The torch shone brightly in the night. Its flame lighted the nearby trees, gilded the green foliage of the jungle. Even the animals were silent as the man holding it walked up the small hill where the tall trees and dense bushes gave way into the starry night. There, on the hilltop, a funeral pyre was awaiting both torch and man. On the logs, the slender silhouette of a young woman lay, appearing to be asleep underneath the brown robes - but her hazel eyes would never open again.
The man approached the pyre, stopping right in front of it. Two other figures were there as well. One stood right at the first man's side, his clothes the same white battle-scarred tunic almost completely concealed by the coarse, brown robes with the broad hood. His brown hair had gotten considerably longer, and where before he had a clean chin, he sported a finely trimmed beard. The solemn glitter in Dorn Velvok's matching brown eyes was met by a glance of sorrow and loss of the other, older man.
Max Reem looked over the burning torch towards the third man in the round. Black haired with hazel eyes, the figure opposite the pyre stared back. His face was unmoved, the hood of his black robes pulled halfway into his face. Underneath, a blue-black light body armor over a light grey undersuit reflected the fire's light. Then, Dante Baird looked down upon the body of his former student, and anger began to rise again. He respect the mutual ceasefire, however. There was always time for battle later - now they were there to give a proper funeral to a person that had touched them all deep inside - be they Jedi or Sith.
The torch-bearing Jedi lowered the fire into the pyre and watched as the wood caught on. Soon, little sparks flared upwards into the night air, trying to reach the bright stars way up beyond the tree canopy. Maxwell stepped back, watching the flames taking over.
"Although Cerra had suffered much in her life, eventually falling to the Dark Side, her life was not lost. She may have lived a Sith - but she died a Jedi. Her heritage was entwined with ours, and our destiny will be with hers."
Those few words held much more truth than any of them could fathom... yet.
Fiery crimson met cool azure as the two lightsaber clashed, a bright flash lighting the faces of Dante Baird and Maxwell Krazor, entrenched in a deadly duel. Both warriors pressed on but evening out themselves with their power. Then, the Jedi made a swift sidestep, giving way to the Sith's blade and letting him stumble though the place where he had just been. The azure blade came down in quick gash, but Dante parried it with his own down his back.
Over at the other end of the hill surrounded by jungle trees and dense foliage, Dorn Velvok held on against the brutal onslaught of Stephen Baird. Stepehen rained down stroke upon stroke into the Jedi's parries, driving his opponent backwards. Dorn's face was pulled in high concentration, deflecting every blow of his enemy's red blade with his own yellow one, meticulously closing any gaps. Stephen's skills with the blade were quite below Dorn's, and as such, the Jedi was just trying to tire out his opponent. Fueled by rage, however, Stephen refused to break down.
On the sides, almost unnoticed by the combatants, Cerra stood, her daggers at the ready, but puzzled. She knew that she was supposed to join the battle on the sides of the Sith - but her visions in the cell and what Reem had said after she discovered him in the vicinity of the dark-watered waterfall had changed something deep inside her. Irresolutely, she watched back and forth as Jedi and Sith fought valiantly at the hilltop, somersaulted over each other, pulling out all the stops of their skills.
Suddenly, Dorn and Max found themselves back to back, their opponents closing in.
"You know, I have a really bad feeling about this", Dorn remarked, watching Stephen rushing up like a mad panther. His eyes glittered in a sick yellow, the black hair pearling with sweat.
"You don't say", Max Reem deadpanned, eying Dante approaching him with the saber humming deadly.
Stephen began to scream - a primal howl of hatred - and ran up the short slope. His crimson blade flied behind him as he jerked his open palm into the Jedi's direction. Dorn's own hand came up, his palm thrusting into Stephen' direction. Stephen was stopped cold in his assault but then driven backwards. Dorn slid into Maxwell Reem. Though Dorn steadfastly held his ground, Max stumbled forward, directly into Dante's swift gash.
Max managed to whip up his blade, punching away the Sith's and saving himself from sure death, but got left defenseless. Dante's right hand got up, fingers clawing at the sky. Max gasped as he was lifted off his feet, unable to breathe.
Cerra saw the hatred in Dante's eyes, how they had become a sickly yellow. He had no mercy with his opponent, as he began to crush his trachea. The young woman was shaken to her bone - and something deep inside her rebelled. She tried not to look, tried to find refuge in the green jungle's view, gilded by the waning sun. But she couldn't. She looked back. The other Jedi - Dorn - was fighting with Stephen, who was assaulting him with all the reserves he had. He was bound - and Maxwell gasped for air. That wasn't fair... it wasn't a fair battle. And the Jedi deserved a fair battle!
"No!" Cerra yelled, thrusting her arm into the direction of the two men. Like a blurred shadow, her knife whisked through the air, the sunlight reflecting on it and turning it into a red blaze. Dante cried out. He stumbled back, holding his right shoulder where the sharp dagger had pierced right between two armor joints. In front of him, Maxwell slumped to the ground, gasping for air.
"You fool!" Dante Baird growled fiercely. With a swift movement, he ripped the bloody knife from his body and threw it away. Ferocious anger contorted his face as he raised his left hand pointing into Cerra's direction. The eyes of the young woman widened in fear as blue lightning leaped from the fingertips and caught her right in the chest, sending her screaming to the ground a meter away. She twitched as secondary discharges seared her body.
"Fuck it." Dante's voice broke a bit as he motioned to his blood brother. "Stephen, we need to get out of here."
"What? Why?" Stephen nearly missed a slash to his right shoulder as he glanced over in Dante's direction.
"Don't question my kriffing orders, Stephen." Dante lifted his palm with his fingers outstretched. All of the sudden Dorn Velvok lifted up off of his feet and was propelled away from the spot where he was fighting Stephen Baird at. "Now -- LET'S GO!"
The two made their way into the jungle. There they would lose the Jedi and be able to escape using their personal fighters. Dorn scrambled to his feet as he watched the figures of the two Sith disappear into the darkness the trees contained. Maxwell made his way over to Cerra who now laid on the ground -- limp. Her stomach went up, and then down slowly. Her skin was horribbly burned in some areas, while others remained clear.
"No, Dorn." Reem looked up into the area of the forest where the two Sith had disappeared. "No... Let them go."
Dorn made his way over to the body of Cerra, dropping to his knees next to her. Max looked into the eyes of the man directly in front of him. Neither of them spoke what they knew the other was thinking.
She's going to die... and it was all because of Dante.
That's not even the worst part. The worst part was the fact that Dante was once their close friend. He had been a Jedi Padawan with them on Naboo. He had always relied on his fellow Jedi for moral support. When Leia Organa Solo had disbanded the Order, he had lost the people that always offered him assistance. It wasn't long after that he fell into poverty, and poverty forced him to steal.
Stealing wasn't that big. He stole what he needed to survive. Soon that wasn't enough though. Soon he was breaking into houses... and it wasn't until someone put up a resistance that he had his very first taste of pure darkside. Karl Romonos was a man with two kids and a wife. He was a scientist, and he had been close to coming up with a cure to a fatal disease. All that was taken away from the world one day when Dante Baird had struck down the man and killed him.
At first, he was petrified. Never again, he vowed. He was wrong though. He soon had to resume this dark career to survive. Each murder, each heist, and each stolen item pushed him farther and farther. It wasn't until he met his brother, Stephen Baird, that he truly found a new home -- his niche. Stephen was going to go with a Sith Knight to train in the ways of the darkside. When Dante was brought into the picture, the two were taken.
The two wished they never were though. Upon being accepted they were put through trials that were so emotionally overwhelming . . . the trials they went through were trials that which were so devious, they were both twisted into the monsters they are now.
Enjoy the story.
The man approached the pyre, stopping right in front of it. Two other figures were there as well. One stood right at the first man's side, his clothes the same white battle-scarred tunic almost completely concealed by the coarse, brown robes with the broad hood. His brown hair had gotten considerably longer, and where before he had a clean chin, he sported a finely trimmed beard. The solemn glitter in Dorn Velvok's matching brown eyes was met by a glance of sorrow and loss of the other, older man.
Max Reem looked over the burning torch towards the third man in the round. Black haired with hazel eyes, the figure opposite the pyre stared back. His face was unmoved, the hood of his black robes pulled halfway into his face. Underneath, a blue-black light body armor over a light grey undersuit reflected the fire's light. Then, Dante Baird looked down upon the body of his former student, and anger began to rise again. He respect the mutual ceasefire, however. There was always time for battle later - now they were there to give a proper funeral to a person that had touched them all deep inside - be they Jedi or Sith.
The torch-bearing Jedi lowered the fire into the pyre and watched as the wood caught on. Soon, little sparks flared upwards into the night air, trying to reach the bright stars way up beyond the tree canopy. Maxwell stepped back, watching the flames taking over.
"Although Cerra had suffered much in her life, eventually falling to the Dark Side, her life was not lost. She may have lived a Sith - but she died a Jedi. Her heritage was entwined with ours, and our destiny will be with hers."
Those few words held much more truth than any of them could fathom... yet.
* * *
Fiery crimson met cool azure as the two lightsaber clashed, a bright flash lighting the faces of Dante Baird and Maxwell Krazor, entrenched in a deadly duel. Both warriors pressed on but evening out themselves with their power. Then, the Jedi made a swift sidestep, giving way to the Sith's blade and letting him stumble though the place where he had just been. The azure blade came down in quick gash, but Dante parried it with his own down his back.
Over at the other end of the hill surrounded by jungle trees and dense foliage, Dorn Velvok held on against the brutal onslaught of Stephen Baird. Stepehen rained down stroke upon stroke into the Jedi's parries, driving his opponent backwards. Dorn's face was pulled in high concentration, deflecting every blow of his enemy's red blade with his own yellow one, meticulously closing any gaps. Stephen's skills with the blade were quite below Dorn's, and as such, the Jedi was just trying to tire out his opponent. Fueled by rage, however, Stephen refused to break down.
On the sides, almost unnoticed by the combatants, Cerra stood, her daggers at the ready, but puzzled. She knew that she was supposed to join the battle on the sides of the Sith - but her visions in the cell and what Reem had said after she discovered him in the vicinity of the dark-watered waterfall had changed something deep inside her. Irresolutely, she watched back and forth as Jedi and Sith fought valiantly at the hilltop, somersaulted over each other, pulling out all the stops of their skills.
Suddenly, Dorn and Max found themselves back to back, their opponents closing in.
"You know, I have a really bad feeling about this", Dorn remarked, watching Stephen rushing up like a mad panther. His eyes glittered in a sick yellow, the black hair pearling with sweat.
"You don't say", Max Reem deadpanned, eying Dante approaching him with the saber humming deadly.
Stephen began to scream - a primal howl of hatred - and ran up the short slope. His crimson blade flied behind him as he jerked his open palm into the Jedi's direction. Dorn's own hand came up, his palm thrusting into Stephen' direction. Stephen was stopped cold in his assault but then driven backwards. Dorn slid into Maxwell Reem. Though Dorn steadfastly held his ground, Max stumbled forward, directly into Dante's swift gash.
Max managed to whip up his blade, punching away the Sith's and saving himself from sure death, but got left defenseless. Dante's right hand got up, fingers clawing at the sky. Max gasped as he was lifted off his feet, unable to breathe.
Cerra saw the hatred in Dante's eyes, how they had become a sickly yellow. He had no mercy with his opponent, as he began to crush his trachea. The young woman was shaken to her bone - and something deep inside her rebelled. She tried not to look, tried to find refuge in the green jungle's view, gilded by the waning sun. But she couldn't. She looked back. The other Jedi - Dorn - was fighting with Stephen, who was assaulting him with all the reserves he had. He was bound - and Maxwell gasped for air. That wasn't fair... it wasn't a fair battle. And the Jedi deserved a fair battle!
"No!" Cerra yelled, thrusting her arm into the direction of the two men. Like a blurred shadow, her knife whisked through the air, the sunlight reflecting on it and turning it into a red blaze. Dante cried out. He stumbled back, holding his right shoulder where the sharp dagger had pierced right between two armor joints. In front of him, Maxwell slumped to the ground, gasping for air.
"You fool!" Dante Baird growled fiercely. With a swift movement, he ripped the bloody knife from his body and threw it away. Ferocious anger contorted his face as he raised his left hand pointing into Cerra's direction. The eyes of the young woman widened in fear as blue lightning leaped from the fingertips and caught her right in the chest, sending her screaming to the ground a meter away. She twitched as secondary discharges seared her body.
"Fuck it." Dante's voice broke a bit as he motioned to his blood brother. "Stephen, we need to get out of here."
"What? Why?" Stephen nearly missed a slash to his right shoulder as he glanced over in Dante's direction.
"Don't question my kriffing orders, Stephen." Dante lifted his palm with his fingers outstretched. All of the sudden Dorn Velvok lifted up off of his feet and was propelled away from the spot where he was fighting Stephen Baird at. "Now -- LET'S GO!"
The two made their way into the jungle. There they would lose the Jedi and be able to escape using their personal fighters. Dorn scrambled to his feet as he watched the figures of the two Sith disappear into the darkness the trees contained. Maxwell made his way over to Cerra who now laid on the ground -- limp. Her stomach went up, and then down slowly. Her skin was horribbly burned in some areas, while others remained clear.
"No, Dorn." Reem looked up into the area of the forest where the two Sith had disappeared. "No... Let them go."
Dorn made his way over to the body of Cerra, dropping to his knees next to her. Max looked into the eyes of the man directly in front of him. Neither of them spoke what they knew the other was thinking.
She's going to die... and it was all because of Dante.
That's not even the worst part. The worst part was the fact that Dante was once their close friend. He had been a Jedi Padawan with them on Naboo. He had always relied on his fellow Jedi for moral support. When Leia Organa Solo had disbanded the Order, he had lost the people that always offered him assistance. It wasn't long after that he fell into poverty, and poverty forced him to steal.
Stealing wasn't that big. He stole what he needed to survive. Soon that wasn't enough though. Soon he was breaking into houses... and it wasn't until someone put up a resistance that he had his very first taste of pure darkside. Karl Romonos was a man with two kids and a wife. He was a scientist, and he had been close to coming up with a cure to a fatal disease. All that was taken away from the world one day when Dante Baird had struck down the man and killed him.
At first, he was petrified. Never again, he vowed. He was wrong though. He soon had to resume this dark career to survive. Each murder, each heist, and each stolen item pushed him farther and farther. It wasn't until he met his brother, Stephen Baird, that he truly found a new home -- his niche. Stephen was going to go with a Sith Knight to train in the ways of the darkside. When Dante was brought into the picture, the two were taken.
The two wished they never were though. Upon being accepted they were put through trials that were so emotionally overwhelming . . . the trials they went through were trials that which were so devious, they were both twisted into the monsters they are now.
Enjoy the story.