Pre-Chronicle "Chameleon"

Written by Scott D. McGraw

Here's a small side story featuring Corellius that took place before the events of "Ralian". It's kind of short, so it's good for a cup or two of coffee.


Enjoy...






"Easy, easy. I won't hurt you.", the dark clad man attempted to calm the fallen woman
who'd just come running around the corner, nearly bowling him over. He slowly crouched and extended an open hand to her with a calming smile. "What's wrong? Why are you running?"

The pretty young woman looked at him with wide eyes, suspicious of his intent. After
several seconds of trying to catch her breath, she replied while slowly backing away from him.

"It's...it's....he killed my husband....the whole village....", she gasped in hoarse tones.

"What? Killed you say? Who?" The stranger looked past her in the direction from which
she had fled, his eyes suddenly filled with concern.

The woman shook her head frantically. "I don't know. Some crazed Jedi, I think. I couldn't see his face."

"Jedi? How do you know he was Jedi?", he asked in surprised tones.

The woman, gaining a bit more confidence, gathered herself up and pointed to his own Jedi weapon.

"He had one of those. With a blade as red as the flames of hell itself.", she answered and began to shake uncontrollably.

"Hey, it's all right now. You're safe now.", the man closed his eyes and reached out with the Force...

"No, you don't understand, he's not far behind me at all...", she started to protest, thinking the other didn't believe her.

The man's eyes then went wide for a moment. "Yes...I can sense him approaching. He too no doubt senses my presence as well. Do not be afraid, I am a true Jedi and I will protect you. What is your name?"

"Liete. Liete Windsong.", the petite woman with black almond shaped eyes replied in
choked tones as she gently pushed a lock of her equally as black hair away from her face.

"A lovely name, Liete.", he replied warmly. "I'm Golen Fromm, and I recognize that one's life force. His name is Zentar Corellius, a fallen Jedi obsessed with the ways of the Darkside. I've actually been tracking him."

He then straightened himself out. "Quickly, you must flee from here. He comes for me, not you."

"No!" Liete sobbed. "Please, I beg you, don't leave me alone. I...I have nowhere to go now."

Golen breathed in deeply and nodded reluctantly. "Very well then. Come." Together, the two began to move away with the Jedi leading the distraught woman, trying to put as much distance between them and this Corellius as possible.



A lone man dressed in black body armor silently and quickly made his way through the
brush and began to close the distance between himself and the pair ahead of him. He'd recognized the one called Golen Fromm, but the other one, a female with an unusually closed mind had somehow managed to gently repel his Force trained mental probing.

"Well, at least she slows him down...", he muttered to himself aloud as he slowly closed in.



"I'm...sorry...I'm slowing you down." Liete apologized, apparently still fatigued from her initial flight.

Golen slowed and regarded her. "It makes no difference, Liete. He can sense our life
forces as easily as I can sense his. I'm afraid he is very close now. But fear not.", he encouraged, seeing the frightened look on Liete's pretty face. "For my ally is the Force. He will bring no harm to you. I promise."

Liete looked at him with bewilderment. "Why is he doing this? What threat did my
husband or anyone else in my village pose to him?"

Golen's facial features tightened and his eyes took on a dark coldness as he considered her question. "No doubt he is tormented. Tormented by the half truths and outright lies that he has been brought up to believe. He feels as though the galaxy has somehow lost its path and is in chaos. His hatred for his mediocre life has driven him to insanity."

"I don't understand....", she replied slowly, starting to shake again.

"He is here.", he cut her off suddenly moving in front of her protectively.

Corellius wandered into their presence cautiously and studied the two silently for a
moment before bringing up his lightsaber and igniting it's brilliant purple blade. The air then became thick with tension as the pair regarded the newly arrived man.

Golen leaned over and whispered into Liete's ear. "I thought you had said his lightsaber was red. 'As Red as the fires of hell itself', I believe your words were."

"Move away from her Golen. She's to have no part in this. This is between you and me.", the other man growled in low, but firm tones.

Liete appeared confused.

For a moment, Golen looked into Liete's eyes with sorrow, but then a slow twisted smile played across his lips as he held Liete's gaze a moment longer before turning on the other man.

"Well, well. If it isn't that Corellian bounty hunter, Zentar Corellius. Long time no see. Actually...", he motioned one hand toward the woman standing next to him, "I had no intention of bringing her along, but she insisted. It would seem her presence here only tilts the odds in my favor, doesn't it?"

"Let her go, Golen." Corellius repeated menacingly, his eyes boring into the other's.

Golen smiled, a deceivingly pleasant smile. "Oh, I have no intention of depriving her of witnessing one more killing...Jedi."

"I'm no Jedi.", the other corrected.

Golen then ignited his own saber - a RED lightsaber - and stood opposite Corellius.

Liete's eyes went wide with dismay as she backed away from them both, appearing to
suddenly realize the reality of it all. Corellius wasn't the fallen Jedi.

Golen was.

"Not a Jedi? Then that makes two of us.", he stretched an arm toward the woman and caught her eyes once again. "I had promised you that he would not bring harm to you. I have kept my word.", he laughed bitterly.

"It ends here murderer, now that I've finally caught up with you.", the black armored bounty hunter threw a regretful look toward the trembling woman. "I'm only sorry that I was too late to stop him earlier."

Feeling anger flood through him he then turned his eyes back to the other man. "It's over Golen."

The crazed man laughed coldly. "For you and perhaps then the woman. But not for me. My ministry of death has only begun!"

"Ministry of death?" Corellius snorted derisively. "Oh, you are a real head case, aren't you?"

"Enough talk, Corellius!", the fallen Jedi charged into the other's blade, swinging wildly.

The two traded blow after blow, thrust after thrust and parry after parry. Liete moved off and just out of the way as she watched intently, suddenly seeming unusually calm. Golen, despite his crazed state was proving to be a formidable opponent for Corellius, as he successfully deflected several powerful attacks from the other.

Corellius, however, was no novice either and kept the other moving hard in order to keep up. "You cannot win, Golen. I sense your power weakening. Your mind is too
unfocused.", he taunted.

And it was true. Golen's attacks were becoming less and less effective and was now
finding it increasingly difficult to anticipate the other's moves. After a short time it became very clear that Golen Fromm would lose the duel and possibly his life.

"Give it up, Golen. It doesn't have to end this way." Corellius offered. "But...either way is fine with me. Your choice."

"Give up?", the other looked incredulously back at the calmer man. "I'll never give up!" The crazed Jedi then charged toward Corellius with his blade straight out in an attempt to impale him. The other began to parry, but was surprised to suddenly see him arch his back and fall to the ground in extreme pain. He looked past Golen and saw a very calm Liete Windsong smiling while holding a blaster pistol she'd had hidden within the folds of her skirt.

Corellius smiled and nodded. "I'd thought your mind unusually well concealed.", he eyed the woman, keeping his lightsaber blade up between them.

"Bounty hunter?", he guessed, noting the cool look of professionalism on her stunningly beautiful face.

Liete nodded once and returned the smile. "Sorry, Corellius, but I've been tracking this one for a long time, too. If I'd let you make the kill, I couldn't rightly collect the bounty, now could I?"

"I have no real interest in the money, only in him. I'll leave the rest to you then. Unless of course, you seek more...", he inquired with eyes still trained on her weapon leveled his way.

Liete laughed, but her eyes held a dead look to them as she quickly hid the blaster back within the folds of her clothing, once again looking very much like the helpless villager.

"No, I don't. Not today. And I do appreciate your forgiveness Corellius. I will remember today if we should ever cross paths again.", she stated through a business-like smile, as she leaned down over the fallen Jedi and tossed the dead man's lightsaber to him.

"Hmmm. You've heard of me, then?", he asked, easily catching the weapon and not missing the relevance of the gesture.

Liete smiled a genuine smile. "Of course! Zentar Corellius, bounty hunter of no small
reputation with Force skills. I envy you, your gift. But as you can see, I get along quite nicely as well. I'd heard it was your custom to collect the Jedi weapon of those fallen to you. As I have no use for such things, accept it as a gift in remembrance of our first date."

Corellius turned the other's lightsaber over in his hand once, pleased to add one more trophy to his collection. A collection he'd indeed started obtaining in the same manner as this particular new piece had just been.

His eyes drifted back to hers. "First date? Cute. And you? Might I know your true name, bounty hunter?"

Again, she flashed a beautiful but deadly smile. "Of course, Corellius. I am called
Chameleon."

Corellius nodded respectfully in recognition of the name. He then smiled briefly in return and began to walk off into the shadows as he closed down his lightsaber.

"I do hope to see you again sometime, Corellius!", the alluring woman called after him while giggling, with her hands on her hips. "Your fighting skills were impressive!"

Zentar Corellius looked back at the deceptively helpless woman, code named
"Chameleon", and nodded once more in respect before leaving the former Imperial assassin with her kill. And if they ever did meet up again, he sincerely hoped that it would never be as enemies.

The galaxy was filled with many dangerous and deadly things. She was one of them.

But then again, so was he.

End.

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Thanks for reading. Please share your thoughts!
Scott