Read Star Wars: Crosscurrent for Free Online Page B
Authors: Paul S. Kemp
Master walks in dreams. This you know, Kell Douro. What you achieve only when feeding, he achieves at will. Past, present, and future are as one to him. Therefore, I am his voice while he sleeps. This, too, you know."
Kell tilted his head as if to acknowledge the point, but he knew better. What he experienced while feeding could be experienced only by him. The Sith, like the Jedi, conceptualized the galaxy through the lens of the Force. But Kell knew the Force to be but one aspect of the greater skein of Fate. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi saw reality's truth. Kell would, when he fed on the one whose soup held revelation.
"So you say, Darth Wyyrlok."
"So I say," Wyyrlok said. Again that smile, as if he could read Kell's mind.
Thunder rumbled. Kell felt others in the darkness around them. More Sith. Servants of Wyyrlok.
"Naga Sadow walked this ground," Wyyrlok said, his clawed hand gesturing at the brick walkway. "And Exar Kun after him. Then, no crippling Rule of Two limited the power of the Sith. Wisely, Darth Krayt has undone the mistake of Bane. Therefore no Rule of Two limits the One Sith today."
Kell said nothing. He cared little for the intricacies of the Sith religion. And the Chagrian's incessant use of therefore drove Kell to distraction.
"Why have I been summoned?" Kell asked.
Wyyrlok took a step closer to Kell. The Sith around them in the darkness drew closer, too. Kell felt as if he were standing in the middle of a tightening knot. He muffled his presence, quelling his daen nosi , deflecting perception. Between his psychic camouflage and his mimetic suit, he would be nearly invisible to those around him.
Wyyrlok blinked, looked past and through him for a moment, before his eyes refocused on Kell's.
"Clever, Anzat. He gestured with his chin out into the darkness, causing his lethorns to sway. "But they will not harm you except at my command. Therefore, you have nothing to fear."
Kell nodded, but nevertheless maintained his psychic deflection.
"An opportunity has been revealed to the Master," Wyyrlok said, and took another step closer.
Kell held his ground while lightning lit up the sky. "What kind of opportunity?"
"I will show you," Wyyrlok said, and offered his fanged smile.
Concentration furrowed Wyyrlok's brow. Their daen nosi intertwined. An itch formed behind Kell's eyes, then a stabbing pain. He screamed as images exploded in his mind: an icebound moon in orbit around a blue, ringed gas giant, a night sky exploding in a rain of power.
He clutched his head and sagged as the images burned themselves into his memory. He lost control of his muscles and his feeders emerged from his face, squirmed like cut power conduits. Fighting through the pain, he wrapped his fingers around one of his vibroblades, drew it.
The mental intrusion ceased, as did the pain. He snarled, brandished his blade, drew its twin.
Wyyrlok made no move for his lightsaber. He stared into Kell's eyes.
"I do not require a lightsaber to kill you. Therefore, an attack would be foolish. Are you foolish, Kell Douro?"
Kell considered, calmed himself, and sheathed his blades. "What is the meaning of the vision?"
The Chagrian gave his false smile. "That is what you will determine. The vision portends something important, Anzat. And the Master has concluded that it will begin on Fhost. There, a sign will be given to you. Perhaps even the sign you have long sought."
Kell tried to hide the excitement birthed by Wyyrlok's words. He imagined lines of fate coalescing around Fhost, catching it up in a net of destiny. "I know its location."
"You will, therefore, travel there. Watch for the sign. Learn what there is to learn. And, perhaps, take what there is to take."
Kell rubbed his eyes, as if erasing them of the remembrance of pain. "Why me?" He gestured out into the darkness. "Why not one of them?"
"Because it is the Master's will that the One Sith remain quiescent. Therefore, we must use intermediaries."
Kell had had enough of
Kell tilted his head as if to acknowledge the point, but he knew better. What he experienced while feeding could be experienced only by him. The Sith, like the Jedi, conceptualized the galaxy through the lens of the Force. But Kell knew the Force to be but one aspect of the greater skein of Fate. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi saw reality's truth. Kell would, when he fed on the one whose soup held revelation.
"So you say, Darth Wyyrlok."
"So I say," Wyyrlok said. Again that smile, as if he could read Kell's mind.
Thunder rumbled. Kell felt others in the darkness around them. More Sith. Servants of Wyyrlok.
"Naga Sadow walked this ground," Wyyrlok said, his clawed hand gesturing at the brick walkway. "And Exar Kun after him. Then, no crippling Rule of Two limited the power of the Sith. Wisely, Darth Krayt has undone the mistake of Bane. Therefore no Rule of Two limits the One Sith today."
Kell said nothing. He cared little for the intricacies of the Sith religion. And the Chagrian's incessant use of therefore drove Kell to distraction.
"Why have I been summoned?" Kell asked.
Wyyrlok took a step closer to Kell. The Sith around them in the darkness drew closer, too. Kell felt as if he were standing in the middle of a tightening knot. He muffled his presence, quelling his daen nosi , deflecting perception. Between his psychic camouflage and his mimetic suit, he would be nearly invisible to those around him.
Wyyrlok blinked, looked past and through him for a moment, before his eyes refocused on Kell's.
"Clever, Anzat. He gestured with his chin out into the darkness, causing his lethorns to sway. "But they will not harm you except at my command. Therefore, you have nothing to fear."
Kell nodded, but nevertheless maintained his psychic deflection.
"An opportunity has been revealed to the Master," Wyyrlok said, and took another step closer.
Kell held his ground while lightning lit up the sky. "What kind of opportunity?"
"I will show you," Wyyrlok said, and offered his fanged smile.
Concentration furrowed Wyyrlok's brow. Their daen nosi intertwined. An itch formed behind Kell's eyes, then a stabbing pain. He screamed as images exploded in his mind: an icebound moon in orbit around a blue, ringed gas giant, a night sky exploding in a rain of power.
He clutched his head and sagged as the images burned themselves into his memory. He lost control of his muscles and his feeders emerged from his face, squirmed like cut power conduits. Fighting through the pain, he wrapped his fingers around one of his vibroblades, drew it.
The mental intrusion ceased, as did the pain. He snarled, brandished his blade, drew its twin.
Wyyrlok made no move for his lightsaber. He stared into Kell's eyes.
"I do not require a lightsaber to kill you. Therefore, an attack would be foolish. Are you foolish, Kell Douro?"
Kell considered, calmed himself, and sheathed his blades. "What is the meaning of the vision?"
The Chagrian gave his false smile. "That is what you will determine. The vision portends something important, Anzat. And the Master has concluded that it will begin on Fhost. There, a sign will be given to you. Perhaps even the sign you have long sought."
Kell tried to hide the excitement birthed by Wyyrlok's words. He imagined lines of fate coalescing around Fhost, catching it up in a net of destiny. "I know its location."
"You will, therefore, travel there. Watch for the sign. Learn what there is to learn. And, perhaps, take what there is to take."
Kell rubbed his eyes, as if erasing them of the remembrance of pain. "Why me?" He gestured out into the darkness. "Why not one of them?"
"Because it is the Master's will that the One Sith remain quiescent. Therefore, we must use intermediaries."
Kell had had enough of
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