Finally I have the last chapter up! I'm SOOOOOO sorry it took so long but I had a MAJOR case of writers block regarding this story! Ok, theres supposed to be a fight in this but I can't write them so I've got a note saying that in the middle where the awesomely epic fight is supposed to be. And just see it in your imagination.
Other notes: Thanks Wayne for reviewing all the time despite the often lengthy waits between chapters. You rock man!
So lets kick this thing off!
Zia sat restlessly in a dark corner of the Temple, listening to the sounds of the battle. To her great relief none of the Jedi fighting was dying, though the attacking soldiers were. Repulsion rose up like bile in her throat. She was such a coward! How could she let others fight her battle? She was a warrior! It was her fault this was happening. All her fault. They had come because of her. All her fault.
The Sith compounded on these feelings.
You know you could help them. She shuddered away from the seductive whisper and tried to block it out.
There is a way for you to be powerful again. Not this weak, shuddering wreck you are now. You ought to be ashamed; you are a warrior, not a woman who relies on others to fight her battles. The voice spoke to her basest instincts; the ones already buzzing to kill kill kill! She had nurtured those instincts too long to ignore them now. For twelve years she had fed them; now she had to fight them with all her might. And she lost.
I don't want to. If I do, I'll never come back, she told the Sith within. Don't encourage it. Even as she said it, she knew it was the wrong thing to say.
You know you want to. If you didn't thirst for blood, why did you feed me all those years? Trembling, helplessly, she shook her head. She hated being helpless. She hated relying on others to fight for her. She hated herself.
No, she said, more strongly than she felt. No, I don't want to. You know I don't want to. But her resistance was weak. Familiar power was rushing through her veins and she felt strong again- and dirty. Dirty for enjoying it, for savouring it, for encouraging it.
Her instincts sang and the Sith basked in her victory. But only for a second. Luke's calm face sprang into her mind and she clung to it like a lifeboat. Luke was depending on her. She couldn't let Luke down. Her blood cooled again and the Sith hissed.
He expects you to fail. The Sith was angry now. Her hissing sent chills down Zia's spine. Zia was angry too.
He doesn't. He has faith in me. You WANT me to fail. She snarled in reply, and leapt to her feet. The Sith didn't flinch. Instead she expounded on the sudden burst of anger and too late, Zia realised her mistake.
The anger clouded her heart and mind and, with a violent gesture of her red tattooed hand, she pulled a lightsabre out of the hand of the nearest Jedi as she leapt into the fray.
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Luke knew as soon as he felt the dark presence enter the battlefield that there was trouble. Zia had succumbed. Rushing to the room where she was when he'd seen her last, he found her duelling fiercely with two Jedi. Her movements were fluid and snake-like, and her speed incredible. They were being beaten down steadily and looked overwhelmed. He himself was stunned. He had thought she had been moving fast in training, but this was twice that speed. Now she was in a full bloodlust.
That damn Sith, he cursed inwardly as he stepped forward and ignited his lightsabre. Her full lips broke into a cruel smirk, and the young Jedi, throwing him grateful glances, took their opportunity to escape.
He didn't notice all the soldiers had fled in the face of certain death by a madwoman wielding a lightsabre. He only saw her, keeping her under very careful observation.
"Zia Toran," he said, his voice resonating with power and light. She laughed.
"Luke Skywalker," said her familiar voice with a sneer. "Patron of the light side. You are weak." She strolled almost lazily towards him.
"Zia, I know you can hear me. You don't want to do this! You're stronger than her." his voice portrayed none of his anxiety. He didn't want to kill her!
"You're wrong." And with those two short words, she sprang at him.
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Luke didn't even have time to react. He back flipped out of instinct, and that was all that saved his remaining hand. She closed in like a predator around her prey, and then they started to fight.
((The author is horrible at writing fights and is of the opinion that if she inserted her pathetic attempt at it, it would detract from the value of the piece. So insert awesome epic fight of choice here.))
An hour later, Luke had given her many small, bleeding cuts but nothing that would slow her down. He himself was exhausted, while her energy seemed boundless. She kept nipping at him alternately with her acquired lightsabre and vibroblade and he had been forced to resort to using his shoto. That was when she made her mistake. She stood still for a whole three seconds, more than she had in the entire duel, and he took his opportunity to stab her in the arm, to relieve her of at least one weapon. But she leapt and his sabre went straight through her kidney.
With a gasp, she fell back in slow motion and hit the ground hard, her weapons flying out of her hands, the hole in her kidney obvious. Luke fell to her knees by her side and took a cold, clammy hand in his as she slumped, the Sith leaving her to face death alone.
"Zia, I'm so sorry!" he cried as she struggled to sit up and look him in the face. He put his arm around her to help her and prop her up.
"No, Luke. Don't be." She coughed weakly and struggled for breath. "Sith… gone." The blood loss was catching up with her now and he felt tears glistening in his eyes.
"Zia, you can beat her!" he cried desperately. "Don't die on me Zia, please don't die on me." She smiled weakly.
"You act like it's you that is dying and not me," she quipped painfully, then gasped for breath painfully. He tightened his grip on her.
"Zia, you need to live. You need to show the universe it's possible to return." he pleaded. Hot tears dripped down his cheeks.
"I did return, Luke. And as a Jedi I shall die. But this life isn't for me. Understand, Luke, please. You know what I'm going through." Her deep brown eyes were for once at peace, not filled with inner torment. He nodded slowly.
"Your life was filled with pain," he said softly. "So much pain for one so young."
"I am young only in years, Luke," she said equally softly, though for a different reason. It was a clear strain to hold on as long as she was. He shook his head.
"No, Zia. You are young, and have many years ahead of you." He looked fiercely at her, as if daring her to deny it. "And you will live them." Zia shook her head, more weakly than ever.
"No, Luke." She said faintly. "No, I won't. We both know that." Looking into her eyes, he nodded very slowly. They did both know it was true. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny it.
"At the end… I… lost control." She said it so faintly he had to crane his neck to hear. "But this is how I want you to remember me." There was a very long pause, then she spoke again, and he had to put his ear right to her mouth to hear.
"I always respected you, Luke. Always loved you…" then her eyes closed for the last time and she drew her last deep, shuddering breath. He could have sworn her heard her breathing, "Always…" as she let out and then she was still. He wept freely.
"I loved you too, Zia," he told her even though she couldn't hear him and never would again. "You were so strong…" slowly, the weight on his hands faded until he was holding only a Jedi robe and tunic. He smiled through his tears. She had become one with the Force.
High above, Zia watched him with a smile as well. His life would continue and he would find new love. But for now, he would have to live on. She let the currents of the Force sweep her away.
So I'm finally done! *wild applause* and I can focus on my new story during the upcoming holidays. Its an original fic so its on and is about teen suicide and God. But I like it. So I'm going to keep writing it. It's called Rising from the Ashes. So check it out after the hols end coz I'll have a whole heap more up. Hopefully. Anyway, thanks again Wayne!
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