Mos Espa

Darth Strife:

The sith started forward as Adonias took off. He strode away from their ship, sliding easily through the crowd outside the docking area. Those on the street during the daylight hours seemed to sense something dangerous was about to occur and melted away into various shops and homes. Within moments, he had traveled close to where the 'Star Runner' was docked and he quickly took everything in. Crystal was just coming down the ramp of the ship, Adonias flying down to confront a child on the ship's roof, the suns hot heat; everything seemed to freeze as he locked eyes with Crystal. Her eyes widened, brilliant blue ringed with yellow. Anger seemed to flash within them which surprised him but the feeling was far away. Anger was his own companion and nothing would change his course. He drew his lightsaber while continuing onwards, only ten yards away. The red blade cast a glare on his face, illuminating the yellow in his own eyes. "We have you now, traitor!" Strife half yelled, half snarled the words at the girl before him.

Crystal:

She was shocked to come face to face with her old master as she exited the ship. How had she not sensed him closing in? She thought she would have so much more time. A calm descended on her, the force was with her and would not fail her. Unlike her old master. Without even realizing she had moved, she drew her own lightsaber, the color of the blade almost matching her eyes. She slowly advance and stepped onto the hard baked ground, leaving the ship behind. The sun was in her eyes but she didn't need her sight. She felt the anger well up in her, righteous indignation. She would destroy her master. There was no other recourse but to kill him and ascend to take his place as sith. "Your delusions are noted, Strife." She left off his title on purpose, knowing it would irritate him. "If anyone was the traitor, it was you. You abandoned me. Now I will make sure you pay for that." She rushed at him, screaming in fury.

Darth Strife:

Crystal's words still echoed in the air as she rushed at him. For a moment his concentration had faltered, distracted by her disrespect and then her anger at him. His mind quickly snapped back into focus and he brought up his saber to meet hers. For a moment, they snarled at each other, lightsabers locked and only a few inches separating their straining forms. Then Crystal spun and bounced off him, headed to the left, looking for an opening. He fell into Ataru style almost at the same moment that Crystal did and he smirked. They had trained together nearly every day for more than a decade, since she could wield a lightsaber. They knew each other intricately but it had been years since they'd sparred. It only took a split second or a moment's distraction for a battle to be decided. He danced and spun with Crystal, matching her in speed and ferocity. Coming together to clash, then spinning away to draw on the force further and work around the dusty arena. The clouds they kicked up threatened to choke them, the fine dirt covering everything quickly until their robes were brown. After mere minutes, they drew apart and stood panting, staring at each other. He quickly shrugged his cloak off, knowing he had seconds. He was covered in sweat but as he watched Crystal's labored breaths he knew she was reaching the end of her stamina. Wherever she had been for the last few years, she hadn't trained properly. He frowned at his distraction, almost missing Crystal's next move.

Crystal:

The entire time she engaged with her former master, Crystal raged at him in her mind. Her focus was completely on the battle but there was a quiet childlike voice in the back of her mind that screamed at the man for leaving her, for not caring. She knew she'd never understand it. He had never been warm to her, nor had he been kind. But his presence was constant and she had known he would always protect her. So why hadn't he come after her?

It only took a minute for her to realize she was again outmatched. As they paused to catch their breath for a second, Crystal heard Eimhin shout from the ship. She looked up in his direction and shock stiffened her entire body. What the...? She watched as Adonias jumped from the fighter. Was this a ghost? She quickly processed what Eimhin had shouted. Adonias was alive, and helping Strife? More pain than she realized she could feel, coursed through her body. Her heart felt as if it was tearing in two. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her again as she remembered the moment she had left him behind to the mercy of Strife. Apparently Strife had chosen to be merciful, something he had never been before. Guilt, anger, fear, rage all threatened to choke her. She knew Strife had replaced her, as surely as she knew herself. She had two adversaries today and a child to protect.

She looked at Adonias, "Why?" She wasn't sure what she was trying to convey with her words or even what she was asking. Even as she spoke, she snapped up her right hand and threw a force push at Strife to knock him off balance and give her more time to process everything.

Darth Strife:

The force push from Crystal caught him off guard and though he was able to slow his speed, he was thrown back against the ship behind him. Hitting the ship with a solid thud, he winced. She had been practicing since they'd last met and surprisingly she had improved quickly. He straightened and shrugged off the pain. Instead of rushing forward, back into the fray though, he hesitated. Adonias had stepped up and he wanted to see what his new apprentice could do against his old apprentice.

Crystal:

She'd had a second to catch her breath between the force push keeping Strife at bay and Adonias taking his time with engaging her. She felt refreshed and when Adonias charged her, her muscles moved of their own accord bringing her arms up, the lightsaber with them, and keeping his lightsaber from cleaving her in half. As she blocked his blade, standing there straining, she still felt stiffened by shock. How could he blame her for what had happened? "You told me to go! Told me to wait ten minutes and then leave!! Are you crazy?" She kicked off, whirling around his form, looking for an opening. "If you should be blaming anyone, it would be yourself! You were the arrogant child who thought he could protect a stranger, you practically begged me to use you!" She lashed out with a solid kick, trying to land a hit on his left knee. "Just like you are begging Strife to use you! He's not your father, you idiot!" She was practically frothing at this point, screaming as she lashed out at him with all the pain in her heart. He hadn't died, no, he had taken her place and was placing a claim on Strife as his father. There was no way they were related, she would know, wouldn't she?

Darth Strife:

The sith staggered as the weight of the child hit him unexpectedly.  He had been focused on the battle before him, the darkness surging within as he watched Adonias easily deal with Crystal.  He was shocked that this mysterious little one could have surprised him.  He brought up both hands and forced them between the boys arms and his own neck, prying the child off his neck while coughing a few times.  For a child, he was strong.  Strife spun around once the boy fell to the ground and lifted him up by his shirt, glaring at him.  He reignited his saber and held it to the boy's neck in warning.  "I'm sorry, were we not paying you enough attention?"  He spit the words sarcastically.  "Shut up and let the grownups work."

Crystal:

She knew she was losing control, her grasp on her awareness and the force itself wavered tenuously. She almost fell when Adonias attempted the leg sweep but staggered and kept moving, slashing, dancing, desperately keeping herself one step ahead of death. "For all I know, you were the one who kidnapped me in the first place! I'd never be jealous of you." Frustrated tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. "I did everything that was asked of me, since I was a little girl. I was beaten, electrocuted, starved, locked in chains. I endured it all. If I can put up with all of that, I can deal with you and your daddy trying to kill me." She used up the last bits of her energy and sent a bolt of lightning straight at Adonias, hoping to leave him writhing on the floor, needing to see it so very badly.  

Darth Strife:

He rolled his eyes at the child's antics. The boy reminded him of Crystal almost when he'd first encountered her. She had been full of spitfire and venom, ready to destroy the world if given the chance. Where had that child gone? He shook his head, pity almost filling him for a moment. She had lost her way. "I've had worse." He directed the words dryly at the child but his attention remained on the two sparring apprentices.

Crystal:

Her knees buckled and she fell to the dusty ground, desperately keeping up her lightning barrage as Adonias blocked it. "He tortured me because he's a sadistic man who thought pain would make me strong, would make me perfect. But I don't think he ever truly wanted me to succeed because then I would have killed him or left..." She trailed off bitterly. For a moment, her vision went dark and she feared she would pass out. But in the darkness, she caught a glimpse of her parents, standing tall with her brother. Strength and grace rolled off of them and they looked at her with so much love it flooded over her, almost overwhelming her with the intensity. Was this a vision from the force or simply a memory returned during stress? She didn't know but it filled her with the strength to slowly stagger to her feet and up the intensity of the force lightning as she stepped one foot, then two forward as she moved closer to Adonias.

Darth Strife:

The sith's attention was yanked away from the battling apprentices abruptly as his lightsaber switched off the force heaved violently. What attack was this? Before he could react, the little child's foot hit his stomach, knocking the wind from him. He doubled over, coughing, though he hardly felt the pain. Had the little brat just used the force? A sinister smile crossed his face and his cold eyes scanned the child while he recovered. Reaching over without hesitation, he used the butt of his lightsaber against the child's temple, aiming to knock him out and shut him up. He'd leave the child alive for now, he was just another way to control Adonias and potentially another apprentice down the road. "Good and bad are merely outdated terms from blind men." He spoke the words calmly, eager to turn his attention back to the fight.

Crystal:

Crystal advanced on Adonias, lightning still streaming from her hands. "He may have let me kill him but I could have never left. I signed up for power, not enslavement. I signed up to stop little children from losing their families like I did. I signed up to avenge my family! No one should have to cry alone in the dark, holding the body of their mother close, blood covering everything." The images welled up in her mind as the words flowed from her mouth. Her family. That was why she had looked for the nomad on Dathomir, the sith everyone feared. That was why she had submitted to so much pain. The present jerked her back from her memories as Adonias screamed. Crystal looked at him in horror. She hadn't wanted this, she refused to be this. Power was worth nothing without justice and humanity. She abruptly let go of her control on the force and the lightning stopped. She ran to Adonias' body and knelt beside him. Checking his pulse, she whispered softly to herself, "I hated myself every day for leaving you. You were right to hate me too."

Darth Strife:

He smiled as the child hit the ground, then turned back to the fight behind him. His eyes widened as he did so. Seeing Crystal crouching over Adonias' burned body stunned him. Had she really shown compassion? He wasn't sure how to take her actions. On one hand, he absolutely detested her for straying so far from his teaching. On the other hand, a bit of him was proud. He ignored that tiny piece of his heart that thrummed with pride and used the force to pick up a rock and flung it at her head while she was distracted. Fool. He rolled his eyes and bent to the child at his feet, picking him up he slung him over his shoulders and started back the way he had come from, time to secure the prisoners.

Crystal:

The shaky pulse that greeted her searching fingers, filled her with hope. She could see Adonias was hurt badly but he should be okay if she could get him healed quickly enough. Her thoughts ended with a sharp pain to the side of her head as the rock flung by Strife connected. Without even realizing it, her body fell sideways and darkness overcame her.

She was floating, alone. She knew she was hurt, she was unconscious. But her dream form refused to believe that logic and was terrified of the lack of light. Crystal's body twitched slightly, tormented by only she knew what.

Darth Strife:

The sith paused at Adonias' words and looked over his shoulder at him. "I'm cleaning up this mess obviously. Get up and help carry the girl to my ship. There's a reason I have a cell built on there. Secure your ship while you are at it." He continued walking even as the words left his mouth. He didn't take note of his apprentice's injuries. The boy would heal. Or he would die. That was the way of the sith. Only the strong deserved power.

Once he reached the ship just down the still empty street, he strode onboard and dropped the unconscious boy in the cell, not caring where he landed. Supposedly this boy was related to Adonias? He stared down at the little child. His soft cheeks and still small frame did not seem all that impressive. But he'd connected to the force. And the violence he was capable of... Strife smiled. Now how to turn this child?

Crystal:

Still trapped in the darkness, she thought she heard the force whisper to her that it was with her. But that wasn't right, was it? The force couldn't speak. She was confused and didn't know up from down in the darkness. But the kindness behind the words soothed her and she faded until she was blessedly unconscious.

Darth Strife:

The sith moved aside as Adonias entered 'Shade' with Crystal over his shoulders. He watched how carefully Adonias set her down, his previous wrath seemingly forgotten now that he was reunited with the girl. He would need to watch those two. They shared a bond that seemed stronger than simply having met a week ago. His mind turned over their connection like a dog worrying a bone but all he said was, "You have done well, my apprentice. Truly, I have chosen the strongest warrior." He let the words hang in the air while accepting the relic. Looking it over carefully, he noticed the design and felt the whispers of ghosts from long ago. This was old. Very old. He carefully translated the sith language while absently rubbing at bit of the scuffed relic with his sleeve. The relic seemed familiar but before he could figure it out, it lit up with an odd red glow. With a loud whoosh and a grinding click, the whole cargo area of the ship seemed to shake. Strife shielded his face for a second and when he lowered his arm, he just blinked in astonishment.