The Force shall set me free

Chapter 7

"Do you ever think about that day" a ghostly figure next to him asked as he looked over the cracked surface of the planet before him, the ghosts that once robbed him of sleep would have been a welcome sight instead of what he saw now, a barren wasteland, empty.

And in its emptiness he saw his torment, nothing to feed on. It started out small he would feast on the live force of cattle, then it was not enough, he moved on to slaves and now that wasn't enough the Jedi woul satiate him for a long time. But deep down he was terrified, his mind was slowly corroding away, things that should have been there weren't and it was driving him mad, how long till he was nothing more than a shell. A soulless thing wandering the galaxy feasting on everything he could get his powers on until there was nothing left and then he would simply starve to death. Kreia was no help, she spoke in cryptic messages, he was getting desperate and she had the knowledge and refused to help him, her initial interest on him long gone, she called him a slave to his desires and yet did not help him to get rid of them.

He had walked outside for clarity and to look into himself but he only found more despair, he tried to remember the scent of his favorite fruit, the color of the eyes of the woman he once loved and yet nothing came, only the nagging hunger, his spirit was now bound to his mask and robes in a desperate attempt to regain control of his life but now he just felt even more soulless and he could hardly create the emotion to regret his decision.

"No, not anymore" he replied as he stared at the chaos around him, such strength in the dark side, it was so surprising that all of this happened because of one woman, had she died he wondered, anything to keep his mind of the torment.

"I do, every day I am reminded of it, this pain that courses through me I know you feel too, I am afflicted by pain assaulted by it every single moment of my existence its become almost euphoric I feel everything so much stronger and I loathe it" the raspy voice rose in emotion, his companion was also his mirror image. His power was inwards, the pain feeding him in power.

"What do you hope to achieve here?"

"Kreia has to go, she is hiding things from us, things that would make us more powerful than what we are now, maybe a way to regain our humanity but to do that we must devise a strategy"

"A betrayal"

"Yes, breaking her as we are extracting the secrets from her mind and then killing would be the best course of action"

"Then let's not waste any more time, I need to feast"

As he turned around the visage of his companion came into full view, an abhorrent abomination of flesh stood before him, a mockery of life. Cracked skin showed the muscle beneath, dried up blood adorned the tattered robes that he wore, bones could be seen where the flesh had disappeared and a single hateful yellow eye looked in hatred towards everything and everyone.

"Let's show the old hag our pain Nihilus"

Jaune woke up in a cold sweat as the vision subsided, it had been many days since he had been assaulted by a vision like this. As the days had passed Beacon had proved to be something that he had a moron to think he could brave with his basic skill levels and apparently knowledge "Man I really need to keep studying" team JNPR's room was a mess of books and sheets of paper and everyone had been more or less knocked out or retired for the night, Jaune had been one of the ones that had been knocked out along with Nora, Ren and Pyrrha had finished their studies and went to bed.

Jaune smiled, life had been good to him for the past couple of days. There were so many new opportunities for him to learn and grow in power, his teachers even though they were a little… wacky they were the best huntsmen in the world in his opinion.

A shame that his views on huntsmen had been dwindling, he believed that the world would always need huntsmen and heroes, but his masters had proved to him in visions and during training that heroes dying over and over again did not protect nor progress the world. Jaune wanted to graduate as a huntsman that much was still true but he believed now more than ever that to truly finish off the threat of the Grimm someone needed to find their source and wipe it from the face of the earth.

He was not so stupid as to think that he could do it right now, but as his understanding of the force grew and with the instructions of his masters, he realized something, the power that killed planets and made empires rise and fall could make it so that Remnant could have prosperity. "One step at a time Jaune" he whispered to himself as he rubbed away the sleepiness from his eyes. Using the force to sustain himself Jaune reinvigorated himself and decided to pry the holocron for more knowledge. The secrets and hidden power had become more and more alluring as time went by, Jaune knew he was changing, he could feel it all around him his stride had become more confident, his ability in combat more prominent allowing him to earn his place among his peers.

But sadly with power came fear and this latest vision left him even more worried, Nihilus had only once answered his questions about the visions, a vague answer and how his masters had been wrong in her understanding of the force, but other than that his questions where met with silence maybe he didn't know either or he simply felt that it didn't matter, but Jaune was falling into pits of fear and anxiety he hadn't before.

Would he also loose himself, become what his master once was?

Or even worse become an abomination like the one his master had been speaking to, questions like that let him troubled in how would his future be and how that it would affect those he cared for around him.

Jaune retreated to the secluded classroom he had found some many nights ago and propped the holocron on its usual spot a soft movement with the force and he was once again face to face with Darth Bane founder of the rule of two, Jaune found himself struggling to comprehend the teachings of Bane. He might had not been a military leader but he knew that there was strength in numbers, Jaune had caught glimpses here and there of what once was the Sith Empire a mighty army ruled under Ragnos powerful in the force.

Bane claimed that as weakness, for him to have so many sith in one place meant to weaken the teachings and knowledge, if everyone could become a sith than it became easy for its teachings and strength to be deluded over the course of battle. The Sith master claimed that the dark side of the force only required two people, a master and an apprentice. Bane prided himself in having amassed all the knowledge of the old masters, via holocron and ancient texts, hoping to restore the work that Revan had once done.

Finish of the Jedi once and for all, if he had succeeded was up for debate Jaune could not look at the rest of the galaxy and see if Bane had managed to spring his master plan but it hardly matter to him here on Remnant. Jaune felt as if he was looking through a straw into the ocean, they spoke in terms so large and in things so advanced that even the mere act of asking him or his masters for knowledge of the outer galaxy and simplifying what they had said in his brain in a way that he could understand was a daunting task, but Jaune pushed through and thanks to that more and more techniques where passed down to him, force heal and force scream where ones that he had learned.

Force heal was almost like force drain but instead of using someone else to heal yourself you used the force. Now force scream was a little more difficult to understand in order for it to even be practiced Jaune needed to be losing a fight or be enraged beyond what could be considered healthy, then and only then could he let out a scream that managed to render his foes in a state that allowed him to deliver a finishing blow.

But now techniques and secrets of the cosmos where not on his mind, but rather the essence of himself and if he would soon lose it.

"I come to you for teachings master"

"As all Sith should" the arrogant voice of Bane boomed in the empty class, Jaune had noticed how Bane was slightly more prideful than his pears, but what man who changed core ideas of an ancient warrior clan wouldn't be. He sought change and he achieved it.

"I have been curious, about what's going to happened to me as I delve deeper into Sith knowledge, I am afraid I will lose myself in the Dark side"

Bane didn't answer for a moment but slowly he started to speak "What sort of nonsense is this, have you too have been scared off the ghost stories of Sion and his pain? The dark side and the force as a whole do not change you if you have deluded yourself into thinking that IT controls you instead of you controlling it then you have learnt nothing at all, you will see change, the yellow eyes are a blessing a sign of progress in the dark side and even that can be suppressed, for a millennia sith have become weak too scared to bend the force to their will and their will alone, Sion was the result of a freak accident paired with an unbreakable will; teachers of the dark arts became scared to use the dark side to its fullest and that's why they are gone now and I remain"

Jaune clicked his tongue, he didn't mind the scolding so much but he wished he could share more on how to control the force, but at the very least his fears had been quenched for now, turning off the holocron he resumed lightsaber training hoping to take his mind off everything, Beacon included. But as he continued his training he felt a presence approaching, one that had become slightly familiar over the course of his nightly training sessions. Blake had come to see him train yet again, her presence always cloaked to the eye but not to the force.

Jaune felt the growing discomfort of his masters inside of him but Jaune knew Blake would not betray him, she also was keeping something from everyone. She was always filled with worry and anxiety as if afraid of something being found out, it reminded him of himself in a way. "Or maybe you don't have the strength to kill her" Ragnos said making him sigh "Maybe" he replied quietly.

Jaune saved his lightsaber and prepared to leave but to his surprise Blake had moved towards the door and opened it, Jaune frowned "Who is there?" he asked, his eyes focused on the open door. He knew someone was there and yet his eyes did not see her.

"I'm sorry Jaune I didn't mean to scare you" Blake stepped out of the shadows and greeted him with a lame smile, Jaune smiled back t her "No problem haha, hat are you doing outside so late? We have a lot projects coming soon plus the school trip to get sap or something like that coming soon"

Blake sat in a nearby chair and let out a sigh "I have… let's say sleep does not come easily to me and you're not one to judge, I know you train with Pyrrha if tehr umors about her kicking your butt every afternoon are true"

Jaune winced "Yeah, those are true, she helps me train you know I am not at her level"

"Yet" Blake said and tilted her head curiously "Is that why you train so hard, to surpass her?" Jaune shook his head with a smile "No, nothing like that, to be honest I doubt I could ever match Pyrrha in combat with my sword"

Blake raised an eyebrow "Then why are you really burned so much by the role of team leader? Ruby is my team leader and she does not care, much to Weiss ever growing disdain"

"The ice princess just needs to loosen up, Ruby is doing the best she can and is going to be great leader I can see it" Jaune said as he saved the holocron in his robes

"My question is unanswered Jaune"

"I was just getting to that" Jaune pulled a chair and sat down making sure to look at Blake in the eye, her curiosity rolling out of her body into the force palpable, even if her poker face betrayed nothing "I… how can I put this in way doesn't sound crazy"

"You're not helping your case by saying that"

"Yeah I know, but let's say that you had a secret Blake… one that you had to hide in plain sight, that's what's happening now I guess" Jaune said as he used his knowledge of her to throw her off, if he presented a case similar to hers she would think she understood right? It was somewhat cruel but he could think of no other way to get out of this without having to tell her the truth.

"Killing her is always an option apprentice" Nihilus commented in an amused tone, as if his dilemma was so simple, Jaune chose to ignore his master for now.

Blake brought a hand to her chin "Why would you need to train so hard to hide something in plain sight I don't get it, everyone here is unique Jaune is not like you're doing something bad"

Jaune dropped his shields in the force and his blue eyes became the yellow eyes of the sith making Blake's eyes widen "I need to keep what I really am concealed I guess, I know people here are good, but not all of them would understand who I am and how I do things you know"

"That… that I understand, are you like a faunus?" she asked carefully, Jaune shook his head "No, I guess you could say I am part of a religion different from the ones here right now"

"Ah I see" Blake nodded "I have never heard of a religion that changes your appearance though, if you are injecting yourself with drugs or doing some crazy cult nonse I hope you know that it will kill you in the long run"

Jaune laughed and Blake smiled at the sound, Jaune was still Jaune it seemed same dorky laugh and all "No nothing like that, I think this is more of a side effect of the beliefs you see"

Jaune threw his lightsaber making it seem like he would throw it against the all, making Blake flinch, but no crash came instead as if suspended by an invisible hand the lightsaber remained in midair. Blake turned to look at him curiously "Why are you showing me your semblance?"

"Because I lied, I do not know what my semblance is" Jaune said knowing this was the point of no return, Blake would know. The force seemed to agree with his decision, as the echoes around Blake intensified, the force drawn to her. But more importantly the dark side clung to her as if attracted by her past sins.

A/N: Was replaying KOTOR 2 and I was reminded of why I love star wars so much, it reignited my passion for it.