The Last Hurdle

[Sreeya]

Val’s heart pounded against her chest. She knew she had to get the others out. The fighting had stopped, but the temple was still a warzone. Smoke billowed and she was gasping for air, coughing as she rushed out. She didn’t have time to put her helmet back on. She didn’t notice that the left side of her hair had a chunk of it missing, and her armor was covered in Haveti’s blood. She had taken the tanto from him, a memento from slaying one of the greatest swordsmen she had met. Now was not the time to dwell on that. Now she had to get the hell out.

She found various younglings all running about. Her heart stopped cold when she saw the small, frail bodies littering the ground. The Hutts were monsters, not even sparing the life of innocent children. As Val looked down upon their faces, she was reminded of her own children. It was a fate they could have met. It was a fate they could still meet if she did not take them far away. Val ran down a long hallway, following the exit. To her surprise, more and more bodies littered the ground.

Val still felt the effects of the deathstick, clouding her thoughts. A telltale snap hiss heralded the projection of her lightsaber, and it cut through those in her path. However, as she reached towards the end of the hallway, it was apparent that these weren’t regular Hutt soldiers. Unfortunately, more Jedi were coming down this way, as it was the only potential exit out. Val skidded to a halt as she arrived near the end, her eyes wide in shock. As she stopped, a mon calamari Jedi turned to her after killing a darkly clad soldier.

“IT’S A TRAP!”

He was promptly slain thereafter. Val looked all around her, a few younglings running up behind her. They were struck by the sight before them. Val knew she had to fight. She had no choice. She had to find her children. She had to save these children behind her, the scared younglings that looked to her for guidance. She would have to be their savior, their light of hope. It all rested on her. Val would die for them. With that, she drew out her second saber, quickly deflecting the initial barrage of blaster bolts.

 

[Santoro]

The Jedi had reached the open air of the exit, but it did little to save them from the billowing smoke that covered Coruscant. Blackhound Repeaters snapped to shoulders as rounds were fired at the emerging Jedi- both Youngling and Knight would be captured in the barrage.

[Take no prisoners.] He had been told. [Now is the time to show them your worth.] Tusa had been right- now was the time. For almost a decade, he had searched for an answer to his questions, a reason he was exiled from the Order. Rage had consumed him time and again, showing him a different type of light- power, uncontrollable and pure in nature... The power to bend the galaxy to his will. This was his final exercise- this was the release from the curse the Jedi had put on him. This was his escape.

Cedos Sola spoke into his headseat. "No quarters. Squad I through L, change to ballistic HEIRs." Whine of blaster rifles changed to cracks of bullets. Cedos stepped forward, raising a hand. As if on cue, all of the weapons stopped.

An eerie silence filled the Temple's exit. Whimpering wounded and the reloading Darksaber Squadron eyed each other thick with tension- it was clear these invaders had no intention to capture, no need to speak... No mercy for the children.

The same way they had no mercy for me. Slowly, the Emperor's Darksaber stepped forward, his deep black robes flowing with each step, his hood concealing the details of his face. Something strange was with this man- something metallic, slow and deliberate... Strong, but inhumane. This was the monster that had plagued the youngling's nightmares for weeks, the murmured Jedi-Killer of the Outer Rim.

Click-click. Click-click. His hard soles on the shattered duracrete floor was unnerving, cutting through the silence like a blade through flesh.

Click-click. Click-click.Click-click. Click-wshhh.

The man stopped, meters away from the Jedi escapees. They knew they were surrounded- the fact was inevitable. Aside from the upwards of fifty Darksaber troopers in a semi-circle around the single exiting doorway, two full battalions of Hutt Soldiers stood at the ready, their dropships and accompanying escort copters in wait... As if anything mattered, aside from the force user in front of them

"Jedi of the Order- hear me. You know who I am. You know me as the Darksaber- the Lost One. Now, know me as my true name. Cedos Sola." His hood fell about his shoulders, and a man in his early thirties was revealed- handsome, serene... With a dark tinge, his wise, hazel eyes surveyed the future corpses.

"This is your one chance at freedom, your one chance at redemption... Everyone needs one." He smiled at his joke and held his hands out wide in a taunting manner.

"Prove you're worthy."

 

[Sreeya]

She heard the voice, and it sent chills down her spine. She knew that voice. She never thought she would hear it again. Regardless of their history, he stood in her way. She rushed towards the exit, stopped in the way by numerous soldiers. Fighting them took a lot more effort than Hutt soldiers. She sported a number of cuts, and she was a whirlwind of azure and emerald, her sabers artistically dancing as she pivoted and ducked to cut through her enemies. It took her a moment to find the source of the voice. He was not hiding his visage this time. It was a ghastly remainder of what it once was, mostly because his eyes bore a haunting gaze. There was no light in them, and his old personality had all but left him. Val breathed heavily. She was surrounded. She looked all around them.

"Master Karasu..what should we do?"

She looked down at the small boy beside her. She gently nudged him to stand behind her. Val sighed, not meeting Cedos's gaze.

"Cedos..let the children go..you can take me. But please..let the children go."

She looked up and met his gaze. It was a useless request. She knew he was beyond reasoning with. He had a massive army behind him. There was no getting out.

"I know you're in there Cedos..in there somewhere. Just please, honor this last request.."

 

[Santoro]

Cedos reached out with his gloved hand, his exposed fingertips pushing up her chin gently to bring her eyes to his level. Wordlessly he stared into the blue eyes reflecting his own, and sadly he smiled, shaking his head.

"You've heard me. I am Cedos. This-" his free hand grabbed hers and pushed it to his chestplate, which emitted a dull thud under his flesh. "This is me. A machine, a monster- imitation of a human to lead the sheep to the slaughter." He allowed her to rest his hand on his unarmored cloak, a bit of welcome warmth cutting through the pervasive chill he had brought around him.

"This is me, Val. I once performed under the name Darksaber, but now... We're one in the same. I cannot let you or the Younglings go." He gave her a longing, sad smile before turning and taking a few steps back. His cloak fell to the ground around his feet, exposing a bodyfitting combat suit- a CARD prototype, if one were in the know... His lightsabers hit his hands. He didn't need to look back at Val.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry it came to this."

His emerald blades snapped to life in their saberstaff, while his crimson single-handed leapt from his offhand.

"Ready when you are."

 

[Sreeya]

"God dammit Cedos!"

She quickly withdrew her hand. She barely felt his heart beating under his cloak, the only reminder that he was still alive. Everything else suggested otherwise. She had tried to bring him back many times, and it never worked. Val looked down as his sabterstaff hissed to life. A small distance grew between them. She looked back at the youngling that had spoken to her. His face was stricken with fear, his brown eyes wide. Val smiled at him, though a single tear rolled down her cheek. She nodded at him reassuringly, and he slowly stepped back, joining the ranks of the other younglings huddled together behind him. Val slowly turned to face Cedos again.

She quickly surveyed his weapons. With the two ends of a saberstaff, along with a single saber gave her three blades to look out for. She had two to counter with, but she trusted her skills in combat. Val quietly circled around him. Suddenly, her steps weren't meek or fearful, but the practiced stalking of a predator. Her eyes watched his movements like a hawk's. She met his gaze once again, her sabers hanging at her sides.

"We don't have to do this. This is utterly pointless..there is still time. There is time for you to live, to thrive and to forge a destiny all on your own. You don't have to blindly follow orders.."

It was useless. She growled, pacing back and forth, shooting him glances.

"God dammit, Cedos.."

She spoke under her breath. The children watched her, surprised to see her like this. Val knew what had to be done. She had to engage him in battle. There was no other way. She closed her eyes, and time slowed down. She breathed in, letting the air conglomerate within her, filling her and pumping life into her blood. It was rejuvenating, though the air was tainted with the stench and promise of death. Val's eyes shot open, the sapphire orbs burning with fire. The soldiers behind Cedos became a black mesh that blurred together, dissipating into the background while Cedos remained solid as a stark contrast.

And then she struck.

Val shot forth in a flurry of motions. She pivoted on her right foot, aided with the grace of a dancer. Her initial saber came into a horizontal arc, headed laterally towards his left. Before the motion was complete, she changed course, dragging it down diagonally and using the momentum of her pivot to spin her once again to his right. The second slash came from bottom up, from her right to left, aimed to cut through the middle of his torso. At this point, her torso lowered slightly as she brought both her sabers together to completely the dance and slice them into a slanted x, aimed to cut through the entirety of his torso. She ended her maneuver by circling off to his right, diagonally facing his back. She poised herself for his next move, very aware of the DarkSaber soldiers behind her. Val had no desire to fight him, just as she hadn't had it the first time she met him. Nothing had changed, but the desire to see her family again drove her.

 

[Santoro]

Cedos smiled as Val spoke her half-hearted lies- once again, the woman who had sent him down this path pretended to care about his fate, pretended to care about light and dark. How dark are you, Val? Indirectly, she served as the catalyst that had doomed him to the mechanical faux-body he possessed. She had turned him into the monster he was... She had forged Tusa's weapon.

She paced to the side. He had no need to turn his head- he could sense her fear, her sorrow at the death that awaited her. It was tangible, it gave him strength- confidence. He fed to that sorrow, knowing she would sense it, knowing it would cause her to hesitate. She struck.

It was an odd thing, seeing a man with three lightsaber blades. In an odd, wide-armed approach, Cedos moved into Val's strike with his staff, following her feint around to push the saber away from his body. Another strike came and he reversed his staff, bringing her attacking blade wide from her body with ease- his finishing blow would have followed, but again she was on the offensive in a scissor-like maneuver meant to no doubt behead him. His red single-blade caught both and waited a moment before the pair disengaged. Cedos took a casual step back, staring Val in the eyes. No exertion showed on his face or in his posture- the reaction had been almost entirely his combat suit's doing with only minor direction. Now, it seemed it was his turn to strike.

Cedos stepped forward, staff held low and saber high. Moving his saber down in a diagonal stabbing motion, Cedos used the momentum to turn his body into a whirl- a tornado of green and red flashes that launched itself at Val. In the blur, he used the fore-end of his staff to strike hard at her lightsaber (but not her body), then followed with a strike from the red further down to disarm her. He was quick to disengage with both of his blows, continuing his spin to attack with the hind-end of his saber, following through to start the cycle again. He aimed to drive her back into the waiting blaster barrels of Darksaber- relentless, nonstop torrents of attacks were his clear-cut strategy... He was toying with her.

 

[Sreeya]

Val had fought her former lover Caed for hours, and he had used an infuriating saberstaff. Without that incident in her past, she would have been completely unprepared for this battle. She followed through with her spin, twirling behind him, right in time for him to turn as well. He launched forward in a blur of motion, catching her off guard. She stepped back clumsily, not having expected such a burst of speed. He came at her with every saber, leaving her under a constant barrage of blows.

She finally struck out, catching his saber in midswing, and abruptly pulling back her other saber as soon as he disengaged. She swung her left saber towards the hilt of his saberstaff, aiming to smash it and render at least one of the blades useless. She swung, but knew she couldn't put every bit of energy into that assault. Val locked her saber with his and suddenly jumped up, having been pushed towards a wall. Twisting her body, she sideways walked along the wall and jumped off to his right side, her boots skidding on the ground with a squeak before she sprang forth again.

Like him, she was an endless stream of motions, their sabers being a blur of colors. The other soldiers in the area simply stopped to marvel at the sight, never having witnessed anything so quick. The two combatants were impossible to follow, as if they dipped in and out of reality, only to materialize again somewhere new. Val dropped low after another swing, lashing out with a kick to throw him off balance. She managed to catch his gaze in the heat of the moment, sending a message to him telepathically.

"I'm not your enemy."

 

[Santoro]

The kick grazed his forearm and sent it flying wide, turning him into another low spin to swing at lopping off her knees. He turned away from her to cause another break in combat- his legs spread wide with his side facing her. In his left upper hand was his outstretched saberstaff, the emerald tip aiming towards the sky while his crimson saber hovered only centimeters off of the ground. Once again the exertion was minimal, though a single bead of sweat had slipped from his brow and down his cheek. She had spoken to him, but he had nothing to say. There were no words for a Jedi- no words for the woman who would leave him to die.

Sola kicked hard off the ground in a high leap, using the Force to propel himself through the air and above Val, striking down with his saber in a head strike before landing on the other side.

He swung in a scissor maneuver at her feet, but she she was no slouch- the fight continued. Cedos continued his trademark whirls in halfhearted attacks, using the advantage of mechanical stamina to wear her out. Already, he felt her reactions slowing, her muscles tiring... His body felt no such wear- victory was imminent.

"Not an enemy, not an ally- what are you, Karasu?"

 

[Sreeya]

There was no doubt about it. She was exhausted. As much as she tried to hide it, there was no denying it. She had been in many battles before coming across Cedos, and her battle with Haveti had been taxing. She knew she couldn't keep up with Cedos for much longer. However, it was not within Val's nature to give up. She ducked and spun, bringing both sabers up to cross and meet the downward strike. She locked his blades and caused him to lose his precision in the next attack.

Val continued to match his speed, though sweat coated her skin now. Her breathing was heavy whenever she got a chance to pause. She met his sabers each time with less power. She abruptly switched off a saber, letting him fall forth. Using his loss of balance to her advantage, she pivoted to the side and struck out at his side. To her dismay, he caught the blade incoming and effortlessly warded it off. She glanced up as he spoke, right as the two engaged their sabers again. She gazed into his eyes, their sabers locked between them. The heat from the plasma blades emanated onto her face. She was mere inches away from him, her expression clearly illuminated by the hues. There was no anger there, no hatred. Val spoke to him directly, inaudible to the soldiers around them.

"I'm the same woman you tried to save on Malastare. You were there for me when I was falling, when I had succumbed to darkness. You wanted to guide me out.."

She lowered their sabers, to make his go out of range of her torso. She switched her sabers off then, looking down.

"I don't want to fight you, Cedos. I never did. I did not fight you on Malastare, and I certainly won't do so now. If I could take back what happened, I would..I guess this is the best I can offer."

She met his gaze again, emotions flooding into her mind. It was enough to where he would be able to sense it.

 

[Santoro]

It's a trick- she's lying! The low, rumbling semi-thought he'd grown to trust as the Force whispered into his ear- the voice of the Sith Holocron. Deep down, he could sense the lie, sense her intent. He was nothing on Malastare four years ago- just a hunk of burning meat she and her boyfriend left in an alleyway. Slowly, he stepped forward and raised his lightsabers in a cross, putting them near her throat in preparation to close them and behead her. He stepped closer- they were only inches from each other, the green and red energy lighting his face and illuminating his eyes, glaring intensely into her own.

"If memory serves, Karasu, you and I fought on Malastare, and you cut off my legs. You pulled me into the Force blast. You don't regret your mistakes- your mistakes have just come back to haunt you." His words fell like poison on her- unnecessarily harsh and gravelly. He wasn't sure if they were his own or the Holocron's- an increasingly common event, more powerful with every Jedi he overcame.

Cedos lowered his voice, leaning closer to Val- to the Force witch he'd obsessed over for half a decade. It would take a second, a twitch of his muscles to end his search for vengeance... And still, a nagging in his chest overcame the Holocron's urge for retribution.

"We can't take back our actions, Val. We all live with our choices. Ask yourself, can you live with yours?"

 

[Sreeya]

His words cut into her worse than his sabers ever could have. Lies, utter lies and misunderstandings. Yet that would be the cause of her death. She knew she would die here. She closed her eyes in anticipation, expecting the sabers to meet. However, they didn't. She expected the blades to cut through her flesh like a hot knife through butter, but they didn't. Val opened her eyes, confusion etched upon her features. She met his gaze, biting back the tears, though they pooled in her eyes. All she could think about was never seeing her family again. Val kept the thoughts at bay, though the emotions filled within her chest heavily, threatening to explode. She spoke weakly.

"..You...you are mistaken, Cedos..I was not the one that did it. You were fighting Caed, the man the Bogan that had accompanied you was hunting. Your Bogan friend unleashed a Force blast on me and I was knocked out, taken out of the fight. I woke up on Alderaan next thing.."

She wondered if it would be of any use to reveal this to him. Before she knew what she was doing, a quivering hand slowly reached up, cupping the side of his face. Her touch was warm, oddly soothing. But most of all, it was a touch laced with the Force.

"Search within your mind.. you know the truth.. I am not your enemy.."

She reached in, looking into his eyes for a moment before closing them, ignoring the extreme heat from the lightsabers. She could tell the soldiers were shifting uncomfortably behind them. Val kept her hand on his cheek, and abruptly, the Force coursed from within her to the focal points of her delicate fingers. From there it seeped into him like a snake, unraveling within his mind and filling him with images and memories of the incident from her perspective. It showed how she had been removed from the fight, and ended with a blinding flash with memories of searing pain and then nothing but darkness. The memory played out within a matter of seconds, but it was a massive revelation. Val did not step back, or remove her hand, but she opened her eyes then.

"I never wanted to hurt you..I cared about you..I still do."

 

[Santoro]

Cedos twitched when she touched, his muscles retracting in the moves that would behead her. It took him everything he had to fight the suit's automated enhancements to stop the sabers as they closed, a couple centimeters closer to her skin.

He became abruptly aware of the Darksaber troopers still crowded around the pair. While the fight had lasted only a moment, a moment was critical in battle and expensive when it came to the Squadron. He'd begin the wrapup now.

"Jit so ko." Hutt Battle Language- the squadron moved towards the Younglings with unclear orders- Cedos hadn't given the kill command, but left it open for addition. The Darksaber leaned even closer to Val, murder in his eyes- he felt the sting of the sabers as he approached. He wanted to believe her, but the pain in his chest told him not to. She was a liar, she was a Jedi. Everything that he'd suffered through, she was associated with, and she was everything he'd overcome.

One twitch. One twitch and he would sever his old life as Cedos Sola, Jedi Knight. The mere thought of an attack would bring his weapons together and free him from his tithes, allowing him to embrace his title of the Darksaber... And still, he found himself frozen, breathless. He didn't speak.

 

[Sreeya]

Time seemed to slow down. She heard the order leave his lips, though she couldn't understand what it meant. Her eyes flickered to the side as she watched the soldiers creep closer to the younglings. They backed away, huddling against one another. Some of them were openly crying, while others hushed them to stop. It was a desperate situation. Val looked into the face of a youngling, and suddenly saw her own son's face there. It caused a chill to travel up her spine. She quickly looked away and met Cedos's gaze again. It was a crucial moment, and she was on the brink of death. She briefly wondered if, like with Haveti, the Force would materialize and carry away her spirit. It was a comforting thought. She could continue looking after her family then. No..no, she would be on the outside looking in. She would never hear their laughter, hear their tantrums, would never watch them grow up or become warriors. All of it would be gone in an instant.

Val knew she had to act fast. As she looked upon his face, she felt a sickening realization wash over her. It was the realization that Cedos was vacant, devoid and empty. She knew there was a thirst there, a thirst that had never been quenched. It was an abyss deep within his soul, a dark cavern never to be filled. She couldn't see the darkness. All she could see was her family, never to see her again. Thoughts of her husband filled her mind, and the love she felt for him flooded to her. It was sensual, passionate and strong enough to be laced within her demeanor to where he could sense it, feel it, taste it. She knew what she had to do. Val looked at him, but all she thought of was Huang. She repressed that side of it, so Cedos would only feel the isolated feelings of passion emanating from her. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Cedos... please believe me..I..I love.."

She leaned in then, to the point of no return. She tilted her head and closed her eyes, closing the distance between them. It was heat that burned stronger than their sabers, and the connection was electrifying, sending ripples throughout her body. She met his lips with insatiable need, a desire that was molded just for one person, all catered towards someone else. As she closed her eyes, she was lost in a world far from the present, where she kissed her husband. Cedos wouldn't know, and he would taste the passion, the need and the tenderness that was wrought of only the deepest desires. For a moment, only the sounds of rain resounded around them, the colors all blending together. She withdrew after what seemed like hours and opened her eyes. She looked up at him again, mere inches away from him, repeating his very own words.

"Let's get off this blasted planet."

 

[Santoro]

Like the first rays of sunshine breaking over the horizon, Cedos felt the warmth of her energy. From the tingle on his lips, the warmth spread across his face- a loose, happy sensation he'd not had since their first meeting. Faster and faster the kiss rippled through Cedos'es body, new sensations similar to a drop... He felt weightless.

The kiss parted, and Cedos pulled away from Val. His eyes opened and before him he saw his a brown haired woman, beautiful and strong. She was not just the Jedi he had seen before, not the murderer he'd built her up to be- the haze he'd been living with had been torn away. For the first time in years, Sola was not just the Darksaber, not Tusa's assassin... He was a man again. He was free, and she was his liberator- the least he could do is return the favor.

With a grin identical to the one on Malastare, the roguish man looked to the left, then to the right. Darksaber Squadron had the area covered with an approximate forty man brigade and two Kohsev helicopters, a double-armored Sicarius in wait for retraction. He looked into her eyes, his noticeably brighter brown irises locking on hers. He forced the image of the troopship in her mind and paused, his body tensing. The troops knew something was wrong- safeties were flipped off.

"Yeah. Let's go."

In a flash, Cedos stepped backwards. Tapping into the well of Force energy lingering from the temple, the Jedi-Redeemed inhaled, curling backwards into a ball suspended in midair. Troops tensed and waited to see the woman blasted into oblivion... They didn't expect Sola to surge outwards in a visible pulse of directed Force energy. Armored soldiers, lost rifles, and chips of duracrete flew through the air as Cedos devastated the areas directly to his right and left, leaving the group of Jedi untouched.

Darksaber was not new to fighting the Force, however. Within seconds, the crack troopers that Cedos had trained were up and ready- carbines focused on their old commander. Whirling his weapons, Sola stepped forward into the fray, cutting a path for the Jedi's escape.

 

[Sreeya]

Val felt her heart break as soon as the familiar smile appeared on his face. She hated herself for this, but the urgency of the situation drove the thoughts from her mind. She stepped back as he withdrew from her, promptly jumping into the fray. Val watched him for a second, realizing just how impossible and chaotic the situation was. She wondered if Cedos himself knew. She wondered if he understood exactly what she had done. In truth, she herself did not fully comprehend it yet. All she knew was that the younglings needed to be taken out. Val abruptly ran back and urged the group to follow.

She darted past the frenzy, Force pushing those that blocked her way aside. Cedos's betrayal was shocking enough to allow her a window to escape. The younglings rushed out of the temple, Val in tow. They were safely out of harm's way. Explosions rocked the foundations. Some of the noise was owed to a freighter blasting out of the temple. Debris fell all around them and the fight raged on. Val watched the younglings and remaining Knights safely escape. As she reached the exit, she cast one glance back at Cedos. Her face was tear stained. There was sorrow there, but there was something else. It was the truth, the reality of the situation that was plain upon her countenance as day. She couldn't muster any words as the Dark Saber soldiers overwhelmed Cedos and surrounded him completely. Val took a step backwards, and then another, and another. Without a word, she swiftly turned.

And ran.

She did not look back. She couldn't bear to look back. The shock of her own actions heavily weighed on her shoulders as she ran.

 

[Santoro]

After blocking a barrage of automated blasterfire from one of his former Lieutenants, Cedos pirouetted and brought his saberstaff crashing down on one he identified quickly as Janisen, a newer member of his squad. He had no time to mourn, and instead turned to kick an Imperial Standard Issue knife from a trooper's hand before running him through. He pulled his lightsaber out and backed towards the temple's entrance- he was cut off from escape. Boldly, he fought on.

Repeater fire poured down from the left Kohsev copter. With the flick of a hand, the dual-propeller craft was ripped from the sky, crashing into its companion, leaving a burning hulk to crash among the Hutt soldiers. His assault was merely a temporary victory- a slug ripped through his armor suit and dug into his shoulder, the close proximity giving it enough force to break through the other side. With a cry, Sola turned with the bullet and took a defensive stance, weaving an intricate pattern with his staff saber, his twitching muscles fighting against the suit's AI controls. Within seconds, the suit regained control and brought his arm back- Cedos continued on as Darksaber closed in around him.

After solidifying his three-saber defensive pattern, Sola looked up at the escaping Jedi. A single, far-off head of brown turned back, tear strewn yet resolute. The moment slowed as a crushing realization filled Cedos'es mind, washing away the joy of reunion and the warmth of the life he could have had.

In a way, Cedos'es old life had been severed. A cruel twist of fate reversed the situation from a man overcoming his weakness to a man rejected by the galaxy- the one thing that kept him alive served as the thing that brought his downfall... And his resolution.

Cedos Sola was born a boy, lived as a monster, and would die as a man. Freed from the shackles of the Dark Side of the Force, Sola fought with a clarity unknown to him since childhood, a wholeness he'd never known to miss. With this wholeness he moved forward, accepting of his fate.

Darksaber closed in. Blasterfire intensified as they encompassed their former general, a volley that was impossible to overcome. One shot hit, then another, then a stream as Sola's defenses faltered- within seconds, he had fallen to his knees. The blasterfire stopped as Darksaber looked on, a whimpering man bleeding out in the rain. Blasters dropped as troopers rushed to Sola's side, gently lowering him to the ground.

They say that the Light Side is like a candle- holding back the ever present and inevitable darkness. Cedos had never believed that anecdote- like a man without sight, he had never understood the candle or the shadow, unknowingly floating between the darkness and the light. Today, as he stared upwards at the rain with clouded eyes, his vision was clear- his candle burned bright.

Immersed in the light of the Force, Cedos smiled, feeling the warmth of a Corellian sunrise on his cheeks. With one last breath, the young man closed his eyes. Cedos Sola died that day, alone but not afraid- while he had had a rough start, they say that life was only the beginning... This anecdote, he decided, was worth believing.