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Description

Just a little sketch for some simply painting practice. Nothing big, nothing I spent a lot of time on, but a STORY is included! Fun times!

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"Master!" A young Mirialan called, running up a hill of blue-green grass that overlooked a small village below. The villagers were stacking storage containers and old machinery around the outside of the meager settlement as a wall. The small, gangly aliens collected what sturdy items they had and few blasters to arm themselves, "Master, the Raiders are coming and I feel I may not be able to defend the villagers by myself from this attack. Please we must hurry!"

A weathered human, scarred from numerous battles with salt and pepper hair turned on a heel from the village below to his young padawan. He gave the eager Mirialan a soft smile, seeing the pleading expression in his purple eyes, “No, my young apprentice. Neither of us will be participating in this attack.”

The Mirialan was aghast and it took him a moment to vocalize his upset even drawing back from his Master. Finally he spat out a stuttering, “W- What? Why?”

"We have taught the villagers what they need to know to defend themselves. It is now time for them to act, or be destroyed," The Master spoke evenly, raising a hand as his padawan raised more complaints, "Razhe, you forget your teachings. This is the way it must be. If we continue to defend every village and town and person in threat, they will never learn to stand on their own. The Jedi cannot be everywhere."

"I- I understand, I just don’t like leaving these people unguarded for their first assault," Razhe explained looking over the village, his brow furrowed so deeply it creased the dark tattoos on his face, "I would feel better if you and I could help them."

"My young apprentice, you have no faith in the people you trained?" His Master asked walking down the opposite side of the hill, away from the village.

"No! It’s just… I know they would win if we were there," Razhe explained looking back at the village a time and again more before finally turning away to follow his master, "And you have taught that combat is best entered when one has every angle accounted for to assure victory!"

"Yes, but that is for your own power and preservation. One who extends this thinking over more than himself will surely be killed. The time or the resources will never be there," Razhe’s Master declared with a gesture of his hand, "Now come, we are needed elsewhere. Some rest on the ship will clear your mind of its muddled thoughts."

Razhe stopped to look back once more, unable to see the village any longer then turned away and quickly trotted to make it back to his Master, “Yes… Master Carro,” Razhe affirmed. Master Carro placed a hand on Razhe’s head, ruffling his black hair, luring a small smile out of the padawan’s overly somber face.

—-

The ship was quiet aside from the normal dull beeps, pings and hisses of various pipes and instruments. Even then, deep space quieted the noises further. Master Carro walked quietly down the halls of the small ship, pausing briefly to check on his Padawan. He stopped for a moment to watch, seeing how Razhe tried to meditate. He sat straight with his hands on his knees and eyes closed, but his hands gestured lightly and his eyes continued to move. Master Carro could see Razhe was troubled. The Jedi knew his teachings were difficult, he himself had trouble with them in the past, but he had seen so many things in this world that he taught them for Razhe’s success. The Jedi Code simply could not be followed ad infinitum any longer, not in these times of war. Selflessness and charity were paths that only lead to death. Modifications were made by Carro to help himself and Razhe survive these troubled times. Survival was all most could hope for anymore, though he planned for more than that for himself and his Padawan.

Carro turned, leaving his Padawan to his thoughts and walked deeper into the ship where a transmission waited. Carro activated the holo terminal, and knelt to one knee. An impressive figure appeared, unmistakable even though the hologram turned the characteristic violently red skin of the Pureblood blue. “My Lord,” Carro greeted, “What is it you will have of me?”

"Ah, my apprentice," the Pureblood greeted with a smile, "The war is about to break once more, raining fire over the Republic planets. I need you as my loyal spy within the Jedi Council, but I feel it is time you joined the ranks of the Sith."

"My Lord," Carro said with surprise in his voice, "This truely is an honor. I have been serving faithfully in preparation for this day-" The Pureblood raised a hand and Carro silenced, rising to his feet.

"You will have one more test, my apprentice. I must have proof that you will remain loyal to me, even in the ranks of our greatest enemies," The Sith explained, "Your Padawan,” The Sith said, speaking the word in mock, “He is learning well, isn’t he?”

"Yes, My Lord. Razhe is very gifted in the force and has become tremendously skilled with a lightsaber. He strikes down enemies without remorse, though still has a charitable side towards the weak I am trying to choke…" Carro explained though stood with pride, "He is not ready yet, but when he is he will be a great asset to the Empire’s rule!’

"No, he will not," The Sith said with a smirk.

Carro’s face fell into confusion, “My Lord?” He questioned.

"I can see it in your face, hear it in your voice and feel it around you," The Sith spoke in reverence, "You have become attached to your apprentice. He is a source of powerful emotions for you. This, my apprentice, is your final trial. I must know you have unshaking loyalty to me, and the only way to be sure is for you to strike your apprentice down. Kill the Padawan you spent a lifetime training! Strike him down and let the anger fill you! You will have power! I will have your loyalty…"

"But- My Lord," Carro protested his eyes searching as he thought, "I sense incredible power within Razhe. Surely that power would be better used within the ranks of the Sith than cut down?"

"You dare go against my word!?" The Sith hissed, "You disobey me and I will kill you myself for treason!"

"Never! I just felt it would be a better use…"

"Surely you sense it in the boy," The Pureblood said almost mockingly, "A drop of light that will never be snuffed out. Bring the boy to me, and see that he has already been blinded by the Jedi. He would never follow you willingly."

"Yes… My Lord. It will be done," Carro muttered lightly bowing once again.

—-

Razhe had just managed to calm down and properly enter his meditation when Carro came to call on him. Razhe felt something was wrong, but was unable to divine what when his Master’s voice pulled him out of his concentration. “Razhe, come with me,” Carro spoke.

Razhe blinked, pulling himself for his meditation and stood, “What is it Master? In my meditation I felt something odd. I feel given more time I might be able to understand what it was,” Razhe said with excitement in his voice. He’d never had the Force actually tell him anything before. His connection with the Force was best focused in combat where it was reactions more than voices.

"It does not matter Razhe," Carro replied his face grim. Razhe’s face fell as well, worried about what could make his Master so stern. They entered the main room of the ship and Carro stepped up to the Holoterminal, activating it. The jagged visage of a Pureblood appeared before the Mirialan, "This is Darth Kre’vas, my Master."

The ship became deathly quiet for a moment as the words settled on the Mirialan. “W-What?” Razhe spurted out in pure confusion, his eyes wildly dashing from Carro to the Sith, “N-No! Your Master is Master Oda, of the Jedi Council!”

"Oda was my teacher, but Darth Kre’vas is my Master. I have learned more under his rule than I ever could have under Oda’s false teachings," Carro stated, power in his voice. Even a bit of a hiss Razhe had not heard before, "The Jedi Order is weak, that is why we failed before and will again! The only way to stop this war, to unite the peoples of the galaxy in peace is through unquestioned power!"

"He- He’s a Sith! You’re a Sith?" Razhe stuttered looking wild-eyed up to Carro.

Carro nodded, “Razhe, everything I have taught you has been for you. I do not wish to see you die upholding weak ideals from an Order that will never end this war! Please, Razhe… join me, join my Master and we can unite this universe,” Carro said with a smile again, holding his hand out to his shocked Padawan.

"No!" Razhe yelled slapping Carro’s hand away, "The Sith are tormentors, I know this is true if nothing else is! They feed off of the people who need help. Kill and destroy without remorse! You may be confused, but… but I’m not! I won’t become Sith!"

The two stared at each other, Carro with surprise and Razhe with hatred, only interrupted when the Pureblood began to chuckle. “You see, my Apprentice, that your dear Padawan is already lost. Now, do as I have commanded!”

Carro licked his lips nervously and stepped back from Razhe. He lit his blue lightsaber to Razhe’s surprise. Razhe’s gaze shuddered in fear and confusion as he still was unable to accept what was happening, “Razhe, you must battle me. It must be this way, and I will strike you down, but I will honor you with a fair battle… my Padawan. Draw your weapon.”

Razhe shook but drew his own lightsaber in a dazed way, having trouble just holding it though his shaking hands did manage to clasp it. He looked more at his own glowing green blade than Carro, but when his eyes finally did turn to his Master, Carro struck out at the dazed Padawan.

Carro had not spoken a single falsehood when appraising his Padawan’s skills. Razhe was skilled with a lightsaber and even disoriented with fear and confusion he was still able to match Carro strike for strike. The clash of weapons came to a sudden halt as Razhe managed to muscle Carro’s lightsaber aside. It was still in hand, but there was a span in time where he was defenseless against Razhe. The second of time felt like minutes, but Razhe could not bring himself to strike his Master down. The second was gone, and Razhe was even more disoriented than before. Carro took no such hesitations and thrusted at Razhe. The Mirialan was slow to defend and had no time to block with his own blade. He held a hand out trying to draw the force to defend himself, but with his mind shaken, the Force did not respond. Carro’s blade penetrated through the center of Razhe’s hand.

Razhe screamed, a curdling sound, and dropped his lightsaber clutching at his wrist in horror and pain. Carro however did not hesitate and struck out again. Razhe landed hard on the cold metal of the ship shuddering in terror as within his sight laid his own leg, severed by Carro’s blow. Carro reset his stance with a flourish but stood above Razhe with hesitation. Carro’s eyes flicked from Razhe to the Sith’s hologram and finally raised his lightsaber to end Razhe. Just as the blade began to fall Razhe thrust his good hand out, calling his lightsaber that had fallen, activating it. It plunged into Carro’s chest, making the man stop. The two stopped in time for a moment, Razhe laying on the ground with one hand out and Carro above with two hands holding aloft his saber. Carro fell to his knees and let his lightsaber fall from his hand, “I-I’m sorry… my-” He muttered and fell sideways, dead in a lump.

Razhe pulled himself across the floor, shuddering as tears slipped down his face. He grabbed his lightsaber with his unharmed hand from next to Carro’s body, but faced away from the sight. He smacked his bleeding hand into the holoterminal, shutting off the Sith’s laughing. Once the ship was quiet, Razhe quickly filled the void with his own voice as he allowed himself to audibly cry, and every other sound of anguish he cared to make. It was painful going, crawling with one injured hand and a severed leg up to the cockpit but adrenalin and will guided him there. Razhe reset the coordinates, knowing he needed a med station. He started the put in the information of an Republic station he knew of, but stopped halfway. He didn’t want to go back to the Republic, to the Jedi. The Jedi should have known his Master was Sith. How had they not seen the darkness in him, the lies in the training he gave? The feelings of betrayal just kept mounting, crushing Razhe under them as he put in the information of the nearest neutral station. It was crime syndicate owned, but Razhe felt like he had no where else to go.

With the coordinates changed and the ship moving, Razhe finally collapsed in the chair having no will left to keep him strong.

—-

Razhe’s ship drifted as it neared the coordinates he’d fed to it before exhaustion engulfed him. He was plagued by nightmares but did not wake, not even when the bright beam of a scavenger ship engulfed the cockpit. Scavengers entered anyway, knowing Razhe was still alive from scanner readings but hardly scared of the mostly dead figure viewed in the cockpit.

"Ship’s not damaged," A goggled human reported checking a mechanic output as she entered.

"No, but this guy is," Another scavenger smirked pushing the corpse of Master Carro with a foot, "Damn, I think he was a Jedi," The human chuckled picking up a lightsaber off the floor.

"That’ll make good money," The last member said callously, stepping over the body, "What about the cockpit?" He asked pointing with the gun strapped over his shoulder.

"Haven’t checked yet," The mechanic reported to their leader.

The leader huffed and walked passed the bloody holoterminal, following the red path up to the cockpit. They entered warily but Razhe still did not move. He remained limp, head lolled to one side as he slumped in the chair. The leader walked forward and made to push Razhe aside with a firm hand on his shoulder, but Razhe suddenly moved with enough speed to send the leader’s eyes wide and scare a yell out of the mechanic.

"I need… a medic," Razhe gurgled, head still lolled to a side even though now a hand grasped at the leader’s wrist with power, "You… take my ship… once I’m at a medic."

The Leader looked back to the gunman who had entered. The man cocked his gun and fired. Razhe dodged with uncanny speed though the blaster bold grazed his head and burned into the control console making it explode in sparks. Razhe yowled as the electricity burned his exposed face but it did not slow him as pain and anger fueled a dark energy. Razhe turned and grabbed the leader by the throat, tightening and tightening until there was a loud snap! He turned and threw the limp body into the gunner, and before the man could recover Razhe’s blade was deep in his gut. Razhe then turned and grabbed the girl with the force. She gasped and struggled with fear in her eyes as Razhe walked over, step by step like a possessed force.

"You… will take me… to a medic," Razhe growled. The medic nodded vigorously, making squeaking gasps of fear in agreement as she grasped at her own neck. He dropped her and turned back to the chair he’d collapsed in earlier, stalling only for a second to collect Master Carro’s lightsaber from the now dead scavenger leader. Razhe collapsed again and was engulfed by darkness.

—-

There was a glaring whiteness in his eyes and a maddening beeping when next he woke. Razhe hissed in irritation and scrunched his face to express so, but stopped quickly as it hurt. The expression pulled on the already abnormal tightness of the right side of his face. He reached to feel, but felt nothing on his fingertips and metal on his face. Razhe panicked and sat up from the table where he laid, away from the blinding light.

"Oh now, don’t get up yet. I don’t think your body is ready for it," A lanky man with eyes accented by glasses said with a smile that was less than reassuring.

"Where am I?" Razhe demanded with fear in his voice.

"Why, in Doctor Kolato’s medcenter! I am Doctor Kolato, and it is I who repaired you," The man said putting fingertips together.

"Repaired…" Razhe muttered finally getting a look at his hand as the stars from the blinding light faded from view. He saw it was a metal claw now. Not at all unlike the hands of battle droids. He also saw his right leg, a mess of wires and hydraulic cylinders. "Did you even try to save my hand?" Razhe asked.

"Maybe if you’d been put into Kolto when it happened," The Doctor laughed brazenly, "But it was beyond repair when you arrived. Besides, this is better!"

Razhe rose slowly, testing his leg and was horrified by how little he felt now. There was pinching and pressing at his hip, but nothing more. He spotted his brown cloak thrown to one side and staggered to pick it up. He threw it over his shoulders and realized he was missing something, “Where are my effects?” He demanded.

"You only came in with the clothes you wear," The doctor said pleasantly washing his hands.

"I had two lightsabers," Razhe said rubbing his head trying to make sure his fogged memory was correct.

"Oh, I took the liberty of selling those to pay for your operations. Cybernetics are not cheap, but this way we are paid up and you may leave without consequence," He said shaking the water off his hands.

"Those are not something for you to take!" Razhe snapped gritting his teeth at the Doctor as he turned from the sink.

"Well how else would you pay?" The Doctor asked pleasantly.

"I didn’t ask for this work!" Razhe growled irritated that he’d surely been experimented on when weak.

"What are you going to do, hmm?" The Doctor asked with his smile again, "You’re a Jedi, I know you won’t do anything about it. After all, I did nothing wrong."

"You don’t know anything," Razhe muttered, hate laced in his voice. The Doctor looked over with an obviously sleazy grin and gasped as Razhe’s new robot hand shot to his throat, "I am not a Jedi," Razhe said and waited for the Doctor to stop moving before dropping him in a heap and leaving the medcenter to the Smuggler’s Asteroid outside.

—-

Razhe lasted on his own for awhile, stealing and manipulating with help from the force to survive. Though every time he used the force to take something that wasn’t his, or pursued someone to do something wrong it felt like a rock was added to the pit of his gut and one by one it was pulling him under the water. Finally after a few months of stealing for food and manipulating for shelter, he just stopped. He had no will to keep alive. He wasn’t honorable enough to be a Jedi, corrupted and backwards, but he wasn’t cruel and persistent enough to be Sith. He wasn’t even strong enough to be a street urchin. So one day he just halted walking, sat down next to some crates in the shadows, and stopped.

He went days without moving. No food, no drink with only a now ragged beyond recognition Jedi cloak as shelter. His eyes were open a sliver, but he did not see the people. The noises all blurred together in a dull white noise, and he no longer reacted to touch. He just sat, leaned up against the crates, but he fell even deeper than that eventually closing his eyes and his body fully limp. Not dead, but within the sight of it. No Force, family or friends to guide him. No willingness for death. Just engulfing nothingness.

Description

Just a little sketch for some simply painting practice. Nothing big, nothing I spent a lot of time on, but a STORY is included! Fun times!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Master!" A young Mirialan called, running up a hill of blue-green grass that overlooked a small village below. The villagers were stacking storage containers and old machinery around the outside of the meager settlement as a wall. The small, gangly aliens collected what sturdy items they had and few blasters to arm themselves, "Master, the Raiders are coming and I feel I may not be able to defend the villagers by myself from this attack. Please we must hurry!"

A weathered human, scarred from numerous battles with salt and pepper hair turned on a heel from the village below to his young padawan. He gave the eager Mirialan a soft smile, seeing the pleading expression in his purple eyes, “No, my young apprentice. Neither of us will be participating in this attack.”

The Mirialan was aghast and it took him a moment to vocalize his upset even drawing back from his Master. Finally he spat out a stuttering, “W- What? Why?”

"We have taught the villagers what they need to know to defend themselves. It is now time for them to act, or be destroyed," The Master spoke evenly, raising a hand as his padawan raised more complaints, "Razhe, you forget your teachings. This is the way it must be. If we continue to defend every village and town and person in threat, they will never learn to stand on their own. The Jedi cannot be everywhere."

"I- I understand, I just don’t like leaving these people unguarded for their first assault," Razhe explained looking over the village, his brow furrowed so deeply it creased the dark tattoos on his face, "I would feel better if you and I could help them."

"My young apprentice, you have no faith in the people you trained?" His Master asked walking down the opposite side of the hill, away from the village.

"No! It’s just… I know they would win if we were there," Razhe explained looking back at the village a time and again more before finally turning away to follow his master, "And you have taught that combat is best entered when one has every angle accounted for to assure victory!"

"Yes, but that is for your own power and preservation. One who extends this thinking over more than himself will surely be killed. The time or the resources will never be there," Razhe’s Master declared with a gesture of his hand, "Now come, we are needed elsewhere. Some rest on the ship will clear your mind of its muddled thoughts."

Razhe stopped to look back once more, unable to see the village any longer then turned away and quickly trotted to make it back to his Master, “Yes… Master Carro,” Razhe affirmed. Master Carro placed a hand on Razhe’s head, ruffling his black hair, luring a small smile out of the padawan’s overly somber face.

—-

The ship was quiet aside from the normal dull beeps, pings and hisses of various pipes and instruments. Even then, deep space quieted the noises further. Master Carro walked quietly down the halls of the small ship, pausing briefly to check on his Padawan. He stopped for a moment to watch, seeing how Razhe tried to meditate. He sat straight with his hands on his knees and eyes closed, but his hands gestured lightly and his eyes continued to move. Master Carro could see Razhe was troubled. The Jedi knew his teachings were difficult, he himself had trouble with them in the past, but he had seen so many things in this world that he taught them for Razhe’s success. The Jedi Code simply could not be followed ad infinitum any longer, not in these times of war. Selflessness and charity were paths that only lead to death. Modifications were made by Carro to help himself and Razhe survive these troubled times. Survival was all most could hope for anymore, though he planned for more than that for himself and his Padawan.

Carro turned, leaving his Padawan to his thoughts and walked deeper into the ship where a transmission waited. Carro activated the holo terminal, and knelt to one knee. An impressive figure appeared, unmistakable even though the hologram turned the characteristic violently red skin of the Pureblood blue. “My Lord,” Carro greeted, “What is it you will have of me?”

"Ah, my apprentice," the Pureblood greeted with a smile, "The war is about to break once more, raining fire over the Republic planets. I need you as my loyal spy within the Jedi Council, but I feel it is time you joined the ranks of the Sith."

"My Lord," Carro said with surprise in his voice, "This truely is an honor. I have been serving faithfully in preparation for this day-" The Pureblood raised a hand and Carro silenced, rising to his feet.

"You will have one more test, my apprentice. I must have proof that you will remain loyal to me, even in the ranks of our greatest enemies," The Sith explained, "Your Padawan,” The Sith said, speaking the word in mock, “He is learning well, isn’t he?”

"Yes, My Lord. Razhe is very gifted in the force and has become tremendously skilled with a lightsaber. He strikes down enemies without remorse, though still has a charitable side towards the weak I am trying to choke…" Carro explained though stood with pride, "He is not ready yet, but when he is he will be a great asset to the Empire’s rule!’

"No, he will not," The Sith said with a smirk.

Carro’s face fell into confusion, “My Lord?” He questioned.

"I can see it in your face, hear it in your voice and feel it around you," The Sith spoke in reverence, "You have become attached to your apprentice. He is a source of powerful emotions for you. This, my apprentice, is your final trial. I must know you have unshaking loyalty to me, and the only way to be sure is for you to strike your apprentice down. Kill the Padawan you spent a lifetime training! Strike him down and let the anger fill you! You will have power! I will have your loyalty…"

"But- My Lord," Carro protested his eyes searching as he thought, "I sense incredible power within Razhe. Surely that power would be better used within the ranks of the Sith than cut down?"

"You dare go against my word!?" The Sith hissed, "You disobey me and I will kill you myself for treason!"

"Never! I just felt it would be a better use…"

"Surely you sense it in the boy," The Pureblood said almost mockingly, "A drop of light that will never be snuffed out. Bring the boy to me, and see that he has already been blinded by the Jedi. He would never follow you willingly."

"Yes… My Lord. It will be done," Carro muttered lightly bowing once again.

—-

Razhe had just managed to calm down and properly enter his meditation when Carro came to call on him. Razhe felt something was wrong, but was unable to divine what when his Master’s voice pulled him out of his concentration. “Razhe, come with me,” Carro spoke.

Razhe blinked, pulling himself for his meditation and stood, “What is it Master? In my meditation I felt something odd. I feel given more time I might be able to understand what it was,” Razhe said with excitement in his voice. He’d never had the Force actually tell him anything before. His connection with the Force was best focused in combat where it was reactions more than voices.

"It does not matter Razhe," Carro replied his face grim. Razhe’s face fell as well, worried about what could make his Master so stern. They entered the main room of the ship and Carro stepped up to the Holoterminal, activating it. The jagged visage of a Pureblood appeared before the Mirialan, "This is Darth Kre’vas, my Master."

The ship became deathly quiet for a moment as the words settled on the Mirialan. “W-What?” Razhe spurted out in pure confusion, his eyes wildly dashing from Carro to the Sith, “N-No! Your Master is Master Oda, of the Jedi Council!”

"Oda was my teacher, but Darth Kre’vas is my Master. I have learned more under his rule than I ever could have under Oda’s false teachings," Carro stated, power in his voice. Even a bit of a hiss Razhe had not heard before, "The Jedi Order is weak, that is why we failed before and will again! The only way to stop this war, to unite the peoples of the galaxy in peace is through unquestioned power!"

"He- He’s a Sith! You’re a Sith?" Razhe stuttered looking wild-eyed up to Carro.

Carro nodded, “Razhe, everything I have taught you has been for you. I do not wish to see you die upholding weak ideals from an Order that will never end this war! Please, Razhe… join me, join my Master and we can unite this universe,” Carro said with a smile again, holding his hand out to his shocked Padawan.

"No!" Razhe yelled slapping Carro’s hand away, "The Sith are tormentors, I know this is true if nothing else is! They feed off of the people who need help. Kill and destroy without remorse! You may be confused, but… but I’m not! I won’t become Sith!"

The two stared at each other, Carro with surprise and Razhe with hatred, only interrupted when the Pureblood began to chuckle. “You see, my Apprentice, that your dear Padawan is already lost. Now, do as I have commanded!”

Carro licked his lips nervously and stepped back from Razhe. He lit his blue lightsaber to Razhe’s surprise. Razhe’s gaze shuddered in fear and confusion as he still was unable to accept what was happening, “Razhe, you must battle me. It must be this way, and I will strike you down, but I will honor you with a fair battle… my Padawan. Draw your weapon.”

Razhe shook but drew his own lightsaber in a dazed way, having trouble just holding it though his shaking hands did manage to clasp it. He looked more at his own glowing green blade than Carro, but when his eyes finally did turn to his Master, Carro struck out at the dazed Padawan.

Carro had not spoken a single falsehood when appraising his Padawan’s skills. Razhe was skilled with a lightsaber and even disoriented with fear and confusion he was still able to match Carro strike for strike. The clash of weapons came to a sudden halt as Razhe managed to muscle Carro’s lightsaber aside. It was still in hand, but there was a span in time where he was defenseless against Razhe. The second of time felt like minutes, but Razhe could not bring himself to strike his Master down. The second was gone, and Razhe was even more disoriented than before. Carro took no such hesitations and thrusted at Razhe. The Mirialan was slow to defend and had no time to block with his own blade. He held a hand out trying to draw the force to defend himself, but with his mind shaken, the Force did not respond. Carro’s blade penetrated through the center of Razhe’s hand.

Razhe screamed, a curdling sound, and dropped his lightsaber clutching at his wrist in horror and pain. Carro however did not hesitate and struck out again. Razhe landed hard on the cold metal of the ship shuddering in terror as within his sight laid his own leg, severed by Carro’s blow. Carro reset his stance with a flourish but stood above Razhe with hesitation. Carro’s eyes flicked from Razhe to the Sith’s hologram and finally raised his lightsaber to end Razhe. Just as the blade began to fall Razhe thrust his good hand out, calling his lightsaber that had fallen, activating it. It plunged into Carro’s chest, making the man stop. The two stopped in time for a moment, Razhe laying on the ground with one hand out and Carro above with two hands holding aloft his saber. Carro fell to his knees and let his lightsaber fall from his hand, “I-I’m sorry… my-” He muttered and fell sideways, dead in a lump.

Razhe pulled himself across the floor, shuddering as tears slipped down his face. He grabbed his lightsaber with his unharmed hand from next to Carro’s body, but faced away from the sight. He smacked his bleeding hand into the holoterminal, shutting off the Sith’s laughing. Once the ship was quiet, Razhe quickly filled the void with his own voice as he allowed himself to audibly cry, and every other sound of anguish he cared to make. It was painful going, crawling with one injured hand and a severed leg up to the cockpit but adrenalin and will guided him there. Razhe reset the coordinates, knowing he needed a med station. He started the put in the information of an Republic station he knew of, but stopped halfway. He didn’t want to go back to the Republic, to the Jedi. The Jedi should have known his Master was Sith. How had they not seen the darkness in him, the lies in the training he gave? The feelings of betrayal just kept mounting, crushing Razhe under them as he put in the information of the nearest neutral station. It was crime syndicate owned, but Razhe felt like he had no where else to go.

With the coordinates changed and the ship moving, Razhe finally collapsed in the chair having no will left to keep him strong.

—-

Razhe’s ship drifted as it neared the coordinates he’d fed to it before exhaustion engulfed him. He was plagued by nightmares but did not wake, not even when the bright beam of a scavenger ship engulfed the cockpit. Scavengers entered anyway, knowing Razhe was still alive from scanner readings but hardly scared of the mostly dead figure viewed in the cockpit.

"Ship’s not damaged," A goggled human reported checking a mechanic output as she entered.

"No, but this guy is," Another scavenger smirked pushing the corpse of Master Carro with a foot, "Damn, I think he was a Jedi," The human chuckled picking up a lightsaber off the floor.

"That’ll make good money," The last member said callously, stepping over the body, "What about the cockpit?" He asked pointing with the gun strapped over his shoulder.

"Haven’t checked yet," The mechanic reported to their leader.

The leader huffed and walked passed the bloody holoterminal, following the red path up to the cockpit. They entered warily but Razhe still did not move. He remained limp, head lolled to one side as he slumped in the chair. The leader walked forward and made to push Razhe aside with a firm hand on his shoulder, but Razhe suddenly moved with enough speed to send the leader’s eyes wide and scare a yell out of the mechanic.

"I need… a medic," Razhe gurgled, head still lolled to a side even though now a hand grasped at the leader’s wrist with power, "You… take my ship… once I’m at a medic."

The Leader looked back to the gunman who had entered. The man cocked his gun and fired. Razhe dodged with uncanny speed though the blaster bold grazed his head and burned into the control console making it explode in sparks. Razhe yowled as the electricity burned his exposed face but it did not slow him as pain and anger fueled a dark energy. Razhe turned and grabbed the leader by the throat, tightening and tightening until there was a loud snap! He turned and threw the limp body into the gunner, and before the man could recover Razhe’s blade was deep in his gut. Razhe then turned and grabbed the girl with the force. She gasped and struggled with fear in her eyes as Razhe walked over, step by step like a possessed force.

"You… will take me… to a medic," Razhe growled. The medic nodded vigorously, making squeaking gasps of fear in agreement as she grasped at her own neck. He dropped her and turned back to the chair he’d collapsed in earlier, stalling only for a second to collect Master Carro’s lightsaber from the now dead scavenger leader. Razhe collapsed again and was engulfed by darkness.

—-

There was a glaring whiteness in his eyes and a maddening beeping when next he woke. Razhe hissed in irritation and scrunched his face to express so, but stopped quickly as it hurt. The expression pulled on the already abnormal tightness of the right side of his face. He reached to feel, but felt nothing on his fingertips and metal on his face. Razhe panicked and sat up from the table where he laid, away from the blinding light.

"Oh now, don’t get up yet. I don’t think your body is ready for it," A lanky man with eyes accented by glasses said with a smile that was less than reassuring.

"Where am I?" Razhe demanded with fear in his voice.

"Why, in Doctor Kolato’s medcenter! I am Doctor Kolato, and it is I who repaired you," The man said putting fingertips together.

"Repaired…" Razhe muttered finally getting a look at his hand as the stars from the blinding light faded from view. He saw it was a metal claw now. Not at all unlike the hands of battle droids. He also saw his right leg, a mess of wires and hydraulic cylinders. "Did you even try to save my hand?" Razhe asked.

"Maybe if you’d been put into Kolto when it happened," The Doctor laughed brazenly, "But it was beyond repair when you arrived. Besides, this is better!"

Razhe rose slowly, testing his leg and was horrified by how little he felt now. There was pinching and pressing at his hip, but nothing more. He spotted his brown cloak thrown to one side and staggered to pick it up. He threw it over his shoulders and realized he was missing something, “Where are my effects?” He demanded.

"You only came in with the clothes you wear," The doctor said pleasantly washing his hands.

"I had two lightsabers," Razhe said rubbing his head trying to make sure his fogged memory was correct.

"Oh, I took the liberty of selling those to pay for your operations. Cybernetics are not cheap, but this way we are paid up and you may leave without consequence," He said shaking the water off his hands.

"Those are not something for you to take!" Razhe snapped gritting his teeth at the Doctor as he turned from the sink.

"Well how else would you pay?" The Doctor asked pleasantly.

"I didn’t ask for this work!" Razhe growled irritated that he’d surely been experimented on when weak.

"What are you going to do, hmm?" The Doctor asked with his smile again, "You’re a Jedi, I know you won’t do anything about it. After all, I did nothing wrong."

"You don’t know anything," Razhe muttered, hate laced in his voice. The Doctor looked over with an obviously sleazy grin and gasped as Razhe’s new robot hand shot to his throat, "I am not a Jedi," Razhe said and waited for the Doctor to stop moving before dropping him in a heap and leaving the medcenter to the Smuggler’s Asteroid outside.

—-

Razhe lasted on his own for awhile, stealing and manipulating with help from the force to survive. Though every time he used the force to take something that wasn’t his, or pursued someone to do something wrong it felt like a rock was added to the pit of his gut and one by one it was pulling him under the water. Finally after a few months of stealing for food and manipulating for shelter, he just stopped. He had no will to keep alive. He wasn’t honorable enough to be a Jedi, corrupted and backwards, but he wasn’t cruel and persistent enough to be Sith. He wasn’t even strong enough to be a street urchin. So one day he just halted walking, sat down next to some crates in the shadows, and stopped.

He went days without moving. No food, no drink with only a now ragged beyond recognition Jedi cloak as shelter. His eyes were open a sliver, but he did not see the people. The noises all blurred together in a dull white noise, and he no longer reacted to touch. He just sat, leaned up against the crates, but he fell even deeper than that eventually closing his eyes and his body fully limp. Not dead, but within the sight of it. No Force, family or friends to guide him. No willingness for death. Just engulfing nothingness.