“Why the kark would they call it the ‘New Imperial Order’ if they weren’t new?”
Didn’t matter. The fight continued. While the sense of dread grew, a deep resolve gripped his heart. The Sith was unyielding but Dorian refused to let up. There was so much more to do, so much life left to live that he refused to leave. Each moment the pair got faster; Mavia’s defense immaculate, Dorian’s strikes precise and deadly.
But the dread grew and grew, until the moment was upon him.
The Sith threw fire at Mavia’s feet and Dorian saw an opening. He took a step forward and thrust, but the Sith’s body twisted to avoid it. Her hand latched onto the spear and he felt the weapon cool. Normally it was a comfort to hold, a weapon he’d held and fought with for years, but in that moment it was like it no longer wanted him. His grip slacked in his surprise, then-
The boot hit him in the gut. She knocked the wind out of him, stole his weapon, sent him flying.
The dread gripped his heart. Something was wrong. He was about to die, wasn’t he? He was about to leave her.
He didn’t hit the wall. Everything went black. He felt nothing.
Until it wasn’t, and he didn’t.
“Dorian. Dorian. Wake up.”
Dorian blinked. The darkness turned to light, and his isolation ended with the tanned man who’d woken him here. It was like looking into a mirror that made him old -- the man resembled Dorian, only his hair was lighter, his skin a shade darker, and he wore the traditional robes of a Jedi instead of the armor of an Imperial Knight. His voice, though, his voice was rich and soothing. If the guy didn’t bother him as often Dorian would’ve listened more.
“I didn’t think you’d get here so soon. That Sith you’re facing is a formidable opponent.”
“How… how are you here? I thought you were just… in my head.”
“Well, you know, I do have other things to do. So no, I'm not just in your head. Here, we're together in the Netherworld.”
“Oh. So I’m… dead, or something.” He didn’t want to be dead. Why didn’t he want to be dead? Aside from, like, the whole bad deal of being dead. There was a reason. Something he was leaving behind. His mind felt fuzzy.
“Not quite. I managed to take you here, protect you -- the Netherworld of the Force would’ve torn your soul apart. Well, I’m calling it a soul, but I never figured out-”
“You’re Voron.” For a moment, Dorian’s head cleared.
“And… that woman, at the tournament.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“The Sith tourney, before I became an Imperial Knight, and-” He froze.
“Mavia.”
Dorian stepped forward, grabbing the Jedi by the shoulders.
“I need to get back. Take me back. You have to.”
The spirit bit his lip and placed his hands on Dorian’s.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how.”
“You have to. Come on, you- you’re the one my mother asked to protect me, right? Come on, you gotta send me back. I’ll do anything.”
He removed the hands from his shoulders.
“I would if I could, but I really-”
“You have to. If I’m here, then- something might happen to her. I need to get back.”
“I can’t-”
There was an ominous thunderclap as another arrived in their corner of the Netherworld. A Sith Lord, tall and imposing, his face hidden behind a gleaming metal mask and his body hidden under menacing black robes.
“Enough, Jedi! This one is mine.”
The dark tendrils of the Sith Lord’s garb seemed to infect the calm white of their surroundings. This was the Sith that had twisted his mind, trying to bring him closer to the darkness. His voice was impossibly deep.
Voron stepped between Dorian and the Sith.
“He makes his own decisions.”
The Sith floated forward.
“Oh, please. You should’ve seen him on Mala, squirming so. Though I must admit, his bond with that Mirialan…”
The Sith chuckled.
“Quite impressed by their opponent, exploiting it so.”
Voron frowned. The darkness grew.
“You just want another vessel.”
“And now that it’s here, all I need to do is take it. After all, I’m the one who can get out of here.”
“I won’t let you.”
“Oh, just like you didn’t let me on Mala? I almost had him, you know.”
“I’ve beat you before, and I can do it again.”
“You are weak. I will have what is mine.”
“Look at them, bickering. Is that what you’re like with the kids at school?”
Dorian pouted and folded his arms.
“I’m not like that…”
Arantha Sicarrio squeezed her son’s sides, making the little boy squirm in place on her lap. They sat on the couch, watching a holovid.
“Does your teacher not tell you not to fight with them?”
“Yes...”
“But you fight anyway?”
Dorian twiddled his thumbs, looking at his toes.
“I’m just trying to keep the other boys from fighting,” he mumbled.
“They just do whatever they want. That’s not okay.”
His mother laughed and patted him on the head.
“That’s good. Someone needs to make sure everyone’s following the rules!”
Dorian paused, then nodded and looked up at her.
“Like you!”
She beamed.
“Yes, like me. But I don’t just help keep the rules-”
“You fight bad guys!”
“That I do.”
“I’m gonna do that when I grow up. I’ll be just like you! And when you get old and stuff I’ll protect you!” He hopped off the couch and grabbed some invisible weapon, swinging it around like he was cutting up the whole house.
There was the tiniest hint of pain in her eyes as she spoke again.
“I hope you find something worth protecting.”
Pause.
Dorian turned around and looked at his mother. She stood up, now only barely taller than his shoulders.
“Mom.” His gloved hands shook as he raised them, but she was faster -- she wrapped him in a hug; a hug that contained the undying love of a mother to their child. He held her close, realizing he barely remembered the last time he’d embraced his mother.
“You have someplace else to be,” she said, finally releasing him from the hug.
Dorian took a deep breath. He wanted to stay, wanted to talk to his mother -- but he couldn’t. He had someplace else to be.
“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
She smiled.
“I’m with you, always, Dorian. Now go, you haven’t any time to waste.”
Dorian nodded. She reached up and planted a kiss on his forehead before he headed towards the front door of the house. In the deepest recesses of his mind he remembered the place he’d called home. Now, though -- he had a different home.
He didn’t look back.
“-was doing what I needed to.”
“Oh, that is a load of bantha dung. You could’ve saved them. And don’t even get me started on that time on Korriban-”
“ENOUGH!”
The two spirits fell silent, looking at Dorian.
“I need to get out of here. You can argue all you like later, you can influence me and talk to me all you want later. But I need to get back.”
There was a pause before the Jedi folded his arms and looked at the Sith.
“You’re the expert with rituals. You do know how to do it, right?”
The Sith glanced between the other two, before nodding.
“The Sith Palace on Bastion is dark enough for me to manifest. I might need a little boost to get you there, though.”
“I’ll help you, then.”
“Come here.” He put out his hands for the other two. When they joined, the Sith began to chant. A familiar dread grew, but he could feel his mother’s presence, telling him everything would be alright.
The air grew cold.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Dorian emerged from a rip in space. He didn’t take time to check his surroundings; he only focused on the presence of the Mirialan knight who was still locked in combat. Another step and a thunderclap exploded from where he’d stood, signalling his acceleration towards the duel.
He struck like lightning, breaking through the floor’s elevator doors with ease. He didn’t know how, but the Force encased him in a corona of light and spectral fire, protecting him as he shot down in pursuit of the cargo elevator.
Just as with the doors he broke through the elevator’s ceiling. In midair he saw the fight unfolding. Was he too late? No. No, there was still time. His hands wrapped around the saber at his belt; a weapon he’d never used before. Yet in that moment the grip was perfect, the hum of the crystal comforting. Around that saber there were not only one set of hands but four.
His foot hit the floor of the elevator and he turned on a dime, streaking towards the Sith. He swung his saber in a wide arc towards her. He could feel his hands being guided, but it wasn’t them who made the weapon comfortable in his hands.
No more lies. No more facade. No longer was he the false knight. His resolve hardened and his grip tightened. The white saber hummed at his command. His aura flared.
Dorian Sicarrio was an Imperial Knight. He had purpose. He had strength. And he was true with every movement and every word.
“This ends now.”