Darth Tyrant: Fallen Peace

The Rise

Astrie walked in to see Mail drop the former Jedi Ewok on the floor. Astrie's eyes teared up. His throat chocked out one word. "Wh-wh-why?" Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Mail stared at him in confusion, her smile twisting into doubt. "For us, I did it for us. After all these years we can finally be free, free of the chains. We can run away together, live in joy and happiness away from all of this. Hades has shown me the future. In it you joined me, but there was no other way."

Astrie felt the air leave his stomach as it twisted and turned. "We? What do you mean we? You killed them all, brutally murdered our friends, our family. We grew up together, and you betrayed them."

Mail's face dropped even more. "You don't know? I made it so obvious: the constant teasing, always listening, always being there when you needed someone. I was there for you when no one else was. Astrie..." Tears started flowing from Mail's eyes. "Astrie... I-I-I Love you." Mail reached out her trembling had as she put her lightsaber away. "Please, come with me. They refused me the right of feelings, feelings I couldn't ignore. Darth Hades showed me the way, showed me the flaw in the Jedi order."

Astrie's eyes gleamed back with a cold glare. His tears freezing to his face as he asked another question. "So-so you're a Sith?"

Mail trembling, gazed back in confusion. "No, I have no title, and nor do I want one. I'm human, a normal being, it's not my fault I was cursed to wield powers, or that my parents abandoned me to the Jedi. But now I see, I see the flaws of both sides. Come with me please, we can live normal lives without the Jedi, Sith, Republic, Empire, even war. We can go, together into the unknown regions. We can be happy."

Astrie slowly reached out his hand, he too trembling. Mail started to walk towards him in a limping fashion, arm stretched out, as if a barrier that had formally been standing now turned into a gelatinous marsh. As their hands reached they crawled past each other's forearms till they reached the elbow. Gripping each other they slowly pulled to an embrace. Mail was hot to the touch where, Mail noticed, Astrie's skin was cool. Mail buried her face in his shoulder and neck. Tears dripped from her nose, mouth, and cheeks, onto his skin, freezing them as they rolled down his back, arm, and chest.

Astrie looked at Mail, pulling her away from the embrace. "Tell me... What happened when I was gone? Why did you do this? You and I could have just run away, you and me, you could have just told me."

Mail looked up as she dropped to her knees. "You wouldn't understand."

Astrie stared down at Mail. "No, let me finish."

Mail gazed intensely at Astrie. His voice drop had confused her. Recollecting himself his tears melted as he wiped them away. It wasn't until the sound of another lightsaber ignited that she knew what was happening. Flinging to life Mail's lightsaber was in her hands ready to block. As the green almost electric blade struck her now red lightsaber. Pivoting and adjusting her feet she slid her blade down that of the green one, slicing into the gut of her foe.

Astrie's body tensed as he watched the body of his former master drop to the ground, cooked intestines dripping out of the stomach. The only word Astrie could form was that of a drowned out "No," as Mail only had a split second to lip the sentence "I'm sorry."

Astrie, igniting his lightsaber lunged at Mail. With only fear gleaming in her eyes she moved her blade to block. Shuffling back she screamed tear full words, heard only by her. "I'm sorry. Please no, it wasn't supposed to be like this! Please, I'm sorry!"

Astrie lifted Corvex's lightsaber with the force. As the green blade ignited it flung twords Mail. As the red met with the green sparks flew.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. I swear."

Mail crawled back as emotion rushed from Astrie's face. Peace is a lie. The lightsaber controlled by the force went to peirce Mail's heart, only to be avoided by her rolling to the side.

Mail's face churned from sorrow to a psychotic grin. "If you kill me, you're no worse than what you swore to destroy. Once you go down that path there is no going back. You'll never be excepted by the council again."

Astrie's face grew cold as he grew complete. His face now covered by a mask of six cyrogems. One from the crease of his lip, two under his left eye, one branching from it's stump under his right, two upon his forehead, one over his right eye parallel with the brow, and the other striking down to his left ear only to be covered by hair.

The lightsaber flew into Astrie's hands. There is only passion. Astrie leapt into the air, only to be flung back by a blast of wind.

Mail screamed. "No, no, no! I can't die, I can't! If you won't be with me then you will die alone." Purple-blue lightning protruded from her left hand as Astrie dodged.

Through passion I gain strength. Astrie rolled out of the way, throwing both lightsabers in a spiraling arch. Mail leaped over one and blocked the other. Astrie had known her next move and was ready. As Mail lunged for a power strike Astrie thwacked her back with a pillar of ice.

"Your new fancy tricks can't save you now." Mail stabbed the ground as a wall of fire shot forth towards Astrie. The blue and red flames danced as Astrie's Jedi robes caught a blaze.

Through strength I gain power. Astrie dropped his burning brown robes. His basic combat suit reflected the bright flames, glowing from the heat. Emerging from the flames he shot a blast of force judgement. Blasting away Mail's lightsaber he sent a row of ice spikes.

Mail, doing the same with fire, filled the area with scalding steam. Reaching out with the force she grabbed every thousands of water droplets. She focused them on Astrie. Sending the stream of steam Astrie was forced to drop his sabers and force a barrier around himself.

Through power I gain victory. Astrie reached out, with all his might, to the force. Calling upon the darkness and the light he sent a blast of black lightning towards Mail. The searing flesh seemed to melt away, leaving behind what seemed as a mass of force energy and bones.

Through victory my chains are broken. Astrie reached out further, grasping the power of the planet. The black lightning started to melt the bone as Mail's spirit screamed in agony, until even that, seemed to be deforming and melting away.

The Force shall set me... Free.