I still had to delay a bit. Kaila, sudden as an erection at age ninety, caught me practically before I left the Temple and dragged me off for more procedures, scans, and tests.
Having patiently (what was the point of arguing?) endured all the misfortunes that had fallen on my head, I learned I'd be stuck with the healers for another five days. The tests were deemed acceptable, the wounds were healing. The healer remained silent about the spiritual component, but I assumed that was fine too.
So I needed to hurry. Valkorion wouldn't wait.
After tossing another dozen dry ration packs onto the ship, I finally set off for my destination.
I should summarize everything I remembered about the fourth moon of the gas giant Yavin.
First, the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow arrived there, hiding from the Jedi during the Great Hyperspace War. Sadow ordered his followers, the Massassi, to erect enormous temples that focused the energy of the Dark Side of the Force. Hiding from the galaxy, Sadow conducted experiments, using Sith magic to create monsters from the descendants of his crew. Sadow placed himself in stasis until he was awakened by Freedon Nadd, who took up his teachings and killed the teacher.
Later, feeling the power of the Dark Side, the fallen Jedi Exar Kun arrived on the moon. During the Great Sith War, Exar Kun made Yavin 4 his last stronghold, draining the life energy from thousands of Massassi to preserve his soul despite the death of his body. As a result, he managed to preserve himself as a Force Ghost. And that came back to haunt Luke Skywalker when he decided to establish a Jedi Academy on the moon.
Also, it was from Yavin 4 that the Alliance struck at the Death Star.
And again, on Yavin 4, Revan's Shadow — a twisted, rage-filled, and hatred-fueled remnant that had survived an encounter with an Imperial sabotage team at the Rakatan Factory station, was a physical shell of an ancient Jedi Master seeking to revive and destroy Vitiate. The first part of the plan succeeded. The Emperor's spirit returned from oblivion, and under the guise of Emperor Valkorion, brought both the Republic and the Sith Empire to their knees.
And now I was heading to that historic little place.
The notable thing about all this was that neither the Jedi Archives nor the Holonet contained any mention of Yavin 4. Most likely, Dooku or the Jedi themselves had deleted the information about the planet to stop the pilgrimage of fallen Jedi.
What could Valkorion want on this planet?
Perhaps if Rick's personal memories weren't blocked, I would know the answer. But right now…
I was almost certain Valkorion was playing with me. What game?
But the Emperor said I should prepare before the flight to Yavin 4. How exactly?
Was this the point of training Force-users? The teacher set vague tasks, and his student completed them. Or didn't.
Who knows what the benefit of this assignment was.
If I could channel the Force fairly adeptly (by my own estimation), I hadn't yet tried practicing with a lightsaber.
The flight would take about twenty hours, so I went down to the hold and cleared it for training.
Tossing the familiar training ball into the air, I activated the sun-colored blade and took a stance.
* * *
I finished with the deflection drills a couple hours later. I can't say it went well — and besides, the numb side, left arm, and buttock wouldn't let me go against my conscience. I needed to let the body restore sensation to the affected areas.
I also decided to start reading the information copied from the Archives. After all, I'd be heading to the front soon.
As it turned out, besides historical and tactical notes, I'd managed to copy information about a lot of other things. Executing my not-quite-correct copy request, the terminal recorded information on every cross-reference. Now I could read in detail about the Imperial dreadnought Harrower, or the Zakuul Eternal Fleet in my spare time…
I wasn't very interested in old ships, so I started reading about battles.
If I had hoped that the warriors of the past would describe their maneuvers, give advice like "What you should shoot off an enemy ship first so it can't run away," I was sorely mistaken.
Most major conflicts between opposing sides were controlled by Force-users. The attack on Malak's Star Forge, supported by Bastila Shan's Battle Meditation, was direct proof.
It should be noted that in most cases, space battles were won through one of two scenarios. First — a Jedi (or pro-Republic) sabotage group would cause chaos on the enemy flagship, after which the demoralized enemy would either surrender or be exterminated by the Republic fleet with zeal and numerical superiority.
Galactic history had almost no cases of any truce, territorial concessions… Only the Cold War and the Eternal Empire's invasion could boast anything like that. In all other cases, the Republic always found the strength to wipe out its opponent across the entire galaxy. Sometimes it looked completely insane. Judge for yourself.
After defeating Malak's Sith at the Battle of the Star Forge, the Republic fleet, significantly outnumbered by the enemy in combat ships, didn't just drive the Sith away — it took over their territories. The same thing happened with the Sith Empire.
Historical essays were very superficial in describing the chronology and battles of the First and Second Galactic Wars. As a result of the First, the Republic and Empire signed a truce. Coruscant ceded a number of territories to Dromund Kaas. Then the Second broke out, which led to a rapprochement between the Republic and Empire against a common enemy — first the Revanites, then the Eternal Empire.
How the conflict with Zakuul was resolved was described quite vaguely in the historical essays. The Outlander had usurped power in the Galaxy, but later the Republic defeated both him and his allies from the Sith Empire.
Well, what do you know. The Outlander, whom I thought was the Hero of Tython returned from the mists of history, turned out to be a conqueror? Too bad that over four thousand years, historians had boiled this down to just "usurped power."
And how did the Republic manage to come out victorious from that confrontation? After all, Zakuul had the Eternal Fleet — a fleet created by unknown sentient machines. And the Sith Empire also possessed impressive armed forces…
And then it hit me.
Of course! If the Outlander was the Hero of Tython, who had somehow seized power in Valkorion's Eternal Empire, that should have turned the Order against him. After all, the Eternal Empire didn't merge into the Republic, did it? It didn't. Same as Dromund Kaas.
Jedi had been masters of destroying fallen Light adepts since ancient times. Unsurprisingly, the historical records had slightly less information about the Hero of Tython than needed, just like Revan. If I hadn't known who killed Vitiate, I would have believed the Archive records — "The Sith Emperor was killed by a powerful Jedi." So in the future, after killing Revan's Shadow, the paths of the Hero and the Republic diverged. And so radically that even his name was erased from history. I doubt anyone today would say why.
Back to tactics.
Throughout history, the Force-gifted of one side or the other used ordinary beings as expendable resources. A simple soldier on the battlefield meant little when the confrontation was between Force adepts.
There were exceptions, of course — the Mandalorians, or commandos. They had special training.
The Mandalorians had the Republic just where they wanted it until Revan took charge.
The New Sith had the Republic just where they wanted it until the Jedi Lord Hoth took command.
This list could go on forever.
Then came Ruusan. The destruction of the Sith marked the end of the Sith-Jedi conflict. The Jedi relaxed, disarmed, abandoned the warrior principles. They became "peacekeepers." The army and fleet were dismantled. The Judicial Forces took over law and order.
For a thousand years, the galaxy cultivated the seeds of corruption, lawlessness… The Jedi became the Senate's attack dogs.
Of course, measures were taken to revive the fleet. For example, the Katana fleet — a fleet of 200 dreadnoughts built by Rendili StarDrive, linked by a special system that made the ships copy the actions of their flagship. And when the flagship's crew was infected by something, the fleet jumped into hyperspace, waving goodbye to the Republic…
After that, everything that happened to the Republic over the last thousand years hardly deserved to be called "war." Nor did it deserve much attention.
Of course, technological progress couldn't be denied. Technology developed and improved.
But tactics…
Remember the Battle of Naboo, where the Trade Federation army and the Gungans both used tactics against each other that on Earth were used in Napoleon's time… And that's in a galaxy where people flew in space…
Some kind of savagery.
Although… if peace had lasted a thousand years in the USSR, and the fleet and army had been disbanded, would we have been able to withstand Hitler's onslaught?
But looking at it from another angle — the USSR would never have disarmed, because it was surrounded by ideological and geopolitical enemies. And the Republic, after Ruusan, had no serious enemies…
Well… expecting the Archives to give me access to the knowledge of the ancients, I had completely missed the mark. For the most part, the information obtained from the Archives was of no value for the coming war. Of course, with careful study, maybe I could glean some grains, but it wasn't what I needed…
So I'd have to rely on my own judgment. Which wasn't unique to me. Thousands of Jedi gained command experience through their own trials. What made me worse?
Glancing at the time indicator, I swore and noticed I'd spent almost seven hours studying the holodisks. The paralyzed body parts had recovered, and I went for a second round of training with the spherical droid.
But this time, I decided to train in armor.
First, I needed to see if I could actually carry the armor — it weighed quite a bit. And I should figure out how I'd move in it…
I settled on the Sith armor that appeared in the Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer. In it, Sith warriors were chopping up Republic soldiers on Alderaan. The armor even came with a cloak. Suiting the mood — matte black, with blood-red trim on the sleeves that ended around the elbows and the lining. "In a black cloak with a blood-red lining…" No, I think it was a white cloak. But this one was no worse.
The armor included a fairly comfortable bodysuit, over which the armor elements were attached — chest piece and backplate, greaves, pauldrons… The load-bearing belt even had magnetic clips for a lightsaber. I decided not to put on the mask, which was actually a high-tech helmet with a closed breathing system, lots of filters, and lenses, but I took it with me and put it on the workbench in the hold.
Starting the training droid, I began deflecting the paralyzing shots.
* * *
The new training session went incomparably better.
Saturating my body with the Force, I had practically turned the armor into my second skin. It clung to me so perfectly, as if it had been made just for me. Though, in truth, it simply adjusted to its wearer thanks to the modular assembly principle.
The more I used the lightsaber, the more actively my muscle memory "recalled" everything that had been "hammered" into it over years of training.
A few more hours of practice, and I could deflect almost every shot the droid fired at me. The rest were absorbed by the armor without much harm.
I bitterly regretted not having borrowed a combat droid from the Temple to sharpen my fencing skills. Alas, you don't swing fists after a fight.
Of course, for lack of anything better, I'd practiced familiar combinations in "shadow combat," but without a real opponent, such training was laughable.
After stripping off the armor post-training, I asked R3 how much time was left until the end of the journey — no more than seven hours. The ship's systems were normal, no course deviations detected.
Satisfied with the answer, I stepped into the refresher and washed off the sweat from training.
I wasn't going to exhaust myself with training. Who knew what Valkorion had prepared on Yavin. Of course, I was unlikely to be fully ready for it, but at least I'd rest before the unknown.
With those thoughts, I passed out.
* * *
The chirping of my mechanical assistant woke me.
R3, noticing that I wasn't responding to his chirp over the intercom, had rolled in from the bridge to nudge me with his manipulator arm.
Rubbing my eyes, I instantly ducked into the refresher, downed a couple of ration bars from the supplies, and put my armor back on.
Through the viewport, I could see a planet whose entire surface was covered in green and blue patches.
The droid beeped affirmatively.
"Yavin 4," I confirmed. I'd never seen it before myself, but now I sensed this world like an old acquaintance. Of course, my predecessor had been here! I cursed myself for my forgetfulness. Of course! This was where Valkorion's ghost had killed my previous master.
"Make a couple of orbits in the atmosphere," I ordered. "We'll take a look and pick a landing spot."
The droid beeped in acknowledgment.
The Defender — I hadn't been clever about it; the ship's documentation gave it a name matching its model — dropped from orbit toward the planet, descending lower and lower in a spiral.
Somewhere around the third orbit, I felt the Dark Side emanating from a specific point on the planet. The corvette was aimed there in the same second.
I could have bet, even from orbit, that my destination here would be the Great Temple.
The same one where the Rebel base was located, from which they'd blown up the Death Star in Episode IV.
The same one where my old teacher had died and where I'd found a new one.
The corvette landed not far from the Temple, gently touching down on the satellite's rain-soaked ground.
I checked that the lightsaber was in place and tucked a hand lamp into my belt. After a moment's thought, I tucked a blaster into my belt as well.
"Wait for me on the ship," I instructed the droid. "Don't let anyone in except me. If I don't come back in a couple of days — fly to Coruscant. Oh, and," I smacked my palm against my forehead, "let's record a message."
* * *
The grandeur and monumentality of the Great Temple from the outside, illuminated by bright midday sunlight, were fully matched by its interior.
Inside, the Temple was divided into five levels, each corresponding to a step of the ziggurat. From the lowest to the highest, each of the five levels was smaller and taller than the one before. The layout remained the same everywhere — small cells, chambers, and corridors surrounding a large open space in the center.
If I remembered correctly, on the lowest, largest level, the Rebels had set up a hangar for their fighters. Treading across the stone floor, I illuminated my path with the flashlight. Whatever lighting the builders had installed had long since fallen into disrepair.
Systematically, I worked my way through all the lower levels until I reached the top.
The Great Audience Chamber. In the future, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca would be awarded here for destroying the Death Star. Later, this very place would be where Luke trained new Jedi...
But now, standing here in the middle of the dried leaves scattered across the floor, buffeted by gusts of wind coming through the empty window openings, was me.
I could feel the Darkness swirling around me. After all, the Temple was built to focus the Dark Side.
It clouded my mind, constantly testing the strength of my mental defenses, which I had instinctively wrapped around myself.
"You're here," Valkorion's ghost appeared out of nowhere behind me. Unchanged from the time he'd been gone, the ghost began to circle around me with measured steps. "Apprentice."
"Yes, Teacher," I knelt before the Sith. "You commanded, and I obeyed."
"I had to command twice," Valkorion said, unexpectedly harsh. The Dark Side suddenly surged, and I felt the ghost unleash a telekinetic blast that sent me flying maybe ten meters before slamming me into the wall behind me. The armor softened the blow, but the air was instantly driven from my lungs. "You are my weapon in this world, Rick Dougan," the Sith showed no emotion, but I'd bet he was furious. With a second motion, Vitiate lifted me into the air and pressed me against the wall with such force that I felt my bones creak.
"I summoned you to this world, made you significant," Valkorion's voice thundered. "I gave you a purpose to live. To live and be a conduit for my will."
"Teacher..." I wheezed.
"You are full of arrogance," the Sith concluded. "It's time to teach you a lesson."
The ghost's grip loosened, and I crashed to the floor.
Gasping for air, I knelt before the ghost.
Like a monolith of authority, unshakable, authoritarian, he loomed above me. Without any hesitation, he closed his eyes, concentrating the power of the Dark Side around him.
Like a whirlpool, the Darkness swirled around him, making the ghost's radiance grow brighter and brighter.
"Thousands of years ago, a Jedi named Revan planned to kill me," he spoke unexpectedly. "Blinded by his thirst for vengeance, he didn't realize he was acting in my interests, doing what I wanted..."
"He resurrected you," I reminded him.
"Yes," Valkorion opened his eyes. "My spirit was weak after the death of my Voice. Revan caused a massacre that fed me, gave me strength. I departed for Wild Space, where my new Empire was being forged. Zakuul. With its help, I planned to bring the galaxy to an ideal, to cast aside the mistakes and dogmas of the past... But once again, I was betrayed."
I understood that Vitiate was stalling for time. Manipulating the Dark Side, he was performing some ritual, and was just talking my ear off now. I didn't understand how, but the lightsaber had ended up in my hands.
"My own child, Arcann, raised his blade against me at the very moment my ancient enemy, my killer, saw the truth and understood the reason for my actions."
"The Hero of Tython sided with you?" I said doubtfully.
"He accepted my power, a part of my strength," Valkorion acknowledged. "As the only worthy one in the entire galaxy, he could have led it to peace and prosperity. But, once again," I felt the air instantly cool by several degrees, "the Jedi, bound by their dogmas, their shortsightedness, turned against him. The Sith, cherishing their cunning and treachery, proved too weak against the Republic. My plan, my creation, my Eternal Empire... all of it was destroyed, buried, and forgotten under layers of centuries, trampled by Jedi filth. This all must end."
Suddenly, I sensed something dark moving toward the Temple. The Dark Side swirling around Valkorion was interfering with my ability to identify the danger, but I could tell — even without deep scanning — that something clearly hostile was approaching. My finger found the activation button of the blade on its own. The dimly lit hall filled with a yellow glow.
"Interesting," Valkorion narrowed his eyes slightly. "I was wondering where that saber was. It belonged to my son, Thexan. The only one of my children who was wise enough to carry out my will without question."
"But Arcann killed him," I reminded him.
"A necessary sacrifice," Valkorion said — or was it just me, or did I see a flicker of sympathy in his eyes? "Zakuul changed me. Showed me the limits of my understanding, helped me step beyond them. It was Zakuul that gave me a vision of the future, warned me of the danger from beyond the galaxy's edge. I did what I had to. I took the weapon against the outsiders into my own hands and turned it against those who refused to move beyond their limitations. Arcann and Vaylin, driven by their base desires, turned my creation into a crude mockery. They couldn't hold themselves on the edge of the Force's sides. And they destroyed the pinnacle of my creation. Zakuul fell. The Sith Empire followed. And the galaxy fell into stagnation."
The Darkness was drawing closer. I could feel it just beyond the wall. I'd been distracted by the Sith's words and let my defenses drop. But sensing the danger, I instantly filled my body with the Light Side, forcefully drawing it from the surrounding space. Gripping the saber hilt with both hands, I prepared to face my opponent.
With the roar of a wild beast, a giant figure leaped through the window frame in a single bound and stopped beside Vitiate's ghost.
In the sunlight, I could make out the newcomer.
Over two meters tall, red-skinned, like most of the Sith race. Sharp features, covered in long facial tendrils. A muscular body clad in short robes. Needles and bone spikes covering the exposed parts of his body glinted predatorily in the sun's rays.
A Massassi. A Sith warrior.
"I have unlocked knowledge for you that many living Jedi and Sith have already forgotten," the ghost suddenly released a bolt of Force lightning that struck me, hurling me back several meters. "But you reach for the Light, ignoring your potential. Here, in this place, the Light will not help you. Use the Dark Side, teach the Force to be your servant. Stop asking — take what is yours by right," the Sith practically spat the last words. "Or I will replace you."
With a monstrous roar, the Massassi pulled a massive axe from behind his back — it had been hanging by a strap there — and charged at me.
* * *
I couldn't match him in strength or speed.
This creature, clearly one of the ancient Sith's alchemical experiments, was created solely for killing. A perfect hunter, a trained assassin. And I was his target.
As he'd warned, Valkorion had decided to replace me. A Jedi's body was an excellent vessel for the Emperor's follower. Since I'd made him repeat his orders.
The first time he'd given me the command was to get a ship after Geonosis. Then — before my journey to the Temple. Either way, the old man was seriously offended by my behavior.
A second before the Massassi's axe, mid-leap, could have split my head open, I gathered the Force — a lot of it — and sent him flying to the nearest wall. It was a solid hit. I heard bones crack, and blue blood from the warrior splattered across the sun-warmed stone.
Valkorion watched in silence.
"You never taught me," I reminded the ghost. "Never showed me a single Dark Side technique. How am I supposed to use them?"
The red-skinned creature snarled and launched an attack. I rolled to the side, making a few sweeps with my saber. The blade met the axe, flickered, and immediately went out.
"Cortosis!" I cursed. The hesitation cost me a solid punch to the face from my opponent.
I managed to soften the blow at the last moment, but I still tasted blood in my mouth.
My head was ringing like a bell, but the Force helped me again. Anticipating where the strike would land, I rolled aside and used Force Push again. This time, however, the Massassi was ready. I remembered the Dark Side energy emanating from him. The warrior "swallowed" my attack and returned it tenfold.
Once again, I went flying across the entire hall.
"I unlocked your memories of the Dark Side's paths," the Sith cut in. "They're in your head. Your body is unique. Your gift is priceless!" the Sith's voice thundered. "Use the power and knowledge I gave you, or die!"
Another slam into the wall. I slid to the floor like a sack. With difficulty, fueling myself with the last scraps of the Force, I got up.
Barely holding the re-ignited lightsaber in my hands, I watched my opponent.
He circled before me, his yellow eyes fixed on my every movement. His skin was splattered with blue blood in places, but it didn't slow him down. On the contrary, I could feel him absorbing and channeling the Dark Side through himself as best he could, stoking his rage. Building up the Force within himself, he would soon charge at me.
"You are my hand in this world," Valkorion rumbled. "The Massassi is just a beast; his strength is minimal. How do you plan to put an end to the Jedi and Sith if you can't even kill this acolyte? You are a waste of my precious time," the Sith concluded. He waited a second for some reaction from me. I was too exhausted to do anything. Turning his back to me, Valkorion said, "Pierce his heart. It's time to replace the consciousness in this body."
I sat with my eyes closed and sensed the red-skinned one approaching. The same second he raised his axe to crush my skull, I suddenly realized that my admiration for this galaxy, my unformed and unrealized dreams, would sink into oblivion with me. Valkorion would replace me like a spent shell casing, just as he'd done before with the body's original owner. As if in slow motion, I saw Valkorion begin to glow, a good ten meters away from me. With his eyes closed, focused, he paid me absolutely no attention. I didn't know why, but I could feel him summoning the Dark Side. It answered his call, rushing from the depths of the Yavin jungles into this hall. My time in this galaxy was running out.
No.
Not today.
The axe with its cortosis coating bounced off my Force Shield. The bewildered Massassi stared at the weapon, then at me. I opened my eyes and met his gaze. The warrior snarled and launched another attack.
Spinning a whirlpool of the Dark Side around myself, letting its searing power flow through my veins, I concentrated on my fingertips.
Bluish-violet lightning tore through the Massassi's body, hurling him to the far end of the hangar. The beast roared furiously, moving toward me. I summoned my blade into my hand and ignited it. The red-skinned creature charged, raising his axe for a strike. Rolling to the side, I dodged the line of attack. My blade slashed across the beast's right arm, and as I spun around, I watched it twitch convulsively on the floor.
A roar of pain and fury shook the Temple's vaults. Grabbing the axe with his left hand, the warrior charged at me. I waited until he was right on top of me, then stopped him with the Force. Suspending my opponent in Stasis — which consumed the last scraps of the Light Side — I pressed my hand against him. I felt the Force inside him, and reaching to its source, I began siphoning it from the Massassi, channeling it to heal my own wounds.
After a couple of minutes, when the Stasis wore off, I released the defeated, drained enemy onto the stone floor.
Even that wasn't enough. I hesitated for a second, but seeing the warrior's body begin to stir, I severed his head from his body with a short stroke of the yellow blade.
Satisfied that my opponent wouldn't rise again, I turned to face Valkorion.
The ancient Sith was watching me with curiosity.
"Impressive," he remarked. "But your swordsmanship is deplorable."
I felt a clot of the Dark Side enter the chamber.
Emanating malice and hatred, it approached Valkorion. The Sith stood proudly over the ghost of a man who bowed before him.
"I swear allegiance to your teachings and your goals," the ghost said obsequiously. "Allow me to tear the soul from this body and serve you..."
"Long ago, your spirit was sealed on this planet," the Sith began. "You languished within these walls until my enemy awakened me. The Force I accumulated from deaths across the galaxy gave you freedom."
The ghost of a man in ancient armor, with long dark hair tied back, stared at Valkorion in confusion.
"Teacher, I don't understand..."
"Your skills are great, Exar," Valkorion acknowledged. "But you dared to take part of my power when Revan resurrected me..."
"All to serve you, Emperor," notes of panic crept into the former Jedi's voice.
"Fight him," Valkorion nodded in my direction. "He, like you, has caused me trouble. Defeat him — and this body is yours; you will serve me. No — he will absorb your power, just as he did with your last loyal Massassi a few minutes ago."
"Teacher..." Exar Kun thought for a moment, then his face twisted in anger. "You will die, boy!"
White-blue lightning tore from his ghostly hands, racing toward me.
* * *
My ghostly opponent had once been a highly gifted Jedi and the best student of his teacher. However, like Freedon Nadd before him, Kun had succumbed to the temptations of the Dark Side and become a new Sith acolyte. He fled to Yavin 4, where he destroyed Freedon Nadd's spirit when the latter started bothering him, and launched another war against the Republic. He became one of the few Sith who gained enough power to preserve his mind separately from his body for a very long time. Four thousand years later, Exar's ghost returned and enslaved the mind of one of Luke Skywalker's students. Only at the cost of incredible effort did the Jedi manage to destroy the Sith's spirit.
I deflected Exar's lightning with my lightsaber blade. The Dark Side energy hissed and was absorbed into the sun-colored blade.
The ghost darted around me, hurling lightning or clots of the Dark Side at my mortal body again and again. I deflected the first with my blade and simply dodged the second — fortunately, for some reason, the ghost couldn't give them enough speed.
Meanwhile, I was frantically trying to figure out how to defeat a Force ghost.
You couldn't stab it with a saber — it was a ghost, after all.
Maybe with the Force?
It was as if someone had overheard my thoughts. The negative aura of the Dark Side, which had been suppressing my connection to the Light, vanished. It happened so suddenly that even Kun froze for a moment.
That was all I needed. Seizing on the ancient Jedi's confusion, I unleashed the Dark Side that had accumulated within me. Flowing through my body, it burst from my fingers in dark-violet discharges.
My lightning pierced straight through the ghost. Exar slowed down; a grimace of rage flickered across his spectral face. "Aha," I realized. "So the Force can hurt him after all!"
Valkorion watched all of this impassively. I understood him — essentially, he didn't care who won, me or Kun. Either way, he'd get an apprentice strong and skilled enough to oppose the Jedi and Darth Sidious's plans.
Kun hurled a clot of darkness that looked like a spear fragment. I only barely managed to dodge it. The darkness, like acid, bit into the wall behind me and began consuming the stone. It left an impressive-sized eaten-away cavity before dissolving.
The fight began to resemble a mating dance. Kun hurled lightning at me, clots of Force energy, small stones. A couple of times, even trees from the jungle flew into the hall. I calmly absorbed it all and deflected it. Feeding myself with the power of the Dark Side, letting it strengthen me, expand my field of mental control, I used every Force technique I knew against the Sith, trying this and that.
The walls of the hall began to be covered with soot from the lightning and energy bursts. I didn't know how much time had passed, but the sun had noticeably set, filling the hall with the blood-red hues of sunset.
Kun, by all appearances, was running out of steam. His lightning became less frequent, not as strong or widespread. Meanwhile, I was cycling the energy of both the Dark and Light Sides through myself, fueling my tired body by every means available.
Absorbing the Dark Side energy swirling around me, I suddenly realized that the Sith standing before me was nothing more than Force energy. Light Side or Dark Side — it didn't matter.
It was the Force.
And I had just recently absorbed, drained dry the Dark Side energy from Exar's warrior...
Valkorion's words clicked in my head — "he will absorb your power, just as he did with your last loyal Massassi."..
Straining to test my theory, I directed my Dark Side technique at Kun's ghost, who was concentrating the Force in the far corner.
The ghost screamed in horror as he saw his form begin to blur and flow toward my hand in thin, whitish streams.
"Teacher!!!" the ghost wailed, stretching out his hands toward the serenely standing Valkorion. I felt an invisible hand reaching from Kun's ghost toward the ancient Sith. Vitiate surrounded himself with an impenetrable wall, against which the former Jedi's hand slammed.
I felt the Force — and with it, energy, knowledge — flow from the spirit into my body. Rituals of Sith alchemy flashed before my eyes, fencing techniques and Niman combinations I'd never seen before.
The ghost, losing his essence with every second, tried to unleash his Force upon me, but only wasted his energy. Wrapped in a Force sphere, I only increased the rate of absorption.
Finally, with a heart-rending scream and shriek, the ghost completely flowed into my body.
The Force was bursting through me. It felt like I had absorbed more than I could actually take in. I should discharge it, return part of the ghost. But I understood that if I did, the ghost would be able to attack me.
"You can do it," Valkorion was right next to me. "You are stronger than him. Absorb it. Process his energy. Let it flow through you, strengthen your bones and muscles. His knowledge is now yours. Assimilate it, remember it, internalize it..."
My body began to be wracked with convulsions. I could feel thin threads of the Dark Side emanating from me. My body couldn't withstand such power. Stumbling, I fell flat to the floor, dropping my saber at the last moment, but managing to put out my palms. I struggled to push myself up from the floor, but froze, swaying on my hands and one knee.
My mental cocoon began to crack. It was like I'd fallen into boiling water.
I blacked out.
Yes, I'd killed the Massassi.
I'd defeated the ghost.
But I couldn't make use of the victory.
The dark energy was tearing me apart. I felt a trickle of blood running from the corner of my mouth. Drops fell to the floor in intricate circles, layering on top of each other. Circles swam before my eyes.
"You must!" For the first time since we'd met, Valkorion showed some emotion. Anger and rage, perhaps, but still. "Use his Force!"
I couldn't release Kun's energy from myself, but I also couldn't manage to accept his knowledge in time. The Darkness threatened to tear me apart.
And if I didn't manage to swallow all this Force soon, my liver would decorate the walls of the Great Audience Chamber. The Darkness would destroy my body...
"Damn it! What kind of idiot am I?!"
The Force was tearing my body to pieces because it couldn't digest the energy accumulated by the fallen Jedi. So why wasn't I using the Force to restore my body?
The next second, obeying my mental command, the Force — instead of reinforcing the mental cocoon around my body and containing the power trying to burst out — reorganized itself to repair damaged organs and tissues.
I pumped the Force through my body, regenerating damaged areas over and over. No longer locked inside me, the Force flowed freely through my arms, legs, torso, renewing cells and tissues. Cycling the Force through myself again and again, I reduced its explosive potential. But as soon as I finished healing my body, the power of Kun's spirit would burst through the renewed body and damage it again.
And I would start healing myself again. And again. And again. And...
Losing track of time and spatial orientation, I blacked out.