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Time Reversal
CHAPTER ONE
"Damn it!" Swore Luke Skywalker. " DAMN!"
His X-Wing fighter was vibrating violently, as if a powerful tractor beam
had the ship in it's grasp.With a sigh, he checked his instruments.
General Luke Skywalker was enroute from the forest moon of Endor to Dantooine, the world that was to be the home of the New Republic Government. Once there, he was scheduled to meet with his twin sister,Leia, for a tour of the new buildings under construction and a survey of the building sites. Now, he was in trouble.
Charts indicated the system nearest him- a binary named Lyrax- had a world with a breathable atmosphere. It was the fourth planet, registered as 'Anozira'. He'd never heard of it.
Guiding his craft carefully, Luke plunged the X-Wing through the atmosphere toward Anozira's seared, scarred surface.
Ochre sand stretched across all horizons. The only evidence Luke could see of a civilization having once existed on the planet were broken columns lying scattered on the burning sands. Despite the heat and shimmering haze rising from Anozira's surface, Luke felt a strange chill come over him. He'd landed with little difficulty and raised the canopy of the X-Wing only to be greeted by a hellish cold that penetrated his being. A shiver ran through him as he jumped down to the eerily chilled sand.
Blue eyes cautiously surveyed the landscape; gaze stopping upon a
stone archway some distance away. It was the only visible structure still standing and it looked
enormous.
What had happened tothe civilization that had once existed here?
He approached the ruins noticing, as he moved closer, the shifting
patterns within it's portals. He halted before it.
It was as if the area had been cursed. The hellish darkness it emitted
was overwhelming.
" Evil." Luke muttered. "This place is strong with the Darkside!"
A familiar voice spoke. It was Yoda.
" The Bringer of Darkness...Xiahn! Betrayed and murdered was the mother of
Light here. Deceived she was. Schemed he did, to turn Zaliri to the Dark. When that failed, pleaded
with him she did to turn him from the Darkness." Yoda coalesced before Skywalker and sighed
wearily before continued. " Clever he was- like Palpatine! Murdered her he would have, but would
he have blood on his hands? No! Feared was Zaliri, by ignorant people. Accused her they did of her own
father's death. Murdered by Xiahn was her mother-blamed was Zaliri. Burned as a sorceress was
she, for Xiahn's crimes! Crimes!"
" Master, I don't understand." Luke looked down with puzzlement and
curiousity on his features. " Why are you telling me this?"
" Bonded was Zaliri, with Sky. Had a child they did - a son." Yoda
continued. "Saw this happen he did. Filled with hate and anger was he! From this child it was
that Anakin's weakness came. Darksider blood. Remember your failure at the cave!"
Luke nodded as Yoda pointed his gimerstick at him. A scene began to form within the portal. A crowd screaming, attempting to escape. A young boy whose sabre was slicing through bodies ,mercilessly, in the village square. In the center, a fire was blazing; a cry of grief and anger rose from the boy.
Luke recoiled, horror stricken.
The scene shifted slightly, revealing a dead village- blood stained
walls, windows. The very ground was red. Nausea rose in Luke's throat as the scene shifted again.
A Senate...a man. Xiahn, demanding justice, was followed by a view of the
slaughter of the Jedi who had been trained by Zaliri's son. A child of Light turned to Darkness.
" No!" Luke protested. " This is impossible. I exist. I am Jedi. The
Jedi who came after Zaliri and Sky would have had to be re-established. No massacre took place
before the Empire and Vader."
"Listen to me you must!" Yoda began again. " Time portal this is! As you
see, no massacre such as that on Praxis was this; but massacre it was! Blasphemy they committed!
This world died, as Praxis did...dead world!
Son of Zaliri and Sky survived, realized his evil too late he did. Escaped to Anozira, tried to right the wrong he had done, but died of shame did he, leaving his lifemate with child. A child with the potential of Light and Darkness running strongly in its blood. An inheritance from his father..."
Luke remained silent, knowing his Master had good reason for such a lengthy explanation. ""
"It is a circle that has no end," Yoda continued, "Events repeating themselves. Jedi
Knights fall again must not! Sky and other first Jedi must NOT die! Sky's son must NOT
turn to Darkness! Disrupt the flow of time you must. Disrupt it too much - dangerous; but
it must be. Broken the circle must be! If time repeats itself..."
"But, Master, Palpatine is dead!" Luke was horrified. "You're saying his evil could
return? The massacre he ordered happen again?" "
"Palpatine dead, but Darkside remains!" Yoda warned. "In hundreds, thousands, of years,
Jedi may become too proud, not listen to the words of Masters. Happened with the Jedi of
the Old Republic, it did. Happen again it must not. NEVER! Another may profane the Force
as the Emperor did. Man, woman, any being of the galaxy might regain such power if clever
they are. Jedi must be strong, truly more powerful than ever before. Tip the scales against
us again, Evil must not - ever!"
"I understand, Master," Luke responded. "The balance must remain equal. The Darkside
cannot be destroyed, but it must remain in check. What must I do?"
"Zaliri, Mother of Light, had no Master to teach her." Yoda pointed at the portal with
his gimerstick. "Her own teacher was she. Made her own lightsaber did she. Trained her
apprentices with the knowledge she gained. No good is this. MUST HAVE MASTER! Teacher,
mentor, then more powerful, wise, will she be. Go to her YOU must."
"But Master, she will not know me," Luke muttered."
"Know ME did YOU, on Dagobah?" Yoda chided an embarrassed Luke. "Greeted by a blaster
was I!"
"Sorry about that incident, Master."
"Hhhuummmpphhh!" Yoda snorted. "Admit that proud of you I am. Told you, on Dagobah,
once down the Dark Path, forever will it dominate your destiny.' Proved me wrong, you did,
by saving your father. Anakin lost forever, I believed. Wrong was I, as was Obi-Wan!"
"It was your training, Master." Luke was deeply embarrassed by Yoda's praise. "You
were the best." "
Flattery! Hhummph! Nowhere will it get you!" Yoda grumbled. Luke grinned, then looked
toward the portal.
The scene had shifted to Anozira at an earlier time in its history. A young woman
could be seen, clearly in labor. Nurses surrounded her bed
"Zaliri's birth," Yoda explained. "Bring you to the present will the time portal, when
you return. Years will it seem like, but only seconds will pass while you are there. One
second here, for you, in the past, one year will it be."
Luke glanced apprehensively at the time portal, hesitating. The scene had changed yet
again, to that of a cot with a young girl child, beside the bed of her parents. The Jedi
moved forward.
"Into it you must go," Yoda urged.
"
As Yoda shimmered and vanished, Luke stepped into the portal.
For a second he found himself floating in a void where there was no up or down, no
night or day, no cold or heat - simply a void through which his body seemed to drift. When
the sensation faded, he was in the room he'd seen through the portal.
The child turned, as if aware of his presence. She seemed to be unafraid of the stranger staring down at her. It was then that Luke felt it; a presence radiating from the child like waves lapping against the shores of an island, the Force. "Mother of Light..." the Jedi whispered.
The glimmering light of Anozira's one, large moon shone through the window screens of the Zealeel villa; its eerie, silver light coming to rest upon the small cot. The sleeping form of the infant Zaliri stirred, her eyes flickered open as if she had sensed a presence.
CHAPTER 2 - THE WAY OF THE JEDI
Trevis and Alynia Zaeleel slept on, unaware that a swirling, floating
mist had appeared a few feet from their baby.Within the moonbeam's gentle light, the figure
of a man began to emerge; a man clad in black. On his right hand he wore a glove, dark blonde
hair fell about a face that mirrored compassion, wisdom and love for all beings. At his side
hung the weapon of a Jedi Knight.The babe looked up into his blue eyes, her own shining like
jewels in a treasure chest. No fear was in them.
"Hello, little one." The black clad figure began to recite the
words of a ritualistic blessing. "Daughter of Light, may the Force protect you. May you be
granted courage, Mother of Light, may you be granted compassion and wisdom for the path
destiny has named for you."Sadness clouded the Jedi's blue eyes, for he had seen that
destiny. This child would be the first with the capability to channel the Force.
Unfortunately, hers was an age of Darkness and she would be feared by those who did not
understand, branded a sorceress.
As his body solidified, Luke reached down to lift the baby into
his arms. Her tiny fist clutched at his black shirt, tugging playfully. He smiled and
kissed the baby's forehead before putting her back to bed. The baby began to wail as he
moved away, toward the shaft of moonlight. Alynia stirred, waking from her dream-filled
sleep to her baby's cries. Alynia could see nothing.
"Do not weep, little one," Luke whispered as he faded into nothingness.
Alynia reached for her daughter as the child's cries ceased.
"What are you looking at, sweetheart?" The woman asked. "There's
nothing there."
But Zaliri's mysterious guardian would continue to watch over her,
unseen - of course - except by the child herself.
Luke sat cross-legged before Yoda.
"The child is strong with the Force," Luke confirmed, "But how am I
to get her to understand her power?"
"Control her fears you must; the only way it is," Yoda replied.
Luke stood, looked down toward the portal. Within, Zaliri - no longer an infant - was
wandering through the villa's garden. With a decisive nod, the Jedi stepped through.
"Zaliri." Luke appeared in a more solid form than usual, and the young girl smiled at the familiar voice. "It's time you began your training as a Jedi." "Jedi Knights?" The girl frowned at the strange words. "Yes, listen to me, Zaliri." The blonde man stared at her intensely. "My name is Luke Skywalker, I am a Jedi Knight. I teach and train those who are gifted with the Force. We are guardians of peace and justice. We suppress evil." "Such as murderers, slavers and bounty hunters?" "Yes," Luke nodded. "But there will be people who will use their capabilities with the Force for their own gain if they are not trained correctly. They will be seduced by the Dark Side of the Force." "What is the Force?" Zaliri was alert now, and interested. "It surrounds us, it is created by all living things; but you are the first person born with the ability to utilize it." "What is the Dark Side you spoke of?" "Fear, anger and aggression are the Dark Side," Luke intoned kindly. "Compassion, wisdom and courage is required of the Jedi. When your training is complete, you will be calm, at peace. You are the Bringer of Light, Zaliri. You will be the first of the Jedi Knights; but be warned, your path will not be an easy one." The young girl looked to her new "Master" and spoke in a calm, determined voice. "I am willing to learn the ways of the Jedi."
CHAPTER 3 - THE MOTHER OF LIGHT
Zaliri's quest to achieve knighthood was a constant worry for her parents. Her endless wanderings resulted in days, sometimes weeks, away from the Zealeel villa. When told to cease her daydreaming and to prepare for her future in the Republic government, she told her parents that her destiny was to establish the guardians of peace and justice. She had to make them understand... she was not alone. Her "Master" traveled with her...
"Mother, why do you fear me?" Zaliri asked one day. "
"Don't you realize?" Her startled mother replied. "I know what you are doing! I've seen you in the garden, practicing levitation... my own daughter is dabbling in sorcery!"
"Oh, Mother!" Zaliri laughed. "It's not sorcery! My Master is the
kindest and gentlest of men. He possesses great wisdom. It is he who teaches me to channel
the powers of the Force..."
"It is as I feared!" Alynia cut her off, backing away. "You are
practicing a pagan religion... witchcraft."
"Mother, please! Let me explain!" Zaliri pleaded. "Let me explain,
please... you're wrong...!"
"NO!" Alynia's voice rose. "You are going to cease this witchcraft
or you will be disowned and disinherited. Your comfortable existence will come to an end..."
"Is that what you think of me?" Zaliri was backing out of the room,
shaking her head. The look of revulsion on her mother's face was horrible. "Why can't you
accept me for what I am? The money means nothing to me. I love you and Father. I will use
my Force gift to fight evil..."
But her mother was unmovable, silent in her rejection.
"In the years to come, you will regret this, Mother." Heartbroken,
Zaliri ran from the room. She would not see her villa, her place of birth, again. This was
a turning point in her life, but still the hot tears came.
"Many will accuse you of sorcery, Zaliri," A familiar voice
comforted her. "Your life will not be an easy one; be brave, be at one with the Force."
"But Master, I am afraid!" The girl looked up into a coalescing
face. "The power you say I have has cost me my parents, they fear me."
"I will be here to help you." Luke smiled and placed both hands on
her shoulders. "I will always be near, I will always hear you when you call."
"Forgive me, Master." Zaliri's heart leapt at the words. The
blonde man's eyes were the bluest, kindest she had ever seen, but even his calm presence
could not soothe her heart. "I fear the reactions of others. I don't want to be hated and
feared. I have done no harm! I would never! How could my mother say such things?"
"It is just that they don't understand us." Luke held her
comfortingly as he spoke. "You will set into motion a chain of events that will establish
an order of peacekeepers who will go down in history. Think of that! Now you must rest...
rest."
His voice was so soothing, her eyelids so heavy that Zaliri fell
asleep with her head against Luke's chest. He lifted the child carefully, carrying her
back into her own room. One more night... her mother was angry, but the child would have
one more night in her own bed. Once she was beneath the thin coverlets, Luke's solid form
gradually de-materialized.
Emerging from the portal once more, Luke opened his eyes. Yoda was
aiting, watching.
"It has begun," The tiny Jedi Master spoke. "Brave she will have
to be. Once in the wastelands, achieve Knighthood will she. Her destiny approaches. Help
her you must!"
"I know, Master; and I will." Luke sighed wearily. Time travel was
exhausting. Settling down to rest he was soon lost in a dreamless slumber.
"Difficult will the task be, Skywalker," Yoda muttered as he
watched over the young Jedi. "But accomplish it you must."
The morning sunlight was glinting from Luke's hair as Zaliri woke to see him at her
window. There was a strange stirring as she watched him. Before now, she had only thought
of him as her "master", never as a man. He was, she decided, extremely handsome. The
train of thought ended as Luke approached her.
"It's time to leave your childhood behind, Zaliri," He spoke softly.
"Your destiny awaits you, Mother of Light."
CHAPTER 4 - DARK REFLECTION
It was dusk. The sun was sinking forever deeper into the rugged
world below. The sky was reflecting the sun's rays like a rainbow of colors. Clouds,
touched with fingers of crimson, cerise and amber, cast great shadows across the horizon.
One of those shadows formed the outline of a human being. It was the shadow of Tyrania Shore,
whose eyes swept across the lands before her; the rivers, fields and forests. Her journey
to this world had been an awesome one.
After escaping exile on Traxus IV, the green world of Kahn would provide an excellent place
to plot her revenge. With her head held high, Tyrania reveled in the warmth of the great,
orange sun. It was a cunning smile that stole across her ruddy face; an unpleasant smile.
Tyrania continued on her way.
ANOZIRA
Zaliri scanned the horizon with her macrobinoculars. These wastelands were indeed
desolate, forlorn and barren. Sixty percent of Anozira's land masses were the same, seared
by howling winds.
Only the Hadj tribe survived here, specially adapted to the hostile conditions,
surviving on the flesh of the raevis creature. The Hadj used them, not only as food, but as
pack animals, and their clothing came from the skins. Water came from the roots of plants
that had stored the rain that came every five years. Life was hard in the wastelands.
Something had beckoned Zaliri to this place.
Now in her fifteenth year, Zaliri was fast becoming a beautiful young woman. Clad in a
crimson gown, tied with a blue sash and with her sun gold tresses cascading to her waist,
she was an enchanting sight as she gazed across the barren plains.
Then, she was not alone. Zaliri smiled as the black-clad figure appeared before her.
Luke Skywalker was not only her Master, he had become an extension of herself. As always,
Luke challenged her.
"It is time to begin your training in the art of Jedi combat," Luke explained. He
ignited his lightsaber. The emerald blade cast its glow on the young girl's face as the
weapon hummed with power. "Your skills with the saber must be developed."
"How, Master?" Zaliri frowned. "I have no weapon."
With a knowing smile, Luke reached beneath the folds of his tunic. Into her hands he
placed a packet containing the components she would need.
"You'll build one," he instructed.
Zaliri found the task difficult, but days later she had - with Luke's help - finished
her lightsaber. When ignited, it glowed a soft amethyst color.
"Why is the blade different from yours, Master?" Zaliri asked.
"The saber is an extension of the Jedi," Luke explained. "Each color represents a
personality. Amethyst was held only by the first Jedi. Here..." Luke's expression became
stern. "You grip the handle firmly, like this."
Zaliri's destiny had indeed begun.
KAHN
Tyrania raised one hand to protect her green eyes from the ever-strong glare of Kahn's
sun. With a sleeve of her tan tunic, part of the prison uniform worn by slavers on the
forlorn world of Traxus IV, she wiped the perspiration beading on her forehead.From her
vantage point on a grassy bank, Tyrania could see her destination. The
fortress, now deserted and forgotten, stopped in the middle of the lake. The water glinted
like jewels in the sunlight.
Tyrania moved steadily on, enchanted by all she saw. Once beside the lake, she knelt,
scooping the water into her hands to drink thirstily. She could not take her eyes from the
fortress. She studied the outside walls carefully; they were decaying, crumbling with age
after withstanding the elements for untold centuries. One tower remained, protruding
upward, pointing like a rocket heavenward.
Battle after battle had been fought here.
Once within the fortress, Tyrania stood in the center of what had once been the great
hall, laughing.
"I await you, Zaliri," she shouted aloud. "When I am victorious, I will claim your
soul!" Her cold, mocking laughter rebounded from the ruined walls.
ANOZIRA
Zaliri shifted restlessly in her sleep. Her dreams would not let her rest.
She saw herself in a valley fortress. Forbidding though it was, it fascinated and drew
her inward. Inside, there was an eerie mist shrouding everything. Wandering aimlessly down
the strange corridors Zaliri came face to face with a woman whose penetrating green eyes
seemed to hypnotize her. It was as if this stranger could see into her soul.
"So you are the one who is to be known as 'Ladydreamer'," The woman sneered.
"My name is Zaliri. Who are you?" Zaliri heard herself reply. "
"I want your soul." The strange woman laughed as Zaliri's hand went to her lightsaber.
"Your destiny lies with me, child."
"NO! Never!" Zaliri saw herself scream as she ignited her saber. The stranger's blade
glowed blood red as she parried the first blow with her amethyst blade. The battle ended
quickly. With one, swift swing of her weapon, Zaliri beheaded the woman. As it fell to the
floor, a face - mold of some kind - melted away. Beneath it was Zaliri's own face.
"NO!! MASTER!!!
Zaliri awoke with a start; perspiration beaded her forehead. She slipped from her
makeshift bed, paced nervously, trying to regain her composure. The vision was still so
real! "You will not claim my soul." She murmured.
When she looked up, Luke was there, gazing at her sadly. "
"Oh, Master... I had an awful dream!" Zaliri exclaimed, relieved to see him.
"I know," Luke nodded. "It's part of your training. The powers you have been gifted
with can corrupt easily. The being you saw was from you! She is the dark side of your own
soul. You saw what you will become if you choose the quick and easy path, which will lead
to your destruction. The destruction of your soul."
"I will not fail you, Master," the young girl promised earnestly.
"I believe you, Zaliri," Luke responded solemnly. "But you must be careful. Fear,
anger and aggression are of the darkside. I know how easy it can be to give in to them."
"Tell me more about your time, where you are from; are there many Jedi?" Zaliri felt
comfortable enough to ask questions of her mentor.
"At present, there is only myself and my twin sister, who I am training for Knighthood,"
Luke explained. "On the orders of the Emperor Palpatine, all Jedi were massacred, it is my
responsibility to re-establish the order."
"Emperor?" Zaliri was stunned. "What of the Republic, how is there an Emperor in your
time? How could he have succeeded in destroying the Jedi?"
"Palpatine rose through the Senate and became President after conspiring with
ambitious bureaucrats to have the rightful President assassinated. Poison, Palpatine was
clever. He waited until the time was right to declare himself Emperor. The Jedi, of
course, were a threat to him; he ordered every Knight, their families, their children,
murdered..."
Zaliri paled as she listened to the story.
"My sister and I were hidden from
all harm by a great Jedi who escaped the massacre, unknown to Palpatine - Obi-Wan Kenobi.
He was my first teacher. Now, the Empire and the Emperor are no more, and the New Republic
is being established. Whether we succeed or not, whether the Jedi return to the Galaxy or
not depends on what you do with your future, Zaliri." Luke finished cryptically.
"But how...?" Zaliri frowned; but when she looked up for an
answer, Luke was gone.
CHAPTER 5 - THE LEGEND BEGINS
Days later, after trudging across endless kilometers of desert, her only sustenance
was water given her by her Master the last time he'd appeared to her. Now, her feet
blistered and bleeding, her mouth and tongue swollen and dry, Zaliri collapsed. When she
awoke the next morning, she found herself draped with a familiar black cloak, evidence that
Luke had watched over her during the long, cold night. She called his name repeatedly, but
no answer came.
Rising with difficulty, Zaliri noticed something glinting in the nearby dune. Buried
in the sand, Zaliri found an eight foot long wooden shaft, tipped with a circular, razor-edged
knife.
Something made her turn, she felt eyes upon her. There, high on the surrounding dunes,
were dozens of Hadj warriors. She prayed they were not the Ashenti, the most savage of all
the Hadj tribes.
"May the Force be with me," Zaliri whispered as the natives drew nearer. She stood her
round as the warriors approached; knowing she must not show the fear she felt within. These
people respected courage and strength, still... her hand rested on the hilt of her lightsaber.
The tribesmen were puzzled... as they advanced, the strange young woman did not seem afraid.
One of the Hadj, a tall man with long dark hair and blue eyes, threw down a wooden staff,
brandishing another.
"I challenge you to death," The man spoke.
Zaliri took up the weapon as the tribesmen formed a circle around them; she realized
if she lost this fight, her life would be forfeit.
In the first encounter, they tested each
other's speed and strategy, exchanging a succession of blows that were so fast they dazzled
the eye. Zaliri summoned the Force to equal her male opponent's strength. With the staff
clutched in both hands she brought it down and across like a long club. It struck the
warrior in the stomach, winding him. Then, seeing her antagonist's weakness, Zaliri pushed
him down; with her foot on his stomach, she held the staff against his throat.
"It is your right to take his life, he would have taken yours."
"NO! I have been taught compassion and mercy," Zaliri announced; she could understand
the Hadj, but could they understand her? She threw aside her weapon, allowing the young man
to rise.
"Is your teacher a warrior?" One of the elders asked.
"Yes, he is the greatest of all warriors," Zaliri responded, smiling as she thought of
Luke's modesty.
"Wars do not make one great..." Came a reproving voice in her mind.
"You have proven your worthiness as a warrior," Another tribesman announced. "Come...
accept the hospitality of our people."
The Hadj camp consisted of a cluster of tents and canopies made of beaten animal skins.
The women of the tribe were dressed in the same skins as the men. Near the center of the
encampment, elderly women were cooking a raevis creature and children ran everywhere
playing warrior games.
Later, after she had eaten with the Ashenti people, Zaliri retired to the tent given
her. It was during the night that a tribeswoman saw a shimmering light and a man, clad in
black. She told the others that she had seen Zaliri's 'Master'.
Before Zaliri woke to see Luke standing beside her, word of the vision had spread
throughout the Ashenti tribe. Everywhere there were whispers of the strange girl's 'Warrior
Master'. Zaliri, too, had a new name, Luke told her; the tribespeople were calling her
'Ladydreamer'.
Thus the legend began.
CHAPTER 6 - THE TURNING POINT
ANOZIRA
Zaliri's first days among the Hadj people were peaceful ones.
All treated her with respect, allowing the young girl time to recover and adjust. Her days
passed uneventfully, but Zaliri's nights were filled with strange dreams.
Some dreams were of her Master, others were visions of her childhood. All the memories
of her childhood, her mother and father, people and places long since forgotten, were seen
again in the night.
More disturbing were her dreams of Luke, whom she had begun to see
in a more personal light. When she finally told her Master how she was feeling, Luke was
understanding. She was, he explained kindly, a normal young woman and it was only natural
that she would be attracted to a man, but that any such feelings for him would have to be
forgotten. They were plainly impossible, and could interfere with her training.
Zaliri, saddened, could only nod.
That night Zaliri's dreams were filled with strange things, among them a spaceship gliding swiftly through space, shafts of starlight shone through its canopy. She knew a name... the Millennium Falcon... and there was a sense of peace - her Master's presence as she awoke.
Then there was another presence in her room. She recognized the
Hadj warrior she had fought. As if for the first time, Zaliri noticed his appearance. Clad
in various leathers and animal skins, dark hair tumbling to his shoulders, those were the
man's crystal blue eyes that enchanted her. They twinkled as he spoke. Though his language
was strange, she understood all that he said:
"You are a great warrior, Ladydreamer," The Hadj announced respectfully. "I thank you
for my life and I hope to be your guide and your friend. My name is Starwalker."
KAHN
Cross-legged, in the middle of a pentagon she had drawn in chalk on the stone floor, Tyrania sat. Meditating. Attempting to reach across worlds to reach the mind of a young girl. In her mind's eye she could see Zaliri practicing a lightsaber drill with her Master. Across space, to the depths of Anozira's wastelands, Tyrania reached out with the powers of the Dark...
ANOZIRA
Zaliri hesitated, lowering and deactivating her saber. A cold chill of fear rippled
through her as she looked to her Master.
He knew. Luke remembered the feeling well; the fear, the power...
"It is the dark side of the Force that you feel. Fight it, Zaliri. Clear your mind,"
Luke ordered firmly. "Deep within the Force flows, open yourself to it. The Jedi, the
future, depends on you."
Determined, Zaliri began again.
That evening, as Zaliri slept, the stranger confronted her once more. Standing with a
blood red saber, her enemy taunted her.
The words of her Master, not to use her weapon for attack, were in Zaliri's mind as
she readied herself for the fight.
She was in a fortress courtyard beneath darkening skies. Thunder rumbled and lightning
ripped the night as Zaliri forced back blow after blow. Her face was illuminated by the
shimmering haze of the lasers' glow as they battled on.
"The Darkside exists, Zaliri," Her enemy hissed. "Be part of it, become one of us. I
can complete your training. You want it, I can feel it!"
"What you feel is my remorse for you," Zaliri screamed. "I DENY YOU!"
With that, lightning consumed Tyrania. The vision changed; trees, grass, water and
fortress vanished, replaced by a flat plain of mud. Black clouds, spewing lightning, hung
overhead. All was as dark as Tyrania's dark soul.
As the cold wind struck her, Zaliri screamed. She woke abruptly, her battle with the
dark-side of her own soul had been won.
CHAPTER 7 - THE NEW APPRENTICE
ANOZIRA: THE WASTELANDS
Starwalker and Zaliri stood at the Ashenti's campground's edge, watching the sunrise
spill toward them like a living thing, driving the last remnants of night before it. Zaliri
had come to appreciate the harsh place, and its people. How could one not admire the
Ashenti and their ability to adapt to such brutal surroundings? They had even learnt to
gather water from the hollow roots of a plant they called 'lonicera' that stored what
little rain fell once every decade.
"This is a wild, beautiful land..." Zaliri remarked, then turned at the sound of a
tent flap opening. The sight of the approaching figure made her gasp. The man was the same
height, had the same shade of blonde hair and mischievous twinkle in his light eyes as her
Master - Luke Skywalker.
"Luke!" Zaliri exclaimed, rushing toward the man; she startled him with a huge hug.
"I'm sorry, you have mistaken me for someone else," the man replied in a soft voice
as he smiled at Zaliri's reddening face. "My name is Sky, not Luke."
"I'm so sorry... forgive me," Zaliri apologized. With the brightening sunlight she
could see the difference of his build, his shoulder-length hair. "I thought you were..."
"Luke?" Sky greened as her blush deepened. "Whoever this 'Luke' is, I wish I were him!"
"This is my brother," Starwalker explained. "Sky, this is Zaliri."
"Has my brother told you, Zaliri, that among our people a maiden makes it known to a
man of her choice that she wishes to join with him by hugging him? Luckily, I am looking
for a wife.!"
"BROTHER!" Starwalker was outraged at Sky's impudence, but Zaliri only laughed. There
was something about Sky she found very appealing. It was by the way the brothers looked at
each other that Sky sometime drove Starwalker to distraction. She found herself unable to
take her eyes from his face.
"What is it, Zaliri?" Starwalker noticed the way she was staring at Sky - as if she
were reading his mind.
"He is powerful with the Force, I can sense it!"
She put a hand to reassure Sky, but he drew away, unnerved by her stare. All traces
of amusement had fled from his face now.
"You have nothing to fear, Sky," Starwalker insisted.
"I witnessed your act of mercy, Zaliri," Sky finally spoke, "And though it is not
the way of my people to show compassion as you did, it would have been a great waste to
have taken my brother's life. I love my brother. It is fortunate that it was you who
engaged him in combat... but this 'force' of yours... it's sorcery!"
"Not sorcery, Sky. You simply fear the unknown; it's natural to fear what you do not
understand." Zaliri smiled, shielding her eyes form the glare of the fully risen suns.
"Will you let me tell you about the Force? You will see there is nothing to fear, and that
I am not a sorcerer."
Sky considered a few moments before giving his reply.
"I would like to know about this 'force'. If it teaches compassion
and mercy, it cannot be an evil thing."
Sky spent the morning in Zaliri's tent, listening as she told him all that she knew
about the Force, the Jedi Knights and the future they would guard and protect. She tried
to explain what Luke had taught her - how those gifted with the Force could be taught to
use their gifts for the benefit of others.
She told him, too, about the Dark side of the Force, and how those not trained
correctly could become agents of evil. The only way, Zaliri stressed, was through
compassion, wisdom and courage - the Force's Light side. That was the way of the Jedi.
When she was finished, Sky sat in silence for a long time before raising his pale eyes to
meet Zaliri's.
"Will you teach me, as your Master has taught you?" he asked earnestly. "I would very
much like to be one of these 'Jedi'."
It was more than Zaliri had dared hope for, but she could see that
he meant every word.
"I will be honored to train you, Sky,"She agreed. "First, you must have a lightsaber.
built my own with my Master's instruction, and I have spare parts I brought with me,
should my own ever need repair or be destroyed. I can guide you as you build your saber."
The construction of the lightsaber took Sky many weeks, but the day came when the
elegant weapon was complete and Sky switched it on. The hum of power filled the air as a
breathtaking beam of light shot forth from the weapon. Zaliri stared in disbelief at the
blade.
"Is something wrong?" Sky managed, mesmerized as he was by the scintillating light.
It was the blade's color that had caused Zaliri such shock. She had never seen such
a striking hue. Sky's saber blade was sable!
CHAPTER 8 - THE ANCESTOR
That same night, Zaliri prepared once more for meditation. She cleared her mind of
all thoughts and sought her Master.
"I must speak with you, Master," the young girl whispered plaintively.
In response, within the void, there appeared a whirling mist - a faint glow in the
distance that drew nearer until it halted before her.
"You summoned me?" Luke's voice came softly.
"Yes, I am troubled, Master," Zaliri began. "My first apprentice, Sky, has constructed
his lightsaber. You have told me that a blade's color has special significance. Sky's is
dark, almost black. What does this mean?"
"A black blade..." Luke murmured, a strange expression crossing his handsome face. "In
my time, there are legends of a Jedi with a blade of black. The first male Jedi, my
ancestor. The first Skywalker. He achieved master status after his own master's death. But
you said your apprentice's name is Sky...?"
"I... yes, Master. Forgive me," Zaliri answered, "he has a brother named Starwalker.
If Skywalker is a combined name, then my apprentice is your ancestor!
"Yes, Zaliri," Luke nodded as he began to dissolve. "Tell Sky the truth; it cannot
hinder his training."
Zaliri did tell Sky what Luke had said. He accepted her words and her teaching. Days passed with intense lightsaber practice and, always, more discussions about the Jedi - and the Force.
THE CITY
Senator Trevis Zalleal entered the Senate chambers glancing wearily about him.
"Why, Senator!" A hand on his shoulder startled him. "You are considerably nervous
this morning."
The voice was a familiar one; Trevis turned to face Senator Adjani.
"I didn't get much sleep last night," Trevis replied. "I am worried about my daughter."
The lie came so easily, he was amazed.
"I am not surprised, Trevis. I have heard that Xiahn wants her for his wife. If it is
true, Zaliri is better off in the wastelands - if that is where she is. I would let no
daughter of mine marry him, he is slime." Adjani did little to conceal his disgust.
"But Senator," Zalleal countered, "the man is of a wealthy, renowned family. My
daughter would have the best things in life..."
"The best MONEY can buy, yes," Adjani interrupted. "But money is not everything, man!
The man is not capable of love! He is evil! Don't you know the history of that family?"
"Mind your words!" Zalleal glanced around quickly to make sure no one had overheard.
"Are you accusing Xiahn of sorcery?"
"Don't be such a fool, Trevis!" Adjani scoffed. "I don't believe in that nonsense!
Xiahn's family was founded on evil! The first of the line was a man without morals. He
attacked a young maidservant and killed her husband. Later, the girl gave birth to a boy
who carried a distinctive birthmark on its side. The maidservant blackmailed the father
to retain her position and gain revenge through her son. She also cursed the family. Later,
when her child's father married, he fathered no heirs. Upon his death the illegitimate son
claimed his estates. That son became as evil as his father!"
Trevis laughed at this, but Adjani continued gravely.
"That boy murdered his mother and, later, when he married, his own wife died giving
birth to a son. Beginning then, all of Xiahn's ancestors sired one son, and each time the
mother died. There is something unspeakably evil in that family, Trevis. And Xiahn is a
typical example. It is rumored that he killed his own father..."
"Heresy! Is there any proof?" Trevis growled.
"If only there were proof!" Adjani frowned. "I believe he is capable of it; and he is
a cunning man, which makes him more dangerous. You have been warned, my friend. If you
allow Zaliri to marry him, I believe you will be condemning her to death! I only hope
that your daughter is intelligent enough to see what he is if she meets him. She is a
wise girl - takes after her grandmother for that! Well..." Adjani glanced over his shoulder.
"Speak of the devil and he is sure to appear... check the official records if you doubt me."
With a squeeze of his friend's arm, Adjani moved away.
"Greetings, my dear friend!" Xiahn walked up to Trevis and draped an arm across his
shoulders. "Tell me, was Adjani spreading more women's gossip?"
"Ah... no... we were discussing my daughter," Trevis muttered, shivering at the icy
coldness of the young man's touch.
"Of course, my wife to be!" Xiahn smiled. "Good news, my friend! The search party I
dispatched found a witness who said a young woman resembling Zaliri has been seen in the
wastelands. Come... let us sit together in chambers, we have much to discuss..."
Xiahn motioned Trevis toward the Senate chambers
Later that day, Trevis Zalleal followed Adjani's advice and searched the history of
Xiahn's family. To his horror, he found every detail was correct. The greatest shock came
when he viewed the holo-picture of Xiahn's first ancestor. The centuries old image could
have been that of Xiahn. The same shoulder-length black hair and cold, dark eyes were on
the viewer.
"Gods below," Trevis gasped. "It's like looking at the same man!"
"Yes, the resemblance is amazing, isn't it?" A hollow voice behind Trevis startled him
so much that he dropped the holocube. As it shattered on the floor, Zaliri's father felt
invisible fingers tightening on his throat.
"Pity I cannot trust you, Senator. Truly a pity!" Xiahn sneered. "But any obstacles in
the path of my marriage to your daughter must be removed."
"Nooo..." Trevis' last, choking screams echoed about the walls of the library as he
slumped to the floor.
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