THIS FIC WAS WRITTEN IN 2006. ORIGINALLY POSTED ON TFN.

The rain had started over half an hour ago, creating a fine mist of rain drops over the battle field. Despite the rain the flames of the raging battle still blazed brightly, the drizzle not enough to extinguish them. Rain wasn't rare on Ruusan due to its temperate climate, but, it hadn't rained for several months now. Some would find it ironic that the end of the last battle of one of the bloodiest conflicts in the galaxy's history brought with it the nurturing cloudburst.

The victorious Jedi were making preparation for departure off planet as quickly as possible. A grave atmosphere hung heavily over the assembled atarfighters and medical ships. The knights were solemn and the padawans were all in various stages of shock recovery. There was no laughter or triumphant cheering. It was a respect delivered to those who had lost masters or padawans in the battle. And for honesty's sake everyone present could say that they had lost a friend or acquaintance in the last barrage.

Padawan Utts Malkomb stood several meters away from the launching area, staring silently at the flickering flames that rose before him and receded into the depths of the war-torn battle field. They crackled and sputtered, rejecting the rain and all its attempts to calm and exterminate them. They hissed their protest and seemed to laugh at the fifteen year old boy who peered through their walls with desperate desire to see past them and into the heart of the canyon. His desire to know the truth burned as hotly as the fire before him.

The truth….

If only…

Anything was better than not knowing. Anything was better. He remembered Keithbert Heath saying "no news is good news." But no news could in no way suffice to anything positive at the moment. All Utts knew was that he wasn't leaving before he knew. Before he knew for sure. And not even the Grandmaster could take him off this Force damn world.

Utts reached into the Force once again as he had been doing for the past hour at random increments of time. He pulled at the familiar link in his mind, impatiently at first, then getting no response he became hesitant and frustrated. There was nothing. Just emptiness. Yet it was still there….lingering with in his perceptions.

He never heard the three knights coming up behind him and if he sensed them through the Force then his conscious mind did not register their presences.

"What do you think we should do?" The youngest, Keithbert, asked softly. "Kid's been there for over an hour now. We're gonna have to leave."

"I doubt he'll accept that easily," The young man next to him with dark hair like the night and icy blue eyes, Roland, replied unhappily. "Allan?" He turned to the third young man, Allan, who was the oldest of the group and had the strongest connection to the Force.

"Hmm?" Allan grunted.

Roland's voice dropped to a slightly quieter tone. "Can you breach his shields without breaking them? Possibly without being detected?"

"I doubt that," Allan admitted.

"I want to know if he has any intention to going back there. Because that is something we can not allow."

"Why can't he be like a normal padawan?" Allan muttered as he sank into the Force. He didn't see Keithbert glaring at him. After several moments Allan retuned from his trance shaking his head slowly from side to side. "No." he muttered. "I can breach his shields but he'll notice my presence. I'm not sure but he seems to be on the edge. If we tell him that we are leaving he'll most likely snap and demand to go b—"

"I know what he'll demand!" Roland snapped in frustration. "He still thinks that Velgen is alive."

Keithbert watched Roland's restless pacing for several painful moments, biting his lower lip. "What if I talk to him?"

Roland eyed Keithbert questioningly. "Does he trust you?"

Keith nodded a positive.

"See what you can do then. He seems to be the stubborn kind."

"I don't blame him…" Keith trailed sadly. "If it was Shahn anywhere out there I would be long gone. Speaking of Shahn…look out for him would you?" He looked to his friends hopefully and they nodded their quiet agreement.

"Keith!" Roland called back before going back to the fighters. "Surah died today. I know what it's like, my friend."

Keith didn't say anything. It wasn't that he didn't understand it was just that he didn't know what to say about Roland and his affair with the Jedi healer apprentice. "I'm sorry, Roland," he muttered under his breath as he made his way toward the still figure of Utts.

"You wanna talk about it?" Keithbert asked. He knew that threatening the boy with their swiftly approaching departure wasn't going to help.

For several moments it seemed like Utts hadn't even heard him. Keith opened his mouth to speak again but Utts cut him off. "Miguel use to be his friend. Before his turn…you know."

Keith nodded, not quite sure yet where this was going.

"He had once threatened Master with the fate of burning along with all the other light-fighters. He said that the Jedi would burn. I never thought that that would be literal."

Keithbert sighed and tilted his head back to look at the clouds of black smoke rising above the canyon. "War is a cruel thing, Utts."

"I don't care!" the boy blurted suddenly. "I should have let everyone else handle Miguel. I should have gone with Master after Julio! I shouldn't have left him!" There were tears in the padawan's eyes now.

It was on the tip of Keith's tong to retort with a staunch "And burn yourself?" But he knew that to say such a thing would be too cruel. "What happened back there, Utts?"

Utts sighed and then seemed to fall into a monotone as he started talking. Relaying the events in their fullest and yet simplest form. His eyes never left the fire that lingered in its greedy triumph despite the rain.

"Hand over the scriptures, Julio."

The Sith apprentice only clutched the pamphlet closer to him and took several steps back from the steadily advancing Jedi knight. "You will never have them, Jedi," he hissed.

Utts looked nervously between his master and the Sith who held the packet of ancient prophesies and Sith codes. The shallow cave was lit by a single torch leaned against the wall. Outside, Utts could hear the booms of laser canons and explosions.

"You have lost, Julio," Velgen told him calmly in his usual commanding voice.

"No…my master has NOT taken me as an apprentice in vain. Darth Murderous will have his victory. He chose the right side of the Force. He was wiser than you!"

Velgen shook his head slowly from side to side. His features were placid but Utts could feel the spike of regret through their Force bond, which was hurriedly stifled by Velgen's shields and then his will. "Miguel was a fool that is what he was. And you, Darth Destroce, have been a pawn in his fools' game. Hand over the scriptures and the Jedi will spare you."

"Never!" came the ear piercing shriek which was followed by a bellow of rage and suddenly the torch was flying toward the two Jedi. They sidestepped it and it crashed into the wall, its flame going out. The cave was plunged into complete darkness.

What brought Utts back from his shocked state and to awareness was Julio's evil cackle coming from the entrance of the cave and then the crunching of crumbling rock.

"Utts! The entrance!" he heard Velgen call in alarm. But Utts was already running toward the mouth of the cave, pulling on the Force and sending tendrils of it toward the cascading rocks to throw them out of the way.

The two Jedi hurled from the pothole just as it caved in on itself. Utts looked around wildly and almost missed the shadow that was gliding away from them through the maze of the canyon. "There!" Utts cried, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he started to sprint after Julio at breakneck speed. Velgen followed him.

They dashed around several curves before they finally could have a clear view of the Sith apprentice before them. Julio drew on the Force and leaped several levels up the steep slope of a mounted wall. Velgen and Utts followed. After a twenty minute pursuit they were almost to the main battle field. Utts could tell by the dry grassplot and twigs that snapped under their boots. Suddenly as they reached a large opening in the canyon walls Julio stopped and gave a maniacal laugh. The canyon walls caught the sound and echoed it so loudly that it almost drowned out the explosions from only a couple levels above.

A shadowy figure appeared at Julio's side. A tall man in pitch black robes. His master.

The hood fell, revealing a man who was rather handsome for his not-so-young age. His eyes were dark and bottomless and the Dark Side swam around him like Braviir eels which lived in the icy pools of Mornth, the sister planet of Hoth. The cold eyes met Velgen's and the two men stood still for several long moments, looking at each other.

Velgen spoke first. "Miguel. It is over, my old friend."

"No it is not," Miguel countered darkly. "You can exterminate the Sith all you want but you can never exterminate the Dark Side. And I will personally insure that you will NEVER know our secrets." He turned to the waiting Julio. "Ashula…kusham hussah valuna."

"Yessss, Masssssster." Julio hissed and Force jumped over the heads of the two Jedi to stand on the other side of the wide space. Utts whirled around so that he could see the Sith Apprentice while Velgen continued his stare-off with Miguel.

"Remember what I once told you of your Fate, Jedi Mailliw?"

"The Force has forsaken you to burn to the vile ashes from which you have so gracelessly once risen," Velgen recited.

"And it will be just so." Miguel raised his hand and the Jedi found themselves flying to opposite sides of the clearing. Utts was first to his feet, only to see a wall of fire spring up between himself and his master.

Velgen watched as Julio started back down the way that they had come, back into the depths of the canyon. Velgen looked around for Utts but the boy was not there. His first instinct was to make sure that his padawan was safe but Julio was disappearing from sight and duty won over as he sprinted down the path after Julio. Fire exploded on all sides of him as the novice Sith allowed his rage to pulse through the Force, setting the dry twigs around them on fire.

Utts had seen his master go and he was sure that the Force could carry him safely over the fiery wall, which had now extended to cover the entrance to the path down which they had come. But then he looked back at Miguel and felt his anger starting to boil his blood. The Sith Lord stood calmly no more then ten feet away from him, his black cloak swirling around him. His eyes were malevolent and icy with a lone spark of satisfaction in them.

Before he had time to think, the blue lightsaber was humming in Utts' hand. He took a ready stance and faced the Sith with all the bravery and recklessness of a padawan on an adrenaline high. But Miguel wasn't in the mood for a fight. A flick of the dark Lord's hand sent Utts hurtling toward the barrier of fire. The boy landed only a foot away from the fire's embrace, several sparks burning through his cloak. He chucked it off and jumped to his feet, raising his saber once again, only to see Miguel Force jumping up the rocky banks of the canyon.

"Coward!" Utts shouted after him. "This is all your doing! Traitor!" He forced his saber back onto his belt and sprinted after Miguel.

Below, the fire continued to blaze.

Utts wasn't sure for how long they ran like that, Miguel out-streaking him with his longer strides and Utts refusing to give up the chase. He didn't dare stop to catch his breath, afraid that Miguel would disappear from sight, and drew on the Force instead to help his endurance. Explosions rained around them and Utts had to keep dodging flying peaces of red hot durasteel or compact fireballs which seemed determined to deter him.

They were now on the main battle front, up on the plateau into which the canyon was engraved. Utts didn't see it at first and he might have not seen it at all if a blinding flash from an exploding thermal detonator hadn't reflected off of shiny polished durasteel.

Miguel's sleek black speeder had been parked smugly in an indentation in the rock wall which separated a part of the canyon entrance from the plateau. Utts put on another burst of speed in fear that the Sith would escape. He saw Miguel swing into the cockpit with all the grace of a Force Master and start the engines.

The world went into slow motion as Utts started gaining precious meters. The landing gear of the speeder disengaged and Miguel spurred the thrusters, The young padawan threw himself at the rising speeder, managing to grab onto it with one hand, It was all a futile effort, as Utts soon found out, for one sharp turn from Miguel had Utts tumbling to the ground, relying on the Force to cushion his fall.

The boy jumped to his feet and looked around frantically. Through the flames which lit up the night sky he could see the black speeder making its escape.

"Utts!"

Utts spun around to see Keithbert running to him, Shahn, his padawan, on his heals. "Keith! Keith! It's Miguel! He's getting away!" Utts pointed toward the black speeder which was almost camouflaged against the sky, and would have been if it wasn't for the fires.

"Miguel?" Keithbert asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Darth Murderous," Utts explained frantically, his voice saturated with exasperation.

Keithbert whipped out his commlink and was shouting orders into it. The explosions made it hard to hear but Utts caught the last part. "Shoot him down! Shoot him down, now!" There were several spastic plasma blasts from turbo canons and the black speeder went down in flames. Utts felt a wave of vengeful satisfaction which would later make him feel guilty.

There is no emotion there is peace…

…There is no passion there is serenity

The code had been drilled into him like into any Jedi at a very young age. But at this time it didn't matter. Utts was aware of Keithbert tugging at his arm saying, "We have to go! We have to run before we're trapped. We've got them Utts. We have to go back!" But he didn't care. The adrenaline was gone now and icy fingers had captured his heart. Where was Velgen? Where was his master?

Kriffing Sith!

The padawan reached for is master through the bond. But there was no response. He couldn't feel Velgen's signature through the Force. And yet the bond was still there. It hadn't broken so his master had to still be alive. What if he was somewhere out there wounded? Or maybe just unconscious. The smoke stung his eyes and the stench of burning grass, metal, cloth, and flesh was making him feel lightheaded. Keithbert's nagging became more urgent but Utts couldn't move. It was hard to breath and his thoughts where so scattered that he couldn't seem to cling to a single one. How he wanted to get away from there. Just to forget that all this was happening.

So he started to run.

The rumble of landing starcruisers, which where to replace the destroyed starfighters as a source of transportation off world, sounded in the background just as Utts had finished speaking, his eyes still riveted to the now slowly dissipating flames.

"Have you felt him ever since?" Keith asked the distraught boy at his side.

The padawan shook his head negatively. "But the bond hasn't broken," he insisted. "Master is still alive and out there!" He turned to Keithbert with wide eyes. "I have to go back there, Keith. I have to try and find him!"

Keithbert shook his head, squaring his shoulders. "Utts, believe me I am your friend but I can not allow you to do this. We have to get off world."

"Why?" Utts challenged indignantly. "Why, Keith? We destroyed the Sith didn't we?"

The knight nodded frankly. "All indicators say yes but we can't risk staying. I am your superior, Utts. And, though I don't want to resort to this I feel I must, I am giving you an order to come with me to the starcruiser. Now."

Defeat. This was defeat in its most pitiful form and Utts didn't have a choice but to surrender. For all his determination he was the kind off padawan that took orders without question. He was fighting a loosing battle with himself and all hope started to dwindle away. He drudged after Keith to one of the starcruisers and strapped himself in without looking at Shahn, who was watching him with sympathy. So this was how it was going to end. Could he just leave? Could he live with himself if he just left? Was it any use to stay? So he was never going to-

The flicker was so faint that Utts almost didn't notice it. Then it came again stronger.

Utts?

The young padawan froze momentarily before bolting out of the cruiser and sprinting toward the flames once again, ignoring Keithbert's calls of, "Utts! Come back here!"

At first he didn't see anything and the fear that he had just made a fool of himself started to creep onto him. Then the flames seemed to part and the dignified figure of Velgen Mailliw appeared, framed against the fire. He looked like he had been to Hell and back but he was ALIVE.

"Master?" The disbelieving whisper seemed to carry through the space between them and moments later the padawan had run to his master throwing his arms around the older man's neck and burying his face into Velgen's shoulder. The two held the embrace for a long beautiful moment during which both pairs of shields were lowered, the bond flooded with relief and affection. Finally they broke apart and walked to the starcruiser side by side where Keithbert, Shahn, Roland, and Allan welcomed them with amazed looks. A couple of smart-allac comments from Keithbert later the starcruiser lifted from the desolated surface of Ruusan.

Below them, the world continued to burn.