the Mining outpost and thought “What the hell. It’s a nice planet.” I left my details with the recruiter bot who guaranteed someone would contact me soon enough. I boarded the shuttle and headed to Forsaken, anxious to start my training. I had just landed at Forsaken when my comm crackled into life. “This is the SAS; I understand you’re interested in signing up.”



It has been a few days since I contacted Ividenie, and the SAS had been very welcoming. On the way to their town of Amoral, I had gotten lost and when Ividenie came to find me she had joked “Only a Rebel could get lost following simple instructions.” as part of this guild, I had hunted bols and pickets, and spent a lot of time in Space becoming quite a good pilot. We laughed and joked a lot and things started to get better the nightmares were no longer as frequent, other strange dreams started to take there place. When I asked Ividenie and Varak about them they looked at each other and told me its just de’ja vu.

It happened suddenly one evening,  just another guild night, scattered across the galaxy, some in space, away on duty fighting for which ever side, Varak, Muflunder and I were out near Forsaken standing on a hillside in the cool Dantooine night, waiting on the rest of the hunting party to regroup when the night sky was lit by a flurry of laser fire, most of the shots went wide and in the darkness we could hear animals scream, one shot hit Varak on the shoulder and he stumbled momentarily shocked “What the hell, I’ve been shot” he exclaimed checking his wound sounding dismayed he said “Clean through, these were new robes, yesterday” we scanned the area for the source of the gunfire and saw a dark figure trying to sneak through the sparse undergrowth “Bounty Hunter, Varak run” Varak ran to his nearby speeder bike as the hunter took aim, his bike shot off into the night as the shot buried itself into the soft ground where his bike had been seconds  ago, Muflunder ran to his bike and sped off after him, the comm. chattered everyone speaking at once checking Varak was ok and trying to find out what was going on, I looked around scanning the area  he was gone, in the distance I could make out the blue flames of a swoop being run close to the limit giving chase “ He’s following Varak, he’s got a swoop and he’s not hanging about” I announced over the Comm., I ran full pelt for my varactyl, throwing him some food and launching myself into the saddle, I urged him to a gallop and took off in pursuit, Varak was on the comm. updating us of his position, he was running for home.

When I arrived at Amoral, the rain was pelting down; the ground was soft and muddy. Varak had made it safe, I arrived at his house to find the bounty hunter sitting a few feet from his home, most of the SAS had dropped what they were doing and had returned to support one of their own, I grabbed my laser carbine and dived from my mount, running toward the BH I took aim and fired, the anger I had kept at bay for so long surfaced, this animal had shown up and tried to kill one of our own,  the first shot hit him in the leg and he fell, splashing into the muddy ground, leaving a small crater where he landed, he rose slowly and fired back, hitting me in the stomach, I made a short thanks to the gods for the quality of my armor and fired back, the rain cut by the ferocity of the exchange of laser fire, I could feel myself tiring of this battle and knew I was not far from collapsing with exhaustion, this bounty hunter was skilled in the use of firearms, more so than me, then the night air was cut with a blinding arc of blue light, it hit me and I felt my body and mind calm and my strength return, I slowed my breathing and took aim remembering everything Muflunder had taught me about marksman’s principles. I squeezed the trigger gently and the hunter fell, quickly I moved forward and splashed into a kneeling position, next to his prone figure. Dropping my carbine into the soft muddy ground, I checked his pulse, just a knockout. I grabbed his body dragging him into a sitting position and using all my strength I broke his neck.

The celebrations went on long into the night, and when we surfaced the next day the body of the hunter was gone.



It had been a few days since that night in Amoral, Ividenie had given me a list of places to visit, the temple of Exar Kun on Yavin 4, the ruins of a temple on Dantooine, some house on Tattooine, it was that night on Tattooine he first visited, I had just about reached Mos Eisley the chill of night was setting in and I could feel the presence of Tuskan Raiders all around me in the dark, I was about 1500 meters from Mos Eisley when my swoop coughed and died, I swore in the dark and dived off my bike dropping a few glow sticks to keep the nocturnal creatures and Tusken’s at bay. I was sprawled across the ground under my bike when I heard a soft voice and felt his presence near by “Heimdalls Kesi, I have something important to discuss with you.”

“yeah well cant you see I’m a little busy right now, if you could catch up with me later that would be Great.” when I slid from underneath my bike he was gone, I had the strangest tickle at the back of my mind, like someone was breathing very close to my neck. No matter how hard I tried to shake this feeling it wouldn’t go away I got back on my bike and flicked the starter, it roared into life and I heard the shriek of a few creatures that had been getting a little brave.



I arrived in Mos eisley and ran into the star port, I moved to the starship terminal and requested a shuttle to take me to my ship, the ride out of orbit I always hated, the change from weight to weightlessness always make my stomach turn, once I was in my ship I requested permission to move away from the station. I fired my engines and moved off into space, still that feeling at the back of my mind. I rolled my ship in space and sent a landing request to the station, back in Mos Eisley I grabbed my Bike as soon as my name was called and before the guy could get me to sign I was gone. I headed back to the same place and began to meditate, I heard him coming “I understand you have something to discuss with me.” I said without breaking my meditation “yes I do, you have a gift Heimdalls, like your father before you and his father before him, I want you to take this, protect it with your life. “ he held out his hand and passed me a small crystal a deep blue in color, it seemed to glow in the dark light and as I took it I felt a flicker of power pulsing through me when I looked up he was gone. 



I slipped the small crystal into my backpack, thinking nothing more of it and headed for the spaceport of Mos Eisley and home.

I stepped out of my house in Amoral the rain was pelting down harder than I had ever seen before and when I looked at the sky I could swear it was a shade of red. As I stood there I heard her voice “Heimdalls Kesi the time has come” when I looked up the hill towards the guild hall there she stood, Ividenie standing rain dripping off her, her face was twisted with rage and her eyes were the deepest shade of blood red,. She ignited her lightsaber a double blades of yellow light cut the rain, I suddenly found a saber in my hand the delicate handle covered in an intricate design I had never seen before, yet felt familiar to me. I ignited it and twin shafts of dark blue lit up the night sky, I looked up again and Ividenie was right in front of me raising her saber to strike. I swung my saber in a defensive move and the two connected, a blinding flash of light and heat, suddenly the blades seemed to merge the yellow and the blue mixing to form a new color in my saber I heard the words from nowhere “Heimdalls I said our blades would cross one day and I was right. they have!” she kicked me backwards and I connected with the wall of my home, as I drifted into unconsciousness I could see her standing over me laughing.

I woke with a start sitting bolt upright on the sofa where I had dozed off, tentatively feeling the back of my neck, expecting to feel a bruise or some form of wound, “just a dream” I muttered, since the strange man had given me that crystal. I had been having many strange dreams, sometimes faces I recognized other times I did not. 



I sat back and let sleep take me again, this time a different dream, I could feel myself there, Mos Eisley I could see the star port, drifting past the cantina, out of Mos eisley to the Nuna Breeding grounds, then they appeared as if from no where “Heimdalls Kesi, the old man unlocked your potential and now we are here to ensure you never realize it.” the punches and kicks seemed to rain from no where I felt unconsciousness took hold then there was nothing.

I woke up in bed and sat up, the room felt warm and comforting, the rays of Dantooine sun drifting lazily through the windows giving the room a golden glow. I slid from bed and grabbed some clothes and my travel cloak, slipping them over my body. I headed downstairs and straight for my armory, grabbing a few things including my personal shield generator (Something told me it was going to be needed) I stowing my kit and headed outside. I thumbed the starter on my bike and sped off heading for the agro outpost; I grabbed my ticket and headed for the shuttle into space.

 

As I sat in the cockpit of the vigilance, waiting on instruments warming up I tried to figure out what was happening to me, was I going mad and these strange vivid dreams were they some form of delusion or were they a glimpse of the future, I felt there would be some answers when I arrive at Mos Eisley at least I hoped there would be some answers there. Green all across the board the vigilance was in perfect order; I keyed in the hyperspace co ordinates and waited for the jump.

Mos Eisley star port no longer held the feelings of awe it once did, it was still a sight to behold it felt the same as my dream and the tickle at the back of my mind was there in force. something was wrong here, it felt like I was being watched and I couldn’t shake that feeling, I scanned the area but could see nothing out of the ordinary a few people perusing a vendors wares, travelers and spacers, nothing to explain the feelings, I moved off into the crowd.



Kes watched him from a spot across from the star port; she blended perfectly her long brown cloak Covering her distinctive hair and tattoos, just another person perusing vendor’s wares, he had Changed little since Dantooine, but she could feel the power growing in him, Treyla had been right he was going to be a Jedi like his father, Treyla had said that when the time was right she would tell him everything and pass to him his fathers light saber, Kes seemed shocked for a moment very few Jedi ever received a saber from a loved one. Most were tasked with crafting there own and she had only ever seen the handover ceremony once before.



She looked up from her position and saw Heim moving toward the cantina “Strange” she muttered “Heim, wake up” She continued to follow him, something was wrong she sensed fear and anger within him, he headed out of Mos Eisley still on foot now Kes was getting really worried, no one came out her on foot, then It happened.



“Heimdalls Kesi, the old man unlocked your potential and now we are here to ensure you never realize it” The words I heard were the same as the dream, said with the same menacing tone and the thug standing in front of me was also the same from my dream, the first punch sent me to my knees and I knew this was not a dream these men were here to kill me. I fumbled with my pack and grabbed the first weapon my hand connected with my laser carbine; I was already firing as I raised the weapon, sand flying in all directions, one of them fell, a glancing blow that didn’t keep him down long. I let out a bellow of rage firing from point blank range at times using my weapon as a club, I screamed over the Comm. that I was in trouble hoping someone would be nearby and could help, the punches seemed to become less frequent and eventually I was standing in the blood stained sand, over the lifeless bodies of the two assassins, when I looked up the SAS had arrived.



In the heat of the battle I had not noticed their arrival, I dropped to my knees and started to search the bodies, nothing on the first, but on the second a data pad and some credits, I grabbed both and quickly scanned the data pad for any useful information, it contained the location of their camp and some cryptic messages about Dathomir and the Boss.  



Kes had watched from a small dip in the ground, she had watched the way he had dispatched the assassins, she had heard the bellow of rage and knew he was in trouble, but she couldn’t move something rooted her to the spot, she saw the other members of the SAS arrive and knew he would be safe, they mounted bikes and shot off into the night, when she was sure they were out of range she moved to the bodies, she had to be sure before reporting back, just looking at the bodies she could tell Sith Shadows.

 

The encampment was quiet as we approached and just looking around you would think it was deserted, we adopted an attack formation almost without having to speak to each other every member of the SAS taking up their position, when we were ready we moved in. Guns blazed and energy shots flew in every direction, the occupants of the camp were caught off guard only 2 of them managing to grab weapons, it was over quickly and silence returned to the desert sands. Again I quickly searched the bodies, finding a few credits and a data pad, when I read the data pad things seemed to be making some sense, the data pad contained instructions from someone called ‘M’ they were to kill me and then return to Dathomir to help with an attack a waypoint to the target had been supplied and I stored this in my own datapad, as I finished this the one I was holding died wisps of acrid smoke flowing from the datapad.  I thanked the guys and headed off to the star port. Dathomir, I had never been before but heard it was the stuff of nightmares, Rancor’s and rumors of force sensitive beings called Nightsisters this was going to be fun.



As I settled into the cockpit of the Vigilance and ran a quick check over my systems, I thought back to what had happened in the last few days. The boards were green and I punched in the co-ordinates for Dathomir. I quickly checked a map I had, trying to pinpoint the location I had been given, some ruins of a village, nearby but the waypoint was for a blank space on the map, what was going on.

I landed at the science outpost, the cold was the first thing to hit me, a deep chill that I felt at my very core, the rain was drizzly and it seemed to cling to my cloak and soak through, I swapped into my armor, instantly feeling warmth flow back, something felt very wrong about this place, This was going to be slow going, I headed out of the outpost the fog seeming to envelope me, eerie noises from all around, I had to sneak past several encampments of Nightsisters (strange creatures with pale white skin and some of the most intricate tattoos I had ever seen, I could feel their strength just by observing them) I arrived at the waypoint specified many hours later than when I had left, the fog seemed thicker here and the tickle at the back of my mind was the strongest I had ever felt it, god this place gave me the creeps. I sat down in the soggy ground and started to cry, a tear flowing down my cheek this was hopeless. I pulled the force crystal from my pack and threw it at the wall of fog, screaming in rage "Why am I humiliated like this what kind of a game have I been played in!" As the crystal hit the fog wall it emitted a blinding blue light (So bright I had to shield my eyes) a path emerged in the mist and I could just make out some form of wall.  I picked my self up and headed down the path picking up the crystal as I passed.

 I entered the village through a damaged area in the wall, the village was the saddest place I had ever been, ruined stone huts strewn about, one of these was overflowing with wounded men and women, whimpers of agony filled the air, why was I here?, I passed by this place and threw as many of my medical stims I had on me at the person who seemed to be the doctor, “Thank you  thank you very much, you truly are a great as they said you would be, these stims will relieve some of the suffering”

“Who should I speak to here I need some answers?” I asked him

"Speak to the chief he is over there outside the village meeting place” I headed over toward the man and when I arrived he looked up from what he was doing “Tyr Kesi, you have been gone for many years, welcome home” he said, I stumbled backwards “Tyr Kesi was my father, I’m sorry to inform you he died many years ago, I am Heimdalls Kesi his son” so many emotions fought for my attention at the sound of my fathers name, he had died when I was very young and whenever I asked about him I was shushed and told not to talk about it. “H How did you know my father” I stammered, the chief laughed “Your father like you had a gift, I taught him many years ago as I will now teach you"



I awoke in the dead of night bolt upright on my sleeping mat, sweat running down my chest and forehead dripping into my eyes. The nightmares were getting more intense and I was starting to question my sanity and very being, questions over my allegiance had always been in my mind but recently they had been at the forefront of my thoughts and it felt like I was being consumed, from Ividenie, I heard great stories of battles against the weak enemy, of villages wiped out because of rebels to cowardly to show themselves (“had they been confirmed to be there” I asked, she told me command said there were rebels and ordered the village destroyed, she followed orders when they were given) she had told me of the great emperor and Darth Vader the two greatest Jedi in the galaxy, while she spoke of the empire at one point her voice seemed to stutter and something flashed in her eyes, I nearly

Missed it and I couldn’t figure it out. (Her great empire had done something against Ividenie but what?) Passion burned within her, she was loyal to the empire, and would die to protect it. I asked myself why?

 

Pulling me in the other direction was what had happened to my home, the nightmares still fresh in my mind, blamed them for what happened, Malachi was a dark Jedi and it was known that those lost souls had allegiance to the emperor I had heard stories of the empires cleansing programs in the name of peace and security, but I had also heard things about the so called rebel alliance, the

Fighters of freedom, bombing hospitals and schools, raiding factories and killing innocents. The galaxy is a screwed up place, but I had made my decision I HATED the empire, I held them responsible for what happened that day. I had signed with the alliance, helped with a few minor jobs ground reconnaissance, deliveries that sort of thing, they had asked me to do more but I declined “It’s not my fight Sir” I had said to the Lieutenant when he offered me a promotion above Sergeant.

 

I swept this from my mind, the thoughts pained me, my mind returned to the nightmares about Ividenie “DO NOT FORGET” it seemed to say, our blades locked in battle her face twisted with hate, hate toward me, what were these nightmares, was I insane, could we meet in battle if we did would I have the strength to beat her, would I have to kill her?! Surely not surely these were only nightmares... that inner voice again “What if they are not just nightmares” I stood from my bed and donned my cloak, slipping it over my body I stepped out of the tent into another wet Dathomir night, answers I needed answers.   



The cool night air chilled my upper body, I pulled my cloak closer to my body and moved across the village, things had changed in the short time I had been here, the walls had been repaired and some simple turrets had been built by the crafters, an elder could give me answers, I arrived at the elders meditation hut to find him meditating on the floor next to the fire, when I had first arrived after speaking to the chief Sol had taken me under his wing, and I smiled to see it was him. “Come Heimdalls, many questions you must have. Now you have been here for some weeks I feel some answers are in order” I sat down across from him the fire warming my body, and casting an eerie light in the hut.

“You may ask me anything you wish, and I will answer honestly” he said in a voice little more than a Whisper, “Sol. Tell me about my father, you knew him what was he like?” I asked “Tyr Kesi was a good man; he was strong with the force as you will be but…”

“But what, come on I asked a question answer it”

“Heimdalls this is not our conversation to have, when the time is right another will tell you everything”

“Who, when will the time be right Dammit Sol, my whole life people have told me to forget him... I want to know about my father,”

“The time is right when the time is right, it’s not for you to decide, they will arrive when you are ready” he retorted

“Very well, I have these nightmares, tell me why, am I going mad, is this some form of delusion, am I

Here, what is happening to me?” Sol, leant over the fire, and hit me with a stick, “Did you feel

that?”

“OUCH yes I felt that it hurt do not do it again” I snapped rubbing the wound understanding dawned “I understand, this is not a delusion by inflicting pain you have shown me I am here.”

“Yes, these nightmares about a friend you have they are of battle, and defeat yes?”

“They are, I am defeated by one who is filled with hate toward me, I don’t understand why she hates me so, and in the heat of battle I am defeated”

“These dreams are a symbol, some say they are a glimpse of the future, some say they are a sign of Emotional turmoil and fear, think on this train your mind to calm, meditation helps focus the mind and calm the emotions.”

“But my emotions give me strength, why do they need suppressed”

“Another told you this, one who errs to the dark side of the force, they use anger and hate to grow strong and it consumes them, until they know nothing aside from this, hate toward the very stars and planets, do not fall like so many others, the dark side is not the strength you seek.”

 

I sat and thought on this, every time I had been in battle and had let my anger go, I had felt something within me, a little part of me felt like it died. Soon I felt a familiar calm wash over me, my tensions and thoughts melted in the calm meditation brought.

Sol watched and when he was deep into his meditation he quietly left the hut, he returned to his personal dwelling and removed the small com device from his pack. “Yes, he has arrived. I apologize for not informing you sooner, but his training has been intense. The nightmares. But how did you know. I am sorry I will not question you again. Yes his nightmares are strong, images of suffering and defeat, He mentioned his father. I understand I informed him of your arrival and he will be ready. I estimate a few months of training and he may be ready for the trials, I will keep you informed out.” The elder hid the comm. device, so she knew about his nightmares and did nothing. He returned to the fireside, Heimdalls was still deep in meditation, an aura of calm radiated from him, making Sol feel warm and comforted. So much like his father, so much power so little idea, his features so alike, a

Single tear trickled down his cheek and whispered “Tyr Kesi you may be gone but you will never be forgotten, goodbye old friend.”



When I arose from my meditation the next morning, the dying embers of the fire lay smoldering in the stone circle, he was gone, and it was time to go to work. I exited the text squinting slightly in the morning gloom, I felt calm and for the first time in a long time felt almost peaceful. As I made my way across the village I looked at the shield generator that was being erected everyone knew what was coming, but no one mentioned it, we just got on with the preparations for the upcoming battle, I just hoped the crafters could have it ready in time. I made my way to Captain Sarguillo “reporting for duty sir, what’s to be done”

 

He explained the mission, to find the nearest shadows base and capture the commander “he has information we needed about troop strengths and details of their logistical plans for the upcoming attack on the village. Do not fail us as many lives are on the line” he said in closing, I called in the SAS and we went about tracking down the scouts who held the remote codes we required, after Dispatching several patrols, we found what we were after, the codes to one of their base codenamed BETA. It transpired this was one of the closest bases to the village and everyone was guessing would probably be used as a forward staging post; I smiled and thought to myself this was going to be an ideal base to take down.



The tickle at the back of my mind hit me as I was half way across the village, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on the present, please not now, I felt the pain in my shoulder first a dull throb that felt like someone was pressing on my armour, then I felt the excruciating pain in my stomach, I screamed and fell to my knees the pain was so intense, it felt like someone was burning me with a plasma torch, but as quick as it was there it was gone, I almost missed the voice in the darkness "Heim, please wake up". I opened my eyes, I was in the centre of the village, and people had stopped what they were doing to look at me. I rose to my feet checking my stomach and shoulder both fine... just another nightmare, "god I hope these pass, people already think im crazy." I moved back to my tent and sat down to prepare... We would hit Beta this week and I needed to be at my best.



Kes had returned to the monastery on Tattooine after her last mission following Heimdalls, she had reported all to Treyla who had seemed most concerned at the recent developments, and quickly disappeared into the starry Tattooine night.

Kes made her way to her favorite place in the monastery besides the sparring dojo. The library, it contained books of every kind covering topics from lightsaber techniques, history of something called the republic, to flora and fauna of the galaxy as she entered she stopped and absorbed the atmosphere, she loved the feeling of power that radiated from the books although she would never admit it, she looked forward to the day she could bring Heimdalls here and share her love of books with him. As she crossed to the old desk in the centre of the library she noticed something strange, on the desk was a black cloth wrapped parcel… Excellent she thought Treyla has found another book; she cleared the rest of the library in a few bounds eager to open the new parcel and devour the knowledge held inside. She carefully unwrapped the parcel, the cloth a thick velvety material, her heart pounded like a small child at Christmas. Once she had the parcel open she knew she had done wrong, the contents of this parcel were not for her eyes. Inside were three items: a double bladed lightsaber the silver handle woven with an intricate pattern picked out in gold, she had never seen anything like it, she picked it up delicately and felt the perfect weight when she ignited it the room was lit with a bluish glow from the twin blades of blue light it was perfectly weighted, she had never seen a saber that had been so loving crafted and she felt it had truly been the property of a great Jedi, she could feel the power emanating from the weapon yet with this power she could also feel a great pain and loss, reverently she placed the saber back in the soft black cloth. There was also a small worn envelope with two words written on the cover ‘Heimdalls Kesi” she looked at it and contemplated opening it but did not, it was not meant for her and she left it be.

Her prize for the evening was also in the parcel small leather bound book, despite the feelings of guilt in her heart she picked up the book, carefully rewrapping the lightsaber and the letter, bounding over to one of the armchairs into he library she curled into the seat and opened the book. The first page made her gasp….



Tyr Kesi A fallen Hero Gone but never forgotten

S

 

She flipped through the book mostly exploits of an Empire war hero; she had never seen so many recommendations for medals and a few of them she had to look up because she had never heard of them. She got to the last two entries they made her blood run cold; such pain and anger in the words and the last made her heart heavy with sadness and the tears roll down her cheeks…



Entry 21: Operation Overlord.

I gave a speech to my men before we headed off, I had my reservations about the mission but the emperor himself gave me the mission so failure was not an option: “Today men, we go into the unknown not many have gone before us and survived but the emperor himself has faith in us and that is all we need, we are to go to the Deathwatch bunker and eradicate the last known Mandalorian the so called Overlord, today men we march into history” the cheer the men gave was rowdy but I could feel it flowing from them fear… we had all heard stories of the bunker and its keeper. We touched down a few hundred meters from the bunker and moved off, our techie was killed at the first door stupid kid should have checked for traps before advancing… it made the rest of us sharpen up “From this point on men we know nothing about this place, so I say this be alert or be dead” the rest of the mission was like living a nightmare, the corridors were cramped and arcs of fire were very non existent, by the third door I called a retreat ‘A battalion is needed not one squad, men retreat.. I gave an order Sergeant fall back!” I said to the men and by the time we reached the door only two us were left, the sight that hit with the weak sunshine was welcome.

Squad Beta had heard the comm. chatter and was here to help. The squad leader advanced up to me and squarely hit me in the face with his rifle butt… as I fell to the ground I heard the rifle fire and saw my surviving comrade drop “You should have died in there Tyr, I’m sorry it has to end like this” he said as I blacked out.

Kes looked up at this point at a noise she heard, “Tattooine even the darkness gives me the creeps” she felt outwards with her mind, definitely nothing just her imagination. She flipped a few pages trying to find the rest, surmising he had not continued his journal in prison she began to read the final entry.



He talked about the pain of being in prison, separated from his son, he talked about the strength of his connection and how he had grown stronger with the force being disconnected from the world for so long and in the middle was a poem of sorts she recognized instantly and the power of those words made her drop the book:

 

There is no peace there is only passion

through passion I gain strength

through strength I gain power

through power I gain victory

through victory my chains are broken

the force shall set me free

 

She spent a few minutes just staring blankly at the book, not really seeing anything those words were part of the code, she had read them once before. But that meant… Tyr Kesi was a sith. The severity of this hit her and she struggled for breath, so many questions flooded her mind vying for her attention, she dismissed all of them and picked up the book again the last part read more like a confession an apology for his life:

 

“And so it ends, I am Tyr Kesi father of Heimdalls Kesi, I have many regrets from my life but the main one is never seeing my son, I hope one day he will read this and understand who his father was. I pass this on as a warning to him; the force is a fickle thing so easy to fly from one extreme to the other. My friend has finally come to end my life and I go willingly I will not fight him in battle, I have

fallen so far and yet at the end I truly realize, the path I have walked was the wrong one, my allegiance to the emperor who in my time of need, sentenced me himself to exile in the prison for failing in my suicide mission, mercilessly I was beaten in prison by those I once called friends, but while in prison I learned my mantra well and through it I gained the strength to break my chains, the

Force has indeed set me free.”

 

Goodbye. Tyr 



As she closed the journal the tears welled up and began to flow, such remorse, she sat there unable to move, she finally picked up the journal and moved towards the desk, carefully unwrapping the bundle she placed the book back inside, she was dying to open the letter and read it, what could it possibly say, who was it from so many questions about this simple envelope. Using her delicate fingers, she re wrapped the bundle, running her hand once more across the saber, finally laying a hand on the soft black velvet she whispered”Tyr Kesi rest in Peace”  

“Rest in peace indeed” Kes spun round at the new voice in the library

“Treyla, your back didn’t think you would be so soon”

“Indeed not, did you find what you were looking for” she asked inquisitively

“I found little of value in those words; tell me who killed Tyr Kesi?” Treyla moved across the library and took a seat across from Kes had been sitting; her hooded figure cast an eerie shadow across the library. “We do not know who killed him, we received a transmission a few hours before his death, he said goodbye and he apologized.” She stopped and Kes could tell the memory of that day pained her deeply “By the time we arrived on Naboo, he was gone, we found him sitting on the beach, outside his

home.”

“How did he die” Kes asked again, some how she knew it was insensitive, but she had to know

“Someone took a lightsaber and thrust the blade through the top of his spine, it was a quick and honorable soldiers death” Kes could almost feel the tears trickling down Treyla’s cheek yet still she continued “We entered his house, to find the bundle on his desk with a note to pass it to his son when the time was right. And so we have waited and watched over him, the time is nearly right and I admit I fear for Heimdalls, he has never known his father and I am concerned about how the boy will take the knowledge now Kes you must NEVER speak of this to anyone, when the time is right the bundle will be passed from father to son as per Tyr’s wishes, we must be strong for him, do you understand?”

“Yes I understand” Kes replied rather sadly, getting up she left Treyla to her grief. The Tattooine night felt a lot colder on the balcony, but as usual it was a starry night she looked up and thought of Heimdalls, the tears still streaming down her cheeks with a voice like a whisper in the wind she said four words and turned back inside, closing the door behind her.



I awoke. Again the same nightmare, still no detail,  previous nightmare were different I could see, feel and nearly breath the details, those I could nearly cope with but this was killing me, still the same vague details, gunfire, screams and that burning pain. I got up and went outside, grabbing my vibroblade as I left the tent. The rain was falling in a fine mist clinging to me; it felt refreshing. I adopted a defensive stance, and began to fight an imaginary enemy, my vibro lance humming in the cool night air, before long my moves became faster, muscles warmed, I had become weak relying on carbines and rifles for my damage, now I remembered why I loved bladed weapons, faster and faster my moves became, my vision seemed to blur, the world taking on a cool blue tint, still faster trails began to form where my weapon had been moments before, still faster then I heard it “HEIM WAKE UP PLEAE WAKE UP” the words seemed to reverberate around my very mind, I stopped suddenly rain and sweat soaking my upper body my vision quickly returned to normal, I turned and stepped back into the tent.



We had taken up our positions a short while ago, I stood knowing what was about to happen and I let my mind wander back along the path I have traveled, and my what a journey it has been... the people I have met, the places I have been and the things I have done, things truly will never be the same again, I asked myself the question if I could go back and change anything what would It be, and every time I got the same answer; I would change nothing … the path I have walked is what has made me the person I am today, I thought back to our recent mission, I remembered the day I had first met Kes and the way she kindled feelings long suppressed, I remembered Ividenie and the SAS, I remembered my village and the goodtime I had at home before the bad things happened, this is my path and I would never change it for the galaxy.

His voice and those words snapped my mind back to the here and now... I was suddenly focused, the world seen through sharper eyes, I could feel everything around me and I knew it was going to be a hard path ahead, would I survive today, who knows. If I do it will make me stronger. I am Heimdalls Kesi and this is my adventure.



I dived and rolled from the incoming rounds, firing back the Sith screamed and dropped, trails of energy rounds flashed around the village as both sides fired, wave after wave of Sith appeared and when not diving from the incoming rounds we were firing back. Some of the men had dropped their rifles and were fighting hand to hand in the middle of the village. I grabbed my lance and ran to the aid of our fighters; swinging my vibro lance I calmed my mind, blows got faster and many sith fell… The shot struck my shoulder and I fell, then squinting in the eerie sunlight, the form appeared over me, time seemed to slow down at this point and I could make out individual rounds pass overhead, grinning like a demon from my nightmares he pressed his gun to my amour and fired, I felt the intense heat in my stomach, it felt like someone using a plasma torch on my skin, this time I screamed. The demon above me grinned widely at this point obviously enjoying my pain. He rested the muzzle of his gun against my helmet and I suddenly thought oh god so it ends here. Time seemed to catch up with itself and the trails began to zip past again, before he had a chance to fire and finish the job his head exploded coating my armor in blood and brains.  I tried to push myself up from the ground but my arms felt heavy and leaden, I could just make out the voices full of concern but they sounded so far away “He’s hit and he’s down” I blacked out... The last thing I heard was “Heim wake up, please wake up” Now I know I am dreaming because it’s Kes’s voice. I

Was going to die here and for a while I thought yeah why not let it happen.



Kes had watched him fall from her hiding place in the nearby huts, she calmed her mind and wrapped the force around herself “Give me the strength to save him” she muttered to herself, and sprinted out of the hut straight into the battle, some of the Sith saw this new running target and started to fire when they realized they couldn’t hit her they returned their fire back to the original targets.

 

She skidded to a halt next to Heimdalls body screaming at him “HEIM WAKE UP, PLEASE WAKE UP” checking for a pulse she was slightly relieved to feel one it was ragged but it was there, she knew if she didn’t get medical attention soon he was going to die, she dragged him into a standing position “Heim

work with me here please” she whispered and began to drag him across the village. By the time she got to her speeder she was exhausted, using the force to protect them was rapidly tiring her, she reached into a small pocket on her backpack, she hated using stimulants but she had no choice, she was going to have to in order to save his life, she guided his limp body into the passenger seat checking his pulse still ragged but there she looked at the gaping hole in his armor, the wound was really bad and it was a wonder he was not dead already he had lost a lot of blood and when she looked at the seat she could tell he was rapidly losing more “Heim please don’t let go, please stay with me I love you” the tears began to roll

Down her cheeks and for the first time in a long time Kes felt alone in the galaxy…



She had made it as far as the science outpost. Leaving Heim in the speeder she sprinted into the medical centre “Someone Please HELP ME” she screamed, all she got in reply was an eerie silence, searching about she found a note “Gone to an emergency, Imp outpost Dantooine sorry for inconvenience” cursing she darted about grabbing some medical supplies, with her limited knowledge maybe just maybe she could keep him alive long enough to find a real doctor… but who?



"Of course" she decided in that instant “I promised I would never return but I must or he is going to die!” this was no longer about Kes and what had happened in that place no this was about saving the man she loved, she purchased 2 tickets to Talus, hopefully they would not kill her onsight, she removed Heimdalls rebel signet ring and stashed it away on her speeder, that was one thing she didn’t need them to know. Kissing him gently she whispered “Hang in there Heim, I love you”



Kes made a quick scan of the medical centre it looked like a full scale war had been waged here, there were still some patches of dried blood soaking the floor and despite the obvious attempts to get everything back into order there were still little patches of chaos, "What the hell happened here?" she muttered then her thoughts began to run away with her; Oh god have i made a mistake bringing him here, would we have been better off on Coronet. No. pull yourself together girl, Truu was the best doctor you ever knew and she will do everything in her power to save him... that little voice of doubt "If she still works here, its been along time and people change" she silenced it, she must he cant die. He cant and he wont. The tears began to bubble up and despite the stim she could feel her strength fading, summoning every last ounce she screamed into the air "Someone HELP ME" and dragged Heimdalls inside.

Lost in thought, she never heard the front doors slide open with their normal electric pulsation. She had a broom in hand, sweeping up the rest of the glass shards that littered the emergency area floor. Luckily the overnight patients were in a different area of the hospital and had, for the most part, missed the excitement of the evening.



Truu closed her eyes, sighing as she saw that several of the broken vials and bottles were of some of the more rare medicinal types. They had been procured through the course of years from every planet imaginable and at a high price. She had only had the use for them a few times, but she always took the side of too much is never enough when it comes to life and death.



Shattering her thoughts, she heard the scream of a terrified woman, “Someone HELP ME.” Truu and Maelyn both instinctively dropped what they were doing and ran to the front entrance way. The sight was one that Truu was not expecting, although she should have known that a day like this was not quite over.



She had not seen Kes in years, but the woman was still beautiful as ever, but her frightened eyes told the story. Truu looked at the man she was dragging in, blood caked on his stark white armor. The only portion not armored was his head.



Kes looked at Truu pleadingly, “Help me”



Truu nodded her head, still in shock at the sight of an old friend and that her mind was still trying to comprehend everything that was taking place this day. Maelyn and Truu helped bring Heimdalls into the emergency room and Maelyn started asking Kes the normal questions that they need to know in order to fully comprehend the extent of the injuries.



Truu barely noticed the two women in the background, her focus solely on her patient. Checking the large hole in his armor, she could see that bits of armor plating were flaked around the wound and he was loosing extensive amounts of blood. Knowing that this man was hanging onto life with the thinnest of threads, Truu began to quickly remove his armor. Without glancing away from Heimdalls, “We have to get this armor off and stem the bleeding, otherwise he is going to die. I need both of you to help me.” Her tone perhaps was not as compassionate as it could have been, but her focus was purely on saving this man’s life.



Quickly removing every piece of armor, it became apparent the full extent of Heimdall’s injuries. The cuts and abrasions had lacerated him in too many places to count, yet these paled in comparison to the large purple-blue color that his shoulder had become. Without much inspection, Truu was certain it was broken.



Maelyn was trying to keep Kes calm and focused while rummaging through the cabinets for essentials that had not been destroyed earlier that day. Truu’s eyes continued to be drawn to the whole in the stomach, her eyes widened when she saw how deep the wound truly was.



“Jesus,”was all Kes could weep, her terrified eyes locked on Heimdalls bruised and badly injured body, “Truu… please…you have to save him.”



Pain flooded all of my senses, and threatened to overwhelm me again, "No I must waken up, the battle is not over, get up off this ground and get back into the fight" I tried to get up but my body and mind felt disconnected. Sounds began to filter through the dense fog and I concentrated on letting them in I could here her voice far away the words that filtered through were not of my nightmares they were different and they scared me "Truu… please…you have to save him."



A second voice filtered through as well, the voice was not one I had heard before "We have to get this armor off and stem the bleeding" bleeding, who's bleeding oh god someone is hurt and I am lying here snoozing "wake up" I screamed in my mind, the voices were slowly replaced by other sounds, sweet whispers and tears were replaced with laser rounds being exchanged and screams of dying men. BANG it hit me, oh god it was me that was bleeding, I was the one they were talking about panic began to set in, "OPEN YOUR EYES THIS IS NOT A DREAM." I suddenly found the strength and managed to open my eyes, a harsh white light blinding me. I could make out vague details of a face, it went with the voice I didn't recognize either and then the darkness flooded over me again…



THERE IS STILL SOME MISSING HERE AND ITS DEFO GONE :'( I WILL REWRITE THE MISSING PART AND POST IT AS SOON AS I CAN



I opened my eyes the darkness was relentless and when I breathed deeply I could taste the recycled

air, how long had I been on this ship now 1 month maybe 2. I had tried to run away from the galaxy to

purge it from my mind but still it haunted my dreams and nightmares, besides I still had friends, and

I still had to find Kes. More than anyone else she had dragged me back from deep space. I punched in

the hyperspace jump to Dantooine it was time to return to the galaxy and in 2 hours 18 minutes and 20

seconds. Heimdalls Kesi would be home.



The hum of the hyperspace drive disenganing woke me from my thoughts, had so much changed in the last 2 months? would they welcome me back or would i be shunned? Was Amoral still there? i shook my head i would know soon enough. I commed the station and gave my authentication. "Vigilance you are cleared for landing however due to a large amount of traffic please

move into holding cycle delta your estimated time for landing is 9 minutes. Welcome home Heimdalls" i muttered a response "I hope it is a welcome."



The seals groaned and finally broke, the cabin of the vigilance flooding with fresh Dantooine air, breathing deeply a smile spread across my face, the sweet smell of Dantooine flooded my senses, and made me dizzy from the cramped cockpit I had spent so long hiding in.



I stood up uncertainly, grabbing the side of the cockpit for support, the weak sun blinding me momentarily as I removed the bulky flight helmet and suit. I looked around the agro outpost, for some sign I recognized, all that greeted me was the silence and the hum of the generators. Shrugging I pulled my Barc speeder from the hold of my ship smiling as images of racing across the landscape with my friends, and even that incident on Dathomir couldn’t keep my spirit down, subconsciously I rubbed my side, it still throbbed every once in a while but all and all it had healed well with little scarring, I shook my head clearing my thoughts.



I thumbed the starter on the sleek black Barc infornt of me, she lazily turned, and the growl of her engine as she snapped into life brought a grin soaring across my features.



I was home.



Straddling the bike I shot off in the direction of Amoral, thoughts of the reunion playing through my mind, how I would explain my absence, no matter I wouldn’t have to. The first buildings of Amoral floated into view. I slowed my bike down shocked by what I saw before me, the remains of a few skeletal buildings, hung silently in a cluster. The scores of blackened bodies lying strewn around the town square. A flashback and I was a small boy again viewing the same scene in my own village, I jumped from the bike. Falling to my knees the tears already blurring my vision. Amoral was gone…

I picked myself up from the ground when I heard the quiet whispering from the old guild hall; setting off towards my house I needed a weapon. Slipping through the remains of the door I looked around the devastated insides of my home. The roof had fallen in and debris was everywhere, the half light struggling through the hole in the roof caught the swirling dust, and somewhere in the darkness the rats scurried around. I noticed very quickly there was a distinct lack of any of my homely features; the pictures had been taken down, the furniture removed. The place had been cleared. Making my way down the stairs and punching in the pass code for the armory door a slight smile played across my lips as the door protested at first then slid open a fraction. Squeezing my way inside I delved into my backpack, snapping the glow stick and shaking the chemical about. The eerie yellow light flowed into the room glinting off the still shining weapons and layers of dust covering the various racks and some of my more exotic weapons.



I reached the rack of polearms and grabbed my poison spike, feeling the weight I smiled, memories of the days training outside the house. I turned and dropping the light, silently slipped back into the village, the voices were coming from the shell of the guild hall. The fountains were silent a layer of green slime coating the once gleaming marble, the sentinel statues lay on there sides broken guardians of a broken galaxy.



Slipping silently into the guild hall I slipped along the shadows of the broken walls, I reached the first voice and swinging the blunt end of my poison spike I knocked the robed figure to the ground, the second turned in surprise as his colleague landed in a heap at the base of the steps. A vicious grin spread across his features and he pulled out a vibro sword, menacingly he advanced down the stairs swinging the sword around “Yer gonna regret that matey when she wakes up” he lunged forward with the sword, and easily parried attempt, it was evident he wasn’t very good with a sword, his attacks were clumsy and I smiled the practice was good, the voice boomed across the broken hallway echoing around the walls “STOP this DROP YOUR SWORD YOU IDIOT”



The man dropped his weapon and backed off “Chief he struck her inna head; he’s here to loot the place!”



“He’s not here to loot the place you idiot he’s come home” I spun round dropping the lance as I did, the figure before me was dressed in strange robes, and as the hood was lifted back a spark of recognition flashed in my eyes “Hello Varak old friend”



“Hi Heim, welcome to the graveyard, you’ve been gone a long time a lot has changed in you absence” he smiled and continued “Grab your gear we are off to your new home, its not safe here anymore, we cleared your house and transferred your stuff but couldn’t get into the room at the bottom”



I Smiled “I didn’t expect you to get in, it’s the armoury and I got a few toys down there.“



“Chief, he’s got a a poison pike?! But how I don’t understand” I turned to the attacker and apologised for harming him extending a hand in friendship I smiled and said “Hi im Heim” the man gave me his name stammering the whole time his eyes fixed on my weapon “I’m Bula, and the lump you knocked out is Churin, she’s gonna be mad”. I extended my weapon to him asking if he wanted to try it out, but he fell over himself to get away. Shrugging I turned and knelt beside the prone form of the woman, her features were typically human, soft and ladylike, in direct contrast to the blaster she had attached to her belt, I felt for a pulse and stood up“She’ll be fine, is it ok to leave her here for a few moments while we clear out my house?” I turned and padded out of the ruin; clasping Varak’s shoulder as I passed, his robes looked strange, but I shrugged a lot had changed.



We quickly cleared the armoury of all my guns and ammo, occasionally Bula shrieked at a particular weapon, comments of “How so many relics, a suit of what my god its useless and priceless” Once we had loaded up the speeder I looked back, sadly I said my goodbyes hoping the ghosts of the past would remain with the graveyard that was once my home. Looking at the unconscious form of Churin in the speeder, Varak turned to me handed me a small chip, “this will get you to our new safe haven, don’t worry about her she’s tougher than she looks and Bula’s right she’s gonna be pissed”



Varak had given me hyperspace co-ords for Rori, “Get to the alliance outpost and I will meet you there to take you to your new home” I stowed my bike and settled into the cockpit of the vigilance, questions fired through my mind like a terrible Tattooine Sandstorm, I had to silence them for the moment and concentrate on the task at hand, the bone shattering weariness of the battle and spending so long in space was catching up, still plenty of time to sleep when your dead I reminded myself, punching in the hyperspace co-ordinates for Rori, I was forced back into my seat as the hyperspace engines kicked in.



I'd left with a lot of questions and fears on my mind, and i was quickly realising that the galaxy was a whole different ballpark now i was back.





 love watching hyperspace the colors amaze and enthrall me, this trip I again sat and read my fathers journal, such pain and suffering flowed through his words, but he was my father. He was a good man, and so I came back to that poem he had written. Sitting in the silent cockpit of my ship as I hurtled across the galaxy faster than light I read the passage out loud

There is no peace there is only passion

through passion I gain strength

through strength I gain power

through power I gain victory

through victory my chains are broken

the force shall set me free

I recognized the words, someone had once told me about the dark side and that these words were evil, in my mind I could not understand why, they were only words and they made sense. For the first time in a long time reading these words, curled into the pilot seat I felt at peace. Repeating the words a few more times I sat back and drifted into a restless sleep. The dream hit me as hard as ever, the burning smell, the stranger with the drawn saber standing over me, a muddy boy holding a wooden stick, his laughing burned through me. “I killed your father, crushed your spirit and now I am going to kill you, but first I will hunt her down and infront of your eyes I will gut her and as the light dies in her eyes the last thing she will ever see is your death” he swung the saber towards my head and as it arced towards me. I snapped into full consciousness, the shrill buzzing of a proximity alarm, jarring my senses.

I dropped out of hyperspace the proximity alarm still blaring in the cramped cockpit, reaching over I snapped the switch and the silence deafened me. The proximity alarm had been triggered by the wreckage floating eerily through space, we were five miles from the shipping lane in an area well know for piracy, and someone had been unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, The sorosub was toast, the broken carcase floated past twisted hull plating clinking gently off the hull of my x wing, like ice cubes in a glass. I spied the escape pods, the person had been lucky enough to escape, but as I powered carefully closer, intending to tractor them to the space station I saw the explosive damage that had been wrought. They had been too close to the soro when she blew and they had died for their mistake. In a galaxy still full of pain and suffering, devastated by the war, this small pain should not have hurt but it did. It reminded me things had changed a lot but still were no where near being safe as they had been many months ago.

Sending a passive ping the sensor screen coming alive with reports, they were still lurking around and they were drifting dangerously close. I fired the engines and boosters and made a run for the shipping lane. Praying I would make it before they clocked me. Fortunately as I crossed into the shipping lanes a gunship floated past, the pilot came very close and shook his head. I turned towards the station and commed them “This is Lok station, unidentified ship identify and state your intentions”

“This is Heimdalls Kesi, pilot of the vigilance. My intention is to land at Nyms star port, and transfer to alliance command.” The silence at the other end spooked me slightly, already tense from the lack of sleep and the encounter with the wreck, I was a little paranoid.

“Vigilance this is Nyms star port, permission to land granted, welcome to Lok.”

Landing at Lok, was a surreal experience after the wet cold climate of Dantooine, the humid swamp was a welcome relief. But sapped the energy from my already tired bones, jumping on the shuttle to Alliance command I took the initiative and grabbed a few well deserved moments of sleep. The shuttle bumping to a land at the shuttle port woke me, stretching I stepped off the shuttle as the last rays of daylight slid behind the hills and died. Varak and Simbo were waiting at the shuttle port and as I descended the steps and touched the ground Simbo cracked a huge grin and shouted “Long live Maroj” I burst out laughing repeating the phrase and shook hands warmly. His robes had not changed like Varak’s, and the power of the force wrapped around him gave me some sense of peace, I concentrated and stole a small amount of his force. Feeling it flow through my veins and invade my heart like a drug. “Naughty naughty Heim, but meh I don’t mind. Welcome home”

The ride to Aldershot was short, the desert skiff, effortlessly moving across the mountainous terrain. The breeze was cool and helped with my exhaustion, all through the ride we chatted and Simbo and Varak filled me in on affairs in the galaxy, as I had previously thought a lot had changed, the move from Dantooine, had been a tough choice. But the new town had grown far bigger than Amoral ever had been.

As we rolled into Town Simbo pulled up outside my bunker, “Here we are Heim, welcome home” as I jumped from the skiff, Varak passed me my pack, my father’s lightsaber, tumbled from my pack and landed at his feet. Picking it up he smiled “Ah you finally got a lightsaber, nice hilt, give me a shout later and we’ll see what you got.” he passed it down to me, securing it on my belt I headed into my bunker. Stepping through the door I smiled, looking around the living room. All my stuff had been transferred and neatly set out. I dropped my pack and headed down into my small shrine. Settling myself I began to meditate the exhaustion of the last few days, flowing out of me to be replaced by a feeling of peace and calm. The familiar tickle began to creep up my spine, someone was near by, and I calmed my thoughts and felt out with my mind. The darkness crept through my body and the cold feeling invaded my heart. “Something wicked this way comes”, I mused. Standing up I grabbed the lightsaber and moved towards the door. Stepping outside into the cool night, no whisper of wind, the only sound my breathing and the quiet rustle of the night time creatures. I moved to the fountain in the centre of town, the slight spray from the fountain, refreshing me. I stood quietly, calming my mind. Searching out to find what or who was spooking me. I felt strange, someone was nearby. “Hello is someone there” I whispered inquisitively. The only reply the tinkling of the water in the fountain.

She watched him carefully from her hiding spot, smiling to herself. He knows im here, she felt out with her own mind. Gently probing into his mind. “Ah of course” she sneered. Moving from her hiding spot ensuring her cloak covered her face, she stalked silently towards him, his back was turned and she had learned a lot from her master about silence. She studied his features as she crept towards her unsuspecting target, nothing had changed about him, “good” she grinned this would be an easy kill. She moved to within a few feet of him igniting her saber and making an attack at his back.

I spun at the sound of a saber being ignited, bringing mine to life, feeling the power flowing through me. I parried her hit. the blades met in a clash of energy that arced off and buried itself into the ground forcefully, the blades seemed to merge with the force of the hit, the yellow color of my attackers lightsaber seemed to infect mine, I pulled my saber away, the deep blue color returned to my blade.

Jack staggered from the cantina, looking around the town, he saw the two fighters. Sighing he staggered in the opposite direction. “Bloody kids always larking around, with those glow sticks of theirs.” He didn’t bother going to investigate although it looked like a heated fight. “Give me a good blaster” he chuckled to himself, taking another swig of the brandy. As he neared his house he tripped on a rock, laughing to no-one in particular he lay looking at the stars. “Nice night for it anyways” he mused taking another swig of the brandy and listening to the sound of the battle at the other end of the village, he promptly fell asleep.

I parried the attacks, pulling the force around me for protection, calming my mind, and using the force to give me speed and strength. My attacks began to gain pace the world taking on the familiar blue hue I had felt before when practicing. She was very skilled with a saber and every attack I made was parried, and counter attacks made. She kicked me, knocking me off balance and I fell against the steps of my house, feeling the warmth on my neck as blood trickled from a small wound, my mind flashing back to the nightmare I had many nights. “Ividenie?” I asked a little unsure. The only thing missing from this nightmare was the rain. Her laughter was almost spat at me.

“HAHAHAHA, you have no idea, you fool. You never came to my rescue, I needed you and you were not there.” With a flurry she pulled back her cloak, the gasp of shock that escaped my lips was audible and loud. “Kes! But I don’t understand. I love you?!”

These words seemed to infuriate her “LOVE THERE IS NO LOVE” she swung the saber at me, I barely dodged the blow, feeling the blade, catch my robes. I jumped to my feet adopting a defensive stance. “YOU LEFT ME TO DIE” she swung at me again, parrying her blows I searched my mind, what had happened to the woman I loved, I looked into her eyes, all I could see was hatred and all I could feel emanating from her was darkness. “KES I LOVE YOU” I screamed the tears welling in my eyes “Please god don’t do this, please I don’t want to hurt you.”

“HAHAHA You hurt me, Heim you are too weak to hurt me. Your delusions of the force are fragile, I am a master you a mere child with a stick. Think of your village you couldn’t save them then and you can’t save yourself now, you’re going to die tonight, and it’s funny to know you’re going to die at the hands of a woman.” She sneered “I can’t think of a more fitting end to your pathetic existence, than being killed by a woman”

Her words; drove into my mind like a spike. My mind full of confusion and pain, the images of my village, the smells, he stood over me, feeling his grip around my neck. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” I screamed, the anger poured from me, and I attacked her, using every ounce of strength, I could pull from the force, this seemed to catch her off guard and as we fought I could see her tire, her wicked grin still corrupted her features and her laugh was more like the cackle of a nightsister than the sweet sound that had once brought joy to my heart. I struck her with my foot, catching her off balance she fell to the ground. The fall had stunned her and the battle was taking its toll on her, as I advanced on her prone figure saber angrily raised above my head, anger pouring from every pore, and raced around my body like a highly addictive drug. I laughed. “Now who’s the daddy” as I stalked towards her part of me began to fight “Wait you love this woman, you can’t drive a lightsaber through her heart you may as well kill yourself, think of the good times!”

“She tried to kill you, end it now.”

I tried to fight it and silence it but the battle inside raged. I was standing over her lightsaber ready to thrust down into her chest. I did the first thing that came to my mind.

I bent down and kissed her.



The kiss was electric, as our lips connected I felt her energy flow through me, it circled my heart and knotted tight, such power and passion in those lips. Her hand shot up and grabbed me by the neck, squeezing gently she threw me to the ground. Rolling on top of me, her eyes held a miscevous glint. She ducked her head and kissed me again, full of passion still with a hint of anger. She drew back far enough to whisper in my ear, I felt her warm breath burning on my cheek “Maybe I was mistaken about you, you are more powerful than I thought” she stood up grabbing me and led off across the town, towards my house.



I sat bolt up right on the rug where I had fallen asleep, and rolled over, what a dream that was. I looked around I was lying in my shrine. The warm rug below me, with a blanket thrown haphazardly over my lower body. I sat up and looked towards the shrine. And drew in a breath it hadn’t been a dream, she was sitting with her back to me, her naked form surrounded by the flowing energies of the force. The light in the room seemed to pulse in time with her breathing. I slipped out of the room, confusion painted over my features like a mask. “What the hell is going on” I asked to the empty kitchen.



I padded back through to the shrine, sitting next to her, still deep in meditation and I began to meditate, it felt different and the energy flowing through my body, tickled and excited me, such power at my fingertips I smiled. I relaxed and let my mind clear, feeling yet more power flow through me as I did, “what is happening to me?”



I opened my eyes and stepped out of the shrine, grabbing my sabre as I went, still a little unsure of this strange weapon I walked to the small quad in my house, the small stream, trickling gently over the rocks.



I ignited the sabre, the twin shafts of blue light, illuminating the enclosed space, I inspected the weapon, the intricate hilt seemed to twist and reshape itself, gripping it in my hands I adopted my favourite stance when fighting with a polearm and began to fight an imaginary foe. With every swing I felt the power flowing through me, and my attacks became faster. The world took the familiar blue tint and as I pushed harder and faster the blue became a light shade of gray. I imagined venting all my anger through my weapon and was shocked to find releasing my anger had increased my speed yet more.



She stood leaning against the cool pillar of marble in the quad, silently she watched him train that wicked smile of last night corrupting her once pretty features. “Good” She mused, he was using his anger and it was fuelling his force, she could feel the force flowing towards him pulled as if on invisible strings. She watched his attacks and his moves, smiling all the time.



She let her mind wander, standing there watching him the hum of the lightsaber and the smell of the water, she remembered back to the day her whole world had changed. She had made it safely back to the monastery to find it in ruins, the blackened bodies, covered in burns and sabre scars, the horror etched onto their faces, someone powerful had been here, and had killed everything that moved.



She pulled out her own weapon and padded into the shadows of the silent dead monastery, she had made her way towards the library noting the light that escaped through the crack under the door, edging it open she carefully slipped inside. The view before her was burned onto her mind like a cattle brand. Treyla’s broken body was tied to the bookcase, her breathing raspy and Kes could tell she was close to death. There was a cloaked figure sitting on the couch with its back turned, taunting the broken woman. “Who’s the powerful one now, looking at you? Your pathetic, tell me where she is and I will leave you to die in peace, but withhold the information I want and I will make this last a week. WHERE IS SHE” he screamed, with this bolts of lightning flew from his fingertips, stroking Treyla’s battered body, she screamed in pain and he stopped. “Your no match for me, wench. Where is my prize where is the one called KES?”



Kes ignited her sabre and stalked towards the cloaked figure “I am here, let her go”, he stood up and spun round, the deep red eyes bored into her soul “Ah my apprentice welcome” Treyla tried to pull herself up and mustered as much energy as she could “Kes RUUUUN!” The fear flowed through Kes, she was jumpy, the man stood there holding her with his eyes, calm flowed from him and darkness bled from his pores. He raised his hands and bolts of power arced there way across the room towards her. She raised her lightsaber feeling the powerful bolts of energy impact with the sabre; she struggled to hold it in place. “You don’t want to fight me, little one. I am here to train you. Let it be, I will show you power you can’t imagine. This fool tried to keep you from your purpose LET ME IN” he screamed and focused on his attack, the power overwhelmed Kes and she fell backwards, the bolts of lightning connected with her body, She screamed in pain, writhing on the floor helpless to protect herself “HEIIIM HELP ME, PLEASE”.



“HAHA He can’t help you, he left you to die here, he doesn’t love you, and he loves no one. His destiny called and he ran like a child.”



He stopped his relentless attack as soon as her consciousness ebbed away from her.

Standing over his prize he laughed, a deep guttural sound. “You failed wench, he turned towards Treyla, you tried to keep my prize from me and you failed miserably, know this as you die. You are a failure.” He stalked towards her, sabre drawn. The shaft of light casting an eerie shadow around the room. He drew the sabre across her leg, smiling as she screamed in pain, repeating the move across her other leg, then her arms, taking great pleasure in her screams of pain, breathing deeply the smell of her terror, he finally ended her life. Spitting on the broken corpse on the floor he turned round “A Failure” he picked up the prone figure of Kes, and left the house.



She didn’t remember much of the time after that, intense pain her most lasting memory; she unconsciously rubbed one of the many scars that now adorned her one perfect body. He beat me and attacked me with lightning till I gave in, she rubbed her nose. He broke my nose when my sabre training wasn’t good enough, and finally broke my spirit. I cried out for the one I loved to save me and he never came, never came to take me away from the pain, back to the peace and security of his arms. “YOU NEVER CAME” she screamed, igniting her sabre and launching an attack on Heim who was deep in his training.



I felt her running towards me, parrying her blow I counter attacked feeling her attempt to strike me, I pulled more of the force around me strengthening my armour and used the visions of my village and my nightmares to fuel my anger and my power. I heard the voice deep in my head “Heim Stop, this isn’t you, don’t let your anger and pain rule your life, its not a weapon it’s a weight around your heart dragging you into darkness FIGHT IT” I tried to silence the voice, but it was loud and insistent “ENOUGH” I shouted, lowering my weapon.



She watched him carefully she heard his voice, although it sounded like it was in her mind, he lowered his weapon the sabre, clattering to the ground. She stood ready, her chest heaving with excitement of the battle and the power flowing through her. She screamed and stabbed Heim through the shoulder with her sabre, driving him towards the wall, he bellowed with rage and pain. She used the force and pulled Heim’s sabre to her igniting one end of it and driving it through his other shoulder.



I couldn’t believe the pain as it flowed through my body, I bellowed in anger, and hissed at her. She had speared both my shoulders and had driven me against the wall holding me there pinned by both sabres, I concentrated on staying conscious, something was very wrong with Kes and for the first time in a long time I was scared of what was going to happen. Looking at the wounds, I could see they were clean through and would leave me some cracking scars if I survived to heal.



She smiled hearing and feeling his pain and fear flowing from him, it gave her an immense feeling of power and she giggled slightly. “Well here we are again, I have the control” She twisted the hilt of her sabre slightly, seeing the discomfort flowing across his features. “Im going to ask you some questions and your answers will decide if you survive to fight again.”

“Why did you leave me to die?”



I struggled for breath for a moment as another wave of pain racked through me, she twisted the hilt and more pain washed over my body, threatening my consciousness. “Kes I followed you to Tattooine, I found the monastery, broken bodies and death, and in the library” I paused for a moment. “In the library I found your note and the package.”



She twisted the hilt again “LIAR, there was no note”



The tears began to trickle from my eyes “Kes you left me a note, saying the galaxy was on the brink of disaster and you had fled to a better place, you asked me to follow you, I did I went to the edge of the galaxy for you, when I got there I realised what a mistake I had made and what a fool I had been. Please.”



She looked into his eyes, red from the tears feeling into his soul she smiled, twisting the blades once more, and his pain giving her more strength.



I Screamed “Check my pack, I kept the letter, every night in that cockpit I read it, check my pack. Im not lying. Please god check my pack”



She flicked the ignition switches on the sabres, making sure they were both locked to ignite. She stepped back slowly making sure he was securely attached to the wall. Stepping into the house, she searched around for his pack, finding it on the table she opened it. The letter from his father falling to the carpet and a second letter addressed to him. “She slipped the letter from the envelope. And began to read it out loud “Heim my Love” her voice trailed off and when she read the last part she screamed “LOKI YOU B*****D”



Running back out to the quad where Heim had passed out from the pain, she had a slight pang of guilt, “what have I done?” she whispered, she felt the anger rise within her,

“He left you to die”

“NO he didn’t he was tricked he went after me, he went to the edge of the galaxy for me.”



She reached for the two lightsabers and pulled them both out at the same time, he collapsed to the cool stone slabs, the two wounds looked rather nasty, and killing the sabres she grabbed him and dragged him inside. “Not again” she stated bluntly “This is twice I’ve had to save him.” She dragged him across town to the small medical centre, passing him to the surgical droid, and stood back and watched. The tears of regret began to well up behind her eyes and finally found release, she watched as the droid stripped him off examined the wounds, and carried him to a bacta tank, securing him inside and flooding the tank. She walked over and gently kissed the side of the tank. “Sweet dreams, my love.”



She sat down on one of the nearby seats reserved for family and friends of those in treatment and began to think about what had happened, “Never let anger overcome you, it’s a path to the dark side.” Treyla said. “But why Treyla, the anger is just an emotion, it’s like love. An integral part of our very being” Kes sat curled on the soft carpet in the library, warmed by the Tattooine heat and at peace, with all the books and history whispering around the library.

“True love and anger are emotions, but both are bad emotions, love, leads to jealousy, jealousy to hate and hate to the dark side! Anger is pure raw power, and is to be carefully suppressed.”



“If I fell to the dark side what then? Could I ever come back?” she asked inquisitively

“I don’t know my child, no one who ahs ever fallen ahs seen the error of their ways in time. But I do know of many dark Jedi, that use love to fuel there force, and through it they do many good deeds.”



She snapped back to the present, smiling gently as she did, looking up at the bacta tank in the corner, she felt the guilt and pain wash over her, a heavy burden she carried. She looked at the two puncture holes in his shoulders. “What have I done, this is not me.”



She let her mind drift again; the images this time were not what she had in mind, the images of Loki torturing her mercilessly. He had broken her body, raped her many times, broke her nose when she didn’t listen properly and beat her when he felt like it. The bruising from his torture had subsided but the scars would never leave her. It suddenly hit her as she probed into the unconscious mind of her lover; she had pushed him down the dark path. She had not only fallen herself but had dragged him with her, this being of goodness with sadness forged through his core. Had released his anger many times, and she could feel the corruption pulse through him. She needed guidance but where to turn? And too who?



I woke up as I was unceremoniously dumped to the cold tile floor, gulping in air and spitting the foul tasting bacta from my mouth I looked around. The world still unfocused and blurred. As my focus returned and my breathing went back to normal I looked around, seeing Kes sleeping on a chair. I whispered gruffly to her “Kes, how did I get here?” she bolted from her chair. “Heim I’m sorry I’m so sorry” the tears streamed from her eyes and she sat there holding me and rocking back and forth. “What happened.” I asked.



“Come lets get you back to your house, its cold here” She lifted me up and after being checked and cleared by the surgical bot, we moved across the town and back to my house.

I strolled around the quad, looking at the damage from a fight, the two holes in the wall tied into the two wounds to my shoulders. “Kes what happened?” I asked inquisitively. “I remember training, I was training so hard the world went gray, and then I can’t remember.” I shook my head, hoping it might bring back some memory of what had gone on here.



Kes sat down at the edge of the pond, stirring her fingers through the cool water. “Heim, I’m not sure how to say this, but I err I erm It was me!” she looked at her feet, like a child would when they had been caught doing something bad. I moved over and sat down taking her hands in mine, “Kes you’re shaking” She looked up at me, her eyes wide and tears beginning to form. “Heim I attacked you while you were training, I stabbed you with the sabres, and pinned you to the wall, I was going to kill you!”



I shook my head, “Kes why, I don’t understand what happened to you? You are so different and so much more powerful than I have ever seen.” I looked into her eyes and said rather forcefully “Tell me everything” She stood up and moved away from me, examining the two holes in the wall. “Heim I went back to the monastery, they were all dead apart from Treyla, I was attacked by a dark Jedi, an evil being called Darth Loki.” She paused and I could see the fear and pain painted across her features. She took a deep breath and continued “He tortured me and then he broke me.” Her eyes lifted and caught mine. “He showed me the true power of the dark side and it was seductive, the feeling of pure energy flowing through my veins was like a drug, and I wanted to learn as much as I could and I wanted more and more, my anger fuelled my force and I directed it all at you. Now I have forsaken us both, and for that im soo sorry.”



Loki bellowed in rage “HOOW DARE SHE” he threw the first thing he could grab with the force and hurtled it at the wall, the broken body of one of the many gang leaders collapsed to the ground in a broken heap. “SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM” he spat angrily. He stalked his way through the temple, hissing and still fuming about her betrayal “UNGRATEFUL, CHILD I GAVE HER AN EUCATION IN REAL POWER AND SHE DOES THIS IN RETURN!” He arrived at the comms console, expertly finding the bounties board, he quickly and carefully typed in the details of the bounty. “I WILL SHOW HER THE TRUE POWER I POSESS, I SHOULD NEVER HAVE CHOSEN A CHILD.” He settled back and admired the post, grinning sadistically; he read what he had done.



DUAL BOUNTY OFFERED

Heimdalls Kesi

Kes Starfall

Last know location Rori,

Reward 150 million credits

Notes: Execute with extreme violence, the longer the suffering the more I will pay (with proof).



He laughed and hit enter knowing that straight away the bounty would find its way around the galaxy and every bounty hunter worth anything would chase this prize.



The cantina held the usual variety of bored patrons the smell of hopelessness and dead ends, floated around, mingling with the stale smoke, being blown around by the tired air filtration units. The barman looked up his glazed eyes, drilling into the new patron infront of him, he’d seen thousands of people float through the door and even more had never left, down on their luck and hunted across the galaxy many of them never made it off the planet alive.



This one had the look of a scared rabbit, caught in the headlights; she whispered quietly her order and retired to a secluded booth in the corner. She sipped her drink nervously, so deep in thought scenarios running like wildfire through her mind, she was scared to death, shed upset the wrong man and now she was running for her life.



Smiling in my helmet I knew she would come here they always did when my employer announced the debt was due in a week. First and last port of call. My instructions were clear. Trail and terminate, I watched her she jumped every time someone strolled through the door. I watched as she made a grave mistake leaving her pack and her drink she walked in the direction of the toilets. I waited till she cleared the door and advanced on her empty spot. Emptying the vial into her drink I quickly retreated back to my spot in the shadows, she returned to her spot, checking her pack for anything missing. I smiled, she wouldn’t notice her clone data was gone, and when she did well it would be too late. She looked nervously around, the thugs had sauntered into the bar, there eyes scanning the place for someone to fight, and as ever they found an excuse, punches were thrown with glasses, then blasters appeared. The barman had dropped shutter and was hiding behind the bar, the smell of hopelessness now mingling with the stench of fear. She gulped down her drink and ran out of the cantina into the back alley.



I watched her leave then followed a few moments later, stepping into the gloom I took a deep breath clearing my lungs of the stench of hopelessness from inside. I looked around and found her prone figure sprawled across a packing crate. I checked her pulse, dead as suspected. Removing my helmet I sighed heavily, poor kid. “Shouldn’t have run” The rain began to fall gently, the puddles formed, glowing with the faint neon light from the cantina. I looked around, donning my helmet and activating my cloak. “Never run die fighting”



I would cash her check in a few days time, my last job. Just that one thought made me smile, finally retiring. My comm. Chattered into life, “HI Freya, how you doing? Finished that last job?” I sighed heavily “Yes boss, im standing over the mark just now, she’s dead”

“Good stuff sweet cheeks, good stuff, I got another for you… I know you wanted this to be you last but hear me out.”

“I’m not interested” I replied as I stealthed through Theed.

“Hey Sweet cheeks here me out, one last job 150mil” I stopped in my tracks. “No one pays 150mil for a mark, why bulls**t me boss?”

“Look kid no bull, check your comp I sent the details, it’s a gen up offer, a freelance contract, and it’s a party popper, two marks, quick kill and I’ll only take 5% as its your last. What you think?”

I mulled it over as I left the city, heading for my shuttle. Settling into the pilot seat I slipped off my helmet shaking my hair free. Checking the details of the contract I smiled. “No s**t huh” I quickly dispatched the details of my last mark, transmitting the job complete code, and logged into my bank “hmm that would clear me over the billion creds for retirement.” Dialling his number he clicked onto the line. “Hi sweetness thought you would reconsider. Happy hunting”



I launched into space, typing in the hyperspace co-ords for Rori, setting the ship on auto pilot I padded through the kitchen, gulping down a glass of brandy and shooting a downer, feeling the calmness wash over me, “Another ghost to the collection” I sighed heavily. Padding through to the shower I stripped off and let the scalding water go to work, easing off my tired muscles.



Kes looked up from where she had been meditating to see Heim sleeping, across the room. She smiled and padded over to him, kissing him gently she slipped between the covers, She snuggled close and drifted into a restful sleep, knowing that she was safe and secure in his arms.



I awoke with a slight start, feeling Kes’s arm wrapped around my bare chest I smiled, but the feeling of dread stuck fast, “Kes honey wake up. Someone’s coming.” She stirred gently in her sleep, pulling me closer. “I know I felt it, don’t worry we still got time for a lie in.” She stretched and I felt her warm body press close. I kissed her gently and slipped from the bed. Padding through the house I prepared a backpack. Thinking back to the number of times I had done it in the past, I sighed. “All I want is a quiet life, what is it gonna take to get peace.” I finished packing and wandered back through to the shrine, settling into a comfortable position I began to meditate, trying to find out more details of who or what was coming.



Kes woke up feeling a familiar energy pulsing through the small shrine, she smiled and stretched, sitting up she looked over seeing Heim sitting meditating, the tint of the dark side still surrounded him but it wasn’t the pulsing hatred and anger she had felt earlier. She stood up and padded over, slipping her arms around him and kissing him gently. “Good morning.”



I stood up from my meditation and turned round, smiling I kissed her. “Morning stranger, sleep well?” she nodded, “You figure it out yet?”

I sighed “Not yet, but I know they are close and are gonna be here within the hour so we really got to run.”



Kes dressed quickly, grabbing her pack and donning her travel cloak, securing her lightsaber to her belt, where it was in easy reach, she looked around to see if she had forgotten anything. Heim appeared doing the same and then they were ready to go. Moving down to the garage, Heim jumped on the sleek white Barc speeder, Kes secured herself behind him and hugged him tight, over the roar of the engine she shouted “Ready”.



Freya had found her way to the Alliance outpost on Rori, her bots had been dispatched but as yet had not located the marks, she smiled, “Just a matter of time” seeing the nearby cantina she strolled across the town and wandered into the cantina, ordering a drink she sat near the window and watched the shuttle port. Sipping her drink she waited, this was the part she hated about the hunt the waiting, she preferred to tail her marks, learn there routines, plan her hit. But in this case she had to wait and it annoyed her.



The Barc shot from the garage into the sunlight, banking hard I twisted the throttle and the bike roared off in the direction of Alliance outpost. “Heim where we going?” her words were almost ripped away by the wind howling past the speeding machine. “Alliance outpost, we got to get to my ship.” She nodded gravely. “We have to go to Exar Kun’s temple. That’s where he’s hiding.” I twisted the throttle nodding gravely. This was bad. I urged the bike to go faster, and as we tore into Alliance outpost I smile tugged at the edges of my mouth. Made it safely.



Freya could hardly believe her luck and she had almost lost her drink when she looked out the window and saw the two of them pull into the outpost. She formulated a quick plan in her mind, smiling to herself. “Pity it’s a nice bike.” She stepped outside, careful to not get spotted, she moved towards them. “Maybe this would be an easy 150mil retirement present.” She had advanced enough, so she was now in range, raising her lightning cannon, smiling to herself as she felt it power up. She aimed for the fuel cell on the bike and fired, the ball of heated lightning flew for the bike, and connected exactly where she had aimed the shot, the bike exploded.



I was thrown against the wall, the world awash of heat, pain and ringing. “Kes where are you?” I looked around, finding her prone figure near the entrance to the shuttle port; I struggled to my feet and staggered over to her, checking her pulse. She was alive, but hurt. I looked around for the source of the explosion realising there was a small crater where my bike used to be.



Freya smiled and advanced forward her lightning cannon, held infornt of her, tracking for movement. Her idea of blowing the bike had backfired as the thick acrid smoke reduced visibility. She advanced round the bike, seeing the prone figure of the woman. She advanced on her. Planning to fire a couple of rounds through her head. She never heard, the lightsaber ignite but did wonder where the blue glow that had coated everything came from, she felt the heat looking down at her chest as the blade pierced through her armour. She heard the words in her ear and felt the warm breath on her neck. “You really shouldn’t have done that. I was doing well to hold my temper.” The world started to go black, and as he pulled the sabre out of the wound, he twisted the hilt viciously, and pulled it upwards. She screamed in pain. And the world went black.





The assassin fell to the ground, the wound in her back neat, she had died quicker than I had hoped, I thought she might suffer for a few moments but sadly she didn’t. I scooped Kes into my arms, her breathing steady and regular, purchasing a couple of tickets to the star port; I looked back wondering when I would be able to return, and boarded the shuttle.



In the med bay of a ship floating near the Rori space station the cloning tube sprang to life, bacta flooded into the tank and the tiny ball of cells, began to duplicate, soon the mass of replicating cells took shape, and a human form could be seen, the cool metallic voice stated dryly. “3 hours to clone completion”



Settling Kes into a comfortable position on the couch in my ship, I gently wiped the blood from a small wound or her head. Kissing her gently I moved off to the controls, thinking carefully about what was happening. The appearance of a bounty hunter had made a big difference to my outlook on the whole situation, I was slightly saddened she had died so quickly I never found out who sent her or why. Although I felt the why a tad obvious, I needed some answers but for the moment there would be none. Hopefully there would be some at the temple, but I guessed there would be a lot of bloodshed.



Programming the co-ords I set the ship to auto pilot, it would take two days to arrive at Exar Kun’s temple. And I needed to be at my best because I had no idea what was going to happen. Padding through the ship I walked into the small med bay, pulling the plastic off my personal cloning tank, I powered it up for the first time. I pray to god I don’t have to use this. Following the instructions, as they prompted me I placed a DNA sample into the machine. “I don’t want to die, but if they try and hurt Kes I will die to protect her.”



“Clone completion in 3, 2, 1” the cloning tank dumped the bacta and its contents to the cold metallic floor. Gasping for air she spat the bacta from her mouth. “I DON’T BELIEVE IT” she screamed in the darkness. “I’m not supposed to die.” She tried to stand but quickly found herself sitting on the floor again. “Clone sickness.” She crawled across the floor, pulling herself upright on the counter and injected the stimulant straight into her leg. Feeling the sickness wearing off as the stim flowed through her body, she smiled. “You can strike her down but you can’t keep her down!” she laughed, padding through the ship to the armoury. Donning a new set of armour and taking a few moments she checked her weapons cache. “Hmmm a Jedi eh, so I need” she began grabbing weapons, and finally she flicked open the small battered crate at the end of the rack, carefully removing one of the spheres from within. “And as a last result we need one of these.” Carefully she stored it with her other weapons and smiled. “The hunt is on.”





Dropping out of hyperspace near the space station I smiled, I love space and looking over the serene planet below, and the stars glinting with so much possibility it grabbed my heart and pulled sadness around me. I knew what was coming and didn’t want to face it. But I have run away too many times in the past, it was time to face up to destiny. I settled into the pilot seat shaking the thoughts from my mind. “Station one station one, this is the hammer and anvil, requesting landing permission.” The comm. Crackled for a few moments, I felt outwards with the force, feeling Kes still asleep below, the love poured from her and mingled with her hate, to produce a curious feeling within me. I sucked it up, smiling to myself.



“Hammer and Anvil, this is station one, landing permission granted, welcome to Yavin 4”



I moved the ship into orbit around the planet, obtaining a lock on the outpost below I guided my ship through the atmosphere, the low mist swept off the wings and the humid air rushed into the ship as I opened the hatch. I smiled slightly at least it wasn’t Dathomir. Stepping down from the ramp into the mining outpost, a miner came running up. “Hello visitors, and welcome to Yavin 4, how long you staying? And do the imperials know you’re here, and do you want them to know?” he smirked slightly. I sighed no matter where in the galaxy you go you can never get away from con men. “Very well will 5000 republic credits, keep our presence here a secret?” the miner mulled it over for a few moments. “Im sorry who are you? No ones landed here in a long time.” With that he scurried off.



I unpacked the speeder from the hold, saddened slightly by the loss of my favourite Barc speeder, Never mind making sure my sabre was in working order I jumped into the speeder, kissing Kes I twisted the throttle and we sped off into the jungle.



“Freya come in, where are you girl?” the comm. Chattered through the ship, and Freya grabbed the nearest comm. Link. “I’m here boss what the hell you want?”

“Why you not finished that assignment yet? What the hell is going on?”

“Boss I’m just out of cloning I’m not in the best of moods, so make this quick or the last visit I make before I disappear will be to your home! Speak quickly and clearly no riddles today” she growled.



“Ok ok chill girl chill, we got a message from one of our contacts, some guy and his missus just landed on Yavin, tossed him 5k to keep quiet, thought you might be interested.” She ran through the ship jumping into the pilot seat, and fast punching the hyperspace route to Yavin. “Im already there” she smiled.





The journey through the jungle was slowed by the lack of paths, the creepers and wildlife everywhere hampering progress through the gloom, and heat. Breaking through the jungle barrier the clear blue water shimmered in the sun, flooding the area, the temple stood like a lone sentinel a forgotten relic of a time of great leaders and villains, the Jedi statue glinting slightly in the sun, sabre raised in a proud pose, protecting the stone towers that rose triumphantly to the stars. The power of the force, flowed from the structure, and the dark side energy surrounding me took the breath from me.



“Jesus can you feel it.” Kes whispered in awe.

“Yes the power here is immense, it’s flowing from everything.” I moved the speeder forward, flowing across the lake, the temple looming larger infront of us. Dismounting outside, I grabbed my sabre, readying myself for an expected attack that never came. Cautiously moving inside, I took in the carnage before me. Broken bodies littered the entrance chamber; blood stained the majestic panels and statues that stood proud testaments to their long departed master. I picked a path cautiously through the carnage, moving into the corridors beyond. The walls almost pulsed with the power flowing through this place, and I was afraid of what was coming.



Moving into the main chamber the huge throne spread before us, the small holo recorder sat in the middle of the floor surrounded in a circle by the broken bodies of those who had died to protect someone or something, I stepped into the circle, reaching down and carefully picking up the recorder, activating it. The metallic voice crackled through the silence of the huge room.



Recording begins:



“To those that find this. Our master has gone mad. All of my men that tried to fight him in the entrance are dead and we will soon follow suit. The power from this place has corrupted what little sanity he had left. He rants about Dathomir and some ruins there that hold the key to more power for him. You must follow him and stop him.” The sound of blaster fire and screaming can be heard in the background. “Men stand your ground, we die here but we die in battle an honourable death.” The sound of blaster fire and the hum of a sabre can be heard, then silence.



Recording terminated memory full.



The gravity of what had been said settled over me, Dathomir, why Dathomir. My blood ran cold, and the room began to spin. Sounds of a battle, the smell of laser fire and burning flesh, the pain hit me in the gut and I dropped to my knees screaming. I turned my fear and pain into anger pulling the force from the room and discharged it through my hands, still screaming, this time not in pain and fear in rage. “YOU KILLED MY FAMILY, YOU KILLED MY FATHER. YOU TRIED TO KILL ME” Kes placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. She dropped to her knees behind me her arms snaking round my waist and pulling me close her breath burning my cheek, “Heim don’t go there come let’s run away, where we can be happy. Let’s not follow him. Please” I could hear her pain through her voice, she was scared. I stood up and gazed into her eyes. “Kes tell me. Tell me everything you have learned of the dark side. Tell me its secrets.”



“Heim God no, this isn’t you, your not a bad person. Please please god walk away, I don’t want to lose you, I love you” she broke into tears rocking back and forth repeating over and over “please no, I love you.” I turned my back on her and walked towards the throne in the middle of the floor, striding up the steps I pulled my hood over my head, and took up a meditative position on the throne. “TELL ME OF THE DARKSIDE” I screamed. “WHY DO YOU HOLD THIS FROM ME, I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME.” I let my anger flow from me, and used it to pull more force from the room.



Kes could feel the force as it was drawn to Heim, she looked up tears blurring her vision, and she stood up. “What have I done? I shouldn’t have returned to him, I should have taken my life. It’s all gone wrong!” She moved towards him the wind whipping her cloak, as the whole room seemed to be pulled towards him. “I have to help him, I have to stop this. He’s not evil, he’s not and I love him.” She concentrated using the force to lift him from the throne, concentrating with every muscle in her body and moving him away. “HEIMDALLS KESI LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TO MY VOICE”



I opened my eyes, looking around in confusion, the anger still flowing through my veins, giving me strength and making me feel warm and light headed. I looked at Kes and I could feel her inside me, and I could feel the force slipping away from me, as she wrapped it around herself and tried to pull with more strength. “HEIMDALLS IF YOU WON’T LISTEN TO ME THEN I AM GOING TO PULL THE FORCE FROM YOU, CUT YOU OFF FROM IT. I LOVE YOU!” her words penetrated my heart and a spark of fear tried to ignite itself. I concentrated and wrapped the force around me trying to block her out of my mind. Screaming in rage “NOOO MY FATHER WAS A DARK JEDI AND I AM FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, YOU STARTED THIS AND NOW I AM GOING TO END IT.”



I pulled the force around me as my armour, igniting my sabre, and floating to the floor. I adopted a combat stance and rushed at Kes, she parried the blow and attacked, the light from the sabres igniting the room with vivid colours. The battle went on back and forth, the only spectators the dead littering the floor, the battle reflected in the whites of the soulless eyes all around.



The battle raged back and forth, both pulling the power from around the temple, strengthening them. Kes broke first tripping over one of the broken bodies around the floor, losing her balance and falling to the ground, her sabre skittered across the floor and landed underneath the plinth where the throne sat. Cursing under her breath she grabbed the first weapon she found, the crude blaster felt alien in her hands, she shakily pointed it at Heim. Her hands were shaking and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “Please don’t make me shoot you. I love you.”



I stopped staring down at her pathetic figure, the tears flowed and her words found there way through my armour. “Reduced to grovelling like a child.” My laughter bounced around the walls, I looked at the blaster in her hands, shaking violently as it was pointed at my chest. I advanced towards her sabre dragging the ground behind me, ready to sweep it upwards. She fired and I brought the sabre up deflecting the bolt of energy that fired off the wall and buried itself into one of the many murals around the room. She fired again, I sped towards her, knocking the weapon away from her and striking her hard across the face. She gasped in pain as the blood flowed from her nose. I hit her again and saw her body go limp as she passed out.



“Don’t ever cross me again, next time we meet you are dead! Goodbye Kes.” I turned and using the force to gather her sabre to me, walked out of the room and jumped onto my speeder.



Arriving back at the ship I prepped to leave, launching the ship into space I punched the co ords for Dathomir, and jumped into hyperspace.



Freya landed at the outpost, smiling to herself she found her contact, pinning him to the wall she smiled. “So tell me a story of the two visitors, and where they went and tell me quickly.”

The little man shook with fear and quickly told her the information she wanted. As she reached the door she heard him open the desk, smiling to herself she didn’t even turn as she threw the small incendiary device into the room. “You have outlived your usefulness.” She stalked across the mining outpost, jumping onto her speeder and headed for the ruins described. She found the path they had cut through the jungle and laughed to herself, this is going to very very easy; She arrived at the temple, the smell of death instantly filtering through her suit. “Damn what the hell happened here.” Picking her way through the broken bodies and chaos. And strolled into the main room, “Hello any body home?” she quickly looked about there were signs of a recent battle here, and she nearly cried out in glee when she saw the prone figure of the woman sprawled across the floor in the corner. “Ha-ha a lovers tiff, gone wrong.”



Stalking over to her and quickly hog tying her up she strolled over and sat down on the throne. “Time is on my side and I need some information.”



Kes stirred, opening one eye then the other slowly, she tried to stretch and quickly realized something was very wrong, she had been tied up and wasn’t going anywhere. She felt sore all over, the blood tasted salty in her mouth and the tears stung her eyes. She tried to move and at that point she heard the voice, stretching her neck she locked eyes with the business end of a lightning rifle. “Lovers tiffs can be so very hard. I’m just glad this one was a profitable situation for me” the armoured figure laughed, the mechanics in the helmet struggling to process the laughter.



“You’re a Jedi so I’m not gonna untie you, I need some information on where he’s gone? If you tell me what I want to know without lying I will make sure you die quickly. Otherwise” the mechanical voice trailed off. Kes spat on the gun. “I guess we’re gonna be here a very long time because I’m not going to tell you.” She felt the sharp pain as the figure kicked her viciously, trying to curl up to protect herself she felt the pain wash through her spine, as the rope bit into her wrists and ankles. She was at the mercy of this figure, and there was no way of escape. “I’m going to ask you again where is he?”



This time the figure was faster and stepped aside before the bloodied spit landed on its boot. A volley of vicious kicks connected with Kes, who screamed every time. Feeling the last kick connect and the breaking of a rib, she started to struggle for breath as the offending rib put pressure on her lung. “Nasty break that was, could be fatal if not treated, tell me where he is! And I will let you go.” Kes struggled for breath enough to speak “Go to Hell, I’m not going to tell you.” The armoured figure knelt beside Kes, laying the weapon down for a second; disengaging the helmet she shook her hair clear. Picking up the rifle, and cradling it on her knees. “Look honey, he’s gone. He’s left you to die; why not make it easy on yourself. And tell me, He’s never gonna know.”



Kes took a few breaths, “HE DIDN’T LEAVE ME TO DIE HE WILL COME BACK!” she screamed, and nearly passed out from the effort the world started to spin and light danced before her eyes. The soft laughter washed over her crushing her spirit. “Honey his ships gone; there was no trail in orbit, face it he’s gone.”



Kes started to cry, the tears finding a release and flowing gently down her cheeks. “Then I have failed. Do your worst I’m not telling you where he’s gone.” She felt the slight sting as the needle connected with the skin of her neck. Feeling the burning pain flow through her veins she screamed. “Unfortunately for you the heat is a side effect of the drug, it won’t pass and you won’t blackout, it’s a truth drug and you will tell me what I want to know. I upped the dose a few hundred milligrams, due to you’re… Unique metabolism.” She sat back and watched the pain rack over the girl’s body; she felt a slight pang of guilt but swallowed it quickly. She admired this woman for protecting her lover, but she was skilled in interrogation and she would get what she wanted. She saw her relax slightly and smiled. “What’s your name?”



Kes tried to resist but she felt the words tumbled out of her mouth “Kes Starfall” she screamed at herself in her mind. “Hello Kes, now where was Heimdalls going?”

“He’s going to…” she stopped, forcing herself to fight the drug and bury the information, she thought of anything she could. “He’s gone, HE LEFT ME TO DIE” she screamed in anger. Freya sighed heavily reaching into her pack for another drug dispenser. She injected the drug, unsure of what would happen. “Calm down and tell me where he’s gone.”



“He’s gone.” Freya slapped her across the face hard, “Stop fighting it and TELL ME WHERE HE IS”

“The holo will tell you where he’s gone.” Kes raised her eyes and locked onto the holo disc lying where Heim had dropped it.

“Good girl.” Freya stood up and walked over to the holo, listening to the recording she smiled. “This really is my day, three Jedi in one. Don’t know who this other is but it’s someone’s mark all the same.”



Freya turned and lifted her helmet, securing the seals she breathed deeply as the fresh cool air circled through her suit. Smiling to herself she moved back to her mark. “Kes Starfall. You have been an honourable mark. I shall remember you.” She raised the lightning rifle, and placed it against Kes’s chest over her heart. Squeezing the trigger, a flash of remorse pulsed through her. She checked for a pulse, feeling it rapidly fading she turned and left, the temple.



Kes felt the heat and the pain flowed through every pore in her body, she sighed deeply as a strange peace descended, she felt like she was floating. She watched in awe as the best moments of her life flashed before her eyes, so much happiness, a single tear escaped from her eye and slid down her cheek. Her final freedom. Her last thought whispered from her dying lips. “Heim I love you.”



Deep in the ruins of a burnt out shell in Tattooine a cloning chamber sprang to life, scaring the resident wildlife in the room. The lights flickered and came on, and a cool metallic voice floated through the room. “CLONING INTEGRITY CHECK IN PROGRESS. CLONE DATA INTEGRITY 99% CHAMBER POWER CHECKS. WARNING INSUFFICIENT POWER FOR CLONING PROCESS, ERROR IN SUBSYSTEM 10121 SUBSECTION 12.34 CLONING PROCESS TERMINATION.









“Much has happened on this journey and who knows if it is over, many have come and many have fallen. But there are still a core of companions, and in the coming days and weeks he will need all of them, not one of them would hesitate to lay their life on the line, for he is one of them. Much happiness and equal amounts of sadness have plagued the journey. The war that dragged the galaxy to her knees, part of this. But much has changed and the galaxy is a strange place.”



Sitting in the small shrine I meditated over the recent developments and my mind floated back and forth over the details of the long journey that had brought me to this place and this time. Much has happened during this journey and much has come to pass that was not seen. The developments with my father, the love I felt for Kes, and my betrayal of her. I pushed that last thought far from my mind, forcing it from me like a bad taste. Clearing my mind I felt the force flowing around me its energy tickling every pore of my body, renewing tired bones and a tired heart. I felt the power and I felt someone near by. I opened my eyes looking around in confusion as the world took shape. The room looked like a black and white holo recording, devoid of color and emotion, every object framed in light, it was beautiful beyond words even the shadows which had scared me night after night as I woke in a cold sweat from one of the many nightmares that had plagued my heart, held a strange majesty and power. I looked in awe and smiled. A voice very faint yet very near, consumed my mind I concentrated on it. “Where are you show yourself.”



I felt the presence next to me, and as I concentrated on it core. It took shape and began to form. “Hello son” I heard the words in my mind and strangely I knew there was no sound to accompany them. “F…Father but how, I don’t understand!”

“It’s a long story and not one I wish to explain. Much has happened my son and I have wept tears for all that ahs come to pass. I have to say I thought you would learn from my journal and from those I left behind to protect and guide you. But as ever things have not worked out the way they should have.”



“Father I feel I have failed your good name, and I feel I have failed all those that laid there trust in me. I have been corrupted by the power and my pursuit of revenge. I should have trusted her and I should have followed her.” A tear escaped from my eye, rolling gently down my cheek, its glow lit the room, banishing the shadows and washing the room in light a strange emotion flowed through my heart.



He shook his head and laughed gently. “son you have failed no one, you followed the path that has been laid before you, the rules have been changed many times, both in your favour and against you, and now you come to face the final battle in your journey. Know this and remember it. He will goad you and he will try to crush your spirit. But he will fail; just remember the power of your heart. Trust nothing but the force. Oh and one last thing she always loved you, even her last words were ones of love. I must go now my son, think on what I have said and I’m sure we will talk again soon. I love you with all my being, be strong and kick his ass.” He smiled and held his hand out to me; I reached for it as he started to fade. I closed my eyes trying in vain to suppress the tears that tried to force their way to the surface. When I reopened them the room was normal the red hue from the small strange pyramid lit the room, deepening the shadows. I swept It away, curled up into the warm rug and cried. The sadness seeping from me. “WHAT HAVE I DONE?” I cried.



Time seemed to ebb away as I lay there the sobs convulsing through my body, my lungs burning from the tears as they flowed freely. “Kes I love you. I will find you and I will make it right. Forgive me.” I stood up swiping at the tears trying to force them away, like a child. I shakily made my way to the cockpit, and for the first time I noticed the planet hanging there hauntingly infront of me, its clouds hiding the evil and the danger. “Dathomir station, Dathomir station this is the Anvil and the Hammer requesting permission to land.”











I didn’t want to be on Dathomir so many bad memories of this god forsaken place. A wrong step outside one of the sparsely populated outposts and you were not only gonna be breakfast for a Rancor or one of the many cannibalistic tribes that haunt the deepest darkest shadows of this rock, but no one would ever notice you didn’t come back. I knew where I was heading and it made my blood run cold. So much bloodshed had taken place and the very ground was tainted with sorrow. Still it had started here and this was where it was going to end, I unpacked my speeder from the ship spending a few moments to check all systems were in order. The last thing I wanted was a breakdown when I was out here. I jumped onto the bike and started the engine hearing the slight whine; I throttled up and shot off into the Dathomir night. The moon was low in the sky and it struggled to penetrate the thick forest, all around I could hear the thunderous sounds of the Rancor as they moved around. I gunned the engine sweeping amongst the trees and other obstructions. Breaking from the tree line I twisted the throttle to the max, the bike picking up speed like an animal that had been struck with an iron bar.



The moon lit the area, and I could see the ruins of the city that had stood here, the buildings had crumbled either from the effects of the weather or they had been trampled by the many animals that roamed the area. I knew I was close. The same feeling of dread the first time I had arrived here flowed into my veins chilling my heart. I arrived at the area where the mist usually descended and made travel hazardous slowing the bike to a crawl I was shocked to find the moon kept the area reasonably lit. I advanced cautiously, spotting the broken walls and defence turrets of the village; I sighed heavily. The broken memories flowed from this place. I slowed the bike to a stop hiding it behind a nearby rock, and using some of the nearby bushes to cover it over.



I slipped up to the wall peering cautiously around it, my blood pumped rapidly through my veins and it made it hard to hear anything over the pounding in my ears. I felt out with my mind feeling nothing apart from a few small vermin I slipped inside the village. The broken structures still littered the area, and the occasional scattering of bones signified the destruction that had been wrought here, time and time again. I found an intact hut and slipped inside. Lighting a small fire I secured the door as best I could, blotting out the firelight. I Sat down and began to meditate releasing my mind and emotions I calmed myself. When I opened my eyes the familiar grey view was in place and the familiar feeling of someone very near by. “Hello father.”

“Hello son, I’m glad you came. This place holds a special place in our hearts. The hut you have chosen to stay in tonight was not chosen by accident and neither was Loki’s choice for the final battle.” I turned to look at him a little confused by the words I heard floating through my mind. “Father what are you trying to tell me?”

“Welcome home my son!” his words floated through my whole body and took hold of my heart a lump floated into my throat and a tear escaped from my eye. “I…I don’t understand, what do you mean?”

“Son you were born here in this very hut, you spent a very happy childhood running around, and then Loki came and took it all away from you. Loki has been trying to destroy this place for a very long time; he hates it because it’s his home too. He was banished a long time ago, and has spent his life trying to tear it to the ground and he finally succeeded. We were friends once, comrades in arms. Spend some time here, meditate and you will connect with the many great people who have inhabited this once great village. They will help you understand the choice you have made, and they will help you control your anger. Remember my Son never let it burn through your heart stronger than love, for if it does then it will destroy you. As it has destroyed so many. The power of the force is about balance, and some say moderation. Remember son balance in the force and you will survive.”



My father faded away his words spun through my mind, reverberating around my skull. “I’m home” I whispered into the crackling fire. I closed my eyes again, feeling out with my emotions, I envisioned the dark and broken buildings around me populated with happy people. Children running between huts, playing there games. Women huddled round the well, washing clothes and chattering about the weather and giggling, there blue forms ghostly yet I felt them calling to me. The men walking back from a hunt the carcase of some animal tied to logs of wood, swinging in the sunshine. I felt the village alive again, the sound of laughter floating hauntingly through the huts, not the haunting wind that moaned around now, the sadness was gone. And I saw the strangers, hooded figures sitting quietly whispering amongst themselves, sometimes talking with Sol or one of the other village elders. “Sol” I whispered, seeing the ghostly figure look my way and lock with my eyes. “Hello Heim, nasty business this eh” he lit a pipe the smoke curling into the air forming unique shapes. He breathed deeply and continued “So you finally figured out force viewing eh, well done lad.”

“Sol I have so many questions, so much confusion and anger.”

“Ah yes lad I feel it flowing through you, I can’t answer all your questions, but I can answer some and I can even give you the knowledge to help you in the fight ahead. Your aura has a tinge of red to it, meaning the darkness flows in your veins, so I will help you with one of the weapons of the dark side.” He explained it to me and as I concentrated on his words it made sense. “Practise that my lad and you will have a weapon he wont expect you to wield, should help you in the coming battle, and remember to practise your sabre skills. I remember your training with a polearm was coming along wonders. May the force is with you, kid and make us proud.”



The weak sunlight streamed into the tent reflecting through the strange purple crystal lying near the doorway and casting a strange glow around, I woke up and stretched padding over to the crystal and picking it up. It felt strange and it seemed to pulse with energy. “A force crystal eh.” I smiled and sat down carefully I spread my tools out on the rug and cautiously I modified my lightsaber to incorporate this new crystal. Sitting back I admired my handiwork and powered up my sabre. The purple glow from the blade shone deeply in the weak light and I could feel the electrical energy dancing around the blade. Panicking I had done something wrong I quickly powered down my sabre. “Nothing wrong lad, what you have there is the Banes Heart.” I heard the words in my mind and smiled. “What’s Banes Heart” I asked.



Sol explained the history of Darth Bane and how it had been him who had set the very foundations for the death of so many Jedi. “Bane set out the rule of two and when he did he said. Two there should be no more and no less, One to embody power, and one to crave it. And what you hold in your sabre is his lost crystal it’s a powerful relic of a forgotten time. That crystal is unique, there are a few relics still in existence but many have been lost or forgotten. Use its power carefully. For your coming battle, you need all the help you can get; you can’t fight him here in the village. This place is tainted with sadness and pain. Nothing can grow here and he will use that as fuel. There is a place long forgotten nearby a temple once used for the trials, the force is balanced there and he will gain no advantage from that place. Fight him there and you have a chance of victory. But fight here and you will die!” his words sank into my heart and fear gripped me. I grabbed what I would need for the journey and with Sols words floating around my mind I set off to find this forgotten temple, and to prepare for the coming battle.



I found my speeder where it had been stored and checking the systems I smiled, and sped off into the early morning sunlight, as I sped through the forest and over the grassland I let my mind relax. The very air of Dathomir seemed to shimmer and I could feel the force flowing in eddies and streams all around me. I used this to guide me, it was so much more accurate than any map could be, I slowed to a stop for a few moments and watched a Rancor pack hunting. I was shocked to feel a glimmer of intelligence from these huge ferocious beasts, the more I watched them the more I realised there majestic beauty, swinging around them I continued on my path. Sweeping by huge lakes water glinting in the sunlight breaking through the towering trees above, maybe this place wasn’t as bad as I once thought.



I scouted round the great cavern feeling the flow of energy change and darken. “Nightsisters” I sighed. I throttled the bike and sped around following the flow of energy. It wasn’t long before the moss covered stone came into view. The temple rose high above me, well camouflaged by a thick layer of moss and vines creeping over it, and trying to reclaim the alien structure. I dismounted and looked in awe upon the temple as it rose majestically above me, I could feel the force converging on this place. Smiling to myself I gripped my sabre and padded inside. The smell of damp and staleness hit me instantly this place had not been used in a very long time, moving into the main room the breath was taken from my lungs, the room was huge and the roof stretched so high into the sky I was sure I could see clouds hanging to the inside of the walls. A single beam of sunlight shone into the centre of the room where a robe floated spinning as though held in a beam. I advanced into the room closing my eyes and feeling my way through with the force, the robes were a dark brown colour, better than what I was wearing so I quickly donned them. I sat down in the light and meditated, I could feel the battle coming and as I meditated I could hear the hum and clash of the sabres, I could hear laughter and water, I tried to calm my mind and concentrate but I found it increasingly difficult to do so and the images that flowed before me were disjointed. I opened my eyes and sighed. “There is no past, no future only the moment.” I stood and waited.



I ignited my lightsaber the quite hum bringing calm to my heart. The purple light bounced and danced around the room, I felt someone close by and stood in a defensive stance ready for a battle. Clouds swept across the building and the sky darkened. The glow from the sabre grew in intensity until the whole room was washed in a purple glow. “So this is where it ends?” I heard the hate filled words. “SHOW YOURSELF.” I replied defiantly “Show yourself coward.” I closed my eyes calming my mind and when I opened them I could see his outline, the red glow flowed from him like fire from the sun, it clung to his aura and poisoned the room. I stalked towards him, ready to bring my sabre down. “Hello Loki” I closed the gap quickly and made an attack which clearly caught him off guard. “But how I was cloaked. NO MATTER!” he laughed and the games began. His sabre ignited the blade of red, joining mine dancing around the room; our shadows cast high above us on the walls. Playing out our battle to an imaginary audience. “Time to die Heimdalls.”



He laughed and swung his sabre at me. I dodged the blow counter attacking and the dance continued, every blow was dodged and counter attacked. The battle ranged back and forth across the temple, neither side gaining or losing any ground. This infuriated Loki who bellowed in rage and spat at me “LET GO OF YOUR ANGER DO NOT MEASURE HOW MUCH YOU USE. LET IT GO.” I filtered him out concentrating on the force and the battle, remembering my training in Teras Kasi and what I had learned about Sabre fighting. Loki interrupted my thoughts his voice filtering through my thoughts like a poison. I tried to push his words from my mind, but they kept forcing there way through. “She’s dead you this don’t you. She’s dead and you killed her.” I paused for a moment a moment to long.



Loki swung his sabre and I had to rush to block it, my emotions began to flow through my body I thought I had pushed them far enough down, but he mentioned her name. “LIAR” I screamed, the familiar feeling of anger flowing through my veins gave me strength. “YOU LIE!” I screamed, venting anger through my lightsaber. Attacks became fast and sloppy, as I allowed my anger to flow so freely. A flash of fear crossed Loki’s features, he didn’t expect anger, I thought I had an advantage and tried to press it, I realised quickly I didn’t have an advantage at all, he was tiring me out. I kicked him backwards, a few feet not far. But it gave me enough space to focus my thoughts and disconnect myself from my emotions, the feeling of calm flowed through me.



“Stop hiding your emotions from me, you can’t win with this emotionless crap your trying give it up.” He swung again; I parried and moved away from his next hit before it had even been swung. He seemed confused by this and I parried and counterattacked, using everything I could remember from my Teras Kasi training and everything I had learned of sabre forms, I felt like I was taking part in an intricate dance. My mind swept back to the days of training I had spent on Dantooine. The sun flowing gently behind the hills the two figures cast in silhouette, movements slow and deliberate every move timed perfectly for a dodge or an attack. I smiled and cleared my mind of everything except the opponent before me.



The battle was well divided pure power versus, practised skill and patience. My father was right he did gaud me and try to break my spirit, but I filtered him out. Withdrawing all emotion and securing myself in the force. He broke my armour a couple of times and I fought him with outright strength and anger but I quickly regained and forced my emotions away. This seemed to drive him further into a rage.



He rushed up to me kicking me squarely in the chest forcing me back; he advanced swinging his sabre wildly. “LET ME IN” he screamed, warm breath and spittle flying across my features. I dodged past him thrusting my sabre backwards hoping to catch him off guard I felt the blades connect no such luck. Whirling blades, and parrying attacks, seeking any gap I could find. The battle raged back and forth across the room, the light from the two sabres, seemed to play out the fight sabres dancing across the walls and ceiling. I was beginning to tire of this battle and looking into the eyes of my opponent I could see he was as well. I smiled hearing an unexpected sound break the quite hum of lightsabers and strained breathing the sound of a laser round being fired. Loki tensed and the pain washed over his face. He bellowed in rage and advanced on the new figure in the temple, we had been so involved in the fight neither of us had felt the bounty hunter stealth into the room.



He stalked towards this new figure, raising his hands as he did. “You stupid stupid girl. Your kind above all should learn never NEVER attack your employer.” He tensed his hands, and lightning arced across the room connected with Freya’s body. The sound of her screaming warped into something demonic by the mechanicals in her helmet. It was a slight relief when the voice box burned out the delicate electronics unable to cope with the lightening flowing through them.



He continued advancing screaming in rage as he did. I thought about helping her then I remembered a bounty hunter had murdered Kes, “Why should I help…” I whispered. Loki turned on me hearing these words the lightning flowing from his finger tips. I concentrated and threw lightning from my own tips although weaker than the storm he directed my way the two connected and a massive ball of lightning began to form. Washing the room in a glow of static jumping white. Using the force was tiring me and I could feel the strength begin to wain. “NEVER RUN DIE FIGHTING” I screamed in defiance, dropping my arms I was thrown backwards as the force holding the ball of energy together collapsed. I felt the wind dragged from my lungs and screamed in pain as the lightning stroked its way across my body. I felt the dull thud as I connected with the wall and unconsciousness threatened. I looked around and I could see Loki had been tossed against the wall like a rag-doll.



I dragged myself to my feet. Exhausted from the battle, I used the force and pulled my sabre into my hand. Feeling pain wash through my hand as it connected with my sabre I looked down at my left hand, the blood dripped from my fingers, staining the floor like tears as they fell. I swapped my sabre to my good hand, igniting a single blade, and wearily dragging myself across the room, to Loki’s prone figure. I raised the sabre ready to draw it down on his neck. “It ends here.” I said, and began to bring the sabre down. A few feet from his neck I paused mid swing. “I can’t kill an unarmed unconscious man.” I deactivated my lightsaber and turned my back on the prone figure of Loki “its over.” I sighed. And started to stagger away from the battle, “DON’T EVER TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!” I heard his words flow down my spine like ice water.



I heard his sabre ignite and the wind whip around as he closed the distance behind me. Without thinking I drove my lightsaber down my side, the blade sticking out as he used the force to run towards me. Due to his speed he never even saw the blade until I felt the pressure on my hand as he ran through my blade. I dropped the sabre and spun round. It hand punched through his chest and he fell to the ground struggling for breath. “Its over.” I whispered to the empty room, I watched as his breathing became erratic and then stopped and the light dimmed in his eyes. A single tear flowed down my cheek. I had beaten him yet it didn’t feel like a victory. I had expected a grand feeling of accomplishment and pride to flow through my veins instead I felt dirty and I felt dissatisfied. I collected my sabre not even checking the body of the bounty hunter sprawled in the corner and left the temple.



A lone figure wandered amongst the broken ruins, this place had once been called home and the laughter of happy times seemed to float hauntingly through the ruins. The torch light flickered across the blackened walls and glinted off the broken glass. The figure moved towards a single still almost intact structure ducking inside the door, the torchlight marked his progress through the darkened interior. He carried something with him inside the structure, laying it down reverently on one of the few remaining pieces of furniture. “Goodbye.” dropping the torch the flames, took hold and quickly began to lick up the walls, and spread across the carpet. The figure turned and left the structure moving to the door and turned to watch the flames consume what was left of the building.



The heat was intense and the glow could be seen a few miles away at the outpost. No-one bothered to go investigate. “My ghosts rest here in this ghost town. No more will I be haunted and dragged down by the past.” The flicker of flames light the figures face for a moment, the horns were caught in the light and the blue glow from his eyes were visible in the weak Dantooine night. “Goodbye.” Heimdalls turned and jumping on his new Barc speeder and sped off into the darkness. “One last thing to do then I am free” these words floated on the wind, lost to the roaring of the fire.



Heimdalls crunched across the ash near the edge of the lava flow, finding the perfect spot with a beautiful view across the whole planet. He lifted the body from the back of the speeder. Padding across the edge of the lava. And resting the body onto the small lava collection platform, he leant down and gently kissed Kes’s head. “Goodbye my love.” He pushed the skiff out into the lava flow, watching as the currents swept it towards the stream of lava that cascaded over the side of the volcano.



I turned my back jumping onto my new Barc speeder and sped off into the Mustafarian night. The galaxy is a new and strange beast to me and there a re many more adventures to be had.







ALTERNATE ENDING.



Kes took a deep breath and gasped in shock. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.” She looked at the broken binding that had been used to tie her up in such a painful position. She rubbed her hands amazed to see no damage. “I don’t understand, I was dead. She shot me. I felt my life fade. HOW?” Kes rubbed her breast where the laser round has punched through her heart, amazed to feel soft smooth skin. “How?” she repeated shock flowing across her features. “Could it be? She whispered the code and smiled of course through victory my chains are broken. The force shall set me free.” She stood up looking around for her saber. “No such luck of course, he took it.” She stepped outside the temple looking around; surely there must be a vehicle here somewhere. She quickly spied the slight glint near the edge of the temple, and moved quickly to the hidden cache of speeders. Jumping on one she throttled off. “I must catch up with him and help. I must save him.”

She nearly missed the voice carried on the slight wind as she roared towards the outpost “God speed little one god speed. And may the force be with you.” Kes willed every ounce of speed from the bike she could. Screeching into the outpost she jumped from the bike and sped into the shuttle port. “When’s the next shuttle to Dathomir?” she panted breathlessly. “The next shuttle will depart in 1 minute and 22 seconds.” The information druid responded. Kes sped off and used the force to sneak onboard. She settled into a seat, pondering recent events. “I died.” She thought. “Yet I am here, speeding across the galaxy to try and save the man I love. Funny thing life.” She smiled. Willing her to calm down and concentrate on her meditation. She could see the battle in her mind she saw Heim fall and she screamed, her heart pulsed and the adrenaline flowed through her veins. Closing her eyes and forcing herself to focus she realized it was a vision of the past and they had already fought through that time. She saw a new battle fought in a temple, Heim looked so calm and she smiled. She concentrated on this battle; Loki threw lightning at something she couldn’t see what. But she could hear the demonic screaming and it sent a pulse of fear through her spine. Then she heard Heims’ cry, the blinding flash of light and silence.





The Calling



I had come to Mustafar to bury the past and start afresh, much had happened and after the recent battle. I was disillusioned with the galaxy and everything that had happened. So I planned to use Mustafar as a break. The force is weak here, and the way I was feeling just now that suited me fine; the sun barely penetrates the thick atmosphere, so it’s pretty much permanent darkness. I had been sitting in the cantina in the menxis facility; it has a strange feeling compared to every cantina I have been into, this one has the feeling of hope and promise. Not the hopeless dead ends I am used to feeling and it's refreshing to a tired spirit. News of the recent miner strikes flows around the room dominating most of the conversations. I walked past one of patrons, a nervous looking character; he smiled and begged for my help. As I turned to leave I felt the slight weight tug at my pack. But ignored it, at least they weren’t stealing from me. Sleep evaded me as ever nightmares of past battles and faces haunted my dreams, but tonight something was different the constant whispering over the sounds of the battles. “Set me free, the corruption is not complete. Release me.”

 

I woke up sweat beading down my chest. I sighed heavily “Why can’t I be left in peace.” Then I remembered and smiled “Ah of course it makes sense There is no peace, only passion.” The so called Sith code had been making a lot of sense recently and this was another reason for my trip away from everything, I was afraid of the calling I could feel. I knew the power that flowed around me when I released my anger, it was intoxicating and I felt a relation to those poor spice addicts. I wanted more power, but I was afraid. So I took myself to a place where, no outside influence could try and persuade me. I had stopped my training and my lightsaber and robes lay in a small metal footlocker, under the simple bed. I struggled out of bed donning some clothes and padded back to the cantina.  I ordered a drink and moved into the corner of the room, from where I sat I had an excellent view, yet was able to remain pretty well concealed. I let my mind relax and the quiet murmur of conversation washed over me. “Strange crystal… bad luck… corruption.” I opened my eyes and looked around. Realizing I must have fallen asleep. I finished my drink and headed back to my room.



The whispering washed over me as I opened the door, hissing from age and lack of maintenance. I could hear it tickling the back of my mind and gently caressing my spine. “Release me and together we can rule this pathetic galaxy, I am all you neeed.” I listened to the words, flowing round my mind seducing me with thought. “ENOUGH STOP THIS NOW.” I strolled over to the crystal carefully picking it up, it felt warm to the touch and I could feel the warmth coursing through my arm. I stuffed it into my backpack. And slid the small footlocker from under the bed. The thin layer of dust told me all I needed to know, I wiped the dust away, like so many bad memories. Sighing heavily I snapped the lock and opened the box. The hilt caught the light and seemed to glow in the box, I could feel the power calling to me and as I took my saber in my hand I could hear the words flow through me. “My master has returned, my master is strong again.”



I ignited my saber the light dancing around the room, free again. I pulled my hood over my head and stepped out into the corridor. The light changed, and I felt a red mist begin to wash over my vision. I closed my eyes and used the force to see, the voice seductively whispered, “Power to my master, he has returned to take up arms. The power of corruption is yours to wield.” The guards came skidding round the corner, three of them together. The first I killed with my saber, thrusting the blade through his eye. Smiling I crushed the other into a nearby power conduit. The sparking and screaming stopped eventually and the darkness was broken by the gentle light flowing from my saber, in some circumstances it could be called beautiful. The third guard tried to run, “Stupid fool” I hissed. Concentrating I felt the power flow into my hands and with a gentle flick I felt the lightning arc across the corridor, feeling its way across the metal panels, it licked across his body, I felt his screams in my heart and it gave me more power. I was slightly saddened when he stopped screaming and when the light faded from the corridor, the only aura I could pick up was fading fast, the dying aura reminded me of a small sun, flame gently fleeing from the sphere, I smiled and stepped over the bodies.



“The Jedi temple, south of the planet is where we must go master, find the ruins and find the key.”



I stalked through the outpost, guards appeared and guards died, the power flowed through my veins and my heart and I felt drunk; high on the power over life and death I held. All the time the voice snaking through my mind. “I feel your power growing my master; soon you will be strong enough. soooon.”



I stepped outside, the dry air, gently stinging my throat, and my eyes. I blinked killing the nearest miner, and stealing the speeder bike I shot off into the Mustafarian night. The lightning crackled and flowed from the tower, reminding all those that were near by the power it held over the planet, I could feel it flowing around. “You see it master. You feel it. This planet is alive it dances with the force. Use it and follow it to our destination.”



I closed my eyes and twisted the throttle on the bike, swerving around the lumbering masses of lava fleas, and the snapping teeth of the more dangerous wildlife. The lava fountained high into the air, cascading across the thick hide of the beasts as they fed. The scream of engines and they scattered, as the bike skidded to a halt at the edge of the lava lake, the heat shimmered across the lake, and the lava flow nearby cascaded majestically over the side of the mountain. “Do you feel it master? The power flowing through the lava. She’s coming master. She has missed you terribly!” I closed my eyes, feeling through the force, I saw the blood red aura, swimming slowly towards the shore, the power of the dark side flowed from it like water. And I could hear another voice, over the insidious whispering. “Heim come to me, come back to me my love.”



I dropped to my knees and began to frantically chant my mantra



Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.



I could feel the power coursing through my veins, it screamed through my mind and made the world spin. “She has missed you terribly master, now she has come to be by your side.” I clenched my eyes shut afraid to open them, the aura had found the edge of the lake, and something began to emerge. I forced my eyes open; the shock of what I was seeing nearly drove me to the brink of madness. The bald skull blackened from the heat and fire slowly emerged from the lava, the eyes a piercing red colour that matched the blood red aura, weeping tears of pure lava, the figure emerging from the lava, a vision from a hell I couldn’t describe. The fire coursed gently across the skeleton that scrabbled forward, blackened flesh hung lifelessly from bone, licked with fire and weeping lava. “The force will indeed set you free my love.”



“Feel her power master, feel the force flowing through her veins. She is strong in the force a perfect companion for you.”



The scene before me felt very surreal, this thing had stepped from the lava and the voice in my head was talking about companionship. I ignited my saber and attacked, it ignited its own saber with a blade of pure lava that spat and hissed as it flowed from the hilt. It kicked me backwards and I moved backwards in the soft ash. I looked up to see the creature advancing on me. “Closse your eyess use the forcce to look at me, ignore thiss broken sshell.” Despite every part of me screaming not to I closed my eyes, the vision that stood before me was more angelic than it was demonic. “My god but how.”



“She came back to you master, your power was like a magnet and it drew her back. Take her as your apprentice, make her strong again.” The voice coiled around my mind, forcing itself into my ear so I had to listen. I opened my eyes amazed at the transformation that was taking place before me, sinew and muscle began to wind there way around the bone and soon I could see pearly white skin begin to form. I watched in awe, as the form began to take shape. The face only partly reformed, the beautiful eyes pulsed red, against the pale skin that reminded me of Hoths snow. I looked on in shock and awe as the body reformed but when I looked at her face I screamed. It looked like someone had drawn a line through beauty, half of her face was pale flawless skin and the other half of her face was the broken, disfigured skull I had seen a few moments ago. I pulled a cloak out of my backpack and wrapped it around her naked body. “Her strength returns master, she is strong in the dark side. Stronger than you are be wary of her.”



I rose to my feet shock still painted like a picture across my face, she smiled. “Hi Hun, you look rough.” She slapped me lightly and then pulled me in for a kiss. I recoiled in shock, looking at her face. “I I Don’t understand, you can’t be real. You’re dead.” I closed my eyes using the force to look upon her. The blood red aura, like the edge of a sun, and her body seemed to glow and shine. “I don’t care anymore. Peace is a lie. There is only passion.”

“Find the ruins, they are here. Feel the power flowing around them, it moves and it calls for its master.” I turned my back on her, deciding to forget questions just now. We set off across the ash, moving in silence. The lightning splitting the sky and increasing the feeling of power.



The temple floated into view, as I expected it was a ruin; the walls had crumbled many years before. Buildings torn down, broken towers showed just how vast the complex would have once been, they stood like guards of a glorious past. If you listened carefully you could nearly hear the whisper of many great Jedi crowded into the great hall, or the clash and hum of sabers in the training area.



“The traitor waits, can you feel him? Find him and KILL HIM!” That insidious voice whispered through my mind, I looked round she stood silently behind me, the cloak pulled over her head hiding her… disfigurement. I looked around the scene before me, and smiled. “Scavengers” I grabbed my saber from my belt and ignited it, I stalked into the main camp that had been set up in what was once the great hall. Steel tents had been set up, and all around were boxes of artefacts and other stolen treasures. I swung for the first scavenger that came to investigate the bright colours of the saber blades. She had done the same and so the intricate dance began. Both whirling sabers and graciously killing everything that moved. Our movements were synchronised and a perfect pairing. Lighting rained from the sky and I used the power, redirecting it through my fingertips. Saber in one hand flowing through the dance, lightning was jumping from the other. I began to laugh. I could hear the voice swimming through my mind. “The master is strong, the master is strong again.” I flipped the ignition switch on my saber the silence deafening. “We have done it my lord, they are dead. What now?” she asked slightly breathless from the gentle exertion of the battle.



I closed my eyes looking around with the force; I saw the gentle licking of white flame around a faint aura. “There is a Jedi here, kill it.” She bowed her head. “It is done my Lord.” She set off in his direction her aura unmistakable, the power radiated from her, and it made me giddy to see her again. I set off to watch the fight. I arrived as she had dispatched the last of the guards around the tower. She threw her hood back and ignited her saber, that strange crystal that looked like lava flowing from her hilt. The Jedi was meditating infront of the broken tower; he looked up and recoiled in shock at the vision before him. “Through passion I gain strength.” She advanced on the still kneeling figure that slowly rose to his feet and began to walk backwards in shock. “WHAT DO YOU WANT” the fear was evident in his voice. She replied sweetly “I only seek one thing, that which my master has asked of me. Your death.” She lunged forward catching the Jedi on the back foot. A saber was suddenly in his hand and the battle began.



I found a spot nearby on the wall and watched. “She is strong master, she was an excellent choice.” She parried every blow the Jedi tried to strike her with, and I could see her lips moving, I closed my eyes and concentrated to hear her sweet voice, I caught it floating gently on the wind. “Through strength, I gain power.” With her words her actions became faster and I could clearly see the Jedi failing.



He tripped on a piece of fallen stone and I smiled, she had him now. I could hear the murmur of conversation floating on the wind. “Why do you hold on to your hatred, peace can set you free.”



“You truly are a blind fool. Peace is a lie, my hatred is not what holds me together, you know nothing of the power of LOVE.”



I could see him frantically scrabbling about in the ash trying to find some sort of weapon and stall for time. I remembered something I had been told a long time ago. “Pray if you are every at the wrong end of a weapon your adversary is an evil person, for they will drink your fear and gloat. A good person will kill you without thinking twice.” I sat forward watching this development carefully. “A true test my master, a test of her loyalty indeed, if she fails KILL HER”



She swung the saber neatly severing his head from the rest of his body, gently flames caught his robe and the body was consumed by flame. She calmly reached into the burning robe and withdrew a few small shards of crystal. “She has done well; she found the shards of the master.”



“There is a place you can sleep nearby, an abandoned mining facility. Broken bodies litter the rooms, and saber burns adorn the walls. But you will be safe there tonight.” I called my speeder bike and jumped on, feeling the slight pressure as she held me close, the smell of her strong in my nostrils. I throttled the bike and we shot off in the direction of the facility mentioned. Arriving outside I saw the huge boulders blocking the entrance, the smell of decay and an old fear clung to the warm acrid air. “Something bad happened here.” I slipped from the bike and looked for a way around the boulders, finding a small opening I dropped to my knees and squeezed through. The doors screamed in protest and refused to open; I ignited one end of my saber and began to cut a hole in the door. The feeling and smell of the melting steel comforting. Kicking the last part through the stale air gushed past me and for a moment I was certain I heard a voice. I ignored it and slipped inside.



The smell of neglect was overpowering and the musty smell that went with a crypt was evident. A lot of people had died here. I kept the saber ignited and stealthed through the facility. I had heard stories of automated defences and rogue security druids stalking the corridors of these places. I felt her presence behind me and it gave me strength knowing she was close by.



The silence of the place was only broken by the gentle hum of the lightsabers and our breathing no-one had been there for a long time. The glow from the sabers bounced off the walls giving us enough light to see where we were going. The atmosphere was dark and oppressive and at the edge of hearing I was sure I could hear the clash of sabers and the screams of dying men.



“My lord I feel strange here, there is anger and fear flowing through this place like a river. What happened?”

I took a deep breath, inhaling the feelings and smiled as I felt my connection with the force grow stronger. “A massacre, at the hands of a Jedi. More than that I know not.” The main room was full of bodies, they had not decayed fully the facility acting like a sealed crypt, the skin was like leather, and it was obvious from the faces they had died in fear and terrible pain. I found one of the old bunk rooms near by, throwing the resident body into the corridor I strolled over to the bed and lay down to sleep.



I lay down and closed my eyes feeling her lay beside me, what was happening I didn't understand. But lying here in this place full of death and suffering, I had never felt so alive.

I relaxed my mind and felt myself floating across the lava and land of this planet. "You must find the one called Xos, he was not a strong enough master and he failed to find the shards. Kill him and take what is the masters." the scene changed and I could see a distinctive small island, orbital guns stood proud defenders of this once war ravaged place, and the familiar scavenger huts squatted near by. "He is here, wandering the area, madness flows through his mind., fear gripped his heart when he found out the full extent of the power at his hands. Use her to find him and kill him."

I sat up on the bed and turned to her, "Waken my love its time to fight. Find Xos. Kill him and bring me his shard. Do not fail me." she stirred gently "It is done my master."

She stood from the bed and left the room, stalking off into the surrounding darkness. I relaxed back into the bed, her smell lingering, overpowering. I spent a few moments trying to take stock of what was going on. "She is not real, not capable of love, nor emotion. She is the dark side incarnate. A product of this place and she can never leave." I heard the voice in my mind, not the insidious whispering but a strong kind voice. "The crystal you hold must be destroyed for its nature is betrayal; it will betray and kill you. When the time is right. Do not hide it. DESTROY IT!"

"Lies listen not, I gave you power, I showed you the way, destroy me and you lose the power. Fear me not my master."



I slipped into a fitful sleep, the sound of screams, and sabers clashing flowed through my mind like a river. Above all this I could just hear a voice "Love is a lie, the darkness binds her, and she is incapable of love. Ask her what she remembers. Ask her of the nights under the stars, in Das Imp. Ask her if she loves you?!" I stirred in my sleep, I felt like I was speeding across the landscape, homing in on a furious looking battle near by. It was her fighting, the hatred twisted her features. Her eyes burning and tears of molten lava flowed down her cheeks. "Is this the woman you loved? Is this creature capable of love? Watch." I watched the battle, turn in her favor and when she neatly severed the head she began to laugh. "No that is not the Kes I knew and loved." she reached into the robe and pulled free a shard of crystal, the light from it bouncing around the landscape. Magnified by the strange glow from her saber blade. I nearly missed the black armored storm trooper as it stalked silently behind her, and fired a stun baton into her lower back. "KESSSSS" I sat bolt upright on the small bunk.

"She betrayed you master, now the inquisitors are here. Find the shards, forget her. FIND THE SHARD!"

It struck me at this point things were getting out of hand, I screamed into the darkness. I grabbed the crystal and spent a few moments rooting through my backpack, pulling out the silver sphere I smiled. Spending a few moments binding the crystal to the sphere. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU CAN’T DESTROY ME.”

“Your right, I physically can’t, but I have a sneaky suspicion a thermal detonator and the heat of a lava pool might do the business.” I carefully placed the detonator into my backpack, and headed off in the direction of the central volcano, I knew where Kes had been and I hoped I could pick up the inquisitions tracks from there. I hated the fact I knew little of them apart from scare stories and rumours from my travels across the galaxy. All I knew was no one expected the inquisition. “Why my master, why destroy me. I gave you the power of life and death. I showed you the way.”

“no I already had the power over life and death I chose not to use it. Yes you showed me the force flowing just out of sight on this planet. But I longer need you now. Your insidious whispering is driving me to distraction.”

I left the relative safety of the bunker and jumped onto my bike, speeding off towards the towering mass of rock, and lava that dominated the central plains of this planet.

The lava flowed high from the side of the volcano, the broken starship littered the area, debris spread for miles across the area. The miners were always locating strange things. It seemed the planet itself was trying to help them discover the past and this was just another way of that occurring. I sighed deeply finding the small bridge, tossing the detonator in the air, I caught it and asked “Any last words? Or are you finally going to be silent?”



“The master is awake; the master will strike you down like the others. The power of the crystal is unstoppable.” It suddenly clicked; I was only a pawn in a very deadly game of cat and mouse. This shard had tried to use me and I had let it happen. Pushing the detonator button I waited a few seconds and threw the thermal detonator as far as I could. The silver sphere rotating off an axis due to the weight of the crystal attached to it. There was a barely visible splash as it landed in the lava and I smiled. Turning away I got the fright of my life when the detonation happened. The huge plume of super heated lava, rose a hundred foot in the air, and began to balloon outwards with the shock from the explosion. The waves of lava rose and began to flow faster than water outwards and the scream above the noise was deafening. I used the force and ran from the sight before me, although majestic and powerful I realized quickly it was going to be a world of pain if I was caught by any off the waves. Rushing towards the shore.

I felt the whispering dissipate and the last words I heard flow through my mind were “The pain is gone now, I am free.” I sped away from the incoming waves, and smiled. There were a lot of questions flowing around my mind and fighting for answers. I silenced them all and concentrated on the moment, “The here and now gives me strength, strength to overcome my adversaries.” I knew nothing of what I was rushing to fight, all I knew was they wore armor of the blackest night, and they would be well trained. They were hunters of the Jedi. Making them a dangerous adversary indeed, still I have strength and the power of the dark side flowing through me.

I arrived at the spot i had seen in my vision, the landscape exactly as i had seen. The things that were different included the broken corpse, of the Jedi. as i approached i could see the perfect burn mark, where she had severed his head. I failed to notice the troopers silently surround me and the first i realised was when i heard the voice. I looked up from the corpse, seeing the bald headed inquisitor, and the black armored storm troopers.

“Ah I am glad you arrived; keep your weapons on him men. If he moves kill him.” The bald headed inquisitor smiled. “Do you know who I am or why I am here? Of course you will not. I am here because a chain of events has been put in motion. The one called Leiowyn struck down the Emperors hand in a saber battle in Restus. This has forced us to track down as many of your kind. Unfortunately for us she disappeared a short time afterwards and as yet we have not tracked her down. She was our first choice, for a replacement.” He nearly spat the words in distain. “We give your kind a choice; so far the answers have been... Well incorrect.” His sly grin told me all I needed to know. “How many of my kind as you called them, have you butchered?” I watched him cautiously, as a predator would watch the next meal, as he padded around the circle of heavily armed storm troopers, my saber hummed gently, casting the gentle pink glow off the black armor of the trooper. He laughed “We are the empire we do not butcher people, we re-educate them.”

I calculated my chances of striking them down. I would have to move very quickly and was unsure what kind of wounds I would receive. If only they stepped forward, they would all be in range. He continued padding his eyes locked with mine. “Your father mentioned you once. Said one day you would be a great asset to the empire. I can see it in your eyes. You would be a fine addition to our cause.” The mention of my father took me off guard, and I fought to quickly regain my composure. “You didn’t know he was an inquisitor? Of course you wouldn’t have. Did the one called Loki tell you who killed him? We found his body on Dathomir; it must have been some fight.”

I broke eye contact with him, looking at Kes’s broken body. She had been tied to a post and they had clearly beaten her, the saber burns across her body, were clearly visible. No breath forced her chest to rise and I could only guess she was dead. He followed my eyes and smiled. “Ah the abomination, worry not about it. The thing has been eliminated, it was too powerful to let it” he paused for a moment “Live.”

I locked eyes with him again, and killed my saber. He smiled and said. “You are the first of your kind to make the right choice. Men take one step forward, commander seize his weapon.” The troopers took one step forward, and the commander moved into the circle, and began to reach for my saber. A smile began to tug at my lips and spread across my face. “You know what they say Inquisitor General” I never blinked and he was clearly disturbed by the smile, out of the corner of my eye I saw the commander reaching forward, and I judged the gap to the troopers. “They say through strength I gain victory.” Time seemed to slow down and as the head of the commander, bounced twice on the ground, the words started to filter through. “MEN FIRE, KILL HIM!” too slow I thought, and began to spin, the saber blade blurred through the air, and the scene was lit by the furious gunfire. I stopped sweeping and drove the saber into the chest of the nearest wheezing guard. Silence descended, I locked eyes with the Inquisitor once more. “You made two fatal mistakes, master inquisitor. The first was you didn’t kill me straight away and the second!” I paused for a moment letting the death rattle of a guard pass. “You ordered them to step forward, putting them in range.” I advanced forward, he stepped backwards, fear tickling across his features and giving me strength. “You failed in your mission, I do love a failure.” I swung my saber towards his neck, and was slightly surprised to find the blade connected with my own. I kicked him square in the chest, and the battle began. He was well trained in saber techniques and the battle was evenly matched, back and forth it raged neither gaining an upper hand. I roared in rage and drove forwards; attacking him with all the strength and speed I could muster.

I could see the strain and shock on his face. “Incredible” I could hear him whispering over the din of the battle. He miscalculated an attack and I used the opportunity to strike. Drawing the blade across his windpipe I laughed gently. As he fell to the ground clutching at the wound. Words were mouthed furiously but no sound followed. I saw him scrabbling backwards across the soft ash, towards the circle of dead troopers. He reached for a blaster and I swiftly removed his hand. Placing a foot on his chest to stop him moving, I drove the blade of my saber into his skull. Killing the blade I walked back to my bike, the sound of silence broken by the bark of the engine springing to life.

I sat there, the engine humming gently, and took stock of everything that had happened. The inquisitors’ comments and how easy my anger had been to control. Was it as bad as everyone said, No its not. “Hello Heimdalls Kesi.” I looked towards the voice floating across the air, the figure sat on a nearby rock, looking directly at me. His tattered robe signified he was a Jedi, and the blue glow from him meant he was one with the force. “Who are you?” I asked rapidly losing patience with the constant interruptions. “My name is not important I have been called many. What is important is my mission and for that I need your help. I have watched you for a while now. You have done much good here. And I need your help!”

”Wait let me guess some evil, is hell bent on destroying the galaxy and you need me to save it.” I asked, I shut off the engine of the bike, and walked over to him sitting close by.

“Why not do it yourself?” I asked.

“As you may have guessed this planet swims with the force and it was not always the fiery landscape you see now. Trees and swamps once dominated this landscape. There was a terrible battle here, many Jedi and Sith died. But one survived, and now his power grows, he holds an item where many souls are trapped and the souls must be freed and the crystal destroyed. This I ask of you. Heimdalls Kesi, redemption can be yours if you succeed.” I sighed heavily and pondered for a moment what he had said, “Hmm what is it you want me to do.” I asked.

He explained the mission and I set off back to Menxis, I would have to find a hermit, who had located a significant shard of the relic, but it had driven him insane. As I sped across the landscape I laughed. “Always someone’s puppet and never the master. Never In control of my own damn destiny.”







through the wild tangles of hair i could see the pure hatred and slight tinge of fear in his eyes. They told me all i needed to know and without breaking contact i surged forward. The battle was nearing its end, his attacks became wilder and sloppier. The voice began in my mind as a whisper but grew in volume distracting me from the fight. "Your redemption is at hand." the female voice whispered through my mind. "So much anger, but soon you can leave it behind, you have made great progress and fallen so far into darkness. But the light can still penetrate it and lead you back. BELIEVE!"



He made a foolish mistake and the grin spread across my tired features, i used it to full advantage and struck at his throat. Hearing the high pitched shreak that eminated from him as both hands rushed to close the wound, now gently dripping black. "Its over!" his eyes gripped mine and his hands squeezed tighter, his high pitched wheezing formed words. "You have freed me from this hell, a war is brewing in the darkness. Take the crystal protect it and when the time comes use its power." his eyes faded ad his body keeled forward into the puddle of darkness spreading from him.



"Remember Talus." The voice flowed through my mind again, i staggered over to the glowing figure of the old man. "My work here is done now let me leave." he looked at me sadness flowed across his features. "Im afraid i cant, you need to destroy it!"



the anger pulsed "DESTROY WHAT?! Hes dead its over." i turned to look at the crystal its gentle hypnotic pulsing lit the temple, and i could feel the power calling my name. "Remember Talus. Dont forget." the voice drowned everything else out, and i screamed. "WHAT ABOUT TALUS! LEAVE ME BE!"



"Heimdalls, FOCUS. Take your saber and destroy this evil, end it then you can be free."



--------------------------------------------------------------



I never did finish this story guess i just couldnt bring myself to do what had to be done.

(its the start of a new story im writing. havent finalised any of it yet, so enjoy it) Tidied up and slightly edited for easier reading and general flow.



Prologue



The rain roared from the sky like a million hurtling arrows. Pelting every surface, they bounced off the dark figure crawling painfully up the steps, every drawn breath forced through gritted teeth.

The water washed over the figure, carrying his blood on its journey down the mountain, diluting it until the pink river flowed.

The figure slumped forward and lay on the steps, their coolness bringing some comfort to his body, burning from the beatings that had left him like this.

He tried to take a deep breath and spat out blood instead. Screaming in pain, the broken rib dug deeper into his lung and sent the world spinning away from his eyes to be replaced with swirling dots and colors.

He mustered every ounce he could find and screamed. "HELP ME!" His words were not carried far, ripped into nothing by the wind.





---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Journey Begins



The wolf looked up wearily from its feast, the scarce meal momentarily forgotten.



It could smell something in the air and, whatever it was, it didn't like it. Raising its bloody snout, it took a deep breath trying to catch the scent again. When it howled, in the distance across the silent forest, the rest of the pack picked up the call. It quickly grabbed the remains of its meal and slipped silently into the forest.

The bushes rustled and branches cracked as the figure tore through the darkness, panting heavily. The fear was evident, drawn in the sweat and screaming through the figure’s eyes. The figure stumbled on a branch, screaming out in pain and disbelief as her ankle gave an audible snap.

"Please god, help me." The tears flowed freely; and she tried to force herself to her feet and move off, but the broken bone shot pain through her whole body. She gave up and sat against a tree. Not much further on the other side of the river was the sanctuary she had desperately sought, running through the forest all night to find it.

IF only I had made it to that cave, to my weapons and the answer." The sound of the dogs growling through the undergrowth snapped her back to reality and she drew her dagger. "Come on then."

Over the sound of the dogs, she heard the thumping of the hooves, and soon she could see the steamy breath coming from five horses as they trampled into the small clearing. The dogs stopped and circled, the smell of the fresh blood clearly firing their instincts. At a snap from their master’s fingers, they trotted over and lay down by his horse.







"Did you honestly think you could steal from me and survive?" The cloaked figure forced his horse forward, pulling back the hood of his cloak. "Tell me child, do you know who you stole from?"

She took a few moments to compose herself and began laughing. "Another @#%$ who doesn't know their own name." She spat at the figure and swung wildly for the horse’s leg. The horse whinnied and tried to throw its rider in panic; he jumped from the horse and drew his sword, stabbing it deeply into the woman’s leg, smiling broadly as she screamed.





"A foolish thing to try, child. Where is it?!"

She spat again, too slow to avoid the sharp slap that found her cheek. She screamed again as the figure cruelly twisted the hilt of his sword.



"I will ask you one more time. WHERE IS THAT WHICH YOU STOLE FROM ME?!"

She smiled, already resigned to the fate that had been dealt. "You shall never find it, and I will take the secret to my grave." She lifted the dagger to her chest and plunged it deeply into her heart. Her world began to grow darker, but soon the light blinded her.



The figure screamed in rage, "Stupid child, your death proves nothing and it will not protect it or him. I will find them both." He jumped back onto his horse and motioned for his men to come close. "We must find it! Do not leave this forest till you have it. If you don't find it, I will kill you if I ever see you again UNDERSTOOD?!"



A murmur of agreement rose from the men. The figure snapped the reins and his horse galloped off into the growing darkness.