Star Wars The Old Republic: The Jedi Crusader

PROLOGUE - TYTHON - RADIENCE

"Daydreaming again, lil' sis?" Mara's face churned out a smile, though her eyes remained shut. Mervyn could feel the smile like a ray of light shining through a cloudy sky. He didn't move a muscle as he leaned in the doorway of the dark meditation chamber, his red hair and eyes both looking black in the dimmed light.

'What do you want, Mervyn?' She asked as she tried to maintain her composure, feeling his giddy expression carving a hole in her tranquillity and letting joy pour into her veins.

"Oh... nothing. Just seeing how my sister is doing." He jested as his gaze remained fixated on her closed red eyes, which remained hidden by her own long, red locks.

"You know better than to do that! We're Jedi remember! No attachments!" She got up and poked him in the chest as she goaded him.

"It's not attachment. It's... nature. Come on, let's go. This chamber is boring me as much as it is you."

'Where are we going, brother?'

"For some fresh air, silly!" He shouted back as he ran out into the Temple. Mara smiled as she got up and ran after him, leaving the meditation chamber behind.

She caught up to him as he began to grab a speeder. "Wait, how far are going?" Mara asked.

"Not too far, come on." Mervyn activated the bike and sped off into the blue sky. Mara wasted no time in joining him. She looked down on the bustling Jedi below, all at home and at peace in their ancestral residence. But they shouldn't be here. They should be on Coruscant in the true temple. But no, that Temple lay in ruins as the Sith roamed the galaxy unpunished for the crime against the light. Mara would make them pay, soon.

They touched down on a hillside, one that was rocky and barren of trees, unlike the rest of the luscious world. "Hey Mara, catch!" Mara heard from afar as a huge boulder flew her way. She quickly caught it with the force and launched it back in the direction it came from. It stopped not far from her as her brother emerged from the brow of the hill, levitating the boulder as he approached.

"Not bad, not bad lil' sis. You've gotten strong!" Mervyn teased.

"I'm on the council you goof! Jedi Battlemaster too, I'll have you find!"

"Who got there first, hm?"

"That's irrelevant."

"No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is. You're delusional, Mervyn."

"Is that jealousy I hear? It's very unbecoming of a Jedi..." Mervyn laughed as he looked up to see a large tree trunk flying at him.

"Catch big brother!" Mara shouted as she hurled it towards him. He casually dodged, only dipping his shoulder to do so with an unimpressed stare of sarcasm lining his cheeks.

"Now that's just immature. I'm gonna be the grown up here and explain to Master Satele that your lightsaber should be confiscated for a few days while you sit and think about the unethical implications of hurling a tree trunk at another Jedi, especially when their hands are full."

"Uh huh. Uh huh. Right. And I'll tell her how you lobbed a boulder at me while I was on a speeder and how that could cause serious damage to council property."

"And who do you think she's gonna believe, hm?" Mervyn teased like a child.

"Me, obviously." Mara retorted.

"Now who's delusional?"

"Oh, do me a favour..." Mara shook her head as she contained her laughter.

"After you do one for me, sure. Hold this real quick." Mervyn sent the boulder towards her sister once more as she caught it with the force, using her palm and wrist only in a sassy expression to mock her brother.

"Real mature for the older brother. You're like five seconds older than me but apparently five seconds slower too!'' Mara joked as her brother imitated her laughter before issuing a challenge.

"Well, if I'm so slow, race to the shrine of the ancient light? Three-two-one-go!" Mervyn sprinted off into the other direction as he left his sister in his dust. Mara could barely fathom a response as she spluttered through a series of incomplete words before throwing the boulder to him as she began to give chase.

Mervyn saw it coming as he ran and jumped through the blue and green countryside, throwing it back to her in an estranged game of catch infused with a footrace.

Mara leaped into the blue sky as she forced it back to him and dived to the ground below before sliding down a rocky hillside that Mervyn was just ahead on. He smirked as he began to spin it before throwing it back at her. Mara knew what he was trying to do, she wasn't letting him win this race because she had to slow down a spinning boulder. She ignited her blue blade and sliced through it in a gracious show of power before thrusting her momentum downwards and landing at the foot of the shrine; tapping her foot with her arms folded as small rocks fell from the sky, all the while she waited for her brother.

"Well done little sister! If only I didn't let you win, huh?" Mervyn shook it off as he took a seat in the shade next to his sister. "How ling's it been, huh?" He reclined in the sweet shade out of the warm Tython sun.

"How long's it been since what?" Mara quizzed as she joined him.

"Since we had a chance to relax, you know? Kick our feet back and spend some time together."

"It's been... a while, yeah. But the Empire is still out there – looming large in fact. And we're not there to oppose them."

"Try take your mind off it for a bit. I know you hate the treaty and that you were winning on your front, but the Jedi and Republic did this for a reason. Just, enjoy what peace we have, we've earned it."

"I'll try. But I can't shake the feeling that the Empire was there for the taking and we let them slip away. All those Republic lives lost for nothing."

"Not for nothing, lil' Sis. They died for what they believed in. They died knowing the Republic would honour their sacrifice and that we would make it count."

"And how are we doing that now?"

"Patience, Mara. We both know this is a fragile peace; the Jedi Battlemaster should take some time to strategize and devise a plan to counter the Empire when they return. I'm sure they'll use what strength we have left to great effect."

"Huh. Thanks, Merv. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Sister. No matter what they Jedi say, you'll always be my Sister in both blood and spirit. No code can ever take that from us."

"Sometimes you're not so awful..." Mara's sentiment was interrupted by her holocom bleeping. She begrudgingly answered it. "Yes, Master Satele?"

"There has been a riot on Belsavis, and the prison is in disarray. We cannot afford a situation like this getting out of hand. I need you both to get there and neutralise the situation quickly."

"Straight to the point, eh? Well then, consider it done." Mervyn replied confidently as he rose to his feet, eager to help out.