Part 5:
The air was charged with tension. Bolts of electricity raced across the sky. As if emphasizing the enormity of the events to come, the winds died mysteriously. The ominous silence was now replaced by the crashes of lightsabers.
Talisin clashed with Trocaan feverishly. She thrusted her lightsaber smoothly, parried, then thrust again, locked in a spark filled battle. Trocaan whirled his green saber in a grand arc, then sliced at Talisin. She moved to block the cut but he slipped his lightsaber underneath hers. The stroke would have sliced her across the abdomen, but she somersaulted backwards. She then charged forwards and resumed her attack.
Il'yedosk's blows were agreesive but sloppy. Nolaa batted her opponent's lightsaber away with ease. Il'yedosk saw this and her heart was filled with rage. She attacked Nolaa with renewed intensity. Hatred made Il'yedosk's blows powerful. Nolaa staggered, barely managing to roll aside. Nolaa continued the roll into a half crouch and began parrying Il'yedosk's strikes with concentration.
Shraanac and Endurai circled each other warily. Then Shraanac quickly sprang on the Rodian, launching a flurry of attacks. Endurai parried but found himself being pushed backwards. Endurai increased his focus. With a fresh reseve of strength, Endurai battled on. Then he threw a strange one handed thrust that pierced Shraanac over his left hip. The wound shocked the Dark Jedi but he resumed his attack on Endurai anyway.
Endurai lunged again at Shraanac. Shraanac parried the blade high, then ducked his head and whirled in a circle. Using the dark side, he Force pushed Endurai sideways. Endurai teetered, his focus lost and his balance offset. Shraanace thrust his lightsaber without hesitation and Endurai went low to parry, but Shraanac spun and jabbed his lightsaber throught Endurai's chest.
A scream echoed through the air and Trocaan realized it was himself. He disengaged himself from Talisin and leapt backwards. Endurai sttod for a moment, shocked by the killing blow. Then his arms lowered and he crumpled to the ground. Il'yedosk eyed Nolaa as she backed away from the Trandoshan. She had a look of horror on her face as she realized her friend had been defeated.
Trocaan suddenly charged at Shraanac, striking at the Dark Jedi as if his own safety meant nothing. He was lost in a haze of rage and frustration, consumed by the grief of losing his best friend.
The wild assault caught Shraanac off guard. He struggled to keep Trocaan at bay,who had abandoned all caution and pummeled Shraanac with unbelievable fury.
Talisin watched the duel carefully. The Jedi had opened himself to the dark side and was now making sport of Shraanac. If the young man defeated Shraanac in anger Talisin knew she could bring Trocaan to her side.
Finally, Shraanac slipped. Trocaan found an opening and hid lightsaber slshed across Shraanac's torso. It was a shallow cut but it stopped the Dark Jedi in his tracks. Shraanac's knees buckled and his saber fell from his hand. Poised above the defenseless Shraanac, Trocaan raised his lightsaber.
"Trocaan, no!" Nolaa screamed when she finally found her voice. Trocaan's horrifying actions had left her paralyzed for a moment. "Don't kill him, it's the dark side of the Force. Killing him won't-"
Nolaa's face was twisted with pain. Il'yedosk had thrust her lightsaber clean through Nolaa's left leg. The Trandoshan grinned sadistically.
Trocaan's eyes cleared. He could feel Nolaa's pain and realized he needed to help her. If he struck down this Dark Jedi and went to the dark side, she would be beyong any help. And so would he.
Il'yedosk sneered at Nolaa. "At least I didn't chop your head off."
Shraanac was slowly getting up. Exhausted and broken, he held his lightsaber loosely. He sadly trudged towards Il'yedosk and Talisin.
Il'yedosk realized the time was right. Quickly stepping forwards she stood before Shraanac. Then with a vicious grin she severed his head from his body.
The Trandoshan's actions shocked everyone. Trocaan's anger completely vapourized. Never did he want to be such a monster. How could she kill her own partner? The thought sickened him as her backed away from the two remaining Dark Jedi. He could feel Talisin's anger building and didn't want to interfere with the Dark Jedi's wrath. Talisin and Il'yedosk could sort out their own problems.
Trocaan noticed that Nolaa had crawled to Endurai's side, despite her wound. Joining them, he realized that Endurai was still alive. But his breathing was laboured and Trocaan could feel the spark of his friend's life dimming.
"Hold on Endurai. Once this is over we'll get you healed." Nolaa said.
"Yeah, just stay with us a while longer." Trocaan reassured. "Everything's going to be just fine."
Endurai smiled. "If you say so." Then he gave them a serious look. "Be cautious. Especially of the woman. She'd hiding the full potential of her true dark powers."
Trocaan could barely concentrate on Endurai's words. He could feel the Rodian's pain and Nolaa's as well, despite the fact that they were dampening the sensations.
But their biggest concern was Talisin and Il'yedosk. Neither said or did anything, but simply glared at each other. But the three Jedi could feel both Dark Jedi gathering power, surrounding themselves with fiery rage.
"I sensed your betreyal Il'yedosk." Talisin said. "I knew you would try to strike either me or Shraanac down but I never knew when. You shielded yourself quite well. I know you wish to destroy me, which is laughable, because I cannot be destroy."
Il'yedosk simply growled.
"I commend your decision to strike Shraanac down in his moment of weakness. If you had chose to confront me in combat you would have been dead long ago. But still, you wish to fight me now, so you will die."
The Trandoshan was so angry she could barely contain herself. How dare she? How dare Talisin patronize her! Il'yedosk let out a primal scream and rushed at Talisin. Her eyes were feral and predatory as she held her lightsaber high, ready to strike.
Talisin moved so fast she became a blur. She moved past Il'yedosk, her lightsaber extended. Her slash almost split the Trandoshan's body in two, but not completely. Instead she stood dazed for a moment, staring at the enormous gash above her waist.
How could this happen?! Il'yedosk thought with some confusion. I had so much power!
"But you could never control the dark side of the Force. You let it control you. You couldn't use the dark powers to its full potential." Talisin explained, reading Il'yedosk's mind.
"You were always a fool Il'yedosk." Talisin continued. "A conceited, ambitious fool. Never used any strategy or style. So sloppy. Just a mad fit of destruction. That last attack was so open it was pathetic."
Il'yedosk tried in vain to reply but choked on blood. Then her world grew dark and she saw no more.
Talisin stared down at the carcass of her former partner for a second. Then she began to smile. She turned back to the Jedi, her gaze falling onto Trocaan.
"I believe we were in the middle of a duel, Jedi." she said, adding extra venom into the last word. "Will you accept my challenge to continue?"
Trocaan stood up protectively in front of Nolaa and Endurai and ignited his lightsaber. "I accept your challenge."
Talisin's smile became a sneer. "Good. Because if you had refuse I would have attacked you anyways."