Chapter 20

Keldu listened to Jesbra in disbelief. A dark Jedi, snake?

"Wait, a Dark Jedi?" Nerca asked from behind. Keldu and Jesbra stopped to turn to Oliso and Nerca who had fallen behind. Nerca and Oliso exchanged a look. "And you said he's a snake?"

"That only leaves one possibility," Oliso said.

"Who is it, then?" Jesbra asked, a little fearful by what Keldu could read.

"Rix."

Jesbra's eyes gained understanding. "Rix? No it can't be. There is no way that that hissing creature is him."

"By your description, it's him."

"Hold up for a minute," Keldu gestured with her hand. "Would anyone mind telling me who this Rix is?"

"Right," Nerca said. "He was before your time. Rix was a student at the Temple, a strong one too. He was undefeated in saber matches, until he fought me. I bested him and incidentally wounded his high pride."

"After that he lost to me," Jesbra said lightly. "And again his pride was wounded."

"He lost again to me," Oliso said, "and at the time they were suggesting me to be mainly a healer. So I dealt a giant blow to his already crippled pride. After that, he began to fall back in classes, losing more and more of the respect from the other students, and he was hardly ever talked about. That's probably why you never heard of him. Rix became angry because he had lost his position and the Masters feared that he would become subject to the dark side and he was expelled from the Temple when he was eleven. Right around the time that he would have possibly been chosen for a Padawan."

"He had great potential and I managed to ruin him," Nerca said softly.

"You didn't do it alone," Jesbra comforted. "Oliso and I also wounded his pride, and so did the other students."

"Yes, but I prepared the way for them to do it."

"Nerca trust us on this part," Oliso said. "It wasn't all your fault."

"No, but now I see why he'd want revenge on me," Nerca said.

Keldu nodded. "I see it too, but enough with the past. You can't fix it now. But maybe you can make it up to Rix."

Nerca nodded. "Maybe. Let's get moving. Let's get there before he decides to take it out on Lexoc."

-----

Moments later Jesbra stopped them with a hand. "Careful, it's just ahead and guarded. Sneaking in is our best choice."

Nerca shook her head. "No, its not."

"Why not?" Keldu asked.

"Rix," she answered. "He'll feel our presence."

"Well then, what do you propose we do?" Jesbra asked.

Nerca laughed lightly. "This," she said. She stood and just took off in the direction of the Mettranaloovye's hide out, whooping all the way.

"Great, just alert the whole planet that we're here," Jesbra said sarcastically. "Then they can have the whole security force on us." In spite of her obvious disapproval, Jesbra then stood and followed Nerca's example.

"Go!" Oliso whispered into Keldu's ear.

With a shout Keldu stood and followed whooping after them. She heard Oliso rise and follow her. By then with all four of them screaming and shouting it had gotten quite loud, but then a sound cracked through all of the shouting: the snap-hiss of an ignited lightsaber. Keldu turned into a clearing to see Nerca's lightsaber spring to life, casting a purple light over everything in sight.

But there were no guards in sight. The only other person in the clearing was Jesbra.

"Nerca!" Jesbra shouted. "What are you doing?"

Nerca's lightsaber turned on Jesbra who was unarmed.

"You're mad!" Jesbra's eyes flicked around desperately for a weapon to use in defense and rested on Keldu's lightsaber.

Keldu stepped back, knowing Jesbra's move. She gripped it with all of her might but despite her resistance it flew from her grip into Jesbra's outstretched hands.

The blue blade snapped to life with a hum and met the purple one in mid air. Keldu wanted to rush out and put a halt to the fighting but something in the way Nerca stood warned her back.

The blades remained locked together for a moment then released again. Jesbra's blade went for a high slice at Nerca's shoulder but the purple blade intercepted the move. Nerca and Jesbra's eyes met for a moment, then Nerca back-flipped over Jesbra's shoulder catching her by surprise. Nerca kicked out with her right foot and sent Keldu's saber back into her hands.

She pulled something from her pocket and injected it into Jesbra's arm. Jesbra fell to the ground unconscious and Nerca spoke. "This is for your own good."