Left to his thoughts Kando pondered the words of Telnar Vrel and his father. Each had merit, but in his heart he knew which words truly spoke to him. He took the crystal used by Telnar Vrel out of the pouch on his belt. He studied it for what seemed an eternity. The red crystal reeked of raw power, but this one glowed with the true insight of the force. Finally, Kando made his decision and hoped that the force truly was with him; because he had a feeling he was going to need it. Kando removed the red crystal, and put the green crystal in its place. This time in addition to power he felt a peace, and an undeniable calm come over him. He felt as if were connected to every living thing in the universe; that each life had its own specific place and purpose, and that all things were connected in some way.
The next morning Kando Vrel met his father at the breakfast table. He carried the newly completed light saber in his hand. Kando's father was overjoyed.
"I am proud of you my son, the styling is classic and flawless. It is simple and utilitarian; a true Jedi weapon let me examine it."
"Father, there is something I must tell you."
"Not now my son, I must examine your work."
Lane Vrel took the weapon in his hand, and tested its balance.
"It seems a little off my son, as if something is amiss. I don't sense the power of the red crystal; perhaps you have aligned it improperly. I shall adjust it for you."
"No father wait, but it was too late. Kando Vrel's father had already opened the access panel, and much to his surprise he found the strange crystal in its place."
"What is the meaning of this, explain yourself immediately."
"That's what I was trying to tell you father, I did as you wished, as you have taught all these years. I placed the red crystal in the hilt. I activated it, and it was glorious. I have never felt such power."
"Then what happened? How have you come by this other crystal?"
"Last night I was visited by the spirit of Telnar Vrel. He tasked me with turning from the dark side, and embracing the light he…"
"Say no more, I was hoping this would not happen …"
"Father?"
"I told you of Vrel's story, but I did not tell you the whole truth. For generations Vrel has appeared to those ready to embark on their final steps towards the dark side, and implored them to turn back to the light. I remember his visit well. I was almost swayed, but the lure of the dark side was to strong and my will was too weak."
"Father you had a choice to follow Vrel's example, and you chose the dark side why?"
"Because it was easy, the power came too quickly, and it was too hard to live up to the legacy of a hero. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to live up to Telnar's great sacrifice."
"Father, Master Telnar told me that if I chose his path I would endure many hardships, but the greatest of them would be facing you in combat. Please father, tell me this is not so, do I have your blessing? Will you let me follow my own path, or will you force me to follow yours."
"I have taught you all that I know my son. I have instructed you in the ways of the dark side, but your destiny is your own."
Lane Vrel handed his son his light saber and embraced him.
"I love you my son, and in some way I admire your decision but the dark side respects only strength."
In a flash of movement Kando Vrel's father force pushed him across the room, and drew his own light saber.
"Defend yourself Kando."
The hush of the morning was shattered as the buzzing drones of two clashing light sabers came together.
"Father please don't do this I beg of you. I have had visions, terrible visions of you striking me down in anger."
"I am pleased my son, only one strong in the force could foresee their own death. I must do what I must, even if that means striking you down. Perhaps you will defeat me, and in doing so be brought to the dark side through anger."
Lane Vrel dove violently towards his son, slashing wildly trying to break through his son's defenses.
"You cannot defeat me my son, all that you know I have taught you. Cease this defiance before I am forced to kill you."
Kando deftly deflected his father's attack, he tried desperately to remain in a defensive stance but years of training and his family's history with the dark side called strongly to him. The force allowed him to see exploitable weaknesses in his father's technique. Any dark Jedi would use such a talent to his own benefit, but he could not. The dark side called out for Kando to strike his father down utterly, and without mercy; it took every ounce of his will not to give in to these feelings. The two men circled each other warily, again his father charged. The two blades clashed together once more, each man trying to impose his will on the other. For a moment they were at a stale mate, but Lane sent his son sprawling backward with a brutal kick. He pressed forward, saber raised high to take advantage of Kando's misfortune. Force guided reflexes kicked in as Kando raised his feet at the last moment, vaulting his father head over heels into the modest table and chairs they had shared every meal together for the last 16 years. Lane Vrel's light saber flew from his hand, and skittered across the room. Kando advanced pointing his saber at his father's chest
"Yield father, you are beaten.'
The older man began to laugh despite his precarious position.
"My son if I have taught nothing it is that a Jedi is most dangerous without his weapon, and far from beaten."
A clattering sound began to fill the room. Kando looked to see where the noise was coming from. Lane Vrel capitalized on the distraction, and raised an outstretched hand causing all the loose furniture in the room to rise off the floor. He curled his outstretched hand into a fist, and all the flotsam in the room converged on Kando. He was battered by cabinets, benches, table and chairs. He tried desperately to strike down the objects as the came at him, but he was soon overwhelmed and found himself trapped under a mountain of refuse. Lane stood up and stretched out his hand again, this time using the force to retrieve his wayward light saber from across the room.
"It would appear my son, that your vision was right. I will indeed strike you down, not out of anguish but with deep sorrow and regret. Destroying you will be a waste, but such things are unavoidable it seems."
Kando was beaten, but instead of despair he felt an undeniable calm and peace that made his soul glad. He could not help but laugh a hearty and deep laugh.
"It would appear you have gone mad with fear my son, but that will not save you; farewell my son, you will be missed."
Kando continued to laugh as Lane raised his saber to deliver the final blow
"I am not mad father, I have never been more sane. "
"Then why do you laugh, there is remotely nothing amusing about these circumstances."
"Oh yes there is father, I told you I had a vision of you striking me down."
"Yes what of it, do not try to delay the inevitable. I cannot spare your life now even if I wanted too."
"You do not understand father. I told you of the vision I saw, but I did not tell you of the vision Telnar Vrel showed to me."
"What do you mean speak, what did he show you?"
"He showed me defeating you father."
"Impossible you are beaten, accept your fate."
"No father I am not beaten and it is my fate to follow the light side of the force and restore the honor of our family name."
"Enough I will hear no more."
Lane Vrel struck his only child with a devastating bolt of force lightning. At first the pain was overwhelming to Kando, but he soon regained his resolve and was able to deflect the brunt of the blast. He concentrated on summoning the force to him. The debris that trapped him began to quiver at first. And then slowly began to rise. Kando remembered the boulder at the entrance to the crystal cave, and how his father had admonished him to envision the obstacle in his path as being removed. This time instead of a giant rock his father now blocked his path; both figuratively and literally. This man had ceased to become his father, but instead had become an obstacle blocking his goal. He had no choice he did as he was taught, and removed the obstacle from his path. He closed his eyes, and with a mighty wave of the force all the debris covering him flew off in every direction. At the same time his farther was hurled back against the far wall. Kando Vrel leapt across the room, igniting his light saber in the same motion. He landed deftly in front of his father, who was still pinned against the wall by the force. Slowly he raised the glowing blade to his father's exposed neck.
"Now it is you who will yield father."
"Do it strike me down, give in to the anger the pain that is the dark side; this is your last chance."
"No father I have beaten you, and there is no need for me to strike you down. I am grateful for you teachings father, and your love I will never forget either but I cannot follow your path ."
" Where will you go, what will you do."
"I do not know father my true destiny has not yet been revealed to me, but I will follow the example of Telnar Vrel. I will help those in need even if it cost me my own life.
" Then you truly are mad my son, or either you're a fool either way you don't understand. There are no Jedi left, the emperor destroyed them all, you will be a walking target he will destroy you. Our only chance was to use the dark side as a cloak as we worked our way close enough to strike at the Emperor, catching him completely unaware."
" I will be a Jedi father as Telnar Vrel was before me, and I will walk in the light."
" I do not agree with your decision you are still my son, and I wish you well. I am glad that I did not have to strike you down."
"As am I father, as am I."
The two men embraced, and the son no longer the student took one last look at his child hood home and walked toward the door.
"Wait my son, I have something for you before you go. I must tell you the truth about your mother. Even though your mother was not one with the force she was a fierce warrior in her own right. She was a smuggler, one of the best as you can imagine being a dark Jedi one comes across all sorts. We were on a cargo run to Coroscant,
and we ran into some pretty tough characters. Needless to say we got out of that scrape, but we fell in love in the process. Your mother changed once you were born, she wanted nothing to do with her old life. She made me get a real job and settle down. I became a merchant. We were still able to use some of our old contacts as suppliers, and we built a comfortable life. She wanted so much more for you. She prayed that the force would pass you over, but even as a young baby the force was strong with you. I made it clear to her my intentions of training you in the dark side. She wanted no part of it so she left. I couldn't stop her. I've lost all trace of her, she changed her id and created a whole new life, she's out there somewhere.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this father."
"It was too painful son; I didn't know what to do. I guess the Jedi council was right about emotional attachments after all. If I had never fallen in love with your mother I would never have ruined her life, and endured the pain of loosing her. But one good thing came out of all that pain my son, you… Anyway like I said your mother left everything of her old life behind, including her ship. The fastest blockade runner this side of the core. It's called the Perdition's Flame. It's been docked at the space port for years. I've maintained it as best I could hoping to give it to you on a day like this, but I guess things haven't gone quite as I planned them. She also left her blasters behind as well. She used to say all that Jedi magic took too long, and somebody was Just as dead if they got hit by a blaster or cut down by a light saber. One more thing my son, here are the garments of a Jedi, a dark Jedi, but I'm sure you can make use of them. These are the cloak and clothes I wore when I first met you mother. One more thing there is an astrotech droid on the Flame, be careful with that one he's quite surly as droids go but he's good in a fight and he always kept the flame running his name is Z90. I hope these small tokens will aide you in your destiny my son . Even though you have turned to the light side I must be true to my own nature. I will continue to thwart the emperor in my own, way even if I must do it alone. If perchance we are to meet in battle again my son, I will not hesitate to strike you down if I must and you must do the same for me.
"Father I couldn't. "
"Silence, that is the way of things, now go there is a whole galaxy waiting for you Kando go and embrace you destiny my son."
"Farwell father, may the force be with you."
"Farewell my son, and may the force be with you as well."
Kando Vrel left his father and his childhood behind as he made his way to the local space port in search of his destiny.