Rite of Passage
A Star Wars Fan-Fiction set 925 yrs. before the events of The Phantom Menace.
Chapter 1
Jedi Master Korianus Duron sat alone in the Council Chamber, his fellow Council members having long since left the room. Tapping his fingers on his armrest, his mind lost in thought. Shaking his head of the troubling thoughts that ailed him, he stood up and walked to the window that gave a view of the city of Coruscant.
Master Duron looked down at the many speeders and freight haulers that flew about the city, their passengers going about their busy lives. They did not know the troubles the Republic was facing. The Republic had only recently recovered from the onslaught of the Sith Empire, and though most of the Jedi, including many of the Council members, believed the Sith finished long ago, Duron had his doubts. Especially due to recent signs, some of which were deeply disturbing.
A Jedi and her Padawan disappeared on assignment to Onderon 6 months ago. An investigation by both Republic security and Jedi turned up nothing. Several of the Council members, including Duron, sensed a few unusual disturbances in the Force. A Jedi research team on Korriban, the tomb world of the old Sith lords, vanished 2 weeks ago. No one was currently available to look into these mysterious Jedi occurrences, and distrust of the Jedi had not fully evaporated from the Republic.
Korianus sighed. If his fears were true, the Republic could be facing another war. No, it would not come to that. Last time the Jedi and Sith fought, the Republic was shattered. There was so much hatred, so many disasters. The Jedi were blamed for the actions of the Sith, and the Jedi were slowly hunted down. Several were murdered by Sith or bounty hunters. Others simply left, turned away from the path of the Jedi.
All of this gave way to the Sith Empire's total domination of the Republic, until recently, when the Sith Order turned inward and destroyed itself. That could not happen again. Korianus would not let it.
Thule Moon- Sith Academy
Sith Battlemaster Karrak Brund looked upon the two Sith Acolytes locked in combat. Their faces were masked, to prevent the Acolytes from identifying eachother during the rites. The two Acolytes were facing the final rite of passage for any would-be Sith Warrior: the duel. Once an Acolyte decided to undergo the Rites of Passage, there was no turning back. Failure in any of the rites meant death.
In this final rite, the Acolytes were to duel each other to the death. The survivor was made a full Sith Warrior and were allowed to construct their own Lightsaber. Sith Acolytes were given training sabers.
Karrak viewed the movements of these Acolytes, felt the Force burn in them. Their lightsabers hummed and burned, the blades the crimson color of laigrek's eyes. Then Karrak saw it, one of the Acolytes stumbled. The other, sensing it immediately by the lull in the Force, immediately pressed on.
The Acolyte pressed on and seemed to overpower the other Acolyte. With a cry of triumph, the Acolyte dealt the would-be killing blow, but then the Acolyte, who Karrak suspected was grinning under the mask, thrust the blade straight into the other Acolyte's heart. Karrak felt the force ebb out of the dying Acolyte and watched him fall to the floor, dead.