Wind Chimes

[Karmack]

Chapter 14: Preparations

We were back in hyperspace and on our way to Geonosis.  I wasn't sure what we'd find there, but the tension in the song was building.  There was urgency, but also a sense of building to a finale.  There were cadences coming ... and the motifs that would cadence were hidden.  The urgency and tension were there.  The pace of the song was there.  The direction was clear - a final conflict, on Geonosis.  But the outcomes...

The song was elusive and vague.  But there was plenty of pain, sorrow and loss as well as songs of victory and triumph.  Who's loss?  Who's triumph?

Only time will tell...

I blinked as the voice invaded my mind.  Since the vision, the old man - Master Xandir - had become the personification of the nudges the Ancient One gave me from time-to-time.  It was still a little ... unnerving ... to hear the voice of a man dead for over 3000 years in my mind.  Especially when he was right - time would tell.  Until then...

Trust the Singer, not the song...

I smiled and returned to my meditation.  It had taken two days to pack Julwynn Hri, her ... companions ... up and move them.  I'd spent much of that time off my feet myself, recovering from the immense energy surges of the combat and the crystal 'capture' I'd initiated.  But I had been privy to a very intense conversation between Julwynn and Kohl, a conversation that had led me to recommend to Telow'na that Kohl and Julwynn be relocated to M'Tzigon for debrief ... and protection.  Kohl was a bounty hunter and "free trader" which normally wouldn't have recommended him to me, but he was obviously smitten with Julwynn.  And over the course of a year he'd gone from captor to protector to friend to lover and finally to spouse, completely supplanting the rest of the Warren-Clan Julwynn had built around herself.  The other men had remained with them as part of the extended household, but it was partially due to Julwynn's refusal to cut them loose.  They were bonded to her in the way of her people.  Even if they were not part of her 'harem' to let them go would constituted a major loss of prestige and status on Dothomir.  But as they prepared to leave, Kohl had confronted his lover and friend.

The conversation had happened in the airlock on the Wayfarer.  There had been no shouting, no screaming, no raised voices.  There had been few words on Kohl's part.  Just a simple statement:  "Its time, lass.  Let them go."  What had followed were a series of arguments, each dismissed by Kohl with a chuckle and variations on the same words: "What of it?  The past is past.  Let it be.  It's time.  Let them go."

And in the end, she had.  I had felt the ripple in the force as she withdrew her hold on the men. 

What followed had been equally intense, as several of the more violent types had come to themselves with some serious anger issues.  Ken and Arnor had managed to handle them, fortunately, and as most of them had been part of the same crew from their original recruitment they decided (with a little persuasion from Arnor) to peacefully load their belongings onto a YT-1300 in moderately good repair and head off on their own.

The remaining men - all Sullustians from Fulluusub - had hitched a ride back to Sullust from Endor as we back-tracked down the Sanctuary Corridor.  We'd returned them home then seen Kohl and Julwynn - now alone together - off in Kohl's modified YT-2000 to M'Tzigon, where they would seek sanctuary.  What exactly Telow'na would do with them or approach them I wasn't sure, but I sensed a turning in Julwynn Hri that could not be ignored.  It may fail in the end, but she deserved a chance to do the right thing.

As for Kohl...  Kohl remained a mystery.  I had managed to engage him in conversation once or twice, and he was open and forthcoming about his ... special abilities.  While he had no idea how it was done, his genetic makeup had been altered in a way the rendered him force-blind and invisible to force users.  Nor did force techniques work on him. Pushes, mind tricks, healing, probes - none of it worked on him.  The only thing I could touch and use against him was his actual armor and gear.  Those were present in the force, but he himself just wasn't there.  A check of his blood showed no miticlorians present.  How that had been done without killing him was anyone's guess.  No doubt it would be one of the things Telow'na would attempt to look into.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, looking down at the crate of glistening pontite crystals.  It was the last crate Julwynn had possessed, only a fraction of what Cha and this mysterious Mendax had gotten away with, but where they both needed intact crystals for their weapons I did not.  Exposure to the correct resonance in the song had neatly fractured them, forming thousands of smaller pieces, each still possessing that potent connection to the force that made them so amazingly efficient at channeling the song.  Capturing them and creating my own chorus had been easier this time as well, though the raw power the Ancient One had drawn on to do the deed had left me feeling like someone had poured acid through my veins.  Even now, after days traveling along the Outer Rim trade routes it was still an effort to exert myself in the force or song.

But I could listen ... and it was glorious!

I opened closed my eyes and let the majesty of the universe sweep over me.  I could see and feel stars flow by, entire planets streaking past in the blink of an eye as we moved down the hyperlane.  I could hear them in the vast chorus of the universe as well, part of the ever shifting, ever changing song that rolled over and around me in a massive chorus of praise...

Not that all of the threads were in harmony.  There were dark threads, minor keys, tragedy and chaos, but even these blended in, filled in gaps and cracks.  Even Evil served its purpose, in the end.  Even chaos filled a role in the greater plan of the Master Singer.

I sensed Arnor's reluctance as she entered the cargo hold.  Since Endor she had become very protective.  We hadn't spoken of it, but while she wasn't as attuned to the Song as I was she could sense its tides, and the gathering motif of suffering and pain that enveloped our shared fugue was impossible to miss.  I feared for her and Ken.  She for Ken and I.  Ken ... well, Kenneniah was still very young and of the three of us he alone remained utterly optimistic.  For him it was all-or-nothing.  Victory or defeat.  He had yet to learn that sometimes the cost of victory was immense ... and could be very, very personal.  I had hoped to ease him gently into this truth of the universe, but now I feared that lesson was sooner to come than any of us had hoped.

Trust the singer...  Sing the song!

I turned and smiled at Arnor.  "Greetings my love!  What news?"

My playful banter was rewarded by a bright smile of her own.  "We're coming up on Arkanis.  We need to drop out of hyper, re-position, and recalculate for the final jumps to Tatooine and then Geonosis." 

"Very well.  Lets get to the bridge then.  The locals will want to see the crew on the screen."  I rose, trying hard to hide a slight wince of pain - and failing.  I caught the slight frown around my wife's mouth.  "Oh no you don't!  Its lots better than it was and you know it!  And we're still a day away from Geonosis, plenty of time!"

Arnor stepped into me and wrapped her arms around my waist, looking up into my face.  "Yeah, sure.  Plenty of time.  You just promise me, mister: No crazy heroics!  I want you back, and in one piece.  Understood?"

I cradled her face in my hands and kissed her.  "Yes, dear."  I locked my gaze on her and studied her eyes, opening up and sharing the flow of my own emotions with her, our shared fears and apprehensions at what lay ahead.  I let myself dive into her green eyes - and let her feel my love for her, for Ken.  For us...

Then it was time to break the link.  "Lets go.  Ken will need our support to get past the system picket."

Arnor nodded, kissed me one more time, and we headed toward the bridge, hand-in-hand.

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

I could feel the tension in my wife and son as we approached the traffic control point in the outer Arkanis system.  We weren't trans-shipping or approaching the planet, so no inspection was needed, but it was required that we check in and update the sector government with our flight plan and destination.

Our flight plan had us following the Triellus Trade Route around the outer rim for some time, ending up eventually at Teth.  This would cause anyone inspecting our flight plan to suspect we were planning to enter Hutt space, and also suggest that whatever we were up to it wasn't happening in the Arkanis system.

Which was totally true.

Ken handled the comm, and casually uploaded our flight plan to Sector.  After a few tense minutes of waiting, we were cleared for departure.  With a sigh we turned and assumed the proper course for our next jump - to Tatooine, and then on to Geonosis. 

The tension and urgency of the song mounted, building to a climax.  We were jumping toward the big finish.  And ending ... one way or another.

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

The Arkanis control officer noted the freighter's entry into hyperspace.  He waited a full minute for the computer to confirm a correct course and speed for a jump to Tatooine before opening his hypercom. 

"Yes?"

"Vice-Admiral Brunson, the target is on its way."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."  The Vice-Admiral's face displayed a cold smile.  "Initiate black-out."

"Aye, ma'am."  The lieutenant replied, but the connection was already dead.  The Lieutenant just shook his head.  He'd done his job, and now he completed the plan.

Ten seconds later the flight plan and any trace that the Wayfarer had ever entered Arkanis space had been wiped from the system, replaced by a standard "over-due" message triggered by the flight plan and a missed check-in.

The overdue message was sent back up the chain and the Lieutenant turned to his next task - a custom inspection of a battered YT-1270.  The ship just screamed "smuggler"....  He decided to take a squad of storm troopers with him to sit on the crew.  And who knew?  They might just find something interesting.   The Lieutenant locked down his station and headed for the boarding shuttles whistling cheerfully.  First, rebel scum herded into a trap, and now probably some interesting and lucrative contraband to seize.

Yes, it was shaping into a good day...

[TheDutchman]

I had wondered what had happened to Julwynn's warren-clan!  Nice twist with that, especially as Kohl is now her husband!  I like how Karm is developing a rapport with the pontite, allowing his senses to expand.  Let's just hope he's healed up properly with whatever awaits him on Geonosis!

...But that Imperial lieutenant doesn't bode well... I wonder what is going on there...

Awesome Karm!  Can't wait for the next installment!

[Lord_S_Gray]

"As for Kohl...  Kohl remained a mystery.  I had managed to engage him in conversation once or twice, and he was open and forthcoming about his ... special abilities.  While he had no idea how it was done, his genetic makeup had been altered in a way the rendered him force-blind and invisible to force users. "

Now that is interesting...who would want to create such a being...except someone who had a lot of enemies...or potential enemies who relied on the force.

Personally this Kohl is stealing Karmack and the others lime light.

[Karmack]

Chapter 15: The Butcher's Bill

The Wayfarer shuddered and groaned as it was dragged out of hyperspace.  "Gravity well!"  I managed to activate the tactical board and begin the power-up cycle on the weapons systems despite the turbulance as Ken fought the ship's tumble in real-space.  "Two, re-route main power, the primary coupler fused from the re-entry overload!" Ken called.  "Main drive is down, stabalizing with thrusters..."

"Star Destroyer!  Between us and the planet!" Arnor called next from the gunnery station. 

I laid my sensors on it and frantically tried to shunt power to the turbo-laser capacitor rings.  "Looks like an Interdictor Cruiser...  That explains the abrupt exit from hyperspace..."

"Going evasive!" Ken called from the pilot's chair.  "Weapons status?"

I checked my boards.  "Turbo lasers and missile launchers off-line.  Deflector screens at thirty-eight percent and rising slowly.  Turrets are charged and ready to fire."  I checked the damage control side-bar.  "Main power is still off-line, ion engines are restarting now..."

We all felt a sudden kick of thrust as the main engines came back online.  The stars outside the window went crazy as Ken threw the Wayfarer into a series of crazy maneuvers just as turbo-laser fire from the Interdictor started to rain down on us.  Near misses rattled the ship, slamming energy into deflectors straining to work with insufficient energy.  I boosted the charging of the defensive systems at the cost of the offensive firepower, but before I could notify Ken blue-white lightning slammed into the ship.  Lights flickered and control consoles went haywire as the charge from the ion-bolt blew through our systems.  I faintly heard one of the droids scream from engineering and Two started chattering randomly from the flight engineer station. 

"Controls are dead..." Ken was shaking his hands, trying to recover from the nasty static shock he'd just received.  "I'm not sure, but I think they've locked a tractor beam on us."

I felt the Wayfarer shudder and we were suddenly being drawn into the landing bay of the Interdictor cruiser.  While not as big as a true Star Destroyer, the ship was far larger than our modified freighter.  The ion cannons had been our undoing - without power we couldn't move or fight.  "Main and auxilliary power are offline.  Emergency power only, we're good for about 3 hours of life support, five if we cut the grav plates."

Arnor met my eyes.  "They're going to board."

I nodded.  "Yup.  Suit up."

Arnor and Ken headed for the lockers.  I turned to Two, who was unplugged now and appeared to have rebooted.  "Two, what's the DCC's status?"

Two twittered back to me and I nodded, face serious.  "I know.  I can't say why, but I think..."  I laid my hand on his dome.  "Two, initate bootstrap protocol, all three of you."

Two didn't respond, he just plugged back into the console and began the protocol.  I looked out at the Interdictor, growing to dominate the sky.  Geonosis was a small disk in the distance.  We were well beyond the normal emergence zone, away from any natural gravity wells.  "They knew we were coming, Two.  This isn't the end...  The song is to tense, to wound-up.  We're in for a fight..."

Two twittered.  "Yes, I know. We'll put up a resistance they won't soon forget.  I doubt they're ready for a DCC, either."

Two responded with a long series of whistles and groans.  "Don't worry, we'll be very careful."  I crouched down and looked directly into Two's sensor lense.  "Give them hell, buddy."

Two's affirmative tweet was appropriately cocky.  I grinned as the droid went to armor up.  Mutt and Vegan would be joining him.  There was only one working DCC, but we had a few other little add-ons the other two droids could use.  I headed for the armory to don my own combat suit.  There was little or no chance we could win, but by the Maker these Imperials would know they'd been in a fight! 

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

I felt the hum of my battle song spinning up around me, filling the space around me with energy and focusing my attention.  We were in full battle gear.  The main hatch of the ship was covered by a quartet of Sentry blasters, controlled by Mutt from main engineering.  Mutt would also trigger additional measures as the boarders moved onto the ship, until they forced their way into Engineering.  At that point he would disconnect and shut down.  With luck the "caretaker" program we left in the main engineering computer would take the blame for it and Mutt would be able to avoid reprisal.

Vegan had drawn the short straw (or won the lottery, as he put it) and was already shut down and in a storage bin in the spare parts locker.  He was set to reactivate in four hours in low-power mode, hopefully to emerge and begin slowly restoring power and making repairs to the ship.  Also, hopefully, with Mutt's help.

The rest of us were clustered on the cargo elevator in the main cargo bay.  As soon as the main hatch was blown, and the boarders' attention was focused on it, we would blow the hatch and follow Two into the landing bay - and into the cruiser. 

I felt the song grow around me.  The bulk of the pontite crystals, so key to our plan to counter Mendax, were locked away in a smuggler's hold, but we each also had several with us.  They would become more powerful as they spread out, covering more area, but for now they served to boost our connections in the force.  With their aid we were able to maintain a very comfortable battle meld, allowing me to lock Arnor and Ken into my own battle song.

And it was time.  "Here they come..."

We felt the hatch blow, heard the sentry guns open up ... and the elevator hatch opened and Two bounded out.  As soon as Two cleared the hatch we followed him out.

The landing bay was in chaos.  Two had light shielding, very much like the old Destroyer battle droids from the Clone War, and it turned the light blaster fire from the Storm Troopers that sheated into him.  Fire that was already thinning as his own return fire thinned their ranks.  I funneled Arnor and Ken to a side entrance, watching as Two laid into the main body of troopers arrayed to assault our ship.  He trilled a scream, a droid battle-cry as he closed, and troopers fell in job lots.

"Karm!" Arnor's voice tore my attention away from Two's forlorn hope and back to our own exit - and exit suddenly filled with reinforcements coming into the bay to help their fellows.  Arnor's saber flashed and she felled the front ranks before they even knew they were under attack, her own battle cry echoing...

"Go!  I'll hold them here!" She called, wading into the fray, her blade a cyan scythe reaping its butcher's bill.  I felt her in the force, in the song...  I love you...

I grabbed Ken.  "Lets go, Ken!" I turned...

Ken resisted me, pulling away.  "Mom needs us!"

I turned and faced him, and I was no longer the loving father of Ken'en'Ia Mack.  I was Master Ka'a'Mack, Master of Song and Maenowan Master of the Mak'Tor Knights.  "TEIDOWAN!  With ME!"

Ken's eyes went wide, but he only swallowed and nodded, falling in a step behind me on my left shoulder.  Arnor was buying us time.  I single tear tracked down my left cheek as I mentally caressed the tightly woven thread of our fugue in the song... 

There is no time...  Trust the singer, sing the song...

We ran and came to a junction.  The sounds of battle faded behind me as I led my Teidowan - my son - furhter away from his mother - my wife - and her desperate fight to give us time.

Engineering lay ahead of us, and we were nearly there when the corridor went red with warning lights and filled with the sound of klaxons.  Instinctively I reached out with the force and jammed a set of rollers in the wall - then comprehended that those rollers were for the heavy blast doors slamming closed all around us.  The door stopped, frozen in-train, and I dove through the gap, Ken right behind me.

We're here!  Retreat, my love!

I dashed deeper into the compartment ... reached the fusion reactor controls ... and slithered to a stop.

"Master Karmack!  So glad you could make it."  Namman Cho stood in a relaxed pose, a squad of Storm Troopers on either flank.  The troopers were spread out in combat spacing, weapons leveled.  Cha's hands were empty, but I had no illusions about his willingness to fight.  "Let me be the first to express my condolences on the loss of your lovely wife..."

A screen flickered behind him, a power flow schematic replaced by what had to be security camera feed from the bay.  Two was ... gone.  The DCC was a smoking wreck, pieces of the chassis and its occupant spread across a wide area of the bay.  The troopers around it were also milling about, disorganized, many wounded and bloody.  Whatever else had happened, Two had stopped the storming of the ship ... for the moment.  But then the camera zoomed in and I saw Arnor...

NO!

"NO!!!" Ken screamed, started forward...

I laid my hand on my son's shoulder, felt him pull his rage back under control with a herculean effort.  His eyes blazed with raw fury and rage.  I turned back to Cha.  Unlike my son, I knew my eyes were not hot.  They were blue-white, the temperature of liquid helium, and there was no fury.  No fire.  Only death.  "Cha.  Release her."

He laughed, the rich baritone a mockery of beauty.  "Even if I could, I would not.  You see, these troops answer to Vice Admiral Bruson.  She was very clear that I am not in the chain of command.  Only these meager ... escorts ... are under my command."  He turned and looked back at the screen.  "I am afraid your beautiful wife is about to undergo field interrogation, followed by summary execution, probably by spacing..."

On the screen, Arnor, visibly bloody from at least one wound, was already nearly naked as the troopers stripped her of anything that might be used as a weapon.  A continual rain of blows fell on her, no doubt accompanied by questions, on the off chance that she might let something slip by accident before she either fell into unconsciousness or death or the troops tired of the game.  At that point, she would be ejected into space, with or without the specified blaster bolt to the head as the mood of the troopers dictated.

Words were pointless.  I met Cha's eyes, filled with hatred, loathing, and cruelty...

"Go!"

Ken and I spoke as one, our battle meld suddenly snapping into a complete unity that I had never achieved with anyone before, not even Arnor.  I felt his rage and fury in the link, and lent him control to temper them.  No berzerker, sell yourself well... Control...  I sent at the speed of thought.

Blaster fire erupted from the troops but we were already upon them.  Whirling, spinning, slicing a path of death through the squad, blaster bolts ricocheting from my blade and hitting other troopers...  Within seconds the squad in front of me was reduced to dead and dying men...

My blade hit something solid.  Something red...

I ducked and spun, pulling away and parrying the off-hand strike.  Cha was skilled and fought Jar Kai, his twin red blades rising and falling in a fury of Ataru-inspired attacks.  I dropped into pure defense for a moment, concentrating on him.  Falling back slowly, I noted Ken's progress.  Ken!  The energy flow controls!  Do it!

Ken's ice-blue blade slashed through the final pair of Storm Troopers and deflected blaster bolts from the engine room crew as he advanced on the control station. I continued to fall back, deflecting and parrying Cha's strikes.  Absorbing his anger, his force attacks.  Blocking and containing, always falling back slowly.  Drawing him away.  Holding his attention, until...

Ken reached the station.  Now!

I never switched styles, continued to block the rain of blows, but I reached into Cha's left knee and found a nexus.  With a savage yell I pulled...

Cha cried out as his knee collapsed, spilling him onto the ground.  My saber orbit never faltered as I dipped the cut a bit - and severed his right arm just above the elbow.  The next orbit cut his left saber in half - and severed his hand at the palm.  And the last orbit took the top of his head off, just at the level of his ears and nose.

Ken slashed through the engineering control system, sending a massive power spike through the system and putting the fusion generator into terminal overload.  He was already sprinting past me as Cha's body fell, headed for the landing bay.  I was right behind him.

...karm...i can't hold on...

I screamed as I ran.  I shifted my battle song, improvising, sending healing energy into the link, boosting them with the small chorus, bolstering Arnor.  Hang on sweetie!  We're almost there!  Almost there!

I felt her thread in the song slipping away.  ...i ... love ... you ...

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ken threw a savage force push down the final corridor and into the closed bay doors.  They exploded away from the portal and into the bay.  I caught the shards and directed them - through the bodies of the troopers standing over my wife, still abusing her fully exposed flesh, beating her slowly to death.  Enjoying it...

Blood fountained as the shards penetrated armor, accellerated by the force and turned from random shrapnel into deadly, precision-guided missiles.  Arnor was surrounded only by the dead and dying when I reached her.  I stripped of my cloak and wrapped it around her, cradling her in my arms.  "Ken!  Lets go!"

Ken left the shattered remains of Two - there was nothing left there to save - and sprinted up the ramp.  The sentry guns recognized him and let him pass.  He hit the deactivation switch just as I reached the ramp.  The guns read our transponders, but Arnor no longer had one.  No sense risking it.

"Ken, GO GO GO!" I called down the corridor.  A quick glance at the engineering panel as I ran by showed that main power was back online but we still had to get out of the ship...  "Ken!  Deflectors and torpedoes!"

"IN the bay?  Are you NUTS???"  Ken called back.

"Yes! DO IT!"

"Yes sir!"

I pounded into sick bay, my heart racing from exertion and now fear.  I keyed open a bacta tube - I had no time to properly evaluate my wife's injuries, but the auto-doc could do wonders with bacta.  I stripped off the cloak as the tube formed around her, and for a moment I laid my hand on her head. I love you, Arnor!  Heal...  I reached into the song and sang the healing motif...

...and felt resistance!  Arnor blocked the motif.  ...no, my love.  you need the ... energy ... bacta will do...  i ... love ... you ...

Shocked, I pulled my hand back and opened my eyes.  Green met my blue.  Full of love, full of pain, full of fear.  Not for herself, for me... 

"I love you."  I said, and kissed her on the cheek.  Then the tube closed and filled with bacta, cutting me off from her.  I waited as the tube completed its set-up and locked into the armored cradle, then sprinted for the flight deck.

"How's mom?" Ken asked, hands flying across the boards. 

"She'll live - assuming we make it out of here." I replied.  Torpedoes ready.  Turbo lasers available in twelve seconds.  Target loaded."  I spotted the control junction I wanted in the force and plugged the coordinates into the tactical panel.  "Engines at 48%.."

"It will be enough.  What's that?  All I see is a wall..."

"The main power feed to the bay force field is behind it." I replied.  "Five seconds.  Three ... two ... one ..."

I fired, launching the torpedoes and firing the quad turbo-laser array on our nose.  The turbo-lasers tore the bulkhead open, exposing the armored power junction to the full fury of our concussion torpedoes.  Either one wouldn't have been fatal to the bay power systems.  Both together were to much.  The force screen holding us in - and maintaining atmospheric integrity - collapsed.  Air pressure did the rest.  With a whoosh we were ejected into space, along with every other piece of unsecured equipment, bodies, people, and battle-damaged equipment in the bay. Within seconds we were free of the ship and surrounded by a cloud of debris fit to hide a heavy cruiser, let alone a single light freighter.

"Engines online!" Ken called.  "Heading?"

"two-two-four mark eighty-seven reletive! Shape for Geonosis orbit!  And punch it!  That thing is about to..."

White blossomed behind us as Ken turned away from the Interdictor, now an expanding ball of plasma as first one, then the rest of her fusion engines exploded.  Ken rode the shock wave like a surfer, rocketing away on its crest, using that power to avoid all but the smallest pieces of debris from the cruiser.

One down... I felt a stab of fear as I reached out to the song...  The tempo was still up, the tension continuing to rise, the music building...

Arnor's thread was ... still there.  Untangled and separated from mine in a way that I hadn't experienced in many years, but still there...

I slumped back in my seat, suddenly drained.  Fire burned through my body.  I was not as recovered as I had believed, and the planet...

The planet held ... evil.  A song twisting through my own now, malevolent and dark.  And another thread, close by, familiar...

Zearic and D'Aylanna!  They're here!  I took a few more deep breaths, gathered myself, and sat up.  I reached out with the force, following the dark song to its source, pin-pointing the location on the holographic overlay of the planet.

"Best speed, Ken.  Landing coordinates are at your station." 

The end was near.  It was time to dance.

[Lord_S_Gray]

Awesome! Two traps springing into each other vicious jaws.  The control Karmck was able to display as Arnor was abused was startling...I see how that ties into your interlude...the effective use of anger.

Feel sorry for Arnor...first blasted through the air lock on Sullust now this...Two as well...and Cha...Cha was kind of cool but the manner of his ending leaves little room for a come back...maybe he has a twin brother?

some great visual moments, especially the blast door, blasted apart by Ken and the shrapnel turned into weapons by Karm...a very fluid melding of their battle state.

[TheDutchman]

Sorry I thought I'd already posted 

This was incredible Karm!  The action was breakneck and the flow unstoppable!  I had to read it twice because it was so good (...and I kept wanting to read ahead to see what happened next  ).  Wow, Cha...couldn't have happened to a "nicer" guy!  And those Imperials: sometimes karma is lazer-guided 

This was absolutely one of my favorites of yours!  You sure make it difficult to follow up on such an amazing chapter!

...and now, out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire!

[Karmack]

For the next piece of action - see http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=36277.60

Post 71 and 72, "Contrapasso" Part 1 and 2.  Thank you for the awesome finale, Dutchman!

[TheDutchman]

For the next piece of action - see http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=36277.60

Post 71 and 72, "Contrapasso" Part 1 and 2.  Thank you for the awesome finale, Dutchman!

*bow*  Thank you Karm!  Could NOT have done it without you!

[Karmack]

For continuity's sake, I am posting Dutchman's 'finale' chapter here un-edited.  This is the ultimate "cross-over" scene between Wind Chimes and Shadow Etude and is the climax of the story.  For me it is Chapter 16.  Enjoy!

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

Chapter 16: Contrapasso (part 1)

Exiting Fenris’ Dirge, I was first to see that Arnor was not with Karm or Ken.  As I took the taller man’s hand in my grip, I asked, “It’s good to see you, my friend but is Arnor alright?  Ken.” I nodded and gave a brief smile to the shorter teidowan then turned my attention back to Karm.

“She’s alive.  She’s recovering.”  I could see by the tight set of his eyes that there was more to it than that but I respected his prerogative in what he wanted to tell.  Nodding in understanding, I looked at our surroundings while I waited for Jorya and D’Aylanna to disembark.

Before we’d made planetfall, Karm had transmitted coordinates on where to rendezvous.  It was one of the major hive-spires, adjacent to the Petranaki Arena.  The redish landscape and orange sky was a direct contrast to the Steppes.  Combined with the gravity of the situation, it was disconcerting to say the least.

Feeling Jorya’s hand on my pauldron, when I saw D’Aylanna walk down the ramp, I knew that we were ready.  Grasping both my lightsabers, I was about to talk when my wife spoke first.

“Shakal, you and Master Karmak needs must go together.”  Her dark eyes were watery and full of worry.

“I was going to say that Ken and I would set the pontite.” Karm’s steady voice intoned.  Even as he spoke, D’Aylanna was shaking her head.

“Forgive me, Master Karmak.  I’ve had a vision.  You and my husband must go together; otherwise, without the other you both will succumb to the dark tide.”  D’Aylanna’s blue lips thinned in apprehension.  “I will take Jorya and Ken to set the pontite along geodesic positions.”  Suddenly, her hand shot up, resting upon Karm’s tall shoulder, her voice full of compassion.  “Karm…trust the Singer.”

With only the barest of hesitation, Karm nodded, giving no hint of astonishment.  “Thank you, D’Aylanna.”  He faced Ken.  “Watch their backs, son,” he said as he smiled.  And turning, Karm gathered me with a hand on my shoulder.   “Let’s go, Zearic.”

As I fell into step next to him, I said, “Lead the way, Karm.”  He nodded without a word, instead grabbing his own lightsaber.  Together, we ran into the hive-spire, heading further inward.

Instead of waiting for our eyes to adjust, we ignited our lightsabers, Karm’s golden blade casting a warm glow which, combined with my own silver and sapphire, helped to dispel the oppressive darkness.  Following the tunnels, I had already opened myself to the Force, projecting ever outwards, looking for life signs.  As I did so, I could hear Karm gently Singing what I recognized as a battle-Song.  Up ahead… I thought.  And before we knew it, they were upon us.

Springing from the shadows, six figures with red lightsabers attacked.  They were almost all different species—Zabrak, Trandoshan, Lorridian, Duros, and human—but they were of single intent: to kill.  There was also another similarity: they were all Singers.  Karm engaged the nearest three, his saberwork immediately recognizable as superior to the Dark-Siders.  Gritting my teeth, I simultaneously went through my Mental Water Forms as I met my three opponents, my blades against theirs.

As my Force-assisted muscles propelled my body quick as thought, part of my mind made notice of each of our blades: one and all, they were pulsating.  With Karm and the Dark-Siders, there was a…cadence that was reflected in both voice and blade.  With my own, my sapphire lightsaber beat with my own heart.

The shock on each Dark-Sider’s face was evident: they didn’t know that they faced a Singer, much less one of Karm’s caliber.  And it was then that I had my second epiphany: Karm’s battle-Song mirrored my own attacks, almost exact.  My Nexu Master had taught me the Water Form: the style was one of flow and control and, like waves washing ashore, the moves followed the rhythm of advance and retreat.  So too was Karm’s Song: the changes in the Song directly changed our environment; notes—form—were only temporary in the flow.  Whether the Song—the form—was gentle or hard depended on the situation, changing from one state to another as a matter of the moment.  Both Song and Form were melodies in one harmonious tune, the whole greater than the sum of its parts.  I smiled, feeling kinship once again as we fought as though of one mind.  Within moments, four of our opponents lay dead, the fifth failing in his defense against my shoto.  And as I feinted low, the opening that it created was immediately exploited, my blue blade sweeping upwards, cutting the Lorridian’s face completely from his head.

Glancing past Karm and his opponent, I noticed that a small army of Sith-Shadows were attempting to flank us.  Before they could blindside him, I made a quick jump to engage them.  Even as their numbers continued to grow, I was untouchable; with my lightsabers an extension of my arm, of my will, I furiously cut them down.  And while a few blaster shots did make it past my blades, the dissipating weave of my cloak and armor protected me.  Soon, I noticed that there were less and less Sith-Shadows—and blaster fire—to contend with: feeling his presence from behind, Karm’s golden blade was scything through the Sith-Shadows upon my flank, returning the favor.  Soon, we met towards the middle of the large antechamber, not one Sith-Shadow remaining alive.

“Thank you.” We both said in unison.  Smiling, Karm closed down his saber, kneeling by the Dark Singers’ bodies.  And from each fallen Dark Singer, I saw him open the housing that held the pontite crystal, removing them from the lightsaber.  “These Vitreous weapons each have a potent primed crystal that I can take advantage of.”  He turned his eyes towards me.  “But how is it that their Singing didn’t affect you?  I could almost feel their Songs being absorbed around you.”

“I don’t kno—” I suddenly stopped, immediately thinking about the black stone dagger.  “…I think that it might have something to do with…this.”  I reached behind my cloak, pulling out the dagger.  Karm’s intense gaze scrutinized the seemingly innocuous weapon.

“Incredible.”  With that, he had the last crystal from the Dark-Sider’s weapon in hand.  He looked as if he were about to say something else when suddenly we both felt a disturbance in the Force coming from somewhere in front of us.

“Zearic…I need a short distraction.”  He looked up, the hint of a smile on his face.  “Would you mind terribly?”

“Not at all.”  I could feel the oppressiveness radiating out in waves of darkness from before me.  “Just don’t forget D’Aylanna’s warning.” I said, only half-joking, running forward.

I noticed that from the distance we’d traveled, we were no longer in the hive-spire.  As I continued down the halls, the rock crags were soon replaced by foundry machinery and automated assemblies.  Soon, the tunnel opened into an enormous mechanized cavern, a break in the ceiling leading to the surface far overhead.  And in front of me, a presence that I’d felt before…

With a lightsaber in her hand, the pulsing red blade slowly strobing in time with her Singing, Jennira stood a lone sentinel against me.  Her face drawn back in a feral sneer, the witch made a flourish with her lightsaber, advancing upon me.  “I’ve dreamed of this day.  But before you die, I want for you to know that I will have my revenge upon your daughter.”  I was already angry, but it was tempered with righteous justice.  As my blue blade met her red, she ignited a second blade on her saberstaff, intent on bisecting me.  Thankfully, I deflected her blade with my shoto, slowly circling.  The Night Sister’s face furrowed in confusion.  “…How is it you are resisting my Song?”  And as she mentioned,  I noticed that her Singing was diminished.  Her Song still affected me but almost as if having been strained through a…filter, as if muted.  Regardless, I was grateful for the effect.  Jennira was not only powerful in the Force but clearly also a practiced saber practitioner.

Each attack that she pressed, I was able to parry but she was good enough to not allow for any riposte.  And from time to time, she would try to distract me, either with a Force Push or some telekinetic missiles.  Each attack I was able to thwart, to her growing agitation.  “You will pay for the deaths of my brood-chattel.  You will beg for death at my hands!  You will come to realize that the only release left you in this world is a quick death that I will never grant you!”  Emphasizing her words, her swings became more power-prone, less precise.  Smiling inwardly, I…flowed into my next Form.  Using the momentum from Jennira’s last lethal swing, I surged straight into her, grabbed her saberstaff and threw her across the room where she hit the far wall, hard.

Shaking her head as she rose to her knee, I wondered why she still had a small smile upon her lips.  “Surrender.  Or die.”  My voice was cold but I could feel the heat of my anger below the surface.  Yet with my sapphire blade at her throat, the witch only smiled further.

“Neither.”  Her eyes flicked behind me for the briefest of moments.  “Now you die.”

Before I knew it, I was attempting to pick myself off from the floor.  I felt as if I’d been run over by a speeder.  Trying to clear my field of vision, I shakily stood.  What the hell…?  Turning, I saw a figure clad completely in black.  Almost two meters tall, he was slender, a mask hiding his face, the rest of his body in black durasteel armor.  And before I’d regained my faculties, I was again blown across the room, through the far wall.  Only my armor protected me from dire injuries, although I felt the soreness that promised future pain.  As I came to rest, I heard Jennira’s voice behind me.

“Meet my Master, Darth Mendax.”  She laughed, a melodious and pleasant sound.  “And your death.”  As if to illustrate her words, I was bodily thrust from the floor to the ceiling, a crushing force that even my armor couldn’t fully mitigate.  After a moment, I fell and hit the floor, hard.  Spitting blood, I tried to focus on this Mendax and his Singing.

And for the first time, I noticed that he held a staff affixed with a large, glowing green crystal, its light a sickly hue.  “The Rur crystal…” I inadvertently said aloud.

“Yes.” Mendax’s voice sounded mechanical, inhuman.  “I’m impressed.  Most people know nothing of Rur, much less its provenance.”  And then he again began to Sing, pain erupting all over my body.  I felt as if my nerve endings were being burned by the coldest ice, that my tissues were being ripped from my bones, and my blood was being boiled.  By the Maker… If Jennira’s Singing within the crevasses of the Canticum Lowlands had been bad, this was worse.  “You see Zearic, the Rur crystal confers the ability to Sing.  Not that the fools who had it before would know.”  Mendax laughed.  “They were actually using it as their computer core!” 

I was doubled over in pain as both Mendax and Jennira approached me.  My lightsabers…where? I thought.  Spying them out of the corner of my eye, I was about to call them to me when a surging wave of pain inundated me.  Compared to what the Night Sister had done to me, this was by far the worst.  And even as I screamed, Mendax’s Singing was interrupted when he spoke, almost conversationally.

“You see, the Rur crystal also allows me to utilize people as if they were themselves kyber crystals.  Like Jennira and her brood-chattel.  And in conjunction with the pontite that Jennira and her sister Julwynn have provided me, an entire planet is mine to enthrall.”  Both Mendax and the Night Sister stood above me as I writhed in agony.  “And now, Zearic, before you die, know that I will make suffer your wife and your daughter, that they will plead for death, a death that I will deny them.  And they will experience torments unending…and they will have you to thank.”  Again, Mendax laughed.

Involuntarily, I closed my eyes against the agony that I anticipated to come…

And suddenly, I began to feel a comfortable warmth, healing coursing throughout my body, muscle, tendons, and ligaments mending themselves as my body felt…rejuvenated.  Looking up at Mendax and Jennira, I could see that they were both confused.  And on the periphery of my vision, I noticed that the Rur crystal’s glow no longer cast the eerie, ill green light about.  From the core of the crystal, a pure golden radiance began to shine.  I couldn’t help but smile.

“…By the Emperor’s ghost…” Mendax’s voice held disbelief, his Singing no longer effective.  Besides him, the Night Sister looked about in fear.

“M…master?  What’s happened?” Her black eyes looked haunted. 

And that’s when I heard Karm’s Singing.  And I wasn’t alone in doing so.  Jennira’s mouth dropped in utter astonishment.  And as I stood, I saw Mendax retreating towards the far tunnel.  Calling my lightsabers to my hand I ignited them, the sapphire and silver blades casting shadows across the witch’s fallen face.  Karm stood beside me, his baritone voice resplendent, his golden blade glowing like a newborn star.

“Great timing.  Thanks.” I spoke quietly.

“Don’t mention it.” He said easily.  Louder, “Jennira, surrender.”

“A Night Sister would rather die than be taken by the likes of you fools.” She said haughtily as she adopted an aggressive stance with her saberstaff.

Karm’s eyes bored into Jennira’s.  “Julwynn would object to that.”  He continued as the witch’s face changed from arrogance to shock.  “You see, she didn’t surrender; she came to us willingly.”  Karm’s smile took on an almost vicious slant.  “I guess that you don’t know your sister half as well as you’d thought.”

Jennira’s entire body twitched, her face assumed a broken look.  “No.” She said quietly.  Then, as if a conflagration had ignited, the Night Sister shrieked, a howling keen that almost deafened us.

“NO!!!” And Jennira began to Sing, a torrent that threatened to subsume Karm and I, her saberstaff blades a continuous blazing crimson beating in cadence with her Song.

Screaming in order to be heard, Karm put his head next to mine, “She’s trying to wrest control of the crystals from me!”  Looking at Rur, the crystal had resumed a green glow, albeit faint.  “She’s using her own life-energies as well as the Force!”  Force winds born of Jennira’s Singing buffeted us, threatening to break us against the wall.  Both Karm and I went down to one knee.  “Zearic…I’m holding control of the crystals but barely.” I could hardly hear Karm despite the fact that he had to scream at the top of his lungs.

I fought against the storm, squinting my eyes, hoping that a plan would take root.  Think dammit!  We couldn’t move; using the Force, I thrust my lightsaber at the Night Sister, throwing the blue blade at her.  Right before it impaled her, my saber rebounded as if it had hit an invisible wall.  I knew that Karm couldn’t release his own lightsaber and risk losing the Ancient One.  And, in the back of my mind, I had a singular thought.  The dagger… Grabbing the hilt, I reversed my grip and held it by the blade.  And with a powerful flick of my arm, I sent the dagger end-over-end at Jennira.  She must have expected her Force Storm to protect her as it had against my lightsaber; her face didn’t change from its furious scream.

Suddenly, the air around us was silent, both Karm and I stepping forward against the gale that no longer battered against us.  Jennira’s eyes looked shocked for a moment…but then the life left them as she collapsed to the ground.  The black stone dagger had buried itself to the hilt in her forehead.

Calling my lightsaber to my hand, I had to physically retrieve my dagger from the Night Sister’s body.  Meanwhile, Karm was busy removing the Rur crystal from Mendax’s staff.  Once detached, he placed it in a deep pocket of his combat smock.  “Karm…where to now?  I can’t sense Mendax…”

As if anticipating my question, he was already walking towards the far tunnel.  “This way.”  Again, Karm’s baritone voice Sang.  Clearly, it was a healing Song, as it helped to assuage the agony that I’d suffered under Mendax’s Singing.  I thanked him again as we ran down the tunnel, greasy and rusted pipes lining the entire passageway, small billowing clouds of vapor condensing around the ceiling.  His head turned sideways, a grin on his face.  “No problem.  Maybe I can teach you next to gargle.” 

I gave a short, appreciative laugh.  “Why not?”  With the Force flowing from me, I could feel three life signs in front of us, unmoving as if they were expecting us…

As the industrialized tunnel opened to the next antechamber, the walls changed back to the megalithic structures of the hive-spires.  And once within I pulled up in shock.  Mendax was standing there unconcerned but I looked past him at the other two people in the room.  One was Mellichae, his cybernetic arm whole and grasping his pulsating saber.  But his left arm was locked around the neck of the third person: Jorya.  She was bloodied and bruised, one eye almost completely swollen shut, her lower armor all but missing, the femur of her right leg jutting out through a savage, ragged gash.  She had a pair of binders around her wrists.  No…!  Dear One!

“Karmak, Zearic.  You will both drop your swords and hand to me the Rur crystal.” Mendax pivoted his head and then addressed Karm directly, “If there is even a hint of Singing or using the Force, I will have Mellichae run the Togruta through.”

I stood there, hesitant.  I didn’t know what to do… To his credit, Karm did not Sing…and neither did he relinquish the Rur crystal.  “I cannot do that, Mendax.”

I knew that he was right.  “Karm…” My voice was borderline pleading; I knew that we could NOT give Mendax the crystal…but I feared for my daughter…

“So be it… Mellichae, kill that tralk.” Mendax’s voice was flat, impassive.

Smiling and quicker than the eye could see, the Zabrak held out his left arm, gripping Jorya by the neck, his right arm holding his raised lightsaber, the red blade poised to cut her down.  And laughing a gravelly, incredibly deep laugh, his right arm fell.

[Karmack]

Contrapasso (part 2)

“Jorya!!” I took a step forward, readying a Force Pull, knowing that anything I did would be futile.

There was a flash of blue and both the Zabrak and Jorya flew from their places; Jorya to the floor and Mellichae up to the ceiling.  He then dropped back to the floor like a clipped mynock, hitting some stacked crates.  Nearby, his severed cybernetic arm reflexively gripped the still-ignited lightsaber, until the biomechanical servos recognized that they were no longer receiving electrical signals from the synapses and released the lightsaber, closing down the weapon.

With a curse Mendax ran, escaping through an opposite tunnel.  Stunned, I turned back to see Ken holding his ice-blue lightsaber at the ready, standing just behind of where Mellichae and Jorya had been.  Running to my daughter, I helped her up to her feet.  “Karmak, can you please help her?”

Standing by Jorya, smiling a proud smile for Ken, Karm quietly began Singing a healing Song.  Adding my own meager healing flows, I heartily thanked the teidowan, “Ken, you have my eternal gratitude!  But…what happened?  Where is D’Aylanna?”

Still standing where he’d telekinetically thrown the Zabrak from, he answered with a small grin on his face, “We were ambushed by Sith-Shadows before we could set all of the pontite so Master D’Aylanna told Knight Jorya and I to finish with the crystals while she ‘took care’ of them.  But when I was setting the last one, Jorya was attacked by a couple of Dark Singers.  I countered with a battle-Song and we fought back-to-back…but then that Zabrak attacked us.”  Ken bowed his head, shame radiating off of him.  “I…he got me with a Force Push… Jorya, she…she tried to stop him but… And he…took her.”

“Ken.”  I spoke severely in order to get his attention.  Looking up, his blue eyes tentatively but resolutely looking into my hazel, I sternly continued, “Ken.  You saved her.  I cannot thank you enough.”  Slowly, his confidence returned.  I smiled at him, “I owe you.”  Looking from Ken to Karm Singing and then to Jorya, I saw that she looked better, if still a bit bruised.  But the bone of her leg was no longer fractured and she was able to tentatively put her weight upon it.

“…Well, th…I mean, you’re welcome, maenowan.” Ken looked somewhat bashful, deliberately changing the subject.  “Say…do you think that I…killed him?”

Both Jorya and I chuckled while Karm stopped Singing, speaking to his son fondly, “Well, Ken—”

Suddenly, a red blade arced through the air, cutting off Ken’s arm near the shoulder.  The teidowan’s face contorted in both shock and pain; Karm’s yell echoed throughout the chamber.  “No!”

Mellichae’s face appeared above and behind Ken’s shoulder, his rough, deep voice rasping, “No, you didn’t kill ‘him,’ but you did get ‘his’ attention!”  And with that, he plunged his blade through Ken’s back, the red tip exploding through his chest.

“Ken!  No!!  NO!!!”  And after a second of silence, Karm began to Sing.

When Mendax and even Jennira had Sang, they were drawing strength from the river that was the Force.

Karm was the river.  No, he was an ocean.

As Karm Sang, the Rur crystal began to glow, becoming a radiance that began to outshine a thousand suns.  The surrounding walls, floors, and ceiling began to vibrate intensely as the pontite crystals began to propagate the Song, an earthquake shaking the hive-spire.  Waves of pure energy washed over all present, healing Ken, Jorya, and myself while hammering against Mellichae, propelling him against the wall, knocking him insensate.  All of my pain, all of my injuries were entirely healed; Jorya’s broken leg, lacerations, and bruises completely restored.

And still Karm Sang.

And even as I watched, Ken’s chest reformed itself to its natural state, the skin, muscle, and organs regenerating completely as if nothing had occurred.  And, slowly, his arm began to grow back, first from the shoulder…and then his bicep and tricep…and then his elbow.  And all the while, Karm began to shine as brilliantly as the Rur crystal, his sonorous baritone reverberating throughout the chamber, as strong and as bright as a star during noon, growing ever greater, wonderful, and more powerful.

The abruptness of the silence was deafening.  Karm’s Singing went from a rising crescendo to absolute stillness.  He looked at Ken, the look on his face one of absolute joy…until his eyes rolled up into his head.  And before I could react, the taller man collapsed, his lightsaber rebounding on the floor, coming to rest in the shadows.  Jorya and I ran up to Karm, examining him as we both opened ourselves to healing flows of the Force.  His pulse was slow but stable.  But try as we might, neither of us could revive Karm.

He was in a deep coma.

“Dad…Ken?” Jorya reminded me tentatively, looking at the teidowan.  I approached Ken’s body and knelt down, rolling him over.  The sight that met me was…wonderful.  Of the chest wound, there was no sign of it.  And Ken’s arm had…grown back.  Well, much of it; his arm ended in a stump just past his elbow.  Still, considering the injuries he’d sustained… Ken’s chest rose and fell with the regularity of peaceful sleep, his pulse strong and steady.

Thank the Maker… I thought, smiling.  And Karm…

Looking around, my eyes fixed upon the Rur crystal.  Or rather, the thousands of shard pieces.  It must have shattered as a result of…whatever Karm did.  And lying prone and motionless—but alive—was Mellichae.  Gabbing my lightsaber I ignited it.  I would correct a mistake that I’d made, one that I regretted profusely.  Slowly, I walked over towards him…

“How different you’ve become, Zearic.” The voice behind me had the mechanical quality of a droid.  Turning, I faced Mendax as he approached, dust and small rocks covering his armor, his saber hilt in hand.  I grabbed my shoto and ignited it as well.  Mendax slowed to a halt, his body language seemingly unconcerned. 

Whispering to Jorya, I hastily spoke, “Get Ken and Karm out of here and back to Fenris’ Dirge, fast as you can.  Find your Mother.  Now, apprentice.”  The last I said more harshly than I intended but I wanted them all out of danger.  Hurriedly, Jorya got the Mak’Tor Jedi out of harm’s way using the Force.

Facing the black and gray mask, I squared up against the taller man.  “How would you know, Mendax?” I adopted a ready stance in Juyo, again preparing my Water Forms.

“I know…because…I know you.”  And he ignited his saber.

An orange blade sprang into existence.

Stunned, I almost lowered my defenses.  “…Gaetana?  How…you…you’re dead…”  Even as I asked the question, she attacked.  Automatically, I flowed into my defense, intercepting her brutal attacks, her blade probing, searching, trying to force any advantage.  She found none.  I knew that I’d bettered my saberwork exponentially since I’d last seen her; she followed a quick strike with a savage cut that I barely had time to parry.  But before I could take advantage, her blade was moving again.

But if I had improved, so too had Gaetana.  Even as a Jar’Kai practitioner, I was pressed in matching her single bladed combat.  Still, I focused on my Water Forms, the ebb and flow as we circled each other, attacking, defending, always moving.  Even as she struck my shoulder, my pauldron absorbed the worst of the blow, the Charubah plate holding.  Better still, it had helped to create an opening.  Before she could recover, my shoto cut through the armor at her leg, piercing the black plate.  Using my momentum, I brought the blue blade of my main saber in a swift overhead cut connecting with her helmet.

Instantly, my lightsaber deactivated.

I could hear Gaetana’s laughter as I desperately tried to recover, my shoto at a disadvantage compared to her full-length blade.  Her helmet is made of cortosis?! I thought.  I also noticed that the cut on her leg didn’t impede her in the least.  Knowing that my main lightsaber would not work for several minutes, I tried to delay.

Before I could react, Gaetana’s fingers splayed apart, dropping her lightsaber and simultaneously projecting a torrent of Force Lightning at me.  Normally, I would be able to block it with my blade, but my shoto was too short to effectively intercept it.  Even as the lightning coursed through my face, Gaetana pulled with her other hand upon a large stack of compartmented storage boxes.  Before I could completely clear the falling metal containers, several pinned my legs against the floor, my shoto knocked from my hand and buried beneath some other cases.  As soon as I couldn’t move my legs, Gaetana’s full lightning barrage hit me, overwhelming my armor, surging into my body.  Between lightning strikes, I attempted to grab at the black dagger in my belt holster. 

It was empty.

I must have lost it when the compartments had fallen upon me.  Looking around, I spied it several meters away from me, but then another onslaught of lightning ripped through my body.  As my muscles seized, micro-tears forming, I could not focus upon anything except the pain.  Without stopping, Gaetana kept up her lightning assault even as my screams stopped, not from a loss of consciousness but from lack of breath.

Barely holding onto cognizance, my eyes lost focus as I attempted to follow Gaetana as she walked towards me.  Clearly, she’d learned a valuable lesson from our first encounter: she stopped short several meters.  “I have waited years for this.”

Slurring my speech, my jowl muscles locked forcing a rictus grin upon my face, I spoke, “You are the only one to blame, Gaetana.”  I hoped that she understood my words.  “But why now when you had escaped, ‘Mendax?’” 

“That damned earthquake nearly brought the hive-spire down upon me.  But it did block my route of escape.”  She paused briefly.  “But now since your Singer is no longer a concern, I need not fear reprisals from a superior opponent.”  I could feel her rage even now despite the mask, her voice quivered with anger.  “You were right: Gaetana died that day on Byss.  Lord Vader himself saved me…but not without…consequences.  And from that day forth, there was only Darth Mendax.”  She let loose a potent onslaught of Force Lightning, not once letting up while she spoke this time.  “And it is Darth Mendax that kills you now, Zearic.”  And to emphasize her point, her Lightning only intensified.  My existence was agony, pain without measure.  Curling into a fetal position, or as close as my armor would allow, I waited…hoped…solicited that death would take me…

Incredibly, I had not shut my eyes.  I saw Mendax suddenly fly bodily away, crashing into the far wall, stone and detritus falling around her as she collapsed to the ground, her helmet flying off.  Pivoting my head, deliberately, carefully, I saw D’Aylanna swiftly approaching, her lightsaber on her belt.  “Shakal…shh, husband, mine.  I am here.”  Her quiet words were softly emphasized by the gentle stroking of her hands upon my face.  But I saw her face grow serious again and she stood.  “So.  You are ‘Mendax.’  Gaetana.” 

Standing, Mendax towered over my wife.  Dusting herself off as she walked forward, Mendax stepped into the light.  The once beautiful face was terrible to behold: her skin was gray, what little hair she had was white and unkempt.  Her left eye was a mechanical replacement, not even cybernetic.  And her face belonged to that of a decrepit, old woman.  “Yes, D’Aylanna.  I am Mendax.  And your doom.”

Quicker than my eyes could see, she raised both of her hands, Force Lightning cascading from her fingers towards my wife, the blue electrical cloud lethally surging at D’Aylanna.  Unconcerned, my wife raised both of her hands, accumulating Gaetana’s—Mendax’s—Lightning and absorbing it with tutaminis.  Mendax’s face fell, her disbelieving look painted across her features.

“…How…?” Mendax’s mechanized voice was alarmed.

Igniting her saber, purple blade casting righteous light upon Mendax’s face, D’Aylanna attacked.  I had practiced with my wife for years, especially after Gaetana had first wounded me.  But never had I seen her this…savage.  Her purple blade struck so fast, it created a virtual haze obfuscating her person, always attacking, searching, and striking home.  As the minutes passed, D’Aylanna had scored several cuts against Mendax, most on her legs.  As before, they seemed negligible.

But even as D’Aylanna’s mastery was evident, so too was Mendax’s.  She countered my wife’s offensive with a series of brutal saber strikes, one cut almost decapitating D’Aylanna.  Thankfully, she parried in the last moment.  And almost simultaneously, both women flew back from one another, both having delivered a powerful Force Push upon the other.  D’Aylanna backflipped, gracefully landing on one knee while Mendax plowed through another stack of metal containers, skidding to a halt along the floor.  Even in pain, I could tell from the look on Mendax’s face that she was afraid, as scared as she had been of Karm.  She looked around the room, her eyes belonging to prey cornered by an apex predator.  But D’Aylanna did not relent; she was upon Mendax again, working her lightsaber blade, purple against orange.  It was truly a meeting of masters.

Both women locked their sabers together, Mendax’s much taller stature seemingly smaller despite my wife’s diminutive frame.  Suddenly, D’Aylanna launched upwards, head-butting Mendax, blood flowing from her broken nose.  Moreover, it stunned her.  With a scything swing, D’Aylanna separated Mendax’s right arm from her body.  And in the next orbit, she bisected her left leg just below the hip.  Before Mendax had even fallen, D’Aylanna’s Force Push sent her crashing against and through the far wall, causing the far room to cave in.  Even as D’Aylanna ran forward, she must have known that there was nothing that she could do.  As she stared, the far side of the hive-spire collapsed, weakened from the earthquake that Karm had caused earlier.  Turning, my wife ran towards me, never once looking back.

“My Shakal…” The love and concern in her voice warmed my heart as she collected me in her arms, healing flows from the Force embracing me.  “…Are you OK?”  Her voice cracked as a single tear flowed down from her dark eye, across her cheek and upon her blue lips.

I did not even attempt to rise, not that I could.  “I will be, Ereneda, I will be…”  Gently she rocked me until Jorya returned, our daughter both relieved and dismayed by what she saw had happened to me…

            <<<<< >>>>>

Mellichae woke to the sound of screams, his ice-blue eyes quickly surveying his surroundings.  The rocky antechamber had strewn about it several large metal containers, two of them crushing the big man’s legs and effectively pinning him against the ground.  Knowing that he was hidden from view by one of the larger containers, he had the perfect vantage to see the big man writhing in pain as Force Lightning engulfed him, his Master pitiless in judgment.  His Master.  He couldn’t be sure…but something felt…different.  As if his mind were no longer…constrained.  Could it be…?  Could Lord Mendax’s tether have been…broken?  He knew that Jennira was dead; he no longer felt her within.  But his Master as well…?

A flash caught his eye, the Lightning from his Master reflecting off of a silver surface in the shadows.  Crawling over, it looked like…a lightsaber.  Wait…it was that Singer’s!  With as much facility as he could, he opened the weapon, specifically the housing for the crystal.  And there, he saw, was a true treasure: a golden kyber crystal unlike any he’d ever seen.  Greedily, he grabbed it when something else glinted within the shadows.  It was a shard of the Rur crystal, he was sure.  Momentarily, his breath stopped.  Singing ever so quietly, he saw the glow within the crystal shard as it propagated.  Mellichae hurriedly pocketed it, closing the lightsaber and placing it on the ground near where he’d found it.  Again, carefully looking around the corner of the container, he could see his Master in furious combat with a petite Hapan woman.  Incredibly, the woman was superior to his Master.  Not waiting to learn anymore, Mellichae carefully worked his way further in the hive-spire where his ship was docked.

Boarding on shaky legs, the large Zabrak hurriedly went through preflight and rocketed off the planet surface.  Achieving escape velocity, his ship entered into the Geonosian stratosphere and, finally, outer space. 

As the Sith Infiltrator made the jump to lightspeed in a flurry of pseudomotion, three things went through Mellichae’s mind.  First, he no longer was a thrall, not to Jennira and not to Mendax.  Next, he would get revenge upon those Gray Jedi.  And finally, he now had not one but two potent crystals beyond compare to do with as he chose.

Mellichae smiled, his memory lingering on killing…well, almost…that Jedi welp.  The next time that they met things would be much different.  And he thought of the name that the big man had said.  A name that both filled him with hatred as well as dread.  One that Mellichae would use in his personal litany to forever remind him of the price of his failures.  And the realization of his vengeance.

“Karmak.”

[Karmack]

Chapter 17: Cadence Point

The Wayfarer settled gently onto the wide landing pad under Ken’s steady hand.  I felt the ship rock ever so slightly as the Fenris’ Dirge settled next to us.  I looked over at Arnor and grinned.  She smiled back from the tactical station, a tired smile still filled with too much pain, but there was a hint of her normal sparkle in her eyes.

It was good to be home.  Especially when you’ve gone through hell to get there…

My body reminded me of just how hard that journey had been when I rose.  Even now, after a journey home which had taken several weeks thanks to the torturous routes around the Outer Rim as well as Wayfarer’s damage, my legs were unsteady and my body wracked with the fiery after-effects of the energy that I had unleashed.  Arnor was better – and worse.  The Bacta had done wonders on her body, aided by the auto-doc built into the medical bay as well as Ken’s healing songs.  Unfortunately Arnor had been out of range of the massive pulse that had healed Ken.  She still had some residual healing to do, but the real damage was internal.  She’d been brutally savaged by the Storm Troopers, stripped and beaten nearly to death.  She’d had broken ribs, a broken femur, dislocated shoulder and elbow and her right cheek had been crushed along with a blow that had cracked her skull.  But far worse was the fact that, in my effort to save her life, I had poured healing energy into her, which had prevented her from falling unconscious. 

I’d forced my wife to endure every painful moment of her horrific beating … to save her life, to be sure, but the cost…

A tear trickled down my cheek as Arnor sensed my emotions and turned.  She reached out and wiped the tear away, laying her wet finger on my lips.  “Shhh…  None of that, dearest.  You saved us all.  The pain is just part of the journey.”

I wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and managed a smile in return.  “Yes, I know.  But it still hurts…”  I let my hand fall to the empty place on my belt where my saber with the Ancient One usually rode. 

Sometimes it hurts a lot…

I pulled Arnor close into a fierce hug.  “Thank you, my love.”

Behind us Ken cleared his throat.  “Landing post-check completed.  Mutt is cracking the hatch.  Are you two ready to debark?”  Ken’s playful poke at our PDA was another familiar touch-stone, and like the rest it was also now slightly muted.  Ken’s right hand was gone, but the fully-healed stump had easily accepted the cybernetic implants needed for a more complete version of the glove I still wore.  It was perhaps a sad commentary on our Order that our medical bays carried such cybernetics routinely.

It’s called being prepared…

I chuckled, at the thought as well as the look of long-suffering pain Ken had affected to cover the amused warmth I felt from him.  “Of course, Teidowan.”  I reached back to my station and retrieved a memory crystal with Two’s “bootstrap” download on it and slipped it into my pocket as I followed Arnor down the ramp.  His body had been destroyed again, but with his core memories and programming intact all I needed to do was build him a new one.  I’d already decided on a few new … refinements … to the basic R2 chassis to incorporate as well.  Two always complained about changes, but in this case I didn’t think he’d mind.

After all, everyone loves having a lightsaber, right?

I was chuckling slightly as we reached the bottom of the ramp, imagining Two swinging a saber around.  OK, maybe not the best idea after all… I saw a matching smile on Zearic’s face as he cleared the ramp from his own ship.  Even out of armor, he was a big man, bigger even than I was, and his need to scrunch down to clear the overhead on the ship’s ramp obviously triggered some humorous memory of his own.  “Master Zearic, welcome back to M’Tzigon.” 

I extended my hand and Zearic grasped it, eschewing the hand-shake and pulling me into a bear-hug.  “And welcome home, Master Karmack!” 

I gasped slightly as he let me go, mentally counting ribs and avoiding a flinch of pain only with effort.  “Um, thank you, Zearic.”  Mistess DAylanna, welcome.  Zorya, welcome.” I bowed to each as they emerged behind the exuberant Zearic.  “It appears we’ve been expected.”  I gestured toward a small group of officials headed by Kage Silman standing at the edge of the pad.  “Shall we?”

“Certainly.” D’Aylanna replied, her bearing regal.  Arnor fell in beside her as we fell into pairs – D’Aylanna and Arnor, Ken and Jorya, and myself with Zearic.  Something in the song nudged me… Ken’s melody and Zorya’s, suddenly becoming entwined.  Well, now that is interesting…

I felt a ripple from Zearic and I turned a raised eyebrow to him.  “Thoughts?”

Zearic had felt it as well, in his own sense of the force or parental intuition.  “Tell Ken to buckle up, he’s in for a wild ride.”

I chuckled again.  “More than they know.  Kage Silman transmitted a few days ago that the Council has decided to offer Ken the Trails.”  I chuckled.  “Seems his performance on this mission impressed more than just his parents.”

“I am not surprised.  The same offer will likely be forthcoming for Zorya from our own Council.”  Zearic looked worried, the worry any father would have for a daughter headed out into a dangerous world on her own.  “I am proud, but…”

“Worried.” I finished for him.  “I as well.  He’s ready, but…”

“…are any of us ever really ready?  I certainly was not.”  Zearic stopped walking, allowing the gap between us and the others to open a bit.  “I wanted to apologize for…”  His eyes dropped to the empty place on my belt.

“My friend.” I laid my hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes. “There is no need.”  I leaned closer, lowering my own voice.  “The Ancient One is in the Song.  I can feel it still.  The Zabrek will get nothing from it.  It only shares it’s secrets willingly.  Meanwhile, everywhere he turns he will find himself vexed and foiled until I am ready to take back what is mine.  Nor will I have forgotten what he did … and tried to do.”

A dangerous light flickered through Zearic’s eyes.  “Excellent.  If I can be of any assistance…”

My own smile was also dangerous.  The smile of a predator.  “I will not hesitate to call.”  Again I extended my hand, and this time he took it shook.  The bond was made: Mellichae would face justice.

But first…  I looked back for a moment, watching crews begin the process of unloading the pontite we’d recovered.  It was still dangerous and would be carefully dispersed and hidden over the next few months and years.  Most of the shards of the Ruh Crystal ahd also been recovered, but not all.  Another mystery to track down.  After the reception.

I sighed and we turned back to the awaiting welcoming committee, following our wives into the fray…


*** The End ***

[TheDutchman]

YES!!

I remember when I was watching Return of the Jedi and thinking how incredible the journey was the Original Trilogy took me through and (at the time) lamenting that there would be no more adventures.

Well after reading this chapter, I felt that nostalgia but without the sorrow of "no more stories!"  Karm this was perfect; I can feel the bittersweet mood of Karm, Zearic, and Co.  I love the characterization and the hint of things to come.  But this was almost a pyrrhic victory with the wounds they've gone through (both physical and emotional).  Damn, I seem to have something in my eye...

BUT, now I can't wait for forthcoming stories!  This collaboration was incredible!  I hope to do so again 

[Karmack]

Count on it!  :-)  I had a blast!  And thank you for the kind words.  I had a really sappy version written up (cold medicine!  Oy) and I scrapped it this morning.
And now its done, so I can take my medicine and let my brain fog a bit.  LOL

[Taegin Roan]

I hate endings. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad endings, I hate them all. (Uh oh, now I'm starting to sound like Anakin  ) But, I only hate them because there is no more after that. However, I feel like I can forgive you for ending a third story, because you have delivered three amazing ones already, with the promise of more to come. Now if only I could finish SotO. I think it would be really fun to do a big three-way (or four-way if LSG wanted too) compilation. Not sure how it would work, but it would be fun.

[Lord_S_Gray]

Solid ending to a great series! The collaboration worked well, pulled apart and brought back together in an organic way.

Mellichae is in trouble, as Karmack said there is virtually nothing he can do to get out of this.  Look forward to seeing something on their trials.

For now though its time for everyone to rest and recuperate...and not just the Gray Jedi.....