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Time Reversal (Part 2)
CHAPTER 9
THE WASTELANDS
Sky’s blazing lightsaber swung through the air in a gentle yet
deadly arc as he did a series of parries and strikes. Learning the art of the lightsaber
was strenuous.
"You handle the saber well, Sky," Zaliri complimented. She didn’t
notice the desert cat peering at her from the overhang behind them. Sky caught sight of one
of the wasteland’s biggest predators as it pounced upon Zaliri.
Beneath the snarling beast, Zaliri froze, knowing any movement
would mean her death. Instinctively, Sky swung his saber and the animal’s blood stained the
sand.
"Zaliri!" Sky screamed, rushing for her inert form. Kneeling beside
her, he gathered her into his arms. "It’s alright. You can look now, I killed it." Zaliri’s
eyes flickered open to look up into Sky’s sapphire ones. Their lips met as Zaliri’s arms
wrapped around his neck before she pulled away, confused at her tangle of emotions.
"What is it, have I offended you?" Sky frowned.
"This is wrong, Sky," Zaliri sputtered as she sat up. "I’m your
teacher. Our feelings must not interfere with your training. Don’t you understand?" Her
earnest gaze held his as she stood, then changed to one of horror.
"Father?... Nooooo..." She cried, feeling the chill of death
overwhelm her. Filled with terror, Zaliri ran back to the village, Sky in pursuit.
TIME PORTAL
Luke turned to face his Master as Yoda’s ears rose. "Remain with
the Hadj tribe Zaliri must!" Yoda insisted. "Go to her dead father she must not! Bear Sky’s
child she must, or exist the Jedi will not!"
Luke winced as he considered the implications of Zaliri’s actions
that hit him. "Then Sky must complete his training..." Luke looked into the portal once
more; hoping to save the future by looking into the past.
THE WASTELANDS
Zaliri entered her shelter gasping for breath. The fleeting
painful vision had shown not only her father’s death but the face of his murderer. A
dark-haired, cruel-eyed man laughing over her father’s body.
"I will find you, you will pay for this with your blood!" She
snapped shivering at the sound of her own words.
"Oh Master, I am so confused," Zaliri sighed in frustration. "I am
a Jedi and I am strong, but I am human! How can I not feel hatred for the man who killed
my father?" She asked. There was no answer.
In seconds, a glow appeared before her, increasing in brightness
until its light was almost unbearable to look upon. From it, a familiar black-clad figure
emerged.
"Master!" Zaliri sobbed, "my father is dead! I saw him at the feet of his murderer!
What can I do? I have such hatred in me; I want to avenge my father, I want to destroy the
man who has taken him from me! Please, Master... tell me what to do; how can I continue to
train Sky when I am filled with such dark emotions?"
"Being Jedi does not mean we cease feeling as others do." Luke smiled sadly; his very
presence helped to dissipate Zaliri’s black emotions. "We are human first; your anger at
your father’s murder does not consign you to the Dark Side. I feel hatred for Palpatine and
the atrocities he committed against the innocent in my time. It is when you act on the
hatred by taking revenge that you use darkness against darkness. This man in your vision
– you told me of him before. You saw yourself with him, do you remember?"
"Xiahn!" she whispered, unsure if she had recalled the name or Luke had helped.
"Yes. He profanes the Force but is not aware that you have learned of his crime. If
you return to town now you will undoubtedly meet him and – because your pain is so fresh
– he will taunt you, try to provoke you into attacking him. That is why you must not go.
You would be lost then, as would the future of the Jedi. Xiahn’s power increases!" Luke
warned. "Do not underestimate him."
"The future of the Jedi will be my first concern, Master!" Zaliri promised. "Nothing
will stop Sky’s training."
"Love is something you must learn about as well." Luke’s steady gaze felt as though it
was going through her heart. "It is part of what a Jedi is, Zaliri. I can sense Sky’s love
for you, and yours for him – do not resist your feelings! When the time is right I will
talk to both of you."
"Thank you, Master," Zaliri murmured as Luke was once again obscured by the mists.
"Zaliri!" She heard Sky cry out before he entered the shelter. "What’s wrong?" Red
faced from running, fear and worry etched on his handsome features, Sky looked to her for
answers.
She told him of all she had seen and what her Master had explained – all except Luke’s
encouragement of her feelings. He held her gently as she sobbed out her grief, then she
asked him to leave her. Confused, his own heart breaking for her, he did.
Time passed, and Zaliri put her feelings for revenge aside. Training Sky to be a Jedi was all that mattered – that, and their growing love for each other. It happened as Luke had said it would; theirs was more than a physical attraction. Destiny had decreed that their souls be joined. Unsure of how to interpret such powerful feelings Zaliri turned to her Master. She promised Sky that he, too, would be able to see Luke; and he did.
The Jedi looked regal in his robes, the aura about him sparkling, lighting the drab
interior of the Ashentii shelter. Sky found that he did not fear of the Jedi Zaliri called
her Master. It was the uncanny resemblance to him that astonished Sky. Luke had to laugh
at his open-mouthed stare.
"For some reason, you seem surprised that we resemble each other," Luke spoke gently.
"It really shouldn’t; I’m honored to meet my ancestor."
"The honor is mine," Sky grinned sheepishly.
Mesmerized by the Jedi’s presence, Sky sat beside Zaliri as the apparition took a seat
before them.
"You love each other," Luke stated simply. There was no time to waste on preliminaries;
there was so much to explain. "What you do, how you live your lives will affect the future –
my future," he intoned solemnly. "As Force users, your bonding will be unlike anything
either of you has experienced. With ordinary beings’ separation, if the partners are
unhappy, is simple. That isn’t true for Jedi; for yours will be a true melding of souls.
You will feel, the good and the bad, as one. Because of this you must be particularly wary
of any Darkside temptation; for should one of you fall into Darkness, your lifemate will
suffer. Mental instability, coma, even death from heartbreak would result."
"But, Master," Zaliri was puzzled by the sadness in Luke’s eyes, "dying of a broken
heart isn’t possible, is it?"
"Yes. My own mother was the victim of a broken bonding," Luke explained softly. "When
my father was... lost, Palpatine told him she had been murdered by Jedi to prevent the
birth of her "child of darkness." The fabricated evidence drove my father to the depths of
hatred and revenge. The wholesale slaughter of the Jedi was the result of a murder that
had never taken place."
"But Luke, you’re not evil!" Sky insisted.
"Only because I was conceived before my father’s fall to darkness. Never forget that;
for any child begun in darkness would lust for more and more power; and it would murder its
own parents to achieve its ambitions. Such beings are – like Palpatine – irredeemable. Do
you understand what depends upon your love for each other?"
"Yes, Master," Zaliri spoke with conviction. "In your time, the fate of the galaxy
rested upon your actions, just as it does with mine. I will not fail you, or all the Jedi
yet to come. I am prepared to accept the implications of the bonding."
"As I do," Sky’s strong voice emphasized. "I love Zaliri."
"Then," Luke smiled as he rose before them, "may the Force bless and keep you. In this
bonding Jedi and Ashentii will become one. My blessings are with you."
"Thank you, Master, that was beautiful." Zaliri beamed as Sky’s
arms enfolded her.
"You can kiss her now..." Luke’s form faded as he smiled.
The Ashentii tribal joining ceremony took place the next morning and continued
throughout the night. A huge fire, a feast, and the strangely joyful singing of the
Ashentii tribespeople echoed across the surrounding plains when a laughing Sky lifted a
playful protesting Zaliri over his shoulder in the traditional manner of his people.
The celebration continued far into the night, and on that night the first of a new generation of Jedi was conceived.
CHAPTER 10
THE DAY OF RECKONING
Months passed. Sky, taking the latter half of his brother’s name, now called himself
Skywalker. Tirelessly, he worked toward the day when he could call himself a Jedi; yet his
final test came unexpectedly - in meditation.
The vision was so clear, so strong that Sky could not be sure if it was a vision,
future or past... at first...
There was a beautiful temple in a deep valley, with three rainbowed towers that rose to the heavens, and Sky felt an overwhelming desire to enter it. Then it changed. The glorious scene became one of mist-covered ruins. Dark clouds spewed lightning forth clashing with the sounds of men and machines and war. And his desire to be there was horribly fulfilled, for around him the massacre of the Jedi was taking place. Everywhere he looked were bodies and the blood of the Jedi staining the walls. A part of it – and apart from it, Sky could only watch as a young woman with short auburn hair ran toward him, tan robes flying. A look of pure terror on her face, she screamed as a blaster bolt hit her back. In slow motion she fell in a heap on the ground, lay there contorted in death. And, in the midst of the carnage was the dark-haired, cold-eyed man Sky knew was Xiahn.
"This is where your destiny lies," Xiahn taunted. "Unless you join me." In reply, sabers hummed into life. Light fought Darkness.
Sky emerged from the meditation with his mind filled with the disturbing images he’d
witnessed. Troubled, he headed back to the encampment only to be met by his brother.
"Sky, it’s Zaliri," Starwalker announced eagerly. "She’s having the
baby!"
Sky raced toward the tent, all dark thoughts banished as he heard the wail of new
life. When both men entered the tent a beautiful sight greeted them.
"Come closer and see our son," a tired but glowing Zaliri whispered. "Isn’t he
beautiful?"
She held out a tiny, fur wrapped bundle that gurgled softly. Small hands and legs
waved aimlessly as Sky knelt beside his family.
"Like his mother." Sky kissed Zaliri. "You make me so very, very
proud."
"I want to call him Varith, what do you think?"
"Varith, yes," Sky agreed. "A good, strong name. He is strong with
the Force, he will be a powerful Jedi."
"Yes, but now he is hungry." Zaliri smiled as her son exercised his lungs with a lusty
cry that ceased when she put him to her breast.
"I have news for you," Sky whispered as he watched mother and son. "I became a Jedi
today."
"I know," Zaliri smiled. "I was with you all the time. I knew you
would succeed."
"We still have a lot of work to do." Sky smiled back. Together they watched as the
contented baby drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 11
THE ENCHANTMENT
Sitting in the middle of his bedchamber, Xiahn wiped the sweat on his brow with the
sleeve of his tunic as he probed through the Force for entry into Zaliri’s mind. He could
see her clearly, hair neatly plaited, dressed all in black with a lightsaber at her thigh.
"I’ve been waiting for you, Dark One," she responded to his mental
intrusion.
"I want you to love me... I am your life, your heart..." Xiahn’s mesmerizing voice
whispered.
"Never!" Zaliri cried, her heart pounding as she thrashed in her sleep. Fear changed
to relief as Xiahn’s hated visage was replaced by that of her husband.
"You’re safe now, my love," he smiled, holding his arms out to her. With joy she
accepted his kiss, his lovemaking.
Just outside the camp, while using a hoverdroid for lightsaber practice, Sky doubled
over in pain.
"Zaliri..." He gasped to his brother. "Something is happening...
evil..."
Quickly, Starwalker helped his frantic brother to his tent. There
they found Zaliri as they had left her; asleep. Starwalker could see nothing that would
disturb his brother so, but Sky was not deceived by Zaliri’s peaceful appearance.
"Leave us, brother..." he whispered hoarsely, his eyes fixed on
his wife’s face.
"May the Force be with you, brother," Starwalker nodded, departing
quickly.
Sitting beside his unmoving mate, Sky reached out – placed his hand on her forehead."What is happening to you, my love?" he asked. "I feel our bond being broken, yet you lie here as I left you."
"She has been possessed by another," came the disembodied voice of Luke Skywalker.
"Through the Dark Side, Xiahn has used Zaliri’s love for you to appear as you. She gives
her heart and mind willingly. You know what’s at stake, Sky. I have faith in you to save
her..." Luke’s voice faded away.
Sky turned all his attention to his wife, prepared for the fight
of his young life.
The first sensation was cold - an icy evil that sought to destroy the soul that plunged into it. Cloaked in the purity of the Force, Sky passed unharmed. In the unreal world where only minds, emotions and souls could exist, time was meaningless. All was black clouds stabbed by flashed lightning and Sky felt as though he had wandered forever. Until the scream.
It pierced him like a blade and he cried out Zaliri’s name in return. Yet it was not
Zaliri, but Xiahn who had screamed; the Jedi was struggling against the hold the evil had
upon her. Battling with all of her power and losing, until Sky’s soul joined hers.
Xiahn reflexively attacked Sky, bombarding him with horrific images. A strange world
surrounded by a giant red star, a blue dwarf and three moons. From a glowing nebula a
huge ship emerged – a ruined, gutted shell of a ship. The image changed abruptly to a
woman, raising her hands to a massive wall of fire. Insane anger flowed from her in waves
as the images shifted becoming disjointed, like the shattered pieces of a mirror only to
vanish as Xiahn did.
Sky slid his hand from Zaliri’s forehead and opened his eyes.
When Zaliri opened her eyes, she glared at Sky defiantly.
"Zaliri, it’s me, the real Sky."
"How can I trust you?"
"You can trust me," came the voice of Luke Skywalker as his wispy presence coalesced
before the lovers. "Xiahn is gone for now."
Master," Zaliri pleaded, "help us to understand what we saw. I feel that something
beyond the Force assisted Xiahn in manipulating my mind. Not even a Darksider should be
capable of what he did."
Together, Zaliri and Sky told Luke everything they had seen and Luke was horrified by
the recounting.
"You know of the strange world we glimpsed, Master?" Zaliri
inquired.
"Yes, I’ve been there," Luke responded gravely. "Even Palpatine
feared the people of that world. He called it Sorcerers’ World. If Xiahn is a native of that place, things are
worse than I’d feared."
CHAPTER 12
THE WASTELANDS
"You mean Xiahn is a sorcerer... a REAL sorcerer?" Sky
sputtered.
"But Master, sorcerers are..."
"Fairy tales?" Luke regarded Zaliri curiously. "I assure you they
are not; they do exist. Contrary to popular belief, the great majority of them are not
evil. The people of Chikaria are good, gentle people; but just as Jedi can be lost to
Darkness, so can the people of that world. The Chikarians claim that the nebula surrounding
their world endows them with their strange powers. Normally they harm no one unless
provoked but, should harm come to an individual, entire families swear revenge. A person
is exiled from Chikaria if they consistently use their power for evil. That must have
happened to Xiahn’s family. You must find out which of his parents came from Chikaria
and if they possessed a certain crystal object. The artifact has an inner glow that is
the owner’s life-force and it expands their power. To have an advantage over Xiahn you
must take it from him."
"Master," Zaliri asked, "is this artifact a wizard’s staff of some
kind?"
"Of a kind," Luke replied as he began to fade. "It is the Rod of
Destiny."
With Luke’s warnings clear in her mind, Zaliri turned her
attention to her wailing baby.
"We can go into the city and check the library records for
information on Xiahn’s family," Sky suggested as Zaliri began to nurse Varith. "We can
get the material for the uniforms Luke mentioned while there."
"You cannot take the child on such a long journey," Starwalker
interrupted as he entered the tent. He listened as his brother and Zaliri explained what
they had to do.
"Liasha is nursing a daughter; she can care for Varith while you
are away," Starwalker insisted. "And I can help with him – I am his uncle after all."
It was agreed and arrangements were made. Days later, Zaliri and
Sky set out across the wastelands riding Raevis provided by the tribe.
As they reached the outskirts of the city, many onlookers
ridiculed them, pointing to their animal skin clothing, but some – knowing how proud and
fierce the Hadj were – regarded them with fear.
"These people are so ignorant." Sky returned the townspeople’s
stares with pity.
"Just one spark would be needed to turn them against us," Zaliri
worried. "Anyone could feed their fears if motivated enough."
"You are thinking of Xiahn?"
"No. I was thinking of Palpatine and his order to massacre the
Jedi," Zaliri replied as they rode past more townspeople. The meaningful statement hung
between them for a moment. "The tribes haven’t been able to make friends with any of
these people?"
"No," Sky shrugged as they halted their mounts before a huge building. "This is it, the Athenaeum. If there’s any information on Xiahn, it will be here."
They entered the cool silent hallways, reverentially.
"It’s so peaceful here," Sky murmured softly. There was no reply;
Zaliri had frozen in her steps.
"I feel evil here, death..." Zaliri breathed as though mesmerized.
"Xiahn has been here. I don’t know how long ago, but he was here."
"I felt it too..." Sky shuddered, then – as swiftly as it had come,
the stench of evil was gone. They proceeded toward the computer banks.
There they read the legend of the curse placed on Xiahn’s family –
how a young maidservant whose husband had been murdered had had a child forced upon her
by Xiahn’s ancestor. They read of the son who’d murdered his father and, it was rumored,
his mother, claiming the estates for himself. There were the eventual marriages, the death
of his wife in childbirth, the murder of each father by the son down through the ages.
"All of them were unspeakably evil..." Sky whispered, horrified,
when they had seen everything.
"Yes." Zaliri leaned toward the data screen again. "Look..."
She had called up information on Xiahn’s parents. "Murdered
robbers, attackers never found..." it read.
"Xiahn murdered them," Sky growled. Then a reference to Xiahn’s
mother came up. "...native of the world of Chikaria," it read. "Reportedly died in
childbirth, but others claimed she was murdered with her husband. Body discovered in the
house mysteriously vanished from murder scene. It is said she used her sorcerous powers
to heal herself and swore vengeance upon her son."
"Still alive? Is it possible?" Zaliri whispered. "It would be a
considerable advantage if the Chikarians could be trained as Jedi."
"Think of what you’re saying!" Sky protested. "They’re sorcerers,
wizards and witches. We don’t know if it’s the Force they use. I don’t think it is. Healing
wounds and walking away?? If Xiahn’s mother is alive... you can’t think she would help us?!"
"You’re afraid. Not all such powers are evil, Sky," Zaliri scolded.
"It’s because you don’t understand them – just as you didn’t understand the Force before I
explained it to you. Fear is of the Dark Side, my love, beware of it."
"Your Master has taught you much wisdom," Sky apologized, and said
no more.
They wasted little time leaving the city. Half an hour into the wastelands they sensed they were being followed. As the rider shadowing them drew nearer, they saw it was a young man with dark hair and wild-looking eyes.
"Xiahn!" Zaliri breathed.
"You do not seem pleased to see me, my love," Xiahn sneered, regarding Sky with contempt. "Mating with barbarians, I see. He’s not worthy of you... I can give you."
"Death!" Zaliri saw Xiahn’s eyes narrow. "Yes, we know of your family’s legacy of death! Tell me, is your mother dead, or will she make good on her vow to finish you!?"
"Silence!" Xiahn hissed, but his anger was underlaid with fear. Clearly Zaliri had hit a nerve.
"She lives – or you would not react so angrily," Zaliri stated.
In response, Xiahn extended his hands to the sky, muttering
strange words. Flames rose from the desert floor, licking hungrily at the feet of the
Raevis that Sky and Zaliri rode.
"You use sorcery against us!" Zaliri shouted, pointing the ignited
blade of her lightsaber at Xiahn’s heart as the flames surrounded Sky, separating them. "I
challenge you, evil one!"
"Prepare for death then, Jedi..." Xiahn hissed. He unsheathed a
glowing, crystal sword, the color of blood. Xiahn attacked. Darkness and Light clashed as
their blades met, and – much to the Jedi’s surprise – not a crack appeared on Xiahn’s blade
as the lightsaber contacted it.
A wind, like no other Sky had felt in his life, rose up. Clouds blotted out the sun and a triumphant smile touched Xiahn’s face as darkness engulfed the land. Only the continuous lightning that formed a circle around the combatants revealed what was happening. The cold wind sapped his strength, and Sky slumped in his saddle.
Blow after blow rained down on Zaliri and, as she fell back, Sky attempted to help her by summoning the Force to send a large rock in Xiahn’s direction – it shattered into a million pieces, hitting an unseen barrier Xiahn had surrounded himself with.
"Curse him, he uses his sorcery to protect himself!" Sky
growled.
Zaliri continued her fight, deflected one vicious blow after
another as Xiahn advanced relentlessly. The words of her Master echoed in her head – "Xiahn
should have a Rod of Destiny... Xiahn’s sword is the source of his power; its glow
represents his life-force. Take it, and you’ll have an advantage over him."
Zaliri swung her saber’s blade toward the crystal sword’s hilt.
Xiahn screamed as his weapon’s glow faded. As he collapsed, the black clouds retreated to
the horizon, the cold winds ceased.
"Zaliri, are you hurt?" Sky called out, rushing to her side.
"No... no, only bruised," she assured him, only to cry out in pain
as she grasped Xiahn’s sword hilt. It left ice-burn marks on her hand. Sky hastened to wrap
the weapon in a scrap of cloth before picking it up and carrying it to their saddle pack.
With a glance toward the still unconscious Xiahn they resumed their journey back to the
Ashentii encampment.
"We shouldn’t take this into the camp," Zaliri announced as the
familiar plateau came into sight. "Where can we hide it?"
"There is a cave, below the plateau," Sky suggested. "No one goes
there. My people believe it is guarded by evil spirits."
A short ride later, they stood before the cave entrance. With
their ignited lightsabers providing illumination, they proceeded inside.
"Now I know why no one comes here," Zaliri breathed as they were
greeted by eerie rock formations that resembled creatures out of a nightmare. Quickly, Sky
placed the sorcerer’s weapon on a rock ledge, pulling away the frost rime’s cloth as he did
so. The sword still gleamed dully red.
"It will be safe enough for tonight," Sky whispered, urging Zaliri
out of the presence of such. "Come, my love."
Later that night, as Sky and Zaliri slept with little Varith
beside them, Zaliri shivered awake. A cold wind blew aside their tent flap. Varith awoke,
crying fitfully.
Below, in the cave, Xiahn’s sword began to pulse rapidly, like
the beating of a heart. Frenzied wind blew southward toward the city and the rocks in the
cave turned black as if stained by an ancient evil.
Glowing brighter red upon the crystal blade, a name. Darkwind.
CHAPTER 13
DARKWIND
Further south, the hellish winds blew through the streets of the
city, creating angry little dust swirls. Security called for extra lanterns against the
oppressive gloom... darker than any normal night. People shivered as they glanced up to
see the stars being blotted out by something blacker than the velvet night. Sensing the
approaching evil, the people fled to their homes, leaving the streets empty.
The wind continued through the streets as if seeking someone.
At the door of his mansion, as if in greeting, Xiahn stood
unflinching. He, alone, had no fear of the storm, for he was its master. It had sought
out and found its source. As it swirled around him, an unholy smile crossed Xiahn’s cruel
face.
THE WASTELANDS
"Sky..." Zaliri gasped.
"Zaliri, love, what is it?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his
eyes. "Another dream?"
"Not a dream, can’t you feel it?" she whispered desperately. "We
must destroy that weapon! Can’t you feel it’s evil? I can – it’s choking me, killing me..."
THE CITY
Xiahn paced before his troops.
"You are to hunt the Ashentii tribe and destroy every last man,
woman and child. They must die, or the people of this city will suffer! Only the one known
as Ladydreamer is to be spared – and she is mine! Do this, and you will all be rewarded!"
In a landspeeder, Xiahn led his army to battle. First, he would
find the sword that was the source of his power; then he would deal with the Jedi.
THE WASTELANDS
Zaliri shivered as she approached the mysterious cave. She and
Sky moved stealthily into the gloom, holding their ignited lightsabers before them. Then
they stood before Xiahn’s sword. Zaliri picked up a nearby rock and raised it to strike
the evil weapon. A voice startled her.
"Let it be, its power is MINE!" Xiahn snarled.
"Not any more..." Zaliri glanced at Sky and let the rock drop upon
the crystal blade. It shattered into tinkling fragments and Xiahn’s form vanished.
Xiahn stopped his landspeeder violently.
"Darkwind...!" he growled. "Damn you, Ladydreamer! Damn you to the
all-powerful underworld!"
CHAPTER 14
PROPHECY
(Time Portal; after the death of Palpatine and Darth Vader)
"The time is nearing," Yoda spoke calmly as Luke Skywalker paced
restlessly. "Patience, Luke... destiny will happen for Zaliri when the time is right.
Patience! The end of an era is nearing! Need your guidance Zaliri will!"
"I know, Master," Luke stared at the iridescent portal into the
past. "I won’t fail her."
THE WASTELANDS
The last shadows of night faded as Xiahn and his troops marched
onward. Before them, the sun’s haze rippled, creating the illusion of non-existent water.
But the approach of Xiahn’s army had not gone unnoticed. Throughout the wastelands, warriors passed word of the impending attack to the Ashentii camp. In the encampment itself, preparations were being made for battle. Zaliri had already sensed Xiahn’s approach. She sat, cradling her son. Varith was a blue-eyed, blonde-haired twelve-month-old, and Zaliri could not bear the thought of the impending bloodbath threatening her child.
Behind her, the tent flap opened and Sky rushed in.
"War, Zaliri!" he cried. "Xiahn is coming!"
"I know, Sky... I must try to talk to him," Zaliri spoke resolutely.
"In my Master’s time, the Jedi are known as keepers of justice and peace. That is our
task now, to prevent this destruction..."
One look at his lifemate told Sky that she would not be dissuaded. Leaving Varith with
Shaana – a trusted tribeswoman, the two Jedi went to the tent of the Ashentii leaders.
Inside, they found the warrior chiefs preparing for battle.
"Zalmek, Zyllan... we wish to ask your permission to go to Xiahn –
try to prevent bloodshed," Zaliri spoke respectfully to the female warrior-chief.
"You are a brave woman," Zalmek frowned. "Our people will wait
until you have talked. But will Xiahn listen to your words?" His tone suggested that he
did not believe mere words would turn such a madman from war.
"We must try, Zalmek," Sky insisted.
"Then go," the female chief spoke. "But hear this, Ladydreamer, the
women of our tribe are not like you. If harm comes to either of you, Xiahn will pay for
it with his life. You are Ashentii now, and any wrong done to our people will be avenged.
Although I would like the task myself, Starwalker will be granted the honor of ripping out
Xiahn’s evil heart!"
A short time later, Zaliri and Sky – now dressed in the same
black uniform that Luke Skywalker wore – moved toward the base of the plateau as, behind
them, Ashentii warriors prepared to attack should Xiahn move against the Jedi. Xiahn’s
landspeeder slowed as he saw the two and a raised hand halted his troops. Zaliri and Sky
halted only meters from the vehicle.
"Who...?" Xiahn called out. "Well, well... So you have dressed
yourselves as civilized beings! At least you will not die as savages!"
"We have come to make peace, Xiahn!" Zaliri announced boldly. "To
war with the tribes will waste lives on both sides. Look at your men – they are already
weakened by the march from the city. You will lose! Even those who survive the battle will
die before reaching the wasteland’s borders."
"Do not preach to me, Jedi!" Xiahn hissed in anger. "You have
destroyed Darkwind, one of the Seven Swords of Rhona. You and your barbarian friends will
suffer for it. But I want you alive, Zaliri; the burning of a sorceress will be a worthy
spectacle for the townspeople!"
"Harm my lifemate... even touch her, Xiahn," Sky’s voice was low
and menacing as he stepped closer, "and your heart will be ripped from your living body!"
Xiahn paled noticeably. "Barbarian!" he screamed, raising his
weapon even as he was slammed to the ground with a scream of pain. From the cave that held
the broken fragments of Xiahn’s sword, flocks of dark-winged creatures billowed by the
thousands. At the cave’s mouth, a figure hooded in black approached the Jedi and the
terror-stricken
"If you are Jedi, as you say you are," Xiahn screamed in terror,
"protect me!"
"Who is it?" Zaliri asked, unable to believe her eyes; but before
Xiahn could reply, the figure halted before them and threw back its hood.The small woman
was a study in black – from her gown to her long hair and eyes. She regarded Xiahn with
contempt and the power that radiated from her sent shudders through both Jedi.
"Greetings, my son! We meet again!" she spoke calmly, then raised
her arms and reached, palms outward, toward Xiahn. He screamed as a red sphere of energy
hovered before her then shot toward him. Engulfed, he fell to the ground, apparently dead.
"I am Saurana," the woman turned to the horrified Jedi. "I believe
my son has been causing you problems? I wish to help you. Are you Ladydreamer?"
"How is it you know of Zaliri?" Sky eyed the stranger with
suspicion. The unfeeling way she looked at her lifeless son made him shudder. No emotion
crossed her face as Xiahn’s men took his body and marched away, shadowed by the Ashentii.
"No one but my tribe knows of us."
"You underestimate yourselves. Your father has spoken of you,
gossip has spread through the cities of Anozira, from them to other worlds! I have
journeyed far, and am weary. I ask only to camp here and learn more of your philosophy."
"You are welcome to rest here," Zaliri agreed, much to Sky’s
surprise. "But if you truly wish to learn the ways of the Jedi, you will have to change.
Revenge may be the way of the Chikarians, but it is not the way of the Jedi. Xiahn was
evil, yes, but he was your son, how could you..."
"How little you know of him." The old woman shuddered as if at
some horrible memory. Her features took on a weariness that filled Zaliri with pity. She
grimaced as Saurana lifted her robes to reveal legs and feet marked with scars. "My son
did this to me when he was seven. He filled me with hatred until I was almost as evil as
him. Until now... now the galaxy needs the Jedi for Xiahn founded an order that is – even
now – spreading terror across the galaxy!"
"You know who these people are... where they are?" Zaliri’s eyes
widened at the disturbing news.
"I have been following my son, watching him," Saurana announced
proudly. "He never knew; mine was the stronger mind! The men he was with may have been
paid to fight for him – but they may have been his evil followers. All I know for certain
is that they have a meeting place here... in the wastelands. You must find it!" Seemingly
exhausted by the emotional events, Saurana wilted, reached for Zaliri’s supporting hand.
"I’m so tired..." she murmured.
"Come, we will take you to our camp," Zaliri offered
sympathetically. "We will talk more of this tomorrow."
Later that night, while the Ashentii maintained a watch over
the stranger in their midst, Zaliri and Sky spoke softly as their son slept.
What if, Zaliri worried, she had been freed from Xiahn’s threat
only to face a far greater one from his dark brotherhood? Sky, too, sensed danger in the
Force, but he believed Saurana’s presence to be the cause.
Sometime during the night the Jedi were to learn how wrong Sky
had been. They awoke to the sound of Varith wailing in terror. Outside their tent the
night had turned hellishly cold and the other tribespeople stared up at the sky. Dark
shapes were blotting out the stars.
"Spaceships! Death from the sky!" Zaliri shouted as Saurana ran
toward them.
"They’re coming!" the strange woman screamed. "Tell them, Zaliri,
they will not listen to me!"
"Brother!" Sky shouted as he saw Starwalker among the confused
tribespeople. Starwalker ran toward his brother, looking for answers.
"We must get everyone into the cave!" Sky ordered.
"They will not go!" Starwalker objected. "That place is evil,
forbidden!"
"We have no choice!" Zaliri intervened. "It is the cave or death!"
Within minutes, the Ashentii had crowded into the cave; led by Zaliri and Sky. Muttering words to evoke protection from whatever evil lurked amid the grotesque rock formations, the Ashentii waited.
The sun’s light had barely touched the horizon when a sound
like a million beasts roaring at once shook the cave walls.Black spacecraft swooped low
over the plateau, raking the Ashentii encampment with laser fire. The voices of the
Ashentii rose in anger as the bombardment rocked the plateau, sending showers of dust and
stones upon them. Sky and Zaliri joined them as they swore vengeance upon those who
attacked their people.
Gradually the sounds of the attack faded. Cautiously, the Jedi
insisted everyone wait, to be sure there would be no second attack, before emerging from
their hiding place.Total destruction greeted them.
The plateau was charred, as though the Ashentii had never been.
Huge holes were blasted into the ground, smoke still rose from the melted earth.
"My brother told me you know who has done this to us!" Starwalker
turned to Saurana with fire in his eyes. "Name them so that we may take our vengeance upon
them for this!" Even as he spoke, the voices of the Ashentii people rose above the sound
of the crackling fires... Their weird chanting, though strangely beautiful, caused Zaliri
to shiver.
"No, Maker... you do not know what you say!" Saurana paled at
Starwalker’s words. "You cannot fight them!"
"TELL US!" Starwalker demanded again, as Zyllan, unsheathing her
knife, approached.
"Please," Saurana looked toward the Jedi, "they can’t!"
"You must tell us," Zaliri insisted. "Who are these enemies of all
beings, and how can we find them?"
"They are the Dark Lords," Saurana
whispered fearfully and Zaliri and Sky traded horrified looks. Luke’s words came back
to them – a thousand years hence Luke Skywalker would destroy the last of the Dark Lords,
Palpatine. Here was his beginning.
CHAPTER 15
THE FIRST SITH LORDS
The cavern was huge and could only be reached through the mouth of an extinct volcano. On its floor, black ships were assembled. One figure, clad in flowing black robes, studied his fellow Dark Lords with triumph burning in his ebony eyes. Zaliri and her barbarian friends had been dealt with – as had Saurana! There was no longer anyone who could interfere with his ambition to become the leader of the powerful dark brotherhood...
THE ASHENTII ENCAMPMENT
Seven days had passed and the warriors who had followed Xiahn’s troops through the wastelands brought back surprising news.Xiahn’s men, they reported to the Ashentii chiefs, had turned on each other. A small group attacked, and killed, the others and took the bodies into a concealed entrance to the side of a mountain some one hundred miles away.
Soon after, the warriors of the Ashentii tribe – leaving the elders and the children behind – set out to take revenge upon Xiahn’s minions. Led by their chiefs, and the Jedi, the journey began. Well armed and prepared to hunt for whatever food was needed along the way, the Ashentii walked, determined to fight to the last.
Hot days and cold nights passed, as did thoughts of the coming
battle. For the Jedi more than vengeance was at stake. Anozira had birthed the Jedi; it
would not – if Zaliri and Sky could prevent it – give rise to the Dark Lords Luke Skywalker
had warned about.
On the sixth day, the dim shapes of the lofty mountains
appeared on the horizon.
"We have reached the borders of the forbidden territory," Sky
explained to his lifemate. "Morania – in ancient times all the Hadj were one, living in
peace until Kien – son of the Hadj chief – disappeared. He was found with his heart gone.
Each tribe blamed the other and war broke out."
"When?" Zaliri murmured, seemingly transfixed by the towering
mountains. "When did this happen, Sky?"
"One thousand sun cycles ago." It was Zyllan who answered,
regarding the Jedi’s pale face curiously. "Why do you ask?"
"Sky, do you remember?" Zaliri squeezed her mate’s arm as their
eyes met. "Xiahn’s family history... the man who attacked the maidservant and brought a
curse on the family... it was nearly a thousand years ago!"
"Then it was these Dark Lords who have caused the separation of
the Hadj people!" Zyllan growled, then looked back toward Saurana. "She is of that family!
Heed my words, Ladydreamer, she is a deceiver; she reeks of evil and danger. Look at her –
exhausted, yet she claims to have followed her son over worse distances! This smells of
a trap!"
"I believe Zyllan," Sky warned.
"But she alerted us of the attack!" Zaliri was adamant. "No... we
must go on!"
Led by the trackers, the Ashentii reached the base of the
mountain.
"It was here we saw them disappear into the stone," one of the
warriors announced, pointing to very faint traces of blood on the rocks.
"Then there is an entrance concealed." Zaliri felt along the rock
overhang until, in the shadows, she felt a smooth place. She pressed, and the rock
parted.
Before them, instead of the expected passageway, were doors.
Massive doors embellished with worn, delicate carvings that looked strangely familiar
to the Ashentii. Superimposed were more recent carvings. The outline of a grotesque sword
set in the center of a many-rayed star. Above were words in an unrecognizable language.
"This is the emblem of Xiahn’s house," Saurana announced, her
eyes glittering. "Ancient Chikarian."
"What does it say?" Zyllan demanded harshly.
"The doors of Dearon," Suarana spoke, ignoring the threat. "Lord
of Darkness. Speak, friend, and enter." Dearon, she explained, was Xiahn’s surname.
"What does that mean?" Sky frowned, confused. In frustration he
ignited his lightsaber and attempted to cut the doors open. Their journey could not end
this way! But no amount of physical force could part the stone. It was Saurana who
surprised them.
"Hedalas!" she spoke, and the door began to swing inward slowly.
"What did you say?" Sky demanded, even as Saurana smiled oddly.
"The ancient Chikarian word for ‘friend’," she explained.
Warily the Ashentii entered the mountain, assailed by an oppressive stench. It was Starwalker who noticed an amused expression on Saurana’s face that was gone so fast he doubted seeing it at all. As they feared, the doors swung shut behind them with a deafening crash.
Upwards they plunged ahead, climbing a stone stairway with
only the Jedi’s lightsabers to illuminate their path. At the top, three tunnels veered
off into stygian darkness. Only the middle passage appeared manmade.
"We will take the center tunnel," Zyllan ordered. "It is as
if we have found the entrance to the underworld itself."
"You are more right than you know," Zaliri whispered as they
entered the tunnel. Even so, her voice echoed like shouts.At the rear of the Ashentii
party a young female warrior imagined she’d heard faint footfalls that ceased if the
Ashentii halted even briefly. She unsheathed her knife, ready for anything.
Before long, the tunnel widened into a vast chamber. In the
lightsabers’ glow, mighty pillars of stone could be seen towering into darkness.
"What is this place?" Zaliri wondered.
"A myth," Sky replied. "Our legends tell of a great city in the
mountains, more magnificent than any on Anozira now. We are the first of our tribe to
see it in a thousand years. If there is any truth to the legends, Kien is buried here."
Sky moved forward with tears in his eyes, feeling the long ago deaths of the Hadj warriors
fresh in his mind. All the Ashentii were silent.
"I had no idea..." Zaliri stammered at what she saw around her.
"We were not always as we are now," Zyllan explained. "The ancient
Hadj had spaceships also. We were on the verge of exploring space. It is said that some
ships actually departed to colonize other worlds; so others of our race have survived
elsewhere."
Zaliri’s thoughts returned to the present as they moved
forward through the ancient dust until they came upon an oblong block in the middle of
the chamber.
"It looks like a tomb," Zaliri gasped.
"It is," Sky confirmed, motioning for the others to gather around.
He indicated the words carved into the stone. "Kien, son of Yandro. Prince of Light. Prince
of Hadj. Light shall be cast like a single seed, surviving amongst ashes to be reborn," he
read.
"Kien has been dead for more than a century," Zaliri observed. "He
will return?"
"So says our legend." Sky stared at the sarcophagus. "Of course it
is impossible."
"Nothing is impossible," Zaliri smiled, thinking of how many
legends had become very real indeed.
"Come!" Zalmek called out. "We must find the Dark Lords!"
They walked on, past arches, walls, and columns of ancient
splendor until the faint sound of voices chanting could be heard. The chilling sound
grew louder and louder as they followed it to a large chamber lit by crackling torches.
Except for a bloodstained floor, it was empty. Uneasily, the Ashentii pressed on – down
a narrow flight of steps, through a narrow tunnel, their weapons ready. The tunnel ended
at a chamber filled with beings; one, in tattered robes, Zaliri recognized.
"Senator Adjani?!" Zaliri shouted.
"Zaliri! What are you doing here, are you mad?" Adjani’s face
was a study in terror as he looked past her. Before Zaliri could turn, the Ashentii were
trapped. Surrounded by figures draped and hooded in black.
"You wanted to meet the new Dark Lord!" Saurana chose that moment
to step forward, an evil smile on her face. "Now you have, Jedi." She made the word sound
like an insult.
"You?" Zaliri gasped in disbelief.
"Yes, you fools!" Saurana gloated. "My son was an incompetent
fool. He followed my orders."
The evil sound of her mocking laughter echoed through the chamber.
CHAPTER 16
CONFRONTATION
"Be at one with the Force!" a familiar voice soothed the inner boundaries of Zaliri’s mind, preparing her for the battle, not of lightsabers, but of minds. She did not know what she would face in this first battle with the Dark Side of the Force, but she knew that to lose meant the end – not only of the Ashentii, but the Galaxy’s future Jedi. She faced Saurana, alone in the Force.
Zaliri saw herself in a cold mist. Saurana appeared as a hazy
image.
"I have waited for this moment, dreamed of it!" she spat. "From
this day forward, Darkness will prevail."
"Don’t underestimate the power of the Jedi," Zaliri countered,
watching Saurana with calm, curious eyes.
"Indeed... what frightens you most, Jedi?"
"Nothing..." Zaliri stammered as Saurana laughed.
"Do you not fear your own death, Jedi? You should, because it is
very close..." The sorceress snapped her fingers and an image appeared to Zaliri’s left.
The figures of Sky and her young son were so real that Zaliri gasped. Varith was crying.
"Why," the little boy wept, "why did my mother have to die so
horribly? I don’t understand... why?"
The glimpse of a possible future had the opposite effect on
Zaliri than Saurana had intended; for as she listened, she heard her lifemate confirm
that she had begun the Jedi order and that she would live on through them. Saurana had
no power over her. With a cry of triumph she called forth her own Force vision.
The sight of Xiahn startled the old sorceress. Xiahn, Xiahn.
Evil met evil, old hatreds clashed anew; mother for son – son for mother. Zaliri had
instigated the confrontation, but she was not in control of it. Dark energy swirled about
her as Xiahn took his revenge upon Saurana. When Zaliri awoke from her mental battle, it
was to find the crumpled body of her opponent at her feet.
Before she could react with more than a sneer of disgust, the
Sith surrounded the Jedi. It was then that the Ashentii acted, unleashing, with deadly
accuracy, their spears.
When the Sith Lords lay dead at their feet, the Jedi and the
Ashentii turned to the task of freeing those the evil ones had captured.
To their horror, Sky and Zaliri found children among the
dispirited, terrified prisoners. One by one the Jedi cut away their chains. One young
woman, by appearances a native of Anozira in her twenties, shrank back as Sky approached
her with his lightsaber ignited. Dressed in black, as the Dark Lords had been, Sky
understood her reaction. With words and a projection of kindness, Sky calmed the girl,
freed her from her chains, receiving a relieved hug in return.
Zaliri made her way through the clamoring prisoners, tending to
the children first. Dirty, frightened and starving – they eagerly accepted the dried
rations she handed out. She watched them wolf the food down with satisfaction until she
thought she recognized the face of a captive pushing toward her.
"Senator Adjani?!" Zaliri exclaimed.Indeed it was the politician,
who had been captured by Xiahn some time before. Almost incoherently frightened, the
Senator could be of no help when asked about other captives, or Sithlords. After all the
prisoners had been released, Sky and Zaliri decided to split up, with Sky leading the
group back through the way they had come, and Zaliri going ahead to search the rest of the
evil hideout. Both Jedi knew that there were other dangers nearby.
Making her way into the heart of the mountain, Zaliri noticed
the temperature rising, the walls of the passage were formed of hardened lava; the
remains of a once active volcano. She moved down the shadowy passages, the obsidian
blackness ahead retreating as she advanced – as if afraid of the light from her lightsaber’s
blade. Then, a scream of terror pierced the silence. Zaliri froze. It was Starwalker.
Zaliri entered another cavern and found that he was surrounded by
dark-robed Sith Lords.There was no way he could survive, and no way a single Jedi could
defend against the advancing Evil Ones alone.
"Leave him alone!" Zaliri screamed, panic clutching at her soul.
"He is no Force User!" Zaliri advanced, lightsaber raised to strike. Starwalker was
forgotten as the Sith moved to face the Jedi.
"Run Starwalker... Now!" Zaliri shouted to her mate’s brother.
The Ashentii warrior, loath to run from a fight, hesitated only a moment, then did as she
commanded.Zaliri was afraid. Afraid that the future Saurana had shown her was about to
come true
"Master." Zaliri cried. "Help me. They must not succeed. How can
I do this alone?"
A shimmering image appeared to stand by her side.
"I am with you, Ladydreamer," Luke Skywalker stated. "But only
this once can I help you. Put your saber away, and do as I do."
Zaliri did as he commanded, then as Luke raised his arms to point
at the center of the room, she mimicked his movements.
From between them an Aura of purest Light grew and quickly
engulfed the Sith Lords. Everything became a blur as the Sith fell one by one at her feet.
As Luke’s image disappeared, she heard him say, ""Run, Mother of
Light... Run!"
Zaliri raced through the evil stronghold, and passed through
the massive doors without a backward glance, Starwalker merely feet before her.
Not far away from the entrance, the Hadj people huddled as they
pointed hysterically at the ominous black shapes looming in the distance. If it were the
Sith warships.
But, the first of the ships did not attack the Hadj, they
moved toward the mountain firing on the Sith’s hideout, reducing it to slag.The children
screamed in terror as some of the ships circled to land.It was not the Sith who left
the ships, but a lone pilot.
"Thank you," Sky whispered, moving close to Zaliri and what
he realized now were Enforcer ships.Two civilians in long robes advanced toward them.
"Who are you?" Zaliri asked.
"My name is Nimana, this is Lamissian," the woman answered. "We
seek one of our own, an evil sorceress named Saurana."
"She’s dead," Zaliri answered. "She died in a mind battle with me."
Nimana nodded sadly. "Then my people owe a great debt to you... but how could you defeat
Saurana?"
"Because I am a Jedi," Zaliri announced proudly, smiling.
"Then the galaxy could use more ‘Jedi," Nimana smiled back. "You
will need a place to train others like you. Allow the people of Chikaria to build you such
a place."
"That would be wonderful!" Zaliri grinned. "Thank you... yes! It
would indeed be wonderful for the Jedi order to have its start on Chikaria." She could
hardly wait.
Once arrangements had been made to transport the children to
be taken back to the city in the Enforcers’ ship, the Ashentii continued on foot across the
wastelands. The Chikarians, having given up their places on the ships to children, were
walking with the Ashentii as they made their way to the Shaulla mountains. Midway they were
met by other members of the Ashentii tribe, with Zaliri and Sky’s son, Varith. The Jedi
rejoiced at seeing their son after all they had been through.
When night approached, the Jedi led the group to a high promontory
to eat and rest. Zaliri was content to sit with her son, watching the others. Sky was being
bombarded by endless questions from Senator Adjani, who wanted to know everything about the
Ashentii, how Sky became a Jedi, what the Force was, exactly. The Anozirans and the
Ashentii were beginning to talk, especially one young warrior and a young woman named
Heellan. Even Zyllan was patiently showing a young woman named Dania how to defend herself.
Morning brought a wonderful sight, the plateau of Illissius rising
in the distance. The cries of the Ashentii rang across the wastelands in triumph.
CHAPTER 17
THE FIRST ACADEMY
From the shadows of the plateau of Illissius, the Ashentii led the way to the open wastelands. Though the sun’s heat was intense, they made steady – if slow – progress. Haste would only result in exhaustion and they would need their strength for the Shaulla mountains were yet to be crossed.
As with most journeys, the last miles seemed the longest, but at last the Zephyria pass came into view. The air coming down from the mountains was much cooler, making faster progress possible. Navigating the steep, rocky path through the grim mountain ravine was difficult, especially against a sharp wind. It was good, Zaliri thought, that the children had not made the Weakened, they would not have made it. Her own son, Varith, slept contented in her arms. He could, Sky boasted proudly, sleep through an earthquake.
The magnificent machinery was by no means lost on the Ashentii
who very rarely entered the pass that was a doorway to the coastal areas. Following a
twist in the narrow pass, those lands came into view. Green lands, as far as the eyes could
see!
Although she had been away from her former home for almost twelve
years, Zaliri remembered the locations of the towns, cities and rivers. The Miranian river
was in view and Zaliri led the way into a green dale carpeted with thousands of
multi-colored flowers. There, with the Miranian river before them, the weary travelers
stopped to rest and eat.Never before had the Ashentii seen such an abundance of beauty.
Cool wind fanned across the grasslands. The Ashentii set about catching fish from the
river, usually a delicacy, for their meal.
At the river, Starwalker was drinking; Zaliri joined him as Sky
played with his son. Starwalker sat alone, gazing into the distance, at the Forest of Tern,
beyond which was the city of Aeris and the town of Nasaman.
"Starwalker?" Zaliri sat beside him to scoop the cold river water
into her hands. After their long journey the cold liquid was wonderful. "Do you think we
should stop here for the night and begin fresh in the morning?"
"Yes," he answered without looking at her. "Why did you ever leave
this land for the wastelands? It’s so beautiful."
"The land is beautiful, yes," Zaliri responded wistfully. "But the
people... you and your tribe are my people, they always will be. Your people are truthful
and honest and they accept me as their own without any questions or fear of my powers."
"Thank you for those words, Zaliri," Starwalker smiled.
"It’s only the truth," Zaliri answered. Out of the corner of her
eye she could see her mate and her son, and she went to them.
An hour after they had arrived everyone moved toward the twin
bridges of Aeris, beyond which was the place of Zaliri’s birth, the city of Sarthusa. The
Ashentii remained in the city for a few days as the two Jedi were honored and offers
were made to build an academy on Anozira. Zaliri requested only building materials, which
were willingly given. After speaking at length with the Chikarians, Nimana and Lamissian,
Zaliri agreed to visit their planet to see to the construction of the second Jedi academy
in the city of Vendillinus.But that lay in the future.
Zaliri visited her family home only to find her mother had
re-married and moved off world. The former Zalleal estates had a new owner.
When they had completed all they had to do in the city, Zaliri
and Sky returned to the wastelands with the Ashentii. Retracing their steps, the Jedi
were soon nearing the high plateau of Eridania. They would rebuild their encampment. She
already knew where the first academy would be built.
"Sky, this is the beginning of a new era." Zaliri stood holding
son, surveying all around. "I must test many beings for Force potential abilities." She
looked down at her wide-eyed son, feeling the Force growing around them. Sky placed an
arm around her lovingly, kissing her softly. They both glanced across the Anoziran lands
and toward the future. There was a lot of work to do. The legend continued to weave its
many strands.
THE WASTELANDS... 50 YEARS LATER
Zaliri had traveled the span of the galaxy, or so it had seemed
to her. She was eighty years old now. Her son Varith was a Jedi Master himself, married
with a lifemate. Varith’s sons and daughters were full-fledged Jedi. Zaliri’s second
oldest son, Lukas, was 44 years old and her youngest, Moonstar, was thirty-nine, just as
her daughter was. Both were Jedi Masters and had been responsible for many of the galaxy’s
greatest Jedi. Sky had been killed thirty years before by a slaver as he had fought to free
other innocent beings. Zaliri had been so shaken by his death that she turned the academy
over to Varith.
Now Zaliri was tired. She moved to look out of her window. Below
was the Ashentii encampment. It was just as simple and functional as it had been years
before. Nothing had changed in the Ashentii lifestyle but now the Hadj were reunited as
one tribe thanks to Senator Adjani. In all, hers had been a successful life. Eighty years
was a long time... She settled into her chair again, intending to sleep. Then she heard a
voice, familiar... beloved... Sky.
"Zaliri, my love?" She saw him standing in front of her in his
black uniform, a broad smile on his face. Zaliri looked to see her own body still lying
in the chair. She had become one with the Force. Her youth and beauty restored, she ran
into Sky’s arms. Embracing, they faded.
That evening the Ashentii sang their traditional mourning song.
Since there was little wood, a funeral pyre was constructed of skins and oil. When Zaliri’s
body was placed atop it, the pyre was set ablaze. The flames illuminated the night for
many hours.
ANOZIRA IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE NEW REPUBLIC
Luke Skywalker gazed at the portal’s shifting patterns. As
the image faded, he looked away to find himself standing in different surroundings. The
portal faded before his eyes. Before him was a magnificent building of multi-colored
mosaic. Above him was a tarnished glass dome. Except for the distant sound of voices,
there was no noise.
"Master?" Luke looked down at Yoda. The little Jedi Master smiled.
"Circle is unbroken complete now." Yoda glanced at the two forms
coalescing beside him. A young woman with sun-colored tresses cascading to her waist and
her companion, a handsome young man with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Master Luke?" the girl spoke. "Thanks to you I am with Sky and
did not meet a bitter end. My son Varith became a great Jedi."
"Will you help my people?" Sky spoke. "They have suffered much
under the Empire."
Luke had already decided to help the Hadj tribes and to reestablish
the first of all Jedi academies. "I give you my promise," Luke smiled. "And the Jedi will once
again return to Anozira. May the Force bless you both." Zaliri and Sky vanished, as did
Yoda, leaving Luke alone.
Walking along the hallway of what had been the Academy, he
stopped. Two figures moved toward him, descendants of the Ashentii. Luke went to meet
them.
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