The Sith's Heir

Prologue 2 - Master Ellis

37 BBY

"Get Reign out of here!" Jedi Master Ellis shouted as she ignited her lightsaber, filling the small living room of her home with green light.

Outside the front door something was ramming into the wood, slowly splintering it at the sides, the integrity quickly deteriorating against the powerful onslaught.

"No!" behind Ellis, an Alderaanian man, holding a small child wrapped tightly in a bundle of blankets, shouted back, "I'm not leaving you, Aliana!"

"Braylen," Aliana looked back at her husband, her eyes full of tears, "please. Please leave. You have to keep Reign safe. Keep our daughter safe."

Braylen shook his head and tried to say something back, but his words were drowned out as the door split in half, falling to the floor with a loud crash. Framed in the doorway was a tall man in a black cloak. His silver hair shone slightly in the moonlight streaming in from behind his head. His evil eyes took a quick look around the room looking from Ellis to Eldar, before settling on the child, and a malicious grin graced his lips. He laughed darkly and from his cloak he produced a lightsaber with a curved handle, igniting the red blade.

"Dooku," Aliana snarled, "I will say this once. Leave!"

"I must say I'm surprised by this discovery, Master Ellis," Dooku said, his deep, rich voice bouncing off the walls of the tiny house, "When my master had told me of this child, I did not expect her be the daughter of a Jedi. How far you have fallen."

He took a step forward and Ellis took and involuntary step back, her saber leveled at Dooku's chest, who in turn was unconcerned, his posture relaxed.

"I don't care what your master wants," Aliana snarled, anger bubbling in her stomach, threatening to spill over, "You're going nowhere near my daughter."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Dooku said and thrust out his hand, lightning racing toward the Jedi.

Reacting quickly Aliana blocked the attack, the energy absorbing into her saber, causing the blade to briefly glow brighter, blinding her. Dooku took advantage and rushed forward, swinging his saber at Aliana's neck but she just managed to block the strike. Behind Aliana, Reign started to cry, her father desperately trying to comfort her as he watched his wife, fear etched across his face. Dooku and Ellis went back and forth, the energy from the two lightsabers throwing brilliant light across the walls, completely illuminating the room. Dooku swung his lightsaber in a wide arc and used the Force and pushed Aliana back, sending her stumbling in the wall and falling to the floor, dazed. Dooku turned and advanced on Braylen who had backed up all the way against the wall and pulled out his blaster.

"Stay back," he said, but Dooku didn't stop.

Braylen took a shot, which Dooku easily deflected, sending the bullet into the ceiling. Eldar fired shot after shot desperately trying to stop the Sith Lord's advance, but Dooku's saber blocked them all. Finally, Dooku sent one back at the Alderaanian, hitting the man in the torso, and sending him crashing to the floor, Reign still in his arms. The child wailed and cried in her father's arms as he pulled himself into a sitting position, the shot piercing his chest. Immediately blood began to flow, wetting the man's shirt and he knew that he wasn't walking away from this. A shadow fell across him, and Braylen looked up at Dooku standing over him, his face illuminated by the red of his saber.

"Give me the child," Dooku said calmly, "Give me the child and you can walk away."

Braylen could feel his strength fading, his life slowly ebbing away. His vision blurred and his tongue felt heavy in his mouth, but he managed to open his lips.

"I would die first," he gasped.

"Well," Dooku said calmly, "if that is what you want."

Braylen saw a flash of red, heard a bloodcurdling, unearthly scream, and felt a sharp searing pain, burning like fire against his skin, before everything went black.

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Aliana had never felt such rage. With her head still spinning and her body trembling she pushed herself off the floor, lightsaber in hand and rushed at the Sith Lord. He turned just in time to block the strike aimed at his head, a sickening look of tranquility on his face, as if taking her husband's life was nothing. Dooku stepped back but Aliana went for him again and again, not giving the Count a chance to breathe. She was blinded by anger, not thinking, only feeling, just using her fury to raise her lightsaber over and over in an attempt to cut this man down. Dooku finally managed to push Aliana back and to her surprise he threw back his head and laughed. It was a horrible laugh of pure delight.

"It seems that even a Jedi Master such as yourself can fall from grace." Aliana stopped in shock at his words. "How does it feel to finally use all that anger and all that pain instead of pushing it down. Use it. Let it fill you, let it fuel you." Dooku lowered his lightsaber and stood in front of Ellis with his hands slightly out at his sides. "Use that anger and strike me down," he jeered, "Do it and show me what the Jedi have become!"

Aliana looked at him, panting, her sword raised, ready to kill this man in anger. Then she looked over at her daughter sobbing next to her dead father, her face scrunched up and tears flowing down her cheeks, her eyes red. Aliana lowered her saber and looked back at Dooku.

"I am a Jedi," she said, "I will not be pulled to the dark side."

Dooku's smirk turned into a snarl, "Then you will die."

He raised his lightsaber, but Aliana threw out both her hands and sent Dooku crashing into the opposite wall, sending him across the room.

Running to her daughter and putting her saber on her belt, Aliana picked up Reign, cradling her in her arms.

"Shh," she soothed, "Shh, it's all right. Mother's got you. I've got you." Aliana gave one last look at her husband, tears stinging her eyes, before turning and running through the ruined doorway and into the night.

Looking behind her Aliana saw Dooku standing still in the doorway, his face hidden in shadow, but Aliana swore that she could see him smile. A small whisper reached her ears that chilled her to the bone.

            "She will never be safe."