"Who are you?" Reno bellowed, unclipping one of the pair of lightsabers he kept hanging from his waist. He wasted no time in igniting the blood red saber. Testing his injured right wrist by swinging the saber 360 degrees, Reno smiled. Not perfect, but good enough. But would good enough actually be good enough to get him through this monster?

The man in front of him was hideous by human standards. It's face was horribly disfigured and completely covered with tattoos. He stood about twelve centimeters taller than Reno and had no hair anywhere on his head, face or scalp. It also had to be at least half Reno's age, that was if Reno was judging his age correctly. Reno himself was a year over fifty...this warrior in front of him couldn't be more than twenty five. The monster was younger,
quicker, and stronger. But it didn't have something that Reno had...

The Dark Side of the Force!

Reno could use the Force to give him an advantage over the intruder. All he had to do was let himself relax and let the Force guide his actions. With the Force in control of him, sensing his opponents moves before they happened, he would be unbeatable.

So it was with a sudden horror when Reno realized that try as he might he could not sense the being in front of him. It was as if he were completely devoid of the Force, as if it didn't exist within him! But that couldn't be...the Force was within everything. All living beings were filled with the Force...everything! So how could this creature not have it? He didn't see any ysalamari present....the warrior didn't have one framed to his back. So......what the hell was wrong with this guy?

"I am Norrin Carr. I will be the death of your people here."

Reno frowned. He knows! He knows that I know....What kind of creature would dare sneak aboard his Imperial Star Destroyer and challenge him? Not only challenge him....but promise to be the death of his friends! That was when Reno noticed the lying hulks that sat over in the corner of the hanger bay...three bodies.......

JeniViolet, Lord Pilot Thunder, and Seven.

Reno narrowed his eyes and whatever mirth was in him vanished immediately. From here he couldn't tell if they were dead, but they sure looked it. He had known each of them for over twenty years....Could this.....this thing...have killed three of his old pilots? And not to mention that Thunder was arguably one of the best sword fighters he had ever encountered. Could he have bested her? It almost didn't matter. Whoever this thing was it took down three of his pilots......it had to die.

"Your friends have already tried to defeat me......" Norrin Carr glanced back at the three Siths and smiled grimly. "You will be no more successful then they."

Reno lost all control and charged the disfigured warrior.

At first it seemed as if Norrin Carr was just going to stand there and let Reno cleave him in half. At the last second though, he reached into his black cape and whipped out a staff. Or, not actually a staff. When he pulled the weapon out of his cape it had been coiled up like a whip, but when it uncoiled it had hardened into a fighting staff. Norrin Carr brought the staff up in a defensive position.

Reno almost laughed as he brought raised his lightsaber high in the air and brought it down. A staff couldn't hold it's own against a lightsaber, even a weird staff like the one Norrin Car was holding. Reno's saber would cut right through it and cut the warrior in twain. End of problem....

Imagine Reno's surprise when that didn't happen. The red lightsaber blade hit the staff at full power. Reno pressed hard down, but he couldn't overpower the man. What the hell was that staff made of!? It wasn't cortosis ore because his lightsaber hadn't shorted out....it was.....he didn't know what it was!

Norrin Carr used all of his strength to push Reno away. Reno fell backwards a few steps, but quickly regained his composure and went on the attack again. He swung low to the right, but once again Norrin Carr blocked. Reno took a step back, then thrust his lightsaber forward, hoping the tip would pierce the warrior's chest.

But Norrin Carr was a little quick. As the blade lunged for his chest Norrin Carr bent himself backwards, only narrowly avoiding the saber. But even as he ducked Norrin Carr's staff went limp and wrapped itself around Reno's saber. As Reno glared at the whip/staff? the head of the staff suddenly came alive! It had the head of a snake, and the teeth to boot. The snake head lashed out at him, it's deadly fangs dripping venom and lunging for
Reno's throat. It would have bitten down, too, but Reno used the Force to push it back a few inches. It snapped over and over again, but each time missed.

What the hell....Who was this guy?

Norrin Carr tightened his grip on his snake-whip and pulled backwards, yanking Reno's lightsaber out of his hand and sending it lying across the hanger deck. Then Norrin Carr straightened, and as he did his snake-whip turned back into a snake-staff.
Reno retreated a few meters and snatched the other lightsaber off his belt. He ignited the blade and stared coldly at Norrin Carr.

"That's a nice toy you have there," Reno muttered.

"I promise you that the amphistaff is not a toy," Norrin Carr flatly stated. "And if you like that, then you will love this." With that Norrin Carr produced from a pouch a small beetle. Without hesitation he hurled the beetle towards Reno. The small beetle shot towards Reno like a missile and he put up his lightsaber in a defensive position. But the beetle fell well short of Reno and hit the ground in front of him. Dismissing it as a further
threat Reno stepped forward.....and right into a gooey puddle. Where the hell did that come from? Reno kicked his right foot outwards in a failed attempt to remove the puddle of jelly that was clinging fiercely to his leg.

But it wouldn't let go.

The mass of jelly continued to climb it's way up Reno's leg, while at the same time pinning him to the ground. It didn't help Reno any when Norrin Carr went back on the attack. Fighting off the jelly was hard enough, but now he also had to fight off this maniac! With his right hand he used his lightsaber to fight off Norrin Carr, while he used his left hand to push the attacking jelly away. Both seemed to be futile, though. Although he seemed
to push the jelly back an inch, it always gained another two on it's next lunge. And Norrin Carr was just too good for Reno. He was younger, quicker, and stronger. And he had the advantage because Reno knew nothing about him, but Norrin Carr knew everything about him.

Norrin Carr swung down hard, but at the last possible second Reno raised his saber up and deflected the blow. But the impact was more than enough to knock Reno down to the ground.

Why was he losing so badly? Why wasn't his Force powers, as strong as they were, doing nothing! It couldn't be age.....fifty one wasn't that old. Then it hit him. He had come to rely on his Force powers too much. When he couldn't sense his opponent and gain the advantage he was just normal. Without the Force he was...nothing. And it was going to be the death of him....

On the ground Reno attempted to roll to the right, but the jelly that had been clinging to his lower leg was now up to his waist. It was keeping him pinned to the ground! He tried desperately to grab it with the Force and yank it off, but to no avail. It continued to climb it's way towards Reno's head. Reno would've cried in terror, but as he looked up he saw Norrin Carr's snake-staff crashing into his face. The impact knocked Reno to his side
and he grunted in pain.

Taking a few deep breaths Reno rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. He couldn't even tell if the jelly was still climbing up him...he couldn't even really feel his body anymore. Had that snake-staff bitten him!? Was he poisoned? It would have alarmed Reno more if he didn't already think he was going to die in less than a minute.

Suddenly there was a shadow above him and with horror Reno realized he was looking up into the tattooed and scarred face of Norrin Carr. The monster's face held a wicked grin and he chuckled. "You aren't worthy, human. You do not deserve a warrior's death. Therefore I will sit and watch as the poison kills you. Fear not, though, it will be slow and painful."

So he had been poisoned! Figures.....Reno had lived through some of the most dangerous situations that the galaxy had ever produced. He had faced off against bounty hunters, Jedi, other Sith Lords, you name it and he'd faced it. And yet he was going to die from poison. Were he not dying he might have laughed.

"Father!" a voice yelled from the other side of the hanger bay. Reno summoned up the strength and lifted himself to his hands. In the entrance to the hanger bay stood three people. The one on the right he recognized as Tyros Dakon, a former Imperial Guard member who quit the Empire after the death of the Emperor and became JeniViolet's personal secretary. And he had been so for twenty years.

The one on the left Reno didn't recognize, but from the patch on his left arm he was one of the squadron's top pilots and it's current XO.

The man in the middle had been the who had yelled out. He stood an impressive 6'5, with a strong build and and chiseled face. His brown hair was cut short, and had a full goatee. On his black flight suit he wore a patch that signified Sith Leader, although he was only nineteen. Awful young to lead a squad, but his youth and eagerness belied his wisdom and skill. The kid..er..man, was one of the strongest Siths that he Reno had ever met.
Stronger even than Jace Sidrona had been. It had been a real shame that the kid had declined Reno's offer to teach him....although the reasons he had stated were perfectly sound. His name was...

"More intruders to kill," Norrin Carr muttered under his breath. He turned his attention to the new people and swung his amphistaff in the air. With his hand he beckoned for them to come.

The man in the middle motioned with his hand. "Renn Kelner, Tyros Dakon...kill him."

Ever one to oblige, Kelner and Dakon charged. Kelner had his orange lightsaber ignited, while Tyros seemed content to beat him to death with his hands and feet.

This ought to prove amusing.....Reno sighed. Funny thing was that he didn't know if that was his thought or Norrin Carr's thought. Could Reno warn them he would have, but he was paralyzed with fear...and poison. He couldn't even feel his legs anymore. The snake's doing, or the jelly's? Who knew? Reno tried hard to focus on the battle between Norrin Carr, Tyros Dakon and Renn Kelner. His vision was blurry and he was starting to see
double. The poison must be all though his body by now. Of course, soon it wouldn't matter......

Kelner was an experience swordsman...Hell, Thunder had been his teacher!...but the disfigured warrior was just too much for him. Not only could Norrin Carr block each blow made by Kelner, but he would set in motion a series of counter attacks that Kelner normally wouldn't have a chance of blocking. Luckily for him Tyros Dakon was there.

Dakon was a master of hand-to-hand combat, having served for years in the service of the Emperor. He had been taught Echani, the style of martial arts used by the Royal Guard. Reno didn't think he had ever seen him lose a fight.

Until now, that was.

Dakon swung hard with his right hand, but Norrin Carr grabbed his hand and twisted it sideways. Even from four meters away Reno could hear the distinctive sound of breaking bones. Norrin Carr grabbed Dakon by his scalp and hurled him with all of his might, sending him flying across the floor.

By now Kelner had regained his wits and was back on the attack. He swung fiercely at the tattooed warrior, with each blow trying to take off the man's head. Each time Norrin Carr blocked with his amphistaff. Kelner spun to his right and let out a low slash designed to cut off the intruders legs. But Norrin Carr jumped above the saber and gave Kelner a drop kick to his face. Kelner flew backwards and landed flat on his back.

As Norrin Carr advanced on the downed Sith pilot Tyros Dakon attacked again. Even with a broken right arm he put up a decent fight. He swung with his left hand and hit Norrin Carr in the face, attracting the large man's attention. Carr didn't look amused. He swung out his his snake-whip quickly, lashing it around Tyros's neck. He whipped the snake back and pulled the former Guard member towards him. Norrin Carr reached out with his large
hands and grabbed Tyros by the neck and head. Norrin Carr yanked Dakon's head to the side and with a violent SNAP! broke the man's neck. Then Norrin Carr dropped the dead former Guard member and continued on towards the fallen Sith pilot Renn Kelner.

Seeing the advancing warrior Kelner scrambled to his feet and quickly put some distance between the two. Once he thought he put a safe distance between the two he used the Force to recall his lightsaber to his hand. But as the lightsaber handle was in mid-air Norrin Carr tightened his snake into a spear and hurled it like a javelin. The snake-spear hurtled through the air and lodged itself in Renn Kelner's chest so deep that Kelner was dead
before he hit the ground. The lightsaber that had been in flight fell to the deck with a loud, echoing clank!

Reno watched as Norrin Carr stared down at the new leader of Sith Squadron. Thoughts raced through his mind.....Was this the end of Sith Squadron? Tyros was dead.......the squad's XO Renn Kelner was dead.....he didn't know if Jen, Thunder and Seven were dead, but they sure looked it. And Reno knew that he was going to die.....The last thing Reno remembered seeing was Norrin Carr advancing on Sith Leader. Sith Lead had his red lightsaber ignited
and was slowly but purposely stalking Norrin Carr. Reno would've loved to have seen the duel...but it was then that he blacked out.........

Reno awoke from his meditation trance with a start. His eyes opened wide and he stared at the wall in front of him. He was surprised to feel his heart racing so quick. What the hell was that? he wondered to himself. A dream...? No, no it seemed to real to be a dream. Too vivid, too detailed...too....real.

Who...or rather...what was that strange disfigured warrior? Reno had never seen one of his kind in the galaxy. And why in hell could he not sense him with the Force!? Everything had the Force!

And then there was his squadron. Thunder, Jen and Seven had looked dead....and he didn't know where Palin, Jace, or Narska had been. And then there was that young man who had been wearing the patch that signified Sith Leader...Who was he? He had remembered him during the vision, but now that it was over it seemed to escape his mind. Who was he and why the hell did he have Reno's job? He almost looked like...........nah, couldn't be.....

And then there was Tyros Dakon......if that was the future then he was going to die at the hands of a strange tattooed warrior. And the other guy...what was his name, Reno couldn't remember, but it didn't matter, he was going to die too. And that other Sith Leader...Reno didn't know what was going to happen to him, if anything at all.

Reno admitted that there was a chance that what he had seen was just a dream..or rather, a nightmare....but he didn't think so. What he had experienced was so real that it had to be true...or at least parts of it. Which meant that sometime in the future a tattooed warrior was going to sneak aboard his ship -- which brought up another good point. He had been in the hanger bay of an Imperial Star Destroyer, not a Super Star Destroyer...where was
his beloved SSD?

Reno let out a long sigh and slowly climbed to his feet. Just as he was doing that his apprentice Jace Sidrona walked by. He narrowed his eyes and looked at his Master, worry evident on his face.

"Is there something wrong, Master?" he asked.

Reno shook his head. "No, Jace, nothing is wrong," he lied.

"Are you sure, Master? Was your meditation not peaceful?"

"My mediation was...." Reno searched for the correct word. But he soon realized that he couldn't find one. What was his mediation, if not absolutely terrifying? "...it was what it was, young Jace."

But what was it? It wasn't like any of the glimpses into the future that he had seen in meditation trances before. It was...so realistic. Which meant in the future his squadron...or was it even his squadron anymore...would be killed by a horrid monster who used living weapons. And you couldn't yes the Force to gain an advantage in the fight. And Reno was going to die from venom poisoning....

Reno closed his eyes and tried to push the images to the back of his head. Whatever that had been he didn't want to see it anymore. Not many things truly scared Reno...but this terrified him. No, it definitely wasn't a glimpse of the future...it....it.....

...it was the future.