Star Wars Shadows

Ch 11 The Dark Side

"How do you know who I am...?" Luke inquired.

"My master is aware of all Jedi in the order... Especially those who fought at Geonosis. Your name is Luke Den. You were brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant at a young age, along with your sister... Ashley wasn't it? You seem to have a great amount of attraction towards that other Jedi Knight... Jade Venn. You see, Luke, I know of what you've done, who trained you, and that you even engaged Grievous on Geonosis." Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Shrill, yet deep... She knew everything of Luke. She knew that he cared deeply for his sister... And for Jade. Luke needed to defeat her here and now, to protect the love of his life, but how? Darth Tyranus had informed her of everything... Would she know how he dueled as well?

"Your master? Dooku is your master?!" Luke demanded the pale woman for answers.

"Why... You're quite an intelligent Jedi..." the bald witch spoke with intensity, the sarcasm heavy in her voice. 

"Who are you?" Luke questioned, raising his lightsaber into a guarding position.

"My name is Asajj Ventress. I was sent here to kill you." The night-sister ignited her twin crimson sabers, the buzzing filling the air. There was a moment of silence. It was almost as if the duo were calculating exactly how they should proceed. 

Ventress shrieked, charging Luke at full speed. Their blades collided, Luke countering the blows to the best of his abilities, but Ventress continued to re-direct his strikes. The two locked blades, the blue and red becoming one, a bright white flash between them, indicating the power of the sabers.

***

"Commander Venn" Jade's comm echoed.

"Yes, Admiral?" she answered.

"We have lost communication with Commander Den."

"I'll see what I can do." Jade sat in her quarters, she meditated reaching out to the nearby space, searching for Luke. She thought to herself," Please be alive..."

***

"Luke, I love you..." her voice echoed through his mind as he fought the Dark Jedi. Luke needed to win... He couldn't fail Jade. He was on the defensive now, blocking and re-directing Ventress' blows. He was utilizing sequences from Soresu now, like Jedi Battlemaster Cin Drallig had taught him. Luke thought back on his lessons of Jar'kai dual-blade fencing... Back to the form's inherent weaknesses...

"Luke... Be strong. I believe in you..." Jade was reaching out to him now... Strength! Luke remembered his lessons now. 

"After I slaughter you, I'm going to kill your sister... And your precious little mate Jade!" Ventress laughed maniacally.

That had done it for Luke. He experienced something he never felt before... He felt fear, anger, and hatred all at once. The dark side of the force was making itself present and Luke was answering. His strength multiplied as his anger grew and he began to push Ventress back, one strike at a time. Luke switched to his preferred Djem So style, raining down strong power blows on Ventress. 

"Agghhhh!" She screeched, losing control of her saber . It fell to the ground with a thud, deactivating. Asajj struggled to hold up her defence to him. He was getting stronger as she weakened.

Luke battered her defenses, his anger and strength growing by the second. He landed a kick to her chest, sending Ventress flying across the room. She landed next to an escape pod, she cunderstood the nature of her situation. She could stay and possibly be killed... or she could make an escape and learn fro, this failure.

***

"Luke, please... hear me..." Jade pleaded now. She was scared. She truly loved him... The loss of him was frightening to her.

"Commander Venn, we need you in the hanger to brief the squadrons."

"I'm on my way Captain..." She stood and exited her quarters. A nightmare seemed to becoming reality.

***

"We will meet again, Jedi...." The Sith spoke harshly in her shrill voice. She forced her second crimson lightsaber into her grasp and launched her escape pod.

Luke deactivated his lightsaber. "I need to get out of here!" Several alarms were blaring now, the cruiser was being forced into the planets atmosphere. He raced towards the hanger.

When he arrived at the hanger, the gunship was primed. The clones had all survived. "Karn, order the pilot to take us back."

"Yes commander" Karn answered as Luke stepped aboard. The gunship doors closed and left, as the cruiser entered the atmosphere, burning up.

The gunship returned to the Republic Venator, Luke was relieved.