02:02 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
On the world of Starkan, a small planet, populated by a peaceloving people who seldom bothered themselves with the Empire or its minions, a wedding was taking place. In a small, unadorned chapel of the Starkanese faith, two outworlders, both holders of a power far beyond the comprehension of any of the natives of that world, had chosen to be joined. The ceremony was completed, and the man leaned forward, whispering something to his bride. Together, they left the small chapel and roamed about the grounds around it.
The man, whose name was Bail Kane, spoke softly with his new wife. Until then, she had been his apprentice, the learner of all he knew in the Jedi arts, and the reciever of his own knowledge, but now, she was the radiant bride who listened intently as he spoke to her. "Ezren," he began, addressing her by name, "You understand that your training isn't complete. Until it is, I will have to assume the double role of husband and master, and you will have to handle being both a wife and an apprentice."
"It doesn't matter," said Ezren Dae'eys, now Ezren Kane, quietly. "I've been your apprentice for a lot longer than I've been your wife. I can handle it."
"Just so you know..." Kane trailed off, as Ezren leaned over and kissed him. The kiss lasted quite a while, but Kane broke off when he saw another figure approach them from the direction of the town.
"Kane, my old friend!" shouted Merrick, the gambler, in a slightly drunken voice, slapping Kane hard on the back. "How does it feel to have tied the knot?"
"Not as good as it felt a moment ago. Old friend," Kane said with only a trace of a smile.
"We're going to have to borrow Kane for a minute, Ezren," said Merrick lightly, ignoring Kane's quip. "Now that you're married, you've got some serious drinking to do, Kane. And you don't have very long to do it in, either. We're leaving in an hour."
Kane cleared his throat, not sure how to break the news to his friend. He had been with the members of Special Ops Team One a long time, and even now, several years after the team had broken up, any time spent with his former comrades was held in the highest regard. "We're not going with you, Merrick," he said, finally blurting out his secret. "Ezren and I discussed it, and we're not going back to the Republic... yet. We've got too much to do, too much to discuss." Kane saw the disappointed look on Merrick's face, and quickly picked up the hint. "We'll be back, though... someday. Don't give up on us yet."
"Well, if that's how you feel about it," said Merrick uncomfortably. He seemed to brighten after he had had a moment to think. "Come on, this makes one last drink with the guys even more important! We'll only borrow you for an hour."
"All right," Kane agreed. He turned to his bride, who did not seem to enjoy the same camraderie he felt when among his friends. "I'll be back soon, Ezren."
Feeling as if he had just given himself a death sentence, Kane followed Merrick back to the town, where the others were waiting in the saloon.
02:57 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Kane glanced at his chronometer. It was nearly two o'clock, and high time he left. He stood to exit the establishment, but Cyruss Remmington drunkenly pulled him back down. "One more drink, Kane. Then we have to go."
Ramirez Starr, sitting at the other end of the table, nodded and thrust his shot glass forward. "A toast to Kane, our thoroughly knotted friend! You don't know what you've gotten yourself into!"
Shadowlord, the gigantic, hulking Wolfen, roared in agreement, and all the glasses on the table rose to meet Ramirez's. "Good luck, Kane," said Merrick, the gambler's eyes dancing as he shook the Jedi's hand. "You're going to need all of it you can get."
The entire group roared in laughter, and for a moment they seemed like they once had been, as Special Ops Team One, so long, long ago. But the moment passed quickly, and they each rose to leave, returning to their ship. Kane was left sitting at the table, thinking, as the last of his friends walked out of the door. After a moment's thought, he stood up quickly and followed Ramirez out of the saloon and into the empty area where the ship had been landed. Shadowlord, he could see, was already standing in the ship's cargo ramp, and Merrick stood with his hand on one of the supports, waiting for Ramirez. Kane walked up to the Starflame, looking at it as a man does an old friend. He had been the pilot of the ship once, in the days when they had roamed the galaxy, going from one adventure to another, fighting the Empire at every turn. Those days were over now, and the Rebellion had turned into the Republic, a more civilized government which had no need of a rowdy, ruffian special ops force.
In a daze, Kane shook hands with each of his former teammates: Merrick, the gambler and surrogate pilot to the Starflame, a man whose inner instincts all pointed toward quick profit, and was always ready for a laugh; Ramirez, the easygoing pirate, who lived every day as if it were his last; Cyruss, the bounty hunter who had travelled with them to many places beyond his imagination; and Shadowlord, the enormous behemoth, a creature of massive strength and ability, whose rather small intelligence was made up by his marvelous courage. He remembered them, and those others who were not present, as vividly as if it had been yesterday when they had stood together, fighting against evil. Those had been days filled with glory, honor, and companionship, a time which Kane knew would never be repeated.
As they prepared to leave, Merrick turned to speak with Kane one last time. "Remember, that scout ship is still here, whenever you want to leave. All you have to do is power her up and go. She only has enough fuel to get you to the next system, but you can charter a ship from there." He shook Kane's hand once more, and, turning, made his way up the cargo ramp. Kane stepped away from the ship, and a few moments later, the Starflame came to life, lifted off, and soared into the sky. A bright flash of light lit up the stars as it jumped to hyperspace, and then it was gone. In the darkness once more, Kane sighed wearily.
03:04 GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Ezren was waiting for Kane at the bottom of the hill. The Starflame was long gone, and even the flash of hyperspace was a distant memory when Kane returned to his new bride. She smiled, and Kane stood in place for a moment, watching her. "Now that you've seen your friends off..." said Ezren, moving closer to her husband.
"Kane!" came a fearful shout, echoing from the direction of the town. "Kane, you've got to come quickly."
Kane looked up, irritated, to see Narem, one of the townsfolk, running toward him, waving his arms. "You've got to come with me, Kane! There's something you should see."
Ezren nodded, and the two of them followed the frantic Narem to the town hall. As they approached the doorway, Kane could see something white sticking to the door. He drew closer, and suddenly made out the shape of a scrap of paper, pinned to the door with a vibroblade. On the paper, in a steady hand, were written the words:
Bail Kane: I have returned, and come to seek my vengance. I will arrive on this desolate world at dawn. Be ready for your fate. You have no one to help you this time, Kane.
TremayneKane stood quietly, taking in what he had just read. Tremayne was dead -- he had killed the dark Jedi himself, and paid for it a thousand times over during his brushes with the Dark Side. Even if Tremayne was somehow still alive, how had he found Kane, so far out in the far reaches of the galaxy? It could not be true.
Disconnectedly, Kane reached out and ripped the paper down. As he did, the dagger was knocked loose, and fell to the ground. Looking down, Kane was shocked to discover a single word scratched into the hilt of the vibroknife: TOM. He picked it up and examined it, turning it over and over. It was Tom's dagger, all right, but how Tremayne had gotten ahold of it, he had no idea. Perhaps it was some sort of sick joke -- the knife had been passed through the ranks of Special Ops Team One, starting with Race, until it came to Kane, but it had been lost a long time ago. Kane pocketed the vibroknife, returning to the note. He had no idea what Tremayne's signature looked like, so he could not use that as a comparison, but the message of the dagger seemed fairly straightforward: if it was not Tremayne, it was someone who knew an awful lot about Special Ops Team One, and who certainly had a vendetta against Kane in particular.
Ezren came up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the note in his hand. "Kane? What is this?"
Kane crumpled the note and tossed it to the ground. "It's nothing. A fake. I killed Tremayne years ago."
"Someone sure seems to think he's Tremayne," said Ezren. "Look at these people! Have you seen how terrified they are? They're convinced that a Dark Jedi Master is coming with the dawn to extract vengance on someone."
"You think it's real?" asked Kane. "How?"
"He could have been cloned," said Ezren. "Who knows, he could have just come back somehow. No one knows exactly how the Force works, especially the Dark Side. I think we should leave, immediately."
"She's right," said Narem. "You should leave. If Tremayne comes and you're not here, maybe he'll leave."
"No," said Kane. "That's not the way Tremayne is. Was. It doesn't matter! He's dead!" For emphasis, he stepped on the crumpled paper on the ground.
"But what if he's not?" asked Namen sagely.
3:31 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Kane and Ezren sat in the bar, silent. The bar had long since closed to its other customers, but the bartender allowed the two to sit at one of the tables. They had been talking spiritedly earlier, but now they both seemed to be almost asleep. Suddenly, Kane sat up quickly, and shook his wife awake. "Ezren! Wake up!"
"I'm awake," she replied in an annoyed tone. "What is it? Are we going to leave?"
Kane seemed about to say something, but he stopped, thought for a moment, and finally spoke. "No. We're staying here."
"Are you mad, Kane? If Tremayne comes, and you face him, you'll be killed. He almost killed you the last time, and that was when you faced him alone, with another Jedi helping you. He'll have plenty of troops here to help him, you can be sure of that."
"I can't do it, Ezren. I almost did, but I can't." Kane seemed to be excited.
"Do what?"
"Leave! I can't leave these people all alone to face Tremayne." Ezren began to speak, but Kane stopped her. "I've fought Tremayne. I know how he fights, how he acts, how he moves. If I can get some of the townspeople to help me, I can defeat his troops."
"He could have a whole army!" Ezren thought her husband had gone out of his mind.
"No, he doesn't. Because ships big enough to be troop carriers would have showed up on the scanners. He must be in a Llamda -- which means he's got a minimal number of guards."
Ezren was pleading with him now. "Kane, I don't want to become a widow a few hours after I've been married."
"Just trust me, Ezren. I have to do this." Kane looked at his chronometer anxiously. "What time does dawn come on this world?"
"About six," replied Ezren. "You don't have any time, Kane."
"I've got enough," he said, as he stood up and rushed out the door.
4:18 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Kane burst through the doors of the town hall, where the majority of the town had gathered to discuss the situation. His face was grim, and he walked with the bearing of a man who knew that the dawn brought death. "I need your help," he said to the gathered townspeople. "In two hours, I must face Tremayne and his men. I've estimated that there cannot be more than six others with him, but they are probably Imperial Storm Commandos, and are very highly trained. This is why I need as many men as are willing to help me. Together, we can defeat them!"
A waft of conversation made its way through the assembled crowd. Finally one man, the mayor of the town, spoke up. "Kane, I know you have helped us in the past, and you and your friends saved our world from the Imperial forces. But this -- well, Tremayne is here for you, not us. I think... well, it would be better for all of us if you just left, right now."
"But what about you?" asked Kane. "What will Tremayne do to you if he comes and finds me gone?"
"That is our problem," said the mayor. "You should worry about your own. Take your new wife and leave, Kane. You still have time to get out of here."
"It doesn't matter!" said Kane. "No matter where I go, he'll follow me. Besides, the scout ship will only get me to the next system. By the time I get there, with it's slow hyperdrive, Tremayne will be able to catch up with me. I can't escape."
The mayor cleared his throat. "We're sorry, Kane, but we can't afford to get involved in this. Tremayne will not harm us."
"That's where you're wrong," said Kane. "Tremayne is a monster. He has no respect for anything or anyone. You can't possibly imagine what would happen if he came and you failed to produce me. Which is why I'm staying. Is anyone going to help me?"
There was a long, uncomfortable pause. To break the silence, the mayor spoke. "Kane... we appreciate your effort on our behalf, but... we cannot afford to get involved in this. If we can maintain neutrality..."
"I see." Kane's voice was steely, and his eyes seemed wrought from iron as he turned and silently left the town hall. The mayor seemed about to speak, but Kane shut the door soundly behind him, silencing everyone.
4:49 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Ezren was sleeping, alone in the bar as Kane entered and walked over to her, his hands trembling. "Ezren?" he asked quietly, gently waking her.
One look into her husband's eyes told Ezren all she needed to know. "They're not going to help you, are they?" she said, not really asking.
Kane shook his head solemnly.
"Not any of them?"
"No," said Kane, a touch of despair in his voice. "They want to stay neutral."
"So we're leaving, then?" she prompted anxiously.
"No, we're not."
Ezren was stunned. "You're not seriously considering staying here and defending these people? This goes above and beyond what even the Jedi Code requires. We can still get far enough away if we leave now."
"We're not leaving," Kane repeated. "I have to stay here, even if they don't want my help."
Ezren stared into Kane's eyes for a moment, examining his emotions with her Jedi senses. "You're really not leaving, are you?" she asked in amazement. "You're the most dedicated person I've ever met."
"Then you understand?" he asked her, taking her hands in his.
"Yes," she said, "I understand now. This is something you feel you have to do."
"Good," said Kane. "I want you to take the scout ship and go to the nearest system. There's no reason for you to stay."
"What?" she asked, her eyes widening. "I'm not leaving you alone."
"Please," Kane pleaded. "I don't want to lose you, not when you're truly mine. Tremayne doesn't know you. He's not looking for you. Go now, and I'll catch up with you."
"How?" she asked, her voice full of fear.
"I'll find you somehow. Spacers come to this planet occasionally. I'll hitch a ride."
"I don't want to leave you..." she began, but he cut her off, kissing her quickly. He leaned back in his seat, and said one word:
"Go."
Slowly, Ezren rose, her hand reaching out and pulling Kane up with her. "I love you, Kane," she whispered, kissing him one last time as she walked in a daze out the door.
Kane stood there, alone, for a moment, before following her out of the bar. He had much to do, and only a short time left.
5:56 AM GALACTIC STANDARD TIME
Everything was ready, and the dawn had almost arrived. Over the horizon, Kane could see the soft streaks of red above the faraway hills, signaling the beginning of a new day. He stood in the center of the street, his weapons beside him, ready for what would come. From his belt hung his lightsaber, the one which had once belonged to his Master, Shakhan. On his back hung the enormous blaster rifle he had carried throughout his days in the Rebellion, and set up in front of him was an ancient slugthrower gatling gun which he had salvaged from the town's museum. It was not much, but it was all that Kane could muster.
Kane stood, and waited, as dawn approached. Overhead, the sky was turning a bright pink color, and light began once again to seep into the dark, sleepy town. Dawn usually brought cheer, light, but this time all it brought was dread. Kane waited, and as the sky became light, a dark shadow appeared on the horizon. It drew closer with each successive moment, and soon it was close enough to be identified: it was a Llamda-class shuttle, its wings upright for landing, and it was about to land along the same road on which Kane stood.
The shuttle came down in a spray of dust from the road, and the ramp underneath the cockpit opened slowly, revealing seven menacing figures. These seven walked from the ramp of the shuttle toward Kane, their strides full of loathing, and their shadows pools of hate. Kane stood his ground bravely, and it was only when he saw the figure in the center draw a long, metallic cylinder from his robes and ignite it that Kane brought out his own lightsaber. Kane's weapon burned bright red, but Tremayne's was black as night, with waves of fear eminating from its blade.
The figures stopped, and for a few moments there was silence on the road. Besides the eight of them, there was not a soul to be seen in the bright dawn, and the windows and doors of all the buildings were tightly shut. Finally, Tremayne spoke, and his voice cut through Kane like a chill wind. "You were foolish to stay, Kane," he said viciously. "You should have known that I always keep my promises."
"You can't be alive," said Kane. "I killed you, and destroyed your lightsaber, at Endor."
"Ah, but you forget the miracles of cloning," said Tremaayne. "There are many forces in the galaxy who would not hesitate to recruit me into their service."
"Then," Kane replied grimly, "I'll have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
All of them stood motionless for a moment, Kane at his guard, the others snarling with hatred. Suddenly, Tremaayne moved his hand, and the six Storm Commandos who had been standing behind him leaped into motion. Instantly, Kane's lightsaber moved to block the six blaster bolts which came sailing his way. Dodging like a madman, Kane managed to evade all of the bolts, but he was no sooner done than he was forced to go through the ordeal again.
Without hesitation, Kane opened fire with the gatling gun, taking one of the Commandos down by surprise. The other five rushed forward, forcing Kane away from the weapon and into an alley which stood nearby. Ducking behind the wall, Kane managed to evade their bolts again, but many of them came much closer this time. Turning quickly around the corner, he blocked several of the deadly bolts with his lightsaber, sending two of them back to their authors. One of the Storm Commandos clutched his left arm, but did not relent his attack.
Kane realized that his cover was quickly becoming obsolete. Wishing for luck, he rushed outward, his lightsaber outstretched, and ran for the doorway of the tavern. He made it into the building, but was caught in the leg by a bolt as he burst through the door. As the Commandos ran toward the doorway, Kane quickly wrapped a tourniquet around his leg, using the Force to dull the pain, then picked up his lightsaber and awaited the arrival of his pursuers. The Storm Commandos came rushing through the door, and as they began firing, Kane ran through their ranks, lashing out with his blade and taking one of them down as he exited as quickly as he had come in.
Kane stood in the street outside the door and blocked each blaster bolt with his lightsaber, but they could all tell that he was beginning to tire. Tremaayne had not moved toward Kane yet, letting his Storm Commandos wear the young Jedi down before he entered the fray, but he watched Kane with a look of sheer hatred, a threatening gaze which told Kane that his time was about to run out.
Knowing he could not hold them off much longer, Kane made a desperate gamble. As the Storm Commandos approached him, he rushed into them as he blocked their bolts, sending their blasts back as he came near enough to attack them with the blade. In the process, Kane was hit again, but his deadly risk took two from their number -- one killed by the deflected blasts, the other disembowled by the lightsaber. The remaining two, one of them wounded, began circling Kane as he sat in the dirt, trying to quench the blood leaking from his side. Just as they were about to attack, Tremaayne held up his hand, staying their blasts. "I think it is time we make our good friend Kane regret staying," he said, as he brought his lightsaber before him and moved toward Kane. The two Commandos stepped aside as their lord came through, the point of his lightsaber dipping slightly as he ever so slowly pointed it at Kane's midsection.
"Perhaps the loss of a few non-vital organs might make Kane regret his previous zeal," laughed Tremaayne as he lowered the lightsaber's point. Kane sat, with the tip of Tremaayne's lightsaber a mere two inches from his groin, his own lightsaber clutched weakly in his right hand. Swiftly, Tremaayne thrust, but Kane still had some fight in him, and parried the blow so that it cut through his left leg. He winced with pain, but his hold on the Force did not waver, and he blocked Tremaayne's next strike, parrying it harmlessly aside as he tried to rise.
Tremaayne laughed as Kane slipped in his own blood, landing hard on his injured left leg. The dark Jedi retreated, and his men closed around Kane once more. "Finish him," the vicious Sith breathed between clenched teeth.
As the Commandos raised their blasters to follow their master's orders, a lone blast rang out, catching one of them in the neck. He fell with a cry, and Kane blocked the bolt of the other Commando, who turned to see where the blast had come from. As soon as the warrior's back was turned to him, Kane slashed the blaster out of the man's hands, taking a fair amount of the Storm Commando's wrist with it. The man cried out, but the mysterious gunman fired again, taking him under the arm. Tremaayne whirled around, raising his lightsaber to defend himself.
Astonished, they both saw Ezren Dae'eys Kane striding forward, a blaster rifle in her arms. Tremaayne rushed toward her, his lightsaber ready, but Kane was quick behind him, ready to defend his bride. "Defend yourself, Tremaayne!" he cried as he swung at the dark Jedi's unprotected back.
Instantly, Tremaayne had swung around and brought his lightsaber to bear. A swift duel ensued, in which Kane was repeatedly beaten back by Tremaayne's superior skill and health. Wounded and weak, Kane could barely manage to defend himself against the dark clone, and he knew that his defeat was imminent. Ezren raised her rifle again, but could not get a clear shot because the two were moving so quickly.
Suddenly, Tremaayne saw his moment, and, before Kane could react, he cut a wide gash in the noble Jedi's belly, dropping his opponent to the ground. Instead of finishing Kane, however, he kicked his enemy once, then turned to Ezren. Kane's bride made a shot at Tremaayne, but not quickly enough to keep him from blocking it. He advanced on her, and she backed away, the nearly useless blaster rifle held before her threateningly. "So, Kane, you have a defender? Perhaps, even, a pretty young bride? Well, I know what will pain you more than death itself -- the death of your beloved, before your very eyes!" Tremaayne swept out with his lightsaber, taking the rifle out of Ezren's hands. Grasping her by the arm, he pulled her around in front of him and held his lightsaber inches from her throat. "What say you now, Kane? Will you still try to win?"
Kane rose, and dropped his lightsaber and rifle to the ground. Tremaayne smiled, and drew back his lightsaber, but at the last instant, reached to pull Ezren back onto the blade. Kane's life flashed before his eyes, as he saw his bride about to be impaled on his enemy's lightsaber. He moved quickly, even more quickly than Tremaayne, and he could feel the Force moving with him. His blaster pistol, hidden safely until now in his leg holster, was drawn in a millisecond, and before he could even register what he was doing, he had shot Tremaayne dead center in the forehead.
The dark clone dropped silently, his lightsaber cluttering to the ground. Ezren rushed toward her husband, catching him up, as the townspeople began to come out of their homes to look upon the carnage Kane had wrought. The town doctor appeared, his medkit in his hand as he came to tend to Kane's injuries. All the while, Ezren held Kane close. "I couldn't leave, I just couldn't," she repeated over and over. "Please forgive me... I couldn't leave you alone to die."
"Thank you," breathed Kane, as the doctor opened the medkit and began operating on Kane's terrible wounds. Ignoring the doctor, Kane leaned over and kissed his wife soundly. The ordeal was over, and Kane had won, though it had nearly cost him everything. In the end, though, what he retained was all that would ever matter.
THE END
