Sword and Shadow: Christmas Special

Galactic City was the brightest city in the galaxy. Be it speeder lights or neon signs, a wash of color bathed the towering skyscrapers in an iridescent glow. Some would think it impossible to surpass such an ostentatious design. A trip to the center of the galaxy during the Life Day season would convince them otherwise. All across the city, vibrant white and yellow hues were traded out for verdant greens, shining silver, and soft reds. On a planet of a trillion people, the holiday cheer could not be contained. It spread out from home to home, business to business, until the masses were swept up a welcome celebration.

Ryv enjoyed a trip through the skylanes on such a night. Growing up in the city, he'd seen his fair share of the holidays. Still, the color never ceased to amaze him.

He gripped tight on the speeder bike's handles and pulled back on the clutch. It dipped lower for an instant before the speeder changed direction and shot upward. Higher he climbed, the artificial snow falling all around him. The biting wind raced past him. If it were any colder, he feared it might actually cut through his skin. Luckily, the worst it managed was to see him tear up as he continued the climb heavenward.

The presence of something dark stole the kiffar's attention from the stars. Ryv sought out the disturbance, eyes narrowed as he scanned the nearby rooftops. A lone silhouette wreathed in shadow moved across an adjacent building. Even from a distance, he could tell the figure was much larger than he was. He pulled right on the bike's controls and veered overhead. A closer look revealed the truth of the stranger's presence.

Crimson robes hung around a monolith of a man. Dark power radiated around him, almost entirely hiding him from sight. A lone saber clung to his belt, the weapon as dark as its master.


"Chief, take the wheel," Ryv commanded the BD unit nestled between his legs. It looked up and chirped erratically. The kiffar scooped the droid up and placed it atop the handlebars. "Stay close."

Without missing a beat, the Sword of the Jedi leaped from his speeder. Resolve flew to his hand, the viridescent saber surging to life as he plummeted towards the roof. He took the weapon in both hands and raised it overhead. The energy sword swept down in an arching swing meant to bisect his target in one fell swoop.

Crimson light burst to life as the sinister figure spun about and met the kiffar's blade head-on.

Ryv tucked his knees to his chest and deactivated his saber after the initial clash. The momentum sent him spinning backward, only for his feet to find the duracrete roof beneath. He regained his balance in time to reactivate his saber and parry aside another blow from the Crimson Lord. The Jedi Knight locked his blade against the dark sider's. Red and green light flashed, revealing them both in that instant.

"Father Sithmas," Ryv growled.

"Ha, ha, ha!" the Sith Lord's hearty laugh bellowed across the rooftops. "Why if it isn't the Sword of the Jedi!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryv looked to the lumpy, oversized bag in the Sith Lord's speeder. "Are... Are you stealing presents?"

"Of course!" Sithmas beamed. "How else would I plant the seeds of hatred within the hearts of children?! Imagine their little, snot-nosed faces when they awaken, no presents beneath their Life Day tree! Pain, hatred, mistrust... When the holiday season rolls around again, all they'll think about is the disappointment from the year before. Oh Ryv, it's a glorious sight!"

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?"

"I may be sick, but you've been a naughty boy this year, Ryv! Believe me, I've checked the list, not once, but twice!"

Ryv broke the clash and danced back, narrowly avoiding a horizontal swipe meant to separate his head from his shoulders.

"If I've been naughty, I'd hate to see what a twisted monster like you thinks is nice."

Sithmas charged the Jedi Knight this time, the Sith Lord's mastery of Djem So on full display. His might carried Ryv back, each impact jarring for the smaller man. Ryv sidestepped a downward slash meant to slice through his shoulder and jumped above another blow meant for his knees. He lifted his saber, stepped to the side, and broke the Sith Lord's momentum with a well-aimed parry that sent him tumbling past the kiffar. Ryv's sword flashed out and carved through the Lord's lower back. Plasma incinerated flesh in an instant, while nearby tissue melted from proximity alone.

"Argh!" Father Sithmas howled in pain. He turned towards the Jedi Knight and thrust a hand forward. Ryv's feet left the floor as his body crashed through the air. When he didn't feel the stinging sensation of duracrete ripping through flesh, confusion gripped his mind. It wasn't until his stomach dropped and the world turned topsy-turvy did the kiffar realize what happened.

"BD! BIG CHIEFTAIN! BUDDY! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ryv shouted in abject terror as he rocketed towards the city streets thousands of feet below.


"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Sithmas!"

The crimson saber flashed out towards the falling Jedi Knight. Ryv lifted a hand and summoned a barrier in the nick of time. It shattered as the blade cut through it, the strength behind it enough to send the kiffar sideways momentarily. He caught flashes of Father Sithmas directing his ravenous team for another pass, the baleful blade raised high.

Ryv threw a Force-infused punch in the opposite direction of his twirling form. It evened him out just enough for him to regain control. He tucked his arms against his body, cursed his luck, and began his free fall, diving straight towards his death.

"You won't escape me, Ryv! You've been on the naughty list for years!"

"Tch," Ryv narrowed his eyes, a smirk breaking through his momentary fear.

When Father Sithmas' speeder neared, Ryv pushed forward with both hands. His body paused in the air just long enough for the Sith Lord's saber to go wide, missing the kiffar by several feet. He reached out and took hold of the ship. It yanked him forward once more. Quickly, the Jedi Knight scrambled over the side and found his footing. Resolve ignited behind the Sith Lord.

"I wasn't running."

Ryv's body blurred as he cleared the space between them. Sithmas released the speeder's controls and turned about to meet the Jedi's charge, but he was too late. His eyes widened as pain exploded through his body. He looked down to see the green blade's tip sticking out of his abdomen.

"You... little... bastard," Father Sithmas growled. Ryv ripped the blade to the side, nearly cutting the Sith Lord in two. He fell to a knee, unable to stand as the strength left his body. "What? Do you t-think you've won? I'm but a fragment of the Dark Side's power. I'll return next year, Ryv..."

"Yeah?" Ryv lifted Resolve over his right shoulder. "I'll be waiting."

A flash of green saw Father Sithmas' head cleaved from his shoulders. It soared out into the sky, disappearing from sight.

Ryv took hold of the big bag of stolen presents and lifted his commlink. A familiar sensation gripped his core as the speeder beneath him disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The Jedi Knight's eyes widened. Gravity took hold and ripped him down from his place in the sky, his body now freefalling once again.


A rapid series of beeps shot through Ryv's commlink while he wrestled gravity for control. One hand held tight to the bag, the other clipped Resolve to his belt.

"Oh, thank goodness! BD! Big Chieftain! Where are you?!"

The answer came in the form of his speeder bike's roaring engine. It shot through a skylane above, narrowly avoiding impact with another speeder before it dropped into a dive. It came close enough for Ryv to reach out and take the handle with his free hand. The little droid guided it beneath the falling Jedi expertly.

"Oh, buddy!" Ryv speedily fitted the bag in place behind him, only to immediately sweep his droid up in a tight hug. It chirped enthusiastically, welcoming the kiffar's embrace as it nuzzled against his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He kissed the droid's head and set it down.

BD-8 returned to the compartment constructed for it, happy it's friend made it back in one piece.

"Looks like we got a busy night ahead of us, little dude," Ryv patted the presents behind him. BD beeped once. "That's right, we gotta get these back home."

The speeder shot off into the night, the pair humming a festive tune as they went...