STAR WARS/PREDATOR: MASTER XOL'S SAGA (PART SIX)

Unbeknownst to the unconscious Xol, those that captured him on Tatooine

have encased him in carbonite under the instruction of an unseen master.

However, the hibernation did not diminish all of his brain functions and for what seems like an eternity he is locked in a never ending nightmare. His mind is bombarded by the dark influences of his sentient lightsaber. Its constant torment drives the Yautja to the edge of his sanity.

He wants to free himself but can’t. His incarceration aboard the Death Star so many years ago pales in comparison to the chaos in his mind.

He longs for a release either through freedom or death.

Neither seems to be in his future.

He desperately calls out through the Force, hoping that his cries for help will be heard by others besides the dark shadow that tortures him relentlessly.

Only time will tell…

“You have resisted me for longer than anyone should Xol,” the shadow says, frustrated. “Give into my power once more, or have you forgotten your battle with the one called Darth Maul already?”

“I should have never given you that chance to manifest in me!” Xol yells. “You are a malignant growth upon my very soul and I want you dead, I never should have obeyed Tyvokka’s command and allowed you to remain intact.”

“Yet you did Dark Jedi, you did. You need me. The feeble teachings of the Jedi will never allow you to defeat those who have been set free. Let go of your misgivings and allow us to work in concert once more!”

“I did not need you to defeat Vader and I don’t need you now!”

“On the contrary, your defeat over the Chosen One was because of me, who do you think allowed his long lost love to transition from the Void into your world?”

“I had already beaten you at that point, the blade itself is connected to the Force without you! You only have power if I grant it to you. Taunt me all you like in this torturous dream but I will never ever allow you leverage over me again.”

“Strong words dark one, we shall see how strong you are in the face of your new master…”

“What new master? Your lies are baited traps and I shall not be lured in with the living Force on my side.”

A hush comes to Xol’s dreamlike state, the first he has had in so long that it scares him. Unsure of what the shadowy voice’s next trick might be, he braces himself for the worst. As he awaits his next sinister challenge, he can feel his body lifting upward towards white light. Once near its source he feels warmth all over his body and the sound of unfamiliar, muffled voices all around him.

With a flash of white transitioning into black, Xol’s eyes adjust to the world around him. He lets out a roar of panic as he awakens from his comatose state. His mind is foggy and sluggish, as his vision returns to him he can see several blurry figures standing around the gurney he is laid on. He tries to stand up but immediately after setting his feet upon the bare metal floor, he is overwhelmed by nausea, buckles over, and vomits.

“Easy there Jedi,” one of the voices says from nearby. “Hibernation sickness aint something you just shake off in a minute.”

After more nauseated vomiting, Xol stands to his feet, his vision much clearer. He comes to realize that he stands among heavily armored strangers in some sort of medical facility. Alone and still somewhat disoriented he draws his lightsabers. “Where am I?” he growls.

“We don’t have time for this,” the lead individual responds. “Come with us Master Xol, our employer does not like to be kept waiting.”

“Not until I get some answers soft meat!” the Yautja snaps, his tusks clicking with irritation.

“Come with us and you’ll get all the answers you want Jedi,” a second soldier says, holding his empty hands out in front of him. “We’re not even armed. Most of us are just engineers assigned to wake you from suspended animation.”

“How long was I asl…?” Xol asks before his words slur and he crumbles forward to the floor.

When Xol regains consciousness, he is seated in a dark room with a viewport adjacent him. He can see space rushing passed, stars turning to lines as the vessel he must be aboard enters hyperspace. Though he is not bound, he can feel an unseen influence strong in the Force holding him in place.

“What is this place?” Xol screams furiously. “Where have you taken me? If this is still a dream, I will not be deceived by your lies!”

“Quiet yourself my apprentice.” A voice from beyond the dark says calmly.

The voice brings a chill to the Yautja as he remains helplessly immobilized. “It cannot be you,” he shouts. “I killed you so very long ago.”

“Did you now?” the voice continues. “It may very well have seemed that way, but only because I had to make you believe it to be true. Had I known you would complete your mission only to become the very thing I loathe most in this universe, I would have completed the task myself.”

The lights of the room flicker on, and with disheartening confirmation, standing before Xol dressed in heavy black armor draped by a red cape is his former master, Dark Lord Blades. Although his face is obstructed by a helm with a skull shaped faceplate, through the Force the Jedi knows this to be his long forgotten teacher.

“I was able to know your exact location at almost every step especially once you installed my carefully configured program into your helmet.”

“Why Blades?” Xol replies, his query fired by anger. “Why would you deceive me?”

“To bring about the Empire’s downfall so that I may rise to power you idiot!” the Dark Lord retorts with condescension. “Wasn’t it obvious? I trained you to be a weapon. One so terrifying, Vader would have had no choice but to take notice, diverting his attention from my efforts to build up my own forces and execute a coup. However what I didn’t count on was the interference of Jedi Master Yoda. I should have guessed he wouldn’t have been slain in the Emperor’s Purge. Not to mention your presence has now brought into play a new Emperor and his cloning project has birthed a new threat I never could have anticipated. It appears you are so dangerous, that the Empire had no choice but to resurrect the dead themselves just to compensate!”

“If this is all true Blades why have you brought me here? I doubt you’d believe I would just betray all that I have come to know and hold true just to help you regain power. If that is what you wish of me, you might as well kill me and get it over with.”

“Well, it’s not completely improbable. You did betray my teachings didn’t you?”

“That wasn’t betrayal that was an exodus from an evil you cursed upon me.”

“Semantics, dark one. You’ll do my bidding, whether you’ll sacrifice your morals to do it or not.”

“Have I not been clear my former master? I will not serve you!”

“Then your friends will die, not by my hand but because of your inaction. Their blood will be on your hands.”

“What are you talking about?”

Lord Blades uses the Force to bring a chair to him. With a flit of his cape he sits down and holds out his gloved right hand. In its open surface, through his own abilities he projects three dimensional images of great space battles and flashes of Dex in great pain.
“You see Xol, in the years since your absence…” The sinister Blades begins before being interrupted.

“Years? What do you mean years! How long have you kept me a prisoner in this place?”

“You were never a prisoner, I sent my acolytes to rescue you from the Empire. They were too late and you had begun to pass from this world to the next. I couldn’t allow you to fall, so over the past six years while your body was preserved in stasis, I used my powers and some other ancient techniques to repair and restore you.”

“You saved my life? To what end?”

“Apprentice, I am Dark Jedi, not a heartless Sith. You are like my son, though you may not always do as I say or pursue the path I feel is best, I will always care for your well being.”

“Yet you used me as a tool to destroy your enemies, and felt it necessary to fake your own death. If I was your son, then you failed as my father.”

“I did what was necessary. You will understand in time. Now, do you want me to tell you of your friends and their Rebellion?”

“I am listening father,” Xol says sarcastically.

“With you presumed dead, the Empire’s alliance of reborn Sith generals has succeeded where Darth Vader had failed. Their actions have been carefully orchestrated by an unseen leader, the current Emperor of the Galactic Empire.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“No Xol,” the dark lord continues. “I have spent a hundred fortunes trying to ascertain that information but he or she is very effective at hiding their identity from everyone close to the throne save one.”

“Who might that be?”

“A Sith warrior known as Lord Starkiller, he served under Vader as his enforcer during his reign. When he died, I was certain his second would seize power but he hasn’t. As for your precious Rebel Alliance, they were shattered at the Battle of Coruscant which I showed you images of through my gifts. What remains of it has fled, or possibly even disbanded.”

“The Alliance cannot be dead. The Jedi Order wouldn’t allow it!”

“Console yourself with whatever falsehoods you wish apprentice, but search your feelings and you will know it to be true. The Jedi have been undone, purged by Starkiller and his death squads. All that remains is you and I. Practitioners of non-Sith doctrines and techniques akin to those of the Jedi Order.”

“You are a Dark Jedi, Blades,” Xol exclaims, his voice sullen. “Once, so was I because of your teachings. I will never become one again. I will take my last breath in battle and I will do so as a Jedi Master. Nothing you can say or do will ever change that.”

“Then as I stated earlier foolish tusk tooth,” Blades says while leaning in. “Your friends will perish. You must grow beyond my lessons and even those of the Jedi. You must become something this galaxy has never seen before.”

“What must I do to save my comrades?”

“Well, as I have explained the Empire used their cloning projects to recreate powerful Sith. Some of these generals have begun defying the Emperor and are forming their own twisted version of the old Sith Empire in some remote planetary system. It’s not surprising when you have so many historically powerful leaders told to obey a ruler they have never even seen. We can manipulate this situation to our advantage and overthrow both groups simultaneously but you will never succeed without aid from me and your former cohorts that still live.”

“Then get to the point my old teacher, and tell me where my friends are!” Xol yells as he fights the restraining force and lunges at the dark Jedi seated near him.

“Orlo the Hutt has your compatriot Dex on Ord Mantell.”

“Jabba said Orlo was imprisoned by the Empire,” the Yautja replies, suspicious of Blades’ every word. “How could he have Dex?”

“My acolytes told me, that the Empire found out about Orlo’s involvement in the death of Count Raxus, so to save his own hide he revealed that he could lead the Empire to you. I am guessing his bounty hunters found you on Tatooine. When you escaped the prison, Orlo I’m guessing, had a contingency plan and made arrangement with the Empire again to lure you to Jabba’s palace. That is when I learned of Darth Maul’s mission and I forsook the luxury of remaining hidden to save you.”

“A fine conspiracy dark lord, but Orlo the Hutt is a two-bit cardsharp, junk dealer and slaver. Why haven’t you already rescued Dex yourselves within these six years?”

“A lot has changed young one. Orlo has surpassed most Hutts in power and influence with his ties to the new Empire. Ord Mantell is now a major shipyard and training ground for some of the Empire’s most elite soldiers. My acolytes are skilled but they don’t stand a chance against soldiers with that level of training and I cannot reveal my existence just yet to this new Emperor. That would have undermined all I had worked towards and would have jeopardized your life for sure.”

“You expect me to be any more successful?” Xol scoffs. “I am only one Jedi Master. It would be foolish to attempt this rescue alone.”

“It’s perfect actually, my former apprentice,” Blades explains. “By all accounts you have been dead for six years and no Imperial will be looking for a ghost. You can sneak into Orlo’s compound and steal Dex right out from under him. My last information on where he is being held states that he is some form of entertainer in that bloated Hutt’s court.”

“I suppose it is as good a plan as any. I will cooperate with you if it will mean Dex is freed.”

“Excellent Xol!” Blades exclaims excitedly. “We shall prepare and leave for Ord Mantell within the hour.”

With a wave of his hands Dark Lord Blades releases Xol from his hold and dismisses the mystical images he was displaying. He leads the sickly Yautja through the halls of his ship to a hangar containing a Starlight class light freighter, and an assortment of various Imperial and Rebel Alliance fighters. From the layout, Xol can ascertain that Blades’ vessel is some sort of Star Destroyer, but much smaller than any he had encountered before. As they walk along the hangar floor the Dark Lord talks.

“Isn’t it marvelous Xol?” he gloats. “A retrofitted Gladiator class Star Destroyer. Not powerful enough to go toe to toe with any large capital ship but effective against the occasional patrol we encounter way out here. We will be taking the freighter while my acolytes follow in fighters. I have some contacts within the Empire I can coerce into giving me some dignitary identification. Diplomats are seldom investigated by security personnel but, you must be absolutely famished after your long sleep. We’ll go to the galley and take in some refreshment before departing.”

“Lead the way, Dark Jedi,” Xol replies, unimpressed by Blades’ display of power.

As the group leave the hangar and travel toward the ship’s dining area they pass an observation deck with a large transparisteel viewport. As Xol passes it, he holds his side in pain, the sight of his former injury from before he was frozen.

“Get up tusk tooth,” Blades commands. “You are fully healed. It is only a phantom injury, a false sense of pain in the location of an old wound brought on by your hibernation sickness.”

“Are you certain master?” Xol says, wincing with pain.

“I am absolutely certain and also, it pleases me so that you call me master once again.”

“Master,” the Yautja says, staring solemnly at the dark lord’s cold mask.

“Yes my apprentice, what is it?”

“I am sorry for my betrayal.”

“Nonsense Xol, that was in the past.”

“No not that master,” the Jedi explains. “That was my escape from you and all other dark forces. This is my betrayal.”

With a surge of Force energy, Xol grasps Dark Lord Blades, crushing him with an unseen fist.

“What…are…you…doing…you fool!” Blades grunts.

Without a reply, the Yautja casts the dark Jedi through the pane of the viewport shattering it into thousands of shards, sucking Blades, and his acolytes out into the vacuum of space. The rushing air pulls at Xol but he repels its force with his abilities. The screams of his victims are heard for less than a second before the cold black overtakes them. The compartment is repressurized after an emergency field erects itself in place of the window.

Xol stares out the viewport unsure of what keeps him looking out at the bodies floating away from the ship. Is it remorse or just morbid curiosity he wonders?

When they are no longer visible, he proceeds back to the hangar bay of the destroyer and boards the freighter. As he engages the engines, he thinks of Dex’s suffering and all the atrocities that have occurred while he was imprisoned in carbonite. With a snap of determination he engages the thrusters, exiting the bay and leaving the starship behind. With a course set for Ord Mantell on the navcomputer. He throttles forward into lightspeed.

“They will all pay 1165. I will make sure of it.” Xol says to himself as he plunges into the white swirling tunnel of hyperspace.

TO BE CONTINUED…