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Chapter One: The Fallen

I drift in darkness...  No light...  Just a sound...   A horrible sound, a desperate whimper, filled with pain and indescribable terror...  The song explodes into my awareness, the melody subsumed in a horrible scream of dischordant clashing sounds.  The pounding rhythm of evil slammed through the song, underlying the horrible screams, both organic and lyric.  Finally light rose, and I could see the room.  I immediately wished I could not...  A low stone alter dominated the center of the room.  On it, a person writhed, bound, gagged, and already torn open, the contents of her abdomen removed in a gory mess.  Blood soaked everything, and continued to pour from her body onto the stone, the floor...

I felt a song rise within me, instinctively reaching for the regenerative motif I'd discovered when Ken was injured, but even as I started to sing I felt the song choke off in my throat.  There was a ... separation.  I could not touch the scene before me, only observe it.  See it.  Smell it.  Feel it.

I felt her die...

<<<NOOOOO>>>

The scream of defiance startled me, and I realized with a start that it was my own voice.  It startled the Zabrek standing over his victim as well.  He turned, eyes searching, mouth still twisted in whatever dark-side ritual he was performing.  His victim's blood covered his arms and spattered his torso and face.

Mellichae...

His yellow eyes met mine, and I felt the hatred he radiated.  His features twisted into a snear and he reached down, patting the now still face of his victim, the eyes staring vacant now.  "I feel you, Gray.  I know you can see me.  This one wasn't strong enough, but soon.  Soon.  I will find one who is.  And then I will have the knowledge of the crystal - and my revenge."  He looked down at the mutilated, broken body on the alter and his look became sickening.  "Meanwhile, I'll just have to keep playing with your healers..."

He laughed, a maniacal, high-pitched laugh that seemed to rip through me and I felt his sick twisting of the songs of healing in the force.  The pulse of his laughter echoed the evil rhythm and I tried again desperately to reach him, to stop him...

The scene faded out and I sat up, breathing hard, sweat pouring off me...

"You can't stop him from there, young one.  You must come here, to where we are."

I blinked.  I was on a bench, in a simple room filled with golden light.  I looked at the man who had spoken, rotated and sat up to face him.  "What...  Where did they go?"

"You know where they are.  But right now we ... are here."  He lifted his hands to indicate the room, which I realized was actually a gazebo, open on all sides, but there was nothing beyond but diffused golden light.  "And you know where 'here' is as well."  He continued, anticipating my next question.

I opened my mouth to protest, to disagree, but I could not.  "We're ... inside the Ancient One."  I looked more closely.  "Master Dorian, I presume?"

The ancient master smiled.  "Well done!  Was it a guess, or do you still have a record of my appearance in the archives?"

I moved into a lotus, mimicking Dorian's posture.  "A bit of both.  Your image is on file, but its ... older.  But somehow I also ... felt your identity."

"Yes.  Our essence is stored in the crystal, much like a holocron stores the memories and experience of a Jedi Master, though I think Klu did a far better job on the recording matrix.  At least, it seems far more complete to me.  But I digress."  Dorian's face became serious.  "I hope you are well, young one, because we are in trouble.  That ... monster ..."

"Mellichae."  I growled the name, feeling the spike of fury rise in my breast.  

"Yes.  Him.  I will not name him.  He is not entirely sane.  His hatred has twisted his mind, he believes that through this systematic torture and mutilation that he will be able to force us to captitulate, to open to him and provide him with our knowledge.  And ... he enjoys it.  We have already discussed destroying ourselves to end the killing, but we are fairly certain that it would not work.  He would continue, perhaps even intensify his actions, believing it to be a ruse of some kind.  So we only have one option: You."

I nodded.  "As I feared.  I am on my way, Master Dorian.  We left The Sons of Kessel a few days ago.  We will need to make several more jumps, but we'll be there soon."

Dorian sat up straight, his face lighting up.  "On your way?  How did we not..." He squinted in concentration.  "Oh.  You're cloaking your presence in the force!  Sneaky...  I approve!"  Dorian looked over my shoulder.  "See, I told you this one was special."

I started and looked behind me as I suddenly sensed another presence.  Several presences...  "Yes.  He is powerful, but there is more he must learn."  

I looked to the side and saw the speaker, a young woman.  She was surrounded by several others, most wearing the robes of Masters, a couple those of a Kage, but she was young and wore only the robes of a Koawan.  Her eyes, however, were the darkest of them all with tragedy and pain, and I recognized her, knew her song...   "Yes.  Much to learn, I think."  She stepped up and cupped my chin in her hands, probing me with those dark, pain-filled eyes.  "Pray the Maker, young Ka'A'Mack, that you live long enough to learn what you must."

I nodded.  "Yes."  She released my chin and I looked around.  "Are you all..."

Dorian answered for them.  "Yes. We can hold him off for a while longer, but time is precious.  Now go, there is much to do."


I started awake, sitting up suddenly and crying out, spilling the covers off of myself and Arnor.  Sweat soaked my shirt, matted my hair.  I looked around the darkened cabin and recognition calmed me: I was on the Wayfarer, with Arnor.  Back in the physical universe.  I hummed a meditation motif to calm my body and bring my hammering heart back under control.  A quick counter-melody scrubbed the adrenaline from my system as well, bringing the slight shaking to an end and quelling the queasiness in my gut.

Well, most of the queasiness...

Arms snaked around my waist from behind and I felt Arnor's warm breath on my neck.  "Are you OK?"

I sighed and leaned into her warmth.  "No, not really."  I spent a few minutes telling her about the vision.  "He's insane, and mad with the need for revenge."

Arnor shuddered slightly behind me, and I could feel her own fury mixed with sorrow in the force.  Her voice was watery with the tears she'd shed during my description.  "I had hoped...why is he killing them?  What is the purpose?"

"Based on what I saw I think he's performing some form of darksider alchemy, but its more like black magic than anything the Sith would do.  Though torturing innocent people to try to get a force ghost to give up information isn't utterly out of the realm of possibility even for a Sith."  I turned and wrapped Arnor in my arms.  "But its clear that he is in fact torturing the healers he's kidnapped to try to force the crystal open, one way or another."

Arnor buried her head in my shoulder and clung to me.  It was a rare moment of weakness for her; a moment for her to be vulnerable and draw strength from me in the face of abject horror.  Her empathy for what was happening could only be heightened by her own recent near-death experiences, made worse by the understanding that unlike her, these healers had not chosen to put themselves in danger and had been given no opportunity to fight back.  For them it was just torture, horror and death.  "We need to do something...  Get there faster..."

I smoothed her hair.  "I'll have Two and the gang tweak our course and get whatever spare speed they can out of the drive.  We'll get there as fast as we can."  I held my wife, continuing to stroke her hair as the horrible scene replayed in my mind again.  I didn't recognize the healer on the alter, in fact I didn't know any of the abducted healers personally, but they were all Mak'Tor healers, all strong singers and barely marginal force users, and they were all in Mellichae's clutches.  There were over thirty missing healers, according to the latest report from Telow'na.  How many were still alive?  How many more had he snatched up while we were locked in hyperspace?  Would we be able to save any of them?  

And underneath it all, the ever-present drone of my own guilt.  If you hadn't gone to far trying to heal Ken.  If you'd had more control, the Zabrek wouldn't have been able to steal the crystals and get away.  

This is your fault, Karm.  Your mess.  Clean it up ... and never forget.

Wow...

I knew that Mellichae was bad news but this... Those poor Healers, nothing but playthings for the Zabrak to use against the Master Singers within the Ancient One...and Karm.  But the connection...that's new.  And yet another way that Mellichae can torture Karm.

I'm definitely looking forward to Karm getting some retribution from him.  But hopefully not too quickly; sometimes reciprocity is deserved  ;)

So Mellichae's either gone off the deep end or is a master Dark Sider...or possibly a bit of both...No doubt the Ancient Ones has safe guards but no one can plan for every eventuality....if he's found a way...One curious thing is Mellichae noting to Karm.

"This one wasn't strong enough, but soon"

Hmmm Healers with marginal force abilities are not strong enough...how to find someone who is a singer with strong force abilities...I think Admiral Akbar (long may we rue his dismissive end...) would have a choice sentence for Karmack at this point....

Having said that i'm not so sure Karm is exactly sane and clear headed either...guilt can cloud your judgement by over compensating in trying not to make the same mistakes again...

Amen.  Ackbar dying--and especially like...THAT--was such a colossal waste...
...Which is actually a good bit of foreshadowing with Zearic...

...um, spoilers?  ;)

When morals are left to others, results can be accomplished through methods those mooring in the moral ocean can scarcely fathom, and as a device, is powerful.  The effect it has upon Karmack is profound, and as well, predictable for those with a strong sense of morality, and is clearly meant to draw him into a trap.  If Mellichae is not a master level dark sider, he is well on his way, though his mad obsession is likely to be his undoing.  We are often undone by that which makes us most.  Haste is certainly needed to save the missing singers, but if time is not taken to learn and prepare, then haste makes this a fool's errand, and more may be lost than the healers lives...

And so it begins.

Lots of things to like in this beginning. I'll just mention a few. While Karm has no issues saying the name, Dorian will not. It reminds me of many of the legends about saying the name of a creature/being, and it appearing. Maybe its nothing, but then again, maybe its not. Yes, as LSG says, there is something about that "This one wasn't strong enough, but soon", especially combined with "Yes. We can hold him off for a while longer, but time is precious." that gives the sense that maybe Millichae has found a way to open the crystal. It also seems that disgraced Zabraks have a way of going insane, and needing revenge against someone (KENOBIIIIII!!!!!!!).


Okay, and this just needs to be touched on. I think that this should be the phrase everyone uses when speaking of the late Admiral Ackbar (long may we rue his dismissive end...). It just fits.


EDIT: I also really liked Dorian's " "On your way?  How did we not..." He squinted in concentration.  "Oh.  You're cloaking your presence in the force!  Sneaky...  I approve!"  Dorian looked over my shoulder.  "See, I told you this one was special." "   ;D

Also, one other thing I was thinking of just now, It's probably a good think Luke never met any of our characters. He might not have been able to win if they got in a fight. :D

LOL  Oh, now THAT's a thought...   How would Luke Skywalker react to running into Ka'a'Mack or Teagan or Zearic.  Hmmm......  ;-)

I mean, if they can put Luke into Battlefront II and have him interact with one of the playing characters, why not here? 

As for Dorian:  He's one of the more wiley ancients.  Remember, his opponent is only known to the Mak'Tor histories as "The Unnamed One".  Seemed consistent that he wouldn't speak Mellichae's name. 

I need to express this...

WOW!  

Karmack, tell me that you're published.  If you aren't, then you totally ought to be.

Brilliant.

+1

i wish.   I think the stories here are all publish quality, but getting anything Star Wars published or even looked at is nearly impossible.   
I would love to develop LSGs aethans with the various Grays we've created into a full blown novel series.  maybe even a movie trilogy.  It would rock. 

But ... Disney.

I hear ya...  :-\

Still though...man...lol

This is fantastic!  Can't wait to see more!

I've tried to get them all (Karm, TD, and LSG) to do this multiple times, but they wont. Maybe someday I'll try with my own if I ever finish it, and if it is really as good as these folks say it is (though I'm sure they are just doing it to be nice). :D

Chapter Two: The Trail of Tears

From orbit, Dantooine was probably one of the most peaceful planets I'd ever seen.  But as the saying went, looks could be deceiving.  WHile the agrarian world, currently in harvest, was outwardly placid and pacific, the force practically vibrated with evil.  And the song...

Screams of cacaphony ripped across the solid drumbeat of evil

I flinched away from the horror that rippled through my awareness, my hand squeezing my lightsaber involuntarily tighter.  Whatever Mellichae was doing, it as causing a very strong ripple in the force, bending the normal balance of this world to darkness and filling the song with the screams of his victims.  The only positive aspect of it was that the ripples were proving to be very easy to follow.

The Wayfarer was airborne, with Two and Mutt suited up and ready to drop if we needed them.  We'd landed briefly at the small field adjacent to the Imperial Enclave on the Khoonda plains, not far from a small mining outpost.  Despite its antiquity we could both sense the nearby ruins of the old Jedi Enclave as well as the dark echo of the Rakatan Ruins, both also on the edges of the plains.  The pull from the enclave was particularly strong, the place shrouded in mystery and cloaked in the force.  The song as also distorted there, possibly by the dark energy still pulsing from the Rakatan ruins, but something in my gut told me there was more.  Neither of us could sense what, however, and the target before us was too strong, too obvious to be ignored.

We'd both sensed it when we landed: a trail of tears, leading from this landing site, which served as the local space port since the Imperials had moved in just after the battle of Yavin, to a small farming enclave about a hundred klicks to the North, in the rolling heart of the Khoonda plains.  With the Wayfarer in overwatch, high enough to be out-of-site from the ground, Arnor and I rented a pair of speeder bikes and set off, following the trail.

The terrain was beautiful.  This section of the Khoonda plains was  covered by rolling fields filled with cereal crops, all purple, red, and gold in their ripeness, rippling like water as the light breezes played over them.  The fields were laced with pathways, mostly lined with blba trees and often sunken down and meandering through the low areas, going from farm to farm.  Like bloodhounds on a scent, we criss-crossed through the countryside, following the psycic pathway of the tears, echos of terror and fear reverbertating in the song from the passage of dozens of Mak'Tor healers who had passed this way.

It became evident after only a few kilometers that the pimary pathway was along one of the main roads in the area.  We stopped on a hilltop to survey the area and I pulled out my comm link.  "Two, we're following a primary road down here.  Can you supply an overhead visual?"

There was a pause before a text message came back: <<Overhead Online>>

I tapped the link and the screen lit up with a real-time overhead image of the valley centered on our position.  Arnor looked over my shoulder as I traced the road to a small gaggle of buildings.  Unlike the rare, scattered farms which were predominantly small, one family dwellings, these buildings were substantial - and surrounded by a security perimeter.

"That's the place." Arnor said, giving voice to my thoughts.  "Karm..."

I looked into my wife's worried eyes.  "You're worried."

"This is all ... to easy." Arnor replied.  "This trail, everything.  It ... feels wrong."

I put the map down and sat back in the bike's saddle.  "I know.  But not wrong, exactly.  Just ... dangerous.  The "danger" motif is weaving through the song, but there's more.  There's a trap, but this isn't  it.  This is..."

"The opening act." Arnor supplied.  "Not the headliner."

I nodded.  "Exactly.  Part of me thinks we'd be better off pulling back and trying a different tact, but there's something here.  Something we need.  Not the crystals.  Not Mellichae.  But ... something."  I sighed.  "Its shrouded, elusive, but important.  Mellichae thinks he's in control, that we're dancing to his tune.  We're going to use that against him."

Arnor met my eyes, saw my conviction.  I felt her open herself to the force and listen to the song, as I had done.  After a moment she sighed and nodded.  "Agreed. I feel it, too.  It looks like a trap being baited, but ... there's more.  Something important but subtle."

I nodded.  "So.  Lets go find out what's so important, shall we?"  I returned to the overhead image.  "IF we take these back roads, we can..."

<<<<<  >>>>>

It took less than an hour to get into position.  There was a narrow defile that ran through the property, between the residence and the primary commercial building, a large barn with massive doors for the huge harvesters employed by the Dantooine farmers. This defile cut right through the noticably new fence line and a double row of blba trees.  Our bikes were parked behind those trees and covered by a brown tarp and some loose foilage while we crouched in the defile, wrapped in mottled gray-green ponchos.  I was singing a stealth motif, masking our approach in the force, while Arnor did a detailed scan of the compound.  She suddenly froze and pointed.  "There..."

The building she'd pointed out was different than the rest.  Low-slung and heavily built, it looked more like a military bunker than a farm building.  But then, none of it really fit.  The huge barn was empty.  The equipment sheds were static, half-filled with old, broken-down equipment, and we'd both seen what had to be a squad of Sith Shadows emerge from the farmhouse only a few minutes ago, moving out to patrol the fresh perimeter. 

I nodded and indicated for her to take the lead, shifting my song from stealth to battle.  The song began a building crescendo, the voice of conflict crashing through the quiet song of stealth.  No more hiding.  Battle would be joined...

Arnor used the force to leap out of the defile, moving with super-human speed across the open ground to the low bunker opening.  I was right behind her, opening my senses to the force, reaching out...

I felt the Sith Shadow targeting us before he fired.  Arnor and I were fully linked in the battle meld now, my song filling us both with mutual awareness as well as focusing our abilities and the force energies that flowed through us, augmented by the tuned crystals we both carried.  Our sabers ignited in unison, screaming to life in the dusky shadows just in time to deflect the rain of blaster bolts that erupted from multiple angles.

Arnor, still in the lead, caught two bolts and sent them sizzling into a sniper's nest on the roof of the barn, tossing at least one Shadow trooper into the air and off the roof.  I spun through my Soresu orbits, scattering bolts back around the compound, several back into our attackers.  And ... NOW! 

Without missing a beat I threw a massive force push against the bunker doors.  Arnor added her own push to mine.  The combined blast hit the doors just before Arnor arrived on the threshold, tossing the heavy steel doors inward like toys. 

She dashed through, engaging the guards inside while I brought up the rear, reaching out and picking up the Shadow troopers and tossing them away as I located them.  Sensing more troops still in the house armoring up I reached into the barn, where a disabled combine sat.  I lifted it and sent it smashing through the farmhouse, collapsing the building and scattering the troopers and their equipment across the fallow field behind the house.  A quick scan confirmed that the hostiles outside were all out of action, and I turned to follow Arnor.

I didn't get far.

Just inside the bunker entrance was a scene of horror.  The room was dark, lit by malevolent red and yellow lights, dim and casting long shadows.  The lights were centered on a low dais or altar, little more than a raised block of ferrocrete in the center of the bare room.  The altar was adorned only with four small metal rings with larger metal shackles, one at each corner.  Only in the light of Arnor's cyan blade did it become obvious that room was literally splashed with blood.

Human blood.

I swallowed bile.  I recognized the room from my vision.  "This is the place..."

"Karm!"  Arnor dashed to a dark corner, her blade throwing light into the darkness.  There, against the wall, two young women hung by their arms.  They had been stripped and beaten and left shackled, perhaps waiting their turn on the altar.  One was unconscious, the other awake but her eyes were wide with shock and non-comprehension.

In a moment I was next to my wife, and our sabers freed both women with precision cuts.  I shed my poncho and draped it over the shoulders of the conscious healer, covering her and gently settling her onto a small bench that had also been hidden in the corner.  "I am Karmack, this is my wife Arnor.  We are Mak'Tor Knights.  We're here to rescue you."

I pulled a small flask of water from my belt and handed it to her, letting her drink a small amount.  She swallowed, blinked, and then reached out and poked my shoulder.  When her finger hit resistance she suddenly gasped and cried out.  "Oh Maker!  You're real!  You're really here!"  Her mouth opened in a silent cry and she began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks.  "You're real...  You're real..."

I reached out and cupped her head in my hand, reaching out to her in the force, flooding healing energy into her, weaving a calming song of peace around her tortured melody in the Song, now that I could identify it.  "Yes, we're real.  We'll have you out of here very soon.  What is your name?"

I felt the song take hold, her mind calmed a bit and her breathing slowed back toward normal.  "My name?  I am...  El'Isa'Tor, Koawan Gray of the Mak'Tor and healer with the Sisters of Mercy..."  She gained strength in the recitation, and I felt a new wave of rage roll through me as she identified herself as not only a healer, but also a Knight.

He was looking for stronger victims...

I met Elisa's eyes.  "Elisa.  I need to know: are there any others here?"

She blinked again, and I could feel her now, gathering herself in the force, humming her own healing and calming songs, getting on top of her own trauma.  "No, not here.  He was ... preparing the alter ... for me," she swallowed, purposely diverting her gaze away from the bloody altar in the center of the room.  "...but then he suddenly stopped and packed up.  He has at least five more, they were taken, he left Jo'anne and I to..."  She stopped and swallowed again.  "...to 'entertain the troops'." She finished in a rush.

I swallowed my rage, felt a gentle caress in the force from Arnor brush up against my incandescent anger, and with an effort I pulled myself back from the abyss.  I looked over at Arnor, where she cradled the other healer in her lap, doing her best to heal her wounds.  I melded with her again, merging our songs, and boosted her healing efforts, sending a powerful healing song through the room, using the crystals to amplify it. 

"Thank you." she said, turning back to her charge.

I smiled at her and pulled my communicator out again.  "Two, lock onto these coordinates and extract.  We have two wounded.  Keep your eyes open, I think we've knocked out all of the weapons but there's always a chance we missed something."  The series of beeps and boops that came back were predictably rude.  "No, I'm not trying to get you killed.  Now get your droid butt down here and dust us off.  Karmack Out." I said, making sure I cut the connection before chuckling.  "That droid..."

I turned and met the wide-eyes stare of Elisa.  "You're Master Ka'a'Mack."  She held out her arms, both whole.  "These were both broken.  I could hold the pain back, but..."  She grabbed my hand.  "How?  How did you do that?"

"I'll show you, later.  Right now, we need to get out of here." A roar filled the air, muted by the heavy walls but plainly audible.  "And that's our ride.  Now, follow Arnor please."  I extracted my hand and gently steered her toward my wife, who was leading the now ambulatory but dazed Jo'anne toward the door.  She nodded, still wide eyed, and took Jo'Anne's other hand, helping her friend out of the bunker.

I waited until they were around the corner, then turned to where the blast doors laid on one of the Sith Shadow troopers stationed inside.  He'd been mortally wounded by the door blasting inward but had been an unintentional beneficiary of my healing song.  Now he was struggling, angry and still in some pain, pinned under the heavy door. 

I walked over and with a flick of the force I shifted the door off of him, exposing him to the light.  I knelt down and put my knee on his chest.  Human...  I applied force to his sternum while pinning his limbs to the floor.  "Tell me where the Zabrek is, and you will live."

"Go to hell, Jedi!" the Sith Shadow tried to sound defiant but his gasping delivery robbed him of the desired effect. 

I leaned closer to his face.  "Last chance.  Tell me, and live, or I will rip it from your mind and kill you, and I'll know anyway."  I let my icy fury show in my eyes, my voice flat.  "Ok, don't say I didn't warn you. This is going to hurt a bit..."

"Wait!" the man gurgled, the pressure of my knee making it hard for him to breathe.  "He's in the old Jedi Enclave.  No one goes there..."

I evaluated him in the force.  Truth.  And ... intent.  He was told to deliver this information...  "You tell the truth.  And so, I will keep my word."  I slammed an intense pulse of force energy through his mind, knocking him cold.  He would wake up in a couple of days with a raging headache and most likely no memory of the last several hours.  My hand twitched slightly, the urge to draw my saber and end his life flaring, but I pushed it down.  I'd given him my word, and it wasn't my job to be judge, jury and executioner. 

I stood and left, sprinting outside and boarding the Wayfarer as it hovered just off the ground.  Two had it airborne before I could hit the ramp control switch.

Arnor was in the infirmary with the two healers.  "Where?"

"The Enclave."

Mellichae is back to his old stomping grounds…Hmm the Mak’Tor need to do a better job on security they are getting hammered by this guy in terms of number of losses…maybe take a leaf from Ansosn book and militarize a bit…Mellichaes a nut case and if he can do that much damage to their healer network imagine what someone sane and strategic could manage.
 
I thought this was pretty ironic…
“it wasn't my job to be judge, jury and executioner.  “

Isn’t that exactly what he is doing in his pursuit of Mellichae in the first place?  Down a dangerous road once more…each adventure Karm seems to get that little more aggressive, a little more stern and cold…another step on the path towards....

Hmm... I'm glad were back to Karm and Arnor. There is just something about their stories that are so much more centered around the Song than any of the others. This is definitely a darker tale than the others have been, but the Song aspect is refreshing. I found it interesting that Karm is struggling with wanting the kill. That is not a Jedi trait, nor a Gray trait, so it is interesting to see. It seems that so much has happened in the past few months, that maybe Karm may have some unresolved anger, and not just towards Mellichae. I know we didn't get much of a response from him when Illian died, so maybe that has something to do with it. Especially since he was killed my Mellichae. Who knows, but I think we will see some interesting developments in the coming chapters.

Both LSG and TR have brought up some excellent, poignant points: this was a darker tone and Karm is definitely edging towards a bit of hatred in his anger towards Mellichae and his Sith Shadows.  Which IMO makes for a good narrative: our hero(es) are determined and fighting against an insane, sadistic murderer and those who have chosen to follow him.  One might argue that this is laser guided Karma that they deserve.  And I love the fact that when Karm gives his word, he KEEPS it, regardless that it was to a Sith Shadow.  These are the tenets of the Gray and Mellichae represents an imbalance to be eradicated.

And like TR stated, the action is tight and the suspense palpable.  It was a bit of SW:A Horror Story.  Why does the maniac always live out in the sticks?!  ;)

On a serious note, beautiful imagery! ...and gory (those poor healers)...

Good to see Karm and Arnor back in action; and against Mellichae...well to paraphrase a bit of '80s pop culture: "There can be only one"

I re-read this chapter this morning and I have to be honest, the tone didn't come across exactly as I had intended, but LSG makes a good point - Karmack IS very angry and in a very dangerous position.  He's been focused on recovery, specifically to go on this mission, and then Mellichae went and made it VERY personal. 

Thanks for the feedback guys.   These comments have opened my eyes to something that I hadn't seen was already there.  So... onward!

Chapter Three: Its a Trap
 


I felt the ship powering toward orbit.  I needed to think.  I headed for our cabin, trusting Two to pilot the ship into orbit and hold there until we were ready to move again.  Almost before I could sit down Arnor was there.  "Jo'Anne and Elisa will be fine.  Despite appearances none of the Shadows did anything to them.  They were exactly what they looked like - bait."

I nodded, and felt the dark rage rising in my chest again.  I saw the look on Arnor's face sharpen, her eyes intent as I pushed it back down again.  Her green eyes, so expressive, carried love and concern.  "Karm ... Trust the Singer, not the song." She said softly, then turned and headed back to the infirmary.

For a moment an irrational anger welled up.  How dare she remind me of my oath?  Here we were, about to risk our lives protecting the innocent, doing Right...

Doing right?  Really?  The urge to kill that Shadow was doing 'right'?  Flinging that combine through that house, a house YOU DIDN'T CLEAR FIRST, was 'Right?'  Either things have changed remarkably since my day, young man, or your view of what constitutes 'right' has skewed."

I blinked and started: I was sitting in the golden gazebo again, but this wasn't Kage Dorian.  The man across from me wore a simple dark gray robe over light gray pants and shirt.  No adornment, no rank.  Just golden hair gone silver with age and serene eyes.

Serene and piercing...

"I can feel your confusion.  Dorian often acts as our interface but we thought this conversation might need a more ... firm hand.  I am Cilus."

I sat up straighter as the name registered.  Cil'us'Mack, Kage of the Mak'Tor 250 years before the Ruusan Reformation.  In a time when the Jedi were still considered warriors, still engaged in personal combat against the New Sith, Cilus had tried to show them a different path.  And it was under Cilus that the Mak'Tor codified their Code, their belief in the Maker and His Way.  More than any leader of the Mak'Tor, Cil'us'Mack was the epitome of the warrior-priest: a fierce and fell warrior who was notorious for both his deadly skill and his habit of leaving his enemies alive behind him.  "Master Cilus."

"Master Karmack." he replied, matching my respectful bow.  "Karmack, I sense the conflict within you."

Instantly my mouth opened to deny it, but I shut it abruptly.  What, I was going to lie to a ghost?  A ghost who was no doubt already inside my head?  Truth!  Tell the truth.  Trust the Singer.  "Yes.  I feel conflict."

Cilus nodded, eyes twinkling.  "Good."

I sat, waiting for him to continue, to share some insight, some nugget of wisdom that would clarify my situation and end the confusion.  Cilus just sat there, watching me.  Finally I couldn't wait any longer.  "Well?"

His eyebrows rose.  "Well, what?"

"Well, what should I do?  How do I fix it?"

Cilus shrugged.  "How should I know?  You know the truth.  You know the right.  Do it."

Anger was rising again.  "Do it?  That's your advice?  How?  What is the right thing?  How do I set aside the pain I feel, the anger over the deaths of Illian, the healers, the maiming and almost-death of my son..."  My voice was rising, my heart rate and respiration advanced.  "How can I even mourn with this ... this monster out there?  How can I not act when he's killing people, maiming them, trying to get in here and take what you all know?"

The bemused expression never left Cilus' face as he weathered the tyrade.  "Karmack ... I never said you should be passive.  I think we would all agree that Mellichae has earned death.  The sooner the better."

I felt like exploding.  "SO WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!?!?"

Cilus held up a hand.  "Calmly, son.  Calmly.  Think it through.  Why did you attack the farm so directly?  You had overhead coverage, back-up, and time to use them.  So ... why did you charge right in?"

I took deep breaths to calm myself and forced myself to consider my actions.  "I ... time was of the essence.  We didn't know ...  Mellichae could have been killing another hostage, we wanted to prevent that."

Cilus leaned forward now, and his bemused expression disappeared, replaced by a serious, piercing look.  "Really?  Protecting innocent life?  That was your true motive?"

I felt my jaw set in stubborn refusal as his accusation hit home ... and then realized my reaction.  I took a few deep breaths and purposely relaxed my jaw and my posture.  Truth...  I sighed and looked down, examining my own motives. 

I didn't like what I saw.

"I wanted to kill him.  I still do." I said, softly.  "He needs to die."

Cilus nodded.  "Yes.  He does." 

I looked back up at him.  "But I'm not the one to kill him?  Is that it?"

Cilus smiled sadly.  "Maybe.  Kill him or not, Karm.  The choice is yours.  But when you choose - make sure you're doing the right thing for the right reasons.  That's the key." 

I didn't respond.  I wanted to shout "He's MINE!" but I remained silent.  Not that it mattered.  He knew what I was thinking.  Cilus sighed.  "Trust the Singer, young one.  That is the only way to avoid becoming that which you despise."  He rose and moved to leave the gazebo, but then turned back.  "Just figure it out soon, eh?  Time is short."


I blinked and realized I was back in my cabin.  The Wayfarer continued to climb into orbit.  The vision left me angry and more confused than before...

Defend the innocent...   Do what is Right, as defined by the Maker in His Way...  Maintain a relationship with the Maker...   Trust the Singer...

"He's mine, and I will have him..."  I said, my voice low and dangerous.  I rose and went from the cabin into Engineering, where Two was plugged into the ship's systems.  "Let me know when we're in stable orbit, we have some planning to do."

Two tweeted back, his tone urgent.  "Yes, I know its a trap.  Its always a trap."

I turned to leave and check on Arnor and the healers when Two twitted out a follow-up question.  I turned back and smiled at the droid, a deaths-head grin.  "That's simple.  Next step: Spring the trap."

Did he actually learn anything from Cilus, or is he just ignoring what he said? Will he ultimately do what is right (whether for the right reasons or the wrong), or will he do what is wrong? We have yet to see, but whatever the path he chooses, we are along for the ride. However, if he does chose wrong, he may never be able to return. As Yoda once told Luke "Once down that dark path you start, forever will it dominate you". It is good for Karm to question himself, and he needs to keep doing it. He cannot doubt himself, but he must question. Very interesting development, and I'm loving Cilus. Great job Karmack.

Cilus seems annoyingly ambivalent in his response, doesn't really give any advice other than perhaps plan your next attack more carefully, doesn't discourage Karm's anger directly...perhaps he more Gray than Dorian and co. in that sense, they have a tendency to the light Cilus he seems far more ambivalent...perhaps given Cilus era he learnt something of the Sith, anger, fear aggression can be useful if channelled correctly, tempered into strategy and then unleashed with pinpoint accuracy (an method of some my characters have been using of late...).  Not sure Karm is in a better place for that vision...but then who is to say what is better in this context the one thing Cilus WAS clear about is Mellichae needs his head removed.

Yes, Cilus ... surprised me.  This story is taking on a life of its own.  I keep planning stuff, and it keeps veering off course.  So we're all on a ride at this point...

I actually like the moral ambiguity; after all, Karm IS a "Gray Jedi" although with the close adherence to the Maker I guess that might mitigate the "Gray" part a bit... BUT that's why the backstory with Kimar and Odjina makes this so poignant!  Speaking of...

I think that Master Cilus makes an excellent foil for Karm in that he's the one holding the mirror up.  It's not that "killing" is wrong but that whatever justifications that Karm is telling himself (at least at that time) are not the FULL truth.  But, yeah, Mellichae is a cancer to be eliminated.

Excellent moral quandaries Karm!  This seems like an excellent trajectory for this narrative  :)

Fighting tyranny and hate, torture and cruelty is not wrong, but making that war to satiate vengeance, satisfy personal grievances, to revel and release into darkness, that is wrong.  In spite of what others have said, I think the urge to kill dark opponents is VERY Jedi, as one can only make the choice to resist the darkness when it beckons.  When things are calm, orderly, controlled, it is easy to give voice to choosing the light, but only when the darkness within us rises that we can resist it's call, choose to walk a different path, or to welcome it.  To be perfectly clear, the light is as much a potential position for extremism and overindulgence as the dark, only in different ways.  As well, I feel as though the Mak'tor are grey in the definition that "Grey Jedi" are force users, mostly adhering to the light side, not of the Jedi Order.  Now, to be fair, many Force uses that are normally thought of as strictly "dark side" are only thought that way because the particular philosophies and reactionary rules additions of the Jedi Order have labelled them as such.  So yes, Karm is CLEARLY being tempted, albeit more subtly than Anakin was, by being led down a path of light, but tempted to follow it with dark intentions.  Much like the cave on Dagobah, you only find what you take with you.  If he treads this course with the light song in his heart, seeking to do the right thing (oppose the dark, end oppression and cruelty, and protect the innocent), he will find light through this.  If he continues to go after Mellichae with a sense of anger, revenge, and malice, he will find grief and suffering, regardless of the outcome of the conflict.  To that end, I think that Master Cilus' response was perfectly fitting.  "You are a Master, you know what the right thing is, and what the wrong thing is.  The difference is the intention with which you act.  Free will is yours.  Choose."  So, we find Karmack in exactly the place that the first line of the Jedi Code is meant to avoid; he is acting from a place of emotion, not peace and reason.  Yes, emotion is something we WILL all feel (unless you are an apathetic sociopath), and it makes wonderful motivation, but it needs to be allowed to crest and then ebb, to spark thought and reason, to allow action based on rational decisions.  Will Karm remember that in time, or will he plunge himself into dukka, and lead his wife into increased danger with it?

Chapter 4: Reflections.

The Enclave had been on Dantooine for millenia.  Alternately a center for Jedi training and learning and a wild ruin, the edifice today was crumbling, the upper levels long since stripped bare of anything usable by salvagers and scavengers.  The series of high-level passes that Wayfarer had made yeilded high resolution holographic images of those ruins, with nothing showing visually to suggest anything but a long-abandoned ruin.

But switch to thermal...

"There..." I used the controls to zoom in on an obvious heat bloom over the west hall.  "While nothing shows above ground, the heat escaping has to be coming from something ... or someone."

Arnor leaned and and studied the visual.  The computer had overlayed the holograph with what was known of the interior's structure.  "Most of the upper levels are open to the outside.  We'd see anything going on there.  But this area..." She cupped an opening in her hand, a large circular area where there had once been a chamber used by the Jedi council.  That chamber was gone, the area below now open to the light and apparently filled with life.  "This goes down into the sub-levels, and there's also a good-sized heat bloom.  We could drop in here, ride the DCCs down and penetrate the sub-levels this way, rather than fight our way through these corridors."

Arnor's pathway highlighted on the screen.  It was shorter than fighting through from the landing pads to the west, and moved through chambers that were more open, with more room to manuever.  "I like it."  I turned to where Two and Mutt were sitting.  "You two ready to suit up?"

Mutt answered with a simple affirmative beep.  Two...was more verbose

Arnor smacked his dome.  "Language!"

Two swivelled his video receptor to face her and spit out an injured-sounding string of whistles.  "No, I'm not betraying you.  I've always been on his side.  You just haven't noticed."  Two rocked with mirth but returned a rude grunt.  "Oh, spare my blushes..."

Elisa's light laughter from the hatchway drew our attention.  "Is he always like that?"

"Always." I replied, smiling.  "He says that each time he has to boot-strap he gets a little more grumpy.  I think he's boosting that part of his personality matrix on purpose, but I can't prove it ... yet."  I shot a mock glare at the droid.  "But really he's harmless."

Two chirped again, this time agitated.  Elisa cocked her head to the side.  "What was that?  I don't know the language well enough..."

Arnor interpreted.  "He said, loosely, 'I am not harmless!  I can be quite dangerous!'"  Arnor laid her hand on his dome again, this time in a familiar caress.  "And he's right.  Both he and Mutt have saved our bacon more than once, and they can be down right scary in the DCCs."

"Dee cee cee?" Elisa asked next, stepping up to the holographic table.  "What does that stand for?"

"Droid Combat Chassis." I replied, bringing up a call-out with a rotating cut-away view.  "I managed to snag three of the updated versions for this mission.  They're a little smaller than the previous versions, but they have song-steel armor and carry a brace of heavy blasters and a six-cell missile launcher for some serious punch, with a covering of song-steel armor to keep everything working."

Elisa stared at the chassis.  "Wow...  Its like a miniature walker..."

"It is a miniature walker, and all designed to be operated by an astromech droid.  The Men-At-Arms also have a version that can be piloted by a humanoid and serves as their primary armored unit for planetary combat."  I zoomed in on the unit.  "The key for us, however, are these jump jets.  Arnor and I will be able to piggy-back down on Two and Mutt's chassis, allowing us to drop from the air rather than risk landing the Wayfarer in range of whatever forces are on the ground."

Elisa nodded and her face went blank as she studied the hologram of the enclave.  "There's a lot of heat.  That means a lot of bad guys."  She turned and looked at me.  "You're calling for back-up?"

Something inside me hardened.  "No.  We're ending this now, before any more innocents die."

I felt a spike in the force from Arnor, worry ... and fear.  I looked at her and caught the look of deep worry on her face before she could mask it.  She held my eyes for a second, then dropped her gaze to the hologram, but I got her message loud and clear: we need to talk.

I turned my attention back to Elisa as I felt her own emotions spike.  Fear, for a moment, but then subsumed by anger.  Rage.

Hate.

"I'm coming with you." she said.  It was not a question.

I looked back at Arnor, and her eyes were wide as she also recognized the emotions in the Koawan.  "Elisa ... that might not be a good idea."

"You need all the help you can get." Elisa replied.  Her voice was calm, matter-of-fact.  There was no evidence of the storm of emotions hammering through her.  "All I need is whatever back-up gear you can supply me."

"Elisa..." I said, stepping forward.  "I ... can feel the anger within you.  This will be dangerous."

"You think I'm afraid to die?" She wheeled on me, still outwardly calm, but her eyes were alight.  "Trust me, there are FAR worse things that can happen than dying.  You need me.  I'm trained, I just need a few minutes in your armory and some gear."

"Its not physical death I'm referring to." I shot back.  "You're filled with anger and rage for what happened to you, to the others.  You're at a tipping point, a dangerous place and could easily lose your way in the song.  The dark melodies are seductive..."

Elisa's eyes blazed and she stepped right up to me, nose-to-nose.  "You're one to talk.  Physician, heal thyself." She turned and stormed out.  "I'll be in the armory."

I turned to Arnor.  "Can you reason with her?  If she engages with this level of emotional compromise..."

Now it was Arnor's eyes that blazed; my wife that closed and stood with me nose-to-nose.  "Karm, I love you, but you need to go look in a mirror."   She turned and left, following Emily out of the room.

Two beeped his own agreement at me, then followed her out as well. I was left alone in the room, stunned.

Am I so filled with hatred that even a droid noticed?

I waited for the gazebo to appear, filled with golden light and recriminating ghosts ... but nothing happened.

So ... now I'm on my own?  Thanks guys...

I leaned over the projector table, the image of the enclave still floating in mid-air.  Anger welled up in me again, and I squeezed the edge of the table until my fingers went white.  Only when the metal started to buckle did I realize that I was channeling force energy into my hands as well as the pent-up anger in my chest.  "Relax, Karm.  Chill..."  I whispered to myself, slowly relaxing my hands and stepping back.  I stared at the hologram, floating there.  In my minds eye I could see him there, in the shadows, taunting me...  I snarled, raised my fist overhead to smash the imager...

Something inside me checked my hand.  I lowered it slowly, unclenched the fist.  Instead of smashing the imager I turned it off, watched it retract into the mirror-smooth table top.  I leaned over, looked down...

...at myself.  Look in the mirror...  I saw eyes.  Blue eye.  Angry eyes.  I stared at them, looking into their depths.  I saw a man who had worked himself hard, studied, researched, trained, all to mount this mission of ... revenge.

He's mine!  I want him, and I will have him!

<<He is not yours.  Vengence is mine...>>

The scripture fragment flashed through my mind, part of a homily presented by Brother James in the Mack chapel months ago.  I hadn't been listening then.  Now...  I was suddenly humming a memory motif, digging the sermon out of my memory.

<<Vengence is mine, I will repay says the Maker>>

<<Do Justice...Love Mercy...Walk Humbly...>>

<<Trust in the Maker and do good...>>

I fell to my knees.  When was the last time I had prayed?  Stopped and listened?  I read the words of the Way every day, but how long had it been since I had truly thought about them?  "Maker..."  I whispered.  "Holy Maker ... I am sorry!  You answered my call, you saved my son, and my response..."  I choked.  I couldn't continue.  I bowed myself before my God and I wept.

When Arnor returned some time later I cried on her shoulder.  Finally we embraced. Her eyes were shining when they met at last, filled only with love.  I pressed my forehead to hers.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She replied.  "Now ... what are we going to do?"

I stood, pulled Arnor to her feet, and re-activated the hologram.  "As the man said, the right thing - but for the right reasons..."  I cupped the entry path Arnor had sketched earlier.  "He needs to be stopped.  It would be days before reinforcements can get here.  We're going in."

Arnor nodded.  "Good."

"Excellent" said another voice. 

I turned and Elisa stood in the doorway, a newly constructed lightsaber in her hand.  "Elisa..."

She raised her other hand.  "Don't say it.  I am angry.  VERY angry.  But I really only want to help, and you need the help."  She met my gaze.  "Its out job as Knights to protect the innocent - and visit justice on those like Mellichae.  That's all I want.  Justice."

I studied her face, still serene, but the cauldron of emotion raging within her had subsided somewhat.  "Koawan El'Isa'Tor, Justice will be done.  I ... had denied that myself.  In my own pursuit of revenge I forgot out purpose.  My wife and ... others ... reminded me of it."  I met her eyes.  "I swear to you: Justice will be done.  Maker willing, by our actions here and now.  Trust the Singer, El'Isa.  Leave vengence to him.  Give me your word."

Elisa straightened.  "I give you my word, Master Karmack."

"Very well."  I held out my hand.  "Lets take a look at your construction.  I may have a ... slight upgrade ... for you."



    <<<<<  >>>>>

 

There were nine in the Golden Circle, but only three had engaged in the discussions.  Dorian was magnamimous.  "Well, Cilus, you were right."

Cil'us'Mack sat back and stroked his chin, his face serious.  "Perhaps.  The rage is still there.  It ... worries me."

"As it should." Ho'Li'Mack interjected.  "He has the Mack temper. As do most of us.  Its cause for worry."

Dorian shrugged dismissively.  "But under control, and his rage no longer controls him.  He will come."

There was a shudder and the golden world trembled briefly as a massive release of force energy washed over it.  There was a pause and the nine braced themselves, prepared for the back-wash of energy that followed as another life was snuffed out.  "Damn you, Mellichae..."

Dorian laid a soothing hand on Ho'Li's shoulder.  "That will be the last.  Karm will come and end this."

Ho'Li, her eyes dark with memories of slaughter that the rest did not share, turned a tear-streaked face upward.  "He'd better.  The only thing worse than this would be..."

Dorian shushed her.  "No.  We'll end ourselved before we allow that.  But it won't come to that."  He looked up, and his eyes shone.  "He's coming..."

In the most ancient tradition of playgrounds everywhere, the axiom of "it takes one to know one" has offered Karm the chance to self reflect, to catch that rage and revenge he has been nurturing while denying it outwardly, and still, he almost passed the chance by.  It seems he has found his balance, made his choice to turn down the welcoming dark, and move forward in the light, the song his ally.  Now three, versed in the ways of the Force, and two enthusiastic and well armed droids will delve into the depths of the hold of the depraved Zabrak, and carry the torch of justice to him, in the name of the light.  Who will sing the stronger song, and what role will the Ancient One yet play in this opera?

Yes, Illyiss put it well. Karm needed to self-reflect, but he was not going to do that without someone to push him to that point. Besides that, it was a beautiful scene, and one I thing we all should look to when angry. If it weren't for Arnor and Elisa (and dare I say Two), I don't belive that Karm would have accepted that he needed to repent, and in his anger, he would have been pressed to the point of no return, and possible fallen across the line. While still in the darker story, we see a hint of light shining through. I see a lot of anger coming from Elisa and Karm both, but I think Karm may also be thing about the "be ye angry and sin not", even though not specifically stated, and it is going to help him. I'm not entirely sure that I trust Elisa though. Wonderfully written, well done.

Elisa took Karm to task…but I wonder…

Is Karm lying to himself?  I mean in the end…if actions mean more than intention then his planned actions are exactly the same as before his prayerful repentance…does the motive really matter if the action is the same?  Is the only one who benefits from a differing ‘perspective’ on why the same action occurred the person themselves i.e. is Karm just making himself feel better for going after Mellichae by giving it a ‘good guy’ gloss “oh it’s not Vengence its Justice”…

Sort of reminds me of the Bhagavad Gita…in the end Arjuna is just the vessel through which the enemy will die…accepting his role as a warrior is, one might say, just a way of justifying it to himself.

Or to put it in an Aethan view point…
“Vengeance is ours the Goddesses say…and you our Children are the means by which we will take it.”

Anyway great writing to get such a spray concepts building gup across this story arc.

I don't want to give anything away at this point, but in regards to motives, I would direct your attention to a parable: The Widow's Mite.  Yes, the REASON something happens is important.  Its the difference between Justice and Revenge.

'nuff said ... for now.  (I know not everyone will agree with me.  But I don't believe in "a certain point of view" either.  ;-)

Chapter 5: Descent


The plan hadn't really changed.  The Mark IV DCCs had ... excessive jump capacity, and there was plenty of room for Arnor and Elisa to strap onto Two's back.  That left me with Mutt for the drop ... which would be terrifying.  Jo'anne had trained as a pilot and had some experience, so she was handling the helm while Vegan plugged into the mainframe and ran engineering and navigation.  They had the Wayfarer streaking across the Khoonda plains.  That left the five of us in the main hold, waiting for the bottom to fall out.

Which it did.

We were executing a "HALO" jump - High Altitude, Low Opening - and the droids did no braking as we fell, only using very small bursts of their jets to steer and stay on trajectory.  There was no visible sign of a reaction from the ground, which grew at an alarming rate, but the outwardly pacific view as only a cover for the boiling cauldron of energy beneath.  I opened myself to the force, reaching out, singing songs of discovery while simultaneously masking our presence.  What I saw and felt was disturbing.  The force was roiling with dark energy.  The song was a clashing cacaphony, filled with hard rhythm and clashing melodies.  Twisting through the evil songs I could pick out the familiar threads of healers.  The mix was to chaotic to get a clear view of how many there were, but I was sure there were at least four, maybe as many as six threads, filled with fear and dread.  But they were a weak thread of light surrounded by darkness, evil and death.

The retro-packs fired: we were spot on target, heading for the opening where the ancient Council Chamber had been.  I reached out again, this time beginning to sing my battle song, pulling Arnor and Elisa into the battle meld.  At the last moment, just as we cleared the overhang, we separated from the droids.  Using the force, I did a somersault and landed lightly, saber igniting in my hand as the chamber erupted with a fusillade of angry red blaster bolts.

We had descended into hell...

I sensed the shields on Two and Mutt's DCCs snapping into place under the pounding of the barrage, their own return fire concentrating on fixed emplacements and sentry guns.  Arnor and Elisa began to weave their own defensive shields, green fire and ice-blue fury in motion as they swept toward the thin line of ambushing Sith Shadows on their side of the chamber.  That left me with several to deal with alone, making a stand between our entry point and the primary passageway into the subterranean chambers beyond.

Using the force, I launched myself at them, performing a somersault and landing lightly right in their midst.  My saber ignited in my hand, twin blades of flaming gold, and I adopted an aggressive Juyo attack designed for close-quarters combat.  With brutal efficiency I carved my way through the formation, concentrating on disabling attacks aimed at wrists and elbows, ankles and knees.  Not every Shadow survived, but most went down alive but unable to fight as I followed my battle song through the dance of death and destruction, slowly imposing my own melody on the chaotic song around me.

Resistance died and I deflected the halfhearted parting shots that the few survivors threw our way.  "Two, status."  Two, behaving himself for once, chirped back a concise reply.  "Good.  Mutt?"  I turned my head at Mutt's chirped reply to see smoke coming from one of his heavy blasters.  "Is it just overheated, or damaged?"  Mutt waved it around a bit and tweeted back a trilling response.  "OK, yes, I can see the blaster damage now.  Good think it didn't pop on you."  There were two blackened, ragged holes in the blaster casing, right near the primary power cell.  If that cell had exploded there would be more than just some smoke floating around...

Arnor and Elisa joined me.  The groans and moans from the fallen were starting to mount, filling the chamber with an eerie sound.  I concentrated for a moment, tapping into a healing song and flooding it into the chamber.  The effect was immediate as the fallen Shadows fell into a deep sleep, their pain suppressed and bleeding stopped.  "That should keep them out for a while..."

Arnor nodded, her eyes shining her approval at me.  Elisa's look was ... less complimentary.  "You should have let them suffer..."

"No.  Mellichae deserves death.  His closest supporters are likely going to fight to the death.  But we won't kill any more than necessary."  I leveled my gaze at the young Knight.  "Understood?"

"Yes." She grated back.  "Can we get on with it?"

I turned and looked down the corridor the last Shadows had retreated into.  "Yes.  Lets.  Two, feel like paving the road?"

Two tweeted and enthusiastic reply and stepped into the lead, his battle shields popping back into place as he passed us and approached the open blast door.  I saw Elisa's lips twitch into a slight smile and Arnor shake her head and sigh dramatically as he continued to tweet and trill away. 

I rolled my eyes and stepped in behind him, my saber ignited and reconfigured to single-blade mode.  "Two!  Language!"

The droid ignored us, his string of rude binary drowned out by the thunder of his heavy blasters.

<<<<<  >>>>>

The corridor was almost to much for Two.  Mutt moved up to support him, but by the time we broke into the main chamber both DCCs were heavily damaged and near collapse. 

But they did their job: The gates of Hell had been broken open.

Working together Arnor and I sent a powerful force blast past Two as he fired his final shots, his weaponry spent.  Our joint force-push shredded the blast door Two and Mutt had hammered to scrap and sent the pieces scything into the chamber beyond.  Using the force I sent the fragments slashing through guards in the room and crashing into the cell doors it contained.  Screeches of fury and pain were mingled with cries of fear as we burst in, sabers blazing.  The door explosion had taken down three of the guards, leaving four.  Two were typical Sith Shadows, armed with energy weapons and typical armor.  But the other two...

They weren't twins, but they might as well have been.  They appeared to be human, both with pale skin and red-blond hair.  One sported short hair and a neatly trimmed beard.  The other was clean-shaven and bald, carrying tattoos that resembled Zabrek markings but done in a garish neon-blue color.  The pair wore identical black tactical suits that appeared to have Mandalorian origins but wore no helmets.  As we entered the room the bearded one glared and sent a massive pulse through the force.

I braced, weaving a defensive barrier around myself in the force and augmenting it with my battle song. I felt Arnor and Elisa block in a similar matter, and as the energy washed over us it dissipated without doing any real damage. 

But we were not the primary target.

Two was slammed back into the passageway we'd just left, smashing into Mutt and the two of them tumbling back up the hall.  Sparks flew and the DCCs shed pieces as the force energy from the 'twins' expended itself.  Two's plaintive boops and beeps in Binary echoed back, so the droids were still operational, but the DCCs were destroyed.  We would have to trust them to extricate themselves.  We had other things to do.

The 'twins' ignited their sabers and launched themselves into the attack.  The shadows, however, turned - and headed toward the cells on either side of the room.  "Arnor! Elisa!  Stop them and secure the hostages!"  I swung into Soresu, drawing both sith into me, spinning and twisting, my blade a golden shield around me, hammering back the angry red sabers of my foes while drawing them away from the women.  Arnor went left and Elisa went right, making short work of the two Shadows, cutting them down before they could kill the prisoners.

I sensed it remotely through the battle meld, but I was immersed now in the Song, drawing power through it and using the crystals to enhance it.  I could feel the early burn of over-use as I channeled more force energy through myself but I had not choice now.  The two who faced me were well trained in the Jedi arts and strong in the force.  They were also linked in their own battle meld...

They were singing!

I could feel their song now, a dark counter-melody twisting around my own song, pulling at it, attempting to draw it off-key and out of rhythm.  In response I kicked my own song up, pushing the energy with an Allegro Vivaci tempo and poured more energy through my fatiguing body.  The increase in pace surprised them and I sensed an opening, shifting my technique to exploit a gap...

The bearded one grimaced as my blade clipped his knee but his armor turned the blow, saving his leg.  He swung out of the pattern for a second, howling in rage, as his partner pressed home a vicious series of strikes.  I could feel Arnor now in the link, her concern rising.  She was across the room, hampered by the captives she'd found.  I sent her a quick pulse in our link, reassuring her, telling her to take care of the singers.  Getting them out was the first priority.

I couldn't communicate with Elisa in the link like I could my wife, but I felt her moving back as well, helping two more healers away from the fight.  I spun through a combination and ducked, hammering Blue Tattoo with a powerful force push.  He deflected much of it but staggered back as the energy coursed through him.

The opening gave me just enough time to take a single breath before Beard was back into the attack.  His pattern shifted, his strikes quicker, more precision and less power.  I held him at bay but I could feel the fatigue beginning to build.  All or nothing...  I activated the small chorus of crystals I had with me and felt the energy surge through me, burning now as it passed...but then a cool wave washed over me and the fatigue poisons receded as healing energy flowed into me. 

It was just the edge I needed.  With a final adjustment I slammed my battle song into full presto and shifted to Juyo.  A forward roll caught Beard by surprise and put me between them again, and I brought my second blade active as I rose, spinning through a hammering attack against Blue's guard.  The first strike slammed his blade wide, the follow-up severing his arm below the shoulder, and a force-enhanced back kick caught him in the gut and threw him hard across the room, where he slammed into the wall and crumpled to floor.

Still, he fared better than Beard, who attempted to charge from the rear.  I caught his high cut with my forward blade, deflected, and spun through the attack with my lower blade, using the force of my core to drive my counter-attack home.  My back-side blade caught him across the pelvis, destroying it and tearing his abdomen open.  The finishing cut through his neck as I completed the turn was a mercy.

I froze, expecting to feel my own legs buckle from the burst of energy that had just coursed through my body, but instead all I felt was ... refreshed.  I turned to look at Arnor, but she was still across the chamber, struggling to get the three badly wounded healers past the DCC wreckage.  So who...

Elisa stood, eyes closed, coming out of her own healing song.  She staggered a bit but then grinned.  "See, told you I needed to come along."

"Yes, you did."  I reached out with the force and slid DCC parts out of the way for Arnor.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She replied.  "Nice work.  To bad you can't do that without a healing song to keep you from burning out.  I don't think even you could add a strong enough healing motif to that battle song of yours..."

I blinked at that.  "Healing motif..."  It would need its own energy channel...  I pushed the thought down.  Not now...  "We need to get these healers out of here.  Now."

There were five more healers, all showing signs of abuse, all in the same state we'd found Elisa and Jo'Anne.  But no sign of Mellichae.  "Where is Mellichae?  I can feel him, hear his song.  Where is that worm hiding?"

"Who said I was hiding?" The voice was as sonorous as I remembered, and it echoed from the corridor opposite the one we'd come by. "I'm right here.  I wondered how long it would take you to come for these."  He held his saber in his right hand.  In his left the Ancient One glowed golden-yellow.  I had a sudden pang, as if it called out to me in distress.  I reached out and tried to pull it free...

Mellichae closed his fist and laughed.  "On no you don't!  You're not getting it back that easy!  In fact, I don't intend to give it back at all.  What I am going to do is watch you struggle, limbless, then make sure you live long enough to see me torture your precious wife, use her for my own pleasure, then steal her power to unlock the secrets of the Ancient One, all while you watch.  Then, when I've totally defeated you in every way, I will kill you.  But I may keep her as a slave ... for a while."  His lecherous grin made my stomach turn, a feeling that was enhanced as his song washed over me. 

With a grunt I pushed his song back, spinning my own battle song back to full strength.  "And how do you plan to do ... that..."  I felt my knees go wobbly, my head spinning. 

Mellichae tilted his head back and roared.  "Did you forget?"  He parted his robe and revealed another crystal, caged within an amulet he wore around his neck.  The Rur fragment!  I blinked, struggling to stand.  My song still hammered at his, but the Rur was turning his song into focused energy, warping my battle song even as I sang it...

"Now, if you would be so kind my dear..." He said and I heard the saber snap on behind me.  Elisa!  I turned, struggling to bring my saber up as Elisa dropped the healers she'd been helping and advanced on me.

The Rur!  Mendax was using the Rur to 'capture' people the way the Ancient One captures other crystals.  He must be using it to... It suddenly made sense.  Mellichae was using the Rur to force the Mak'Tor healers to use their force abilities to try to unlock the Ancient One.  The crystal could resist a force attack, but a "friendly" singer using Mak'Tor motifs would eventually find a way through - if they were strong enough.

And Arnor would be strong enough, with someone like Mellichae forcing her and pouring energy from the Rur through her at the same time!

Elisa advanced, flourishing now, and my mind raced.  I channeled my song through the crystals again, feeling the power enhance, feeling the burn...  Its the Rur.

And the Ancient One already captured the Rur once.

I turned my back on Elisa and gathered a massive surge of force energy.  With a yell I released it, channeling it through the Ancient One - and into the Rur fragment.

The Rur fragment, the core of what had been the Rur crystal, didn't fragment or shatter or explode.  It simply vaporized.

With a gasp I felt Mellichae's song collapse.  I spun, my own energy restored, and blocked the half-hearted overhand strike Elisa was in the middle of delivering. 

"What the..."  She stumbled back, lowering her guard.  "What's going on???"

"Arnor!  Cut him off!" I threw myself into a forward roll, slashing at Mellichae's legs.  He back-flipped away, diving into the small corridor he'd come in by.

Before any of us could pursue there was a rumble and the archway collapsed, sealing the passage behind him as he fled.

What is it with Gray Jedi and collapsing places...the Imperial Citadel on Byss in Tarnished Knight...Geonosis in Wind Chimes...now this!!!
On top of that those poor droids keep getting their DCC's blown up...no wonder Two is lashing out verbally the poor thing!

Anyway...Sounds like Mellichae has a bit of a plan but it is so blunt...he's trying to ram the door down basically using Arnor as a battering ram...clearly not thinking clearly given how obviously dangerous that is...but that makes him all the more dangerous.  Karms starting to pick up on just how limited his super abilities are which is a good sign, with the Rur vaporized I think he could take Mellichae (can the ancient one help him too?)...assuming he gets to him in one piece that is....

Yeah, these stupid Sith keep hanging out in structurally unsound ruins!  Its annoying...  ;-)

Karm seems to forget patience all too often, rushing in (albeit a bit understandably here) without taking the time to understand what he's rushing in to.  It seems that time after time his opponents have strong obstacles waiting to wear him down, to play his faults, and get him to step to their advantage.  It is only through his raw power that he seems to be pulling things out by the skin of his teeth, and that may be showing limits he had not anticipated.  I imagine that while surprised by the destruction of the Rur fragment (where does he get such wonderful toys? ;) ), Mellichae has more surprises in store for the headstrong hero... 

Great chapter. It's hard to pick a favorite character from your stories Karm, but Two is right up there at the top. :D But yeah, the DCCs seem to get smashed up pretty regularly.

One thing though, from the way Elisa insisted on coming in the last chapter, I had to wonder if she was somehow turned into a double agent by Mellichae. While maybe not on the ship, she definitely was once on the ground. Although she did give Karmack something interesting to think about and try to implement. A healing motif mixed in with the rest of the battle song. I'm honestly kind of surprised Karmack hadn't already thought of it.

That impatience, charging in, overpower the enemy mindset.  He really needs a Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan LOL.

LSG, Illyiss, you guys (as always) have given me something to think about.  Deeply....  :-)

Although I have to say that Qui Gon Gin might not be the best mentor for Karmack.  Qui Gon was also a bit reckless...  Obi Wan, on the other hand...   ;-)

Qui-Gon was reckless, but at the same time he gathered his information.  His start point was always well informed, it was after the plan set in motion that the reckless kicked in. ;)

LOVE what you did with the crystal lore Karm!  Now Mellichae's plans make MUCH more sense!  And the return of the DDCs is ALWAYS a welcome inclusion  :)

LOL  So true Karm  ;D


I like especially like Karm's fight with the twins; too bad they had the misfortune of going against a superior Singer.  Those two could have an interesting backstory... Or not  ;)

Tight action, great narrative, keep it coming!

LOL

Thanks guys, the feed back is encouraging and stimulating, as always.  :-)

I feel like this is that page in a "choose your own adventure" novel where you have to choose...

"If Karmack continues to recklessly pursue Mellichae, go to page 14."
"If Karmack and company concentrate on saving the healers and let Mellichae flee, turn to page 27."
"If Karmack and company try to split the difference, taking the wounded healers with them as they pursue Mellichae, turn to page 47."


Or is there ANOTHER way???  Hmm....

"If Karmack sends Arnor and the droids to get the healers out, while he goes after Mellichae alone, turn to page 60."

Now, see, I ... 

Wait.  ARE YOU READING OVER MY SHOULDER AGAIN???    ;-)

Or is this response a massive red herring?  *sniff sniff*  Hmmm.....

Teaser for the next chapter....

Karmack's combat knife:
(https://i.imgur.com/m6PkJyN.jpg)

Ooo, intriguing. ;)

Nifty kukri, Karm!

I like it!

CH6: Ius Gladii (Right of the Sword)
Part One


I turned away from the dust, coughing to clear my lungs.  I could still feel the Ancient One, tantalizingly close...  I pulled out my communicator.  "Karmack to Wayfarer, state your position."

"We are seven kilometers out, orbiting at five hundred meters altitude." Jo'Anne's voice came back instantly. 

"Good."  I turned to gesture to Arnor but she was already moving her charges toward the exit again.  Elisa still stood with a confused look on her face, watching us.  "Elisa, help Arnor.  We need to get these women out of here."  She looked at me blankly.  "MOVE!"

That seemed to break the spell, and Elisa clipped her saber to her belt and moved to help Arnor.  I brought the communicator back up.  "Jo'Anne, bring the ship in and set her down next to the portal where we entered.  We'll have survivors.  Have Vegan set up a sensor watch, I want to know if anything or anyone approaches the enclave, or if any vehicles of any kind try to leave."

"Will do.  We'll be on the ground in ... four minutes." Jo'Anne's voice sounded confident and I was glad she was there.  Though the Rur could have turned her presence there into a disaster.  But the Rur was no more, that threat ended...  Thank the Maker, Karmack, because you certainly didn't see that one coming!

I moved to where Two and Mutt were untangling from their wrecked DCCs.  "You guys OK?"  Mutt whistled an affirmative.  Two...

Well, Two responded.  "I'll take that as a 'yes' then..."  More tweets and whistles.  "OK, a qualified yes.  Sheesh."  Mutt whistled a question to me.  "Do either of the DCCs still have working remotes?"  Mutt twittered another affirmative. "Good.  Release them and have them scan the sub-level."

Mutt acknowledged the direction and plugged into his failing DCC.  After a few moments one of the munitions compartments popped open and a half-dozen small probes floated out, hovered for a second, then moved out into the corridors.  They would map the tunnels and scan for life forms, finding and tracking Mellichae and whatever forces he had left.

Assuming he didn't just run.

I opened myself to the force, listened to the song.  The pace was quickening, the various melodies still intertwined.  He's not going to run.  Mellichae wanted this confrontation.  He needed it.  Nor was I of a mind to deny him.  His actions had earned him an appointment with the Sword of Justice. But first we had to take care of the Healers we'd rescued.

After extracting Two and Mutt fully from the DCC wreckage I helped get the five women we'd just rescued to the ship.  Jo'Anne had the Wayfarer on the ground when we arrived.  It took a few minutes to get everyone situated.  Jo'Anne took charge of their medical needs while Mutt joined Vegan in plugging in and flying the ship.  I joined Mutt briefly in the cockpit.  "Once we redeploy I want you airborne.  Your first priority is to keep anyone from getting out.  Mellichae and his remaining men probably have at least one vehicle stashed away somewhere, so stay sharp and keep the comm open.  Questions?"

Mutt's reply was a simple negative beep before he brought the flight controls online.  Like Two, Mutt was a competent pilot with combat experience.  He and Vegan could run and fly the ship without any problems.  I gave him an affectionate pat on the dome and left him to it, headed for the armory.  Once there I grabbed a belt pouch and added it to my combat harness over my left hip.  Inside I put a half-dozen "snoopers" - small, round remotes that could be tossed or rolled into a room or corridor, scanning in visual, EM and infra-red as they went.  These reported back to a small base device, which I also tucked into the pouch.  I finished by adding a pair of aerosol grenades to my harness.  The 'smoke' they would release was dense and blocked both heat and light.  I was about to head back out but at on impulse I turned back and grabbed a second combat knife, a twin to the 12" kukri-style knife already riding my right hip.  I added the second sheath to my left hip, tucked under the pouch.

"Thinking close-quarters?" Arnor asked from the doorway.

"I'm not sure.  Just ... seemed like a good idea.  These, though..." I patted the pouch "...I should have had these all along.  Armsman Gol'ana is going to kick my posterior for not using the remotes in the first place.  He'd never forgive me if I didn't correct that error now."

Arnor grabbed a pouch of her own.  "No, he wouldn't.  We need to go, we've losing time.  Who knows what that monster has planned..."

I led her out of the room, adjusting my armor as we trotted down the boarding ramp.  "I'm not sure he's really planned anything out, but he had to know this would provoke a response.  His end-game seemed to be to capture and use you to open the crystal and give him revenge on me personally."  I turned and looked my wife in the eye.  "I think he underestimates your strength.  And he's TOTALLY underestimated how resolute the ... entities ... in the crystal are that they not be taken.  They will destroy themselves before bending to his will.  And without the Rur, he no longer has the key he needs to open the crystal anyway."

Arnor's brow furrowed.  "Are you sure?  He may have something else up his sleeve that we don't know about."

I nodded.  "True.  That's why we're going back in smart."  I looked over to where Two, now ensconsed in the final DCC we had with us, rode down the cargo lift accompanied by Elisa.  "Are you OK to go back in?"

Two responded with a rude series of tweets and chirps.  "I wasn't talking to you!  I know you're always ready for a fight." I turned to Elisa.  "Are you good?"

The Koawan Knight took a deep breath and nodded.  "Yes.  He's not..."  For a moment her eyes were haunted.

"No." I said firmly.  "The Rur had the power to let him 'capture' your mind using certain motifs the same way..."  I stopped.  "Well, its a long story.  I'll explain on the way home.  But now..."

"Justice must be served." Elisa replied firmly.

"Justice." Arnor said, joining our circle.

"Justice." I replied.

 The song swelled, a stirring crescendo of brass instruments, horns in the lead...

Two chirped, and I sighed.  "Language..."




Our second entrance into the sub-levels of the Enclave was faster - and more cautious.  The snoopers had done their work and we had a fairely comprehensive map of the levels ... with a large blank area almost directly opposite where we were.  "I'm pretty sure that's where we're going to find them." I said as we moved through the corridors.

"Ya think?" Arnor replied.  She was spaced a good distance from me but we were tied together by our tactical communication link. "According to our records that area should be a large chamber, some kind of technical area."

I checked the map on my own device.  The overall shape of this area of the Enclave as a loop, or square, with a spur on each end.  One spur led to the council chamber where we entered.  The other spur opposite it went to the "blind" zone, but should be a matching large chamber similar to the council "robe room" where we entered from the destroyed council chamber above.   There were also chambers where these spurs met the square.  The near chamber was where we'd had our first fight.  The second "inner" chamber was where our snooper probes tended to go off the air.  In between were long corridors filled with doorways that led to rooms filled with Maker-knew-what.

Perfect for staging an ambush...

Which was why we were advancing carefully now, using the snoopers and staying well spaced.  We had also split up, with Arnor and Elisa headed down the right-hand corridor while Two and I took the left-hand pathway.  The side rooms were mostly empty, long-since picked apart by scavengers and salvagers looking for tech they could sell.  Nor did we find more prisoners ... or bodies.  But there was blood.

Lots of blood.

I moved with my senses wide open, feeling my way more than seeing.  There were disturbing echoes in the force, some recent, others distant.  The Dantooine enclave had seen wars and horrors for millennia.  The recent atrocities, though fresh, were subsumed by the mosaic of tragedy and death that reverberated throughout.  Nor was the song unaffected, a minor dirge underpinning the melody of the Jedi that still coursed through these chambers.  The hammering of the Sith was present as well, but largely suppressed.

Everywhere ... except that open area...

Only the 'blind zone' ahead was different.  It was filled with the hammering rhythm that I had learned to associate with Mellichae.  It as his battle-song, refracted and reinforced by whatever chorus he'd managed to assemble with the Rur before losing it.  The power of it was daunting.  Mellichae wasn't running: he was waiting for us to come to him, on his terms and on ground of his choosing.

So be it.

We rounded the corner and I caught sight of Arnor at the far end of the corridor.  She and Elisa were moving in a dash-and-cover pattern, one dashing ahead to a cover position where they would scan with the Force.  Once they determined it was clear, the other would dash ahead to the next position and do the same.  Repeat as needed.

Two couldn't really hide, so we were handling it a little differently.  Two walked slowly down the middle of the corridor, scanning for threats, while I ghosted along with him, zig-zagging back and forth from cover to cover, scanning in the force at each cover position.

We met at the small atrium that marked the joining of the square.  There were exits at the cardinal points from the generally circular atrium, but the door to the right only led to a small service room in the interior of the square.  A quick look revealed nothing but ransacked server racks and stripped power systems.

We turned and faced the last doorway - a heavy blast door, which appeared to be locked.  "He's in there..."

Arnor nodded.  "Two, there's a data port here.  Plug in and see if you can override the door."

Two twittered an acknowledgement and stepped to the port, plugging in and attempting to access the computer network behind it.  After only a few seconds the blast door suddenly slammed open, the chamber beyond lit with dim, red lights.  "Good work, Two!"

Two stepped back, turning toward the opening, screaming a warning.  Before I could react a massive fist of force energy flowed past me, slamming into Two, Arnor and Elisa, tossing them all back against the far wall of the atrium.  "Arnor..."

Another tendril of force energy wrapped around me and pulled....  I was singing now, my saber active in my hand, golden light flooding the room as I threw the tendril off.  I caught my balance, centered, kept my feet ... but the pull had done it's work.  The massive blast door which had opened so suddenly closed with matching swiftness, thundering back into place and separating me from Arnor, Elisa and Two.

A red blade ignited in front of me and the room echoed with the rumbling of Mellichae's laughter.

CH6: Ius Gladii (Right of the Sword)
Part Two



I hit the wall with a grunt, blunting the impact with the Force.  Elisa hit next to me and sagged down the wall, she hadn't had time to get a cushion up.  "Two!  Get that door open!"

No messing around now, no cocky droid profanity.  Two righted the DCC and sprang back to the data port, plugging in again and this time he braced himself.  Nothing would move him until he was done.

"Karm..." I whispered.  My eyes went opaque as I reached out, touching our song.  The fugue, normally so tightly woven, was fraying, the songs separating in an echo of our physical separation.  "Sing, my love..." I felt his battle song swell and it relaxed me as the meld eveloped me.  We were still connected.  Whatever he faced, we would face it together.

"Arnor!"  I heard Elisa's cry and turned to see red sabers approaching. 

Lots of red sabers...

"Two!  We need you, dear."  I spun, fusing my own battle song into my husband's far stronger melody.  Even separated, on different fronts, we were stronger together than apart.  We would need that strength now.  Two freed himself from the port, abandoning the effort to open the portal in order to support us.  His fire hammered down one corridor, bottling up the attackers there, while Elisa and I faced the Shadows streaming out of the other corridor.

There were six in front of us coming up the corridor three by three.  They were all dressed in identical black armor and carrying sabers.  I slipped into a modified Soresu immediately, going defensive, parrying the first slashing attack high and riposte with a quick thrust through the attacker's off-hand shoulder.  He cried out and stumbled backwards, only to be replaced with two more who attempted to hit me with a coordinated attack.  I slammed a narrowly focused force push into the face of one and saw his head snap back as if something had pole-axed him across the bridge of his nose.  He dropped like a sack, tangling the stance of his partner, robbing his attack of any power.  I blocked his slice to my side and with a quick flip of my wrists spun my blade through his forearm.  His saber deactivated as it fell from the severed hand. 

A second hard force 'punch' put him down as well, and I turned in time to see Elisa's blade take the last Shadow standing through the thigh.  He went down hard, his saber spinning away, but his hand clawed for his blaster.  Elisa didn't give him a second chance, slicing through the arm and torso on her next orbit.

I turned and saw one of the Shadows behind us deflect one of Two's blaster bolts.  It went up and into the ceiling, cratering the alloy and showering debris down on them.  Three of them were down, leaving three still active.  I took two steps toward them before one abandoned his saber, drew his own blaster and fired on me.  I bounced the shot back at him, hitting him in the neck.  As his body and head fell, separate, his mpanions broke and ran.

I caught Elisa's arm as she moved to pursue.  "No, let them go."

"But..." I gave her a firm look.  What Karm called the "Mother" look.  She sighed and relaxed.  "OK, ok..."

I turned back to Two, sampling the Song.  Whatever was happening on the other side of the door, my husband was being pressed hard. 

"Elisa, do you feel it?"

Elisa concentrated for a minute and nodded.  "Yes.  He's burning up, like before."

"Can you reinforce him like you did earlier?" 

"Yes ... but I need to concentrate."

"Do it, I'll cover you."  I turned to Two.  "Get us through that door."

I turned and stared, trying to look through the door.  All I could sense from the room was a hurricane of swirling force, wildly fluxuating song and savage, deadly struggle.  "Hang on my love..."


Mellichae let his laughter taper off and started to walk deliberately around the perimeter of the room.  "Welcome, Master Karmack, to 'the pit'.  We've been waiting for you..." Four more sabers ignited as additional Sith Shadows stepped forward.  They were all wearing black armor, matching the armor Mellichae had adopted.  I probed with the force, augmenting the probe with a discovery motif in the song, and what I felt was puzzling. 

   ...Fury ... Anger ... Agression ... Fear ...

Fear?  Mellichae radiated fury and aggression.  He was beyond fear, thinking only of hurting me and those close to me.  But the rest...  They felt more like Tiedowans than Knights, unsteady in the force and while they echoed their leader's fury and anger the aggression was suppressed by heavy fear like a dampening field.  I adjusted the emitter in my hilt and ignited the back-side blade, adding its golden fire to the first.  "Mellichae, just hand over the Ancient One, and we can part ways.  No one else has to die today."

"YOU LIE!" Mellichae screamed at me, his eyes sick yellow orbs.  "You want me dead!  Admit it!  ADMIT IT!  The great Ka'A'Mack of the Mak'Tor, Master Singer, Defender of the Light, would like nothing more than to see me BURN!"  Mellichae stepped back, close to the wall, and held his saber aloft, lighting the far wall of the chamber.  "You're no better than any common murderer!  Admit it..."

The red light of his blade illuminated another woman, chained to the wall.  Blood trailed down from her mouth and a cut on her face,  and there was evidence of other injuries on her body.  She was unconscious, hanging from her wrists, and barely breathing.  I felt the rage rise in me again, but with a great effort I set it aside.  "If you insist, Justice will be done here today Mellichae.  Maker knows you deserve it, but I yield the right to deliver it.  If the Maker decrees that you live today..."

"THERE IS NO MAKER!" Mellichae screamed.  He snapped his saber back around to the front and advanced.  "No Maker, no light, no dark.  Only the song ... MY song ... and the force ... and they are MINE to command!"  He suddenly started to sing and another light, a sickly green, began to glow from a dozen crystals embedded in the walls of the room.  I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach, retched and went down on one knee.  Mellichae saw me stagger and cackled.  "Yes!  A legacy from Mendax.  They are Pontite, not Kyber, but they have virtually the same characteristics as the Rur."  His song intensified and rippled through me in hammering waves, but something else was also there...

The Ancient One!

I could feel it in the song, in the force.  I rallied and poured more energy into my song, meeting and then exceeding his volume and energy.  I wrapped it around me like armor and straightened.  "The Maker is.  He is Truth.  He is Light.  Darkness is banished by His Light..."

Mellichae screamed and the attack came.  With a battle cry of my own I dropped a hammer-fist into the ground before me, filling the shockwave with force energy.  The ripple hammered out and knocked three of Mellichae's apprentices off their feet, tossing them backwards.  The fourth staggered but kept his feet.  I stepped in and engaged him, cutting high, middle, high...  He blocked each attack but missed the twist of my hips as the third strike hit his high guard.  With a twist I thrust forward and pulled my back-side blade through, severing his right thigh above the knee.  He fell and I backed, using the pause to rest.  Already the effort of countering Mellichae's song was beginning to burn inside me...

A soothing cool feeling suddenly washed over me, wiping the burn away and filling me with renewed energy. I felt a familiar song of healing wrap around my battle song as well as a sudden sense of calm and assurance from my wife. Elisa's song!  Bless you Arnor!

Mellichae snarled.  "To little, to late, Gray!" He screamed and poured even more energy into his remaining minions.  I matched his energy level, pulling more energy, focusing through the Ancient One as well as the crystals in my saber, and I spun into the melee wrapping myself in the force.  I hurled debris at the attackers, pelting them with rocks and furniture and anything not tied down from behind even as I drew their attention forward with my attacks.  It didn't take long for a large chunk of rock to cause an opening and I struck like a viper, severing one of the Shadow's saber arm at the elbow.  He screamed and fell back, and I was in the gap, my blade struck one way and I reached out through a small gap in the other's defenses that appeared as his concentration flickered.  The second Shadow fell, my saber blade punching through armor and rib-cage, turning his heart and lungs to charred goo while the last suddenly collapsed, his spinal chord suddenly crushed just at the base of his skull.

I took a split second to assess the room - I'd lost track of Mellichae - and nearly died.  Instinctively reacting to a ripple in the force I suddenly launched myself into a forward roll, assisting the dive with the force to move quickly.  Mellichae's blade hissed through the air where I'd been only moments before.  I overshot and slammed into the chamber wall, and blinding pain spiked through me as a protrusion slammed into my back, breaking at least one rib and possibly two.  I stood, realized I was next to the woman Mellichae had tried to use to provoke me, and with a quick back-hand severed the chains holding her arms.  She collapsed to the floor and started breathing easier, but that was all I could do for her now.  I threw myself into another forward roll, extending my saber to parry the slash Mellichae threw at me as I went by.  He missed - mostly - and more pain coursed through me as the tip of his saber tracked along my right thigh.  The burn was shallow but the DL-44 blaster came apart under his blade as well, the energy discharge hammering my leg and very nearly breaking the femur.

I did another shoulder roll and came to my feet.  The healing energy from Elisa's song was coursing through me again, but it was almost completely expended keeping the damage from the energy I was pouring into my own song at bay.  But it was enough, barely, to keep me on my feet and mobile.  I centered myself and reconfigured my hilt to a single blade, adopting a middle guard. 

Mellichae matched my position and grinned.  "You live up to your reputation, Karmack.  But I know that had to hurt.  I can see the pain on your face, it colors the force."  His grin widened.  "It makes me happy..."  His attack was blindingly fast as he poured as much energy from his own song in as he could muster.  He would burn out, perhaps die from it, but he no longer cared.  He simply wanted to kill me, and he was willing to risk his own death to do it.

I parried and parried, unable to riposte as he drove me backwards.  I felt the pain in my side, in my leg, and set them aside.  There was nothing but the song, our blades, and the light.  I felt my own energy levels rise higher.  Our blades were blinding, moving faster than the eye could track.  The blur lit the room in amber light as we circled, thrusting and retreating, moving forward and backward, up and down, attacking and defending.  And then, an opening...

I struck, hammering his blade aside and with lighting swiftness bringing the blade down on his arm.  His MECHANICAL ARM! my mind hissed to me, a fraction of a second to late.  My blade slid down onto his exposed shoulder - and into the cortosis shield he'd built over the new shoulder joint and hidden under his armor.

My blade died as Mellichae's cackle filled the room.  His red blade struck, and I did the only thing I could: I blocked with my saber.  The song-steel sheath held, but it came away scorched.  It wouldn't hold for more than one or two more strikes.  He hammered again as my thumb moved, sliding the selector back again, and I caught his second strike.  The sheath turned the strike but failed, exposing the inner chassis.  Mellichae's eyes were maniacal as he struck again, intent on the kill...

My blade exploded to life and I turned the hilt, catching his blade right at the base of my own.  I had to move too quickly for control and I lost my grip.  His red blade intersected the crystal chamber of my saber just as my golden blade sliced through his saber's power core.  I ducked in time, bringing my armored right arm up to protect my eyes and face, and Mellichae's mechanical arm stood up to the energy release as the sabers immolated themselves in a fury of mutual destruction.

"What have you DONE?" Mellichae roared. He flexed his fingers, visually confirming that the arm's mechanisms were still good. "No matter!  I will kill you with my bare hands!" He launched himself at me, arms extended for my throat...

My primary combat knife was gone, lost with the blaster to his long cut on my thigh, but the back-up I'd added was still in place.  With smooth grace, as if I'd practiced the move a thousand times, I caught the extended wrist of his right mechanical arm in a c-block with my own right arm even as my left drew the 12-inch song-steel kukri blade from the sheath on my left hip.  In a reverse grip, the spine of the blade resting along my fore-arm, I raked the blade through his armor and under his ribs, cutting deep into his upper abdomen.  The shock of injury froze Mellichae in place as I extended his arm, brought my left arm up in front of me and reversed my slash - across the exposed right side of his throat.  Blood fountained out in an arterial spray that, thanks to the continued control of the wrist, mainly passed over my head.

We fell to our knees, facing each other, and Mellichae's eyes met mine.  "Oh..." he hissed, and his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed backwards.  Relief flooded through me as his song collapsed, and I let my battle song die as well.  Surprisingly I did not feel the heavy fatigue I'd felt before, but the pain of the accumulated injuries flooded in and I rolled over on my back to take the stress off my throbbing right thigh...

An explosion of sparks erupted from the closed blast door as a pale blue blade punched through and cut an over-sized passage through the heavy steel door, cutting as if it were butter.  With a crash Two stepped through, his over-sized "seige" saber extended from his right gauntlet, his left gauntlet sporting the normal heavy blaster.  Arnor and Elisa stepped through immediately behind him, eyes searching the room.   

"Karm!" Arnor killed her saber and was at my side in a moment.  "Are you ok?  Where are you hurt?" she said between kisses, her hands patting me down frantically, looking for a missing limb or deep wound to account for the blood.

"Its ok, its ok.  This isn't mine..."  I said, sitting up.  "Its his."

Elisa looked down at the still form, then spat.  "Mellichae."  She looked at me and I could feel her rage even now, but the hatred was dissipating.  "Thank you."

I nodded. "Just one more thing I have to do..."  With Arnor's help I stood up, calling the shattered remains of my saber to my hand.  One of the crystals was intact and I extracted it from the ruined chamber, then dropped the wrecked chassis back to the floor before scanning around the room.

The crystals were still there, but they now glowed light blue ... except for one.  "There you are."  I hobbled over to the Ancient One, resting in one of the niches in the chamber wall.  I picked it up, squeezed it in my hand, then dropped it into my breast pocket.  "We'll talk later..."

Arnor was looking around now as well.  "What are all of these?"

"Mellichae claimed they were copies of the Rur.  Whether that's true or not I haven't been able to determine, but they were certainly tuned to his song."  I picked one up, feeling it warm in my hand.  "Pontite.  I think Mendax programmed them, and he was able to make use of them."

"Mendax..." Arnor growled the name.  "Good riddance to him.  And now Mellichae is dead, ending his legacy."  She glanced down at her communications device.  "Mutt has the local militia on the way to take the rest of these jokers into custody.  Lets get our folks home."

I looked over to where Elisa was helping the last victim to her feet and into a stumbling walk.  Six.  We saved six.  More than we expected...  I looked down at Mellichae and felt the Ancient One, safe at last, humming in the back of my mind.  "Lets go home."

Poor Mellichae...that guy was a major mess...didn't seem to have a plan of his own apart from getting to the Ancient One, I suspect even if he had opened it he would not have known what to do next and instead flopped off to some other crazy scheme...he seems more insane than evil...but then there is the danger, someone that crazy with abilities like that is in some way more dangerous that someone who is just dakrside evil due to their unpredictability.

And Karm...took another fair beating before he won, but it was a pretty close fight all things considered, shows just what a drain negating the enemy Song was.

Loved seeing the Siege Sabre in use, Two will be most happy he got a chance! where do they keep getting these follower from though...at least some were smart enough to run away this time! And good to see Arnor's POV for a bit.

Yes, it was great to see something from Arnor's POV. And the "Mother" look was great. ;D

But other than the hilarity and pure awesomeness of this chapter, it was wonderfully written. You wrapped it up neatly as if this were the end, but we all know that is never the case, so I guess we will see where it leads us next. It was good to see Karm branching out in his fighting more. we know he is a master with his saber, but it is good to see that he is a master with other varieties of weapons as well. Great job.

There's a few bits and pieces yet... 

Mellichae - Yes, he was a mess.  He never really materialized as a fully fleshed character in my mind, and so it never really transmitted to the story, either.  One thing that's interesting about the "canon" version of this character (Lengends, he's not true Canon) is that his sole function seems to be to provide players of Star Wars Galaxies with a force-sensitive baddie that they could take down and take a document from.

From Wookipedia:  In Star Wars Galaxies, prior to the introduction of the New Game Enhancements of 2005, Mellichae ordered his Sith Shadows to constantly attack the village of Aurilia, Dathomir. Force-sensitive players of the game were required to locate and kill Mellichae, in order to proceed with the Padawan Trials.

Mellichae was removed from the game, along with Aurilia, when the New Game Enhancements of 2005 were implemented. He made a return to the game, appearing in the Aurilia jail when Aurilia was reintroduced as part of Chapter 7 in November 2007. Star Wars Galaxies was later shut down on December 15, 2011.

So in "canon" he never gets off of Dathomir, and anyone who would spend all his time attacking a single village with the sole objective that of killing force-sensitives has to be a little deranged.   :-/  I always imagined that he was given drive and purpose by Mendax, and when Mendax went down on Geonosis he only had what Mendax had given him to keep him going.  So in that sense LSG was 100% correct - he didn't have a plan.  He figured opening up the Ancient One would open possibilities.  And he really did want to kill Karmack and as many Mak'Tor as he could manage.

So...  Onward.  I have a story to finish.  LOL

Chapter 7: Transit


It was quiet on the Wayfarer and I knew I should be resting but I couldn't sleep.  I knew from experience that part of the restlessness was my mind replaying and cataloging the events of the last few days.  I was also conscious of some part of my sub-conscious chewing over the way Elisa's songs had sustained me during combat - and how to do that myself.  A healing motif on a sub-channel...  I should have thought of that one myself...  Maybe with a crystal like the Rur...

A small timer I'd set went off and I suppressed a groan as I removed the cold pack from my thigh and replaced it with a deep heating pad.  Force-energy and bacta could do a lot, but sometimes the best remedies were the oldest - alternate heat and cold and rest.  Bacta had taken care of the burn and cluster of cuts and abrasions on my thigh and a healing motif had dealt with the tendon and ligament damage, but for the muscle bruising simple was the best.  I sighed as the heat began to soak into my thigh and I propped the leg back up and went back to the computer file I was building.  Two would be coming out of his rest/recharge cycle in a couple of hours and I wanted to get the upload into his system before he was fully awake.

I chuckled as I re-read the screen.  Arnor had suggested it when we'd lifted off: Two's off-color language had been getting more and more frequent and ... esoteric.  A quick check confirmed that the droid had been going out of his way to add to his vulgar vocabulary.  He had written an internal sub-routine to select the best and most (in)appropriate comment for any situation.  When he'd started it was mainly humorous but it was getting out of hand.  But I didn't want to just strip him of the files or vocabulary lists.  First off, he'd just replace and rebuild them.  Second, while I didn't like the direction his vocabulary lists had taken the intention - to break tension with humor - was endearing.  And cute.

Besides, what fun would it be to just redact his vocabulary?

And so this project came to fruition.  Drawing on the Plays of the Bard from the ancient Coruscant past, I was replacing his 'comment generator' with a new one built from a wide array of insults taken from the Bard's collected works.  I had briefly considered using "The Collected Works of Illyiss" instead, but as hilarious as it would be for Two to suddenly start spouting poetry instead of curses I was pretty sure he'd just purge the whole thing and start over anyway.  With this, there was a good chance he'd see the humor himself and decide to keep it.

At least, that's what I hoped he'd do.

I finished the program and the uploader that would slice out the existing sub-routine and replace it with "Bard Baddie 101" instead and saved it all.  A few more clicks and it was into the droid's system.  "Well, that should make the next couple of days interesting at least..."

I sighed, took a long drink of my coffee, and leaned back in the chair. I was no closer to sleep than I had been. Hmm.  What else can I accomplish...  My eye landed on the pouch of programmed "Rur" copies we'd collected on our way out.  The pontite crystals still needed to be catalogued.  I picked up the pouch and spilled the crystals out onto a tray to begin the process...

Something dark, round and decidedly non-crystaline caught my eye.  "What is that..."  There were actually two on the tray, both midnight black, about an inch across and perfectly round.  I picked one up: It was utterly smooth to the touch but looked matte to the eye.  It seemed to absorb everything ... and it was incredibly heavy, as if made from a super-dense metal.

Or stone.

"Incredible..."


   <<<<<<<<    >>>>>>>>

And so you'll not wonder - The Insult Generator!   http://insult.dream40.org/ and http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/

Life as the token villain sucks...a punching bad for experience points in an RPG...at least you gave him some more air space...but I guess that is the thing about villains they all have a family and background somewhere presumably...what lead him down that path...a natural ability in the force combined with some kind of mental illness, subsequently exploited by Mendax till he's just the wreck Karmack had to put out of everyone's misery...Sad on every side.

Will be cool to hear some of Two's comment in the future with his new programming!  Looks like Karm found Mellichaes lost marbles!

LOL  I have the image of the old guy "Toodles" from "Hook" wandering around...   "Lost ... lost ... lost ...   I've lost my marbles..."

*sigh*  Good memories.  "Oh dear.  A wall..."

"I found it!  My happy thought!"

"What is it?"

"This is all a dream and none of this is real!"

Love that movie...

Wonderful chapters Karm!  I actually really like what you did with Mellichae (the single-minded sense of purpose, borderline insanity, and the tendrils of Mendax's legacy corrupting/trapping him).  I think that you did yourself a disservice in that you didn't "flesh him out."  Point of fact: if you hadn't come up with the concept of "Dark Singers," Mellichae would NEVER have been the opponent that he became!  Additionally, I think of him as an agent of entropy, and as such, acts accordingly.  Of course, such is easy to say of a savaged mind (not to mention as a reason for his sadism) but, well, this IS Star Wars: some things are just EVIL  ;)

You know, those DDCs are an incredible tactical addition, not to mention just too cool NOT to use  ;D  Hmm...maybe the Vhal'Dan can get some on loan...?

I would really enjoy seeing more Arnor POVs; she's an excellent partner/foil for Karm and the "Mother" look is one ALL of us can attest to  ;)

And I actually LIKE that we only "hear" Two through his interactions with Karm&Co; kind of like Han and Chewie.  Just IMO, but it allows for some great comedic moments.

It was good to see Karm check himself, and see to the wounded FIRST, before he went in after Mellichae, and with help.  As well, the consideration to gather intel was a smart touch.  Looks like Karm started finding his center.  The single minded purpose of Mellichae, corrupted by the power he let mold him was an excellent depiction, and counter to the growth and reasoning of Karmack, and in the end, it's what got him killed.  The actual finish point for him, reminded me so much of the final duel between Maul and Obi-Wan in Rebels.  All overconfidence, believing the fight won already, only to collapse in realization after a very straight forward counter attack claims his life.  In such a simple, fitting way, I could feel the sense of relief from Mellichae as he accepted his end, and how it came, and surrendered to it. 

In the aftermath, the depiction of the decompression was spot on, and endearing.  While the brain processes most things like that during sleep, there is a certain amount of conscious unpacking, understanding that has to happen before that sleep can come, lest it be haunted and create mental demons of their own in confused dreaming.  Those stones... that material keeps making appearances, if it is what I think it is.  Seeds for later, I am inclined to think.

Chapter 8: Reunion

We were home.

The ramp lowered and our passengers began to disembark.  We'd rescued eight hostages, six healers and two Knights.  DNA samples we'd taken from both sites had matched to the other fourteen missing healers.  Everyone was accounted for.  I watched as Elisa and Jo'Anne led the charge toward the waiting families, gathered to greet their returning daughters.  Joy flooded the pad, but it was tempered by grief: for every reunion there were three that were gone and would not be coming back.  Their sorrow and loss overlaid the joy of the reunions, a reminder of the loss even in the joy of the moment.

I took Arnor's hand and squeezed.  She responded by leaning into me, her head against my shoulder.  She didn't say anything but her eyes shone as we watched the reunions.  I listened to our fugue for a moment, savoring the weave of melodies as we rested peacefully in the song.  "Its good to be home..."

A small party approached us from the side, unobtrusive and hidden from the tumult on the tarmac by the ship's bulk.  "Karm, Arnor, welcome home.  Thank you for bringing my kids home."

I turned and took the hand of Master Ju'Lus.  His eyes were red-rimmed and shined with his own tears, but his grip was steady and his eyes bright he gripped first my hand and then Arnor's.  "Sir.  I am only sorry that we couldn't save more."

Ju'Lus grasped my shoulders and spoke firmly.  "Do not apologize!  We didn't expect any to be alive.  Your quick actions have saved some, and that is better than none.  Rejoice in the victory!"

I nodded and tried to smile.  "I will try, Master Ju'Lus."

"Good!"  He turned and gave Arnor a hug.  "So, I must go and greet them.  Again: Thank you!"

We watched him approach the throng and I heard a sigh from behind me.  "He's been hammering himself since news of the first attack came in.  Hopefully this will help him banish some of his demons."

We turned and bowed to Kage Lo.  "Yes, Kage, I hope so." I said, turning back to watch again.

Kage Lo stepped up next to me, also watching.  "And what of you, Karm?  Did you purge your demons?"

I chuckled.  "Some of them.  But I may have found some all new ones.  I..."

"Karm!"

I turned and smiled genuinely as a massive pair of arms enveloped me and crushed me in a massive bear hug.  "Zearic!  Glad ... to see ... you..." I managed to grunt out. 

Zearic released me and gave Arnor a far more sedate hug.  "Glad you made it back.  I wasn't happy when you left without me."

I laughed.  "I figured you wouldn't be, but this was something I had to do on my own.  However..."  I reached into the small pouch on my belt.  "We found two of these with Mellichae's crystals.  I'm turning the crystals and one of them over to the Kage, but I though you might be interested in the second."  With a flip of the wrist I tossed one of the small, black marbles to Zearic, who snatched it out of the air. 

Opening his hand he stared at it, sucking in his breath as if he'd been punched.  "Incredible..."

   <<<<<   >>>>>

I was deep in meditation, the force and song washing over and around me.  The pulse of power and rhythm, the flow of melody and harmony moved around me in their long, endless dance.  I was aware of them, but let them flow in the background.  The glowing mote of power that hovered before me had my full attention. 

It had taken me several hours to find all of the parts I needed.  I'd spent hours talking to Dorian and Ho'Li in the "gazebo" of the crystal on the way home, as well as spending a good amount of time with Eliza learning to duplicate the healing motif she'd used to counteract the damage done by the massive flow of force energies the Ancient One and other captured crystals allowed.  Using what I had learned I had found a way to incorporate the healing motif into my battle-song as a counter-melody.  But to work it had to have its own "channel".  Figuring that out had taken more time, but I was finally ready.

Slowly I lifted the Ancient One and floated it into the crystal chamber.  The Ancient One would once again be the primary crystal at the heart of my saber - but it would no longer be alone.  Following a pattern that Dorian had illuminated to me, I slowly worked in a trio of re-shaped pontite crystals.  Each of them carried the resonance pattern of the destroyed Rur crystal, and after shaping these I finally understood why the Rur had been the odd tear-drop ship it had been.  These three crystals could be bonded together into that same complex teardrop, but separate they formed a tripod between the Ancient One and power conversion cone in the hilt of the saber.  Their placement allowed them to act as supports and power flows - focusing lenses, as it were, for song-driven force energy, tuned to the Ancient One, and controlled by the Song.  In addition, the pontite primaries I'd used in my saber staff had also been re-worked and reshaped to form a control ring that would work in conjunction iht the diffusion blades that cradled the Ancient One.  Another of the Rur-infused pontite crystals would serve as the focusing crystal and through several lengthy and draining songs had been captured and programmed to channel both the primary energy of the battlesong as well as the counter-melody of the healing motif.

With all the crystals isntalled I inserted the lense array and adjusted it.  With the last pieces in place I slowly rotated the chamber, noting the alignments and making numerous small, finicky adjustments until everything fell into perfect tune, the resonance forming a glorious chord of reinforcing harmony in the song.  With a few final adjustments I locked everything down and assembled a light-weight outer chassis of songsteel designed to keep the inner chamber safe and intact.

Next came the power cells and converter system.  I gingerly slid the conversion cone and converter core into place, then locked the regulator around the core and engaged the locking rings.  With this, the power system, crystal chamber and emitter system were functionally one unit with everything locked down and in alignment.  I lifted the body - my old, familiar hilt body made of song-steel and poly-carbide alloy - and gently slid the new chassis in place.  It fit perfectly, locking into place with a satisfying metallic 'snick'.  Gently I set the saber down in my hand and opened my eyes.  A quick inspection verified that everything was as it should be, and I inserted a charged power cell into the bayonet lug and screwed the pommel into place over it.

Moment of truth...  Everything looked good, but there was a small chance, with all of the new crystal pathways, that the saber would not ignite properly.  Unfortunately there was only one way to find out if it was going to work and I felt like a youngling again as took a deep breath, held it, and depressed the ignition switch.

With a familiar 'woosh-hiss' the blade erupted in golden glory.  I did a few flourishes, watching it adn listening to it as I swung it through the first part of a Soresu orbit pattern.  The blade hummed contentedly, the variance nearly perfect.  There was more flicker to the blade's color due to the multiple crystals behind it but the blade itself was strong and stable.

OK.  We know that part works.  Now to test the other...  I stepped away from the construction table and walked out into the salle.  With a loud kia I threw myself into a force-enhanced forward roll, tucking myself around my blade while using the force to activate a dozen remotes.  Over the next half-hour I did my best to simulate the intensity of the fight with Mellichae and exceed it, adding remotes and increasing their speed while matching it myself.  By the end I was flying around the salle, my blade appearing as a solid wall of gold as I spun, rolled and dove across the mat.  I ended by going on the attack and knocking the drones off-line, knocking down over fourty of them in a few seconds time.

I stopped, my saber humming, and with a start I realized that my pulse was returning to normal, my breathing slightly elevated, but beyond that and a lightg sweat I felt...refreshed.  Calm. 

Whole.

I deactivated my saber and returned it to its familiar place on my belt.  It was late, and I suddenly felt the need to sleep.  Tomorrow I would begin training Arnor.  I needed to see if I could take what I had learned and teach another Knight how to replicate it.  I also needed to keep training with the sub-channels.  There were so many possibilities...

But first back home, a shower, and a bed.  I donned my robe and killed the lights, and I gave the Ancient One a pat as I left the facility. 

Welcome home




***********************

Many thanks for the awesome comments and feedback!  AS always, this wouldn't have been what it was without that input, opening possibilities and making me aware of threads that I hadn't properly considered.  Special shout-out to LSG and Illyiss, y'all made me THINK about what was happening, and that was a VERY good thing!

Hope you all enjoyed this.  There will of course be more.  :-)

A very fine wrap up, as the emotional return envelops a grateful order, and Karm is properly reunited with the Ancient One, and begins putting the lessons he learned into practical use.  I am glad I could help, you give a good story to apply thought to.  Semi-interactive writing processes are fun. :)

Yes!  SO glad to see Karm reunited with the Ancient One! And what a wonderful journey you took us on I doing so  :)

Even better: looks like Karm has a VERY powerful Vitreous weapon!  Something tells me he's going to need it too  ;)

On a more serious note, I like and appreciate that you took Karm on a bit of an introspective voyage as well.  Bravo!

This is SO very true!

Back home, the shadow of Mellichae finally gone...and he's got his holocron/crystal/mentor back. Still that must've been a hard blow to the Mak'tor to have heir healers so abused...once word gets around...will they feel strengthened that KArm was able to end the threat, or vulnerable that they were put at risk in the first place...this must surely have implications for the Council of Balance to consider very deeply....

Yup.   Expect some soon-to-appear interludes.  I have some ideas...  LOL