The Dark Side

~9~

The laughing voices of her family echoed in Neri'el's memory before fading away. She blinked away tears that she hadn't realized she had been crying. A weight laid heavy on her heart as she tried to banish the memory of her father. She clutched the silver hilted weapon to her chest feeling more pain bubble up within her.

The loss of her parents was not an easy burden to bear. It followed her wherever she went. She saw them everywhere. Her mother's cocky grin in one of the new youngling boys. Her father's careful precision in the young padawan girl, Jempa.

Another tear slid down Neri'el's cheek and she didn't bother wiping it away. Let the tears come. Let the screams.

Screams.

Neri'el shot up in her bed. Those screams weren't coming from her. They were coming from outside. Immediately, she leapt from her bunk and flew out the door.

The yells echoed around the temple but as Neri'el got closer to the door they grew louder. She slammed the door wide open and felt a scream of her own crawl up her throat.

Blood and bodies littered the ground. The stench of burning flesh permeated the air, contaminating Neri'el's nostrils. Bile rose up her throat but she pressed it down within her. 

The planet was dark and rain pounded the desolate area. Stinging wind forced Neri'el back and sent rain into her eyes, hampering her vision. She stumbled forwards and her foot collided with something warm sending her flying forward. A cry of shock escaped her as she slammed into the ground, her feet lying on top of what she tripped over. Sitting up quickly, she stared down at the dark form. A bolt of lightning shot across the stormy skies, illuminating the corpse in front of her.

Neri'el's eyes widened and she let out a stifled cry at the sight.

One of the younglings lay still, staring up at the sky he could not see. A dark stain spread across his chest lead all the way up to his left eye. A blackened hole was all that remained of his eye, the rest burned away by the lightsaber that had been turned on him.

Darkness flooded the area again and Neri'el searched the area for the culprits of this horrible crime. Lightning flared up and she was able to see the field where she normally taught the apprentices. The field was scattered with bodies. Covered with dead, mutilated cadavers.

Another gasp left Neri'el's lips and she clapped a hand to her mouth.

The Dark Side of the Force surged through her and an overwhelming sense of hate flooded her system, nearly sending her to her knees. She stared through the haze of rain at the source of the power and felt her heart sink.

Scarlet sabers illuminated the darkness ahead of her. A small form stood in front of them shakily holding a purple lightsaber; obviously trying in vain to protect herself.

A red saber wielder snuck behind the girl and tried to take off her head. She rolled just in time but missed another of the villains aiming at her arm. A shrill scream of pain pierced the air and Neri'el felt her heart wrench. She recognized the voice.

Jempa.

The little girl who had comforted her when she had found out about the death of her parents. The little girl whom she had trained for the past four years. The little girl who had poured her heart and soul into the path to becoming a Jedi.

Jempa needed her help.

Instantly, Neri'el let the Light Side of the Force fill her. She leapt forwards, taking an inhuman leap towards the group. She landed in front of the wounded girl, her lightsaber hilt in hand.

The ruby wielding tormentors stepped back in surprise. They all wore dark clothing accompanied by black masks. Strong feelings towards the Dark Side practically rolled off them in waves as they stood back.

Neri'el glared at them and lifted her lightsaber. With a click, the emerald beam crackled to life, serving as a further warning for the murderers to stay back.

"Touch my apprentice again, and I skin every last one of you," Neri'el hissed in a deadly voice. She was beyond angry now. She was filled with an unquenchable fury. She wanted all of these horrible men to be lying in puddles of their own blood just like all of the padawans they had heartlessly murdered.

"Violence and Anger," a metallic voice began from behind her, "are not the Jedi Way, Neri'el."

Neri'el spun around to face the newcomer. He also had a crimson blade but his had a crosspiece at the handle. Tiny flickers of light escaped the corners of the handle giving the lightsaber an ancient sword design. The man was also dressed in black but he wore robes. Sith robes.

Neri'el's stomach began to churn as he stepped closer towards her. Jempa quivered beside her leg and Neri'el sent her a quick glance telling her mentally to run. Jempa shook her head quickly in reply.

"She's stubborn, Neri'el. She and you shall die tonight, along with every single filthy Jedi on this rock," the man spat through his mask.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Neri'el yelled brandishing her green saber at the man.

He chuckled and swung his saber to block her halfhearted attack.

"The Jedi way is dead. Those who follow it are weak," he hissed feinting forwards.

Neri'el jabbed her lightsaber towards the man's seemingly unprotected side but he beat her back with a flurry of yellow sparks.

"The weak ones are those too blinded by power!" Neri'el retorted fiercely.

"Do you remember Ben Solo?" the masked man asked suddenly whilst trying to jab his lightsaber into her ribs.

Neri'el parried easily and attempted a jab of her own. A pang shot through her at Ben's name.

'Is he here? Or is he dead too?'

Her eyes stung at the thought and she slammed her lightsaber into her opponents ruby one with a shower of sparks.

"He was pathetic. The weakling is indeed dead," the masked man snarled, "Just as you feared."

"NO!" Neri'el screamed pulling back and slamming her saber into the man's over and over. "NO! NO! NO! HE CAN'T BE! YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE-"

A shrill scream tore through the air and Neri'el was distracted from her battle. Turning around, her blonde hair whipping across her face, she saw Jempa fall to the ground, a scarlet saber protruding through her chest. The young girl's eyes, wide with fear and shock, found Neri'el's before emptying. Her lightsaber fell from her stiff fingers and clattered onto the cobblestone pathway.

"NO!" Neri'el yelled in anguish, "JEMP-"

A horrible slicing noise cut her off and Neri'el screamed. She hit the ground with a thud feeling sharp pain travel from her thigh upwards. She looked down and screamed again.

Half her left leg was gone. Everything an inch below her left knee was severed completely off.

She looked up at her attacker who knelt beside her. Her breaths came in sharp gasps as she began to hyperventilate from shock.

"And so the Master joins the Apprentice," the man hissed driving his saber into her stomach.

Excruciating pain spread like a wildfire through her system as the weapon tore through her. Everything became blurred partially from the pain and partially from the torrent of rain. Red tinged Neri'el's vision as the man pulled his weapon free from her body. Her screams were silenced when blessed unconsciousness took over.

THE END

AN-
So, uh...the end? JK HAHA GOT YOU! This ain't the end. I've got so much left to do! This is the turn though. The turn for the worse.