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Joren and Kelsa stood alone just outside of Brya’s home watching the twin suns set over the desert landscape in what had become a nightly ritual since the foursome arrived on Tatooine several days before. As the dusk sky became a cascading of colors, Joren reached around Kelsa’s waist and gave her a slight squeeze as she craned her neck and offered him a kiss. 

“I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow.” Kelsa said.

“Yeah, Brya’s been a good friend.” Joren told her.

“I know, I wish we could have met her sister. Brixi seems like an interesting girl.” Kelsa said wistfully.

“I agree. Maybe next time.” Joren said half joking as he kissed her gently on the side of the neck. Suddenly, his attention was drawn elsewhere as he felt something. The dark presence of the stranger that they had rescued from the sandstorm was stronger than it had been, and it was close. 

“What’s wrong?” Kelsa said as she felt Joren’s body tense and his attention drift elsewhere. 

“I’m not su-” Joren began to say, but cut himself short when he saw the figure of the stranger making his way toward them from the front of Brya’s home. The stranger was tall and thin, and he walked with confidence. His long black hair was matted from having spent the past day in bed recovering from his injuries. 

“I wanted to thank you for your assistance.” The stranger said as he approached them. “It was very brave of you to venture out into the sandstorm to help me. Many would not have done that.” 

“It was nothing.” Joren said growing more and more uncomfortable as the stranger stepped closer to him. Again, Joren wasn’t sure what it was about this man that bothered him so much, but he knew that it was not just him imagination. There was something about this man that just was not right. 
“To the contrary, it was very much something.” The stranger said with a pause. “My name is Drast’une, and you are?”

“I’m Joren, this is Kelsa.” Joren said.

“Joren.” Drast’une said airily. “You are indeed special. You have something…something deep inside of you that is something of a rarity these days. That is how I found you. How I brought you here from the depths of space.”

 Joren suddenly felt a sharp sense of dread wash over him, similar to the feeling that he'd felt since almost from the moment that they had set foot on Tatooine. The entire time that they were there, he had felt as if someone was watching him, and now he knew that his instincts were correct, and it was this man.
 
“Kelsa, get inside.” Joren said as he prepared himself for a confrontation.

 Kelsa did as she was told and immediately ran for the front entrance to Brya’s home. Joren attempted to follow her, however Drast’une gripped his arm, and much to Joren’s surprise, the stranger’s grip was like a vice, much stronger than he could have anticipated. Then, Drast’une effortlessly tossed Joren aside, sending him flying several yards through the air and landing in a heap on the ground. Before Joren could spring to his feet, the stranger was atop of him, surprising Joren with the impossible speed at which he moved.
forced to feed on the vermin of this world, which is why when I felt you in the stars, I knew I had to bring you here. I didn’t expect for others to follow. But fear not, once I have tasted your soup, I will do the same of your friends. And then, once I am strong enough, I will return for the others of your kind.” Drast’une taunted him as he hed Joren down.

As Joren struggled to get free from Drast’une, he saw something strange. It was as if something was moving under the strangers skin; as if something were crawling to escape from the stranger’s face. Then, a pair of strange tentacles emerged from his cheeks and began moving toward him.

“For too long, the Anzati have been forced to settle for scraps, but tonight, I will finally feast.” Drast’une said gleefully. “I will truly enjoy you.”

Joren could feel something pushing at his psyche, it was as if every doubt he had ever had was telling him to give in and accept the inevitable, that he should just accept his fate. However, Joren fought the urge to give up and to let the Anzat make a meal of him. Joren reached to his side and grabbed  his blaster, leveling  it at Drast'une's head, but before he could fire, his attacker knocked the blaster from his hand.

“Don’t fight me, young Joren, it is no use. But fear not, once I have tasted your soup, I will go inside and do the same to your friends.” Drast’une taunted. “I will save your female for last. I will savor her, my friend. Every last drop. However, I doubt that she will compare to you, as you truly are a delicacy.”

Joren struggled as the tentacles pressed against his nostrils. He reached to his belt again, this time clutching the hilt of his lightsaber and pressing it against Drast’une’s stomach.

“Why do you continue to struggle? It is an honor for you to--!”Drast’une was silenced as the muffled [i]snap-hiss[/i] brings his lightsaber to life, piercing Drast’une through the stomach. Then arched upwards, cleaving its way up and out of the Anzat’s body near the neck. Joren shoved Drast’une off of him, and with a final swing of the lightsaber, severed his head from the rest of his body. 

With a [i]hiss-snap[/i] the glowing blue blade of his lightsaber retracted back into the hilt, just as Kelsa lead Dono and the others back out of the house to help. Though the battle with Drast’une had seemed as if it had taken an eternity, in reality it was only a few moments. Joren looked over to his friends who looked at Joren with wide eyed shock as he put his lightsaber back into his waistband.

"Vod'ika, you? You're a Jetii?" Dono said, his disbelief visible even from behind his mask.

"No Dono, I'm no Jedi."

"Then why use the weapon of the Jedi, Joren?"

Joren paused for a moment pondering his friend's question. Joren understood why Dono would have reservations about what he had just seen. Not only had Joren lied to him, to all of tem from the moment that they had met one another, his people had been involved with conflicts with the Jedi for millennia, and many Madalorians still held grudges...the Mandalorians as a people tend to have long memories.

“I’m not a Jedi, not anymore.”