The air was thick with the smell of smoke and charring flesh. Fire crackled loudly as it burned and ate up each log that made the rather large funeral pyre. While each piece of wood slowly turned to ash, the bundled up form that lay atop it all began to be licked all over by the flames. This body of a young woman, with her long black hair like an inescapable abyss and with a face that was round and sweet, gradually was encircled by the growing fire to become part of the already growing pile of char and soot. Though her body dead and her spirit free, the idea did not stop the small, practically inaudible breath from a lone figure that now knelt directly in front of the roaring flames.

Thin, but with a tight muscular frame, the man who knelt before the fire ignored the next few tears that rolled down his cheeks. His long, ebony hair which reached down past his shoulders and pulled into a loose ponytail, waved lazily in the breeze that rolled out from the dark forest around him. Slowly his shaky hand reached up to smooth out his thin mustache and beard before he proceeded to wipe away an annoying tear from the corner of his eye.

Both his hands now on the dirt before him ached as they dug deeply into the moist feeling soil. Closing his grip around a firm handful of it, the man straightened himself up, all the while refusing to take his eyes off the burning corpse.

"I-I'm sorry Yeniz." He whispered in a guilt-ridden voice. "I should've protected you better. None of this should've come to pass."

Deep down he knew better than to feel this way. Over and over he tried to remember the philosophy of the Jedi. That there was no death; there was only the Force. But even as he tried to recite the litany in his mind, this man could not help but let his shoulders slump in sadness.

His head lowered even further, he momentarily lost sight of the cylinder handle in front of his knees. So similar to the one already attached to his belt. Yeniz made it that way. She said that it was her way of honoring her mentor.

"See master Lun-Gue?" asked the twelve-year old Yeniz excited voice as she watched the happier looking Jedi inspect her newly created lightsaber. "The design just suddenly came to me. I had no idea it would look exactly like yours."

"Yes, this is very impressive." He replied as he balanced the handle on his fingers. Finally taking it in hand, Lun-Gue held it to the side and activated it with a buzz. "Hmm, it is similar to mine except the blade is different; yours is green." Deactivating it again, he handed the saber back to her.

Yeniz smiled a bit warmly as she took it back and nodded her head. "My guess is that it had to have a little personalization."

Lun-Gue-Ra smiled at his young padawan while she stood silently in front of him, surrounded by the crystal carved walls of the Ilum cave. Dressed in a full brown tunic and pants, Yeniz tightened the white sash around her waist as she looked up at his face. The braid of her black hair hung down gently against her shoulder as she turned to see the sun setting just outside the cave entrance.

Raising his hand to her, Lun-Gue silently beckoned for her to follow. "Come along Yeniz. Now that you have been able to complete your own lightsaber, we must move on to the next phase of your lessons."

"Of course, master." She replied as she walked along next to him. "Will we be continuing the lessons about the Living Force?"

"Is that what you wish to learn today?"

"Actually, I have a question." She said a bit meekly and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"And that is?"

"I know that I have asked many times before, but what happens at death?"

"Do you fear death?" Lun-Gue asked, his hands hidden within his sleeves and held behind his back. "Is that why you keep asking me?"

"No master." She said quietly. "It's merely curiosity."

Nodding, he finally stopped once they excited the large cave and looked out over the expansive, snowy fields of Ilum. Slowly he began to lead her down the set trail before he turned to face her. "Death is an inevitability, Yeniz. It is something that no person, however powerful, can escape. But death is not something to be feared. It is with death that we are free to join the Force. To become one with it."

Yeniz became silent as she stepped along side the Jedi Knight and stopped once they had finally reached the bottom of the mountain. It was plain to Lun-Gue that she was having trouble with this exercise. He could still sense a tiny spark of fear inside of her heart. He had hoped that by now it would've been extinguished.

Watching the thoughts roll over her face, he smiled warmly and reached under her chin, lifting her gaze up slowly. "Do not over think it, Yeniz. In time you will come to understand my words."

"Yes, master." She said as a comforting smile appeared.

"Come along. You've just finished creating your lightsaber so it is now time to test it out; draw your sword. I think it best that we start training you a bit more extensively in your saber technique."

Nodding, Yeniz moved back until she was across from him and ignited the emerald colored blade in front of her. Holding it firmly in her hands, she slowly moved into a Form One fighting stance, the first he'd ever taught her.

"Excellent job." Lun-Gue-Ra said as he pulled off the long, flowing brown robe from his back. Tossing it casually aside, he bowed his head respectfully before activating his own saber. The crackling blue blade hummed dangerously to his side as he held it ready. "All right Yeniz. Let us begin shall we?"

Still looking over the handle of her saber, Lun-Gue shook his head as he held it against his forehead. The fire in front of him had become so fierce now that he could no longer see Yeniz's body. It was now that he truly realized that she was really gone.

"This…" he said as he lowered the inactive saber to the side. "…was supposed to protect you. But even this lightsaber, it seems, couldn't save you from such a betrayal."

His gaze lost in the dancing flames, he slowly let his mind drift off into meditation. He was desperate to find any kind of peace now. SNAP! Eyes slowly opening, Lun-Gue did not take them off the fire. Instead, very subtly, he moved his finger over the activator of Yeniz's lightsaber and extended his senses with the Force. It didn't take him long to find the five men clad in white armor and armed with DC-15 rifles quietly advancing on him.

Lun-Gue's gaze hardened as he continued to stare at the roaring fire. He knew those killers all too well. They were part of the battalion sent in to accompany both himself and Yeniz on this campaign to sweep the Ryokos system for any Separatist leaders.

He had no indication of the horror that was to come. The dark side clouds everything.

With the Force, he could already see them taking their positions around him. One to his right, two situated at his left and behind him, and finally two coming up in front of him. He would never give them a chance to strike first.

His hand was a blue as he suddenly pushed down the activator of Yeniz's lightsaber and hurled it into the shadows to his left. Lun-Gue's ears were satisfied with the cut off scream of one clone trooper as the burning emerald blade pierced through his helmet and straight between his eyes.

Immediately up on his feet, it only took Lun-Gue a fraction of a second to ignite his own energy sword that he pulled free from his belt. Twirling it in circle around his body, the Jedi easily deflected particle bolt after particle bolt that suddenly erupted from invisible places around the bases of trees. He got lucky when one bolt ricocheted off his saber and struck one of the troopers coming from in front of him. But it was then that he felt another one of the traitors circling to his left and take aim.

Quickly extending his free hand as he knocked away another energy shot into the foliage above his head, Lun-Gue gripped Yeniz's lightsaber from the head of the clone trooper and summoned the fierce blade back to his hand. Expertly he spun both sabers around his body as he began to step backward and to the trooper who constantly fired at his back.

"Quick! Close in around him and don't let him escape! He can't keep this up forever!" One shouted and stepped into the firelight; a big mistake on his part.

Seeing the thermal detonator attached to his belt, Lun-Gue skillfully reflected a bolt back to the trooper's rifle, knocking it free from his hand. Doing the same to the last two clones to distract them, he lifted two fingers from his raised hand and used the Force to activate the detonator and lift it away from the killer's belt. Focusing harder, he also detached the clone's helmet from his surprised face. Staring into his eyes for a fraction of a second, Lun-Gue suddenly willed the explosive grenade into the helmet and then forced it back onto the trooper's head.

"Argh! NO!" he protested and, in vain, began to try and pry the helmet off.

Sensing the last two clone troopers already raising their blaster from the holsters, the Jedi Knight quickly threw his hand out again and sent the struggling trooper flying deep into the forest again with the Force.

Lun-Gue now had both blades ignited again and turned his attention to the trooper behind him and ran with all his might. He easily deflected particle bolts until he was close enough to roll forward and slash out with his sapphire blade. The trooper's scream was loud in his ears as he severed the soldier's leg from the knee down. And with another well-aimed strike he sent the clone's still helmeted head soaring off towards the bonfire just as a blinding flash and thunderous boom exploded from far ahead.

That now made two more clones dead and only one more to go.

With nothing said, Lun-Gue quickly deactivated the blades and disappeared up into the treetops just as the last trooper recovered from the shockwave of that thermal blast. The Jedi was a phantom as he silently moved among the foliage, following the last traitor as he ran to inspect his fallen comrade.

"Come on out Jedi!" the clone trooper shouted and raised his blaster to the trees. "There's no hiding now! It's over!"

Still creeping along the dark outstretched branches, green leaves became ruffled by the flowing breeze. This only caused a barrage of fire from the remaining clone. Lun-Gue watched with narrowed eyes as the soldier turned and spun, firing randomly into the air.

Once he heard the click of an empty blaster though, he made his move.

Leaping onto the tree in front of the clone, Lun-Gue let gravity pull him back down into a freefall. Arms out to the sides, each wielding the black and silver handles of both his own and Yeniz's lightsabers, he suddenly ignited both blades as the trooper tried frantically to reload his blaster.

The air stank with the smell of cauterized flesh that followed the hum of a blue and green blade that slashed down in a crisscross shape. Crouched down, Lun-Gue slowly lifted his gaze to the clone trooper that stood inches in front of him, completely still and with a shaky hand gripping a blaster. Lun-Gue moved onto his two feet and stared calmly into the trooper's helmet until the soldier suddenly began to fall backwards, splitting into four rather large chunks.

Lun-Gue-Ra still said nothing as he deactivated both sabers and attached them to his black belt. He gave the dead trooper no second glance as he turned and headed back for the crackling fire. No longer could he see her body since it was now completely engulfed in flames, but he did not take his eyes off its dead center.

Slowly his lips parted as he began to speak. "I'm…so sorry to leave you Yeniz." His voice was sore from his inability to speak for so long but he went on. "But I have to go now. I'll head back to the landing site and find out what is going on. I will not let your death go unavenged."

With those words, the Jedi turned away from the brightly burning fire and headed back into the tree line. He remembered well enough where the site was and he would do everything in his power to find out who was behind all of this and make them pay. He was so distracted with these thoughts that he didn't even notice the pale eyes that watched him with amusement from the darkness far behind him.

"It's been ten standard years since you first made your lightsaber and you can already out fly me." Lun-Gue joked as he glanced over to Yeniz's starfighter. "What does that say about me?"

Yeniz's voice chuckled through the speakers in his cockpit. "Only that you have taught me well, master."

Lun-Gue checked his status as both of their ships broke through the atmosphere of the planet Ryokos. Carefully they eased their descent to make sure that they wouldn't come in too hot and burn themselves to a crisp. It was only after making sure they leveled out that he responded.

"That and I may be getting too old to keep up with you." He said and checked the homing coordinates for their battalion of clone troopers. "And I've told you before, Yeniz, you are a Knight now. You need not refer to me as 'master' anymore. Just Lun-Gue will suffice."

"Sorry master." Crackled her voice in reply. "Old habits die hard."

Once over the green treetops and high mountains of Ryokos, their Jedi starfighters quickly tore through the white wisps of clouds around them, heading for the beacon that their squadron set out. Along the way, Lun-Gue couldn't tear his eyes off the brilliant shades of blues and greens that littered the grounds below. This was to be their first stop on the sweep of this system. Uninhabited and isolated, it made a perfect place for the Separatists to hide.

"Master, we are now directly above our troopers location and we have been given permission to land."

"Good, let's start checking this planet then."

Their battalion greeted both Jedi Knights once they landed on the surface among the multitude of Republic starships and starfighters. The army, as numerous as it was, agreed that Lun-Gue and Yeniz would be at the head of only a small squadron as they broke off into groups to search the planet for any signs of the Separatists army.

Ryokos, though uninhabited, was teeming over with life. Creatures sang down from the canopies and swam noisily in the bogs that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Though nature and life seemed to want to bar their way, neither the determined Jedi nor the skillful troopers would stop the hunt.

Coming up next to Lun-Gue, a 22 year-old Yeniz gently placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Master, do you sense anything yet?"

"No," He responded as he turned to look at her. "I sense nothing at all."

Silently he looked upon his one time padawan with a sense of pride. She had grown up so much since he first chose to train her. Now the young woman stood only a few inches under his height. Her black hair hung loosely around her shoulders and waved lazily in the breeze that kicked up from deep in the forest. Standing firmly next to him, Yeniz had a looked of pure focus on her face. She had become an accomplished Jedi and he couldn't have been any prouder of her.

Pulling his lightsaber free from his belt, Lun-Gue glanced back to the squad leader. "Keep your men back for a moment. Yeniz and I shall scout ahead to make sure that all is well."

"Yes sir." The trooper responded and began to bark orders at the remaining soldiers.

Slowly the robed warriors stepped into the lush, green jungle, careful to not create a single sound out of place and keeping their senses attuned to their surroundings. Both were silent, true Jedi in every right as they calmly took in everything. Their faces remained expressionless, never shifting their calm demeanors by even a fraction of a degree. They could feel everything around them. They were part of everything around them.

Moving aside a tangle of low hanging vines, Lun-Gue helped Yeniz cross a rather large, fallen tree before rejoining her at her side. "I still do not sense anything. Maybe there is nothing in this area."

"It does seem strange." Yeniz whispered and dodged around a stream of bog water. "Intelligence has never failed us before. How could they be wrong this time?"

"Mistakes are sometimes made." He said and pressed on, stepping over thick bushes and seemingly out of place stones and boulders. "Or it could be that someone was here and they already abandoned this planet."

"Possibly." Yeniz muttered before giving off a troublesome sigh. "Master, I grow tried of this war. It seems that whenever we think we have a victory, the enemy finds a way to prove its resilience. I pray that this war comes to a halt soon."

Lun-Gue-Ra smiled sympathetically and nodded his head. "The war has taken its toll on everyone. The Jedi are no different. I too cannot wait until it comes to an end. So many lives have been needlessly ruined or ended because of it."

"Yes…" she whispered to herself and continued on next to him. "…so much uncalled for bloodshed."

Both remained in silence as they stepped through some rather thick vegetation. The trees reached high up above their heads and were heavy with leaves, vines and the rustle of small, unseen creatures. No other sounds could be heard except for the chorus of the nature around them and their own heartbeats. Already they were being discouraged and believed that, quite possibly, there was no one actually hiding on this planet.

Yeniz sighed as she climbed on top of a large boulder and scanned the surrounding area with her eyes before shaking her head. "Master, I know mistakes can be made but it seems more and more likely that this is just plain misdirection."

Lun-Gue grew silent as he stood next to the stone. His dark eyes shifted to every conceivable location around them. Yeniz did seem to have a point. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something did seem wrong. Trooper intelligence was always very accurate but what was going on here?

Hearing a particularly loud screech from a large bird overhead, both Jedi turned their gazes up. They could feel a strangely dark wind blow across their faces, almost as if it were a kind of ominous warning.

A sudden rustle in the bushes behind them and Lun-Gue carefully pulled his lightsaber off to the side, thus prompting Yeniz to hop down from the rock and do the same. His eyes focused on where he heard the sounds, the Jedi slowly let his senses fall into the Force.

"Betrayal." was the only word he whispered before suddenly pushing the activator button and turning back around. "Yeniz! On your guard!"

Immediately a rain of particle shots flew directly at them and Lun-Gue was quick to react by deflecting several bolts right back. Hearing Yeniz's lightsaber hum into action, he glanced over to see her expertly twirl her green blade around and defend his back as more energy bolts erupted from behind.

"Master!" she yelled as she continued to block their attackers. "Am I truly sensing…?"

"Yes!" he shouted in reply over the sound of blaster fire and tapped into the Force to levitate the boulder she once stood on and sent it hurdling at the barrage of shots in front of him. "We have been deceived! The squadron is trying to kill us!"

No longer able to feel his attacker, Lun-Gue turned to help his partner when he felt something else invade his senses. Turning his head upward, he could feel every motion being made. A trooper found his vantage point high in the foliage and took aim using the scope on his projectile rifle. The Jedi could actually hear the bolt leave the pulse barrel and feel the stock knock back into his own shoulder. Lun-Gue tried desperately to delve into the Force and use its assistance but he was far too late. The domino effect was already in action and knocking down the next block.

Yeniz was a fraction of a second slower than she should have been. Lun-Gue could feel the particle bolt she missed soar just past her ear and strike him across his shoulder. Thrown an inch off balance by the pain, the Jedi couldn't lift his saber quickly enough to deflect the deadly, well-aimed bolt from the sniper hidden away in the trees.

"No!" he screamed as a flash of pain rang through his mind and hurled his blade up into the canopy.

A hiss followed as the blue blade sliced through tree branch after tree branch before finding its home squarely through the sniper's chest plate. He didn't bother to turn back when he heard the sniper fall out of the trees with his saber still lodged into the man's body.

Lun-Gue easily caught Yeniz as she tumbled back into his open arms. Slowly he fell to his knees while holding the barely breathing woman against his chest. He could feel her life gently seeping out of the hole made directly through her chest, grazing her heart and leaving a cauterized ring to mar her flesh.

Just as he wrapped his arms tighter around her body, he felt a cold being start to emerge from the bushes in front of him. His eyes slowly turned up as he gazed at the armored body and lost himself while staring at the black visor etched into the soldier's helmet. Lun-Gue knew that the face behind that chilling mask held no emotion. He could feel no remorse, pity or second thoughts coming from this killer, only a single-minded logic that obligated him to follow all orders.

"Step away from the body, Jedi."

"You…betrayed us." He whispered gently. His knuckles turned white as he shakingly clutched onto Yeniz's robes. Surprisingly he could hear only the smallest breath coming from her lips. "W-Why?"

The trooper said nothing at first and lifted his rifle, aiming it directly at Lun-Gue's forehead. Finally, in a cold voice he replied, "Commander's orders."

Staring back at the soldier, Lun-Gue controlled his breathing, waiting for the exact moment for the Force to tell him to move. He knew he was better than this. As a Jedi he was taught to let those he cared about go. Their spirits were to become one with the Force. It was supposed to be a joyous event. But despite all of his training, all Lun-Gue-Ra could feel…was hatred.

And it was at the realization of that thought that he made his move.

His hands falling away from Yeniz's body, the Jedi suddenly jumped up to an enormous height. The sudden particle bolts from the trooper's rifle just barely missed his legs as he leapt over to a hanging vine and gripped it tightly. He became little more than a blur after that, running sideways from tree to tree. Expertly he twirled and dodged around blaster shots in an acrobatic ballet that took the remaining trooper off-guard.

Once Lun-Gue was close enough he gave a final twirl before leaping off the last tree and fell back to the ground, delivering a well-placed kick to his attacker. The soldier stumbled back, having been kicked across the side of his helmet and couldn't recover in time to anticipate the Jedi's next action.

It was practically unseen as a silver handle lifted up and away from the jungle floor, hovering in mid-air momentarily before soaring to the shaky, empty hand of Lun-Gue-Ra. A hum and a flash of blue, the Jedi refused to hold back as he brought the crackling blade down with all of his might. After slicing directly through the clone trooper's chest and burning the air…there was only silence.

Lun-Gue didn't bother to turn back as he weakly moved back over to Yeniz's side. Her strength was quickly failing and he knew that at any moment, she would cease to hold onto her life. Dropping next to her body, he ignored the gathering tears he felt and gently reached out to caress her cheek.

"Yeniz?" he whispered meekly.

A flutter of her eyelids opening, those dark eyes, deep and brown, locked squarely onto his. Unexpectedly the corner of her pink lips turned up into a smile. "I-I guess I miscalculated didn't I?"

"Shhh…" he said and stroked her hair comfortingly. "…you made no mistake. You…you just…" Lun-Gue closed his eyes as he felt her tender fingers touch his cheek.

"No…you said I shouldn't fear death, remember?" she said in a gradually weakening voice. "I…I understand now. Thank you…Lun-Gue. Thank you for everything…you've done…for…"

Once he no longer felt the spark of her life, he could not hold back his buried emotions anymore. He collapsed into tears and squeezed her almost crushingly against his chest, burying his face against her shoulder. He trained this young woman since she was a child. He watched her grow up into the Jedi Knight she was and now he had to stand by helplessly as she died alone, on this uninhabited planet.

Shaking uncontrollably, Yeniz's one time mentor gently scooped up her limp body into his arms. After doing so he couldn't help but look down into her peaceful face. She was more than just a fellow Jedi and a friend to him. It took her death for him to realize that after everything they'd gone through, she had, in fact, become more like a daughter.

Attaching her lightsaber to his belt, Lun-Gue-Ra checked his surroundings for any other attackers before carrying Yeniz's body off into the woods. He knew that the rest of the squadron wasn't far behind and that at all sides the battalion would be looking for him. But despite all of that, he refused to just leave her body to the jungle.

"No. I'll give you a proper Jedi funeral." He whispered and let another tear fall. "I owe you that much."

The journey was long and Lun-Gue had to carefully watch his steps. The pressing night served as a valuable ally and hid him from any prying eyes that might have been about. But he just could not shake the ominous feeling that some terrible tragedy had occurred. The pain he felt from Yeniz's death was massive but there was something buried underneath all of that. Almost like a tickle at the base of his skull, telling him that something else was wrong.

Choosing to ignore the thought, Lun-Gue pulled the hood of his cloak up to better mask his appearance and crept silently through the thick vegetation around. He knew that he was already getting closer to his target. The glow and the roar of starship engines were nearby, therefore the trooper's base camp had to be there as well.

But the closer he got to them, the more he could feel the anger welling up in the pit of his stomach. Though he managed to suppress the rage, it became more and more difficult with every step. He needed focus in order to get close to these soldiers. With them would be his only chance of discovering who was behind all of this betrayal.

The Jedi crawled stealthily through the many thick bushes and brambles, paying no heed to the small nicks and scratches he received. He was intent upon reaching the one person here that he could get any kind of answer from. And nothing would hold him back.

Feeling the hill begin to descend, he cautioned a look and peered out from his hiding place. The base was clearly within sight now. Troopers ran to and fro, no doubt every last one of them now sweeping the entire planet for him. There was no way that they didn't know about the destruction of the squadron that both he and Yeniz had been assigned. More than likely it's been discovered that his body hasn't been found yet. And they would keep hunting him down.

Lun-Gue edged closer to the camp and saw that the battalion was greatly reduced in numbers than when he first arrived. More than likely they were still out, leaving no stone unturned in their search for him.

"All right, Commander Xell…" he whispered as he carefully moved to the edge of the base and crept out from his camouflage. "…where are you hiding?"

His eyes locked onto the impromptu base that was set up, Lun-Gue watched as soldiers armed with an assortment of weaponry marched across base and head off into the woodlands. Only a few troopers were left behind but the numbers were still quite large. More than any single Jedi alone could handle. So as much as he would like to just go charging in, sabers blazing, he knew he would accomplish nothing. No, he would have to remain stealthy to avenge Yeniz properly.

"Commander Xell!" a sudden voice cried out.

Ducking behind a thick line of bushes, the cloaked Jedi grew quiet and carefully peeked around the corner. There he saw two fully armored clone troopers saluting a single man with no helmet upon his head. The striped colors on that soldier's armor immediately identified himself to Lun-Gue. That was Commander Xell, apparently the cause for all this anguish.

"What is it soldier?" the commander asked as he raised his head to wipe the perspiration from his sweaty brow. Ryokos tended to reach very humid temperatures at night.

"Sir, we just received word that Delta squadron has finished sweeping the D-11 sector of Ryokos. There is no sign of any Jedi there."

Nodding, the commander pulled a small terminal from the holster at his hip. Holding it between himself and the two soldiers, Xell pushed a button on the side and instantaneously a shimmering blue hologram of the planet floated up between them. Several areas were marked red, showing that they were already searched sectors.

"Sector D-11, clear." He said and tapped the section to turn it red. "All right, tell them to sweep into the next sector but keep their eyes open. Jedi can be very tricky."

"Yes sir." One soldier smartly saluted and ran back to report the new orders.

"Sir?" the last trooper asked respectfully and stepped forward. "We've finished going through the remains at the Jedi's last known location, and we've found the rest of the soldiers sent after him. He's now dispatched the entire squad."

"And the other Jedi."

"She was killed but there's a strange thing concerning her, sir. It seems that master Ra stopped just long enough to give her a sort of funeral. That wasn't just a bonfire we reported, it was a funeral pyre."

"Well, we succeeded in eradicating one of them." Commander Xell muttered and paced from side-to-side. "Take a squad and start searching the eastern sectors. I want at least half of this planet checked out by tomorrow's dusk. He has to be somewhere around here."

Lun-Gue remained unseen as the last trooper ran off to carry out his order. So they were looking everywhere for him. Why couldn't he have seen this coming? Such an act of treachery should've been easily sensed. But he felt no hint of it coming; the Masters were right, the dark side does cloud everything.

Watching the stone-faced commander walking in his direction, Lun-Gue carefully pulled his lightsaber into his hand and crept back into the shadows. Pressed against the thick bark of a tree and hiding behind a mass of shadowy vines, he gazed out from under his hood just as Xell came around the corner. The soldier said nothing as his dark eyes peered suspiciously into Lun-Gue's hiding spot.

Slowly the commander began to walk forward, never letting his eyes even blink. With each of his steps, the Jedi's fingers tightened more around the handle of his blade. The fury was starting to well up in his stomach again and try as he might, he couldn't resist it. His teeth clenched tightly as he held back the urge to just run out and strike the murderer down, but the lust for the man's blood was too great.

Lun-Gue-Ra could feel the veins popping up from his biceps as he tried to keep from lifting his arm with the saber in his hand into the air. His muscles screamed and ached for the release of battle, twitching under his skin and forcing his legs to stand. Slowly he felt his vision slip away and just for a moment he saw only two things: red and Yeniz's now forever sleeping face.

Beginning to step out from behind the thick vines, Lun-Gue was within seconds of revealing himself when a loud, piercing beeping brought him back from the brink of pure wrath. Color seeped back into his world and he breathed harshly. Slowly he brought his saber wielding arm down again, placing it at his side. Quickly he hid himself again and watched as the commander pulled out a communicator.

Xell gave the vines a final glance before tapping a button on the side of the device. He looked down to a miniature image of a man draped in heavy, dark robes and respectfully saluted.

"My lord."

"Commander Xell…" the shadow whispered malevolently. "…have the Jedi on Ryokos been destroyed yet?"

"So far we've already taken care of one of them, sir. Rest assured that the last will be taken care of before the morning."

A sickening laughter echoed out from the dark entity's withered voice. "Excellent news commander. My apprentice, Darth Vader, has already eliminated all of the Jedi here on Coruscant. And I am receiving news from all battalions that they have eradicated their Jedi generals. This is indeed a joyous day for the new Galactic Empire."

"Yes sir."

"Inform me as soon as the last Jedi is dead."

"Of course my lord." Commander Xell saluted again. "It will be my pleasure." Shutting off his communicator, the trooper turned his back to the hidden Jedi and began to walk back to base.

Lun-Gue-Ra felt numb after watching all that had transpired. Could what the shadow have said be true? Had a Sith destroyed all the Jedi on Coruscant? He was trying to convince himself that it wasn't possible when he remembered the strange feeling that had plagued him all day. So it was more than just a tingle he felt. It was the scream of a thousand Jedi dying across the stars. And they all died because they were taken in by a deception; just like Yeniz.

The thought of her sweet, lifeless face fed the rage growing in him. As his eyes once more locked onto the sight of the killer ahead, everything again melted into red. Lun-Gue's muscles tightened painfully as he pulled both Yeniz's and his own lightsaber free from his belt. There was no way to stop this now. Try as he might, the calm that was once in his mind gave way into a furious storm.

The enraged Jedi stepped out from behind the security of the vines and watched as Commander Xell continued, oblivious to his presence. He was unable to resist the blinding fury that enveloped his mind. Lun-Gue no longer felt like himself anymore, all that existed was a raging beast.

He crept closer to the trooper before he suddenly dashed forward and ignited his lightsaber. Startled by the sudden noise, Xell turned around just in time to see a flash of blue cross his vision and an excruciating pain course throughout his body.

Lun-Gue's neck bulged as a deep, growling voice whispered harshly to the clone. "I hear you're looking for me."

Xell's jaw tightened and his head reeled back in pain. Snarling at the Jedi, his dark eyes suddenly snapped open to glare back at him. "J-Jedi…" he sputtered and helplessly looked down to the saber driven through his stomach. He fell to his knees slowly and looked up at Lun-Gue's angry face. "…you…won't make it off…this planet alive!"

"We shall see about that." Lun-Gue responded and glared into the man's cold eyes. "Now tell me, who ordered you to attack the Jedi?"

Commander Xell shook as pain wracked throughout his body. "Y-You'll never…get close to – AHHH!"

Lun-Gue snarled as he twisted the lightsaber around. Through the Force he could feel the man's life slipping away quickly. "That's not an answer. Now tell me! Whose orders are you under?"

Looking defiantly up into his eyes, the commander bared his teeth while his face contorted and twitched in pain. "T-The…same…as always."

"Jedi! The Jedi is here!"

His head turned up quickly and the angered Lun-Gue watched a single trooper come running around the corner of the brambles, signaling with his hand for the rest to join him.

A sudden flick of his wrist and Lun-Gue finally finished off the commander's suffering by easily splitting him in two. He raised his lightsaber defensively, drew Yeniz's saber from his belt and watched calmly as the oncoming trooper lifted his blaster rifle to take aim.

It seemed to all happen in a split second. Just as the soldier squeezed the trigger, a crowd of clone troopers came running up behind him. All began to train the sights of their rifles upon the Jedi, but Lun-Gue was faster than he looked. Both swords now ignited, he leapt to the side and hurled his own saber with as much strength as he could muster.

Now momentarily out of their sight, Lun-Gue used the Force to guide his spinning blade through the air and into the group of soldiers. The lightsaber was like a disc of blue energy, slicing effortlessly through every trooper before suddenly flying back to his waiting hand. Once he saw the group of them in disarray, Lun-Gue clenched his teeth and ran directly for them, both sabers held at his sides and poised to strike.

He was quick to dispatch them before they could regroup. Dodging around blaster shots and deflecting bolts back to them, the furious Jedi growled and threw himself towards the center of the squad. Two troopers easily crumpled from his initial attack but he didn't stop there. Only passion dictated his attacks now. Though his mind tried to tell him other wise, something deeper urged him on like some war machine.

Lun-Gue spun like a tornado, taking out soldiers left and right and ignored the many more that tried to join the fray. No trooper could stand before his sabers and skills. Screams filled the air like a chorus as he struck down another pair and flipped back to eradicate a trio that tried to take him out from behind. No, try as they might, no particle bolt could touch him and any clone that came too close was lucky to survive more than an instant.

But after time passed, despite the amount of rage that fueled him, Lun-Gue could feel the exhaustion setting in. With every heavy swing of his arms and every powerful kick, he could hear his brain crying in agony. As much as he wanted to keep going, the sabers just began to feel heavier in his hands. His fingers ached painfully because of his tight grip on the blades and his leg muscles twitched, threatening to collapse under his weight.

It was then that he felt the throbbing pain that ran along the length of his left arm. With a primal scream, Lun-Gue slashed out expertly and dispatched another five troopers that ventured too close and took the time to glance down to his arm. Even though his vision was shaded in red, he could see the new wound that found itself on his bicep. He could hardly grip the saber anymore but still he fought on. Locked in a berserker's-like rage, Lun-Gue-Ra couldn't help but charge directly at a group of the betrayers in front of him. One arm lame, he still made a terrifying visage as he screamed a warcry at the top of his lungs.

"Fire! Take the Jedi down, now!"

He hardly felt the first couple of particle bolts once they made contact with his shoulder and leg. But he was forced to his knees when the pain from the next volley of shots became too excruciating for him to keep standing. He watched the shades of red slipped away from his sight and quietly he tumbled to his side. Luckily the blaster shots didn't hit anything fatal but Lun-Gue just couldn't find the will to stand anymore. His breathing became weaker as he looked up to the troopers that began to circle around him.

"Sir, its amazing he's still alive." One said as he kept his rifle still trained on him. "It looks like he wiped out more than a quarter of our numbers, sir."

"Impressive or not…" the lead soldier whispered and raised his rifle again. "…he's still a Jedi and you know the orders. Blast him."

While the soil pressed against his cheek, Lun-Gue could feel only a single tear roll down. In the back of his mind, he cried. Uncontrollably he cried because he knew he had failed. He could not avenge Yeniz now since he would be joining her as part of the Force.

"I…I'm sorry Yeniz."

"Sir?" another clone asked, thus drawing Lun-Gue's attention to look up. "What is that?"

Gently a strange object, about double the length of his lightsaber's handle, floated up between a pair of troopers. All attention turned to it, as it just remained silent, hovering with no distinct purpose. One trooper stepped forward and slowly began to raise his hand to touch it when the device seemed to explode.

The flash of light startled Lun-Gue as both ends of the strange object suddenly ignited with a length of pure red energy. Both blades easily pierced a pair of troopers' helmets, causing them to flinch for a moment before going limp. Then, the true bloodshed began. The double-ended saber spun extremely fast and twirled through groups of clones like they were nothing but air. Remaining soldiers began to edge away from Lun-Gue, trying in desperation to shoot the red disc down, but the blaster shots were easily knocked away.

"No! It's the Jedi doing this!" a trooper yelled and raised his rifle to Lun-Gue again. "Kill him before he attacks again!"

But no such attack could be landed. Faster than eyes could follow, the possessed lightsaber flew directly at the troopers and immediately began to separate heads from shoulders. So on the dance went. Lun-Gue could slowly feel his strength returning as he watched this fiery lightsaber strike down every trooper with such preciseness that it seemed like an invisible hand of a master wielded it. Within seconds, the squad out to kill him were dead.

The Jedi stared with wide eyes at the red blades turning towards him and crept closer. He knew that the color of them could mean only one thing…

"Who's out there?" he asked and groaned as he tried to sit up.

In the blink of an eye, Lun-Gue cringed when one end of the saber suddenly flew forward and aimed itself at his throat. Gulping loud and remaining completely still, he could only stare at the intricate handle of the saber while his heavy, exhausted breathing evaporated against the humming blade.

"You were impressive." A dark voice whispered from the shadows around him.

Lun-Gue darted his eyes from side-to-side as he tried to seek out the owner of that voice. But all he could see was darkness and a red blade at his throat. "What…are you?"

"Come now, master Jedi. I believe you can already guess what I am." The voice mocked.

Taking a shaky breath as he felt his rage trying to build up again, Lun-Gue closed his eyes and muttered the word through his teeth. "Sith."

A cold laugh issued as the voice hissed closer. "Yesss…but you say it with such contempt. Why?"

His muscles ached as he tried to control himself. The words of that shadow Commander Xell spoke with echoed loudly in his head. "Y-You killed…the Jedi on Coruscant. You commanded the troopers to slay us all across the galaxy."

"No, I'm afraid you're mistaken." The voice said again. "That sounds more like my old master…and his new apprentice Darth Vader."

Upon hearing the last words, Lun-Gue looked up to see a rather hulking figure step into his line of sight. Draped in a black cloak similar to the shadow he saw in the communication, he watched two pale hands slip out from the sleeves and proceed to pull back the hood that covered its face. Lun-Gue couldn't help but looked into the empty, white eyes that greeted him. The man's strong jaw seemed to point sharply, giving him a more muscular appearance. His lips stretched into a sneer as Lun-Gue observed the heavy black tattoos that covered the Sith's face.

"Do I startle you?" the man asked as he opened his cloak to and pulled it off to expose his massive, muscular chest. Dressed in only a pair of black pants, thick boots and two dark straps that reached up and over his shoulders, the Sith slowly knelt down in front of Lun-Gue.

"No." he replied and stared at into the dead emptiness of his eyes. "If you're going to kill me, Sith, then do it."

He sneered again as he raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Immediately the saber obeyed by pressing closer to Lun-Gue's throat. "Jedi, if I wanted you dead yet, I would've already done it." Standing up again but keeping the blade on his throat, the Sith paced in front of him. "Truth is…I'm actually here with a proposition."

Lun-Gue ground his teeth as he looked up to the Sith. "I don't need help from the likes you, you bantha-mother-of-a-"

"Don't push me Jedi!" he snapped and sharply turned to face him. "Or my gracious mood will quickly disappear. The truth is, you and I have a common enemy in this."

Still battling of keeping his fury down, Lun-Gue stared up at the intimidating man. "And who would that be?"

"Why, the same person who has ordered the eradication of all your precious Jedi. Darth Sidious, the chancellor on Coruscant."

"What?" Lun-Gue muttered in disbelief. Still weak, his eyes began to wander as he listened. "That's a lie. There is no way that the Jedi could've been deceived so easily."

"And there is that ever present Jedi arrogance." The Sith slowly knelt down again. "That is how my old master was able to infiltrate into the Jedi's very heart. You Jedi are so sure of yourselves and in your talents that you couldn't possibly conceive that he could get so close to you. He's been playing you all for fools. Don't you think it at all convenient that your Chancellor Palpatine has been in office for so long because of a war that seemingly started out of nowhere?"

Deception was one of the main weapons belonging to the Sith Lords. Lun-Gue knew that. So how could he trust anything this monster told him? It could all be a lie to make him lose faith in the chancellor. But he had to admit that a lot of what the Sith said made sense.

"Why are you telling me this?" Lun-Gue asked, trying to gauge the Sith's responses. "If what you say is true, then your master has accomplished the goal of the Sith: to destroy the Jedi."

"True." He replied and casually shrugged his shoulders. "But you're forgetting a very important fact about the Sith…we're treacherous. You see Darth Sidious is my former master. As a matter of fact, I was probably one of his first."

"But I overheard him. He spoke of his current apprentice, Darth Vader." Lun-Gue said and watched the large man closely. "Are you not him?"

The Sith scoffed as he stood once more and carefully studied Lun-Gue. After watching him for a few moments, he finally shook his head and spoke. "No, I am not. My name is Darth Gryphon."

His eyes glancing down to the saber at his throat again, Lun-Gue carefully shook his head. "No, the rule states that there can only…"

"Be two. The master and the apprentice." Darth Gryphon finished and smirked like he was just thinking of a fond memory. "Do you know why that is? Because a Sith can never change his nature of treachery." Reaching down with his massive hand, he pulled aside one of the straps that covered his chest to reveal what looked like an old, piercing, lightsaber scar. "Yes, I was his apprentice, but I became obsolete. Once he had a vision of what was to come, he tried to kill me. And he almost succeeded."

"So I guess that you want revenge now?" Lun-Gue asked and glared at him still. "All of this doesn't explain why I'm still alive. What do you want from me?"

Darth Gryphon took a heavy breath as he began to pace again. Lun-Gue wasn't sure but it looked as it the Sith was caught in a debate with himself, every once in awhile glancing at the Jedi carefully, as if trying to size him up. When he finally stopped, Gryphon raised his hand and summoned the saber back to his hand.

"You ask what I want? I'll tell you." He said and attached the saber back to his belt. "I want an apprentice."

Completely still again, Lun-Gue slowly allowed himself to move again. His whole body burned and ached from all his wounds but still he tried to force himself to stand. And on top of all that, he was shocked by the words that came out of the Sith's mouth. Gawking at him, Lun-Gue clenched onto his lightsaber that still resided in his hand.

"What?" he asked as he stood upon his weak legs. "You must be joking."

"I assure you, Lun-Gue-Ra, if I were…" he whispered and edge closer to him. "…then I would've killed you at one of many opportunities."

Lun-Gue shook his head and held the saber ready just in case Gryphon attacked. "You Sith are insane. Tell me, why should I listen to anything you have to say? Why should I even consider joining you?"

"Because of the plain fact that if you truly haven't considered it, you would've tried to attack me by now. And…" Gryphon whispered darkly as he began to circle around him. "…I can offer you the power to avenge that sweet and tender young Jedi that you considered your 'daughter'. Yeniz was her name correct? Believe me, if you plan to face my old master and his apprentice as you are, you will fail."

The sound of her name coming out of the Sith Lord's mouth instantly caused a fiery glare to come from Lun-Gue's eyes. His muscles tensed again as he resisted the urge to try and strike Darth Gryphon down. Trying to swallow down his anger, he eyed the Sith who stalked around him.

"Why are you doing this? Why help me?"

Gryphon shrugged and smiled. "I'm not, I'm helping me. Just so happens that I am going to require some 'assistance' in my endeavor to destroy Sidious, so I need someone strong like you." Standing in front of Lun-Gue with his hand resting on the top of the double-ended lightsaber on his belt, the Sith looked him over again. "So, as it seems, you and I have a common thread…vengeance."

Lun-Gue could feel a flush of anger rushing over his face. It felt like an insult to have this 'creature' even propose that he help him. "I'm no Sith." He said in a sturdy tone.

Grinning wide and showing off his white canines, Gryphon smiled in an amused way. "You're closer than you think, Jedi. I watched you from afar defeat the troopers that interrupted your funeral rite for Yeniz. You were absolutely relentless. And in the battle I witnessed here, I saw the rage behind your eyes. I could feel your anger fueling every strike you made."

Shaking, Lun-Gue closed his eyes as he thought back. He could remember little of what happened since everything had moved so fast. The most he could recall was the feeling of something overtaking his movements. He could clearly see he was outnumbered but some how he was able to tap into a hidden resource that urged him to just keep going.

"That was the dark side you felt." Darth Gryphon whispered as he began to circle around behind him. "That is the power you need if you want to destroy Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Vader."

Once again he felt like that beast from the dark recesses of his body was consuming him. As much as he didn't want to believe it, he had to admit that the power he felt certainly seemed strong. But something stopped him from fully embracing it. That last portion of his Jedi resistance futily flared up into one last defiant glare.

"Why should I trust you?"

Lun-Gue inadvertently flinched when he felt the Sith's breath dance over his ear. "Because only I can teach you to fully embrace that power you seek." Dark Gryphon's satisfied grin loomed in front of him again as he stepped before him. "Become my apprentice, Lun-Gue-Ra and I shall bestow upon you all my teachings. Only then will we become powerful enough to destroy those murderous Sith on Coruscant. Only by calling me Master, will you be able to gain the strength you need to avenge dear Yeniz's life. And only with my help will you be able to fully tap into the dark side."

Lun-Gue shivered as he felt a coldness run up from the base of his spine. He couldn't explain why by he saw trust when he looked past those dead-like eyes. Maybe he really could learn what he needed from him. Normally this kind of thinking would never cross his mind. Without hesitation he would've struck down a malevolent figure such as Darth Gryphon. But with Yeniz's death, Lun-Gue could feel his resolve being shaken. His single-minded stubbornness that ushered him along the lines of the Jedi way greatly shifted. And before he knew it, Lun-Gue felt himself dropping down to one knee and bow his head.

The small spark of his common sense that remained physically resisted by trying to keep his jaws shut. His teeth ground tight and chattered to remain closed but the beast in him slowly forced his mouth open to speak.

"I…I will become…" he harshly whispered despite the protesting screams in the back of his mind. Slowly he could feel the red once more overtaking his vision. Forcing his head up to look at those empty eyes, he sealed his fate. "…your apprentice."

A sadistic grin crept over Gryphon's face as he nodded. "Excellent. Now stand and shed off your past skin as a Jedi. Become…Darth Crimson."

"Yes…my master."

Standing in front of him, Lun-Gue slowly bowed his. All remorse he felt seemed to melt away at the same time. No longer did he feel held back and restrained. All he could truly feel now was power. Brought on by a lust for vengeance that radiated from one thought that would forever haunt the back of his mind…Yeniz.

"Now complete your transition and throw aside your Jedi sabers. It is time that you created new ones."

"Of course." Lun-Gue replied and held up his own saber. Staring at it closely, a random thought came into his mind. His old master always told him that the lightsaber was to be his life. How symbolic was it that he was to now toss it away? Turning his face to the side, he quickly arched his arm and sent his blade soaring into the thick forest behind him.

"Good. And now the other one." Gryphon muttered and watched his face closely.

Picking up Yeniz's lightsaber from the ground, he stood up straight and looked it over. It was amazing how similar it was to his own. Could it really be possible that the Force guided her hand to make a mirror image of his own? Lun-Gue unconsciously brushed his thumb along the grip of it, knowing full well that if he cast it aside, he would be throwing away her life as well.

Tearing his eyes off it, Lun-Gue looked squarely at the Sith before he slowly lowered his arm and attached Yeniz's lightsaber to his belt. "No."

"What?" Anger contorted Darth Gryphon's face as he asked. "What did you say?"

"I said 'no'." Lun-Gue replied calmly. "I'll be your apprentice, but on one condition…I keep her lightsaber."

Before he could react, he saw Gryphon suddenly raise his arm and hold out his hand like his fingers were grasping something invisible. At that exact moment, Lun-Gue felt his breathing labor and come close to stopping. Desperately he flailed, getting only a few sparse breaths in or out while staring at Gryphon's furious face.

"Do not tempt me, Darth Crimson!" He shouted in his rage. "I have no hesitations about killing you! Why should I let you keep that trinket?"

Watching him scream and lower his arm, Lun-Gue felt the air rush back into his lungs. Greedily he sucked in the oxygen and collapsed to his knee. After a fit of heavy coughing, Lun-Gue slowly stood and regained the calm look in his eyes. In a hoarse voice he replied.

"Because this…" he said and raised Yeniz's saber. The emerald blade suddenly ignited and hummed between them. "…is the blade that I'm going to use to kill Darth Vader!"

Darth Gryphon remained still as he sensed the rage emitting from Lun-Gue's body. Silently he stared back for a moment before nodding his head and giving off an unearthly laugh.

"I knew I chose wisely!" grinning wide he clapped Lun-Gue on the shoulder. "Very well then! Hold onto your protégé's lightsaber if it pleases you. But come along now. I sense the rest of those clone troopers returning from their sector sweeps."

"Yes, master." Lun-Gue said as he deactivated his former padawan's saber and attached it to his belt.

"But first, let us make sure we leave a message." Darth Gryphon grinned sinisterly and stepped away from him. Looking up at one of the Republic starships, he held up one fist and pointed it directly at the exterior power cells.

Lun-Gue observed as his new master give a throaty growl, which was replied to by a crackle of energy coming off of his forearm. Slowly it grew in intensity with a series of arched lines of electricity encircling his arm. Within mere seconds it seemed like a tempest radiated from his very flesh. Then with an extension of his fingers, a thunderclap followed as several streaks of purple lightning flew off and struck the cells of the starship.

The blast that occurred was practically deafening to them. Lun-Gue momentarily shielded his eyes from the flash but he found that he could not fully look away. Staring at the explosion of fire and smoke that ripped its way through the ship in an instant, he couldn't help but retain a sense of grim satisfaction by watching those traitors go up in flames.

"Come on." Darth Gryphon suddenly said and began to head into the forest. "It's time for your training to begin."

"Yes, master." Lun-Gue said and disappeared into the darkness that suddenly enveloped the heavy trees around him. Glancing down to Yeniz's saber at his hip, he sighed heavily and continued on. "I gave up my soul for you, Yeniz. I promise that those responsible will pay. I promise."

And with that, a Jedi once named Lun-Gue-Ra vanished and in his place was born a malevolent, vengeful shadow called Darth Crimson.