Dark Fury 12 - The conclusion

[Darth Turbogeek]

Begun here (http://pub2.ezboard.com/fswvstitanicfrm13.showMessage?topicID=61.topic>here</a>), Dark Fury 12 finally concludes.

Comments welcome.


And I will say one thing.... things are now no longer as they seem

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After saving the life of Turbogeek, Master Yoghurt had been on the fringes of the battle, not joining in, but always ready to intervene if he needed to. So far, Lady Mara and Turbogeek were holding their own, even getting the better of their Dark Side opponents. With his help, they could win this and be done with two more of the scum that infested the galaxy.

But something held him back. A mental buzzing had distracted him, but the Force still waned him not to intervene. Puzzled, but not about to disobey when the Force spoke, the small Jedi had been covered when the missile had done it’s work, had watched as Venom had firstly been thrown off the cliff and then reappeared, seen the attack on Mara and then the tornado that had appeared to bury the two dark sider’s in rubble. Impressed with that he was – he knew Turbogeek had been experimenting in some sort of weather control, but didn’t realise it could produce tornadoes. He was about to go to Turbogeek and Mara as they were clearly about to make their escape, when he saw a small hand appear, seemingly out of the ground. A head next. Master Yoghurt froze in surprise as he saw the dripping creature come out of the ground and his brain finally register what it was.

It’s… it’s… it’s ME!!

Being only a few metres away, he observed the bizarre event taking place. It was the mirror image of himself, impossible to tell the difference from sight, yet one major difference remained: The creature that stood among the ruins sending lightning bolts radiated pure Darkness and evil. Suddenly, it dawned upon Yoghurt that many months ago, before the Sith Empire had moved their base, a blood sample had "disappeared" from the Jedi hospital after a major battle. The amount should be enough to create a clone. But of course, since the Sith were in the picture, they had made every effort to make the clone evil: Skilled in the Dark Side of the Force! The Sith never ceased to surprise with their devious schemes - this one was particularly nasty. The possibilies for using a an exact genetic level copy of the Jedi Master were many; breeding Sith with extreme midichlorian counts, infiltration, setting up traps for the Jedi.. and later, when the base was abandoned in a hurry, they had left their amusing little experiment behind. The cloning facility with the chamber holding the clone had collapsed due to the huge forces of the explosion.. And now the creature was released from captivity - full of hate and anger toward anyone. Especially toward the Jedi.

Yoghurt could not stand by any longer. With the dark energies hammering at Turbogeek’s and Mara’s cover from three sides, he could no longer just watch.

Reaching out to the clone with his mind, he mentally tapped on the shoulder of the Dark clone. Confused, the Dark being turned, stopping it’s assault on the other Jedi at the same time. Yoghurt felt the sudden fear in it’s mind as it recognised the Jedi Master as it’s match.

--

The two Jedi, Fewdman and Nupraptor slowed from their run.

“Damn she got away” cursed Nupraptor

“Who was she, anyway?”

“Don’t know… shh!!!”

Both Jedi dropped to the ground as Nupraptor clearly saw their quarry again, moving towards the area a huge explosion had sounded from not long ago. They crept forward, keeping their distance as they tailed her. Eventually, she stopped in an area that was the edge of a blast radius and not far from there was where the fight between 4 figures could be seen. Nupraptor rapidly identified Lady Mara Jade and Turbogeek, plus he could suppose the huge armoured fiend was this Venom whom everyone seemed to be concerned about. The fourth, he saw was the same Sith he had tangled with on a warship a year ago – the winged freak as Tohmahawk had called him.

A tornado appeared and seemed to attack the two Dark Siders, much to Fewdman’s awe.

“Who did that?” he asked, googled eyed

“Most likely Master Turbogeek. I’ve heard rumours he’s been working on some sort of Force Weather Control”

Their Sith quarry began to move forward again as the tornado subsided, now with Lynch and Venom no-where in sight. The two Jedi held station, until Nupraptor gasped.

“Fewdman… look! It’s … it’s Master Yoghurt… and he’s possessed by the Dark Side!”

“What the…!” Fewdman stretched out with the Force, seeing the clone and almost at the same time, the real Master Yoghurt. “No… it’s a clone! Look, the real Master Yoghu…. Oh oh”

Fewdman’s exclaimationwas well worth it, as the battlefield came alive with the snap and crackle of Sith energy, targeting one point where Turbogeek and Mara were crouched. Even worse, the other Sith was now charging, with sabre lit. Almost instantly, Nupraptor and Fewdman reacted, also charging after Callica.

Just as Turbogeek readied himself for what he believed would be a heroic last stand, he felt the approach of someone else.

“Oh no… another Sith! Now we have a problem” he exclaimed. Turning in the indicated direction, Mara stood as the barrage of energy tapered off – were they worried about hitting their fellow Sith?- whatever the reason, Lady Mara stepped forward to meet this new arrival head on.

Venom lowered his hand as he saw the balance of power change in a blink of an eye. The clone and Yoghurt were facing off, Callica had turned up and was about to face Mara, with other two Jedi following her.

“Damn that fool Callica! Come Lynch, we’ll leave the clone to Yoghurt, we’ll go and meet these new arrivals” Lynch nodded, cursing internally. This long fight was starting to wear on him and fighting two fresh arrivals was not what he really wanted to do.

Mara moved abruptly, tackling the Sith female as Callica tried to cut her in half, crashing them both to the ground. Mara recovered first, getting up on her knees, before punching the Sith hard in the face once, twice, three times. Blood began to ooze from Callica’s nose as Mara punched again, only this time to punch dirt. Startled, she looked around, before seeing her opponent standing near her, a hint of a sneer on her face.

“Were you looking for me, Jedi?” Callica snarled.

Mara got to her feet, mentally berating herself for falling for an illusion, before replying. “Fool! Don’t you know I have played your game before?”

“Ahhh, but I play it better!” Several duplicates of Callica appeared, each with hand extened, each firing energy at Mara. She gasped as the voltage hit her on the chest. Shutting her eyes, she fought through the pain, to use the Force to touch each duplicate… dissolving it. Extending her hands outwards, Mara fought against the lightning, pushing it away with the Force. Callica intensified her attack, only to squeal as Mara picked her up in the Force and threw her into some of the remaining trees, cracking branches as the Sith fell back to earth again. Barely able to get up, Callica tried to draw breath against the broken ribs she had just received.

Turbogeek had gotten up and was now entwined in a renewed attack by Lynch and Venom, blasting the Jedi Master with lightning. Turbogeek, his face grim, kept a hand raised as he fought off the combined power with a Force Shield. Nupraptor and Fewdman bypassed Mara, to continue their advance into the Dark Siders. Faced with an immediate attack, Lynch’s and Venom’s focus changed to the newcomers, who met their Force attacks with their lightsabres.

Leaving Turbogeek free of opponents for a critical moment.

Yoghurt probed the mind of the clone, who chose that moment to speak.

“You want to know who I am? Who I am? Matter that does? I am what I choose. To take or to die.. that is the only choice of importance. I choose survival and ultimate power. To take and to do what I want; true freedom and justice that is. No one can stop me.. no one. Those who try, destruction will face “

He paused for a second to to make sure the Jedi did not try to escape. With contempt, he looked at his enemy

“The real Truth I accepted have: There is no peace.. there is fear and terror. I destroy the misguided naive fools who think otherwise. This non believer.. traitor.. must be prosecuted and punished; swift and with no mercy. When the shepherds of light fall, a new era there will be.. where Lords of Dark the Promised Land will rule.. with iron fist. As written in the Prophecy, unavoidable it is. Jedi Order the rot of the Galaxy is.. now, behold as they the ultimate price pay.. for the Dark betraying. Watch.. to eternal damnation they are thrown to.. You will be first Yoghurt!”

A thunder is heard in the distance as he raised the lightsabre toward the sky.. with a burst of rage, he twirled the lightsabre upward in an inverted letter S formation, ending the motion with a full extension of his wrist and arm. At the precise moment when full elastic motion potential was reached, he swinged his sabre downwards in a 90 degree brutal and vicious slash. The Dark Green creature screamed in triumph as the blade falls toward Yoghurt.

“No”

The weapon the clone held fizzled and popped as the emitter array shorted out. The blade thudded into the ground as the clone looked at the calm and composed face of Yoghurt in shock.

“You defy me?” he snarled.

“Hurt no-one you will” replied Yoghurt, raising a hand and striking the clone with a Force Malachi. The clone felt as if a huge hammer had pounded his head, nauseated and dizzy beyond thought, he staggered backwards.

Turbogeek seized his chance. He switched off his sabre and drew the handle back, remembering a passage from the text he had used to construct this weapon.

JEDI….. TAKE COVER!!

Mara instantly obeyed Turbogeek, while Yoghurt paused, puzzled. The two other Jedi were far too busy fending off lighting attacks, but Nupraptor and Fewdman began to work their way to the nearest cover.

Turbogeek took aim and flung the Athona directly at the evil clone, who caught the lightsabre by reflex and with some surprise. The Jedi Master dived to the ground, with Yoghurt now doing the same, hoping his close proximity wouldn’t matter. Fewdman and Nupraptor also fell to the ground, with Venom and Lynch exchanging a puzzled glance.

He clone realised something was going on, as he discovered he could not move, nor could his hands let go of the sabre. Athona itself began to glow white, the light reaching the point o f intense pain if one looked at it directly. The clone began to yowl as flames began to burst from his hands from the super heated weapon.

Venom and Lynch turned to shield their faces. For the first time in his existence, Venom felt the clutches of fear course through his veins. What in blazing hell was this?!?

The Athona seemed to explode in a ball of white fire, blasting outwards in a soundless and dazzling explosion of power. The Clone screamed as the Light Side penetrated him, burning and searing at his Dark Power. Like molten lava, the Light Side flowed in his veins as the intense agony smashed at the clone, flames bursting from his ears.

“Fools, you can not stop me!” it howled.

Quite abruptly, the light show finished and the clone was freed of the torment – only to look down and see that Master Yoghurt had buried his lightsabre blade into the chest of the clone. With a muted sigh, the clone died and fell to the ground as the Jedi Master switched his blade off. In a burst of flames, the body shrivelled and disappeared into the void.

Master Yoghurt shook his head, now freed of the buzzing that had been caused by the clone’s close proximity. He stared amazed at the place the clone had been.

“How?”

Turbogeek walked over to where the clone had been. “Little trick I found out about. That lightsabre is imbued with the light side of the Force and it will react when touched by a Dark Sider, causing extreme pain and the interesting pyrotechniques. Your head all clear now?”

“Yes, much clearer. Now, we must take care of Venom and Lynch”

Turbogeek looked to where there were two highly annoyed Dark Side users. “Yoghurt, with have some business to finish off. Nup, Fewdman, with me. Mara, go finish off that other pathetic bundle of rags. Go!”

Turbogeek bent down to retrieve his sabre, igniting the unique colour shifting blade. He might be weary, but the Force was with him – with three fresh Jedi at his back, now was the time to finish Venom and Lynch off.

Even outnumbered two to one, Lynch laughed as the Jedi approached.

“Bit over confident aren’t they? Which one do we kill first?”

“Take your pick. By the time we are through with them, death will be a blessing to their broken and twisted bodies”

Laughing slightly, Lynch powers up his sabre, pointing it at Yoghurt and Turbogeek, while beginning to chant a verse.

“One Jedi...” points sabre at Turbogeek “two Jedi...” points sabre at Yoghurt “which is going to die...one Jedi...” points sabre at Turbogeek again “two Jedi...” points sabre at Yoghurt “which is going to die...Jedi all...fall....down!”

With that, Lynch produced a plasma grenade and threw it at the Jedi. They both leapt away as the grenade exploded, sending pieces of hot earth flying. The smoke obscured the Jedi’s view. Yoghurt peered through the somke until he yelled that he could see Venom.

Lynch’s attack came from behind. The smoke trailing off his wings, he flew straight into Turbogeek’s back, smashing the Jedi face first into the ground. Yoghurt leapt to the Jedi Master’s defence, to receive a backhand slap for his trouble. Turbogeek rolled away from a sabre strike aimed at his head, replying with a kick from the ground, hitting Lynch in the kneecap. The Sith jumped to lessen the blow, before aiming another slash at Turbogeek’s chin.

Lady Mara advanced to where the hissing Sith Callcia sat on the ground, doing her best to breathe without pain from the fractures she had in the ribs. Looking up, the Sith sneered at Mara, despite the pain.

“Well, if it isn’t the mighty Lady Mara Jade. Look at yourself! A Sith Leader turned to a mere Jedi Padawan! You have become what you have hated the most. Your rerason to live is gone, for what is a life without hatred?”

Mara shakes her head slowly before replying. "How limited you are, Callica. You and those like you. It is you who has not a reason for living. You live for yourself only... you are but one person and will not pass the span of time. You will die, just like those like you in the past have, with accomplishing nothing of significant importance. Personal gain is all that you have accomplished in this life...what happens when you are dead and gone?"

Callica thinks for a moment then replies. "I don't intend to die."

"You cannot live forever."

Growling in frustration Callica leaps toward Mara. "I did not come here to banter back and for with the likes of you, Jedi! I came for your head!" As Callica soars forward toward Mara she extends her arms and shoves Mara backward with the force. With a yell of pain Mara was sent airborne, to slam to the ground with a thud. Callica lands swiftly behind her with perfect form, kicking a large branch
at the middle causing it to snap in half and fly upward toward her. With quick reflexes she catches it and twirls it around several times. Recovering slowly Mara rises to her feet and turns around just in time for Callica to slam the large branch into her mid-section. Mara stumbled backward nearly losing her balance. Callica darted toward her again and swung the branch at her. Suddenly, with
lightning fast reflexes Mara manages to catch the branch with her left hand. Gripping the branch firmly Mara pulled Callica forward as she spun around, locking her right hand on Callica’s elbow. The Sith yelled in pain as her ribs were jogged, then in even more painas she was forced to drop her improvised weapon, and yelled even more as Mara’s relentless pressure dislocated the Sith shoulder. Sinking to the ground, Callica almost sobbed in agony.

“You’ve wasted enough of my time, Sith. Last chance, you either surrender or you die. There are no further options for you.”

In response, Callica looked at Mara with blood shot eyes, before her foam flecked lips began to whisper. "With the power I have rightly seized control of I now call to you Lucient, loyal slave of the Dark Side. Keeper of all that is evil...come to me now. Destroy that which you hate the most...destroy the light!”

Mara’s eyes narrowed. “Your facination with witchcraft will get you nowhere. It’s not going to save you from the fate you have now chosen for yourself”
Even as she said that, a low growl was emitted from behind her. Sensing a disturbance in the Force, she turned to look straight into the eyes of a massive beast like creature. Blue in colour, with short fur that covered it body, it was Mara’s height and seemed to walk on all fours. Teeth, 10 centimetres long dripped with drool as it’s claws dug into the earth.

Mara hastily called a sturdy piece of wood to her had by the Force, then swung hard at the beast. It snapped at the weapon, biting and shattering it. Mara threw the useless remaons at the monster, before being rocked off her feet as the beast swiped her with one of it’s paws. Skidding to a stop, The Jedi Padawan touched her arm where a large cut was beginnig to bleed, ripping a piece off her jumpsuit to stop the bleeding.

The beast eyed off Mara, before waddling to Callica, the Sith putting a hand on the beasts head, before turning and sneering at the Jedi.

“Now… YOU will die, oh Mara who chose poorly!”

The beast charged, Mara barely getting out of the way. Was this … thing controlled by Callica? More pondering she could not do as the beast charged again, this time connecting with Mara and sending her flying off her feet again.

Ouch, she moaned. Now, she was in trouble.

A small branch shifted as Mara’s hand tried to push her up to her feet, to be ready to meet the next charge of the beast. Without a weapon, she was next to helpless and would die.. her hand grasped the branch as an idea came to mind. Still not certain if some of the tricks she had learned as a Sith Master were usable by a Jedi. No time to think long on that, for this was probably the last thing that could save her. Getting to her feet, she closed her eyes and concentrated, the stick held in her hands in front of her.

The beast ran at her, breaking into a gallop as it accelerated.

The stick began to glow of it’s own accord, becoming green.

The beast jumped, intent on making this attack fatal.

Mara stepped back, eyes now open and struck out, the stick now energised like a sabre, glowing greenly. The weapon swept at the beasts head as Mara stepped sideways, cutting into the monsters neck.

Without a sound, except for the crash onto the ground, the beast came to a stop, then faded out of existence. Mara’s improvised weapon also faded out as the Jedi relaxed, allowing the power known as Force Energise to dissipate. Callica looked in horror at where the beast had been, before turning furious eyes back to Mara. The Jedi returned the gaze, continuing to stare off the Sith as she advanced. Callica screamed and, ignoring the pain from her ribs and shoulder, ran at the Jedi, a small knife now in her hands, intent on finishing this Jedi pest off. Mara stood calmly, before ducking the knife swipe and tripping Callica, hands grabbing the Sith’s cloak and adding some more power to the trip. The Sith wailed as she flew, falling face first into a pile of debris, a tearing, wet sound added.

Mara turned to look at the prone Sith, who didn’t move. She walked over, then pulled the body of the Sith off the branch that had impaled her chest. Staring at the now lifeless face, Mara could only feel sadness – another one lost to the Dark Side without redemption. Without another thought, the Jedi allowed Callica’s body to fall and crumple, before stepping over it and heading back to where the main battle was.

Lynch’s sabre fell, but only touched empty air as the Jedi Master Turbogeek rolled away, getting clear enough to be able to stand and light his own sabre. Master Yoghurt, also with his sabre lit, chose that moment to make his move, swiping at Lynch’s knees. Within a few seconds, Turbogeek also joined the attack, forcing the Sith to defend for his life. With two of the best Jedi Masters now in battle with him, Jedah Lynch knew he could not hold out for long – he had only managed to survive against Turbogeek by trickery and well timed sleight of hand, the Jedi had somehow survived them all and now had the upper hand, clearly intent on following through. But now, there were no tricks left, nowhere left to run.

Yes there was he realised. Fighting alone, he was going to die. But teamed up with Venom…

Venom on the other hand was almost casual in his battering of the two Jedi Knights that faced him. The unusual Force Pike with it’s cortoros shielding was forcing the Jedi into the fight that Venom wanted, a physical contest that was going badly for the Jedi. Fewdman went flying backwards as a hammer fist caught his temple, sending the Jedi to skid a number of metres with it’s power. Nupraptor was nursing a severe cut to his shoulder as well as some of the worst bruising he had ever received. Luckily for him, being mostly mechanical meant the sheer violence of Venom’s attacks were neutralised – but still, this was turning out to be a fight he would not forget for a while. Especially as he was once again knocked off his feet by a huge side kick, that sent him careening into Fewdman.

Lynch ducked a savage blow by Yoghurt, then jumped, spreading his wings and arrowing to where Venom stood. He landed next to the Dark Jedi, who was preparing to take the battle to the two Jedi Knights.

“Divided, we wont survive this Venom. The two Masters are too much I think, even for you”

Venom paused as he saw Master Yoghurt and Turbogeek running for the two Dark Siders. Also behind them was Lady Mara Jade, who must have dealt with that fool Callica. 5 against 2 were good odds, but Venom was certain he knew what the Jedi tactics would be – separate Lynch and Venom, use one or two Jedi to keep Venom busy while three others made short work of Lynch. Then it would be 5 against one and even Venom stood little chance then. The Jedi must have realised that as well, as they took their time to regroup, to take a breather, to check wounds and to ready themselves for this assault. Lady Mara had picked up a steel bar, while Nupraptor like wise had armed himself with a pipe, while Fewdman had produced… a frozen fish? Only Turbogeek and Yoghurt were now with sabre, so they would be the ones to cut out Lynch and finish him. The rest were now armed appropriately for the huge Force Pike wielding behemoth.

Anger took hold of Venom, a deep passionate fury that coursed through his limbs, his mind and his soul. With a bellow, the Dark Jedi crashed forward, attacking with a speed that defied belief, with Lynch by his side. The Jedi resisted, then faded to the left and right, presenting two fronts and then moving slightly out of range. Turbogeek stepped forward, attacking with his sabre at Venom. The Dark Jedi moved into his typical reaction, Force Pike aiming to disable the blade, then a reverse swing to punish the fool. Except, as Venom attacked, the Jedi shifted his footing, and parried against the shearing guard of his highly unusual weapon. Effectively inside Venom’s attack arc, the Jedi struck out again, this time with Venom unable to bring his pike to bear, was forced to step backwards, and again in quick succession as the Jedi attacked a few more times. At the same time, Yoghurt swept in as well, flowed by Fewdman, swinging the ludicrous weapon. Except it connected with the back of Venom’s helmet with a force that was hard to believe, making the Dark Jedi’s ears ring from the blow. Rage taking over, Venom sprang forward to reunite with Lynch, engaged Nupraptor in a clash of weapons before a well timed kick to Nupraptor’s groin sent the Jedi to the ground, gasping for breath and nearly cross eyed with pain.

Turbogeek called Nupraptor’s pipe to his hand with the Force, then with sabre in one hand, pipe in the other, attacked Venom again, with Fewdman and Yoghurt once again going at the huge Sith with renewed vigour, once again forcing the huge human to back peddle.

Leaving Nupraptor out of the fight for the moment and Lady Mara to face Jedah Lynch alone for the moment.

“Mara..”

She paused at the sound of her name, looking over this Sith who was more than just a bit battle scarred, bloodied from combat and in fact one of his wings looking like it had been broken.

“You killed Callica”

“Is that who she was? Waste of time Lynch, waste of time. She was pathetic”

“But she was with promise, she had much power that she was just learning she had. Yes, what a waste.” Lynch turned his back on where Venom was now fighting 4 Jedi and more to the point, holding them off. Lynch knew that even Venom would not hold out against such a group, but he would hold out long enough, long enough for what he intended.

“Mara…. Mara, I want to talk to you…”

Slowly, he advanced on the woman he had called wife, almost stopping when he saw her raise an improvised weapon. In response, Lynch let his sabre fall to the ground, the device making a small clunking sound as it hit a rock and bounced away. He raised his hands slightly, palms open. Puzzled, Mara waved her weapon at the Sith. Lynch knew in his heart there was one more thing he had to do… then he would leave. The sabre was called to Mara’s hand in the Force and she lit it. The Sith looked at the glowing blade that was his own, then straight into the eyes of the Jedi.

“One thing I have always been with you is honest, even if I should not have. And right now, I did not come here to this planet to fight you, nor would I have really wished it. I will not strike at you now, nor will I resist if you strike at me”

The fight between the Jedi and Venom moved about, with the Jedi presently taking a beating from the Force Pike that Venom held. Spitting out some blood from a cut mouth, Turbogeek got to his feet, recovering from yet another blow from the pole arm. By his side, Master Yoghurt surveyed where Lady Mara and the Sith, Darth Lynch were at present standing, The small Master noted Lynch’s weapon was in Mara’s hands and the Sith had his arms up.

“Master Turbogeek… I think Lynch surrendered!”

“Oh good. Somehow I have my doubts, but good.” He swayed and droped down to one knee, breathing raggedly. Yoghurt noted the Force sense of his fellow Jedi, noted he was on the brink of exhaustion.

“Hmm. You stay here Master Turbogeek, keep an eye on Lynch and Mara. Fewdman, Nupraptor and I, we will deal with Venom. Three Jedi, I do not think he can defeat”. Gratefully, Turbogeek bent his head, greedily sucking in air, while Yoghurt watch ed for a moment as the two other Jedi fended off Venom’s attacks – with some success as well. The huge human was holding his own, yes, but now with fresh opponents, it was only a matter of time before the Jedi took down the Dark Jedi. Yoghurt hoisted his weapon and joined in the fray, as Turbogeek turned his head to look over Lynch and Mara.

Lynch noticed Mara waiver, somewhat confused now from Lynch’s words. Tired and hurt form the long fight, first with Venom, then with Callica. He wondered if she would allow him to come close or would she kill him? She had enough reason not to stay her hand, he knew this and in his heart he knew he had failed. He had failed to claim her back, a failure. He had never told anyone, but since they had captured Mara a year ago, it had eaten at him like a cancer. Now, that failure was face to face with him. He took a few more steps forward, close enough to reach out and touch her arm, gently moving it in such a way as the sabre no longer was close to him. Stepping yet closer, he took two steps closer, touching a finger to Mara’s lips to stop her from speaking – for just a bit longer.

Turbogeek looked on in puzzlement from where he was squatting, wondering if he should intervene.

Lynch looked inot Mara’s eyes before speaking again. “I never agreed with you being one of them, a Jedi – yet I thought you could see past what they are and see it wasn’t your place. That you didn’t belong and you would return to your true nature. What you are… waited for you to return and waited… but you didn’t. I was so sure instead that you had some plan and for the last year I have been waiting and watching, hoping that you would trick them but it seems you were infected by their cursed words. Their teachings. They dared warped you, change you, they would pay for that!”. Feeling the anger well up in him, he looked at his clenched fist. Feeling the pain inside, he allowed his anger to be released, to focus on what he was doing right now. It was not the right time for him to be consumed by Darkness and to be the Dark Lord he truly was. No, anger would not serve him here.

“I swore they would pay, pay dearly, painfully, screaming as I killed them. I wanted you back and that is why we did as we did a year ago, I thought that the Force would be needed, merciless, brutal”. The Sith flinched, remembering. He allowed a look of pain cross his face for a second, his eyes looking lost without the fires of the Dark Side they usually shone with.

“I could not go to the Jedi like you did – I thought of it and I pondered on it, but it is just not in my nature. Not who I am and anything else would have been a sham, only a shadow of something. My like has been one born of Darkness, the only way, the only cause I can serve until I am dead. Killed by some Jedi most likely. When I saw you, I allowed rage and anger to cloud my judgement far too much, lost focus on why and instead only sought to achieve the goal of recovering you by any means necessary”. His eye twitches, seeking to contain his anger over the memory, anger that once again dissipated when he looked at her face again.

Turbogeek was drawn closer, now within earshot and listening intently and with some disbelief, his sabre ready but unlit.

Lynch reached into his pocket, taking out a golden ring with a dark green gem embedded in it.

“I should have done better… talked… yet relied on action and the Force to deal with you. That was a mistake, a very bad mistake and now I know. When you said it was over, I realised. Yet always too late does realisation come, Always too late for second chances and I resigned myself to my fate. Even so, I could never bring myself to throw this ring away. When we had you as out prisoner, I somehow hoped that we could finally break you free of the sickening Light side, even if I did not have you again, you would still be with us. It didn’t happen…” Lynch’s face trembles, with the hint of a tear in his eye. But his voice remained firm as he continued to speak. “ I am Darkness. I am a Sith and we could not let the Jedi have you. So we tricked them – bargained your freedom for territory and our own slime of a politician. We had it all worked out, we were going to actually hand you over dead. Beside the Jedi that is now standing several feet behind me, when I followed that Jedi when he was also of the Dark Side, we killed so many innocents. What would one more matter?”

Turbogeek was taken aback hearing that. He still did not remember Lynch as being part of Callista’s group when Q’Dunn was another name. That as over 7 years ago, but still., surely he could at least get a glimpse of memory of it?

Lynch continued. “I was going to be the one who slayed you… but I discovered that one person did matter, right outside the door with my sabre lit. I discovered I wanted you alive as you meant everything to me. I decided to instead booby trap the ship and hoped that if the Jedi set the traps off, I could blame them for your death. Pathetic, isn’t it? Yet, you were saved, saved by the Jedi. Something in me actually rejoiced in that, yet I could never face you again, not after what we did. What is the nature of a man when he is of the Dark and yet loves a person? How can he be true to one when the other exists? How can love and the Dark Side live together?”

“I failed you. I know that, as a husband I was a failure. Most people in this Galaxy I would kill without a second thought, you on the other hand, I could not. Not now, not ever. I’m a killer, Darkness, I hurt you before. I watched you get beaten and did nothing, I would seek out those you call friends and kill them gladly. I will kill the innocent, manipulate them as the thoughtless dewbacks they are. Destroy any and all that you love in this galaxy, but for this time… for this time I submit to you. For this one time I give myself over to you, a chance as I did long ago in another place to end my life as a warrior or as light snuffing out the Darkness. I do this because I love you and I can’t imagine or stand the thought of being apart from you. For all I did – I give you this one chance to bring justice and retribution upon one that hurt you so very much”. His eyes met hers and her’s his. For what seemed like the longest time they stared at each other before Mara broke the silence.

“No. No, I can’t. I may not love you and in some ways I hate you for what you did to me… but I can forgive you”

He stared back at her, stunned. “You… you forgive me? Why?”

“Because I too know what it’s like to love and never have your love returned.”

“What?” This he was not expecting. She… loved someone? “who… Who is it?” The words seemed to be torn from his throat, like a raw wound they seared and throbbed.

“I would follow him to the ends of the Galaxy, fight alongside him and sit at his feet and listen to his voice. I would watch his moves and yet… he will never love me. That’s why I turned Lynch. I thought if I was only a Jedi… but even now I know better. I still have hope…” Her eyes moved to focus on Turbogeek, who was now staring at Lynch and Mara in some kind of sick horror. “I’m sorry Lynch. I know I’ll regret this, but I have to let you live, even for a few more moments. Next time we meet, things will be different, but for now… for now I will have mercy on you”

Lynch turned to stare at the Jedi Master, whose face was right now unreadable. He turned back to face Mara, who in the meantime had drooped, her head turned to face the ground, allowing the sabre to fall from her hands. Lynch turned to look at Turbogeek, then once again faced Mara. He lifted her head gently to look into her now tear stained eyes.

“Him?”

She only answered by drooping her head downwards again. Jedah Lynch felt as if his head and heart was going to explode with the pain. The pain built… it flared and it became the deepest, the most powerful rage he had ever had. It hit him in a wave of fury, it burned and twisted and ignited every cell. The rage took him over. Clutching the ring in his hand viciously, he suddenly wheeled, calling the sabre on the ground to his hand. A primeval scream burned his throat as his mind snapped and hatred took over.

“DDDDDIIIIIEEEE!!!!!!”

With nothing but a feather dropping at her feet, Lynch left Mara for the last time, intent on fighting Turbogeek for one final time.

The Jedi eyes opened wide as he saw the insane attack coming and with a flick of his thumb, the pulsing blade of the Athona came to life, it blade dancing in colour. The now insane Sith came at him, his own sabre held above his head as he charged.

Mara turned her face away, unable to look.

Lynch began to sweep his sabre down, aiming directly at the Jedi’s skull. Turbogeek sidestepped and bought his sabre up, the point going below Lynch’s ill timed swipe..

The Jedi switched his blade off and watched as Lynch gasped in pain, dropping his own weapon and then clutching his stomach in agony. He grunted and rolled over, falling to he ground to stare up at the sky as he gulped at the pain.

The Jedi grimly looked on at the Sith in his death throes.

“That was for my wife”

The Jedi turned away and glanced at the battle still continuing with Venom and the three other Jedi, still fighting.

“Mara!”

She jerked as if struck by lightning.

“Mara, the fights still going. Come on!” He paused as he saw the look on her face. Stepping over Lynch’s dying body, he walked over to her and put his hand under her chin. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

She reluctantly nodded, making sure she didn’t make eye contact and also averting her eyes from where Jedah Lynch lay.

The Sith gasped once more and he felt a sudden peace and the pain went. His eyes cleared for a moment and he turned his head slightly to watch Lady Mara Jade and Darth Turbogeek walk past, the Jedi picking up Lynch’s sabre with the Force and handed it to Mara.

“Good… bye…. My… la…d…yyyyyy…”

As the Sith died, his hand relaxed and the ring dropped out of his hand, to lie on the ground. The two paused as they past, the glint of light reflecting of the gold band. Turbogeek looked at the ring and then at the now peaceful face of the dead Sith.

“I’m sorry about that Mara, I truly am. I would have wished he could have been saved”

She bent down and picked up the ring, examining it. She stood up and without a further word held the ring out to Turbogeek.

“Here…. Can you deal with this? I don’t really want to throw it away, but I don’t want to keep it”

He took the ring and put it wordlessly into his belt. “Mara, we will talk about this later. I really can’t deal with this until we finish off this Venom. Then… we will talk and freely too. Okay?”

She looked up, this time able to meet his eyes with her own. “I’ve been wanting you to say that for a long time Marcus Q’Dunn. Or say at least something to me. Like you knew I was more than just a Padawan to you”

He sighed. “Look…. We’ll just talk later. First things first. I promise you, we will talk”

“Fair enough, if we do.” She replied.

They both turned and began to run to where the fight was still continuing.

Venom didn’t see Jedah Lynch die, but he felt it in the Force. A surge of anger, then… nothing. Gone. He stepped back a few times to give himself a bit of time to contemplate. He could see Turbogeek and Lady Mara Jade coming back in his direction, leaving behind them the body of Lynch crumpled on the ground. He could see these two Jedi he did not know the names of and Master Yoghurt, all of them in a group. They may have been nursing some wounds but in the whole they were still fresh and full of fight. Plus the fact none of them were fight ing with sabres was negating to a degree the advantages of the cortoros coated Force Pike. Still much taller and by far stronger, it still meant that the fight against three Jedi was even – but five?

Venom grinned behind his helmet. Well, time to even the odds.

With a massive swipe, Nupraptor’s weapon went flying from his hands, the Jedi’s hands ringing from the huge impact. Before he could move, a reverse swing caught him under the chin and sent him wheeling away. Fewdman tried to attack in response, but the Dark Jedi, trusting his armour, stepped inside a blow of the fish (What type of loony brings a frozen fish to a fight?) and fired a punch to that Jedi’s gut. Fewdman gagged and fell back, leaving Yoghurt to fend off the next crushing series of blows from the Pike. A smash to under the ribs and Yoghurt also went stumbling away.

It may be a straight out physical fight, but even with the odds against Venom, in that kind of a fight, the Jedi were going to lose badly the Dark Jedi thought.

Mara was about to say something to Turbogeek, but found it would have been said to empty air, the Jedi already racing towards the huge human with his sabre lit and charging the Dark Jedi. Mara’s heart sank as she watched the insane charge, thinking Venom would have to kill Turbogeek. The Dark Jedi swung at the sabre blade, thinking the Pike would shut it off – instead, Venom howled asn the Pike went flying, the Jedi Master somehow avoiding the Pike, duck inside and use some sort of martial arts move that managed to grab hold of Venom’s arm and use a elbow pressure point to make it flare with pain, the Jedi even managing to slip a thumb past a chink in the armour. The Pike was sent flying away in the Force, the Jedi pivoting and swinging with his lightsabre. Venom actually managed to duck, then backed away as the Jedi followed through with another slash, then again and again, Venom scrambling backwards.

The Dark Jedi reached behind his back and as the Jedi thundered down a blow to his head, bought out his own sabre, the blade deep red meeting the colour shifting one in a clash of sparks and sound. Turbogeek, feeling the Force flowing through him and giving him a new lease of energy really began to warm to his work, developing a rhythm&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp to his attacks.

With some relief, the rest of the Jedi dropped their improvised weaponry and reached for sabres. Now the fight was very much in their favour.

With some relief, Mara sank down onto a rock, utterly exhausted. She would not be needed as 4 sabre bearing Jedi would make short work of one Dark Jedi. Surely Venom’s only choice was to run.

But it was clear Venom had no intention of running, instead parrying off the huge attack by Turbogeek and circling around, keeping clear of the rest of the Jedi that were approaching. The Jedi Master was going for the kill now, smashing at Venom for all he was worth, even managing to defeat the Dark Jedi’s defences twice and leaving smoking trails of armour, testimony to attacks that were too close for comfort. Now with Yoghurt joining in and the other two not far behind, the end was nigh.

But Venom had other ideas.

He fended off anthoer attack and then jumped high, spinning in the air. As he did so. Landing, he ran and then dived, sliding in the dirt as his hand reached out for the Force Pike, lying on the ground and also close to the now isolated Mara, staring in surprise before reaching out and picking up the nearest solid branch.

“Oh &(^%!!! Yog, lets get over there quickly! MOVE!” yelled Turbogeek, breaking into a run. The rest of the Jedi hardly needed more encouragement, breaking into a combined sprint.

But for the moment, Mara faced Venom alone. Already battered and weary, she attacked first, swinging hard, her speed still enough to get through his defences and hammer one of Venom’s shoulders. He blow hardly absorbed, the Dark Jedi’s anger explodes into a berzerker’s rage, the Dark Jedi roaring as the fury overtook him. Given strength by his anger, the Dark Side melded with him. Mara’s branch shattered as Yoghurt attacked form behind, the Dark Jedi hardly pausing to do a reserve lunge and break the little Jedi’s jaw with the pommel. Mara wasn’t given any time to recover as Venom turned on her again, smashing at her three times, breaking her arm. Building up speed and power, Venom sunk a sickening blow into her solar plexus, Lady Mara gasping and doubling over with the sheer pain.

Venom stepped around behind Mara and almost sadistically, reversed the Pike and stabbed downward with the sharp point. The pike’s aim was true and unerring, spearing through the back of Mara’s stomach, puncturing organs, blood vessels to emerge with a sickening ripping sound on the other side. He placed a boot right next to the wound and then kicked hard, the Jedi Padawan sliding off the Pike to flop onto the ground face first, gaping at the agony that was now burning inside her, the intense pain almost making it impossible to breathe. Somehow, she managed to get to knees, placing a hand on stomach, she touched the wetness that was spreading slowly. She looked at her hand and saw the blood, then collapsed again with a small cry of horror.

The Dark Jedi watched her fall impassively, free of any emotion other than intense anger.

The four Jedi had come to a halt, looking in shock as Mara feel, their eyes locked onto the sight of one of their own fallen. Yoghurt slowly got up, certain his eyes were lying to him. Surely not….. not Mara?

The Jedi Master Darth Turbogeek didn’t want to see but his eyes refused to move. He ripped his attention from Mara, to the huge human who gave the Jedi a rude gesture. No. This wasn’t happening, not again…

The woman, so beautiful, so innocent, so trusting was knocked off her feet by the force of blow. He could do nothing as she sank to the ground, her blood forming a pool at the throat as her life blood leaked out. The Sith, after taking his revenge on is wife set off a bomb right next to Q’Dunn, knocking him out – when he awake, in bandages and in a med unit, all he knew was that she was gone from his life forever….

“No….”

Mara groaned as another wave of pain hit her

“No…. MAAAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAA!!”

His scream erupted from his throat, his sudden anguish exploded outwards, the sound echoing. He raised his head and screamed again, his mind losing control for a few seconds as the despair and pain he had buried in him welled up, the pain he had kept to himself for seven long years. It all expressed itself now, the frustration, the depression, the anger and the fear all rolled into one sound. A sort of madness came on him.
Moving woodenly at first, before beginning to walk, then run, then sprint, the Jedi ran howling at the Dark Jedi, sabre extended. Venom saw the attack coming and bought up the Pike, which unexpectedly snapped as Turbogeek used the Force to break the weapon in half. Not pausing, the Jedi attacked as Venom brought out his sabre and back pedalled, the Jedi’s attacks coming in a flurry and with a speed that defied belief. The sabres clashed, and clashed again, sparks flying and the sound twisting and screaming with the echoes of the sabres clashing. Something unearthly seemed to be urging the Jedi on as he forced Venom into a retreat…

And nearly over the cliff that the Dark Jedi had been tossed over before. His boot slipped as a small bit of the cliff gave way, the stones rolling and bouncing into the abyss, hardly able to defend himself from the Jedi who was out for the kill. Venom knew no more Jedi blood would be split today. He stepped to the ledge, then jumped off, Turbogeek sabre passing through the area the Dark Jedi’s head had been only a fraction of a second before.

Turbogeek nearly tripped up as the swing hit nothing but air, then got a grip on himself. He slowly eased his head to look over the ledge and saw….

Nothing. The Dark Jedi had disappeared.

Nearly 50 metres down and under a ledge, Venom held on to a handhold and looked down. From where he was, the climb down would be dangerous, but possible. Time to get off this miserable ball of rock and leave the Jedi to bawl over their loss. Not that today had had been anything for the Rogue Sith Order to look back on. Callica, she was no real loss. But Jedah Lynch? A worthwhile ally, strong in the Force and intelligent. For the times ahead, the Rogues would need ones like him and his loss would be a sore blow. Though… the loss of Lady Mara Jade would be far more telling to the Jedi. He dismissed that train of thought and looked for the next handhold to use in his decent.

Turbogeek looked over the cliff and bowed his head, accepting for the moment Venom had gotten away. No one had won here today, there was only loss. His eyes began to feel like they were burning as he slowly sat down and sank his head into his hands. He was tired, in pain and now he had to deal with the loss of a Padawan. But Mara was more than that.

“I would follow him to the ends of the Galaxy, fight alongside him and sit at his feet and listen to his voice. I would watch his moves and yet… he will never love me. That’s why I turned Lynch. I thought if I was only a Jedi… but even now I know better. I still have hope…”

And what he said? He would talk to her when it was over? Oh yeah, things were really over now.

Mara groaned in pain again as the Jedi tried to stop the external blood loss. She lay on her back, a cloak pressed to her pack and Yoghurt placing strips of cloth on the wound to her front. She eyes blinked and she coughed up blood, Nupraptor cleaning it off her face.

“Morgan… get the ship I have a much better medical set-up we can use in it. Hurry!” urged Nupraptor. Fewdman got up and nodded, winging his way across the ground to where Nupraptor and Yoghurt had landed, seemingly so long ago. In fact is was not even mid morning and the sun of the planet still was low. The day itself was turning out delightful – in stark contrast to the events that had transpired so far.

“Y… Yog…. Need to speak… to Turbogeek…”

The green Jedi nodded to Nupraptor, who got up, sighted where Turbogeek was sitting and began to move in that direction.

“Hang on Mara, we can save you!” implored Yoghurt.

“No… no… time … is to … short… ooooooooohhhhh this huuuurrrrttttsss….”

Feeling the Force, Yoghurt could see in it that Mara’s words were right. Her Force essence was still there, but it was beginning to ebb and he could do nothing about it. She was dying and all he could do was ease her passing – the single most depressing thought he ever had. Two sets of footsteps and Nupraptor, accomanyed by Turbogeek came back to where Mara lay. The other Jedi Master knelt down beside her.

“I’m here Mara’

The voice, controlled. But the eyes… the eyes reflect what Master Yoghurt was feeling this moment. The agony and the sorrow.

“I guess… this is… later Macrus”

He had to laugh slightly. “Yeah, I guess it is. This wasn’t quite what I was planning on you know. How you feeling?”

Her face seemed to lighten up and she even managed a smile “I have… felt better. How… about you?”

Again, he had to smile. “Definantly had better days. Anything you want me to do?”

“Hold..me…”

Oh @#%$. Anything but that. The Jedi froze with what felt like a giant hand around his heart.

“Please… it will ease… my passing”

His limbs moved woodenly, like they were not in his control. He slowly sat down and drew the dying Padawan into his arms, whisking a stray piece of hair off her face. Mara smiled sadly and winced as another bout of pain wracked her body. The pain ebbed again before she continued.

“Wanted… this… for a long…t ime”

“I know. But you know I never would. I was have loved someone else and I would always do so. But….. “

She’s… dead? Could you have …ever accepted her… loss and loved… me?”
The Jedi Master gazed sadly at into the mid distance. “I… I … I don’t know! I always swore to be true to her memory!” Hot tears began to burn down his cheeks as he waved his arms in a signal of confusion. “I… I don’t know… Mara… I’m sorry, but that the best answer I can give”

She reached out hesitantly and touched one of the tears that streaked his cheek, then continued to touch his cheek. He seemed to resent her touch, but he didn’t stop her.

“I … wish… things ..were different” She smiled at him, her face seeming so tired.

“You know, you are beautiful when you when you…. smile” He had been about to say something else, but had caught himself in time. But it didn’t fool her

“Go… on… say it”

He grimaced. “Why? I wont say something unless I mean it”

“I… know”

She had him there. Her smile, even more clouded by the pain she was going through still lit up her face. “Yes Mara, you right. I really do think your very pretty when you take that permanent smile off your face. In fact… your positively beautiful. I wish I had said it long ago”

Her face shone in delight and not even the pain could take any edge of it. “The pain’s going Marcus. Thank you”

Somewhat puzzled, Turbogeek looked up at Nupraptor, whose hands were covered in blood. He shook his head. “Blood loss DT. She’s slipping away. I’m sorry, there’s nothing more we can do”

He nodded. “You’ve done more than enough my friend.” He turned to Mara again, face composed and his eyes now calm.

“I… couldn’t ask…f or moreeeeee……”. Her voice trailed away, the Jedi knowing this was her last moments.

I don’t know about that. I could have been more for you if I didn’t have my head up my…

She also responded by the Force, now too weak to speak any other way. Your devotion to her did you credit.

Pathetic, isn’t it? I have more devotion to the dead than to the living.

He could feel her life Force slipping away as her body gave up it’s battle to live, slipping closer to death. Despite the pain she must be feeling, he could feel in the Force that she was calm and at peace… like a true Jedi Knight should.

Maybe your devotion will be rewarded someday Marcus Q’Dunn. Maybe you will be reunited with her. I just wish I could have seen it….

The Jedi heard her words in the Force and did some thing he could never explain for the rest of his life. He bent down and kissed Lady Mara on the lips, feeling her surprise, pleasure and appreciation returned as she used the last of her strength to return the kiss. He drew back, some of her blood on his cheek and saw the look of surprise on her face – the look of surprise and also of pure love.

“The Jedi Council grants you the rank hereby grants you the rank of Jedi Knight, my apprentice. You earned it”

You think you are the Council? She returned, a hint of amusement notable

No, but I know they won’t object.

She smiled as she seemed to relax. “Goodbye… Jedi Master … Marcus … Q’Dunn… I… love..yo….u…”

“Goodbye Jedi Knight Mara Jade. May the Force be with You.

I love you too

A small tear fell out of her eye, not of sadness but of joy as she touched his face for the last time. Turbogeek felt her presence in the Force fade, the life went out of her eyes as her heart gave up the unequal battle and her body accepted death. Her hand became limp, slipping away from his face, her last breath hissed out and her eyelids closed, a great look of final and total peace coming over her now still face. He stared at that face, noticing… really noticing the true beauty there, never really cared until now to notice that it was there. With a hand that was beginning to tremble, he touched her face, seeing in it finally something he had never seen before in all the time they had been enemies, then allies…then … then what had they become? What had they become at this point in time?

He realised she was stunningly beautiful… Like a rose in the morning light, delicate petals and dew dripping off it from the cold of the night… opening into full glory as the sun shone on it

“Is she….?” Master Yoghurt could hardly bring himself to say the word, it stuck in his throat, the little Jedi hardly believing that a good friend like Mara now gone, so powerful in the Force, so beautiful… so knowledgeable… that she was gone and there was no return.

Turbogeek found he could not draw his face up to look elsewhere, fearing that if he looked away, this incredible beauty he had discovered would simply disappear if he looked elsewhere, even for a moment. He could only nod his head once, once again tears began to burn his cheeks and blur his vision.

Nupraptor placed his palm on the Jedi Master’s shoulder. “I’m sorry this happened Master.” Turbogeek didn’t answer, only staring as a drop of moisture had appeared on Lady Mara’s cheek, followed by another, running down her face and onto the ground. The sound of Fewdman returning with the ship could be heard in the distance, too late to be of assistance as Master Yoghurt took hold of Nupraptor’s arm and gently led the other away, to leave Turbogeek to mourn his loss. He began to sob uncontrollably, allowing the pain and hard memories to well up to the surface. Remembering another woman whom he had lost. The people he had killed. The times spent in the shadows, fighting the wars that had to be fought.

But it was also for himself. Knowing what he had lost, what could have been. Realising he had loved her and now it was too late. The bitter tears that he had held back in his life for so long, it was almost like learning to cry.

Finally learning to cry for the ones he had lost.

Lady Mara.

His wife.

Himself.

--

Venom looked out of the shuttle Callica, Lynch and himself had flown in on, looking out over the widespread destruction of the area the fight had occurred. The castle the Sith Empire had once been housed in billowed smoke from the flames that were still burning in it, the forests that had been flattened and also the area where freighter could be seen, next to a group of people on the ground – obviously the Jedi and their dead. He used one of the scanners to locate where the body of Jedah Lynch was and ignoring what the Jedi might do, used a tractor beam to float the Sith up into the cargo bay. The RSO would honour this one.

He would have had things turn out different, but only those stuck in the past dwelt on such things. A true warrior would learn from the past and use it to meld their future.

He secured the hatch remotely, then without another glance downward, stood the craft on it’s tail and blasted for orbit and thence onwards for space.

The Jedi only really took a brief look at the craft. Turbogeek didn’t look up at all. He just stared at Mara’s face.

“DT”

He didn’t respond.

“TURBOGEEK!”

“Wha…?” He turned to face Master Yoghurt.

“We must go now. Take her with us and let the other Jedi pay their respects on Dagobah”

Turbogeek had turned back to his study of Mara’s face, reaching out to trace a fold of her cheek. “No.”

“No?”

“No. There is a place near here that overlooks the sea. She showed it to me once. She told me it was a place she went to, to be peaceful and to think things over. She told me it was the place she loved the most” He turned to Yoghurt again. “She should rest there”

--

He had wanted to keep it simple, but in the end, the whole Jedi Order had come, along with New Republic officials, various races the Jedi were allied with as well as in the distance, a group of Sith that had known Lady Mara when she was the leader of the Dark ones. Maybe she had gone to the Jedi, but for some of them, that didn’t matter – she had taught them, mentored them, fought with them and shared the good times and the hard times.

Death was the great equaliser. It didn’t matter what you believed, death was an experience no-one could avoid. In the end, dust you started and dust you became. Some believed there was a soul that continued on, but for the ones left behind, it was a question that could never be answered for sure until they left this life as well.

The gathered beings waited on the cold and wet cliff top next ti a funeral pyre. The bitterly cold gale played along the wave tops, turning the ocean into a grey foam flecked body that added to the general air of gloom of twilight. Finally, the funeral procession could be seen, wooden flaming torches twisting in the harsh wind, six chosen Jedi carrying the pall while Cal Cahelmeia lead the procession, Mara’s rebuilt light sabre in her hand. The pall bearers – all Jedi Masters, all in full dress uniform except for one – Rmaio, Reaperfett, Siber Tiger, Obiwan2 and JK Leia Solo all marched slowly, carrying their grim cargo. The final bearer was Darth Turbogeek, in full black body armour and also carrying a large bunch of blossoms. Mara had been dressed in her battle uniform, hands folded over her chest She had been a warrior in life and in death she would rest as one as well. The bearers all stepped in time, carrying their burden slowly to the waiting group and also the pyre.

She was set down quietly, then the flowers were placed in her hands, along with her lightsabre. Turbogeek stopped briefly to kiss her brow, still seeing the intense beauty there that he had discovered in her face. A hymn, mournful and sombre, deep and powerful was started as the Jedi kissed her lips and said his final farewell. With the hymn growing in strength, Master Yoghurt stepped forward with one of the wooden torches, placing it in into the pyre, with sprung alight instantly. The blaze curled and danced in the wind, consuming the wood and also the last remains of Jedi Knight Lady Mara Jade. A woman who had died a Jedi, loved, honoured.

On her hand, a small ring with a green gem glittered in the flames as it too was consumed. A Jedi turned away unable to look anymore, a lump in his throat and emotion threatening to tear him apart once more. Another Jedi, Garik Loran put his arm around the Jedi’s shoulder, giving him some measure of comfort in what was turning out to be his darkest hour.

--

The Rogue Sith Order watched without emotion as the flames took Jedah Lynch. Unlike the Jedi with Mara, there was no tone of sadness – death was to be expected with a warrior and it was only a question of when. Darth Havok stood next to Venom, Havok being Lynch’s former apprentice.

“What now my Lord?” he asked

“There is much to do yet. The Vog’on have contacted us again and have told us they are ready to move again. Callista has gone ominously quiet, so it is likely she is up to something, whilst the spy I have at Dagobah says Paladin is powerful but still not trained enough. The time of the rift appearing is getting much closer and I can see things are falling into place”

“I profess I don’t understand this prophecy and this thing with Omens and Vog’on plus the interest Callista has in it” Havok admitted.

“I don’t think you will, in the end be concerned with it. Your job will be to consolidate the gains we have made, expand the power of the Rogues. I will be I who deals with it”

Havok nodded and turned back to where the flames danced.

--

Several days later on Dagobah, the Jedi had returned to their daily routines. Training had recommenced and the business of the Jedi Order continued on. In a place they called the Bar and Grill, a hut that had been converted into a mess hall, Master Yoghurt served up some of his root stew to the assembled beings. There was a tone of sadness still, but it was wearing off as the grind of living was taking over. A warm fire kept the place cosy and dried the clothes of those gathered, as Dagobah was having one of the rainstorms that periodically swept the rainforests.

There was one who did not stay inside. At the other end of the bar, outside in the rain that fell like a wall of water, a lone Jedi paused by one of the many riverlets that strung through the planet, looking at the water as it swirled past his feet. He slowly revealed two roses from his cloak, one for each woman he had lost in his life. He placed them down and then allowed the waters to catch and drift the roses away.

A lot like what had happened in reality. Lives that had been close to him, only to caught in the flow of the Force and taken from his grasp. He could only shake his head at the unfairness of it all. The roses swirled and separated, then with the rain lightening a bit, they disappeared from view. The water curled around his boots as he continued to stare out into the gloom and hence was startled as a voice behind him announced it’s presence.

“Jedi Master Turbogeek?”

He turned and covered his surprise with a rearrangement of his cloak. A nameless New Republic Tech stood there with what appeared to be a package under his arm. “Yes, what is it?”

“Sir, this came in, marked urgent for you”

Somewhat puzzled, the Jedi accepted the package and waited for the tech to salute, the n walk away. How… odd. Who would want to send him a package? He read the recipient id - yes for him, then read the sender id.

And paused in anger. If this was some kind of a joke it wasn’t funny. What type of sick person would mark this box as sent from Lady Mara Jade? He nearly threw the box away, but something stayed his hand. Instead, he had a quick look around and saw a rock he could sit on. Moving there, he touched a button and the box opened, revealing a data pad and a holoprojector. Odd.

The projector was wired into the data pad. Odder and odder.

He set the projector and touched the paly button on it. The image of Lady Mara sprang to like – younger, dressed in the uniform that she had worn when she was a Sith, but still definantly the image of a woman who was dead. Even stranger again. What in the Force was all this about?

The image began to speak.

Greetings Jedi Master Turbogeek, I am Lady Mara Jade, the Leader of the Sith Empire.

Wow… this was for real? How come he had not gotten this earlier?

Master Turbogeek, this message and the accompanying data pad were deposited in a bank vault with instructions to be sent to you on verification of my death. Jedi Turbogeek, I know we don’t see things the same way, but I would ask of you in my death a boon. But firstly, let me tell you three things that you may find of interest. …

He eventually played the recording four times before turning it off. This was a joke, it had to be. In fact, he had only played the recording again and again to convince himself it was a joke. He was about to throw the projector away into the water, before pausing as a stray thought came through his mind.

Mara had always been 100% honest with him, never lying even when they had faced each other as enemies.

He clicked the play button and played the message again.

And again.

And again.

No, this was no joke. This was for real. How in the name of the Force it could be true was beyond him, but it was. The data pad went into a pocket and the projector he this time he did heave into the water, but this time as it had done it’s job and needed to be hidden quickly. She hadn’t made it easy and he would have to ferret more information from the ruins of the Sith Empire base, but what she had given him was a start.

Thank you Mara… if this is true you have given me my hope back.

He ran off to where his ship had been parked.

Watching from the forests, a camouflaged figure watched it all, similarly disbelieveing what they had heard. It would have been easy to dismiss, except… except that one item, the one least likely was 100% true. A glint of red armour could be seen as Lord Fire Blade turned and crept back into the forest.

--

The two roses moved away from where the Jedi had placed them into the water. They moved onwards through streams, then rivers and finally a lake. One rose disappeared from all knowledge.

The other eventually was caught in a in a current and carried to a shallow pond, where it was washed gently against the shore. In time, the rose withered and became a husk and the pool dried up to a degree.

Years past and eventually a Jedi came into the area, exploring. Her footsteps crunched on twigs and rocks as she came into view, her red hair standing out in the gloom. She paused as she took in some water, before turning and seeing an unexpected and glorious sight – a rose bush in full bloom where unbeknown to her the rose had come to rest years before. The red flower’s scent filled the clearing, the smell seeming to uplift heavy hearts. On closer examination, the flowers dripped with the occasional drop of dew, dropping to the ground below.

In all, it was one of the most fantastic sights on the whole planet. There seemed to be a touch of sadness about the flowers, the way they dripped, almost like crying. Yet, the scent hinted of hope, a hope for better things in the future. They discovered nothing of the Dark Side could abide being near the plant and the Light Side of the Force seemed to dwell heavily on the area, bright and strong, like a spirit of truth.

Many people would eventually visit the spot over the next few years, those with troubled hearts and minds, those that needed healing of emotional hurts and all of them came back touched and refreshed as if they had someone touch them with a force they could not explain

The called the area the rose grew to be the Place of Healing.

--

[Master Yoghurt]

DT, you are a genius!

What I really like is how you include parts from some major roleplays. That makes the characters more realistic and the story is recognizable to the posters. It was IMO the most fun to read part of Dark Fury so far.

[Edit: I need some coffee]