Turning to the Dark Side (Month 3, 59BBY)

Month 9, 32BBY.
Amara was about to open her mouth to argue further with Talzin when suddenly Kevan appeared. She turned to ask him about his arm, but before could one of the younger Nightsisters approached him. She appeared worried about him and Amara was shocked when they embraced and kissed. She had not known, although judging by the grin on Talzin’s face she knew. Amara turned and walked away and went back to their rooms. She took off her weapons belt and then looked at herself in the mirror. She looked at the wound on the right side of her face and wondered how Tarian was going to react. The wound would heal, but he was extremely protective of her. He always had been...

Month 3, 58BBY
...The date of Amara’s trial was set. In just two weeks she would take the Trials and become a Jedi. It was what she and Master Windu had been working towards for years. Amara has excelled at her Jedi training, so much so that she was taking the Trials early. Amara always seemed on the edge of the light and the dark side of the Force, but Master Windu had trained her well. She and Master Windu has been sent to find Darth Plagueis. Rumor was that he had a new apprentice and the Jedi Council wanted them stopped.

Month 1, 59BBY
Darth Plagueis had known the Jedi would send Master Windu. He had foreseen it. His Star Destroyer was under attack by Yavin’s planetary defense forces. Mace’s troop transport landed on the deck and had cut through the hull. There was fighting on 3 fronts but the plans for some kind of new Star Destroyer had pulled the Jedi into the conflict.

Tarian had been indentified as force sensitive at a very young age but he had been found by the Sith. Tarian had several trainers and taught  how to survive and navigate within the dangerous environment that was the Sith society. He was equally skilled in using the force as he was with a lightsaber. He had strong facial features and long, wavy, jet black hair. He large dark eyes and was considered extremely handsome by many women who knew him.

Mace directed the main infiltration force directly while Amara led the distraction force designed to pull the guards from the main decks where the information of the Star Destroyer was kept. There was a third force led by Captain Tovall, who led the Yavin defense force.

There was heavy fighting on the lower decks where Amara was and Darth Plagueis sent Tarian to quell the attacking force there. His red lightsaber cut through the Jedi soldiers and he threw a man off of a balcony with the force. His attack was brutal and violent.

Amara had been in battles before, but nothing this intense, or this important. This was a true test of her abilities. She had been given the task of leading a distraction force that was designed to pull the guards from the main decks where the information on the Star Destroyer was kept. Amara followed her orders, but as she did she sensed that something important was about to happen in her life. While fighting against the guards, Amara spotted a young man, about her age, with wavy, jet black hair and large, dark eyes. He was incredibly handsome and dressed in all black. With his red lightsaber, he was clearly a Sith. Amara knew that she should be repulsed by him, but something about him drew her to him. Their eyes met across the attack and Amara could sense the instant attraction between them. It was stronger than anything she had ever felt in her life.

As their lightsabers met with a crackle, they stared each other down before the true fight began. They were nearly equally matched with a lightsaber, but Amara was slightly better. However, her focus was off due to his presence.

Tarian imagined that the woman whocrossed sabers with him with her red hair flowing down her back. Her gold-hazel eyes were fierce and the force was with her. She was strong with the force but he sensed that she was not a Jedi yet. An apprentice? He knew of Mace Windu but he did not know the name of gender of his apprentice. This must be her, he thought as he deflected her blows. She kicked him and he flipped backward and up onto a overseers bridge that spanned across the catwalk above her.

“I am Tarian Keldera and Ive never fought such a ‘beautiful’ opponent,” he said with a smile. He was dressed all in black and his lightsaber glowed bright red. “What is your name Jedi? Or do they teach you manners in the Jedi Temple?” He said as he readied himself for another onslaught from her.

Amara was quite beautiful. She had red hair, that was braided down her back, and almost gold eyes. She challenged Tarian with a lightsaber and he would be able to sense just how strong she was with the Force. He was starting to overpower her and she gave him a hard kick back. She watched as he flipped backward and up onto an overseer's bridge that was above her. She flipped up onto it as well and looked at the young man who had identified himself as Tarian Kaldera. she attacked him again and forced him back against the railing of the bridge. "I am Amara Crethi."

Tarian fought Amara off with a flurry of saber strikes designed to force her back. The soldiers she came with were being systematically killed below her and the situation was becoming more desperate for them by the moment.

“My Master knew you were coming Amara. There are no Star Destroyer plans here. There never was. Mace Windu is moving into a trap and there is nothing you can do to help him. Your men below are being slaughtered. You just aren’t strong or fast enough to do what needs to be done to win here,” Tarian said. She came at him again and this time he force pushed her back. She caught herself from falling over the edge of the bridge but he stood above her with his red lightsaber near her face.

“What’s this? Are you sweating? I thought they taught you to control your fear,” he said and took a controlled step back. “You can help yur Master escape his doom: but you must first strike me down Amara. I will not allow you to leave to help him and I will cut down the rest of your men,” he said as he waited for her to come at him. He was trying to illicit an emotional response to his words and for her to feel the gravity and desperation of the situation which was pretty dire if he held her up for much longer.

Amara felt a wave of emotions come over her as Tarian told her that there were no Star Destroyer plans there...that it had all been a ruse to get her Master there in order to kill him. She rushed at him again, but this time he used the Force to push her back. She managed to catch herself from falling over the edge of the bridge and she looked up to see Tarian standing there over her. He held his red lightsaber near her face. Amara didn't realize she was sweating until he pointed it out to her. She began to realize that she was going to have to kill Tarian. All around her she could feel the lives of the other Jedi Knights being cut down. The feeling overwhelmed her until she could stand it no longer. Her feelings that she always tried to keep in check suddenly came bursting out...anger...fear...desperation. With a yell she threw Tarian back with the Force. She then got up and attacked him again. She moved fast and hard.

Tarian was in full defense as Amara attacked him. She was good, very good but her calm had begun to slip and with it her connection to the force began to crack. He leaped and flipped over her to the other side of the bridge and then threw his lightsaber at one of the bridge suspensions. It cut it easily then he drew it back to his hand. The bridge snapped in half and her half bent down. She rolled with it and ended up on her feet. A downed Jedi, Lukor was dead as he lay next to his Jedi master. He had been Amara’s friend and they often trained together. And there were others that she knew. Pedowan’s dead with their Masters.

“You’ve failed Amara and like those at your feet you will die along with your Master. Only your hate and aggression can match the dark side of the force. Your Jedi powers are of no use to you now,” he said as he held his lightsaber at the ready. “Strike me down and make their sacrifice at least mean something,” he said but he was prepared for her next attack.

As Amara's eyes beheld the scene beneath her she felt that feeling of anger grow. Amara was on the edge between the Light and Dark sides of the Force...right on the very edge. Seeing Lukor dead was almost too much for her though. He had been her friend. They had often trained together. She had been taught only to kill when necessary and never out of anger. Today, though, she didn't want to listen to her training. She threw herself back up and attacked Tarian again. The fight was intense and passionate. However, for a brief moment her anger clouded her mind and Tarian managed to get the upper hand. He struck her lightsaber so hard that it shattered the crystal and rendered the weapon useless. She was thrown back and nearly off the bridge. She managed to grab a hold of one side and stopped herself from falling to her death.

“You are beaten,” he said as he came up to her. He had his lightsaber pointed near her face. It glowed red in her eyes as he held it there, ready to strike her down. “But not because you lack ability. The light side of the force lacks conviction. Your skills with the lightsaber could be so much more if only you knew the power of the dark side. There, you would not be limited or forced to obey rules that only serve to hold you back,” he said and turned off his blade and lowered his arm but then extended his hand toward her. He could tell her grip was weakening but somehow he knew he didn’t want her to die either. He knelt down to her.

“Take my hand and together we can combine our power and be one with the force, the way it was always meant to be,” he said but noticed she didn’t reach out to him.

“Amara, there is no need for you to die here. This is not your end, it is your beginning. Our beginning. Don’t make me walk this path alone. Come with me...please,” he said as he extended his hand further to her.

Amara was exhausted from the duel and she was so overwhelmed by emotions that she was unable to focus enough to use the Force to get herself back up. She listened to Tarian and at first she didn't want to believe him, but she knew he was right. She had failed. The Light Side of the Force had failed her when she had needed it the most. How could she take the Trials now? She wanted to feel the strength that she had felt today all the time. She had been held back by Master Windu and by the Jedi Council. She could be more...so much more. With Master Windu her path had been chosen for her, but with Tarian she could make her own path.

She looked up at him and her eyes met his for a moment. Then, she lifted up her other hand towards his and felt him take it.

Mace WIndu was forced to leave the ship empty handed. He and a handful of soldiers were all that managed to escape the ship. Everyone else was presumed killed but he felt the presence of his Apprentice. There was little he could do right then though to rescue her. He had to escape with the few others that lived. His ship took off and managed to go into hyperspace before it was destroyed.

From the bridge Amara saw the ship go into hyperspace and disappear. Tarian was beside her. “Do not despair Amara...you are not alone,” he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.