Since her visit with the High Master Shaman, Kayla had begun making daily trips to the training room, hoping to help rid herself of the urge to hold back against her opponents in a fight, whether by herself with the training probes or with Daralec.
As she became much looser with each passing day, she couldn't help but feel that this wasn't enough and that she still felt that something was holding her back. Whenever she wasn't in the training room, she was in her quarters meditating or in the library, trying to find the answers that she sought as to why she still felt afraid, why she felt like she wasn't making much progress.
Days began to turn into weeks and weeks slowly molded into months, by then… Kayla had enough.
"You're going where?" asked Daralec.
"I'm going to that shrine," said Kayla, "that place where I began my initiation."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Kayla you can't," said Daralec, "it's one thing to be sent there for the first time as part of your initiation, it's another to go in there just to go in there."
Kayla sighed.
"Look… I know this is probably a bad idea… But I thought that if I could… Let go of what happened years ago, if I could, learn to become looser and not always rely on defense whenever I'm battle, I could make progress," she said, "if I want to find my answers, it has to be at that shrine."
"…Then I'm going with you," said Daralec.
"Huh?" asked Kayla.
"The trip to the shrine is dangerous. And there's much worse than the Ersanan," said Daralec.
Kayla smirked.
"Oh, come on Daralec, what could be worse than Ersanan?" she asked with a shrug.
Daralec sighed.
"Kayla, do you know what a Serean is?" he asked.
"…No?" asked Kayla.
"They're large, four leather-winged creatures with haunting yellow eyes and are about half the size of a full-grown Ersanan, they usually stick to the mountains, but recently a few of them have made homes in the trees," said Daralec, "they like to stick to the shadows and are rumored to have the ability to hypnotize weak-minded individuals so they can lure them into their clutches and kill them."
Kayla blinked a few times in silence, letting this new information sink in…
/\/\/\/\/\
"You're not coming?" she asked, looking back at Daralec.
"Only multiple masters can enter the shrine," he said, "the only time multiple students can enter is when one has been in the shrine for far too long while undergoing the initiation. And so, just like how you went in alone for your initiation, so you shall enter the shrine alone to find your answers."
Kayla didn't say anything. Daralec smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll hang back and watch the entrance," he said with reassurance.
"…Thank you," said Kayla.
Kayla entered the shrine and approached the statue of Revan just like before.
"Please… Help me find the answers that I seek," she thought.
Kayla knelt before the statue, took a deep breath, and exhaled as she began to meditate. All was calm… All was quiet… Except for the sound of… A voice.
"You have forgotten what it was like to feel death's grip," someone said.
Kayla opened her eyes and gasped as she looked up, seeing who it was.
"YOU'RE-"
Revan ignited his lightsaber and swung at Kayla's neck, forcing her to jump back and ignite her main hand lightsaber. Revan marched over to Kayla, delivering powerful one-handed strikes and pushing her on the defensive.
"You have forgotten the face of darkness," he said, "you used to be an agent of the dark side, and now that you've turned your back to it, you're afraid to touch it again."
Kayla started to panic as she tried to weather Revan's assault, but with one good parry, followed by a backhand strike from his sword arm to break her guard, Kayla was thrown down the steps with a powerful Force Push from the powerful Force User.
"Ugh… Damn," she groaned as she slowly sat up.
Kayla looked up and gasped, rolling out of the way as Revan pounced and attempted kill her with an overhead chop. Kayla jumped to her feet.
"Please, I don't want to fight you… I just came looking for answers," she said fearfully, "I just wanted to know… I just wanted to know why I was afraid to go up into the mountains… I just wanted to find the answer so I can complete my final trial, that's all."
"But child… You already know the answer to your question," Revan said as he slowly approached Kayla, his form slowly changing into a familiar shape, "you just don't want to accept it."
Kayla felt a chill go up her spine.
"I told you, we would meet again," said the Sith Assassin.
"Oh-no," thought Kayla.
The Sith Assassin, drew her disc saber and ignited it, then she charged, jumped, and went for Kayla's neck, forcing her on the defensive.
"THIS TIME, YOU'LL DIE!" cackled the dark warrior.
Kayla gritted her teeth.
"Like hell I will!" she snapped.
Kayla shoved the Sith Assassin back and went on the attack, her blue lightsaber blade becoming a blur as she unleashed a chain of quick, precise strikes at her opponent, this time pushing the Sith Assassin on the defensive… If only for a moment.
"Oh? What's this? Did someone start learning Form V?" she mocked as she and Kayla locked blades.
Kayla growled and shoved her opponent back, then she pulled her offhand lightsaber in hand and attempted to bisect her, but the Sith Assassin jumped over her. Kayla whirled around, shooting her a dark look.
"Atta girl," said the dark warrior.
Kayla, growled again. The Sith Assassin deactivated her disc saber and put both of her hands behind her back, revealing a pair of standard-issue lightsabers, which she connected into a staff and ignited the crimson red blade
Game on.
Kayla let out a battle cry and lunged at the Sith Assassin, going on the offensive once again. The Sith Assassin giggled and twirled her saberstaff, blocking and parrying Kayla's strikes with little difficulty. The girls locked blades for a second and broke away, then they went at it again.
"This time, I'll bury her!" Kayla thought darkly.
A spin, then a sweep, Kayla avoided the Sith Assassin's attack with a tabletop dodge and retaliated with a leg sweep, but the Sith Assassin stepped back, and dropped low when Kayla performed a rising leg sweep. Without losing momentum, Kayla let out a scream and brought both of her lightsabers down on the Sith Assassin's staff.
"Ooooo," the dark warrior said eagerly, sensing Kayla's growing anger.
The Sith Assassin shoved Kayla back and went on the offensive this time, jumping and delivering three strikes, then deflecting Kayla's riposte with a spinning parry and following it up with a thrust aimed for her heart. Kayla deflected the strike with her offhand lightsaber and thrust forward with her main hand lightsaber. The Sith Assassin moved to the right and ducked low to avoid a decapitating strike, and avoided a twin overhead chop, via backflip.
"You know what they say… Madness is like gravity," said the Sith Assassin, "all it takes is a little push."
Kayla, who was panting heavily and gripping her lightsabers tightly, just gave her opponent the same dark look.
"And darling… I see you falling fast," the Sith Assassin teased.
"If I'm going to fall… I'm taking you with me," growled Kayla.
The girls went at it again. Blue and red swirled and clashed together, the girls slipped into a 'Dance of Blades' as they moved in a circle and crossed each other's paths numerous times. They slashed, blocked, parried, and swept their lightsabers with liquid precision, both warriors attempted to slip past each other's guard and deliver on solid hit.
However, luck seemed to be in the Sith Assassin's favor as she spun her saberstaff and struck Kayla's weapons as she performed a cross block, knocking Kayla's offhand lightsaber out of her hand, and letting her get in a good twist kick to knock her on her ass. Kayla looked up and saw the Sith Assassin go in for a thrust, but Kayla used the Force to swat the crimson blade away and counter by launching herself off the ground and striking the Sith Assassin right in the face with a cannonball kick, knocking her down and allowing Kayla to get to her feet.
Kayla pulled her offhand lightsaber back over to her and assumed a ready stance as the Sith Assassin slowly got to her feet and looked back at the Revanite. The Sith Assassin slowly took off her helmet, revealing her face.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" she asked coyly, "the power… The raw, passion… The bloodlust… The desire to crush your enemies underfoot."
"You talk too much," growled Kayla.
The Sith Assassin spun her saberstaff and went for a low slash. Kayla blocked with her main hand lightsaber. The Sith Assassin went high and Kayla flipped her offhand lightsaber around to block that attack as well, then she sent her opponent sliding back with Force Push. Before the Sith Assassin could recover, she was pulled in and took a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Kayla swung at her opponent's neck, but the Sith Assassin smirked and vanished, narrowly avoiding the killing blow.
"What the hell?" Kayla murmured, looking around.
Suddenly, Kayla felt a lightsaber go through back and out through her stomach. The poor girl screamed and dropped her lightsabers, then she fell to the ground after the crimson blade was pulled out.
"Gotcha," said the Sith Assassin.
/\/\/\/\/\
Daralec opened his eyes, breaking his meditation, and looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the cave shrine. He felt a faint, cold wind wash over him. Something bad happened… And something worse was about to happen.
"…Kayla," he murmured.
/\/\/\/\/\
"You shouldn't have turned your back on the dark side Kayla," said the Sith Assassin, "you shouldn't have gone completely soft; and now that you're trying to tap into it again, you've invoked its wrath."
Kayla groaned and wrapped her hands around her wound.
"You could've been one of the greatest of its many agents… But now… You will die," said the Sith Assassin.
Kayla's eyes went wide when she caught what the Sith Assassin said.
"You shouldn't have gone completely soft; and now that you're trying to tap into it again, you've invoked its wrath."
She thought back to Daralec's words.
"No… I mean I think you're afraid to kill again."
She thought back to Orthus's words.
"Now that you're back to your old self, you don't have the dark side to give you strength."
The Sith Assassin brought her saberstaff down, but when she did, Kayla vanished and appeared in front of the dark side warrior, her wound now completely healed.
"He's right… They were all right…" she said, "it was more than that…"
"Mm?" murmured the Sith Assassin.
"It's not my fear of killing again…" said Kayla, "it's my fear of tapping into the dark side again."
Kayla pulled her lightsabers into the hands and ignited them.
"It's my fear of becoming an inquisitor again…" she said, "…I won't let my fear of the dark side keep me from continuing to move forward… I won't let my fear of the dark side keep me from becoming a full-fledged Revanite…"
Kayla shot a look at the Sith Assassin, there was a flare of determination in her eyes.
"Well then," the Sith Assassin said with a smile, "come and show me the strength of your resolve."
The shrine began to crumble all around them, changing into an open desert field once again. Kayla took a deep breath and exhaled as she assumed a ready stance… Then she charged and crossed blades with the Sith Assassin once again.
The final round had begun.
Just like before, red, and blue swirled and collided with each other as Kayla battled it out with the Sith Assassin. However, things were much different this time, Kayla was moving much faster, much nimbler.
"Shien was described as being well-adapted to guard against blaster fire and enemy strikes without compromising one's ability to launch powerful counterattacks."
Kayla's called back to what she read in the library and locked blades with the Sith Assassin. She felt a thought creep into her head, and she got an idea. Using a combination of nimble footwork, and swift, fluid strikes, Kayla began to slowly work in a new fighting style as she went from tanking up to moving on the offensive against the Sith Assassin.
"What the?" thought the dark warrior.
The Sith Assassin spun her saberstaff around herself as she backed up and locked blades when Kayla went for a low slash, then she parried the attack, spun, and went for a sweeping slash. Kayla evaded, via triple backflip as the Sith Assassin pressed the attack, sweeping and slashing at the young Revanite, but moving to the left and leaning back when Kayla jumped back and threw her lightsabers at her.
"Fool," hissed the Sith Assassin.
She lunged and went for a thrust; Kayla jumped and rolled forward, pulling her lightsabers into her hands, and jumping to her feet. The Sith Assassin stumbled forward and whirled around, then she threw her saberstaff forward and caused Kayla to skip back. When the Sith Assassin pulled her saberstaff into her hand, Kayla picked up a cluster of rocks with Force Grip and hurled them at the Sith Assassin. The Sith Assassin spun her saberstaff, cutting the cluster to bits and allowing Kayla to charge, jump forward and kick her in the chest, sending the dark side warrior flying and tumbling over onto her back. The Sith Assassin jumped to her feet, picked up a large rock and threw it at Kayla, which she sliced in half.
"GOTCHA!" the Sith Assassin roared as she appeared from behind the sliced projectile and went for a thrust.
Kayla flipped her lightsabers and dropped low, parrying the attack, and kicking the Sith Assassin right in the back, sending her stumbling forward. Kayla flourished her lightsabers and beckoned her opponent when the Sith Assassin turned to face her.
"Something's not right… Why is she getting stronger?" she thought.
The Sith Assassin charged and spun her saberstaff, then she went for a sweep and followed it up with a thrust, both of which Kayla managed to evade, she knocked the crimson blade away and began her counter attack, hammering at the dark warrior's defenses with a chain of attacks. The Sith Assassin grimaced and grunted as she struggled to weather Kayla's relentless assault.
Though Kayla was indeed using Shien, it wasn't of the traditional application. Every strike was swift, precise and strong, every block, parry, and dodge was perfectly timed, all while she moved from one spot to the next the moment the Sith Assassin went on the offensive and pushed Kayla onto her backfoot and forced her into a 'Dance of Blades'.
The Sith Assassin ducked as Kayla swung at her from behind and countered by swinging one of her blades back, but Kayla slid right under the Sith Assassin's saberstaff and attacked high. The dark warrior growled and blocked three strikes before parrying the fourth and lashing out with a flourishing sweep, then a spinning overhead chop. Kayla ducked out of the way of the sweep and caught the overhead chop with a cross block and shoved the Sith Assassin away.
All through the battle, the Sith Assassin began to notice that there was something off about Kayla: She wasn't hesitating anymore. She wasn't fighting like a feral beast. And most importantly, she wasn't showing the slightest hint of fear.
It was because of these very factors, that the Sith Assassin became furious and started to step up her assaults whenever she went on the offensive; thus, she separated her staff back into individual weapons and met Kayla head-on.
Things were intensifying.
The girls ramped up their speed as they battered at each other's defenses, once again, slipping into another dance, their red and blue blurs had begun to bleed into each other, as if they had become a shell of lethal energy. Through it all, neither Kayla nor the Sith Assassin said a single word to each other throughout the entire fight.
There was nothing to say.
There was no exchange of taunts.
These girls only had one girl.
Destroy each other.
When the girls locked blades, they began to push against each other before breaking away and looking at their lightsabers. The girls deactivated and clipped their offhand lightsabers to their belts, then they went at it one final times.
Five strikes a second. Ten strikes a second. The Sith Assassin found herself growling in frustration as she tried to break through Kayla's guard and deliver a killing blow. The girls locked blades, pulled away and delivered three powerful sweep attacks as they crossed paths and locked blades again. Kayla shoved the Sith Assassin back and swung upwards, then downwards and kicked the Sith Assassin in the jaw to stun her. Kayla went for a thrust and drove her lightsaber in the Sith Assassin's gut.
"GUNH!" she groaned.
Kayla pulled out her blade. The Sith Assassin dropped hers and fell to her knees as Kayla turned and deactivated her own lightsaber.
"…Impossible… How… How could I have… Lost again?" the Sith Assassin asked weakly, "you… You turned your back on the dark side…"
Kayla looked over her shoulder.
"…Like I said… I won't let my fear of tapping… No… Drawing on the dark side… Keep me from becoming a full-fledged Revanite," she said, "I'm not an Inquisitor anymore… And I will never become a Sith…"
Kayla turned and started walking away.
"…You might not be an inquisitor anymore… But you'll still have to carry the full weight of the sins you've committed for the rest of your life," the Sith Assassin said slowly.
Kayla stopped.
"…Are you willing to carry such a burden?" the Sith Assassin mocked with a weary smile.
"…Yes," Kayla said as she resumed walking away.
The Sith Assassin looked down at her right hand and saw it was started to turn pale and crumble away.
"…Then I hope your future… Is still… A bright one… Little girl," the Sith Assassin said with a weak laugh before crumbling away.