Josh stepped onto the parking lot, yawning from his long day of school. He had finished up several units in just one class and had taken several exams and was just plain tired. The only thing he wanted to do was simply go to Nicole's house and relax there.
And just keep bilking out money from them, he thought to himself as he walked to his car, keys in hand. He had just gotten to the drivers side when he heard a quiet movement behind him.
Josh's pulse accelerated a few beats as he pulled out his lightsaber and rested his thumb on the power switch. He took of few sharp glances around him as he heard the sound of a lightsaber switch on.
Josh looked quickly to his left and saw the flash of light that resembled a lightsaber blade. He couldn't tell the color, so he took a few steps forward from the safety of his car. He pressed the power switch, the turquoise blade extending forward, and held it tightly at his waist. He took care to make sure the hot blade did not touch his skin.
He walked forward ten feet when he heard the sound of something heavy landing on his car roof. He turned sharply and saw a hooded man on crouching on top of it with a red lightsaber in his left hand. His cloak was black and it appeared his tunic was also black with some brown mixed into it. He also held another lightsaber in his right but had not turned it on.
"Who are you?" Josh demanded as the man stood up straight, his jaw covered by cloth. But his eyes were very visible and that was what scared Josh the most. His eyes were a combination of colors, like a mix of red and steel green-gray.
"It doesn't matter, does it?" the man said as he stepped down from Josh's car, his height still huge, around six foot three. He hit the ground a little heavily but lost none of his poise as he began to step forward, the red lightsaber cutting through the pavement.
He took a few more steps forward and shut off his lightsaber, the sudden act surprising Josh. The man set down the weapon and kicked it aside as he raised his right hand and pressed the activation switch on the lightsaber. A long, violet blade of energy emerged from its hilt as the man assumed a combat stance.
They just stared at one another for a moment before Josh reacted first, lunging forward sharply. He raised his lightsaber above his head and brought it down swiftly, using the move Nicole had taught him.
The man in black raised his lightsaber lazily and deflected the blow away from him. As Josh landed, the other man raised his hand and sent a semi-invisible ball of Force-energy toward him. Josh raised his lightsaber and swung it hard at the ball, knocking it off course.
"Not bad, I must say," the man said Josh tried to strike again, "but I'm better." The man in black blocked off Josh's hasty strike and proceeded to unleashed an onslaught of attacks at Josh.
Josh could barely keep up with the storm of attacks coming at him. He could hear some of his clothing singe off as he missed strike after strike.
After a few more seconds of this, the man in black backed away. Then Josh made the mistake of becoming relaxed and that was what the man in black was waiting for.
He lifted his hand and huge arcs of blue-white electricity flew from his fingertips toward Josh. He had no time to react as the lightning hit him square in the chest and began to flow through him. The pain he was feeling could not be described as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.
Josh awoke in a dark place and could hear nothing but the sound of his own breath. He was scared now and his terror rose when he realized he was in an alley. He slowly rotated his head and saw the man in black sitting on a Dumpster, his lightsaber nowhere close by.
"So," the man in black said, still sitting on the Dumpster. "How do you feel, doing what you do? You know what you do is wrong, not to mention against Jedi code."
"H…ho…how do you know that?" Josh somehow croaked out, his throat hot and tight. He was incredibly thirsty.
"I know a lot of things, but that's beside the point," the man in black said, jumping down from the Dumpster. "But here's what we're going to do. I'm going to ask you some questions and depending on how you answer is how painful it will be when I kill you. Ready?"
Josh didn't say anything, so the man in black began to ask his first question. "How long have you been seeing her?"
"Five months," Josh said, swallowing a few times to get the saliva going.
The man in black pondered this for a moment, then said, "Wrong answer." He then unleashed more lightning on Josh. This time it felt like trillions of paper cuts appearing all over his body.
After a few seconds of shock, he released it and asked, "How long have you been in training?"
"Four…months," Josh wheezed out. The man in black looked for a moment and decided he was being honest.
"All right then," the man in black said, pacing around Josh's smoldering body. "We both know you can't use a lightsaber worth a damn, so I'll ask this. Can you do anything with the Force other than nothing?"
"Y…yes," Josh struggled. It felt like someone had taken a dishtowel and placed it in his mouth.
"Somehow I don't believe you," the man in black said, lifting his hand and electrocuting Josh again. When this round was done his shirt was on fire.
"How many Masters are left alive?"
"Five."
"Wrong again. Wow, today just isn't your day now is it?" More lightning.
"OK, my final question. Do you know who I am?" The man in black waited for the response.
"No," Josh finally gasped. He had just lost feeling in his legs.
"No? That should have been easy," the man in black said as he twisted his fingers around. Josh felt something pull behind his navel and was thrown up against the wall of the alley. The man in black held his hand up and walked in front of Josh, looking up at him with those strange, evil eyes.
"I'm your worst nightmare." With that final remark, lightning shot from his fingertips again and Josh felt immense pain. This pain was inconceivable and all Josh wanted to do then was die but he knew this man would not make it that easy. The pain and heat continued until Josh could feel his skin begin to bubble and melt all over his body.
He screamed an ear-splitting scream and then fell into the utmost perfect state of blackness.