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Month 4 - Chapter 9, part 2: Round 2, Fight!

"What is this 'Kalgrath' you speak of?" Ood asks.

"An extensively Sith Alchemy-modified Massassi warrior, so thoroughly screwed with, he can't even talk anymore. I also recall that he was placed under this complex as the last line of defense. Beyond that? Not much I can remember that could be useful."

Yoda gives me a look.

"Master Yoda, most humans are incapable of perfect recall and it's been years since I read up on the stupidity that surrounds this horrible moon. One moment."

I pull out my holocomm. "HK, we could use some air support in a moment. I may have forgotten about a sith-alchemy enhanced Masassi warrior that needs to be incapacitated."

"Observation: Master, your pitiful meatbag brain is continually a disappointment."

"You and me both, pal." I hang up.

"Ood, I'd recommend you focus on the golden globe thing, since your skillset will be integral for that purpose. Masters Yoda and Ikrit? Try not to kill the poor bastard, I want to see if I can rehabilitate Kalgrath." Both of the diminutive masters look at me like I'm insane.

I pull out a blaster, turning towards the encroaching thumping footsteps. "I am a bit insane, yes. Now, let's try to survive the next five minutes."

A green goliath of a monster crashes through the underbrush, and I get my first look at the Night Beast.

"...Emil Blonsky, is that you?"

The scaly behemoth expresses its displeasure at my reference by throwing a tree at me. I throw myself to the ground before I get crushed by that, barely catching sight of Ikrit and Yoda leaping into action.

Of course, that's when we all noticed that this wasn't just a hulking brute of a warrior; Kalgrath could fight. Using the force to resist Yoda's attacks and then using a tree to force Ikrit to relocate, Kalgrath was keeping up with two incredibly skilled masters of Ataru. Ikrit began using the Force to bind Kalgrath with vines and other plantlife, and Yoda was doing his level best to incapacitate the ancient Massassi warrior with precise strikes to his joints.

Then the green abomination began to throw Sith Lightning at them both. Yoda was suddenly busy blocking lightning, and Ikrit was forced back before he could be struck by it. The Night Beast then threw a scattering of logs at me with the Force, and I began to realize that this was not the berserker I read about. Exar had decided to find a different puppet, and we played right into his hands.

My perspective shifted, and then I was sprawled on the ground, lightly bruised. I was tossed aside by a Force Push, which saved me from being bludgeoned to death with a tree. The fight continued, with my constant harassing fire, Yoda and Ikrit's acrobatics, and Exar's continual and escalating irritation with the situation, which only allowed him to grow more powerful.

A few moments later, the Hazard flew by, shooting at the possessed Massassi, who responded with a Force Lightning attack that disabled one of the blaster cannons and forced HK to pull up. This back and forth eventually pushed his patience to the breaking point, and he began to unleash a wave of Force Lightning that forced everyone beyond the range of the technique.

HK had to do smaller strafing runs, and the fighting became a wild clash of power between two experienced Jedi and the poster child of the ancient Sith. All I could do was distract and annoy him, and both the masters were busy trying not to be hit by the exceptionally experienced warlord puppeting Kalgrath.

The fight lasted both an eternity and a few minutes. I knew I should have invested more in exercising.

Then, the tempo of the fight changed.

The beast's expression changed from enraged to confused, then it became desperate. His attacks began to lose focus, the control of the force became less refined, until finally, desperately, the two Jedi masters managed to get the upper hand, and the ancient warrior collapsed into a deep sleep.

Exar Kun was defeated. Finally, and truly, a historic moment.

I collapse into a seated position. "Next time, I'm goddamned delegating this shit to droids. Ow, my knees." Ikrit and Yoda also gingerly sit down nearby, watching the Night Beast's unconscious body.

- - - - 15 minutes later - - - -

The Hazard lands nearby, since the battle made the clearing large enough for HK to actually be close enough to be helpful. Soon, I felt a change in the atmosphere; the jungle felt less oppressive, and I could actually start focusing a little better. The tension quickly eroded from both Ikrit and Yoda, and soon, an exhausted-looking Ood B'nar returned from the temple's interior.

"It is done. Exar Kun's power is broken, and the souls of the Massassi he had under his thrall are freed."

I speak up. "So… who's up for lunch?"

Three hands shoot up almost immediately.

"Excellent. We do lunch, then we head off to Dweem to get you chucklefucks to apologize to the Iron Knights and put an end to an idiotic cultist in a computer, and then we visit Kamino."