Chapter 24

A/N: hey guys, welcome back. So, I'm sure y'all noticed that I skimmed over the two episodes where Viren was telling the story to Queen Aanya, but that was due to the fact that I didn't have much material to work with unless I wanted to do flashbacks into Trezac's past (maybe I will maybe I won't we'll see). So yeah, I just decided to skim over them.

Also, I recently finished my primary concept art of Eleven. It's the cover right now and it's on my DeviantArt: MoonviewRising.

Anyways, hope I can meet y'all expectations for this chapter, I'll admit, I had a difficult time writing this one. My muse kinda ran away with me on the last one and then blatantly decided right here was a good time to run off.

So, as usual, I'm just the writer, Gabeherdon308 owns Trezac and Mandalore the Survivor owns the Mandaloian survivors.

Claudia stood warily at the sidelines watching as the elf tried to get the dragon up. While she didn't want the dragon to leave, she needed the elf alive. She was more important than the beast. She could lead them to Ezran and the Dragon Prince. They had Callum, and now they just needed to reason with Trezac and calm him down.

Glancing away from the elf, she watched as Trezac practically fell off the dragon, landing on his hands and knees; all of his usual grace gone. Even from where she stood she could see his body shaking.

Something was wrong.

She glared at the elf standing beside him trying to move the dragon. She was likely the culprit for her friend's plight. Looking to her brother, she nodded. Right now, Trezac clearly wasn't paying attention, and they needed that elf. Then this whole problem would be over.

Soren smirked at her, twirling his blade nonchalantly as he strode by his knights and towards the elf and Trezac. The boy was looking towards Soren, and Claudia patted herself, trying to find something she could use to stop him if he tried fighting again.

What she didn't expect was the pain and rage filled scream that blasted her off her feet.

The air left her lungs as she slammed into a tree, and she could hear the guards screaming over the metal of their armor and weapons bending unnaturally. But one thing she heard clearly over the pandemonium was a distinct snap. Claudia was a dark magic practitioner; she'd done it enough to recognize the sound. Someone had broken their bones, severely.

But that could wait. Right now, they needed to finish their mission.

More screams pierced the air as she heard the sound of Trezac's strange swords moving. Scrambling to her feet, the dark mage froze where she stood.

Trezac had stabbed one of the guards, his burning blade cutting clean through the man, armor and all, coming out the other side. She could smell the flesh burning. Ripping the blade out his other blade sliced another man's hands off. Before swinging his blades and cleaving the two men charging him from the side in half. And they were still screaming when they hit the ground. Arrows flew his way and he swung his arm, causing the projectiles to change course and fly into several more men before he ducked under and incoming spear and sliced it in half.

Glancing around, she saw that the remaining men definitely were more wary to try to attack. They were clearly out of their depth. Sunforged blades were dangerous, especially when in the hands of someone who knew how to use them.

Screw finishing the mission, they needed to get out of here now.

A familiar battle cry caused her eyes to widen in horror. Soren, was charging right towards Trezac, sword drawn. "SOREN!"

He raised his sword to attack as Trezac turned towards him. Her brother lurched where he stood, sword clattering out of his hand, his feet came off the ground and she could only stare as he desperately grasped at his throat, trying to breath.

What came next would forever haunt her memories. Trezac, someone she considered a friend, pulled his arm back and thrust it forwards. As a result, Soren went flying, right into a large bolder with a sickening crack.

"SOREN!" she screamed racing towards him and quickly kneeling by his side. "I'm here." Her brother groaned, eyes squeezing shut as she carefully shook his arm, "Come on, get up. We have to get you some help."

"I-I can't move Claudia," he whimpered. "I can't move!"

Claudia gasped, looking back towards the battleground. She needed her bag! Spotting it, dread settled in her gut, it was all the way across the clearing, where the elf was taking Callum and Ezran. And a now angry, free dragon were standing between them.

The massive beast roared, swinging its tail at the rest of her men, knocking them away from Rayla, Ezran, and Callum. She watched as the young prince set the baby dragon down.

Dread settled in her gut, as he began to turn to run into the battleground. No, she couldn't lose Ezran too!

"Nrut ym stelecarb otni stnepres! Erutpac mih!"

The chains on her wrists came alive, hissing as they leapt off and slithered towards Trezac.

Dispatching another unfortunate guard, Trezac immediately turned in her direction. Something bright came her way and she immediately fell back. Her eyes wide as she saw the burning orange blade bury itself into the tree before deactivating. As it fell to the ground, it stopped in midair flying back into his hand and relighting. He charged towards her.

She rolled aside as the two burning blades stabbed into the ground of where she had once been. She scrambled to her feet, racing towards her bag and pulling out a small spider. "Erif tsalb ekirts darh dna eurt!"

A fireball flew from her hand towards him. Pausing where he stood, Trezac stretched out his arms and did a spin flip in the air. Claudia's eyes widened as the flames went around him and flew back at her.

"Tcelfed emalf!" Despite her effort, the resulting blast knocked her off her feet.

It was then her throat closed up, grasping at her throat. She felt herself get pulled off the ground, her feet skimming over the top of the grass. She couldn't breathe. It was like something was closing off her airway.

Fear coursed through her. This is exactly what she saw happen to Soren. Trezac was going to try to kill her too.

And then the air returned to her lungs and she collapsed back to the ground; gasping for air.

Getting up, she faltered as she saw Ezran tugging on Trezac's sleeves. Seeming to snap out of whatever he was in, Trezac dropped his blades. He was turned away from her, so she couldn't see his face. Ezran picked up the sabers, pulling Trezac along as the young man stared at the carnage around him; the very carnage he wrought.

The girl clenched her fist, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to make him pay!

She would make him pay!

A weak gasp came from her brother, "Cl-Claudia."

Tearing her gaze away from the source of her hatred, she quickly knelt beside her brother once again. She would get revenge, once Soren was back on his feet. Then Trezac would pay.

-.-

Eleven shivered as she felt a powerful ripple through the force. Closing her eyes, she reached past Viren and her new friend, looking for the source. It was on this planet.

She scowled as she came across an unfamiliar presence. This rage, it wasn't Twelve. In fact…she hadn't sensed Twelve in a while. It was odd he'd gone so long without contact. She'd have to contact the nearby fleets, see if anyone heard from him or if he was reassigned.

Though, there was the chance he failed at his mission and died.

Of course, that left only one person it could be. As gifted as this planet's people were, they seemed to lack a true connection to the force. The padawan, he was still out there. That would not bode well for her plans. Especially with Lord Vader being so insistent on results.

A small red light flashed in the room, and she rolled her eyes. Finally, Viren had managed to summon their friend's little communicator.

"Speak."

Viren sputtered looking wildly around the room. "What?"

"Speak, so I may hear you."

"I apologize for him," Eleven spoke up stepping up beside the flustered man. "He's not used to this method of communication."

"Ah," the elf nodded slowly. "I see."

"Who—who are you?"

"Viren, I'd like you to meet our new friend," Eleven grinned. "He's going to be helping us."

"Who are you?" Viren repeated.

"My name would mean nothing to you."

"Guy's really keen on knowing things," Eleven drawled. He said the same thing to her when she asked, and frankly she didn't care. If he was of use, he was of use. She could dispose of him when she was done. Picking up a broken piece of rock and dragging her nail across it. A scratch was left and she smiled, good, her nails were still sharp enough to kill. Just the way she liked them.

"So you have told me."

"Where are you?" Viren tried.

The elf looked confused, "I do not know."

"Don't lie to me," Viren scowled.

Eleven rolled her eyes, by the ancient Sith Lords, it was soooo easy to lie to this fool.

"I'm not lying. I never lie."

And that just proved it.

Viren sighed, seeming to believe him. "I found this mirror in the layer of the Dragon King. This mirror meant something to him; you meant something to him."

"Perhaps," the elf answered cryptically, casually interlacing his fingers. "Tell me what you need and I will help you."

"I need your name!" the mage snapped and Eleven pointed raising a brow towards her mirror pal.

The elf sighed, lowering his hood to let long white hair spill out and revealing a set of long curved horns and dark sparkling markings under his eyes, "Aaravos."

Taking his answer, Viren pulled his worm off his ear, dropping and sealing it in a jar as he stomped out. No doubt to investigate who this was.

Eleven on the other hand, didn't care. As if anyone on this paltry world would be a challenge for her. "So, Aaravos. Now that our little toy is gone. What's the next step?"

-.-

Trezac sat in the back of the cave, his arms wrapped around his knees.

What…what had he done?

Screams echoed in his ears and he closed his eyes tightly, feeling them start to sting. He could see it, his clone friends who he helped Master Yoda and his master kill. The poor soldiers who he slaughtered without a second thought; their screams, it…it just started all blurring together. What was wrong with him? He was a jedi, he wasn't supposed to lose control like that. He wasn't supposed to murder people in cold blood. He wasn't supposed to cripple innocent people for life! This world was primitive, there was no way they had the technology to fix what he had done.

His master would be so disappointed in him. Especially after…after what happened to his last apprentice, what happened to Anakin.

Trezac had always liked how Master Skywalker and Ahsoka had been able to express their emotions and feelings about things; his master did too, but he was in more control. It was a nice change from the monotony of the temple. But should know better than to trust his emotions. Emotions lead to pain, suffering, banishment from the order, and inevitably to the Dark Side. He didn't want to go down that road. He didn't want to be Anakin…not anymore at least.

Trezac clenched his fists, pulling on his hair. Why? Why was he like this? Why couldn't he stop getting attached to people?! They all only left him in the end. People left, it was what the order had always taught. Attachments couldn't be afforded; it was selfish.

Why couldn't he control his emotions like all the other masters had been able to? Every time he lost control something happened.

Callum's weak gasping breaths reached him, making him squeeze his eyes tighter as the images of Claudia and Soren came to him. Desperately grabbing at their throats begging for mercy. The same way he saw Padme beg Anakin when he choked the life out of her.

He could hear the snapping of bones, smell flesh burning, the terrified screams of the soldiers as he ruthlessly cut through them. Just like Master Skywalker had cut through the defenseless younglings in the temple, he had cut through the soldiers.

They weren't capable of fighting someone like him. Those men didn't have blasters or ray shields. All they had were flimsy metal swords and shields; things that were mere putty to a lightsaber.

By the Force, he really was a monster.

"Trezac…"

"Trezac!" Blinking, he looked up his gaze meeting the frustrated gaze of Rayla as she stood in front of him arms crossed. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

He gave a small nod of acknowledgement, looking back down at the ground in shame. How could they even stand to be near him right now? After what they saw him do?

They were already afraid of him. He could feel it.

The elf's brows furrowed and she knelt down, biting the inside of her cheek. "Hey, uh…what happened back there?"

"It…it was nothing," he whispered, pulling his legs closer. He hoped she would go away, he just wanted to be left alone.

Trezac couldn't see her face, but he felt the anger started to come off her. "Nothing?" she scoffed. "You just killed people!"

"Oh like you weren't about to do the same if you had the chance?!" he defended rising to his feet. "In case you forgot, we only met, cause you came to murder Ezran!"

Rayla took a step back, her jaw falling slightly open in shock. "You think I wanted to kill him?!"

"You sure seemed eager when we first met!"

"It was justice!" she snarled poking him in the chest. "What you did was slaughter!"

Trezac hissed through his teeth, ignoring the wetness he felt on his cheeks. No, he couldn't cry. Emotions were a weakness. Emotions only brought trouble. "Oh, and like you're so noble? Do you have any idea what war is like?!"

"Do you?!"

"Yes!" he snapped. Her eyes went wide and he stepped back, feeling something wet running down his cheeks. "I never wanted to kill people…but, sometimes…" he stepped back, looking away again, "you don't get a choice on what you have to do."

Judging from the some of the anger rolling off her, Rayla still wanted to continue the argument; despite some of his words getting through to her. But, Trezac…he just didn't have the energy for it anymore. Whatever he had left he used up when he snapped at Rayla, and for what? To defend himself? Why should he defend himself for his actions? They were inexcusable; they were the actions of a monster. And only a monster would find themselves capable to defend the slaughter of innocents. He'd seen it time and time again in the Separatists, the Sith, gang lords and slavers.

Trezac never wanted to kill people. Yes, he often found it fun to cut up battle droids, but who didn't?

Killing a droid wasn't the same as a living being. A droid wasn't alive, wasn't connected to the force, he couldn't see the life leave them. Droids could be repaired and replaced, but people…people, they were always going to be different in some way. And if they were gone…they were gone forever; there were no reboots, no second chances.

Wiping his cheeks to hide whatever remnants of his tears remained, the ex-padawan was pulled out of his thoughts by the soft clinking of stones.

Rayla had heard it too. "Who's there?!" she demanded unsheathing her swords. "Come out or I'll greet ya with my pointy friends!"

A dark-skinned man with hair pulled back jumped down, twirling a grappling hook on a chain.

"You again," Rayla muttered.

"Again?" Ezran spoke up.

The man's amber eyes snapped over to the boy, and Trezac slowly gripped one of his sabers. While he may be a monster, at least he could do something right and protect Ezran.

Instead of attacking, the man's eyes widened and he raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not here to fight," he set the chain down. "My name is Corvus. Your Aunt Amaya sent me."

Rayla turned back to look at Ezran, and the boy nodded, allowing both young guards to slip into more relaxed stances as the man strode towards Ezran.

Corvus nodded, stepping up and bowing to Ezran, "I am here to serve the king." He knelt down, "King Ezran."

-.-

A familiar pulse rippled through the force.

The bridge went silent as Lord Vader turned on his heel, striding towards the comms center, some of their equipment sparking and metal bending. The door sealed behind him and he activated the transmission systems. "Twelve."

The inquisitor didn't answer. He supposed that shouldn't be much of a shock. Twelve was loyal, always had been ever since he joined. But Eleven, she had always been ambitious. Too ambitious.

No doubt that she'd finally disposed of her partner to ensure her plans. A true Sith. But, as the rules went, there could only be two.

Vader was not about to have his position taken by a weak, overly ambitious worm. Yes, Eleven had potential, but if he wanted to remove Lord Sidious, he'd need someone stronger. And she would undoubtedly stab him in the back.

But this feeling, he knew it well. The rage, the pain, the hatred, it was all one needed to turn to the Dark Side.

"Eleven."

The holorgram turned on, and the female inquisitor bowed. /Lord Vader/ she greeted. /How may I serve you?/

"Where is Twelve?"

She gave a shrug. /You act like I know/ she replied flippantly. /He went to chase down the target while I was consolidating an alliance with the natives. I think you'd be interested in their…abilities. If he hasn't responded, he's probably dead/

"Is that not why I sent you both?"

A frown crossed her face. /Like I said, I've been learning about the strange force here on this planet, Lord Vader/

A new form of force…this was an issue. Especially since Eleven all but ditched her mission. She'd need to be taught a lesson for her insolence.

The woman on the other end of the transmission gasped, grabbing her throat and lifting off the ground. "I told you to find the boy. And instead, you choose to play games," he spoke coldly watching as she continued to struggle. "Do not test me inquisitor," she dropped to the ground, "I will allow you this mercy once. Find the boy, bring him to me alive and keep the damage minimal unless necessary. He will lead me to his master. Then, we will discuss this new force. Fail, and I will assign someone more capable than you."

Eleven got to her feet, giving a bow, /Understood, my Lord/

He ended the transmission, turning away. Eleven was turning rouge, that much was clear. Her own arrogance would be her downfall. And this new form of force…he would need to investigate.

As for his new apprentice…he'd just need a push in the right direction.

After all, when he used to be a Jedi, he often saw Trezac as a younger version of himself.

A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back! Hope y'all like this chapter and hope it met y'all's expectations. Anyways, I just figured I would do some quick update sets cause my semester is about to start in the next few weeks. So updates are probably going to become more sparadoic. Anyways, let me know what y'all thought of this chapter! And I'll see y'all next time!