The Duel of the Fates

She had sensed his approach, felt the tension and fear radiating from his mind then the searing burst of anger as he watched the duel of the fates unfold. Kate wanted to shout at him to run, get as far away from that place as possible, but all of her power of concentration was devoted to countering Lavinia’s relentless attacks. And if she could feel Zak’s presence, her mother certainly could as well.

Through the dim haze of exhaustion, as she lay sprawled on the cold metal floor, Kate heard the rhythmic pounding of his heavy boots as he charged into the room, shouting her name. She groaned; the fool was going to get himself killed, but she lacked the strength to defend him. She was no match for a Jedi of Lavinia’s power, whose mastery of the Force eclipsed her own.

No, not Jedi, not anymore. Sith. Kate shifted painfully and lifted her gaze towards her mother, who loomed like a malevolent shadow at the other end of the room, the red and white blade of her lightsaber shimmering in the half light. She did not flinch as Cheradenine Zakalwe closed the distance, blaster rifle in his hands and a scowl on his face. He began lifting the rifle to point at her but Lavinia was faster; with a swipe of her arm, she yanked the rifle out of Zak’s grasp, sending it flying across the room and smashing into a wall. Kate gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet.

“Still chasing after my daughter, Cheradenine?” Lavinia taunted him, amused by the trooper’s bravado. “I can taste her fear; she may not admit it, but Kate has feelings for you. Had she joined me when she had the chance, I would have spared you; now, I think I will make an example of you instead.”

“No!” Kate shouted, aghast. Next, her mother’s fingers curled as though grasping an invisible object but it was Zak who reacted, halting mid-step as an unseen force began squeezing his windpipe. To his credit he did not immediately panic like so many others did when on the receiving end of a Sith’s Force choke; his military training kicked in, keeping him calm even with death literally at his throat. Instead of clawing at it in a vain attempt to release the pressure cutting off his air supply, Zakalwe reached for a release switch on his armour’s left gauntlet and sent a small projectile darting through the air toward his aggressor. Lavinia twisted out of the way at the very last moment, her hold on her victim slipping in the process. He had surprised her. Free from her grip Zak took a large, gasping breath, but the Sith was angry now. She seized him again, this time lifting the burly soldier off the ground with the power of the Force and propelling him against one of the steel beams supporting the roof. She continued to send him careening through the air like a ragdoll, smashing into a nearby stack of crates and the side of an old decommissioned shuttle. Finally, she lifted him as high as the roof then…let gravity do the rest.

“Stop! Stop it!” Kate cried as Zak’s body hit the floor with a sickening crunch. His Havoc Squad armour and cybernetic implants made him significantly more resilient than the average human, but even so the blood flowing out of a large gash across the side of his head as he lay motionless on the floor made Kate’s stomach clench in dread. He was still alive, and the kolto being pumped intravenously into his system would keep him that way...for now.

“Do you want me to stop?” Lavinia asked, her voice smooth and deadly. “Then stop me yourself.”

She was baiting her; Kate knew this. See how far she could push her before the anger steadily bubbling within her boiled to the surface; the first step down the path to the Dark Side. Kate had walked that path before and knew the dangers…but she could barely contain the outrage she felt at the sadistic pleasure her mother took in torturing her friend. Lavinia reached out with the Force again and began bending Zak’s body backwards in an unnatural angle; when he gave out a strangled moan and began coughing up blood, what remained of Kate’s composure crumbled.

In an instant she was upright, lightsaber humming to life in her hand. With her other hand she summoned a powerful blast of energy which connected with Lavinia, pushing her away from Zak. The older woman staggered backwards, although only for a few moments; she was soon back in the fray, her lightsaber in the en garde position and ready to meet her daughter’s.

“That’s better” she crooned as she parried Kate’s blows, though no longer quite so effortlessly. “See how your rage makes you strong? It is the power of the Dark Side. I wonder how much more powerful you’d be if he died, hmm?”

Kate wasn’t going to give her the opportunity to enact that threat. Newly energised she pressed the attack, forcing Lavinia to focus all of her attention on her. They became two blurry shapes dancing their lethal dance at dizzying speed, distinguished by the red and purple glow of their lightsabers which clashed time and time again. Kate lost all sense of time, of her surroundings…all that mattered was the adversary she was finally pushing back. Against all odds, the possibility of victory began taking shape in her mind.

“I’m still stronger”, Lavinia taunted as she rolled away from a chunk of durasteel which Kate had pried loose with the Force and sent hurling towards her. “I will win, and then I will kill your baseline boyfriend.”

“Bring it!” Kate snarled back and leaped, flipping through the air and landing in front of her mother. Lavinia avoided a vicious lightsaber slash by a hair’s width and for the first time her smug grin slipped: Kate had gone from being an amusing plaything to a genuinely dangerous adversary. Her strikes were faster and more accurate than they had been before, aggressively driving the Sith back inch by inch. When Lavinia lost her footing and fell Kate was upon her in a heartbeat, poised to drive her lightsaber into her mother’s heart.

“Kate, no!”

The words whipped through the air like a thunderclap and for a few moments both mother and daughter were stunned. Kate set her vengeful intentions aside long enough to stare at the newcomer, none other than her brother Darius. What was he doing there?!

“Have you lost your minds?!” he demanded, eyes darting from one woman to the other.

“My son, I knew you would heed my call!” Lavinia called out to him, her voice strained with fear.

“This is your doing?”

“I called to you both, and here you are. If you would not join me, perhaps your brother will.”

Kate’s lightsaber inched closer, the shimmering purple blade all but touching her mother’s chest.

“Shut up! Darius, believe me, she’s insane! She nearly killed Zak!”

“Yet she’s the one pointing a lightsaber at me”, Lavinia pointed out, in control of herself again.

Darius seemed conflicted, unsure how to proceed…then his frown cleared, giving way to calm determination.

“Kate, step away from her. Please.”

Taken aback by her brother’s request, Kate faltered. It was the opportunity Lavinia needed; she swiped the weapon out of her daughter’s hand while at the same time sliding away from under her, jumping to her feet and slamming the hilt of her lightsaber hard against her temple. With a dull thud, Kate crumpled to the floor.

“Thank you, Darius”, the Sith said as she straightened herself. “I knew you’d see the truth of it.”

“I do see it”, the young man replied gravely, trying very hard not to look at his sister’s motionless form. “It is a truth I refused to accept, but can no longer deny.”

“There will be much for you to get accustomed to, once you’ve taken your place at my side.”

“I’m not here to join you, mother. I’m here you show you the way back to the Light.”

Lavinia stiffened and scowled, her corrupted yellow eyes boring into Darius’ deep brown orbs. She knew her son, and knew that promises of power would not help sway him. Her hope had been that Kate would be susceptible to that, but the fool girl had chosen to reject her instead. No matter…she knew what made Darius tick: loyalty.

“You will join me or you will face the consequences! Tell me…what is your sister’s life worth to you?”

“It’s worth a great deal…but I will not let you use her as a bargaining chip in this obscene game you’re playing.”

“You think you can stop me?!” snarled Lavinia and electricity crackled between her coiled fingers. “I could sear the flesh off her bones!”

“I will protect my sister until my last breath”, Darius warned her as he retrieved his lightsaber and ignited it. “But I will not fight you and I will not join you. You will not gain anything here, except our deaths. Is this what you want, mother?”

Lavinia was the very image of cold fury, her impotent rage crashing like a wave against her son’s dauntless resolve. This was not how she’d envisioned this meeting going, and was suddenly lost. Through the insight granted to her by the Force and her own knowledge, she knew Darius was absolutely serious when he claimed he’d sooner die in the Light than join her in Darkness. Deep down, beneath all the loss and anger and hatred smothering the woman she had once been, Lavinia’s heart quivered with pride and a long-lost flicker of….affection. The boy she’d left behind was gone… a man now stood in his place!

Pretending to still be unconscious, Kate had been listening to this exchange longer than either Darius or Lavinia were aware. Her head pounded painfully and the long fight had sapped her strength, but she thought she had strength enough left for what she planned to do. Her lightsaber lay forgotten on the floor, out of reach; pouring every last ounce of her will into it, Kate reached out with the Force. The weapon stirred and rolled ever so slightly closer; Kate gritted her teeth, feeling sweat forming on her brow. With one last, desperate effort she pulled it to her and ignited it; the purple and white blade blazed through the air, slicing Lavinia Murray cleanly in half before returning neatly into Kate’s hand.

Darius let out a scream and stumbled away from his mother’s corpse. He stared at his sister, who examined at her handiwork with contempt. The lightsaber continued to hum conspicuously in her hand, casting a lurid purple glow over the gruesome scene.

“What did you do?!” he managed to croak, white with shock.

“Saved all our lives. Make no mistake, if she couldn’t turn us she would have killed us.”

“No, no…she hesitated! I saw it! I was getting through to her, I could have brought her back!”

A look of profound dread welled in Darius’ eyes.

“You murdered her.”

Kate said nothing. She simply sheathed her lightsaber, and walked away.