CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kyle Katarn had never been in such a demeaning situation before in his life.
As the dark sided warrior dragged him through Mos Eisley's alleyways to who-knows-where, Kyle, his wrists bounded, attempted several times to loosen the warrior's grip on his arm with the Force, but came to no avail. And as if to add insult to the injury, he had just realized that he was missing his lightsaber. He glanced at the dark warrior and saw it hanging from the armored man's belt, along with a number of other lightsabers, probably from other Jedi he had killed.
As they moved through the spaceport, most likely heading for one of the docking bays, Kyle could have sworn he saw a shadow in the alley, looking like it was following them. But when it vanished, he assumed that Tatooine's two suns were simply playing a trick on his eyes.
Suddeny, his captor stopped. Kyle glanced at him, feeling the warrior's uneasy emotions through the Force.
"Why did you stop?" he asked the masked man casually.
The 'Dark Jedi' did not respond, instead releasing his grip on Kyle's arm and pushing him into a bunch of garbage bins. He then brought out a unique lightsaber hilt, which had four, claw-like prongs jutting out near the blade emitter. A scarlet beam of energy appeared out of the emitter, making it look like the claws were holding the blade.
The warrior then said, seemingly to no one, "I have killed many Jedi Knights during the war. Compared to some of them, you will be no challenge."
"I have seen your skills," a voice replied. Kyle looked but could not see its speaker. "A few months before the battle of Coruscant, you killed my master on Borosk."
He then heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting. "I was a simple apprentice then. Don't expect to get out of this fight so easily."
Leaping out of the shadows, from a building in the alleyway, was a male Kadas'sa'Nikto, an emerald lightsaber in his hand. The moment he landed, the masked warrior lunged, thrusting his blade forward to stab the Jedi's abdomen, but the Nikto blocked the move in time, their blades striking with a sound similar to the clash of lightning.
Stuck in an awkward position the warrior had left him in, Kyle simply watched as the two combatants dueled, their colored blades clashing and sparkling like a small firework show. He was rather impressed by the Nikto Jedi's moves, blocking and countering the darksider's attacks smoothly as if he was one step ahead of the warrior. Kyle presumed the Jedi was one of the late Morin Tharr's students, before the former Jedi battlemaster passed away.
As the duel went on, Kyle suddenly sensed movement nearby. Turning his head to the side, which was rather difficult because of his position, he saw a young, light-haired woman- probably in her early twenties- crouched down besides one of the garbage bins that surrounded him. In her hand was a light-blue lightsaber which, before Kyle could say anything, she used to severe the restraints around his wrists.
"Thanks," Kyle murmured, rubbing his wrists. "How did you two find us? And who-"
"There's no time to explain," the girl said hastily. "We have to save your friends."
Kyle winced as he got up to his feet, his arm sore from the darksider's grip. "Do you know where they are?"
She nodded. "Follow me."
"Wait," Kyle said before she could run off. "I need my lightsaber. That Dark Jedi has it."
The young woman shook her head. "There's no time. The other one is about to take off with your friends."
She then looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Besides, you are the great Jedi Kyle Katarn, aren't you? From what I've heard, you don't really need a lightsaber, do you?"
Kyle chuckled, patting his holstered Bryar pistol, which he had kept with him ever since his days as a mercenary. "Not if I don't want to fight fair."
* * *
"Would it be an understatement if I said that I have a bad feeling about this?" Sev asked as the Glorians began to corner him and the others. When no one responded, he sighed. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
Anakin gazed at the horde of Glorians, numbering up to at least three dozen, if not more. He stared at Zordo, whose eyes gleamed with malice as he slowly approached.
"Why are you doing this?" Anakin finally asked.
This caused Zordo and his friends to pause. "Why are we...?"
He then chuckled. "Ah, a very good question I must say. See, if I told you it was to simply rule the galaxy, it would be a lie. We're not here to take over your galaxy..."
The electricity around his blade made a sharp crackling sound. "We're here to fix it."
Naar gave him a questioning look. "What's that supposed to mean?" the Iktotchi commander asked.
Zordo chuckled again. "It is rather difficult to put into words that you would understand. Would you like me to show you instead?"
"You will do no such thing."
Anakin turned around and gasped. Standing behind him and the others, right beside Jast near the ladder leading up to the Tosche Station above, was the Revanchist, a violet lightsaber in his hand. Anakin felt the Revanchist's cold gaze upon him through the masked man's visor. When he spoke, it chilled all but the Glorians, who remained emotionless.
"You should not have come, Anakin," the Revanchist said.
The young Jedi Knight stuttered. "I-I thought you were staying on Dantooine..."
The Revanchist ignored him and shifted his gaze to Zordo and the Glorians. "I will give you one chance to surrender."
Zordo's eyes glowed with contempt. "Glorians never surrender."
"Very well." The Revanchist raised his lightsaber, its violet blade sizzling simultaneously with the crackling of the Glorian's electric blade.
"Then I have no choice but to kill you all."
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