Unable to steady his breath Kyle nearly bit his lip off to stop himself from huffing and puffing. Any sound he made could draw the attention of the vengeful Skywalker in desperate search for the Dagger of Mortis. After all, it was the Daughter who sacrificed herself to stop her wicked Brother, the lord of the dark side, from impaling their father. Distraught at having murdered his dear sister the Son retreated prior her last breath. The Dagger was thought to be lost. But here Kyle stood his back against a pillar clutching larger than he imagined blade as tight as his sweaty fingers would let him close to his chest. His legs trembling. His right one hanging on a thread.
"Kyle!" Anakin bellows his voice echoing throughout the halls. The only source of light for the Jedi Knight is his blue lightsaber. Kyle may haven't grown up around the culture of the Jedi but he knew the color blue signified Skywalker is of the "Guardian" class. A Jedi who elevated his use of the Force beyond just the physical and into the spiritual realm. Kyle's known Anakin for only a few days and believes he's been miscast. "There's nowhere for you to run kid. Give it up and I won't have to hurt you." Anakin didn't like chasing kids. When making his threats he always had to walk on eggshells. He couldn't possibly allow himself to threaten serious physical harm on a minor.
Kyle could barely contain himself knowing he is no match for Skywalker and he would surely rip him to shreds if he wrapped his hands around him.
When only silence greets him Skywalker sighs and reaches out to feel the room. Detecting the boys' scent of fear he drew himself closer to him. Then a tap took him right out of his concentration. Initially Anakin didn't think anything of it. Then there was another tap. What was going on? It echoes in his head to the point Anakin questioned if he was going crazy imagining things. Cautiously he turns to face ahead and is greeted with a boot to the chin. Kyle retracts his leg and gingerly rushes out under no serious delusions he could capitalize off the ambush he successfully pulled off.
"Sorry" he assures Skywalker it wasn't personal. But that this saga on Mortis needed to end and it was bigger than them all. Turning a corner Kyle almost forgot where the Father rescinded. His sick frail body gave him the idea to track down his temple where he would rest. Unfortunately, Kyle received his comeuppance for his attack on Skywalker earlier. A boot hit his chest and to add to the shock, the pain of getting clipped in the head with a boot that made his ear ring and his head felt as if it was shaking and destined to come off his body. Standing over him was Ahsoka. Her skin, once flawless, now a blackened orange with chips all over and yellow beady eyes staring daggers into Kyle. Without saying a word he rushes to retrieve his dagger when her boot crushed his left hand. He moans in pain feeling his bones crunch.
"You cannot escape the wrath of the Son." Ahsoka gloats going down to retrieve the weapon then pointing its head it directly for Kyle's back. "The universe will be freed from its ignorance thanks to you manipulating the Daughter to free the dagger from its resting place."
"Ahsoka..." Kyle pants. "You still have Annie to worry about." He points meekly at Skywalker charging like a bull to stop his Padawan from murdering in cold blood. "The Son still exercises his hold over you!" Anakin noticed even after her resurrection she still is under his spell that vanquished her light.
"I see everything clearly now. You're out of date!" She barks in her sinister deep tone Kyle still wasn't used too. She holds the dagger close to her chin making a sadistic smile.
"We can't let her leave." Kyle picks himself up from the ground holding his hand. "We'll have to work-" Anakin wasn't having it. No way was he trusting a backstabber like Kyle. He went after Ahsoka and they proceeded to fight. Their lightsabers clashing in a brilliant combination of blue meeting green and yellow. She swung wildly almost decapitating her master. Anakin didn't try to go on the offensive knowing he'd risk seriously hurting her. "Snap our of it Snips!"
"She hates being called that. Remember!" Kyle jeered from the side. He wished he had his blaster. The Father looked down on such weapons as beneath him and the meaning of this planet in tune with the Force. Holding no relation to the Force the blaster turns to dust leaving Kyle without a means to defend himself. Plus the Daughter shut him off from the Force earlier.
Ahsoka managed to get the upper hand on the passive Skywalker. Kicking his torso backwards before delivering the scissor kick connecting on the back of his neck, the impact of his head hitting the ground knocked him out cold. His blue lightsaber sat idle for only a brief time as Kyle rushed to snag it and act as its bearer. "Don't forget me." He tells her smiling.
"You?" She scoffs. "You're a pesky rat who can't shoot straight."
"Yes, but I can stab just fine." Their blades connect. Kyle trying sneak in a lucky shot. Clearly not having the same reservations on hurting Ahsoka as Anakin. Except his novice skills were no match for her experience. She burns his hand slicing Anakin's lightsaber to bits. He crumbles to his knees, Ahsoka readies to impale her challenger through the back.
"Stop this!" An ailing Father rose from his slumber to break the bewitched Tano's concentration and blasted the two letting loose a pulsating Force attack.
"Oh Father this again." The Son appears and is about to grab the dagger. "Go to sleep." He argues. "You'll live longer. Well... not really."
"Your dalliance with the dark has cost us your sister. I beg of you please turn away from this path." The Father implores.
"I didn't kill her!" The Son snaps his head grinding his sharp teeth. "Your uselessness and frailty kept us trapped here when we could have been out in the universe preventing genocide and restoring order."
"It is not our place to interfere." The Father remained stoic and unshaken. The Son chuckles.
"All these years you still haven't answered the question 'then why do we exist?'"
"It isn't to play God."
"I am a God!" He Son releases red lightning from his fingertips. Father matches his offspring repelling the lightning. Their strength is equal only the Son's stamina far outmatches his elder.
Kyle came to his vision blurry. Ahsoka is right next to him in even more of a daze. Her blue eyes had returned, the dark yellow subsided and he could tell whatever it was Father did it snapped her out of the Son's trance. His eyes laid on the dagger laying just inches from his grasp. Curse these short arms! The Father is about to lose the battle of wills. Kyle snags the weapon and tosses it across the field like a javelin impaling the Son in the chest.
"What have you done?!" The Father berates Kyle. He rushes to aid his offspring.
"You're welcome." Kyle says dryly. Ahsoka holds her head very confused.
"What happened?"
"Oh nothing." Kyle nonchalantly approaches the Father cradling his son. "Just murdered the Lord of the Dark Side." He goes to pick up the dagger.
"I suppose you intend to kill me next?" The Father closes his eyes willing to accept his fate if it meant rejoining his children.
"No." He tells him. The night slowly turned to day, the Fathers skin shining as the Son lost his color. Mortis grew dinner with each battle between the Force Wielders. It struck Kyle to see nothing but darkness covering Mortis. Kyle observed the way the wind blew taking in Mortis for the final time. "I never wanted any of this. I only came for your son. I am sorry for what happened to your daughter. I was sent here to acquire this dagger for my master and I grew to admire your ancient ways and wish to preserve it. The memory of my failure here will always haunt me."
Before Ahsoka could ask what was it Kyle was blabbering about the Father inquired further. "Even after she shut you off from the Force?"
"I've never experienced such power in my life. To have it taken away from me was akin to dying. But the hurdles she had me go over made me a better person."
"This master you serve is he-"
"I no longer serve him." Kyle cuts him off. A dark energy omits from the dagger as it consumes him. "Ahsoka watch after Skywalker." He says right before his time as Kyle ends and he is back to being Jethroe Dirksen. A lowly apprentice to the dark side. A far cry from Kyle Cass Jedi Padawan.
Looking down he saw the Dagger of Mortis still in his hands. He'd done it. If only what transpired in the universe he entered directly affected the timeline. Admittedly Jethroe did not wish to carry the burden as the one to have murdered the great Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Outside of the chamber stood Mykle. Grey haired on the top, a black goatee neatly shaven around his chin. Noticing the dagger in Jethroe hands his lips curled in a subtle knowing smile. "You've done well." Jethroe remains silent. Unmoving. Mykle reaches out wordlessly demanding for the dagger. "Give it to me." He tells his apprentice after Jethroe showed hesitation. The young Jethroe couldn't bring himself to utter the words of defiance that'll divert him from the path he's been on his entire life. But he didn't need to.
"You're making a mistake." Mykle was giving Jethroe one more chance.
"I'm not letting you harness the power of the Force Wielders." Jethroe managed to stutter out of his mouth. Wrapping his hands tightly around the dagger.
Without saying a word Mykle lifts Jethroe from his feet slowly closing his throat. "I will determine that. You dare defy me?" After a few seconds Mykle releases his grip. "You believe you can resurrect the light?" Jethroe didn't answer. Unable to respond, panting very hard his legs still shaky. He looked down and saw the dagger still in his grasp.
Emotionless Mykle accepted his apprentice's defiance. This is how all apprenticeships end between Sith. "Then I'll grant your wish." His blood red lightsaber ignites. Armed only with a dagger Jethroe readies to put the finishing touches on this chapter of his life.