The Nar Shaddaa Chronicles: “Part 3 - A Matter of Time”

Timeframe: ABY 35 [Thirty years after the events of the Return of the Jedi]

Chapter I — "A Guildmaster Master"

Guildmaster Boba Fett leaned closer to his audience. "Gather round kids and listen up!" he said.

"Glory days are glory days, but the trick, kids, is to make it last."

A short brown haired kid looked around. The aging, retired bounty hunter of many kills and hunts and bounties looked calmly at the young boy.

"I don't keep a count, gals and boys," said aging Boba Fett. "There is an art to it and the galaxy."

"You have to look at it sometime, do not let hyperspace and supralight pass you by," he whispered in his memorable voice, as he toyed with one of his old Wookie scalps, a particularly tough bounty. A girl looked at him transfixed.

"But you're no Jedi Knight!" she giggled.

"I've fought the sharpest and best in this galaxy, now that the old Empire is gone," he leaned closer to her, "and I've known true love...better than Jedi tricks."

"She was like a soft dune glistening in the thrice moonlight of Tatooine, as the wind whispers across the desert night, and as deadly and passionate as the hell of the day."

Boba Fett looked into the distance with a soft gleam in his eyes. "She was like a bottle of fine Alderaanian red."

"And she made you want to love like a Corellian," laughed the old bounty hunter. The kids laughed, and some looked uncomfortable. The young girl was smiling.

"You have to kiss your loves softly, an old bounty hunter trick," said Fett evenly, looking at the horizon.

The old Jedi Temple librarian on planet Coruscant, the Old Galactic Center, entered the small room.

"That is all the time today kids," she said warmly.

"Aaaaa," some chortled. "Boba always a pleasure," she nodded.

Boba Fett leaned with his usual stoop. "The books are good, keeper, but to do it in style and art is best."

And he started snoring and dreaming what retired master bounty hunters dream.

***

Next morning, an aging Dengar entered the room and coughed loudly. "I am no longer in shape Boba, but I still have the fire."

"You never did, journeyman," said Boba Fett.

"I made master rank," spoke Dengar.

"But you lost it, bounty hunter," said Fett harshly.

Both began to cough and reached for their medicinal drinks and vitamins. They had spiked it with classy rotgut earlier, unbeknownst to the librarian keeper.

"I think thaat — ," slurred Dengar.

"Keep on topic Dengaaar," slurred Fett in his usual menacing voice.

They were both retired and were living in a fancy retirement home on Post-Imperial Coruscant near the old Jedi Temple, and near its main library. Their caretaker, the aging female keeper, also had Jedi library duties and was a custodian of ancient Jedi and Sith Holocrons.

"You were the one in the pit on Tatooine!"

"But I crawled out..."

"Just barely within inches of your life, Fett."

"Jabba was an old bastard," said old Boba Fett. "I miss that old bastard."

"I miss Palpatine," said Dengar suddenly.

"Keep quieet!" slurred Boba Fett.

"No, I do not miss the old Emperor."

"Let's go Wookie hunting," suggested Dengar suddenly. They both chortled wickedly and then started coughing.

"Shit we are old," said Boba Fett looking at his gnarled hands. They sipped their spiked drinks again.

"The guild was shit," said Dengar.

"Yeah, the guild was shit," agreed Fett.

"By Palpatine's balls, I miss my old blaster sniper rifle," said Dengar.

Boba Fett, with near tears in his eyes, nodded. He fell asleep and dreamed what retired bounty hunters and expert Wookie hunters dream.

***

"So, we are stuck on Coruscant," muttered Dengar bitterly.

"Right, bounty hunter," said Fett, "Stay cold and maybe at the end of the day you'll get something tasty."

"Just because you have more yellow Wookie scalps, Fett," replied Dengar with a gleam and flame in his eyes.

"Those days are gone Dengar, we cannot duel again; the Hutts would not allow it," said Boba Fett with his usual croon.

"And why not?"

"Sets a bad precedent for the guildmaster."

"But that is you!" exclaimed the other retired bounty hunter, sometimes called the wounded.

Boba Fett chortled evilly.

Then they both laughed and sipped their spiked vitamins and medicine. At least they knew they were eating better than an Alderaanian princess at their retirement home on the Old Galactic Center, Coruscant.

Guildmaster Boba Fett blew a small fart.

"Getting old Fett," muttered Dengar.

"I've usually been a vegetarian," said Fett, "Like Vader, or so I am told."

They both laughed and chortled briefly.

"I miss those old bastards at the guild."

"Surely you jest, Dengar."

"No, no, hear me out," said Dengar.

"The guild was a convergence of exact orgies," he stated, "Think about it."

"That is only hyperbole," answered Boba Fett with a sip of his spiked drink, is started out as a local medicine on Coruscant, popular with aging elites.

"Try the red, Dengar," said Fett.

"What is this? Mmm... Alderaanian," sipped the bounty hunter.

"So you want an orgy, eh Dengar?" said Fett matter-of-factly.

He summoned the old Librarian Keeper to the ancient, surviving Jedi library. Their fancy retirement home was built into the old Jedi Temple, where Dengar and Boba Fett were living in retirement; a good long while after the Galactic Empire fell.

"Time to read Dengar."

***

Boba Fett scanned the list of the Jedi Holocrons, all seventy pages. He chose one labeled "The Long Path of the Jedi", which also had an account of an ancient and bitter Sith war. He took good medication and read for forty-seven hours straight with a few breaks to eat elegantly and have a warm drink. He learned that a certain Darth Vengeance lashed out across the Jedi in many planetary systems. There was also an obscure reference to ancient Dagobah, and also a concise treatise on places of dark side nexus points.

He studied it thoroughly and read that Darth Vengeance had been trying to attain true immortality since boyhood.

There were some strange notes and a long thesis on Ancient Sith meditation, with a permission warning to be read only by Jedi Masters.

He focused on this quote:

"There is never light, there is only darkness and chaos beyond death; the light side fades already in an endless breath of Force in storm and vortex."

And another:

"They say the breath of the dark side is strong enough to melt a planet, but the impervious nature of such a chaos storm comes as a set."

Boba Fett was intrigued by the Sith concept of 'the Bridge of Light'; he read about it in the long treatise; it had a rougher account of the ancient harsh and bitter battle between Sith and Jedi who were opposed to the Sith Lord called Darth Vengeance. The war was a tie in the end.

Here — in the ancient Temple of the Jedi (the Jedi were not here) — in the Great Library, which was adjacent and built into Boba Fett's fancy and airy retirement home, now an aging and retired bounty hunter, who was also the current acting guildmaster for the Bounty Hunter Guild for the galaxy — Boba Fett read and had privileged access to these ancient and impressive records and words.

Boba Fett mused on a few quotes:

"There is no fear that is only for the initiates of the so-called 'dark side'; the fear of the little and the neophyte are countered by the mind as a tool, and then if needed a weapon."

"Fear is countered by the knowledge of certainty, and certainty there is in knowing, reasoning, and feeling the real light of the Force."

"Walk upon the Bridge of Light. Feel of the above air. Look upon the smallness beneath. The glory of the Sith is revealed to you."

Boba Fett then read the words of Darth Twilight, lover and apprentice of Darth Vengeance, as chronicled and noted in the Long Path of the Jedi:

"The tool of the mind must cleanse the inner unconscious of your soul, and the beauty and serenity of peace shall be granted to you to unleash Sith lightning and flame."

"Who fears the little things and trivial matters? Do not heed the mindless Voice of Authority, find that voice within, and awake from twilight o'Sleeping One!"

"The greatest opponent to the airy Bridge of Light is the Voice of Authority, it despoils you and makes you a desert; the curse of the desert is passed on to you; to free yourself you must expunge and reject it because too much greatness in your potential, in you, the universe, and your planet is at stake; do you realize this o' Sleeping One? Awake from your nightmare and join the dance and harmony of the Sith of Light."

He continued to scan and read the pages slowly.

Boba Fett had read that two thousand standard years ago the Jedi Masters: Kron, Kwan, and Moosh decided they must sacrifice all things to win their battle with Sith led by Darth Vengeance and the gorgeous blond Darth Twilight, who were poised to decimate the Jedi Order and various other groups since they opposed these Siths. They decided to beat this Sith gathering, they must tap into the secret lore of the Force that binds all things, and attune with great force and authority to drain it, and power themselves and their skills and personas and teachings. They had great hatred for Darth Vengeance, who took a righteous and arrogant stance against the Jedi, now known as Despoilers in Jedi and Sith chronicles and accounts.

"The greatest opponent to the airy bridge of light is the Voice of Authority, it despoils you and makes you a desert, the curse of the desert is passed on to you, to free yourself you must expunge and reject it because too much greatness in your potential, in you, and the universe, your planet is at stake; do you realize this o' Sleeping One? Awake from your nightmare and join the dance and harmony of the Sith of Light..."

The Jedi Despoilers would enervate the Force in all living organisms in their hypocritical hatred and paranoia of the Sith of Light led by Darth Vengeance who was promising his followers true immortality.

Boba Fett decided to take a small break for six hours and retired to his bed after a long walk.

***

"Who would've thought the galactic core was made up of such soft stuff."

A quote of Darth Vengeance read Boba Fett, after his rest.

"True enlightenment lies in the Bridge of Light, layers beyond the Force."

Again this was a quote of this man, from when he was a teenager.

Fett looked around and breathed the airy air, full of richness and freshness in this library, a miracle of galactic technology. The sunlight streamed large among the old tomes and electronic records of the great library in the ancient Temple of the Jedi, who were not here for a long time now.

It seemed to Boba Fett, that Darth Vengeance was more intriguing than the Jedi led and worshipping Kron, Kwan and Moosh who ushered a terrible waste, death, pain, on the living planets of the galaxy two thousand years before the old Empire.

They were known as Jedi Despoilers, suckers and melters of the environments of numerous planets in the Galactic Core.

They tapped into the Force by their willpower and intellect to drain living beings of any type, to power themselves as said organisms, leeched of life sustenance, died a very slow painful death.

The ecology of many planets was forever changed, until they reached oblivion.

In their hubris, they unknowingly represented the annihilation of all life.

Guildmaster Boba Fett, a man of many, many kills, considered this carefully.

Boba Fett had never fought insanity, and had always been a true professional. He was a grim realist in every sense.

He knew the Jedi Despoilers began and were insane.

He didn't care to think right now about his various battles with other bounty hunters of their guild.

He was now grandmaster, the top rank; a successful man of great experience.

He wanted to find out more of this ancient Sith war, the second Galactic Civil War.

***

Dengar laughed a bit maniacally; he was enjoying reading exploits of ancient bounty hunters as recorded by the Jedi.

"Man we were ass kickers!"

"The orgy is about to begin," stated Fett coming into this part of the Great Jedi Library.

"No kidding, Boba Fett," said an aging Dengar.

They retired to a private upper penthouse suite of their fancy and elegant retirement home to meet with some younger and mature courtesans.

***

Boba Fett later read that the Sith of Light considered each other a family, the best kind. The female Librarian Keeper came into the elegant room in with elegant and nice clothes and apparel. She looked happy, and she was having fun again.

He spoke to her in a gentle manner, "Arlania, you have done well, and I thank you for these records."

"Of course Boba," she smiled nicely and genuinely.

He mused about the family of the Sith of Light, a family of grace and elegance, and trying to gain true immortality and lordship, as opposed to the Jedi Despoilers with a strong worshipping and serving hierarchy that is tied together by great hatred of the Sith of Light.

Boba Fett read on.

"The Sith of Light must band together in all ways, despite various obstacles, not heeding the mindless Voice of Authority, and search for the Bridge of Light that shines and calls to them."

***

Darth Vengeance swore to return one day and prophesized a coming Darth Light who would instigate a 'The Return of the Sith of Light' to usher a coming golden age of glory.

Boba Fett mused on this; there was something in his memory which he forgot. He was perplexed for a bit, and then retired with Dengar to their private suites to drink and meet with exotic courtesans.

***

"We must go to Dagobah, Dengar."

"Where is that?" answered the aging bounty hunter gruffly.

"A swamp planet in the Outer Rim."

"The Outer Rim? Are you crazy with all the hyperspace lanes mostly down and pirates preying on even the major routes outside the Core regions?"

"I thought you said you have the fire?"

"I do, I do — but sneaking off to the Outer Rim was not what I had in mind."

"We shall take Slave II, master bounty hunter, prep up."

Chapter II — "Old Times"

The hyperspace jump for the two aging bounty hunters went well; it took a long time even at supralight speeds, but they exited into normal space smoothly in the Dagobah system in the Sluis sector, tens of thousands of light years from the Galactic Core where they started from.

"So we are searching for the Jedi, Fett?"

"We shall see."

***

"I love the smell on this mud ball," exclaimed Dengar and shifted his sniping blaster rifle nervously.

"Just like your locker Dengar," grinned Boba Fett, it had been a long time since he wore any armor.

"We should stay on even ground," said Dengar.

Slave II had landed in the best spot they could find, despite a rough entry through the atmosphere on this swamp planet: they were somewhat near the equator of Dagobah. It was the winter season here now. Some of the most dangerous species were dormant now. Boba Fett didn't tell that to Dengar, who looked around and glanced backwards a lot.

"Scanners are not picking anything up," muttered Dengar.

"What are we searching for?" he asked.

"Shhhh...concentrate."

***

After a tiresome three hour trek they ate their lunch.

"We are searching for clues about an ancient group of Sith Lords, who were called the Greater Sith, or the Sith of Light."

"And why exactly are we searching?"

"Because it is more fun," chortled Fett, "and besides you wanted an orgy."

"True, true."

"The Sith of Light may have clues to the future of the galaxy," said Boba Fett.

He suddenly shivered like he did so many years ago. A presence, he had not indeed felt for many years, since his...

A strange creature, a kind of swamp squirrel monkey, snatched Dengar's duck crunchie suddenly. It then deftly disappeared into the jungles here.

"Hmmm," said Dengar.

The little critter was gloating in the trees above at Dengar flashing his small teeth.

Dengar took a small sip of his old bounty hunter guild drinking flask, and waved his hand.

"Back to guild rations, eh Fett?" he grinned.

Boba Fett was looking around and seemed preoccupied.

"Fett? Hey Fett, wake up!?"

"The Sith of Light talked about finding special places of dark side nexus points for their religious meditation; there is one nearby somewhere."

"Do you think it is booby trapped?"

"I doubt it," said Boba Fett.

"You mean like that warren over there?" grinned Dengar.

The wind suddenly picked up.

"Stay here Dengar. I will be back soon," said Boba Fett and headed toward the small entrance.

He followed his feelings. He had not felt her for a long time now, as he did now.

The darkness swallowed him up as he entered the dark side ancient temple and nexus point.

He was shivering, and he heard strange whispers in his head which he couldn't understand.

Light erupted suddenly and there stood Nili with her purple and red lightsabers ignited.

"I have been waiting for you Boba Fett..." she whispered. Her luscious dark long hair flowed around her.

"My love," said Fett.

She cut him on the shoulder with her saber suddenly. Sparks flew into the shadows, as Fett cringed.

"I am Darth Annihilator," she whispered, "I have been in the layers beyond the Force storms...my love."

"Your feelings and desire brought me here," she said quietly.

"You must go to Nal Hutta and you must search there for ancient wisdom, if you are to bring back the Sith of Light."

She kissed his forehead and then she vanished.

Boba Fett stood for a long time looking at the vacant spot.

***

On board Slave II, Dengar was eager to talk to the old Boba Fett.

Boba Fett was amused by it and purposely kept quiet not telling Dengar where he plotted the ship's course next.

After a few more uncomfortable moments of silence for Dengar, old Fett finally said, "Nar Shaddaa."

***

After a few weeks of hyperspace travel, Slave II erupted out of hyperspace flawlessly in Hutt space at the edge of the Y'Toub system.

Many decades ago the Hutt crime cartel and other clans joined forced to create the Hutt Empire and went mostly independent from both Imperial Remenant Core Worlds and the Mid Rim Republic Alliance, whose three decade truce and peace agreement was again on the verge of collapse. The Core Worlds were now ruled by the daughter of head Admiral Junie, now deceased, Empress Juwlia.

The energy shields of Nar Shaddaa were full functional and the Hutts regulated all the traffic with fastidious care, and soon patrol craft escorted Slave II to the entry ways in the planetary shields.

" — yes both Captain Grum and Captain Ahad are Bantha fodder now."

"They killed each other in a duel, why here in on Nar Shaddaa, in the Outer Rim Hutt Zone," said an old Boba Fett to Dengar's earlier question, just a few moments ago.

"Many, many years ago — why? You knew that I was thinking about her — right?" asked Fett.

"C'mon Boba, you know I can tell well by now."

"Hmm," murmured Fett.

"Looks like Hutt customs are calling us," he added.

"'Dae wanna wonga gruko, iityzvy noota Zyklano nada' 'Greetings guildmaster, you may proceed to the guild headquarters at Zyclan's Old Tower," said the Hutt customs official over the HoloNet. Slave II was given permission to bypass the energy shield.

Slave II entered the darkened and barely lit Outer Rim Hutt Zone of the Smuggler's Moon and flew slowly to the docking platforms of Zyclan's Old Tower.

"It's good to be back," said Boba Fett, and exited the now parked craft.

Suddenly a massive barrage of blaster fire greeted him as he exited the back entry hatch. He dove back in.

"We got company."

"Slave, fire the central ion cannon at them," he commanded.

The ship's computer turned around its main ion cannon and fired at IG-88 and an old Strider Cognitive who were on a nearby platform with other troops. IG-88 used his powerful droid legs to jump down to another platform — he fired a rocket at Slave II. Its ion engines started and lifted it into the air, as the rocket just missed.

Strider Cognitive escaped the ion cannon blasts, but other, now fried, hired Hutt troops were not so lucky.

As Slave II went away, a graying and tattooed Strider Cognitive took out a vibroblade and cut his palm in an even streak.

"I'm gonna get you, Fett."

***

The Hutt Gardens of the Hutt Academy, in the old, totally rebuilt, Imperial Boulevard district, was a place heavy with space traffic.

Slave II gracefully and slowly landed nearby.

"They will think we will go to our old haunts and have bounties standing there," said Dengar gruffly.

Old Boba Fett nodded slowly.

Sleepo awoke from his trance and materialized into focus, and observed Fett from inside the gardens.

"We must decide what to do, Dengar. I wish I had my old mind probe."

"A what?"

"Never mind."

"I just may have something in the cargo holds."

"C'mon Dengar, we've got a job to do."

"IG-88 and Captain Strider are walking dead."

***

Going to the Undercity of Hutt owned Nar Shaddaa was not what Dengar had foreseen. Slave II had been contacted for a formal duel at a location of Boba Fett's choosing. IG-88 explained that logic dictated that the guildmaster of the bounty hunter's guild must be given his rights once.

So Fett chose a still abandoned warehouse in the Old Technology Sector of the Undercity. High above many brown buildings towered above in tight spaces, and a viscous storm of acid rain blew in.

Wind howled as they stood on the landing ramps of the now decrepit warehouse. Lightning flashed outlining IG-88 as it stood with his long BlasTech DLT-20A blaster rifle and Strider Cognitive as he was holding his pistols in the falling acid rain.

A hooded man suddenly approached the group, and all guns shifted their aiming point at him.

"It is unwise friends to point those toward me, I am a Sith Dark Lord," Ars Dangor stated.

Prodigious amounts of Sith lightning erupted from his fingertips destroying IG-88 and Strider Cognitive. A chain of lightning so massive, Boba Fett and Dengar were blinded momentarily.

IG-88's fused body hissed in the acid rain.

"Gentlemen, we have more important matters to attend to," he said looking at Old Boba Fett and Old Dengar.

***

They all sat in Slave II's bridge as rain fell outside and thunder crashed in the distance.

"I guess, I am still the guildmaster," said Fett coughing.

"I am Ars Dangor, advisor to Empress Juwlia," said the cloaked man.

"Call me, Darth Light."

"We must go to an ancient Sith Temple on the surface of the Negrev desert on Nal Hutta," he said after the long silence.

Slave II made its way slowly to planetfall on Nal Hutta after passing the planetary shields of the Vertical City. Darth Light had bribed the locals earlier for the clearance codes.

"In my visions, I have seen you have been in contact with the Force spirit of Darth Annihilator. I have felt it, as well."

"She was my talented apprentice."

"She has come back from beyond the layers of the Force vortexes, beyond this plane of existence, so to speak."

"Her coming is related to prophecy of the Chosen One."

"And the coming of the last dark side Force synod."

"I need you two to help me make it happen, and you have no choice — if we fail, it will mean the annihilation of all life in the galaxy as we know it."

"That's a small price to pay for sacrificing us," said Dengar coughing.

Old Boba Fett held up a hand.

"Okay dark sider you've got yourself a deal," he said evenly.

***

There was a gloomy haze everywhere above the Negrev desert on the surface of Glorious Jewel, the Hutt homeworld. Slave II followed the secret coordinates that Darth Light had provided. The yellow sun of the Y'Toub system provided just a little light above the Negrev desert as the craft landed in a barren wasteland far from any inhabited centers.

"I know you know about the Jedi Despoilers, Boba Fett. You would not have otherwise made contact beyond the layers of the Force to Darth Annihilator."

"The Great Tenebrous Temple is a place of Sith power and a mighty nexus point of the dark side. I shall see if I am worthy to meditate with the Force spirits of all the ancient Sith Lords that are housed there."

"We are both trying to bring back the Sith of Light," stated Darth Light.

They all emerged from the exit hatch in the rear of spaceship on even ground of rock and sand.

"Zersaw the Ancient Hutt Prophet had discovered this place long ago, and before it had become a Sith temple of meditation and learning, and it was also here that the Jedi Despoilers learned their special ways," said the aging blond Darth Light.

"I sense the essences of the ancient Sith Lords have been eagerly expecting us."

As they entered the ancient Sith temple from the glow of the Nal Hutta's sun, they heard evil whispers in the air, "The Bridge of Light..." "The Bridge of Light..." "The Bridge of Light..."

A secret opening opened forth in a carved wall of the sarcophagi area of the Tenebrous Temple.

Soon, they entered a secret chamber well carved by advanced practitioners of the dark side of the Force. There was flowing lava far beneath the walkways. A Sith communing chamber stood before them as a Force flame burned in hissing orange flames from ceiling to floor in its center.

They stood before the flames.

"We have seen your actions Darth Light, and we are most pleased with your progress in the Long Path of the Sith Lords. We feel that at last it is time for the dark side Force synod to take place on Mustafar, which is only where the Force ley lines can be forged by the dark side of the Force."

"You must go to the spot where Darth Vader was born and rescued by the old Emperor, in the lava fields of Mustafar, the planet where many Jedi perished during the Purge in the old Imperial facilities there."

"There you must link the three dark side nexus points here, on Dagobah, and on Byss, and then finally channel the Force ley lines upon the Force Spire under the now-defiled Jedi Temple on Coruscant to crush it once and for all."

"Take these two champions of Sith Light, Boba Fett and Darth Annihilator, to fight Han Solo, and Luke and Leia Skywalker who will be waiting for you on Mustafar. We will shortly send you there by Force teleportation which is faster than even basic hyperspace."

"So prepare yourselves...accordingly."

***

Darth Light was studying an ancient Sith Holocron on Force ley lines and meditating aboard Slave II.

Old Dengar and old Boba Fett sat on a rock.

"Why, Fett, why?"

"She looks good to me."

"I came to Nar Shaddaa because I knew about this Sith place...a long story; long ago."

After a time, Darth Light approached them in his gray cloak and robes.

"You two have been summoned before the Flame of Sith Mastery again, you must follow me," said Darth Light.

***

"Despite your mastery of the Sith vortexes, Darth Light, you could not defeat the Jedi, Luke Skywalker, thirty years ago above Coruscant, and yet even though you and your Sith adepts have long defiled the Jedi Temple, too many starships were lost during the Battle of Endor, and the subsequent Post-Imperial conflicts, which have drained the galactic economies, have caused the Sith of the Imperial Remnants to bide our time in a shaky truce with the Republic Alliance for three decades now, as the galaxy has stagnated, and now even more chaos is coming."

"Luke Skywalker, and his now Jedi sister, Leia — she is strong in the Force, like him — have seen the future in their Force visions now that the galaxy is finally aligned for the Sith to undertake the last Force synod, the Bridge of Light of the Greater Sith, toward the Sith of Light resurrection."

"They are expecting you now on Mustafar, in the derelict of the old Imperial facility, Nar Dev, which was used during the Jedi Purge, they await for you alone."

"Three champions for the Jedi and three champions for the Sith."

"We impart our power unto you now Boba Fett, although we are forbidden to make you young again. You must finally confront Han Solo."

Boba Fett suddenly stood in his old Mandalorian Armor, and in full gear, as when he did before he fell into the Sarlacc where it was mostly destroyed. Nili materialized suddenly holding her two lightsaber hilts crossed at her torso.

"Welcome...Darth Annihilator," said the voice from the flames.

"We have channelled the Force to our full ability for you, to prepare you three for the struggle that is to come."

"The Sith of Light must arise soon, or the galaxy will be torn up by endless conflicts."

Darth Light ignited his red lightsaber as the lava room filled with incredible flashing and shinning white light, and then they were gone.

Dengar looked at the empty spot and headed for the parked Slave II — under the stormy haze and wind of the harsh and empty Negrev desert. He suddenly laughed to himself.

Chapter III — "Antigravity over Mustafar"

"Darth Sidious believed that the source of his dark side power was the universe beyond the edges of the known galaxy," said Darth Light.

"Is that why you sent me there, master Dangor?" asked Nili ironically with her soft and evocative pleasant voice.

"We shall learn to harness such power Nili, beyond the layers and vortexes of the Force."

"Darth Annihilator," she corrected him with a flashing smile.

"If we defeat the Skywalkers, the galaxy will be ours again," said Darth Light trying to match her smile.

He was not quite old and not quite young looking. His short blond hair was cut like in the style of the old Galactic Empire under Palpatine.

***

Han Solo stood not feeling old in the ruins of the old ore refinery station on Mustafar. He leaned against an old frame of fallen grilling of this massive station, ruined and howling in the wind, above the lava pits and flows of ancient Mustafar where the intense Sith Lord, Darth Vader was born, as his flesh was burned and consumed close to this very area.

"I didn't see this one coming," said Han Solo in his husky voice as Leia approached and leaned on him, slowly and gently. Their hearts sang in glee in the glow of the magical and giving Force above the hells of lava and heat. The Falcon was parked much above in this ruined and old refinery.

Han Solo shivered for a second, his thoughts drawn back to when Vader tortured him with Boba Fett.

"This one is personal," he said and the aging couple kissed and smiled again.

"Luke!" shouted Leia.

***

Dengar approached the Sith Flame of Mastery in the ancient temple and laughed gently to himself.

"I can help you," he said.

The flame hissed and spouted and burned more across the ancient walls all around as hellish light and fire erupted across said walls.

"We see you Darth Den," said the Voice.

"We give you the soul of Darth Maul, and fuse yours and his abilities."

"You shall dance upon the Sith of Light Holy Synod!!!!"

Dengar smiled in the dancing and zipping light.

***

Darth Annihilator suddenly appeared with her gang of a Sith Lord and allies in the ruins of the ore refinery station Nar Dev. She could feel Boba Fett's strong love for her. Boba Fett smiled like a fool in love under his resurrected Mandalorian helmet. She felt young and she felt joy. She knew his love for her was and had been just a matter of pure time. The wind whistled at insane speeds through the massive and sprawling ruins.

The Sith of Light, like the Jedi, are one.

***

Both sides of heroes and villains stood firm. It was a sacrifice to the Force before the last dark side synod, a thunder storm in the Force sending intense vibrations and fluctuations across the entire cosmos; a great and titanic battle before the great summoning — a struggle of greatness of the last and final outcome of the Force which would decide the future of the galaxy, or not.

The lightsabers of Darth Annihilator and Luke Skywalker and Leia ignited: red, purple, blue and yellow.

It was the light of the galaxy, and more, above the lava hell at Nar Dev.

The cutting began in haste, dynamic and furious, and the blaster fire was about to be exchanged by both Boba Fett and Han Solo.

Dengar teleported into the fray in the grills above and stood above looking, hidden from his vantage point and smiling at the laser fight below.

***

Luke was fighting Darth Light, and both wore gray robes, they parried and slashed like Jedi and Sith Masters, of which they were, each one trying to outthink and outmaneuver the other, it was a taxing and grim melee, that was escalating in speed, as sparks flew and Force energies were unleashed.

The bridge they were on suddenly tottered and collapsed.

Both Darth Light and Luke Force pushed each other at that precise time.

They both fell unconscious at opposite sides above the lava pits in the scaffolding of ruined Nar Dev. The wind howled like an insane banshee.

Boba Fett and Han Solo stood holding on to the grilling. The wind made the fight impossible, for now.

Nili and Leia had been duelling from the start and now ended up much above, in a garage of junk and spare parts; here the wind did not reach them. Leia had parried easily the aggressive blows, cuts and slashes Nili had sent against her, and now they knew she would have to try some other tricks.

"We are both strong in the Force Leia, why not join us?"

"Never!" shouted Leia.

"Our powers are evenly matched, we will destroy ourselves," countered Nili.

"I shall always fight the Sith," said Leia grimly.

"You Rebel scum," said Nili and smiled.

So did Leia.

***

Darth Light awoke and ran for the top of the station as chaos in the Force began to collapse the gravity field of Mustafar and anti-gravity wells began to manifest around the planet.

***

Boba Fett and Solo stood facing each other as the wind was now dead.

"Let's make it interesting Captain Solo," said Boba Fett evenly.

"What do you have in mind, Fett?"

"I take off the helmet."

"And?"

"Maybe we shoot blindfolded Solo."

Captain Solo laughed and laughed and fired at Boba Fett.

Fett shot back.

Both laser bolts hit their respective targets.

And their shoulders were cauterized.

Fett rocketed above, as Han Solo fired at him missing twice hitting once.

Boba Fett went down, behind Han Solo.

Han Solo stood over the fallen Boba Fett with his boot now over Fett's helmeted neck.

"Back in the pit you go, Captain Fett," he grinned to himself, as Fett prepared his last blow.

***

Dengar smiled above. His anger and hate were rising.

"Oh, too bad...grandmaster," he said to himself and headed toward Luke Skywalker, the Darth Maul in him assured of his personal victory.

***

Boba Fett clutched Han Solo's feet and ignited his jetpack.

They flew and then fell into the lava pits under Nar Dev.

***

On top of Nar Dev, an old Imperial ore refinery station, Darth Light began the dark side ritual to initiate the greatest Dark Side Synod the galaxy had ever seen. Force ley lines began to converge on the nexuses points on Byss and Dagobah.

***

Chapter IV — "Light of a Hundred Billion Suns"

An anti-gravity "bridge" caught Solo and Fett, and they both lay unconscious on it.

Above, Luke awoke, his soul feeling the danger of the approaching Dengar/Darth Maul dark side soul weld. At the approaching menace he ignited his father's blue lightsaber with his hand outstretched.

And he leapt into the anti-gravity Force Bridge.

Dengar, from where he was, ignited Darth Maul's twin lightsaber and flipped and jumped into said spot nearby.

The duel with their respective lightsabers began in total earnest. Sparks flew. Han Solo and Boba Fett were prone a few standard meters away.

They slashed and parried endlessly, realizing how evenly matched they were, with the greatest discipline they had ever mastered and used.

Dengar and Luke were sweating furiously, their eyes burning in the salty grime. The wind howled and the lava beneath roared and sprayed the "bridge of light" suddenly.

***

Leia exhausted and overcome died as Darth Annihilator plunged her twin lightsaber, purple side, into Leia's tired heart.

***

Beneath Mustafar, in lava caves much below Nar Dev, the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker was beginning to awake.

***

Luke knew this was the greatest and last fight of his life, and he shattered the blade of Darth Den with one cunning and underhanded blow in the manuals of Jedi dueling. It would be his secret on how he precisely did it.

Dengar died, as Darth Annihilator approached.

Chapter V — "Nobility"

The Force Spire in the Old Jedi Temple on Coruscant collapsed along with the Temple.

The Sith of Light dark side ley lines were forged in the galaxy and in the cosmos.

The nexus points of Dagobah and Byss and Nal Hutta lit up the heavens.

***

The mountain and the Tenebrous Temple upon it arose from the ground. It was called Asada-Hel. A place of ancient duelling between the respective sides of the Force.

Here now, on and in the massive fortress of the old Temple, on said mountain, all the souls of the Jedi and Sith who had ever lived and breathed awoke and materialized in the greatest Force Resurrection the galaxy had ever seen.

***

"Now, my work is complete," said Darth Light as he stood with his arms raised high above the shrieking wind.

"Not yet," said Anakin Skywalker behind him, and cut off his head with swipe of his lightsaber.

***

Nili wanted to play with the kneeling and exhausted Luke on the anti-gravity "bridge".

It was her moment, her raison d'etre, her final purpose and testament to the galaxy.

"I could easily kill you Luke Skywalker, and make my original conception as a Sith and the purpose I was granted its training complete with one blow...yet I will make it interesting...if you make it interesting Luke I will let you live...speak now my son..."

"I beg you for all that is holy and light, look within yourself and see the Light."

"Nope."

She killed him, after the great Force resurrection, an Imperial sacrifice.

She laughed as she approached the fallen Boba Fett, and she used a Force push to block another lava spray from beneath.

She kissed his helmet for this fun she had had and laughed and laughed in pure joy, reborn and unafraid.

***

On Nal Hutta, in the lowest levels of the fortress of Asada-Hel, Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda, and Mace Windu stood along with Jedi Master Despoilers Moosh, Kwan and Kron.

"We will destroy ourselves if we join in the fray above," said Jinn.

"Master Qui-Gon, much wisdom you always had," smiled Yoda with other Jedi.

***

Anakin Skywalker fulfilled all ancient prophecies at the moment. He materialized above Asada-Hel and above the fighting resurrected Jedi and Sith, armies and armies of warriors and savants and thinkers who brutalized each other, and cut the fighting with a Force blast of insane power.

Torn was the Force universe.

***

In the aftermath, of the great Force resurrection, it was written by both Sith and Jedi chroniclers, that the chosen one had fulfilled the prophecy of bringing total balance to the Force and thus undid a great war and horror of the past in this conflict amid the stars of the galaxy.

Boba Fett lived in retirement with his one true love, Nili, Darth Annihilator. Dengar was dead. The ancient Jedi and Sith now retired into their hidden corners now that the Force was gone forever. Luke was dead; Leia and Han Solo died unto a ripe old age.

THE END.