Guardians of Light

Beginning of the End

Clarke was taken aback by the appearance of the holocron, the very same artefact that had first brought the Jedi and smuggler together on Hoth had almost been forgotten from all those months ago. She had once attempted to smuggle it onto the Jedi's ship in the hopes of finding a profiting market for it on Coruscant where she could then buy her way off the planet and into a new life. Instead it had been returned to the Jedi temple for safe keeping and Clarke had started a new journey with the Jedi and her crew. 

She had never forgotten the dark power contained within its deceivingly magnificent appearance, the ebbing and flowing patterns of light shifting as if to capture the minds of all that laid eyes upon it. 

Lexa had yet to respond to her brothers question, silently attempting to foresee how this would all end. 

'What are you planning Kaan? What is the point all this?'

She gestured to the various individuals within the room. If his fight was with her then why bother to involve so many seemingly unnecessary people. 

'As I said earlier, I want you to join me Lexa. Together we will be magnificent, and this,' he explained, carefully setting the holocron down on an empty surface, 'is the key to everything.'

He appeared annoyingly smug at his own self-proclaimed ingenious, almost giddy with anticipation of finally enacting his long-awaited plan. 

'Vorras Jahibakti, the Hutt leader that you're pathetic Republic spy somehow infiltrated, successfully delivered it to me, not for a low price I might add. As for these deplorable guests,' he continued, casting a scathing eye over the three smugglers, 'I thought this whole event might be more entertaining with their presence.'

Fresh disgust lurched through the Jedi at just how vile her brother had become. This was not the innocent boy that she had once known and loved. A boy that was fading fast from her memory. 

'Which finally brings me to your blonde associate,' he added, slowly turning to gaze at her curiously, as if she were some experiment that he was eager to solve. 'The connection between you is undeniable, but whether she will help or hinder my plans has yet to be seen. I have kept her alive on many an occasion, not that I receive any gratitude for it.'

A coil of hot anger began to burn within the Jedi's chest, an anger that disappointed her, but yet felt satisfying at the same time. She wanted nothing more than to draw her sabre and cut down this vile man, but she held her composure.

'You expect me to willingly use that holocron for whatever twisted idea you might have? You'll die before that happens.'

A smile twitched at Kaan's lips as he enjoyed the clear distaste that lingered in his sisters gaze. Wonderful, she would need that anger, the bitterness, it was all key to his success. 

'Incorrect,' he stated simply, as if correcting a child. 'They will die before that happens.'

Clarke's eyes widened and she looked over to her old friends, innocent people in this context who had done nothing to find themselves entangled in this mess. They seemed to be thinking a similar thing, wondering how their bad luck could bring them to this abhorrent nightmare. 

Kaan felt the sudden shift in the room and it only fed into his dark smile. The bold courage of the prisoners was slowly being clouded by doubt, a speck of fear here and there as the realisation of their dire fate settled over them.

It only served to heighten his feverish anticipation as he made his way towards the kneeling prisoners, looking down over them like a harbinger of doom. 

'Perhaps I will kill them whilst your friend watches. Make them beg for their lives without hope of their prayers being answered, with the knowledge that you will be helpless to save them. Their false beliefs in your power will be crushed along their lives.'