Knights of the Old Republic: Awakening | A Star Wars Reylo Story

Chapter 18

Blood rushes to Freya's ears. Causing all the surrounding sounds to muffle. The pressure builds in her head allowing her to hear the racing of her heart. The Force tightens in with an aggressive squeeze around her body and his. Pulling them closer as their sabers clash.

Across the rocky terrain, they spar in what from afar looks like a graceful dance. A red and blue light dances together in an artful motion --- both sides vying for domination over the other. No matter what offensive swing Freya makes against him the two are equally matched.

In the distance, the chaos of battle rages at the citadel. Ballistic fire unleashed from both sides causes destructive damage against its target. Both sides are locked in a heavy exchange of chaos.

Suddenly Freya feels it. The atmosphere of Tython begins darkening as heavy clouds form out of thin air. Inside, Freya can feel the momentum growing --- a Force storm. Instability is surging on Tython. The clashing between Sith and Jedi forces throws the planet out of balance with the Force.

***

"What is this!" Arcan's mind screams.

Looking up at the sky a small shiver of fear graces over his dark mind. Locking blades with her allows him to position her directly in front of him. Pushing against her blade he inches closer to her face. The glow of the lightsabers illuminate her beautiful face. How he would give anything to graze his fingertips over her cheeks.  Staring into her eyes, he feels their bond start to chip away at his dark heart. He feels something he has never felt before --- relief. Arcan is shaken from the comforting warmth it brings.

Through the exchange, he notices that her eyes begin staring back at him with a familiar intensity. The dark side of the Force is consuming her --- he can feel it. The realization that this storm is not from the military forces but them.

Their bond is shifting. Light and dark exchange between them. It's as if the power shared between them is entwining with each other.  Growing stronger the longer they are together.

He swings his saber upward which breaks the lock between their two blades.

***

As he swings his blade back down Freya blocks the disarming attempt with a defensive stance.

We are too equally matched. I will never defeat him continuing this. Freya's mind races with options for her to gain an advantage over him.

Looking to the west, she sees the mountainside. On the other side lies a small village that Freya knows well. As a young padawan, she stayed there during her training on Tython. She must gain the high ground advantage over him before he can gain ground. Throwing her blade to the left side, he blocks her blue blade. This allows her to break from their exchange. Using the Force she accelerates her speed and rushes to the rocky mountainside. With the power of the Force, Freya jumps in the air and starts running up the side of the mountain.

The Sith quickly observes what she is doing and follows suit. She can feel him gaining on her as she runs up the side. His legs are much longer than hers which allows him to gain ground faster than the ground she can distance between him. Before reaching the peak, Freya looks up to the sky.

Whispers.

The dark clouds start spiraling. In the center of the spiral is a dark purple mass.

Whispers.

Rain starts to fall over the terrain. The drops of water hit the surface with a fierce intensity. Leaving a sting every time it hits Freya's skin. As the water cascades from the sky, Freya feels the Force unleash a power like no other. She must seek cover.  In her studies she has read about these storms --- though never experiencing one first hand.  Seeking cover is now her first objective. 

This energy stops both her and the Sith in their ascent up the mountainside. Towards the Silent Desert, both fleets are rock uncontrollably in the sky as they desperately try to land their vessels on the surface. A flash of white light almost blinds Freya. A cracking sound screams out. Purple lighting strikes the surface.

Freya looks down at the Sith.  Using this distraction to continue climbing up as fast as she can.

***

Arcan's breath quickens. Seeing the lighting strikes unleash a barrage against both sides only reaffirms what he already assumed. They share something more than just a bond in the Force.  They are a dyad --- two that are one. Turning his head quickly back up towards the top he sees her reaching the peak and running over the other side.

Disengaging his red blade he uses the Force to run up the rest of the mountainside. The rain hits his body with a stinging blow. The amount of water falling from the sky blurs the scene ahead of him. The distance he can see in front of him narrows.

What is she leading me to? He wonders.

Reaching the peak, he looks down at what appears to be a small village. Numerous huts constructed into the mountain rock line the side --- small roads connect all of them. Arcan knows that he must take cover or this storm could be the death of him. On the other side of the mountain where the battle rages, he can hear the lightning strike something with one cruel stroke. Sensing through the Force, he can tell a ship was hit by it. After a few moments, a shock wave runs under his feet causing the ground to shake.  

Trying to find her imprint in the Force is proving difficult. As this storm rages, the energy fields in the Force are unbalanced. He knows she is somewhere here. 

"Cover must be her main priority as well. Our fighting must wait." Arcan says in his mind.

Rushing down the path he looks at the handful of huts and can see one with the door open. She's leading him in there, and he knows it.  Carefully, he walks towards the front of the hut. 

"There you are," he says with a grin. Arcan senses the small pulse of her presence inside the hut he now faces. Cautiously, he walks up the small steps at the foot of the entrance.

Stepping near the wooden door frame, he uses his left hand to push the swinging door fully open. Inside the hut is dark, but he can tell it's decently sized. His drenched body steps through the door frame and is met with a blow to the right side of his face.

The hit catches him off guard but doesn't take him long to regroup.

"So that's how you want to play now."