Unexpectedly Val snapped his head up from the surface of a rigid desk. The image of the Jedi Slayer was still imprinted before his eyes but it was only a flicker of reality as he awoke from the nightmare, ending his time in the Dreamscape with only the insidious words of the Slayer echoing in his mind…

“I’ve been with you since the beginning. I’ve always been there to help you when you needed it most and I won’t allow her to die. Make no mistake you and I are allies.”

It was the dark side speaking to him and Val tried to will it away but with his choice to “trust” the Jedi Slayer persona’s words the seed had been planted and that door still sealed away now had one less lock placed upon it. Never before had the Jedi Slayer been able to invade Val’s dreams with such magnitude. Obi Wan was absent from his thoughts as well, and likely he would not return again for if the Slayer was indeed telling the truth, Val’s own will had purged Obi from his mind, leaving Val alone with what words were given to him and what the Slayer had prophesized.

Even though the shock prevented Val from uncovering more information regarding the prophecy, what Val knew for certain is that Gen was now in grave danger for Obi Wan must have seen her truly die, otherwise why would he refuse to tell Val about it and prevent the act from happening? Val was still confused, but he soon sunk back into the pain of reality. He runs his fingers over the bandages around his arms, hearing the echo of, “He has weakened you” pulsate through his head. Having awoken, Val stared blanky towards the entrance to the medical ward of his secret chambers below the Versai Mansion with another question to solve that neither Obi Wan nor the Slayer could answer…

Why was his body growing weaker?

Val slowly blinked away the images as he affixed his gaze upon a large device with a flat rectangular floor and several, segregated cylindrical panels. In this day in age it was clear from the familiarity of the layout around the machine that this was a highly developed scanner, much like an x-ray unit.

Val gazes down to the white bandages shrouding the mangled flesh of his arms as he settled to his feet and walked slowly to a scanning device. His eyes were filled with an inner concern examining the control panel, flipping some switches and tapping a few buttons. The echo of air filled chambers and a rush of electricity rippled through the rounded chamber while Val slowly began to unwrap the bandages from his arms, one roll at a time.

As more and more of his injury came into view, he could see the scarred tissue, still swelled and red from the tragic effects of Skorne’s flaming net. The memories poured into his mind again. Each time his hand passed over and revealed another length of bandage, the evidence of his mortality reminded him of the words the figure had told him.

“You have grown frail…”

Yes, it was clear that this was true as Val fastened his gaze upward towards the ceiling, holding back a shrill of pain, gritting his teeth. The bandages on his left arm slithered to the floor as he started to unwind his left arm. All the while the machine was powering up for the purpose intended. Val knew that to locate the answers he sought he would need to further investigate the circumstances of his frailty. Skorne’s menacing, dented and cracked mask flashed through his mind. That concealed identity smiling maliciously as the bounty hunter unleashed his hellish fury. Val had to know more, he wanted to know who was under that damned helmet and more so then ever he was feeling the effects of leaving ancient history unsettled.

Answers were what he was looking for much more then guidance or words. Obi Wan had set into motion the course of action which has led Val to decide that what he needed to know no longer exist in the Dreamscape, it existed in reality. He stepped onto the reflective center of a rectangular platform and drew a deep breath, then released, flexing his fingers. The cylindrical panels started to glow with a speckled rainbow light, growing in intensity as we can see a full panoramic view around Val’s body, proclaiming the story of his past like a map by the scars etched into his mortal flesh.

From the front, his face bares the tragedy of evolution, revealing lines of age running under his eyes and around his cheekbones. He still had his chin with that unshaven look, having chosen that such a mundane chore was no longer of importance. His hair was medium length and it hung almost lifeless along his shoulders as he turned his saddened gaze to the floor balling his fists tightly while fighting the tormented images racing through his thoughts.

He could picture Sara’s eyes widen as she was gunned down, and the look of horror from Lance’s reaction…the unexpected flash of red irises and flared pupils as his daughter was unable to escape the inevitability of death…a time that had come far too soon, instigated by the actions of another.

The machine meanwhile began to spin around Val, roaming the glowing radiance over his bare skin, starting at his ankles and moving its way up. Val’s legs were muscular and for the most part contained little more then a few scratches from the encounter. However traveling beyond only a single layer of clothing shielding his more intimate regions, beams of light shifted into slivers of white radiance, scanning along the burned tissue of his arms, up to just below his shoulder like a laser scanning a barcode as data was fed into the CPU of the scanner.

Little clicks and beeps filled the room as the lights continued to inspect along Val’s body, inch by inch through what could be seen into what could not where Val knew his answer would lie just like Skorne’s real identity deep beneath the surface.

The white bands of light roamed up and down Val’s taut, swelled, injured flesh as another series of radiant rings started scanning from his waist up, covering his entire chest and back in its blanketed vivacity. Val kept his eyes closed so he wouldn’t be blinded by the scanners as he listened to them move and pivot with a hydraulic whine.

Several cylinders jerked back and forth, scanning the lights along Val’s body while a computer documented its tally of findings on an endless set of digital blank canvas, dotting it with lines like those of a seismograph, while other areas of the machine on opposing screens monitored his heart rate, body heat, and other important functions.

There was still that fire inside Val’s chest…a slight pain that flared now and then as he stood there waiting for the machine to complete its cycle. Normally if he were in peak shape the machine would have concluded its scan by now, apparently there something deeper it was searching for.

The white lines scanned along the muscles of his back, where more lacerations were found including a large scar that ran from Val’s left rib, upward to just below his right shoulder. This scar wasn’t known to anyone who had not seen Val entirely without his shirt and even those who had seen it never understood where it originated from. It was the mark Vader left Val to prove that he still had much to learn, so many years ago. It was the price Val paid for escaping death and it was a mark that served as a constant reminder of what would await him, should he ever allow himself to become weak again.

There was no return to the past as far as he was concerned and yet the present was making this inevitable by striking his body with inflictions that he would have normally shrugged off with force healing. He took in deep breaths as he cycled through the horrific expressions of his fallen friends. Terra’s death still weighed heavy on his mind as he flashed between her and Skorne, feeding his sadness and converting it to anger.

He swore that no matter what it took or what was happening to him, Skorne would pay for the death of his daughter. As much as he wanted to know who Skorne was under his mask, he wanted justice even more. A justice Gen tried to deal to her daughter’s murderer and yet fate denied him sentence but for what reason would yet be revealed.

Val looked towards his fists and then slowly traced his fingers along the lines of scarred issue that plagued his arms where the wire from the fire net literally embedded itself into his skin. Suddenly he hears the CPU begin to emit a series of beeps, signaling the final reading of the scan.

He then took a breath and proceeded to the monitor, choosing to remain standing in nothing more then a pair of briefs covering his body. His fingers cycle through a series of data that flashes on the screen as he skims through the typical findings, then discovers an interesting anomaly.

Raising an eyebrow he quickly magnifies a portion of a screen to his left and taps on its touch screen interface as he sifts through body temperature readings, blood cell count and finally to his midi-chlorian score…

50,000 – 50,001, 50,002, 50,003

It was increasing! Val’s last count when he scanned himself a couple of weeks ago was only 45,000. Now he could see by looking through a series of periodical scans that his count was growing higher and higher with each second, but why?

If Val was getting stronger then why was he feeling weaker? Why were his injuries refusing to heal? None of these answers made any sense! How can one grow stronger and weaker at the same time?

Quickly he filed through more screens and data. A voice began to read a list off to him coming from the computer as he listened.

(Computer Voice)

Extensive Tissue Damage – Left and Right Forearms
Scar Tissue – 45 degrees across back region
Lacerations and multiple contusions– Lower Thighs, Chest, Lower Back regions
Bruising – 20% of body
Possible Concussion
No fractured or broken bone structures
No torn ligaments or internal tears
Organic deterioration
Alert - FOREIGN SUBSTANCE LOCATED

VAL – (talking to the computer) Yeah, yeah…hey wait a minute. What do you mean foreign substance? Clarify…

COMPUTER – Substance is of unknown origin, possible toxin.

VAL – I don’t want to hear “possible” I want to hear absolutes. Is it a toxin, virus, or a glitch in your system?

COMPUTER – Scanning…

A shudder flows through Val’s body as he starts to remember his final duel with Cire. Something about what Cire had told him before his final demise…another curse he vowed to afflict. There was something deeper, but Val was positive that he had evaded the toxin that put him into the coma before…he was free wasn’t he? Sara wasn’t affected by it and there were no medical records of the toxin in the VT records after he awoke. Just what was this “foreign substance” then? Val refocused his thoughts as the computer spoke a detailed report on its estimation of its findings.

COMPUTER

Probability of miscalculation is 1 in 10,000.
Probability of Toxin – 50%
Probability of Virus – 50%
Probability of Infection – Confirmed

VAL – Your numbers are in error, if there were any trace of toxins or viruses the medical staff would have detected those ages ago.

COMPUTER – Incorrect…data indicates detection would be inaccurate if the toxin was in remission. Given there is no affirmed data on identity of contaminant, it must be estimated this is an undiscovered strand created from an older source. Two traces of known material were detected, but are not perceived as a threat.

VAL – What two materials?

COMPUTER – Records show infection #1 – Battle of Tibbanopolis – Infection #2 – Killian Citadel – Results – Binary Contamination – Results – Extended Coma. Data reveals infection numbers reduced to .003, a level of acceptability. However current records indicate new strand count steadily increasing.

VAL – Why are my midi-chlorians increasing and yet my body is refusing to heal?

COMPUTER – Unable to comply with solution, a blood sample is required before examination can continue.

Val slams his arm down on a padded section of machinery taking a seat. Despite the pressure put on his burned arm he glares towards the computer screen, watching a mechanical appendage whirl around baring a hypodermic needle on the end

VAL – I despise shots…hurry up and stick me already.

The recoils a moment then slowly sinks the needle into a vein in Val’s arm as he looks away, closing his eyes while a tube fills with his blood. Seconds tick away like hours as Val leans back against the chair and counts down from ten. All he can do is watch and wait, making sure not to move or do anything to taint the results of the test.

“But you already know the answer to that question. You’ve known since you allowed yourself to deceive her in the first place.”

The words echoed in his mind as the needle retracted and the series of beeps and clicks continued. Slowly he opened his eyes and traced his fingers along the readout upon the screen.

T—E—R—M

In a flash he slammed his fist into the LCD panel, cracking the display of the computer sending a hail of electrical sparks outward as wires tore and sputtered. There were no words, no cocky remarks now and nothing more then aggression as Val grabbed the machine and ripped it from the ground with all of his might, hurling the mass of metal into a opposing wall. With a loud CLANG the mechanism erupted in a shower of shrapnel flying in a explosive flurry of destruction. His blood boiled with fury as he walked over and cleared the data from all the computers then grabbed his clothes and stormed out the room.

The machine was utterly demolished on the floor as a light struck from above flickered flashes of dull white light. It was clear that whatever information Val read was effective enough to evoke his wrath and that the answers he sought out were solutions he was not ready to learn yet…

Or ready to accept.
 

INTERIOR: THE KILLIAN BASTION – HALLWAY

Val storms down the endless stretch of a hallway as the lights and structure dissolve into another location far, far, away from the turbulence within the Versai Mansion. The walls shift towards a metallic snake-like stretch of mechanical skin, organic and curved into various chambers, wrapping around corners and rising up and over stairways and ramps. Here we can see Skorne pacing with great focus down a corridor leading to the far left in the direction of the secret entrance to Q2’s hellish Throne Room interior. During the past couple weeks heavy thoughts have plagued Skorne while he recovered and grew accustom to his latest mechanical arm and restored leg.

Once again garbed in his identical but refurbished orange, red, and black bounty hunter armor he glares through a new mechanized interface inside his intimidating headgear. Along his hips are his blasters, which have replaced his older shorted out models that were lost on Chandrila. Images of Gen’s purple lightsaber slicing off his leg then arm infect Skorne with nightmares and rise up bitter hatred.

 He entirely loathed this new deal struck between in his view the replacement to Jenner…this Quillion the Second and The New Sith Order which now no longer contained its individuality merged with The Killian to become known now as “The Killian Guild” itself. The KG was vastly becoming its own legion and in due time sought out to grow as large as The Empire long ago. Skorne didn’t trust The Killian nor anyone who was within it, save for Skel.

There of course was another layer to Skorne’s frustration however, aside from the fact that Jenner betrayed and stole his humanity that day inside his throne room…that of course was a singular word that played true to both sides of good and evil…love.

Perhaps in the sense of the word it wasn’t the usual fall in love and form a bond relationship that Val and Gen possessed but the secret to Skorne’s endless dedication to Elixis was formed deeper still. Due to certain circumstances beyond his control, Skorne was forced in his previous identity to endure a life of solitude and endless rejection due to his appearance from a yet unknown tragic accident.

This was the key you see, for Elixis had found Skorne at his absolute worst state and in that period of vulnerability she had also taken full advantage of his emotional turmoil, using it as a tool to carry out her own malicious deeds. Elixis seduced and entrapped Skorne by giving him the one element others would not…sensual freedom.

Elixis granted Skorne the freedom to explore anything his twisted mind desired, without fear or hesitation. She allowed him to touch her intimately and explore her every curve and crevasse to his leisure…at least for that moment in time…before Q2 showed up.

No matter the words spoken to him, Skorne knew there was something that happened inside the temple on Eol Sha and yet no one would tell him anything more beyond the alliance formed between The Sith and The Killian. This fueled jealousy through Skorne’s veins, the moment he saw another man…masked no less dare to stand next to HIS treasure. Only by Elixis’s strict request and captivated by her beauty did Skorne permit the alliance. All feelings aside, he still pledged his life to Elixis unquestionably.

As far as Skorne was concerned, Elixis Kel was still loyal only to him, but knowing to some degree the power Q2 possessed, Skorne didn’t trust Q2 to be as respectful to another man’s property. But you have to then wonder if such a commitment even exists within the dark chains of love that ensnares the hearts of the wicked and unjust.

Was it love or was it merely lust? Perhaps Skorne believed in a love between himself and Elixis but it was conceivable that Elixis didn’t believe in the contracts of an exclusive relationship. Whether Elixis and Q2 did more then “negotiate” on Eol Sha behind Skorne’s back or not like all things, time would reveal the truth as it always has.

For the moment however, Skorne was seeking to speak with Elixis in private. For the last couple weeks he was unable to get the platinum Lady of the Sith alone for one moment without interruption, mostly from Q2. He sought out his chance now as he rounded another corner and headed down a flight of stairs.

Turning another corner and passing through a series of doors he found the secretive lift that led to an alternate route into the throne room. It was then as he pressed a series of buttons that he sensed a presence standing behind him, looming in a corridor.

Quickly Skorne reached for his pistol and spun around, pointing it dead into the face of Q2. It was only by sheer remembrance of Elixis’s caress that Skorne resisted pulling the trigger. Both men stood their ground. Q2 crossed his arms along his chest and grinned behind his wrapped facial attire. His white suit was once again around his body, in the same fashion as Eol Sha, golden gleaming mask and ruby red eyes in tact.

Q2 – (smiles)Ah yes, there you are Skorne. I wish to converse with you. I noticed you have recovered from your…incident.

SKORNE – (growls mechanically) Find a wall to keep you company, I’m busy.

Skorne begins to charge off as Q2 snaps his black gloved fingers out and grabs him by the shoulder, hurling him back with a diminutive amount of force, causing Skorne to fling backward but not lose balance.

Q2 – You seek Miss Kel I gather. She and I had a rather detailed discussion regarding your injuries and your relationship.

Skorne growls as he flicks Q2’s hand off his shoulder settling his blaster back into the holster, looking dead into the eyes of Q2’s facial mask.

SKORNE – Let me make one thing crystal clear to you. Elixis is MY property. I only agreed to this alliance because I am loyal to her wishes.

Q2 slowly circles around Skorne, keeping one of his hands behind his back as he walks. His crimson eyes gaze over the details of the hunter’s suit as he stretches out his fingers to gesture towards Skorne’s body.

Q2 – Your property? You know what Elixis told me when you were recovering Skorne? She told me that you are not half the man you used to be. Missing an arm and a leg, you’re damaged goods my friend.

SKORNE – (growls) I’m not your friend. Get out of my way.

Skorne steps forward as Q2 obstructs his path. Both Q2 and Skorne look eye to eye a moment as the dark lord slowly steps to the left, allowing Skorne to pace towards his destination, but just as Skorne is about to step into a lift, he can hear Q2 goading him.

Q2 – Never forget gifts that are given can just as easily be taken back. You serve me willing or not and that is a satisfaction that I will savor as it forever haunts you every time you stare in a mirror. Outside of that ensemble you are nothing. Pieces of meat fused to metal. Your life belongs to me.

SKORNE – (growls louder) Listen up Palpatine pretender. I’m not your creation or your Vader to command. By the time you attempt to use your force magic, I’ll have pulled the trigger. No matter how strong you THINK you are Q-Ball, no one can escape the speed and precision of my disruptor pistol.

Q2 – (smiles) Palpatine pretender? Intriguing analogy since like Vader you cannot fulfill your desire to destroy me. Of course you also lack the potential. You’re not even in my league.

Q2 and Skorne are at a visible stalemate as both stare each other down. Portions of metal inside of Skorne’s custom blasters allowed them to be resistant to destruction by force users although they could be yanked away if not for the electromagnetic bond holding the handle in place against Skorne’s palm which is the only reason that Q2 is unable to literally lay a finger against Skorne…it was one of the safeguards Skorne took against those perceived more gifted them him.

With Q2 right where we wanted him, Skorne was extremely tempted to pull the trigger and end Elixis’s questionable loyalty while he was away. With Q2 dead, Elixis would once again be Skorne’s alone but if he was so easy to dispatch, why did Elixis fall to him? Clearly his power for the moment was only because Q2 allowed it. Skorne was stubborn however, keeping his finger poised on the trigger to his SKR-2 (new model) disruptor pistol, flashing back memories of Terra’s eyes before he sent her to eternity. However, deep down beyond the emotional anger Q2 had a solid point.

There was a line Skorne was not yet prepared to cross. If he did manage to kill Q2, what effect would it have on Elixis? Would she care or would she make him pay for the mistake for the rest of his life? Skorne could not allow himself to face the possibility of rejection. Q2 meanwhile, could not read Skorne’s mind but he could just as easily tell from his hesitation that Skorne was conflicted. This gave Q2 tremendous joy because now he had control over TWO untouchable and unwilling pawns in his twisted game. Q2 wanted Val to suffer and submit in the grandest way possible but for the moment he found his entertainment in tugging Skorne’s strings.

Q2 – Go on Skorne, graduate to the big leagues…PROVE ME WRONG! What’s the matter? What’s stopping you? Honor? No you murdered Val’s precious daughter you obviously have none…Commitment perhaps? I’ve ripped the power of “choice” from your mind and your body. You live because I have use for you, when you no longer serve my purposes then and only then will I release you from my grasp.

SKORNE – (finger trembles) Val’s daughter was a casualty of war, if I had known of her value to Valaryc I might have questioned Elixis’s request to have her executed. Until I discuss the matter with Elixis…consider this a rain check.

Q2 – (laughs) Perhaps I should consider YOU a “casualty of war”. Do you think Elixis would accept that excuse if I killed you too?  What’s the distinction?

SKORNE – The value between a sister and a daughter contain a world of difference. She was worth more to him alive then dead…but Elixis is worth more to me then any of you combined.

Q2 – (grins) Obsessive much or are you just insecure? After all it was a long two weeks wasn’t it? All that time flat on your back while she was on hers…it does makes the mind wonder.

Skorne holsters his pistol and growls; barreling past Q2 knocking into his shoulder with enough momentum it slams Q2 off balance and into the wall. Skorne marches to another alternate route, abandoning his last course to his destination. Q2 slowly gets back to his feet and dusts off his suit, using the force to hurl a large metal object into Skorne’s chest, knocking him back as the force indirectly impacts him. As Q2 paces forward he plants his boot on Skorne’s chest and looks down into his mask, standing from above. With a snap of his wrist, Q2 grabs Skorne’s pistol and aims it towards his face.

Q2 – (whispering) I want you to savor this moment…treasure the power you possessed moments ago because the next time this situation occurs, and I assure you it will…I will not be so forgiving of your insubordination.

Skorne rolls sharply to his right with great speed, causing Q2’s aim to shift upward giving Skorne enough time to grab his wrist and yank his gun free, spinning back on his heel as he points the pistol back between Q2’s glaring red eyes.

SKORNE – Next time, I won’t hesitate.

Snapping his hand inward, Skorne holsters his pistol once again striding down the hallway, this time not obstructed by Q2 who watches with his arms crossed along his chest. Skorne was indeed a pawn in Q2’s game and as entertaining as the little encounter was; he knew that when the moment resurfaced, more then words would fly.
 

EXTERIOR: VERSAI MANSION – FOYER

Numerous miles away and upon the vibrant, sun-drenched splendor of Alpha Xeridia the plot continues to develop as the outlook opens inside the Versai Mansion. Standing within the Foyer is Sacul, the ever willing servant droid attending to some dusting with a higher end vacuum device. The sound is somewhat quiet as we roam through the various archways of the establishment until we encounter a figure darting from one room to the next, briskly opening doors that line the left and right side of a narrowed, red carpeted hallway.

We realize the shape from her signature long, black trench coat containing a distinctive yellow stripe. A black cat-suit covers the curves of her body, elegantly decorated with the same swirled gold pattern as the attire she wore on Chandrila…before the shadows invaded and crashed her hard planned celebration.

Streaks of purple and pink dash from left to right as Gen Zeridian swiftly rushes through each lavish interior spinning on her heel back out in a focused search for someone or something missing that should be easily found but was strangely absent.

That element of course was Valaryc Versai. Ever since he had informed Gen that he needed to attend to business deep under the mansion within his advanced alcoves of training and medical equipment, she sensed there was more apprehension in his actions then he had led on. Now that he had been missing for almost half the day her feminine instincts told her that as each moment passed, she could feel a growing uneasiness wrapping around her.

She had searched the mansion from its lower floors first. Here is where she stumbled upon the x-ray machine still warm from Val’s previous use. The shattered piece of equipment literally sparked her concern. She also reflected upon the last couple weeks while she roamed from location to location, working her way up to the second, third, and higher decks of the massive estate. During her passage she thought about the glance in Val’s brown eyes. Those shimmering orbs glistened with a lust for life and an unparalleled joy when they both embraced back in the R & D lab inside Versai Tech.

However she now witnessed that glimmer begin to flicker away into a duller, lifeless, sorrow filled gaze. The force allowed Gen to sense that Val was growing more troubled with whatever secrets he was hiding from her…deliberately. Gen never needed to question Val’s love for her, but she did decide that this time when she found her Beloved, she would confront him to finally reveal the truth. Deception wasn’t natural for Val, especially from her.

She struggled to find the source of the wall Val had erected between them. She needed to know what it was that caused Val to change….change was the key word. He was a different man then the one she fell in love with. Sure he had the appearance and the same name but deep under the physicality of looks he was shifting into a vulnerable, troubled, and unsettled shell of a man. A boy crying out in the dark for assistance from those he could not seem to reach.

She loved him more then words could define and despite her bold words to Sara regarding allowing Val to tell her his secret when the time was right, it was clear that having allowed this much time to pass, such a will to do so was out of Val’s hands. What was he afraid of? What was Val protecting her from? Was it a vision? Was it a nightmare; was it the age difference between them? What was the conflict that wedged itself so deep inside Val’s heart that he would bring himself to drive away that he cherished most?

Gen had decided that here and now, she would find out the solutions to these mysteries whether she had to resort to her empathic charms or her dazzling eyes to get to reach him. He was a male and as so he was stubborn and headstrong. She however was female…she rationalized with emotion rather then being dictated by what was “logically” right. That was one of Gen’s most powerful tools…her ability to exploit and understand emotion.

Many men fell to her in combat because she could systematically exploit their nature with her beauty and her sexuality. With Val it was different then, it wasn’t about conquering him it was about understanding him and filling in the void in his life. Try as he might, Cire did nothing to raise Gen’s interest because quite frankly aside from his devious nature, Cire didn’t need companionship. He was driven by insecurity and lust. Cire wanted Gen’s BODY, but not her mind, not her soul.

She knew it then and she knew it now. But the role was reversed. Val didn’t need Gen’s body for she gave it to him anytime he wished it. Although to this point since her return it has not been sexually. Val wasn’t after Gen’s body, he was after her soul and her mind but this time it was as if he knew he already had all three and was preserving them…saving them from a fate that had not yet occurred.

She raced back and forth from room to room until she crossed paths with Sacul, stopping to speak with him just as Lon Wol, dressed in his full Padawan Attire consisting of his silver and black tunic ornamental tunic and brown Jedi belt clasped boots paced into view. Lon was apparently ready to take Val and Foe’s advice as he held his elegant, laser cut, decorative lightsaber in his left hand. Lon made his way towards the lustrous gold gilded doors leading into the main courtyard but Gen’s fingers wrapped around his collar and yanked him back to look dead into her vivacious purple eyes.

GEN – (hiding her concern) Lon Wol, I have a question for you. It is of great importance that you answer.

Lon is suddenly thrown from his routine as he comes to his senses, from being focused to go train to listening to Gen, trying not to let her curvaceous beauty overtake his senses. Even when Gen wasn’t performing her “eye trick”, her silhouette was more then enough to distract the senses and tempt the eye to wander.

LON – (blinks) Uhhh ummm well uh, ok ask.

GEN – As much as I entertain your appreciation for my appearance Mr. Wol. I must know where Val has disappeared to. It is unlike him to leave for an extended period of time without first informing me of his whereabouts.

LON – (raises a brow) You mean he left without telling you either? That does seriously surprise me. I mean you’re like the top of the chain of command around here! All I know is that he told me to keep training on my own and that he had something he needed to take care of…alone.

GEN – (knits her brows) “Alone”, that is what disturbs me. I must discover where he has gone. Can you not sense it Lon? Can you not feel the uneasiness? He’s in pain and I must go to him quickly but I cannot sense his exact location.

Just then Sacul cocks his head while shutting off the vacuum turning to Lon and Gen. He stands at his full 6’0 height as he drapes one arm behind his back and gestures to Gen with the other.

SACUL – Master Versai gave strict orders that he is not be disturbed while he works out some “issues”. I did witness him depart strangely enough with a container containing Terra’s remains.

GEN – (shocked) WHAT DO YOU MEAN TERRA’S REMAINS? Where is he Sacul, tell me this instant!

SACUL – (sighs) Curious. Master Versai locked my memory protocols from recalling the name of the location. I don’t understand, he’s never forcefully blocked information from me before but I feel a rising anxiety for him. Something happened down in the Firehouse…something that’s frightened him.

GEN – (blinks) I discovered damaged machinery there. Perhaps that is a clue that must not be overlooked.

Lon closes his eyes a moment then an idea flashes in his head. Gen is quick to sense the shift in Lon’s expression as she smoothes her hand along Sacul cheek in comfort. Lon clips his lightsaber to his belt, while drawing in a deep breath to work up the focus to keep his eyes focused on Gen’s EYES and not her other regions. He was of course fiercely loyal to his own girl Xola Neesen, but outside of the Wol Estate, he was still only human and for that matter, male.

LON – (trying to look into Gen’s eyes) Sometimes Val likes to take me up to Kathryn’s Bluff and train. He told me he goes up there when he needs to think, it’s the only place that brings him peace when he really needs it. Being a loner and all, it’s isolated from the chaos of reality. It’s also named after his mother, so I’d start looking there if I were you.

GEN – (nods) Dwelling in an establishment that honors his mother’s embrace. That must be where he has gone, to confront paternal issues regarding Terra’s death. Yes, I’m sure of it. Thank you Lon, you’ve shown much growth during my time here, I am pleased with your affinity for observance.

LON – Uh yeah, don’t mention it.

Just then there is a series of beeps emanating from the communications kiosk, housed in one of the rooms down the hall. Gen nods slowly to Lon, already sensing his anticipation building, having mentioned previously that Xola was to contact him sometime this afternoon. Nodding a silent goodbye to Sacul Gen steps forward and begins her pursuit to locate Val.

With a stirring of dust swirling off the bottom of her black boots, Gen races off towards a gathering of trees beyond the courtyard and disappears with force enhanced speed from view. She sprints down a path that takes her around to the rear of the mansion, through streaking trees and vibrant flowers to the bottom of the trail leading up to the summit of Kathryn’s Bluff which contains a massive waterfall and is mirrored by the other “parent” Russel’s Peak on the far right.

Meanwhile Lon continues to walk to the communications kiosk as he rounds a corner and closes distance with a blue lit, segmented, circular platform. He tries to settle his feelings over the situation with his Master as he taps in a sequence of numbers, clearing the UNITRAC transmission from encryption, gazing upward to gaze in the piercing blue eyes of Xola, a firm breasted, 5’4 Zeltronian with light pink skin, ravishing ice blue hair that cascades down her back, and baring an engagement ring on her left forefinger. Xola Neesen was Lon’s cherished companion and now recently she had become his fiancée.

She transmitted from the Wol Estate miles away looking deep into Lon’s troubled, emerald orbs. Being Zeltronian, she was gifted with empathic abilities and a slight force sensitivity which allowed her to draw out the troubled feelings within allowing a few moments to pass before she spoke. Lon watches her with admiration, roaming his gaze from her sparkling blue eyes, tracing the curves of her white, taut blouse housing her creamy breasts, down to the tendrils of flowing ice blue hair curling across her shoulders. She and Lon grew up together years ago. Both had shared their own tragedies in the past. Lon was darker then, following the orders of Jarin Retsinis, known as Lord Overseer before he turned away from his service and avenged the Wol family. But the desire for vengeance didn’t die with Overseer, or Lady Carnage. During his reign of bloodshed he became known as “Inquisitor Wol.” A man consumed by the dark side, who hunted his own kind seeking to quench his thirst for power and become the greatest fighter in existence.

It was a titanic battle with Val that the “Inquisitor” failed that finally shed light into his anguish and opened his eyes that the dark side was not stronger then the will to live with honor. Alongside Val, Xola was Lon’s redemption from the terrorizing trauma of his past. Now he was on his way to mastering his potential as a Dark Jedi Master and added to that, would eventually take the step from companionship to wedlock.

LON – (swallows) Hey there gorgeous, I see you’re wearing that dress I like.

XOLA – (grins) I thought you would approve. I’ve missed you so much.

LON – (smirks) Can never get enough of The ol’ Wolf can you?

XOLA – (winks) Well if you mean by predatory terms, you best not cherish the clothing you’re wearing when you arrive here. There won’t be much left after I am through with you.

LON – (purrs) Is that a threat or a promise?

XOLA – (blows a kiss to the screen) You’ll have to come home to find that out handsome.

LON – You always know how to cheer me up my little Zeltronian Princess. Things have been pretty turbulent around here. We’ve all been dealing with the loss of Terra. Val has been taking it harder I think then any of us and he’s acting really strange these days. He’s not the same you know? He doesn’t joke, he doesn’t use his lightsabers much…he just isolates himself.

Xola draws in a deep breath, touching her hand to the screen as Lon does the same. Both are visually able to touch each other in that moment but many miles separate them from the physical reaction of flesh pressing against flesh. Lon yearns to hold Xola in his arms but he’s loyal to his training and even in the moments he grows weak, Xola forces him to stay loyal to his training when he falters.

 She was his mentor you might say as well as his companion keeping him on track to reach his ambitions and only then after surpassing an obstacle would she reward him with her loving, unrestricted embrace. Perhaps this is what set Lon apart from Anakin Skywalker and Padme. Lon wanted to hold Xola every waking moment, but she was strong enough to do what was right for her and Lon in the long run, where as Anakin was lost in the moment of his feelings and in that instant became consumed and controlled by them.

Xola was there when he needed her always. She could sense the shift in Lon’s words from flirting with her, to that serious echo of caution and uncertainty. Xola understood that Val was filled with his own obscurity and inner torment. Years ago when she encountered him, she couldn’t even handle the glimpse into his mind….the pain was overpowering and there was no question that his endurance was far superior to her own.

How can a man live with such endless torture? What crime could he have committed to deserve a life of endless sacrifice and pain? Xola could begin to sense the same traits welling inside Lon and she tried to quench them each time they arose. This was one of those moments…of sadness and loss. Lon was speaking to her and yet part of him was somewhere else, perhaps reflecting on the images of Terra’s death, for she was like a sister to him and she reminded him in some ways of the sisters he had lost in the atrocities carried out by Jarin and Taryn.

XOLA – Where are you Lon?

LON – I’m right here Xola, can’t you see that?

XOLA –  No, you’re not…not fully. Talk to me Darlin. Tell me how you feel. I want to know your concerns, your worries, your needs, your desires. Pretend there is no distance separating us and let me know what’s troubling you.

Lon draws in a deep breath as he tries to clear his head of the countless thoughts roaming wild. His green orbs shift upward to gaze into Xola’s brilliant blue eyes. His fingers stroke the screen alongside hers while he calculates the best way to convey his emotions.

LON – Well alright. See I know that Val is hiding something, I don’t know what it is but I can sense it. He’s stopped using his lightsabers any time there is a chance they can collide. I don’t know why exactly but it’s happened on more then one occasion. The other day I saw him storm out the door and when I followed I saw that he went into the forest and started wrecking the place. I could feel his anguish. It might be from Terra’s departure, I really don’t know but I believe it’s something deeper then that. Even before Skorne showed up there was something troubling him, ever since a couple months after he came out of his coma.

XOLA – You are saying that he’s changed? I thought you told me not more then a month ago how happy he was and that that troubling period was over. I mean he was training you and you both made progresses in your lessons. What happened?

LON – (sighs) Val has a lucrative mind. I think he had a mental conflict of some sort. I’ve heard him wake up screaming from his nightmares and I’ve seen him grow more and more distant from Gen. Whatever he’s been dreaming has to do with her. When Foe left I was ready to give up hope but Val revitalized my desire to learn again. I want to help him Xola, I really do but I don’t know what it takes to reach him!

XOLA – Calm dearest, calm yourself and breathe. We both know that Val has always been a loner. Even with Gen back in his life it has both completed and turned his world upside down. I mean he has been yearning for her return for over twenty five years and now suddenly he has her back. Perhaps he’s unsure of how to handle it. Her death is what forged him into becoming the man he is, with her back in his life maybe he feels like he has nothing more to fight for.

LON – He was a man without hope but I know he’s no longer a man without fear. Gen completes him as you complete me Princess. They’re gonna have to work out these issues on their own I guess. Till then I’m just going to keep on practicing and making you proud.

XOLA – Oh baby, you have no need to worry about that. I love you without limit. Nothing in this world can drive me from your arms except the choices you make. In the end, love will shine through the void.

LON – I will come home soon sweets, I promise you that.

Suddenly as Xola begins to talk the signal becomes fragmented then sputters out. Lon growls in frustration tapping in the coordinates to re-establish the link but strangely the computer reads back, “SIGNAL DISCONNECTED AT SOURCE”. Lon closes his eyes and calms his mind to summon the force, sifting through his emotions to try and reach Xola through their bond. His concentration is broken however as another image feeds into the communications kiosk.

There he sees the inside of what appears to be an Imperial chamber. He can recognize the structure by its beveled walls, dulled grey interior, and distinctive elongated oval light panels. Strapped to a mechanical device with several wires and various gizmos is an elderly man held down as currents of pulsating blue energy arcs rip into his flesh. The aged man screams out in agony as his body is electrocuted, while the view shifts upward to show for a brief moment, the younger features of a man dressed in an olive green Imperial uniform.

Lon recognizes the figure by his trimmed goatee and dark circles under his eyes, yet he’s not exactly sure where he has seen the figure before while the sadistic man in charge gestures for another ripping surge of current to bite into the body of the elderly man strapped to a table.

Then it hits him….

LON – Cire T’Negun? How can that be? I thought he was in the Dark Jedi Academy with Val?

But it was Cire T’Negun and the figure restrained to the chair was Chen Wol, Lon’s Grandfather!

Before Lon could view more of the roughly three second flash of footage, the scene flickered out, revealing a single line of text and a list of coordinates.

I HAVE THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK
1138, 0456, 1879, 0015

COME ALONE.

-ZW

LON – (blinks) “ZW”? I don’t know anyone by those initials unless…no, it’s impossible. He can’t be alive! Zo'nel Wol?

Lon closes his eyes a moment and attempts to concentrate again to feel out Xola’s signature but the vivid imagery of his grandfather being tortured by Cire only clouded his concentration. Added to that he was driven with an inner desire to discover with his own eyes if “ZW” is who he assumed it was. Lon swiftly spun around on his heel and headed for the exit to the room, darting around a corner and barreling down towards the hanger bay where his X-Wing was docked.

Out of the blue, he briskly runs into Sacul, who raises a curious eyebrow as he halts Lon’s trajectory.

SACUL – Master Wol? Is something troubling you? It seems today that everyone but me has some place they wish to rush off to.

LON – There’s no time to explain Sacul, I need to get to some place called Borleais. Someone has information on my Grandfather and I can’t wait for Val and Gen to get back to handle it, I might miss my opportunity.

SACUL – Logic dictates that it is unwise to rush off to an unknown location because someone urges you to go there. Are you certain this is not some sort of tactic to harm you? With the events of Chandrila it’s not wise to place yourself in danger.

LON – Spare me the lecture Sacul. This isn’t about some rescue mission, this is about my FAMILY! You can’t fathom what it’s like to spend years wondering what has happened to them. Val is the only family you’ve known. As much as I am aligned with the Versai, I am still a Wol.

SACUL – But Master Wol, this doesn’t compute.

LON – I’m tired of wondering Sacul. Please try to understand… I'm strong enough; I'm ready to know the truth. My mind is made up. I have to go now. I know Val isn’t going to approve but it’s something that I need to discover on my own.

SACUL – Very well Master Wol. May the force protect you.

LON – Thank you Sacul, I’ll be back before you know it.

Lon rushes off through the doors of a turbolift, descending into the darker regions of a concealed Hanger Bay, venturing towards his X-Wing as he climbs up a ladder and begins to warm up the quad engines. Settling in the angular cockpit, Lon straps a helmet on and leans back letting the roar of the thrusters calm his impulsive feelings, while the imagery from the transmission kept playing back over and over again yielding even more unanswered questions, questions that demanded to be answered with every fiber of his being.

Deep in the back of his mind however he ignored the voice of reason telling him to wait for Val and Gen’s approval. This of course then marked the third time Lon would abandon the teachings of his Master and little did he know, would reap similar consequences. His craft lifted off the ground then burst forward between a pair of large, octagonal doors into the bright blue atmosphere of Alpha Xeridia, then into the cold regions of space. Moments later he fed in the coordinates from the transmission and set the navacomputer. In seconds the engines rumbled and in a flash of light, his X-Wing disappeared into hyperspace, while the unsettled matters of Val and Gen faded away in a stream of shimmering stars and blazing sunlight.
 

EXTERIOR: ALPHA XERIDIA – KATHRYN’S BLUFF

While Lon’s presence dwindles into the stars and Gen races to climb to the summit of Kathryn’s bluff there is an echo of splintered trees and torn branches. High above Gen approached the summit of the Bluff. The rush of flowing water cascading down the Cliffside is overpowered by the cries of a tortured soul who wages war with an opponent only he can see and only he can truly comprehend.

Here as the scene suddenly propels forward, we can see Val glaring towards a row of trees, bashing into the wood with his taped knuckles as several blows soon snap the foundations like twigs, only to see him pivot on his right foot and backhand another smaller tree as if he was consistently surrounded by enemies, but what Val sees are not trees and bushes but symbolic ghosts from his shadowy history. He’s at war with himself, struggling to defeat his own weaknesses and return to the powerful fighter he used to be.

Val’s eyes are glazed over with rigid hatred as his fists fly back and forth, shouting at the top of his lungs, weaving back and forth dodging the air but in his mind’s eye he sees the assault of a figure he knows well, baring golden eyes, shrunken pupils and immense power.

VAL – (talking to something) I AM NOT WEAK!

To understand what Val is facing we must too enter his mind’s eye and see what cannot be seen in the physical world where the bushes and trees fade away to reveal desolate slain bodies of Jedi and a roaring campfire, back within the stored memory of the Jedi Camp where the Jedi Slayer was born and in this instance reborn.

SLAYER – (rushing towards Val) You have become tainted by mortality Valaryc Versai. Without my aid you are nothing but a bruised, battered, burned, lost little boy. You have such potential but you allow yourself to become suffocated in your own fragility.

Val weaves towards the left as he dodges the Slayer’s lightning quick fists, but is soon caught in the ribs by the Slayer’s knee. Val struggles to catch his breath as he rolls out of the way of another superior set of lefts and rights, spinning back to his feet.

SLAYER – Why must you resist the potential growing inside you? Have you not been defeated enough? What is it going to take to open your eyes? You must awaken and decide who you truly are. Terra’s dead, and you were too weak to stop her. Who will be next Val? How many will fall before you accept your true nature?

VAL – SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE COUNSELED BY THE LIKES OF YOU. I HAVE SEALED YOU AWAY ONCE I CAN DO IT AGAIN! I DON’T NEED YOUR GUIDENCE! I DON’T HAVE TO AWAKEN. I MUST BIND YOU TO DECIDE WHO I TRULY AM!

Val whips his fist forward and lands a placed punch into the Slayer’s forehead as the Slayer flies back through a couple trees. However in a blink of an eye and amidst the crunching of wood the Slayer is back, charging towards Val as it reaches for its lightsaber, igniting an orange blade with a SNAP HISS.

Seeing the weapon, Val reaches for his own lightsaber but relents to light it, knowing full well the prophecy that Obi Wan warned him of as the Slayer slashes towards his midsection, forcing Val to duck down and sweep the Slayer’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Just as quickly the Slayer channels the force and flings Val backward, hurling through the air and back through another series of trees in an endless barrage of torment. The pain consumes Val and his body refuses to move as the Slayer approaches holding its saber towards his neck, standing above him.

SLAYER – Come now Val, drop your hesitation. I already promised you I would not let her die, what are you afraid of? Fulfill your limitless potential! Succumb to your power and master it! Don’t let another life be destroyed by your worldly weaknesses.

VAL – (pants) NEVER!

With all of his will Val focuses the power inside him and unleashes a massive bolt of hatred towards the Slayer, engulfing the figure in radiant crimson brilliance. The very technique brought Cire T’Negun to his knees and caused the devastation of his lightsaber, but the Slayer’s potential power was inexhaustible, driven by the fuel of the dark side. It laughed as the beams of red flickered away and the spheres dissipated while Val panted heavily from his most desperate attack.

SLAYER – Pick up your weapon and strike me down. Your potential lies in your skill with a lightsaber, not a sword and not with force driven pallor tricks. Unleash your anger, only your unmatched fury will defeat that which threatens you most.

VAL – I have felt that power before, I paid in pools of blood to vanquish my enemies without thought or remorse, but that is a price I am not willing to pay again.

SLAYER – Oh but you will Val. You would pay anything to prevent losing Gen, I’ve known you better then you’ve known yourself. She has and always will be the one lock you will open to release me. Go on, deny it. Say it isn’t true!

Val growls deeply, looking down towards his lightsaber as the images of Terra and Skorne reform around him, replaying the tragic events of Chandrila but this time he can do nothing to interfere as she looks towards her father and flashes to dust. Another image takes place to the far right as Sara ignites her emerald saber but is cut down by Skorne’s deadly artillery, not long before Lance joins her. Lastly and most effective, Val sees to the center is Gen pinned against a tree, heaving for her last breath as a dagger spins towards her throat. The dagger pierces her flesh and her eyes slowly close shut as her crimson essence stains against the tree.

SLAYER – IS THIS THE PRICE YOU WILL PAY TO DENY YOUR POTENTIAL VERSAI! WILL YOU LET OBI WAN’S JEDI BELIEF’S STEAL HER AWAY A SECOND TIME? THEY WILL ALL DIE BY YOUR STUBBORN NATURE VAL, UNTIL YOU ACCEPT THE SHADOWS THAT AID YOU, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE CURSED BY YOUR OWN HAND!

Val’s eyes flicker with a golden luminance as his pupils begin to shrink and his hair flares wildly in an invisible wind. With a snap of his finger, he ignites his emerald green lightsaber, the only blade left since Skorne destroyed his golden bladed saber on Chandrila. Fueled by his determination to free Gen from the tree, Val slashes his saber in a fierce uppercut, halving the Slayer up the middle before it can react as he storms to the tree and rips out the shafts from Gen’s body, tearing the dagger from her throat and shouting to the top of his lungs. Since The Slayer is only a figment of his imagination, his blade still does not cross with another tangible edge.

VAL – NEVER AGAIN!

Just then the figure of Gen vanishes as he looks to his hands and sees them covered in blood. Around him he can see the twenty five slain Jedi and it is in that moment that he realizes as he looks towards a pool of water forming in front of him that the reflection is not Valaryc Winters Versai, but he has become his own enemy as the animalistic eyes of the Jedi Slayer stare back at him.

SLAYER – You’re going to fail Val it’s only a matter of time before you summon me.

Just then he hears footsteps as spins around to see Crymson Vachon with her dual pink saber ignited rushing towards him. With Form V grace, Val ducks the first pink bladed arc towards his shoulder, spinning along his left foot coming around to slash Crymson across the back then pivot down as his blade swirls around to her front and stabs her clean through the chest while her eyes flash open in horror and she topples to the ground.

But no sooner does Val dispatch Crymson that a blast of Shard Lightning sends his lightsaber flying from his grasp as Cire T’Negun appears from the shadows in radiant ice blue light. Val feels the lightning dig into his already injured skin but his vision is blurred now, no longer seeing any color but red as Cire’s form blurred with radial lines. Barely caught by the eye Val rushes into Cire’s lightning, which shreds his clothes. Using his bare hands, Val circles around Cire and snaps his neck in one fluidic movement, dropping him dead at his feet.

Suddenly Cire’s body is incinerated as Skorne unleashes a volley from his disruptor pistol. With catlike agility Val weaves back and forth dodging Skorne’s purple-blue salvo of plasma shots until he is close enough to slam his fist straight through Skorne’s armor, emerging out of his back with unimaginable power and brutal efficiency. Thunder and lightning tear through the sky as Val rips his hand from Skorne’s chest cavity, ripping off the helmet to reveal Admiral Krevlin’s dying visage.

A primordial scream rips from Val’s lungs as he tosses Skorne’s body into the air and out of view, just as another figure enters the arena to reveal Lord Efface, dual orange saber and all. As Efface is about to slash towards his midsection the illusion is shattered by a female’s voice…

GEN – WHAT IN THE FLAMES OF MUSTAFAR HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU VAL!

The scene fractures like shards of glass as the morbid flames of the Jedi Campsite splinter away to reveal the lush greenery of the top of Kathryn’s bluff and there holding back his fist is Gen herself, ending her pursuit to find him with a worried look within her vibrant purple eyes.

VAL – (shocked) Gen I…You shouldn’t be…

Gen spins around and presents her back to Val, filled with a plethora of emotion and concern. Val didn’t even see her, he didn’t even SENSE her. What could have possibly been strong enough to cloud her Beloved’s mind from their bond? What force was stronger then their love? She was hurt but she was also deeply alarmed by the look in Val’s eyes, a look that was not that of brown eyes, but shifting golden flickers of something else.

GEN – I shouldn’t be what? I shouldn’t be here? Where have you been? What has come over you? You disappear without a word and now I find you up here fighting yourself? This must stop. There are answers I seek, YOU WILL tell me.

Val pants heavily taking a few steps towards the edge of the cliff as Gen quickly sprints forward and steps in his path, holding her arms out to both sides. Perhaps Val wasn’t going to jump off the cliff, but she could tell he wasn’t at all in his right mind at the moment and she would prevent him from doing something brash and unreasonable.

GEN – I cannot accept this no longer Val. I love you dearly but this distance between us MUST END NOW. I know not what secrets you are hiding or what you feel you need to protect me from, but you are not the man I fell in love with, where is the Dark Jedi Master I trained! WHO ARE YOU?

VAL – (takes a deep breath) I don’t know who I am anymore Gen. Lately it seems as if I am two people struggling for control of one body. I love you more then life itself, I just can’t…be with you.

Gen’s eyes widen as she listens to Val, trying to hold back the tears from those words that tear into her soul and cut her to the quick. What did he mean, he couldn’t BE with her? They’re union overcame the absolute nature of death and having fought and waited for all these years he was going to leave her? But no, that’s not possible because he said he loved her, what did he mean? Gen tried to find the right words to say but she found herself reduced to a fragile little girl, melting away her tough persona as tears flooded her eyes.

GEN – (grabs Val’s shoulder) I LOVE YOU DAMN IT…There is no place I would not go with you, nor any ocean of time I would not cross to be by your side. You and I transcend death, our bond is all we have Val, don’t you DARE give up on me.

Slowly Val brushes Gen’s fingers from his shoulder and begins to pace towards a few trees, looking along the ground as he picks up a flower, trying to maintain his composure even though inside, his heart was breaking just as much as Gen’s. He experienced her pain, her tormented soul crying out to be held and caressed…but what of the Slayer’s words? Would Val have to give in to the dark side just to embrace her? If that were so then Val would be an animal incapable of love and he knew this. What was more important, letting her know the truth now or letting her carry on without him?

VAL – (looking to the flower) The will of the force has changed Gen. Where you go I cannot follow. I’ve shown you how to love someone; I know you’ll find a way to forget.

GEN – You are the one who has forgotten…Eternal Love, forever bound! You have allowed yourself to disregard the meaning of those words! I want to be close but you won’t let me near. There is not an essence in existence that can illuminate my soul the way yours can. There is no other who can replace you, ever.

VAL – I have not forgotten those words Gen. I am eternally bound to you and our love is forever but I can’t fight my destiny any longer. I must face it alone and for your sake, this…has…to…be.

GEN – (crying, anguish) WHY! WHY MUST YOU DO THIS! For my protection? For my life? What is the price I must pay to have you back? To have your TRUE self burst out of this emotionally tortured armor? What are you afraid of Val, tell me what is it you fear???

Val slowly turns towards Gen, releasing the flower into the wind as he slides his fingers along her weeping cheek capturing a tear on the end while she grabs the collar of his coat and pulls him against her, weeping against his chest not caring about how weak or fragile she appears.

VAL – (running his fingers through Gen’s hair) I once loved a woman more then life itself, and I watched her die. You were that woman Gen. I can't bear to see you share that fate. I watched your eyes slip into darkness. I lived with that image night after night. I’m afraid you will share that experience. I love you enough to let you go before it’s too late, before that moment arrives when destiny will come for me.

GEN – (glaring) NO! You defy your destiny! YOU DEFIED THE RULES OF DEATH TO RESURRECT ME! What matters is not how we die, it’s how we LIVE! I will NOT go on living without you, do you understand?

VAL – (sighs softly, strumming Gen’s hair) I can’t agree to to see you suffer; this is the only way I can save you from what must occur. I must face my destiny alone Gen or there will be no tomorrow.

GEN – LOOK ME IN THE EYES VAL! LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND TELL ME THAT YOU CAN FACE YOUR DESTINY ALONE! TELL ME YOU CAN LEAVE ME BEHIND!

Val looks down towards Gen’s tear filled eyes as searches for the words to speak, but soon finds them lost in the endless oceans of purple within her gaze. It’s not Gen using her persuasive power on him that eventually cracks the stone he’s erected around his heart…it’s the little girl inside begging in the darkness to be guided back into the light. Death, life, it no longer mattered you see because what was the binding element was that in either place, it was an outstretched hand that pulled a lost soul into both realms.

It is then that Val decides he can no longer hide the truth from his cherished lover. Gen senses his conflict, then feels his arms wrap tightly around her body, easing her suffering as his tears trickle down her shoulder, coat to coat, skin to skin once more signifying that the man she loved had remerged from the shadows.

Moments passed as the two stood silently embracing and weeping tears of emotional suffering. The very nature of their bond bubbled to the surface in unrestricted torrents of sentiment. Flowing like the thundering echo of the waterfall descending to the pools of liquid below, rising mists into the heavens. Valaryc Versai no longer felt the tug of the Jedi Slayer gripping him, nor was he tortured by the voices, finding his calm in the warmth of his beloved soul mate.

VAL – (tipping Gen’s cheek up) I am so, so, sorry Kitten. I am so eternally sorry for the pain I have caused you…in doing what I thought was the right thing, ruled by what was “logically” sound I was blinded by the balance you give me with every brush of your fingertips, every caress of your lips. It no longer matters to me to preserve the longevity of life; what matters to me is the here and now.

Gen brushes her fingertips along Val’s lips and cuddles close against his chest, brushing her cheek along the taped regions of his arms. Several more moments passed as Val’s medium length locks billowed in a breeze, sweeping his coat upward to wrap around Gen’s sinuous form while her own coat settled alongside his with both wearing symbols of their persona.

GEN – (speaking softly) You are my everything, to live and breathe, you’ve taken over me. You are stronger then what your body or your thoughts TELL you. This rift must end today, this moment. No more deception, no more secrets.

Val pulls away from Gen’s caress as he paces over towards a tree, turning back to tip his boot against the trunk, while shifting the left boot forward, holding his arms along his sides. His brown eyes are still glazed by a deepening concern, but he ignores his thoughts now and goes along with his feelings.

VAL – I cannot bring myself to tell you in words what I have discovered…so if you really must know you only need to do one gesture.

GEN – (quirks a brow) Name it.

VAL – Kiss me Gen, kiss me as deep and as passionate as you can, only then will it open my mind to you.

Without a second thought Gen rushes towards Val pressing her lips against his, entwining her fingers around his hair pulling him into a powerful, emotionally driven kiss as love takes over her senses flooding them with images of how deeply Val cares for her but those feelings soon become overshadowed by a vision. She looked through his eyes inside that medical lab in the Firehouse where the truth of his fear was becoming clear.

Gen held her grip to him like a serpent, keeping her lips sealed with his own as his arms wrapped around her body, driving her breasts flat against his chest. Flashes of light separated a sequential progression of images which revealed Val stripping down and stepping on to the swiveling x-ray components swirling around him, flashing to the blood test and finally the last piece of the puzzle kept in the dark until now as she saw the letters typing across the computer screen, shortly before Val shattered it with his fist in defiance.

CONDITION – T E R M I N A L

Gen snapped her eyes open in horrified shock, breaking the kiss. Her throat tightened as she struggled to talk, gathering her thoughts slowly. Now it was perfectly understood what horrible secret Val was trying to protect her from. Even though she had “seen” the prognosis, she refused to believe it could be stronger then the love they shared for another.

VAL – (calm words) I’m dying Gen…The toxins from the Citadel have fused into a virus that is very slowly eroding away my internal organs, its not contagious, it was specifically created to infect me alone. I have a matter of days to live. This is what I’ve been trying to protect you from.

GEN – (sobs) It’s not possible…say its not possible Val, BELIEVE IT. I don’t care what technology states you are stronger then some virus, your will is unquestionable. I will not allow you fade away, DO YOU HEAR ME! I WON’T LET YOU FACE ATTRITION ALONE!

VAL – (sighs) Baby, I wish it was that simple. I wish I could just wish all this away but I can’t. Sooner or later every mortal being must face death, whether we can defy it or not there is no escape and you know that more then any of us.

GEN – You’re wrong Val. In this world everything must die but death is not absolute. I will not accept a life without you here. If it means that I must savor the moments I have left with you, so be it. One way or another we’ll work through it.

VAL – I have too much to lose to be a great fighter. I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect you when the time comes if I’ll be strong enough without tapping into the darkness within.

GEN – What if the opposite is true Val? What if the reason you feel this way is because you have someone to fight for? You don’t have to face this on your own; I will stand by you to the very end if I must. I will fight endlessly to hold you in my arms, eternal love means never giving up, never surrendering to anything but each other.

VAL – (quirks a brow) You’re absolutely right Gen. I’m not going to give up on you or anyone else. There’s still a war brewing out there and as long as Skorne is still breathing, none of us will truly be safe but I’m not strong enough to face him yet and I may not ever be strong enough to defeat him.

Gen steps back from Val a moment reaching down to pick up a wooden box she had brought with her for just the right moment to reveal to her Beloved the symbol of her dedication to him. Val quirks a brow as he steps back, watching Gen’s tears fade away with her coy, mischievous smile as she reaches into the box and withdrawals quite frankly the most gorgeous lightsaber he has ever seen.

GEN – (holding the lightsaber to Val) Then let me be your strength. Through this, an extension of our love will illuminate an eternal flame of perseverance.

Val slowly takes the lightsaber into his hand as he stares in disbelief, tracing every curve with his fingertips. The weapon is primarily chrome and gold electrum plated. At roughly 13 inches, longer then a traditional lightsaber in many ways it reflects the look and feel of Val’s former weapon, Obi Wan’s ANH saber. Starting from the bottom, the D-Ring assembly was a smooth round cap leading to a beveled partition of metal that contained six brass screws.

Each was secure as the shaft rose upward to a series of eleven evenly spaced lathes cut into a single piece of metal. These led to an elongated oval inset with gold inlays, similar to a circuit board and two gold buttons inset into the saber casing, one of which was the activation while the other was a switch allowing the weapon’s blade to lock into activation when released from the grip of its master, letting the saber remain ignited in flight. From there eight inset rivets held the casing together while the chrome plating dipped in and back out to another smaller cylinder with a deep bevel and four protruding steel rivets.

The silver recess continued upward then sunk in just below the gold emitter shaft that was an exact duplicate of the shroud found on Obi’s ANH saber, but was plated gold with larger round holds in the inner rim of the round emitter guard, numbering eight. The hilt had a balanced weight as Val began to roll it in his hand, finding it a perfect equilibrium to his swift saber wielding techniques. While Val enjoyed handling Gen’s gift, she smiled softly as she drew his attention back to her eyes, wanting Val to forget about the troubles that haunted him and the virus brewing inside him.

GEN – Not only is this a gift of love but I’ve intended it as something more. Valaryc Winters Versai will you take my hand in marriage?

Val nearly drops the lightsaber as Gen snaps her wrist outward to steady his fumbled control over the device. Either Val heard her correctly or he was in disbelief that a girl was proposing when it’s traditionally the other way around.

VAL – Did you say what I thought you just did?

GEN – (nods) Yes Beloved will you marry me? I meant this device as an engagement gift.

VAL – Isn’t it tradition for a man to ask the girl?

GEN – When has anything we have endured been “traditional”?

Val looks down a moment as the voices try to invade his thoughts but he stares down to the lightsaber, then towards Gen, back and forth between the two deciding that neither deceased Jedi Master, nor a figment of his inner demons would wield the power to dominate this moment. Taking his fate into his own hands, he nods slowly to Gen.

VAL – Despite everything that I have told to you, you still desire this?

GEN – More then anything else in this world and the next. I care not for the circumstances. All that is of value to me is that we cherish the time we do have. Love will find a way Val, you have always believed in that and defied your destiny…never lose faith, never lose hope.

VAL – (nods slowly) Yes Gen, I will marry you. I have wanted to marry you since the day I first laid eyes on you. I don’t know what the future holds for us but know that I will do everything in my power to never forget our union again. No matter what I have to do, or what depths I have to submit to, I will not allow myself to lose you again.

Gen smiles warmly as she smoothes her fingers through Val’s brown locks, tracing the curve of his cheek kissing him with heated passion as her arms clutch him close to her. Eyes intertwined in passionate glimpses as her soul joins once again with his. No longer afraid to hold her and bare his heart to her touch, Val holds the silver-gold saber in one hand, while embracing his lover with the other, roaming his fingers along the spine of her back, brushing her purple strands aside, reaching beyond the fabric of her shirt, to touch her creamy curves, housed beneath.

Lost in the moment, Val draws Gen back momentarily as he gestures to the urn containing Terra’s ashes settled against a bush. While he wanted to delve in the erotic splendor of moment, he had come up to this location for more reasons then facing his inner demons and as fate would have it, what he needed to do was now complete with Gen unconditionally by his side.

Val walked over to the urn and picked it up with great care, returning alongside Gen as she traced her fingers around the cylindrical container, knowing what was inside it. Val reached for the dagger sheathed behind Gen’s back revealing the gift Terra gave to her before she died.

VAL – There is something else I came up here for. Now it is something we must both do. Our daughter was carefree and spirited so I believe it is fitting that we set right the wrongs that have occurred. She can’t rest Gen…somehow I know she can’t attain her rightful place with the guardians of the force until her murder has been justified.

GEN – (nods slowly) Then what is the dagger for?

VAL – As her parents I feel it is appropriate that we swear our oath to avenge her death. The only way as you once taught me is by forging a contract in blood, mixed with the remains of the fallen.

GEN – (perks a brow) So you did pay attention to the Oath of the Fallen. I trust you Beloved. I have no conflicts sharing in the ceremony. I miss her terribly. Nevertheless the time for grief has indeed passed…the time for action has come.

Gen presents her bare palm up as Val quickly swipes the blade across it, causing a line of blood to form. With gentle care, Gen returns the gesture across Val’s bare palm as he removes the lid to Terra’s ashes, letting his blood trickle inside the urn, not long before Gen does the same.

VAL – (speaking the oath) With this blood shed we become one unit. Flesh of flesh both living and expired, the quest for justice shall be traveled and those who have fallen will be granted freedom. Terra T’Negun you are gone but not forgotten, your death will be avenged. By this blood do I swear this oath; by this blood shall your justice be attained when those responsible for your demise have perished, so then will you be able to rest in peace.

GEN - (speaking the oath) With this blood shed we become one unit. Flesh of flesh both living and expired, the quest for justice shall be traveled and those who have fallen will be granted freedom. Terra T’Negun you are gone but not forgotten, your death will be avenged. By this blood do I swear this oath; by this blood shall your justice be attained when those responsible for your demise have perished, so then will you be able to rest in peace.

VAL & GEN – By the will of the force the circle will be completed.

Val cuddles Gen close as he gazes out to a stunning orange, red, and purple-pink skyline signify the death of the daylight and the birth of a glorious sunset. With Terra’s ashes contained in the urn, baring the blood of both her adopted parents it is a symbolic oath to not place the remains into the earth until the balance of time can be restored…until those who have brought about Terra’s demise too rest in peace.

Gen gazes to the skyline as the wind billows her black coat around her. Standing arm and arm, the cuts across Val and Gen’s palms are already sealed and forgotten but their oath to their fallen daughter has not been elapsed, it has only begun to take root as their quest to hunt down those responsible for Terra’s death has been set into motion.

VAL – With that task complete and my conscience cleared, there is something else I have been meaning to do.

GEN – (quirks a brow) Just what might that be?

VAL – This…

Having achieved his goals, it is only after that moment that Val gives Gen his full surrender, kissing her lips hungrily while his fingers roam the curves of her body. Gen’s eyes narrow to slits as pleasure spreads through her like wildfire, tearing into his shirt to reach his bare chest, literally ripping the black fabric from his body as she yanks him away from the Cliffside, towards the trunk of a tree and systematically removes the bonds holding his body from her full physical invasion.

Her fingertips scrape along his heated muscular physique, down his abdominals as she guides his hand to free her needy skin from the fabrics surrounding it. Steamy passion envelopes the two star crossed lovers as Val’s long, slender, fingers delve along Gen’s rising curves, caressing her firm round backside while dancing with her lush red lips, delving his erotic lusts into her body. Gen’s fingers grasp Val’s hair tightly as he whips her around, switching places while his lips travel down her glistening skin, no longer covered by her blouse as she finds Val instinctively tearing away her leathery attire, baring her creamy skin to the forthcoming pale moonlight.

Pressed against the tree, Gen feels the texture of the trunk grind into her back while Val kisses from her rims, to her neck, traveling down every inch of her frame, exploring every curve and crevasse unprohibited, surrendering to his yearning fire to consume her with every extension of his being.

No words are exchanged, only pants and moans of aspiration as their instincts overcome their anxieties, their fears, and their desires surrendering to the power of the moment; while the cool winds sooth their heated bodies writhing in hedonistic pleasure. One must come to understand that Val and Gen were not by any means as restricted nor refined as the paths of love Jedi might take, having a romantic exchange in private.

They were creatures of desire and survival. It wasn’t a necessity to breed that caused them to give in to their lustful desire; it was the potency of their love itself. That aching desire to feel one another connected in the deepest intimate unification possible. The two shared their lust for one another atop Kathryn’s Bluff away from prying eyes where the limitations and responsibilities of reality could not reach them, isolated from technology and duty.

Val is able to let go and return to the man he was when he awoke from the coma, when he felt that joy sweep over him that allowed him to savor and appreciate what it was to be alive and not fear what it would be like to die. Having shattered the wedge between them, they both waited years for this one opportunity to give each other completely to one another, in a trinity of mind, body and soul rediscovering and reforging the power of the bond between them…

(Setting Suns of Tatooine music)

A time where the words…

Eternal Love…

Forever Bound…

Once again had the power, to find a way…

To defy destiny…
 

EXTERIOR: SPACE – BORLEAIS ATMOSPHERE

While Val and Gen unite stronger then ever, fortifying their love amidst the spill of moonlight, the rush of a crystal blue waterfall and amidst the steamy jungle like atmosphere around them, elsewhere the vantage point slides away to reveal an endless blanket of streaming stars as Lon’s trusty X-Wing emerges from hyperspace, drifting into the domain of the fearsome, volcanic home world of the new Killian Guild.

Here he waits for a sign, typing in a few commands as his craft suddenly begins to buckle back and forth with great turbulence, tossing Lon into his defensive position inside the cockpit. He tries to steady the vessel only to see a small pinpoint of light flicker from the large, ominous red-orange luminance of Borleias’s atmosphere. What was once a blossoming paradise of breathtaking jungles and endless fruitful vegetation had been turned into an overwhelming nightmare, at least on a large majority of the planet.

When Q2 assumed command, he called forth the fury of lava and torn asunder the peaceful visage, wiping out most of the living population with his tyranny. Added to that a ring of satellites blanketed the sun’s rays from reaching the forest world, this also aided in withering the prosperity of the land.

All of a sudden, Lon’s X-Wing was struck head on by an energy blast from the surface as his vessel rocked back and forth, spewing sparks into Lon’s lap causing navigation screens to buckle under the pressure and shatter fragments of his LCD screens into deadly shrapnel which bounced off the orange tint of his blast shield eyewear. Then…all was silent.

LON – (sighs) Ok Sacul you were right…it’s a setup.

The ship was a sitting duck as Lon attempted to catch his breath. As quickly as he had emerged his vessel was now entirely disabled…aside from the back up systems feeding his life support and yet strangely enough he wasn’t spiraling out of control heading to his death…no the vessel was being guided into Borleias’s environment by some invisible force. All Lon could do was sit back and wait, while the fighter passed through patches of clouds, drifting downward in a descending course with a large mountain range gradually coming into focus.

Lon swallowed hard as he observed the rings of volcanic fire encircling a distinctive, larger mountain that was apparently not formed by nature but crafted by man’s will. Sure on the outside it appeared to be a mountain of solid rock, but there were exquisite, gothic like arches and jagged peaks carved into the granite like surface which from his viewpoint resembled a dark and foreboding castle, but incredibly large in scale compared to traditional bases. The upper regions of the fortress were angular and jagged, while along the base of the structure was a more organic, serpentine design.

LON – (smirks) Oh yeah, here we go with the whole “dark and foreboding fortress thing.” Why is it that every time there is some phantom menace, they always have this obsession with castles?

As his X-Wing continued to glide forward, suddenly it was propelled. The vessel screeched through an endless barrage of rock formations that swiftly sheared into the armor plating as the ship tore through crags of rock at immense velocity. Lon saw some of the rugged debris smack against the glass of his view port and hoped that the rocks would not penetrate the barrier between him and thousands of razor sharp naturalistic shrapnel.

LON – That’s a new one!

Moments later the sheer momentum of the ship ripped one set of wings off the left side of his fighter and then tore off the other set, leaving the X-wing skidding across the uneven terrain as the belly of the transport was shredded to pieces, with a metallic crunch of twisted metal.

Miraculously, Lon still was not injured from the endless assault, spotting a single entrance to the castle, which loomed like a great beast open forward, shortly before his entire vessel was swallowed up by the mammoth structure while his ship began to spin wildly out of control.

Lon reached out to the force trying to maintain his nauseous composure and wrapped his concentration around his darting carriage, using his limited mastery to stabilize the hectic trajectory of his vehicle and straighten out its course.

Then…it was over.

Lon drew in a breath to keep his mind steady as he was forced to literally slam his fist upward and knock the shattered cockpit window off its hinges, sending the angular cover toppling downward to the floor. He looked around a dark room, basked in a lime green light as he observed the mechanical carnage of his prized fighter.

LON – (rubbing along his ship’s hull) Aww man, I just had this sucker detailed!

A shower of sparks rained from sections of armor plate where the wing panels of his X-Wing were torn away, revealing the skeletal network of steel girders underneath. His ship was a total loss now and he was stranded inside this large, dimly lit interior which contained serpent like coils along the walls with a black metallic skin, where oval sections revealed beveled cylinders of metal tubing, not unlike that of standard metal cables. Although strangely enough in the darkness, not one element, save for Lon’s craft was angular, everything was smooth and fluidic. Even the interior of the room seemed more like a man-made organic cavern then a standard Imperial design.

LON – (whistling) Someone has a obsession with the dramatic.

There were light panels above him that gave the interior its green aura of luminance and a series of round lights embedded within the floor panels as they caught Lon’s attention, suddenly sequentially coming to life, leading in a trail of radiance to reveal a single trapezoid door constructed of multi-beveled plates and aged with rust and scratches, consisting mostly of a dusty grey metal motif which confirmed that this chamber had been in disrepair for quite some time. Or so it appeared.

Lon didn’t need a guided tour to decipher that he was being led through these strange surroundings. Having no comprehension of the layout inside this monstrosity he had no alternative but to walk towards the door and wait for something to happen.

A panel suddenly illuminated to his left as a sequence of text began to type across a black screen with green text which read.

YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I HAVE ANSWERS.

HOWEVER FIRST YOU MUST PROVE YOUR WORTH TO ATTAIN THOSE ANSWERS…

FAIL THESE TRIALS BEFORE YOU AND YOU WILL NEVER DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S FATE…

MAY THE FORCE GUIDE YOU.

YOU’LL REQUIRE IT TO PASS.

-ZW

Lon chuckled a moment in disbelief. Here he thought he was going to some place to sit down, maybe some sort of Cantina like ol Val and discuss the information about Chen Wol like a civilized individual and now some arrogant cur was making him run through a maze like some sort of hamster? Like it or not, Lon still had no choice but to play this ZW’s game, still entirely unaware of his true identity.

Well on the bright side of this predicament it would prove to Lon if he truly was ready for master hood, although the price of failure in this man’s gambit was much higher then a stern lecture from Val or several hours in the Powerhouse against that infernal Crymson Vachon drone.

Lon trailed his fingers slowly over his lightsaber, taking another deep breath and slowly closing his eyes to clear his mind of the concerns popping up. This technique began with Gen, passed on to Val and now inherited to him was one way that the Dark Jedi were to prepare themselves to face adversity with a clear focus to complete what tasks they needed to achieve.

If an unknown opponent is deadly, then an unknown location was even more intimidating for one could keep their eyes on a moving human being but an entire room of mystery left an individual open to attack from all angles. Lon had absolutely no clue what he was about to endure as he glanced to the message on the screen fade away just as the door in front of him raised upward to reveal a room drenched in blue-green light, cascading from high above while the resonance of trickling water filled his ears.
 

INTERIOR: THE KILLIAN BASTION – AQUA CHAMBER

With his determination strong and his mind focused, Lon stepped into an expansive, circular interior which seemed to stretch upward for miles as his path stretched out before him in the guise of a catwalk and fragile rims of safety railing. The instant Lon steps entirely into the establishment, the door he passes through suddenly drops down and locks, sealing him inside.

LON – (rolls his eyes) Predictable much, where is the originality?

Lon draws in his surrounds, searching to attain an understanding of the room. Both the roof and floor of the circular chamber were clouded in darkness and seemed to stretch on endlessly in both directions. Standing on his flimsy catwalk he looked over the safety railing and noticed that there were three identical catwalks below him, yet oddly enough there seemed to be no real purpose for them because neither side of the planks had an exit or entrance. This caused Lon to wonder as he also observed that there was only the door and the wall from his vantage point.

As he tilted his emerald gaze skyward he could finally locate the source of the water flowing down the silky smooth walls of the chamber from several reservoirs. At the highest point of the room which he could only assume was the ceiling, he could see beams of blue and green light streaming down, giving him just enough light to see that there was juxtaposed to its watery motif a single shaft of yellow radiance emitting from the exit to the arena, miles above him and just barely visible under the shaft’s origin was a tiny ledge, not more then a foot long.

Lon ran his ribbed gloves along the wall, feeling the water flow over his covered fingertips as his mind began to ponder the purpose of this chamber and what part it played in his “trial”. At first glance it was rather relaxing with the smooth fluidic lull of harmonious water streaming down the walls, the soft blue-green strands of light, and the round architecture. What was so threatening about this place? Lon even placed a note to himself to build something similar when he returned home to his Wol Estate.

Yet he began to feel more uneasy as he looked beyond the elegance of this location. From most vantage points it was peaceful but that odd perch at the top warranted his growing anxiety. Why would someone place the exit to this spot way up high where there appeared to be no way to reach it? Something didn’t add up here. The extra catwalks below him didn’t make sense either. Mixed with harmony and chaos, Lon felt himself torn between relaxing and taking a defensive stance.

There was that god awful silence as well. Aside from the flow of water, there wasn’t another sound inside this well he was trapped in. He didn’t have to wait long however as he heard a grinding noise emanate from the darkness below. Suddenly there was a howl of air which almost sounded like a scream as the intimidating noise began to make his skin crawl. He could hear the whine of machinery and the steadily rising echo of turning gears, which shifted from a piercing scream to a continuously building hum.

LON – (talking to himself) Me and my big mouth…well Looney Wolf, once again you just HAD to jinx things.

A breeze began to filter up as Lon’s hair started to dance along his shoulders, caught in the up draft of whatever was activated below began to power up to its full potential. Lon figured out by the clues that it was something incredibly large and it was spinning very rapidly, which was causing the breeze swirling upward which grew in intensity until he felt his tunic begin to lift.

It was a giant mechanical fan…