Hey this is Lunatic 121 back with The Darkened Force again. Finally I have been able to work on Chapter 4. Permission to do my Yippie-skippie dance, permission granted, (Does a weird dance) Well, enjoy folks. Again credit to Ddude.

Chapter 4: A little bit of peace.

Haduun's consciousness returned to him, and his head felt like a balloon on the verge of bursting. His arms and legs felt like lead weights had been strapped to them, and when he opened his eyes, he immediately shut them to block out the light. He groaned as he sat up, and was met with Alleina and his parents.

"What?" Haduun asked, massaging the back of his head. He could still feel the place where he was struck. "Is there something on my face?"

Alleina just smiled, then threw herself forward and hugged him. Haduun winced; he knew that some of his ribs were bruised in his fight with Darth Eradicus.

"Ow…" Haduun said through clenched teeth, causing his sister to release him with an immediate apology. He looked around, then asked, "Where are we?"

"Polis Massa," his father answered, "Just as you requested."

"As much as I hate to admit it," his mother said, gesturing to the odd white-faced aliens tending to the equipment, "These things are pretty talented." The Polis Massans' response was to turn on her comment, nod, then return to their business.

At that moment, the queen walked into view. "We have much to talk about." She said, her expression oddly serious, "Haduun will explain everything that happened, as far as he remembers."

Haduun massaged his temples, then sighed, "Alright, I'll tell you everything I remember. But if I can't remember anything else, Alleina will have to take up where I left off."

Haduun explained to the queen what happened, right up to the part where he heard Alleina defied Eradicus. Haduun did not put in the dream, or explain the fact that Eradicus killed the entire Jedi order several years ago. There was no need for panic, not yet at least.

"Alright, I've explained as much as I remember." Haduun said, now strong enough to sit up and flop his legs over the side of the table. He turned to his sister and gestured with his hand. "It's your turn now, Alleina."

Alleina nodded, then proceeded to explain what happened right up to the part where they had met the queen. "Then father and mother lifted Haduun on their shoulders, and carried him in." She gestured to everyone in the room and finished, "And here we are now."

"Understood." The queen said with a nod, "I hope the best for you. Unfortunately, I cannot stay. My people need me." The queen then left the room without another word.

Alleina turned to her brother. "Brother, what do you think happened when you went super on us?"

Haduun tried to remember what happened, but shook his head. "Sorry, but I have no idea. I could take a couple of guesses but none of them would be good."

Haduun sighed, then put his feet back on his bed. He still felt extremely tired. "Where's IJ?" he asked.

"He's outside, guarding the door." Haduun's mother answered, "Now go back to sleep, my son. We'll be leaving for Cloud City in the morning."

Haduun did not resist as Alleina lightly pushed him back into laying back down. He closed his eyes, but something kept him up; it felt like something was nagging at his mind. He opened his eyes again to see that Alleina, his father, and his mother had left the room.

It's going to be a long night…he mentally groaned to himself.

That night, the feeling came again. The feeling that something was calling him. It sounded, to him, like an old friend was calling out his name from a faraway place.

When Haduun woke up, the first thing Haduun noticed was IJ standing at the front of the door. "Ah, I see that you are finally awake, master." IJ said, his voice showing great relief, "Ever since your duel with Eradicus, I've been worried sick!"

Haduun, ignoring IJ's statement, asked, "How long was I asleep?"

IJ paused for a second, then answered, "I'd take a guess at seven hours, thirty-one minutes, fifty seconds, and sixty-five nanoseconds." After a look at Haduun's curious face, he filled in, "If we were back on Naboo, I would say that the sun will have barely risen."

Haduun raised an eyebrow. "That's a 'guess'?" he asked, "Sounds more like a calculation to me."

IJ slumped forward slightly, as though crestfallen. "Sorry master, it won't happen again."

Haduun waved it off. "No need to apologize, IJ. It's no big deal." He slowly rose to a sitting position and asked, "Any idea where my lightsaber is?"

"No need to worry, master." The Omni-droid assured him, "I brought it here. Why do you ask?"

Haduun paused, then looked down at his sheets. "Because, we aren't staying at Polis Massa, and I won't accompany my family to Cloud City." He answered, somewhat-glumly.

IR-JK seemed shocked, and he did a very believable job. Haduun had put so much work in the droid that it was easily a sentient being unto itself.

"Leave?" IJ asked, almost at a loss for words, "Out of all the options, I'm afraid that isn't a very advisable thing, master."

"I know." Haduun said with a sympathetic nod, "But I feel like I have to. If it leads to the freedom of this galaxy, I'll go for it."

Haduun perked slightly; he felt the presence of several people outside the room. They were, in order, his mother, father, and sister.

Haduun cleared his throat, then spoke in a voice that would surely be able to get through the door. "I know you're there. Come in."

The doors slid open and Haduun's family walked inside. Haduun wasn't particularly comfortable with their expressions: melancholy

"I take it you heard everything?" he asked, still looking down at his sheets. Haduun already knew it was going to lead to this, but he had to be sure.

"Yes." His father answered, voice solemn.

Haduun's mother brushed a tear off her cheek. "Why are you leaving?" she asked, her voice easily showing distraught. Thanks to Haduun's Force powers, he could sense it before it came.

Well there goes leaving quietly. Haduun sighed in his head. He stood up from his bed and answered, "I am. I feel as though something's calling me, like it's forcing me to go wherever it wants me to go."

"Can you resist it?" There was a note of forcefulness in his mother's voice, like she wanted him to say "yes".

"Yes I can." Haduun admitted, but added, "But that's not the point, the point is that it's the will of the Force. And whatever the Force wants, it will get one way or another."

Alleina smiled, but Haduun noticed he was crying. He also noticed a bundle of cloth in her arms. "I knew that you wouldn't stay here forever…so I made this." She said in a quiet voice.

Alleina unfolded the bundle and revealed it to be white Jedi robes with a white hood, and brown straps over the shoulders and around the waist. Long white sleeves emerged from the robe's shoulders, and Alleina was kind enough to add brown boots to the mix.

"Well, go ahead." Alleina said, with both an eager voice and a hint of sadness, "Try them on…"

Haduun walked to a storage room with a lock from inside and closed the door behind him. He came back out wearing the suit, which fit him perfectly. He kept the hood down to ensure that his family could see his face, hair, and eyes one last time. Haduun walked over to Alleina and, before he could even thank her, she hugged him full-on.

Haduun gently pulled away, then asked, "How did you get these?"

Alleina brushed back a lock of her hair. "I just found them during our fieldtrip to Coruscant." She answered, "They looked important, so I didn't tell anyone. Chances are that they don't remember now." She took a step back, then saw Haduun for what he really was. To her, she looked like a hero that the Force itself had sent to save them all, and she knew he was.

"Now, now, I made a gift too." Haduun's father pointed out, "For I had anticipated your departure as well."

Haduun's father walked over to him, and pulled out what looked like a small silver hilt with gold lacing. Haduun stared wide-eyed at it. It was a special Electrum-based Jedi hilt. It was only given to the most famous Jedi Masters like Mace Windu. For a moment they stood there, then Haduun's father motioned with the hilt. Haduun reached forward, and slowly took it from father with trembling hands.

"I found it about twenty years ago." Haduun's father said with the seriousness of a military colonel, "I found it somewhere on Dagobah and I couldn't believe my eyes." He gestured to Haduun and announced, "It's yours now. I'm proud to have a Jedi in my family."

Haduun took out his own lightsaber, the golden hilt was slightly smaller than the original. Haduun used the force to open up the first lightsaber he recovered from his school and extracted the sky-blue lightsaber crystal. It looked best for his blade.

Haduun, again, used the force to open the golden-silver-mixed hilt and inserted the crystal into its inner mechanisms. After sealing it back up, he activated it and a blue bar of plasma hummed to life, fitting his hilt and his white robes.

"Thank you, father." Haduun said, sheathing his lightsaber and clipping it to his belt, "I promise I'll only use it to bring the end of this Sith Lord."

Haduun turned to his mother, then turned away in slight shame. His mother, on the other hand, took his shoulders in her hands. "Now just because I snapped at you doesn't mean I don't have a gift."

Haduun watched as his mother reached behind her neck and unclipped the necklace she wore. She handed it to Haduun, who took it in his hand and stared at it.

"Won't this seem a little…feminine?" he asked.

Haduun's mother chuckled, then pointed at the center of the necklace. Haduun studied it closely and he stared in shock once more. In the center of the necklace was a green crystal: a green lightsaber crystal.

"Thanks, mother." Haduun said, bowing in a Jedi respect, "But I don't think I'll be needing this." Haduun turned his attention to his loyal Omni-droid. "IJ, I'll be needing my first lightsaber."

"As you wish, master." IJ said, holding out the still-open hilt.

Haduun took the pieces of the hilt, then levitated them with the force. After refitting the old hilt with the green crystal, he handed it to Alleina. She stared in awe, then wordlessly took the weapon from him.

"You'll need this more than I do." Haduun said with a slight smirk, "Defend my family with it and hone the Force you hold in you."

Alleina stared at the lightsaber like a priceless treasure, then nodded. A second later, she sniffled, then hugged Haduun as tightly as she dared.

"I'll miss you, brother…" she softly sobbed.

"I know. And I'll miss you, too." He stood back a bit, then actually joked. "Hope you realize this means I won't give a birthday present for awhile. Like, say…fifteen years?"

Alleina playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "You're joking, right?"

Haduun scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, kinda." He admitted.

Haduun laughed a rather fake laugh, and Alleina clipped her new lightsaber to her own belt. "Don't you have to be going now?"

Haduun nodded, then beckoned to IR-JK, who followed swiftly. walked out of the room silently, and got into the loading dock, where they met the Queen.

"How'd you know we were coming?" Haduun asked, folding his arms.

"You didn't think there are cameras anywhere in this place?" the queen asked, raising an eyebrow.

IR-JK cocked his head to one side. "Ah."

"You're really going to leave?" the queen asked, needing to make sure.

Haduun nodded. "And if it's not too much to ask, I'll be needing to use the Solar Phoenix." The Jedi requested. "Reason being that I don't have a ship of my own."

The queen nodded. "Okay. I'll be using a spare ship to go back to Naboo."

Haduun walked beside the Solar Phoenix and its hatch opened up. Haduun and IJ walked inside. Once inside, Haduun ordered, "Voice command, activate."

The computerized voice spoke to him. "Waiting for orders, sir." It said in a monotone.

"Prepare for liftoff." Haduun commanded, "We're going to…" Haduun felt around with the Force, searching for whatever was there. He closed his eyes, then spotted a speck of light: the source. "The Jedi Temple, on Coruscant."

"Coordinates locked." The automated captain confirmed.

Haduun took a seat with IR-JK sitting just to his right. As soon as they had taken off of Polis Massa, Haduun closed his eyes, then heaved a sigh through his teeth.

IR-JK turned at the noise and noticed his master's…unhappy expression. "Master?" he asked, "Are you all right?

Haduun regained himself, then turned to his droid. "I'm fine. Thanks." Haduun's voice was a little choked, as IJ could tell, but he soon cleared it.

"Let's go." Haduun said, staring out into space. He then addressed the autopilot. "Begin Hyperspace jump."

"Hyperspace activated…" the autopilot confirmed.

The Solar Phoenix's viewport showed that the stars appeared to suddenly turn into streams of bright light. At that moment, though, Haduun remembered how much he hated space travel…too late. The ship shot off into space faster than the blink of an eye.

-----

Light-years away, on the city planet of Nar Shadaa, Darth Eradicus strode through the rainy streets. He strode through the city, not caring if the townsfolk gave him weird looks. Anyone stupid enough to try and start a fight with him was dead in a few seconds.

Eradicus was expecting someone to have finished her first mission, so now he was going to check on the results. He finally reached a bar that had its doors torn open and barely hanging onto the hinges. At his feet lay a Gamorrean, its piggish face almost unrecognizable amidst charred flesh.

Well, Eradicus mused in his mind, Looks like she succeeded after all. Ironically, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky to herald the Sith's triumph.

Eradicus stepped over the dead Gamorrean and entered the wrecked bar. He looked around in the failing light to see tables smashed, light fixtures shattered, and chairs in odd places. He looked down at the ground, then shrugged it off and continued…even though he was walking among several corpses. The bodies of human and alien alike were scattered across the bar. Some had holes burned right through them, others were intact, but smoking like a fire, and still others lay broken on the floor. To make things even more gruesome, some of the dead aliens lay in pieces, lacking arms, legs, torsos, and even heads.

Eradicus looked upon the carnage…and it was good. He then turned his head towards the lone survivor: a feminine figure dressed in black robes common for a Sith apprentice.

This woman was human, but first glances would probably say otherwise. She was huddled in a corner staring at the floor, she also had a metal band around her wrist with four bars around it. She had tidy black hair, green eyes, and she was crying.

"Congratulations." Darth Eradicus said, clasping his hands together, "You have become worthy of being my apprentice."

A few tears dropped from the girl's face to land on the ground, but her teeth were clenched in anger. "You…" she growled, not even turning to face him, "You almost KILLED me!"

If Eradicus was supposed to be affected by this, he wasn't. "But you didn't, did you?" Eradicus asked her, "I have searched the galaxy for an apprentice with power like yours. Only YOU have survived my trials while others perished. And it is your power, in which I will promote you as a fellow Lord of the Sith." Eradicus took a deep breath, letting the Dark Side of the Force enter him. "I hereby christen you Darth…" A pause…a questioning of the Dark Side, and it answered through Eradicus' mouth. "Rageus."

Eradicus slowly came back to the current universe and strode over to the newly-promoted Sith Lord. "And by the way, Lord Rageus." Eradicus walked over to her and lowered his face to her ear.

"Continue your crying; despise me. For your fear of me becomes anger, anger morphs into rage." Under his mask, Darth Eradicus was smiling a serpentine grin. "And for the Sith, rage is your power."

Rageus looked up at him with a scowl on her face. It was the strangest thing had the Dark side corrupted her, she would have looked very different, the Dark side corrupts everything but she didn't look corrupted. Her face was only an angry scowl as she faced her so-called "master".

"I…hate…you." She growled, her hand gripping the handle of a lightsaber.

Eradicus lifted a hand and she levitated into the air. Even when she struggled, he kept a cruel grin on his face. "Then the first part of your training is complete, my apprentice. Our quest for the darkness has begun."

Yes, I know. I miss the action too! BUT that's stories for you, they can't all be action. Expect action in the next chapter, The name of the next chapter: Facing a Devil. Wait, was that a spoiler? Ummm. (Runs away)