CHAPTER TEN
Luke Skywalker could not believe what he was hearing. Standing with him in the Council Chambers were the other members of the Jedi Council, as well as the Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn, who had just delivered devastating news to the council.
"Toah is...dead?" Luke said quietly. "Are you sure?"
Kyle nodded sadly. "I'm pretty sure it was him. He disappeared when we were evacuating Dantooine. Shortly after that, Lando said some pilot rammed their fighter into the Empire's superweapon and destroyed it."
Luke fell silent again, in complete shock. Why would Toah commit such a sacrifice? But then again, to exchange one's life to save millions...it would've hurt the Republic greatly had Dantooine been destroyed.
His musings were interrupted by Jedi Master Plun Kil, who gave a disdainful snort. "Jarsan's sacrifice was unnecessary. General Calrissian could have simply order a retreat and let the Empire take control of some low-rate farm world."
"Master Kil, you shall not dishonor a fellow Jedi Knight's sacrifice like that!" snapped Master Kro Sadoon. "And the Sith were not going to seize Dantooine; they were going to destroy it!"
Plun Kil glared at Sadoon for a moment, but quickly relented. "My apologies..." the Besalisk Jedi grunted. "I was...out of my head."
Luke did not pay attention as Sadoon continued scolding Kil. He was too deep in mourning of his apprentice. For the fifteen years they had been together, Toah had been like a son to him. And now...now...
"Order!" Master Morin Tharr boomed, which was a surprising feat considering his age at eighty-two. Once Sadoon and Kil had silenced themselves, the elderly Jedi Master continued. "Toah Jarsan's death is indeed a tragic loss. But we must not dwell on it. Instead, we must focus on how we're supposed to stop the Sith and the Empire."
"I agree," the Mon Calamari Jedi known as Ean Marrab said. "Senator Eerin as recently informed me that Chief Valorum has deployed only a small amount of ships at Mon Cala and Kashyyyk, thinking that the Sith are no longer a danger without their superweapon."
Plun Kil grunted. "He obviously underestimates them."
"Indeed," Tharr said. "So what shall we do?"
No one could answer the old Jedi Master's question.
* * *
Han narrowly avoided another blaster bolt as Bossk, his fellow mercenaries, and the Mandalorians exchanged fire. Although he could not see him amongst the crossfire, Han could hear Chewbacca roar as he tore through Bossk's mercenaries in order to reach Thrak, most likely to tear the traitor's arms off.
He glanced at his side and saw an eye-patched Cerean with a silvery-blue lightsaber run towards him. Han fired a round of blaster bolts, which the Cerean deflected with ease. The mercenary leaped towards Han and was prepared to bring his weapon down when a plasma bolt seared through his large cranium.
Han turned to see Boba Fett, fully armored, holding a smoking blaster rifle in his hand. The Mandalorian leader turned to him and said, "I wouldn't have done that if we weren't in this sort of situation, Solo. I'd take this to your advantage and get the heck outta' here."
Han nodded curtly at his ex-rival and called out, "Chewie, let's get out of here!"
Chewbacca, who was holding a purple-scaled, snake-like being over his head, snarled in reply, and used his opponent as a whip to take down two more bounty hunters before throwing the alien to the side.
As the Wookiee and Han ran out of the Mandalorians' citadel through the hole the mercenaries' ship had made, neither of them noticed Bossk leaving the fight and following them.
* * *
"Chewie, trust me," Han said as he and Chewbacca ran back towards the Vulture, "I want to hurt Thrak and Karsa as much as you do. But if we don't get out of here soon, we'll suffer just as bad as a fate as they would."
The two of them ran on board the ship and quickly closed the landing ramp. Rushing into the cockpit, Han seized the controls and began rising the ship out of the spaceport. Just when he thought he and Chewie were out of the woods, Han heard a sound, as if something was clinging onto the ship. Looking out the ship's viewport, he felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop.
Hanging onto the ship, charged detonator in hand, was Bossk.
Han gritted his teeth and flung the ship around, but the Trandoshan's grip held strong. Seeing Bossk attempting to place the detonator on the ship, Han tried spinning the Vulture around instead. He saw Bossk lose his grip and fly back before catching himself on top of the ship.
"Chewie, man the top turret and shoot him off!" Han shouted.
The Wookiee nodded and ran towards the ladder leading to the ship's roof turret. Soon, Han heard the sound of repeating blaster bolts from the turret, followed by the scampering feet of Bossk, as the Trandoshan leaped onto the cockpit window.
A sinister grin crawled onto Bossk's reptilian face as he prepared to plant the detonator. Just as he activated the timer, an armored, humanoid being suddenly flew in with their jetpack and collided with Bossk, sending them both tumbling off the ship, along with the detonator.
A resounding explosion was enough to tell Han that it was unlikely that he would be seeing Bossk or their savior ever again...
* * *
The chamber in which the spirit of Darth Trayus resided in had very little light, with primitive torches surrounding a small, circular area.
Vorath could sense his master's presence, and figured the spirit sensed him as well. Vorath allowed a moment of silence to pass before speaking.
"I have come to speak with you, Lord Trayus."
The spirit gave a quiet chuckle. "I knew you would eventually. I was surprised you did not after returning from Oricon."
Vorath ignored the comment. "How and where did you recover the armor of Valtheran?"
The chamber was silent, save for the crackling of the torches' fire. When Trayus finally spoke, his voice was cold enough to extinguish them. "Ah, yes. It is quite a long story, though, and it happened so long ago..."
Vorath took a step forward. "Tell me. Now."
The spirit laughed. "Very well. I shall tell you how I found the Sith god's armor. I shall also tell you how I found the ultimate means of immortality, how I discovered the homeworld of the ancient Rakata, conquered the remnants of the Infinite Empire, claimed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith, and find a way to rule the galaxy forever."
The faint image of Darth Trayus leaned forward. "Where should I begin?"
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