Beyond - Legends Renewal II: From the Ashes. Complete with survey: 9-1-06 (J/TK; A/T; H/L; L/M and more)

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

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[b]From The Ashes[/b]

[i]Chapter Twenty-four: Leaving for Battle.[/i]

"Darth Wratth is on his way to Telos - I must intercept him there." Zekk placed the last of his gear into a beat-up duffel bag, placing a comforting hand on Jaina's shoulder. "Valin and Malinza are going to be here any minute - you'll be okay alone for a few minutes, right?"

"I think I'm through the worst - thanks to you." She managed a weak smile, "That and the triplets, I've been touching their minds through the Force."

"I'm not an expert on pregnancy, but it looks like yours is progressing too fast. Did you do something ..."

"Tenel Ka helped me accelerate it. They'll arrive in about a week."

"Around the time I'll be getting back." He caressed her cheek gently, tentatively. "I hate to do this to you ..."

"How do you know he's going to be on Telos, anyway?" Her voice wavered with worry.

"My source on Manaan put a tracker bug on the ship he purchased there. I'll expplain it all when I get back." He glanced at his chrono "Kriff! My launch window is in fifteen minutes, so I have to go." Running to the landspeeder idling outside the apartment, he threw his bag on the passenger seat, jumped in the driver seat and roared off to the spaceport.

Jaina weakly waved goodbye, a feeling of dread creeping up on her. As she sagged into her armchair, the 'comm beeped. Swiveling around to face the unit, she punched the 'recieve' button with the Force. "Hello."

"Hi Jaya, how are you holding up?" Anakin's visage appeared on the screen.

"Looking up. Except that Zekk's going to Telos to fight Darth Wratth. I've got a feeling he's gonna need help with this."

"I can take a team and meet him there in under a day."

"He just left, and I don't know what part of Telos he's going to. You'll have to catch him in orbit."

"Then I have a day or so to work with." Anakin stroked his chin in thought. "I could probably gather a pretty big arsenal in that time. And put my new lightsaber through its paces."

"How's Chak holding up? He's bound to be an emotional wreck."

"He's healing, largely thanks to Danni Quee." He leaned closer to the camera, whispering, "The two of them have grown really close."

"I'm glad to hear it." Jaina jumped as the door chimed. "I hate to do let you go so soon, but I have someone at the door. Call me before you leave. 'Bye."

"Bye." Anakin replied, switching off the'comm at his end.

"Come in." Jaina shouted. "It's not locked."

Valin and Malinza strode into the suite, arm-in-arm. "You feeling okay?" Valin asked.

"Things are looking up every day. I'm glad you're here. Have a seat, and feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen."

[hr]

Anakin shut off his new lightsaber, the silvery blade retreating into the hilt. "There ... it checks out."

"Not bad, bro. The hilt looks like a glow rod casing." Jacen grinned mischeviously.

"That's because it is." His smile faded into a grim look of determination. "Tahiri, Czuul and I are leaving for Telos tomorrow morning to confront Darth Wratth with Zekk. Do either of you want to come with me?"

Tenel Ka shook her head sadly, "I can't. I just found out I'm pregnant again."

"And I'd rather stay with Tenel Ka right now." Jacen frowned, obviously torn. "I hope you get him this time."

"We will."

[hr][hr]

 

TENEL KA'S PREGNANT, AGAIN!?!? HOW MANY, TIMES, ZEB!?!?!

 

TK's preggers again? Well it's good that this time, he's sweet.

 

Go, Zekk! And pregnant... again?? WHoa! A glow rod casing? LOL!

Great to see this up again, Zeb.

 

Tenel Ka is pregnant now? hmmm. when it rains, it pours

 

Yep. TK's gonna call it quits after this one.

Yep.

Yep, she's preggers again, I hesitated to do this, but I decided that I ought include a certain canon child of J/TK. And yeah, I liked the glow-rod casing part, too.

Indeed. The YJK's are at the stage of life where having kids is a bit of a priority; between that and Han and Leia's change-of-life baby, it adds up.

 

Wow, Tenel got knocked up again. I can certanly see that she and Jacen have been getting busy . Good chap, Zeb.

 

Yeah, they've been more than a little busy ... this pregnancy's more or less planned. Thanks.

 

Disclaimer: See first post.

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[b]From The Ashes[/b]

[i]Chapter Twenty-Five: A Red Day[/i]

"Oh Kriff, he just landed." Anakin cursed. He'd miscalculated his arrival time, and they were going to have to link up with Zekk on the ground.

"We've got space traffic control hailing us." Tahiri announced, hopeful.

"On Speaker." He scowled at his timing.

"Freighter [i]Ghost Who Walks[/i], what is your cargo and destination?" a crisp voice announced over the 'comm.

"We have a team of Jedi knights bound for the Onasi Memorial Nature Preserve." Anakin informed the official. "Priority Alpha."

"You may begin your descent in five minutes. Facilities are arrainged for you at Docking bay 157. May I inquire as to the nature of your mission?" The officer sounded nervous - Priority Alpha was only used in life or death situations, and a purpose would have to be entered in the datafile to prevent misuse.

"We're here to remove a dangerous criminal - he's implicated in over 100 murders. Please evacuate the park - quietly. A panic would be just as deadly. I am transmitting you a datafile on the man we're after. If your men see him, notify us immediately, but do not - repeat do not - engage him." Anakin grimly reported.

"Understood. I will pass this along to my superiors. Traffic control out."

After a brief pause, the [i]Ghost Who Walks[/i] began her descent.

[hr]

Darth Wratth quietly slipped out of his new vessel, [i]Mildly Maimed[/i] into the shadows of the hours past local midnight. He saw that the entire park was being evacuated. [i]They're on to me[/i] he realized, [i]someone placed a tracker on my ship. After I handle my business here, I will find the person who did this and bathe in his blood.[/i]

As he exited the docking bay, the guard attempted to stop him. "You can't enter the park now, we're on an evavcuation ... AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHH" the scoop-a-trooper screamed as the Sith bisected him with a swipe of his lightsaber.

Several more security goons rushed in to apprehend him, only to be fried by his Force lightning. Drawing his black cloak around himself, he blended into the darkness and slipped into the starless night.

[hr]

Zekk shivered as he crept through the inky Telosian wilderness, his ears hearing the local predators stalking their prey in the night - as he likewise stalked his quarry. He could feel the Sith's presence in a clearing ahead. Holding his lightsaber, he stepped into the open.

"Welcome, Darkest Knight, I must admit that I am surprised to see you." The fallen one ignited his pair of lightsabers, "One of us will not be leaving this world alive."

"It won't be me." Zekk replied, igniting his sunrise blade as one star poked it's illumination through the clouds. He shifted into a defensive stance, his saber held firmly in a two-handed grip. "Do your worst."

"I will." The assassin announced, launching himself at Brakiss' Betrayer.

The redeemed one deflected the wild flurry of blows, kicking the Dark Jedi in the stomach, driving him back. "I am not so easily defeated."

[hr][hr]

 

GO Zekk!

 

I love the name of Anakin's ship. Very appropriate. Scoop-a-trooper? Awesome!

And the battle's on! Go, Zekk!

 

Go Zekk indeed.

Thanks, I thought so too. They used to call the rent-a-cop at my HS's sporting events a "scoop-a-cop" and I tried to keep up the image of a fifth-rate hired security.

Zekk's got his hands full with this guy ... he's in for the fight of his life ...

 

Go Zekk! Sick 'em!
Whoop his Sithly buttox!

C S

 

Thanks.

 

Disclaimer: See first Post

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[b]From The Ashes[/b]

[i]Chapter Twenty-Six: A Sword Day ...[/i]

Zekk pressed his advantage, unleashing a powerful two-handed chop at the Sith's head. The tainted shadow ducked, swinging his own blades towards the lightsider's knees. Jumping over the blow, Zekk brought his blade down in an attempt to stab the fallen one through the back. Wratth simply rolled out of the way, catching another blow with both blades whilst flat on his back. "This cannot go on forever, weakling." the darksider growled.

"True, one of us will have to slip up sooner or later." Zekk shot back, knowing that Wratth was trying to break his will with [i]Dun Moch[/i], the ancient Sith technique of battle taunts. He increased the force on his blow, forcing the sabers closer to the dark warrior's face. With his foe distracted, Zekk rewarded him with a swift kick to the groin.

With a screech of pain and rage, the dark Jedi Force-shoved Zekk off of him - and several meters into the forest. His right hand clutching his saber, he picked up a large rock in his left, hurling it at the man-demon. The Sith sliced it clean in two, but the fragments still hit him, the half-melted surface scalding his torso. "So you resort to throwing stones like a primitive, coward." Wratth snarled, hurling Force Lightning at the warrior of light.

Deflecting the shocking attack on his orange blade, Zekk leaped forward, thrusting his saber towards his opponent's midsection. It was met partway with the crimson blade in the shadow's left hand. "You'll find I'm full of surprises," the champion of justice retorted, maneuvering his weapon deftly to slice off Wratth's right arm at the elbow. Jumping back to avoid the falling energy shaft, he pointed his blade at the evil one's throat in a precise two-handed grip. "Surrender. You are beaten."

"No. It is you who are beaten." Wratth stabbed his remaining blade through Zekk's left hand, destroying his weapon. Picking the Jedi up with the Force, the tainted one spun him around several times before launching him across the forest.

Zekk landed hard on his knees, closing his eyes in anticipation of the demise that rushed towards him. The deadly energy shaft buzzed inches away from his neck when he heard a sound he knew intimately - that of an amphistaff meeting a lightsaber. The reinforcements had arrived!

[hr][hr]

 

You know, now that I think of it, the fact that the Sith call taunts a 'battle technique' is just... odd.

Darth Weirdname: No, you must stick the tongue out further and go 'neener, neener, neener!' Now put your thumbs in your ears and waggle your fingers back and forth. Excellent, now call the Jedi scum a poopyhead!

Moving on...

Great fight scene. Never, ever thought I'd be glad to see an amphistaff, either. Glad Zekk kept his cool, too.

 

Keep up the butt-kicking action!

 

lol ... interesting imagery ... but Dun Moch is basically intimidating your opponent and breaking his spirit ... Vader's in-duel lines in ESB and ROTJ are good examples. Glad you enjoyed the action ... and yeah, Zekk's gonna say as much.

Will do ... for one more chappie.

 

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

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[b]From The Ashes[/b]

[i]Chapter Twenty-Seven: ... And the Sun is Rising![/i]

Zekk opened his eyes to see Czuul Rapuung with his amphistaff blocking Wratth's lightsaber. He watched the Yuuzhan Vong drive the Sith back with a staggering, relentless assault, each clash of weapons pushing the crimson shadow back into the clearing. As the fallen one slammed a convenient boulder into the alien warrior, Zekk called the still-ignited lightsaber in Wratth's severed arm to himself, taunting, "Now who's throwing rocks".

Charging again, holding his captured lightsaber high above his head for a downward chop, Zekk was again repulsed with a Force-shove. As the Sith again moved in, Anakin Solo and Tahiri Veila sprang from the underbrush, driving Wratth back with eerily co-ordinated strikes. The next few minutes were a blur to Zekk, Wratth facing all four lightsiders in turn, using Telekinesis to keep only one or two on him at any given time.

Amazingly, the darksider seemed more ferocious without his right arm - it was as if his mutilation had merely enraged him. As the sun began peeking over the treetops, Anakin and Tahiri launched another tag-team assault, driving Wratth towards the location he had shoved Zekk only moments before. Ignoring the pain in his left hand, Zekk waited for the right moment - and when it came, he lopped the Sith's head off from behind. "It is done" he managed as he clipped the evil one's right-hand lightsaber to his belt and retrieved the remains of his own blade.

Czuul retrieved the severed head, knowing that Zekk needed it as proof of his victory, as Anakin and Tahiri helped their injured but triumphant friend to his seedship, [i]Revan[/i]. As the ships lifted off for the [i]Chuunthor II[/i] in Hapes orbit, Anakin sent a message to Jaina telling her to meet them there, and for her to tell Baron Fel to do the same.

[hr]

"There, good as new." Lusa told Zekk, relieved that the delicate operation to patch up Zekk's wounded hand was finally over. "Go easy on it for a few days, okay?"

"I have no intention of doing anything to damage it any time soon."

"Good" The Chironian smiled at her old friend. "You have some visitors. Should I send them in?"

"Of course." Zekk smiled, knowing who was waiting for him. One of them was his 'client', giving him his reward, while the other was his favorite person in the galaxy.

As they stepped in, Jaina practically leaped into his arms, weeping with relief ... "I was so worried about you ... when I heard you were wounded, I was beside myself."

"Shhh ... it's okay ... I'm safe now." He placed his hand in hers, reassuring her.

Soontir Fel interrupted, "Congratulations on your success, Master Jedi. Here is your one million credits" The nobleman handed the hero an envelope, "The Station of Vengeance has been logged, but there will be a brief ceremony once you are healed. You are now legally entitled to anything that was Jagged's right. Since I have pressing business elsewhere, I shall leave you to your reunion, Na-Baron."

As the Baron departed, Zekk sighed deeply in relief. Patting the bounty, he whispered "I really oughta share this with Anakin, Tahiri and Czuul. Besides, a quarter-million is plenty for a salvager like me."

Jaina beamed down on the man who - out of all the sentients alive in the galaxy - meant the most to her. "I never told you what Jag's last wish was. He asked me to remarry when I was ready. I'm not ready yet, and it may be a while before I am, but I know who I want to, when I am." She caressed his unshaven cheek, "Will you wait for me?"

"As you wish. Your happiness is my first priority." He gently kissed her cheek, suddenly noticing an unexpected shift in her expression, her eyes betraying her shock. "What?"

"My water just broke."

[hr][hr]

 

*chokes* Sweet!

 

So, Darth Wrathh is dead. Interesting that he seemed more powerful wounded. Nice, that.

From trash collector to Baron. And whoa, her water broke! Lusa, you'll have your hands full there.

Great post, Zekk.

 

Jaina's water just broke? I want next postie now!

 

Thanks.

Yes ... he is dead. Like I said ... it mainly made him mad. Lusa's gonna have her hands full, but Jaina also has knowledge that will aid the delivery. Tenel Ka taught her how to put herself into a Dathomiri birthing trance.

Oh, look at the last three chapter titles. See a pattern?

Patience ... It'll be up soon. Thanks.

 

*Looks up and nealry has a laughing fit*

Okay, Theoden Zeb!