And now for the better, non-rip-off ending…

Time passed and Jirin and Lien grew ever closer. Each day brought yet another reason for them to love each other more and more. It was truly unbelievable to both of them, but they had never been happier. Their ever-growing relationship never ceased to astound them.

The planet began to shift into a harsh inter-seasonal period, and soon a brutal winter was upon the lone inhabitants. Making their home in the cave system they had found, they struggled to keep each other warm, but the effort only served to draw them still closer, in several ways. Despite the near life-threatening storms, the couple still frequently took up exploration trips to wherever they could reach, always pushing their range farther, and with that, their reliance on each other.

One especially cold night, Jirin sat shivering in the cave, waiting for Lien to return from her still-customary run. She was incredibly determined, at times to the point of stubbornness, but he found even that endearing. Everything about her made him love her more. Sensing her drawing nearer, he sent a few thoughts out to her.

Hurry back. I'll always love you. I'll never leave you. I want nothing more than to be with you. Growing a bit more mischievous then, he thought to her I have some ideas we might want to try out tonight…

From the emotional warmth he felt emanating from her, he knew she at least understood the feelings, if not the actual words. He smiled, and then let out a short laugh, unable to contain his joy. His smile broadened as he saw her enter the cave and come closer. You're so beautiful…he had no idea how many times he'd thought that, but looking at her never failed to fill him with awe.

"What was that I sensed from you just before?" she asked.

"I know it's a bit cold, so I was thinking of some ways to generate a little more heat…"

* * *

Early on, a few days later, the two trudged through a particularly nasty snowstorm in the general direction of where Lien's ship had been. They huddled close together, determined to complete yet another exploratory diversion. Suddenly, an incredible wind picked Jirin off his feet and threw him against the trunk of a tree. Favoring his back, he tried to sit up, surprised. His surprise increased as a body dropped almost on top of him from high in the tree.

The body had been wrapped in black robes, clearly dead. But why hide a body in a tree? The robes surrounding it were a perfect match for the ones it wore itself. Though obviously dead for quite some time, a few features were still apparent. It had been male, human, probably. He had extremely pale skin, even in life, was rather thin, and had long, stringy black hair. His eyes had decayed a bit, so it was impossible to tell what color they had been.

Wondering who the dead man was, and why he was on the planet, Jirin's eye was caught by a glimmer of sunlight reflecting off of a metal object. Digging away a mound of snow, he stopped suddenly, as he saw two things he never expected to see on the planet-a pair of lightsabers. He looked back toward the body, its robes, and it suddenly clicked. Sith. The word echoed in his mind. Finally, something even more horrifying occurred to him.

Two sabers…two Sith…one dead…one…

He fought back tears as his eyes were drawn to Lien, begging, pleading that she would deny it. Yet all he saw was a painful resignation and confirmation.

No…he thought.

No…

No…

"No!" he finally shouted, his voice full of the pain that had been building in his gut. The cry tore at Lien, but not nearly as much as the tears that began streaming down his face. She tried to say something, tried to comfort him, but knew it would be in vain.

"Tell me it isn't true," he begged.

All she could do was look away.

"Please!"

She couldn't respond.

"Then join me. It's not too late to reject him, to reject them. You can be a Jedi like me. You can turn to the Light Side."

Finally, her voice struggled out. "No, I can't. You have no idea what the Jedi have done to us! You're an exception-you're not like the rest, but I can't be like them! I can't join them! Not after what they've done!"

"Please!"

"I'm sorry. I can't."

Suddenly, at Jirin's command, Lien's lightsaber shot toward her. Instinctively she caught it. Jirin took up and activate his own blazing weapon. "Use it, Lien!"

"No!"

"Use it!"

"Jirin, please don't do this! What you've been taught about us is wrong! You've been blinded by an oppressive teaching!"

"No! We're right! We have to be right!" He ran the phrase in his head like a mantra, giving him strength and confidence.

We have to be right, we have to be right, we have to be right…

Finally unable to control himself, he charged her, blade raised. At the last second, she turned aside and thrust out her hand, as if to ward off the blow. Unexpectedly, a rock flew up from beneath a mound of snow and struck the Jedi square in the chest. He stopped mid-stride, and fell as his heart failed. He hit the snow, dead.

"No! Jirin!" Lien ran to him, and cradled his head in her arms. "No. Please come back." Suddenly her mind cleared past what her Master had taught her. Jirin had loved her, loved her, as the Jedi had always taught. And yet all the Sith had ever given her to use was anger pain and death. And now she knew the true tragedy of death. "You were right, Jirin. You were right…"

Then, as if she had uttered some magic phrase, she felt all of the dark power that had filled her surge outward, to be replaced by the light of Jirin's strength. And it didn't stop there. Once she felt the warmth, the power of the light completely consuming her it overflowed into Jirin's body. With a start, his eyes shot open.

"Lien…"

"Jirin!" Again, she cried, this time for joy, and he joined her. "I love you, Jirin."

"I love you, too, Lien. I love you too. I always will…"

End

Thanks to "HerShadow" for allowing me to work on this idea.