It is strange, how Roland understood at the end. I don't understand, and I probably never will. Do you know what I think? I think that I really do understand, but I just don't realize. The realization is buried deep in my mind somewhere, back wheret he traces of my sanity still lurks. Roland found that, but I fear that I never will. Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. Where was I? Oh yes, after the vornskr...

It had taken them a while to finally leave the scene of the battle empty handed, but they were finally once more on their way through the winding tunnels. The corpses had told them nothing, as Zark knew they would. The Sith were too intelligent to leave such obvious clues to those who had penetrated so far into their most sacred of hiding places.

Zark found it odd that they met no more resistance in the tunnels after the vornskr. There had been hundreds of thugs attacking him in the city, but the Church catacombs remained eerily empty. Maybe he had killed all of their lackeys on the outside, but the former Jedi doubted it. He did not question it further, however, for Roland was once again on one of his rants, this time aloud.

"So...how far do you think its gonna be?" he asked.

"I haven't the faintest clue, Roland." Zark replied.

"So...how about now?"

"I don't know."

"And now?"

"Still don't know."

"Now?"

"Dunno."

"Now?"

"Dun-wait, what am I doing?" Zark asked himself, "Roland, shut the hell up or I'll give myself a black eye."

"Okay! Okay!" Roland conceded, "Don't get all grumpy, Mr. Alien."

Zark grinned. They had not known each other for more than four hours and already Roland Deschain was one of the greatest friends he had ever had. And he should be, for the former Jedi had created the basic concept of the man, even if the extent of his history had been made up by his own insanity. Zark was still having trouble coming to terms with the extent of his subconscious imagination.

"Zark?" Roland brought him from his thoughts.

"No, Roland. We're not there yet. Stop ask-hey!"

Roland temporarily took control of Zark's right eye, causing it to look straight ahead and squint. All of the sudden, Zark realized that there was something up ahead. It looked like....light! It was very faint, small, and far away, but the former Jedi was almost sure that it was light nonetheless.

The duo's pace quickly turned into a trot, which quickly turned into a jog, which, in turn, turned into a run, which...well, eventually they were in a dead sprint. Never had Ekan been so happy to see a source of light since-well, he had never been so happy to see a source of light.

It was not long before the light was nearly right in front of him, and Zark realized that it was a small beam of light peaking out from the other side of a mostly-closed door. His left hand moved to open it, but the right quickly slapped the left's wrist. The left hand pulled back and hid itself from the right hand.

"What was that for?!" Roland nearly shouted in exasperation.

"Shh!" Zark hissed quietly, "I have no idea what is behind that door, but whatever it is it sure won't be friendly. It could even be...Sith..."

"What are these Sith?" Roland asked for the hundredth time, "I know I share your memories but are they really that bad?"

"You have no idea," Zark said.

This time the right hand moved toward the door. Zark grasped the nob firmly in his hand, gaining confidence from the apparent reality of the doorway. The Sith were not above petty illusions to confuse their enemies. Zark eased the door back toward them, but it gave out a rather loud creeeaaakk!

"Nice one," Roland muttered.

"Oh shut up," Zark said, before they both stepped inside.

Immediately Zark wished they had not. The corpses, the blood, the seperated limbs...Zark had literally massacred the thugs outside by the hundreds, but this wasn't simply a massacre...this was a mass sacrifice! And it seemed that indeed he was right, for most of the bodies looked like they had been killed and cut in a ritualistic fashion.

"Holy shit..." Roland muttered.

"Yeah..." Zark breathed in reply.

The former Jedi's gaze drifted beyond the corpses to gaze at the three thrones. Three nearly identical corpses sat upon them, their heads lolled to the side or gazing upward toward the ceiling lifelessly. These corpses didn't seem to be sacrificed, however. The first had a hole in his stomach from what Zark knew immediately without having to go any closer was a lightsaber. The second one seemed to have his throat slit, and the wound was also most likely given by a lightsaber. The third and most gruesome of the trio had had his arms and legs severed from his body. He seemed to have died from bloodloss, and was still twitching slightly. The arms lay on the armrests of the rest of the body's throne and the legs lay crossed together below the stumps that had once connected the legs to the hips. The stumps still trickled slightly.

"Who would do such a thing?" Roland asked.

Zark had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"And indeed your feeling is correct, Jedi Ekan!" came a laughter-filled cry from high above.

High above and behind the thrones stood a balcony. Two winding staircases on either side of the room swung around and up to it. From his view Zark could barely make out a large opening behind the balcony that seemed to lead on to even more rooms even deeper into the catacombs. The tunnels seemed to go on forever, it seemed, but Zark had already found who he was looking for.

The shadowed figure that stood upon the balcony stepped to the ledge, and the countless candles from below lit up his face. This confirmed Zark's suspicions. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall together. The laughing man laughed more as he slid down the railing of the right staircase, diving into a roll at the end and leaping out of it into a Force-aided jump. He landed neatly in front of the duo and...bowed.

"Uh, Zark?" Roland asked, "Who is this guy and why is he bowing at us...well, you?"

Before Zark could reply, the laughing man spoke up. Surprisingly, he didn't seem surprised that the former Jedi was talking to himself.

"Ah, Mr. Deschain," the man greeted, bowing once more, "So wonderful for you to have joined us. Although, its not as if you could have chosen to stay behind! But to answer your question, I am Jeremiah Bettis, and I am a Jedi Master."

I should have seen it coming! It was so obvious! Jeremiah Bettis was just using me to get to the Sith. But why? Was he really a Jedi Master as he said? I doubted it. I mean, what kind of Jedi would sacrifice all of those people? Unless, and I couldn't help but thinking this at the time...he was a Jedi like me...a Fallen Jedi Master...

At the time it was hard to contain myself from bursting into laughter at Jeremiah's ludicrous claim. A Jedi Master? Who did he take us for? A couple of fools? One insane fool? But looking back on it, I realize that Bettis very likely believed that he was still indeed a Jedi Master. Ah the tangled webs of confusion we draw around ourselves...

"A Jedi Master? Is he kidding?" Roland burst out before Zark could stop him, "We are talking about the same type of Jedi you are...were..whatever, right Zark? Uphold peace and justice and all that?"

Zark gave Roland a literal mental kick, but when he looked upon Jeremiah he saw no rage or anger as he had expected, but rather a small smirk, as if he were humored. Zark didn't like the look of him with that expression plastered upon his face. It felt...wrong...somehow, as if he shouldn't be able to express any positive emotions.

"Indeed," Jeremiah answered for him, "Sorry about leading you on like that, Zark old chum. Had to have them fully convinced."

Jeremiah turned his head as he gestured toward the dead Sith Lords, and by the time he looked back the barrel of a revolver was staring him dead on in the face. Zark pulled the trigger, but Jeremiah's hand moved impossibly fast, deflecting the pistol to the side. The pistol fired astray, crumbling ancient stone as it struck the wall.

Zark had been expecting this, however, and a Force-enhanced kick sent Jeremiah flying into the opposite wall, dust literally exploding from hidden cracks as the man hit. Calmly, the Fallen Jedi Knight strode over to where Jeremiah was struggling to get to his feet. Grabbing onto the man's collar, Zark helped him up rather roughly, before sending him back down with his right fist.

"Uhh...Zark?" Roland asked, tentatively, "You feeling okay?"

"Not now, Rola-"

And then Zark found himself in midair, the wind blasted out of him. Jeremiah had hit him with a Force blast while his attention had been diverted. Grinning, the 'Jedi Master' got to his feet, dusting his shirt off a bit before slowly closing the distance between the two.

"No, no, Mr. Ekan. Go on," Jeremiah said, his grin twisting into a horrifying smile, "I would rather enjoy an explanation as to why you so rudely attacked me."

"Oh shut the fuck up, Bettis," Zark grumbled, getting back to his feet, "You think you can use me? You think you can use my parents? All just so you can play your fuccking twisted butcher games with these worthless Sith?"

"Mr. Ekan," Jeremiah said, looking genuinely astounded, "These 'worthless Sith' are those responsible for your parents'-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT MY PARENTS!!" Zark screamed, charging.

Two sabers ignited, the beams playing tricks with the shadows on the walls. Sparks flew as they clashed, then again, and again. Exhaustion was not a factor, nor was alignment. Both wanted each other dead, even if the one had a much fairer and more cryptic way of saying it. Both wanted ultimate satisfaction.

"If you kill me, then everyone who ever know your parents will be dead," Jeremiah said as their sabers locked into a power struggle.

"You know, I really can't find myself caring anymore," Zark replied, heaving his saber forward and breaking the struggle.

Jeremiah went off balance, and Zark came in viciously and without mercy. The 'Jedi Master' desperately attempted to regain his footing, but Zark would not allow it. They moved around, Zark always on the offensive, and Jeremiah always struggling to keep standing. Finally the man tripped over a corpse and Zark was on him in an instant, their sabers again locked together.

"I can't say I blame you," Jeremiah continued the conversation, "If you knew about the kind of people your parents were...the terrible things they've done..."

"You're a fucking liar!" Zark screamed, pressing down more.

"Why would I lie to you, Zark?" the 'Jedi Master' winced, struggling to keep from being decapitated by his own saber, "What further use do I have for you? I told you your parents were Jedi so you'd draw out their comrades who did them in, but now their comrades are dead, and soon you shall be too if you keep up this foolishness."

"And what about you, 'Jedi Master Bettis'?!" Zark half-screamed, half-wept in anger, "What part did you play in all of this?! What Sith name did you go by? Something catchy, I hope? Darth, they always begin with Darth. Darth...

...Xoverus?" It simply popped into his head.

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT NAME TO ME, BOY!" Jeremiah screamed with such a ferocity that Zark couldn't help but back off a little.

Jeremiah pulled his knees up toward his chin and kicked out, landing a double-kick square into Zark's chest and sending the Fallen Jedi Knight flying upwards and backwards. He arched his back and kicked up with his feet, half-flipping back into a standing position. Zark hit the ground and went into a backwards roll, coming up with his saber level.

"Ow." Zark stated simply, his expression remaining emotionless.

"At first I was going to kill you quickly," Jeremiah, or Xoverus, said menacingly, "But now I feel a prolonged and painful death is in order."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Zark said, "Ready to play, Xovvy?"

We were like two pawns on the opposite side of the chessboard from the queens and kings. Neither of us mattered to anyone but ourselves, but one of us had to go down. It was as if the entire universe couldn't bare to live any longer with both of us still alive. It was now a simple matter of who was the weaker pawn...

I do not remember for how long we fought. Time was just not important to either of us. Roland could only look on from within me in what I think was a mixture of awe, fear, and admiration. The sheer anger and rage that had built itself up inside for so long after the realization of my parents deaths and, more recently, their true alignment, poured out all at once into the battle. Jeremiah Xoverus, for that was his true name, had gained much power during his time of seclusion on planet JED-1, and, as I later learned, from a sadistic sapping of the Force energy of the dead Sith Lords. He had his own source of rage to use. The following battle was the most powerful I had ever been with the Force, and the hardest I have ever fought. I think I surpassed some of the greatest Jedi Masters of today that night, but I am not proud. I cannot. I will not be proud of anything remotely related to that night. Except for Roland. Roland is like a brother to me, and I cannot find it in my heart to hate him, even if he was the result of a mental breakdown. Where was I? Oh yes...

"AHHHHHH!"

Zark kicked off the wall, blasting his body with the Force to gain speed. The two lightsabers clashed once more, creating the loudest sound Zark had ever heard. The two fighting Jedi's arms would have likely shattered had they not been strengthened with the Force. None of them spoke, for it was past talking. Past taunting or pleading or debating. One of them was going to die this night, and there was nothing to talk about.

The lightsabers broke off, and then struck at each other again. Fast. Too fast. Impossibly fast. It was as if they were barely putting any strength into the strikes, were it not for the extremely loud crackles and the abundance of sparks. Strike after strike after strike, and neither of them looked like they were getting tired anytime soon.

Xoverus backflip, and Zark followed in an instant. They resumed fighting even before they had reached the ground, swinging and swinging and swinging. Xoverus' feet touched, and created a tiny crater in the ground. It took Zark a full five seconds to loose enough momentum for him to do the same, and even during that five seconds neither stopped striking.

Roland's eyes would have been as wide as they could possibly be if he had them. He wanted to help, wanted to shoot, wanted to do anything! But he could not. For one, Zark was using both hands with his saber, and for another, he'd probably do more harm than good. They were both just moving so fast! All he could do was watch. Watch and pray.

They were beginning to leave the Sith's hideout, and steadily worked their way through the catacombs. When lifted at a 45 degree angle, the sabers skimmed the roof, but somehow they both found a way. And when they couldn't they just sliced through the wall. There was one point where Zark could not block, Force-steroids or no, so he cleaved through the wall and send small rocks and dust into Xoverus' face.

Xoverus stumbled backwards, and Zark was upon him. For a moment, Roland thought the fight was at an end, but no. Two feet came flying out of the dust, nailing Zark in the gut and sending him flying backwards and up with a small backwards roll. Zark had not even lost his breath, or if he did, he didn't show it. And so they continued on, until they finally reached the cathedral.

The fight went on for what was likely hours before it happened. It happened for possibly the first time in the universe's existance. Zark and Xoverus kicked off the walls, even harder than before. There was more strength then before. More power. The strikes were timed perfectly. The sabers clashed, and there was a sound that might have been a sonic boom and...the sabers fizzed out. The two Jedi stumbled past each other, both immediately attempting to reactivate the sabers. Nothing. The lightsabers had broken.

Finally, Roland thought, He's defenseless, and we have guns.

No! Zark said suddenly, catching Roland in mid-draw, This is a duel, and honor is a part of it. We will not be cowards.

Greeaaatt...NOW you're an honorable warrior.

Zark didn't respond. Instead, he moved his hand down to his belt, and for a moment Roland thought he had changed his mind. Click! The belt carrying the revolvers slumped to the ground around Zark's feet. For a moment, the two Jedi merely stared at each other. Finally, Roland gave a small nod and they both charged.

Two fists connected, bloodying them both. Fist upon arm. Fist upon leg. Foot upon arm. The two had engaged in hand-to-hand combat, but with the power of the Force, the fight wouldn't last long. With their Force powers, their minds would be willing for a long time to come, but their physical bodies could only take so much abuse, and their strength was too much. Even blocked attacks did serious damage.

It was not long before the two were coughing up blood. They were killing each other's bodies, and it looked like it didn't matter whether or not they had sabers. Their hands were now just as deadly weapons, and one of them would die, if not both. It just remained to be seen who would be the first to die instantly.

Zark swung, but Xoverus grabbed it with his hands. Five knees, full Force power. By the sixth, Xoverus had let go, and Zark went flying into a wall. Zark's head lolled to the side as he began to lose conciousness, but he sent a Force shock through his system, causing him to come back to the waking world. Still, he could barely move. He had lost.

Xoverus limped up to him and smiled a bloody grin. He coughed blood all over Zark, and raised his fist. SLAM! Xoverus had literally made a dent in Zark's chest, right where his heart was. Zark's systems began to shut down. He was dying. Xoverus had won, and darkness had seemingly prevailed.

"The duel is over, young Ekan," Xoverus said, laughing his menacing laugh, "I have won. It looks like that old saying 'like father, like son', is true after all."

I'm dying, Roland, Zark spoke mentally, wholly unconcerned with the Sith that had just beaten him, I'm sorry, but I wasn't strong enough. Who knows? I don't know much about this mental disorder, but maybe the Force shall take pity on you. Maybe this body'll come back to life, with me gone. I hope so. Then I would not feel so badly about dying. I'm not really worth anything anymore, but you're a good guy. I want you to know that, Roland. You're a good man. I'm sorry that I am not, or maybe I would've won after all.

I'm sorry I have to do this, Zark, Roland said.

Do what? Zark asked, already feeling himself fade.

I understand now, Zark. I do. Its so simple. So simple, Roland said, giving a mental laugh, You'll laugh too, when you understand. And you will someday, I hope. But Zark, you ARE a good person, and you're going to find out whether you like it or not. I promised myself I'd help see you fulfill your vengeance for your parent's demise, and I always keep my promise. I'm sorry, but I have to do this.

What are you talking about? Zark asked, and something changed, Roland? Roland?? Whats going on? Roland?!

And then Zark realized it. Roland was 'coming forward'. Taking full control of his body. Zark couldn't stop it. He hadn't the will. Strength returned to him, and strength left Roland. His senses snapped back, and Roland's faded away. Roland was dying, and Zark could only watch from inside the body with horror.

ROLAND! DON'T DO THIS! DAMNIT, ROLAND!

Goodbye, Jedi Zark Ekan, Roland said, his voice a whisper, It was an...honor, to have met you. May you find peace at last.

ROLAAANNNDDD!!

Xoverus had almost left the cathedral when a burst of blue light sent him wheeling around. Peering into the blurriness the apparent explosion had caused, he limped towards the 'corpse' of Zark Ekan. His eyes widened as the corpse stood up, the wounds gone from his body, and a fiery blaze in his eyes.

"So..." Xoverus said, struggling to find something cocky to say, "Looks like you've got a few tricks up your sleeve after all. So, are you going to kill me, Zark? That wouldn't be very...honorable, would it?"

"Like you said..." Zark replied, his voice surprisingly calm, "The duel is over, Xoverus. You won. There is no more honorable combat."

Xoverus' eyes widened, and he dove for the the belt next to him that had begun to move of its own will. Too late. Zark clipped the belt back upon his waist, and then drew a single revolver. He cocked it.

"So, you think there is a fucking happy ending for you?" Zark asked, the calmness gone, "YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH WHAT YOU'VE FUCKING DONE?!"

BLAM!

"That was for my mother!"

BLAM!

"That was for my father!"

BLAM!

"That was for me!"

Zark was standing over Xoverus' fallen body, the man's barely open eyes staring up at him with terror. The man was almost dead, but he still knew what was going on around him. The revolver hovered over his head.

"AND THIS IS FOR ROLAND YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

BLAM!

The last shot rang out inside the crumbling temple, an exclamation point to all of the pain and suffering that had led up to this moment. Standing over the smoking body, Zark couldn't help but feel total satisfaction. The Sith's body had fallen upon the altar during the second-to-last shot, and now Xoverus' head lolled back, his dead face staring upside-down at whoever might enter the cathedral. But nobody would. Most of the town was dead, and those who weren't were hiding in their homes. Hiding from Zark. Hiding from Xoverus. Hiding from the atrocity that had befallen this sleepy town on the pre-space flight planet of JED-1.

Epilogue: Tear Stains and Empty Cartridges

"And then what happened?"

"I..." Zark looked up for the first time since he had begun his story, as if noticing suddenly that the Imperial psychiatrist had been sitting there, "Something...changed. Roland was gone, but...the place where he had been in my mind...I don't know, it...it needed to be filled. So it was..."

"Filled with what, Zark?" Dr. Mordrian asked eagerly, then more softly, "Filled with what?"

"With..." Zark looked down again and ran his hands through his hair, "With every part of me...that didn't see the light of day."

"I don't understand, Zark," the doctor said, "From the way you so openly told me everything, it seems you live your life very openly. What part of you would you possibly be so ashamed of that you would hide it?"

For a long time Zark did not answer. He just stared down at the spot on the floor right in front of his feet. If his fists weren't handcuffed behind him they would have likely been on his knees, as if he was a small child being scolded. Suddenly, something changed. His fists clenched to the point where his nails drew blood from his palms. Just as quickly, they relaxed, and Zark looked up once more, but...

His eyes had changed from their natural blue to...dark red.

"Me," Zark said simply, and yet it was not Zark who spoke.

SNAP!

The durasteel handcuffs snapped as if they were made of thin strands of rope, and the doctor suddenly found himself pinned against the wall behind him by the table in the small interrogation room that had suddenly lifted itself of its own volition and taken a rather violent hatred for him. The table fell, and slowly Dr. Mordrian did the same.

The door slid open suddenly and the two guards who had been stationed outside entered, blaster rifles leveled. Before they knew what had happened, Zark was upon them. He bent the first one's arm at an awkward angle behind his back, grabbing him with the other hand and holding the stunned man with his back against Zark's chest. The arm that had been bent was pinned against the Jedi's chest as well, which allowed Zark to free his first hand and grab ahold of the man's other arm.

The one carrying the rifle.

Three shots hit the second guard before he had even registered what had happened. He dropped to the ground in a heap. With a twist of his hand, Zark broke the first guard's gun-arm, causing him to shriek in pain. He pushed the guard forward, relieving him of his sidearm in the process. The guard slumped to his knees, clutching his broken arm in a death grip. Zark leveled the weapon at the back of the man's head.

And fired.

His gaze shifting suddenly, Zark fired two shots through what had appeared to be a mirror at first. The glass shattered, revealing the observation room behind. One man, dead, sat slumped back in a chair. He had a hole in his forehead. Another had begun to run, before he had been taken in the leg by the second shot. He gave a small moan of pain and attempted to crawl the rest of the way toward the door.

The wounded man's hand clenched the hatch before something impossibly heavy crushed his other leg, causing him to loose his grip of the doorway. He almost fainted, and, looking behind him, he wished that he had. The dark figure that had once been the calm and slightly nervous man sitting in front of him loomed, his foot, the thing that had seemed to way a hundred pounds when it touched him, stood on the flattened... flattened... remains of his leg.

Zark's other foot moved forward, crushing the man's head and ending his pain and terror instantly. The Jedi's hand reached for the door, but paused. Sighing in apparent frustration, he turned around and made his way toward the broken 'mirror'. Tapping a couple of keys on the computer in front of the man with a hole in his head, he ejected a small data stick from a slot. Wheeling around, he made his way for the door, but a voice stopped him.

"Zark..." it was Dr. Mordrian, who didn't have much time left.

'Zark' wheeled around, his red eyes blazing at the man he had spent the entire night telling his story.

"I'm afraid Zark is out at the moment," the man who was Zark said in a voice that made blood freeze, "This is his...secretary speaking."

"W-why...if you could have done this, then...why bother telling me anything?"

There was a flash of blue before the eyes returned to their demonic, red state.

"These two late fuckers recorded everything Zark said," the man who was Zark replied, grinning, "I suppose he wanted it recorded. Sentimental value or something, I don't fucking know, I was never good with that kind of shit."

'Zark' turned to leave for the third time, but he was stopped once more, much to his irritation.

"Wh-who are y-you?" Dr. Mordrian asked, beginning to fade away at last.

There was the blue again, but for even less of an instant than it had been before. The red was dominant.

"My name is..." he thought for a moment, "Xoverus. I'll be your mass murderer today. I hope you enjoy the show from hell."

Lifting the blaster pistol, Xoverus shot the doctor three times in the chest.

"Fucking annoying pricks, shrinks are..."

Somewhere on board the Imperial prison ship, someone had activated an alarm. The Imperials on board were determined not to let Zark Ekan escape the ship with his life, but Darth Xoverus would be damned even further if he let any of them escape with theirs.

I'm sorry, Roland...I'm sorry...I want you to know...that I'm sorry...