Chapter 1: Training Pays Off

4 years later…

He spun away miraculously dodging a slash from a training lightsaber that would have caused much pain upon contact. His opponent stood stunned at the evasive maneuver and unable to follow up because of the untimely distraction. Just enough for Shihiro to roll under his pitiful swing and come up with a blinding strike to the leg followed by the back of the neck. Shugetsu fell to the floor in pain and Shihiro raised his training saber in victory before helping his friend up.

"I do not like it." States the pale-white orange eyed Twilek Sith Lord Naira Stalon.

"I agree friendship does not become of a Sith." Answers a human with short black hair.

"They are young Leon they form bonds as we once had in our youth." replies the black Zabrak Sith Jastine.

With a glare that if looks could kill would be considered genocide, Leon thought back to the early days at the academy. Him and Jastine were indeed friends at one point but that friendship was driven away when their respective masters sent them on separate missions to kill the same Jedi. Angry for thinking his master sent Leon because he himself was incompetent Jastine struck Leon down and left him for dead. The masters true intent, however, was to indeed drive the friends apart by using to their advantage Jastine's overgrown pride. The Sith have no friends.

"Well what should we do Lord Jastine?" asks Naira with a respectful tone, to get on Jastine's bad side has never once turned out good.

"Let them be it will be driven out and if not…" Jastine smiles at Leon, "I could think of something." He adds before walking off.

"I really hate him." Growls Leon.

"Good, but you should never expect to hit your opponent or he can catch you off guard." Says Shihiro to his friend.

"I swear Hiro you should be a master already that move could of caught Lord Jastine off guard. And also it didn't feel pleasant."

"Lord Jastine would not have been caught off guard with that novice move." Says a scowling Suay entering one of the many training rooms incorporated in the Stalon Academy.

"Aren't you ever the pleasant one." Says Shugetsu inciting laughter from Shihiro. Spurred on by his friend's amusement Shugetsu adds, " Honestly were you born with a frown or is it your preferred look. If so then you must not look in the mirror at all. You could smile once i….." he was cut off as Suay's double-bladed lightsaber ignited and was directed towards Shugetsu's head. Shugetsu's life was almost forfeit if not for the flash of red as Shihiro's lightsaber intercepted Suay's. Leaping back Suay's grip on her lightsaber tightened as Shihiro drops into is near famous stance, arms above him holding his saber diagonally pointed down.

"Ready for another whipping." Smiles Shihiro forcing Suay into a near frenzied attack. Suay worked her double-bladed purple lightsaber magnificently only to be blocked and parried by Shihiro at every turn. Slashing down but being blocked by Shihiro Suay spins and brings the other side of her lightsaber up directly at him. Forced to jump back and catch Suay's saber with his Shihiro's poor balance at the moment allows Suay to slam his lightsaber up and out. With another spin Suay back thrusts her saber right into Shihiro's gut.

"Hiro!" screams Shugetsu in horror.

But he indeed worried for nothing as he saw the outcome of Suay's near deadly move.

When she had thrust back Shihiro had released his grip on his saber with one hand and caught the hilt of Suay's saber with it. He then proceeded to pull the hilt up to Suay's throat and hold it there with his superior strength. Also his saber had now found its way to a position ready to be thrust through her back.

"Good form, but its aggressiveness makes you sloppy."

"My master would run circles around you do not presume to teach me anything." She growls in response. Taking advantage of his distraction Suay lets go of her saber with one hand and places it on his stomach. Before he could react Suay summons the Force and sends Shihiro flying back into a wall. Shaking off the mental cobwebs Shihiro barely dodges a spinning slash that would have cleaved him in many places due to her spinning the saber all around her spinning body. Getting up from his evasive roll he just manages to get his saber up to deflect attack after attack. Her energy seemed endless but Shihiro saw through the façade and really saw her waning energy. It was only a matter of time before fatigue set in. The rational thing to do would be to wait it out and hold on for her to tire and make a mistake, but Shihiro wasn't ever considered rational. Instead, intent on beating her in a match of swordsmanship, Shihiro launches himself into an astonishing spin slashing and stabbing while keeping Suay totally on the defensive. To Suay it seemed his saber was blocked by her only to appear in another far off spot dangerously close to ending her life. He was toying with her this whole time and she hadn't sensed it. Ducking under a powerful horizontal slash Shihiro shot up slamming his lightsaber upon hers with such a force that it sent her staggering back. With another spin he worked his saber up and then down moving directions so fluently it seemed he flowed with the wind. Blocking another slash from Suay Shihiro sweeps her lightsaber to the left and throws an elbow into her unprotected nose hearing cartilage snap and sending blood into the air. As she reeled from the blow Shihiro twisted and kicked her legs out from under her and threw her with the Forces help into the same wall she had sent him into earlier. With a mad dash aided in speed by the Force Shihiro nimbly spins away from a blind thrust thrown by the desperate Suay and bashes her saber across her body before kicking it into the air, slamming his hilt into her face, and ultimately catching her double-bladed lightsaber and deactivating one side while holding both lightsabers scissor like at her neck.

"Yield." States Shihiro in a cool manner.

Spitting in reply Suay replies, "Go to Hell you bastard."

"Enough!" shouts a voice powerful enough to send a shiver down Shihiro's spine. The utter fear was visible on Suay's face. Her master was dead set on her not fighting Shihiro. He had even gone so far as to threaten her. Now embarrassment was clear on Jastine's face and anger soon greatly outweighed it.

"Before you act Lord Jastine your student nearly killed Shugetsu, Shihiro was acting only in defense of the padawan." Says Naira fearful that Jastine would strike down her student.

Casting a look at the scared Naira his sight traversed to Leon standing there with an annoyingly smug look. Anger surged through Jastine's body and all around him the others could sense what was coming. Pushing Shihiro away Jastine approached Suay with a look that promised a slow and painful death. Pulling out a whip Jastine raised his arm and whipped the young girl brutally.

"Stop it!" shouts Shihiro approaching the maniac Jastine.

"Shihiro hold your tongue!" commands Naira in a tone revealing she was not pleased.

Not listening to his master, Shihiro grabs Jastine by the wrist and pulls him to the side. Taking advantage of the Sith Lord's back being towards him Shihiro slams his palm into the base of Jastine's shoulder dislocating it painfully. Activating his lightsaber Jastine turns to Shihiro grimacing in pain and anger. Shihiro looks at Jasine's active saber and notices the blade. It was a pure black blade that seemed to send out an aura of malevolence and evil. Before Jastine could react, however, Naira waves a hand and her student falls to the floor completely unconscious.

"He is my student to punish Jastine not yours." Says Naira picking up Shihiro with the force and carrying him to the disciplinary room.

With a laugh at the hurt Jastine Leon walks out of the room to find his student and tell him of what transpired.

"Damn Hiro she really did a number on you." Says Shugetsu rubbing healing ointment on Shihiro's back. The young man's back was covered in deep scars delivered by Naira with the help of a Force Whip. They were bleeding profusely and Shugetsu was doing all he could to keep the hundreds of wounds from leaking out all of Shihiro's lifeblood. It was a miracle Shihiro was even conscious and even more astonishing was what he overheard Naira telling Leon. Not once did the valiant Shihiro cry out, not once did he ask for mercy. Shugetsu had been beaten by a Force Whip once by his master, the volatile Lord Karn. Karn was a mean son of a bantha who thought pain brought strength. This means Shugetsu was put through more pain then any one man should. But while being hit with the Force Whip it was all he could handle holding back tears and his friend hadn't even cried out. His admiration for the young Shihiro grew stronger every day. "Oh and you should've seen Jastine's face after he was robbed the chance to punish you himself. Thank Naira buddy cause he was pissed. And did you see that lightsaber; I've never seen a black one. It must be rare as Hell."

"Shut up." States Shihiro in a flat, ask no questions tone.

"I'm sorry Hiro. Just trying to lighten the mood you know." Replies Shugetsu deeply hurt.

"I'm the one who's sorry, acting like a flaming Jedi. I really don't know where that compassion for that bantha fodder of a girl came from but I couldn't contain it."

"Yeah strange…" smiles Shugetsu.

"What's the matter….no you don't think I like her?"

"Well you were passionate in saving her." Laughs Shugetsu dodging a punch from Shihiro.

"I'd rather take a bothan stunner to the nether regions."

"Oh Suay I don't know what it is about you but I can't keep away from you" says Shugetsu mocking Shihiro. "Save me handsome Shihiro." He adds in a girly voice.

" Well tell me how a lightsaber tastes." Growls Shihiro drawing his lightsaber. "I may be hurt but I could be blind, deaf, and dumb and still wipe the floor with you.

"Bring it ya love sick punk." Responds Shugetsu drawing his.

The two clashed in flashes of crimson inside their small living quarters with smiles on each of their faces. Shugetsu jumps on top of his bed before having to jump again over Shihiro's lightsaber. He lands only to catch a straight kick to the face. Stumbling back blindly he opens his eyes to see a red lightsaber directly in front of his face.

"I win yet again." Laughs Shihiro victoriously.

"Lucky." Shugetsu says spitting out blood.

" Lets get some rest we have to get up in two hours."

"Good night." Says a sleepy Shugetsu before getting into bed.

Shihiro lies down on his bed not to sleep but rather to think. What had made him interfere in Suay's punishment? He knew Shugetsu was being absurd in stating the fact that he liked the crazed young woman, he didn't even find her attractive. What was it then that made him stop Jastine? Shihiro had always been honorable in battle even so far to throw an opponent's lightsaber back to them after they dropped it before defeating the guy in combat. He was not to hot with the stealth aspects of training either. Both Marx and Shugetsu beat him drastically in those tests. The only other student to match him in lightsaber combat was Suay and even her he could defeat rather easily. This brought him to the assumption of maybe he just didn't like Jastine. Ever since he was old enough to hold a lightsaber his skill was often compared with the legendary Sith Lord. After initial training it was whispered that he might just be able to hold his own against Lord Jastine. He knew those whispers hadn't fallen on deaf ears for Jastine's eyes filled with hate whenever he looked at the student. Maybe Shihiro was just as determined as Jastine to finally discover who was better. Shihiro took great pride in his sword fighting skills and he loved more then anything the thrill of clashing lightsabers with a worthy opponent. Lost in his thoughts Shihiro didn't sense in any way the opening of his dorm room door or the man now standing at the foot of his bed.

"Arm yourself." Says a voice making Shihiro roll out of bed and turn his saber on as a lightsaber sliced through right where he had been laying down. In the darkness Shihiro found it strange that he couldn't see his enemies saber for all about a second. Jastine had a black lightsaber. Hearing a lightsaber activate Shugetsu had jumped out of bed at the same time as Shihiro and hit the lights on with the force. To his astonishment there Lord Jastine stood wielding his black lightsaber looking on a Shihiro filled with dread. He may have wanted a fight with Jastine but the Sith Lord's exploits were the thing of legend and there was nothing stopping the Sith Lord from killing the young man if he won. With the Force Shihiro told Shugetsu to stay out of it but all the while knowing his friend would ignore him. Acting before his less skilled friend could Shihiro charges the battle ready Jastine lightsaber held high before letting go with one hand and blasting the Sith Lord through the open door with a surprisingly strong Force push. Jastine, using the Force to keep on his feet, was reduced to sliding instead of flying through the air. He slid back until connecting with the wall adjacent to Shihiro's dorm room door. Before he realized what was going on Shihiro was upon him. They danced through the hallway lightsabers clashing as other students peered out of their rooms to find the two best swordsmen in the academy going at it, a sight none wanted to miss. Jastine and Shihiro seemed to foil each other's attacks at every turn and their fight was one of beauty. Spinning while blocking a vicious attack by the angry Sith Lord Shihiro twists again and seeps Jastine's lightsaber across his body before throwing an elbow to his temple. Shihiro follows up with a brutal jab to the kidney and a slash to the neck with his saber that would have been the finishing blow even for a good swordsman, but Jastine was better than good. With reflexes that stunned Shihiro, Jastine ducks blindly under the blow and throws a thundering kick to the jaw of Shihiro. The young man reeling from the blow just barely manages to get out of the way of a massive flurry of attacks from the aggressive Sith Lord. He gets his lightsaber up just in time to block a downward slash that most surely would have ended his young life. Pushing up the black lightsaber of his opponent he throws his shoulder into Jastine's gut only to meet a chest and abdomen made up of purely muscle. The attack sent Jastine back in pain but also bruised Shihiro's shoulder painfully. Scanning his surroundings Shihiro sees that the two fighters are now in the Room of Darkness, a shrine to the old masters of the academy filled with statues and tomes they themselves wrote. In the middle of the room going up was a flight of stairs leading to the tombs of the Sith Lords. Jastine and Shihiro were now at the base of the stairs and were circling each other sizing their opponents up.

"You are good but I am Lord Jastine leader of the Stalon Clan and you are but a boy of eighteen. You will not walk out of here with your life."

"Do you speak so that you may catch your breathe by stalling me or that you must remind yourself to boost your confidence in a fight that you will lose."

Jastine launches himself at Shihiro driving the young warrior up the stairs.

"You're not a fighter you are a dancer." Growls Jastine at the spinning Shihiro.

"Maybe, but my dance is a dance of death." Replies Shihiro before flipping over the Sith Lord's head and slashing at the back of his exposed legs.

Putting his hand two stairs above him Jastine does a one handed flip to the stairs above while doing a slash of his own. Their two lightsabers slammed together before Jastine landed on his feet and Shihiro attacked with an amazing fury and strength.

"Fool you gave up the high ground." Says Jastine with utter confidence.

With only a smile in reply Shihiro prepares for a move he knows his unblockable if your opponent holds the high ground. Putting a foot next to Jastine's Shihiro gathers every ounce of his speed and swings his lightsaber so fast he seems a blur. Jastine is forced to work his lightsaber as fast as he can to keep up with the young student until Shihiro launches into his special attack. Using His speed and Jastine's along with the blurring lightsabers Shihiro, with his foot still on the side of Jastine's, spins up the stairs to the one above Jastine. The flurry of fast attacks blinded both fighters so that when Shihiro spun up the stairs Jastine was still unable to see. Once Jastine noticed it was too late, Shihiro's lightsaber sliced through Jastine's smoky gray and black Sith robes right through his unprotected side. Letting out a shout of pain Jastine leaps from the stairs down to the ground below followed closely by Shihiro.

"Oh no." says Naira waking from her deep slumber. Through the Force she had felt the conflict between her student and Jastine. Trying to contact both of them she fails blocked by their sheer rage and concentration on their fight. Again through the Force she wakes Leon. "Jastine and Shihiro are fighting" she says in her mind.

Waking because of the intrusion into his mind Leon replies, "Let them kill each other."

The sudden feeling of extreme anger crept into his mind and he realized who he was talking to, Naira after all had destroyed an entire planet alone with the Force. "What shall you have me do Mistress Naira?"

"We need to stop them before they do kill each other. They are in the Room of Darkness." Naira responds getting on her black Sith robes and Force power enhancing circlet.

"Damn witch. She's lucky she pleases me from time to time otherwise my lightsabers would feast on her flesh." Leon says to himself while dressing in his black and dark red robes and belting on his two lightsabers.

"I heard that Leon. It reminds me though, meet me in my chambers after this incident is finished."

With a renewed smile Leon walks out of his room and meets up with Naira. Together they travel to the Room of Darkness.

Their lightsabers clashed for perhaps the thousandth time as the crowd of students and masters watched in awe the amazing display of swordsmanship. Truly though the only thing that overrode that sight was the fact that Jastine was hurt. Shihiro had sliced him good with that amazing maneuver he pulled off on the stairs.

"Its called the Phantom Step if you want me to teach it to you I'd be happy to oblige." Says Shihiro driving back Jastine with another amazing twisting and turning attack routine. Jastine only growls in reply and mentally beats himself up for getting hurt by this beginner. Before retreating anymore steps back Jastine presses Shihiro into the defensive by gathering all his strength and using Force Fury. The Force power enhances his strength, speed, and agility. Unable to combat Jastine with his newfound power Shihiro flips atop a bookcase in retreat.

"Now you see the face of real power." Says Jastine with a confident smile.

Shihiro didn't return the smile because he sensed the confident part was well earned.

"They are amazing." Stutters Leon watching Shihiro and Jastine fight each other with all they got.

"We still need to find away to stop them" replies Naira watching in shock. Her student was holding his own against a Sith Lord who happens to be one of the greatest lightsaber duelists ever and he was only eighteen years of age. Pride but a sense of loss enveloped Naira. Holding his own but not winning. How Jastine was even standing with that gruesome wound in his side was remarkable. After seeing Jastine use his powerful form of Force Fury and watching Shihiro retreat she knew it would soon be over.

"Shit, what do I do know? I was barely holding him off before and now he's even better." Thinks Shihiro to himself. His moment of reflection was broken as the new and improved Jastine leaped atop the bookcase with Shihiro. Immediately the fight resumed. The Sith Lord's new strength was apparent as each time their sabers clashed Shihiro had to fight off the numbness growing in his arms. His new blinding speed also kept Shihiro on his toes and unable to take the offensive. Shihiro's only hope was the Force Fury wearing off and he had no clue when that could be, minutes, hours? Desperation soon took over as Shihiro was forced to use every bit of his skill to hold off the incredible Sith Lord. Flipping of the bookcase Shihiro tried to think and run while heading for a more open area with Jastine on his heels. Two students and their respective masters occupied the training room. The students stopped their fighting as Shihiro slid into the room with a black lightsaber slashing over his head. Hopping off his knees Shihiro spins in the air and throws a kick right into Jastine's face. He might as well have kicked the wall. Running through the kick Jastine pounds his hilt into the face off Shihiro opening it up and sending blood running down his face. Jastine then connects with a powerful elbow to the already tender face of the young student. Continuing the spin Jastine slashes with his lightsaber opening up Shihiro's black Sith robes but not hitting flesh as the young man leaps back as far as he could. Shihiro saw the inevitability of his defeat but a sliver of hope appeared, the Force Fury ran out.

Every single one of the people watching the fight in the Room of Darkness ran with the two combatants to the training room.

"I have changed my mind Leon, lets let them fight it out and hope it ends their conflict but not their lives." Says Naira running after Shihiro and Jastine.

"Mistress Naira, what if Shihiro loses?" asks Shugetsu running up to catch up.

"Do not worry Shugetsu we will not allow them to kill each other." She replies still running. They arrive in the training room just in time to see Jastine's Force Fury wear off.

If Shihiro thought it would be easier to combat Jastine without the Force Fury he was badly mistaken. Jastine more then made up for the lost boost to his abilities with an astonishing display of swordsmanship showing why he was the greatest swordsman of the Stalon Clan. Shihiro was hard pressed to match Jastine's amazing abilities but he tried and was rather successful. The crowd still couldn't believe that the young man was still holding off the Sith Lord and actually had struck Jastine in the side wounding him badly. Out of nowhere the tired Shihiro attacks Jastine with a fury the onlookers and the Sith Lord himself didn't believe he had the energy for. He spun and twisted striking Jastine at angles he didn't think were possible. Ducking under a strike that would've beheaded him Shihiro pushes Jastine's lightsaber up with his own all the while nailing the Sith Lord in the jaw with an incredible uppercut that actually lifted Jastine off the ground. Bringing his saber around for a horizontal slash Shihiro wasn't fast enough to dodge a brutal head butt as Jastine slammed his head back forward after it was forced back from the uppercut. Blood flew as the cut on Shihiro's forehead opened even further. Blood flowed into his eyes obscuring his vision and letting Jastine slip through his defenses with a powerful slash to the abdomen. Shihiro jumps back and turns into a roll to get away from the strong Sith Lord only to be put on the defensive again as Jastine seemed to appear in front of him. Unable to think rationally drops to one knee and kicks out with his other leg. The kick, although he wasn't even able to see, connected with the groin of Jastine giving Shihiro enough time to wipe the blood from his eyes and concentrate in the Force to heal his wound. He only had enough energy left in him to stop it from bleeding but that had to be good enough because Jastine was already recovering and upon him yet again. Shihiro tried his best but the part of his abdomen that was sliced open by Jastine's lightsaber hurt him every time he moved. That wound was joined by another as Jastine's lightsaber slashed a fresh wound directly across the old one. Wincing in pain Shihiro just managed to deflect another strike that would have skewered him but only enough to diminish it into a short cut across his chest. Pain blurred his eyes and made his motions sluggish but Shihiro was determined not to lose. His determination, however, did not outweigh fact, the fact that he was about to lose this battle. Kicking the hilt of Shihiro's lightsaber Jastine knocks it away from the weakened warrior. Sensing victory Jastine spins and again hits Shihiro with his lightsaber burning another wound into the already injured student. Blackness swam in front of Shihiro's eyes and he was vaguely aware of Shugetsu screaming for him. The floor came up to swallow him and the only thought that entered through his mind was win. Jastine was now standing over Shihiro as the boy was lying on his stomach lightsaber poised to strike through his open back and end his young life once and for all. Ignoring the shouts of Naira, Leon, and the annoying Shugetsu Jastine got ready to kill the young man who dared try him. Before he could he saw something that gave him pause, Shihiro was struggling to get up. No one could take that punishment and still be active. Nevertheless Shihiro was now on his hands and knees and slowly struggling to stand on his knees alone. In anger Jastine started to come down with his saber and kill the intolerable student. Shihiro had one last shot to win, one last wild card to play. Through his four years of training with Naira she had taught him how to harness a rather efficiency he had with a certain Force technique. It was time that he finally tried it out outside of training. Taking in all the breath he could hold and right before the black lightsaber of his enemy could pierce through his back Shihiro gathers all his Force strength and lets out a powerful scream which shakes the training room to it's foundation and sends Jastine flying hard into a wall. The Force Scream made every single person in the room temporarily deaf and sent them through the air. As they get up they all evacuate the training area running for their lives as the building crumbled around their ears.

"What…the…Hell…was that?" asks Leon in awe.

"Training pays off Lord Leon, it pays off indeed." Replies Naira with a proud smirk on her face.