Lien and Jirin walked side-by-side through a quickly growing blizzard. Huddling close to try to keep warm, their bond increased through their trial. Despite the far from ideal situation, each had to agree that they very much enjoyed being so close. They wee headed back to their cave from an expedition out to where Lien's ship had been.

Without warning, an incredibly powerful gust threw Jirin solidly against a tree trunk, actually causing the entire tree to shake. Slumping to the ground, his surprise doubled when a dead body fell from the tree. It was hard to tell how long he had been dead, but how he died was made clear once Jirin realized he had been cut in half at about the waist. It was still somewhat possible to determine a few of his features. He had been thin, and extremely pale even in life, with long, stringy black hair.

Jirin looked curiously at the black robes the body wore. It seemed like another black cloak had been thrown over him, possible to hide the body. Wondering who the man could have been, a glint of sunlight reflecting off of metal caught his eye. The source was next to the body, and had likely fallen out of the tree with it. He pushed aside some snow to get a better look…

The young Jedi's heart went cold. His mind was numbed. The utterly unspeakable shock that washed over him, and the pain he felt were like a physical blow to the gut. He doubled over, trembling, unable to control himself. In his pain, one word echoed in his mind. Sith…

He looked up to Lien, hoping to see that his fear was unfounded, but saw only reluctant confirmation. His pain pushed him to a breaking point he never would have guessed existed. He didn't care about light or dark, he didn't care about what happened to either of them. He didn't care about anything. Lien's lightsaber lifted off the ground and shot toward her as Jirin stood and activated his own. Lien caught the weapon, but refused to turn it on.

"Do it," Jirin said, tears in his eyes.

"No," Lien was on the verge of breaking down.

"Use it!"

"No! Please…" she pleaded, "I love you…I always will…"

With an anguished cry, Jirin charged, blade up.

Lien stood horrified as she watched him approach. "Please…"

When he was only a few feet distant, she turned away and threw up her hand, "No!"

A stone flew up from beneath the snow, and struck Jirin directly in the center of his chest. He froze as his heart stopped, just before he dropped face-first into the snow, dead.

Lien went to his body and held onto him. "I'm sorry…your way was right…you were right…"

Yet in her heart, she knew she was once again hiding the truth…