
 Gary Friedman (garybf@ix.netcom.com)
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                      The Sith Returneth: Part 2

        "Damn them!" Rishiaa shouted. She watched in anger as the two
X-wings circled around the star destroyer, not doing any damage, and
not getting any damage. "Get reinforcements. Call in that weak-minded
admiral, what's-her-name. You know the one."
        "Right. We just called her in." The Commander walked away
before Rishiaa would get real angry, which he knew she would.
        But she didn't. She just ran a hand through her hair and sat
down.

        Chris felt her try to break into his mind first. He easily
blocked her out, using her own powers on a higher level. She had no
hope to match him. He fired a weak warning shot into the destroyer's
bridge, doing no damage.
        Next it was Luke's turn. He could feel her probe, and attempt
to take over his mind. Holding onto the Light, he repulsed her. He
sensed her power, Dark, but not without it's limit. Though he was sure
he wouldn't have thought that a few days ago, before he had proved
himself a Master.
        She tried to smother him in Darkness, extinguish his hope. She
obviously did not know Luke Skywalker. He'd had a lot more taste of
the Dark Side than he was prepared to admit. Son of a Dark Lord,
Emperor's apprentice, it all made him more oblivious to the Dark Side,
once he passed through. He reached out to her mind. We have more than
enough firepower to finish you off.
        Of course you do. Her answer came. Then he caught it: a sense
of emergence from hyperspace. Another destroyer sped toward them, come
to it's master's aid. It's turbolasers shot at them.
        "Watch it, Chris. Big guns below." Luke started for the
destroyer.
        "No, Luke. I'll take this one alone," Chris said. He pushed
his engine to full speed. "Whoa, talk about bad condition
destroyers. Someone oughta rename the Gorgon the Junkpile."
        "You mean that's Admiral Daala?"
        "Who's Admiral Daala?" Chris asked, flying wildly.
        "Nevermind, you were only eight," Luke said.
        "Right." It was time to demonstrate to this woman Dark Lord
wanna-be what a real Dark Lord could do. He reached out with the
Force, the Dark Side he knew, and surrounded the new coming
destroyer. Little by little, it was covered with a reddish light, from
which no weapon penetrated. He made the light pull in, squeeze the
Gorgon. It exploded in a shower of sparks and metal.
        "Chris!? What did you do?" Luke shouted at him.
        "I...don't know, Master. I couldn't help myself. It just
happened. But it worked." The Parallel shrunk slowly, and soon jumped
to hyperspace.
        "Yes, it did, but if you ever pull a stunt like that again--!"
Luke broke off.
        "You know I can't help it. Let's go back to base." The two
X-wings formed on eachother's wings and sped down to the moon, ducking
quietly into the hangar bay.
        Gaeriel and Laree waited for them right by their
fighters. Chris and Luke jumped to the ground. "What the blazes
happened up there?" Laree asked.
        "Nothing much," Chris said. "Just a couple of star destroyers."
        "Two fighters against two star destroyers? How could they lose
with odds like those?" Gaeri asked.
        "She knows how she lost. We--he--destroyed one of them and
crippled the other." Luke walked past them all, turned back. "She'll
be back, but we have to find her first. I have some nav charts in the
old war room. Let's go."

        "Lord Rishiaa, as you know the X-wing crafts managed to
completely destroy the Gorgon and badly damage the Parallel. What do
you propose we do?"  Commander Winsub asked.
        "Shut up, you weak-minded idiot. They are already on their way
here.  We'll capture them yet. You are to set up all our troops around
this room.  They'll come straight here. I'm sure of it."
        "Yes, m'Lord," the Commander left the room and barked orders
heard before the door closed.

        "We can't go straight there. It's too dangerous," Luke
said. "She's bound to be ready for that. Besides which, we have to
check on the twins. I forgot all about them."
        "That's right, so did I," Gaeriel said, concerned. "She
wouldn't try for them, would she?"
        "No, she's definately after us. She probably hasn't even
thought of a hostage plan. She's not much for tactics, quite
obviously," Luke said.
        "Ok, so we go to Bakura," Chris said. He concentrated a few
moments, and they were in the Captison mansion.
        "I'll just go check on them," Luke said, scurrying
upstairs. He opened the door to the twins' room. "Jacen, Jaina, are
you two ok?"
        "Of course, Uncle Luke. What kind of trouble would we get
into?" Jaina asked innocently.
        "I don't know. What kind?" Luke asked suspicously.
        "Uncle Luke--Master--we're not like that any more. Can't you
trust us?  We've changed. Really," Jacen said.
        "Really?" Luke asked. "And what brought this about?"
        "Uh..." Jacen thought about it.
        "We just realized the wrongs of our ways," Jaina said.
        "Right, that's it," Jacen said.
        "See, i told you what a bad influence Chris would be. And
never use what he says word for word. You kids have a lot to learn,"
Luke said, and left.
        "How'd he know?" Jacen and Jaina asked each other. 
        Back downstairs, Luke rejoined the rest of the group. "They're
fine," Luke said, looking at Chris who began staring down the hall in
the oppisite direction.
        "So do we go now?" Laree asked.
        "No. I go now. I want to check it out first," Luke said.
        "I don't think so," Chris said. "You're reckless. Thanks to
me, of course. You need someone to cover you."
        "No I don't. I am not reckless. Now either you send me, or
I'll go myself."
        Chris took that as a challenge. "And how do you propose to go
about doing that?" Luke disappeared in a blue halo.
        "He's gone. Chris, that isn't your usual technique," Gaeriel said.
        "Uh..." Chris said. Covering up, "I felt like a change."

        Luke found himself in a long metal corridor. He sensed guards
all over, but none in immediate range. He walked forward, finding his
shoes clank on the ground. Silently, he slipped them off, continuing
barefoot.
        A stormtrooper in black armor came from the cross
corridor. "You will come over here," Luke said.
        "I will come over there," the trooper said. The trooper did.
        "Good." Luke looked through the man's mind through the Force,
breaking it's defenses. He took an image of a map of the building,
then stunned the man with a pulse to the correct system. The man
clattered to the floor.
        "Don't move!" another trooper shouted. He'd heard the noise
and come runnning. He held his blaster rifle on Luke, standing a few
meters away. "Keep your hands where I can see them!" He took a
cautious step forward.
        Luke raised his hand, but bent his wrist to catch the
trooper's rifle as it flew at him. "Is this good enough?" Luke asked,
shooting the trooper on stun. This time he lowered the trooper
carefully with the Force and continued on his way.
        With a mental picture of the base's map, Luke moved toward the
main control room, where whoever it was would probably be. As he
neared, he could indeed sense her ahead.
        As he came closer, he was greeted by a hail of blaster
fire. Sparks exploded behind him as he ducked. He waved his hand, and
the fire suddenly stopped. A number of muffled shouts flew through the
air. A trooper came at him, fist flying. Luke ducked it, the trooper
crashing into the wall.
        Luke strode on past a row of fallen black-armored
stormtroopers. The door into the control room opened before him, and
he stepped inside. As he'd expected, it was much more a throne room
than control room. He looked around the vast but highly nondecorated
room. At the head, atop a staircase similar to the Emperor's own, was
a huge command chair, like the Emperor's own. But the figure in the
chair was nothing like the Emperor. It was a slender, highly
attractive female with brown-gray hair and dark brown eyes. They lit
up.  "Skywalker, I'm so glad you were able to find your way here. Not
that I had any doubt."
        "You're none too sure of security. You'd be glad to know I
didn't kill any of your men. Though I should have," Luke said, walking
up to her.
        "Yes, I know you didn't. I am Rishiaa, of Symptl, this world
as you must know. Where are your companions? You're all rather late."
        "They won't be coming. We decided to decline your so polite
offer," Luke said, coming up the stairs.
        "Really? Then why did you come?" she asked, her voice a deadly
calm.
        "Naturally, I wish to bring you and your forces over to the
Republic.  Forget your Sith dwellings and become a Jedi. We could use
you."
        "No, I think I'd rather complete my vow and become the Dark
Lord, or Lady, at least. Now do I have to bring that kid here or will
you?"
        "He's not going to come at all--" Luke started.
        "Quiet, Master," Chris said from down the room, his voice
carried throughout it. Always showing off, he appeared in a flash of
red flames. He walked up to the others slowly, menacingly.
        The intimidation died when Rishiaa noticed the boy was shorter
than Luke, and din't look all that scary. "How could you have learned
so much in so little time? You look even younger in person."
        Chris stopped himself from making a crack. "I've trained every
night for ten years, with four masters. They taught me everything they
knew. They made me Dark Lord of the Sith. Ahead of some other
`wanna-be', they said."  Chris restrained from chuckling.
        She simply smiled, not taking offense. "How rightful for
you--both of you--to share your knowledge and combine it into one
person. I think I'll do," Rishiaa said.
        "We'd have to take control of your forces, and there's no way
you'll be learning the ways of the Sith from us. The Sith are to die
with Chris," Luke said.
        "How unfortunate."
        Luke wondered at her reply, when lights went out and he fell
in a clump on the ground. "Myrkr ecology is so very helpful," Rishiaa
said.  "Guards, pick up Skywalker and take him to his cell."
        "You plan to do that with me too?" Chris asked. "I'll save you
the trouble." He slapped a pair of binders on himself. Chris took the
mind of one of the troopers, making him slap the one with the
ysalamiri on the shoulder.  The trooper walked toward Chris.
        "What kind of Sith lord are you, giving up without a fight?"
Rishiaa asked.
        "I am of the purest Sith blood. And the fight has not yet
begun. But it will." Chris practically escorted himself out of the
room.
        Rishiaa flicked on the comm. "Commander?"
        "Yes m'lord?" Commander Winsub asked.
        "Send a squad of stormtroopers to Yavin 4. We need some
leverage to keep Skywalker and Qel-Droma where we put them. Send back
any prisoners and take position to destroy the temples at my order."
        "Yes, m'lord. They'll leave within an hour."
        "Oh, and have Qel-Droma sent to my personal quarters in two
hours." Rishiaa shut off the comm and meditated.

        Chris was thrown into the room. It was certainly a big change
from his cell. Bigger, darker... not much else. "What is it now?" he
growled.
        "Quiet," the guard hissed. He shoved Chris further into the
room then exited, locking the door.
        Making use of an old teaching from Freedon Nadd, Chris saw
everything in the room, despite there being no light. The room still
seemed to be empty.  But then he hit a spot that was darker than the
rest of the room. He walked forward.
        "You may remove your binders," Rishiaa said quietly. Chris
melted them to slag as they fell from his hands. His lightsaber
appeared in his hand, and he attached it to his belt. "Good. Now we
will begin my training."
        "What's the point?" Chris asked. "You'll never become Dark
Lord. Not while I'm alive, and I'll outlive you by a long shot."
        "Really? I can change that."
        Chris laughed. "Of course you can. I believe you." He made a
choking sound.
        She glared a moment, then leaped forward with her red-bladed
lightsaber coming down toward Chris. Without thinking, he blocked the
blow with his forearm, reaching for his saber with his other hand. He
brought it up, taking a step back from her. He spun the saber about
him, in incredibly hard to match circles.
        Rishiaa struck forward with a quick near lethal slash--when
her lightsaber died. It exploded in her hand, leaving faint scars of
heat. She screamed and fell to her knees clutching her hand. Chris
looked down at her, disignited his lightsaber, and returned it to his
belt.

        Thirty stormtroopers klanked down the ramp, their blaster
rifles across their chests. They split into groups of five, two going
around the sides, and three right in the entrance.
        All the students could sense the raid. Those few that had
blasters ligned up for an ambush, the lightsaber-users behind
them. Kam Solusar, behind him Laree and Gaeriel, took careful aim and
took down a trooper. With near pefect reaction-time, the other
troopers whirled toward him and shot with deadly accuracy. But Kam was
a Jedi. He dodged the shots, taking down another trooper.

        Laree came forward toward the troopers, her lightsaber
deflecting their fire. Kam swapped his blaster for his lightsaber and
joined in. The two of them quickly finished the group off.
        But the danger was just starting. Hardly trained at all,
Gaeriel was near defenseless. She stayed back from the main
battle. But from behind her, someone jabbed a blaster into her
head. She nearly screamed when another trooper, further back, hit her
with a stun shot in the back, cutting it short.  She lost
consciousness.
        Laree looked up just in time to see Gaeriel fall. The troopers
hauled her back, and Laree started after them. She stopped as one of
the troopers raised their hand, a small silver ball inside it. Her
eyes widened as she stepped back.
        Kam also saw the trooper. Reaching out with the Force, he
attempted to disarm the detonator, but found for some reason he
couldn't. He just couldn't concentrate on the spot with the Force.
        A strange feeling overcame both Kam and Laree. It was like
becoming blind suddenly, completely unable to do anything. Nearly at
the same time, they were hit by stun shots and fell to the ground.

        From orbit, the Commander of Rishiaa's fleet watched the
battle on a holoscreen. The comm came alive. "Sir, all Jedi students
have been neutralized or destroyed."
        "Good," the Commander muttered. Looking out the viewport, he
saw that the temple was partially on fire, and a few troopers could be
seen around the perimeter. "Take a few prisoners back to the shuttle
and take them back to base. Lord Rishiaa wants them right away."
        "Yes, sir."

        "You!" the trooper shouted as he entered Gaeriel's makeshift
cell.  "Get up. Come with me!" he gestured violently with his blaster.
        "I'm coming," Gaeriel muttered, strangling her fear. She
struggled to get up with her binded wrists. The trooper growled
impatiently, stepping in and yanking her to her feet. She followed the
trooper outside into the hall.
        "Get up here," the trooper hissed, thrusting Gaeri ahead of
him. He kept his blaster in her back, forcing her forward.
        Gaeriel was marched down the halls, and outside the main
entrance.  "Where now?" she asked.
        "Left," the trooper muttered, never loosening the sharp
blaster in her back. Gaeriel turned, saw the shuttle, and walked onto
it.
        Onboard were two other students already. Kam and Laree, Kam
holding Laree who looked still unconscious, her head slanted with a
mild gash, blood already drying. "Laree," Gaeriel breathed, rushing
toward her niece, trooper or not. She sat by her, running her hand
over the wound.
        "She shouldn't have resisted," Kam said. He knew a good bit
about when to resist, and when to restrain.
        The shuttle lurched as it picked itself off the ground, the
ramp closing. The shuttle quickly rose to orbit, gained it's bearings
and set out through hyperspace.

        Luke Skywalker sat calmly in his standard-issue Imperial
cell. He meditated, allowing himself to open to the universe, to sense
everything, the whole of the galaxy running through him.
        He sensed it. He focused on Yavin. He sensed his academy,
everything he'd fought so hard and worked so long for, being
destroyed. He was able to pick up a mental image--he saw the academy
covered with stormtroopers, littered with fires.
        He sighed, shook his head, and broke the contact coming back
to the present. A trooper came in the door, helping him
back. "You. Time for prisoners to--"
        "You will leave me alone," Luke said, reaching for the man's mind.
        "I will leave you alone," the trooper repeated.
        "Goodbye," Luke said.
        "Goodbye." The trooper left, locking the cell door.
        When would they learn? Luke wondered. That must have been the
tenth time since he arrived.

        "No, no, no!" Chris shouted, watching Rishiaa practice. "Look,
do you hear anything I'm saying? You don't want your lightsaber to
absorb the blast, the Force knows how you manage to get it to do that
in the first place.  Deflect the blast, change it's aim so that it
will hit your target, or another target."
        Gritting her teeth, Rishiaa tried again. She'd talked Chris
into training her after what had happened before, so she now stood
fighting a remote with Chris's lightsaber. She caught a blast on the
saber, spun it wildly, blocking two other quick blasts. The remote
fell to the floor, dead.  "Is that good enough?" she asked.
        "Yes, finally. Were you even a Jedi, you'd have done that on
your first shot."
        "I don't want to be a Jedi, I want--" Her pocket comm buzzed
from her belt. Scooping it up and switching it on, she said, "Yes,
what is it?"
        "The shuttles from Yavin have returned, with prisoners," the
Commander said. "Looks like they have five prisoners. Four humans and
one alien. The troops have stayed behind, as ordered, inside the
temple on the fourth moon."
        "Shut up, you idiot," Rishiaa growled. "Don't bother me here."
        "I am sorry, m'Lord," the Commander said, breaking the connection.
        Too late. "What prisoners?" Chris growled.
        "Stand still or I'll kill them," Rishiaa threatened. When
Chris got the look in his eye that he was going to kill her, she
decided to speak again.  "They caught Laree. If I die, so does
she. It's your choice, Chris. Do you want to kill her?"
        "I won't kill you. Nor shall I train you any longer."
        "A few hours ago, that could have been a threat, Chris. But I
think I've found another path to the Sith."
        "Well good. Master Skywalker doesn't know, but the Sith will
rise again. We will return, as it has been foretold. It is
unavoidable. The galaxy is in great danger," Chris said sadly.
        "And you have a choice, Chris," Rishiaa said. "You can be one
of the underlings against the rising, or you may lead it. It's your
choice, Chris.  You have the power to command, and the conflict to go
against your own. Which will it be?" she looked up at him as she took
a seat.
        "I... I don't know yet."
        Lando Calrissian landed the Lady Luck down on Coruscant. He
locked up the ship, and went out of the hangar.
        It was about time he came for another visit, he thought. He
hadn't been to Coruscant for awhile, and perhaps with good reason--
when he did, he always got into trouble. Old gambling debts, new
gambling debts, all the same, Coruscant just was not his place. Yet he
felt strangely compelled to come once again.
        Lando walked down the familiar paths to Han Solo's
apartment. He rang the bell, and the door opened. "Hey Han, what's
up?" he asked, looking at Han's somber face.
        "Hi, Lando. We're getting the space kicked out of us
again. Someone new now, with new forces. Not very experienced. How's
your day?" Han asked.
        "More Imperials, huh? I told you cutting down the military was
a bad idea. Never waste a good thing," Lando said.
        "Yeah, but we thought we'd taken care of things with
Imperials." Han looked closely at Lando. "You know something about
this?"
        Lando shrugged. "I heard rumors."
        "Why didn't you tell me?" Han asked. "What've you heard?"
        Lando smiled. "You shouldn't have dropped out of the business.
Something about Symptl, some little backwater planet like so many
other places. I hear there's a woman in charge over there."
        "A woman? In charge of Imperials? Yeah, right. But I'll have
to check out this Symptl. Bye, Lando," Han moved to shut the door.
        "What, I can't even come in?" Lando asked, frowning.
        Han smiled and shook his head. "Nope." He shut the door.
        "Oh, thanks," Lando muttered.

        Rishiaa had struck the truth. Chris had a choice. He now sat
in his cell pondering over his answer. He himself, as a person, did
not want to join her. But he could not deny what he was. And he was a
Sith.
        So there was his answer. He had no choice. Whether it be of
his own intentions or of whatever guided him in times of need, he had
to join her. It wouldn't be much of a change for him, as the Dark Side
had taken him long before. And he knew it would forever be in control
of him.
        He heard a loud banging sound, realized it was the next cell
over being shut. He reached out to see if it was one of the
prisoners... Laree! his senses shouted. And her sense was not
good. Once again using Sith magic, Chris lay his right hand on the
wall between the cells, making the thick metal part into a doorway.
        Laree looked up groggily when Chris came into her
cell. "Ugh...  Chris?" she moaned, holding her head.
        Chris shook his head and knelt by her, putting his hand on the
wound.  Maybe he was getting closer to the Light. He didn't feel angry
at whoever hurt Laree. "You ok?"
        "Yeah... I'll be fine."
        "Good," Chris said, allowing his door to close. "Because... I
don't know when I'll see you again."
        "What?" Laree looked surprised.
        Chris took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Laree. I can't
explain. I don't know what's happening to me... but I can't stop it."
He looked at her with sad eyes and kissed her. "I have to go." He got
up and hurried out the door.
        He walked calmly down the hall, toward Skywalker's cell. He
reached out with the Force, opening it as he came up to it. "Master,"
he said. "It's time for you to go. Take your students. Leave this
place."
        "You're my student too, Chris. I will not leave without you,"
Luke said. He walked up to Chris.
        "Look Master, this is your chance. I have to stay here. I must
fulfill my destiny," Chris said.
        "Not if that means having you destroyed," Luke insisted. "I
don't know how many times people have told me my destiny, yet only one
of them came true.  Your destiny cannot be decided yet."
        "Master, you know I am a danger to myself, to the people
around me, to the galaxy. If you don't let me do this..." Chris said.
        "I don't know about that," Luke said. "But I know I cannot
stop you. I will take my students and leave." Chris walked away from
the doorway. Luke quickly opened all of his students' cells, and they
all met up in the hall.  "Where's Kyp?" Luke asked.
        "I didn't see him," Kam said. Gaeriel and Laree agreed.
        "I think he was brought to Rishiaa," Cilgal said.
        "Then he is lost, with Chris," Luke said sadly. "We have to
leave, before things get worse around here. He led them at a quick
pace toward the hangar bays in the west wing of the base. The halls
were suspicously empty. "I wonder what they're up to."
        "Whatever it is, it can't be good," Kam said. He was ahead of
the rest of the group, already opening the doors to the hangar
bay. They all walked in, amazed to see it empty but a small shuttle.
        "That will have to do," Luke said. The Jedia all piled into
the small space vehicle. In time, the ship had finished it's very slow
pre-flight seqeunce, and they were off.

        "All troops have been transfered aboard the Star Destroyers,
m'Lord," Commander Winsub reported.
        "Good. We shall be arriving in minutes," Rishiaa said, turning
off the comm. She looked around the now fully lit room, noticing Chris
and Kyp quarreling over some other petty thing that didn't matter. She
could hear Chris insulting Kyp in the ancient Sith tongue, Kyp having
no idea what he was saying. She cleared her throat loudly. "Chris?"
        Chris broke his conversation, turned to Rishiaa. "Oh, right."
He teleported the three of them up into orbit, inside the Star
Destroyer Crishia, no doubt named for Rishiaa's fallen mother. For
once he was glad to have his Sith cloak, what he was doing, pretending
and all, was making him extremely nervous and doubtful. Luckily they
could not sense it, and it was not very noticable. "See, you can't do
that," Chris said to Kyp, keeping up his front against Kyp.
        "If I knew how--" Kyp started, but was cut off by Chris
repeating an old saying he'd heard in Sith language. "See, I've heard
that one before. You just said, `If you knew how, you would not need
to.' But it doesn't make any sense!" Kyp complained.
        Chris merely chuckled, following Rishiaa to the command
section of the bridge, Kyp following him. "Is the fleet prepared?"
Rishiaa asked Commander Winsub.
        "Yes, m'Lord. All fourteen of your destroyers have been
prepped and loaded with troops and fighters. The nav crews are getting
our best route," Winsub reported.
        "Good work, Commander. When will we arrive at Coruscant?"
Rishiaa asked.
        "ETA is in thirty-eight hours." He checked a
screen. "Navigation has finished their calculations, we will drop out
of lightspeed one quarter of a lightyear out-system."
        This was it, Chris told himself. If he waited any longer, it
would be too late. Reaching out with the Force, he pushed his mind
into the Navigation area. He shifted their calculations to a place he
knew well. He reached out further, extending the changes to all the
star destroyers in the fleet.
        "That's odd," Commander Winsub said leaning over one of his
screens.  "The ETA just changed to sixteen hours."
        Chris looked at the screen nervously. He manipulated it's
mechanisms, making static appear on the screen and a loud hissing
sound emanate from it's overheated circuits.
        "Oh, must have blown a fuse," the Commander said, shutting
down the screen's power.
        "Be sure everything is correct after we enter hyperspace,
Commander," Rishiaa said. "We cannot allow delay."
        "Yes, m'Lord. We shall make the jump to hyperspace in five
minutes. I will go check on the systems, with your permission?"
        "Permission granted, Commander." Winsub nodded and left the
bridge.  "You can continue fighting," she said jokingly to Kyp and
Chris. They did.

        Han and Leia looked up at the huge towers of screens in the
Coruscant traffic control tower. "There it is," a controller spoke
up. "Obviously a Star Destroyer, modified transponder signals. Trying
to register as one of our Mon Cal cruisers. They don't exactly fit the
requirements."
        "Only one?" Leia asked, walking over to the controllers
station. There was indeed only one.
        "Maybe a scout?" Han suggested. "See how our defenses are,
then come in with the heavy guns or send reports and fade."
        "We will stop them from doing either," Admiral Ackbar said
from the comm. As soon as Luke had warned them, Ackbar had gone up to
his flagship, the Mon Calamari cruiser Defiance. His ship could now be
seen advancing on the star destroyer, two more Calamari cruisers and
three frigates forming behind it.
        "Clear all traffic from the area," Leia ordered the
controller. She went back down to the main level, hauling Han by his
arm. "We've got to get to the war room."
        The war room was a good bit busy for the minor danger of the
singular star destroyer. Aides ran about, people looking over
scanners, the whole place was in chaos. Leia and Han walked over to
where General Bel Iblis stood. "Have any other destroyers shown up,
General?"
        "No, Your Highness, still only the one. Which doesn't make any
sense, those probes we sent out detected at least thirteen star
destroyers in the new fleet," the General said.
        "Has NRI figured out anything?" Han asked.
        "They sent out a few probes, a couple specialized to determine
hyperspace trails. They believe that the rest of the fleet may have
been somehow diverted. Their life probes also detect near no lifeforms
left on the planet."
        "That's very strange," Leia said. She glanced at the main
display, seeing that the destroyer was rapidly losing it's shields to
the numerous attackers. "Tell the NRI to trace those hyperspace
trails, if they haven't already. We need to know where they went. A
fleet that large must be stopped."
        "Yes your Your Highness, I believe they have already started
after them. They should find the fleet within hours." Back on the main
display, the star destroyer's shields began to fail. Moments later, it
fell prey to an enormous hail of proton torpedoes.

        "ETA five minutes," Commander Winsub reported, now back in the
bridge after finding nothing wrong with the circuits.
        "Good," Chris muttered. It was time. Gritting teeth he drew
his lightsaber and ignited it, cutting down the Commander. He whirled
toward Kyp who had already drawn his own lightsaber. "Kyp, don't do
this. Go back to Master Skywalker. I won't hurt you then."
        "Skywalker is weak, as are you. Kyp, finish him off," Rishiaa
said, taking a step back from them.
        Chris and Kyp's lightsabers clashed biolently, Kyp swung
around to Chris's side, which he parried and slashed up, catching
Kyp's lightsaber.  "Kyp, I won't fight you. You have to return to
Master Skywalker."
        "Kyp, don't listen to him," Rishiaa whispered.
        "I'm not." Kyp lunged forward. Chris sidestepped the blow,
whirling the opposite direction, leaving a burning slash mark on Kyp's
side. Kyp shrieked and fell back a step. They both returned to ready
stances, Kyp with one hand on his wound.
        A moment later, the destroyer exited hyperspace. Chris could
sense the power of this system. He drew upon that power, and
teleported Kyp to Yavin four. He held his lightsaber pointed to the
ground, looking at Rishiaa. "Your reign will end now."
        "Wherever this is you have brought us, it will hardly help
you," Rishiaa said.
        "You have no idea how much it will help me," Chris said, and
disappeared, reappearing on the ground of the planet. "My masters,
forgive me, but I am a Jedi, and a Sith. I cannot do anything about my
actions," he spoke to the ground and air of the planet. The planet
Korriban. Resting place of the Sith.
        "My Masters, my ancestors," Chris began, "as i have said,
forgive me.  But you all know what I do is justified. The Coming of
the Sith has ended. But like the Jedi, they will no doubt rise
again. For this, I ask of you to help me in this task I must
complete," Chris said, now able to make out several points of presence
of numerous ancient Dark Lords. His words had attracted their
attention. "Give me a link to your power, the power of all the Sith."
        Chris stood straight, his eyes closed, holding his hands down
to the ground and concentrating deeply. From the ground, bolts of
energy arose into his hands as he rose them toward the sky. Two
lightning bolts struck from the sky, holding on to his upraised
palms. The sky turned a dark purple around him as he drew upon the
power.
        With the lightning came fire, a huge encompassing flame around
Chris.  He could feel the fire singing him, but felt no pain. He knew
this was his end anyway, his final sacrifice for the good of the
galaxy. He could also feel his ancestors manipulating his own great
power, creating a field of Force energy around the solar system,
denying the star destroyers the right to elude in hyperspace.
        Back in control of his own power, Chris was allowed to destroy
the star himself. Perhaps the Sith would not do it themselves, though
they knew it must be done. He powered the star with Force energy,
making it implode on itself and forcing it to go supernova. With a
blaze of brilliant light the star exploded outward, destroying the
star destroyers.
        Of course the star wouldn't stop there. But time seemed to
slow around Chris. He could see the blazing light through his eyelids,
final thoughts running through his head. Images of everyone he'd met
so recently flashed before him. He smiled at the thought of himself
having a near death experience when he was probably already dead.

        "Help me," Luke said, the strain showing like a wound on his
face. "I can't get him by myself."
        Laree, Gaeriel, and Kam Solusar, who had all been watching and
hoping, began to show the same strain as they opened their minds and
power to Luke.
        "I... think I've got him." Just then, Chris appeared standing
up in front of them. Everyone stared at him as he fell in a clump to
the ground. "I hope we're not too late." He ran his hand over the
boy's head, pulling back.  "He's hot. And his mind is silent."
        Laree ran over, tears falling from her eyes. She lay her hand
on her chest. "So's his heart," she said, sobbing.
        "Don't give up yet, Laree," Luke said, laying a hand on her
shoulder.  "Kam, get Cilgal in here. Maybe she can help."
        Kam left, returning a few moments later with Cilgal. Cilgal
knelt by Chris's seemingly dead body. She lay her hand on his head,
reaching in him with her healing powers in the Force. "I don't know
what I can do, Master.  This one is gone."
        "Damnit, no he's not!" Luke shouted, tears falling. What had
he said just days ago? This boy was just like Dev. Was he going to
allow him to die at the same age, from the same burns?
        Cilgal glanced at Luke, back to Chris's whethered body. She
reached inside him, trying to restart his heart. She pumped his blood
through it for him, thrusted his blood throughout his organs. She kept
it running like that for awhile, trying her hardest to revive the boy.
        Minutes later, she stood up. "I'm sorry, that's all I can do."
Chris still did not move. As Cilgal prepared to leave the room, Luke
saw it. Chris's leg twitched. Luke's face brightened up from the grim
state it had been set in. Chris moaned softly, turning his head to the
side, spitting up blood. He moved his burned arms and legs, struggling
as hard as he could to get up.
        "No, Chris. Don't move," Luke said. "We'll get you to a
medic. Just stay still."

        Days later, Chris lay in a bed on Coruscant, slowly regaining
consciousness. He breathed in the cool, fresh hospital air. Only now
did he really feel anything since the star had exploded. He felt the
air, his own power, pulsing within him anew, a new sense of inner
piece.
        The door opened, Laree, Luke, and Gaeriel entering with
Too-Onebee.  "He has healed well, his body reacted to the bacta
perfectly. He has now regained consciousness."
        They all took spots on the side of Chris's bed, smiling. "See
Chris?"  Luke asked. "I told you I wouldn't let you die."
        "You should have," Chris said quietly, struggling for his
voice.
        "Don't talk like that, Chris. You did a great thing. You
destroyed practically Rishiaa's entire fleet," Laree said.
        "Practically?" Chris asked.
        "Don't worry about that, Chris. Coruscant defenses easily took
them out," Gaeriel said.
        Chris nodded weakly. He turned his head toward Luke. "The Sith
were to all die out. Why did you save me?" Chris asked.
        "We don't let friends die," Luke said smiling.
        "I am not a friend. I am a Sith. I was to die." Chris spoke with
conviction. "I wanted to die."
        "Look Chris, you did what was right. You used your Dark power
to power the Light. It just wasn't your time."
        "That's not true. How can you use Darkness for Light?" Chris
asked.
        "Chris, without Darkness there can be no Light. You have wiped
so much Darkness from this galaxy, how could the Jedi survive without
your own Great Darkness?" Luke said, only partially sarcastic.
        "But... it didn't help things at all. I'm the same as I was."
        Before Luke could reply, the door opened again, Kyp walking
in. He went up to Chris's side, smiling. "Chris, despite everything at
least I had the sense to stay inside the Sun Crusher when I blew up a
star. What were you thinking, standing out in the open?"
        "I... liked the sensations," Chris said, smiling for the first
time.  "What else could I have done, anyway? Besides leave you there
to die, I mean."
        "Well that always was a possibility. But it's too much fun to
yell at you in Sith language."
        "Heh. I bet." Kyp ran a hand through Chris's hair. "Seeya,
Buddy. I've gotta go." Kyp left the room again.
        Too-OneBee came closer to Chris, laying a sensor on the boy's
chest.  "Sir, I believe you need rest."
        "I feel fine, droid," Chris said.
        "You may, sir, but your body needs healing. I've assigned a
watcher-droid to you. Six-bee-nine, please come in," Too-OneBee
said. A small roundish droid flew in, it's underside flat with
repulsor lifts elevating it.  It floated over beside Chris, laying a
sensor on him. "Good. Now if all you humans would please leave, Chris
needs his rest." Too-OneBee led all the others out.
        "Goodday, Master. Your condition has definately improved from
your earlier state," Six-Bee said.
        "Oh no, not another talking droid," Chris moaned.
        "I'm sorry, Master. Do you wish me to stay quiet?" the droid
asked.
        Chris thought a moment. "Do you tell stories?" Chris asked,
wondering if this droid had any magical sleeping powers like Threepio.
        "No, Sir, I'm primarily a medical droid. I tell no stories,
though I could download one from the main computer if you wish."
        "You do that. I feel like a nice story."

