A Show of Force

They had clambered aboard, timing their moment of escape and surprise after they had felt the escape pod shudder. Their time was coming close, as they knew the pod was being taken into the hold of the vessel. In it carried several deadly weapons. In it, carried Lon Vorik, Simon Cannon, Sirry and enough explosives and thermal detonators to turn the Sith warship into an explosive chrysalis.

"Wait," he said silently, more for the benefit of Sirry than for he and Simon. Their connection through the Force had granted both Jedi to read each other's feelings and, to a lesser degree, thoughts. "Simon and I will go first; you leave after we've cleared the area."

"I'm going out there with you," Sirry began to protest.

"I know you will, but we need you in here first, so you do not get struck by a stray blaster bolt," he explained. "Or worse," he added.

"Fine, Lon," she said somewhat stiffly.

"Simon and I will go to the bridge and program the self-destruct. I trust that you will infiltrate the ship and plant the explosives."

She nodded, smiling broadly.

"Good. As soon as you are finished, find a suitable ship to leave, and then do so."

This startled her. "What about you two?"

"We'll find a way off, but you must get off immediately after you plant the explosives."

She nodded reluctantly, "all right but—" She was cut off immediately as a loud clang sounded along the pod, as well as the whine of servos and mechanical parts indicated that they were most likely inside the vessel's hull.

"Captain," someone said outside of the pod. "There are several life forms within the pod."

"Very well," another voice—presumably the Captain—answered. "I will be on my way shortly."

After a few more slow, agonizing moments, they heard a door hiss open and heard the voice of the Captain.

"All right, Sergeant, open those doors."

Their time had come.

"Get ready," Lon whispered softly as they heard a whining sound lock onto the pod's hatch.

As soon as the door opened, the hapless technician who was slicing the pod's security system was shoved back, into a group of Sith as the familiar snap-hiss of Lon and Simon's lightsabers flared to life.

"It's the Jedi!" The Captain called out as he pulled out a hold-out blaster, firing on the Jedi as they cut a swath through the mob, severing limbs, heads and blasters alike.

Deflecting three blaster bolts, Simon found his mark as his lightsaber cleanly sliced through the head of one Sith soldier and split open the belly of another. Nothing stood in the way of both Jedi as their bond and control of the Force took over.

In a blurred move, Lon brought his silver saber to lock onto the sword of one soldier as his fist smashed into the transparisteel glass of the soldier's helmet, rendering him unconscious. He quickly leapt towards the Captain, shearing the heads of two bodyguards away.

Stormov, realizing that he was in a tight spot, quickly moved towards the door, while firing and encouraging his soldiers to keep shooting at the Jedi. His gaze became fixed on the blind-folded Jedi in front of him. Smiling sadistically, he leveled his blaster in front of him, aiming at the head of the Lon.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp stab of pain as a blur of light flew upwards, where his forearm used to be. Falling to his knees, cradling his right arm, Stormov saw the silver blade come flying down to his neck and he suddenly knew darkness.

"Come on," Lon called out to Sirry as soon as the dust had settled. It was painfully obvious that the ship might have become alerted to their presence, but it was definitely on battle alert for some strange reason.

"Sir!" One of the bridge officers called out to Vincent.

"What is it?" He stormed over, annoyed that an officer had ruined his dreams of grandeur—if only for a moment. He found himself entertaining the idea of punishing the fool if there weren't something important.

"3 Republic vessels have decanted from hyperspace and are on an intercept vector towards us!"

And just when things were going so well, he thought to himself. "Scramble all fighters! Put the ship on battle alert and call back Stormov!"

"Aye sir," the young officer answered, opening the communications throughout the ship, indicating battle alert status as klaxons roared to life.

How could this have happened? He continued to stare out at the viewport, when the same officer spoke up again.

"Sir, I haven't been able to get a hold of Captain Stormov! There were sounds of a struggle and blaster fire as well as lightsabers! I've assigned a squad to get to the bay, sir."

"Blast!" Things were not going as well as Vincent had hoped. The Jedi had found a way on board and Seth had taken the last of the Dark Jedi on board. It appeared it was up to him to stop the intruders. And it was even more likely that the Captain was dead. "I'll deal with the Jedi; just make sure you put us to engage those cruisers!"

"Yes sir!" Immediately the entire bridge went to work as klaxons continued to blare and the vessel lurched to and fro from the salvo of energy released from the Republic Cruiser and two Corvettes.

As quickly as they continued moving, Simon and Lon found themselves pinned between two squads of Sith troopers, who continued to fire relentlessly.

Using their battle meld, both Jedi allowed the Force to guide their hands as they sent back blaster bolts towards their would-be captors.

Calling upon the Force to allow his body to move faster, the blind swordsman leapt towards one group of Sith, while his apprentice did likewise to the other group, and began to sever limbs, torsos and weapons that prevented them from continuing their mission. War was war, but both Jedi fought with a passion that seemed akin to the Sith, yet somehow it contained a beauty only truly embraced by the Jedi.

As they continued to move closer towards the bridge, Sirry had continued to move undetected towards engineering and other vital areas of the vessel where she could plant the explosives. She could only be seen by the shimmers of light around her, as she had equipped a stealth belt and moved silently and rapidly throughout the hold, while her friends risked their lives.

Racing for their very lives now, Lon and Simon ran into the occasional war droids, which didn't put up much of a fight. It slowly became more apparent that the Sith had something else on their mind.

"Did they capture Sirry, Master?"

"No, I do not believe so. In fact, I sense the presence of…companions. The Republic has taken heed of Dante's message."

"They're fighting the Republic?"

"Yes, Simon. Now let us continue, time is short and we still have a—"

"Job to do?" A voice spoke, cutting off the Jedi Knight.

They turned around and saw a figure dressed in black fibermesh armour that seemed to outline traces of his form. The man had piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair that had been slicked back.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the young man said. "My name is Vincent Baroque, and you're about to die." With that, he ignited his double-bladed lightsaber, emitting crimson blades that rivaled the eyes of a laigrek.

As those droids continued to march on, both Jedi and Sith began to cut a swath through them, eager to prevent the unarmed, yet very deadly bipedal droids get their hands on them.

Like two fiery Titans, Dante and Seth fought side by side, tearing apart droids left, right and center as they continued to spin their blades. There was no shortage of severing a droid limb everywhere they moved.

In just a handful of moments, the two Sith soldiers threw ion grenades into the mass, not living long enough to see them detonate as they were overrun and encompassed by the droids.

Rin provided cover for both Sekula and Gors as they opened fire on the droids, eliminating their only escape route, while Phaete continued to tear through several droids near the commandoes as well.

His emerald blade continued to decapitate and cleave through droids all around him, as he called upon the Force to shove many more away from him.

Lotus and 3 of the remaining Dark Jedi continued to impale and slash through the unarmed, yet deadly droids, as they had watched their other 3 companions get dragged down and turned to nothing but blood and gore.

Calling upon the Force, Lotus unleashed a torrent of electric energy from her hands, igniting several droids around her. She quickly commanded her holstered blade to her free hand and ignited the crimson blade, impaling a hapless droid that was eager to get to her.

"Seems like this is fun," Dante said in between breaths as he slashed one droid through the shoulder downward.

"I don't know what your idea of fun is," Seth replied as he spun his blade forward and backward, cleanly slicing through two droids, "but this is just mere practice for me."

"It doesn't seem like that's the case for your Acolytes, Xavier," he called out as he drove his sapphire blade into the chest of one droid and spun about, cleaving three more in half.

"Maybe that's because they're not as strong as you!" Seth shouted as he unleashed a fury in the Force, destroying several droids in front of him and Dante.

But as quickly as they were destroyed, more filled the space.

"So much for target practice," Dante scoffed as his blade tore through three more droids with relative ease. "And so much for the Dark Side."

"You just don't know it as well as I do," Seth replied as his blade found the head of two droids and the hands of another.

"Oh really? How so?"

"The tempest rages within you, Dante. Unleash it. Unleash your anger, and give in to the pain and longing to protect your friends. The Dark Side opens you up to your own emotions; it opens you to the true nature of the Force." Seth spun about, his back to his brother as he arced his blade in a quick upward slash and downward slash.

"Don't tempt me," he replied as he sent several droids flying back with a wave of the Force. The urge to give in—if only for a moment—to the Dark Side seemed so overwhelming. He wanted so desperately to end this war, one way or the other. And by doing that in any way possible, seemed all the more enticing.

"I feel it rising. Let it come to the surface, let it take control. Do it, Dante. Unleash all your furies, all the pain you want to inflict on those that committed injustices."

"No," Dante replied as his blade met three more droids. There seemed no limit to them. If he gave in, maybe he could end it right now. Save everyone. Maybe Seth would come back to the Light. No, he would not. He's a creature borne of power.

"Do it, you know it is the only way to protect them. Protect your friends. Protect your loved ones. Protect Rin."

"I won't give in," he replied evenly. Even as he evaded the swipes from the droids, he felt his skin and shirt tear under the swipes from several other droids behind him. He was tiring and the Force only did so much to strengthen him, but his injuries were slowly piling up.

"Do it, Dante. You must let go of your Jedi training and become a weapon, like the lightsaber you wield! Cut a swath through them and protect us, by becoming that weapon!" He hissed at his brother, urging the Knight to give into his darker desires. It was becoming more apparent that Dante wanted nothing more than to give in; if only for a moment. A sweet precious moment that would allow him a taste of that euphoric sensation of power.

"No!" He screamed as energy lanced out from his hands and all around him, shattering the droids where they stood. It was in that instant he had given into his rage—his desire to protect Rin; to avenge the death of Alec; to listen to those sweet promises of unremitting power from Tulak Hord; to avenge his brother; to kill Seth and Malak, and to become the most powerful Jedi in the Galaxy.

Hearing the screams of Dante and the darkness that exuded from him, Rin paused and looked up at him, only to feel a distinct metallic fist slam into her face, sending her back.

"Rin!" Sekula called out as he threw a plasma grenade into the fray, not watching as it sent molten pieces of droid everywhere. He pulled her back and noticed a bruise on her cheekbone. "Cover me, Gors," he ordered as he continued to pull her behind a rock where both commandoes were stuck behind.

Phaete, merely smiled as he continued to wield his blade with expert efficiency, without tiring at all, unlike two of the Dark Jedi acolytes who fell before his very eyes. No, he enjoyed watching Dante give into his rage; he enjoyed watching the star pupil of a Jedi in the Light fall into the embracing and iron grip of the Dark Side; into his grip.

He felt her fall into unconsciousness as he brought his blade to tear through several more droids. They were beginning to dwindle in their numbers. He felt her leave him for a moment. He felt her loss. He would go to the ends of the Galaxy; he would give in to the Dark Side if it meant protecting her.

Unleashing the raw side of the Force, Dante did the one thing he realized so many were coaxing out of him since the beginning. The ability to unleash the pure power of the Dark Side. To unleash his ability and to become unstoppable. It seemed it wanted him so badly. The Darkness within him tempted him. It begged of him to unleash it; to understand the true nature he'd been denying for so very long.

"That's it, my brother," Seth coaxed. He smiled as he unleashed his own anger as well. His own rage for his own failures; for the life he would never get back; for all the times someone denied him his right to total power. "Unleash it and give in!"

As if they had trained together since the beginning, Dante and Seth slashed through the numbers of the droids, giving into a rage that made them unstoppable juggernauts. They had given into the raging rivers of the Force.

Lotus could only pause to stare in horror at what she felt. That was Dante? He's so much more powerful than I'd ever thought! He could destroy anything without a second thought! She forced herself to bury down her fear of the Knight's growing power as she impaled two droids on either side of her. The acolyte behind her had been consumed by the ocean of droids.

By giving himself into the Force, Dante continued unfazed, tearing through more and more droids and not hesitating for one moment.

Phaete could only smile as he tore the droids apart. Ah, Dante, he thought as he drove his blade into the face of a droid before him. Only now do you truly understand the power of the Dark Side.

After a few more moments, the 'limitless' army of droids had abated. There was nothing but limbs and parts that littered the entire cavern. And all through that, Dante had given himself into the Dark Side. He stood there, his lightsaber oblique, as he surveyed the carnage around him. The droids were all gone. Was it worth the price?

To his back, Seth was facing him. "Excellent, Dante. Now you've taken the first steps towards the truth. To the greater truth. I would have you, if you willed it."

Dante turned around and looked askance. His sight found Rin, rubbing her head, as Sekula and Gors attended to her. Shame and self-loathing began to infest himself. He had brought this down on them. He had brought pain and suffering and imminent death to his friends.

He looked away and found the sight of the Dark ones that stood before him, begging him to join. Lotus, and her wary gaze; Phaete, somehow he'd always known about the darkness that lurked within the Master; and of course, Seth—the one who had tempted the Knight in the first place.

Seth had always been the one who had pushed him this far. Seth had sewn those seeds in the beginning, before this mission ever took off. And now, it had come to this. A choice? Or was it his mind forcing him to make a choice? Or was it the will of the Force?

He knew that somehow it was becoming a reality that no one would live past this.

"Dante," Seth said once more, "are you ready to join us? Are you ready to embrace your destiny?"