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Chapter 5: Duel of the Fates

Ten-year-old Mara stood on a sand dune on the vast endless Tatooine desert. She glanced down the large hill to see her hometown of Mos Middal, before her father called from behind her, "Mara, it's time!"

Mara's long golden red hair swung around her as she turned and beamed at her father, "My brother's here!"

She ran and took her father's hand, as the two walked back to their large home. They walked inside and on up the stairs to the nursery where Mara's mother and the town healer were speaking beside Mara's mother's bed and a smaller baby bed beside it.

"Can I hold my baby brother now, Mama?" Mara asked, her green eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Of course you can, sweetheart," her mother smiled down with the same dazzling golden red hair but with blue instead of green eyes. "BUT it's not your baby brother, Mara, it's your baby sister!"

"What's his name?" Mara asked as the healer lowered the child down into Mara's little arms.

"HER name is ... Kimberly Ann," Mara's mother said, smiling warmly at her husband.

Suddenly there came a loud banging sound from the front door. "I'll see who it is, be right back," Mara's father said, turning and leaving the room.

A few minutes later the door to the nursery swung open and a group of Stormtroopers in their ivory white body armor stomped in with Mara's father in tow.

A moment later another figure bowed to enter the room. The very sight of the man caused fear to strike Mara's very core, she could almost literally feel the darkness flooding from his body. The man was dressed in black cybernetic body armor and a long black flowing cape behind him. His head was hidden behind a full-faced respirator mask and a helmet. For the longest time the only sound coming from him was the sound of his respirator pumping oxygen in and out.

"We have come for the child," the monstrosity of a man stated.

"You can't have her, Vader!" Mara's father stated, coming to stand between the Dark Lord of the Sith and his family. A moment later he began to choke, then rose into the air.

"Your bravery in protecting your family is admirable," Darth Vader stated calmly, "Foolish, but admirable."

Vader dropped Mara's father to the ground and approached the baby bed, his red eye coverings aimed downward toward the innocent child. "No, she is far too weak, she will not do," Vader stated, before turning his attention to the terrified Mara, "Yes ..."

The Dark Lord of the Sith dropped to one knee to speak to the frightened child. "What is your name, child?" Vader stated, "I will not harm you."

"M-Mara ..." the girl stated.

"Hello, Mara," Vader said, his synthesized voice softening. "You are a very powerful girl, and you have a lot of potential." the Sith stated, placing a hand on the girl's small shoulders, chuckling when she flinched. "I sense great fear in you, my dear. My Master can teach you to master that fear, to use it to bring you power, as he did for me."

Vader then stood up, picking the girl up in his cold arms, "You will come with me, and you will take a new, better life." Vader said walking toward the door.

"I don't want to leave Mama and Daddy and my baby sister!" Mara cried, fighting against Vader's arms.

"I fear you have no choice," Vader stated coldly, "Fear not, you won't have any memory of them when we are finished. You will make a fine Hand indeed."

"Mara."

"Mara, wake up!"

Mara Jade opened her eyes to see Luke's worried blue eyes gazing down at her.

"Luke?" Mara asked sitting up, "Where?"

"Were still on Coruscant, Mara," Luke said stroking her cheek, sitting up from his side of their bed. "Are you ok? You kept calling for your 'mama and daddy'. Did you remember something from before the Emperor ..."

"No it was just some weird nightmare, Farmboy, that's all," Mara shook her head, but cuddled into Luke's arms anyway.

"You sure?" Luke asked, stroking her hair gently.

"Positive," Mara nodded into his chest, "But something else is wrong though ... what time is it?"

"It's still early Coruscant time, but it's already morning on Yavin," Luke stated, "And your right, I feel a disturbance in the Force, feels like it has something to do with Ron."

"Yeah, you're right." Mara agreed pulling out of his arms, "I think we should get dressed and head back now. There could be trouble. But Kim and Ron left after the dance, how are we going to get back?"

"We could take the Jade Sa- um I'm sure Han won't mind us borrowing the Falcon!" Luke said the last part quickly in an attempt to cover his near slip.

"Jade Sa, what's that?" Mara asked, narrowing her green eyes on her husband to be.

"Huh, what's what?" Luke asked innocently, "I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Jedi don't lie," Mara stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not lying, I've never heard of a Jade Sa, honestly!" Luke said, throwing up his hands defensively.

The Jedi Master hopped out of bed quickly and went to the dressing closet of the apartment, "We've gotta check out this disturbance in the Force right, so we better get a move on, right honey?"

"You're hiding something, Skywalker ..." Mara hissed, before getting up to start getting ready herself.

----

"Why?" Kim asked pacing aimlessly around the grounds of Praxeum. "Why did I shoot my mouth off like that?"

A droplet of rain splashed on her cheek. "Figures," Kim sighed, "Fits my mood ..." as the words left her mouth the skies fell in a downpour of rain.

Kim took off running for shelter, cutting a corner around one of the buildings, only to come into hard contact with something and sprawling across the muddy Yavin soil. She glanced up to see that, right across from her, Yori was also sitting unceremoniously in the mud, propped up on her elbows.

"Just the woman I wished to speak with, Kimberly-kun," Yori stated, pulling herself to her feet, before holding out a hand to the redhead.

Kim glared at the hand, before pulling herself to her feet on her own, "What exactly do you want?" Kim asked the older girl.

"I only wish to speak to you, Kimberly-kun," Yori said carefully, as the rain continued to fall down on them, drenching them, "About ... Ron-san."

"I'm listening ..." Kim said, pushing a strand of her soaked hair out of her face before folding her arms around her chest.

"I do not wish for you to listen only, Kimberly-kun," Yori sighed, "I wish to converse with you on the subject ... please. But can we go somewhere less ... wet?"

"Lead the way."

----

Mud and water splashed as the two combatants circled one another in their makeshift ring outside the cafeteria. Rain popped and hissed as it made contact with the red and blue lit Lightsabers.

A moment later the two dashed at each other and the two blades touch with sparks and a piercing hiss sound. Then again, and again, the Jedi, the Knight and the Apprentice, laid their hearts and souls into this war.

Ron swung his saber at Josh, his wet bangs slinging water before his eyes, as the red beam collided with Josh's blue, then pulled back to block Josh's lower slash then a high jab.

"What's wrong, Apprentice?" Josh asked slashing at Ron, "Am I too fast for you? Want me to slow down?"

Ron only responded with a growl, and taking a swing at him with his saber, colliding with Josh's saber 3 times in a row before grazing Josh's soaked spiked hair.

"Not bad," Josh responded stabbing at Ron, grazing his arm.

Ron cried out in pain, but retaliated by slashing at Josh again connecting with his saber high, low, high, then high again.

Josh retaliated with an overhead slash, but Ron back flipped away.

"Not bad at all ..." Josh smirked before attacking again.

"They're ... they're trying to kill each other!" Monique gasped from the sideline, before running to Kyp Durron, who was a higher ranking Jedi Knight.

"Are you just going to stand there and let them kill each other?" Monique asked worriedly.

"Let who kill each other?" Kyp asked in mock-confusion, "I don't see anything of the sort!"

"If you won't stop this, then I'll find someone who will!" Monique hissed, before running into further into the school campus.

Kyp shrugged, and turned back to watch the duel.

----

"Ok," Kim said leaning against the wall of the main temple of the Praxeum School, "Start talking."

"I wish to discuss Stoppable-san with you," Yori said carefully.

"What about him?" Kim asked, eyeing the Jedi Knight carefully.

"I know you are in a relationship with Jedi Mankey, but ... I am unsure if you are aware but one of my strongest Jedi strengths is foresight," Yori explained, "I sense ... great pain in Ron-san's future, Kimberly-dono, and I care too much for Ron-san to just let this vision come true."

Kim visibly paled, but shook it off, keeping her cool composure, "I know not what will cause this pain," Yori said sadly, "Or even if it is mental or physical pain, I just know that sometime soon he will be in intense pain that may never be relieved."

"What can be done?" Kim asked, worriedly.

"As much as I would like, I can do nothing," Yori said looking down before locking eyes with Kim, "You on the other hand, you could either ease the pain or stop it all together. In my vision, I saw Ron tumbling into shadows then there was you shinning a light, pushing back the shadows that over took him. I do not know yet what this means, but I sense you will be the key."

"Any idea what I can do then?" Kim asked, slightly irritated at the Jedi's vagueness.

"Decide," Yori said simply.

"Decide?" Kim asked, eyes narrowing in confusion, "Decide what?"

"Your indecision is already causing Stoppable-san great pain and hardships," Yori stated, her voice suddenly becoming very bitter, "He longs for your happiness alone, but your blindness toward what is happening around you is quite pathetic."

"What?" Kim asked her eyebrows rising up in shock.

"You heard me, it is completely pathetic, you follow Josh Mankey thinking he is a well up noble Jedi Knight when he is nothing but slime and deserves not the title of Jedi Knight," Yori preached angrily, "Yes he has learned the skills and the arts of the Jedi, but he does not have the mind set a Knight should have. I doubt you shall believe me but he is only using you, and when you decided to finally sleep with him, you only gave him the only thing he wanted from you. Mankey is the type of Jedi who believe non-Force users such as you are meant only for servitude and prostitution. My humble apologies if this offends you but seeing as you haven't listened to anyone else, and Ron-san doesn't seem willing to open your eyes to your situation, someone must do it."

Kim let the words process, not sure if she should believe the Jedi or not, but before she could contemplate it further Yori continued, "Tell me, Kim-dono, who in your life cannot live without? Josh or Ron?" Yori sighed, "The reason Ron-san hasn't spoken up is for some reason none of us can understand Josh has made you happy, we all see how you brighten up when Josh is around, so as said he wants you to be happy. I disagree to the point you should be happy without blinders, not with. I care for Ron-san so in turn I care for you as well. He treasures your friendship, Kim-dono, It is his most treasured possession. That is why he had allowed your continual blindness with Mankey, but the time has come. You must decide, you must realize you cannot have them both, the two cannot function together Mankey and Ron-san, so who would you keep and who would you release? Ron-san or Josh?"

"I ... I ..." Kim stuttered, not sure what to say.

Kim's state meant was cut off when a drenched Monique ran in, "Jedi Taka! Where are the Instructors?"

"What's the matter?" Yori asked the wide-eyed girl glancing at an equally worried Kim.

"There's a fight," Monique breathed, trying to catch her breathe, "Ron and Josh, it's way past out of hand and the Lightsabers are out!"

"I'll get the instructors, Kim ... KIM!" Yori yelled as Kim dashed out of the temple entrance.

----

Ron gasped as Josh force pushed him into a large tree, barely getting his saber up in time to block Josh's strike, then rolling to the left and swinging his saber at Josh's side. The sabers collided again, and the two Jedi continued their dance in the storm.

"What's the matter, Ron?" Josh asked as their sabers locked, "I'm going to enjoy beating you."

Josh brought his saber around to slash at Ron, who easily blocked the strike, "And when I beat you, you'll finally be out of my way, and oh the fun I'll have celebrating with KP!"

Ron let out a roar of anger and slashed at Josh so hard that the connection of sabers knocked the Jedi Knight backwards a few steps.

Ron dove at the boy again, swinging his Lightsaber so quickly Josh had trouble blocking it, but quickly got his footing and began returning the strikes.

"This ends now, Ron," Josh smiled a few steps away from Ron, gripping his saber with both hands, "Kim's mine, and mine alone."

"Kim is nobody's," Ron hissed gripping his Lightsaber exactly like Josh, "And she's a hell of a lot better person then you."

The two young Jedi then dashed toward one another, putting their full force ability in one last slash. The two Lightsabers met with such force that one of the sabers flew from the Jedi's hand, deactivating in mid-flight before hitting the ground with splash, signifying the duel is over.


To Be Continued...