In The Cold Mines Of Kessel

[Trenton Vinh]

Drake Paladin stood on the surface of Kessel, looking into the starry night sky above. The mouth of the cave they had made into a temporary hideout opened wide behind him, like a Sandworm of Blenjeel, emerging from the sand to swallow him whole.
He eyed the stars with interest, not quite looking at them, but looking past them.

He is close.

Almost on cue, a tiny silver light appeared in the sky, almost imperceptible. The ship was a small one, probably capable of holding about a dozen crew members. Drake doubted that many had come. He had the feeling four or five may have arrived with Trenton.

But none of them matter. He is the only one that will make any difference.

He stared up from under the hood of his cloak for another minute, following the light of the ship as it neared Kessel.
He was having troubles breathing. After over a week of time spent on this rock, he had forgotten that he would need to sever his connection to The Force until the Jedi got closer. He didn't want them to know the Sith were here. Not yet.

He retreated into the blackness that was their base, sparsely lit by the occasional flickering glow-rod.
Drake found Raeph near the entrance to the largest part of the cave, where several smaller passageways curved away. Hopefully, the tunnel networks would be confusing enough to cause the Jedi some problems.
The few Sith within the caves could simply divide the Jedi, and conquer them. One by one.
It would be too easy.
Raeph whispered to Drake from under his hood, "It is time, then. What would you have me do?"

Drake turned away from his longtime follower, aware that the man may be killed today. He said, "Just cause as much trouble for them as possible. If you can kill any, do it. If not, just create havoc. Do whatever it takes."

Raeph nodded and retreated to the depths of the cave.

The old mine shaft had a large cart network that looped through the tunnels. Raeph had already taken the time to sabotage some of the steel beams that the carts would ride on, making for deadly obstructions to throw around during a fight. The Jedi would walk right into his trap.

Drake retreated to the deepest parts of the cave, where it was very dark. There Drake lay a small Sith Holocron on the floor. He had recorded his teachings and thoughts into it for many years, and never had he shown it to anyone. He decided it was time to make his final entry. If Trenton would not learn from Drake, and instead chose to kill him, he would make sure the Holocron ended up in Trenton's hands, or in the hands of Ben Joreth. Both would benefit from the teachings held within the small pyramid.
The crimson light from the Holocron cast an eerie glow on the small room. Drake smiled to himself. He was tired. Tired of waiting, tired of the anger, tired of politics, of the Jedi. Tired of The Force. Now his patience was about to pay off.

[Jinta Jidan]

Jinta stared down at Kessel a mining colony he never thought he would see thi place again and yet he has and he will be part of the largest strike team really ever assembled for one young padawan who had been kidnapped he stares into the others who are strapped in as they get closer to the destination Jinta feels the force and then realizs that they are walking right into a trap he can see it clear as day he wonders if trenton also knows that this is a trap they are walking into...

Even thought he can sense this is a trap the Darkside of the force clouds the mine cavities below the surface he cant penatrate it that much he just hopes that this trap is not unlike the one he face some four decades ago where their was catacombs not unlike the mine shafts that lead every which way it will confuse some of them it probably wont confuse him or trenton that is for sure...

Jinta then flashes back and fourth in the force as they get closer and closer to where they have to go one thing is for sure that once this ship touches down it will be a struggle for everyone to get near to where Ben is being held their will be obstacles and it will be a fight he is clearly sure of that something he has yearned for in such a long time he will use every single ability he has in him to get through yet another mission...

"trenton are we near the site where we have to touch down"...

"alright for those who havent been on a mission like this one or who have take everything one step at a time it could get hairy down here"...

"remember our Jedi vow we are doing this to bring peace to the galaxy this isnt a Vengence raid"...

he stares at Trenton as he feels the force he knows this is test all of Trenton patience as well as Jet's this battle here to find young Ben Joreth might finally settle old wounds it might turn over a lbew leaf for others or it might not and Trenton will be faced with a most difficult choice...

[Trenton Vinh]

The Lambda Shuttle pierced the thin, wispy atmosphere that Kessel barely managed to hold, and skirted across the surface of the asteroid.

Trenton Vinh stood behind those seated in the seats and eyed the planet below. He was sensing...something. He didn't know what it was, but it was subtle, almost imperceptible.
He opened his eyes and pointed to the northeast, "There. Land us a few kilometers in that direction."
Reyne Grakin, now piloting, nodded and took them down.
Out of the forward viewport, Trent could barely see the mouth of a cave. He may have imagined it, but he thought he saw a cloaked figure slip into the entrance of the cave...

*****

Tiverian Joreth donned his breath mask, pulling the elastic strip over his head and tightening it to fit over his mouth comfortably. He drew a deep breath, and the mask made a quiet hissing noise when he exhaled.
He tossed one to Jet, Reyne, Trenton, and the others, who donned theirs as well.
Trent slipped his on and stepped down the slowly opening ramp of the shuttle.
Jet followed, as did Reyne. Tiv walked behind them, and stared confusedly as the three pulled off their masks and took a slow breath of the thin atmosphere.

Jet, seeing Tiv's look, said simply, "You'll learn to control your breathing someday. Its a relatively simple technique. It takes a certain discipline though. If you panic while doing it in a place with limited oxygen, and lose focus...you can end up suffocating."

Tiv was about to remove his mask to try the technique, but when he heard that, he fastened his breather more tightly over his mouth and nose.
"I'll stick with it on, thanks."
Jet smiled and nodded.
Trent tossed his rebreather onto the ground, while Jet and Reyne fastened theirs onto their belts, just in case.
Trent pointed to a group of rock formations nearby and said, "Over there. I thought I saw something moving earlier."

Tiv asked, "Do you know if Ben is okay?"
Trent could only shake his head uncertainly.
Jet said, "I'm sure he will be fine."
Reyne led the way on the trek to the cave. The gravity was relatively low on the planet, so they could move quickly without much hindrance.
Kessel was a barren wasteland, no wind stirred the dusty surface.

They reached the rocks, and soon found an outcropping with a gaping dark hole- the cave entrance.
Trenton stepped into the mouth of the cave, looking down the slope, spotting several flickering glow-rods guiding their way. He turned to the others and said, "This is the place."
With that, he started down the tunnel.

[Ghev Dralin]

Cyrus pulled on both gauntlets, and made sure they were calibrated correctly. Both held flamethrowers, along with an array of other weaponary designed to overcome the lightsaber of a Jedi. There were certain things that their signature weapon couldn't block, and over the years he'd learned to use that to his advantage.

He slid on his helmet, and gazed around his small quarters. Something wasn't right, something... was missing. He growled, overturning his bunk, looking for the trophy he'd claimed from Ben when he'd captured him on Coruscant. The lightsaber was missing.

********

Konnor slowly crept through the tunnels leading to Nefari's chambers. The main entrance was shrouded by an illusion, a maze of deadly outcroppings of rock, stalagmites and stalactites jutting up and down in a criss-cross of lethality. Some were real, some weren't.
Konnor had learned his way through, by trial and error, and finally he stepped into the circular chamber, pleased to find it deserted aside from the limp body of Ben.
He approached a console, and adjusted a few controls. Slowly, the containment field lost power, and Ben was dropped unceremoniously to the floor.

He stirred, letting out a soft moan as if awakening from a deep sleep. Konnor sneered, and tossed something at the boy; a metal cylinder, studded with controls and approximately 12 inches in length.
Ben awoke with a start, confusion and slight panic spiralling through the Force; last time he'd been awake, that woman had assaulted him with lightning, told him he was a wasted potential.
Potential for what?
His eyes adjusted to the dim light, and he realised he wasn't alone, even though he couldn't sense the other being. At first, he wondered if the other person was a Yuuzhan Vong, but it was a different sensation. With the Vong, he'd learned that nothing about them could be detected at all, whereas now he could sense a sort of... non-presence. A gap in the flow of the Force, which should be occupied by someone, but was strangely empty.

"Get up, Jedi" Konnor said. His voice echoed slightly, but it wasn't harsh; it was young, almost child-like in it's spite.
"My Master will find me" Ben replied, his throat dry, as he pushed himself to his feet. To his surprise, his lightsaber was already in his hand; he didn't remember picking it up, and didn't like that his immediate response to this situation was to arm himself.
"By which time it will be too late" Konnor snapped, and suddenly there was chaos.
Konnor, a shadow even in the darkness, leaped into the air, the hood of his sleeveless tunic falling and freeing his head movements. Half-way to the ground, he seemed to hang in mid-air, his arms crossed before him... and two blades of red extended from the gauntlets on his arms.
Ben moved his thumb to the ignition plate on his own weapon, but was thrown back as the young Sith threw out his arms, repulsing everything around him with a massive outburst of Force energy.

Ben sailed across the chamber, landing behind a stack of consoles, his lightsaber still inactive in his hand. He took a moment to orient himself, then stood... and dropped again as two blades scissored over his head. He focused, and exerted a Force push of his own, channeling the energy directly at the console infront of him. It tore free of it's supports, and Ben heard a muffled roar of surprise and pain; the console had smacked right into his opponent.
On his feet, Ben finally ignited his weapon and charged the enemy, emerald light casting it's glow over the chamber floor.
The console exploded upward, cascaded off the ceiling, and landed in the containment field array, smashing it's emitters. Konnor, blood streaked down the side of his face, leaped to his feet and charged at Ben.

Both warriors met head-on, Ben's green lightsaber horizontal to block both of Konnor's blood-red weapons. For a moment, both combatants stared at each other; then Konnor twisted and spun, his arm held out so that the blade rotated around and headed for Ben's waist.
Quickly deflecting the blow, Ben leaped backwards into the air and rolled, not allowing the warrior - Dark Jedi? - an opportunity to follow up with another attack.
Suddenly, he felt a hammering in his gut, and he slammed to the floor too early; he'd timed the jump properly, he didn't understand what had happened until he saw his enemy with his hand outstretched.
Konnor had dragged Ben to the floor. Now, his grip on Ben still intact, he lifted the boy into the air again and flung him at the ceiling. He smiled and licked his lips, enjoying toying with the boy, who couldn't be much older than himself.
But Ben surprised him, curling up into a ball and channeling all of his energy into an outward burst, which not only disrupted Konnor's grip on him, but blasted sections of the rocky ceiling down at him, peppering him with chunks of fallen rock.
With a growl of impatience, Konnor charged to meet Ben as he landed, and both warriors met yet again, their blades hissing with fury.

********

Nefari could feel them, making their way into the network of caves. On her monitor, she watched their shuttle, then switched the view to the cave entrance.
Yes... there they were, like children on an expedition into somewhere dark and forbidden, tentative steps bringing them closer to a danger only their minds could conceive of.
The real danger was far worse.
She input a command, which put her through to the weapons control centre, located in a seperate cave network approximately 20 klicks away from the entrance to the main network.
"This is Nefari. Do you read me?" she asked.
"Copy that, My Lady. What are your orders?"

She paused, and smiled.
"Bring the ion web online, disable the Lambda-class shuttle that is intruding on our territory" she said.
"And the intruders themselves?"
"No" she replied immediately. "Let them live. We'll deal with them at our end".
She cut the transmission, and returned her camera view to the exterior of the cave.

Outside, the ground trembled, though not significantly enough to be one of Kessel's famed groundquakes. At either side of the cave entrance, rock and dirt shifted, revealing two gaping holes in the ground. From each, a black antennae rose, spiralling diagonally away from the ground, each studded with arrays of ion emitters.
They rose, thirty, fourty, fifty feet into the air, still connected to the ground, their extension mechanisms groaning and creaking, until all activity stopped. Both antennae remained ominously silent, for a moment.
Then, as if to answer the suspense of anyone watching, both pylons crackled with blue-white energy, which inter-weaved between both beams and created a large ion web, capable of frying any starship or mechanical object that passed between it.
The web fired, hissing and crackling as it engulfed the Jedi shuttle, shorting out every system and circuit onboard.

Nefari smiled, satisfied. Now that she had their attention, it would be a waste to let them simply walk in here, take Ben, then leave. It was almost insulting that they landed their escape vessel in the open.
Now that their overconfidence was shattered, she'd enjoy picking apart the straddlers. Let Drake have his precious Trenton; she was interested in other things today.

[Jinta Jidan]

Jinta stops at the mouth of the cave after stepping off the shuttle and takin in that low breathe of air he had followed everyone to the mouth of the cave until he heard or felt something ackward as if something was coming not towards them but towards the shuttle a pulse of some force he kneels down to one kneel and touches his hand against the rock wall of the Cavern and the caves he emmitts himself to the force and senses all around he can feel everything intuned into the caves and even more he can sense the Darkside the hatred of whom ever is within these walls other them all of them he taps his mind to emitt the darkside just enough for him to tap into to see who or what is waiting for him and at that moment he feels a pulse and turns his head back to see a pulse hitting the shuttle destroying or knocking out all of its instruments he turns his head back tot he opening of the cave system tappin his darker side of himself and then he realizes they are all in some trouble as the Sith are very much alive their distruction when they were in power of the Galactic Empire was suposed to have died when the Empire did but it hasnt they have been here training growing up for this one moment Jinta removes his hand from the rock face and then looks down as everyone else has headed into the cave system he is at last on his own...

But is being on his own a good thing he walks down the cave system of the opening and heads deeper into the caverns he catches up to Trenton and the others and then grabs for his lightsaber he takes it from his belt and holds it in his right hand he has grabbed the lightsaber that when ignited emitts a red blade from the red dark crystals he found on dantooine nearly five decades ago he looks at Jet who is sweating as they all are this place is a wasteland and yet he has tapped hismelf to the darker side of the force a choice to find out what they are up against he does it again he places his left hand ont he rock face again and taps hismelf to the darker side of the force and notices the deeper they go the deeper intot he trap they are in as they are somewhat surrounded Dark Jedi are spread throughout the caves and he can also sense Ben Joreths presence he is in danger but relatively unsafe as he feels the force the darker side he can tell the boy was in a fierce fight for his life but he isnt dead he is stilla live in in a quite bit of danger he opens his eyes and looks around as he walks now infront of Jet,Reyne,Tiv and even Trenton following what he has seen on the darker side of himself the feelin of Ben's life at stake he takes matters into his own hands he walks further and further into the caves until he isnt seen by anyone of the strike team he makes his way throughout the cave system until he reaches a very open area with others openings to different caves its a pathway to various different areas of the mine this is where he will wait for the others to catch up to him for now he will kneel on the floor the gravity is not playin with his mind or his breathing he is calm,looking around the cave and the caverns he has his lightsaber in his right hand the entire time he places it back on the side of his belt next to his other two lightsabers and he opens his mind hismelf to the force to the darker side as he will need it this time and if Jet or anyone else gets in his way while he is in depth tot he force in this way it will help him better understand who they are all up against...

But before he can sense he knows he isnt alone he opens his eyes to see a young Dark Jedi from out of the shadows and he grabs his lightsaber and rolls out of the way as the dark jedi swung his lightsaber towards his head he rolls out of the way and then emitts a force pulse directly to this young Dark Jedi it sends the Dark Jedi and his friends through the one opening of the cave system he ignites his lightsaber finally he will get some action he stands up and and runs after the Dark Jedi knowing its a trap but he doesnt care at this moment tracking them down and mameing them he will be able to negociate their lives for information and if they are weak minded then he will get the information they are looking for about what they are up against as he follows them throughout the caves until he is deep within the mines until he reaches a large cavern they he stands alone his enemies come out from the shadows as the light is really low he sees he is up against at least a dozen or so Dark Jedi's he ignites his lightsaber once again and looks to them all...

"who of you wants to die first"...

he notices the Dark Jedi to his left who runs towards him his lightsaber drawn and they clash he knocks him to the ground and then another comes towards him and he knocks him down and the others come charging all with their lightsabers drawn and ignited he is one man against and entire plattoon of Dark Jedi a normal Jedi would run at this sight not Jinta he meerly refranes from using the lightside as that would be a weakness he instead uses the form of the force the darker side his anger side to enflict damage to the highest as most of the dozen Dark Jedi dont stand a chance and he cuts them down and is left with fighting off four or five at the most it will take him a few hours to finish this battle off but he wouldnt have it any other way...

"your powers are pretty weak for Dark Jedi's it like your mind are not controlled your meer padawan following simple orders"...

Jinta then stops the talking and follows up by slicing off one dark Jedi head and then rolls out of the way of a slice coming for his chest area he crouches down ont he ground and sends out the some static force shockwave or bubble in the cave he doesnt really know what the outcome will be but he emitts the bubble and kills the remaining Dark Jedi in the room all but one he wounded the other one just enough that the only one will die eventually but not before he gets some information the dark jedi die instantly and he releases the bubble and then collapses to the floor for only a few moments he notices that is isnt alone the Dark Jedi he wounded is gone and he is up against a few more a dozen more Dark Jedi they are relentless never stopping their must be thousands of them here but who is their master he wonders as he stands up and begins a very long and lengthy duel until he is right where he was a few minutes ago with only one remaining it will take all that he has learned for the past sixty some years to get through this obstacle he put himself in...

"you are all pawns to a Sith who has no experience in mind teachings"...

he then realizes he has come across this type of Dark Jedi before when and before the Empire was formed on a distant planet with Jet and Trenton and then he realizes its a trap for them and everyone else is just a pawn and these Dark Jedi's are simple pawns to draw them in the Dark Jedi he is referring to has to be Drake Paladin their can be no other someone with his mind and is powerful enough to do this an elaborate plan to trap Trenton Vinh here by kidnapping his padawan and they assembled the strike team just to become the pawns that they are they Dark Jedi dont care if they are killed off their main mission is to just simply hault our advances into the caves and if possible cause a riot to stop us until the moment is ready he has realized everything he saw in his dreams and in the meditation is coming true and he is the fool who had to come he hopes trenton has realized this as well...

[Trenton Vinh]

Trenton stepped into what he assumed was the main chamber of the cave network.
He glanced over his shoulder to the others, and the wide eyes he saw showed that the others were surprised by the size of the chamber.

Large, dark, but faintly lit by an unseen light source. It was a nexus of Force Energy. Trent reached out, and found he couldn't sense anything. Or...rather, he sensed everything. The Force energy trapped within the walls of the cave made every inch of stalagmite and stone echo with danger sense.

They will not leave this place alive.
Trent heard the voice in his head, and froze in place. He looked around, asked, "Did you hear that?"
Tiv, Jet, and Reyne shook their heads, giving Trent an odd look.
Trent said, "I'm...being spoken to...telepathically."

In the deepest depths of the cave, your destiny awaits.

The voice sounded familiar, in a vague way. The sort of eerie voice that is always assumed to be imagined. Trent knew he wasn't imagining this voice. Either someone was talking to him...or The Force itself was.

Tiv asked quietly, "Where did Master Jidan go?"
They all went silent for a moment, and could hear the distant echoes of a battle. Reyne said, "He was foolish to go ahead. But I think he can handle himself."
Trent nodded, and added, "He won't be leaving this place alive, if he can't."
Jet nodded, and pointed to a mining cart nearby, "We can use that to get around more quickly. And it will keep us from getting lost in this tomb."
Reyne nodded, "If we get split up...meet back here."
Trenton nodded, and turned to Tiv, "If you panic and get lost, we will find you. Just hole up and stay alive. There's no telling what could be waiting in here."
Tiv nodded darkly.

They are nothing to you. They will stab you in the back, given the chance. You will see.

Trent stepped into the first of the carts. They were a bright stainless silver, only slightly rusted by years of decay. The track ran a dozen meters above the floor, a thick steel beam that curved into the blackness.
Jet got into the seat behind Trent, Tiv behind him, and Reyne in the back.

Without a word, the cart grated forward, a loud squeak echoing through the chamber. Trent kept himself alert and attuned to The Force, as the track took them at a steep angle toward a tunnel.
There was no sound at all now. The four members of the strike team waited silently as the cart made its way along the track.
Fifteen meters from the tunnel they were headed toward, in the dim blackness of the room, Trent saw a large silver object looming ahead. It was so silent, so slow and graceful, that he didn't realize it was a large steel beam until it was floating past his head.
He turned in time for the beam to make contact with the back of the second cart, slamming loudly against the track and sending Tiverian and Reyne flying. Jet's cart screeched and suddenly Trent's cart was accelerating, pulling him into the black abyss of the mining shafts.

The last thing he saw was Jet being pulled into a side tunnel, and Reyne and Tiverian slowly drifting to the floor of the main chamber.

He turned to face forward, staring back the darkness with his equally dark eyes.


*****

Tiverian saw the steel beam come out of nowhere, at a slow, steady pace. Despite the speed, he still had no time to react. The beam slammed into the space between his and Jet's cart's, severing the connection to the track.
He felt himself being lifted from his seat, Reyne behind him.
For a moment, Tiv was still, in the air several feet above the track. He watched as Jet and Trent were led into separate tunnels, and then he was falling. The ground came up at him slowly, and he landed without the aid of The Force to cushion his fall. He then felt a pulse of danger through The Force, and a split second later his lightsaber was in hand, the blue energy blade lighting the area around him.
Reyne was beside him a half-second later, green lightsaber already lit, in a two-handed grip.
They looked around, searching for the source of the danger.

He came out of nowhere, flying from a dark recess in the wall that seemed to swallow the light. Raeph Sunder, Sith Lord. His dark robes long and whirling, crimson double-blades emerging from his lightsaber as he lept toward the Jedi Padawan.
Reyne moved in between Tiv and Raeph, catching the strike of the blade with his own.
Raeph's fierce expression showed his outrage, and it fueled his power. He struck, parried, and struck again, then stepped back as the Jedi Padawan came at him from the side.
Raeph kicked out at the boy, but the younger Jedi twirled and swiped, catching Raeph mid-thigh, and gouging into his leg.
The Dark Lord cried out in pain, surprised by the boy's strength. But the boy was weak, and Raeph proved this when he waved a hand. The boy's breath mask flew off his face into the darkness. The boy gasped for breath, panicking. Then he was running for the mask.

Reyne pushed back at the Sith Lord, thrusting a hand outward, a pulse of Force energy pushing the combatants apart.
They circled slowly, Reyne's emerald blade pointed toward the Sith Lord, who kept his double-blades held slightly to one side.
They stared one another down, searching for weaknesses, looking for the split second distraction that could leave one dead, and the other the victor.

Tiverian stumbled around in the dim light, searching for the dark steel breath mask. He was wheezing, relying on The Force to keep him from passing out due to lack of oxygen. He was panicking, breathing heavily, sweating.
Reyne needed his help...he had to calm himself...

Raeph raised one arm, a crescent of Force Lightning arced from his fingertips, only to be blocked by Reyne's lightsaber.
Reyne almost imperceptibly flicked a finger, and suddenly, with a burst of Force Energy, the Lightning arced back toward Raeph.
The Dark Jedi threw himself backward, glancing behind, he saw the small underground lake nearby. He spotted a small island in the middle of the hundred-meter long lake, and exerted himself with The Force just as the tip of his toes hit the water. Instead of falling into the water, he skipped over it, and in two steps was standing on the cold stone of the island.
Reyne was two steps behind, the tips of his toes touching the water before he launched himself into the air, over Raeph, and onto the ground behind him.
Both spun, blades striking and riposting repeatedly. Raeph got a lucky strike with his double-blade, carving a piece from Reyne's chest.
Reyne stumbled back, and Raeph followed up with a kick that sprayed blood from the newly-opened wound.
Reyne dropped to one knee, but with a pulse of Force Energy, managed to push Raeph away long enough for him to regain his footing.
But he wouldn't last much longer.
Raeph let out a primal scream, tasting blood. His victory was near.

*****

Jet managed to leap from his cart moments before the track fell away into a deep crevasse. He landed on a sharp rock, his boot was pierced and he felt a sharp pain in his ankle.
He gritted his teeth and looked around. Tunnels...everywhere.
He sensed for Trenton in The Force...he had to be on the search for Ben.
Jet could tell Trenton was nearby...he had stopped. No longer on his cart.
Jet started down a tunnel in Trenton's general direction, a slight limp to his walk, lightsaber in hand but unlit.

*****

Reyne was weakening. He was losing blood, and he needed time to rest.
Where the hell did Tiverian go?
He had seen the boy lose his breath mask and stumble after it...hopefully he hadn't passed out from oxygen deprivation. Reyne needed backup...soon. He wasn't a warrior, and his first real duel in several years was against a Dark Jedi. - Sith Lord, perhaps? -

He raised his blade to parry an attack from the Sith, feeling another sharp pain shoot up his chest. His vision growing dark around the edges...

*****

Tiverian found the breath mask, laying in two pieces on the ground. He dropped to his knees in defeat. He would suffocate here...
No. Said a voice from within his head. You are a Jedi. You don't need a mask. You have The Force. It is all you need, and all you will ever need. Lightsabers, breath masks, they are but tools to achieve the will of The Force. You will not die here. Not today.
That voice...whose voice was it? He didn't know. He took a slow, calm breath. He took another. There was such little oxygen. He pulled The Force around him, feeling it bend to his will as he subtly altered his connection to it.
He stood, lightsaber in hand. He turned to see Reyne and the Dark Jedi on a small rock outcropping surrounded by water.

You are a Jedi. You have been trained by some of the most powerful Jedi Masters to ever walk the face of the Galaxy. You are not helpless.

He set his face- grim, determined. Reyne would not die. Neither would Tiverian.
He began to run, lightsaber igniting. He gathered The Force around him and jumped, the water beneath his parting as he soared by. He pulled the water around him, and thrust it forward in a wave. The water rose and hit the Dark Jedi from behind, carrying him in its current and slamming him into the rock wall.
The double-bladed lightsaber sputtered and died. The Dark Jedi lay still.

Tiverian landed next to the Dark Jedi, blade pointing at his enemy's throat.
Another twitch of Force Energy, and the Dark Jedi rose from the floor, levitating. Tiverian eyed him...his foe was unconscious. A captive, now in custody of the Jedi Order. Tiv made his way over to Reyne, who was now on his knees, applying a bacta patch to a wound that had burned deeply into his chest.
Tiv knelt next to him and held a hand over the wound. He said, "Go into a healing trance. I will tend to the wound best I can until the others return. Save your energy and focus on yourself."
Reyne thanked him and let his eyes drift shut.
Tiverian watched the Jedi Master carefully, ensuring he was okay.

*****

Trenton's cart slowed to a halt at the bottom of the tunnels. He had lost track of where he was. He just knew he was deep beneath the surface of Kessel. It was warmer down here, the thin air stale and moist.
He stepped from the cart, looking around slowly. He could no longer sense Ben Joreth, anywhere.
He turned to look in the direction the cart was facing in. The track ended, and there was a dark wall ahead...with a thin crack down the center.
Trenton knew this was where the source of the voice was...He stepped toward it slowly.
A lingering feeling in the back of his mind told him not to go any further, that only darkness lay ahead.
He could not stop. He would not stop.

Trenton stopped in front of the slit in the wall. He raised a hand slowly to touch the wall, but the two pieces slid apart soundlessly before his fingers made contact.
There was a small staircase, ancient and cracked. He stepped down the six steps, and turned in time to see the stone doors slide shut once more.

There was the source of the light. A pyramidal Holocron, emitting bright rays of light.
On the far side of the palm-sized device, was a man in black robes, kneeling before the object.

Drake Paladin's voice spoke, shattering the silence with his raspy breath, "Welcome, Trenton Vinh. I have been awaiting your arrival for a long time..."

[Jinta Jidan]

In an attempt to free hismelf from the countless thousands of Dark Jedi he has been approached by he concentrates all of his force energy on the room he is in turning the mattter of the walls against the Dark Jedi's this was not something he would do but he has been wounded on the arms in the lightsaber duels he has been countlesly in he can feel the pain of everyone who was with him the short breathing of Tiv,Reyne wounds trenton pain of not finding Ben jets struggle in fighting dark jedi he can feel it all and he then focus's himself on all the dark jedi and this shockwave will be the biggest ever it will only knock out or kill the pawns of the Sith the Dark Jedi's who have barely been trained it will fry their brains but it will not harm the Jedi his friends he is sure of their safety for now he is tired and wants this too end he was foolish to move on ahead of the others but he knew he saw this coming in the force pulse he had before he enetered he also saw trenton in a heated battle but he couldnt see the outcome the battle was with a Sith from his past Drake Paladin...

Jinta senses the shockwave and then sends it out it immatiately drops him to his knees all the Dark Jedi he watches and senses drops all around him crying in agony and silence he cant feel anything only his friends who are in pain he has disrupted their brain stems and he slowly stands up healing hismelf with a technique he trained when he was a small and young Jedi knight before he got wind of what the sith were and their powers he looks around and notices the shockwave has destroyed the walls creating a different new hole into a larger cavern he steps through keeping his pace as he senses around and then he realizes he can only sense Tiv's,Jet,and Reynes presence and trenton is completely gone silent he knows that cannot be good he cant even sense Ben's its as if Ben's wasnt even within the mines this isnt good he steps through the corridors and mine shafts before coming to a smaller cave he notices his breathing is shallow and he stops he concentrate on the force he help his breathing it is the wounds he has on his arms which are bleeding he kneels to the ground and attempts to heal himself as well as in take small breathes he does and after a few minutes he starts to feel better the force flows better through him but his feeling safe is short lived as a Dark Jedi approaches from behind him he rolls and ducks out of the way and is again in a one on one battle with a better and stronger and more in depth Dark Jedi not like the pawns he killed earlier this Dark Jedi is closer to being a sith he can feel his anger it gives him focus make s him stronger but he is still no match for Jinta...

Jinta spins out of the way and puts his lightsaber away he concenrates on the darkside of the force more intently then this young darkjedi and he opens his palms and force lightning stronger then any sith lord comes from his fingers directly into and through the dark jedi his screams of pain is all he hears as the lightning pings off the rockface and back through the Dark Jedi he releases the force lightning the Dark Jedi falls to the ground but he is still alive jinta walks over and then raises his hand the Dark Jedi raises off the ground and comes within visual range of Jinta...

"where is the Jedi Ben Joreth"...

'i will not tell you anything Jedi,you are all doomed and marooned on this mine that is what my master wished of it you will all die here my master has also seen this'

"i have seen it as well i am Jinta Jidan,if you will not tell me i will send force lightning through your heart killing you or i might keep you alive to allow your master to kill you as you have failed"...

'alright alirght the boy is down that hallway but he is well guarded you will not win my master Nafari watches over him she is too strong for the likes of you Jedi Scum'

"oh well"...

Jinta opens his hand and places it on the Dark Jedi chest he sends two thirds of force lightning through the incompasinated Dark Jedi frying every single stem and bone and skin on the Dark Jedi then he waves his hand to the left throwing the deceased Dark Jedi against the wall and then picks up from where he was and he heads for the location of ben but as he wanders through the pathways of the mines caves he stubbles and then notices Reyne on the ground in a healing meditation...

"Reyne its Jinta,are you alright can you move"...

"where's Tiverian,was he with you"...

"Reyne"...

Jinta looks around and knows they will not be alone for very long the dim light is causing visions to open up his mind now more then ever he can sense everything around him not just one person it is these caves they inhibit the force very well to a young padawan it would be a nightmare because he wouldnt know what is real or not he looks down at Reyne who is healing himself and looks around int he dim light for Tiverian but he doesnt see him he can only hear the faint lightsaber duel that is happening but that can be anyone he just doesnt know he does know he has to get Reyne to a safe location perhaps out of the mines for now for him to heal...

Reyne isnt answering to him he is in a deep thought he picks him up and ontop of his shoulder his wound is gaping he then wanders throughout the mine shafts until he finally reaches the caves the mine opening it has taken him all of only a few minutes he knows the way out it is by him touching the sides of the caves that he was able to find his way out he notices the shuttle and then takes reyne their as the ramp opens slightly as sparks come from it he notices the shuttle was hit with some sort of ion cannon it has totally destroyed all the functions they are marooned just as the Dark Jedi told him before he killed him...

Jinta places reyne on a slab table and then looks at the instruments and then after a few moment he disasembles his one lightsaber and fiddles with the medical droid which is apart of the shuttle he is only able to get the main droid working the one who can heal Reyne a bit faster then he can do with the force he could heal him but then the Dark Jedi and the sith would know where he is and he doesnt want that he leaves the shuttle and then notices the gravity is lowering he stops and takes in deep shallow breathes Jinta then stands back up and looks tot he cave opening he telepathically speaks to everyone except for Reyne who is healing in th shuttle but to whoever else is listening he hopes that everyone on the task force is safe...

~to all i have made it out safely Reyne is healing i am coming back and i know the location of Ben meet me at the entranceway of the Mine so that we can find a different way to get off this rock as the shuttle is inoperative we are marooned~...

he breaks off his contact to the force and looks around the surface and notices their are Dark Jedi coming ou of the mines he knows this will be a slow fight as the air is really thin on the surface and one failed move and he could die and for what cause he ignites his lightsaber and runs in a forward motion to cut off the three Dark Jedi who are heading for the doomed shuttle this battle will be different now that he has someone to protect someone who is injured he doesnt want to fail he he wont fail he is a Master of the force failure is not an option the fate of Reyne is what matters not and Jinta killing these Dark Jedi...

[Ghev Dralin]

Master Jall awoke, his head pounding; he'd banged it pretty hard, it seemed, when his cart had been derailed, but it wasn't just physical pain he felt.
Somewhere, in these caves, something had stirred. They'd been prepared for surprises, but it was becoming quite clear that this was a trap. The Jedi had walked right into it, and now... they were seperated.
He stood, and immediately checked his breath mask and lightsaber. Both were relatively unharmed, though he'd lost the other Jedi.

He extended a hand, and groped for the cave wall. The darkness was so thick, that he had no choice but to slip into the Force to guide his way. Something told him it was a bad idea... that right now, he should be doing his best to mask his presence.
A rock fell behind him, and he spun... coming face to face with an energy spider. Native to Kessel, the creatures were largely responsible for the ample strains of pure spice that made Kessel's mines some of the most successful in the galaxy.
They were also quite lethal.
He pushed outward, exerting the Force to throw the spider across the cavern... but it didn't move.

"It's only an illusion".
Master Jall spun again, but the voice seemed to come from everywhere... inside his head, from the ceiling, from the other end of the cavern, from the spider itself...
"But it can be quite fatal" the voice continued.
Jall backed away from the energy spider, which seemed disinterested in him; almost like an empty shell of a droid, which hadn't yet had it's actions and programs installed.
He ignited his lightsaber, the golden blade throwing the cavern into blinding light, stretching the shadows of the rocks, the spider, and himself.
"Be warned, Jedi..." the voice said, slithering through him like a serpent, "that the illusion is tied to a very real, very... consequential life. Kill it, and you won't only be destroying a figment. You'll be committing murder".
"How do I know you tell the truth?" Jall asked, circling, ignoring the spider for now.
"Would you risk it?" the voice asked, dripping with delight at his dilemma. "The illusion could be tied to a simple womp rat on Tatooine, or it could be tied to Chancellor Winger himself. Strike down the beast, and find out".

Jall narrowed his eyes, then lowered his weapon. The voice - or the woman it belonged to - had definately cornered him on that one.
"The weakness of all Jedi, is the reverance for life. It is the reason you're here, on Kessel" she said, her melodic lilt drifting through the cavern. "Despite your professed detachments, and your concerns for the greater good, you've sacrificed yourselves for one..."
Footsteps sounded throughout the cavern.
"Little..."
Master Jall's danger sense prickled, and he turned into the maw of darkness beyond.
"Boy".
It was almost instinct, but even before he saw her death-white skin, her black tattoo's, the blade of red energy arcing toward him, Jall was in the air. He landed, behind her, splashes of yellow and red light mixing against the dark walls, a painting of life and death. She struck, a serpentile stab at his abdomen, which he had to twist away from in order to parry.
Her weapon was an unconventional one; the hilt was almost a polearm, but what it was made of, he didn't know.

She gripped the weapon in two hands and spun, a whirlwind of death, her style so fast and subtle that he had a hard time matching her.
She locked the weapon under her arm, sweeping at his legs, before loosing it and swinging it in an arc over her head. Both attacks missed by mere inches, and a thick wad of his burned hair fell to the floor.
"What are you, woman?" he asked, swinging his blade down in an overhead slice at her head.
She caught the blade on the hilt of her weapon.
It didn't sever.
"We are Sith" she smiled, and booted him in the sternum.

********

Konnor was growing tired; not physically, but mentally. His patience was wearing thin, and yet the boy still hadn't impressed him very much.
He struck, and Ben parried. He sliced, and lunged, and exerted himself through the Force, and all Ben did was defend.
"I don't know what my Master saw in you" Konnor roared, bringing his left arm down while punching forward with his right.
Ben blocked the left, but had to spin aside to avoid the right blade stabbing toward him.
Konnor smirked; apparently, Ben had never fought against saber-gauntlets before.
"You're weak" he smirked, pushing Ben across the room just as the boy avoided the blade. "You will never defeat me like this. You cage your anger, like an animal" he hissed, firing one of his lightsabers from his gauntlet.
It spiralled through the air, and Ben leaped over it, but Konnor caught him with the Force and slammed him back down. He leaped, catching his lightsaber mid-air, then plummeted like a rock to the ground below, driving his lightsaber through Ben's chest.

Or rather, where Ben's chest should have been.
He freed his weapon just in time to parry a lethal blow, which scored a thin line across his cheek, cauterising it instantly. Konnor roared, spurred on by the pain, just as his Master had taught him.
Ben changed tactics, using the Force to pull rocks from the ceiling and walls, hurling them at Konnor, who swatted them aside effortlessly.
"My Master told me that the first time I killed a Jedi, it would be a memorable experience. Now, I see why. It proves that you, like all my enemies, are fragile" he sneered, re-directing one of Ben's proectiles, slamming it into the boy's chin.
"If you kill me, you'll be haunted by it forever" Ben slurred, blood gushing from his mouth.
"No", Konnor spat, swatting Ben's lightsaber aside with his own, then driving his gauntlet saber through Ben's shoulder.
Ben screamed out, and dropped to his knee's in pain, relinquishing his own weapon as he sagged to the floor.
"I can sense your... innocence..." Ben gasped, clutching the smoking wound in his shoulder, his right arm limp at his side. "You've never... taken a life..."
Konnor raised his arm, the blade of his weapon extending from his gauntlet, and pointed at Ben's heart. He hesitated...

********

Nefari toyed with the Jedi for a while, indulging in the opportunity to battle a real blade master, one who's style was so radically different to any Sith she'd sparred with in the Brotherhood.
He was all about defense, putting up an impenetrable web with his weapon, denying her the chance to strike at him.
His momentum was beginning to fade, however; he was much older than she, and she radiated the 'Dark Side' like few others. He was overwhelmed by her, and her revelation had stunned him. As far as the galaxy was concerned, the Sith were extinct.
Then, suddenly, he struck at her, breaking his defensive nature and attacking her body. She deftly deflected his blade with the hilt of her own weapon, then brought the lightsaber full circle to parry his next attack.

He swung for her head, and she caught the blade on her hilt, her blade pointed at the floor. A slight inflection of her wrists, and she nicked his thigh, causing him to wheel back in shock.
"The Sith are gone" he roared. "Their poison has left our galaxy".
"Even now, you can't bring yourself to accept the truth" she purred, launching her lightsaber at him like a spear.
Master Jall ducked and rolled, the blade scoring a gash through his robes, then embedding itself in the rockface behind him. He rose, but she'd already vaulted from the wall, swung herself around on the hilt of her saber, then freed it in an overhead swing that would have cleft him in two, if he hadn't blocked in time.
"You are a pretender to the name of Sith" Jall spat. "You exhibit nothing but the rage and bile of a fallen Jedi".
Nefari grimaced, and struck again, though this time Jall failed to notice that she'd purposely attacked his blade. Lightning arced from her fingers, engulfing her own weapon, then bouncing to his, the current swimming down his golden blade and scorching his hands.
Immediately he dropped his weapon and held out his palms, emerald lightning sparking from his fingertips and lashing out at Nefari.
She, too, dropped her weapon and met him head-on, her blue lightning suppressing his green lightning, sparks forking away and shattering rocks in the wall.
"You are strong, pretender..." Jall groaned, straining against the raw exertion of power, "but not strong enough!".
He poured himself into the Force, a tornado of energy surrounding both combatants, wrenching rocks from the walls and ceiling which cascaded around them, held in suspension by the visible bubble of Force energy that had welled up in the middle of the cavern.
"We shall see" Nefari smirked, and suddenly Jall realised something; he wasn't generating the well of energy. She was. Somehow, she'd tricked him into thinking he was doing it himself, and now as he watched the meeting point of both lightning attacks, he saw the energy from her fingertips turn from blue to a deep-hued violet. It washed over the well of energy, surrounding the pair of them in a field of lightning which tore at the cavern, and wracked Jall's body with pain.
She was winning... no, she'd won.
The energy exploded outward, throwing Jall into the air, his body aflame with crackling violet lightning.
Mid-flight, a white blur passed him, and a blade of gold erupted through his chest, driving him hard to the ground.
He shrieked in agony, barely able to open his eyes; and when he did, he was terrified, a ghost of a woman pinning him to the floor by his own weapon, pouring Force Lightning into the metal hilt, which in turn scorched him from the inside out.
"Die in the knowledge that your comrades will aid in the uprisal of the Sith" she whispered.

Master Orion Jall died, a burned husk of his former self, a silent scream etched into his stiffened features.

[Trenton Vinh]

Trenton remained still as Drake Paladin spoke.
He eyed the Sith Lord, carefully watching for any sign of danger or hostility.

Drake seemed to smile, almost ruefully, "There is nothing to fear. I am not here to fight you. Had I wanted blood, it would have already been spilled."

Trent nodded slowly, and took a slow step into the room.
He looked around, noting several side passages that led from the small chamber that could lead to just about anywhere.
He eyed the glowing Holocron, the only thing that was lightning the small room.
Trent finally entered fully, and stood across the Holocron from Drake Paladin, the Sith Lord that had, for the past ten years, been his mortal enemy.
But Trenton could sense something different in Drake, something had changed.

Drake doesn't hate me anymore.

Trenton had no idea how he made the realization that he was not talking to someone with the intent to murder him, but he felt it deep within himself, deep within The Force. He asked, "What are you doing here?"

Drake looked up at Trenton, his eyes were pure white. No pupil, no iris. The deep crimson glow of the Holocron at his feet staining his eyes a blood red. Drake said, "I'm here with The Sith. I wished to lure you here, to help you realize something. Something you already know deep within your heart. Something you have always known, or have for at least the past several years."

Trent raised his eyebrows, "What would that be?"

Drake replied, "To make you realize, that you have no place within the Jedi Order. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Trent snorted, "Are you going to try to make me a Sith?"

Drake shook his head, "I may be here with the Sith, but it doesn't mean that I am a Sith. They are merely the vessel, helping me reach my destination."

Trenton frowned, "So you would rather me be...a rogue Jedi?"

Drake shrugged, "Call it what you will. The Jedi Order, and the Sith, mind you, brand those that are not with the mas enemies. It is so black and white. 'With us or against us'. But that is not the case. You have already made up your mind. Your goal is to protect the Galaxy, the greater good, correct?"

Trenton nodded, only slightly worried about how Drake knew so many of his thoughts.

Drake pressed on, knowing he was getting to Trenton, and that his words were hitting home. He laid his palms on his knees, his legs curled under him, in a common Meditative posture. He stated, "The Galaxy will not grow and prosper with the Jedi Order running things the way it is. You have seen yourself what has become of that place." Drake said the last two words with malice.

Trent said, "I am only a part of the Jedi Order because, from there I have access to the materials and information necessary to do what I can. If I wish to make things better, I won't be doing it from a small hut on Tattooine, will I?"

Drake bared his teeth in a predatory smile, "You do not need to be in the center of the Galaxy to know what is going on all around it. The Sith are in a secluded corner, and they know enough of the events going on."

Trent resisted asking where the location of the Sith Temple was, only because it would be a futile question. He instead said, "What do you suggest?"

Drake said, "Leave."

Trent tilted his head in confusion, "Leave?"

Drake nodded, "Go. Don't help the Galaxy. Let it burn, and let it crumble until everyone realizes what you are learning and what I have known for years. That the Jedi Order is obsolete. That they have become just as large a deficit to this Galaxy as any band of pirates."

Trent asked, "And when I do come back?"

Drake stated, "Crush them."

"The Jedi?"

Drake nodded once more.

Trent asked, "And then what? Let the Sith take control of the Galaxy? Harness me as a weapon to wipe out the only thing the Sith cannot destroy?"

Drake shook his head, "The Sith will tear themselves apart. And if need be, you can handle them."

*****

Jet continued his way down dozens of tunnels, finding no route that seemed to be the right one. He had the feeling that he was getting close, and he was right.
He had sworn that he would keep an eye on Trenton. He had to report to the Council on the boy's actions. And there was something within Trenton in The Force that bothered Jet. Something was happening...

Jet at last found a small mining cart track. He followed it deeper into the tunnels, knowing he was headed in the right direction.

He rounded a corner, and up ahead could see the abandoned cart at a dead end...

*****

Trent asked, "What would be the point of wiping out the Jedi?"

Drake said, "With The Jedi and The Sith gone, the conflict between the two will be wiped out forever. It is the cause of most wars in this Galaxy, is it not? The Empire was led by a Sith, the Clone Wars were caused by Jedi and Sith, and back tens of thousands of years. Wipe them out, and let those capable of accessing The Force realize there is more than just the black and white dogma the two leading Force Orders preach."

Trent asked, "And what do you have to gain from this?"

Drake seemed surprised by the question, "I get to die knowing I may have made the difference that changed the Galaxy forever."

Trent frowned, "That's it?"

Again, Drake only nodded, "I want there to be peace in the Galaxy just as much as you, Trenton. I just chose to achieve it in a different way. Its such a waste that we spent so much time grabbing at each others throats."

Trenton found this odd. Drake was reminding him of Fourgotten, the self-proclaimed 'Shadow Knight" that taught Trenton that the Force was more than just Dark and Light. Fourgotten had died years ago, and his Holocron had been in Trenton's care ever since. Perhaps Drake had found an older Holocron Fourgotten had created?

Trent said, "I don't understand."

Drake opened his mouth to speak, when Jet Sumner burst into the room, and froze in the doorway, staring at the two men. Drake stared intently into Trenton's eyes for one final moment, than the Holocron light went out.

Trent heard a whirl of movement, and an emerald lightsaber blade burned to life. Jet's saber carved a piece of rock from the wall behind where Drake had been sitting in an attempt to slay the Sith Lord.
A second later, Drake's blade blazed to life as well, the crimson glow clashing with the green shadows.

Trent yelled, "No!" but remained motionless, as the two men fought briefly. Their blades clashed and sparks flew, then Drake was down, so quickly that Trent knew it was a feint. The man rivaled Trenton in lightsaber prowess, he would not fall to Trenton so easily.

Drake said, in a breathless voice, "Kill me, and the only chance Trenton has is gone."

Jet asked viciously, "What chance? What is this all about?" He stepped over Drake, blade pointed at the Sith Lords throat.

Trent said loudly, "This doesn't concern you, Jet! Stand down, he isn't here to harm anyone."

Jet almost laughed, he threw Trenton a glare and said, "You hunted this man plenty of times, and threatened me whenever I tried to stop you from slaughtering him. I am about to kill him and you stop me?"

Trent said, "Just stop, Jet. You don't understa-"
Jet cut him off, "I think I understand a lot more than you realize, Trenton. Don't think I don't realize what was happening here."

Jet raised his blade to cut Drake down, when a blur of Force energy rocked the room, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Trent and Jet were thrown into the walls painfully, and Drake disappeared down a side tunnel in a whirlwind of flowing robes.
Trent cursed loudly, and Jet spun to face him, "You let him get away!"
Trent shook his head, taking a step towards Jet, "He wouldn't have run in the first place had you listened to me!"

Jet raised his lightsaber warningly, "Do not treat me like I am a fool, Trenton. What I saw was you meeting with a Sith Lord, and the Council will hear of this. And if you ever act the way you did today again, I will not hesitate to stop you."

Trenton's face grew still, his anger fading from his face. He said in a quiet voice, "Do not threaten me, Jet."

Jet seemed to have realized he had crossed a boundary, but he was beyond listening. He spat, "I will do what I wish, boy. Its time you stop being a child, and start acting like the Jedi I trained you to be."

Trenton shook his head slowly, "I learned more after I left your tutelage than I did with you."

Jet snarled, "Please. Get over the arrogance and see the light. You are a fool."

Trent was on Drake in a flash. His arm shot forward and Jet slammed into the rock wall. Jet raised his lightsaber and swung, but it only met Trenton's now ignited lightsaber. They traded blows, and Jet said, "You will only meet the end that all others of your kind met. The Jedi will rid the Galaxy of Dark Siders."

Then, a blast of energy like none Jet felt before struck him. He was once again slammed into the rock wall, but when he tried to move, an unbreakable Force Grip kept him still. It pushed deep pressure upon his body. His vision darkened around the edges, and it was hard to breathe. He was immovable. His eyes widened, and in an instant, Trent was inches from him.

Trent spoke in a low voice, but The Force made it echo through Jet's mind hauntingly, "The Jedi have become as corrupt as The Sith. I see this, now. I will change this perversion of the once Sacred Jedi Order, and you will be the first to fall."

Jet replied, "Kill me if you wish, Sith Lord. But you only seal your own fate."

Trent smirked, Jet was trying to make Trenton see the error of his ways. But in truth, Jet was still blind to the Jedi Order's wrongdoings, "I'm not a Sith Lord, just like I'm not a Jedi, The Force is just a tool and the Dark Side has its uses." Trenton said slowly.
And with that, he plunged his blade into Jet Sumner's chest.

There was a moment of silence, after Trenton shut his blade down, where the two men, once as close as father and son, stared at one another. Jet whispered, "What have I created?"
And then his lightsaber slipped from his fingers. It fell to the ground and landed in the dirt with a clatter.
Trenton released his Force Grip on Jet, and let the body of his former mentor fall to the ground.
Trent picked up the saber and the Sith Holocron Drake had left for him.
He swiftly left the room, heading towards the entrance to the caves. He sensed Ben Joreth nearby, and headed in that direction.
Trent was numb. He felt no emotion. No anger, no sorrow, no regret. He had done what he had to do. And now he knew what he was born to do.

He drew a comlink from his belt and sent a message to Roth Fenix, his close friend, on Coruscant. It said four words: "The time has come."

[Ghev Dralin]

Konnor drew back his arm again, and prepared to deliver the killing blow. He grimaced, clenched his fist, and closed his black eyes.
"You can't..." Ben observed, still clutching his wounded shoulder, as he rose to his feet. "You've never taken a life. I was right" he said.
"The Brotherhood live in seclusion... there have been no opportunities to take a life..." Konnor argued, visibly struggling with himself.
"The Brotherhood?" Ben asked, staying where he was, making no attempt to escape. He sensed something about his enemy, something... redeemable. To leave now would be to risk losing an opportunity, an opportunity to turn this young man away from the darkness.
Can it even be done? he wondered to himself. He'd heard of many a Jedi falling to the Dark Side, but he'd never heard of a Sith - for he was sure that's what he was - turning to the ways of the Jedi.
"You don't need to know about the Brotherhood" Konnor spat, glaring at Ben. "There's nothing you can do about them".
"I sense something in you... you don't belong with the Sith" Ben said, backing away a little.

"He'll never be free of the Sith" another voice purred, and Ben spun to see Nefari; this time, uncloaked and wielding a lightsaber with an elongated hilt, similar to a polearm.
"You..." Ben hissed, watching her, keeping his awareness of Konnor so as not to be caught by surprise. "What do you want with me? To turn me?" he laughed. "Your attempts are pathetic".
"It doesn't matter what I want" she replied, deactivating her blade and sliding it into the holster attached to the armour running down her spine.
"It's what I want" Ben said, realisation dawning. "It was never about you trying to turn me. It was about trying to get me to turn myself" he said.
"You made your choice before I even began" she replied. "Your loyalty to the Jedi dogma is... saddening. You could be so much more, yet you choose... this" she whispered, moving closer and stroking the back of her hand down his face.
Ben turned away in disgust, and retrieved his fallen lightsaber.

"So what do we do now? Fight til one of us dies?" he asked, laughing at the ridiculous situation.
"Not quite" Nefari smirked, then turned her attention to Konnor.
"Master?" he asked.
"Kill the Jedi, and cement your place at my side" she ordered, then turned away.
Konnor raised his arm for the kill again, and Ben ignited his lightsaber, ready to defend... but the attack never came.
"Konnor!" Nefari snapped. "I gave you an order!"
"I... can't" he sighed, and Nefari heard the deactivation of Konnor's blades.
She turned, and in one swift motion with the Force, swept Konnor from his feet and deposited him among her torture tools, shattering the glass tanks holding her scorpions and sending daggers and electroprobes clattering to the floor.
By the time the last dagger had hit the floor, she'd turned her attention to Ben, and raised him into the air, pinning his arms to his side with the Force.
"Your uses have come to an end" she spat, and lightning arced from her fingers, cocooning Ben in crackling violet energy. His screams of agony filled the torture chamber, and the angry hiss of electricity drowned out the sound of his body smacking into the floor.
"I'll show you the price you pay for your narrow mind" she laughed, looming over Ben's smoking body. He clawed at the ground to drag himself away, but she poured another attack into him, causing him to writhe uncontrollably.
"Master... NO!" Konnor yelled, having risen from behind the toppled tables, thin trails of blood weeping from glass cuts in his face and arms. He leaped clear of the tables, over the damaged containment field generators, and ignited his lightsabers mid-air... only to be swatted aside like an insect, through the illusiory wall covering the entrance, and into the maze of stalagmites and stalactites beyond.

She turned back to Ben, who was rolling around on the floor, his face twisted into an anguished plea for the pain to subside.
"Young fool..." she murmered, tilting her head to one side, as if curious. "Where are your Jedi friends now?" she asked.
"They're... fighting for the greater good" Ben croaked, his eyes still shut. "The bigger picture..."
"Nonsense, they're here on Kessel being picked off one by one" she spat, unhooking Master Jall's lightsaber from her waist and throwing it to the ground. Ben opened his eyes and looked at it.
"Your Master, Trenton, has had ample opportunity to lay waste to us all, and I believe he is quite capable of it" she said. "No, if I'm correct, he's here wasting time with one Sith. A personal grudge, I imagine..."

"Master..." Ben whimpered, unable to resist the pain, despite the pause between Nefari's attacks.
"Do you want it all to stop?" she asked. "There is no death, remember" she spat, citing the Jedi code.
"There is... only... the Force..."
"Oh, I'll show you death, and it will be very real" she said, and once again lightning crackled around him, ravaging his body inside, shutting down his organs and slowly... very slowly... killing him.
She felt his life slipping away, and she laughed, emptying herself of empathy and allowing the Force to free her, break her chains and shatter the limits of her power.
Ben's screams faded to a death rattle.

********

Cyrus didn't just approach Tiverian and Reyne; he'd observed the Jedi, during their fight with Raeph, and had prepared himself to take over once Raeph feigned his defeat. Another Jedi had appeared, moving the Master to a more secure location; the disabled shuttle that the Jedi had arrived in.

He exploded through the transparisteel viewport, a ball of flame preceeding him, and landed amidst the Jedi. One was wounded, which was a shame, but the other was very much healthy.
He activated both flame throwers and spun in mid-air, his jetpack keeping him elevated. Cones of flame gouted from his wrists, scorching the walls and floor of the medbay and obliterating the med droid, as he aimed to fry the wounded, meditating Master and the Padawan who watched over him...

[Jinta Jidan]

while heading back into the caves he stops within an instant the force has changed he feels no remorce nofear no anything from Trenton at last Trenton has learned the final step of being one with the force as a complete user of the force he stops and puts away his lightsaber he doesnt need to use it any longer allhe simply has to do is walk firmly into the caverns where he can sense Ben Joreths presence their that is where he will find Trenton and finally together they can finally put an end to all of the war throughout the galaxy something he has been wanting to do for decades now ever since he founded the Gret Jedi Acedemy he saw when he first made contact with a young master named Jet Sumner and his youthful padawan Trenton Vinh he saw that trenton was the most gifted Jedi to date he was suprised to the fact that Trenton was so able to take the teaching of Jet and build on those teaching so quickly able to use the force in many ways and then he was lead on a different path in the force he was able to pic the paths he wanted able to choose which aspect of the force he wanted to follow he has done well in his life and now his destiny will take and new course the force is his allie he doesnt need the Jedi or the Sith at last he is a Master of the Force alot like Jinta but stronger quicker then himself but he needs to learn how to be wise about the force strength and agility and prowess are just those steps to be great is something that will take Trenton a lifetime to build...

Jinta heads for the Cavern he comes to a wall and allows himself to mimic the force in such as way as he can freely flow walk through the wall with ease and their on the ground is young Ben Joreth semi unconcious but alive he opens his eyes and then places his hands on the wall gripping hismelf and the force tearing the wall apart and in doing so creates a hole where he simply climbs through and then into the room but he is not alone he notices to his right that this cavern which what he thought was small was actually big and their in the distance is rouge force user standing their he had no other choice he will pit his skills against this force user it will just be just like old times he concentrates on the force and his hands begin to sparkle with force lightning and then he sends out a wave of force lightning which is only blocks and involo[ed by the rouge user of the force he leaps and then rolls to the right having unclipped his lightsaber in the process as he ignites his blade a fierce battle in sues he must end this duel quickly and save young Joreth...

The duel rages on both him and this rouge battle from one side to the others but young Ben Joreth is in another room away fromt he action the rouge throws his lightsaber nearly missing Jinta head but Jinta has enough knowledge and sense to duck and then send a force push sending the user into the rock face but that meerly stuns the user he soon is back on his feet and charges full tilt saber drawn tot he side focusing on Jinta inmovrability to move quickly but this tactic doesnt phase Jinta he meerly blocks twists and ducks under the blade while arcing his lightsaber back clipping and slicing offf the rouge both legs as the rouge lunges and then falls to the ground scream andmoaning in pain Jinta looks around and sees he has dropped his lightsaber he calsl it comes to his hand the blade ignites he calls the rouge blade it come sot his right hand and he ignites the red blade not unlike his own and he stares down and the rouge...

"any last requests before i end you here and now"

'just one Jedi scum'

"alright which is"

'die'

without a warning he is thrown back into the wall of the hard rockface and is seeing stars it meetly knocked the senses out of him but he is capable of getting to his feet he doesnt see the user he was facing once ashes that is troubling but he then notices the cavern has slightly changed he isnt in the same room or cavern has he was before he must go back and find Ben Joreth as well as Trenton so that he can leave with Vinh and Leave the order...

[Trenton Vinh]

Tiv eyed Jedi Master Reyne Grakin carefully, feeling danger sense sending a chill up his spine.
He asked, "Do you sense anything?" aware that the Meditating Jedi Master may not be able enough to defend himself if something unexpected came.
Reyne did not respond, and a split second later, a ball of flame followed by an armored figure exploded through the window, sending shards of superheated glass and a pillar of flame flying towards Tiverian.
Tiv raised one arm, in time to surround himself and Reyne Grakin from the heat. The glass shards pelted Tiv's face, and made his robes smoke. He patted out a small flame on his shoulder with one hand, and wiped a streak of blood from his forehead.
He pushed the bubble towards the intruder, sending the armored man back out the window he had come in through.
Tiv took one glance at Reyne to make sure he was okay, and then followed the man out, leaping off the nose of the Lambda Shuttle with the agile grace of a dancer.

Now away from the smoke-filled ship interior, Tiv got a good look at the intruder, who had just fired his jetpack in time to right himself before hitting the ground.
Bounty Hunter. Tiv thought, then he realized, Probably the one that captured Ben...they said a Bounty Hunter had captured him.

Tiv felt a rush of blood, as adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He felt the anger and lust for revenge rise, but he stifled it, forcing himself to remain calm and composed. He ignited his blue lightsaber blade, the snap-hiss-humming sound comforting him in its familiarity.
He watched as the Bounty Hunter turned to face him, drawing a pair of dual blasters from their holsters on his belt.

It took Tiverian half a second to think: At range, the Bounty hunter would win. I need to close this gap.
He began a sprint forward, toward his armored foe, who fired a staccato burst of bolts towards Tiverian. Tiv swung his blade across his chest, riposting the bolts back towards his foe, who dodged all but one, which slammed into his chest.
The Hunter barely flinched, however; his armor remained intact.
As Tiv got within ten feet, the man raised an arm and unleashed another geyser of flames at Tiv.
Tiverian threw himself upwards, over the hellfire and came down on the Bounty Hunter. He slammed the pommel of his lightsaber against the man's helmet, and heard a cry of pain.
The Hunter toppled backwards, Tiv on top of him. As the armored back of the man hit the ground, his knee flew up to crack against Tiverian's jaw.
There was a spurt of blood and a single tooth as Tiv fell to the ground beside the Bounty Hunter.
The Bounty Hunter remained still for a second, before rolling over and fired his blaster blindly at the immobile form next to him.
Tiverian was barely conscious, but he managed to kick outwards and knock the sidearm flying before the shot could kill him.
The sidearm flew through the air, and Tiv rolled over, lightsaber blazing, stabbing down into the chest of his enemy.
The Bounty Hunter fired his Jetpack, sliding a dozen meters on his back out of harm's way, leaving Tiv with singed hands.
Tiv cried out in pain and dropped his lightsaber, but threw himself backwards as a rocket flew past him.

Then he felt it: A blast of pain that was not his own. He knew immediately that it was from Jet. He gasped and screamed in horror as he saw, through his Master's eyes, a blade stabbing through Jet's chest. He saw his Master's eyes rise up to stare at his killer, and saw only a dark pair of resolute steely-gray eyes. Then everything went black.
Tiverian remained there for a moment, before realizing he was about to be killed.

Tiv got up slowly, lightsaber at his feet, looked around, and froze.
The Bounty Hunter stood a dozen meters away, a Riot Rifle in his hands, pointing it at Tiv's head.
Tiv raised one arm to signify his surrender, but knew the Bounty Hunter would not spare him.
As the man's finger tightened on his weapon's trigger, Tiverian cried out in fear, embracing his acceptance of death, along with his Master.
But The Force worked in strange, ways, and without Tiverian's knowledge, his lightsaber flew into the air, igniting just in time to catch the bolt of the rifle as it rocketed towards Tiv's forehead.
Tiv stared, as the Bounty Hunter stared back for a moment, the lightsaber falling to the ground, as if an invisible hand dropped it.
Then the Hunter faltered, his rifle half lowering before slipping from his hands to hit the ground.
Tiv summoned his lightsaber to his raw, bleeding hands, leaving the blade unlit. He walked towards the man as his enemy dropped to one knee, a hand clutched tightly to his neck.
The edge of the man's neck armor had been burned off, and a jagged shard of metal was buried in the Bounty Hunter's throat.
The blaster bolt had burned the armor and sent a minuscule piece of super heated shrapnel into the soft flesh beneath.
The blood flowed between the man's armored fingers, spilling onto the ground and puddling oddly in the low-gravity.
Tiv looked at the man indifferently, as if he was looking through a different set of eyes than his own once more.

The Bounty Hunter looked up at the Jedi before him, and pressed down against his wound a bit more forcefully.
He managed to croak, "If you kill me, I forgive you. But if I survive, know that I will one day hunt you down and destroy you."

Tiverian pushed past the pain, drawing upon The Force unlike ever before; with confidence.
Despite the unrelenting pain in his heart for the death of his master, he knew that the time to mourn was later.
He sighed, realizing he was now a Jedi Knight. And a Jedi Knight would never slay an unarmed foe. Cold-blooded killer or not.
Tiverian replied sharply, "Than I will be ready for the day you return...to finish the fight we started today."

The Cyrus Kaulitz nodded slowly, as his vision grew dark around the edges from blood loss. He could barely remained kneeling, but he summoned enough strength to activate his jetpack, letting it carry him away on a pillar of fire.

He would someday return to fight the Jedi, but not for some time. Personal vendettas were not his first order of business. Whether he liked it or not, the Jedi had spared him...and no good deed ever went unpunished.

Tiverian let his body sag as the Bounty Hunter rocketed away. But he did not regret allowing the man to escape.
He made his way back into the Lambda shuttle in a numb haze. He sat down in one of the copilot's chairs, about to start the ship up, before remembering that the ship was disabled. He pulled out his long-range transmitter and sent a pickup signal back to the Jedi Temple. It would take a while, but a shuttle would arrive to pick them up and return them home. Then his body heaved with sorrow, and he let the tears flow. His Master, the man who had been his father for the last ten years of his life, was gone.

*****

Trenton felt a second life fade from The Force as he neared the chamber. There were several Force signatures within the room, but he focused only on that of the one dying: Ben.

He felt a rush of blood, furious that he had let his personal issues with Drake and Jet get in the way of saving Ben.

Ben had been the mission. And I just failed it.

He entered the room in time to see several figures nearby the smoking, burnt corpse of Ben Joreth. Without giving them a second glance, he thrust towards them with The Force, grabbed Ben, and pulled him out of the room to the Mining Cart Tracks.
He found a cart and dropped Ben inside it, and once again, the cart took off on its own accord, heading towards the entrance.

He turned in time to see Raeph Sunder come flying at him, crimson double-lightsaber blades flashing to cut Trenton apart.
Trent felt a spike of fear, and somersaulted backwards across the Cart Track, and Raeph's blades severed the meter-think steel with little resistance.

Trenton ignited his own lightsaber, the silver blade humming to life. He parried Raeph's next flurry of strikes, stepping back to remain out of range of the deadly energy sword.

Raeph snarled in fury. He had been bested by a mere Jedi, and was lusting for blood. He had made a fool of himself, and was not about to let the Jedi escape.
He unleashed a torrent of Force Lightning towards Trenton, who raised an arm and caught the lightning in his palm, acting as a lightning rod for the Force Energy that was pouring from Raeph's fingertips.
Trenton strained with the effort of transferring the damaging electricity into physical energy for his own use, like a battery in a recharger.
Raeph finally relinquished his lightning, and gripped several loose rocks with The Force and hurled them at Trent.
Trenton repulsed the matter around him with a pulse of Force Energy, sending the shards of rock towards Raeph.
Raeph screamed in fury, and unleashed another blast of Force Lightning at Trenton.
Trent dropped his lightsaber blade to the dusty earth and raised his arms, meeting the Force Lightning with a maelstrom of his own.
The energy crackled and met in between the combatants, the intense light causing shadows to dance across the walls.
A bubble of pent-up Force energy filled the air between them, growing in intensity and strength as they poured their power into it.

Trent spoke loudly over the crackle of electricity so Raeph could hear him, "You have anger...but you do not understand how to use it. Refine and control your emotions, and you will become invincible. Let it control you, and you will forever remain the pawn."
With that, the bubble forming between the two exploded, sending Raeph flying back into the stone walls, while Trenton, ready for the impact, crossed his arms in front of himself and dug his heels in. He stood fast, his robes and cloak billowing wildly behind him.
Then it went silent, and he lowered his arms. Picking up his discarded weapon, he wiped the beads of sweat from his brow and took a slow, rattling breath.

Ben doesn't have to die. I can save him. I will save him. He thought, as he turned to follow the Cart Tracks back to the surface of Kessel.

*****

Drake Paladin made his way through the pitch-black tunnels, the moisture causing his robes to grow heavy.
The Brotherhood would consider his mission a failure, but they were not fully-aware of what he had done.
No doubt Nefari would show her disapproval, but when he explained that Trenton had taken the Holocron...she would realize he had done the best he could.
With a name like Nefari, she would understand that he was merely planting the seed, and that it was up to Trenton to cultivate it. If he forced his ideals upon Trenton, the boy would never become the weapon he was intended to be.

Drake had watched the event unfold from the tunnels. Using The Force to make it seem like he had ran, he had remained invisible in the darkness of the tunnels, watching the chamber from afar, as Trenton had slain the man that had trained him.
Drake smiled darkly, he was now the only man in the universe who knew that Trenton Vinh had murdered a Jedi Master.
If the Jedi find out...Trenton will not survive. They will kill him for doing what he did.
But the Jedi would never find out, unless Trenton told them himself. Drake would never let a soul know what had happened in that cave. If the truth came out somehow, than it would be by the will of The Force.

Drake didn't know what to do now. In fact, he felt a sense of purposelessness as he wandered the caves. He had to await Trenton's return to slay the Jedi, to wipe them out one by one...but until then...he had nothing to do.
In fact, when Trenton did return, it would be up to Drake to die, like all the other Jedi and Sith in the Galaxy.
So, Drake had nothing left to do but await his death at the hands of Trenton Vinh. But that wouldn't be for quite some time.
Until then, he would have to deal with The Brotherhood. And that was something he would need to be prepared for...

[Ghev Dralin]

Nefari sat, for some time, alone in the chamber that she'd used to contain and torture Ben. She'd seen him, Trenton, as he'd rushed in and took Ben. He didn't even question her appearance, or stop to acknowledge her... part of her felt frustrated, that a Jedi would wander into her midst and not pay her a second glance.
But another part of her felt accomplished; she'd slain Ben, and now Trenton would live in the knowledge that he'd failed to save him from the Sith. The fact that Trenton was still alive was, in itself, worrying... but she hadn't felt Drake's death in the Force. Whatever had transpired between the two, it hadn't been violent, of this she was sure.

Her own apprentice, Konnor, was unaccounted for. She'd gone to where she'd left him, once Trenton had departed, but found no trace. Even Xavier, the Gurlanin, couldn't be found.
So she'd returned here, and sat in solitude, silently reflecting on what was to come. She'd seen such a promising apprentice in Ben, yet when the time came... she hadn't even expended her efforts on him. She'd known then that he wasn't the one, that he would never join her, would never join the Sith unless Trenton did. Even then it was an uncertainty, but it wasn't something worth thinking about.
If Trenton did indeed join the Sith, and Ben with him, then Ben would be inaccessible to her. She needed an apprentice with whom she could restore the Rule of Two, not an apprentice who was simply along for the ride.

She stood, and moved to her holo-emitter. It was one of the few surviving objects in the room, most of the rest laying in pieces. None of it mattered. She wouldn't be needing it now.
She contacted Drake, deciding that events were in motion that would soon require his input, whether he chose to fight with or against such events.
"Drake, my part of the mission is complete. I defeated one Jedi Master with considerable ease, and slew Ben Joreth when he failed to meet my expectations. I suspect Trenton Vinh is now weeping over his cold corpse, since it would seem he survived his encounter with you" she leered. "As this was a rare opportunity to gain ground on Vinh, I trust that his survival was not an accident" she added.
"I wish to speak with you. My ship is sensor-cloaked at the Western hangar. I'll be waiting".

She began to head through the tunnels, to her ship in the Western-most hangar of the underground Sith base.

********

Konnor stumbled in the darkness, his feet catching on rocks and holes in the ground.
She'd betrayed him... Nefari, his Master, the one Sith he'd come to respect and admire above all other. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was supposed to raise him to heights unimaginable, help him grow into the apprentice she needed to restore the Rule of Two.
And she'd thrown it all away. He hadn't been able to take a life, so rather than guide him through, she'd tossed him aside.
His ribs were cracked, and his left arm was broken, the shoulder dislocated. It was a wonder he hadn't blacked out from the pain, not to mention the blood loss from the many cuts and abrasions he'd suffered after being thrown into the maze of rocks beyond Nefari's chamber.

He spat blood, and tripped again, scraping his palm along the wall, before colliding with the floor. He tried to stand, but could no longer draw the strength. He saw, through the Force, the tunnel arround him, the path to the surface clearly etched in his mind.
Something slid beneath him, and raised him from the floor.
"Easy, son..." a voice whispered. It was Xavier, the Gurlanin, metamorphosed into human form.
Konnor glanced at Xavier's face, mused how much they looked alike. Son... he said son...
"Your life as a Sith is over. You never really belonged..." Xavier said, quietly, striding through the tunnels, guided by the map Konnor had painted in his mind.
They headed to the surface; to freedom, to safety, and to the Jedi.

[Jinta Jidan]

Jinta would see a flash of the force and then he would drop to his knees so close to Ben Joreth but he can feel his life draining from his body as if it was his own body he grabs the rock face and does not sense any more life from Ben Joreth this mission was a failure he gets to his feet and feels nothing but straight anger and hatred he allows it to fill his mind allowing him to focus more clearly he ignites both his light-sabers the red blades hisses and roars to life the other blade does the same the blue blade roars to life as well he has had enough he will kill every single last one of these Dark Jedi's and he doesn't care about what Jet Sumner has to say he will show these warriors no mercy...

Jinta walks with a purpose and kills the Dark Jedi's as they run to-wards him he doesn't care the anger the hate is stronger then ever the pain of feeling death he cant stand not from someone so young as Ben Joreth he gets into the main cavern and notices Ben Body is gone he turns and notices no one else left all who stood before him is dead he doesn't want to leave he wants more and more he leaves and heads for another room another chamber and whomever comes across him will die,... will simply die...

he removes his comm-link and places it on the ground he takes his red blade and slices it destroying it and then walks into the darkness of the caves watching Dark Jedi's running for their lives retreating others coming to-wards him but getting the same measure of treatment others whom have tried to attack Jinta have lost their lives Jinta continues throughout the mine shafts until he reaches the mine carts tracks he finds a cart then slices it the horizontal way leaving only a plank of a cart the bottom end of it he leaps onto it and then pushes himself he will find every single last one and kill them for this even if they are in full retreat...

perhaps when he finds the main chambers he will inflict the static force shock-wave making this mine of Kessel implode on itself killing everything in sight he doesn't care anymore he has had enough of all the politics of the Jedi Order and of the Republic it is a time to end the wars the conflict and begin the Redemption...

[Trenton Vinh]

For the second time in one day, Tiverian Joreth collapsed to the ground. His raw, bloody palms dug into the dirt as he screamed in pain and sorrow.

My Master, and my brother...dead. Gone. Lost forever. I'm alone. I'm all that's left.

He felt the lust for vengeance, the terrible pain of loss that no words could ever express. He had nowhere left to go. No one to turn to. He had lost it all.

I did nothing to save them. What could I do to save them?
I would have accomplished nothing, I would have merely died alongside them. Become part of The Force, once and for all.

He curled into a fetal ball on his side, cheek against the cold dirt of Kessel, the thin air providing him barely enough oxygen to remain conscious.
He considered cutting his connection to the Force right there, taking his own life by suffocating from oxygen deprivation.

I survived for a reason. Everything that happened, happened by the will of The Force. I am left alone for a reason. The Force chose me to live on. I must have a purpose left to fulfill...I will carry on. I will live. I will make a difference.

He clambered to his feet, just as Trenton Vinh strode out of the tunnel entrance, his robes covered in dust and dirt. In Trent's arms, was the burnt and unmoving body of Tiverian's brother, Ben.
Tiv eyed Trent wearily; he had never trusted Trenton.
But when his eyes caught sight of his brother's wounds, he felt another wave of pain and sadness cripple him. He fell to his knees as Trenton walked by, entering the ship without a word.

*****

Three Jedi killed. Three. Two Jedi Masters, and a mere apprentice, yet to be Knighted.
I failed.
It was my doing.
I killed one myself, but my distraction and self-absorption led to the deaths of the others. I could have saved them, stopped whoever took their lives.
I could have wiped the cave clean of Dark Jedi, slaughtered every last one.I should go back in and exterminate every last person in that cave...

Go back in and take dozens of lives...or save one.

The thought crossed Trenton's mind slowly, as if he had been unable to comprehend what he was thinking.
But the thought remained.

Save one...

He had done it before...saved the life of a man he had once loved like a father.

Seems ironic...I saved Jet's life years ago, only to take his life later. Perhaps it is a sign? I may save a life if I wish, but will I end up taking that life like second time?

Trent pushed the thought from his mind. He could not worry about things like that now. Whatever happened, would be by the will of The Force.

Trent walked up the ramp of the Lambda Shuttle followed by a tentative Tiverian Joreth, Ben's still-warm body in his arms. The young boy's robes still smelled of burnt cloth, most of his clothing had darkened and burned through.
Whoever had killed him had been a true master at Force Lightning.

Trenton thought back to Naboo, when he had channelled the Force through his own body, becoming a conduit for the Force, a beacon of energy.
Trenton lay Ben on the floor of the ship, taking care to remove his own cloak and folding it under Ben's head like a pillow.
He looked over the boy's body slowly, noting the several lightsaber wounds and lacerations, but understanding that the Lightning had been what had stopped Ben's heart.
This was a good thing. If it had been a physical wound such as a lightsaber stab through the heart, Trent would not be able to revive the boy.

If you were anyone else, Ben...I doubt I would do this.

Trenton laid his palms against Ben's torso and let his eyes drift closed as he slipped into The Force.

Trenton felt inside Ben's body with The Force, and an invisible grip closed over Ben's heart and coaxed it to life, gently coercing the blood to begin to flow...

Trent became, once more, an ever-growing pillar of Force Energy, like a star going supernova, his body radiated with a bright light.
Trenton thrust the Force Energy building up inside himself forwards through his palms, pouring The Force into Ben's corpse, and within seconds Ben began to glow faintly as well, the inner light growing in intensity as the power grew.

The Force can be used to extinguish life so easily. However, it can rekindle life as well, if one understands The Force sufficiently...

Trenton felt through the Force for Ben's presence, like searching in a dark room for a light switch.
He let his mind flow with nuances of The Force, knowing that if he had done this before he could do it again.
All the while he continued to coax the heart back to life, praying that it would have the power to run on its own.
If it didn't take, there would be nothing he could do for the boy.

Trent felt his power weakening, as his body burned itself out. His hair lightened, his eyes sank slightly and several creases crossed his face. Trenton screamed in pain as the Midichlorians in his bloodstream began to burn themselves out, unable to withstand the amount of energy they were conducting.
He grasped Ben's forehead with one hand and increased the intensity of his Power even more, exerting himself more than ever.
His body flashed with a blinding light, causing all nearby to turn away.
Then, he collapsed, passing out from exhaustion next to Ben Joreth, the young Jedi Padawan, who had just had his heart restarted by the man who had killed his Master.

Ben sat up, feeling oddly different, as if he had awoken from a dream that seemed more real than reality.
Then his brother Tiverian had wrapped his arms around him, driving him to the floor in a waterfall of tears.

Ben Joreth was alive.

*****

Drake Paladin entered the room as Nefari spoke to him on his comlink, the tiny device on his belt echoing her words quietly.
He answered,
"I planted the seeds of change within Trenton. It is up to him to cultivate the plant, in the hopes that it will blossom into something beautiful."

He looked over to see Raeph Sunder walk in, looking as livid and ferocious as ever. He was covered in wounds from several battles, but Drake did not care to ask. He added to Nefari,
"Two Jedi Masters and a Padawan dead? Seems like a victory...for the Brotherhood at least."

Then he felt it, the tremendous power of Trenton Vinh as it sent shockwaves through The Force.
Drake felt a split second of wonder, as he always did in the wake of one of Trenton's shows of power. Than he wondered what the man was doing.
But as suddenly as it had started, it disappeared, leaving Drake looking breathless.
He smiled and looked at Nefari, saying, "His power is...unstoppable. And it seems like he is continuing down a path that will bring him right to the destiny I planned for him."