Travels of Kavar
Part 1
Never trust a Hutt

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Chapter 1

Nurka the Hutt was having a very good day. He half closed his eyes, smiling in satisfaction. Two smugglers had arrived with their illegal cargo today, a new bounty hunter had been roped into his service, and 6 new dancers and musicians had shown up hoping for a better life in his palace. Oh, they would get a better life all right. Nurka chuckled to himself. The new Twi'lek dancers danced across the room as the Biths played their exotic instruments to Nurkas favorite tune, and bounty hunters chatted darkly in the corners.

Perhaps the Tawahi sector was not going to be so bad after all.
At first Nurka had disliked being ousted and moved halfway across Tatooine. But what did it matter, he was already ruling this sector, setting up smuggling practices, and even starting a new swoop track, (in which he got part of all winnings, of course). "Yes," he muttered in Huttese, this place is going to be all right"

Just then, as if just to spoil Nurka's fun, a tall silent Duros walked into the crime lords den. "Ahh, Karuto, you have finally come to bring some of your bad news, my loyal scout. What have you found?" the slobbering Hutt spoke in his native tongue.

"A Jedi, your greatness, a republic ship landed in the spaceport this morning. Inside was but one passenger. One that I believe to be a Jedi Knight." Karuto had been roped into the job because he was a natural at remaining unseen, and because he spoke fluent Huttese, which removed the need for a translator.

"What are his purposes for being in my domain. Jedi ruin everything. Breaking down every operation that we set up. Only the Jedi would be stupid enough to mess with a Hutt!"

"His reasons for being here are unknown, my lord." Karuto spoke timidly. "But I assure you, I will find out."

"No!" shouted Nurka "I do not want to know why he is here! Kill him quickly, before he causes any harm! Send a bounty hunter. One of our finest." Here Nurka turned and gestured towards the opposite wall where many bounty hunters were sharing news. "Oh, and make it look like an accident. I don't want the Jedi Council as an enemy."

"Yes sir" said Karuto, walking out of the room.

Nurka closed his eyes. This day was going to be more difficult than he had thought. Perhaps it was time for a nap.

Chapter 2

Ornic Dakeq shuffled his way through crowds of people. Humans, Grans, Niktos, Jawas, Duros, Weequay, droids (of various shapes and sizes), Humans, Dewbacks, Rontos, and even a few things that Ornic didn't recognize, Tatooine had it all. This time, however, he wasn't after any of these exotic species. Today he was after someone even more strange. A Jedi Knight. The twin suns of Tatooine beat down onto the bounty hunters head as he weaved in and out of the pedestrians, looking for a trace of a robe, a lightsaber on a belt, a hooded figure. Every once in a while he would stop, his brow furrowed in concentration as he listened to the crowds. Nothing here, he thought, and moved on.

The market place was always a great place to pick up tips on the latest bounties. Approaching an aging old man on a street corner he smiled. "Got any news for me, Remnar?"

The ancient human laughed through a wrinkled mouth. "Nothing yet, what are you looking for?"

Ornic got ready to whisper it to him when something caught his eye, or, actually, his ear. "I'm looking for a Jedi Holocron, very old, made about 2,000 years ago. Do you know where I could find something like that?" said a voice from across the street.

Ornic's large Rodian ears perked up suddenly. "Sorry, Rem, I'm going to have to go now, be back later." Ornic spoke fluently in basic, although it sounded a little strange in his Rodian voice.

He crossed the street to where the man was standing, acting uninterested. The person was a tall male, his features masked by his hood. He was wearing robes too, and a lightsaber hung from his belt loop. Ornic was no expert on Jedi, but this man looked like he fit the description.

"Thanks for the information" said the man, in a deep, slightly chilling voice. he then proceeded to walk down a few side streets and alleys, closely followed by the Rodian hunter. It was too crowded here, he needed to wait for a better time. Finally Ornics prey stopped in a deserted alleyway. The bounty hunter drew his blaster from his belt, pointed it at the robed figure's back, and yelled "Die, Jedi!", before pulling the trigger.

Immediately, a rod of red light shot from the mans hand, swinging in an arc over his head and deflecting the blaster bolt. The man's other arm shot up, and lightning arced from his finger tips, hitting Ornic full in the chest and sending him reeling, in terrible pain. The Rodian screamed, but fought his way to his feet, just in time to see the red lightsaber hurled through the air, slicing across his chest, and killing him instantly.

The battle was over in seconds. As his would-be killer collapsed, the figure clipped his short lightsaber back onto his belt, and laughed coldly. "Jedi? I am no Jedi." He pulled up his the hood of his black robes. "Can't you tell a Sith when you see one?"

Chapter 3

A crowd had gathered in the marketplace. Instead of talking to each other, however, they were hardly speaking at all. For in the middle of the gathering lay the corpse of a charred Rodian. And not just any Rodian, this was the corpse of the famed bounty hunter, Ornic Dakeq! Everybody knew that he was dead, but no one knew how. No one, except for a robed figure to the back of the crowd.

"Does anyone know who the killer was?" he asked in a commanding voice, pulling back his hood.

One of the men standing near the body, probably an investigator, walked over to the Jedi. "No sir, there are no fingerprints or DNA samples to be found anywhere on the body. There is a slash mark on his chest, but there was no blood to be found, it had been cauterized! And he has electrical burns all over his body! Maybe he was just messing with something electrical, got shocked real bad, and accidentally shot himself with his blaster. Still the strangest blaster wound I've ever seen. I guess he deserved whatever happened to him, this place is better off without their type of scum. Anyway, I don’t even think It was murder, don't have any idea of who did it."

"I do." said the robed man, and walked quietly away from the noisy crowd.
Master Kavar was a young Jedi Knight, 22 years old, with short, light brown hair. He had taken the path of the Jedi guardian, and excelled at physical combat. A blue lightsaber hung from his belt.

And it was time for his first mission. "Just find the sith, and kill him. Simple. Just trace his steps until I find him," he thought Kavar walked down several alleyways until he came to the site of the murder. Yes, he could feel it now, a Sith had been this way before. Kavar smiled. It was time to prove himself to the council.

Kavar knew he was close. Now he was racing down the streets, he could since a disturbance in the force, and it was getting closer. The young Jedi Knight rounded the street corner, just in time to come face to face with three bounty hunters, blasters raised at his chest.

"Nurka wants him dead boys, just shoot him quick!" The man in front said, obviously the leader.

Three blasters fired. One man fell dead. And it wasn't Kavar. Kavar had dropped to the ground at the last minute, and the third bounty hunter, trying to corner him from behind, had met an untimely death by his own ally’s blaster bolt.

"You really need to watch your aim, we don't want any unneeded accidents, do we?" Kavar taunted as he jumped up from the ground, igniting his lightsaber.

"Shut up and die Schutta!" the lead bounty hunter yelled, firing randomly at the Jedi, only to have the bolts deflected by Kavar's bright blue saber.
Meanwhile the second Bounty hunter, a Twi'lek male, had snuck up behind and was attempting to decapitate Kavar with his vibroblade. Unfortunately Kavar ducked at that moment, and the Twi'lek decapitated his own partner by accident. Kavar spun around whirling his blade, and the final bounty hunter met his fate.

"Nurka, who's Nurka?" Kavar wondered, and ran down the street and out of sight.

Chapter 4

The young Sith had found what he wanted at last! Dismounting off of his swoop he walked slowly through the sand dunes to the east of the city. Pulling back his hood, he observed what appeared to be a small dark hole in one of the sand dunes. Yes, that was it. He mounted his swoop bike and sped off, sending a wave of sand flying behind.

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Kavar had tracked the Sith through town to the East side of the city, only to find that another person had been killed in the area and his swoop bike stolen. "So, he's left town," Kavar muttered to himself. "Then I'll just have to go after him."

In a louder voice, he yelled to the man across the street. "Can you lend me that land speeder?"

"Sorry, I can't lend it to you right now. I need it for later."

Kavar dropped something into the mans hand. "There, 5,000 credits, and it will be back by tonight."

"Um, well, I guess I could change my schedule, just a little bit." Said the man, and handed over the keys to the speeder.

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Arriving at his destination, the Sith jumped off his speeder, staring at an enormous cavern, dug straight into the sand. "Ahh, a Krayt Dragon cave, I should have known it would be somewhere difficult like this." he said, drawing his short red lightsaber and going inside.

The cave was littered with bones, dead creatures, and random junk that the Krayt Dragon had dragged to its lair. But there was no Dragon inside. Not quite ready to let his guard down, the young sith continued down the dark passages, his lightsaber flooding the rooms with red light.


And there it was. In the middle of the chamber farthest in, surrounded by heaps op bones and trash, lay a small Jedi holocron. Pocketing it, the Sith smiled and began to make for the exit.

And just then, as if to ruin a so-far perfect mission, the Krayt Dragon decided to come back from it's hunting trip. Stunned by the massive size of the ferocious lizard, all he could do was hide in the shadows and wait for the right moment. Turning off his lightsaber, the robed Sith waited until the monstrous beast was within inches of him. Then he struck, leaping from his hiding place onto the Krayt Dragon's back, igniting his lightsaber in midair and stabbing it in the back repeatedly. The lizard gave a mighty lurch and threw off it's attacker, preparing to snap him in half with it's massive jaws. The young man fumbled in the sand for his lightsaber, finding it just in time. The monster struck, but he swung, slicing it in the mouth, then leaping onto its head, were he drove his lightsaber downward through it's skull, killing it instantly. The Sith checked his pocket, and finding the holocron still there, made for the exit.

As the Sith emerged into the light, he found someone already there. Kavar was standing there, next to the parked speeder. He had already taken the time to destroy the swoop bike that had been the Sith's means of transportation. "What were you doing in there, Sith? Killing Krayt Dragons for sport?"

"Retrieving an item for my master. I'm not sure we've met. I am Darth Xyrus."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kavar." And with that, both men ignited their lightsabers and charged.

Chapter 5

Blue and red blades clashed in mid air as their owners met in battle. Kavar stared into his opponents eyes for a moment, then withdrew and struck again, with a devastating blow at the knees. Xyrus blocked, then struck upwards throwing Kavar off balance. Back and forth it went, Xyrus hacking away with his lightsaber, then Kavar blocking and launching his own attacks.

Sand flew as the young Jedi leaped over the Sith's head, landing behind him and slicing at his head, only to be thrown backwards by a force push. Xyrus smiled, rushing forward and attacking Kavar, who was still on the ground. Kavar just managed to block with his lightsaber, then rolled to the side and jumped backwards, away from the relentless assault by the red blade.
Kavar centered his blade in front of his chest, preparing for the next wave of battle. However, Xyrus didn't move. Instead, he closed his eyes, and lowered his lightsaber. The Jedi prepared to rush the Sith, but was suddenly consumed by a feeling of helplessness a fear. Laughing, Xyrus opened his eyes, his hood whipped back by the wind. Kavar looked into the face of his enemy. He was human, with short unkempt hair. Streaked tattoos adorned his face above his eyebrows and on his cheeks. His eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black. With a grin full of hate, the Sith ignited his lightsaber and prepared to charge, new determination within him.

"Was that ...?" Kavar began to say before raising his lightsaber to meet his attacker head on, blue and red beams swirling in hypnotic patterns.

"Yes, it was. Battle meditation. Not many Jedi have ever mastered it, and even fewer Sith." Xyrus said, smiling at his demoralized opponent. "Works great, doesn't it?"

Kavar felt himself once again immersed in despair, collapsing to his knees. Xyrus raised his saber, preparing to give the killing blow. Kavar hung his head, preparing for his death. Then, came a memory. *There is always hope*, said the voice of Master Vandar in his head. *Center yourself, find your place in the force, and find peace, you will.* Kavar raised his head to his attacker, his head beginning to clear. *Swift and strong, a Jedi must be, always triumph, the light side will, if it's pupils remain strong in the force.*
Kavar looked up into his attackers eyes, his bravery restored. And as Xyrus' lightsaber came flashing down at his head, he ignited his lightsaber, swinging it to deflect the Sith's blow, then, smiling, sent a counter attack at Xyrus' chest. Confused, Xyrus, stumbled, only to be met by more of Kavar's onslaught. Relentlessly, Kavar's lightsaber fell again and again, driving Xyrus back. "Not on a true Jedi!" He yelled, swinging his lightsaber at Xyrus, then stabbing and swinging again.

Barely able to block Kavar's attacks, Xyrus retreated. "This is not over!" he screamed, leaping into the rented speeder as Kavar closed in on him.

"No!" Kavar yelled, throwing his lightsaber at the frightened Sith. But it was too late. Xyrus had stolen the speeder and was rocketing out of sight.
Kavar turned around slowly, looking for a way back to town. Then a way back to town found him. But not in the way he had wanted.

"Freeze, Jedi!" came a voice from behind, as a laser sight appeared on his back. Turning around, Kavar found himself facing at least a dozen bounty hunters.

"Yeah, that's right Jedi, you can't fight us all, we've got 16 men with guns trained on you, so you had better get in the speeder and come with us quietly. Nurka wants a word with you."

Chapter 6

Kavar was led in to the throne room of Nurka the dreaded Hutt. Hands bound, with 16 guns trained on his back, all he could do was comply. For now.

Nurka laughed. Seeing things working out according to plan pleased him. "Ahh, so here is the famed Jedi. Didn't put up much of a fight did you? I was surprised, after you killed Ornic, he was my best bounty hunter." A translator droid stood between them, translating from Huttese to basic, and back again as they spoke.

"I was, otherwise distracted as your men snuck up on me." Kavar answered, deciding to hear the Hutt out. "And besides, it wasn't me who killed Ornic, the Sith Apprentice Xyrus made short work of that."

Nurka's eyes widened as the droid relayed Kavar's message. "A Sith! First Jedi, and now Sith!" Nurka paused for a moment, thinking. "Ahh, it seems I do have a use for you, Jedi. Perhaps a deal? I will let you free, and then you will bring the Sith to me. Sith tend to cause even more damage to the galaxy than the Jedi do. If you find me the Sith, I will cease hunting you. You can go free. That is my offer. Bring me the Sith, or rot here in my prison until you change your mind."

Now it was Kavar's turn to pause. "Deal, Nurka. I will bring you the Sith. Now let me free."

Nurka smiled. This was all going according to plan. "Men, show him outside and set him free!"

Then to the translator droid he told his final message for Kavar. "Do not betray me, Jedi, or I will hunt you to the edges of the galaxy. No one double crosses a Hutt!"

Kavar nodded, and was led out into the sunlight above.

Chapter 7

Kavar sighed, happy to be out of the dark passageways of Nurka lair. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the fresh air, and soaking up the sunlight. Then, slowly, he exhaled, sat down, and began to meditate.

For nearly an hour he sat there, in front of the great, copper plated doors of Nurka's palace. Meditating, sensing his surroundings, and feeling things with the force. Many things he saw. There were children playing across the street. A food vendor advertised his product. A swoop race was being held downtown, and many people were attending. Life was going on as normal. But something else was their too. A dark energy, twisted, evil. There was more going on here than met the eye. A plot was unfolding, the dark side moving. And Nurka was pulling the strings. It was time for Kavar to pull a few of his own strings. The situation was not lost. Not yet.
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Xyrus had stopped in at the cantina for a few drinks. Around him sat thugs, alien mercenaries, space pilots, swoop racers, drug dealers, and a whole lot of people who seemed down on their luck. The Cantina was a dangerous place, yes, but also a good place to hide if you knew how. As neon lights flashed near the ceiling, illuminating the bar, Xyrus waited. It would only be a few days. He had what he wanted, now he just had to lay low for a while, and avoid that Jedi. In a few days the Sith fleet would arrive, to escort the valuable Jedi artifact back to Korriban. It wouldn't be long now.

Xyrus got up and walked over to the center of the room, where the bar tender stood behind the counter, next to an assortment of loud, rusty brewing machines. "I'll have another drink, same as last time." he mumbled. Taking the drink, he walked back to his table and sat down. As a Sith, Xyrus had greater physical stamina, and was more immune to alcohol than most people. Still, he was beginning to feel the effects of too many drinks. "Ok, last one," he mumbled to himself. "Don't want to be drunk if more bounty hunters show up." He smiled to himself. Two bounty hunter corpses already lay in the corner of the cantina, where they had been dragged after Xyrus had mercilessly slaughtered them.

It was time to be going anyway. The Sith got up and walked to the door. Instantly, a blade of blue light shot across the doorway, and Xyrus found himself with Kavar's saber across his throat. "What do you want from me?" asked Xyrus, stepping outside, the blue lightsaber still dangerously close to beheading him, "If you wish to kill me, then get it over with."

"I wish for your cooperation," Kavar replied. "I have a proposal to make."

Chapter 8

"Why do you chose the dark side?" Kavar asked his new ally as Jedi and Sith walked the long path to Nurka's palace, "There is good in you, I can feel it, but instead you use your anger."

"Quiet Jedi, It's not too late for me to kill you and forget our agreement." Xyrus replied.

"Yes, but I really doubt that you could avoid Nurka's mercenaries for long now that they want you dead. I don't know what powerful friends you have on Korriban, but until that Hutt is dead, your not safe on Tatooine, or anywhere in the system." Kavar glanced at Xyrus. "I need your help, and you need mine."

"I don't need anyone’s help. I am a Sith." Xyrus said, loud enough to show his anger. "But I will answer your question. I chose the dark side because it is powerful. I need power. Power to change the galaxy. The power to make it the way I want to be."

Ahh, now I'm getting somewhere, thought Kavar. "Power? The Jedi have power, but they use it for good. We change the galaxy, but without destroying those who oppose us. Is it worth it to destroy the galaxy in order to rule it?"

"But the Jedi do things too slowly! The galaxy rots while Jedi take their time doing their peaceful work! The Sith know how to change things. You conquer it, then rule it, then change it. And kill anyone who tries to stop you."

"Those are Sith lies. The Sith only want power for themselves, they don't want a better galaxy, they don't care about what happens to the rest of the people, as long as they get what they want!" Kavar smiled, seeing that his message was getting through. "You know what I'm telling you is true. You have seen it. Sith destroying just for pleasure. Sith gaining power to use it for their own ends. You are different. You want to make things better. The Sith don't do that, they change things quickly yes, but they change them to meet their own ends. Come to the light. You can help heal the universe, one
peace at a time."

Xyrus looked torn. "I will,... consider what you have said. I'm not sure I believe in the ways of the Sith. But I am no Jedi either. Perhaps someday I will come to the light. Right now I need more time.

The two walked in silence the rest of the way. Coming to Nurka's palace, they were led down through dark passageways, winding and lit only by torches. "This way" the droid guide chattered as they were led through Nurka's den room, which, surprisingly, was empty.

"Where are we going?" Xyrus asked, beginning to sense a weird disturbance in the force, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Through this door." the droid said, and the Jedi and Sith walked through the door. Only to find themselves immersed in bright sunlight, with over one hundred blasters aimed at their heads. They were in a sort of execution coliseum, with no roof, and the sky above their heads.
Nurka smiled. "Kavar has done a quick job, defeating a Sith and taking him prisoner is no easy feat. And now I have you both! It's time for you to die!" Nurka stopped, allowing the translator to finish up. "Kavar, you foolish Jedi, you should have known. You should never trust a Hutt."

Now it was Kavar's turn to smile. "I didn't." he replied, and the Republic fleet rocketed into the atmosphere, right over head.

Chapter 9

"What?" Nurka screamed, as Republic ships descended through the atmosphere, sending down a hail of laser fire that blew enormous chunks off of his prized palace.

"Come on!" Kavar said to the amazed Xyrus, "I told you I knew how to take care of Nurka!"

"You betrayed me?" Xyrus asked, "I should have known not to trust a Jedi. You just wanted to turn me in to the Republic!"

"No, I need you to take care of Nurka's men while I disable the Hutt’s anti air craft turrets." Kavar said, smiling.

Xyrus smiled, turned around, and charged the confused bounty hunters, his short red lightsaber drawn, as Kavar disappeared from view. Nurka's men pulled out blasters and began firing, but nothing could stop the young Sith now. Blocking blasts, he leaped into the air, landing in the middle of a large group, and then spun, his lightsaber flashing as it brought swift death. Rising up from the ground, he blocked two more shots, then swung and cut down another man. Xyrus laughed, and lightning arced from his finger tips, sending another wave of mercenaries to the ground.

Nurka's men were no match for the Sith one on one, but now they were becoming more organized, forming a semi circle around Xyrus, closing him in. It was an impossible battle. The Sith cut down man after man, but more would just take their place. Quickly growing tired, he continued to fight, using Sith prowess against all odds. He couldn't win this battle alone. Then hope arrived. A blue flash of light arced through the air, and sent three mercenaries to the ground. Kavar charged through the ranks, hacking through Nurka's men as he went. "Turrets are down!", he shouted, and ran to stand side by side with Xyrus.

New strength within him, Xyrus backed up and began to concentrate. It was time for battle meditation. As the waves of enemies closed in, they felt sudden waves of fear and sadness, an in Kavar's heart, a new hope was born. Both men looked at each other, nodded, and charged, lightsabers flashing in unison as they met with the on coming attackers. Demoralized, most of the mercenaries fled at this new assault. Those who didn't were dead in seconds.

Victory was at hand.

That was when the Sith fleet came out of hyperspace.

Chapter 10

On board the Republic capital ship Harbinger, Commander Valik blinked to make sure it was real. And it was. "A Sith fleet? What are they doing here!?! Turn the ship around and head for open space. Lets give them a fight to remember. Mobilize the A-wing fighters, this is about to get a lot harder!" he turned to his second in command and said in a softer voice, "Get Kavar back up here. Were going to need a Jedi around here in a minute."
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Kavar stared at the sky. "Xyrus, what is the Sith fleet doing here? Did you call them?"

Xyrus turned to Kavar. "They've come to escort me back to Korriban. I guess our partnership is over."

"Not yet. Come with me, Xyrus, together we can help change the galaxy, the way you wanted, for the better! Join the Jedi, don't cause more harm! You have good in you!" Kavar looked at Xyrus, who looked confused. "There's my shuttle. Come with me. Embrace the light. The teachings of the Sith are lies, and you know it!"

As the orbital shuttle landed, Xyrus glanced at it, then at Kavar, then at the battle overhead. He looked torn for a long time, then made his answer, not sounding as sure of himself as he would have liked. "I can't. We have different paths to take. I have sworn my allegiance to the Sith. I am a Sith. I do not wish to be your enemy. But we are on different sides. I must go now, and fight with the Sith. You must go and fight with the Republic. But from now on, we are enemies. Take this to remember me by. Goodbye Kavar." And with that Xyrus tossed Kavar his lightsaber.

The Sith shuttle landed next to Xyrus, and the Sith boarded the Shuttle. "Take me to my ship." he commanded the pilot, and then took one last look at Kavar, as the door closed and the shuttle took off.

"Goodbye Xyrus." Kavar said to himself, and boarded the shuttle. "Lets go," he said to the pilot. "Time to join the battle."

Chapter 11

The battle was going well for the Republic. At least until Xyrus arrived. With battle meditation turned full force against them, not even superior numbers and tactics could help them now.

"What have I missed?" asked Kavar, just arriving from the shuttle, "I take it things are going pretty badly?"

"Yes sir. It's that battle meditation, it's wrecking all of our strategies! How do we beat it?" Commander Valik looked scared. This was unusual.

Kavar thought for a moment. "I have no idea. There is a way, but I will do that only at last resort.'

"No offence meant, Jedi, but this is last resort! We've already lost two of our five cruisers, and our A wing fighter squadrons have suffered heavy casualties! We aren't going to last much longer out here!"

"All right Valik, think you can fight your way to their flagship, were going to need to pull up close for this one!" Kavar stared at the Sith flagship. "All right Xyrus, I'll give you one chance..." he whispered to himself.

Commander Valik fought off the battle meditation's effects. We have a plan now, we can do this! he thought, forcing himself to believe it. "All right men, start heading towards the enemy flagship, we haven’t lost yet! Contact the assault fighters and tell them to give us some cover here."

The Harbinger lurched, turning slightly then speeding ahead in the direction of the Sith ship. Sith fighters close in on all sides, assault fighters just barely able to hold them off. "Get some more fighters in here!" Valik yelled, "we need more cover fire!"

"Valik, we don't have any more ships, most of our fleet has already been devastated!" Kavar yelled "Just wait, all we need to do is get to Xyrus' ship!"

"Well here it is, were pulling up now!" Valik smiled, "hold on for a moment!"

Kavar looked a Valik. "Lock all turbolasers on to their bridge. But don't fire until I give the command."

The Harbinger, damaged by the hundreds of sith fighters surrounding it, surrounded by Sith warships, had reached its target. But perhaps to late. As the smaller Republic vessel pulled along side the larger Sith one, Kavar found himself staring into the eyes of Xyrus. Both men stared out the window for a long time, neither giving the order to fire.

"Turn to the light!" Kavar yelled, "Don't fire, come with me!"

Xyrus couldn't hear what Kavar was saying, but he knew exactly what it meant. He stood their, watching Kavar for a long time, then made his decision. "Fire!"

Kavar saw Xyrus make his command. And even as the first wave of laser fire rocked the hull of the Harbinger, he gave the signal. Four turbolasers fired. And the bridge of the Sith flagship exploded. The warship floated there for a second, then plummeted towards Tatooine’s surface below. Across the battlefield, Republic pilots suddenly found themselves feeling filled with new hope, and Sith pilots felt their previous morale fade. The battle meditation had ended.

On the Harbinger's bridge, Valik whooped. "Focus all laser canons on the enemy fighter craft! We may win this yet!"

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Nurka the Hutt surveyed his surroundings. His palace lay in ruins, charred and broken. His men were all dead, and his servants had fled. But, for the moment, the Republic had forgotten about him. Nurka began slowly slithering across the sand, towards the exit to the palace. Perhaps he would pick up a pilot at the spaceport, find his way off this rock. Nar Shadaa would be a good place to go next. Nurka smiled. He would rebuild. At least he wasn't dead. Not yet. The Hutt looked up at the sky. Just in time to see the Sith flagship plummet from the heavens. It was the last thing the Hutt ever saw, before the starship crashed into the surface of Tatooine, burying Nurka's palace under miles of twisted metal.

Chapter 12

Explosions rocked the bridge of the Harbinger as the battle raged on. Pursued, by Sith fighter craft, the Republic forces had gathered into a circle, barely managing to survive wave after wave of Sith fighters.

"Well, you know what I said about us being able to win this? Well, I was wrong." Valik told Kavar on the bridge of the Harbinger. "There's no way we can manage this. We took to many casualties early on. Unless reinforcements arrive, we're dead."

Kavar remained calm. "Reinforcements will come. Trust me. Mobilize the fighters. Let's take down their command ship, the one on the left."

The commander stared. "A full on assault would be suicide! We don't have enough fighters to pull that off!"

"We only need to keep them on the defensive for a few minutes. If we let them make the plans then the reinforcements might be too late. If we can surprise them, we might keep them confused just long enough."

"All right. Private! Contact the fighters, tell them to get into attack formations, all fighters to attack the left command ship!"

Getting the word, the entire fleet suddenly sped forward, spraying a hail of laser fire into the attacking ships. Caught off their guard, the Sith fell into disarray, and Republic fighters tore through their ranks. Explosions ripped through space as the Republic met the Sith amongst the endless stars. The Harbinger flew through the chaos, getting in close and firing on the commanding warship. It worked perfectly. But only for a minute. The Sith regrouped, firing mercilessly upon the republic cruisers, sending two blazing down to Tatooine's surface.

On board the bridge of the Harbinger, Commander Valik knew the end was near. "Got any more tricks, Jedi?"

Kavar thought for a minute. "I've got one. How much explosive material do we have on this ship?"

"Enough to cause quite a bang, what with the fuel and all. Why?"

"I've got an idea. Load it into the escape pods." Kavar frowned, his mind working. "Then prepare to launch them."

"At what?" asked Valik, confused.

"Any Sith target you can find!"

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A few minutes later, still under fire from the Sith fleet, the Harbinger began a sudden advance. Leaving the main group, it made its way through the ranks of the Sith fleet, firing turbolasers. It then waited for a moment, fired its escape pods in seemingly random directions, and began a steady retreat. And, as the Harbinger retreated, it's shields failing from continued laser fire, as the Republic fleet sat on the edge of oblivion, as all hope seemed lost, the seemingly harmless escape pods connected with their targets. And the half the Sith fleet exploded in a massive fireball.

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Jedi Master Vandar's reinforcements flashed out of hyperspace, readying for the oncoming battle. Instead they found only wrecked Sith fighters, as the tattered Republic forces destroyed the last of the Sith warships.

Vandar looked puzzled, then happy, as he realized that Kavar had pulled it off on his own. "More competent than I thought, this young Kavar is. Many more missions I will have for him. A great future this one has," Vandar closed his eyes, sensing with the force "Yes, very great indeed."

Chapter 13

The fire crackled, as it slowly died down. Kavar sat next to the fire after the Republic's celebration on Tatooine. "Well, master Vandar, after that explosion, the rest of the Sith fleet was easy to mop up." He finished, after a long time telling his story.

"A good mind you have, young Kavar, and a good body too. Take out crime lord and Sith at same time, many Jedi could not. Much greatness I sense in you. To the council, you must go. Quickly, too your transport. I will meet you when you get their. May the force be with you, young Jedi."

"And with you, Master Vandar."

With that, Kavar left the sleeping Republic troops. He was thinking as he walked across the deserted nighttime streets of Tatooine. Thinking about the Jedi. And the Sith. Thinking about his first mission. Thinking about Xyrus mainly. There had been good in him. But the good was corrupted by the Sith. The Sith ruined everything. Kavar knew that that would be his mission. He must seek the Sith, and destroy their evils. That was his goal in life. To defend the galaxy from evil. He was a defender. A guardian.

Kavar sighed. It felt good to be getting off this sandy, corrupted planet. He got into the transport, and sat down at the controls. Then he flew off, through the endless stars of the night time sky.

[The End]