"
Ryv."
Ethereal words fell on deaf ears as Ryv stared through Allyson, his eyes locked on her features as his mind traversed the bond between them. Seconds ticked by in silence, her mind far away, trapped in a distant place, plagued by memories of pain and grief. In the jumble of sights and sounds, one voice pierced the mess-making up Allyson's mind. The Jedi Knight couldn't say he recognized the voice, nor could he make out a particular memory the words spoken by this stranger belonged to, but he could feel the power emanating from it. Much like the cold brought on by shadow, there was a particular scent that permeated its presence. The smell of blood followed Bogan, bathing everything around it in the acrid stench of war. It did not stop there. Ashla's twisted counterpart could be heard in the cries of the dying and damned. Rage, hatred, sadness, pain, and loss pierced the silence of one's mind when darkness slithered about, casting its corrupting touch upon your soul. And on this distant voice, tangled up in so many others, Ryv could feel that pain oozing off the stranger's voice. The same pain echoed in Allyson's lies.
"
You must relax, Ryv, I can feel your emotions rising within you," the Blade of Ruusan continued to pull at its master's mind, trying desperately to contest the pain swirling within the Kiffar. The sentient weapon extended the reach of its calming aura, pushing past the boundaries of its phrik casing. Soothing waves of calm washed over Ryv, dousing his inner flame in a familiar feeling, one used as a lifeline so often in the past. "
There you are, that sh-" it paused, Ryv's emotion bubbling forth once more, coming back far more potent than the initial push. "
You must control your emotions, Ryv! You cannot face the enemy if your mind is unbalanced, remember what my creator taught you. This pain you feel is the path of a Sith, not of a Jedi," it continued to pulsate, a beacon of Ashla's direct touch upon the galaxy, shining brilliantly, felt for miles around.
The Blade of Ruusan continued to strain against Ryv's troubled heart, its power waning as it rolled past the Jedi Knight, reaching out to even Allyson, a woman the weapon knew to be an ally to its master. Unable to contest the weight felt on both their souls, the sword defaulted to its prime directives. Above all else, the weapon existed to destroy the Dark Side. The very same power latched onto the Corellian Jedi Master across from Ryv. The Blade recoiled from the woman, pulling back on the serene power it sought to bestow upon her. An inner light flared from within the hilt's casing, a dazzling glow illuminating the forgotten facility around them. That glow grew brighter, the peaceful aura radiating from Ryv's side empowered itself further, an even louder call to attention for the practitioners of shadow. Finally, the weapon's power coalesced, a soft blue hue took over the blinding white light, falling over Ryv entirely, pushing into his pores, flooding through his body, drowning it in power meant only to heal and protect.
Ryv's eyes closed, the telling emotions momentarily raging within him smothered by the Blade's signature power. The fog encasing his mind vanished, the truth on full display. He could see it in her eyes, in the way she couldn't maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds at a time. He could feel it in her touch, the clammy sensation impossible to miss. Her body language sang of betrayal, her shoulders squared elsewhere, her foot already pushed back, prepared to depart, and abandon Ryv entirely. How hadn't he noticed it? So many nights spent lying awake, their bond diminished to a point he feared she died somewhere far away. He searched the woman's gaze, seeking out something familiar, a spark of hope, an inkling of what he once saw within her. Memories lingered in her mind, memories that belonged to her, while simultaneously belonging to another. Ryv sifted through those memories, chasing Allyson's distant voice. Their bond, Allyson's mind, the chaos of emotion writhing within her, and the desire he had within him to change it culminated into a single feeling. Empathy, the cornerstone of companionship, and the silent promise sworn when one accepts another into their heart.
His grasp on understanding surpassed so many, it fueled him, a constant reminder on why he took up the lightsaber, to begin with. He understood empathy better than he understood any other emotion. The twitch of a lip, flutter of one's eyes, or shift in form spoke far louder than any word could. The Force only amplified that understanding, as emotion became as easy to recognize as what sat in front of him. Anger felt red hot against his mind, while sadness felt icy cold, almost stabbing at his spirit. An individual's joy sounded of a happy tune, whistled on a beautiful spring morning as the birds above chirped right alongside it. Looking at Allyson, her joy died away, replaced instead by guilt, a gnawing feeling caused by emotional starvation. Touching that emotion left Ryv feeling shame. That shame burrowed into his heart, tugging him in different directions, leaving him unbalanced and confused. The Blade of Ruusan responded to such feelings, the blue glow surging up Ryv's arm, dancing along his chest, and swirling over his heart. It sunk into his spirit, contesting shame's morbid touch, casting the awful feeling out.
"
You understand now, don't you, Ryv?"
Whispered into the back of Ryv's mind, the Jedi could not contest the weapon's feelings any longer. He understood exactly what it told him, everything on full display as Ashla's guiding touch returned to him.
"Yes," Ryv thought, his mind clamping down on itself, his mastery of empathy blocking the wayward Jedi Master's own prying touch. He blinked, the factory gone, replaced instead by an infinite expanse stretching far beyond the Jedi Knight's line of sight. Below him, a shallow sea ran endlessly in one direction, dragging with it the insecurities felt by the Jedi Knight. In the crystal clear water, he saw thousands- no, millions of twinkling lights. "
Gemstones?" his silent theory quickly disproven as he reached down, brushing his hand along a rolling surface of smooth stone. An amber gaze snapped heavenward, eyes widening at the sight of billions of twinkling stars.
"
Beautiful, isn't it?" a familiar feminine voice spoke out from nearby. Ryv looked up in its direction, mouth falling agape as Loske stood maybe six feet away from him, the water seeming to flow around her ankles.
"
Loske? I haven't had a random dream-vision with you in it for a while, didn't expect this at all," Ryv stuck his hands into his pockets, leaning on his back foot.
"
Does this make you uncomfortable, Ryv?" Loske asked, her form shimmering, Maynard replacing her. "
I thought taking the form of someone close to you would make this process easier," the Concordian Jedi Knight crossed his arms, the accent missing. From the corners of his eyes, the same azure light drifted towards the stars.
"
Oh, the Blade, I get it now," Ryv stepped closer, reaching down for the lightsaber at his side, only to find it already in his hand and engaged. "
That's new. You activated yourself?"
"
So it seems. I am discovering more of myself the longer the traitor remains near you, Ryv," the Blade stepped forward, two hands taking hold of the momentarily smaller man's shoulder.
"I've cleared away the influence of Bogan, you can see the truth now. I can feel it in our bond, you understand what she has become. You must take the information from her and strike her down, Ryv. That is our purpose as servants of Ashla. Followers of the dreaded Bogan must perish."
"
Wha- Hold up, no, no, no," Ryv took hold of the Blade's wrists, removing its hands from his shoulders. "
We preserve life above all else. That's what it means to be a Jedi. If we turn our backs on that, we're no better than the Sith. Right?"
"
Ryv, I understand this may be hard for you. Anyone in your position would balk at such an idea, but it is why the Force has guided us here. She is tainted by his dark deceptions, champions of the shadow pulling her strings as the puppet she's made herself to be. To put her down now, you'd free her of a life of servitude. You would purge away her corruption, granting her a chance to become one with the Force. This is your destiny, Ryv. You are the Sword of the Jedi. If you cannot strike down our enemies, how will the Order survive?"
"
That's not fair," Ryv muttered, shaking his head. "
She's like this because she hasn't had help. People have used her, her whole life. We can gu-"
"
No, we can't, Ryv," the Blade of Ruusan cut in, stopping the Jedi Knight entirely. "
You tried, didn't you? You asked her for time, you told her you dream, and she didn't wait. Allyson ran off, seeking validation above all else. She had Loske, she had you, and she would've had the rest of the Order if she remembered why we fight. The Sith's puppet ran away, falling to her own self-doubt and fears, as all who bend to Bogan do. You cannot be responsible for every mortal soul in this galaxy, Ryv. You're one man."
"
Watch me."
Ryv blinked, looking down at the device held out by Allyson. Perhaps a few seconds at most had passed, maybe even less, Ryv couldn't be sure. He slipped the Blade of Ruusan back onto his side as his other hand took what she provided him. It disappeared somewhere inside his jacket, a hidden pocket meant to keep the item safe and away from prying eyes. He looked back to Allyson, considering the words spoken by her only seconds earlier. The Blade's sentiment echoed in Ryv's mind, parallels carefully drawn and deployed in his thoughts, a means to prove the claims he only hoped were baseless. That hope dwindled, replaced by a cold determination to do what others claimed impossible. It wasn't the first time someone reminded Ryv of the many limitations he faced as a single Jedi, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered at that moment. The darkness oozing down around the woman he loved did. It perverted their meeting, grating at his spirit.
"
I get it, I do," Ryv tightened his grip on her hand. "
The mission, duty, honor, responsibility. It's absorbed every part of my life as well," his gaze drifted back to the shattered windowpane above them, a faint blue mist pooling at the corners of his eyes. "
I want to tell you it isn't the path to happiness. This war isn't going to end anytime soon, Allyson. And I don't mean this war with the Sith, I mean the battle with the forces of darkness. As long as there is light, they shall exist, huddled away from our presence, biding their time, waiting for it to finally die out. This is the state of the galaxy, and it likely will be for the rest of our lives. We can give ourselves to this life, striking down evil wherever we see it, but there is only so much either of us can do. Our talents are best used preparing those who come after us, not losing ourselves to the forces we claim to stand against," he gently pulled his hand away. "
I can feel what is happening to you, Allyson. Our bond is honest, more than you've ever been with me. And I want to help you, more than I want to rebuild the Jedi, hell, even more than I want to defeat the Sith. But I can't help you if you're gonna keep secrets from me. I'm not asking you to throw away your gun and give up the fight, I'm just asking you to come back. Master Aldric can help us both. He can help us find peace within ourselves, so we can find peace within the galaxy."
There was so much more the troubled Kiffar wanted to say, to make her understand in that lost factory. Even as he spoke it, Ryv knew she wouldn't accept the offer, he knew the shadows held tight to her being and had no intention of letting go. Discordance nested within her heart, making a home of her spirit, guiding her through the web, she'd spun about herself. Lies, shadows, words, and distrust cascaded around her, brutally crashing against her quivering sanity. It tore at his heart, but the Blade of Ruusan's icy touch did not waver. Within the Jedi Knight, the same cold serenity raged inward, the power of a contained blizzard screaming to be set free onto the gathering darkness. Ryv maintained his control, his commands delivered subtly to the lightsaber hilt at his side, a mental battle fought beyond the material world around them both. His features softened as he met her verdant gaze, his mouth opening to speak.
<
You have incoming –– do what you need to do and get her out of there stat.>
Loske's voice cut through the commlink, notifying Ryv of the incoming danger. He turned his attention to a raised walkway running parallel to a mixture of broken and untouched panes.
"
Hold on," Ryv murmured, taking a deep breath before leaping up and onto the durasteel grating. It swung precariously from one side to the other, rusted and aged metal creaking loudly, protesting the weight applied after so long without use. He stepped once, twice, then stomped down. Confident it would hold them both, the Kiffar motioned for Allyson to join him. He shifted his attention back to the goings-on outside, a hint of panic welling up within him at seeing Loske facing down the stranger, though, much like all the other emotions forced away by the Blade of Ruusan, his anxiety vanished. "
Loske is gonna fuck that cheeka up," the Jedi knight looked further down the walkway, noting a depression in one of the rickety walls. "
Alright, that'll do," he motions Allyson over once again. "
If the Sith followed you here, your cover is at risk. If you're bent on returning to whatever you've got going on there, we need to make sure you aren't in danger, alright?" he rolled his neck, a faint cracking sound emitted from the slowgoing movements. "
Just uh, follow me out and start shooting, I guess?"
Turning from her to face the weak point in the structure, Ryv raised a hand and thrust forward. The wall exploded outward, the Jedi Knight's lightsaber igniting with the familiar snap-hiss. A cyan light once more burst from its hilt, the profound blue aura encasing the Kiffar's amber orbs turning the same color, matching the blade held aloft. He ran forward onto the rusted sheets of durasteel, the roof shaking and screeching as metal scraped against metal. As Allyson chased him out, firing shot after shot in the Jedi's direction, Ryv batted one aside, dipped beneath the second, and reached out for the third, the bolt of energy stopping in mid-air, the Force trapping it. He gauged the distance between him and Loske, moving to drop from the roof and onto the dirt below. He slowed his dash, allowing Allyson enough time to position herself wherever she needed to sell the battle.
"
Why aren't you taking this seriously, Ryv?" the Blade's voice cut in.
"
I already told you, I'm not gonna kill her. We're gonna figure out a way to bring her home," Ryv huffed as he ran, dodging around a rock to avoid a line of sight from his attacker.
"
And what if she doesn't come, Ryv? Why are you making this needlessly dangerous for someone who wouldn't do the same for you?"
"
If I don't take this chance for her, she's going to think she's abandoned. Regardless of what happens to me, this is what a Jedi does. We sacrifice, so just keep me alive, and everything will be okay. Deal?"
"
Fine."
The Blade of Ruusan's power continued to call to others nearby, its monumental Force signature spiraling around Ryv, lighting him up to anyone attuned to the omnipresent empyrean. The pressure of onlookers once stalled the Jedi Knight, but following the ambush on Muunilist at the hands of a Sith Lord and his bodyguards, Ryv found it a lot easier to bear the stress of his weapon. What powers it provided him not only afforded him a competitive edge against the Dark Side, but it naturally strengthened his resolve altogether. Even racing away from Allyson, knowing full well there was nothing to be done for the Jedi Master, a sense of tranquility lorded over Ryv as if Ashla herself joined him this day.
Arten Jinn
Constantine Oliva
