Knights of the Old Republic: Knight of Alderaan/20-21

Chapter 20

Rain poured down upon the eastern plains of Alderaan, mercilessly covering the entire countryside with water. Dark clouds hid the hopeful blue sky that had been present a few days before, when the Republic and their allies were still stationed back at the campground. The elements, it seemed, were working against the Republic, the Jedi, and the loyal Alderaanian supporters of the crown just as much as the Sith were. Progress had been slowed by the torrential rainfall, especially the armored tanks and speeders that were destined to attack the Sith troopers’ base and seize the capital. Nevertheless, Colonel Mitos ensured that the delays were dealt with and the troops were ready for battle within several days. The rain fell as hard as it had since the day it began, and it didn’t look like the inclement whether was going to depart for some time.

Gaiel had arrived at the forest after in a Kneebhawk -class transport secured by the Jedi to carry their units to the Sith academy at the farthest end of the eastern plains. He had spoken with Jram, the Quarren Jedi Master who led the party, during the trip. Although Gaiel hadn’t remembered before, he realized that Jram had been the Jedi Master who had taught Gaiel’s old friend, Betror Sylan. Betror had died over Polus, and he asked Gaiel to tell his teacher that he had died honorably. Gaiel took the time during their flight to pass on the message, and Jram seemed perturbed by the news. Nonetheless, he thanked Gaiel for his kind words and the hope that Betror had in the end and then returned to his own business.

The Kneebhawk had left them the Jedi behind, returning to the camp in case an emergency evacuation was needed. Droplets of water escaped the canopy of trees overhead, falling on the Nautolan’s green skin. Each drop sent a chill rushing through his body, startling him even as adrenaline coursed through his body in the pre-battle atmosphere. A light wind brushed against his face, and the sound of rainwater coupled with the howl of the breeze was enough to silence the footsteps of the incoming Jedi. Forty Jedi warriors crept through the forest undetected, sloshing through the mud and drenched undergrowth. Their lightsabers where in their hands, but none of them had activated their weapons. If they did, the Sith would be able to see them through the trees even as they cautiously approached the Sith academy at the forest’s edge.

Gaiel’s muscles tensed as he planted his back against a tree near a wide clearing that eventually gave way and led straight to the Sith academy itself. His companions followed suit, sidling against the massive tree trunks or planting their stomachs to the ground, careful to avoid the watchful eyes of any Sith scouts protecting the academy. They didn’t know whether or not the Sith knew of their presence, but it didn’t matter. If they were sensed through the Force, all this hiding would be for naught. Therefore, Telerus waited in the back of their unit and – as he instructed – they proceeded while he masked their presence in the Force itself.

The Nautolan Jedi peeked out from behind his cover, eyeing their target, the ancient Sith academy, that stood no more than one hundred meters from their current position. It was a large temple, mimicking the designs of ancient fortress-castles that still stood elsewhere in the galaxy. It was a single pseudo-pyramidal building with walls of dark bronzium. Archways led in and out of the building, and there seemed to be only one entrance. Its bricks – made of both concrete and bronzium – were beginning to collapse after centuries of use, and it was unlikely that the building would stand against a conventional artillery assault.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Jasparan whispered to Gaiel as he crouched behind a nearby boulder. “It was once a Jedi temple, you know. Qel-Droma family apparently founded it. It’s been in Sith hands for far too long. It’s far too nice for it to remain in their possession.”

Gaiel nodded, but he said nothing. A lump had been growing in his throat since they landed, and he was too scared to speak, worried that any words he said could be heard by the Sith in the distance. In fact, there were some Sith stationed outside the walls of the academy, but Gaiel couldn’t identify them. They looked like Sith troopers, but their armor was black, matching the color of their visors and their heavy repeaters. Their armor seemed heavier than normal Sith troopers, and they were likely better defended than their traditional counterparts.

“There are Sith troopers here,” Jasparan whispered angrily. “Dirty Sithspawn lied to us. Raen told us that there would only be Dark Jedi and their ilk here. So much for that.”

“There aren’t that many,” Khondine muttered from behind a nearby tree. “Five, six at most.”

“We can’t use our lightsabers outside,” Jasparan noted. “Rain will short-circuit them.”

“Let’s get started, then,” Telerus said, walking up to his companions with his lightsaber in hand. “Use the Force to kill them. For the Republic and the light!”

In a single unified charge, the Jedi rushed from the cover of the forest, revealing themselves to their Sith opponents. A few lightsabers flourished and activated in distinct bursts of energy, these weapons protected from the rain with special modifiers within their blades, sounding throughout the area like the knell of the Sith’s destruction. The dark-armored Sith troopers seemed fearless in spite of their oncoming foes, placing their repeaters at their sides and firing away, sending a storm of green energy into the Jedi ranks. Several Jedi fell to the rain of blaster fire without their weapons to defend themselves, but most of them had redirected the shots back at their opponents. In turn, the Sith soldiers’ armor absorbed the blaster fire, turning it into harmless energy as soon as it struck their defenses.

Jedi used the Force in powerful bursts, sending some Sith troopers off their feet or knocking their rapid-firing blasters away with telekinetic shockwaves. The first of the Jedi, using Force-imbued speed to reach his target, reached the squad Sith troopers first, threw his armored opponent into the academy walls behind him. However, before he could direct his attention at his other foes, one of the Sith troopers withdrew a lightsaber from his belt. Activating it, he revealed the red blade – also resistant to the rain – that proceeded to cut through the lead Jedi’s back with ease. All the dark-armored Sith troopers followed suit, discarding their heavy repeaters and revealing lightsabers to combat the quickly approaching Jedi.

Although they were initially startled by the Sith troopers possessing lightsabers, the Jedi decided that it didn’t matter. They were still only heavily armored Sith troopers. The Jedi surrounded the few surviving soldiers in groups of three and four, battering away at their targets’ whirling red defense and weakening them as quickly as they could.

Once all the Sith troopers were felled, the Jedi took a moment to catch their breaths before proceeding inside. They had lost several Jedi, and each loss weighed heavily on them; the fact that some of their allies died against simple Sith soldiers did not bode well for the outcome of this mission.

“Master,” a Jedi Knight called out. “Why did they have lightsabers? I have never heard of such a thing.”

No one said anything for a moment, as though no one knew who was supposed to respond. Suddenly, Jram spoke up. “Ah… I am unsure. I, too, have never heard of Sith troopers who could wield lightsabers. More Sith evil, I presume.”

“They could always be Dark Jedi in combat armor,” Ranval suggested.

“Possibly,” Telerus said, “but I doubt it. I’ve sensed Jedi Padawans with more Force-sensitivity than them.”

“We don’t have time to discuss this,” Khondine noted. “The Sith are gathering their defenses inside while we linger here. Let us take the fight to them.”

“Khondine is right,” Telerus said. “All Jedi, advance. We end the Sith this day.”

The Jedi stormed through the archway, and they were surprised when no Sith troopers arrived to defend the base and keep the Jedi from invading. It seemed as though they were still unaware of the Jedi’s presence. One of Telerus’s allies stood in front of the great stone door that separated them from the inside of the academy itself. Calling upon the Force, the Jedi Knight used his power to tear the stone slab from its resting place, revealing the entrance to the academy. However, blaster fire erupted from inside the academy, killing the Jedi Knight who had provided them with the chance to attack.

Telerus bellowed, calling on all Jedi to attack without hesitation. They listened to him, and the Jedi stormed the interior of the academy, deflecting blaster fire from more dark-armored Sith troopers stationed in the antechamber. Dark Jedi were with them now, and the Jedi rushed their opponents.

Gaiel was one of the last Jedi Knights to enter the academy. He could see how this was once a Jedi sanctuary, with the ceilings and some of the upper sections of the wall bare and made of stone. However, the Sith had taken the Jedi’s design and decorated the walls with Sith runes and other symbols, giving it an eerie and dark atmosphere that put Gaiel on edge. Lighting was provided by glowpanels scattered across the walls and ceilings, as well as small traditional candles scattered throughout the room. Black-armored Sith troopers were situated at the center of the otherwise empty room, and Dark Jedi surrounded them, defending them from Jedi lightsaber strikes. Most of the Jedi were already attacking their dark side counterparts, weapons clashing in a dazzling display of sparks and brilliant light.

Gaiel stepped into the fray and picked out a Human Dark Jedi to fight. His own viridian blade met the blue blade of his opponent, who realized that the Nautolan had singled him out for combat. The Dark Jedi scowled beneath his hood, giving Gaiel an evil look as he swung a quick overhead strike to counter. Gaiel parried the attack and stepped closer to the Dark Jedi, although he stepped back in kind. Their lightsabers met, clashing into each other readily, at varying points around their bodies, hoping to find a weak point. Gaiel realized that his opponent was young and his attacks were predictable. In fact, he fought surprisingly like Raen did when they had first met. Their styles were nearly indistinguishable.

“You have one chance,” Gaiel said. “Surrender to me, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Surrender?” the Dark Jedi laughed at the thought. “I’d rather die!”

''So be it. '' Gaiel remained cautious in spite of the Dark Jedi’s increasingly powerful strikes. Despite their ferocity, they were sloppy and poorly directed. Each attack bounced off Gaiel’s blade, unable to penetrate his steady defense. The Nautolan sensed his opponent’s frustration increasing with each failed blow, and Gaiel realized that this was his chance to fight back. The Dark Jedi swung at Gaiel’s throat, hoping to score a lucky strike, and Gaiel dropped into a roll that positioned him near the Dark Jedi’s side. As he recovered his footing, Gaiel thrust his weapon into the Dark Jedi’s side, tearing through the light robes and equally soft flesh as his opponent gasped in terror. Dropping his weapon, the Dark Jedi stumbled backwards and eventually lost his footing.

Once his foe was defeated, Gaiel turned his attention to his surroundings. Jedi fought Dark Jedi around him, and Sith troopers picked off unobservant Jedi with a quick spray of blaster fire as the soldiers scattered around the room. Gaiel called upon the Force and tore bits of the floor out from around him, sending the stone chunks smashing into the heads of the Sith troopers. Some fell, and some didn’t, but Gaiel did his best to delay them from killing anymore of his comrades. Spying Ranval fighting a Dark Jedi in the corner of his eye, Gaiel turned his attention to Ranval’s opponent. Rushing behind him, Gaiel sliced through the Dark Jedi’s legs, incapacitating him in a single strike.

“Why did you do that?” Ranval bemoaned as his opponent collapsed. He had to shout or else he couldn’t be heard over the sound of blaster fire and clashing lightsabers. “I almost had him! He was mine!”

“We’re Jedi, Ranval,” Gaiel said. “We don’t get to ‘call’ who we kill. That’s not the point.”

“Fine,” Ranval said. “Next time I’ll…”

“Ranval?”

“Where’s Khondine going?” the Miraluka asked, pointing behind Gaiel.

Turning around, Gaiel saw Khondine separate herself from the battle and head down one of the halls that connected this room with the rest of the Sith academy by herself. Gaiel had a feeling she hadn’t said anything to the other Jedi, and she wasn’t being followed by any Dark Jedi. Worried that she was going to get into trouble, Gaiel moved to pursue her.

“Gaiel, where are you going?” Ranval called out.

“I’m going to make sure she’s okay,” Gaiel said, deflecting a few stray blaster shots with his lightsaber. “Stay here with the others. Stay safe.”

Not waiting for a response, Gaiel fought his way through the crowd of combating Force-users, using his lightsaber to repel lightsabers and blaster bolts alike. Most of the Dark Jedi were distracted, and Gaiel had little trouble avoiding them as he left the antechamber – and his companions – behind to follow Khondine. His lightsaber was still in hand, just in case, and he ran through the empty halls, hoping to find her before she did something foolish. To his relief, she hadn’t gotten far, and Gaiel caught up to her even as she turned to face him.

“Where are you going?” Gaiel asked.

“I’m sorry, Gaiel. I can’t… it’s not important,” she said, but her voice trailed off.

“Listen,” Gaiel said. “You can’t go wandering off. The Sith will pick us off. Return to the battle at hand, and we’ll keep fighting.”

“He’s here,” Khondine said. Ignoring Gaiel’s words, she kept moving. “If I don’t catch him…”

“Catch who?”

“Gaiel, you’re a decent enough Jedi, and a respectable person, but please,” Khondine said. “Let me do this. Don’t follow me.”

She fled from him without saying anything else, running down the halls with a burst of Force speed. Gaiel stood where he was, speechless and confused, for a moment before realizing that Khondine had just abandoned him and continued on her own. I wonder if she realizes I can use the Force to run too…  he thought. As he prepared to chase her, a trio of Dark Jedi warriors emerged from a nearby door, spotting Gaiel in the otherwise vacant halls. Calling out to him, the three of them activated their lightsabers and moved in to attack Gaiel.

Grumbling to himself at their interference, Gaiel blocked a few blows from the first Dark Jedi’s lightsaber as he leapt over Gaiel and positioned himself behind him. The other two Dark Jedi positioned themselves on Gaiel’s other side, hoping to outnumber and defeat him easily. The Nautolan realized their plan and he sent one them flying backwards with a burst of Force energy, leaving him with two to fight. This still proved difficult, and he had trouble defending himself against two incoming lightsabers at once. Pivoting his body back and forth to block lightsaber strikes, he was tired from his first fight and found it hard to focus. One lightsaber crashed down on his right, and another on his left, each one striking as the other was deflected. Gaiel realized that they didn’t intend to kill him immediately; they were trying to tire him out while their third ally recovered.

A Dark Jedi narrowly missed his attempt to cut off Gaiel’s weapon arm, but his ally managed to strike the back of Gaiel’s head with his fist and send him tumbling to the ground. Now in a precarious spot, Gaiel blocked a few lightsaber blows from the ground even as the third Dark Jedi recovered his footing and moved in to strike Gaiel. As the Dark Jedi moved in for a killing blow, another telekinetic burst threw him off his feet and into the cold stone floor below. Turning, Gaiel saw Ranval standing a few meters away, lightsaber in hand. He cried out some particular ridiculous profanities, goading the Dark Jedi into fighting him. Although neither of them attempted to engage him, Ranval gave Gaiel the few seconds he needed to stand on his feet again.

Now evenly matched, Gaiel wounded one the Dark Jedi who had been paying attention to Ranval, slicing off his weapon arm with a single strike of his lightsaber. Ranval closed in as well, striking at the other Dark Jedi who had tried to tire Gaiel. The Dark Jedi proved less skilled than his Nautolan target, and when Gaiel joined Ranval and struck at his flank, he couldn’t defend himself and was quickly subdued by his two Jedi opponents. The last Dark Jedi had been rendered unconscious by Ranval’s Force push, and he wouldn’t be a threat to either of them anytime soon.

“I thought I told you to stay with the other Jedi,” Gaiel said, deactivating his lightsaber for a moment.

“Yes, but you also said to stay safe. And when you said that, I figured it meant to ensure you were safe as well,” Ranval noted. “Besides, I did just save your life.”

“Yes, I suppose you did,” Gaiel said, glancing at the three defeated Dark Jedi. “But you didn’t give them a chance to surrender.”

“Surrender?” Ranval confused glance reflected his disbelief. “Gaiel, they’re Dark Jedi – Sith. They wouldn’t have given us that chance. They would have killed us all without a second thought.”

“That’s why we’re Jedi, and they’re not,” Gaiel said, clasping his hand on Ranval’s arm. “Return to the others. You’ll be safe there.”

“Oh, come on, Gaiel. You won’t get rid of me so easily,” Ranval quipped. “I may have lost to you in every single duel we’ve ever had, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight.”

“We’ll see,” Gaiel mused. “Come with me, then. We have to stop Khondine from getting herself killed.”

***                                                                                                                  ***

Khondine glanced over her shoulder. The Jedi had not followed her. What a relief. She didn’t mind Gaiel’s company; in fact, it would have been better if he had come. From the few sparring sessions she had with the Nautolan warrior, she knew that he was stronger than her. But this was something she had to do herself. No other Jedi. No other soldiers. Just her and her target. They would be alone, and one of them would die. That was how it had to end.

The fire that burned in her chest pained her with each step she took. He had killed him. There was no one guiltier than him, no one more responsible for the state Alderaan was in. She could blame others, she could have blamed the Sith Lords and their minions, but they were faceless, and she knew that. She did not know them, so she could not hate them. She hated Lord Danc A’damat.

Danc A’damat was a noble of Alderaan, the head and founder of the Royal Guardsmen, and a Force-sensitive warrior of great renown. He had once been a Jedi Knight, before he forsook his oaths to the Order and fled to Alderaan, intent on starting a new life there. Why he had fled, Khondine didn’t know. She didn’t have to. He was nothing to her now. Nothing but a traitor, coward, and a Sith.

She had read the reports. He had been the one to open the castle for the Sith’s advance the night Alderaan fell. He had been the one to lie to his companions, blinding his erstwhile allies so they could barely sense the Sith approach. He was guilty of all these things, but she hated him he had killed her brother, Penelas. Stabbing him in the back, metaphorically and with his lightsaber. Danc killed everything that Khondine knew. Her heart failed her as she remembered her king, his family, and her friends – her family – in the guards.

Of all the beings – all the Sith – that lived in this academy, she could feel his presence. She had been trained as a child to sense him. She could detect him, even amidst the battle and chaos that surrounded the academy. She had been searching for him for so long, and she had finally found him.

Khondine could hear nothing but her own footsteps and her frantically beating heart, pumping fast enough to burst out of her chest. Unclipping the shorter of her two lightsaber hilts, Khondine removed the weapon from her belt and gripped it as tightly as she could. She could see the door, and she knew he was behind it. A single metal door stood between herself and Danc, but not for long. With a flick of her wrist, Khondine forced the door open, admitting her into the room of her target.

Danc was sitting in the center of the room, another door directly behind him. His brown skin was etched with the toils of labor and strife, and each scar on his lip was a memento from some defeated foe. The horns on his head raced around his scalp, reaching toward the ceiling in lengthy curves. He wore dark robes that seemed like the robes of the Jedi, but Khondine had seen enough warriors here to know that they were actually the standard garments for a Dark Jedi. He was meditating, it seemed, and his lightsaber rested before him, even as he rested, enveloping himself in the Force.

“Danc!” Khondine cried out. “Stand and face me, you coward!”

The Zabrak opened a single eye to look at his former student. He did not seem alarmed, nor did he seem at peace. A scowl formed on his face as he stood up, brushing off the dust that had collected on his robes. He used the Force to snatch his lightsaber off the ground, and the simple hilt sprung up to meet his grip.

“Khondine,” Danc muttered. “My dear, sweet Khondine. I should have known you’d find me here.”

“Don’t talk!” Khondine’s cautious, respectable nature faded away in Danc’s presence. She reveled in the rage that built up inside of her, and she channeled it into a passionate fury to give her strength. Just seeing him made the thought of his death that much more sweet. “I will kill you for what you’ve done!”

“Straightforward and confident,” Danc said. He shifted his stance, so his left side faced his former student. “You’ve learned well. You always have.”

“I learned nothing from you. You’re a traitor.”

“No, I am pragmatic.”

Khondine rushed at Danc. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her blade sought to cut down the Zabrak turncoat, and she happily obliged. Her blade met his centimeters from his throat. His own silver blade met Khondine’s violet one and proceeded to push it away, denying her an easy kill. She returned in earnest, striking at her treacherous teacher in powerful, sweeping blows. These blows were repelled by Danc, who saw it fit to add insult to injury and use his off-hand to block her blows. Snarling, Khondine pressed onward, and their lightsabers locked, buzzing and sending sparks flying through the air as they met, even as Danc stepped away from her, seemingly avoiding combat.

He did not attempt to lash out at her, and he seemed content with blocking her powerful swings. Her overhead strikes were parried with enough force to send her flying back, and any low cuts were easily jumped over. Since he did not attack, she circled around him, striking at his side. However, he simply shifted his stance to face her again.

Her blows were blocked with such slothful effort that Khondine’s rage increased with each failed strike. She had fought Danc before, while sparring, and he tried harder during those matches than he was doing now.

“Well, you’ve learned to use your lightsaber, it seems,” Danc quipped. “But I suppose you’re right. You couldn’t have learned from me. Any of my students would be able to best me by now.”

Khondine swore at him as she battered her violet blade against his silver defense. The blade was his shield, and she could not penetrate it and reach her target. Flourishing his weapon, Danc displayed his elaborate skill before returning to his steady defensive. A swift kick to the thigh landed successfully, and Danc gasped with alarm as his body failed him. Stumbling over, he deflected Khondine’s increasingly powerful swings while on one knee. However, he had to deviate to a two-handed grip because he simply could not stem Khondine’s raw power with his arrogant one-handed defense.

Using the Force to knock Khondine off her feet, Danc took a moment to recover his own footing and prepare himself. Shaking his head, he scolded the infuriated Arkanian. “Is this how I taught you to fight? You’re sloppy and ineffective. Penelas was a better fighter than you, and-”

“Don’t speak his name!” Khondine rose to her feet in a single fluid motion, lightsaber in hand. Her first few strikes struck at Danc’s chest, but she eventually switched her aim and attempted to cut off his left leg. None of her attacks landed, but Danc was promptly silenced.

Their lightsabers met again and again, Khondine’s ferocity bellied by Danc’s apathetic defensive swings. He was far more skilled than he appeared, and Khondine knew that. Even so, his defense was horrendously simplistic, but it was powerful enough to keep Khondine from landing any successful hits. Her teeth clenched as she struck at Danc with a powerful forward lunge. Her momentum could have been enough to break his guard, but he lazily stepped out of the way and she received a lightsaber hilt to the back of her head for her trouble. She hit the floor face-first, and her lightsaber rolled out of her grip even as her vision cleared.

She heard Danc standing over her, his light breathing like a soft breeze in her ear. The buzz of his lightsaber told her that his weapon was, in fact, close enough to cut off her head. She was beaten. It was over. Penelas and House Latona would not be avenged. Not today. Tears welled up in her eyes as she anticipated the final, killing blow that would end her life.

But it didn’t come.

She heard Danc’s footsteps as he stepped away from her. She sensed his presence get farther from her, but not much farther. Rising to her feet, her anger and despair turned to confusion. ''Why didn’t he kill me…? '' Danc was standing, arms crossed, a few meters away from her, and his lightsaber rested patiently on his belt. Using the Force, Khondine recovered her lightsaber and reactivated it.

Her mind raced with questions. He had refrained from killing her, and she didn’t know why. The longer she stared at him, though, she realized that he had been toying with her the entire time, and he was still toying with her. Nothing she had done had even worried him. He figured she was not a worthy opponent, and it showed. Crying out in a fit of rage, Khondine leapt toward her smirking opponent, bringing down her lightsaber yet again.

“Sweet Khondine,” Danc purred, his voice only a bit louder than the hum of their lightsaber. “You were only taught the most primitive form of lightsaber combat. My skill is so far beyond yours, it’s almost appalling. How about we end this, and I can go on my way?”

“No! You will not escape!” Khondine’s lightsaber snapped as it met Danc’s silver blade, futilely attempting to end the battle.

“Very well. I’ll dance with you awhile longer.”

Danc parried three successive strikes from Khondine, shrugging off each one with hardly any effort. Hoping to catch him off-balance, she struck low, but he blocked it effortlessly. With his free arm, Danc used his elbow to strike Khondine’s face, sending her tumbling backwards and separating them momentarily.

She wasn’t ready to give up. A strike at his left arm, his chest, and his ankles all failed, repulsed with the same weary guard that Danc insisted on using their entire battle. Every blow she attempted was sent back and rendered useless. Even her more powerful overhead swipes at his shoulders and head were battered away, leaving Khondine open for a vicious punch to the abdomen.

The longer they fought, the more Khondine realized Danc’s methods of defense. She started to recognize what patterns worked against him and what didn’t. Some of her attacks caught him off-guard, if only momentarily, while others were completely useless. The Force began to flood her with power, and her heightened senses created a feeling she had never experienced. The sound of their lightsabers colliding rumbled like the collision of two hapless starfighters, resulting in a glorious explosion of light and fire. Banc’s presence was warped beyond recognition. He was no longer Zabrak. He was a force. His aura emanated from him, stemming from dark power that had been given to him by the Sith. His presence seemed to escape him and reach Khondine, causing pangs of anger to wash over her entire body.

She was at the center. As the Force enveloped her in this new world, she realized that she could exploit her anger and turn it into true power. Rage became energy. Her newfound power rushed out from her fingertips, and she knew she was in control. Striking at Danc’s side, the Zabrak was forced to grip his lightsaber with both hands to deflect her blow. Khondine could taste his sudden fear. It was not something she could explain, but his terror filled the air, and it gave her even more power. Her violet lightsaber struck at Danc’s silver blade, batting it away from his body in an attempt to leave him exposed. It was close, but she could never strike fast enough. He always threw up his guard before she could land a strike.

“Good,” Danc whispered. “Good. Release your anger. Let it flow through you, and then take control of it. Only by dominating your hate can you achieve victory.”

Khondine heard his words, but she ignored them. The only thing that mattered now was ending this battle. She struck at him with all her might, and her blade crashed against his. The two blades hissed as they met, stuck in an ignoble embrace as neither combatant wanted to back away. Khondine forced her blade downward, intent on bringing Danc’s blade low enough until he could no longer ably defend with it. Danc wouldn’t allow it. Suddenly, his aura seemed to spill out from him, overflowing the room with raw power and loathsome passion.

“That’s enough, darling. You won’t get away so easily now.”

Using two hands again, Danc forced Khondine’s blade from his, batting it away in a single motion. Khondine stumbled back for a moment, caught unprepared for his sudden ferocity. Outstretching his hand, Danc unleashed a blast of telekinetic energy. Khondine felt the power surround her, and – as much as she tried to resist – it swept her off her feet. It was powerful enough to send her crashing into the wall behind her, and she thought she heard something shatter when she impacted against the stone wall. Danc paused for a moment and then released another burst of telekinetic power, forcing Khondine threw the wall into the hallway beyond his room.

She lay on the ground, broken. The feeling in her legs was gone, and she was sure that rubble was slowly crushing them. All her power, all her rage had left her. She couldn’t even find the strength to lift her neck and see what Danc was doing. Her lightsaber had escaped her grasp during the flight, and her head rang violently. Unable to collect herself, Khondine felt the rubble get lifted off her legs even as she began to fade in and out of consciousness.

Chapter 21

Storm clouds filled the sky, looming overhead and painting the sky in broad black strokes. Rain pelted the ground like hail, turning dried grass and soil into pits of mud that would have to be navigated. The harsh wind was no different than the dark aura that encompassed Alderaan, chilling bone and flesh. The sun was nowhere to be seen. ''Damn. '' This type of weather was both unfortunate – for the Republic soldiers – and depressing.

If there was one thing Raen truly hated, it was this inclement weather.

Standing about two hundred meters from his father’s manor, drops of water fell around him in buckets, but he did his best to ignore it. His hood was thrown over his head, shielding him from some of the rain, but it wasn’t completely successful. He was knee-deep in mud by now, and the feeling was foreign to him; as a noble on Alderaan, he had never been subjected to traveling through the rain on foot. Mud and grime were unknown to him before now, and they felt strange beneath his feet and against his skin.

He and his three Jedi companions lingered in the distance, admiring the manor itself. Three stories of ivory walls and pearly windows. The building was no different than Raen remembered. No different than the building he saw in his dreams. A great door stood between Raen and his target, erected in the center of a large courtyard of drowned plants and slippery duracrete. Fire damage was evident near the front of the building, a memento from Raen’s last mission with the Sith.

The three black-armored Sith guards didn’t notice their approach. They had been distracted, sent false information by Raen’s Jedi allies. Their powers of manipulation, especially on the weak-minded, were more advanced than Ranval’s, and Raen was naturally intrigued by it. Two of his Jedi companions cut down two soldiers, using the building’s balcony as shielding from the rain while the third threw his target – with telekinesis – into the duracrete from several meters in the air, incapacitating him.

They were alone in the courtyard of his house, and Raen realized that companion was too kind of a word. He didn’t know these Jedi; Telerus had forced them to accompany him in case he attempted any foul play during the princess’s rebellion. In spite of his oath, in spite of his status as a Jedi learner, and in spite of his unbridled hatred for the Sith on Alderaan and all they stood for, Raen was still pinned as an enemy.

He hated it. The Jedi should have given him his trust long ago. Had he not earned it? He had done nothing to sabotage their efforts since Dantooine, and he had been subjected to rigorous training and lessons in the light since then. In name and actuality, he considered himself a Jedi, even if no one else did. He had moved on from his Sith past, at least in his mind. Sadly for him, everyone else still saw him as a Sith learner, subject to the whims of the dark side. Anger boiled inside his chest as he reflected on all he had done, and all he would have to do, to please the Order.

If Gaiel, Ranval, and Khondine were with him now, he would have been far more comfortable. He knew them, and they knew him. Telerus would have none of it. The Jedi who accompanied him had to be Jedi he knew personally, or else Raen would not go at all. Raen grudgingly accepted, but he was not ready to accept these Jedi as his friends. They were allies, perhaps, but nothing else.

“Boss,” Raen addressed the lead Jedi, a Cerean female. He didn’t know her real name, and she didn’t correct him. “What’s the plan from here?”

The Cerean smiled knowingly. “Raen, I’m sure you know this place better than we do. Tell us where to go.”

Raen glanced at her suspiciously. He hadn’t expected her to give him command of this attack. “Are you sure? Telerus-”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” she interrupted. “What are your orders?”

“There’s an entrance behind the house. It’s located near a little rock garden. It leads to a wine cellar that connects to the foyer,” Raen thought aloud. “I’ll need you three to enter through that way and provide me with reinforcements.”

“I object, Al-Reyn,” a Glymphid Jedi spoke up. His thin body looked like it was about to blow away in the wind, and his stick-like snout looked ridiculous while he spoke. “This could be a trap.”

“Do you sense deception in the boy?” the lead Jedi asked angrily. “Because I sure don’t. If you suddenly became more perceptive in the Force, please let me know. I’ll go under your command immediately.”

“No, ma’am,” the other Jedi replied sheepishly.

“Well, then. I hope you realize that if Raen was sending us into a trap, it wouldn’t matter if we followed him now or went around through the cellar. It would be a trap regardless.”

“Thank you, Boss,” Raen noted.

“Don’t mention it,” she replied. “We’ll head round back. Force be with you, Benax. See you on the other side.”

The three Jedi left Raen’s side, following the building’s walls to reach the cellar on the other side. Raen could have pushed open the doors in front of him and started his mission, but he realized that he had become distracted. Thoughts ricocheted back and fourth in his head, and his mind was troubled. Sitting down near the door that led inside, Raen closed his eyes and entered a meditative trance.

He had to refocus himself. De’dlay was the only thing that mattered here. He knew the Nikto was not at the Sith academy, because he was never there. Only when Raen needed training and refused to participate in it did he bother to go to the academy. He spent more time at the Benax Manor, staying in the guest chambers that his father had prepared for him to use. The comlink in his ear, tuned to the Republic’s private channel, hadn’t reported the capture or deaths of any Sith leaders. It was up to him to make the first kill. De’dlay Yavalaaka would fall under his blade today.

The dark side surrounded his old house like fog. He could not see through it, and when he tried to extend his perception within, he was rebuffed by dark side energy stronger than his own power. He needed no further proof that De’dlay was inside. De’dlay was the only Sith Master on Alderaan who had enough power to make Raen’s efforts in the Force useless, and he had been the only master who could easily defeat Raen in combat. That was before. Now, Raen had a power that De’dlay did understand, and that would be his key to victory.

Rising to his feet, Raen outstretched his hand. Concentrating all of his telekinetic power on the doorframe before him, the young Force-sensitive waited until the entire metal door was torn off its place and thrown into the foyer of his father’s home. No one waited for him; no one tried to intercept him. He was inside.

***                                                                                                                  ***

“Where are we going, Gaiel?”

Ranval had followed Gaiel in silence until now, but the dark side only got stronger the farther they traveled. The sounds of battle were distant now, the clashing lightsabers a distant memory of the beginning of the battle. Everything about the halls of the academy looked the same. The runes on the wall were indistinguishable to the two Jedi, and the lanterns that lined the wall provided little assurance of direction. The Force guided them, but it was weaker here; the power of the Sith hindered its ability to guide them.

“I’m not sure,” the Nautolan admitted. “I felt Khondine in the Force until a few moments ago, but she suddenly faded away.”

“Faded?”

“Something… I can’t describe it. It’s as though she disappeared.”

Ranval frowned. “Do you think-?”

“No,” Gaiel cut him off. “She’s not dead. I’d have felt that.”

“So what do you suppose happened?”

“I don’t know.”

Gaiel didn’t know, but he an idea. He didn’t want to tell Ranval – he was too easily jarred by unpleasant news – that he suspected Khondine was a Dark Jedi. She had always been a mystery to him, and her presence in the Force was weak in comparison to her actual strength. He suspected, but couldn’t prove, that she was hiding her presence in the Force to conceal the fact she was a dark-sider. Furthermore, the Sith couldn’t have entered Aldera Castle as easily as they did without someone on the inside to support them. He hated pinning the blame on Khondine, – she had been nothing but kind to them since their arrival – but her strange behavior since the beginning of their attack predisposed Gaiel to suspicion.

If that was the case, then Khondine disappearing in the Force made sense. She had tapped into the dark side of the Force, making her presence indistinguishable from the multitude of other Dark Jedi in the academy. He didn’t give up hope, and he continued to search for her, scanning the Force as thoroughly as he could. He sensed Ranval, nervous as he was, following behind him at a steady pace, and he could detect the faintest hints of the other Jedi, still near the entrance of the academy. He could even begin to pick out individual dark-siders amidst the otherwise unified aura of the building. But he still couldn’t find Khondine.

Gaiel continued down the hall without realizing that Ranval had stopped following him. The Miraluka had paused when they passed an otherwise uninteresting door, and he lingered there, placing one of his hands on the metal frame. Something from within had caught his attention, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Gaiel returned to Ranval and the door without a word. By the time Gaiel arrived, Ranval had withdrawn his lightsaber, but he hadn’t activated it.

“What is it, Ranval?” Gaiel asked.

“This room is the library, I think. Something – or someone – in the room is pulsating with the dark side.” He turned to face Gaiel directly. “I think… I think there’s a Sith behind this door.”

“A Sith?” Gaiel repeated. “Are you sure? We haven’t seen any Sith since we arrived. Just Dark Jedi.”

“No Dark Jedi can have this much Force power,” Ranval said assuredly. “This may be where they are waiting for us.”

“We should get help.” Gaiel began walking toward the antechamber. “The two of us are no match for a Sith.”

“They could escape,” Ranval replied. “We have to get them now.”

The Force hit Gaiel like a blaster bolt to the chest. Grasping his chest, Gaiel realized that the Force was trying to send him a warning. Whatever was behind that door was far more powerful than Ranval suspected. They needed to get help. Calling out to Ranval, Gaiel urged him to keep the door closed, but it was too late. The Miraluka had hit the doorpanel nearby. The door swished open, accompanied by a burst of dark energy that struck Ranval and sent him flying into the wall behind him.

Ranval was alive, but he was hurt. He had struck the wall hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and Gaiel could hear his labored breathing from where he was standing. A Human male leisurely sauntered out of the library, humming to himself as he approached the battered Miraluka. The new arrival was dressed in a black cloak that covered his gray robes. An elaborately decorated vest shielded his torso, and Gaiel noticed two lightsabers dangling from hooks on both sides of his chest. His hair had been dyed a pale green color, and it raced around his head in a shaggy mess.

Pulling one of his lightsabers off his chestpiece, the humming man allowed the red blade to spring to life. Swinging it a few times in the air to get used to its feel, the man finally turned his attention to his target. He brought his weapon down on Ranval, but the weapon was stopped mere centimeters from his face. The buzz of two lightsabers, green and red, rang out in front of the dazed Miraluka. Gaiel’s weapon stopped the humming man’s attack, and he kept the weapon between the red lightsaber and its target.

“Do you want to die?” the humming man asked, his voice light and cultured.

Gaiel smirked. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Drop your weapon, or I can’t guarantee you’ll survive this.”

“My name is Pallidus,” the humming man said, pulling his lightsaber away from Gaiel’s. “You are bold, and I respect that. Even so, your life is forfeit. Death awaits you, and she comes by my blade! On your guard, Jedi!”

Gaiel threw his lightsaber forward to deflect Pallidus’s first attack. Gaiel kept his green blade close to his chest while Pallidus swung his weapon at his sides, hoping to knick the Nautolan’s shoulders and arms with precise cuts. Gaiel shifted his weight and his blade, parrying each strike with relative ease. He hardly wasted any of his own stamina with his small, controlled movements, ensuring that he could focus on the battle and not tire himself.

Pallidus seemed to have no qualm with Gaiel’s strategy, and he simply changed the angle of his strikes. His cuts became faster as he continued his offensive, and Gaiel swung his lightsaber back and forth between both sides of his body, desperately blocking the attacks. While Pallidus focused on trying to bypass Gaiel’s defenses, the Jedi kicked at his ankle, knocking the Sith off his feet. However, quick thinking and Force empowered reflexes enabled Pallidus to recover his footing by turning his fall into a backwards roll. Upon standing, he was solemnly greeted by Gaiel’s combat boots; a kick to the face sent the dark-sider sprawling backwards, completely unprepared for the attack.

The Sith jumped to his feet before Gaiel could close the distance between the two. Pallidus spit a bit of blood from the inside of his mouth before reactivating his lightsaber. Gaiel was upon him in an instant, slashing at his torso and abdomen in quick chains that forced his opponent to parry and block without fully recovering. Pallidus proved as able as Gaiel in his defense, however. The Sith defensive swings were wide enough and swept far enough that Gaiel had to duck or jump to avoid any potential counterattacks.

Gaiel drove his lightsaber downward, aiming for Pallidus’s shoulder in a vicious overhead strike. Instead of blocking it with his lightsaber, Pallidus grabbed Gaiel’s arm with his free hand, stopping the blade in midair. Before Pallidus could use the advantage to drive his blade into Gaiel’s chest, the Nautolan promptly grabbed Pallidus’s wrist. Gaiel kicked Pallidus in the abdomen, and he heard his opponent groan when he made contact. The Sith responded by unleashing an invisible wave of dark side energy, sending Gaiel – and his lightsaber – flying backwards.

Recovering his weapon, Gaiel blocked Pallidus’s next few strikes with ease. A cross-shaped slice was enough to drive Pallidus back, but not for long. He returned with equal ferocity, battering at Gaiel’s defenses with his lightsaber. Each strike against his green blade fatigued Gaiel, and he was surprised that he was tiring so quickly. He suspected that Pallidus’s power in the dark side was slowly sapping away at Gaiel’s strength. If that was the case, he’d have to finish the duel quickly, or else he’d end up to exhausted to fight back effectively.

“Your efforts have been valiant,” Pallidus said. “You’d make a powerful Dark Jedi.”

“Why thank you,” Gaiel said with mock sincerity. “With your skills, you could be a respectable Jedi. If you weren’t evil.”

“Don’t insult me. I was being serious.”

“As was I.”

“What say you, then?” The red blade continued to batter at Gaiel’s green defense. “Your skill is wasted with the Jedi.”

“You’re wrong. My skills are used for the good of the Jedi, the Republic, and all beings as long as I stay where I am. You – and your kind – use your power for your own selfishness. If anyone’s skills are wasting away, it’d be yours.”

Pallidus sighed. “Very well, Jedi. I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve left me no choice.” Grasping the other lightsaber on his vest, he armed himself with both of his red blades. “I am a pupil of the art of Jar’Kai. Your defenses will not stand against me.”

“We’ll see,” Gaiel said with a smile.

***                                                                                                                  ***

Jedi were bastions of light defending the galaxy against armies of darkness. It was a favorite topic of Thon’s, and Raen had taking a liking to it as well. He hadn’t understood it before, especially in his stubbornness and pride, but he had come to understand that the old Jedi Master was right. In fact, much of his wisdom was truer than it first appeared.

He certainly felt the metaphor come alive as he defended himself against the host of Sith troopers. Dozens of Sith troopers, wearing now familiar black armor and armed with heavy repeaters, had revealed themselves from behind the burned staircase at the center of the room. Why he hadn’t sensed them before, Raen didn’t know; he had stumbled right into a Sith trap.

The luminescent green blaster fire that pulsated toward Raen in dozens of lightning fast bolts were reflected and sent across the room. Holobooks shelves against the wall, furniture scattered around the center of the room, and the various pottery and statues lining the corners all felt the pain of redirected blaster fire, destroying them without a second thought. It seemed as though the Sith troopers could hit everything but their target.

Raen was so immersed in the Force, he felt like he could continue deflecting blaster fire until Alderaan’s sun exploded. He knew he couldn’t, but the ethereal feeling of being bathed in the light side of the Force amidst the surrounding darkness invigorated him with power that was previously unknown to him. Every blaster shot seemed to move slower than thrown stones, easily blocked by his blue lightsaber.

He knew he couldn’t stay on the defensive forever. He had to keep moving. A tingling sensation in his hand alerted him to an alternative he hadn’t considered. Deactivating his lightsaber, Raen placed a Force shield between himself and his targets, keeping him safe from their blaster fire for a brief moment. Thon had taught him that skill on Ambria, and he made a mental note to thank the Jedi Master. Dropping his lightsaber for a moment, Raen waited for a moment, waited for his hands to ignite and burst into flame.

Fire encompassed his fingers and raced around his palm. He could finally control it. The fire felt familiar in his hands, like a tool that could be exploited by his will. At his command, the fire got larger and burned brighter, engulfing both his hands and bathing the room in a eerie red glow. Extending both of his hands as if to reach out and grab hold of the Sith troopers before him, Raen unleashed a fiery storm upon his black-armored opponents. The fire struck each of them and burned away their armor and their flesh inside the raging inferno. The light blinded Raen, but he heard the cries of agony and the terrified moans of his opponents from behind the wall of fire.

Seconds later, Raen had exhausted his power, and the fire was snuffed out without warning. He was the only one left in the room. Fire licked the wood beams that suspended the weakened walls, raced across the holobooks, and received new life while burning away at the fabric of the furniture. The soldiers had perished, leaving ashes, bits of bone, and misshapen weapons in their place.

His comlink buzzed in his ear. “This is Raen.”

“Raen! Oh, by the Force, you’re there!” he heard Al-Reyn’s voice. The Cerean sounded frightened and she was panting aloud. “You have to help me.”

“What’s wrong? Where are you?” Raen asked.

“Oh, d-”

“Boss?”

“He found me. It’s too late, Raen! You have to flee! We couldn’t stop him!” The sound of lightsabers colliding filled the comlink. A few profanities escaped Al-Reyn’s mouth, but she wasn’t talking to Raen. He heard a cry, and the crackling of lightsabers disappeared. Everything became silent.

“Boss? Al-Reyn, are you there?” Raen asked, a bit panicked.

“Stay where you are, Raen,” a low, gurgling voice spoke through the comlink. “I can sense you.”

Raen trembled when he heard the voice. “Who is this?”

“You know who I am…” the voice replied.

The sound of the Al-Reyn’s comlink breaking forced Raen to shut off his own, lest the incessant static drive him insane. Raen realized that he didn’t recognize the voice on the other side of the comlink, but the fact that it was strong enough to kill three Jedi Knights was enough to worry the young Force-user. Picking up his lightsaber again, Raen jumped over the burned down stairwell that once led from the foyer to the upper stories of the estate. The stairs would slow down normal sentients, but Raen knew that the source of the unknown voice was not a normal sentient. He would have to hurry and find De’dlay before he was found by the Jedi-killer that was coming up from the cellar.

***                                                                                                                  ***

Ranval struggled to his feet. His balance was off, and his legs wobbled under the weight of his body. Running his hand across his face, he listened as his breathing steadied and returned to normal. Something stung in the back of his head, like being hit with a hammer, but he ignored it. Looking at his surroundings in the Force, he realized that Gaiel had left him. Wherever he had gone, he had taken that dark-sider with him because he wasn’t around either.

His lightsaber rested on the floor by his feet. Must have dropped it. Scooping the hilt into his hand, he realized that he was not alone in the halls. The dark side was here. It was everywhere, and Ranval knew that, but the main source of the academy’s malevolent power seemed to be stemming from something – or someone – around him. His grip tightened around his lightsaber until he could feel the inner groves near the hilt’s base.

His breathing was far louder than he would have liked in the empty halls. Nothing was in the library. He sensed that the dark power had already gone. No, whatever it was had left the library and wandered into the halls. It was dangerous; he didn’t care. He needed to defeat whatever it was that was haunting this place. He needed to prove to everyone – Gaiel, Thon, and especially Northeus – that he could do this. He could fight. He could challenge the forces of darkness and emerge victorious. He was a Jedi.

His yellow blade poured out from the handle in a fountain of light, and he was off. He scoured the halls by his lonesome, unsure where exactly the dark power was coming from. He could sense it, of course, but he could not pinpoint it. The evil aura that penetrated everything in the academy – on Alderaan – made it difficult for him to trail his prey.

Suddenly, he heard whispers. They were unintelligible, and they seemed to be coming from out of nothing. Eerie voices from some unseen source, and in an unknown language, spoke to him. He heard cackling that sent chills down his spine. The voices got louder and louder until a single voice could be clearly heard amidst a chorus of malicious whispers and vicious cries.

“Scared little Jedi, all alone.”

Ranval spun around, pointing his lightsaber toward the source of the voice. However, to his surprise, there was no one there.

“Scared little Jedi, so far from home.”

He gripped his lightsaber with both hands. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

“Scared little Jedi, helpless and weak.”

“Stop!”

“Scared little Jedi, come to me.”

Ranval reached out into the Force, extending his vision far beyond its normal scope. As a Miraluka, his sight was substituted for Force senses. He confined himself to a few meters at most, otherwise he would find himself weak and unable to find enough strength to stand, much less see through the Force.

Fear rose up and chilled his body. Extending his Force sight until he could see the entire academy, Ranval saw his target – and taunter. At the farthest end of the hall sat a being that appeared to him as a dark pillar, spewing forth dark power as if it were blood from a wound. Its shape was invisible to him, and he realized that this figure was the Sith Master of the academy. No one else, not even Gaiel’s opponent, had this much raw power within them.

His feet carried him toward his target – practically against his will. His courage betrayed him when he identified his opponent, and he realized just how powerful they were. He couldn’t fight against a Sith Master; he was just a Padawan. An audacious Padawan, but a Padawan nonetheless. The chilling feeling within his bones reached up and tugged at his heart. He felt like his throat was being held by a vice. Every step he took was an eternity. The closer he got to his destination, the slower time seemed to get, the more confined the halls appeared, and everything appeared darker.

Standing in front of a sealed door was his target. He couldn’t see her, – but he knew it was a her from the voice – but she had enough power to send Ranval to his knees in utter terror. She stood up, bringing her malignant aura with her, and approached the crippled Miraluka. As she stepped closer and closer, the whispers from earlier returned, and cackling rang in his ears. Her body was invisible, hidden from normal sight, but Ranval could see her.

To him, she was the dark side. He could feel her lust for power, and her burning desire for the only man she ever needed. Her rage washed over him like miasma, her seething hatred for his very existence because he was a Jedi. He could see her pain, her self-inflicted pain that brought her enough power to inspire the fear that froze him in place.

A glittering knife rose up in the woman’s grip, ready to come crashing down and bring Ranval’s life to an end. Even when he saw the weapon, heard the low hum of the vibrating blade, he could not bring himself to move. The dark side had paralyzed him, and he couldn’t even defend himself. His teeth rattled inside his mouth, the only part of his body that could move, hidden from his opponent’s dark presence.

As the knife came down, the color returned to Ranval’s face. The light side of the Force restored his strength and calmed his nerves. Somewhere, somewhere distant, a Jedi was reaching out in the Force and – by an extension of his will – filling his comrades with a burning combative spirit. Their stamina was being renewed. Their vision restored. Their power reborn. Even Ranval, so far from his allies and so steeped in the dark, could feel the penetrating and comforting protection of the light. Bathed in this new energy, Ranval reached out into the Force and realized that he could touch it without difficulty. The dark side was not hindering him.

The knife plunged toward his skull, and he narrowly evaded it by pushing his foe with a blast of telekinetic power. Emboldened, Ranval stood on his feet and reactivated his lightsaber in a single, glorious flourish. His opponent’s power seemed weaker now. Now Ranval was emanating a power of his own, and his power seemed to lessen his opponent’s presence before him. The Sith Lady seemed to realize this, and she growled in anger upon realizing that she was being weakened.

Swinging her knife in a fit of rage, the Sith Lady struck at Ranval’s throat. The Miraluka, so empowered by the light side, felt as though time had dilated around him. The dark side had become weaker, and he had gained foresight. Before the dark-sider moved to attack, Ranval could see where she planned to strike, see the path her blade moved, and even locate feints and counters. He acted accordingly, placing his yellow blade between himself and her vibroblade, The sound of her metal blade hissing against his lightsaber was music to his ears, and each failed attempted filled Ranval with a sense of confidence that he didn’t have before.

She was powerful, and her attacks would have easily cut down Ranval had he not been imbued with power from his Jedi allies. Her weapon lacked the reach of Ranval’s blade, and he found himself with an advantage against his Sith foe. If she wanted to attack him, she had to step in closer to his guard, and that exposed her entire body to Ranval’s reach. His lightsaber kept her at bay, swinging his weapon in steady arcs and low swings that forced her to backpedal away from the Miraluka. Ranval used his weapon’s reach to strike at her head and upper body, forcing her to remain on the defensive while Ranval enjoyed a moment of respite while on the offensive.

Upon parrying one of Ranval’s less graceful strikes, the Sith Lady rolled forward. Meeting Ranval’s legs when she stopped, a swift scissor-kick put the Miraluka on his back and sent his lightsaber flying through the air. She cut at his leg while he was sprawled out on the ground, and – while it didn’t sever his leg completely – it managed to cut a bit of flesh and the fatty tissue beneath, eliciting a cry of pain from the Miraluka as he stood up again. Using the Force to recover his lightsaber from the ground, Ranval barely had enough time to block an incoming vibroblade strike to the chest.

With his lightsaber in hand and his footing restored, Ranval returned to the offensive. When he tried to lash out at his Sith opponent, she merely ducked underneath his blade and shoved her elbow into his abdomen, sending him stumbling back in surprise. She used her opening to her advantage, blasting Ranval with a burst of dark side energy that sent Ranval flying several meters. He skidded to a stop against the stone floor, every bone in his back aching from the short flight. The Sith Lady gave him no time to recover, and she was upon him in seconds. Her vibroblade fell upon his body mercilessly, forcing the Miraluka to parry from the ground. Ranval kicked his enemy’s left shin, sending her to the floor in pain.

The Jedi recovered his footing, but he realized that he was having difficulty standing. He didn’t think he had been struck too hard, even with the cut he had received earlier. His arms also proved difficult to move, and he felt increasingly lethargic and weak. The Sith Lady seemed to know that Ranval was having trouble, and she calmly returned to her feet and jabbed her elbow into his face. He heard something in his nose crack as he fell straight backwards, on the ground again, and his orientation became haplessly muddled. The vibroblade plunged toward his chest, and only a last-second roll to the side spared his life.

He stood – with some difficulty – and grabbed his lightsaber again. He found it painful to reach into the Force, and he nearly swore when his lightsaber took a great deal of time to return to his hand. He had been seconds away from avoiding a sword thrust to the skull, and his weakening connection to the Force hardly helped. Growling, Ranval blocked most of the Sith Lady’s blow, but after she had unleashed a torrent of strikes at his shoulders and chest, she suddenly switched targets and scored a tiny cut on his knee. Ranval pushed her back with a small telekinetic burst, but she was already laughing.

“What’s…” Ranval nearly lost his footing. “What’s so funny?”

“How’s the poison in my blade?” the woman asked, her voice laced in spite. “I made sure it wouldn’t be strong enough to kill you, but potent enough that you’re going to wish you were.”

“I… I…”

“Don’t worry,” the Sith Lady replied. “I’ll take some pleasure in cutting you apart. Slowly.”

Throwing her vibroblade to the ground, the Sith Lady revealed her short, red-bladed lightsaber for the first time. The snap-hiss of her weapon sent chills down Ranval’s spine, and as he struggled to recover his footing, his opponent charged forward.