Drin Kizael's Story

[Drin Kizael]

:: Dozens of Imperial ships blotted out the sun, marring the normally clear and beautiful sky of Dinati V. One could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as the troop transports under fighter escort veered away from the capital city. Farmers in more remote parts of the continent stopped their work to gaze up in fear and awe as the troop line ships raced overhead for parts unknown.

:: Eventually they touched down with military precision in the center of another city, creating their own landing field far from the starport. Before the local authorities could arrange a welcome party, ramps lowered from the bellies of the Imperial ships, spilling out countless stormtroopers.

:: A score of the white armored shock troops formed rank around a command shuttle, closing with weapons ready before the shuttle's ramp had even touched the permacrete. The shadow cast by the shuttle seemed to grow as an ebony black figure almost 2 and a half meters tall emerged from it into the light.

:: Darth Vader led the stormtroppers with a purpose through the confused citizens as they scurried away like a parting sea. The location of the Empire's target was checked and rechecked a hundred times since it was purchased from one of the their many informants barely 12 standard hours ago. With the final lifeform readings aboard his scoutship, the hunt was finally at an end.

:: With the burst of a carbine, blinding light spilled into the darkened interior of a nearby warehouse. The door had barely slid completely open before a sea of white flooded in. In seconds, the building's lone occupant was surrounded by stormtroopers, blasters leveled at his back.

:: Vader strode into the room, blocking the light once more. In the wake of clattering boots and blasters, the entrance of the Dark Lord of the Sith threw the entire building into an eerie, tense silence. Without turning around, the orange-furred felinoid at the far end of the warehouse broke that silence.

"You've grown, Anakin."

[Drin Kizael]

:: The machine once known as Anakin Skywalker did not respond, did not even move.

"Leave us."

:: With a nod from the squad leader, the stormtroopers responded quickly, filing out the door with the same precision movement with which they had entered. Soon an almost tangible silence hung between the two beings that remained.

:: Vader began to slowly walk across the warehouse. "You should have listened to me, alien."

:: Drin Kizael turned around. "Names are now for you to simply discard? Not only your own, but anyone who reminds you of your past?"

:: The Sith Lord ignored the statement, accepting it as fact, not a question. "The invitation still stands. The New Order has a place for all who serve."

"You know better than to even ask."

"You recognized the weakness in the Jedi before even I did. You knew it would come to this from the start. You were always the strongest of them, Kizael. You--"

"Oh now you remember my name."

"This is your final chance. Join us!"

:: Vader was halfway across the duracrete floor by now, closing the gap between them. The strain in his mechanical baritone betrayed his conviction as it echoed through the building.

"We can rule the galaxy together. You can avenge Dreeshan."

"Leave him out of this."

:: Kizael's normally gentle voice now carried a hint of a growl. "This isn't about my master. It's about yours."

:: Vader's voice now betrayed a hint of smug satisfaction at hitting a nerve. "Obi-Wan is dead."

:: Kizael bit off Darth Vader's words with another growl. "Obi-Wan was my friend! We were all friends, Anakin."

"That name no longer has any meaning. Do not waste your final breaths of life on it."

"Mighty intense reaction to something so meaningless, Darth. Can't bear to face the truth? If the dark side has made you so strong, how can you be so pathetic?"

:: The Dark Lord of the Sith answered furiously with an angry snap-hiss and flash of crimnson.

[Drin Kizael]

:: The agile Trianii ignited his lightsabre and swiftly brought the sunset-gold weapon into the path of Vader's attack. Sparks flew as the wide expanse of the warehouse reverberated with the shriek of solid energy blades scraping against each other.

:: Darth Vader kept in stride, letting his sabre move with the force of the parry. The red blade slashed down again, met with another block, and pulled in to deflect a blinding counterstrike.

:: The splash of orange and red illuminated Vader's black armor as the lightsabres clashed before him. Kizael was soon on the offensive, but could not gain ground against the Sith. The Dark Lord fought almost nonchalantly, his one-armed fighting style mocking the Jedi's finesse with the sabre.

:: But Drin could tell his opponent was not as unshaken as he appeared. The strength of each blow intensified with Vader's growing frustration. As his enemy's anger grew, the Jedi Master's alertness for mistakes grew as well. The catch in this fight, however, was that with the dark side as his ally, the angrier Darth got, the more dangerous he could be as well. Kizael knew he was playing with a double-edged sword, but the gamble was the only way he hoped to get out of this alive.

:: They danced for what felt like hours, the mighty Trianii's muscles holding against the unyielding cyborg. Eventually, even Kizael's venerable sword skill faltered against Vader's relentless assault. Forced to parry in the third ring of defense without an opening for so long, he was almost relieved when Vader's crimnson blade drew first blood.

:: He staggered back, barely able to get his own lightsaber up in time to block the follow-up. Even as he moved the sunset blade to counterattack, his danger sense screamed for him to stop. In a flash of insight, the Jedi knew that the next blow would cut into his weapon arm, possibly severing it.

:: There was only one way out. Kizael clenched his massive jaw and opened himself further to the Force.

[Drin Kizael]

:: The felinoid yowled as Vader's red lightsabre cut into his arm. The blade sank 5 centimeters. Then suddenly winked out of existance.

:: "What?" Darth Vader rasped through his helmet's speaker. He hesitated ... just long enough for the Jedi to channel the thousands of joules of energy he had just absorbed.

:: It hit like a charging gundark. Tons of pure kinetic force swept through the room and converged on a single point with a mighty slam. Vader flew clear off his feet, bits of plastine from his armor scattering behind his fall.

:: Suddenly every container not bolted to the floor tumbled and set sail for the reeling Sith Lord. Literally flying back to his feet, Vader raised his hand to telekinetically block what he could, using his lightsabre to dispatch the rest.

:: A mechanical growl of rage and pain echoed through the warehouse as a massive crate struck him square in the chest. Meanwhile, Kizael struggled to support himself on one arm. The blast of raw energy absorbed threw his body into a fit, flinging his lightsabre across the room. At this point it was almost all he could do to draw breath.

:: Upon seeing Vader stumble back to his feet, Kizael summoned all the inner strength he could and rose to meet him. He reached out, calling his lightsabre back to his hand.

:: Vader ignited his again, stalking forward. "Still you insist on fighting, old friend?" The sarcasm was dripping from his voice even through the electronic filter. "Valiant to the last. A noble effort, Drin Kizael. You were truly a worthy opponent."

:: ~Yeah that's right. Keep talking.~ Kizael thought as he stared hard at the unlit lightsabre in his hand. He ignored the dark lord's posturing, using the time afforded by it to do some very tight focus telekinetic manipulation. He built this lightsabre decades ago, had used it in countless battles, made it an extension of his arm.

:: And knew exactly what wires to cross to cause the weapon's energy loop to feed into itself.

:: The Trianii looked up with a sudden snap, a feral grin of triumph beaming through his white fur. "So were you, Anakin."

:: Kizael thumbed on the activation switch.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael's lightsabre flew out of his hand the instant the switch was thrown. In seconds it was halfway across the room, beelining for Vader's open hand. Suddenly it stopped with a jolt, turning sideways. It wavered in the air, eventually shooting back toward Kizael.

:: Vader screamed out, but without a hint of panic. "You fool! Are you mad!?"

:: By now the whine from the sabotaged lightsabre was building in tune with the intense thrumming of Kizael's danger sense. The silver rod twisted and turned between the two Force users, finally settling on shaking vertically midway between them.

:: Drin Kizael knelt, perspiration matting his fur as he held himself up by one hand. "The feedback buffers can only take so much more," he screamed over the deafening whine. "It's your call, Anakin. Continue to fight me and you'll join me in hell!"

:: Vader's gauntlet shook violently, desparately calling to the dark side of the Force for more power. But the sabre hilt held fast. He lowered his helmeted gaze at the Jedi.

"So be it."

******

:: Outside, a nervous squad of stormtroopers looked to their Lieutenant for orders. So long after they left the Dark Lord alone with that alien, some were starting to worry. If anything were to happen to him, each knew exactly who would be punished.

:: And suddenly a blistering explosion slammed the troopers off their feet, blowing out every window and shaking the city streets for blocks.

[Drin Kizael]

:: As quickly as they fell, the Stormtroopers jumped to their feet, turning their attention immediately to the crowd around them. But the Dinati citizens were having one of two reactions, both ignoring the blasters aimed at them. They were either gawking in horror at the bombed out warehouse, or running away screaming.

:: The squad leader turned to see the focus of their attention. Time stopped.

:: Like a demon marching out of the pits of hell, the monsterous black form of Darth Vader emerged through the flames. His cape was shredded and torn. His armor was chipped and mangled. But his step never faltered. His image was straight out of a nightmare, and promised to create new ones that night.

:: Vader towered over the Stormtrooper Lieutenant. "Secure the perimeter. Now."

:: Beneath his helmet, the man could not find his voice until he reminded himself to breathe. He finally managed to choke out, "Yes, sir."

:: As his white armored minions promptly moved to action around him, the Dark Lord of the Sith slowly turned toward the flaming wreckage. He soaked in the beauty of the destruction, resting his hands on his belt.

[Drin Kizael]

:: Behind the unrevealing helmet, Vader's eyes narrowed. His men had been combing the remains for almost 20 minutes, but found nothing at first. Now an Imerpial officer exited the gutted remains, carrying the tatters of a large brown cloak.

:: The officer approached and bowed. "M'Lord. Our search team found this. It is the only sign of the alien we have yet to locate. Sensor sweeps detect charred fur in the material.

:: Darth Vader gripped the cloth before him, staring down at it. He couldn't have. Impossible. He would never.

:: Vader ripped the cloak out of the officer's hand. "Form search patrols and begin a sweep of every building for a 2 km radius." His mechanical voice came so fiercly that the officer flinched. Vader glowered over him. "Do it!"

:: The gray-uniformed officer nearly tripped over himself as he backpedalled, almost forgetting to bow. "Yes M'Lord. At once."

:: His troops had never moved so fast.

[Drin Kizael]

I live...

The pain and the smell of my own flesh tell me that much. Somehow I did it. My plan worked. Anakin channeled every last bit of the dark side into him. At that moment, I was more in tune with the Force than ever. I reached a point my Master had only told me about, but I never dreamt was possible. I live, and I may have slain Vader ... and yet I will carry regret for the rest of that life I just stole back ... That such an incredible achievment ... oneness with the Living Force ... was wasted on combat.

I pushed the lightsabre in the only direction where there no resistance ... up. The screaming of my danger sense was even more deafening than the feedback from the sabre ... but it allowed me to time a blinding flash to cover the illusion of my death.

It took the last of the energy I had absorbed ... indeed the last of my strength ... to telekinetically propel myself, ride the blast. I survived because I asked myself, "What would Vader do?" The irony does not escape me.

He lives...

I have no proof, no strength left to reach out to the Force and sense his presence ... but I know. His power to dissipate energy surpasses mine. His armor... I must hurry...

...

ungh ... Or maybe not. Perhaps I could just rest here. Yes ... Just for a moment.

[Drin Kizael]

For Tellis Rhi, this was just another day. He was on his way home to his fine Sellonian eatery in the Corellian district, wondering what he should put on the specials menu for the night. He looked around with some confusion at how tense everyone on the street seemed to be. This was normally such a relaxed, friendly world. It was why he and his mate settled here so long ago. But humans always seemed to be such a moody lot, he thought as he continued on.

The explosion nearly rocked Tellis off his feet. For a second, he feared the worst, but relaxed when he saw the smoke plume rise several blocks from his home. He stared wide eyed down the street toward the source of the smoke. The Sellonian gasped.

Stormtroopers! A new galaxy of fears welled up inside him. When will they be able to stop moving ... hiding like vrelts from the Empire. They liked it here. They-- ... They...

"DIRANNI!" Tellis took off full sprint toward his home. The life he had built here seemed to erode away as his fear took hold even stronger. He felt his heart twist in a knot the second he arrived. Tellis stared at the shattered glassteel and twisted frame that was once the front of his restaurant, praying to wake up. He wasn't yet open for business, so no one was hurt that he could see. The old Sellonian forced himself to run when he recovered his wits. His mind filled with images of Strormtroopers ransacking his home. What he found instead made him reel back even harder.

Across the main room lay a huge mound of black fur. His heart leapt in his throat, but he quickly calmed down, realizing this creature was far to big to be his wife. Tellis crept closer, fear now mingling with confusion. On further inspection, he saw that the fur wasn't black, but blackened and scorched. The being's orange hair was mostly mottled with blood or burned away. He stared at the form for a long time, then jumped back.

It moved! Several seconds passed before Tellis called up the courage to move forward again. He could see the creature breathing, slow and labored, probably shallow for something its size. He touched its shoulder and pulled.

"Tellis!" his mate's voice called out as she almost fell down the stairs. They both gasped in surprise, staring down at the giant, broken form at their feet. They could now see the being was male, white fur doing little to hide that fact with only shreds of burned clothing remaining on him.

The sound of distant movement urged Diranni to break the silence. "What do we do?"

Tellis looked out what used to be his front window. He knew too well from experience what the Empire did to non-humans. He also knew too well what it usually meant to defy them. He had worked hard to build his restaurant. They liked it here.

He looked up at his mate. "Help me. We must hide him quickly."

[Drin Kizael]

:: Kizael's eyes snapped open. Urgency demanded that he get up and bolt, but racking pain quelled his first instinct to rise. He quickly found that he could move only his head with minimal pain.

:: At that moment, he questioned why he was alive. He was no longer lying in wreckage or on the street, but in a cot of some sort. Confusion grew when his eyes finally focused, sharpening the image of a Sellonian sitting across the small room.

"Wh--" he tried to say, but could barely find his voice. With some effort he tried to clear his throat. The Sellonian female seemed as alarmed by that prospect as he was by the pain of such a simple task.

"Shh. Please be still. How you are not dead is a miracle."

"Are they--?"

:: The female nodded. "Yes. Stormtroopers are all around the streets... searching. My mate is downstairs explaining the damage to them now, in the hopes that they will leave. But I doubt they will."

:: Drin's features clouded with confusion, searching his fragmented memories of the past 15 minutes. His eyes softened apologetically as he recalled the building he was smashed into by the blast.

"Vandals," the Sellonian interrupted before he could try to speak. "Those who are not human learn to live with it. They will believe. But still, they will search, but won't find you here."

:: Kizael looked around. Indeed the room did not look like part of a normal office or home. It was a storage room of some kind with exotic food and wine. He trusted the entrance was concealed well enough, realizing the expensive goods were most likely smuggled. But the Empire had scanning equipment. And Vader...

"List--" Kizael managed to raise his hand to quiet Diranni's fretful interruption. "Listen ... You must go." His voice was weak, but his faculties were fully returned. "They will be ... more suspicious if you are missing ... as well. Leave me in here. I'll be fine."

:: The Sellonian considered that, but clearly did not like it. She looked at him again, but not worried or fightened this time, but curious. "You are Jedi. Aren't you." It was more confirmation of the glowpanel going on over her head than a question. Indeed nearly any other creature in the galaxy would be dead of the wounds she saw. And the Stormtroopers were more anxious than she had ever seen before.

:: Kizael simply replied by meeting her eyes. At length he continued, "I must go into ... healing trance." He needed to go beyond that, in fact, but did try to explain to the already overwhelmed female. To avoid both sensors and Vader's sight through the Force, he knew he had to enter a state his master called Emptiness.

"I will appear dead. My breathing ... heartrate ... will drop to alomst nothing."

:: Diranni started to fret again. The felinoid looked up at her reassuringly. "Do not be alarmed," he said in slow, measured tones. "The Empire will most likely leave a garrison. ... But when the main force has left, return to this room and tell me. Do you understand?"

:: She clearly did not, but nodded, and her expression confirmed that she would do as he said. Kizael managed to smile.

:: Kizael managed to smile. "Now go. And thank you."