LON – OH CRAP!

Panic began to spread through Lon’s senses now as he looked into the darkness, once again leaning over the railing as he strained to see a brief flash of sparks and heated debris as the first catwalk was shredded by the deadly device traveling upward with steadily increasing velocity. It was close enough into view that Lon could see it possessed razor sharp prongs as the foundation of the first catwalk was ripped from the walls and ground to bits of decimated metal, while the ascending blades plowed through the obstacle without mercy or relent.

LON – What is this thing, some sort of oversized blender?

Lon tried to keep calm but his mind suddenly erupted with warnings as his danger sense went ballistic. Lon jerked his head upward and desperately attempted to find a solution to this deadly race against time as the fan approached the second catwalk and shredded it to bits, growing even faster with each path it consumed. If Lon didn’t figure out a strategy quick he was going to have a very short answer to the trail and fail this test miserably.

He started with the obvious solution, although not the wisest as he placed his fingers along the water sheen walls and attempted to hoist himself up, only to find that getting a grip was impossible. The fan didn’t help matters any as it slammed into and surpassed the third catwalk, leaving only a gap of roughly 18 feet between him and certain doom.

Lon looked up again and thought about using the force to leap up to the ledge, but he noticed that with the ridge so thin, any miscalculation would send him spiraling back down into the deadly jaws of the beast coming for him. He couldn’t risk that tactic so he attempted to block out the roar of the blades inching closer and closer, while propelling upward.

LON –  (frantic) COME ON WOLFBOY THINK! Ok, ok…I can’t jump up to it; I can’t climb up these walls…man I could really use Val about now. Alright giant fan, certain doom…there has to be a way I just have to…relax.

Keeping his eyes focused on his objective, Lon suddenly remembered a strategy Val had shown him to climb up Kathryn’s bluff by making steps where there were none. When Val had felt Lon was skilled enough to maintain control over his lightsaber, he showed him how to effectively spin the weapon, while ignited on its axis into a discus. Using incredible concentration he let just the edge of the spinning yellow blade ease into the base of the Cliffside, holding his hand outward as he steadily raised the revolving blade up a few inches and repeated the process. The goal was to see just how long Lon could control his actions until his saber was nearly out of view.

LON – THAT’S IT!

Quickly Lon ripped his lightsaber hilt from his belt, igniting the emerald green blade. Noting that the walls were being bathed by water, his plan should allow him to touch the indentations once they were made, but that damned infernal doomsday weapon tried endlessly to throw off his concentration as the fear of death tried to grip him.

LON – Time to see if the weeks of training paid off Master Versai.

Lon channeled the force, greater then he has ever done before letting the energy field surround his thoughts and guide his hand as he released his lightsaber and began to twirl his outstretched fingers, blocking out the grinding mechanized howl of the fan as it continued without relent towards its prey.

Lon flashed his eyes aloft and centralized his focus to the water drenched walls as his lightsaber revolved inward and bit into the smooth steel, flashing a momentary shower of sparks and creating a divot of white-hot, fiery orange molten metal which was quickly cooled by the eternal downpour of water emanating from above into a steaming blue-grey rim.

Again and again Lon fastened his concentration as his rotating energy discus sculpted into the face of the round walls, creating a set of not exactly evenly spaced divots but enough to grant Lon proper grip to make a desperate climb upward.

With the fan little more then six feet below him, Lon lost his concentration and his lightsaber plummeted towards the ground, but his eyes soon flared open and regained the spin of his weapon sending it skyrocketing back towards the highest point of his improvised molten metal steps.

After carving roughly 14 spontaneous steps to climb, Lon dashed up the cooled impressions as he heard the catwalk he was just on a second ago buckle and rip from the walls while the fan sheared through the metal like it was paper. The wind from the spinning blades caused a vortex of air, tossing Lon’s clothing up and his blonde hair flailing about as he reached the last of his self made grooves, concentrating on his body and with a rapid sweep of his legs forward, back flipped his way to the tiny ledge and streaked through the exit to the chamber. He turned back to see the gruesome blades spin past him, catching part of his silver tunic as it ripped off the tails and shredded them just before the fan slammed into the ceiling and shattered the peaceful blue and green luminosity of the room, sending a torrent of water splashing downward, decimating the reservoirs.

LON – (panting) Lone Wolf -1, big scary fan blades from Korriban – 0.
 

INTERIOR: KILLIAN BASTION – ELONGATED PASSAGEWAY

Lon has little time to relax as he suddenly feels the floor beneath him advance, revealing him standing upon a conveyor belt device. Ahead as he tries to see through the darkness, he can begin to discern several moving structures but from his vantage point directing him to a large, elongated hallway he can’t quite figure out what to make of the devices, all seeming to move in different directions.

As the length of moving walkway reaches its end, he suddenly detects his feet sinking down, standing upon a specialized pressure plate which activates a large set of doors to open vertically in front of him. He can see that the doors contain several trapezoid “teeth” as the two halves reveal another set of doors beyond, then another and another, stretching back as far as his eye can see with considerable differences between them. Lon was beginning to decipher the meaning of this second “trial”, which at first glance seemed like nothing more then completing the task of passing through each door, eight in all before they closed on him. However these tasks would prove more challenging then he surmised.

(To avoid confusion as this is a very difficult area to describe, I’m going to list each of the eight doors and a description of what they do even though some of which may be repeated during the progression of the trail.)

Door #1 – Obvious “jaw” like steel door that slides two sections from the top and bottom to meet in the center, sealing the “teeth” together,.
Door #2 – Rectangular structure with forty-five degree slit, splitting the door into two halves that close horizontally.
Door #3 – Circular barrier with four divisions like a pie that slide back.
Door #4 – Rolling circular steel slab that slides horizontally on a track in the floor, which rolls shut to seal a round exit to the next room.
Door #5 – Steel shafts slide vertically from the floor up into grooves inside the upper frame of the exit and lock into place like jail bars, while another set of shafts slide horizontally behind, causing a cell like metal blockade.
Door #6 – Energy Shield barrier like the ones in the Phantom Menace
Door #7 – Inferno Wall of flame from flame throwers in the floor.
Door #8 – Final Blast Shield Doorway with Killian Logo.
 

LON – Great, I come for answers and I get pushed into a living video game. Oh well this doesn’t look so tough and as Val always says, “Challenges are the instrument of growth.”

He purged the doubt mentally as he called upon the force to enhance his attributes of strength and speed, a technique that Val frequently evoked for just such an occasion. First and foremost Lon remembered how Val preached to him endlessly to be aware of his surrounds, especially when one was not familiar with them.

Lon began his study by first gazing to the rough, tan stone covering the walls, which was of course not natural stone but simulated while he traced his gloved fingers along the texture to detect sections of steel underneath. Theatrics were his first thought, looking down the moving doorways which appeared as bizarre as some sort of digital game, but the consequences of failure yield no second chances.

The expansive hallway also contained another set of pressure plates as Lon peered beyond the first three doorways opening and closing in unison. All of a sudden he became alarmed to hear the grinding of metal, similar to the massive fan blades in the former aqua chamber begin to filter into the room. Then he detected a new sound, several in fact all unique but vaguely familiar as he began to feel his danger sense wash over him.

Lon was fairly observant when it came to solving these riddles and his first impression informed him all he needed to do was rush through the three unique doors and reach the other five upon which he could not clearly see, masked in billowing artificial fog flowing from devices concealed in the floor. Lon didn’t like not having all the solutions to this trial as he felt that caution build in greater intensity; trying to keep his head level as the force filled his every breath.

Without hesitation Lon snapped his head backward as a blaster bolt slammed into the ground from behind a large steel panel sliding back. Suddenly a swarm of red lights peered through the darkness, each igniting sequentially as he detected the sounds of laser cannons being prepped. It didn’t take Lon long to determine that this would be yet another “race against time” scenario, although he did not have the luxury of figuring out just what in the blazes would be his opponent.

He snapped his fingers forward, desperately trying to make out the details of the other five doors as he made a run for the first door, passing through the second, but failing to keep his momentum as the third slammed shut in his face.

LON – ARGH!

Meanwhile as he contacted a second pressure plate, the three doors reset, allowing him another chance towards his endeavor but he noticed right away that the beams of red coherent energy were growing in number. What could possibly be emitting these deadly blasts? It was only then that he was able to fully comprehend the details of the triple barricades as he cautiously returned back to his starting position.

The first entry was very similar to that of the massive structure seen in Jabba’ Palace with circular cuts where light passed through, leading to a set of jaw like extensions that met and sealed in the center of the barrier. The second door he had so quickly dismissed was rectangular but segregated in a forty-five degree angle, which slid both sections to the left and right which was juxtaposed to the first vertical pathway of the main door. The third door was even more peculiar and circular with four separations, not unlike that of pieces of a pie but all metallic with multi-beveled paneling.

For a brief moment, Lon was able to see the silhouette of a fourth door, which resembled the structure of a large tablet of stone, like a giant steel coin which rolled into position and sealed the round exit to the room which all seemed to carry the same motif of rising circular columns, designed to mimic the earth tone style of the columns in the Jedi Temple.

So many different styles seemed to cross here, from elegant, to adventurous, to ancient, to advanced technology all melding into one and each door reflected the change in each design as well. Lon drew in a deep breath and tried to center his focus longer this time.

However out of no where a Sith Probe droid darted from the darkness and opened fire with its deadly blaster bolts, slamming into the walls and flooring with an eruption of sparks. Lon figured he’d just activate his lightsaber and make short work of the threat but that all changed.

Within literally seconds the single “Darkeye” Sith Probe Droid was joined by another and another all baring dual barreled weapons of bereavement proving they were not merciful Jedi Training Remotes. Roughly ten droids screeched from the shadows and engaged Lon, driving him to run back and forth inside the first room while he dodged their deadly fire. He had to think quickly for even with his force skills the odds were stacked against him, ruining his concentration to both maintain force speed and fend off their assault, adding more complexity to the game.

LON – (rolls his eyes) Yep, it’s a video game alright and me without a lightgun.

Added to that he had noticed that there seemed to be no pressure plate below the fourth door which meant only one thing. With it known to him that by stepping off the pressure plate at the third door, he could reset the three barriers and start his dash anew. However with no activators for the remaining eight obstructions it meant that once he reached beyond the fourth door there would not only be no turning back but he would only have one opportunity to advance.

LON – See that’s just wrong! No reset button? I guess I can toss the three lives rule out the window.

He didn’t yet know if he could simply ignite his lightsaber and hack his way through the other doors if he managed to become trapped in the latter rooms but something told him it wouldn’t prove to be that simple. Lon drew in another deep, cleansing breath as he attempted to stay calm but the ten Sith Probe droids were insistent as they continued to force him further off the pressure plate.

Lon knew that he could not both maintain his force assisted dash and fend off the malicious salvo of blaster fire from the swarm of mechanical menaces. He had to think on the fly once he made it through the fourth obstacle and place his trust completely in the force and his instincts, having no idea just what the other five barriers were going to be, let alone how they would open with all of the fog obscuring his vision.

Staying here in the first room was suicide as the Darkeye Droids moved too quickly to focus a force based offence, let alone a swipe with a lightsaber. By the time you blocked one set of blaster bolts, the droids could just as easily surround and fire at all angles, especially if Lon gave up his position where only the door closed before him was preventing him being completely surrounded.

LON – I guess it’s now or never.

He closed his eyes a moment, just enough to picture whom he felt he was fighting for. If Lon didn’t focus he would never make it back home to caress and cradle his beloved Xola and a set of droids was NOT going to prove their superiority over him. Added to that he still burned with impulsiveness to uncover the mystery of this “ZW” and Lon was as stubborn as his Master. Quickly Lon decided that the time to act had surfaced, unclipping his lightsaber as he extended the green shaft towards his enemy then drew in the force to his legs, eyeing the three open doorways.

LON – YOU WANT A PIECE OF THE WOLF? IN THE WORDS OF MY MASTER…FETCH!

With purpose Lon dashed his way through the first, second, and third doors while the droids gave chase, firing their ruby artillery hot on his heels as he maintained his focus on the other doors before him. Sparks showered from the walls as Lon’s legs whipped through the fourth door rolling shut behind him, cutting off three of the ten droids pursuing him.

Seven still continued their advance as Lon expertly weaved his way past the fifth door while shafts of metal spears suddenly shot up from the floor in a line, then blasted from the left, towards the right and straight through one of the Sith Droids. It exploded in hellish fury, trapping another unit while Lon advanced with blinding speed and agility, swerving back and forth without doubt or relent from the array of blaster fire behind him.

Suddenly as he reached the sixth, he recognized from historical records an energy shield flicker to a red-orange radiance as he brought himself to a skidding stop, just short of the droid which wasn’t so fortunate slamming into the energy ribbon and instantly vaporizing to atoms.

LON – Uh ok…I wasn’t expecting that.

Did Lon now fail the test? Was he stuck here behind this energy wall blocking his way from the remaining two chambers? He snapped his head back as the final four of the mechanized Sith assassins homed in on his location, having survived where their predecessors were not so fortunate, either destroyed or trapped behind the other doors, now sealed for all eternity.

Like Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan’s dilemma inside the Theed Generator Room, Lon was forced to wait for the barrier to drop, if it would even do so while he deflected the endless onslaught of laser fire. Exhausted, Lon was beginning to pant heavily trying to keep his focus as his dazzling green blade sheared through the first droid while the remaining three split in two directions attempting to close in on Lon from the left and right while the sixth blockade remained unchanged.

Lon momentarily felt a shift in the weight of his left foot looking swiftly down to discover a smaller pressure plate recede into the stone foundation of the floor which then allowed the energy barrier to drop, revealing the next chamber guardian in a blinding vivacity of unyielding fire.

A wall of what could only be described as solid flames was his next objective and the only hurdle left between him and the final door, which was straight at the top, then slopped down at forty-five degree angles, bending towards the floor in a hexagon formation baring a vibrant red Killian insignia on a slab of aged steel.

Quickly Lon drew another breath and dashed into the last chamber, while the three Darkeye machines streaked in hot pursuit, unleashing another volley of blaster fire. One managed to clip Lon’s left shoulder as but his attire absorbed the beam, followed by a second shot, it managed to graze his right thigh which was left vulnerable by a tear in his blast dampening fabrics. Lon grimaced in pain but stayed focused to complete his task and block out the burn to his leg.

There appeared no way to extinguish the fire of the last door and when Lon loomed within a few feet of it, the lines of combustion erupted into a towering inferno with roughly a four foot length into the next chamber which made it absolutely impossible to try and “jump through” the flaming obstacle without being severely burned which was a price after seeing Val endure, Lon wasn’t willing to pay.

Channeling the force he unleashed a fierce Force Push into the unforgiving firewall but it proved no use as the uncompromising wall of light maintained its deadly stand against him fueled by powerful metal tubes built into the floor, which shot up the columns forming the barrier.

LON – Man! Talk about built to last.

Lon swiftly shifted his tactic as he whipped around to deflect another hail of blaster fire. With his impulsive movement, suddenly beams of metal darted out from the sides of the interior, clipping him as he tried to run again, sending Lon toppling to the floor as his lightsaber extinguished and skidded through the towering inferno into the next room far beyond his reach. Added to the complications he had to roll out of the way as a line of crimson bolts hammered into the floor sending up debris of stone and carbon scored metal fragments into the air like deadly, flaming arrows.

Lon reached for Chen’s saber, but before he could ignite the weapon, a droid rushed straight into his hand holding the hilt and knocked the ancient weapon with shimmering velocity towards its companion.

LON – HAVEN’T YOU OVERSIZED TENNIS BALLS EVER HEARD OF THE PAUSE BUTTON?

Without his lightsabers to protect him Lon was a sitting duck while the three Sith Droids weaved back and forth around him, coming from all four directions as he spun around unable to keep up, taking another hit to his left thigh, this one closer to deal considerable damage causing him to limp away seconds before another line of red bolts attempted to impale him up the middle.

The shafts of metal from the wall randomly shot outward and to Lon’s credit one managed to shear clean through a single Sith droid as it expired in a flash of white fragments. However the other three blaster toting devices were deadly proficient as they spun around him in a blur of polished onyx chrome shells.

Lon attempted to gather his thoughts but each time he started to reflect on Val’s lessons, he was forced to abandon the image and weave away from the relentless barrage of crimson beams. As he shot his glance back to the gargantuan wall of flame he focused in on the shafts of metal tubes embedded in the floor, devising a new strategy.

No sooner had Lon shouted his bravado then he quickly snapped both his fists shut, shattering the flame throwers in the ground into several fragments of twisted, razor sharp metal collapsing the flaming guardian while using the power of the force to hover the pieces into a swirling cloud of deadly debris.

LON – CHEW ON THIS!

Lon’s gloved hands whipped forward and he flashed his fingers open, hurling the bits of deadly metal towards the three Sith Droids which had no place to go. The razor sharp bits of steel carved into their chromasheath cores, thrusting through vital inner circuitry and shredding the CPU’s as the last threat to Lon’s advancement toppled to the floor in heaps of devastated wreckage.

Just then the shafts in the walls slammed out from the sides, the floor, and the ceiling as Lon erratically launched his body forward in a baseball slide, seconds before the room filled with the metal lances, spearing through everything inside of it while Lon slammed hard into the front of the eighth door.

Lon gasped for breath, snapping his fingers with a hiss to cradle his blaster burns. Drawing in deep breaths, he tapped into the force to temporarily cease the throbbing building around his injuries, proving he learned Val’s tactics for controlling pain to an acceptable degree, although that mastery would be challenged as time progressed.

He was now able to stand up without a limp brushing off his frayed attire, adjusting what was left of his torn silver and black decorated tunic. Smoothing his fingers along his blonde hair Lon gathered his thoughts to stabilize his heartbeat and bring his body down from its adrenaline charged rush.

LON – (coughs) Well that wasn’t so tough.

He traced the emblem of the familiar Killian insignia, knowing full well after passing these “trials” that the worst was yet to come if this “ZW” was in league with The Killian who had now had become the Versai’s mortal enemies. Their acts of brutality had haunted Sara Versai, slaughtered members of the Versai Tech Board and now recently had unleashed Gannon which in the end brought about the demise of Terra.

LON – The Killian…I should have known.

Lon peered down to see his lightsaber he had lost previously as he picked it up, brushed it off, and then fastened it to his belt then approached Chen’s scratched weapon not too far away, returning both devices to his hips. He sighed a moment of silence for his slain companion whom had despite her consistent teasing grew as strong as Lon, aiding him through Val’s tough but necessary trials of strength, speed, tolerance, and endurance. Only having passed through events that would have killed lesser skilled contestants did Lon begin to truly understand everything that his mentor had forced him to endure, was exactly the training he needed to survive in the “real world”.

Sadly again, the impact of Terra’s passing spread to all of those who knew her and had to accept the harsh reality that as hard as she tried and how dedicated she was in her training, Terra would never have the opportunity to attain master hood.

Lon stepped back as the final door suddenly began to part, revealing the gloomy chambers of torches surrounding the interior and a blinding orange radiance coming from what he had to assume was the floor of the enormous chamber.

There was no light, other then the flaming torches surrounding the spherical room and the light from below which left the view pretty much in darkness, only revealing the shiny edges of platforms and railways. Lon slowly ventured his way into the ominous location, drinking in the details of the environment. Heat, tremendous heat stimulated his skin as he felt the temperature disturb his snug attire.

LON – (backing up) Yeah ok, we’re not doing this.

Having been in the room less then a few minutes Lon began to grow hot and sweaty beneath his clothing. Lon suddenly changed his tune as he spun back towards the entrance, seeking to get away from this place ASAP but he soon met the advancement of fate as the two doors slammed shut with a rush of air, then sealed tight.

With each step Lon began to feel fear attempt to overtake his senses. He looked down to see only a narrow gantry way extend forward and that was the first moment Lon saw the most horrifying display of nature’s fury first hand and what none of his training simulations had prepared him to encounter.

A lake of molten gold…

It was enormous! The metal bubbled and hissed threateningly below as Lon realized the room had no floor. This suddenly caused his heart to beat rapidly as the narrow gantry way led him forward to a colossal circular platform in the center of the room. Suddenly the pathway swiftly spun away and tucked inside a recess below the deck of the entrance, stranding him on the rounded platform where there was no visible measure of escape off of it.

LON – Keep it together Lon, remember you’re a Dark Jedi and Dark Jedi don’t lose their cool under pressure…then again I didn’t see BIG PIT OF BOILING LAVA in the job description!

Lon was really intimidated now. It was bad enough this room was giving him the creeps and causing him to sweat rapidly but now he had no measure of escape from this hellish domain that could have only existed in a nightmare. Plumes of smoke rose from the lake of metal below, rippling with heat as the room remained fairly dark, keeping its intricate details shrouded in mystery while a steady hum of operating computers and flowing electricity basked the room in a foreboding ambience.

LON – (calling out in the darkness) HELLO??? CAN SOMEONE TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING IT’S HOTTER THEN TATOOINE IN HERE!!

Several slits were cut into the floor of the circular platform, sifting in the heat ripples while lighting the metal surface in a fiery orange and red hue. Lon snapped his eyes skyward hearing the swaying clink of something above, able to distinguish a single row of bobbing sphere structures as the metal ground against one another, leading him to wonder why the middle globe was missing, as a chain extended toward to the center of the platform and into that, disappeared inside a large box.

Then he heard it…

The echo of mechanized breathing…

Much like the intimidation of Vader’s apparatus, this was not so strong in its intensity but rather contained a vibration of mechanized sound waves to each breath, muffled and not so easily to detect the source of where it was coming from, let alone the words that followed. Lon sidestepped a series of shooting smoke stacks spewing from the outer edges of the central circular platform.

FIGURE – The force is with you Mr. Wol, but you’ve still much to learn.

Lon tried valiantly to control his fear, but his instincts continued to alarm him with each passing moment as his fingers lingered to his recovered lightsaber hilt, then shifted to the second saber which belonged to his grandfather Chen Wol, the reason for the predicament he was trapped within now.

LON – I passed your trials, I played your games…you owe me answers…and a new suit!

FIGURE – You have proven yourself worthy of my presence. Your trials are complete, but the final test of your competence is yet to be revealed.

LON – Can the dramatic effect, let’s cut to the chase shall we? Who are you and what do you want with me?

FIGURE – You may refer to me as Q2. I am the one who possesses the information you seek.

Suddenly Lon looks up to see several immense viewing monitors spark to life. Three in number, the monitors on the left and right reveal static but the central display begins to clear and voices can be heard. The first image to play is that of Cire T’Negun dressed in an olive green Imperial uniform with one arm draped behind his back, while the other rests across it. Lacking a lightsaber or any trace of force based heritage Cire, roughly still a teenager paces around a man strapped to the table which begins to continue the scene Lon witnessed inside the Versai Mansion.

The elderly figure cries out in agony as bolts of blue-white electricity ripple through every pore of his body, while the relentless machine unleashes its agonizing torture under Cire’s direct command. The imagery is black and white surveillance footage which told Lon as he watched it unravel that this video was one of the Empire’s many interrogation records, who exactly this mysterious phantom under the guise of “ZW” was still a puzzle Lon needed to complete.

Trembling with anger towards Cire, Lon witnessed him shout questions to Chen Wol before signaling another wave of misery. The elderly man panted and struggled for breath as his skin literally smoked with several fresh burns but Cire as the Interrogator continued to brutalize his prey.

As Lon felt he could no longer sustain his anger for the display, his heart skipped a beat as medical monitoring equipment in the video began to flatline…proving Chen was dead. Death wasn’t enough for Cire however as he shouted for the torture to continue, unleashing another endless barrage of electrical impulses as Chen’s heart reactivated.

Brought back from his peaceful eternal slumber with an agonizing roar of shock, Cire suddenly signaled Chen’s exhausted body to be released from the table. The footage then flickered to another scene taking place inside the bridge of what appeared to be an Imperial Star Destroyer as Cire was shown peering to a shimmering streak of radiance heading towards an enormous yellow sun then slowly it disappeared into the heart of the gaseous giant with a distanced flash of light.

What was the connection here though? The first section of the video made sense but what was the significance of the second half? Lon curled his fist into a tight ball as he looked down to Chen’s rustic lightsaber hanging from his belt. The answer to the first question was undeniably clear to a certain extent. Cire T’Negun had been the one responsible for his Grandfather’s capture and from the younger visage of the merciless tyrant it was before he and Val crossed paths inside the Dark Jedi Academy.

Q2 – Your Grandfather is dead, incinerated by Coruscant’s sun. So ends your quest.

Lon looks around in the shadows trying to locate the source of Q2’s mechanized voice but he cannot trace his location as his voice seems to emit from all directions. Lon steadies his fingers along his laser cut lightsaber feeling an uneasiness spreading throughout his body. As Lon looks around the room he begins to study his options. Currently there were no safe ways to escape the platform as the two gantry ways had slid away.

One option was to use the box in front of him to leap off it with a force jump and aim for the distanced dais where he assumed the figure was seated at the top of a set of stairs, watching in the darkness. Then again the distance was great and the heat billowing rippling clouds of smoke and gaseous emissions was clouding his ability to focus. One mistake and his quest would come to a vibrant, short end in the fires below.

LON – That’s it? That’s the answer I’ve been summoned here to learn?

Q2– Mr. Wol the past is insignificant. You must learn to live in the moment and currently that moment is the factor that will decide whether you live or die.

LON – Insignificant? INSIGNIFICANT! MY GRANDFATHER WAS MURDERED BY CIRE T’NEGUN AND YOU DARE TO TELL ME HIS LIFE MEANS NOTHING! SHOW YOURSELF, I WILL PROVE TO YOU JUST HOW IMPORTANT FAMILY IS TO ME!

Q2 – Ah yes…that is what I want from you Mr. Wol. To realize the potential you have forsaken to HIS ways. You were once known as the Sith Inquisitor. Glorious and unrestrained…your power was unmatched until you crossed paths with your superior.

Lon closes his eyes trying to quench the fire building through his clenched fists. How dare Q2 mock the death of his Grandfather. Chen Wol was a powerful Jedi Master and one of Lon’s last surviving members of the atrocities Lord Overseer and Lady Carnage unleashed upon the Lon bloodline. His sisters, parents, and friends were hunted down like animals. Lon’s mind raced with the cries of those he loved being slaughtered while he was still too young to defend them…forced to witness the bloodshed and eventually as the dark side taunted him with power…participate and cause others suffering.

Lon sharply flicks his gaze upward as all three monitors spark to life showing sequential visuals of what appeared to be digital dossiers that changed every few moments ranging from Val to himself, to Lance, Sara, Terra, Gen, Skorne, Xola, Russel, Kathryn, Jenner all revealing to Lon that Q2 had indeed done his homework studying the candidates to his sadistic game. The screens then cycled towards Lon’s profile on the right listed as “Dark Jedi Padawan” and the darker persona of his past as the Sith Inquisitor on the left where Lon could see his eyes yellow with enlarged pupils…the sign of the dark side’s influence over his soul in a time where hatred burned deep and vengeance fueled desire.

Q2 – Mr. Wol you wielded such potential as the Sith Inquisitor. Viciously, you avenged your family’s demise hunting down Overseer’s forces. Why Mr. Wol why do you resist your greatness? Why do you bow down to Valaryc Versai? I must know!

LON – (looking over the profiles) Because I’ve been down the path of hatred and darkness and in the end all it ever brought me was more pain and endless torture. When I faced Val, I awoke from a dream and emerged into the real world that I had forgotten. Master Versai redeemed me from a life without purpose or control. That is why I bow before him because Val is a legend who has faced the darkness and grew stronger by overcoming it.

Q2 – Lies Mr. Wol…Conceptions created by your pubescent mind to cope with your own inadequacies. Look at your statistics. On the left your midi-chlorian count was 55,000. Currently you barely break 40,000. How is that stronger?

LON – Statistics do not wage an individual’s potential. What makes someone strong is a balance of physical, mental, and emotional strength. Whether science unveils weaknesses or not it is the will of the person that fuels the desire to persevere over adversity.

Q2 –  Incorrect. Childish conclusions based upon a fragile existence. You believe desire can overcome scientific fact? I believe that weakness does not depend upon your will to achieve; it lies in the weakness of your emotions. You’ve become emotional and irrational and that is exactly the reason you have trapped yourself here with no options to turn back.

LON – NO! I came here because I needed to know the truth!

Q2 – WRONG! YOU ARRIVED LED BY YOUR EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS TO YOUR DECEASED GRANDFATHER! You’ve already proven it with your body language, a clenched fist from the mere mention of mocking your family heritage. You’re frail because you allow emotion to dominate your life. That is exactly the reason that YOU Mr. Wol will be the key to his downfall.

LON – Yet you want me to admit that I found hatred and anger empowering? With all due respect you’re beginning to sound like a hypocrite. Those are emotions moron!

Q2 – Mr. Wol. These are not emotions they are tools used to evoke my limitless potential. Emotion is a weakness until you understand how to unlock its strength. It then becomes a tool and a weapon to destroy your enemies in a blink of an eye. Your beloved Master never told you the WHOLE TRUTH did he? How he used his EMOTION as a TOOL and a WEAPON to slaughter the innocent lives of Jedi.

The monitors flashing the profiles then shifts to a computer generated simulation which reveals a series of photos and the words “DECEASED” at the bottom of several cycling profiles which begin to play one by one until the last profile reveals the name, “Markus Crystarr”.

Q2 – Witness the secret Versai has kept hidden away, a secret that Cire discovered but was too incompetent to unlock before his demise. All of these people were viciously struck down by Valaryc Versai in a Jedi Camp on the Forest Moon of Endor. Under the leadership of Markus Crystarr they were slaughtered without mercy or relent by your mentor. Although Cire only scratched the surface of Val’s inward strength I will shatter the chains that hold back THIS!

The image dissolves away to reveal yet a new profile with a terrorizing visage that is recognizable and yet unfamiliar at the same time to Lon. He looks to the image of Valaryc Versai but he doesn’t recognize him as someone he has known, in fact Lon could swear this profile was someone entirely different. First and foremost if the eyes were the windows to the soul then this animalistic appearance showed only golden eyes with shrunken pupils full of anger and hate. His hair was brown but wild and untamed and there was no smirk or any trace of emotion upon the figure’s lips. Lon traced his eyes upward along the screen and read the name

“VALARYC WINTERS VERSAI – THE JEDI SLAYER – POTENTIAL 100,000+”

LON – NO WAY!

FIGURE – Yes Mr. Wol you will bare witness as the Jedi Slayer is reborn! Val’s potential is greater then even the grand Anakin Skywalker but he has grown pathetic and feeble and do you know why? Because he lets his emotions guide him…he succumbs to a new Master…a master named LOVE!

LON – Dude you’re supposed to wait and let me guess when you ask me a question.

Lon glares towards the picture as the current appearance of Val shows up on the right monitor, looming the connection between Lon’s previous profiles where the puzzle was starting to form an understandable image. Aside from appearing to be a madman, this phantom menace was not seeking to rule the universe or control it as Palpatine and the Empire once attempted…he was after something much more devastating. He wanted to systematically rob Val of his humanity and break his spirit.

That in itself was not only an unfathomable task but a crime far more condemning then blowing up a planet because while you could push a button and vaporize strangers into oblivion and have never known them Q2 wanted to take away everything Val had fought for to achieve…his humanity.

LON – You’ll never break his will, whoever you are. Val’s endurance is too strong. He has no equal. You can only DREAM to possess one OUNCE of his potential. I don’t care what mistakes he made in the past, the point is that we both LEARNED FROM THEM!

FIGURE – You are misguided Mr. Wol. I will succeed because I do not possess the limitations and responsibilities of love. I have no commitments and no boundaries. These traits…these inefficiencies are hereditary. The moment you chose to succumb to Master Versai is the moment you INHERTIED HIS WEAKNESS!

LON – ADORATION IS NOT A LIMITATION, IT IS STRENGTH! LOVE WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER THE DARK SIDE AND OVER TYRANT’S LIKE YOU WHO BELIEVE THAT THE LIVES OF OTHERS ARE NOTHING MORE THEN AN ENDLESS GAME TO CONCLUDE!

Lon breathes heavily as he holds back his anger. There was a great connection between Lon and Val and an unfathomable amount of respect between the two. If Q2 had approached Lon back before he and Val had met, perhaps Lon would have been persuaded to agree with his narrow minded approach. However Lon had witnessed first hand the power love gave to those who used it not as a weapon but as a torch of ambition to overcome the most severe of circumstances. If love was a weakness then why did Val turn away from the dark side and become a LEGEND. There was the flaw in this opponent’s strategy and the reason this guy didn’t understand the depth of this emotion is because as he had admitted, he didn’t have the ability to EXPERIENCE companionship. For whatever reason this gave Lon the advantage because like Val he had something to fight for, he had his girl to come home to.

Xola like Gen was Lon’s source of strength. Having decided to commit to her for the rest of his life, Lon knew that he had to escape from this place and live to hold her in his arms again, no matter the price he had to pay. However what one must realize is that Lon was not in control of the “game” nor did he understand the rules…only the objective. The alpha and the omega not the course of actions leading up to its conclusion but those answers were about to present themselves as his heart skipped a beat, trapped in Q2’s web of suspense.

Q2 – You believe that the dark side is weaker then the traits of love…Very well. LET ME TEST THAT THEORY!

Without warning the panels surrounding the large box in front of Lon topple away to reveal Xola unconscious inside a large universal energy cage. As Lon’s eyes widen in shock he rushes towards the cage but is unable to lay so much as a finger on his ice blue haired fiancée as the chain to her cage snaps upward, hurling her body towards the ceiling far out of reach of Lon’s caress.

Just then as Lon’s eyes track downward he comes face to face with Q2, heatsaber in hand and ignited in a purple-pink ripple of vibrating energy. Q2’s polished golden face mask echoes the reflections of the torches surrounding his Throne Room while his shiny ruby lenses stare. Dressed in head to toe in the same attire as his battle with Elixis, however obviously garbed in a spare suit and pants, Lon quickly grabs his lightsaber and ignites the emerald blade in a radiant flash of light. Q2 observes him just as Lon, driven by his anger from Xola’s apparent abduction sends a vicious vertical slash towards Q2’s midsection but Q2 swiftly steps aside to the left and knees Lon square in the chest then rams his knee under Lon’s jaw hurling him back across the platform, sending his body skidding towards the edge.

Lon discovers he’s lost his weapon as he thrusts his fingers outward and calls back his lightsaber back to his hand, igniting the blade once more, standing as he coughs a bit to compose his thoughts. Closing his eyes and reopening them he is then able to fully articulate Q2’s attire while the powerful warlord stands with weapon ignited and for the most part, only shown but not yet used.

Q2 – Look at yourself Mr. Wol. Driven by an unquenchable urge to avenge the captivity of your lover against an unknown opponent, the most dangerous mistake an amateur can make. Truly you are nothing but a PADAWAN.

Lon growls low and begins to sprint forward but he stops in his tracks remembering words Val had told him, specifically never to rush into battle against a unknown advisory and to not overlook the value of studying and learning their tactics before commencing a duel.

LON – Nuh uh…not gonna happen again. You’re not going to goad me into taking another swing at you. Just what kind of lightsaber is that anyhow? Never seen one without a white core.

Q2 – This weapon is absolute perfection Mr. Wol. It is not a lightsaber, it is a one of a kind prototype that is superior to a lightsaber in every way, in due time you will comprehend just how proficient it can be.

Q2 grins broadly behind his facial wrapped mask as he studies Lon’s position. Q2 already knew that Lon was no match for him but there was more then a clashing of blades to his agenda. It started by mentioning love as a weakness then letting Lon learn that more then his life was at stake. That was the first stage of Lon’s downfall, the second would come shortly, and then the third, and finally the end would arrive granting Q2 the victory and complete another item on his mental checklist.

Q2 –What’s the matter Lon? Don’t you know that at any moment I can send your precious Xola Neesen hurling to her death down into the molten depths below? Does that not anger you? Oh the irony of this situation. This reminds me of something I read awhile back in one of Val’s, “Versai Chronicles”. What was it he was searching for? Some sort of skirmish between him and Cire?

LON – It was his Versai Locket.

Q2 grins broadly as he fishes around in his pocket with this white gloved hand pulling out something Lon recognizes instantly. As Lon’s eyes alone signal his surprise, Q2 takes the Versai Locket and securely fastens it around his neck. Lon’s fingers clench the steel of his sculpted green bladed lightsaber knowing just how much the Versai Locket means to Val and how desperately he searched for it once he discovered it was missing which was now apparent that Q2 had claimed it from Cire.

Q2 – Oh you mean this?

LON – Ah so you took it then…figures.

Q2 – Where have I seen this situation before? Hmmm let me think. Oh yes, Val and Cire dueled over possession of this elegant item. The irony you see Lon is that here, years later you are being presented with a similar task. Shall we find out if history truly does repeat itself?

LON – Doesn’t look like I have a choice.

Q2 – Oh you have a choice. You can either choose to deliver your BEST performance or you can witness your fiancée’s cries for help go unanswered as she sinks into oblivion. Still believe that the dark side is weaker then love?

LON – DON’T YOU TOUCH HER!

Q2 – (grins) That all depends on you Mr. Wol. Since you pride yourself on the commitment you have for your cherished Master, then you will experience what he has experienced. These are the rules of the contest. If you defeat me in battle, the locket and the girl will be yours. If I win just as Cire had wished with just a minute twist. I destroy the Versai Locket and you and Xola with it. Do we have an agreement?

Lon clenches his lightsaber tighter, taking a greater defensive position as he calls upon the force to fuel his attributes of strength and speed. He understood the similarities that Q2 was revealing to him. Val had fought Cire not for mindless bragging rights or to settle his insecurity…he fought Cire out of love for Gen. He knew that by Cire revealing the secrets of Val’s heritage that it could have crushed Gen’s faith in him or destroyed her world. That was the fear….he feared losing her. But that fear was also a tool that he used to persevere against his enemies but it wasn’t the fear that empowered him it was love that drove him to raise to his highest possible potential to accomplish his goals. Not as the Jedi Slayer…not as an animal but a human being.

Lon felt the connection here in this place, not a forest of tranquility and life but quite the opposite. Menacing and intimidating it was, surrounded by fire, smoke, steam, and polished man made steel structures where everywhere the eye wandered, the room was enclosed. The goal was the same however, Lon needed to win to claim the Versai Locket and to claim the one he loved most, to claim his companion Xola Neesan and rescue her from this nightmare.

He was being forced into a contest, into “The Game” that Val had endured long ago in the Forest of Endor and now it was only a matter of time that would reveal if history would repeat itself again. At that moment there was no doubt just how similar Master and Apprentice had become. Lon focused upon the numerous lessons Val had given him and evoked their knowledge to feed his passion to complete the final task set before him.

LON – (nods) Agreed…

(Clash of the Lightsabers music)

In a blur, Lon held his saber tight and ran towards Q2. Slashing with feral intensity, Lon sought to land at least one good shot on Q2 but he expertly weaved left and right out of the path of Lon’s deadly blade. Q2 had yet to use his heatsaber, still ignited as he stepped around the circular platform while Lon impulsively dove towards him, swinging his blade in large arcs attempting to bring a swift and brutal end to a contest where everything was on the line.

Q2 smiled through his fabric facial garb as he sidestepped once more then quickly snapped his black gloved fist outward striking Lon in the back of the head with his saber hilt, causing Lon to stumble forward into another well placed knee to his ribs. As Lon gained his balance, Q2 grabbed him by his blonde hair and spun his body around, tossing him like a piece of scrap across the heated metallic floor. Lon quickly ceased his skid just short of tumbling off the platform to the ever looming fires below as he spun around back to his feet in a heartbeat, charging back towards Q2 with undying vigilance. Q2 still toyed around with Lon side stepping left and right, landing the occasional kick or two before unleashing an unpredictable swipe of his heatsaber which appeared to disappear with its movements wearing Lon’s endurance down little by little as the inferno temperatures consumed him.

Panting with sweat Lon used another approach waiting for Q2 to advance as Lon assumed a Form III defensive position with his saber held in both hands to his right. Q2 was controlled and fluidic with every bold step he took, keeping his shimmering ruby orbs locked on his prey. As Lon took one blink, Q2 suddenly burst forward with blinding speed. Lon felt searing heat slash across his thighs and a clubbing blow, drop him to the floor in an instant as the pain literally felt as if it had paralyzed him. Not to be defeated so easily, Lon felt the damage from Q2’s elegant weapon burn on the back of his thighs but he forced himself back to a standing position, locking his emerald edge against Q2’s materializing purple haze.

Q2 – (locked against Lon’s blade) You’re going to lose Mr. Wol. I can feel you slipping with each breath you take…your flesh burns and your eyes dim with the searing heat. ADMIT THE DARK SIDE HAS BEATEN YOU AND I WILL GRANT YOU MERCY!

LON – NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Lon snaps his eyes upward glancing to Xola who stirs far out of his reach in her captive cage as his ambition to complete his task fuels his endurance, blocking out the pain and the heat as he quickly sidesteps to the left which removes the pressure from the lock, driving Q2 forward while Lon swings his saber around to score a slash across Q2’s exposed back with a shower of sparks.

Q2 near the edge of the platform gives no sign of pain as he pivots back around and stalks towards Lon, driving his blade back into a furious uppercut. Lon’s shimmering radiance aligns horizontally and catches the oncoming threat with such force that Lon swears his wrists will snap from the impact, but he bears down and attempts to force Q2 off balance.

Back and forth Q2 and Lon duel across the platform in spinning blades of fluctuating light. Xola’s vision blurs in and out of focus able to spot Q2’s purple-blue blade clash in flashes of white against Lon’s emerald shaft. At first it appears as if Q2 is being driven backward by Lon’s left and right parries, but just as quickly with a forward kick, Lon’s advantage is snatched away by Q2’s endless advancement. Semi-visable rippling heat distortions are revealed to be his concealed blade colliding against Lon’s saber with such direct force that Lon is barely able to keep up with the thundering impacts vibrating through his wrists.

Q2 grins as he force pushes Lon backward in a flicker of light, sending his lightsaber hilt skidding along the platform while Lon just barely uses his power to snap back his saber from teetering over the edge, calling the weapon back into his hand while Q2 gazes from a desired distance continuing to brandish his looming heatsaber, held diagonally in his right hand waiting for Lon’s next strategy.

Q2 – If that is the best you have to offer Mr. Wol this contest will be over shortly.

Realizing that Q2 is far too agile, Lon decides to evoke a tactic from Val’s playbook, unclipping Chen Wol’s rustic lightsaber and igniting it in a dazzling luminance of sky blue. Q2 smiled sensing that Lon is starting to lose his confidence which was clear by his decision to rotate his strategy against Q2’s unstoppable fighting prowess.

LON – (reaching for Chen’s saber) Don’t bet on it.

Letting the force feed into his willpower, Lon abandons his doubt and let’s his love for Xola and the goal of her freedom guide his movements. Val had only shown Lon how to use two sabers at one time only on a few occasions as Lon whipped around in tightly controlled 180 spins attacking Q2 with his green blade which was easily deflected by Q2’s formidable weapon just as Lon brought around his blue blade to score another series of successful blows to Q2’s legs and midsection as his white suit flickered with embers.

Lon whirls his body around in 360 spins, then pivots into 180 counters, sending Chen’s blue lightsaber streaking in a blur towards Q2’s upper body, then advances by swinging his right arm forward to clip Q2’s unguarded backside with this green blade. Q2 is able to deflect most of the damage, staying to Lon’s side where he catches both blades and sends them flying upward, delivering another fierce slash across Lon’s chest, both melting his attire and setting it on fire with the sizzling heat of his weapon.

Lon whipped back and forth trying to put out the small fires on his chest as he ceased his attack, patting the flames out with his gloved hands. Returning to overwhelming Q2 with his dual sabers it was as if time was actually moving slow enough in his force speed daze to find Q2’s weaknesses and exploit them, slashing across Q2’s legs and upper arms with vibrating blue and green ferocity as herds of white sparks continued to rain outward with each hit.

There was something seriously wrong with this picture however because Q2 never once let out a cry of agony while Lon was forced to grit his teeth from Q2’s series of successful marks, slicing Lon’s thighs with his incinerating weapon. Why wasn’t Q2 dead by now? Lon had managed to score more then enough blows to drop a normal opponent and yet each time Lon could have sworn his blade connected, there was no apparent damage. Q2 on the other hand was once again playing his own mind games, allowing his opponent to believe that he was truly weaker then he appeared as he sensed Lon’s confidence sway up and down like a roller coaster.

LON – IS THIS SOME SORT OF JOKE? WHY WON’T YOU DIE!

Q2 – (smiles) I never stated that this contest would be equal. I have certain advantages you so recklessly neglected to consider. You’re getting tired Mr. Wol and I am just getting WARMED UP!

Q2 closes distance, deflecting both of Lon’s weapons with what appeared to be his bare arms, holding them back as they burned against them. He then releases a fearsome slice of his heatsaber along Lon’s chest, enough of a laceration that it is far too deep and excruciating for Lon to ignore while his skin feels inflamed with ache, dropping down to his knees just as Q2’s swing towards his head and misses. Thinking he has just been given the opportunity to end the fight via Val’s signature move, Lon swiftly sweeps his arms around and slashes Q2 clean across the midsection with Chen’s lightsaber, but much to his dismay the damage to Q2’s body reveals nothing more then another burst of sparks and plates of metal...then it finally dawns on him, under Q2’s innocent business attire and semi-barbaric Vader appearance he was covered in the same material as Val’s sword, a layered undersuit of Lumatanium!

LON – YOU’VE BEEN CHEATING!

Q2 – No…I’ve been improvising. You should have considered adding restrictions to the rules. Just as Versai was caught off guard now will you witness that experience FIRST HAND!

Before Lon can retaliate Q2 unleashes a hellish display of blistering orange Shard Lightning as the bolts slice into Lon’s already burned skin which feels as if Lon had just stepped in front of a cannon that had glass fired from it. The pain is so incredibly damaging that Lon releases both his lightsabers and his vision dims. Each bolt tears through his flesh like paper while the vigilant Padawan searches for relief from the heat below and the heat engulfing him sending his mind into a state of panic.

Instinctively Lon stands back to his feet to feed off Q2’s unbearable assault. Lon snaps his eyes towards his lightsabers and calls them back to his hand, once again igniting them as the dual blades scream to life. This time Lon targets his strategy to take off Q2’s head at the neck, figuring that anywhere below would be useless.

Before Lon can swing though, he finds the lightning cease and Q2 strangely extinguish his heatsaber and return it to his belt, leaving himself completely unarmed.

Lon feels that anger welling inside him but he also hears Val’s stern words from within his memory warn him never under any circumstances to give in to the Dark Side’s temptations because to do so would destroy the only humanity he had left. It appeared so easy a solution and yet so difficult a decision. Lon could destroy Q2 and end the tyranny of The Killian single handedly.

Q2 steps forward then presents his back as he guides Lon’s lightsaber or rather Chen’s saber to the side of his neck feeling the searing heat sizzling his neckline letting the white-hot edge of Lon’s weapon dig just a fraction into the neck fabric.

Q2 – Feels good doesn’t it? Go on Lon…embrace your nature and end the contest. I am the dark side incarnate and you have the power to defeat me…or does the necessity to remain human prevent you? Yes that’s it isn’t it! Love prevents your victory which means ultimately it has become your weakness.

Lon feels his inner torment build but he refuses to give into Q2’s temptations. Not wanting to mirror the failure of Anakin Skywalker, Lon quickly snaps his blade away, stepping back on the platform as he continues to prepare himself to continue the contest with his honor and his humanity in tact.

LON – Never…I will not pay your price Q2. If you want to die that is your purgative but mine is not to return to a life I have locked away. As you so eloquently put it, “The past is insignificant.” I have and always will be the loyal follower of Valaryc Versai.

Q2 – (growls) If that is your destiny so be it.

Q2 turns around but he does not reach for his heatsaber as he stares towards Lon. Suddenly mechanical panels from the room tear off the walls and lunge towards Lon with unmatched speeds. From all directions Q2 conjures the endless troves of machinery to hurl towards Lon as he slices his saber up and down, left and right in large arcs shearing through the metal like tin foil in molten trails of white hot debris. Q2 begins to advance forward with his black gloved hand extended, splitting his focus between Lon and the swarm of metal fragments lunging towards Lon’s position.  While Lon deflects a panel flying from the right, his body is slammed into by a projectile from the left. If he slices through an obstacle in front of him he’s nailed square in the back from behind, throwing off his sense of direction.

Lon realizes Q2’s strategy as he’s knocked back and forth like a rag doll along the platform teetering closer and closer to the edge. He gathers his is time is growing scare, Lon switches his tactics yet again and reaches into his subconscious to find a viable solution since two sabers, Val’s signature move, and his other strategies have failed.

Finding his next technique Lon concentrates on Chen Wol’s lightsaber, hovering the device before him as it begins to spin around on its axis. Rotating the hilt faster and faster, the single sky blue blade becomes a spinning discus of unquenched energy while the pieces of machinery bounce into the energy ribbon, deflected towards the pit of lava below.

Q2 smiles broadly as he continues his force driven contest of wills against Lon’s saber discus waiting for that one opportune moment that his farseeing vision has revealed to him…the instant Lon Wol would fall.
Lon however was not aware that every gesture he was pursing was only confirming Q2’s prior vision like that of a series of dominos, setting them up piece by piece until the hand of fate pushed them into an unstoppable succession.

Q2 – From the moment you entered my domain Mr. Wol, you already lost this duel. I’ve foreseen every move you’ve made and allowed every blow you have struck upon me just for this one instant where not only do I win, but I observe the look on your face when I do…this.

Suddenly Chen’s lightsaber came to a screeching halt, as Q2 snapped his ribbed Vaderish glove forward Lon watched in horror and disbelief as each component of Chen’s lightsaber burst apart in equal sections from one another, completely disassembling the weapon in midair into its vital pieces scattering and levitating them like a grid under Q2’s unfathomable concentration. Lon was so stunned by the raw authority Q2 possessed to systematically disassemble, separate, hover, and measure each piece of his Grandfather’s lightsaber that he didn’t even know where he was as everything around him and the levitating pieces blurred away. There was no way that Lon could stand up to such unlimited concentration! Clearly Q2 was letting him win the entire time!

Lacking mercy, lacking any compassion whatsoever Q2 flashed his gloved hand forward and ripped three floating activator gems from Chen’s saber, the symbolic heart of the weapon and its maker. He forced Lon to watch as the pieces of Chen’s lightsaber dropped to the floor with an echo of tinkling metal. Lon was petrified with denial witnessing the last connection to his family heritage reduced to pieces. He didn’t know exactly what to feel for he was emotionally shattered. It was then that he was thrust back into reality. Lon felt his legs suddenly become numb crashing his knees to the ground as if they had become somehow paralyzed.

Q2 has in fact cut off the flow to Lon’s legs and forced them to fall asleep as he used the power of the dark side to constrict Lon’s thigh muscles in a paralyzing grip, similar to the same tactic he used on the Anakin Skywalker clone but not with enough pressure to shatter bone. With a wrenching tear of muscle, Lon’s quadriceps were torn, which immediately encased Lon in unbearable agony.

Extending his fingers, Q2 snapped Lon’s second lightsaber, his surviving weapon back into his hand and clipped it to his belt, opposite to his signature saber.

Q2 – If you cannot change Mr. Wol then there is only one alternative for you and that is to perish.

Lon’s scream is lost as time freezes, glancing up towards Q2 as his heatsaber scars deep into Lon’s chest, knocking him off the platform hurling to his death below but just as he nears the bottom, Lon’s vision flashes the image of Xola cutting through the mental trauma a split moment too late as his glazed over eyes look face to face towards the swiftly advancing pit of metal. The heat sears his body as his injuries ignite his pain sensors, causing him to feel as if he was being cooked alive while reeling from his torn quadriceps. It is in that one moment that he believes he is truly beyond help that his fall is suddenly halted, mere inches from the bubbling glow of the white-hot metal pit.

By some strange manner his body was then propelled upward by an invisible wind landing hard on the circular platform right at Q2’s feet. Q2 reaches down and rips off Lon’s glove revealing the Hssiss brand.

Filled with immense pain wracking his body, Lon tries to remain conscious. The force was a powerful ally but even it was reaching its limits trying to deal with maintaining Lon’s extensive trauma. As he listens to Q2, he tries to recover his bearings, pushing back the shock overwhelming him on every level. Every move sends shooting pain down his thighs and instantly threw him back to the heated metal floor. He wondered just why Q2 spared his life, then it all became crystal clear…this was never about turning Lon from the dark side or mocking him over his Grandfather. Lon was lured here as BAIT!

LON – (barely a whisper) I know you can’t afford to kill me. This isn’t about a contest; this is about luring Val here to face you!

Q2 – Correct…you are far too inadequate to realize your potential. This is clear. I will not take your life just yet but in exchange you will pay a price. You will learn to adapt to the alteration I HAVE DECIDED FOR YOU!

In a blink of an eye Lon feels an excruciating torment ripple through his wrist…then a cold numbness washes over him…an absence of feeling, of control. Flashes of rippling purple-pink heat distortions pass through his field of view and the scent of heated flesh fills his nostrils. He doesn’t feel the pain anymore but he can sense the shock setting into his body as his vision becomes obscured by patches of black. He sees Q2 standing above laughing as he reaches down and tears off Lon’s bloodstained, singed, silver and black tunic then walks over to something on the floor wrapping it in the cloth. Not one sound is heard, not even the cries of Xola’s horrified screams from inside the universal energy cage swaying above. Everything is a blur, moving in slow motion while fatigue finally spreads over his body as he collapses where the last thing he can see is the smoking stump…

Missing his right hand…

A flick of Q2’s wrist and Lon’s unconscious body is lifted off the floor while Q2 paces towards his levitating figure. Q2 reaches out and a metallic band flies across the room from the darkness of the dais with a sequence of small red flashing LEDS. Q2 grabs Lon by the neck and releases a charge of electricity into his body, forcing Lon to break his unconsciousness, ripping him back to life.

Q2 – No Mr. Wol sleep is too merciful. I want you to be the first to witness my true identity, an image that will haunt you while you ponder your shame in the confines of a steel cage, locked away like a domesticated Mynock for my amusement where the force and your friends cannot aid you.

Q2 then slides his fingers around the sides of his golden facial mask as an electronic click is heard. Lon’s eyes can barely focus upon the details of what is occurring, watching Q2’s eyes slowly come into view, gazing into their depths recognizing one particular feature that sends a shudder down his spine. Q2 continues to reveal himself to his captive prey as he fully sets the golden eyewear down upon the platform, then leisurely…keeping Lon in complete suspense unlatches the buttons of his collar to his white suit, exposing the layers of wrapped fabric spreading along his shoulders, releasing its secured position with a jerk pulling it upward until his mouth and nose are revealed to the fiery light.

LON – You have got to be kidding me…there is no possible way.

Having completely exposed his appearance, Q2 snaps his black ribbed glove forward around Lon’s neck and yanks him eye to eye with him. Lon’s eyes can no longer deny what he sees as his heart skips several beats despite his extensive injuries knowing what he sees could not in his wildest dreams been possible. Shaking his head in horror, he almost lets out a cry of recognition but just as Q2’s identity is revealed, Q2 snaps an electronic collar around Lon’s neck and tosses him across the room into an open universal energy cage.

Q2 – Those words Mr Wol and everything you have observed here will be the last syllables you will ever communicate freely. Live with the truth and suffer with the fact you will not be able to tell anyone what you have witnessed.

Reaching down, Q2 gathers his face mask and his facial wear pacing across a platform that extends, leading to his dais. While he walks, Lon’s cage is strung along a track in the ceiling keeping Q2 and Lon in unison when Lon discovers just what Q2 is blabbering about. The instant Lon attempts to talk the collar sends several hundred volts of electricity coursing through his body making it impossible to speak.
In fact Lon realizes that speaking in any possible manner triggers the effect, forcing him to lay there in the cage in silence while Q2 cackles, taking his seat upon his chair, replacing his disguise.

Q2 – I wanted you to know my identity Mr. Wol. Very shortly you will watch the end of Valaryc Versai and his pathetic era. Witness the noble man you admire succumb to the darkness within and embrace his TRUE potential as the Jedi Slayer. Then and only then Mr. Wol after I have forced him to see his cherished Gen Zeridian die will I release you and Xola be freed from your own miserable existence. This I promise you.

Q2 taps a few buttons embedded into his chair as two Ssi Ruu emerge from a upper passage, walking into the chamber and stop at the edge of the steps. Smiling to Lon in his suspended prison, Q2 shows Lon his own hand wrapped in his bloodstained, burned, and singed tunic using the force to hover the materials down to the reptilian creatures below along with the three crystals from Chen’s saber evenly spaced on top.

Closing his eyes, Q2 recalls various thoughts he has gathered from Lon while in the intensity of the duel, unlocking secrets and words spoken outside of his presence. Because of the power of the Kaiburr Crystal he extracts the exact location of the Versai Mansion and the defense codes to breach its planetary shield.

Q2 – See that these items are delivered, along with a message that I have previously recorded. Inform Skorne and Elixis we will be having company shortly and to prepare themselves accordingly. What is the progress of Skel’s Fleet?

The first creature gathers the items as they settle to the floor, while the second dressed in gray, tattered robes slithers its nasal tongues, keeping its head bowed while aiming its words to its master.

SSI RUU WARRIOR – Master Skel will arrive within a matter of minutes to carry out your wishes. The Reignfire is being prepared for your departure as well. I will see to it personally your message is delivered with our specially modified carriage units.

Q2 – Very well, leave. I am feeling rather soiled from the discussion with Mr. Wol. I have business to attend to.

Lon glances towards Xola as she looks toward him with great concern. He tries to speak but the moment his vocal chords vibrate the shocking torture of the collar cuts Lon’s speech off. All he can do is raise his good arm towards her and nod that he recognizes her presence while both potential bride and groom are forced to watch each other but have no physical or verbal interaction. This was truly a fate worse then death for Lon because it only proved that Q2 was becoming more and more confirmed in his claims. The force was gone now, thanks to the properties of the cage and with that so was his connection to his Master not to mention his ability to heal which caused his body to erupt in intolerable misery as every nerve center inside him triggered with throbbing anguish.

Lon was defeated…broken, and forever changed due to his missing hand. Val would undoubtedly rush to his aid once Q2’s message was delivered and that would set into motion the trap that he knew Q2 would spring upon them once they entered this intolerable inferno. Would Val turn back into the Jedi Slayer? With Gen by his side and placed in supreme jeopardy, Lon felt a twinge of doubt settle over his mind. Maybe just maybe if Q2 pressed enough buttons Val might be forced to return to the darkness he rejected. Gen was the means to his weakness now but Lon was unquestionably…

The key…
 

INTERIOR: VERSAI TECH – CENTRAL COMMAND CENTER
 

Two days have passed while Val and Gen relocate back into the Versai Mansion with their bond reformed, tempered with endless dedication and secrets no longer held between them unaware of what awaited them. Inside the Central Command Center of Versai Tech crews scatter around like ants as superiors bark orders to shaken crewmen. Deep within the atmosphere surrounding Tuulab a recognizable threat has emerged.

When last they appeared, the fleet of Killian Shadow Serpents threatened to completely destroy Versai Tech from the safety of space, toppling several towers with their vengeful assault. Entering the main control room we can see the Leader of the Board of Directors in the guise of Marcus Jade confidently and collectively pacing down a hexagonal illuminated corridor flanked by several security personal and technical advisors.

MARC – How long ago did they arrive?

OFFICIER – Less then a few minutes sir, they emerged from hyperspace without detection and this time they weren’t even cloaked! They just popped out of thin air and avoided all forms of detection! What are we going to do? If they fire on us again….I

Marc holds up a soothing hand to the panic stricken officer as he gestures towards the entrance to the Central Control Center which contains several computer monitors, scanning equipment, data analyzers, parameter defense grids, and most prominent an immense view screen. As Marc rounds a corner he can detect the sorrow and fear building in the workers as they rush around him. Some of which were survivors of the first and second raid on Versai Tech. The first attack was truly devastating and almost a hundred workers lost their lives in the carnage. The second raid perpetrated by Skorne was also a disaster but thankfully learning from the first encounter, less lives were taken however death was death nonetheless.

Marcus smoothes his fingers back along his military trimmed hair with his re-grown ammonite hand. Having encountered Jenner or rather Tula An disguised as Jenner, Marcus had fully healed from his injuries attained during the spectacular, Battle of Xyquine. He was focused and determined as ever to make The Killian atone for their crimes and those lost during the war.

OFFICIER – Sir, I lost my brother in the last raid…

MARC – (glares) If we focus upon the “what ifs” we will be unprepared for the actual assault. It’s best to think in the here and now, take a moment to compose yourself and remember that you work for Versai Tech. We’re the Superpower, not them.

Marc spins on his heel as he enters the ice blue lit, octagonal shaped interior that is Central Command. Inside he can see the crew toiling to come up with battle scenarios, attempting to keep their concern buried by tasks. Marcus strides in his purple and gold striped VT uniform to the expansive view screen which confirms the crew’s concern. There amidst a sea of black speckled with alternating starlight are six Shadow Serpents in a “V” formation with what Marc assumes is the flagship in the front.

MARC – Bring all weapons online and charge our planetary turbolaser defense grids. If it’s a fight they want, we’re not going to get caught with our pants down this time.

OFFICIER – Sir, the Commander of the fleet is requesting communication.

MARC – Put it through the monitor.

Marc glares to the elongated octagonal view screen as Skel appears from a seat aboard his flagship, Swarth. Marc recognizes the commander as Ssi Ruu but up to this moment, he has never seen this particular figure before, wrapped in a tattered set of gray-black, torn robes staring with cold yellow eyes while seated upon his command chair inside a green bathed, mechanical interior.

SKEL –Killian Commander Skel of The Killian Fleet I am. Cease charging your weaponsss.

Marc allows a few moments to pass as his arms come across his chest. He takes his time to prepare his words so they do not reflect a state of emotion which in this current situation would affect the moral of the occupants inside the room. He was in charge for the moment while Lance was out of commission, due to Skorne’s deadly ammunition and even though Lance was competent to assume his command, it wasn’t his physical limitations that prevented him from being here; it was his love for Sara.

She was still significantly injured from the attack and the slugs injected her body with the ysalamiri DNA prevented her from using the force in any matter, let alone heal. Both she and Lance were currently being treated inside a VT funded Medical Ward on the Forest Moon of Endor. After the attack, Marc before returning to Tuulab had made sure Lance and Sara was in good hands on the forest local before returning to duty as the head of VT in Lance and Val’s absence. She was for the most part left up to the life saving attributes of medical science while Lance was forced to watch her in what seemed like an endless dream. Akin to her brother, Sara was now in a state of deep sleep but not so as extreme or uncertain as a coma, she would eventually awaken as her life was no longer in danger.

Skel beamed with pride aboard his ship as his steely yellow iris contracted, focusing in on the details of the stranger before him. He expected to be addressed by Lance Jade, apparently Q2’s previous orders were already beginning to change.

MARC – You have ten seconds to state a reason why we shouldn’t light you up like a Jedi pyre.

Marc gestures with his eyes towards a crewman manning the controls to the complex, newly installed planetary turbo laser networking system. Since the last two attacks with the year that’s passed, Lance Jade and Val ordered the immediate construction of not one but six gargantuan planetary turbolaser emplacements. Roughly the diameter of two football fields these massive units were housed within hollowed out mountains in close proximity of Versai Tech. Given that Kuat Drives was part of the collection of companies housed under the banner of Versai Tech, Val had almost unlimited axis to whatever he deemed necessary, not to mention the status as quite possibly the richest man in the galaxy.

Skel grins wider as he drums his claws on the armrest, that is to say his one good arm he had left while pondering the stranger’s words. What Marc wasn’t aware of is that Skel had his own bargaining chip to guarantee VT could not open fire on his fleet. Aside from the newly installed quadra-space engines which while still experimental allowed his ships to exceed to a pace beyond that of lightspeed, he was also previously briefed regarding Q2’s intentions with Lon Wol and the plan to send a piece of the impulsive apprentice back to his master as a reason not to allow VT to attack him.

SKEL – Before I addresss such arrogance I demand to speak to your superiorsss.

MARC – (grins) So much for your intelligence. I am Marcus Jade, current leading member of the Versai Tech Board of Directors. President Versai and Vice President Jade are currently occupied elsewhere which means…I’m in charge.

SKEL – Marcusss Jade? I have heard of such a name. You commanded Destiny’s Light. You are directly responsssible for the death of Admiral Draven.

MARC – Actually it was both Lance Jade and I who crushed your flawed armada once we found the chink in your armor.

SKEL – An oversight that hasss been corrected. Do you not wisssh to know why we have come?

MARC – I believe you have five seconds remaining…

SKEL – Master Quillion The Sssecond has ordered us to remain here. Our ordersss are the wait until we are given further instruction. I advise you not attack or great consequencesss will occur. For now we are at a stalemate as I am not allowed to engage you.

MARC – You mean YOU can’t attack us, but other then your word, which means nothing to me…you fail to present any evidence of your claims.

Marc smiles towards a cadet manning the planetary defense console as he begins to tap in orders to a network of other displays to train their aim on the Shadow Serpents and await further instruction. Skel seems to instantly recognize the tactic as his crew informs him of the weapons locking on to his craft. A twitch glimmers in Skorne’s eye as he flares his nostrils, losing is patience.

SKEL – DO YOU LACK EARLOBES? I HAVE SSSTATED NOTHING BUT TRUTH! IF MEANT CURRENT AGRESSSION WE DID, WE WOULD NOT LEAVE OUR SHIPS VULNERBLE!

MARC – Consider this calling your bluff.

SKEL – Arrogant bag of water…Ponder consequences you must. Table your humanistic pride and review circumstances you should. Would Versai be pleased with your conduct?

Marc slides his finger along the bridge of his chin a moment, seeing that the little reptile was persistent in its banter. Marc knew that by implementing a threat of annihilation he would systematically retrieve the information from his opponent. Now it seemed that there was a growing sense of alarm building inside him because if this creature was telling the truth it wouldn’t be long before Val would contact VT with tragic news of some sort.

Marc decides to continue the game with Skel, keeping his eyes focused upon the cadet in the chair manning the controls to the planetary weapon system. Wanting to get as much information as possible, he instructs one of the towers to fire a warning shot at the hovering pests.

MARC – YOU LIE. Quillion is DEAD and because of him, Valaryc Versai was left fighting for his life. Enough of these stall tactics. FIRE!

Skel’s nasal tongues whip around as he sees a humongous burst of radiant green energy light up the regions of space as it streaks by his ship, missing by mere inches. Marc tries to hold back his laughter while the reptilian commander scampers around frantically, perhaps trying to make sure his bargaining chip is as strong as Q2 claimed it would be or this trip would be a brief one. Instructed to blatantly emerge from space and loom there like a cloud of thunderous rain threatening a peaceful countryside, Skel continued to follow his superior’s wishes. The green beam was vibrant, deadly and at least a hundred meters in diameter. Even with their improved polished black Luxor Armor, it was doubtful the ships would stand up to such immense firepower, should Marc decide to do something rash.

MARC – Five more seconds and I won’t miss unless you start giving me some convincing answers.

SKEL – (snarls) I SPEAK OF QUILLION’S SUCCESSOR! POSSSITION OF POWER YOU ABUSE! DESTROY US YOU CAN BUT REGRET IT YOU WILL! FIRE WE CANNOT!

MARC – Three seconds…

SKEL – I KNOW NOTHING MORE! YOU GAIN NOTHING BY OUR DESTRUCTION!

MARC – Commander…lock on to the lead ship and fire on my command, I see nothing here but remnants of a shattered regime that need to be mopped up.

SKEL – REGRET YOU WILL! REGRET MARC JADE!

MARC – 3….2…1…

Suddenly Marc’s attention is captured by another blip on the screen as a streaking fighter craft tears across the view screen pulling its way in the line of fire of The Swarth. Marcus tries to decipher what vessel would protect such a potential enemy as he lifts his finger to give the signal to attack, when a VT insignia on the wing of a Howlrunner halts his action.

Val’s voice booms through the room through a network of speaker systems, acknowledging some credibility to Skel’s outrageous claims.

VAL – (com) This is President Valaryc Versai. I am ordering you to STAND DOWN immediately, whoever is in charge that is a direct command.

Val’s trajectory weaves it’s way downward as his Howlrunner, the fastest modified ship in his arsenal of vehicles hurls towards VT’s atmosphere, quickly transmitting the clearance codes to VT’s planetary shield network, solidifying his identity as his craft did not possess the technology to send a visual confirmation having traded that ability for engines that matched the speed of an A-Wing.

Marc listens to Val’s order through an audio signal only, walking towards an adjacent panel leaning over to type in the secret code Val gave him to respond via a UNITRAC network.

MARC – (flicks his finger to an officer) Get that piece of amphibian filth off my monitor.

SKEL – (before his image is lost) Told you I did…correct I wasss…remain we will.

Skel’s image instantly vanishes from the large monitor as Marc leans over the console, speaking into a microphone unit which, with the UNITRAC signal allows him a private line to Val’s Howlrunner.

MARC – (com) President Versai, this is Marcus Jade reporting. We have stood down and all weapons are on stand by for the time being.

VAL – (com) Formalities and the pleasantries will have to wait Marc. I’m not here by choice. I received a rather shocking parcel, in the guise of an advanced delivery droid that not only knew how to breach the shields on Alpha Xeridia but came crashing through the wall of mansion during dinner with my lovely fiancée Gen.

MARC – (smiles) Engaged already eh? It’s about time Sir, I know of your affinity for Miss Zeridian.

VAL – I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances…there are…complications involved. A droid delivered something of great importance to me and I’ve been directed to arrive here at Versai Tech and await a visual rendezvous with a man who calls himself Q2.

MARC – The commander of the fleet has identified his allegiance to this Quillion the Second. He claims that he has a bargaining chip to ensure his survival in our jurisdiction. Any idea what that is?

Val aboard his ship draws in a deep breath as he stares down to the blood stained tunic of his apprentice Lon Wol. Inside, wrapped tightly was Lon’s severed hand and all the proof and motivation Q2 needed to push Val into playing his twisted game. Like it or not, Val didn’t even need to see Q2 to know he was a serious threat not only to himself but to everyone around him. Despite his internal degradation Val would ensure that what happened to Lon would never happen to anyone else again. Gen soothed Val’s emotional instability by squeezing his hand. Marcus waited for Val’s response as well, wondering just what tragic revelation he would receive that would set these course of events in motion.

Val tried to mask the pain and emotional sadness in his voice, discovering his first attempt to speak only produced a series of audible gibberish, clouded by the quaking of his voice each time he pictured the look of horror that must have been on Lon’s face when his hand was sliced off.

The voices inside Val’s head tried to goad him into magnifying his human weaknesses and fragility but he pushed them away, squeezing Gen’s supporting hand tighter as he looked into her concerned amethyst orbs. Gen could feel his pain, the pain of his words failing to take shape and the sadness they both shared through the loss of their daughter. Atop Kathryn’s Bluff they united in the most passionate, most expressive way possible and made a vow to avenge their beloved daughter, but Lon’s stubborn nature to dash off without warning them of the trap had complicated matters even further.

Gen wasn’t pleased with Lon’s decision and Val was livid when the message from Q2 first played but upon the conclusion of the bravado of his superiority recorded from his chair, the droid compartment slid back and revealed its vital, emotionally distressing contents. Val recognized right away that Q2 wasn’t deceiving him when he claimed to have left the first of many marks on his record. Without having to be in the same room, Q2 successfully impacted Val with his deeds. Whether or not Q2 was a part of Terra’s murder was still a mystery to Val but the feud became personal when Q2 decided to permanently alter Lon’s humanity.

VAL – (composing himself) He…he…He has Lon Marc. First Skorne ambushes us on Chandrila and murders my daughter and now this Q2 has captured my Padawan and mortally injures him. I won’t lose them both Marcus…I swear to you, I have no choice but to follow the instructions I’ve received. For now don’t question The Killian’s presence here….just…just meet me in the Hanger Bay. We’ll discuss the matter further when I arrive…Val out.

MARC – Terra is dead???

Marc blinks a second, and then bolts out of the room without so much as a second glance. He couldn’t believe that someone would have the gull to murder Val and Gen’s daughter. Week after week Val would tell Marc about how both Gen and Terra had restored the peace in his life and the stability he needed to cope with his stress. With Terra deceased and Lon in jeopardy, Marc knew that Val would soon revert back to his warrior-like ways and that only meant more trouble as time progressed. Barreling down the hallway and heading straight towards a turbolift, Marc can sense the severity in Val’s words and he knew when his superior was trying to hide back a deeper element of concern. This detection came from Marc’s service to Val when he was the Leader of the RA under the guidance of Leia.

Whatever else Val needed from Marc, he wanted to be right there to help out his trusted friend. Time was apparently of the essence due to Val not choosing to pilot the MARC he’s accustom to traveling in. On this occasion Val had picked out his fastest ship, sacrificing luxury for speed and accuracy. His Howlrunner wasn’t even heavily armed but combat was not his objective. All these clues further informed Marc that this nightmare wasn’t about to end anytime soon and things would undoubtedly grow progressively worse before they would improve.
 

INTERIOR: THE KILLIAN BASTION – HALLWAY

The tension tightens like taut piano wire as the scene dissolves to the dark, torch lit, serpentine metal hallway deep inside the depths of The Killian Bastion where Q2 is revealed, dressed in a fresh set of his signature attire striding down the passagway, lurking in the shadows like a wraith waiting to trounce an unsuspecting victim. His prey however would prove itself more a challenge then his “talk” with Val’s prized Padawan, trapped inside a cage and strung up like a canary who unintentionally fed Q2 the information he needed to penetrate the defenses of Alpha Xeridia.

Pacing with calculated purpose, Q2 spots a blur of shimmering orange, red, and sweeping black streak along the ruby lenses of his facial apparatus. Seeking an occasion to bring his prophecy to reality, he waits for just the right moment when Skorne is forced to brush by him, obviously on a quest to locate Elixis.

Q2 – (as Skorne passes) My, my, my…it seems someone is desperate for affection. How is my pet today?

Skorne instantly stops in his tracks about five meters from Q2’s location, slowly craning his shiny orange and red helmet over his shoulder, peering to the voice through his veiled black visor. Flexing his gloves, Skorne doesn’t reply just yet letting his body language speak for him as he carefully approaches Q2’s grinning expression which oddly enough was not covered by cloth this time. Q2 WANTED Skorne to see his lips smirk; it only fueled Q2’s pleasure to see the armored rat squirm inside his mental maze.

SKORNE – (growls) I’m warning you Q2, I WILL hit a man with glasses…especially gold plated ones.

Q2 snickers as he crosses his arms along his chest, puffing out the white suit while the torches adorn the long and organic-steel corridor illuminate the regions of his crimson red vaderish attire. Keeping his eyes trained on Skorne, Q2’s right hand covered in the black glove trails downward to the plating of his heatsaber, indicating an answer to the challenge with his own body language.
Q2 – She’s just using you, you know. Elixis is drawn to men of power…men like myself who hold no mortal limitations, not damaged goods. You know what I refer too correct? Cybernetic inefficiencies?

Skorne can detect the sarcasm in Q2’s voice, mocking his injuries in reference to the replaced limbs from his encounter with Gen Zeridian. For a moment Skorne wonders just how long Q2 would keep up his jester-like attitude when his butt was fried by Gen’s excruciating Twirl Lightning. After all Skorne did kill her daughter under the orders of Elixis and with this infernal “agreement”, Q2 shared in that vicious deed and Gen and Val’s quest for justice. As Q2 continues to provoke Skorne, he starts to recall something that Q2 had stated earlier…about a moment where this circumstance occurring this very instant would happen. Skorne HATED force users! They always tried to screw with your head and make false predictions but every prediction Q2 had claimed had come true…if that was the case then, Skorne would make good on HIS prediction as well.

SKORNE – SAY ONE MORE WORD TO ME Q2, GO ON, GIVE ME A REASON!

Q2 – (smiles) I don’t recognize words…I only react to actions.

SKORNE – REACT TO THIS!

Skorne whips his hand down and tears his blaster pistol free from the holster, unleashing a hail of plasma fire as Q2 snaps on his heatsaber in the blink of an eye deflecting the deadly shower of purple-blue beams. Letting go of his concern for the moment, lost in that sense of emotion and anger that has been building from Q2’s constant chipping of his patience, Skorne yells out and continues firing until his blaster is forced to shut down to prevent overheating.

His fury fills the chamber in blazing patches of sparks and carbon scored rage as his deflected shots slam into the metal walls and tears into the metallic skin of the interior, while Q2 stands defensively behind his rippling magenta-blue heatsaber blade.

Q2 – I believe it is time to end this charade…

SKORNE – I ENTHUSIASTICALLY AGREE!

Suddenly as Skorne pulls out his deadly accurate disruptor pistol and Q2 begins a tensed sprint towards Skorne with his weapon raised high. Out of the blue, the doors behind the two combatants are blown off their hinges, tossed across the room as hellfire bolts of orange electricity light up the room in tendrils of orange intensity.

ELIXIS – CEASE THESE CHILDISH ANTICS!

Both Skorne and Q2 are instantly leveled by the Inferno Lighting as Elixis glares angrily to the two contenders, using her force power known as Force Dominion to simultaneously lift them into the air and choke them, before hurling both emotionally charged fighters to opposite ends of the room. Screaming in utter frustration Elixis storms into the hallway and shoots a maleficent stare towards Skorne then towards Q2 as her black gloved, semi-fingerless fingers curl into tight fists. Her platinum hair quivers in a heat distorted rippled breeze as her fingertips extinguish the yellow-orange radiance around them.

Skorne swallows hard as he stares into Elixis’s narrowed crimson eyes, shifting his visor towards Q2 at the far opposite corner of the room. Both men were forced to end their dispute. Skorne initiates his electromagnetic gloves to recall his blasters back into his hands, replacing them in the holsters. He takes pride in knowing that the damage of Elixis’s temper had to effect Q2 more then himself, because from what he could tell Q2 wasn’t wearing armor and his prized white suit was once again tarnished by burning embers.

Q2 – (growls) Do you have any idea just how much these suits cost me?

ELIXIS – For the moment milord, SHUT UP!

Q2 shoots Elixis an awkward glance but enjoys the brief moment where he gave up his power to a female superior, it was even enticing in some ways to see a woman in a position of power and he relished Elixis at her most feral state. Inside the Sith Temple, Q2 was aroused by her passionate hatred to destroy and control him. Sure Q2 always was obsessed with being in command within his throne room, he had an image to maintain but behind closed doors he didn’t always favor doing all the work himself.

ELIXIS – (looking to Q2) Need I remind you of our bargain? The terms state that Skorne is not to be harmed in ANY manner, that included psychological. You are not supposed to be capable of jealousy…he has his reasons but you of all people should know where my allegiances lie.

Q2 – (coughs) How quickly they shift when it suits you Miss Kel. However I will abide by your wishes. As per our arrangement Skorne will be granted the first chance to defeat Valaryc Versai and you will have Miss Zeridian all to your lonesome.

SKORNE – Damn right I get him first…

ELIXIS – Silence…I’m not pleased with your conduct either. Do not attempt to test the endurance of my patience. A relationship between us does not warrant you the right to defy my wishes.

Skorne dusts himself off and adjusts his helmet while he glances towards Q2’s heatsaber, giving it a swift kick across the floor in its owner’s direction. Biting his tongue, Q2 picks up his weapon and clips it back to his belt, scowling about the scratches Skorne just made to his beloved device, but dismisses his rage for the time being. Returning his attention to Elixis…or rather her form hugging black and red catsuit, he nodded while mentally undressing Elixis’s body, contaminating his thoughts with carnal desires.

SKORNE – (smiling behind his mask) Sorry Elixis, won’t happen again.

Elixis suddenly roams her gaze back towards Q2 as if she can read his thoughts or perhaps his unsaid proposition to her. Feeling his body heat rising, she’s wise to his intentions but she also knows of his obsession to address Val, eagerly waiting within Versai Tech. Seizing this opportunity, Elixis plans her own method of mental warfare.

ELIXIS – Don’t you have somewhere you need to be Q2? I’m sure Val and Gen have reached VT by now and are ever so diligently awaiting you to grace them with your divine presence.

Q2 mentally tells himself to take Elixis up on his lustful endeavors later for at the moment Val was his focus and he agreed that enough time had most likely passed. The sport with Val had officially begun and the gauntlet had been tossed with the presentation of Lon’s severed hand. Things were set into motion and now it excited Q2 to see them progress but the next phase in his plan would not only change Val and Gen’s life, but forever shake the galaxy as well.

Nodding silently and tossing off his singed white suit coat, Q2 brushes by Skorne and purposely slams into his shoulder, repeating the gesture Skorne had did before…pressing the knife even deeper into Skorne’s tolerance while he still could get away with it. Meanwhile Elixis was now standing eye to eye with Skorne as Q2 disappeared down the hallway and entered another chamber, on route to his flagship The Reignfire seeking to deliver his message.

The instant Q2 is completely gone; Elixis rips off Skorne’s helmet and stealth mask and kisses his mouth heated and passionate. Her fingers weave through his shortened brown hair as she feels his armor press into her swelled breasts, slamming him erotically against the wall. Literally taking his breath away, Skorne grabs Elixis’s hips and drives them flush with his armor plating, condemning it for holding him back from Elixis’s bare skin grinding into his own heated desire.

ELIXIS – (soothing) Misdirection is the key, Q2 doesn’t suspect our true intentions. You performed exceptionally against my former opponent. I am pleased with your efforts. With Terra T’Negun dead there is only one person standing between me and the title of #1.

Skorne pushes Elixis away and looks deep into her crimson eyes, trying to hold back the wave of anger flowing through his veins.

SKORNE – YOU KNEW SHE WOULD BE THERE! YOU ALSO KNEW TERRA WAS THEIR DAUGHTER AND YOU NEGLECTED TO TELL ME! Elixis I need answers and I want them RIGHT NOW.

ELIXIS – (smiles) Business before pleasure eh baby? Very well then.