CHAPTER FOURTEEN
--The Resurgent--
"We should start the meeting now. We have nearly reached Ossus."
"Not yet," Darth Taral said sharply, standing in his darkened room with three holographic figures. "Kylo Ren has yet to arrive."
Darish Vol crossed his arms, frowning. "Is he really that vital to our endeavors?"
"More than you would think," Taral said darkly.
A long silence fell over the four as they waited for their fifth member. Finally, the last holo-projector glowed and the shimmering blue form of Kylo Ren appeared, closing the circle.
"I apologize for my tardiness," the Knight of Ren said coolly. "Did I miss anything?"
"We were just about to start." Addressing the four before him, Darth Taral said, "In moments we will be upon Ossus, home of the Jedi Order. Soon, all that Luke Skywalker has built will fall and the Sith shall at last have their revenge.
"Kylo Ren, you shall lead the first assault, along with Xiana of the Marked Ones. Your forces will attack the Jedi Temple and deal with the bulk of the Order. In the meantime, Kaa'Zeth's Nightsisters shall create illusions spells to distract the Jedi and make them more vulnerable."
Darish Vol scoffed at this. "Cowardly tactics, those are."
Taral shot him a look, the silver eyes of his mask glowing. "I did not ask for your opinion, Vol."
The Grand Lord sneered at him. "I did not ask to be dragged into your war."
"Settle down, you two," said Mother Kaa'Zeth, folding her long hands on her lap. "Now is not the time for infighting. Stars know it's been the downfall of the Sith far too many times."
Taral grunted. "Indeed. Do I hear any further objections?"
There were none. Satisfied, the Dark Lord smirked behind his mask.
"Then let us begin."
--Ossus--
Masters Kyle Katarn and Odan Murk made their way through the forest, with Jedi Knights Jaden Korr and Koria Tyrnak close behind. Up ahead they could see the two ships, with three figures standing near them.
"Wait a minutes." Kyle squinted his eyes. "Is that... Toah?"
"With two Sith," Odan muttered, already igniting his twin azure lightsabers. "I'd recognize their presence anywhere."
The Weequay Jedi Master moved to charge towards the three only to be stopped by Kyle. "We must be certain before heading into danger," the battlemaster said sternly. "Just because they wear black doesn't make them Sith."
"Can't you feel it, Katarn?" Odan asked, sneering. "The cold? The darkness?"
Kyle hesitated to answer. "Yes, but--"
"I can feel it, too," said Koria, turning on her green lightsaber. "Let's take them now before it's too late!"
"No, wait--!"
Odan and Koria ignored his protests as they charged ahead. Kyle took a moment to exchange looks with Jaden before taking pursuit.
* * *
"Ah," Lord Kallus said, seeing the two Jedi rushing towards them. "It would appear we have company."
Toah held out a hand to halt the two. "Wait!" he called out. "They mean no harm!"
If the Jedi had heard him, they showed no sign of it. The one in the lead, Odan Murk of the High Council, set his eyes on Lord Serpriss and made a straight line for him.
"So much for civil conversation." Kallus brought out his red lightsaber, as did Serpriss. Knowing he could not prevent the inevitable, Toah moved out of the way just as Koria Tyrnak lunged at Kallus.
Green and blue clashed against red. The Jedi pressed their assault hard against the Sith, who swiftly moved to block their attacks. Toah couldn't help but keep his eyes on Serpriss and Odan; he had never seen a Thisspiasian in a duel before and was fascinated by how graceful the serpentine Sith was in style, his long tail moving in majestic twirls.
Toah then heard a voice cry out and turned to see Kyle Katarn and Jaden Korr rushing to join the scene.
"You're making a mistake!" Kyle hollered. "These two are not our enemies!"
"They are Sith!" Odan snarled in between strikes. "All Sith are our enemies!"
"Not these two! They are fellow Jedi -- or once were."
While Odan did not relent, Koria did, breaking off from her fight with Kallus to look at Kyle. "What?" she asked incredulously.
"Don't you recognize your former master?"
Koria looked at Kallus, who had lowered his blade to smile at the Zabrak woman. She stared back, mouth agape. "Master Viron...?"
Kallus chuckled, turning off his blade. "I'll admit, it's been a while."
Koria said nothing at first, at a loss for words. Finally, she sheathed her weapon and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, master. I... I should have known."
"Emotions always cloud one's judgment," Kallus said, throwing a worried glance at the still-going duel between Odan and Serpriss. "I would expect a Master such as himself to already know that."
"This is getting out of hand," Toah muttered. "Those two should have stopped by now."
Koria raised her hands to her mouth. "Master, stop! There's no need to fight! They're on our side!"
But Odan did not hear or -- or, if he had, did not listen. He simply continued to press on his assault, growing more and more ferocious....
* * *
"So it's come to this," Lord Serpriss said as his red blade clashed with Odan's, their duel taking them deeper into the forest. "And here I thought you could actually be reasoned with, unlike the others."
"Apparently you don't know me as well as you think you do," Odan growled. He swung his two blades at Serpriss' neck. The Thisspiasian narrowly deflected them with his saberstaff.
"Don't you realize Varon is using you?" the Sith Master said, blocking another attack to his chest. "I may not know what he is planning, but if he is like any Sith of the past--"
"I am through with your lies." Odan swung his blades again at Serpriss' head. The Sith Master barely backed away in time and the two sabers singed off his beard. Before Odan could deliver another attack, Kallus and the other Jedi came rushing up to the two.
"Wait, Odan!" Kyle said. "Don't you realize who you're fighting?"
A wide, savage grin crossed the Weequay's face. "Oh, yes," he said, a deep chuckle coming from his throat. "I most certainly do."
"He was your master," Kyle went on. "He taught you the ways of the Force."
"Indeed he did," Odan said quietly, a tint of yellow appearing in his dark eyes. "But those days are over now."
He readied his blades again, ignoring the others' protests.
"And so are you, 'master.'"
He then lunged at Serpriss, uttering a guttural yell. The Sith Master raised his saberstaff to defend himself but his former apprentice's blades cleaved right through the hilt. Before Serpriss could regather himself, Odan swung his blades again, striking the Thisspiasian across the chest.
Yellow eyes briefly diluted before quickly shrinking, fading back to their natural brown. As he slowly slithered to the ground, Serpriss looked up at Odan, gazing into his now-yellow eyes. He took in one last breath.
"I'm sorry," he exhaled before resting his head on the soft grass.
* * *
The four Jedi and Kallus stood staring in shock. A stasis field projected by Odan had prevented them from interfering, only fading once Odan had delivered the fatal blow.
Kallus let out a furious roar as he charged towards the Weequay, scarlet blade raised high over his head. Odan reached out his hand and sent a blast of the Force that flung the Sith back. Before Toah or any of the others could do something, the fallen Jedi Master turned and sprinted away, moving at speeds too fast for them to match.
Kyle blew out his breath. "Well... this certainly complicates things."
Toah turned to Kallus, who was getting back to his feet, and furrowed his brow skeptically. "You don't happen to know the deal between those two, do you?"
Kallus sighed as he looked forlornly at the fallen form of Serpriss. "I think it's about time I met with the council."
* * *
Odan did not stop running until he knew he was a good enough distance away from the Jedi. Upon coming out into a clearing, he came to a halt and took out his comlink, feeling almost giddy as he hailed his true master.
"Varon? Varon, can you read me? It's Odan."
"This had better be important, Odan," came the exasperated voice of Darth Taral. "I'm in the middle of something."
"I did it, Taral," Odan said excitedly. "I killed him. I've killed Lord Serpriss."
"Well done," the Dark Lord said. "Didn't you also say he was with another master?"
"Yes; Lord Kallus. I was unable to deal with him, for the Jedi got in the way."
"Not to worry. We'll be at Ossus shortly. The end of the Jedi is soon at hand."
Odan grinned widely as he gazed at the sky. "I look forward to it."
"It's too bad you won't be around for it."
Igniting his blade, Odan whirled around to face the person standing behind him. Zarin Kal already had his emerald lightsaber, ready for combat.
"I'll have to call you back later, Taral," Odan said into the comlink. "I have other matters to attend."
He then tossed the device aside just as Zarin started to charge him....
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