CHAPTER NINE
"We've got a signal."
Kyle Katarn, standing on the bridge of the Ralroost with Admiral Traest Kre'fey, moved over to the Bothan communication officer's station, who had a frequency pinging on her board.
"It's coming from Nyriaan," the officer said. "Think it might be Jaden Korr hailing us?"
"Answer it and we'll find out," Kre'fey said.
The officer did so and Jaden Korr's voice was soon speaking from the comm channel.
"Anyone read me? This is Jaden Korr. Does anyone-"
"We read you, Jaden," Kyle answered. "What have you been up to?"
"I'll, uh, fill you in on details later. Right now, we have a pressing matter to address."
"What would that be?" Kre'fey asked.
"The thief of the Sith amulet has awakened an ancient Sith Lord. I don't know where they are now- I've only just escaped from them- but the Sith Lord is armed and dangerous... and he seems to have a vendetta against me, because he was really determined to kill me."
"Wonderful," Kyle said dryly. "What would you have us do?"
He heard his former apprentice sigh over the channel. "I don't know, master. They've probably already left Nyriaan by now and are headed for who-knows-where."
"That's all right, Jaden. If you've still got a fighter, you can come to the Ralroost and fill us in one everything."
Jaden chuckled slightly. "Easier said than done. I've found two Jedi who may need a lift: Master Nomante and his great-niece, Serra Kardi."
"All right, I'll ask Admiral Kre'fey to send a shuttle to pick them up," Kyle said.
"Good," Jaden said. "And you'd better make yourselves comfortable, because I've got quite the story to tell."
* * *
As the kaleidoscopic background of hyperspace twisted before the viewport of his ship, Varon Krul glanced at Darth Glovoc, who sat in the passenger's seat beside him. The ancient Sith Lord had been silent ever since they had left Nyriaan, staring in contemplation.
Clearing his throat, Varon said, "It's surreal, isn't it? To be gone for over three thousand years...."
Glovoc did not respond at first, his gaze still fixed on the viewport. He finally said, "How can he still be alive?"
"Who? The Jedi?"
"He is no longer a Jedi," Glovoc said bitterly. "Or rather, he wasn't when I last saw him. How could he have survived all these millennia?"
Varon did not answer him, instead reaching for the hyperdrive lever and gradually bringing the ship out of lightspeed. As the barren world of Jaguada came into view, Varon turned in his seat to face Glovoc.
"Stay here. I won't be long."
* * *
"So this Sith Lord thought you were someone else, who's probably already dead, and wants to kill you because of that misunderstanding."
Jaden sighed as he stirred his caf with his good hand, flexing his new prosthetic one. "There's really no easier way to explain it, Arek. Besides, that's not nearly as important as the fact that a Sith Lord is now on the loose."
"Well, we've dealt with plenty of those over the years," muttered Commander Devon. "What's one more?"
"Maybe it's more than one," Taana Di mused. "The person who awakened him and stole the Sith amulet, what's his agenda? Is he a Sith as well?"
"Does it matter?" growled Sirul Rosk. "If they do bad stuff, they're bad. If they don't, they aren't."
"But that's just it," Jaden said. "Sith always do bad; it's in their nature. It's all a matter of when, where, and how."
The others sitting around him in the lobby room fell silent, still contemplating his tale. Kyle Katarn then said, "What exactly prompted you to go to Nyriaan?"
Jaden sighed. "I had a vision. I was on a frozen moon, surrounded by a bunch of faces: yours, Master Solusar's, even ones I didn't recognize. When I came out of it, I had already set in the coordinates for the system. I figured it was the will of the Force that I had done so. Thus, I went...."
"Well, I don't know any frozen moons related to Nyriaan," said Master Nomante. "Not sure how they can be connected."
"Wait," Natia murmured, turning to Jaden. "Maybe the vision you had with Master Katarn and Solusar has to do with why the Sith Lord thought you were someone else."
"In what way?" Jaden asked.
She shrugged. "Maybe you have a clone running around."
Nomante groaned. "As if we didn't have enough of those...."
"It's certainly food for thought," Jaden mused. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. If I have a continuing vision, you'll be the first to know."
* * *
The humming of Lady Saarai echoed throughout the Sith Temple as Varon strode down its long, stretching hallways. He reached out with the Force in search of the one person he sought, but could only sense himself and Saarai.
"Hello, Varon."
He smirked at the sound of the icy voice. "Karis. How do you do it?"
Dropping down from the ceiling, suspended in midair by a large pair of wings, was a female humanoid with soft green skin and dark hair, clad in black robes similar to his own.
"It's my talent," the S'kytri said coldly. "The darkness is my ally in more than just sight."
Varon refrained from rolling his eyes. Like her master, Karis was ever cryptic.
"No matter," he said before looking her straight in the eye. "It is time."
Karis' eyes dilated ever so slightly. "You mean... you've found a way?"
"I believe so. I have awakened someone who might be able to get us into the tomb."
"Shall I summon the others yet?"
"Not yet. You and I shall go with him to the tomb and make sure he is indeed the key." He then grinned wickedly. "Then our plan shall commence."
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