"We'll come out of hyperspace in 5." A jittery young Lieutenant spoke from across the bridge. The Republic cruiser Carvonite was speeding towards the Tatoo system as fast as was possible. The transit from Corusant was quick and almost haphazard. There were only 15 ships that had been dispatched to head off the Sith armies. Tyridac and Joran were the only Jedi that were close enough to render aid to the fleet.
Joran was still jittery about the vision he had seen right before they had left. It had disturbed him to the very core. Very few Jedi knew about the ability Korin and he shared; even less knew that his visions were so full and complete.
Joran reached a hand up and rested it on his chin. "Do you think we will be enough?" He regarded Tyridac with a sideward gaze.
"If we keep to our lines and don't break with them." Tyridac shifted nervously on his feet.
"Just sit back and exchange salvos then?"
"Maybe." The chances of the fleets just sitting back were few. The Sith fleet had already become known for up-close, voracious, fighting. If the Republic cruisers were to close with the Sith the outcome could only become bloody.
"You're right. They are gonna come fast and hard." Joran said, as if he was reading Tyridac body language.
"As long as we stick to our path, the force will be our guide."
Tyridac's statement flew hard and fast into Joran. He hadn't considered those simple words up until this point. An almost crystal clarity came to him as he stared at Tyridac. At that moment, Joran knew what his path was.
"Tyridac, come with me. Hurry!" Joran turned and began to walk out of the bridge.
"Wait, what?" Tyridac scrambled to catch up.
"Captain Zimmon. Tell us when we are in orbit and in holding position." The Captain nodded to Joran. Joran recognized that the Captain was a man of few words and even fewer mistakes. Out of all the leaders in the Republic, Joran was glad Zimmon was here on this day.
Joran and Tyridac made their way down to the hangar deck where the fighter pilots were gearing up for the fight that awaited them. As soon as they had an ample amount of room, Joran turned to face the young Jedi. He wasn't sure how to proceed but he was sure that he needed to teach Tyridac.
"What's up? What's going on?" Tyridac, once again, shifted nervously on his feet.
"Tyridac…I'm not really sure what to think about this or why I am teaching you this. I simply know I must." Joran slipped off his cloak and settled his shoulders. "There is something that only a few people know about Korin and I. You are going to enter the company of those few." Joran sighed. "I am a Jedi Seer. I have the ability to see events in the future."
Tyridac stood for a moment. The gravity of what Bender had told him was slowly sinking in. The Jedi Seers were a legendary breed of Jedi that could see isolated events in the future. They had begun the 100-year Jedi War and were responsible for the conclusion of that war. Leaders of all kind since the Jedi order begun had sought them out.
"I-I'm flattered, Joran. But why are you telling me this?" Tyridac sloughed off his cloak.
"That's a good question, friend. I'm not quite sure yet. I just know that I have to teach you this. I have to show you what I saw in my vision." Joran stepped forward so he was within reach of Tyridac. Without warning, he shot his hand up and touched Tyridac's chest lightly. The touch wasn't what startled him; the feeling of electric shock spreading through his body is what did it. Tyridac jumped back and would have fallen if he hadn't reached out with the force to steady himself. Still though, his legs melted beneath him and he slumped over. One image spread through his mind. It filled his senses and it was as if he was reliving a memory in every sense you could; almost as if his mind had gone back in time. He saw the first time Joran and him had met. It was a rainy afternoon in the temple garden and he could taste the sweet aroma of rain as it pounded the earth around him. He could feel Joran's presence in the force and could see the older Jedi with crystal clarity. The vision soon faded and he found himself sitting on the cold durasteel floor.
"What the hell was that?" Tyridac coughed out as his senses came back to him.
"That was my other power. A power you have too, but you don't know it yet. It is the power of Force Recall. Through it we are able to live memories almost like we were in them again. You simply remember the memories that you want to have recalled into the person and the force does the rest. Simple to those of us that have the power, ultimately complicated for those who don't."
"Yeah, I guess…" Tyridac ran a hand through his hair. His body was still jittery from the shock to his system and he wasn't sure what to make of the sudden reliving of a moment in time. It felt wholly alien yet, somehow, comfortable to him. Like an old friend returned after a long absence.
"Yes," Joran groaned as he helped Tyridac to his feet. "That was the first thing I am going to teach. The next…" Joran trailed off as he tried to think of what he was going to say next. He really wasn't sure why he needed to teach Tyridac this. Though, even then, he knew that was a lie.
"The next thing is this." Joran plucked his lightsaber from its shoulder-pouch and backed up a few steps. "Pay attention. Ataru is a hard form to learn. If you can pick this up you will be far better than I was at your age." He thumbed the silver blade to life to the gasps of those in the hanger deck that had never seen his lightsaber. Joran began to rotate his saber. First, he twirled it twice in front of his body. Then he reversed his grip and swung it behind him, taking great care to ensure the blade remained upright throughout the entire changeover. When it was behind his body he handed the saber off to his waiting hand. From there he brought the saber up with a quick slash from left to right. As it ended it's arc on the left side Joran bent his knees and pushed off the bulkhead, letting his swing carry him around to bring the saber on another slash. This one heading straight across the chest. He finished the revolution and spun the saber once more to get out the rest of the momentum that the slash produced. "There, now try it."
"Wha! Just like that. Right off the bat like that?"
"Yes, Tyridac! Hurry! We haven't much time."
Tyridac nodded and drew his saber out. The gold blade a stark contrast to the silver Joran owned. Trying as hard as he could to copy the movements Tyridac flew through the move Joran had just demonstrated. When it was done, Joran smiled. It wasn't the cleanest reproduction, but for a fencer completely unschooled in Ataru, it was pretty good.
"I know you Shii-cho kids don't think much of Ataru, but trust in that move. It has brought me lots of luck." Joran replaced his saber in its spot right below his shoulder.
"Why did you show me those things?" Tyridac asked as his saber hissed shut. "Why all of a sudden like this."
"I-I don't really know…"
"The hell you don't, Joran. You know full well Tell me!"
"Because…" Joran took a long pause. He didn't want to tell Tyridac this. He especially didn't want to tell him the second part. "Because you have to make a choice soon."
"What choice?"
That was the second part. "Tyridac." Joran looked up into Tyridac's eyes for what had to have been the second time in all of his acquaintance with the young Jedi. "You have to make the choice to kill your brother or not." Joran said it. Flat, simple, complete. That was the reason he had brought Tyridac here to show him these two things.
"I see." Tyridac looked down to the decking. He didn't want to believe that he had just heard Joran say this. He didn't want to believe that it was true. Though, deep down in his mind, he knew it was. He knew that choice would have to be made and when it came down to it, he would make it. For better or for worse.
"Master Bender?" Joran's comm unit crackled to life. Zimmon's soft voice coming through to pierce the noise of the launch bay.
"Go ahead."
"We just received a message from the planet's surface. It's a set of coordinates and two words." Captain Zimmon sounded utterly perplexed.
Joran looked to Tyridac. "What? We're over the Dune Sea. Who could be out there to send the message?" The question wasn't really directed towards anyone.
Zimmon decided to answer. "I have no idea, Master Jedi. The two words are simple: For Mom."
Silence fell over the two Jedi. Tyridac eyes falling back to the durasteel. His limbs started to shake and his stomach was already queasy. All at once he started to feel a new resolve. A new purpose took over his body and he knew. "Joran…I have to…"
"I know." Joran reached out a hand and placed it on Tyridac's shoulder. "Captain Zimmon."
"Go ahead."
"Can you spare any fighters to get down to the surface?" Joran removed his hand and picked up Tyridac's cloak.
"All of our fighters are taken and prepping for launch. I can spare an escape-pod, however."
"That will work." Tyridac spoke now. "Can you program in the coordinates for me?" Tyridac accepted the cloak and threw it around his shoulders.
"Can do. Pod number: 2283. Good luck." A sharp click told Joran and Tyridac that Zimmon had other things to deal with and was done with the two Jedi.
Tyridac looked over to the Fencer and offered a weak smile. "I will not run from my destiny. I will not shy away from it and cower. I will do what I can."
"Then that is all you will need to do, young one." Joran extended his hand for a shake. "May the force be with you."
"With the both of us." Tyridac shook. Like it was the last time he ever would.
The ride down to the surface of Tatooine was quick. Though it felt like an eternity to Tyridac. He sat cramped in the escape-pod's dark interior. The only light was the orange glow that came in when the pod hit the thick atmosphere. Tyridac closed his eyes and concentrated on the task he was walking into. It was strange; he had never wanted to disregard his responsibility. He often relished the fact that he had a purpose and a lot in life. However, sitting in the pod as he sped towards the surface to meet his Sith brother, he wished he could shuck this task. He wished he could pass the torch to someone with a little more expertise and a lot more determination than what he had at the moment.
Tyridac smiled as he realized that he had been gripping his saber to the point that his knuckles were white and his fingers throbbed. This is it. He thought. This is how it is going to happen. Either he will listen or he will fight me. Tyridac's grin grew larger. And a fight I can win.
The pods warning light came on a few seconds before the pod impacted on the dusty surface of Tatooine. Tyridac stood and blew the hatch off of the small craft and squinted as dust instantly blasted into the pod. It was as if the sand was eager to get into a place where it already wasn't. Tyridac coughed. If he had to fight his brother, he was glad it was here. At least here no one would remember if he passed away into obscurity.
As Tyridac emerged from the pod he caught a glimpse of a man standing on a dune 20 meters away. Though the wind was blowing he could still hear his brother's unique voice as he stepped out onto the sand.
"You came!" Ithica shouted. "I didn't expect you would."
"What can I say? A Jedi can't turn down a summon." Tyridac began walking towards his brother. When he was within 14 meters he slowed and finally just stood his gaze intent on his sibling.
"So this is it, huh? This will be the battle that will determine the fate of the galaxy?" Ithica bellowed out a laugh. "It's just like drama, isn't it?"
Tyridac nodded.
"Except there are no over the top Rhodians to play our parts. No, Tyridac." Ithica narrowed his eyes. "We are the performers of this holo-drama. We are the ones that will shape the future of this galaxy. You and I, brother." Ithica smiled. "Classic! Good versus evil." His gaze narrowed again. "Which part will you play, brother?"
Tyridac smiled at his brother. A trite expression, though he knew Ithica would shrug it off. "I will play the only part I know, brother." Tyridac called his saber from his belt to his hand. The silver and black rod settling into his grip like an old friend's hand. Much like his brother's hand used to. Without flourish, without anything but cold determination, Tyridac thumbed the blade to life. The golden energy spilled out of the emitter and extended to its full meter length. Tyridac did nothing fancy with the blade, just lowered it to his side, extending it out to his right. Shii-cho one, he smiled to himself, don't get too fancy.
Ithica smiled. His brother had sure gotten bold in his absence. He called out his saber to his hands and grinned like a Kath Hound as he extended the blue blade. Their sabers didn't give off any ambiance in the glaring day of Tatooine, they simply looked menacing.
Without warning, Ithica took off at his brother. The sand flying up as his feet pounded towards the man who used to be family. Tyridac did likewise. He didn't move as fast as his brother, he simply made his own pace. Tyridac brought his saber in a sweeping arc to meet his brother's wild slash. They parried sabers and stepped back for a moment. Tyridac let a smile creep onto his face as he went back to it. He swung high and Ithica blocked high. He swung low and Ithica returned the favor. They were equally matched. Tyridac had an advantage though.
Blocking a strike aimed at his midsection, Tyridac leaped back. He let the force flow through his legs and propel him back through the dusty air. Ithica followed suit and Tyridac knew he had him. They met sabers in the air and when they hit the sand, Tyridac made his move. He parried a strike to the head and reached out with his left hand and grasped his brother by the tunic. Planting a foot firmly in his brother's stomach, Tyridac flipped over and flung his brother into the dune behind him. Ithica sputtered as he vaulted back to his feet. Tyridac was on him in an instant.
Tyridac swung his saber left then right. Each strike slammed Ithica's saber to the side and he forced his strikes harder. His last one connected and Tyridac rotated his wrist. The simple flick of the wrist would spin Ithica's saber from his hand and Tyridac would be the victor. It seemed almost too easy. Tyridac smiled.
But his smile quickly evaporated as Ithica simply spun with his saber to keep his hand on it. The Jedi Twin whirled through the air and landed on his feet. He reared back and slammed his saber into Tyridac's. In his mind, Tyridac began to panic. Ithica and Tyridac exchanged a flurry of blows as the Guardian Twin retreated. His panic quickly building.
Ithica advanced as he swung his saber in and out. Each strike eroding Tyridac's confidence and giving the Sith an edge. Ithica spun to the left, trailing his saber slightly behind. As he expected, Tyridac was already there with the repost. Making light contact, Ithica leapt into the air and cartwheeled over. As he landed he cracked the butt his saber against Tyridac's shoulder. A sharp pain threw him off balance as he realized Tyridac had planted his saber butt back into Ithica's shin. The two Jedi backed off from one another.
"HA! Isn't this great? A glorious fight for all that is holy and all that is evil. You and I. It's exciting brother!" Ithica rotated his saber lazily. Each pass nicked the sand and caused it to form into glass within an instant. Tyridac stood stalwart and gazed at his brother.
"I wish I could say that I was thrilled. I wish I could share your excitement. Something in me doesn't want to celebrate. Sorry." Tyridac dropped into a low stance.
"Fine then." Ithica surged forward and whipped his saber up. In its wake, tiny particles of newly formed glass flung against the inside of Tyridac's leg. He shrugged away the burn and focused his mind on blocking Ithica's slashes. They came low and then high. They varied in intensity, some hard some soft. Tyridac tried to discern a pattern to the strikes. He tried to see the overall scheme behind the way Ithica fought.
Suddenly, he found it. Each time Tyridac made a connection with Ithica's saber, he would change his next strike accordingly. If Tyridac riposted hard, Ithica would counter soft and build up to his next strike. If he riposted soft, Ithica would continue his drive in. Tyridac smiled, he had him.
As Ithica spun and connected, Tyridac rotated his saber and caught Ithica off guard. Ithica couldn't rotate with his saber fast enough and Tyridac soon spun him off balance. It wasn't until he was halfway through the second rotation did Tyridac realize what he was in. With a simple spin he would be in the Ataru kill zone.
Tyridac made that simple spin. As he spun he brought the saber down and flung aside Ithica's saber. He was now completely open. Tyridac saw Ithica's lightsaber skitter from his hands. On the second spin Tyridac stopped short. He disengaged the saber and stared at his brother.
"I'm not going to do this." Tyridac tossed his saber into the sand. "I can't hurt you. You're my brother. That means more than any of this." Tyridac turned and looked into the sky. "Up above us people are going to die. Down here we need to work with each other. We need to help the galaxy. Not-" Tyridac turned to face his brother.
It was strange, the blow that Ithica delivered to him. Tyridac had never been punched in the face. He had been hit accidentally, before. This blow, however, couldn't possibly compare. The shear violence of Ithica's blow is what Tyridac felt the most. The second thing he felt was the blood.
The soft cartilage of his nose gave way under the pressure Ithica's fist exerted on his face. Blood poured out and sloshed over his lips, the coppery taste turning his stomach. Ithica brought his fist away as Tyridac fell to his knees.
A kick was what Tyridac felt next. Ithica's foot slammed into his ribs and Tyridac was sure he could hear some ribs pop. Unable to contain the pain, Tyridac screamed. His voice cut a sharp note in the silent desert.
Another kick, this time delivered with the knee, slammed into Tyridac's chest. What little air Tyridac had in his lungs now exited in a violent gush. Before he could slump over Ithica reached out and caught hold of his hair. Ithica lifted Tyridac by the lock that he held him by.
"HA! Did you really think that a little speech would stop me? I've fought too hard for that my friend." Ithica lifted Tyridac until his knees were barely touching the sand. Ithica could feel the force pouring through his body and the force sapping out of his brother. "You and the rest of your Jedi friends don't understand what real struggle is."
Another kick flew out into Tyridac's stomach as he tried to draw in a breath. As his body jostled Tyridac could feel his scalp start to rip. Panic was now pouring over his nerves and his mind frantically searched for a way out.
"I will show you what struggle is." Ithica raised his hand and drew his saber from the dust. The silver shaft flew into his hand and ignited. Tyridac raised his hand to shield his face. "You think you can fight against me?" Ithica raised the saber and slammed the butt down onto his brother's fingers. He could feel and see the finger bones buckle and break at the blow. Tyridac screamed again.
"You can't fight against me, brother. No one can!" Ithica slammed his saber butt again into his brother's hand. This time, he was sure he could hear bones break.
Tyridac's body slumped as his ruined hand fell from to his side. Tyridac could now feel a small trickle of blood running from his scalp. It poured over his forehead and ran through his eyes. The pain was unreal in the sense that Tyridac couldn't believe that it was happening. He couldn't understand why Ithica was trying to kill him. Why he was trying to do this. To the order, to the galaxy, to his own brother. It stabbed harder than any saber could.
Ithica smiled. "I will make this great for you." Ithica raised his saber back. With a quick flick of his wrist, he touched the saber to his chest. The acrid smell of burnt flesh radiated off of the burn he inflicted on his brother. Tyridac's body spasmed, he could no longer bring himself to scream.
Ithica raised the saber again and slammed it into his brother's leg. The saber started to burn through the flesh and Ithica wrenched it out before it cut into the bone. Tyridac's legs collapsed and the tear in his scalp widened. He could taste the blood that came from his head.
Ithica raised his arm again. "Yes, this is the end for you, Jedi."
"You're going to…" Tyridac choked out through the blood.
"What?"
"Y-You're really going to kill me, aren't you?" Tyridac's heart began to sink.
Ithica chuckled. "Good bye, brother."
"You're not my brother." Tyridac spat. He struggled his hands up from his side. The pain in his hand shot through his arm but he fought through it. Tyridac looked up through the blood into Ithica's eyes. The thing that now stood before him. It wasn't Ithica. It wasn't anything that Tyridac had ever seen. Now, he understood what Joran had told him. The choice that, at the time, seemed so unclear now became crystal. Tyridac fought his hands up to his brother's chest. "You're not my brother."
Ithica now laughed aloud. The laughter cut into Tyridac's very soul. "Why, whatever do you mean?"
Tyridac could feel the force welling within him. "This is my brother." Tyridac felt all of the memories he had of Ithica flow through his mind. He could see every single thing they did together. He could see the kind eyes his brother always wore, eyes that were dead now. The memories poured out of his fingers and slammed into his brother. Every single bit of force power he could muster was pouring from his fingers. The memory, the force, the imprint of what his brother was, flowed back into him.
Ithica screamed as he felt the force power hit him. He didn't know what it was or how he could fight it. The white-hot pain blotted out all of his senses and he didn't notice his saber fall from his grip. Memories flashed through his eyes and showed him everything he was, everything he should have been. The presence in his mind shrank away and Ithica flew back through the air.
Tyridac fell onto his side, the pain in his body already subsiding. He felt tired and probably looked even worse. Tyridac just wanted to close his eyes and let sleep take him. He didn't want to think about what had happened just then. He just wanted to be removed from it. When he poured the memories into his brother he could feel a presence; just a touch of something that wasn't his brother. Tyridac wasn't sure whether or not his brother was still alive, he wasn't even sure if he was alive.
Tyridac rolled over onto his stomach and looked at his hand. His fingers were contorted at weird angles and it throbbed with pain. Tyridac took in a breath as he reached up with his other hand. Taking hold of his middle finger he winced. It hurt just to touch it. Tyridac, using everything he could muster, pulled the finger back into place. The pain was so intense his vision went white and he could taste blood again. Tyridac repeated the process again and again until his hand was back in shape. Tyridac slumped over into the sand and lay there for a moment. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He wasn't even sure where his brother was.
Reaching out with the force he soon found his brother. He was lying in the sand some 10 meters away. Gathering his senses about him, Tyridac started to crawl. The sand made the going tough, but Tyridac fought through it. Soon, he could see his brother through the haze of pain in his mind. As he neared he could see that his brother was weeping. Thin lines of tears ran from his eyes. Tyridac drew even nearer and could feel his brother try to shy away from him. Tyridac pulled himself into a sitting position and looked at his brother.
"I'm sorry." Ithica sobbed out. His voice croaked as he spoke. "He was too powerful."
"It's ok." Tyridac slipped his hand under Ithica's head. "I know. It's over now." Tyridac drew his brother near to him and Ithica broke down. Great sobs poured out from him as he fell against his brother.
There, in the sand of a planet far away from where Tyridac and Ithica were from, they held each other. There were no klaxons this time. No loud alarms to break them apart. Tyridac held his brother as tight as his broken body would allow. He didn't want to leave this place. He never wanted to be anywhere but with his brother. His brother who was again his brother.
Ithica shifted away and looked into Tyridac's eyes. "What happens now?"
Tyridac looked into his brother's eyes and pondered the question. He wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't even sure if he would live past his injuries. Looking into the sky, Tyridac spoke. "Now…the war begins."
Ithica let his eyes travel upward and take in the scene that was unfolding in the upper atmosphere of Tatooine. The two fleets, Sith and Republic, met in the sky above the twins, the first salvos of a new war already flying.