AN: This is a teaser for later story of mine. Any chapters posted here are previews and as such have not been proofread very well and are subject to be changed at my whim or not even used at all in the official release of the story.

Enjoy!

This would take place sometime near the middle of the story. The next preview chapter is for chapter 1 and then 2 after that. If you would prefer to read the previews in order, you can skip to that one and come back to this one later.

This one can be read independent of the others though as I already know I am going to be making changes to this when it gets to that point in the story.

Crossroads

"No, it can't be. No one can hide such darkness. Somehow, you've turned him mad," she accused angrily.

"Jaesa, I only exposed what has been lurking inside him all along," answered Serenity Teluxbri.

"Is that what you call what you've been doing? You killed Master Yonlach. You… you killed my parents," she said quietly.

That was the shot that hit me right in my heart. I stood off to the side, glad the shadows were hiding my face, because I don't think I could take the look Serenity would be giving me if she saw me right now.

'Is what I'm doing right?'

I've had that thought almost everyday since I arrived here. Who was I to play God? I mean I was a nobody, nothing special, and now I might be one of the most powerful and dangerous individuals in this galaxy. Not because of my martial prowess or anything, but because of my knowledge of events.

I had the future knowledge of all the major events in the galaxy in my mind. At first, I admit, the thought enticed me. Knowing what was going to happen, knowing I could change the future if I so desired. I failed to realize how much of a burden I would have to carry though.

I tuned Jaesa and my master's conversation out, as I focused and tried to meditate. I needed to lock down my mind, make sure Serenity didn't pick up any of my thoughts I had. That was easier said than done though when thousands of different voices were screaming in your head about what to do.

'It's not our place to decide who lives or dies. Let the future play out as it would,' one would say.

'Every time someone dies somewhere that you could have saved, that blood is on your hand,' another would scream out.

Flashes of burning planets, people screaming out in horror, and death… so much death, flashed through my mind.

'Uphrades might still be alive if you had done something!'

I closed my eyes to try and keep from falling apart at all the accusations. Accusations? Who was I kidding, everything they said was true. I could sit here and try to pretend that what happened to Uphrades wasn't my fault. That it was Darth Angral's, and in a way that might have been true. But knowing what I know, I could have done something to stop it. 16 million people dead, and that was on me.

I thought of this as just a game, and maybe it is. Maybe it's just not the game I'm thinking of. Maybe the game has been about me this entire time, and I've just been a puppet all along. A doll whose strings are controlled by those infinitely greater than me. Those who I can't see, those who I would never even know are controlling me, but they are. But I couldn't think like that. If I did, I might spiral into madness, more then I already have.

Jaesa's voice broke me from my thoughts.

"Do not… taunt me, Sith… I will not be played with!"

Jaesa was fidgety. I could tell she was agitated and close to losing it. Her mind was in a precarious state right now. After all this was the time where the light sided Jaesa would either triumph or die and make way for a new Jaesa Willsaam.

I looked at my master. Serenity earned her name at this very moment. Her face was the epitome of calm and collected. Even as she played a masterful game of chess to cause the fall of Jaesa, one where one mistake could spell doom for everything, you'd never be able to tell if she was worried.

My heart ached as my mind and heart battled once more against each other. I think it was safe to say that I was falling in love with her. Her midnight black curls that framed her fair skinned face and ran down her back looked so beautiful. That was one thing I never understood about her. No matter what had just happened, no matter if it was an intense battle, or just relaxing on the couch, her hair always remained perfect.

"Neat little force trick I learned," she told me once, what felt like long ago now, with that characteristically smug grin.

I couldn't see them, but I was sure her eyes were glowing that gorgeous yellowish orange hue that they were.

"Then strike me down," responded Serenity.

"What?" asked Jaesa stunned.

"If the light side truly is stronger then strike me down and save your master. If you kill me, I give you my word that no one will attempt to stop you as you leave with Master Karr."

"More Sith lies I'm sure," she spat out.

"Her word is her bond. She won't betray you I promise," I said speaking up for the first time.

Serenity turned her head slightly my way and one of those glowing eyes pierced mine. She didn't say anything. Didn't give any indication if she approved or was upset at my interruption.

"And why should I trust anything you say?" Jaesa asked me.

"Use your power on me. See for yourself that I'm not lying to you."

Jaesa stared at me for a moment, likely pondering if this was another trap, but deciding she had nothing to lose, went for it.

I opened my mind to her, allowing her into my heart.

"I sense… light. There's a light in you that shine's brightly…" Jaesa said, a smile coming to her face that I'm sure she didn't even know she had. But then just as quickly as it came, it vanished, and was replaced with a frown.

"But I also sense… darkness. It's at war with the light inside of you. And you… you're terrified of it… no… You're terrified of yourself. I feel so much hatred, but not for others. For yourself," she said coming out of her meditative trance and looked at me strangely as she tried to figure me out.

Images of Uphrades flashed through my mind again and I wasn't able to stop them. Too late I realized though that I didn't have my defenses up and Serenity was staring right at me now. Her look broke my heart. It was one akin to worriment… and full of pity. But then her mask was put right back on in front of me and face was stoic once more.

She turned back to face Jaesa.

"As you can tell, my companion is honorable, as am I. Should you defeat me you are free to go."

As if remembering where she was all of a sudden, the anger returned to Jaesa's face.

"You will regret this Sith," she said as she took out her lightsaber and charged Serenity.

"Jaesa no!" cried out Noman Karr but he was ignored.

I stood by, providing no assistance. I had no doubt that Serenity could take care of Jaesa all by herself. And besides that, Jaesa needed to see that the dark side was stronger. That the dark side that flowed through Serenity was what allowed her to win, and not a numerical advantage. Especially not when her ally wasn't really a Sith.

My master took her time with Jaesa. Letting her exhaust herself. She could have finished this quickly but that wasn't what this fight was about. She needed this display of dominance to be the last straw. The one that would break Jaesa's will as she realized just how powerless she truly was against the dark side.

Eventually after Jaesa had begun to tire herself out, Serenity went to finish the fight. She deflected an attack with her primary saber, then used her secondary one to bash Jaesa in the gut with the hilt. Jaesa bent over at the blow, and while she was winded, Serenity knocked her dualsaber out of her hand.

She raised one of her lightsabers above, poised to strike her down. Jaesa looked up as Serenity brought the lightsaber down and closed her eyes. But the killing blow never came. Serenity stopped her blade half a foot above Jaesa's head and then deactivated the lightsaber and returned it to her belt.

"I don't understand," said Jaesa as she fell to one knee, hand held up to her gut. "He told me that the light side was stronger. That it was why I could see through the façade of the dark. But you… you're clearly stronger."

"You just haven't completed your training yet. When you have fully communed with the light side of the Force, no Sith will be your match!" said Noman Karr.

Serenity walked over to Jaesa and stretched out a hand to help her.

"The Dark side is a powerful tool." Serenity looked sideways towards Noman Karr then back to Jaesa and stretched out a hand.

"Join me," she said gently. "I could teach you all about the dark side of the Force. You would never have to feel weak again."

Her eyes darted my way for a second before they returned to looking at Jaesa.

"You would have the strength to protect those you care for."

"Yes… please," Jaesa said with upturned eyes. "I want that, all of that."

Jaesa reached out her hand and grabbed Serenity's.

"Then I welcome you to the dark side, my apprentice."

"Thank you, Master. I've only just begun to taste the dark side but already I can feel it's power. Let it be known that from this day forth, me and my special power are here to serve you. To see through the deceptions of your rivals and enemies."

"Thank you Jaesa," Serenity said kindly.

"No, thank you Master. What now Master?"

"Now you have your first test. Jaesa Willsam, you're first duty as my newly minted apprentice is to strike down your old Master."

"As you will it my Master," she said with a bow.

And here came the part I always thought was weird in the game. Jaesa's fall always seemed really quick to me. Knowing what was coming though, and having the time to think about it, that wasn't what bothered me about it though. I was always just bothered by the fact that after Jaesa falls she truly becomes one of those psychotic Sith who just are evil to be evil.

I could have stopped her fall. I could have kept her in the light, but I didn't. I'm sure I could have convinced Serenity to listen to me if I had truly tried. I could have saved her parents, but I didn't because I was content to let things play out how they were going to.

The only thing that got me were nightmares and the deaths of 16 million people on my head... maybe more. So many times, I had a choice, and almost every time I chose to do nothing, but this time felt different. This time it felt like this would be my last choice. If I decided to stay the course here, then I would never be able to change anything in the future.

That's what I had wanted all along was it not? To merely let canon play out. To ensure I didn't screw up the timeline. But what good was knowing everything that would happen if I didn't use that knowledge to make things better? How was I any better than the worst Sith?

Huh… Valkorion, hadn't thought about him. If we keep the course eventually Serenity was either going to end up dealing with him or she would go missing when the Eternal Empire rolled around. Probably end up dead.

That thought terrified me more then it should. She was just a character in a video game. All of these people were. None of them were real, yet in the time I had been trapped here they had felt so real to me. So many little moments you don't see in the game. So many things that reminded me of real people.

So why did that thought scare me so much? I knew. I knew why but I didn't want to admit the truth. To admit that these people were real to me. That even if this world might have just been a part of a fictional universe once upon a time, that it was real to me now. It was my home, she was my family, and as much as it pained me to say it… I loved her.

I wish I could I say that the start of what would eventually change everything for me happened because I was a hero. I chose what I chose because of inherently selfish reasons. I wish I could say that I had an epiphany and never wanted another Uphrades to occur, which in itself was true. I never wanted anything like Uphrades to ever happen again. But I moved to stop Jaesa because I was thinking about Vette, thinking about Serenity. Thinking about the people I cared for more then anything.

I grabbed Jaesa's hand just as she began to bring it down to kill her former Master.

She turned to look at me and I saw her eyes were already yellow. Little specs of brown remained but for the most part they had turned.

"What are you doing?" she snarled out at me.

I grew a soft look on my face.

"I'm doing what I should have been doing all along. Making things better."

I released my grip on her hand but kept her focused on me.

"This isn't you Jaesa, you're not some heartless monster. You don't need to be completely evil to follow the dark side. You can find a balance. You can still be the kind girl that I know is in there and have the power to protect what's important to you. It doesn't have to be a one or the other kind of thing."

I had her full focus and could see her eyes flickering between yellow and brown as she wavered. She began to tremble as tears sprang from her eyes.

"There is so much more to you then just light or dark. No matter which you choose, that doesn't have to affect who you are inside. No matter what happens, you'll be with us, I promise. You can just be you," I said softly.

"Everyone keeps telling me to be something different, somebody different. I don't even know who I am anymore," she cried.

I heard her deactivate her lightsaber as it tumbled to the ground. I wrapped my arms around her, and she reciprocated as she cried into my soldier.

"I know, I know," I cooed. "But I'm going to help you find her, I promise you that. You don't have to do this alone."

She nodded into my shoulder as she continued to cry. I spared a glance towards Serenity who hadn't moved to intervene. She just stood there, arms crossed, staring at the two of us. Her face was unreadable, devoid of any expression.

I could see Noman Karr moving to speak but then he shut up as an invisible hand wrapped around his throat.

I looked back to Serenity but she still had her arms crossed, giving no indication she was choking him to keep him quiet while I held Jaesa. I gave her a thankful smile, but her face didn't change. She was scary sometimes, but that's what made her... her.

Jaesa held close to me for a couple minutes before she pulled herself together and removed herself from shoulder. She gave me a smile as she pulled away, but I could tell it was faked.

She bent down and picked up her lightsaber. She examined it for a second, before igniting it. She spun it around in her hand before bringing it down in one fell swoop to decapitate Noman Karr.

The head rolled along the floor until it hit my foot and stopped. I was in shock, and not because of the head laying on my foot. While that was disgusting, hanging around with a Sith Warrior makes it so you see a lot of bloodshed.

No, I was in shock because if Jaesa killed her master then that means I failed. I couldn't stop her, and she's gone down the dark Jaesa route. Even worse, this means the timeline hasn't changed, and if my feeling was correct then I've just screwed myself from ever being able to change anything in this timeline.

My shock and worry were replaced with confusion however when Jaesa turned back towards me. She held a smile on her face as she looked at me, and I genuinely couldn't tell if it was fake or real. What confused me though were her eyes. Her eyes seemed to have been broken up into diagonal streaks of brown and gold, intertwining.

Upon seeing the look of shock and confusion on my face, Jaesa tilted her head cutely to the side, with the smile still on her face, and raised her eyebrows, non-verbally asking me what was wrong.

I looked between the body of Noman Karr and her, and then looked down at the head at my feet before looking back up to her.

"Why?" was all I managed to ask.

"Because master ordered it," she said like that would answer all my questions.

When she saw I wasn't satisfied with that answer she elaborated.

"Before you stopped me all I wanted to do was to strike him down. To make him suffer, to relish in his pain, as I pleased my master. After all the lies I was told by him and the Jedi he deserved that and much more."

She clenched her fists and I saw the yellow in her eyes begin bleeding over into the brown sections. She stopped for a second and took a breath though and the yellow receded back to where it started from.

"But you had me stop and think. And I realized how much anger I was holding in me when I went to strike him down and I didn't like it. As much as I hated him, there were some good times. It wasn't all bad. I realized that while I did want him to die, I didn't want him to suffer. He deserved at least that much."

She closed the little distance between us and wrapped her arms around me in another quick hug.

"So, thank you," she said as she stepped back.

"Ahem," came the voice of Serenity as she fake cleared her throat.

Jaesa and I startled a bit as we had forgotten she was there. We both turned towards her and Jaesa spoke first.

"Master please forgive me," she said with a bow. "I know I hesitated, but I assure you I am loyal and dedicated to you. You've helped free me from the shackles the Jedi once burdened me with. I will always be grateful for that, so please don't throw me away. Please allow me to be useful to you."

"Jaesa, you did well. Go wait outside, I wish to have a chat with him in private."

While the words she spoke weren't all that bad, the tone she conveyed them in did have me worrying for my life.

"Master I," she began to say but then thought the better of it. "Yes, my master."

Jaesa rose and made her way to the exit. Halfway there though she stopped and turned to look at me, with a worried look in her eye.

I gave as best a reassuring smile as I could at this moment to tell her everything would be alright. I don't know if she believed me or not, but she turned away and walked down and out the corridor.

Turning back around Serenity was right in my face now and she didn't look happy. Her arms were crossed, and she was tapping her foot impatiently.

"What was that?" she demanded.

I tried my best to meet her eyes but her presence at this moment was overwhelming. It felt like a dark cloud was washing over me. It felt strange though. It wasn't trying to harm or even scare me. It felt like the presence was attempting to, comfort me I might dare say, but simply didn't know how.

"Look I'm sorry that I interrupted you're plan with Jaesa, but her mind was fragile. Hell, you shattered it near the end. If I hadn't done what I'd done, then we'd be dealing with a very different Jaesa right now. Trust me on this one."

"If you wanted someone loyal to you, you didn't have to steal my new apprentice to get it."

Now I was really confused. Even though she said that she didn't look all that upset.

"I would have happily found you a slave that we could have broken together," she said.

"Wait what? What are you talking about?"

Serenity rolled her eyes and looked at me like I was stupid.

"Jaesa, my dear apprentice. Do try to keep up. When I shattered her mind, I was going to help rebuild her and ensure her loyalty to me. Instead, you had to swoop in and play the hero. Now she'll dedicate her life to you, probably over mine."

She didn't look too upset when she said that last part.

"I will admit though that your way seems to be better. My way very likely would have left some, if not a lot of, psychological scars on her mind. Anyways that's not what I was talking about.

"I'm talking about the part where you had that "vision"," she said with air quotes. "You know the one of Uphrades burning. Except the strange thing was that it didn't feel like a vision. It felt more like a memory than anything to me. How could that be though, because you were with me when Darth Angral attacked Uphrades, remember?

"Cause I do. I remember you reaching for your head in pain as it happened. I remember you telling me you just had a vision that Uphrades was burning. I remember asking you to let me in your mind so I could help you with what you saw and you refusing. I remember being so worried about you when you got that forlorn look in your eyes afterwards.

"And now when Jaesa used her power on you, you relieved that "vision" except this time you forgot to shore up your mental defenses before it happened, and I saw it. I know what a vision is, it's how I found you after all," she said poking me in the chest. "That was no vision. I'd be remiss if I didn't say it reminded me more of a memory then anything. No more lies, no more secrets. You are going to tell me the truth, now!"

She stepped up right into my face. Our faces were mere inches apart as we looked into each other's eyes.

Although I may have been presenting a cool façade outside, inside I was panicking though. What could I say to her? What could I possibly tell her to make sense of all of this?

How could I tell her that I'm from another universe? One in the future, and one where everything she has ever known is fake. How could I say that nothing here might be real? That she might not be real. I couldn't. I don't know what that would do to her, and I refused to find out.

This is my secret. This is what I will take to the grave to protect her… them. But as I stared into her eyes, I saw past the anger she showed on the surface. I saw the fear she held in them. And that's when it hit me. She wasn't angry. She was worried about me, about us, and what was happening between us.

When I found out we were bonded I was happy about it, until I found out the toll it was going to take on me. Bonds, like relationships, are built on trust. And every time you break that trust you chip away at the bond. And right now, I hadn't just chipped away at the bond, I had smashed it with a pickaxe, full force.

This moment was the deciding factor, the one that would determine our bond. I stood at a crossroads, on the precipice of ruin. The only problem was that no road had any signifier as to which led where. I had to choose, and it would either be my damnation or my salvation.

So, I did what I had been forced to do since coming here.

I made a choice.

AN: Hello everybody. If you don't know me, I'm the Magician. If you're coming from my other story, then welcome back.

I had this idea for a little bit, and it wouldn't leave my mind, so I just knew I had to sit down and write something about it.

Crossroads is an OC/SI fic. The OC is not based on myself, but just a person who has played SWTOR. He doesn't know everything, but he does remember a lot of the story beats for the game.

This was a teaser/preview? Maybe? I wanted to get this out there and see your guys' opinions on the story. When I was writing this, I noticed that I took a darker approach then what you normally see in my other story, RotEA, and I honestly like it for that.

To give some more information on this story it would be a darker fic, as we see with what happened with Jaesa and her mind. My OC Sith Warrior here Serenity is a grey Sith but who leans more on the dark side I'd say. But there is a lot more to her then simply being a Sith. Like my favorite Sith in the game, Lana Beniko, I want to showcase her having both a light and dark side.

Her appearance is taken pretty much straight from Retale's Onixa. If you just look up SWTOR Retale Onixa you can find images of what she looks like if you want a visual.

The pairings for this fic are still kinda up in the air. My plan was OC/Sith Warrior (Serenity)/Jaesa/Vette/Ashara. My only problem is that seems like a lot of characters and the more characters you have, the more you need to differentiate them and make them unique. I'm thinking about maybe removing one of them, but I don't know. I'm definitely not adding any more to the pairing though, that I will confirm.

I want to make this clear though that this teaser was just because of the inspiration I had. My priority is RotEA and this fic, if I do decide to ever do a second story, will only be worked on after RotEA is finished. So don't worry about updates getting slowed down on that.

That's it from me. Please let me know if you liked this teaser and it is something you would be interested in reading about in the future. Or let me know why you didn't like it and what turned you off from it. This will be published under Teen but the actual book might be rated M for more mature themes present throughout the novel. (I have since switched the rating to M)

There won't be any explicit sex scenes though.

Until the next time,

Magician

P.S. Before I decided on the name Crossroads, my temporary title was Quis Ego Sum Ludere Deum? which is latin for Who am I to play God?