Shadows (closed)

[Kat Kariena]

Kat glanced through the trees at the lake below, there was something diffrent about this place, something dark. That was why she was here. What she had come to find out. To a normal person this would of seemed a normal lake and forest... but to her it was dark and warned her away.

Perhaps she should of listened to it, but she didn't and invaded the dark landscape. She kept being drawn towards it, even though her mind kept telling her to turn back. Something is wrong, she thought. Why does it keep warning me away?

The surounding trees provided good cover, safe for anyone who wanted to hide. Was someone trying to hide behind them now? Was that what was causing the dark sence?

Her mind kept telling her to turn back, but she refused. Curiousity killed the cat, or in the case the Kat.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::Behind the trees two forms waited, and watched, the little Jedi had brought herself directly into their waiting grasps. One of them began to move, but the other brought it's hand out and brought it to rest on the chest of the other.::

"No. I'll deal with her myself. I've been preparing her for this for a long time."

::With that the figure stepped from behind the shadows, now standing behind Kat. It spoke up::

"Hello Kariena. I'm so glad you could join me."

::Etanial gave a smile::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat didn't turn around, "Hello, Xanatos."

She turned around to look at him, "I now no the source of the darkness here, don't I?"

[Xanatos Etanial]

"Perhaps... perhaps not. Though in truth..."

::He fell silent as he began to speak to her in her own mind::

"In truth you need to find me Kariena... Find the truth... Find me...... find...."

::Kat's expression of horror was sublime, and forced a hearty laugh out of Etanial::

"What's the matter Kariena? Surprised?"

[Kat Kariena]

Kat shook her head and half glared at him, "More than I should be. I should of known it was you messing with my head."

Her eyes narrowed a bit more, "Why are you here, Xanatos? To drive the half sane more crazy?"

[Xanatos Etanial]

"Not exactly Kat. Not exactly, let's call it a culmination of interests."

::Etanial reached back and drew his Sith blade from it's sheath, it's dark metal giving a glint as the few rays of sun fell through the trees onto it::

"Now if you would be as kind as to ready yourself as well."

[Kat Kariena]

"Why do I get the feeling there's more to this than meets the eye?" Kat asked pulling out her saber. Something wasn't right, she got the feeling more than just a simple fight was in the near future.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

A pair of cyan eyes watched from the shadows of the forest. The second figure cloaked itself in a shield of murk, the darkside masking it's very presence from the Jedi. For the moment he would remain skulking in the wings, keeping to himself, allowing for Xanatos to do what he wished with the Jedi - after all, now was an excellent time for Vega to assess the Warrior's skills in the field.

[Xanatos Etanial]

I'm sure this seems a tad of a strange request, Kariana. But would you please strike first? It helps set the pace for me, lets me gauge you. *Chuckles*

[Kat Kariena]

"Oh, very funny, X," Kat replied with a slight laugh in her voice. "And if I told you no?"

She held a defencive stance, "You think I'm that crazy?"

[Xanatos Etanial]

::shrugs::

Well it was worth a shot.

In that case. Have at thee.

::In a quick movement X brought his sword towards her face, it took all her speed to catch it with her own saber before it sliced her face. X gave a coy smile as he pushed down on her using his weight and strength to overpower her::

Having fun yet?

[Kat Kariena]

"Always," Kat replied as she suddenly droped, disengaged her saber and rolled away before X could fall on her.

"You may be stronger than me, but strength isn't everything," she said as she stood again, defencively.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::Kat had rolled away too quickly for him to stop his fall, so instead he let himself plummet only to bring his arm out to catch himself. Showing his upper body strength he leaned down closer to the ground, and then pushed himself back up to his feet. He gave yet another coy smile to Kat::

Ah Kariana. You always have been a wiley one. I guess that's why as far as Jedi go I've always liked you. So why don't you make this easy on yourself. Just give up now.

[Kat Kariena]

Kat watched him fall and wasn't surprised at the way he seemed to show off. "I'll take that as a compliment, comming from you," she replied with a wry grin on her face.

"Have you ever known me to give up easily, X?" she asked, looking like she was about to attack, yet she stood still.

[Xanatos Etanial]

Nope. And I didn't expect you too give up either. I would have been disapointed if you had just quit.

Well then Kat, I'll let you decide, shall we do this with Blades or with fists?

[Kat Kariena]

"Blades," Kat replied. The farther I keep your hands from my neck the better, she thought to herself. "To keep it interesting," she continued, her saber in hand. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve(sp).

[Xanatos Etanial]

Sounds good to me Kariena.

::He picked his sword up from the ground and smiled walking towards her slowly::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat watched him carefully and side-steped away from his advance. Fully alert she held her saber, her mind, and her stance defencively.

[Xanatos Etanial]

Ready for me Jedi?

::Etanial asked with a sly grin::

How can you be ready... when you don't even know where I am?

::Kat raised an eye and with a look of horror realized that the voice did not come from in front of her where X appeared to be, but from behind her. She spun and brought her blade up just in time to catch the blade of Xanatos as it neared her skull::

I've been practicing lil' Jedi. Though you're in tune with your surroundings so well I almost wondered if my illusion would actually work.

::He grinned and brought his sword back from her saber, then struck out again attempting to catch her off her guard once more, she blocked and the battle began, the blades going back and forth as both matched each other blow for blow::

You're fighting surprisingly well Kat.

[Kat Kariena]

"And you cheat surprisingly well," she replied, resisting the urge to rub the back of her head.

"Learned a few new tricks along the way," she commented as she slashed at his shoulder.

[Xanatos Etanial]

Cheat?!

::X said with a mock tone of surprise::

ME?! Never!

I only play fair.

::He chuckled and took a step back, pacing for a few moments, and putting his hand in his pocket in thought as he stared at Kat::

Don't mind me Jedi. Just thinking what I'm going to do to that pretty little neck of yours.

::He smiled and charged sword raised towards her, she held a defensive stance, but not even she could be ready for what happened next. X suddenly dropped his sword within a few feet of her and jumped forward to her side, clasping his hands around her neck he pulled downwards and twisted pulling her into a spinning neck breaker. As both he and the Jedi fell he arched back onto his upper body and propelled himself to his feet, a satisfied smile on his lips as he looked at the sprawled out Jedi::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat pushed herself up onto her knees and rubbed her neck, checking to make sure she was still alive. "And you've learned to cheat well," she muttered. "But then again what else should I expect from you?"

She stood up and called her saber back to her, "Any more surprises? Or can we start having some honor in our fight?"

[Xanatos Etanial]

Honor? HONOR?

What do the Jedi know of honor? They honor themselves, they honor the ground their counsel walks on. But what about you Kat? You have so much potential. SO MUCH. And they overlook it, overlook you. It's sad. And something I'd never do to you.

Despite our differences Kat, I've always liked you. Always thought of you as a friend. And sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love.

::Etanial gave almost a sympathetic smile as a small chip on the back of Kariena's neck released a pulse into her nervous system. A present from his last attack, as the pulse worked it's way through Kariena suddenly found herself on the ground unable to move. Then things started to go dim for her::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat's eyes narrowed in defiance at him as the light started to fade from her eyes. "We shall see," she replied weakly as the world went back.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::He bent down and pushed a lock of hair from her face giving a smile. Funny... in this light she looked so simple, so beautiful. X shook his head and stopped. No, she's a Jedi. He stood up and motioned towards Vega, still in the shadows::

Help me get her to the ship.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The Sith Lord rose out of the shadows. He approached the fallen Jedi and his apprentice.

"You intend to return her to the Empire?"

A slight grin came over Vega's lips as he helped Xanatos to carry Kat back towards their transport.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::X looked over to his master with a nod::

I intend on teaching her the truth. She needs to know that what the Jedi have taught her is a lie. She needs to understand what we Sith really are.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The two Sith reboarded the craft hastily and made quick work of putting the Jedi into a safe place for the trip. Vega sat down by the lightsiders body as Xanatos moved out into the cockpit, prepping the ship for takeoff.

"... Their minds are washed by the supposed tutors of the Jedi Order," he said with a slight laugh to himself. As he spoke, the ship shuddered throughout and began to takeoff.

[Xanatos Etanial]

*Scene cut*

::The hour is early, and the sun is rising over the horizon casting a illuminescence over everything on the planet. A still unconscious Kariena lies sprawled out on the bed spread of Etanial, Xanatos sits next to her gently dabbing her forehead with a moist cloth. He smiles slightly as he hears her begin to stir and wake::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat started waking up and put a hand to her head, rubbing her temple. She had a headache. What happened? she asked herself. The last thing she remembered was a sudden pain in the back of her neck. She reached back to make sure there was nothing there. What had that been? No insect that she knew of could of knocked her out like that.

She slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see the sky and the clearing they had been fighting in. I thought we were fighting outside... she thought when her vision let her see she was inside. When her vision cleared more she saw Xanatos and quickly moved away, almost literaly jumping up into a devencive stance. She was alert, despite the spinning room and the little man pounding the big drum inside her head.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::Xanatos put his hand up and began to speak in a soothing tone::

Calm down Kat. Just calm down. The fights over, you lost.

It's alright. You're here with me.

[Kat Kariena]

Kat faltered at the clamness of his voiced and put a hand against the wall to keep from falling. The world was still spinning, but it was starting to slow down. "Now if we could just get the little man with the drum running around in my head out..." she muttered.

She looked over at him, "I don't suppose you have something that kills little men with drums running around in side heads would you?" she asked, not expecting a responce, acknowlagement, or even to get anything for her headache.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::Xanatos sighed slightly watching Kat::

It'll pass in a moment, the effects of the paralization chip are only temporary.

But I could get you an asprin and some water if you'd like.

[Kat Kariena]

Kat shook her head, "I don't care as long as the little man with the drum stops banging."

[Xanatos Etanial]

::Walks into another room. Kat hears the sound of running water and then watches X walk back into the bedroom with a glass of water and a couple of pills::

Here.

::He reaches them out to her::

[Kat Kariena]

"Thank you," Kat replied accepting them. She took the pills and the man pounding the drum quickly started to fade away. To some that might seem a little reckless, but she senced that Xanatos didn't want to kill her... he had had plenty of time to do that already.

"Why am I here X? You've had plenty of time to kill me if you wanted to, and you havn't yet."

[Xanatos Etanial]

Because that's not what I want to do Kat.

You're right, if I wanted you dead, you already would be. That's not why I brought you here.

I brought you here so you could learn. So you could learn the truth, about what Sith really are, and to show you that what you've been taught as a Jedi is nothing more than a farce.

[Kat Kariena]

Kat's eyes narrowed, "And how do you intend on doing that?"

The world had finnaly stoped spinning, and her headache was almost gone.

[Xanatos Etanial]

They say the best teaching aid is life exposure, or to see it for yourself.

::Etanial walked towards the door::

Follow me.

[Kat Kariena]

Kat looked at him warrily and nodded, "Lead the way."

[Xanatos Etanial]

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