Private Broken Pieces

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

Shadow and light were things which often went hand in hand. Any child knew when the sun was out the light would cast a shadow on the ground. Some found skill in using light and shadow for entertainment. Others used the shadows for unspeakable things, and the light was needed to bring them out into the open.

Judah Lesan was both light and shadow. He had never sat on the council, nor had he wanted to. The Jedi was at his best when out in the galaxy doing what was required of him to advance the light. He stood on the line of light and dark to do the things which others were afraid to do. He chose to do the difficult things so others did not have to. The Jedi master often found himself alone to ensure no one had to experience the loneliness his path often left him with.

His family had been left behind.

His wife had passed while he was on a mission.

Friends were hard to come by because Judah had little time to invest.

Students and Padawans did not last because of what seemed to some as strict and unattainable standards.

Judah focused on his work. He was a shadow and his life had been dedicated to keeping the Sith at bay. It often meant he was a lone Jedi in a company of Sith warriors, but the gray hair in his beard was testament to his skill and success. There were not many old Jedi Shadows, and while the Master was not "old," he was certainly seasoned.

The Force drew him to a dark world. There was something about the place which seemed… off. He wanted to think it lacked both light and dark, but while Judah could feel the force, he also felt the absence of it. The Corellian had never felt anything quite like it before. It was unique in his lifetime and experience. Maybe there was another master which had felt it, but Judah could not name one who had described such a thing outside of some holocron.

He hid in the shadows. His life may have been lacking in friends, but the shadows were often more faithful than a brother. Judah kept his force aura masked. There were Sith in the area. While the world was not theirs, the order had been advancing. It was concerning, but not unexpected. Everytime the Sith seemed to be defeated, a new movement rose. It was the eternal battle which would always be as long as those who believed that either light or dark was stronger than the other. As he aged, Judah was more convinced both were meant to work in tandem.

Rain beat against the ground. It obstructed a clear view. Judah needed to get closer to see what the Sith were up to, but he could not do so without revealing his presence. Judah pressed the force to his legs as he knew he needed to move fast. The Sith would feel that he drew on the light side of the force, but by the time they looked in his direction he was on the stone pillar just above them.

A master and an apprentice. There were always two. It was rare Judah met a Sith alone. Those few times they had challenged Judah's view of the force. He could not call them evil, not always, yet when the Sith grouped together many evil things happened. Whatever it was they were searching for, Judah could not let them find it.

"I see you," the Sith said as his blade ignited.

Judah shrugged as he felt the pillar he was perched upon begin to crumble. He leaped and ignited his blue blade with a familiar snap hiss. The rain seemed to slow and stop in place as Judah moved. His mastery of the element allowed him use it as a weapon or shield.

A force blast launched his way as he was in the air. Judah used its momentum to propel him backward. His feet landed as he took the opening stance for the sixth form. It was not a strong form, but it was not weak either. Judah took balance, and as most shadows, he found balance between the use of the force and physical elements in combat as well. It was why he liked the form.

They battled. As his blade collided with crimson, the echo of their combat filled the valley. The Sith was aggressive. Judah fought until he discerned his enemy’s weakness, and when the moment came, Judah took advantage.

The lifeless body of his enemy lay on the ground, but the apprentice was nowhere to be found. Where had she gone?

Judah turned and there she was behind him. The force was there, but it was also absent.

"It's you…"

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Kytzia had been tasked with overseeing a ritual of her Master's design, an experiment to further harness her curse for the Sith's benefit. She simply stood, watching with a mix of dread and resignation as her Master chanted in a language she couldn't yet fully understand. The rain fell in sheets, drenching them both, but the chill that permeated her bones came from within. She could feel the Force stirring, responding to the dark incantations, and her own connection to it—fractured and unreliable—flared with painful intensity.

The ritual was intended to test the limits of her curse, to see if it could be controlled, directed. Her Master had explained that this was a necessary step in her training, a means to an end. It was another way to exploit her, to push her beyond the brink and see what horrors she could unleash. The Sith were meticulous in their cruelty, and she was their perfect subject.

Fear. For all the sorrow that ravaged the galaxy, there were very few as intimately familiar with the feeling as the girl. It burned through every fiber of her being as her Master stopped and began extending his hand towards her neck. That cold metal band that caused the air to pass too tightly through her throat was the one thing standing between her and an universe of chaos and pain. She knew what was coming, but the purpose behind the Sith's reasoning to unleash her curse was unknown to her. She deserved no explanations. Kytzia had quickly learned that obedience was in her best interest, after all, they were helping her.

The Sith, to her, were tormentors just as much as they were saviors. Gods. They had given her a name, a roof, and most importantly - they had given her relief. This was the price to be paid in exchange. She was seen as little more than a tool to them, to be studied and exploited. But what was she without them? "Dead." Her head turned quickly, to find no one standing besides them. She was hearing them again. The whispers, she called them. Although sometimes they would scream. The beating of her heart picked up the pace as the gloved fingertips reached her necklace. It was time.

Her eyelids fell shut as she braced herself, the whispers becoming louder and faster until they sounded more like the buzzing of an enraged hive than speech. The stray pebbles at their feet began trembling, for not even the nightdust artifact was enough to hold the frenzy of her broken powers completely at bay. Tears mingled with the falling rain over her cheeks in anticipation.

But that familiar 'click' of the necklace's latch never came. The Sith Master's hand instead extended its fingers, and the girl was flung back with great force, her body unable to respond quick enough meeting the cold, hard ground. The air was completely knocked out her lungs, and the pain that ensued had her doubling over. She heard her Master's voice, and only then as she tried to regain her footing did she see the Jedi.

Panic. It rooted her to the ground. Kytzia had been taught to hate the Jedi, despise them. In truth, she was just as afraid of them. If even the Sith had heavily considered whether it was worth keeping her alive, she did not want to know what the Jedi, who valued balance and life over everything, would think to do with her. Unjustified and misdirected destruction, sometimes even death, were the only things she had ever been capable of. No. It was better to stay with the devils she knew. It was better to embrace the fact she was meant for terrible things. Seizing control through power was simply more realistic than to do so through hope. Hope in what, exactly? In the very thing had threatened to destroy them?

May the Force be with you, they said. There was nothing she wanted more than to be rid of it.

Her eyes widened when she saw the shimmering white of their enemy's saber slide through the black robes of the Sith. Her master crumled to the floor, nothing more than a pile of flesh and cloth. In that moment the Force retreated again into the child, a hollow spot in the great weave of the universe...The calm before the storm.

Kytzia wanted to run, but her body wouldn't budge. Even if it did, what good would it do her? Every single joint ached from years of constant strain. Every muscle twitched erratically, almost starved out of existance. So her hand shot straight to her pocket, the commlink now held tightly between her fingers for she only had one course of action. Alert the others. There was one thing Kytzia knew for certain. The Sith valued her, or at the very least, they would not allow the Jedi to take her. Her thumb hovered over the distress signal.

Her other hand shot straight for her neck, wrapping around the restraining necklace ready to release it. "You should not be here." If there was one skill the child had mastered was to not let the rampage of emotions reach her face or her voice. Her eyes, however, told a different tale. She didn't want to do this.

She didn't have a choice.

"Leave..." her attempt at sounding intimidating was pitiful at best. As the graveness of her situtation began dawning more on her, her chin trembled and fresh tears fell from her eyes. "...please." He would be saving them both from this.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

His eyes fell to the necklace as the girl grabbed hold of it. The action alone made Judah stop in his tracks. While he did not answer her question right away, he at least looked on with a curious caution. There was something about the way she grabbed the choker which made the Jedi have the impression that if she pulled it off something terrible would happen. It would be like the Sith to weaponize a teenager, but he had no clue what he was being drawn to until she was standing in front of him.

Why had the force brought him here, to her? She was a void in the force, and yet he could see her. It was odd. The girl was not force dead, and yet, Judah could not lock onto her aura. The same feeling he had which drew him in initially was at the center of her core. She was there, and yet she was not. The force was there, and yet it was not.

He shook his head.

“Don’t.”

It was a soft statement, a quiet request. Judah did not take a step forward, but he also did not make any motion to retreat. She would have to know by his posture that he was not coming any closer, but he was also not going to leave. He could not abandon her to whatever fate the Sith had designed for her, nor could he turn his back on the mystery which the force had placed in front of him.

Was she a captive?

“I can help.”

She may see it as an empty promise, and maybe it was. Judah did not know what he was saying, but there was a confidence in his voice which would make him believable. The Corellian nature did not allow him to meet a challenge that he could not overcome. His tenacity to do good and what was right would not allow him to walk away. She would have to meet him halfway. If she was willing to relent from her threat, Judah would not take another step.

His eyes fell to her dead master, or handler. Judah was not sure what he had seen from a distance, but now he could see they had been performing some kind of ritual.

Why did they always seem to happen in the rain?

A wave of his hand, and the rain around them came to a stop. It was a perfect circle which gave them a meter of dry space behind them each. His bright blue fixed to her violet orbs, studying them to see if she would release her hand from the jewelry. Whatever it was she was considering, he could sense her fear. She was afraid…

…afraid of what?

As the Jedi studied her further he could see the tears which she fought to hold back with no success. His head canted. The father in him wanted to reach out and wipe the saline from her cheeks, but Judah knew he could not make any motion if he wanted her to trust him enough to let her hand down.

“There is always another way…”

He paused and locked eyes with her again.

“Always.”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

The rain ceased its relentless assault, replaced by a bubble of dry air encircling them, and Kytzia found herself staring into the Jedi’s eyes. They were calm, unyielding, a stark contrast to the chaotic tempest within her. The soft words he spoke, the gentle assurance that there was always another way, struck a chord deep within her. It was a promise of hope, something she had been denied for so long.

Hope was a dangerous thing. It made you vulnerable, opened you up to more pain and disappointment. The Sith had taught her that lesson well. She was a weapon, a tool to be used and discarded, not someone deserving of mercy or redemption. It was heartbreaking to hear others promise something, and no matter how much she wanted to listen knowing that trust would only cause more suffering once they inevitably failed.

Her grip on the necklace tightened, the cool metal digging into her skin. She could feel the raw power of the Force pulsing within her, a storm waiting to be unleashed. The Jedi’s presence was like a balm, soothing the frayed edges of her mind, but it was not enough to silence the voices. They screamed at her, urging her to act, to release the chaos and destruction within.

Kytzia’s vision blurred with tears as she fought to regain control. The Jedi’s words echoed in her mind. “I can help.” Could he really? Could anyone truly help her? The girl wanted to believe him, to trust in the possibility of a different future, but the weight of her past and the darkness within made it hard to see beyond the present moment. He knew nothing about her.

She glanced down at the commlink in her hand, the distress signal still unactivated. If she pressed it, the Sith would come, and they would not hesitate to kill the Jedi. It was what she had been conditioned to do, to call for help, to rely on her tormentors for protection. But what if, for once, she didn’t?

Her eyes met the Jedi’s again, searching for any hint of deceit or ulterior motive. All she saw was sincerity, a genuine desire to help. The intensity of his gaze was almost overwhelming, and she felt a flicker of something she hadn’t felt in a long time: trust. It only made her more afraid. Everybody lies.

With a shaky breath, Kytzia slowly released her hold on the necklace, letting her hand slide down against her chest. The power within her still roiled, but she willed it to remain contained, at least for now. Still, her thumb hovered over the commlink’s button.

Her voice, when she finally spoke, was barely above a whisper. “I... I can't stop it.” The admission was painful, a reminder of her helplessness. “The Force, I can’t control it.”

Kytzia wiped at her tears with the back of her hand as quickly as she could to keep them from impeding her senses any further, the vulnerability she displayed incredibly out of place against the fearsome power she was a vessel to. She did not approach nor retreat, and her eyes never left the Jedi’s. “You say you can help, but how?” The question hung in the air, laden with doubt, desperation even. "Do you know what this is?" She wanted to believe him, but trust was a fragile thing, easily shattered. For now, she would give him a chance, a small glimmer of hope in the midst of her darkness. A gamble she would regret greatly if lost.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

The weight of her reaction was crushing. Judah could not bear the sorrow he was sensing from her, the fear, the panic, the indecision. He was an empath, and while he had learned to master the sensations which came from others emotionally, there were times it was overwhelming. This girl seemed to press on that harder than any had projected in a long time. It was as though her anguish was his own. A tangible and palpable devastation which could have immobilized him when he was younger.

Even now he stood still.

What was it she could not stop? There was something Judah was missing, but the more she talked, or pleaded, the more he seemed to understand. The necklace was meant to restrain something, or rather someone.

Did he know what it was?

“I have an idea,” he said truthfully. “If what I observe is true.”

He pointed to the choker around her neck.

“That is meant to restrain, yes?”

His tone was calm, though she would be able to tell that he fought with himself. It was not that he did not want to remain calm, but rather he wrestled with every urge to run to her like a father would rush to their wounded child. She was broken, not physically, but emotionally. The Sith had used her, but it was more than that. She was afraid of what she was, and that had left her in pieces as well.

Judah could not imagine what she had been through for someone so young. His father had rejected him, turned him away from the life he had known, but that did not compare to being a tool and weapon of the Sith. His childhood had led to a life of crime, being a cheat and grifter. The Jedi had found him, but what would he have become had the Sith found him first. Judah had touched the darkness, he had even been tempted by it.

This was something different.

Judah dared one step closer as he spoke. He held his hands together with palms facing the ground. It was as though he used them to make a visual landscape. The Jedi Master wanted to show her something.

“Sometimes the force is wounded, or is broken. It creates a fissure.” Judah demonstrated the concept with his hands. “When this happens, things can be… unpredictable and when it happens in a person…”

Judah paused. He wanted to be delicate, but this girl had already experienced things far crueler than anyone should ever have to face. A sigh escaped his lips as he resigned himself to the fact there was no nice way to explain it. It just was.

“...devastating.”

He tried to smile.

“There are ways, methods to heal a wound or repair a fissure, but they are not safe. That being said. It is possible and would allow you to control the force with time, patience, and training.”

One more step.

“You should be the one in control of your own destiny, not manipulated to advance the aspirations of another.”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Her emotions bore down on Kytzia relentlessly, fanning the flames of the crazed forces within her. She could sense his sincerity, his genuine desire to help, but it clashed violently with everything she had been taught, everything she had endured.

Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The voices continued to grow impossibly louder to the point were her ears felt moments away from bursting, telling her of the horrors she'd invevitably face. They screamed of danger, of betrayal, of the need to protect herself, they confided tales of suffering that she could never know if they were a fiction of her shattered psyque or real laments coming from worlds away.

Judah's words cut through the noise, beckoning her to calm herself despite the storm of her thoughts. He spoke of understanding, of control... of a path that seemed impossible for her to walk. Yes, the necklace was a restraint, a very poor one. Kytzia's violet eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, locked onto his as he explained the concept of a fissure in the Force. His words painted a picture of brokenness, and the thought of healing felt like a distant dream.

Judah took a step closer, his hands held out in a gesture of peace. His presence was steady, unwavering, yet Kytzia's fear was a living thing, coiling around her heart and squeezing tight. She wanted to believe him, to trust that he could help her, but the shadow of the Sith loomed large in her mind.

"Don't come any closer." she whispered, her voice trembling. Her eyes darted to the commlink in her hand, the distress signal that could summon the Sith to her aid. The Sith valued her, needed her, but they also used her, twisted her into something she didn't want to be. Yet, the thought of leaving with Judah, of trusting a Jedi, filled her with a paralyzing fear.

The girl's eyes fell to her dead master, the sight of the Sith's lifeless body bringing a fresh wave of panic - for her mind betrayed her and the Sith's corpse no longer bared the face that belonged to her Master, but a pale copy of her own, purple eyes void of life. She had seen death before, caused it even, but this was different. This was her last tether to the life she knew, and he was asking her to sever it.

Kytzia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block everything out. Her hands shook, one gripping the commlink, the other clutching at the fabric over her heart. She was on the edge of a precipice, teetering between two worlds, neither of which she fully understood, neither of which assured anything besides what she was already experiencing: suffering.

Judah's expression told her he understood the gravity of the situation. But understanding wasn't enough. She needed action, needed a solution, needed... something.

A sudden movement caught her attention, just before the next words fell from her lips. From the shadows, a figure emerged, another Sith drawn by the disturbance. Kytzia's heart leapt into her throat. The Sith's eyes flicked between Judah and Kytzia, assessing the situation. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the potential for violence.

The new arrival's presence shattered the fragile connection that was forming between Kytzia and Judah. Her decision, whatever it might have been, was now overshadowed by the immediate threat. The Sith's gaze settled on Kytzia, a mixture of curiosity and disdain in their eyes.

"What are you waiting for, girl?" the Sith spat. "Activate the signal. Call for reinforcements."

Kytzia's hand hovered over the commlink as the Sith's lightsaber ignited. Every fiber in her body screamed at her to obey, to summon the rest and secure her safety. But Judah's calm presence, his promise of another way, lingered in her thoughts. She'd be responsible for whatever fate befell him.

She looked back at Judah, her eyes pleading for guidance. She didn't want to unleash the chaos within her, didn't want to become the weapon the Sith had forged her into.

The moment hung in the balance, a fragile thread that could snap at any second. Kytzia's life, her future, teetered on the edge of a decision that she was too afraid to make alone.

Her thoughts shot through the distance between them seeking to break through the Jedi's mental barrier, it would have felt more like an attack than an attempt at communication but this was not something the child could prevent. In truth, Kytzia wasn't aware of the desperate cry the Force had just delivered for her.

Help me.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

Judah stopped. He did not need to be told twice to know she was serious. Her fear telegraphed more than she intended perhaps, or maybe it communicated everything she wanted to say. All the shadow knew was that if he did not comply her hand would tear the restraint from her neck, and the Jedi was not willing to see what the result of that would be. He knew enough about wounds and fissures to know the devastation they could cause when unleashed. Yet, it was because of a girl, young and innocent, who bore the burden of something so heavy that Judah stayed.

He nodded.

“Not another step forward unless you say.”

It was a promise.

His eyes fixed on the emotion she tried to fight back. Her eyes were so full of tears they were almost a mirror showing his own reflection back to him. The violet hue was beautiful, something that came from old stories. Judah had no doubt she would grow into a stunning woman if given the chance. His duty in the moment was to make sure they both survived to give her that chance.

When her eyes moved to the Sith which had been drawn to them, Judah looked as well. He could not hear all of his words, but it became clear she held something in her hand which would call for others. The Master could feel the struggle within her. She was at war within herself, a conflict between what she was conditioned to do and what she wanted to do.

There was a sudden bombardment of force energy against the barrier he had built within his mind. It was strong, but the attack on it threatened to tear it down if he did not relent.

Help me.

The plea was like a shout in his mind. It repeated itself over and over again to the point Judah felt almost incapacitated by it. He would have to bring his defenses back up in order for him to help her in any way. Even as the Sith moved toward them, urging her to call the reinforcements once more, Judah had to summon every bit of his willpower to force the assault against his mind to quiet. Only when she was blocked out again did the shadow find the power he needed to send a volley of force energy toward the Sith, launching him back into the rain.

Another wave of his hand and the rain around the froze until it created a thick wall of ice to encircle them. They were guarded against the Sith for now. Still, Judah radiated a sense of calm and peace which would seem unnatural given their situation. That is because it was.

Closing his eyes, Judah allowed a calming aura to fill the open space around them. She would begin to feel the effects of it, even if she chose not to embrace it. Blue eyes softened once again as he looked away briefly to see the lifeless body of the Sith Master still laying on the ground near them. Judah frowned slightly at the loss of life, but it had proven necessary.

“I am sorry. He would have killed me.”

Did he need to apologize? There was likely no need to do so, but the Jedi seemed to think it would help distinguish himself even further from the Sith. He was not there to use her as a tool or weapon. Judah wanted to help her find a path to healing.

“If you want me to help you, I can. You do not have to return with them if you do not want to.”

His eyes focused on her to ask a question he was certain no one had ever asked her before.

“What do you want?”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Kytzia's eyes rushed to the Sith when he was flung back, but they bolted back towards Judah when she felt an unfamiliar sensation wash over her. The voices in her head began to quiet, the relentless cacophony of terror and commands dimming to a whisper. Her body, unused to any form of calm or relaxation, began to crave this newfound peace. It was a call her exhausted mind and body couldn't resist. Everything was pushed to the very back of her mind, replaced by an instant and overwhelming urge to sleep, her eyelids growing heavy as if they were made of lead.

The world around her started to blur. Judah's words, his apology, and his promise of help became distant echoes, for a moment she thought all might have been a dream. She wanted to respond, to tell him that she didn't want to return to the Sith, but her strength was fading rapidly. The peace that Judah radiated was like a balm to her tortured soul, and she felt herself sinking into its embrace with no hope of resisting.

Her violet eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, flickered towards Judah one last time. Her lips parted as if to speak, but the words wouldn't form, so instead she tried to reach for him. The calming aura was too powerful, too soothing. Her body, starved for rest and relief, had began to shut down the second it could.

Just as she was about to succumb to the welcoming darkness, a sudden jolt of agony ripped through her.

The Sith had made good use of his dying breath, reaching through the Force with enough strength to will it to make a crack in the ice dome, and pull on the band around her neck until it gave. There would be no need for a distress signal now, they were coming.

A torrent of raw, uncontrolled Force energy erupted from the girl like a dying star, lashing out in all directions. Judah was well close enough to be caught in the maelstrom, the sheer power of it indescribable. Waves of pure destruction. Kytzia was nothing more than a lump on the floor, contorted in pain, the epicenter to something entirely beyond her.

The ground around her cracked and shattered, debris flying through the air as the force of her curse reached its peak. Judah would have to make a decision: attempt to reach her and risk his life to her curse and the incoming enemies, or flee.

If she had been capable of coherent thought through the pain, she would have told him to run.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

The answer never came. He knew the ice would not keep the Sith at bay forever, but he had not anticipated the resolve at which they would try to break through. Clearly they did not want this Jedi getting his hands on their weapon, their property. Judah looked on as this one perished as well, knowing there was nothing he could do to protect it. He had not planned on racking up a death toll on this mission, but it had already reached two.

It would likely get higher.

The release of the choker came with a torrent of force energy which knocked Judah back into the wall of ice. She had warned him to run, told him to leave while he could. His need to help had seen his life put in danger. Judah had always been the one to put the lives of others before his own. It was the reason his arm was mechanical, why four fingers on his left hand were not truly his own. The scar on his left cheek, just above the line of his beard had come from creating an opportunity for someone to escape.

There was no choice for him. If he did not intervene the girl would be claimed by the Sith once more, and he could not allow that to happen.

He pressed through the wave of force energy, fighting to reach the choker. Judah knew if he could get it around her neck that perhaps everything would calm once again. He had never been a great healer, but his master had at least ensured he knew how to control his pain, and heal his own wounds. His attempt to reach the collapsed child at the center of the fissure would test every bit of that knowledge.

A deep breath was taken as the Jedi pushed himself toward the girl. He could feel the force draining from him as he passed into the energy which stood between him and the nucleus of the wound. Each step required more from him, but he would not relent. Even if it required his life, Judah was going to do everything in his power to keep this girl away from the Sith. If he was not successful then his life would have been given for a worthy cause.

Judah knew that his life would not end in the comfort of his bed, surrounded by those he held dear. The Shadow would perish in battle. His life would be given to save others. It had always been his way, but furthermore, he had seen it.

He hit the ground after passing through the otherside. Judah was in the eye of the storm. Crawling toward her, the Jedi replaced the choker before he collapsed. His world would go dark for a moment. Eyes closed as the Master attempted to draw on the force around him, but until the choker did what it was created to do, he would not be able to.

She drew more energy at a faster rate than Judah could compete with.

She even drew it from him.

He could feel his energy depleting. Judah’s life force was fading. The ground was suddenly missing, or at least the sensation of it. Warmth replaced the chill of the air which the ice had thrust upon them. Judah could not hear the storm, nor did he see the dark clouds which poured rain from the sky above. Instead he was staring into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

Her smile was warm, her face as perfect as Judah remembered. The Corellian could smell her perfume on the air as the breeze blew in from the ocean. Suddenly he was in their private bungalow on the Golden Beaches where they had honeymooned.

“Red…”

The soft touch of her hand came to his cheek, and he could swear he felt the kiss of her lips on his. Her voice was distant, but unmistakable.”

“Not yet, Judah. Now get up and live Jediboy.”

His eyes snapped open.

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Her body had craved and clung onto the peace he offered, but the sudden release of the choker had made sure to remind every cell in her body that peace was not something she was meant to have. It would never last, it would only help to make her suffering worse by letting her have a taste of the absence of it.

Judah's efforts to approach her were a distant blur. Kytzia felt the waves of energy she unleashed pushing him back, yet he persisted, each step a testament to his determination. The sight of him fighting through the storm, risking everything to reach her, stirred something within Kytzia. The man's light, even then, remained stable and soothing. What the girl felt was guilt. She did not deserve the sacrifice he was choosing to make. Her death wouldn't have meant much to anyone, and it would have saved so many. His? The universe could not afford to lose beings like him.

Kytzia's vision swam as she fought to stay conscious. The force energy pouring from her was a wild, untamed beast, lashing out at everything in its path. She tried with the little might that she had to keep Judah's presence in the eye of the storm as a point of focus amidst the chaos. She could feel him drawing closer, his willpower pushing through the overwhelming force.

Just as he reached her, Kytzia caught a glimpse of something in his eyes. It was fleeting, a momentary look of something far away, someone far away. She couldn't see his thoughts or memories, but she sensed the presence of another, a connection that gave him strength. It was a mystery she couldn't comprehend, much less so in her current state, but for some reason it added to the sense of calm he radiated. And to her regret of having crossed his path and caused all this.

With the last of his strength, Judah managed to clasp the choker around her neck. The sudden containment of her power felt like a dam closing, the force energy retracting back into her with a violent snap that threatened to crack her spine in half. Kytzia gasped, her body convulsing as the storm within her was forcefully subdued, lungs demanding air violently. The intense drain of energy left her trembling, her limbs weak and unresponsive.

As she lay on the ground, barely able to move, she watched Judah collapse beside her. The calm he had brought her was now a suffocating silence, the absence of the storm leaving her feeling empty and exhausted. Her violet eyes, still shimmering with tears, searched his face for any sign of life.

"No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. She reached out with a trembling hand, fingers brushing against his arm, her heart caught in her throat as she was faced yet again with the inevitability of things. This was her doing. This was all she had to offer. "Wake up!" She tried to scream, to get any kind of reaction from the man that proved that he was still among the living because she could not feel him.

The moment was heartbreakingly short. A sharp, sudden noise broke through the silence, and Kytzia's heart sank again as she realized the Sith reinforcements had arrived, only one more wielding a lightsaber and then the troopers, armed and ready. The ice dome had been breached, and dark figures moved swiftly through the opening. The sense of impending doom was overwhelming.

Kytzia's thoughts were a tangled mess. She knew Judah couldn't hold off the Sith alone, not in his weakened state. The hope that had briefly flickered within her was now a faint, dying light. Her body was too drained to fight, too spent to run. All she could do was watch as the Sith closed in, their intentions clear.

Kytzia prayed, against the horrid voices within her head, she prayed. She didn't know if she was asking Judah, the Force, or anyone who might hear her silent cry. The weight of her fate pressed down on her, and she knew that her moment of freedom, however brief, was slipping away.

The enemies moved to surrounded them. Kytzia's eyes began to lose the fight against oblivion and agony as she felt the force of their power, her body and mind surrendering to the inevitable. In the last moments of consciousness, she clung to the memory of Judah's calming presence, hoping against hope that he would survive, that he would find a way to save himself.

The Force bridged the gap between their minds once more, just as the Sith gripped at her fragile body, lifting her up and flinging her over his sholder like little more than a rucksack and began walking away, leaving only the soldiers to deal with the Jedi.

"Go...Live."

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

Ragged breaths were all Judah could manage as his eyes opened with a flash. One moment he had been ready to join his late wife, and the next he was back in the ice. Kytzia laid next to him weak, barely moving, but the inevitable could not be avoided. Judah felt the dark side of the force as it washed across the sky. The fissure which was the girl had attracted another Sith which had been close by. A contingent of troopers were with him, and Judah knew both of them were too weak to take them on.

He still attempted to stand. Even as the Sith breached the walls of ice, Judah was not going to allow them to take her without standing in their way.

His legs failed him.

Judah fell to the ground once more as the Knight picked the girl up as though she was nothing but a rag doll in the hands of a toddler. He cursed, something rare for him in his older age. The Jedi Master refused to let the Sith have the girl and resolved within himself that he would not let them win.

He willed himself back onto his feet as her words broke through the barrier of his mind once again. Even though she could not see him, Judah shook his head to say no. His thoughts pushed back against her mind this time. If she could invade his, he would break through to hers.

“No.”

He said it aloud as he took a step forward and ignited his twin sabers.

“NO!”

Blaster fire erupted from the rifles carried by the troopers. Their barrels pointed directly at the Jedi. Skill and experience were the only things which kept Judah alive long enough to deflect the bolts back to those which fired them. Laser colliding with plasma echoed across the valley until suddenly all fell silent. The only sound was the soft hum of Judah’s lightsaber steaming as drops of rain fell on them.

“Release her,” he demanded of the Sith who continued to walk with her back toward the ship.

His command was ignored, something Judah had anticipated. It came once more, and was repeated with every step Judah took as he followed the Sith. Reaching out, Judah called on the force once more, almost tapped. He pulled against the Sith, hoping to bring him back, or at least slow his progress.

Judah reached again. He would not relent.

“LET HER GO!”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Kytzia's body hung limply over the Sith's shoulder, her consciousness slipping in and out, the weight of her ordeal pressing down on her. The Sith holding her was a towering figure, clad in dark robes that seemed to absorb the very light around him. His presence was a cold void, the absolute opposite to the warmth Judah had been able to provide.

Judah's determined advance was met with a chilling smile from the Sith, who turned slowly to face him, Kytzia still draped over his shoulder like a lifeless rag doll. The Sith's eyes glinted with a malevolent amusement, clearly relishing the Jedi's struggle.

"You think you can save her, Jedi?" the Sith's voice was a low, mocking purr, dripping with contempt. "You are already weak and broken. You cannot protect her. She belongs to the darkness."

Judah's defiance, his twin sabers ignited, was met with a wave of dark energy. The Sith raised a hand, and the very air seemed to thrum with malevolent power. "You are a fool to challenge me. You will die here, you cannot take what is already ours."

As Judah pushed forward, deflecting blaster bolts with skill and precision, the Sith moved with a predatory grace, each step deliberate and unyielding. He raised his free hand, sending a barrage of Force lightning crackling towards Judah, aiming to overwhelm him with sheer power.

"You cannot win, Jedi," the Sith hissed, his voice a venomous whisper. "She will never know peace. She will only know pain and suffering, and it will be by your failure."

With a flick of his wrist, the Sith attempted to tighten a mental grip on Judah, aiming to crush his resolve. He pushed dark thoughts into the Jedi's mind, visions of failure, of Kytzia's endless torment, of his own death, but especially - of all the death the girl he was risking his life save had and would cause. The Sith's saber ignited with a blood-red blade, and he advanced on Judah, intending to strike him down. He did not put the girl down, if anything she would only serve as an obstacle for his oponent. The Sith knew he would not risk killing her.

The Sith swung his saber with deadly precision, aiming for Judah's midsection, intending to cleave through him and end this fight swiftly. He followed up with a forceful push of energy, seeking to throw Judah off balance and make him vulnerable.

Judah's determination was nothing but the greatest affront in the face of the Sith's darkness. His willpower, his refusal to give in, was evident in every movement, every deflection of blaster fire, and every step forward. The Sith could sense this, and it only fueled his desire to break the Jedi.

"She will be nothing but a tool for the Sith," the Sith taunted, his voice a cruel whisper in Judah's mind. "And you will be nothing but a forgotten relic."

The dark figure's grip on Kytzia tightened, he would take any window available to begin his retreat towards the waiting ship, using every ounce of his power to keep Judah at bay. He knew that he could not afford to lose the girl, and he would do whatever it took to ensure she remained in Sith hands

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

“I do not think I can,” Judah said as the battle continued between them. “I know I can.”

The resolve in his voice was more than simple determination. Judah had been in situations more dire than this. Just because he was weakened from over exerting himself with the force did not mean that he should be underestimated. There were several Sith which had found an early grave for making the same mistake this one was making. The only obstacle was the girl.

His opponent had been correct in assuming Judah would not do anything which might harm the girl. Even as the master deflected each attack, he had been forced to take a defensive posture as he looked for a way to kill the man without hurting the girl.

Judah needed rest to reconnect to the force, but that rest would not come with the volley of slashes and thrusts coming from his enemy’s blade.

Darkness flooded Judah’s mind. Despite the strength of his mental barriers, they had been broken down by Kytzia whens he told him to run. It had left a crack for the Sith to worm its fear through Judah’s thoughts. He could see the picture that was being projected in front him. They used her, draining her until she no longer served their purpose.

She was much older, an adult, tormented by the constant strain that came from setting her free and retstrining the flow of her force in much the same way he had just done. Her body was frail, almost lifeless as though they did not see her as human. A tool, he had said. Their tool.

Judah could feel the anger well up within him, and as the force lighting came to target him, the shadow did something which was rare. He pushed back against it with his own lighting. Sith far too often underestimated shadows in the sense that while they were not followers of the dark side, they used the dark side on occasion. If he could not rest, then Judah would have to rely on his emotions to fuel him. It was dangerous, and why he avoided it, but he knew the path he followed.

When the lightning broke, Judah broke the hold on his mind as well. Their lightsabers collided in a vengeful melody as each moved through the dance of attacking and deflecting, looking for the upper hand in the fight. The Sith would tire soon as his movements were limited with Kytzia over his shoulder. Judah could continue his defensive strategy until then. He was too weak to press much further without the risk of unleashing a torrent of dark power he would not be able to control.

His force barrier kept the wave of force energy from moving him too far. Judah’s advance was slowed, but it was not halted. Continued movement forward ensured the gap between him and the Sith did not put the warrior too far out of his reach. He closed the distance, and with a slash, parry, and thrust forward, Judah pushed his saber through the dark sider’s heart. He reached for Kytzia, catching her as the lifeless body of the Sith fell.

Judah had killed three Sith and their troopers today. Hopefully there would not be anymore for the time being. He still had questions that needed to be answered. The first being the one he had already asked. As Judah held the girl in his arms, his eyes went to her again. Once more the question was offered.

“What do you want?”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Kytzia had been mostly unconscious throughout the duel, her eyes closed, lost in the confusion of a different battle. Her thoughts were a storm of fragmented images and voices, constantly shifting and changing, for not even in slumber did she find rest. Even while fainted, she clung to the faint connection she had with the Force, desperately trying to make sense of the overwhelming sensations that bombarded her. Her delusions were so constant that not even dreams felt different from reality.

She screamed into the void of her unconscious, clawing against its walls to climb back up into wakefulness. It caused her great pain, Kytzia did not believe she had ever had any reason to fight as hard as she was now against what her curse and her broken body dictated.

When Judah finally defeated the Sith and caught her in his arms, it felt as if a life line had been extended to her through the darkness. Kytzia focused on the Jedi's presence, eyes beginning to flutter open to welcome a blurred world. Her vision had yet to focus, but the child did not need her eyes to know the presence of this man could mean an end to the ceaseless cruelty she had known. Yet they stood here, surrounded by the spoils of violence, and she felt a strange mixture of relief and fear. The safety Judah offered was something alien, yet desperately needed.

The matter of whether this man capacity and true willingness to help her was not something she was questioning anymore. Saying he trusted him already might have been a bit too far, but she believed him. She believed in him. The Jedi Master had visited upon her a display of kindness and care that she had never experienced before, not even from those she had crossed paths with that weren't Sith. For only a second, and as he asked the question she had left unanswered again, the choice seemed clear.

But before she was conscious enough to produce words her vision had time to adjust. Her senses, too. And soon Kytzia found that the mental image of the man she was building in her head was missing a lot of reality. He was spent, and hurt. He had come here unaware and been met with death and aggression. She had been the cause of it all. He could have died, she almost killed him.

Kytzia's voice was barely a whisper as she responded, her voice trembling and frail. "I… I don't know." The words seemed to hang in the air, as if they were as much a question to herself as they were an answer to Judah. She looked up at him with wide, haunted eyes, the shadows of her past still lingering. Judah would be able to see beyond the purple of her eyes and know that she truly meant it.

The Force around her was erratic and unstable, like a wild storm. She could sense Judah's genuine concern but felt her own turmoil making it difficult to process her feelings clearly. She had been a pawn in the Sith's schemes for so long that the concept of freedom or choice felt almost foreign. Kytzia didn't know what to want.

"I… I don't want to be a monster." The confession was raw and vulnerable. Kytzia's gaze shifted downward, avoiding Judah's eyes. She was scared of what she might reveal or what she might become. "And I don't want to cause pain."

Kytzia's voice was barely audible, overwhelmed by the force of her emotions and the sheer exhaustion of the ordeal. Her small frame trembled as she spoke, her uncertainty laid bare.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Kytzia Theyn

She needed to learn control. Whether it would repair the fissure or not remained to be seen, but something of the wound had been left undone. It mattered little if Judah could not identify the source, but he was determined to see it through. He promised Kytzia his help, and he would keep his promise. There was nothing left on that front to be discussed.

He smiled as her eyes opened. The question he asked was a difficult one in a certain way. Judah was not sure he would know how to answer it right away either. However what she said had not been an answer he expected.

She saw herself as a monster, a thing that caused pain.

Judah shook his head, and yet as he surveyed the scene around him, he understood why she thought as she did. He smiled again as he nodded his head.

“You just needed to learn how to control all the chaos, and not with a necklace.”

Mastery of one’s self was true master of the force. It was the one thing that Sith and Jedi would likely agree upon. While they applied the knowledge differently to achieve that purpose, strength in the force required one thing, being your own master. She did not need other masters other than herself, and perhaps Judah could help Kytzia understand that.

First he would have to convince her she was not a monster or a curse.

“It will take a lot of work, but you do not need to be anyone’s tool. You don’t need to worry about causing pain.”

They just needed to know what the source of the wound was. It was the one thing he had not told the girl yet. She likely knew it was something they would have to confront at some point. Judah was simply trying to handle the more pressing issue in front of them, and that was the perception she had of herself.

Judah was also aware of the fact that more Sith would come. The disturbance which had been let loose would not be something that they would allow others to find. One ship in the area when something they may consider to be a prize was threatened to be taken out of their possession. He knew they had to move quickly, but they were both still weak. Even as Judah tried to help the girl back to her feet, the Jedi fell to his knees.

“I think that took more out of me than I thought it would,” he said with a chuckle.

Judah was trying to help her not feel guilty about his decision.

“So… I’m hungry. My ship is not far. We beat the Sith off this planet and I can make us something to eat. I know a safe place.”

 

[Kytzia Theyn]

Tagging: Judah Lesan

Kytzia blinked, still quite disoriented. Her body ached, a constant reminder of the Force's relentless drain. Judah's words echoed in her mind, "You don't need to worry about causing pain."

How could he say that? She had seen what she could do—felt the raw, uncontrollable energy within her, a destruction that shattered everything it touched. She was a monster, a wound in the Force, something unnatural. The Sith had told her that, and the whispers... the whispers agreed.

But Judah's smile was different. It wasn't the cold, calculating smirk of the Sith overseers. It was warm, kind. Genuine. He spoke of control, of not being a tool. Kytzia wanted to believe him, but the doubt gnawed at her. She wasn't like him. She wasn't strong or noble. She was just... broken.

As Judah helped her to her feet, she felt a surge of guilt seeing him collapse to his knees. He had fought so hard, risked so much for her, a girl who brought nothing but destruction. Kytzia hesitated, her eyes darting around the empty space. She was used to pain, to being used, not to kindness. It scared her.

Judah's chuckle cut through her spiraling thoughts. He talked about food, about a safe place. Safe. Kytzia didn't know what that felt like. The Sith had always told her she was dangerous, that she needed to be contained, controlled. Yet here was Judah, offering her something different. Something more.

Kytzia swallowed, the words stuck in her throat. Finally, she managed to whisper, "Why... why are you doing this? Why help me? I'm just..." Her voice trailed off, too afraid to finish the thought. She wasn't sure she could bear hearing the answer, yet a small, fragile part of her hoped that maybe, just maybe, he saw something in her worth saving beyond simple duty.

She looked down at her hands, trembling slightly, the memory of their terrible potential fresh in her mind. The whispers surged, a cacophony of voices reminding her of her curse, her burden. But amidst the noise, Judah's words lingered. He had called her more than a weapon, more than a tool. He saw her as a person, someone who could be more than the sum of her fears and the Sith's manipulations.

For a moment, Kytzia closed her eyes. She focused on the faint warmth of Judah's hand still supporting her and unintentionally squeezed slightly. It was a simple gesture, but it anchored her in a reality she had never known—a reality where she wasn't alone in her suffering. She took a shaky breath, then another, grounding herself in the present moment.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and met Judah's gaze. There was a sincerity in his eyes that she couldn't deny. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Kytzia didn't know what lay ahead, but for the first time, a part of her was eager to see what it was.

"I... I want to go with you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper but steady. "I don't want to be this... this thing anymore." She hesitated, then added, "If... if you think you can help me, I want to try."

It was a leap of faith, a step into the unknown. But as she looked at Judah, she felt a flicker of something she had perhaps never felt before—trust. She didn't know if it was misplaced or foolish, but in that moment, she decided to believe in it. To believe in him. And maybe, just maybe, to believe in herself.

Kytzia took a deep breath and nodded, more to herself than to Judah. "Let's go," she said, her voice firmer. "I'm ready."

Kytzia tried to help him to his feet, entirely more a gesture than an actual aid. As they started toward his ship, Kytzia glanced back at the battlefield. She wanted to remember it, the past she was leaving behind, and also the possibility of change.