Shadow of Darkness: A Star Wars Fan-Fiction Story

It's finally here! Way back when, I wanted to have this out on Star Wars Day, and that clearly didn't happen. So here it is as a Christmas present. It's really not a super long story, but I'm a slow writer and it's been a busy year. I'm very excited to finally share this with you all!

So without further ado, let's get right into the story. At the end I'll write and discuss some of my thoughts about it.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

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Shadow of Darkness

Ryloth, 35 years before the Battle of Yavin

Clouds of dust formed behind him as he ran through the village. Mothers were crying as they tried to gather their frightened children, and men and fathers were nervously talking, some shouting, others making anxious demands, and yet others gathering weapons and running to their own respective destinations. The entire place was in terror as the young Fox Syndulla hurried to his favorite tree in the outskirts of the Twi’lek village. Climbing as high as he could, he looked out and immediately saw the cause of the panic.

The Beasts were coming. This was not their real classification, and they were not even entirely what most would call “beasts,” but their reputation had given them such a name. They were warriors who terrorized the planet of Ryloth, killing, burning, and looting. Some might liken them to Tusken Raiders, but they were not the same. They wore entirely black, and only someone who killed one would ever know what they looked like under their dark attire. And unlike the Tusken Raiders, they were fearless, and more powerful than any other inhabitant of that planet who stood in their way. And now they were coming to Fox’s own village, and drew nearer every second.

“Fox! Is it the Beasts?” called another child’s voice from below.

“Yes, Cham,” Fox responded. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll be destroyed for sure!” cried his older brother.

Suddenly a man approached. “What are you boys doing here?” he said in the unmistakable Twi’leki accent. “This is no place for you. Go help your mother!”

“I’m quite sure she’ll be fighting too,” Cham quickly said.

“Does that mean we need to help her defend this place?” Fox inquired with a grin.

Their imposing blue-skinned superior may have become angry at that point, but there was hardly time. The men (and some women) who had weapons were gathering and preparing to fight. Fox and Cham were quickly sent back to the inside of the village.

“It’s not fair,” Cham complained, kicking the doorstep as he and his brother were forced into their house. “Why won’t they let us help? Age doesn’t measure skill, in my opinion.”

“I could fight those Beasts better than half the people out there,” said Fox defiantly.

Cham paused. “You know, it doesn’t even matter, Fox. None of us stand a chance. If the Beasts are anything like what I’ve heard, this village is going to be a junk heap in a few minutes. I say we leave while we have the chance.”

“WHAT? Run away? From our mother?”

At that moment, his voice was drowned out by the sound of an enormous explosion.

“We’re coming out of hyperspace,” said a voice from the front of the cockpit of the Jedi starship.

“Land at these coordinates,” came the response from the tall man standing behind him. He seemed about forty-five years old, had blue eyes and brownish hair that fell below his shoulders, and a short beard of the same color. He wore a long robe that came down to his ankles, and people said that he had the same solemn expression no matter what the circumstances.

“Ryloth. This is the place you expect to find this – gifted youngling, Master Qui-Gon?” inquired another man standing next to him. This one stood at nearly the same height, but his skin was very dark, as were his eyes, and his hair would have been too, if he had any. He wore robes similar to Qui-Gon’s as well, only they too were darker.

“Yes, Master Windu,” came the reply. “From the Twi’leks have come many a powerful Jedi. I hope the same for this one.”

Presently the ship landed on the planet’s sandy surface. Looking out of the cockpit window, an array of scenery could be seen, as there were forests on either side, but a rocky desert in the middle. Anyone who knew of the planet Ryloth knew what a dramatic range of terrain it possessed.

“The village we’re looking for is dead ahead,” said Qui-Gon. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Mace Windu said abruptly. “Something’s not right. Look at all that smoke in the distance. A fire that big wouldn’t have happened on purpose.”

“Then we will be cautious.”

The two men exited their ship and walked in the direction of the village. The closer they came, the worse the scene ahead appeared. The village was in ruins. Small fires still burned in certain places, but there was ash everywhere, and not a single structure was standing. The whole surrounding area smelled strongly of smoke.

“Do you sense it?” asked Mace in a low tone.

“Yes. Many innocent people have died here,” answered his fellow Jedi gravely.

Mace and Qui-Gon entered the area of what used to be a Twi’lek village. There were no signs of life anywhere. “Then I cannot imagine your youngling is to be found anywhere here either,” Mace noted.

Suddenly there was a dull thud behind the two men. Turning around, they saw what they had least expected to see. A person had leaped to the ground and landed behind them – a boy. His skin was a light blue and he had the typical two lekku of a Twi’lek. He looked strong and his eyes were bright, but his face was full of fear.

“Hello there,” said Qui-Gon. The boy continued to stare.

“What happened here?” Windu inquired.

The boy stepped timidly toward them. “It – it was the Beasts.”

“The Beasts? What beasts?” pressed dark-skinned Jedi.

“They came here and destroyed everything. Including – my mother. And I don’t know where Cham is.”

The two Jedi looked at each other. This seemed odd indeed.

Qui-Gon kneeled down and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “And your father?”

“I never had one. My mother never married.”

“What is your name?”

“Fox Syndulla.”

Jinn paused, as though in thought. Looking back up, he said, “You will be safest with us. Come along.” He got up and began to move, but Mace stopped him abruptly.

“With all due respect, Master Qui-Gon, we don’t have time for this. We came here to find your youngling. We’re not here to be saviors.”

Fox looked at Mace with wide eyes, and back at Qui-Gon. However, his gaze changed quickly, and the fear came back into his face. He pointed toward a portion of the forest outside the village. “They’re coming back!”

The Jedi looked around in all directions. “I don’t hear anything. I don’t sense them. Are you sure?” Windu said skeptically.

“We need to go!” Fox said, tugging at Qui-Gon’s arm. Jinn looked around again, and suddenly grabbed the lightsaber off his belt and ignited it, making even his fellow Jedi jump a bit.

“I sense it too.” As soon as he had finished the words, he jumped to his left and looked up. A figure immediately came down right onto the place where Qui-Gon had just been standing, stabbing at the air with a large metal blade. It went without saying that this was a Beast.

Qui-Gon reached out his arm and sent the thing flying through the air. It hit a large piece of rubble and fell to the ground, but got up just as quickly. Qui-Gon rushed up, and with one swift stroke of his vibrant green lightsaber, rendered the Beast’s weapon useless. However, the Beasts were warriors, and this one was no different. Leaping into the air, it kicked Qui-Gon’s leg so hard that the Jedi fell to the ground. It rushed up to pounce again…

And it promptly collided in mid-air with Fox, who had hurled himself against the Beast to divert him. Both Fox and his much larger adversary rolled a few meters in the sand, and stopped at the feet of Mace Windu, whose bright amethyst lightsaber was ignited and ready. Seconds later, the Beast was dead.

“Let’s go before they come in greater numbers,” Mace said, deactivating his lightsaber and helping Qui-Gon up. “So that was a Beast, yes?”

Fox nodded. He and the Jedi stared at the lifeless creature, wondering what could be under those dark cloaks. For some reason, none of them dared to try and find out. They didn’t know why, but even dead, the thing seemed foreboding and dangerous.

Having heard more sounds in the distance, the three hurried out of the village toward their ship. Mace and Qui-Gon went swiftly, but Fox kept stopping and looking back. This was his home.

“I know you’re reluctant to leave, Fox,” said Qui-Gon compassionately. “But there’s nothing left for you here. You must come with us.”

“What can you do for me?” muttered Fox. “My family is gone.”

“Which is precisely why you must let us help you.”

Mace Windu glared at Qui-Gon. “We came here to find a youngling to bring to the Jedi Temple,” he said sternly, “We can’t be wasting time.”

“Don’t you see, Master Windu? This is who we’ve been looking for.” Jinn said with a smile. He took Fox’s hand and hurried his pace.

Mace hurried to catch up with him. “How could you know that?” he persisted.

“It was the will of the Force to bring us to this place. And this boy is strong with the Force,” Qui-Gon answered, entering the ship.

“The Council does not approve of your views of the Force,” Mace said, with a hint of anger in his voice. He sat down next to the pilot’s seat in the cockpit. “This boy is strong with the Force,” he said in a relenting tone, “but you know that he is too old to be trained. The Council will not give you permission to train him.” He paused. “Besides, you already have a padawan. You could not handle two.”

Qui-Gon looked at him but said nothing. Getting up out of his seat, he walked out of the cockpit and closed the door. The ship, which had already left the atmosphere of Ryloth, took to hyperspace and was soon far away.

“I have to agree with Master Windu,” said a voice on the ship’s transmission. “I may be nearly ready for the trials, but the Council will not allow you to take on another padawan learner.”

“I know, Obi-Wan,” was Qui-Gon’s reply. “However, I just spoke with the boy again. His name is Fox, and he does feel strongly that he should be trained to be a Jedi, since there is no place for him on Ryloth any longer. Besides—”

“The Council will not care what he prefers,” Jinn’s padawan interrupted. “He’s far too old, anyway. Jedi younglings must begin training as infants.”

“This I am aware of as well. But – there’s something about him. He’s very unique.”

“Unique?”

“I was surprised to find out that he was born with no father. Neither was his brother, but this one is especially strong with the Force. I felt it the moment I met him. I took a sample of his blood for a midichlorian count, too.”

“And?”

“Almost 18,000. Nearly off the charts.”

“18,000!” Obi-Wan exclaimed. There was a strange silence. “What are you suggesting, Master?”

“Obi-Wan, you know the ancient prophecy,” Qui-Gon said slowly.

“You think this – Fox – is the Chosen One?! How could you be sure of that?” his padawan exclaimed.

“I’m not certain of anything, but there is too much evidence to just ignore it. I will argue this before the Council.”

“Master, please don’t try to disobey the Council again,” Obi-Wan pleaded.

At that moment, Mace Windu entered the room and Qui-Gon hastily turned off the transmission.

Coruscant, 32 years before the Battle of Yavin

Coruscant, the center of the Republic, was a busy planet. Long ago, it used to teem with plant and animal life – but now it was one enormous city, under whose surface were thousands of levels, an “underworld,” as it was often called, which reached near the planet’s core. Every square mile of the planet was highly populated, though much of that population, especially lower into the planet, was made up of criminals, bounty hunters, and other creatures many would wish to avoid.

On the planet’s surface, however, was a place that was certainly the most peaceful spot on this peace-lacking planet, which was fitting for it, since it was the home of the peacekeepers of the galaxy. This place, of course, was the Jedi Temple, the location of the Jedi High Council, as well as the home base for all the Jedi throughout the galaxy, where they lived and trained. It held the Jedi library, the archives, and the holocrons, restricted even to most Jedi. The building was thousands of years old, but still stood tall and glorious, with its spires, statues, and artwork. One did not have to be a Jedi to know that the place was sacred.

It was here that Fox Syndulla spent his time training in the ways of the Jedi. Much of the time, this meant spending time with his master, Qui-Gon, learning how to use his mind and connect with objects around him, others it meant spending time with fellow younglings, learning acrobatics, how to deflect blaster fire, and fight in hand-to-hand combat. Other times it meant simply sitting in a chamber meditating with his master. And sometimes, though not often, Fox would get to come along with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on the less dangerous missions the Council sent them on.

If I were to recount everything that Fox did and experienced during these years, it would take far too much of our time, and it is possible I would lose your interest. Nevertheless, suffice it to say that he did many things, all of which were meant to further his training and increase his strength as a Jedi. One of the most important things he did, however, came when Fox was about eleven years old.

“You asked to see me, Master Yoda?”

“Yes, Master Qui-Gon, called for you I did. Sit down here,” said the diminutive Jedi Master, who sat on a round cushion in his meditation chamber. Despite his size, Yoda was the grandmaster of the entire Jedi Order, and remains one of the most respected of all time.

Qui-Gon sat down, cross-legged, on a cushion next to Yoda. “What is it?” The great Jedi Master asked to speak privately with others only when the topic was of immense importance, and Qui-Gon knew it.

“Your padawan, Fox. Tomorrow, The Gathering is. Is he ready, feel you?”

“The Gathering will be a great step forward for Fox. Finding his kyber crystal and building his lightsaber will be his biggest test yet. But he is strong with the Force, and has advanced rapidly. I don’t expect he will have any trouble,” Qui-Gon said with confidence.

“Yet with great strength, comes great power. With great power, comes great responsibility. Master Qui-Gon, remember, approve of the boy’s training, the Council did not. Gave you permission, I did.”

“Have I done something wrong in training him?”

“Nothing wrong, you have done. Mmm, something else I fear. The Dark Side, I sense in the boy. Anger, fear, aggression. The Dark Side of the Force are they.”

“Yes, Master Yoda, he can’t seem to let go of the memory of his family and the people who killed them. Sometimes I fear his thirst for revenge is too great. But with my help, he has controlled it during his time training. Do you still believe there is a danger?”

“Of danger, certain I am not. Watch him closely at The Gathering, I shall. Confront his greatest weakness in the crystal caves, he will.”

Qui-Gon left the chamber, deep in thought.

The sun had risen over Coruscant, but Fox and his fellow younglings had risen well before it. He and three others at the same level of training and about the same age had gathered at the ramp of a Jedi starship, waiting to board and take off.

“Where is Padawan Kenobi?” Fox wondered.

“Yeah, where is he? He was supposed to be here before us, but now he’s late!” said Lolo, a Nautolan, impatiently.

“He is supposed to be the leader of this mission, whatever it is,” added the Rodian boy Bolla.

“Let’s be patient, as we have been taught,” the Mirialan Cléara reminded the group.

“Great idea,” said a voice from the top of the ship’s ramp; Obi-Wan’s. “You’ll have to do better than this,” he added with a grin.

“Padawan Kenobi!” exclaimed Lolo. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Considering I’m the only one in the ship at the moment, I’d say I’m more ready than any of you.” The younglings scrambled up the ramp and joined Obi-Wan in the ship. “Today,” he told them, “is The Gathering. You four have shown yourselves to be the best of your class, and thus today you will get the crystals to build your own lightsabers.” Seeing the younglings’ excitement, he added, “It’s not an easy task. In doing so you will have to face a great challenge. Let’s get going.”

The ship soon landed on the snowy surface of Ilum, a planet rich in kyber crystals, the gem that powered lightsabers of every kind. A blizzard had just passed over, and as Obi-Wan and the younglings exited their ship, all they could see were the tops of rocks and boulders. But as they began walking, another figure became visible up ahead. This one was much larger than anything else they had seen. It was a huge, tall rock structure that stretched to the left and right as far as the eye could see. There were many crevices, but the structure made a wall that was impossible to pass over.

“It’s a dead end!” cried Bolla.

“Not yet,” said Obi-Wan. “Reach out with the Force. Together we can break the barrier and go in.” He and the younglings reached their arms out and closed their eyes. A few seconds later, a small portion of the giant wall had sunk into the ground, revealing a smaller doorway, beyond which it was very dark.

“It looks like a temple of some kind,” observed Fox.

“These are the crystal caves,” Obi-Wan said. “Hurry. We need to get going.”

Entering the doorway, the group found themselves out of the snow and freezing cold, and walking through a dark tunnel. A faint light from an opening ahead of them lit the tunnel. It quickly became apparent that the tunnel was ending, however, and at the end was a much larger space. The area was circular, with great walls all around reaching up to a ceiling high above. The patterns and designs on the walls and floor were ancient and worn, but spectacular and beautiful nevertheless. On the end opposite the group was a large doorway, reaching high and wide, but covered entirely with ice. And sitting on a large stone in the center of the ground was Master Yoda himself. Obi-Wan and the younglings came before him as he greeted them.

“The Force made physical, a Jedi is,” he said. “Comes great responsibility with that, yes?” As the younglings nodded, he continued, “Protect others, how does a Jedi, hmm?” Standing up, he ignited his own lightsaber and the younglings marveled as he held it in midair. “Build your own lightsaber, you shall, but first, harvest your crystal, each one of you must. The heart of a lightsaber, the crystal is. Focuses the Force from the Jedi, it does.”

With these words, Yoda put his lightsaber away and reached up with both his hands. A small hole opened up in the wall near the ceiling, and a bright light poured through, directly onto a large crystal that was suspended in the center of the ceiling. Like a chandelier, the structure spun around slowly as the light distributed into beams protruding out of the crystal. One bright beam of light then went through a smaller crystal below the larger one, and from there it traveled to the top of the door of ice. With a sound like none of the children had ever heard before, the ice began to break, and in a few seconds had melted, and was flowing out into the circular space. Yet no sooner had this happened than the younglings saw the strangest of sights: the water had completely disappeared, and not an inch of the stone floor was wet. Where the ice had been they now saw a doorway at the bottom; it was the entrance to the cave.

“If Jedi you are to become, enter the crystal cave, you must. Trust yourselves. Trust each other. And succeed, you will.”

Obi-Wan escorted the four younglings to the entrance. “Don’t waste any time inside. As you can see, the door is slowly freezing over from top to bottom already. Once the sun is gone, the door will have frozen completely and you will be trapped inside for a whole rotation. So as soon as you get your crystal, get out as fast as you can. You will know which one is yours. Good luck.”

Lolo had begun upon the first passage she saw in the cave. The ground, walls and low ceiling of the cave were all made of stone, and so far there was little to see. “Obi-Wan said we would each have to face our greatest weakness in order to get our crystals,” she thought out loud. “I wonder what mine is.”

For Cléara, at least, finding out what her greatest weakness was did not take so long. Not even minutes after she had begun her search, she spotted a faint blue flare dead ahead. Coming closer, she saw that the shimmering light came from a wide hole below the ground, and shone up into the passageway. And looking down into the hole, she saw the crystal in the crevice of a rock, small but bright and glistening. But it was far below her; and on all sides of the hole were smooth walls. I can jump down there, she thought, but how will I get back up? There are no ways out except upwards, and it’s too high to jump back up. I’ll be stuck. She looked all around for answers, but saw none. The hole was simply too deep. “I know that’s my crystal, but I can’t get it!” she cried. Desperate and frustrated, she dropped to the ground next to the hole and put her head in her hands.

Suddenly, however, as though waking up from a dream, her head shot up. “Master Yoda’s one piece of advice was to trust myself. That’s what I need to do,” she said confidently. Closing her eyes briefly and then opening them again, she leapt forward and quickly landed at the bottom of the hole. And there it was, right in front of her. She took the crystal out of the crevice. It was light and smooth, and just a bit smaller than her thumb.

Now I just have to figure out how to get out of here, she thought after admiring the gem. She glanced again at her surroundings. There wasn’t much to see. The high walls still surrounded her; the top of the hole was still high above her. She felt the walls with her hands, hoping to find something, but there was nothing but stone. She tried to jump, calling upon all her strength in the Force, but it was not enough; she fell back to the hard ground, feeling worse than before. She called out for help as loud as she could, but to no avail. Again, she sank to the ground in despair, weeping, resigning herself to die in this wretched place.

But, as it turned out, her story would not end there. Presently she felt something; a kind of voice, but it could not be identified. Nevertheless, she glanced up from between her hands, and to her shock, a passageway had opened up inside the hole, as though it had been there the entire time. She couldn’t explain it, but joy flooded her mind. She immediately got up and ran down the new tunnel. In a few minutes she was back at the entrance of the cave, and walked back into the chamber where Yoda and Obi-Wan stood waiting. The door had frozen over about three quarters of the way, and Cléara was the first of the younglings to return.

“Welcome back,” said Obi-Wan as Cléara proudly displayed her crystal.

“I don’t quite understand though,” she admitted. “I was stuck in a hole, and suddenly a new passageway just opened up in front of me, as though I was only just then seeing it. What happened?”

“New openings,” said Yoda, “not visible are they, to those who do not believe in them. A great lesson, you have learned.”

But now we must return from our detour to follow Lolo, who until now had been walking along the same passage, still finding nothing. Her patience was running out, and her frustration was rising rapidly. But presently she heard a sound, much like whistling. It was the same high note, and it did not stop. “That must be it! Just a little farther,” she said, and began to go at a much quicker pace. Soon the tunnel ended, and she found herself on the edge of a large precipice. Below her was a drop that went farther than she could see in the dim light, and above her was a very high ceiling – and there it was. The crystal still shone, and whistled – and moved. Very slowly it was moving downwards toward Lolo, as though being lowered by a string. But there was nothing on it; it simply moved in mid-air. Slowly.

Lolo stared at this strange sight for a moment, then reached out with the Force and attempted to pull the crystal down faster. But it did not budge, no matter what she tried. Eventually she resigned herself to sitting down and waiting for it to come all the way down. But it moved so slowly that she wasn’t sure she had time to wait. Moment by moment her patience grew less and less.

Presently Bolla Ropal, in another part of the cave, saw his own crystal. It was a little ways down a branch of the tunnel he was on, but this branch was especially dark. Without the faint light of the crystal, it would be impossible to see anything at all. But there was more – Bolla heard sounds, voices, terrible things, coming from that part where his crystal was. He was afraid to step any further. But it was the only way to retrieve the crystal. Timidly, he took a step into the tunnel. The sounds grew louder. Some were like whispers, others groans, others loud roars and snarls. Something evil is here, he thought. He peered closer into the tunnel, but the darkness was too much. All he could see was the crystal. The lack of depth perception made things even more difficult, but he knew from the size of the crystal that it was at least several meters away. Unable to find the courage to go further, he backed off and stood still, trying to figure out another way. But there was no other way. At last Bolla, remembering his training and his calling as a Jedi, took a deep breath and rushed into the tunnel. The horrible sounds around him grew louder, but he did not listen. The crystal proved closer than he had thought, and as he grabbed it out of the rock, the sounds suddenly died down and all was quiet and calm.

Meanwhile, by the time Lolo’s crystal had finally come to arm’s reach, her patience was gone. She was sure the door had long frozen over by now, and she was ashamed, desperate, and angry. Grabbing her crystal, it at last came freely and Lolo ran back the way she had come. After some time she returned to the entrance and found the door was still enough open for her to walk under without even bending.

“What?” she exclaimed out loud. “I thought for sure I had taken too long!”

Obi-Wan greeted her. “Time passes in the favor of those who learn to be patient no matter the circumstances.”

And now we must go to the only youngling remaining. The passage of the cave that Fox had chosen seemed the darkest of them all. But it was the one his senses had led him to, so he could not take another. He, too, knew he would have to combat his greatest weakness to find his own kyber crystal. Qui-Gon had instructed him to try and determine what it was himself, but he had not been able to know for sure. I guess I’ll figure it out soon, he thought to himself. And all of a sudden – his answer came. Standing right in front of him.

The youngling fell backwards to the ground in terror. His heart froze as he stared, unable to look away, at the figure standing over him. He felt much like he had when the Beasts had attacked his village on Ryloth. And that was because right in front of him, unmistakable even in this dark tunnel, was a Beast. Fox had seen them before; he knew what they were and what they looked like. Just like all the Beasts, this one had dark cloths and robes covering its entire humanoid body, even its face. On them were disturbing designs and strange and dangerous weapons. Somehow, though, this one seemed even more terrifying. Every part of its large, tall body spoke of evil, and the thirst for it. Perhaps most people would be (apart from terrified) confused at this point as to what this creature from Ryloth would be doing in a sacred cave on Ilum, accessible only to the Jedi. For Fox, however, his foremost emotion was anger. Anger at the creatures of this one’s kind. Anger at their massacre of the Twi’lek people – his people. Anger at everything they lived for.

“You will pay for what you did,” Fox hissed as he cowered on the ground.

The creature let out a strange, long laugh. “That was one of my easiest jobs. Your people were weak,” it said. Its voice was like no other. It sounded more machine than man, with a deep growl and some broken words.

“All you stand for is death and destruction! What did you have against my people, and my mother, you monster?” Fox snarled.

The Beast laughed again. “She was weak too. And easy to dispose of,” it added.

At this, Fox let out a scream of fury and, like he did in the village ruins on Ryloth, hurled himself at the creature. Both fell to the ground with the young Twi’lek on top, giving blow after blow to the covered face of the Beast. Despite all his strength and the power he gained from his anger, however, Fox soon found himself being lifted high up by the strong arms of the creature and thrown down with great force to the solid ground. The Beast put his heavy foot on the struggling boy’s chest and let out yet another hideous laugh.

“You still have much to learn, puny Jedi. The only way you’re getting your little crystal,” and he paused, “is by following me.”

“You expect me to follow YOU?” Fox said angrily, still struggling in vain under the Beast’s hold. “You know nothing about this cave.”

“And you do?”

Fox would have continued to argue, but he realized there was more truth in that than he knew. He realized that he didn’t understand this cave at all. Powerless against this creature, he realized he was not the great and powerful Jedi he always thought himself to be, and perhaps he never would be. Angry and confused, all he could say was, “How – how did you even get in here?”

The Beast did not answer him. Instead, it lifted its foot off of Fox and began walking down the passage. After a moment, seeing Fox did not follow, it stopped and turned, and spoke again in its awful voice: “Do you want your crystal or not?”

And then Fox remembered. He was facing his greatest weakness, here and now. It was his anger. In order to find his crystal, he would have to put it aside and follow this creature. A flood of emotions entered the mind of the youngling. A war had been waged for his future. On one side was his anger and resentment, the way of the Sith, and on the other was love, forgiveness, and everything Qui-Gon had taught him, the way of the Jedi. Fox tried desperately to clear his mind and think straight, but his thoughts were constantly being clouded with the memories of what the Beasts had done to him and his people. And yet, he also felt a voice inside of his head, a voice of light. Yes, it was his master’s. And all it told him was to follow. To follow the Beast.

At the same moment, Fox’s mind was cleared and everything came together. This was a vision, and a test of his strength. He knew he needed to swallow his fear and hatred, and trust the thing he so despised. And thus he did. The Beast led him down many dark, winding passages, up tall barriers, and even through walls, which Fox found to his surprise that he was able to pass through with ease, as though he were made of nothing. And the creature kept his word, because presently Fox was standing right in front of his crystal, there deep in the crystal cave, perhaps farther than any other Jedi had traveled inside.

The boy stared at it in wonder. The small, blue gem shone brightly in the dark cave, illuminating his face and making the figure of the great, hideous creature close to him more plain. Fox cautiously and timidly reached forward and took hold of the crystal between his fingers, taking it into his hand. It was as though a light had gone out at that moment, because the crystal lost much of its glow, and was now only like a bluish pebble in the young Twi’lek’s hand. The air became completely quiet, except for the light breathing of the boy. A few moments later, he concealed the crystal in his pocket and turned to follow the Beast back out of the cave.

But it was nowhere to be seen. In its place was, to Fox’s surprise and delight, the entrance of the cave. The vision had ended. The Beast was gone. The pedestal on which Fox had found his crystal was gone. The crystal itself was – yes, to his relief, that was still in his pocket. And the door of ice was nearly frozen over. But not quite. Fox ran toward it, and with an acrobatic slide on his legs, passed under through the remaining space, taking only a small chunk of ice to his head. He landed on a foot and a knee on the other side, and looked up to see Obi-Wan and Yoda, with Cléara, Lolo, and Bolla all waiting for him.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said with a chuckle.

Yoda motioned for him and the other younglings to come near to him, and they gathered around. “Faced your greatest weaknesses you have, yes? Lessons you have learned, hm?” The old Jedi Master looked at each youngling one at a time.

“Confidence,” he said to Cléara.

“Courage,” to Bolla.

“Patience,” to Lolo.

His eyes came to Fox. He stared at the boy as though in deep thought. “And trust, forgiveness, sacrifice.”

“These lessons, do not forget them.”

What at one moment was the snowy planet of Ilum looming over Fox and his companions was at the next thousands of miles away, as the Jedi starship entered hyperspace. It was a sight to behold from within the ship. In this sort of new dimension, it appeared as though the ship was traveling through a swirling blue tunnel that sucked it further and further into oblivion. With every passing second, the small ship moved many, many miles away from its previous location. Yet, relative to the ship itself, the beings inside hardly moved at all, as most of them were in deep sleeps.

Except for Fox Syndulla. He, like the other younglings, had been given the other parts for his lightsaber. It was only a matter of focusing the Force and bringing all those parts together with the crystal. For younglings, however, this was no easy task. Seeing his counterparts asleep, Fox decided he would be the first to complete his saber. He sat down cross-legged and put the saber parts on the floor in front of him. Closing his eyes, he reached out his arms and focused all his thoughts and all his energy onto the task. The Force flowed through him and he was one with it. He became the saber. He not only controlled each part as it rose from the ground as though suspended by an invisible string, but he was each part. He was the crystal, as it spun and twirled slowly until it moved into the center of the—

And suddenly he lost focus and all the pieces fell to the floor and rolled around in all directions. Fox sat back and sighed in frustration. Yet just as quickly as it had gone down, his head shot up. Something wasn’t right. There was an intruder.

Cautiously and slowly, Fox walked to the door of the cockpit, and opened after a pause. Sitting in the copilot’s seat, to the boy’s shock, was his own master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Startled, Fox jumped backwards and stood as though in a daze, trying to think what part of this journey Qui-Gon would have been able to join them, and why.

“Master?” he at last said timidly to the man who sat kindly smiling at him.

“Hello, Fox,” was the response. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Master, how did you get on this ship? And why are you here?”

“Fox, don’t you remember the Beast you met in the crystal cave? How did it get there?”

“It – it was a vision. It was – wait, is this a vision?” Fox blinked and looked around quickly as though he had been struck by something.

“The why is hardly your concern. As I said, I need you to do something very important,” Qui-Gon said rather coldly.

“What is it?”

“Land on Coruscant, but not at the Jedi Temple. Pilot this ship to The Works.”

“The Works? Do you mean that abandoned industrial complex? Why do we need to go there?”

“Just do as I say,” was his master’s response.

Fox nodded submissively and walked out of the cockpit, closing the door behind him. The figure in the copilot seat began to fade away, but as it disappeared, it flashed and seemed to change form, showing, instead of Fox’s master, the old, wrinkled face of a darkly clothed and hooded man. He cackled evilly as the rest of the figure faded away.

Obi-Wan Kenobi slowly opened his eyes, rubbed them, and looked around. The younglings around him were waking up as well. Something didn’t feel quite right. Obi-Wan felt as though he shouldn’t have been sleeping for so long.

“The ship should have come out of hyperspace by now,” he observed. The younglings stared at him nervously. “I don’t know,” Obi-Wan continued with a slight shrug. “Maybe I’m just losing track of time. I’ll check the cockpit.” He walked to the door and placed his hand on the button to open it. But he did not press the button. Instead, he turned around slightly and glanced over the group of younglings, who returned his gaze with wide-eyed stares. He continued to look around the room as though he had dropped something out of his pocket, and then spoke. “Where’s Fox?”

It was better for him that he did not know.

Fox’s skin was blue, perhaps with some green tints, and it was by far the brightest thing in the place. In The Works, the walls, high ceilings, floors, old pieces of broken machinery – everything was dirty, rusted, and old. Years ago, the place had been teeming with life big and small, but the complex once used for great industry was now rundown and lifeless. Now Fox was the only life form left in it, save for one other, whom the boy now made out as he adjusted to the surroundings. This other figure walked toward him and stopped as it stood above him.

“Rise, my boy,” it said. Fox looked into the face of an old man, whose face was mostly covered by a large hood atop a long robe that came down to the ground. The man looked old enough, with his wrinkled face and bony hands, but his voice was what stood out most. It was as though the machine-like voice of the Beast in the crystal cave had been turned into a human voice. Every syllable sounded wicked and untrustworthy.

The boy was terrified, and as he came to his senses he jumped up off the ground and backed away from the dark, hooded man. “Who are you? Where are the others?”

The man let out a terrible laugh. “Consider me your new master. I am saving you from the liars and traitors that you call friends,” he spoke slowly.

“What are you talking about?” Fox cried, backing away further. The man made little movement on his part.

“You must understand that the Jedi are liars. They say they work and fight for peace and security, yet they remain ignorant of the true meaning of the Force and care nothing for their companions and the personal feelings of others.”

“You’re a Sith?!?!” Fox shouted in horror, his voice shaking as much as his body.

The man smiled wickedly. “I am Darth Sidious, and you may call me Master. There was a time, many ages ago, when the Jedi and Sith were allied, and used the different sides of the Force together. But the Jedi lost their meaning and purpose, and now they serve a corrupt government. Only the Sith now know the true power that can be gained through the living Force.” Sidious paused, and then reached out his arm toward Fox. “Yes. I can feel your anger, your resentment. My plan was a success. Now is the time for your training to be completed.”

Fox staggered as so many thoughts swirled inside his head and his vision began to blur. “You – you were the one who told me to bring the ship here? You came to me in the form of my master?”

“Indeed,” Sidious responded with another grin. “Now join me. I will teach you to become more powerful than your old master could ever imagine,” he said as he walked toward Fox, still holding out his arm.

The boy clutched his chest, then his head, as he was becoming overpowered by the Dark Side. “I can’t – I shouldn’t,” he began, but fell to his knees and lost his words.

Sidious stood above him and looked down into his face. “It is only I who can show you how to avenge your family, and perhaps even…bring them back.”

At this Fox’s head shot up like a gopher who is feeding and spots an attacker, and he looked back into the Sith lord’s eyes. Yet all he saw was a single glimpse of the evil face, before Sidious’s finger touched his forehead and he fell back to the ground, unconscious.

“The memory is erased,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said gravely as he searched through the ship’s computers. “Who knows where this ship has been?”

“Do you really think Fox could have deserted us?” Bolla asked timidly.

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan responded with an annoyed air. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. Now go back to building your lightsabers. I’m taking the ship back to Coruscant.”

“But we can’t just leave him!” Lolo protested.

“You’d like to search this entire galaxy now?” Obi-Wan snapped, which was unusual for him. Realizing this, the younglings returned to their projects. Obi-Wan, however, sank down into the pilot’s seat, and leaned over and put his head in his hands.

“Master Qui-Gon is going to be so disappointed in me.”

“Master Yoda.” Qui-Gon Jinn entered the diminutive grandmaster’s chambers and sat down on a rounded cushion across from him.

“A great disturbance in the Force, I sense.” Yoda’s eyes had not opened since Qui-Gon entered.

“I have felt it.”

“In grave danger, your padawan Fox is.”

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, and there was silence for a few moments. “You are right. The younglings should have returned by now. I must go,” he said as he quickly stood up and moved toward the door. Yoda merely put up his hand, his eyes still closed.

“To their aid, go, you must not. In danger, the other younglings are not. Have faith in your padawan, you must.”

“But Master—”

“We know not where he is. Clouded by the Dark Side, our vision is. Here at the Temple, stay, you shall.”

Fox’s eyes opened, but their color had changed. What were once bright green pupils dancing in a blue sea had become dull yellow floating in a black abyss. His face, which was once smooth, radiant, and full of curiosity and intrigue now appeared cracked like a volcanic rock, with all the light gone out of it. And the place where he now lay looked deader than The Works. Everything, from the ground, to the rocks and the old remains of ancient structures, even to the sky itself, was of a dull brown color. There was no life anywhere, no vegetation, nothing to please the eye. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but the hard ground and the rubble of buildings that could not have been standing less than a thousand years ago. As Fox took in his surroundings and remembered what had happened to him, a shadow approached, the same one he had seen before as he lay on the ground at The Works. Fox looked up to see Darth Sidious standing above him once again. But this time the boy did not see him as a terrible, hideous form, but rather as a master and teacher.

“Rise, my friend. Welcome to Moraband, the ancient home of the Sith.”

Fox bowed his head and stood up. “It is a grand place, my Master.” His voice was no longer that of a cheerful young boy, but rather the raspy, awful voice of someone tainted all over by the darkness.

“Indeed. Much took place here during the old ages of the Sith. Are you prepared to complete your training and avenge your family?”

“With your help, I will succeed.”

Sidious let out a long, horrible laugh. “Good,” he said slowly but loudly. “Good. Now tell me, were you ever taught why a Sith lightsaber is red?”

“No, I don’t know why.”

“It is not something the Jedi would tell you. The anger, the hatred flowing through you goes into the crystal, and the crystal bleeds.” Sidious put his wrinkled hand into the folds of his robe and, to Fox’s surprise, took out the crystal the boy had harvested from the caves in Ilum. As Fox sat down on the ground he placed it in front of him.

“Now, close your eyes, and think of everything you hate. Let your anger drive you. Think upon the revenge you shall have!”

Fox placed his hands over the crystal and squeezed his eyes shut. “My family! They’re dead! The Beasts of Ryloth! They destroyed my people! They destroyed me!!” Fox writhed around as though in immense pain, while Sidious stood a few feet away and smiled wickedly. “The Jedi. They lied to me! They said they could help me, but they only made it worse! I hate them!! Qui-Gon is evil. He led me the wrong way! He will pay for this!!”

The next things he said were indistinguishable, but he continued to struggle to control his agonized body. He rolled around on the ground, clutched his head and screamed. And all the while, the crystal on the ground, which once sparkled a bright blue, turned purple, then dull red, then bright red as it bled, filled with all of Fox’s fury and pain. Sidious stood there watching him a little while longer, but presently he took a few steps toward Fox, placed his hand on his shoulder, and pressed his forehead once more. The boy again went unconscious.

“Welcome back, younglings,” Qui-Gon said as they exited their ship, which had just landed on a platform outside the temple. It was clear, however, that there was no excitement in his voice; rather his face was full of concern. He walked right past the younglings and met Obi-Wan at the head of the ship’s ramp. Obi-Wan’s face fell as his master looked at him.

“Obi-Wan—”

“Master, it wasn’t my fault. I promise. I don’t know what happened, but we woke up and he was gone.”

“I know it was not your fault, Obi-Wan. But Fox is in great danger, and we must do something.”

“I have felt it too, but I don’t know what we can do. Master Yoda would not allow it anyway.”

“Master Yoda is…” Qui-Gon began, but stopped himself and paused. “We need to find out where Fox is. He’s been attacked by the Dark Side, and I know it. He’s my padawan. I’m in charge of him. This is – this is more important than Master Yoda knows.” Obi-Wan did not answer, but the reluctant look he gave was enough of a response.

Fox’s dead, yellow eyes opened once more, and once more his gaze was met by the dull, dusty ruins of Moraband; and directly above him, the face of the mighty Sith lord. All that filled Fox’s mind were thoughts of hatred, pain, and revenge. And instead of the ugly, terrifying figure of Sidious, he saw the only person in the galaxy that understood him, that was honest to him, and that could help him. Immediately he knelt before him and bowed.

Sidious smiled the way he always did. “You now understand that the Jedi never wanted to help you at all. They took you away from your home, kept you from love and care, and held you back from everything you desired. And for what reason? I will tell you. The Jedi are not peacekeepers. They are warriors. Soon you will see. In a few years I will force the Jedi Order to become a military, and it will be their downfall. The Sith will rise again. You see, Fox, the Jedi only wanted you for your power and your skill. You were an accessory to them. But I offer you freedom. Freedom to have love, hate, passion. Freedom to use your power for your own good. Freedom to take the revenge you have always wanted; the revenge you deserve. Tell me, Fox. Are you prepared for your…first task?”

“I am honored, Master. But – am I ready? My training cannot be finished yet,” Fox responded in a deep, dark voice.

“You have all the training you need.” Sidious laid his wrinkled hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Rise. Your ship awaits you. Go to Ryloth. Find the Beasts – and kill them all.”

“Yes, my Master.” He hurried out to the ship, and within moments, the person to whom he had spoken was parsecs away.

“Hah! That’s two you owe me now,” shouted a triumphant Cham Syndulla as he slammed his drink down on the table, and another sulking Twi’lek got up from the other side after throwing some money toward him. “Who’s next? If anyone beats me at Dejarik, I’ll give them all the money I earned tonight!”

Those standing around in the cave looked at each other and muttered. It was clear that no one could beat Cham, and many of them had wasted money in trying. Cham looked around the room, mocking them and laughing. However, he stopped abruptly as a great figure entered the room; it was the chief.

“If you’re quite done wasting time,” he said sternly, “We have a rather important day tomorrow that we must prepare for. So clean this mess up and get ready to fight. If you’ve forgotten already, we are setting out tomorrow to avenge ourselves against the people who ruined our lives years ago. But if you choose to rot your mind in gambling, so be it.” At this many began to leave the room in shame, but Cham remained seated.

“Just one more game, eh? Will you take me on? Surely there’s someone who will beat me. This could be your day!” He added slyly.

The chief only glared harder. “No.”

Cham sighed and began to get up, until another voice spoke to him. “Wait,” it said in a dark voice. “I will play.” All heads turned to see a cloaked figure enter the underground room. Its face was covered, but it was about the size of the young man it moved toward. With no hesitation it sat down opposite Cham and made ready to play.

“Very well then,” said Cham. “How much do you have? If I win, I get your money, but if you win, you receive all the money I’ve earned tonight.”

“I don’t want your money,” the darkly clothed figure responded in monotone. He threw some golden pieces onto the table, which, judging by the reaction from the Twi’leks, was a large sum of money. “If you win, all of this is yours. If I win,” and he paused, “You will tell me where the Beasts are.”

The crowd shuddered and murmured. Who could this strange creature be, and why did he care about the Beasts? Cham gestured to them with his hand, however, and they all settled down. “It’s a deal, then. Who are you, though? We’re not planning on hurting you,” he added with a chuckle.

“My identity is none of your business,” was the creature’s response, as he set his game pieces together. Cham shrugged and did the same.

The game began. If I were to explain how it was played in all its details, you would become bored and the story would not advance. However, it did not take long for Cham to realize that this strange challenger was more than a match for him. Every move the dark figure made was tactical and unique. Cham was not used to this, for he had not played anyone with such skill in a long time. And yet – the style with which his opponent played seemed familiar. The pieces he chose, the lines he pursued, and the strategies he executed reminded Cham of someone with whom he used to play Dejarik very much when he was younger.

In a moment, Cham’s eyes widened and his face shot up from the playing board. “Fox?? Is that you?”

The other player made no response or movement at first, but slowly he lifted away his large, dark hood, and looked up, revealing a face that resembled many around him, yet was pierced by evil and pain. He stared directly into his brother’s eyes, which contrasted with his own glaring, yellow ones.

“Fox!” Cham exclaimed again, and paused, trying to discern what he should say next. “What – what happened to you?”

Again Fox remained silent, and turned his face back to the game. He did not need to do so for long, however, because his next move was the winning one. The crowd murmured and gasped, marveling that someone had finally defeated the unbeatable Cham. Yet the object of their wonder made little acknowledgment of his victory, neither did Cham seem to be sorely disappointed at his loss. The two stared into each other’s faces again, Cham beckoning for an answer to his question. And at last Fox spoke, but not in answer.

“Where are they?” he inquired in a low, demanding voice.

Cham was taken aback by the change in his brother’s voice and demeanor. “Look, Fox, why don’t you just tell me what’s going on here? Where have you been all this time?”

“WHERE ARE THEY??” Fox yelled abruptly, shoving Cham out of his chair and against the wall, grasping him in a Force chokehold. The other Twi’leks began to rush toward Fox to stop him, but Cham threw up his arm and told them to wait, gasping for air as Fox released the hold and he fell to the floor.

“Look,” Cham pleaded, “my army is going out against the Beasts on the break of day tomorrow. You can come with us if you want. But why in the—”

A single glare from Fox kept him from finishing. Cham reluctantly stood up and walked over to a small pedestal. He pressed a few buttons and above it appeared a large holographic map of the surrounding area of Ryloth.

“We are right here,” he said, pointing at an area near one corner of the map. “Our scouts have determined that tonight the Beasts will be there,” and he pointed to the center, “for a ceremonial gathering. Nearly all of them will be there, which gives us the perfect opportunity for a purposeful attack.” He turned to Fox. “If you would like to aid us, we would value your skill. But please stick to our plan, and do not take matters into your own hands.”

Fox looked at Cham with an unmoving face, and continued to stare, causing Cham to begin to cower. Tension seemed to rise. “Fine,” Fox replied at last.

“It’s a deal, then,” Cham said cheerfully. “Please, eat and sleep here tonight and we will set out early in the morning.” The crowd dispersed and Cham turned to exit the room, but stopped and looked back at Fox, who continued to stand in the same place.

“Are you sure you won’t tell me about—”

Yet another glare from Fox ended that question’s continuation.

Fox felt little obligation to follow orders from an inferior. This was his mission, after all, and Sidious was his only master. He did not need to wait; he did not need help. Therefore, once he was convinced that he could leave the cave unnoticed, he exited his room and crept through the halls, finding the entrance. In a short time he had climbed up out of the cave and he stood there, recalling in his mind in which direction he was supposed to go. Yet he was not as alone as he thought.

“Hold it right there,” commanded two Twi’lek guards, pointing their blasters at him on either side. “No one is allowed to leave at this time of night. Where are you going?”

Fox muttered under his breath. He could have no one knowing of what he was about to do. In moments, a couple of punches to the chests and blows to the heads of the guards solved his problem, and he left them unconscious.

Regaining his composure, Fox walked away toward the camp of the Beasts. As he considered what he was about to do, there were once again two conflicting voices inside his head. This time, however, Qui-Gon’s was much quieter and less persuasive, and Fox quickly suppressed it. The other voice was Sidious’s, which rang loud and clear in his mind, reminding him of all his pain, and encouraging his hatred and anger. It told him to focus on this, and through it unleash his power. As Fox walked, and sometimes ran, he filled his mind with bitterness toward the Beasts, remembrance of their deeds against him and his family, and the revenge he was determined to take. And as he did so, he felt his power growing. It was growing to a level he had never experienced before. He resolved that nothing was going to stop him from carrying out his vengeance.

Before long, Fox could see the Beasts’ camp in the distance. It was not large, and a crude but tall fence was set up around it, with fires burning all along the top. It could not be seen through, but there was one rectangular gap in the fence that served as an entrance, and this was what Fox went toward.

Two guards stood there holding long, sharp spears, and covered with dark armor with more weapons at their belts. Like all the Beasts, their heads and faces were completely concealed. As soon as Fox came up to them, they pointed their spears at him within inches of his neck.

“Stop! Who are you?” they demanded in the thick, gravelly voices of Beasts.

Fox stood unmoved, the rage boiling inside of him as he finally was face to face with the people who had ruined so much of his life. Now, it was time. He took his own weapon from his belt and his hand slid out from under his cloak, revealing the sleek, dark hilt of his new lightsaber at his side. With his other hand he lowered his hood, revealing his glaring face.

One of the guards let out a hoarse laugh. “It’s just a little Twi’lek. Kill him!”

Fox’s eyes flashed as his lightsaber ignited. The bright red blade, which contrasted dramatically with the black night, hummed as it flew through the air. In a moment, both guards laid dead on the ground. Fox quickly deactivated his lightsaber and put his hood back on again, and walked into the camp. Because of his dark clothing and his stealth, he was unable to be noticed by most. He crept to the back of the camp, where one of the Beasts – clearly the leader – was sitting in a large throne. Bodyguards stood on either side, and the chief sat at the head of a long table, with others sitting around it. Fox crawled along the ground until he was crouching behind the throne. Taking out his saber again, he swung the hilt, activating the blade as he swung, and immediately it sliced through the back of the great chair. The others at the table were petrified with fear, for it happened so quickly that they could not tell how or by whom their leader had died such a gruesome death. Fox wasted no time; with a few acrobatics he landed on the table and began to swing his glowing weapon with movements faster than the wind.

This, of course, attracted the attention of everyone in the camp, and many more Beasts took weapons and hurried toward Fox. The latter, having worked through those at the table, began to pick up the other chairs with the Force and hurl them at his attackers. Seizing the opportunity created by this distraction, Fox leapt down from the table into the crowd, cutting down the confused and terrified creatures right and left, carried along by his hatred, resentment, and pain. Hundreds fell by his saber blade, trapped within the camp by their own fence and unable to flee. He had also gained an unlikely ally: due to the chaos and confusion, the fires burning in the camp had become out of hand and began spreading all around it.

Fox was now guarding the entrance, the only way of escape. In his senseless fury he destroyed everyone near it, leaving no survivors and hearing no pleas for mercy. Soon the fire had burned through half of the camp, and the rest of the Beasts who were left, having nowhere to hide, were quickly taken out as well by Fox’s pitiless onslaught.

The young Sith at last put away his lightsaber and stood outside the camp’s entrance, watching the rest of the camp become engulfed by flames. He felt satisfied again, in a way he never thought he could. He knew his master would be pleased by what he had done. And yet – he still could not shake the feeling that he had done something terribly wrong, in cruelly slaughtering so many innocent beings. Most of them were not involved in the raid on his village; they had never hurt him. Fox was even beginning to wonder if Qui-Gon was right, after all.

“Fox,” said a voice behind him abruptly. He turned around to see his brother standing right behind him, at the head of a large force of armed Twi’leks.

“Cham,” Fox responded, not knowing what to say. “I – I did it for you. Your army is not needed here.”

“You’re a Sith,” Cham said in disgust. “I became suspicious the moment you attacked me at the cave. What have you done?”

“The Twi’leks have no allegiance to the Jedi or the Sith. Why do you seem against this?”

“We dislike both Jedi and Sith. Look, Fox, I saw those two Jedi take you away on the day our village was attacked. I didn’t die and I didn’t leave.”

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Fox cried. “You could have saved me from all of this.”

“Do you think I had a choice? If I knew things were going to turn out this way, I would have given my life to stop you. Please, Fox, don’t go any further down this path. It’s not too late to use your powers for good.”

Fox paused. “You’ve always been a good brother, Cham. But – no. I have to go. It’s too late.” He put his hand on his brother’s shoulder and looked into his eyes one more time. Then quickly he turned and walked away.

“Fox!” Cham called. “Where are you going to go now?”

“Moraband. Don’t follow me.”

Obi-Wan rushed into Qui-Gon’s chambers.

“Master—”

Qui-Gon was awake as well, sitting on his bed with his head down. “I know. Something terrible is happening. It is Fox’s doing. I hear screams. I feel his anger.”

Obi-Wan quickly sat down and closed his eyes. “I see – a planet. Ryloth. Fox is on Ryloth. But – I can’t see into it.”

Qui-Gon continued to focus his mind and look into the Force. “Yes, I see Ryloth too. And – something else. Another creature. The Beasts. Fox is massacring the Beasts.”

Both hearts and faces sank. “So that’s why he deserted us,” Obi-Wan lamented. “It was so that he could get to Ryloth without being stopped.”

“Not quite,” Qui-Gon said quietly. He let out a deep sigh. “It wasn’t his choice. He’s being influenced.”

“We need to go to Ryloth now.”

Having arrived at Ryloth, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan soon found the gathering of the Twi’leks, who led them to the burnt camp of the Beasts. By now everything was in ashes, and it would be difficult for most even to tell that it used to be a camp. Cham explained to the Jedi what had happened and what Fox had said to him.

“As you know, Jedi,” he finished, “We do not think highly of either you or the Sith. I could blame you for Fox’s fate, since you were the ones that took him away. But I am a reasonable person, and I know you sought his good. He was powerful, and it seemed right for him to be trained. But I’m not able to save him, so I only ask that you try to bring him back. He’s my brother.”

“We understand, and thank you,” said Obi-Wan. “Did he tell you where he was going from here?”

“A planet called Moraband. I don’t know much about it, but—”

“The homeworld of the Sith,” Qui-Gon said in a low voice, looking at the ground. “There is a very dark presence at work in this galaxy. I do not understand how the Sith could have returned after all this time, but Fox is being pulled away by the Dark Side, and someone else is pulling the strings.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Cham. We will repay you,” Obi-Wan said as he and his master returned to their ship with heavy hearts.

“Welcome back, young Fox,” said Darth Sidious as the boy landed again at the dull ruins of Moraband. “Your mission was quite a success. I am pleased. You did indeed have all the training you needed.”

“Yes, Master,” Fox replied as he kneeled. “But…”

“What is it?”

“Something didn’t feel right about what I did. Most of the Beasts that I killed had nothing to do with the attack on my village years ago. They didn’t deserve to be destroyed like that. I’m glad I got my revenge, but—”

“You must remember, Fox, that the raid of your village was not the only attack on your people. The Beasts terrorize all of Ryloth. You avenged all the Twi’leks, and did so quite well.” Sidious cracked a smile and paused. “Pity has no place among the Sith. If you want to be truly powerful, you must let your power be everything. No mercy on your subjects, and no compassion.”

“Yes, Master,” Fox replied reluctantly.

“Are you ready to become my true apprentice?”

“Yes, Master.” He hardly meant it.

“Good. Now, you know of the first and most important rule of the Sith; there can only be two: a master, and an apprentice. What you do not know is that I have been training another, a very gifted individual, for some time now. You both have great potential as Sith, but I can take on only one of you as my apprentice. This other individual is a Zabrak, one of the nightbrothers from Dathomir, and his name is Maul.” At that moment another creature walked into Fox’s view. He was tall and humanlike, but his head and neck were tattooed completely red and black, and small horns protruded around his head like a crown. His eyes were red and the inside of his mouth was dark. A black robe covered the rest of his body. He looked upon Fox with scorn and bared his teeth at him as came to Sidious.

“Because only one of you can become my apprentice,” said the master, “the other one must die. Now…I shall allow the two of you to decide whom it shall be.” The hideous old man let out another long laugh, and retreated into one of the old structures to observe.

A shudder ran up Fox’s spine as he looked at the creature that faced him from a few yards away. He was beginning to realize what it truly meant to become a user of the Dark Side of the Force – and sparing the innocent had nothing to do with it. Once again, he felt that Sidious was setting him up to do something completely wrong. Maul began to walk in semicircles, back and forth, never taking his gaze off of Fox. The latter stared back in bewilderment, but a moment later he took his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it in a ready position. Maul reacted immediately, taking his own saber, which had a much larger hilt, and holding it out horizontally in front of him. He activated it, and a blade came out of each side, glowing the same red color as Fox’s. The boy had learned how to combat double-bladed sabers at the Jedi Temple, and after circling his opponent a few times, he rushed in and attacked.

Maul, taken aback by Fox’s energy and swift movement, stumbled backwards a little, yet still parried the blows with ease. Fox flipped his body forward over Maul’s and landed behind him, swinging at his back. Maul jumped backwards to avoid the blade, and then moved in for an attack of his own. He struck with both sides of his lightsaber, spinning, kicking, and even throwing surrounding objects at Fox with the Force. Yet Fox deflected all of these with ease, and a raging battle continued. Both swung their blades at each other with immense strength and precision, but it was equaled by the skill with which they defended themselves. Maul fed off of his anger and his desire to be the greatest. Fox continued to be conflicted, not wishing to take another innocent life. This led him to begin to rely on his skill at defense as he tried to conjure a way out. And all the while Sidious watched pleased, seeing the skill of both and knowing that the battle would not be over until someone died.

And despite Maul’s exceptional strength, he was eventually weakened by Fox’s steadfast resistance and the power with which he repelled Maul’s attacks. Seeing his chance, Fox rushed in and kicked Maul’s ankle with a mighty blow, making him stagger. Summoning a rock with the Force, he threw it at Maul’s chest, hurling him to his knees. Maul’s lightsaber fell out of his hand and rolled away. Immediately Fox held his own blade up to Maul’s shoulder.

“Well done, Fox, well done,” said Sidious, walking up closer. “I am very pleased at your talent.” Fox glanced at him with a scowl, desiring none of his praise.

“Maul is defeated,” the hideous old man continued. “Kill him. Kill him now.”

Once again, opposing voices entered Fox’s head. There was Sidious’s again, reminding him of his past and telling him that this was his final step to unlimited power. It reminded him too that the Jedi had brought all of his pain upon him, and they could never be forgiven. Yet the other was Qui-Gon’s, and this time it was louder than ever, and it drowned out the voice of evil. It told Fox that there was still time to come back, and that his path lay with the Jedi. It warned him that Sidious was manipulating him, and that the Dark Side would never really bring fulfillment. It said that the Jedi really did want what was best for him, that they understood his frustration, and that they wanted to help him. And if Fox made the right decision in this moment, the Jedi would be standing right behind him, and his return to the light would be complete.

“Do it!” commanded Sidious, causing Fox to come out of his trance with a jump. “Finish him, and you will be my one true apprentice.”

Fox turned his head and looked at Sidious, standing up tall. There was fire in the boy’s eyes, but his eyes had returned to their youthful bright green, and not the dull yellow of a fallen being. There was fury in his face, but his face was no longer broken and dark. And there was anger in his voice, but it was not the hateful anger of a Sith.

“It was you who lied to me, not the Jedi. You told me they kidnapped me to use me as a tool, but I see now that they wanted to save me. You told me they were the ones who made me miserable, but I see now that it was the pull of the Dark Side. You told me I would find satisfaction by following you and following my passions, and you were wrong; you only made it worse. Yet you were right about one thing. The Jedi would not help me avenge my people against the Beasts. And I see now that I didn’t need revenge. It was under the influence of the Dark Side, your influence, that I lost control and massacred the Beasts. It was wrong, and I won’t follow it up by killing someone who has never even done me any harm. That might be your way, but it’s not the Jedi way.” With this word he deactivated his lightsaber and threw it away from his hand.

Immediately, Maul grabbed his own lightsaber with the Force and ignited it. His glaring eyes and wickedly triumphant expression were the last things Fox saw before falling to the ground.

“This doesn’t feel right, Master. We were not supposed to leave Coruscant without approval, let alone go to Moraband,” Obi-Wan said with a sigh as he piloted the Jedi starship into the Sith planet’s atmosphere.

“I sense Fox is in great danger here,” Qui-Gon said without changing his gaze. “We must hurry.”

“Master, you’re avoiding my question. Why are we disobeying the Council again? If only you followed the code more strictly and let them gain trust, perhaps they would let you—”

“Land right here,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “I sense he is below us.”

As the ship neared Moraband’s surface, a form became visible on the ground. The two Jedi landed near it and rushed out to see Fox laying there lifeless, occasionally gasping for air. Qui-Gon knelt beside his padawan and embraced him, taking his head into his arms.

“Fox,” he began, trying to think of something to say.

“Master,” the boy said in a whisper, “you saved me.”

There was a long silence, and Obi-Wan knelt down beside his master and leaned in toward Fox. “Who did this to you? Who was here?” he inquired in a low voice.

Fox turned his head and looked at him, trying to muster up the strength to speak again. “Maul,” he gasped, “His name was Maul.” After a few more moments, Fox’s body became limp and he fell back to the ground.

“Where did he come from? What was he like?” Obi-Wan grabbed the boy’s shoulder. “Fox!”

Qui-Gon put out his hand, gesturing to Obi-Wan. “It’s no use. He’s gone.” Both Jedi sat there on the ground with fallen faces for a long time, neither of them knowing what to do or say.

“Saddened by this development, we are,” Yoda said to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they stood before the Jedi Council. “But dwell on this loss, you must not.”

“Yes, Masters,” Qui-Gon replied. “And I do believe that Fox’s last deed was one of sacrifice. I am confident that he was redeemed and brought back to the light before he died. Nevertheless, he was pulled to the Dark Side by something strong, and we must investigate this Maul that he spoke of before things get worse.”

“You will investigate nothing without our command,” Mace Windu said coldly. “We are disappointed not only in your misinterpretation of the prophecy of the Chosen One, but also in your frequent disregard for orders.” He stopped and looked at Yoda.

“Another mission, we have for you,” the diminutive Jedi Master said.

“The Trade Federation has formed a blockade around Senator Amidala’s planet of Naboo. On her behalf, the Chancellor has asked us to send two Jedi to negotiate with Viceroy Nute Gunray to settle the dispute,” Windu continued.

“Go to Naboo, you must,” Yoda commanded, “and resolve this conflict.”

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sat in the back of the ship as it traveled to Naboo. Both of them, but especially Qui-Gon, seemed lost in thought. The great Jedi Master wondered whether it was his fault that Fox had slipped out of his reach. Should he have taken him from Ryloth at all, seeing that he was not in fact the Chosen One, of whom the prophecy spoke? Was he responsible for all of this? That could not be. It was the will of the Force, and Qui-Gon knew that some good would come out of it. Fox had not died in darkness; he had been saved, and thus there was little reason to be downcast. Yet something dark was on the horizon.

“Master.”

Qui-Gon’s head shot up as though he had been abruptly woken from sleep.

“Master, are you alright? We’ve almost reached the Trade Federation command ship. The captain would like to know what to do.”

“Yes, I’m alright, Obi-Wan. I’ve just been thinking.”

“About Fox?”

“No. Well, yes, I have, but there’s more. I feel that his temporary fall to the Dark Side was caused by something bigger than any of us know. Nothing like this has happened for a very long time. There is a shadow of darkness looming over this galaxy. It is growing, and the Jedi must see it before it is too late.”

“Well, whoever this Maul person is—”

“No, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “We must focus on the mission at hand. Whether it is him or not, the person behind all of this will eventually become clear. All we can do for now is be patient.” He placed his hand firmly on Obi-Wan’s shoulder for a moment and then walked into the cockpit.

Obi-Wan did not approve of all of his master’s methods, but he knew that this time Qui-Gon was right. There was indeed a shadow of darkness coming, and it was only a matter of time before its weight became stronger than either of them could comprehend.

---

Alright, what did you think? I value your feedback and I'd love to hear your comments down below. What did you like best and what stuck out to you? What would you change or like to see done differently? Was anything confusing to you?

To wrap this up I'm just going to write a few of my thoughts and observations. This may end up being a rant with no particular structure, but we shall see.

First, you probably noticed that Fox's story arc has a lot of parallels to Anakin's. This is intentional, given that both were thought to be the Chosen One, and this context would probably make Anakin's fall to the Dark Side hit closer to home for Obi-Wan. He had seen Fox get pulled away by the Dark Side, and the same thing was happening to Anakin. But the general story arc is very similar for Fox and Anakin: an exceptionally powerful person, young but too old to be lawfully trained, is taken by Qui-Gon Jinn from his homeland to be trained as a Jedi. However, he dwells too strongly on his past, and eventually goes so far as to return to his homeland to destroy the people that hurt him and his family. He is pulled further to the Dark Side by Darth Sidious, but is eventually redeemed by a sacrificial act of good.

Second, I found it interesting how this story can be tied right into The Phantom Menace. You might remember that in the very opening scene of the film, Qui-Gon Jinn is in the cockpit telling the ship's captain to "tell them we wish to board immediately." So The Phantom Menace literally picks up immediately where this story leaves off. This means that the events of this story would be fresh in Obi-Wan's and Qui-Gon's minds all throughout the film, especially when Anakin, the true Chosen One, enters the scene.

Overall, this story definitely had a pretty dark tone, and this is evident even in the title. There's no romance and very little humor. There are a lot of looks into peoples' minds, especially Fox's, which tend to "set the mood" for each scene. However, I think the dark tone is essential, because there's nothing lighthearted about Fox's arc. The presence of evil rises the entire time.

Also, this story definitely deepens the relationship between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Maul. When they meet in The Phantom Menace, it is now from the context of Maul's having killed Qui-Gon's padawan. Qui-Gon must suppress his feelings, and probably strong resentment, even more so. In addition, Obi-Wan's many encounters with Maul after TPM (in The Clone Wars and Rebels) have this context.

Perhaps you noticed a lot of direct references to the Star Wars movies/TV throughout the story. I did use a good deal of quotes from Palpatine and Yoda, as well as a lot of character themes from the movies. In fact, the idea for The Gathering scene was taken from The Clone Wars, which dedicates four episodes to another group of younglings who went to Ilum for the same purpose. This all helps the story to fit more easily into the saga (despite being a fan-fiction, of course).

You know that feeling when you're sure you had more to say, but can't think of what it was? Yeah.

Anyways, thank you for reading all this and congratulations on reaching the end. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. There is definitely more to come! I've been brainstorming ideas for my next fan-fic, and if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. May the Force be with you!