Blade Dancers

Dante leapt high into the air, twisting his body as his blade flew straight for Seth's head. There was no more going back. There was nothing more than to fight for his very life.

Seth raised his blade horizontally; blocking the blow and forcing Dante back as he shoved the Jedi. "What's the matter?" He teased. "Are you afraid, Dante?"

"No, I am no longer afraid, Xavier. I am more powerful than you shall ever be. I am in tune with the motions of the Force. You race against it, seeking to control something beyond your grasp. You seek to control an entity that has allowed you to thrive. For that, I shall bring you to the end, my brother." He arced his blade upward as Seth growled and lunged—bringing his blade inches within impaling the Sith.

Racing towards his brother, Seth slashed left and right, rotating himself and pivoting his legs as he extended one out and slammed Dante across his stomach. He grinned maliciously. They had begun to make their way lower into the chasm before them.

Dante brought his sapphire blade—the one blade that had become so attuned to him—to form a shield as he spun it clockwise, countering and thrusting at Seth's own slashes.

They both fought to kill one another. There was no more artistic grace in this fight, as there was a desire to bring each other to the other side. It was just a fight to the finish.

Seth, using the power of the Force, arced his blade up, and then brought it low, towards the Jedi's thigh as he suddenly brought the blade across Dante's stomach in a blur. He had become an unstoppable juggernaut and Dante was hard pressed.

He had to use everything in him to block each thrust and slash at his body. Seth's blade had become a whirlwind of crimson death. But Dante was in tune with the Force. He knew it wouldn't fail him. Not anymore. He gave into his primal energy, his instincts and gave into the fountain of the Force. He went beyond any form of power the Dark Side had held.

They continued to trade thrusts and parries with one another, neither gaining ground against the other.

Seth feinted left and brought his blade slashing down, eager to claim the leg of Dante.

Anticipating a move that he had learned from Nathaniel years ago, Dante strafed back and thrust his blade towards the ground, locking against the crimson blade that was where his leg had been but a moment earlier.

Seth pulled back and then slashed upwards, aiming for Dante's shoulder as he watched the younger Jedi—his brother—block the strike and continue to move deeper into the chasm.

Both Jedi spun their blades opposite to each other and thrust at the same time, locking blades and using all of their strength to win the lock.

"What's the matter, Dante?" Seth said in between breaths. "Can you not feel the power of the Dark Side? Are you bearing witness to my power?"

Dante flipped his blade over into his other hand, surprising Seth and sending the Sith stumbling as Dante began a backhanded assault, pushing the Sith back where they had come from earlier.

In a blur, Dante spun around and felt the crimson blade arcing towards the nape of his neck, only to clash against the blue lightsaber that Dante swung overhead.

"I won't let you defy me!"

Controlling his grip, Dante brought both lightsabers over his head and pushed it away from his chest. His feet were close to the edge of the stairway as Seth kicked at him, sending the Knight over.

He reacted quickly, calling on the Force to pull Seth's cape and pull him down as well. Both Jedi made their rapid fall to the base of the chasm, as both of them exchanged blows with their lightsabers arcing around their bodies and proving the only source of light—with the exception of an amber glow that seemed to be growing.

Dante used on hand to hold tight on Seth's lightsaber as their blades once more locked. He stared him in the eye and knew that if death were to face them, then he would gladly end his life to make sure that the Sith never got their hands on the holocrons.

Seth used every ounce of strength in his body and floated across Dante's body and reached out with his knee, having the pleasure of feeling it connect against the younger Knight's ribs.

He gasped for air and loosened his grip only to watch his lightsaber fly away and wink out of existence as it sparked from the slice Seth had taken time to commit as the sapphire blade went floating away.

Calling on the Force—with whatever reserve he was tapping into—Dante extended his palms in front of his body, feeling the air that rushed past him slow until he was able to duck and roll as he landed on the ground. He found himself crashing into a few minor rocks as he rolled on the surface.

A moment later he heard the thud of feet hitting the ground. Obviously Seth had the mind to do the same—and he was much better at it than Dante.

He forced himself up and felt something at his side—it was a cylindrical object that belonged to Rin. It was her lightsaber. He pulled it from his waist and ignited the sapphire blade. "This is not over, Seth."

"So I can see," he gazed approvingly. "You'd make an excellent apprentice."

"No deal," Dante said as he closed the gap between the two and lunged.

Seth was forced on the defensive as he parried the thrust and committed himself to a riposte only to crash against a metallic bracer. Cortosis, he thought admirably. It would appear my brother is much more resourceful.

Dante spun about and brought his other bracer to smash against Seth's temple, causing his sight to blacken for only a moment. It was all the time that Dante needed. He slashed left and right, forcing Seth back in the circular arena.

Seth arced his blade upright as he deflected two horizontal slashes from Dante, only to twirl his blade counterclockwise to prevent himself from being skewered.

Dante leapt back and waited for Seth to slash at him. He got his wish.

Seth slashed at the Jedi, racing from his shoulder to his thigh, only to be deflected and feel a kick to his stomach. Gasping for air, he moved back as Dante screamed, knocking the crimson blade away from reach and in a fluid motion, curved his blade towards the chest of the Sith as Seth gasped once more. Searing pain ran through his chest and he closed his eyes for a moment, only to open them and watching his brother so close to him—almost as if it were an embrace. He looked down to see a shaft of blue energy through his chest. It was over and he coughed, feeling all strength rush away from him.

He saw his brother, covered in sweat and determined—as always. He had made a great Jedi after all. Seth knew time was running short for him. He had mere moments before the world became total and utter darkness to him. "I'm glad—I'm glad it was you. I am glad," he said, coughing, "that we're together now. It is as it should be…," he finished weakly as he drifted to sleep.

Dante closed his eyes and rested on his brother. "Rest well, Brother." He stood there, embracing his brother, for another eternity until he heard a shuffling.

"Dante?" A voice echoed. "You there?" It was Sekula.

"I am all right, Sekula," he shouted.

"Oh, that's good," the commando replied. "Now move your butt! There is a baradium missile heading for us!"

Always on the move, he thought to himself. He extinguished the blue energy in his hand. He stared at her lightsaber for a few more moments and hooked it to his belt. Rin, my Love, I'm sorry it turned out this way. He moved back as Seth's form slumped and fell to the ground.

Seth's corpse carried a familiar object on his waist. It was a bronze, bulbous ended, cylindrical weapon. Dante could scarcely believe his eyes. It was the lightsaber of Jedi Master Alec Ness.

He reached for it and felt it come to his hand. He replied softly, "I believe this is mine."

"Dante!" Sekula called. Urgency and desperation filled his voice. "Move your butt! This place is going to blow!"

The Unifier! He realized. It was useless. The mission was a failure from the start and it was the end of this fight. He turned around and found a stairway that led from the tomb of the 30-foot statue to the top of the caverns. To freedom.

He called upon the Force to augment his abilities as he raced for the top, eager to fight for survival. As he raced higher and higher, he heard a loud explosion as pieces of droid limbs flew away. He reached the top to see Sekula waiting for Dante.

"Come on, let's go!" The commando urged his friend.

Both men raced out of the caverns and leapt as they felt an intense wave of heat wash over them and a shockwave thrust their bodies far, far away.

As he leapt from the explosion, Sekula turned his head and could have sworn he saw something silver—a cubicle object—come flying towards him as he found instant darkness.

He could hear a whining sound as he found himself on the ground. He knew something—or someone had come. But before he would know who it was, Dante knew that the world had gone black all around him.