TWILIGHT
EPISODE NINE

a Kitty Pryde/STAR WARS amalgram

Notes and Disclaimers

         This story takes place in an amalgram of Star Wars and X-Men.
It's mostly just a transfer of characters to the Star Wars universe. In
terms of when it takes place in the Star Wars universe, place it several
years before the events of episode four, 'A New Hope'. It's also got my
oddball humor in it.

The Star Wars universe, characters and plots are the property of
Lucasfilms Ltd. and are used without permission. Many other characters
appearing are the property of Marvel Comics and are also used without
permission.

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcomed.

Enjoy.



Prologue

The bright white imperial shuttle flew through space towards its
destination. It had exited hyper-space many hours ago, traveling on more
conventional drives, due to the unique, and hazardous, nature of this area
of space.

This sector of space had the normal spacial coordinates given any area
containing stars and planets, but most referred to it by the name it had
been given millennium ago -- the Dead Zone.

For here, a half-dozen star systems were spaced so close to each other
that not only did the multiple overlapping gravity fields prevent star
ships from entering hyper-space but, from time to time, whole moons and
sometimes even planets themselves were pulled from their orbits and sent
spinning to their doom.

Thus the Dead Zone was littered with asteroids of all sizes wildly flying
about, colliding with each other as well as any planet unfortunate enough
to be in their way.

Despite the incredible dangers, though, there were still outposts of
civilization to be found within the Dead Zone. Mostly small settlements of
miners willing to risk the lethal enviroment to gather the exposed ores
found therein, but also those who had nowhere else to go or couldn't go
anywhere else.

But the single passenger aboard the shuttle cared nothing for those who
scratched out an existence here. He had come because it was here, where 
no ship could access hyperspace and thus security could be more easily
achived that Palpatine had choosen to construct the prototype of the
weapon which would forever secure control of the galaxy.

Already the shuttle had been challeged, recognized and given leave to
continue by nearly a half dozen star destroyers. Palpatine was taking no
chances.

At last the imperial shuttle reached its destination, a huge massive
object floating in an area of the Dead Zone that Palpatine's best
scientists had said would be free of the worse of the asteroid storms 
for the length of time needed to finish its construction.

Four star destroyers and nearly one hundred Tie fighters of all types
patrolled the immediate area surrounding the strange star station which
looked less like anything ever seen before and more as if a handful of
massive constructs had simply been jammed together.

A final security check, and a tractor beam reached out from the forbidding
station and guided the shuttle within one of its many landing bays.

Within that landing bay, a full battalion of Storm Troopers in their
gleaming white armor stood at full attention around the shuttle while a
dozen various officers and the station's commander did the same at the end
of the shuttle's boarding ramp.

And not one of them didn't think the landing bay became colder when the
shuttle's passenger exited.

He, for one just somehow knew the being was male, was clad from head to
toe in an all-enveloping cloak of darkest black with the thick hood 
pulled low, hidding his face completely. His stride was one of complete
confidence and invulnerability.

Turning toward the imperial commander he spoke, in a voice like that of
death itself, a single word.

"Report."

The commander saluted and replied, his voice just barely concealing his
fear.

"All goes well, Lord Nar Ongi. The main systems are up and running with
the secondarys slated to be finished within the hour. We will be ready for
the test tomorrow as scheduled."

"Security."

"As I'm sure you noted, we have ships patrolling the entire Dead Zone,
warning away any star ships they encounter about the 'increased' asteriod
activity. Any ships not following that warning have all been 'lost' and
'presumed destroyed'.

"We also have troops in every major settlement in the sector," continued
the officer, "watching for any suspicious activity, with orders to 'deal'
with it. As with the test, I anticipate no problems whatsoever."

The black garbed Lord made no reply, standing so still and silent one
would have thought him a statue.

Than suddenly an arm, clad also in black but with plates of some kind of
armor, shot out from beneath the cloak. It pointed out beyond the force
field separating the landing bay and the airless void of space.

"What of that world?"

The officer, puzzled, looked toward the indicated area and tried to
determine which world the Sith Lord was questioning. He was beginning to
panic when one of his subordinates came up besides him and whispered in
his ear.

"End's Land?" he said, in panicked relief. "That planet has no major
settlements, only a tiny spaceport and a few mining sites and homesteads.
There is nothing relevant there."

The Dark Lord turned toward him.

"There is....something......amiss there. Have it investigated at once."

"B..but my Lord, we have no forces there, only a handful of hired bounty
hunters and other scum and they are not very reliable and we have no
available personal to send on such a.....!!!!"

The officer's excuses were cut short as Nar Ongi tilted his head, not much
but enough to give the commander a brief look at his face.

"Gasp!!" 'choke' "B..bb..bby your command my Lord. I...it will be done at
once!"

The Sith Lord turned away without a word and exited the landing bay.

Once he was out of sight, several of the officers rushed over to their
commander.

"Sir?" one asked. "Was that a ...?!"

"Y..yes. Yes, it was."

"I...I thought they never left their homeworld."

"Or were permitted to leave it, you mean." added another.

"A dweller from the world of eternal night," continued their commander,
"with the powers of a Dark Jedi. Truly an unbeatable entity."

"With one such as he and this space station," spoke one of the officers,
indicating the massive contruction around them, "how can we possibly
fail?"

"Indeed." replied his commander, with renewed confidence. "Now come, there
is still much to do if the Fist of Palpatine is to be ready for its test
firing."


End Prologue