UPDATED 12/13/12 with a name change: Karin Zal to Zarin Kal (because Karin sounds like Karen...)
CHAPTER EIGHT
Never before had Toah seen so much chaos.
The moment the Sith Lord, who had introduced himself as Darth Nemesis, had mentioned the Empire's invasion, Toah was hoping there would be enough time to reach Coruscant and warn the Republic of the impending attack before it was too late.
But the moment the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace, he immediately saw that there was no need. The sight of Imperial Star Destroyers and Republic cruisers crowded his view. TIE fighters swarmed in from all sides, with several X-wings, A-wings, and E-wing fighters chasing them off.
One of the X-wings, one marked in the decals of Rogue Squadron, flew up besides the Falcon.
"Hey, hold it right there!" said the fighter's pilot, who Toah immediately recognized to be his former flight partner from twenty years ago, Corran Horn. "Who do you think you are, jumping into the battlefield? And I know you're not Han Solo, because-"
"Corran?" Toah said, leaning towards the cockpit's comm-speaker. "Corran, it's me! Toah Jarsan!"
"Toah?" The Rogue pilot was silent for a moment, before he bursted out with laughter. "Ha! I knew you wouldn't be dead for long!"
"That's nice," Toah said hastily. "Anyway, I have to get to Coruscant, quickly!"
"Sure that's a good idea?" Corran asked. "It's...looking a bit chaotic down there."
"It's going to be a lot worse if I don't get there in time," Toah replied. "Think you can help us get over there?"
"Sure thing," Corran said as he advanced his fighter ahead of the Falcon, blasting down TIE fighters along the way.
After squeezing past Star Destroyers and Star Cruisers, the Millennium Falcon finally reached Coruscant, and avoided the many battleships which were beginning to surround the planet's orbit. As it passed the last one, which was the same Bellator-class ship Toah and the others had seen leaving Dromund Kaas, Toah suddenly felt his dreadful feeling again. This time, he was certain on what the source of the feeling was, but it was Darth Nemesis who spoke for him.
"Vorath's on that ship..."
* * *
It can not be...
Vorath's eyes drifted as he watched the Corellian freighter fly pass his bridge of his flagship, the Apocalypse. He began to sense a surprising presence, one he had not felt in several months.
Toah Jarsan...
Months ago, on the same day he had incapacitated Darth Trayus' spirit, Vorath had felt Toah's apparent 'death' in the Force, though he did not dwell upon it, for he was too focused on getting rid of his former master. Afterwards however, he realized that with Toah's death, he had finally achieved the vengeance he had so long sought against Aron Jarsan.
And now the son of Darth Revan was alive and well, heading for Coruscant to defeat the Empire.
Vorath growled quietly as he began to walk down the bridge. At least this time he would be given the satisfaction of killing Toah Jarsan personally.
Just as he had reached the turbolift at the other end of the bridge, Admiral Zavos called after him. "My lord, where are you headed?"
"For my shuttle," Vorath replied. "I'm going down to Coruscant."
"Already?" Zavos asked. "But weren't you going to wait?"
"I have waited three thousand years for this very moment, admiral," Vorath muttered. "I believe that is enough time, don't you?"
Zavos made no reply as Vorath boarded the turbolift and descended towards the hangar below.
* * *
Lightsabers of various colors clashed amongst the fire that had plagued Coruscant. Leading the Jedi Knights alongside the Republic soldiers was Master Xanus Baran, his violet blade clashing against the many scarlet ones of the Sith warriors.
Following him was his Iridonian apprentice, Donhran Remker, who was spinning his emerald blade wildly and almost recklessly, a direct contrast to his friend Kyle Katarn, whose prowess in the lightsaber arts clearly showed.
Nearby, leading a large group of soldiers, was Plun Kil, who, despite his reluctance on going to the Republic's aide, was proving to be a formidable ally, twirling his two double-bladed sabers like propellers. Alongside him was his Kiffar apprentice, Zarin Kal, deflecting blaster bolts and blasts of lightning away from the soldiers.
There was so much going on, too much for Luke to comprehend. He wanted to take part in the battle, but he knew he couldn't, at least not yet. He had to wait for the Sith's leader, Darth Vorath, and bring his regime to an end.
And if Leia's vision for his fate was indeed true, then Luke hoped that he would bring the Sith down with him.
* * *
The Millennium Falcon shook as it flew through the raging battle of Coruscant. Everywhere Toah looked, flames ravaged through the Upper City's buildings. Imperial stormtroopers and Sith warriors charged towards the defending Jedi Knights, bringing down Republic soldiers along the way. Toah then looked towards the Senate Building, which, to his surprised, was untouched.
"Finis Valorum is there," Darth Nemesis said suddenly. "He's been acting as a liaison to Vorath for years!"
Toah turned to look at the Sith Lord incredulously. "You never mentioned that...."
"I was too preoccupied by what Vorath had told me of his plans," Nemesis said a bit sharply. "I'm sure Valorum is the key to whatever it is Vorath has planned."
"You said earlier that you have no idea what Vorath's plan is," Raj noted. "So how do you know it's going to be like the 'end of all days?'"
"Look around you," Nemesis growled. "Everywhere you look, you will see Star Destoyers, Imperial fighters, Sith Lords, stormtroopers...all which make up the entire Sith Empire, causing havoc everywhere you turn. If this isn't the end of all days already...then I'm sure what my master has planned will be."
Toah turned back to the Falcon's viewport, searching for a place to land. Suddenly, the ship shook again as a TIE Interceptor fired upon it. Raj gritted his teeth as he seized the controls in order to keep the ship steady, but it proved to be no use as the fighter fired again, causing the Falcon's engines to short-circuit.
Toah grabbed onto his seat as the ship began to spiral towards the ground. He heard the sound of the Falcon's top turret firing at the control of Raj's wife, Cera. Although he soon saw the Interceptor explode into a million pieces, he knew there was now way to stop the Millennium Falcon from crashing into the ground...
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