The tension in the Jedi Council chamber was nearly tangible. The
faces of the Masters gathered there were lit by the eerie blue light created by the shimmering hologram projected in the center of the circular room.
Master Aktaru addressed the council as his image flickered in and
out of existence. Even with his image distorted by the hologram, the Mon
Calimarian Jedi Master appeared fierce and deadly serious.
“I am afraid our suspicions were correct; although I have yet to find
any trace of Master Karfu or his Padawan." The Jedi continued on in his deep, gurgling voice, “I had hoped, though we all sensed Karfu's loss in
the Force, that some answer other than his demise might yet be found.
Unfortunately, now that I have visited Forunsaal, I feel that Karfu and his
apprentice must certainly have been destroyed and all evidence of their
passing well hidden."
The council chamber was silent for many long moments before
Master Dath spoke to the holographic Jedi Master. "We are all saddened
by your findings Master Aktaru." The white haired Jedi leaned in closer to the image, "Yet not all hope is lost on finding justice for Master Karfu and his Padawan. An informant of ours in the Day Star Guild has told us he
has arranged a meeting with two mysterious men, men who intend to
14
purchase a large shipment of outlawed weapons for use on Keelsar II. We
believe these two to be the same men Karfu sensed, as his reports cited
his belief the mysterious figures were attempting to contact a weapons
running guild."
The holographic Aktaru cocked his head, awaiting the orders that
were certain to come next. Master Dath did not disappoint him.
"You will travel with Master Klakziir to Tatooine. You will be joined
there by Ramzis Toh and his Padawan, Saunwell. The four of you will
interrupt this meeting between our contact and these shadowy figures of
Master Karfu's. Klakziir will have more information when he contacts you.
Be careful and may The Force be with you."
Aktaru nodded acceptance and his image flickered out.
Master Dath sat back in his chair and looked to the other present
council members. A small reptilian humanoid seated to Dath's right spoke
first. "Ve must-a be careful-a here-a I am thinking-a."
"Master Vohrn is wise in advising caution." said a seemingly
middle-aged human from the other side of the circled masters. Dath
addressed this man, “Then Master Cynturas, you think perhaps Master
Karfu was correct in his theory? That those he tracked could indeed be
Sith?"
15
More than one sharp intake of breath could be heard throughout
the chamber; a rare outburst of emotion indeed from such a usually
tranquil group.
"It should come as no surprise," stated Master Cynturas. "Many Masters have agreed it possible a Sith Lord survived and reformed the
Sith order. Force divinations tell us the Sith may have been reorganized
into one master, one apprentice. The Jedi order has never really doubted
the possibility that some Sith may have survived; and if not, the Dark Side
is always calling new minions to it's cause."
The Geonosian seated next to Dath spoke, in his strange language
of buzzes and clicks, “I agree with Master Cynturas, few other than Sith
could have led to the disappearance of Master Karfu and Ryeth. Sith or
no, great caution must be used here. I sense a growing darkness on the
horizon of the Republic.”
No one in the chamber disagreed with Master Klakziir.
16
Darth Malorum was growing very agitated, somewhat angry, but
mostly just disgusted with the Day Star contact seated across from the
Sith and his Master, Darth Iratus. Wargog, a Gamorean, was a crude, foul
smelling beast not worthy of breath in Malorum's opinion. The crude
creature seemed to do little but fart, belch, and drip snot between gulps of its vile smelling Felucian fungal wine.
Most of the patrons in the heavily crowded Bantha's Horns cantina
were retched scum and villains, but Wargog made them seem
sophisticated nobility in comparison. Malorum was a little surprised his
master had not strangled the wretched beast by now. Darth Iratus,
however, remained seated calmly next to his apprentice and repeated the
question he had only moments before voiced.
"The shipment will be sent in six standard days, yes?"
The Gamorean snorted, taking a long pull from his bottle of
Felucian wine. Snot spurted from his nose as he finally answered the Sith
Lord.
"Snort---That what me said now ain"t it? ---snort"
More snot. That was what irritated Malorum the most. This
miserable wretch seemed to have and endless supply of snot. It dripped
from his snout constantly, ran down his chin, dripped on the table.
Malorum could swear he even saw a large glob fall right into the
17
Gamorean's wine. Not that it likely affected the taste of the nasty fungus
concoction.
Malorum, though not sure of all the details, thought he had a pretty
good grasp on his Master's plan. Iratus intended to supply the insurgents
on Keelsar II, a planet only recently brought into the Republic, with illegal arms such as disintegration rifles and neutron particle canons. This would
cause such chaos as to draw the Jedi's complete attention. But why this
distraction? That was the part Malorum was unsure of. Iratus had nothing
to gain, or lose, if Keelsar II became part of the Republic. So what was his Master planning that would need this sort of distraction?
Malorum's thoughts were suddenly pulled back to the present when
a large green glob of snot fell onto his hand. Anger surged through the
young Sith.
Malorum looked up at the Gamorean through narrowed eyes. The
smelly oaf was bringing the bottle of wine up to its lips for another swig.
With a gesture almost too small to notice, Malorum grasped the pig-man's
wrist with the Force and redirected the course of the bottle. Against his
will, the Gamorean shoved the bottle neck into his flaring right nostril at
least an inch. Wargog assumed a stupid, startled look as he squealed and
toppled backwards out of his chair. Malorum glanced at his Master. Iratus
just cocked an eyebrow at his apprentice and remained silent. Malorum
18
could not tell if Iratus disapproved of his apprentice's actions, but the
young Sith knew better than to apologize in public. If Darth Iratus found
fault in any of Malorum's actions he would be sure to address them,
privately.
Malorum turned his attention back to the clueless Gamorean. The
creature was still lying on its back, fat legs waggling in the air. Wargog
grasped the wine bottle and pulled it from his snout with a sucking pop. He
then rolled onto his enormous belly and pushed himself up to his knees,
freeing a tremendous fart with the exertion. Malorum couldn't help but
wonder if he had plugged the wrong offending orifice with the wine bottle.
Wargog finally made his way back to his seat and plopped down
once more, no idea what had just happened to him. "Snort--Be excusing
me, mushroom wine make Wargog miss mouth some time--snort."
Malorum was suddenly hit by the sensation that the Gamorean
might not be nearly as dim-witted as he let on.
Malorum turned to Iratus, "Master, I have a bad feeling about this."
Iratus said nothing but Malorum swore he saw the hint of a smile
flicker across Iratus" face. Just then, Malorum felt a cold prickling
sensation at the base of his skull.
"Master, I..."
Iratus interrupted his apprentice. "Yes, I sense it too."
19
Both Sith Lords turned to face the entrance to the cantina just as
four robed and hooded figures passed through the door, two breaking off
to the left and two heading right. Malorum heard Wargog rise and
scramble away from the table, but sensed no imminent threat from the
Gamorean. Darth Iratus and Darth Malorum rose from the table to face
the approaching Jedi. Iratus placed a hand on his apprentice's shoulder
and spoke, in a voice barely more than a whisper, "If any survive we will be hunted."
With that Iratus headed off to his right into the crowded main room
of the cantina to intercept the two inbound Jedi. Malorum smiled and
headed left.
Darth Iratus stopped near the center of the room and watched the
approaching Jedi through the throng of cantina patrons. He doubted they
had sensed him yet, cloaked by the Force as he was. Iratus released his
hold on the Force cloak and emerged fully from the concealing shadow of
the dark side. He was pleased when both Jedi stopped dead in their
tracks, heads snapping up, and eyes going straight to him. Without a
doubt, they could sense the immense power of the dark side flowing
through the Sith Lord. Iratus sensed a twinge of fear pass through the
taller of the Jedi before him. He could see their faces clearly now, both
human; one male, one female. The female had her blonde hair woven into
20
the braid of a Padawan, yet it was from the other Jedi Iratus had caught
the feeling of fear. Interesting.
The male Jedi produced his lightsaber, blue blade hissing as
ignited. The crowd of patrons immediately parted once they saw where the
gaze of the lightsaber wielding man was directed. This portion of the
cantina floor was now divided in two, walls of patrons lining a 30 foot path with Sith and Jedi at either end. The female took a step out to the right of her master and ignited two brilliant green blades.
"Now this will be fun." Iratus said to himself with an ever growing smile.
Darth Malorum faced the two Jedi in a corner of the less crowded
left portion of the cantina. Only a few patrons stood between the opposing
combatants. Malorum cocked his head slightly and narrowed his eyes as
his two Jedi shrugged off their robes and ignited their lightsabers. Before Malorum stood quite the odd pair, a Mon Calimarian and a Geonosian.
"Great, I get stuck fighting the freaks." Malorum muttered under his breath.
Off to his right Malorum heard the hum of lightsabers and suddenly
dozens of voices united in screams of pain.
"Sounds like my Master is already having fun." Malorum said loud
enough for the Jedi to hear him. "Time to join him." Malorum stated as he 21
sprang straight at the Jedi, orange blade working in a ferocious figure
eight, driving the Jedi back.
"Caution, Saunwell.” The male Jedi said to his Padawan. If she
heard her master her next actions did not show it. The young woman leapt
forward and launched her right lightsaber through the air toward Iratus.
Iratus fell into a backward roll, avoiding the whirling blade and using the
Force to push the blade out to the side, straight into the crowd of on
looking patrons. The blade tore through at least a dozen of the spectators,
severing arms, legs, heads and torsos before finally smashing into the
side wall of the cantina and falling extinguished to the floor. This horrific slaughter did not slow the approaching Padawan in the least, as she
continued to sprint toward Iratus with her remaining blade. Iratus sprang to his feet, igniting both his blades, and stepped into the woman's charge.
He easily parried her wild swing and stepped past her as her
momentum continued to carry her forward. The other Jedi finally got into
the fight, rushing Iratus and offering a low, powerful two handed swing at
the Sith Lord"s left ankle. Iratus brought both blades down to his left,
intercepting the Jedi's saber. He brought his trailing right foot high and
snapped a kick to the left side of the Jedi's face. As the Jedi recoiled from the impact, Iratus allowed his own momentum to carry him through a
22
complete spin. Once squared again with his opponent, the Sith put both
blades into fierce attack routines, sending the stunned Jedi back pedaling.
Behind Iratus, Saunwell walked calmly through the slaughter and
retrieved her lightsaber.
The ferocity of Malorum's attack had the two Jedi tumbling back, he
intended to drive them back and trap them against the serving bar of the
cantina. As the two Jedi approached the bar Malorum swung his
lightsaber, first to his left toward the Mon Calimarian then right toward the Geonosian. The Mon Calimarian Jedi executed a high back flip right over
the bar, completely avoiding Malorum's saber. As Malorum's saber
slashed through the air where the Jedi had been a moment before it
connected with several of the potent drinks sitting on the bar, igniting a
small but spreading fire.
Malorum had no better luck on the right portion of his swing as the
Geonosian unexpectedly fluttered his transparent wings and hovered
away from Malorum's blade.
“This is Bantha fodder!" spat a highly vexed Malorum.
As Iratus continued his vicious attack, he sensed the Padawan fast
approaching from behind. Iratus worked his opponent's blade high and
ducked low just as the Padawan brought both her blades down in an over
head chop at Iratus head. The Padawan's blades smashed against her
23
master"s blade forming an arch above the squatting Sith. Iratus spun to his
left, still crouching, and cut the Jedi in half at the waist. A confused
Saunwell saw her master's eyes go wide and uttered "Master Ramzis?"
Shifting his weight to his right foot Iratus blasted the top half of the
Jedi away with a swift left kick to the man's chest and rolled past the
startled woman's knees and back to his feet. Saunwell recovered quickly
from the shock of seeing her Master sliced in half. She spun quickly to
face the Sith Lord. Iratus could feel the rage boiling in her as she pressed her attack. For long moments four lightsabers, two green, two red, sizzled
and crashed against each other in a blurry dance of destruction.
A series of parries and feints locked both sets of blades out wide to
either side, the result bring in Jedi and Sith face to face less than a foot apart. Iratus got a very good look at this Padawan, this Saunwell, and
discovered she was strikingly beautiful. Blue eyes of sparkling ice, full lips, delicate yet defined nose and cheekbones, flushed with the exertion of
combat. Iratus could see anger and hatred in those features as well.
"You would make a powerful Sith." Iratus told her as they stood
locked in battle.
Her look was one of pure disgust as she spat back at him, "I'd
rather die!" Iratus remembered a similar look of disgust on the face of another beautiful woman, so many years ago...
24
"So be it!" Darth Iratus shouted back. He snapped his head
forward, smashing his forehead into her delicate nose, destroying her
beautiful face. As Saunwell"s hot blood sprayed and splashed against his
cheeks, Iratus slammed his right knee into the staggered Jedi's abdomen,
knocking the air from her lungs. Iratus smashed the pommels of his
lightsabers into the young woman's upper back as she doubled over in
pain, knocking her to her knees. The Dark Lord of the Sith twirled his twin
blades and took both the Padawan's arms at the shoulders. Planting a
boot against the woman"s chest Iratus shoved her onto her back, stepped
forward placing that same boot on her exposed neck and crushing her
trachea and spinal cord with one swift stomp.
Iratus watched as the light faded from those beautiful blue eyes.
Malorum was inspired by the fire he had inadvertently started. As
the Mon Calimarian leapt back across the bar to attack Malorum the Sith
grasped numerous bottles of potent liquor from the cantina's shelves with
the Force and flung them at the Jedi. The Jedi Master was easily able to
block each bottle with his lightsaber but as the blade connected with the
bottles the potent liquid inside ignited showering the Jedi with flaming
booze.
"Fry, fish head!" shouted Malorum as he force pushed the flaming
Jedi back over the bar and into a rack of bottles. The resulting
25
conflagration took out part of the back wall, several nearby patrons and
immolated the Jedi. Malorum's smirk was wiped away by his own searing
pain as the Geonosian Jedi swooped back in and delivered a deep slash
to Malorum's right shoulder blade, tumbling the man forward and knocking
the saber from his grip.
Enraged, Malorum spun to face the Jedi and found him flying away
once more. Reaching out with the Force, Malorum wound tendrils of Force
energy around the wings of the hovering Geonosian and pulled. With a
sickening pop the Jedi's wings snapped off in a shower of green blood,
sending the Jedi crashing to the floor.
Malorum glared at the fallen Jedi. "Do you know what Sith do to
bugs?!" Malorum up ended a table with the Force and sent it speeding
down toward the Jedi. The Geonosian pushed back against the table for a
moment, but was too weakened by his wounds. The table crushed down
upon the Jedi with tremendous force sending blood and exoskeleton
shards flying.
As most of the patrons ran screaming from the cantina, Darth Iratus
walked behind the bar, found an intact bottle of Alderonian whiskey and
poured himself a drink. Malorum watched this and approached his Master,
addressing him at nearly a shout.
"You sent me against two Masters!?"
26
Iratus took his shot of whiskey as Malorum continued, "You went
right at the start of the fight, surely you must have sensed the power of the Jedi, yet I fought the Masters!"
Iratus positioned another glass on the bar next to his own and filled
them both. He pushed one toward his apprentice. "Did they kill you? Is it your spirit that stands before me?"
Malorum noticed that while his own robes were covered in soot,
and ash, and Geonosian goo, Iratus had only a few spatters of blood on
him.
"I think you sent me against the Masters because you feared them
and know I am more powerful than you!" snarled Malorum.
Iratus eyed his student. "Interesting theory. Would you like to test
it?"
Malorum thought only for a moment of striking out at his Master
then reconsidered the notion. Instead, he grabbed the shot glass and
gulped down the fiery liquid. After a long pause, he changed the subject.
"So, now what?"
Iratus smiled. "Now my plans run their course."
Malorum continued "I thought your plan was to incite violence on
Keelsar II?"
27
"That was the plan the Jedi were to find out about. My contact in
the Day Star, Bronius Multar, offered me a monumental deal on weaponry
if only I helped him track down an informant in the guild selling information to the Jedi."
Iratus paused, bent down and retrieved a death stick from the body
of a dead patron. The Sith Lord lit the stick on some flaming debris and
inhaled deeply before continuing.
“The dealer I approached for the Keelsar shipment is a man by the
name of Taelba Kul. I let slip to him mention of our unfortunate run in with the Jedi on Forunsaal. Today's activities leave little doubt as to who the
informant was. Wargog is Taelba's minion and was obviously sent here to
set us up. You will go to Correilia and deal with Taelba. I will visit Bronius and arrange for the real arms shipment to be sent to Cularin, not Keelsar
II."
Malorum brushed some of the soot from his robes. "But why
Cularin, Master? Isn't that planet already devastated by war?"
Iratus took another puff. "Yes. The Jedi serve as the Republic"s
peace keepers there. When everything unfolds, today"s public brawl that
included a known Day Star associate and Jedi, and the arrival of weapons
from Taelba's competitor within the guild, soon the death of Taelba at what
you will make appear "Jedi" hands...this will all look like a breach of 28
neutrality on the part of the Republic and the Jedi serving on Cularin. It
should diminish public opinion of the Jedi somewhat."
"All this to tarnish the Jedi's reputation?" asked Malorum.
Iratus replied, "As Sith we are two against the galaxy. To survive
and succeed we must weave webs of deceit more tangled than that of a
Kato Nemoidian rock spider." Iratus made as if to continue but was
interrupted by a loud crash from across the room.
Malorum and Iratus turned toward the sound and saw Wargog had
apparently knocked over a table as he emerged from beneath it. The
Gamorean looked at the two Sith and squealed in terror. Holding its meaty
hands out the Gamorean pleaded for its life.
"Snort--Please! Jedi pay more better than you! You understand!?
Master Taelba's Idea, me just go along with it!-snort"
Iratus looked at Malorum. "Well, that confirms my theory of Taelba's
corruption."
The Gamorean, thinking the Sith distracted, made a break for the
door. Iratus and Malorum both raised hands to stop the creature's escape.
Malorum planned to force push the slobbering beast back against the wall.
Iratus" idea was to force pull the creature forward to himself and Malorum.
The result of the pushing and pulling of the Force was unexpected.
Wargog froze, elevated a full three feet in the air. For a moment, the
29
Gamorean shuddered and twitched, then completely exploded,
disintegrating into a cloud of blood and bone shards.
"Gruesome." muttered Darth Malorum.
"Efficient." whispered Darth Iratus.
30