Lord Darth Yoda - Excellent point about how two Jedi vs. one doesn't tend to end well - never even thought of that! The boulder thing was a bit of a tribute to another George Lucas property - Indiana Jones. As for the rest, the title of the book is Deception for a reason. How many layers of deception are we dealing with? We'll have to find out.

thejoker122 - For clarity purposes, that is the real Tyra Harker across from Sascha. Her story will be told (along with the answers to your points, in the next few chapters)

if-inconvenient-come-anyways - That was basically the reaction I was hoping for :).

iSawThatComing - Nope that's Tyra Harker right there. How she got to that point is going to unravel over the next few chapters.

A/N - So just for some backstory that some of you may (or may not find interesting - if you want to proceed to the chapter, definitely go ahead.) When I first wrote this book, the showdown that you are going to read was more than a little different. I really hated the original ending, but it had to be kept, because book 3 requires the events of book 2. During the publishing of this book, I got a better idea for the ending and essentially I scrapped most of the original ending. Thematically it remains the same, but the conclusion of this book is far, far superior - stakes are higher, the action is better and the characters develop in a more organic way.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Please enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 36: A Fallen Friendship

Sascha stared in open mouthed shock at his best friend, Tyra Harker. But this was not the Tyra he had grown up with. This Tyra had dyed her brown hair a deep black and accentuated it with red streaks. She was dressed in what was decidedly not a traditional Jedi robe. Her tight black jumpsuit accentuated Tyra's slim, whiplike figure, making her seem like a deadly snake wrapped in black. While Sascha had always found Tyra to be quite attractive in her usual clothes, this was...an upgrade. Tyra's body language had also changed, usually Tyra was intense, almost standoffish around other people, but at the moment her body was almost sultry.

That was hard enough to deal with, but he was still trying to process the words that Tyra had just said to him. Had she really smiled at him like that and said 'Hello my love?' Was it possible that he had actually died a few moments ago and he was just living out some bizarre fantasy? That seemed more likely than what was happening in front of him.

Tyra, lightsaber bouncing against her hip, started walking towards him slowly, a delighted smile on her lips, "You look surprised to see me, Sascha."

"How can you be here Tyra?" he said, his knees weak.

"It's the Force bringing us together," said Tyra seductively.

Aurine banged on the transparisteel divider, "Padawan Harker. You will stand down and explain yourself."

Tyra turned to the Jedi Knight, "No," she said sweetly.

Aurine straightened, "Padawan Harker, I don't know what you think you are doing here. Surrender your lightsaber to Sascha. Immediately."

"No."

"Tyra...what are you doing?" he asked. Tyra occasionally grumbled about the rules, but she would never, ever disobey a direct order from a Jedi Knight, it was just not in her DNA.

His best friend turned to him, "I left the Jedi Order. Didn't you hear? I guess they wouldn't publicize it. I figured that they might have told my best friend though. I guess that is expecting too much from the Jedi."

"You...left the Jedi?" he said, taking an involuntary step backwards. "Why?"

A smile adorned Tyra's lips, "For you, my love."

"For me?"

Tyra was now about an arms length away from him, "Sascha, we shouldn't deny the truth any longer. We were made for each other. We love each other. We should be together. Lets go, leave the Jedi, and make a life for ourselves, I don't care where, as long as I'm with you."

A part of Sascha wanted to reach out, grab Tyra's hand and follow her to wherever she wanted to go. This was Tyra Harker! His best friend, the girl that he...had the strongest feelings for.. It would be so easy, he thought, just take her hand, and go. Live his life with his soul mate. Because that was what she obviously was.

Aurine pounded on the glass behind him, "Sascha. We are here for Weliss. Remember that!"

Tyra whirled to face Aurine, "Enough of you, Jedi." With a fluid motion, Tyra withdrew a small object and pressed a button. Suddenly, a pulse of electric energy shot through the transparisteel divider. Aurine, who had been leaning against the divider, jerked back spasmodically and fell to the floor, twitching.

"Master!" he shouted, rushing over to see if he could get a better look at her condition.

Aurine had curled into a ball, and Sascha could see wisps of smoke rising from her body. She was still twitching slightly, but she was making her way ever so slowly into a sitting position. Sascha made eye contact with his Master, and Aurine nodded almost imperceptibly at him, a signal that she wasn't badly hurt. Tough as a herd of gundarks was his Master.

Sascha whirled to face Tyra, "Why did you do that? What the hell is wrong with you, Tyra?"

Tyra casually ignored the moans coming from his Master and smiled, "She's an obstacle to us being together, Sascha. I like your Master, I do. But she's stuck in the old ways of thinking. She's not open minded. She thinks that love is just a desire that you bury deep down inside." Tyra's eyes searched out his, "We know differently, don't we?"

Sascha continued backing away from his friend, "Tyra...this isn't you. You just electrocuted my Master. That's not something I'm going to forget. And don't you remember that we had a discussion of what we were going to do about these...feelings we had for each other? You obviously don't remember because this was not what we decided upon."

"Things change," said Tyra, shrugging her shoulders and blowing off his retort with ease. "I evaluated my life, and decided that it wasn't worth living if I couldn't be with you."

Sascha stared at his friend in disbelief. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Tyra's mouth. She had abandoned the Jedi Order, and was apparently willing to harm his own Master, just for him? While he cared very, very much for Tyra, his head ruled his heart. While his heart was Tyra's, in his head and in his soul, he was a Jedi, first and foremost. Maybe if he hadn't had that brush with the dark side, he might have felt differently, but now he realized that he had to be a Jedi first, and his feelings, whatever they were, came second. Even if it caused him tremendous pain.

But how was he going to deal with Tyra? He had no idea.

At that very moment, Weliss decided to appear. Dressed in his usual black robe, the Bothan appeared appeared totally calm as he stayed at the edge of the room, leaning back against the wall, apparently content to just watch the drama unfold. "Tyra, enough of this. Subdue the Padawan. Then do the same with this poor excuse for a Jedi Knight."

Tyra turned, faced Weliss and frowned, "You don't get to order me around Weliss. That's not how this arrangement works."

"You know what our deal is," replied Weliss, his voice low, threatening.

Tyra turned back around "Yeah, Yeah." She shook her head, "The things I do for love..." Tyra ignited her lightsaber. "Sascha, hand me your lightsaber, I promise that no harm will come to you. I just need to make sure that you aren't going to do anything stupid."

Aurine, who was the only person separated by the divide, sat on the ground and laughed bitterly, "Tyra Harker, you are in so much trouble. If you put a finger on my Padawan, that is something you cannot take back. Right now, if you turn your lightsaber off and surrender, we'll overlook the raft of poor decisions that caused you to take up with Weliss over there. Or can you not feel the dark side on him?"

Tyra seemed unimpressed and her blue lightsaber continued to hum threateningly, "You misunderstand, Aurine. Me and Weliss? A temporary alliance. We have mutual goals. I want Sascha. He wants...I'm not sure, chaos? Revenge?"

"Revenge, Miss Harker, Revenge."

Tyra flipped her ponytail, "Whatever."

Sascha, exasperated, looked into the eyes of his best friend, "The Tyra I know, the Tyra I care about would never ally with a fallen Jedi like Weliss."

"I've changed," said Tyra quietly. "I'll make you understand the new me when we have some quiet time together." Tyra raised her lightsaber into an en guard position, "Last chance to do this peacefully, Sascha."

Was this really happening? Was he really going to fight Tyra...for real? They'd sparred hundreds of times, but it had always been partly playful, they'd never wanted to actually hurt each other. They had...certainly caused each other numerous welts and bruises in sparring sessions over the years, probably hundreds of times, but there had never been intent to injure behind it.

Sascha ignited his teal lightsaber and shook his head sadly, "I don't want to fight you Tyra. But if you won't stand down, you will force me to."

"Just keep calm, Sascha," said Aurine. "You don't have to hurt her, you just have to disarm her."

A sort of calm broke out for a moment as neither Sascha nor Tyra was willing to take the first move. The stone walls and slightly flickering lights that dotted the room made it seem like this showdown was happening on the set of a horror holomovie.

Tyra took out a pair of stuncuffs from a pocket of her tight fitting jumpsuit and tossed them onto the ground, "If you want to put those on, this will go a lot easier. I might even give you a little kiss if you behave," she purred.

While the idea of kissing Tyra sounded appealing, the thought of putting on the stuncuffs that Weliss' designed was much less so.

"Come on, Miss Harker, we don't have all day," said Weliss, still leaning against the far wall.

Tyra sighed, "Okay Weliss. This won't take long." With a battlecry, Tyra lunged at him with her blue bladed lightsaber. Sascha quickly twirled away. Tyra continued to come forward, pressuring his footwork, but not using her lightsaber to attack. Sascha, who still hadn't shifted into 'I'm fighting for my life mode," scrambled backwards, maintaining enough of his balance to keep Tyra at bay.

Seemingly satisfied, Tyra stood tall, and adopted an arrogant pose, "You know how this is going to go Sascha, so why even bother? I was always better than you when we duelled. I really don't want to hurt you." Tyra smiled, "Although, if I do hurt you, I promise I'll kiss it and make it better."

A tiny part of him was still thrilled with the idea that Tyra would kiss him, but the part of him was a teenager noted the shot at his ego first, "I seem to remember depositing you on the ground when we last sparred a few months ago."

Tyra laughed, "Oh that. You know before we sparred, your Master came to me and told me to 'take a fall' and help build your confidence. You didn't actually beat me, I just decided to lose." Tyra turned to face the slowly recovering Aurine, "Isn't that right, Aurine?"

"I don't believe that," said Sascha defensively.

Aurine closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, her gaze sought out his, "What Tyra said is true," she said softly. "I was looking for ways to make you more confident, and I figured that you would really get a confidence boost if you could defeat Tyra."

Irrationally, Sascha became angry at his Master, "I wasn't aware that I was so hopeless that you needed to tell someone to LOSE to me! Did you tell everyone that I beat to just fall down and not get up?"

Aurine shook her head, and her green eyes showed her contrition, "It was just that one time. I swear."

Tyra smiled kindly, the kind of smile she had always had for him. It was actually the first time that Tyra looked like the 'normal' Tyra, "See Sascha, she's just...using you. For her you are just a tool, a way for her to repay the Jedi for the faith they placed in her. She might care for you a little, sure. But when you were captured, you didn't see her sacrificing everything for you. I would have. I did. I gave up my life for a chance, a chance to be together with you. Do you think she would do the same?"

Sascha took a few steps away from the girl with the humming lightsaber and tried to sort through his thoughts. He was disturbed by the idea that his Master had so little faith in him, thought that he was so fragile, that she arranged for someone to lose to him. But, looking back he had lacked confidence and that 'win' against Tyra had made him want to push himself even harder in training, because he had thought that he was finally progressing. So while he disagreed with what she had done, his confidence, his faith in his Master had not been damaged.

"My Master has my best interest in mind at all times. Which is something I'm not sure I can say for you anymore, Tyra."

Tyra looked like she might burst into tears, "That's the most horrible thing you've ever said to me, Sascha. Do you even know what I've given up for you?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "My faith in you is shaken. You're doing things that are, well...crazy, Tyra." He reached out with his hand cautiously, "Just put down the lightsaber. We'll make everything right again. We always do. The Jedi will never abandon one of their own"

Sascha received a wave of positive energy from his Master in the Force. Sascha let it wash over him, basking in it. This felt like the right thing to do, the way a true Jedi should act.

Weliss coughed loudly, "Yes the Jedi certainly haven't abandoned me. Oh wait, yes they did. Tyra, we'll deprogram this obviously brainwashed young man later. First you have to defeat him. I suggest you get on it."

Tyra stared at his outstretched hand, obviously torn. Then she straightened, "I think that's a good idea, Weliss." Without warning, Tyra was on the attack again, the only clue that Sascha got of an incoming attack was a slight shift of weight of Tyra's weight forward. Her high cut was met by a strong parry and he used his strength to push the interlocked blades back towards her. Tyra rolled her wrists and let his lightsaber roll off of his. He abandoned his attack and slid his lightsaber neatly back into defensive position. Tyra smirked at him, "Well done." Then she attacked again.

He and Tyra had sparred so many times over the years that there was a pattern to their combat. Tyra was whip fast with her lightsaber and creative with her attacks. She loved to throw in wild, twisting elbows, knees and kicks to wear down her opponent. Sascha was, in comparison, boring and plodding in his style. Generally speaking, their sparring sessions started out even, until Tyra had worn him down enough that she was able to take advantage of a mistake that he made. And that would be it.

The pattern was holding so far. Sascha, concentrating totally on Tyra's lightsaber, got a rude surprise when Tyra lashed out and caught him with a sharp kick that landed just above his left knee. His knee buckled for a moment and Tyra almost managed to take advantage, but he just managed to direct her blue blade away from his left arm.

Sascha backed away and quickly tested his knee. It was bruised but Tyra hadn't caused any serious damage. Figuring that he knew how this was going to end if he kept going this way, he did something unexpected. He charged right at Tyra.

Tyra's eyes went wide and she tried to bring her lightsaber to bear, but her action had been predictable and he pushed aside her blade with his. With neither Jedi having a lightsaber to protect themselves for a moment, the fight had changed from a lightsaber duel, to a kickboxing match. And Sascha was a good kickboxer. Perhaps not better than Tyra – she was more technical, more accurate, but he was stronger, and more powerful. Critically, right now, he had the initiative.

With his momentum carrying him forward, Sascha jumped and drove his knee right into Tyra's chest. His momentum carried him past Tyra, he rolled when he landed. He turned quickly to see his best friend on the ground, stunned. Her lightsaber was still held in a deathgrip, but for a quick moment, she was unable to defend herself. Seizing the opportunity, he pointed his lightsaber directly at her heart. "Surrender," he said confidently, more than a little surprised that he had legitimately beaten Tyra.

Tyra coughed a couple of times, but made no indication that she was surrendering. "Tyra, you're beaten. Surrender."

Tyra laughed, long and hard, "What are you going to do Sascha, if I don't surrender? Drive your lightsaber through my chest? Lop off a limb? How exactly do you think you are going to win this fight?" She wiped her mouth with her free hand, "Nice knee though, that hurt."

A sickening feeling descended upon Sascha. He realized that although his attack had been a success, it had left him no way to actually finish this fight with Tyra. He was singularly incapable of hurting her severely with his lightsaber. Cutting off her hand to subdue her? He couldn't fathom the idea. Amazingly, he came to the realization that his teal lightsaber that was pointed directly at Tyra's chest was not going to provide him a way to win this fight.

Sascha started thinking, for the first time, of how he was supposed to 'win.' He needed to either disarm Tyra or subdue her in such a way that he could use Weliss' stuncuffs on her, he realized. He was still processing all this when Tyra made her move.

Having recovered her cognizance, Tyra gathered the Force around her and used it to push him backwards. Caught by indecision, Sascha didn't have time to use his advantageous position and was pushed away from Tyra's prone body. Tyra, now taking advantage of the space that she had created, scrambled to her feet, keeping her lightsaber in a defensive position.

He simply let it happen. He knew that he could have made a diagonal slice at Tyra's wrist, which she may or may not have been able to defend. But he just couldn't bring himself to do that. He couldn't permanently maim his best friend, no matter what was happening to her right now.

Back on her feet, Tyra again came forward, but now she was moving a bit more cautiously, clearly acknowledging that he was at least capable of hurting her. The former Padawan cut towards his head with a one handed slash, which he met with a strong two handed defence. Tyra moved her lightsaber from up high to attack at his legs, which he also managed to parry. But as she was attacking with her lightsaber with one hand, he failed to realize what she was doing with her other hand. Tyra's left hand connected to his jaw, spinning him around and making his world go dark for a split-second.

Sascha stumbled backwards, his defence disrupted. Tyra took advantage by landing a hard kick to his side, which he absorbed with a grunt and a wince. For such a whip-thin girl, Tyra kicked really, really hard.

Tyra paused her attack and looked at him with sympathy, "Don't make me do this Sascha. I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Just put on the stuncuffs, this will all go easier."

He offered Tyra a smile, "Come on, Tyra, when do I ever choose the easy way out?"

"You can do this Sascha. Concentrate," called his Master from the sidelines.

Tyra sighed and once again opened up the attack. He held his ground for a little bit, until Tyra left him with the choice of either stepping backwards or losing his leg below the knee. Sascha back flipped away, and landed hard, his right knee buckling slightly, courtesy, no doubt, of the kick Tyra had landed earlier. Tyra was on him in a flash, her face a mask of intensity and...something else that Sascha couldn't quite identify...desperation maybe?

It was something of a moot point. Tyra was now on the ascendant and she didn't show any sign of letting up her pressure. Sascha began to wilt as the damage to his body piled up, slowly, but surely. A twisting elbow to the jaw made his eyes water for a moment. A glancing punch from Tyra landed on his nose, which started his nose bleeding. And kick after kick landed on his midsection and legs. Like always, Tyra didn't do her damage with one punch, she did it with an array of effective strikes that took their toll.

It was just too much for him to take. He didn't want to be fighting Tyra in the first place, and now she was wearing down his will to fight at all. He had no ideas for turning the fight around, and the fact that his ears were ringing from that elbow that he had taken wasn't helping him any. It was just a matter of time before Tyra subdued him.

Sascha, who had almost been backed into a corner by Tyra, barely avoided a high head kick from Tyra, and using the momentary respite, used a Force push to send Tyra back a couple of feet. Breathing hard, Sascha shook his head and disengaged his lightsaber, tossing it far away from him. He then went to his knees in front of Tyra. "I won't fight you, Tyra. But neither will I surrender. I know you won't harm a defenceless being." He closed his eyes peacefully, waiting for something he knew to be true; that Tyra loved him too much to ever hurt him. This was how he was going to win. He was going to make Tyra see the error of her ways.

He felt Tyra come closer to him, "So you are saying no to the stuncuffs?"

"I'm not surrendering. I'm just not fighting either. I know you won't hurt me."

"Oh Sascha," said Tyra, emotional. She sniffed, "I love you, but you misunderstand me."

Oh Kriff.

"I'll always fight for what I love," said Tyra.

He felt Tyra's weight shift forward, indicative of her throwing a kick at his head. Sascha refused to accept that his best friend would…

The next thing that Sascha remembered was being curled on his side. That was funny, he could have sworn that he had been kneeling...that meant...that Tyra had actually kicked him in the head. It seemed unfathomable. He opened his eyes and saw Tyra crouching over him, but he was so dizzy he could barely comprehend that it was her. He closed his eyes again. All he wanted to do was to take a long, peaceful snooze. He tried to move his hands, and found that he was wearing a pair of very familiar feeling stuncuffs.

"Welcome back, sweetheart," said Tyra.

"You hit me," he said drunkenly.

"Yeah, you lost consciousness there for a moment. I had to make sure that you would stay down while I put those on, so I hit you pretty hard."

"You hit me," he repeated.

"Tell you what," Tyra said, leaning so close to him that he could feel her breath on his face, "Tell me where you hurt and I'll kiss it and make it better."

"I'd rather kiss a bantha."

"You say that, but you don't mean it," Tyra replied, not seeming to be wounded by his insult (which he had absolutely meant).

"Now, I'll be right back, I just need to go deal with your Master," Tyra purred.

Even a remark like that couldn't make Sascha want to get up. He curled into a ball more tightly, closed his eyes and wished that this horrible nightmare would just end.