An Old Friend [Part 1]

Mace Windu was walking down a corridor to the training hall when he froze. “There is a disturbance in the force…” He muttered. Walking swiftly, he left the corridor and burst through some double doors out onto the canopy. He walked to the railing and set his hands on it, surveying the area. He was near the top floor so he had a good view, but nothing seemed out of place just the same. He was about to dismiss the feeling and return inside when he saw it. Down past the building on the cliff side there had always been an old rusted red entrance to the underground catacombs. (OOC: I doubt there is an underground cemetery there, but I just found one of my old Diablo II CDs and I was feeling nostalgic.) The tiny red square that it was from his height was open. Without hesitation he passed over the railing. Mace let himself stay in a free fall until he was near the ground, at which point he used the force to have a gentle landing.

The last rainfall had left a thin layer of moist dirt above the firm ground, making his footsteps sink into the ground a bit as he walked. After taking a moment to survey where he was he set off. The Cliffside on which the temple was built was steep and covered in dense foliage, but a path wound down it. However, through age and rainfall the path had been worn down quite a bit. In fact, one could easily stray from it without knowing and get lost, or unknowingly walk off the edge and fall to one’s death. Luckily, Mace had spent a lot of time as a young one playing and training here, and knew the paths well. Windu kept all his senses alert, but he could not sense neither life nor a ship of any kind.

That most likely meant that either the intruder or intruders were physically adept, or someone was a traitor. Mace hoped for the former as he continued on. Soon he passed the tree which he had scared with his saber long ago, meaning he was nearing the hidden entrance, he picked up his pace and focused on the matter at hand instead of who did it. He wound the last corner in a very brisk walk, his cloak billowing out behind him. As he neared the door he veered off to the left, and found himself just behind the edge of the door. After trying to sense anything within and not finding anything, as well as not noticing anything after a peek inside, he stealthily slipped in.

Moving silently across the threshold, Mace went along the wall to the corner of the room then surveyed his surroundings. The room was just as he recalled, if not for a few extra cobwebs. Originally, path was to be made to allow storage vehicles entry way, and they built a storage room on the outer edge of the catacombs with an entrance leading outside so as to allow transfer of items. However, the plan had been cancelled shortly after the storage room was built, and so the room had grown invisible to anyone’s mind. The only interaction within it had been from the seldom occasion of adventurous young padawans, but even that had stopped after a while. The room was long and wide, with two rows of columns erected near the two empty walls that faced each other. Down the room from the red door lied the small metal door leading to the corridor, which was currently ajar.

There was no light within the room, but Mace could see from the light filtering from the outdoors. As there had always been, were many old boxes of out dated items and unimportant records stacked everywhere. Then Windu noticed that down the corridor the lights had been turned on. He crept along the whole of the room towards the metal door, keeping near the wall and behind cover. He stepped into the passage way after checking to make sure no one was awaiting him. The Jedi looked to both sides of him, the corridor extending on a slight curve inward to the end of his vision either way. He had the upper hand, the villain didn’t know Mace was here, but Mace Windu knew the villain was and even which corridor he went down.

“I’m coming for you, little mouse.” He muttered as he began sneaking down the passage way. Shortly thereafter he came to an open door. Peaking inside he found it was one of the storage rooms used for important relics. After a moment he recalled the chamber. It had been built to contain the equipment of the legendary Jedi Master Ku-Tec. All the locking mechanisms were blasted off. He entered the room, and immediately looked to the left of the room. As he had feared, the glass lay shattered on the ground and Ku-Tec’s light saber was missing from its case.

Throwing caution to the wind, he stormed out of the room and began down the corridor. About ten paces on he stopped himself. Mace closed his eyes and breathed slowly, getting his anger under control. When he was in the right state again, he continued. He walked straight past the open ventilation shaft. If it hadn’t been for his force sense he would’ve missed it entirely. It was a large vent, you could crouch in it. But because it had been in an odd slanted part of the wall, and combined with the shadows covering it, it was nearly invisible to someone who wasn’t looking for it.

“No…” He thought “It couldn’t be a Jedi, it couldn’t. Unless…” The Jedi hurried through the vent, using the force to push him through at high speeds. After a while he felt open air beneath him as he finally reached the end of the shaft. There was about a two story fall, nothing a Jedi had to worry about. Because of the velocity he was traveling at, he landed in the center of the room. He surveyed the familiar surroundings, some he hadn’t seen since he was fifteen. The room he was standing in was a secret chamber, unknown by nearly everyone, even the few workers that still come down to the catacombs every so often. It was a large room, plated entirely around by smooth gray metal. A large circle of lighter metal covered the top and bottom of the room, each nearly reaching the beginning of the curve. The span of the round room was bigger than an average room, somewhere between half a school gym and a whole one. After he had landed the voice echoed throughout the chamber, as he knew it would.

“Ah, Mace, my old friend.” Lance walked out of the shadows, his black cloak billowing out behind him. His childhood friend and (then) Jedi-in-training, Lance Ku-Tec. No one knew if he was actually related to the legendary Jedi Master except for the current masters of that time, all of which are dead now. Even so, Lance had always said and believed that he was indeed related to Master Ku-Tec. When they were very young that had meant very little. Just some gullible kids bowed to him, and when they played their games were a bit more exciting. As they grew older, he grew arrogant. That was likewise little of a problem, quite a few children, most in fact, was arrogant and believed they could do anything when there was no real danger.

That was the difference. Lance thought he was great even when there was danger. Even without ever knowing much about Master Ku-Tec other than the few but well-known stories about him, Lance tried to follow in the Master’s foot steps. He quickly became known in the temple for causing trouble and fighting with other padawans. Once they were around eight or so and began having fighting lessons by fighting each other, he became even better known. Because he always fought recklessly and over-the-top. Even so, he was skilled, and always won his fight. However, their trainers quickly noticed that when Lance fought, he was filled with rage and emotion and was driven to win.

They told him that was not the Jedi way. He had confided in Mace that fighting without feeling was the Jedi way according to the teachers and it was no way to fight. When they were around ten, the temple became under siege. The Sith were attacking and had many ships of soldiers constantly bombarding them. Mace and Lance, two of the oldest of the current padawans that were in the temple, decided to fight. They stole two light sabers, along with some blasters, and snuck out.

They crept through the battle field by going down the cliff side through abandoned trails only they knew, and shot many troopers on the way down from their hidden position. Finally they reached the end of their paths. When they came out, they saw they were in the very heart of the enemy camp. They fought, using stealth and trickery and sometimes straight-out light saber battles if they could win them. Then they felt their bodies go cold and their throats stop working as they were lifted into the air. They struggled and kicked, but it was futile. They were turned around in mid air, and saw a Sith. It was the leader of the attack, and now they were going to die. That was what Mace had thought as his vision began to blur over and things started moving slower.

But then he heard a scream and a bright blur, and suddenly he was slamming into the ground again. Lance had screamed with rage and determination and thrown his light saber at the Sith, causing him to release the two children. Windu stood up as Lance continued to scream, pulling out a blaster and open-firing. The Sith stepped back from the relentless blows, allowing Ku-Tec to leap for the saber. He flipped up into the air and came smashing down with the saber. His attack was stopped short however, when the Sith, shot him with lightning. He was sent flying through the air, and the Sith began walking for where he had landed.

Mace plucked up his courage and shouted as he charged the Sith with his saber from behind. The Sith turned in time to see him coming, but not to dodge the attack. As he jumped back a gash was torn in his side from where the light saber scraped across his torso. The Sith quickly advanced upon Mace with rage, rapidly swinging his saber with full force. It was all the young padawan could do to move his saber in time to block. Even with all the strength he could muster, he nearly fell over with each strike from the sheer power from the blows. At last the Sith had had enough and used the force to yank Windu’s light saber away and take it for his own, causing the young warrior to fall to the ground. As he prepared to deal the final blow to his opponent, a war cry was heard and Lance leaped through the air.

“DIE!!!” He screamed with rage as he swung his light saber down. It split straight down the middle of the Sith, cutting it in half down the head and halfway down the torso. It fell to the ground in a heap of blood and Lance stood there panting, savoring his revenge. He had a strange look on his face, but quickly returned to normal and went to help Mace up. The Jedi would never forget that sadistic, blood spattered face as it had looked down on its victory.

They returned to the academy and their wounds were mended, and they were sent to bed. Lance thought they would be treated as heroes, and maybe even be served a great feast in the morning in their honor. He had been wrong. Ku-Tec was heavily punished, not only for disobeying orders, but also for fighting the way he had.

They made the mistake of giving him many chores, duties, and punishments. It was shortly after that when he finally succumbed to the dark side. As the children were all in the training room alone training, he attacked them. He killed many young ones, smiling insanely as their blood washed over him. After Mace got over the reeling shock from the betrayal and horror, he went into action. The padawan gathered them all into a corner and stood in front of them.

“Mace!” Lance called, watching him and licking some blood that had splattered on the corner of his mouth, “it doesn’t have to be this way! We saved them, and they punished us. They don’t let us fight to our full potential! Let’s leave this place together, Mace!”

“How could I go anywhere with you!?” Windu glared at him, “You killed innocent children!”

“I had to, don’t you see? They cant be alive to tell the guards or the escape will be ruined.”

“You…you are willing to kill innocent children just to fight?”

“That’s the whole point of the sides, Windu! Don’t you understand? Its all an excuse to let us kill each other, to gain more power, no one cares about anything else in this world.”

“Lance, my friend, you are blinded by hatred! We fight for the good of the universe, not simply for the sake of fighting! We protect the good and keep the evil from taking over!”

“So naïve you are, Mace. Come with me, you’ll see the truth.”

“No…I won’t let you do this.” Mace said in a dark tone, and then raised his saber. “I won’t let you destroy innocent lives!”

“So…that’s how it’s going to be?” Lance shook his head, as it disappointed in a student he had had high hopes in. “Very well, it’s been fun. I’ll try to kill you off quickly.” After that the two had flown at each other, a giant fight erupting. Eventually they had broken the wall and the fight had migrated outside. Rage engulfed Lance, and his power sky rocketed. Mace was sent skidding backwards with every attack. But it blinded him, and he failed to see clearly. Windu understood at that point the true meaning of the sides, and what they meant.

He stood still as Lance came at him screaming. Then he dashed forward with all his speed, keeping calm. Mace skillfully dodged each attack, wasting no movements. Then he moved behind Ku-Tec, and spun on his heel, focusing the Force into his leg to deal a super kick of sorts. Lance skidded on the ground, dropping his light saber. The padawan rushed over and grabbed it before Lance had even stood. Then he heard voices in the background. The guards were approaching.

(OOC: Huh, I didn't know there was a max posting size.)

Lance ran, and Mace let him go. Windu knew he would go to the dark side and become a Sith, killing many along the way. But he couldn’t bear to kill his best friend. When the guards arrived he told them that he had lost track of the betrayer, and that he had escaped. As the years went by he never heard anything about him, but it was always at the back of his mind. If he had made the right choice or not.

And now, standing as an adult, he had his old friend before him. He had changed a lot. He was abnormally tall for a human, and had the same red eyes he had always had, even before the change. But his brown hair had become dark and long, and he was adorned in all black. And yet…he still looked healthy and spirited, he didn’t look gaunt or old or tired. Then Mace wondered if it indeed wasn’t too late to bring him back. It that point he remembered something long forgotten.

He had forgotten it seconds after because of his near-unconscious state, but now it returned to him after all these years. Before Ku-Tec had thrown the light saber, when they were being Force Choked, the Sith had done something odd. He had placed his hand on Lance’s head, and his whole body tensed up like he was focusing. Windu realized he had been sending telepathic messages to him, maybe awakening his anger as well. With that realization it made sense why every night Lance had tossed and turned, screaming no into the darkness. The Jedi felt deep guilt for not realizing it back then and doing something about it. His thoughts were interrupted, though, by talking.

“Glad to see you remember me,” Lance said, after noticing the nostalgic glint in his old best friend’s eyes, “and I you.”

“Why are you here?” Mace asked, his voice was calm and low. But he could only just keep it that way.

“Don’t ask questions when you know the answers.”

“Well then, lets get this fight started.”

“Ah, see? You knew I wanted to finish our fight, and yet you asked. Do you know why?” Mace didn’t reply. “Because the Jedi never see clearly, never accept their powers and use them to their fullest. I figured it out, you know.” Mace looked at him questioningly, wondering what he meant by ‘figured out’. “The reason. You know, for why the Jedi never accepted me, or anyone truly willing to unlock their full potential. It’s because they’re afraid, dear Mace. They are afraid of their powers, so they pretend they are bad. They pretend they are bad and shun anyone who wants to use them.”

“You are a fool as always, Lance. The dark side clouds your mind and you don’t see as you should.” Mace still spoke calmly, but his mind was racing. How could he possibly bring Lance back to the light? Then he thought of something, something that would relate to Ku-Tec’s frame of mind. If he fought him and won, he could prove to him that the Jedi are the true wielders of the Force. Then perhaps he could persuade him to come back. “Enough talk, you are hopeless.”

“Oh?” Lance spoke with a laid-back sense, and with a mock-sadness and a hint of sarcasm in his voice. But in truth he was surprised that Mace suddenly stopped talking like the Jedi were the right path.

“Yes, you are a piece of trash that belongs no where. You never completely became dark did you? Hah! You’re such a failure. You can’t be anywhere. I will defeat you, and do both sides a failure.” Windu spoke quickly, his voice cold with malice. The two ran at each other with their sabers drawn…

To be continued...eventually. Not for days, at least. I'll write the second part eventually, but for now there is just the build up to the final fight.

The maximum gain = 15x + 1x bonus