XXII

Quinlan groaned softly as he slowly came to his senses, as he licked his lips he tasted the blood that was trickling down his forehead. With confusion he blinked his eyes and seconds later it came back to him, his fight with Taria.

He grunted to himself as he climbed to his feet calling his lightsaber to him and clipping it on his belt, he walked over to the dead body of his apprentice and knelt down, her eyes were opened in horrified shock, with a gentle touch he closed them, the dead should not look on at the living.

Quinlan rose from his position and turned, feeling the intense battle that went on deeper in the caverns, he was about to rush in and help when he felt a gentle tug in the Force. He fell silent and slowly stretched out with his feelings, he blinked as he rested his hand on the stone wall-

The young man had blood on his robes and his red lightsaber was high, "In the name of Exar Kun, I shall take back our temple!"

The two older men that faced him both had green lightsabers, "Come Padawan, do not follow this rebellious course, the path of the dark side consumes you fully, and to the light you do not return,"

"I no longer fear the dark side," he screamed and rushed toward them, one fell by his blade while the other blocked, "watch now the power of the dark side!" with an outstretched hand white Force Lightning forked out, and the Jedi Master screamed and fell to the floor.

The young man smiled wickedly and turned on his heals until he heard a voice, "come now Tahan, do not do this,"

The young man spun with a sneer at the old Jedi Master, "What do you want Vrook? You cannot defeat me!"Tahan stretched his hand out again.

The Old Man clenched his fist and closed his eyes, Tahan fell to the floor, the lightning from his fingers dissipating in the damp air, Tahan lay still on the floor of the old temple, and the Old Man touched him lightlyand with truesadness and affection in his eyes"so sad to have the Force wrenched away from one so young,"

-Quinlan spun on instinct and blocked Aigus' blade, the maddened Jedi Master looked at Quinlan with pure loathing.

"Where are Kenobi and Frejik?" asked Quinlan as Aigus stepped back, spinning his lightsaber on his wrist.

"Wouldn't you like to know," their lightsabers connected again, and Quinlan tripped as the wet ground moved below him.

"Why are you doing this Aigus? You are a Jedi Master,"

The lightsabers clashed again sending sparks around them, "because Master Vos, the Jedi are weak, that is why we lost to the Sith, the key to defeating the Sith is not the Jedi, but the Dark Jedi!"

Quinlan quickly stretched out with the Force toward the direction in which Aigus came, he felt Obi-Wan and Timoth, faintly but alive, he had no time to spend fighting a maddened Dark Jedi.

"My brother, forgive me!" Quinlan lashed out and hooked Aigus' lightsaber pulling the insane Jedi close, with a quick movement Quinlan bashed his head against Aigus', the mad Jedi falling into a deep sleep.

"Hope a nice rest calms you," muttered Quinlan as he placed Aigus gently on the ground, "I have to help Kenobi and Frejik!"

Jedi Savior was landed a few clicks away, hopefully with its cloaking device the Imperials didn't find it, hope Quinlan as he carried both Timoth and his master to the clearing.

Just as he had feared twenty stormtroopers were lined in front of the ship, "why can't anything be easy anymore," he muttered as he dropped Obi-Wan and Timoth on the ground and leapt toward the stormtroopers his lightsaber flashing before him.