We arrived at what can only be described as a throne room. It had multiple levels, on the middle of which sat the throne. The dark one walked up the steps, and I continued following. Looking behind me as the doors slammed shut, I noticed that none of the stormtroopers had entered the room.
I looked back to the throne, and noticed the dark cloaked figure lean over to talk to someone. The throne turned to face me, and sitting within it was Lumiya. The cloaked figure stood to the right and behind her.
"Welcome to Korriban Ben."
"Where is she Lumiya? What have you done with her?"
"Now, now Ben, I'm sure your father trained you better than that. Where are your manners?"
My anger got the best of me. "No more games! I have come for Jysella!"
Her laughter drove me over the edge, and I pulled my saber and ignited it with one quick motion. I jumped towards the throne, my blade raised overhead in an effort to strike her down.
I landed and my blade began its swing and connected with a blue saber held horizontally. One that was protecting Lumiya.
My heart sank as I recognized the blade.
I looked over at the girl who was wearing the dark cloak and Jysella stared back at me, her eyes cold and hard. "Jys?"
Lumiya's laughter drew my eyes back to her. "As you can see young Skywalker, Jedi Horn is happy here. I have freed her from the pathetic teachings of your father, freed her to see how corrupt the Jedi Order has become. Freed her to see that the Jedi Order must be destroyed. I have freed her to make her own choices."
Lumiya looked toward Jysella and smiled. "And now my apprentice, would you start the destruction of the Jedi by killing this pathetic excuse for one?"
"Yes, my Master."
I started backing away down the stairs. My confusion pooled around me. My mind was working overdrive on how I could escape with her, while not having to fight her.
Unfortunately, Jysella wasn't going to give me the chance to flee or think.
She jumped at me, her saber swung in a powerful overhead attack, my blade swung up and blocked. The force of her anger staggered me as much as the strength behind the blow.
Slowly I gave ground, always keeping my blade between us. Always defending, never attacking.
Yet every time I blocked her anger just grew.
I probed the Force, and saw our bond, our connection, was no longer a bright golden string connecting us. Now it was twisted and blackened where it emerged from her, running from that black to bronze and finally to gold where it attached to me.
I despaired.
Still we circled around the platforms and steps; I always gave ground, always fell back. Still defending. I just could not bring myself to attack her.
Yet every time I failed to exploit an opening, every time I failed to end the fight at the cost of her life, her anger just grew.
And so did my despair.
Slowly she drove me to one of the upper platforms. Of course I say platform in the loosest sense of the word possible, it was more of a really wide girder, with a rail on one side, than anything else.
As I deflected her blade once again, her foot swung out and caught me in the chest, knocking me over the edge. I used the Force to ensure I landed on my feet and shut down my saber.
After that I slipped into the shadows. Hiding, trying to give myself time to think.
I used the Force to throw my voice, as I said "I don't want to fight you Jys. Please, let's just go home."
I watch her movements as she slowly stalks down the stairs, her actions, her being, that of a predatory feline. "That time has passed. Now you must fight, or die."
I felt my tears as they began their slow trip down my face.
From somewhere above us came Lumiya's laughter and voice. "Yes, yes give in to your despair. Let it drive your anger, give you power."
I wondered if she was talking to me or to Jysella.
I sunk to my knees, my guilt and despair overpowering me.
I felt a warning through the Force, and I was moving, rolling, as Jysella's saber smashed into the floor where I had just been.
Even the bright yellow of the molten stone from her saber slash seemed depressing to me.
I felt Jysella pull the Force to herself, but was still caught entirely unprepared for the blast of lightning that she sent at me. It propelled me into one of the supports for the platforms overhead, and I could hear the echoes of my screams.
I slowly stood as she came on. I ignited my saber at the last instant to catch her blade.
As we stood close together, her blade slowly pushing mine nearer and nearer my skin, I noticed that she was still wearing the Japor icon.
I tilted my blade, and slid out from against the beam I was pressed against, and for the first time I attacked, I twisted around, and knocked Jysella's feet out from under her with my leg.
I cringed as I could feel Jysella's pain flash through our bond.
I backed away, putting room between us.
Her anger bubbled over at the fact that I did not take advantage of her lying on the ground defenseless. "What? Am I not worthy to fight you Skywalker? I'm just a weak little Horn huh? Just someone else for the great and mighty Skywalker to protect and save."
"No Jys, that's not it at all. I don't want to fight you."
"Fight me, you kriffing schutta!"
"No."
I remembered my dream. Of Anakin's questions on if lightsaber fighting was the only thing I knew. I realized that I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, something else. I knew Tahiri was right.
I turned off my saber and attached it to my belt.
She was upon me in a second. Her saber hovered next to my throat, as I just looked at her.
I opened myself to the Force, pouring all my love and affection and desire for Jysella through our Force bond.
"I don't think you're weak. I love you Jysella, I cannot fight you because of that, not some random concept that Lumiya taught you. I don't need to protect and save you, because you saved me."
Her face was covered in shadows, both literally and figuratively. I just kept force feeding my emotions for her to our Force bond.
"Tahiri was right you know. The guy who gave her that Japor icon thought it a symbol of love. He thought he loved her, when he gave it to her. He was wrong, and she was right. She was right about so many things. The icon belongs to you, as does that love. In fact the icon has always been about love. It started out representing my grandfather's love for my grandmother, and now, now it's a token of my love for you."
I noticed that her saber had picked up a slight wobble as I spoke, which served to bring it ever closer to my throat.
"Lumiya said you were free to choose. Well so am I. I have chosen to love you, if that love costs me my life, then so be it. Now, what do you choose?"