The Acolyte
GRD Astarosta (Sith)/Archanis of Taldryan
(astarosta@copetel.com.ar)

WARNING: This story contains graphical violence which may be unsuitable for children.

Life was running away from him. All he could do was to try and focus on the darkness within, and at the same time running away from it, in the strange paradox of struggling to hold on to what gives meaning to his life, and what's coming with the silent step of death: the unavoidable and complete darkness. His short time as Acolyte submerged him into the tortured path leading to the complete anger. He was getting used to suffer, but this was different. Being slain by someone in the Light Side of the Force, without being able to even begin to transform that anger into power was more than he could take. He was a shame for the Sith Order and he deserved dying.  

Even now he remembers the chase in his missile boat, feeling the mutual presence, only that at the perception of the dreaded Jedi he was a small hopeless kid who might yet be converted into the Light Side, while he knew that the enemy he was after was a Jedi Knight. He could feel the strength in the Force of the rival even from the distance between the two ships.

When the old X-Wing made a violent turn in an almost impossible degree just when the missile lock in the young Astarosta's craft was about to become red, he knew what his destiny was. The quad lasers made a precise hit damaging the hyperdrive, the launchers and the lasers. Only a Jedi Knight could do such a shot. Pulling the controls with all of his strength, Astarosta couldn't avoid being pulled by gravity, descending in a spiral on Aurora Prime's atmosphere. He was able to position the craft in a way preventing overheating, but with the engines malfunctioning, it was a rough ride. And a rough landing.

Lying on the open cockpit, Astarosta remembered the pride of being assigned such an important task. He had to prove that he wasn't a wrong choice, that he had the power. Tiger assigned Dark Jedi Knight Predator to follow an unknown X-Wing which had destroyed a full squadron of Aurora's planetary defenses, showing the skills of a Jedi pilot. "Take one of the kids" Tiger said. Astarosta was deeply honored when Predator stood in front of him and said "get your Missile Boat ready, young Astarosta. This will be a field trip, watch me and learn"

Even now he couldn't understand how the Jedi was able to take down Predator's ship. The fireball image of the exploding craft was carved deep into his brain. He was angry. He had to destroy the dreaded Jedi. He turned his missile boat and started chasing him. He thought he would defeat him. 

He opened his eyes and closed them right away. The sun was high above and the light rays were unbearable. He slowly jumped off the cockpit of the damaged ship. Apparently he landed on a place of Aurora miles away from any civilization. He checked on his transmitter but it was fried with the small electromagnetic storm caused by the ship's collapse. So was his blaster and every piece of hardware he carried. He started walking in a random direction when he heard a loud noise. The noise quickly translated into fear. Overwhelming fear, the kind of fear you cannot escape, just as the sound, so loud you couldn't avoid hearing it.

The X-Wing engines made the nearby trees shake as it was landing, about fifty feet from the missile boat. Astarosta inmediately ran away and ducked between some bushes. The cockpit opened and a tall figure came out.

"Greetings young one!" shouted the man. Astarosta knew he could feel him, and that hiding was useless. He came out of the bushes.

"Oh, there you are. I know how you feel right now. You want to kill me. I also know you have just begun your path on the Dark Side, and you can still return."

"You will die, Jedi" said Astarosta, hoping that his words sounded more confident than he actually was.

"There's no need to fight, young one. I know you started to feel the Force flowing through you. Come with me and I will show you the true nature of the Force, and the Peace message it sings into our souls. Let me train you."

Astarosta's feet were heavy as stones. He couldn't move, facing this enemy who took him down and now he was offering to train him, and being compassionate with him. He was confused.

As the Jedi was walking towards him, the fireball image appeared on his mind once again. He felt that the rage was taking over every cell of his body, and he knew he had to revenge Predator's death. Even if that meant dying.

With a fast move (the fastest he made in his life), Astarosta made a jump of over six feet, flipped in mid-air and extended his leg in a lethal kick faced right to the Jedi's head. Yes, he was going to kill him. He was strong. He was...

The Jedi waved his hand. The Force push threw Astarosta ten feet away, making him fall near the Missile Boat. He stood up, with his eyes piercing the enemy, who looked calm and peaceful. He had to kill him.

"Don't be foolish! That anger is not going to take you anywhere, it is not me who you hate, it is your destiny! I can help you change your destiny! Come with me!"

His words were torturing him in confusion.

But suddenly all was clear on his mind. That was the path he chose. That's what he wanted to be. There was no room for hesitation. He was meant to become one with the Dark Force.

Almost without having control over his body, he jumped once again towards the enemy. Whatever happened next, it wouldn't matter. He knew the Jedi would die, and that he had the strength of the Sith Order within.

The Light Jedi underestimated the power of the young Acolyte. He actually had to move faster than he thought he would need to. But the difference between the rivals was too much. Once again, while Astarosta was in mid-air, he was Force pushed. The push this time was stronger, and ill-fated. The Missile Boat single laser cannon was pointing forward like a sharp spear ready to pierce in the enemy foes. Astarosta felt the warm taste of blood on his mouth and swallowed. The cannon was coming out of the right side of his chest, just below his shoulder. He grabbed the laser cannon with both hands, hanging on to life desperately, with anger. He was indeed a shame for the Sith Order and deserved dying.

Darkness was closing in on him as he heard the words from the Jedi. "It is a shame, you could have been a great Jedi". His life was draining out fast, when he felt a familiar presence getting closer. Could it be?

A speeder flew at high speed between the two ships, and a figure wearing a dark flightsuit jumped off right in front of the Jedi. Astarosta felt the enormous anger flowing out of the pilot, and heard as two lightsabers ignited almost simultaneously. He opened his eyes clouded with the myst of death, and gazed at the two rivals striking at each other at an amazing speed. The last perception he had was the smell of ozone from the ionized traces the lightsabers made. He fainted, falling deeply in the darkness of death. 

A sudden ray of light crossed his mind as a warm feeling expanded across all of him starting from the hole in his shoulder.

"Is...is it you, Pred?"

"Shh, be quiet and rest. I'll take you to the M/FRG Last Hope. You will be taken care there"

The emergency cures Predator made stopped the blood loss and avoided infection on the trespassing wound.

"How...how..."

"Ever heard of ejection seats. All ships have it, ya know? They won't take me down that easily" Predator laughed. "A patrolling shuttle picked me up and I traced you as you landed on the planet".

Astarosta moved his head to a side and saw a severed arm holding a lightsaber lying on the floor. Some steps away from it, he saw the Light Jedi's body.

"I do not deserve to be a Sith, master" said Astarosta looking back at Predator. "I couldn't deal with him"

"You are wrong, young Astarosta. You dealt with him in the way you should have. He tempted you with the Light Side of the Force, and you resisted it. I tell you, most of the Acolytes wouldn't have focused his anger as you did. You are a brave man, you faced the enemy many times, and you followed your inner darkness. You will be a great Dark Jedi"

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