Crash Into You
"Master," the voice called out to him, scared and lonely. "Master," the voice repeated.
"Ungh…"
"Master, come on, wake up!"
"Ungh…"
"Master Ravenmoon, wake up this instant!"
"Fine, fine," he replied, hearing the panic and desperation in her little voice. "Just give me a minute."
"No, Master," she replied, "you must wake up now. They're coming after me!"
"Who is?"
"Them!"
His eyes snapped wide open—
--to reveal that he was cushioned by large airbags that prevented his bones from becoming a fine paste.
Dante groaned as he felt for his lightsaber in order to remove the cushioning. No such luck. The cushioning prevented his hands from reaching his lightsaber. His coat even wrapped itself around him, making the task all the more difficult. He looked around and closed his eyes, reaching out with near-like tendrils of the Force, searching for that mechanism that would remove the cushioning.
All he felt was a computer system that was beyond all repair. He groaned and felt his rage growing within him, as he realized that his lungs were slowly becoming constricted with air. He let out a low snarl, as he continued to shove the cushioning away.
He began to feel even more confined as the airbags continued to cover his body.
He tried to control his breathing, calling on his training, to relax and to find that balance point where he could control everything and be far removed from the currents of the world around him.
Breathe, Dante, he assured himself. Steady deep breaths, concentrate on that lush green grove—the trees, the flying lilac blossoms, the scent of her skin, the taste of her lips…release yourself.
Within moments, he was unconscious again.
"Dante," a voice called out to him. This time, the voice was older—and different: so much more teasing than he had previously remembered. But he knew he had tried to bury that voice with all the alcohol and taking only the most daring missions fit for a contingent of Jedi.
In the end, he knew that he would never escape the guilt—her voice would carry on and entrap him when he had nowhere else to turn to.
"Dante," she called out, "wake up, my Love. You need to live, for the galaxy, for Rena, for me."
"I thought I buried you," he said, surprised at the echo of his own voice—as well as the bitterness—, as it carried beyond the darkness. Not even he could see where he was—or what he was even doing there in the first place.
"You've never lost me—I am with you forever. You need to live—I know these past few years have been difficult."
"Difficult is hardly what I would call it," he scoffed, feeling a warm, damp sensation coarse down his face.
"It was—it is nonetheless, am I not right?"
"Rin," he began, "how can I ever hope to go on?"
"You've found her—she is a guiding light, taking you back to who you are."
"Rena?"
"Yes, and soon she will need you—far more than you can possibly imagine."
He shuddered under the cryptic tone of that. "What do you mean?"
"The crossroads—Dante, she will face death or life. You will be the one who chooses whether she lives or dies. If you live now, you can carry on and give her what she needs to fulfill her destiny."
"I won't lose her," he replied adamantly and defiantly. He felt the urge to protect the one who had pulled him from his dark hole, who had become the daughter he never had. "I refuse to lose her," he declared, his voice becoming stronger and powerful.
"Then awaken, lest this bubble consumes you." The voice seemed amused, if not teasing. This was hardly the person his darling Rin would have been. But he knew that this sweet melodic voice was not his Rin's, but his inner demon—continuing to urge him to live so he could continue to endure her death. The death he could have prevented had he not stop then and there.
"I will rise, and I will become stronger than you," he said, steeling himself for that pain that always came; first in his palms, then his joints, and finally his heart.
"Then know that you have the chance to save her, the same chance you had to save me."
He groaned as that pain and realization continued to bore through him—almost as if he had been pierced with the mandibles of the vicious acklay. He would never forgive himself for the loss of Rin, but he knew he would do everything in his power to protect Rena—she was one of the last living pieces of who he was.
He closed his eyes as he felt every part of him tense. He replayed her death every moment he closed his eyes, and that pain would forever continue to haunt him. He felt the flow of warmth wrap itself around him as it suddenly became frigid cold, tightening its grip on his heart, his throat and his body. Cringing, he let out a soul-piercing scream as he opened his eyes—
--to witness the popping of the cushions around him and the shattering of the control systems, as the pod's hatch was torn out of its place, sending a whoosh of cool air his way.
Dante crawled out, and landed on the dusty ground, covering his black clothing in the golden dirt as he lay there, gasping for precious air and retching on the ground. After a few moments, he rose and looked around, witnessing dilapidated homes, and few patches of green lush grass, and palm trees that seemed to sway in the gentle breeze.
He looked high into the sky and squinted his eyes, while one hand reached over his forehead, covering most of the light from his eyes, as they slowly grew used to the bright illumination. "Where am I?"
White puffs of clouds flew softly throughout the blue sky, as he lowered his gaze and looked around. Nothing lived on this planet. He could only feel death—but within that death, there was a beacon of life. Somewhere nearby, there was a person—alive and strong in the Force.
He ran his hands down across his body to check for any scratches or wounds, and was relieved to find none. He checked his forearms for his bracers and was content to see they were still serviceable, along with his lightsaber.
After he salvaged what he could from the pod, he began his way towards where the Force told him this presence was. He found it odd that though the planet was full of death, this vibrant presence seemed to thrive—and it even appeared to guide him towards it. He could even feel the traces of the Dark Side in the presence, but the Light was far stronger.
He continued to make his way through the cropping of buildings, as he noticed behind him the pod became nothing but a speck on the horizon, dwarfed by buildings, but only found with the amount of grey smoke it shot forth into the air.
He looked around as he realized that the Force-beacon was close, but nowhere to be found. Whoever the person was, he or she was definitely not going to reveal themselves anytime soon. He sighed and shook his head at the thought of losing the Vaapad—a trustworthy ship to be sure—, only to be stuck on some nameless planet with no means of communication.
Communication! He reached into the folds of his coat and produced a semicircular object. He sighed. The holoprojector was destroyed. Well, guess I'll find out who is at the other end of that Force-beacon, he reasoned.
Just as he made one more step, he was sent flying back and crashed into a wall of a dusty building. Air exploded from his lungs and he felt the Force presence—much stronger than before—come piercing towards him. He ducked just in time to hear the snap-hiss of the lightsaber as it smashed into the wall, where his head had been but a few moments earlier.
He opened his eyes and on instinct, sent the violet-clad figure flying back with a gesture from his outstretched hand. He rose and saw the figure of a woman clad in violet, with a golden embroidered veil. She's Miraluka, he thought as he realized her double-edged lightsaber was crimson. Could be a Dark Side apprentice, he reasoned, as he brandished his sapphire lightsaber.
The blue blade thrummed to life, only to flicker once, then twice and die out. He let out a weak groan, "just when I need it the most."
The Miraluka began to rise and Dante knew he was running out of options.
He quickly holstered his blade and brandished another hilt—this one was bronze and had a bulbous base. He smiled as he ignited the blade, revealing a silvery-green shaft of energy. It was the lightsaber of his former Master, Alec Ness.
She rose and thrust out with one end of her blade, only to be met with the viridian blade. Acting on instinct and training, she spun about, bringing the other end of the blade to cut through the man's neck.
Dante angled his blade over his body to deflect the slash, as he gathered the Force around himself to kick out at her, sending her back.
She leapt back and landed on her feet as she brought her blades to slash at the man before her, slashing at both of his shoulders, then his legs, only to be met with the same viridian blade.
He had to admire her skill—she was very calm while they both continued the dance, as she struck and he deflected.
She spun her blade in a clockwise fashion as she bore it down onto him.
He continued to block and he strafed back as her blade cut into the ground where he once stood. Seizing the moment before him, Dante thrust out with his lightsaber, only to let it be guided around with her crimson saber. You're mine, he thought as he sliced the lightsaber in half, destroying the power cell, causing both ends to flicker out.
If this caused her to seem defenceless, then he was sorely mistaken. She dropped both ends of her lightsaber as she angled her body and kicked out at him, her foot slamming against his chest.
She just doesn't quit! He deactivated the blade and landed on his feet, crouched slightly. He rose as she flew high into the air towards him. He rotated away from her extended foot and he slammed the butt of his lightsaber into her face, sending her veil flying away.
She grunted as she landed on the ground. She tried to rise, only to stop as a snap-hiss of a lightsaber convinced her otherwise. She could feel the energy of the viridian blade inches from her throat.
"Who are you?" He asked, reaching out with the Force as the veil came into his extended hand, while the other pointed the blade expertly towards her throat.
"I sense the Dark Side within you," she said.
"As I sense it within you," he replied.
"But you're no Dark Jedi," they both said at the same time.
He deactivated his blade and clipped the weapon to his belt as he helped her up, handing her the veil. He paid no mind to her eyeless sockets, as he knew that was the case with the Miraluka. He remembered his former friend, Lon Vorik, who had given up his life on board the Inferno during the Jedi Civil War. Lon was Miraluka, and he had been responsible for the destruction of the Sith warship, when they had searched for the holocron that led them to the path of the Unifying Force.
She adjusted it to her liking and then she turned back to face the Jedi, only to ask, "who are you?"
"I'm Dante Ravenmoon, a Jedi Knight." He introduced. After a moment, he asked, "who are you?"
After a moment, she bowed. "My apologies, I am Visas Marr."
Author's Note: Thanks to a helpful hint--someone corrected a mistake and this has been updated. I had this written a while back, and it's been some time since I've played KOTOR II. That's something I'm going to rectify in a little while.
