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"First all those children, now my best friend, and my only brother!" I was pushed to a point of angst and rage that I'd never felt before. "Don't worry about leaving this room alive-"

"More of a half of a room now really," the Count pointed out chuckling.

"You'll be lucky if your smoldering corpse is recognizable as human." I whispered in a fury, ignoring his quip.

The Count laughed evilly for a second, then beckoned Raena and I, "show me."

Moving in with lightning speed I sliced at his head, he ducked under it with surprising ease and it was then that I realized that he'd grown exponentially. I followed through with a downward motion that ended with me trying to stab my blade down into his back during his flip. I couldn't move for a second, which gave him time to avoid my follow up. After I was freed I came in again, he leaped to the side and kicked me in the chest not bothering to use his blade. I smirked at his brilliance. He'd used a move that wasn't an immediate danger to my life, so I hadn't sensed it. That's why most Jedi's sense only blaster shots and light saber attacks, because getting hit will most likely spell death. But a kick could damage me, weaken me, and soften me up until he can kill me. I coughed slightly as I fell onto my back, and looked up into the hand offering me help. I took it instinctively and looked into the beautiful face of Raena Colonya.

"Raena, you remember when I said I was going to let you do most of the fighting?" I said slowly. "I lied."

"Déshawn no…don't." she whispered afraid I was going to keep her from helping me.

"I…need your help." It was the first time I'd ever spoken the words and Raena's eyes nearly lit up in spite of the grim situation.

She smiled at me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to Popsomuo. I ran in at the Count directly, and she leapt into the air blending into the shadows. I took several distracting attack patterns on the Count at once, which resulted in me bouncing around him as he fought to keep track of me. Raena slipped out of the shadows near the wall next to the Count slicing a deep gash in his arm as he barely dodged her sneak attack. I could see Raena's devilish smile as she once again blended into her surroundings, amazing me in a way that I'd never known before.

"And she thought I was good," was all I could say.

Then I ducked an attempt to detach my head. I heard his light saber clash above my head, with Raena's own blade. I stabbed straight up for the Count's stomach during his semi-second of vulnerability. He spun, pushing Raena away with a wall of Force, his feet planting into my shoulders, as I was down on one knee, forcing me onto my face. I felt his weight shifting, which painfully forced opposite sides of my face into the hard stone floor, as he battled Raena at high speeds.

"Get off of him!" I could hear the utter frustration in Raena's voice that she couldn't move him from me.

"Calm down, I'm okay," I told her. "Focus on striking him, not freeing me."

I felt her slow down to a more focused than desperate tone as she skillfully picked her targets until she slipped in two quick blows that knocked Popsomuo backwards. I flipped onto my feet immediately rubbing my face and summoning my dropped light saber to my hand. Raena disappeared once again and I jumped from the wall to behind the staggered Count swinging for his waist. He quickly rolled forward kicking my light sabers handle. It soared and the Count held out his hand, as I watched in horror, to catch my only weapon. But it never came down; it was as if gravity no longer applied to that single object. I smirked, at the same time Raena launched herself from the ceiling landing behind the Count. Both blades humming dangerously in her hands, as she flipped her hair out of her face, Raena's smirk showed all the confidence I hadn't seen in her during our spar. Thinking quickly I fired the blaster I'd stolen earlier at the Count, who bothered only to deflect them away, and not even take the time to bounce them back at me. Raena sliced the blades, in a Deuce-like, scissors motion, causing the Count to have to flip backwards over Raena. Seeing her opportunity, she tossed my light saber back at me. I caught it easily and ignited the blade. We both began to attack Popsomuo viciously. I sliced at his head, he blocked it easily, but Raena stabbed at his side. He sucked in his breath and bended his middle section away in a manner that ended with the three of our blades interlocked. Pushing the Count backwards he fell onto his back and lay on the stone momentarily stunned by his head hitting such a hard object.

"You know Popsomuo," I started as he got up. "I can almost appreciate that without the slaughtering of those helpless children," my blade pointed at his throat as he rose. "You'd be dead by now."

"Déshawn," Raena was in my mind, which startled me, as Deuce was the only one I'd ever known to invade my mind with such ease and lack of noticeable presence. Then I smirked, but she was the mistress of stealth. "If I completely destroy that machine he might lose his unnatural power."

"Go for it."

Raena faded back into the dark recesses of the room as I came after the Count alone for the second time that day. I swung several wide swipes at him, attempting to draw him into an attack, but he boredly slapped them away. And I hesitated, realizing that he wasn't even trying, and just playing with me. Seeing this as his opportunity to finish me off, he yelled coming at me hard. His first swing that I blocked threw me back about 5 yards. Then I heard a clattering behind me as Raena began to chop the Serum up as completely as she possibly could. Suddenly, the Count slowed down and his power behind each blow was considerably reduced. The psychotic glow in his eyes seemed to recede slightly.

"Whatever you hit, do it again," was all I could think to her.

"No! Stop it!" He launched himself towards Raena, but had to pull up short when my blade intercepted him.

"We're not through…" I said calmly.

I swung at his head, and he spun away from me attempting to make a quick escape. However, I cut him off again; he stopped and looked from me to Raena and the Serum with a wild look in his eyes as he tried to choose.

"Come on tough guy, fight me without sapping away the souls of others." I challenged him.

"That's it!" He said; rushing over to his console he slammed his fist down on a red button. An alarm bleeped as the Serum's rings began to hum and circle each other in an intricate pattern. Purple energy began to emanate from the rings, while Raena continued to viciously chop the machine as much as possible. Panicking, which I rarely do, I pull out the blaster again and fire it wherever Raena's body wasn't. Consequently I end up hitting the helmet of the Serum and all the purple energy suddenly disappears. Then the Count's maniacal laughter is replaced with an ear-piercing scream of pain. He dropped to his knees, his hands pressed hard over his ears, and roared at the top of his, clearly, massive lungs. Purple gas filtered out of his pores, mouth, and other places until he was swallowed in the vapor of spirits. I heard the voices of the children fill my head again, except they were now happy, and playful voices. Then, I saw the souls of the Jedi Council pause in front of me, Mace Windu gave me a wise nod and then he vanished with the rest of the escaping souls. After a few more seconds the smoke cleared out of the room, and all that was left of Count Popsomuo's shriveled and weakened form shuddering on the ground. Then, I heard the sounds of panicking droids below on the ground where Shomari and Trance had fallen on the other half of the room.

"Wait…" I said quietly to myself as Raena arrested the Count. "Could that be?"

I sprinted to the edge of the room and skidded to a halt looking down the edge. I saw two distinct light sabers ignite and begin to mow down the droids. Ecstatic I jumped from the edge, to the tree across from me, and bounced down to the ground. Sprinting at top speed, drawing my light saber, I ran through the last droid looking at a disheveled Trance Pierson and Shomari Jackson.

"Oh my god! You're alive!" I jumped on the two pulling them into a hug. "How'd you make it?"

"How'd we make it?" Trance laughed, clearly feeling the same as I had. "We thought you and Raena were goners!"

"Yeah I was sure all that soul-sucking made him too tough for you without my help!" Shomari sounded incredulous as well.

"Well," I chuckled happily. "Raena was a great help. What about you two?"

"You know how you jumped down here?" Trance tilted his head towards the tree I just jumped down. "Well you're not the first one to think of that."

I laughed happily and hugged the two again as Raena appeared by my side, having walked over while I was distracted.

"I just contacted the Council…" she looked apprehensive. Then her face jokingly turned into a smile. "They're all normal again! You saved them!"

"No." I stopped her. Then squared my shoulders to her, my back turning to Trance and Shomari. "We saved them. Raena, I know haven't always judged your skills favorably, but against the Count, considering how much power he had, you really helped me in a big way. I couldn't have done it without."

"Oh forget all that mushy stuff," Raena waved off my guilt quickly. "Show me you're thankful."

Taking my cue I pulled her close to me kissing her deeply, while Trance and Shomari teased me behind my back. When we separated Raena had a content smile on her face, and teasingly bit her lower lip.

"Wow," she smirked. "I must've helped you pretty well back there."

"You have no idea," I winked at her.

"Not that this isn't turning me on," Trance said walking past us headed towards the ship. "But I think I'm going to head back home. Anyone need a lift?"

I laughed to myself and followed Trance, arm around Raena, and Shomari standing back slightly.