Travis Anderson Star Wars: Heirs to the Sith 128

Ro-Jan, Evak, and Tanith were huddled in a conference room when Roontoi came running in arms waving and chittering away in Jawese. Evak stood, "You're certain?"

A thunderous crash reverberated throughout the castle as the main gate splintered and flew into the foyer. Tanith and the others made it out in time to see through the crowd. Korista made her request and the Sith reacted violently.

Tanith was stunned beyond comprehension to see Korista Talon'Ryst. Even more mind blowing was the fact that Korista was in the livery of the Jedi Order. As the Sith ignited their crimson blades, Korista merely smiled. Tanith braced for the surge of the Dark Side that was about to transpire.

Only…it didn't. Korista casually shed her robe and then plucked her lightsaber off of her belt. Its amber blade flashed and she stood poised in a defensive stance. The assorted Sith rushed her and she engaged them.

The following minutes were a ballet of grace and destruction. Korista readily disarmed her opponents. If they withdrew, she allowed them a safe retreat. If they pressed the attack her irritation caused her to forcibly repell them.

In the end, all of the Sith students swarmed around her. In an anger fuelled moment she telekinetically hurled all of them back. Most bounced off of the stone walls. Those flying towards Tanith's party were caught by Evak's hold on the Force and gently lowered to the ground.

All of this time, Hobbie had silently stood still transfixed in horror. Now Korista advanced on the three Sith that Hobbie could sense were the most powerful. Would Kori challenge them or would she prefer negotiation? The next few seconds were vital to her place in the Jedi Order.

Korista's decision was made for her when Ro-Jan lit his saber and stood in front of his Master and Tanith, "You'll not git t'them without a fight."

"I don't want a fight you, you dunderhead." Korista chided him, "I just want to talk to Tanith."

"Over m'dead body." Ro-Jan growled.

"Fine." Korista grimly replied.

Ro-Jan swooped in on the offensive. Their parries and strikes flew back and forth. All that could be seen was a blur of colors. But, in one deft move, Korista disarmed Ro-Jan.

He snarled and unleashed bolts of Force lightning. She blocked them with her saber and slowly marched up to him so that the aura of Force energy spilled back onto him. He was thrown backwards with a cry.

Tanith moved to intervene. She held her saberstaff high, "You want to talk? Let's talk."

Meanwhile Roontoi was frantically tugging at Evak's robes and chittering away like mad. Evak was nodding, "You were mistaken before? You're certain now? Can't I feel it? Of course I can feel it. Everyone can."

Korista shut down her blade, "Okay, let's have a conversation instead of another bloody fight."

Tanith closed down her staff, "That's the last thing I ever expected to hear from you. And those robes…?"

"They don't fit very well." Korista replied and Tanith caught her metaphorical meaning.

"And you would be?" Evak asked.

"Korista Talon'Ryst." She answered, "And that over there is Hobbie Ghent. He's a Jedi Knight."

"And you're not?" Evak asked.

"To be honest, I don't know what I am." Korista confessed.

"Perhaps we can explore that together." Evak offered, "If you'll follow me, we can go somewhere private."

Evak turned to Tanith, "You'll come as well."

"Where she goes, I go." Hobbie declared.

Evak studied him and then smiled, "Of course. If you'll all follow me?"

Ro-Jan intervened, "Master?"

"Tend to the students." She instructed, "They'll need guidance."

Ro-Jan nodded his compliance but a defiant fire burned in his eyes. He'd been humiliated twice now in a very short span of time. Although he knew he should calm himself and find his peace in the Force, his anger simmered and he immersed himself in the Dark Side. The students would find no comfort from him.

Once they were ensconced in a small room with a large table, Evak hustled off and returned with refreshments. Korista's surprise showed.

Evak's laugh tinkled, "Surely they eat on Balosar?"

Korista poured herself a cup of caf, added a little nerf milk to it and helped herself to a few cookies from the pile. She sampled her coffee and groaned, "Why is it everyone else in the flamin' universe has real caf?"

Evak gave her a consoling smile, "The beans are grown locally even as the nerf is raised in nearby fields."

"That isn't fair." Korista grumbled.

"It may be after all." Evak enigmatically proclaimed, "But tell me about yourself."

"I don't know where to begin." Korista confessed.

"Surely you can sense I don't mean you any harm?" Evak asked. When Korista agreed then Evak's smile warmed up even more, "Then try the beginning."

Haltingly, Korista began with her childhood. As she spoke she gained more confidence in her audience and she shared far more than she'd originally intended. By the time she finished, there were few secrets left.

And then she surprised herself. Her longing for finding a path where Dark and Light met came out of her mouth. Tanith's surprise and Evak's delight were easy to read. Korista wondered why they had those reactions.

Evak had Tanith relate her story. Many aspects of the account echoed Korista's. Her sense of longing was a twin of the Balosar's. Her discovery of peace and purpose with the Sith capped off her tale.

"How can that be when the Sith are strictly Dark Side adepts?" Korista wondered.

"Most Sith Rules are." Evak admitted, "But our rule, the Sinherran Rule, seeks to embrace the totality of the Force. There is no Dark or Light. There is only the Force. We can utilize the Dark Side because we have mastered the evil within our souls and we do not use those powers granted us by the Dark Side to harm others."

Korista's expression as a wry one, "I hate to tell you this, but your 'Sith" were using the Dark Side and they wanted nothing more than to chop my head off."

"Most of them are novices. They haven't mastered themselves yet." Evak replied, "You yourself drew on the Dark Side but you mastered it, it didn't control you. You have room in your heart for love, which is infinitely more complex and potentially more destructive than hate, but your compassion made you hold back against my students. Your love and the mere fact that you didn't want to be consumed by your anger or hatred. You've found a better path. Now, why don't you learn how to use the negative side of your nature to empower the good?"

"That's enough!" Hobbie leapt to his feet, "I'm shutting you down."

This amused Evak, "You do realize that you're hopelessly outnumbered?"

"It doesn't matter," Hobbie declared, "I've got her and she already trounced your crummy Sith."

"Why don't you ask her that before you make wild assertions?" Evak calmly insisted.

"Kori?" Hobbie's confidence faltered.

Korista rose and faced him. She plucked her lightsaber off of her belt and handed it to him, "I think I'm going to need a new one of these."

"But…" Hobbie was devastated, "I'll inform Master Skywalker. He'll bring the Order and deal with them. Surely you don't want to join with them."

"Actually, I do." Korista replied, "I told you my destiny would become manifest once we found Tanith. This is it. This is what I'm supposed to do."

"I…" Hobbie began and then Korista grabbed his lapels and pulled him in for a fierce kiss. Hobbie didn't know whether to crow or cry.

She released him, put a finger to his lips, and said, "You do what you have to and so will I."

Hobbie's posture sagged in defeat. All right. C'mon Gremlin…"

Gremlin let loose of a whole cacophony of sounds and Hobbie stiffened, "What do you mean you're staying here with her?"

Gremlin's reply infuriated Hobbie, "'It's your destiny?' What a load of poodoo!"

"Hobbie, he wants to stay." Korista offered soothing counsel, "It isn't the Jedi way to force people to do what they don't want to."

Hobbie's eyes stung at this perceived betrayal and he had to compose himself. Finally, he said; "Fine. I'll be going alone then."

Korista sadly watched him storm out of the castle. Evak sensed her pain and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, "He'll be fine. Now what about you? You need a new set of robes and a lightsaber. We have the materials for both."

Korista looked to the older woman and a wan smile appeared, "I guess."

"Tanith," Evak surprised the younger woman, "why don't you show Korista around? I'll tend to the students. I fear in his anger, Ro-Jan isn't helping them find their way."

Tanith wanted to protest, she really did, but Evak made sense; "Okay, if you'll follow me?"

Not knowing what else to do, Korista complied. Evak watched them go and then went to the main hall. There Ro-Jan was agitating the others. She sighed and moved to intervene.

"Listen to me!" she called as she approached. The crowd quieted down but the tension remained. Evak gazed at each and every one of them individually.

"There is too much anger here." She pointed out without accusing anyone, "You need to shed your anger and draw on the Living Force. Seek its guidance not its control. You've been through a lot today but I can tell you that our days will be getting better from now on."

Roontoi came up beside her and Evak spoke on, "The Hammer and the Shield have been revealed. The Shield came to us just a few days ago and you know her as Tanith Irel. The Hammer has just revealed herself and is named Korista Talon'Ryst."

"But what about Seetha?" a voice called out and an angry ripple passed through those assembled.

Roontoi took over and explained that she had only seen a partial vision before and she'd confused Seetha for one of the two prophesied sisters. Seetha's qualifications were dubious and the appearance of Korista only solidified the proper vision even more in Roontoi's head. Now that she'd seen the two in action, she knew where the Force was leading her. It also meant danger was coming.

"You all know what this day means." Evak reminded them, "A threat is coming. A threat that will define our Rule and establish our place in the galaxy."

Evak was somber, "We don't have a clue as to what this threat is or how we'll face it. Some of us will die. That's predetermined. Those that remain will be confirmed as the defenders of Wild Space."

"Now is your chance to leave. If you don't think that you can stand strong, or you fear death, then I beg you leave rather than dishonor your Rule." She implored them,

"We have a few hours in which to decide. No one will think less of you for going. In fact you'll be applauded for having the strength to realize your weakness. The Dark Side will be calling to you from now on and if you can't resist its siren song and master it, then you should leave and may the Force be with you always." Evak urged them, "Now, we'll break and have a meal."

Korista whistled, "There are enough components and crystals here to make lightsabers for an army."

"I think that's the idea." Tanith quietly observed.

"They worry you even though you've joined with them." Korista observed.

"They have a great potential…for good and evil." Tanith said and then she shrugged, "All I know is that I belong here with them."

"Yeah," Korista agreed, "me too."

A lopsided grin appeared on Tanith's face, "Y'know, I half expected to see you again. I thought if Gregin wouldn't come after me then Brakkis would send you."

Sadness descended over Korista, "I might have if he'd asked. I don't know. All I know is that the Dark Side isn't the only path but I'm lousy at being a Jedi. I don't know what happens next but I do know it happens with these people."

Tanith's expression became a rueful one, "My anger carried me across the galaxy but I never surrendered to it because I was afraid of it. All I had to do was trust in the Force and it would have provided me with everything I needed. My anger could have been a tool rather than a motivator. It took coming here to see that."

Korista chuckled, "We make a fine pair."

Tanith rolled her eyes, "Wait until you hear about this prophecy of theirs."

Korista's brow raised, "Prophecy?"

"Yeah." Korista confirmed with an evil tone in her voice, "Avoid Jawas around here. That's all I'm telling you."

Now Korista was horribly confused, "Right."

She pointed at the sling strapped to Tanith's back, "So, a saberstaff. You always were better with that quarterstaff than you were your lightsaber. Whatever happened to it?"

There was infinite sadness in Tanith's reply, "Gregin cut it in half."

"I'm so sorry." Korista said from the heart, "I knew it meant a lot to you."

"Thanks." A halfhearted Tanith replied.

Korista began perusing the contents of the shop, "Yup. Everything I need. Hey, why are these three synthcrystals sitting here apart from the others?"

Tanith shrugged, "Those were improperly mixed. The crystalline matrix formed and they were the wrong color. At least that's what I was told."

"D'you realize what they've been overlooking? Magenta stones are the rarest of Sith stones. They don't burn as hot but they last twice as long." Korista revealed.

"So, you're going to use them?" Tanith wondered.

A triumphant smirk spread across Korista's face, "Oooh yeah."