Ending 5: The Path of Redemption (Light Side Anon)

>Doubt, fear and worry wash away from you as you realize what your course of action must be.
>Clarity of mind, like that which you felt on your approach to the planet, returns to you.
>Though it is indeed a choice, it seems like there is only one option that makes true sense, only one that is right and just.
>After all you have been through, going into the Dark Side only to return from it and save your friends, there is only one thing you can do.
>You will not accept his ultimatum, you will no longer adhere to his demands, nor will you allow him to take your life.
>The Force is with you, it will be your guide, and it has shown you the way.
>You choose redemption, and the shadow of the Dark Side leaves you.
>Igniting your lightsaber and dashing forward, you are propelled by the Force to a speed faster than the living eye can track.
>It happens so quickly that none can react in time, especially not Scorpan.
>This speed, this strength, comes from the resolve you gain from rejecting his choice, rejecting the Dark Side.
>For the briefest of moments, you become an instrument of the Force itself, and through you its will is done.
>The Sith Lord's lips part only slightly before he lets out a blood-chilling scream of pain---and his arm falls to the floor, still clutching the remote.
>As you kneel in front of him, you reach out and grab the remote, being careful so as not to accidentally trigger the detonator.
>As Scorpan falls back a few paces, clutching his burnt stump with his only remaining hand, you pick up the remote and clutch it as you look up at him.
>His eyes meet yours, a mixture of shock, pain and indescribable rage melding together as he beholds you kneeling over his severed arm.
>Spittle flies from his mouth as he screams incomprehensibly, throwing up his hand to blast you with lightning.
>He focuses all of his fury and hatred into his fingertips, channeling it into powerful bolts of electricity that assault your entire body.
>But you are not angry, nor filled with rage, nor afraid.
>Your mind is surging with resolve, with strength of will and calming peace.
>His lightning strikes you, primarily in the chest, as he seeks to shut down your mechanical implants or possibly set off the bomb in your head, either by triggering the remote or by short-circuiting the explosive itself.
>But he fails, for you absorb his energy into yourself as you kneel, holding out your arms and allowing it into your being.
>Some of your clothing is scorched and portions of your skin become slightly damaged, but there is little pain involved.
>Before, you used Tutaminis only through your hands, but now your entire body is the conduit through which energy is transferred.
>His anger, his hate, his pain, all of his power---it is nothing.
>The raw, physical energy enters your body, where you collect it, contain it, and keep it from reaching the mechanical portions of your body and the remote.
>Through the Force, you counter his power in every meaningful way, robbing him of his sole remaining advantage.
>He is strong in the Dark Side of the force---but in this moment, you are much stronger than he could ever be, and he knows it.
>His face contorts into one of painful confusion as he continues to attack you with his lightning, the blue streaks of energy lighting up nearly the entire room around you both as he screams and keeps trying, but the more he tries, the more power he uses, the stronger you become.
>"DIE! DIE! WHY WON'T YOU DIE!" he shouts as the fatigue upon his body becomes more and more prominent.
>The loss of his arm and the pouring out of energy and rage has driven him to exhaustion, compounded by his desperation.
>Driven to continually blast more and more, he quickly tires himself out, eventually dropping his hand and panting wildly as he stares at you with wide, manic eyes.
>Your chest is smoking slightly, but you are unharmed as you stand up, deactivate your lightsaber, and slide it into your holster.
>Scorpan gasps for breath, attempting to speak, but the only word that can come to his lips, the only thing his rage-addled mind can conjure, is for him to scream, "NITOOOOOO!"
>You raise your hand and channel the energy you have absorbed from him, focusing it internally as you point your palm at him.
"My name is Anonymous."
>The blast you unleash is part lightning and part kinetic wave, forming a ball of electricity that impacts Scorpan, frying him as much as it sends him soaring backwards onto the steps.
>Without missing a beat, you turn around and point your hands at his two lackeys before similarly blasting them with two straight bolts to the head, knocking them both out.
>As Flash and Noteworthy look on at you with unbelieving eyes, you lower your hand slightly and let out some more of the energy, focused on their mag-cuffs.
>With a few sparks accompanying each jolt, you blast both of their restraints, deactivating them and freeing them.
>Flash immediately rubs his wrists and stands up, giving you an amazed smile.
"Their weapons," you say to him, just in time for you to hear a lightsaber igniting behind you.
>You roll to the right as Scorpan swings at your back, dodging his attack.
>When you get up on your feet, your lightsaber is again in your hand, ready to go.
>Scorpan stands over his own severed arm, his eyes aflame with inner rage as his robes, still smoking from your blast, fall down to join it.
>The bothan holds his lightsaber in his only remaining hand as he faces you down.
>"You... YOU..." he sputters, too consumed with anger to properly form a coherent sentence.
"Me, oh me," you reply, holding up your weapon defensively. You then hold up the remote in your other hand and give it a shake. "I think you 'dropped' this, 'my lord.' Perhaps I could give you a hand?"
>"RAAAAAAAAGH!" he screams as he charges in, swinging his weapon with abandon.
>You return his attacks with measured parries, blocking each one as you step back.
>Nearby, Flash searches the body of Scorpan's acolyte and finds a lightsaber.
>He turns it on, taking only a moment to look at the crimson blade, before he looks back up at you two dueling before the grand staircase and rushes to join while Noteworthy lingers back.
>Flash leaps up onto the higher platform and makes for Scorpan's back, intent on hacking him in half, but the Bothan sees and leaps away, back-flipping over his head and landing behind him.
>Now you and Flash stand alongside each other, as you were meant to, as you both face down the Sith Lord.
>Scorpan looks between you both, but focuses mainly on you.
>"You insolent little cur!" he spits. "Your suffering will be legend!"
"The only thing legendary here is your incompetence, Scorpan."
>"It's high time you met your end, Sith!" Flash adds.
>"No... No, YOU WILL DIE!" he shouts, charging in to meet both of your blades.
>Your blades clash against each other as he attempts to attack you both at once, and though his skill as a duelist is great and his power is strongly fueled by his emotions, he is already weakened, both from exerting himself too much earlier and your retributory lightning blast.
>Still he fights, bashing away at your duel defense, despite being outnumbered two to one and out-armed one to four.
>Working together, you and Flash form a solid wall of defense that, try as he might, he cannot penetrate.
>Where one of you lacks, the other picks up the slack, and so you both slowly begin to push him back.
>You take one step forward, then Flash does the same, all the while blocking, parrying and keeping him from earning any ground.
>This works to both frustrate him even further, and conserve your energy, while he continually spends what little reserves he has left.
>Scorpan is a mess; sweat runs down his face and beard and he seems more like a wild animal than a lord as he lashes out.
>You begin to realize, to your ultimate pleasure, that underneath all of his anger, his frustration, and his incompetence---he is growing afraid.
>Already down an arm and fighting alone against two, he feels a terrible fear take hold of him, and his fight or flight response is kicking into overdrive.
>But he has something else even greater than his fear that will keep him from running away, that will keep him from living to fight another day: his pride.
>He refuses to surrender, even to his own good sense, if it means that he would lose to you.
>In his eyes, he created you, and he can destroy you, even if he must do it the hard way.
>But as you and Flash continually work together to push him back, he realizes that he cannot, but he also cannot accept it.
>He denies it, he refuses to believe.
>And that is why he will fail and fall.
>As Flash locks blades with the Sith Lord, holding him at bay while you step back, the Padawan's body does not yield.
>Though he has been tortured, deprived of basic living standards and kept in the dark for so long, he never lost his faith in the Force.
>It is that faith now that gives him strength, which allows his body the means and energy to overcome his foe, even long after a normal man would have given up.
>You pass your lightsaber into your other hand in order to once more call upon the reserves of energy you absorbed from Scorpan's lightning barrage in order to conjure up another ball of lightning.
>This new technique is fascinating, a combination of energy manipulation, redirection and telekinesis, but it is overwhelmingly effective, as you demonstrate once again by blasting him with it.
>Scorpan takes the ball lightning to the stomach and is sent hurtling backwards, his feet flying out behind him as he hits the ground and slides away on the dusty stone floor.
>You and Flash look upon him as he attempts to pick himself up, but he falls without his other arm to support him.
>Eventually, he gets up to a knee and looks at you both.
>"You... You will die... I am Sith! I am your master!"
"The only thing you are a master of is failure," you tell him, once more holding your lightsaber in your real hand. "But you were not without purpose, Scorpan. You served to show me the true folly of the Dark Side. And for that, I thank you. But it's not enough to save you."
>"You think you can defeat me?" he says, out of breath. "You are a whelp! You are nothing but a tool! A defective droid!"
>"He likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?" Flash asks.
"You have no idea."
>"DO NOT MOCK ME!" he shouts, getting back up to his feet. "I AM LORD
>SCORPAN! I AM---" Suddenly, he lets out a cry as he is electrocuted.
>Flash gives you a strange look and you can only look back at him; it isn't you.
>The bothan twitches and then falls forward again on his knees as Noteworthy, holding one of the electro-batons from his minions, takes a step back.
>Scorpan drops his lightsaber, which deactivates as it slides across the floor.
>You take a step forward and plant your foot on it as he reaches for it.
>"This..." he mutters, his voice weak. "This cannot be... I am Sith! I am your... your master! You are mine!"
"Not anymore," you whisper as you raise your lightsaber and bring it down, slicing off his only remaining arm.
>He shouts in pain and writhes on the floor as you kneel and look upon him.
"Look at you," you say to him, shaking your head. "You scream as though it hurts. Well, does it?"
>You bring up your foot from his saber and stomp on his stump, delighting in his shouting.
"Does it hurt, you son of a bitch? Scream for me!"
>You are about to stomp on him again when Flash grabs your shoulder and pulls you back. "Anon!"
>You are about to react violently to him denying you your fun until you see the look on his face.
>"Don't become him," he urges you, his face deathly serious yet concerned. "You're better than him."
>Noteworthy looks on, silent but just as concerned, if not a bit fearful.
>You take a few deep breaths and look back at him as he holds what remains of his arms close to his chest.
>He's right.
>You stop yourself and calm down.
>Part of you wants to torture him, to torment him, to subject him to the pain and humiliation he put you through.
>Giving him a quick death would be a mercy compared to what you want to do to him.
>But, perhaps, mercy is the best course of action.
>Like Flash said, you should not lower yourself to his level.
>You are better than him, and you always were.
>He lets go of your shoulder and trusts you to do the right thing as you approach Scorpan calmly, holding up your saber.
>Just as before, you watch the light play off of its surface before looking down upon him.
>He's managed to push himself onto one of his knees, and he kneels before you now in a reversal of your relationship up until this point.
>As the master is forced before his apprentice, he looks up at you with nothing but contempt and loathing.
>Good.
>Let him die with hate in his heart, let him perish with malice upon his lips.
>He will condemn himself to annihilation, for he will not live in through the Force.
>But there is one last thing you want him to see before he passes.
>Saber in hand, you bring it up to your face and with two clean, quick swipes, you destroy what remains of your mask, leaving only small portions of it that remain fused to your skin along the sides of your face.
>You cut it two halves that fall to the floor, glowing orange from the plasma, and lower the lightsaber as you take your first breath of unfiltered air since he tortured you.
>The breath you take somehow feels cleaner and purer than ever before, because it is real.
>It is your mouth, your lungs; it is YOU.
>Anonymous.
>Scorpan looks upon his failure to destroy who you are as you hold up your lightsaber again, this time at his throat.
"There is no death, there is the Force," you tell him in a low whisper. "...But something worse awaits you."
>Then, as he scowls and shouts, intent on getting in the last word, you cleanly sweep once with your lightsaber across his shoulders.
>His body goes stiff and his red eyes roll back, becoming glossy and wide, as his head falls backwards and off of his body, which falls forward.
>With one final exhale, you let go of Scorpan and all he ever gave you: every ounce of anger, hate, fear and doubt that he ever instilled in you now runs away.
>You feel renewed and reinvigorated, affirmed in the light as the Force flows through you.
>It's strange, in a way: he spoke of the Sacrifice, of taking an innocent life and its necessity to understand the ways of the Sith.
>While he died, he was unarmed (in more ways than one) and while he was far from innocent, he was at your complete mercy.
>But you feel no darkness from this, no consuming hatred lingering, no pain.
>He was no good soul; his was one given to the Dark Side long ago, and he will burden the galaxy no longer.
>Flash walks up behind you and places his hand on your shoulder again as you deactivate the lightsaber.
>"You did the right thing," he says as you face him. "Anon... I am sorry. I didn't believe in you."
"I didn't believe in myself for a long time," you reply, giving him a smile. "It was only when I reached this moment that I realized what I was truly meant to do and become."
>Noteworthy approaches warily as you and Flash pull each other in for a hug.
>As you reaffirm your friendship with your fellow Padawan, the chagrian looks on somewhat nervously.
>You then turn to him, staring him in the eyes.
>"Anon..." he says, his voice soft and replete with worry.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you. I know it might not be worth anything, but---"
>"It would be worth everything if we could rescue Braeburn too," he interrupts you.
"Where is he?"
>"In the holding cells. They kept us separate, but alive. They tortured him, but I took most of it. I didn't want them hurting him."
>You step away from Flash and walk to Noteworthy.
"You were braver than I ever gave you credit for. I was a fool to have turned you in. You were tortured because of me."
>"You got it worse," he admits. "It wasn't fun, but I took it. I would be angry, but... Scorpan is dead by your hand. If that doesn't mean things have changed, nothing does. I'm just glad that it is over."
>"No," a voice calls out from across the room, and for a split second you think that more trouble may have appeared.
>But as two figures walk through the main entrance of the academy, striding past dead guards slain on the way inside, you know it be the opposite.
>Master Luna looks upon you with a smile. "It isn't over. This is merely the beginning of a new day."
>And she is not alone.
>Sunset, walking alongside her, sees you and all but bursts into a run.
>Watching her run towards you with a big smile on her face, your heart soars as you open your arms to prepare for her.
>She tackles into you with a hug so fierce that you nearly fall over.
"Ah, careful! Careful! I'm still holding the detonator!"
>But she still hugs you tightly, burying her face in your neck and letting out a happy gasp.
>Without saying a word, she leans back before diving in to kiss you, and it's the most wonderful thing in the world.
>After all you have been through, all the trials of darkness and pain, she is here to comfort you.
>She is warm, and her lips are as soft as you remember them to be.
>The zabrak girl buries a hand in your hair, holding on for all her worth, kissing you vigorously as though to make up for lost time and lost kisses.
>Master Luna looks on with a smile as Flash and Noteworthy excuse themselves to go find Braeburn and free him.
>Sunset holds onto you tightly, never wanting to let go as you return her passion, opening yourself up to her warmth and love.
>When you break away from her and stare into her eyes, you smile, your heart full of happiness for the first time in a very, very long time.
>"Anon..." she whispers, her voice teetering on the edge of breaking.
"I'm here," you reply, pressing your forehead against hers while being careful to avoid the horns.
>Luna, feeling that now is as appropriate a time as any, steps up and holds something out to you.
>Your lightsaber---your first lightsaber.
>"This is yours, my Padawan."
>Sunset steps back as you drop the Vehement and reach for the Arbitrator, grasping it firmly in your hand.
>It feels... right.
>Activating the bright green blade, you smile as you swing down and cut the Vehement in half, effectively severing your ties to not only the blade and your time as Nito, but the Dark Side.
>You look upon your true master and smile as she steps forth to hug both you and Sunset, holding you both tightly.
>Whatever may come now, you are finally reunited with them and little else matters.
>Sunset is the first to leave the hug, turning to look back at Scorpan.
>"He deserved it," she says of her old master. "I am glad you are the one to give him such an end. No one in the galaxy, not even me, was more in the right to do it."
>"We must leave," Luna says as she stops the hug. "The remainder of the Sith will soon return to Korriban. We must leave the system before that happens."
>"We could only land because so few were here," Sunset explains, hurrying along as the three of you begin to walk. "When Master Luna sensed the Shatterpoint..."
>"There was very little time to react," she says as you pass through an archway. "I knew it was coming but knew not where it would be. We came here with all haste when I detected the disturbance in the Force."
"I'm just glad you came," you say to them. "There are a few ships we can take from the hanger."
>"We have our own as well," Luna replies. "It matters little which we take."
>Up ahead, another door opens as Flash and Noteworthy enter the hall, each supporting Braeburn with his arms around their shoulders.
>"Oh, hey... Lookit, it's Nito," Braeburn mutters distastefully.
>"No, it isn't," Noteworthy says, looking over and smiling. "That's Anon. Trust me, you haven't met him."
>He's confused at first, but your group proceeds towards the hanger.
>Once inside, you head to your ship while Braeburn is carried towards his freighter.
>Sunset walks with you towards the entry ramp as she looks at Master Luna. "Where are we going?"
>"Yavin 4," Luna answers. "I have foreseen that the Jedi are congregating there. I shall travel with Flash to ensure that he is tended to. Will you be alright?"
You look at Sunset, then back to her. "I know I will."
>Your hand finds hers and holds it tightly as Luna nods with a smile. "I shall see you soon, my Padawan. And Anon... I am glad you chose wisely."
"So am I."
>You enter your ship with Sunset as Luna goes to Braeburn's freighter.
>You quickly turn on the engines and take off, flying through the red atmosphere of Korriban for perhaps the last time.
>Leaving this planet behind, you begin to enter in the coordinates for Yavin 4, then stop.
>There is somewhere else you want to go.
>Changing your mind, you enter the coordinates for Mestare instead, activating the hyperdrive as Sunset settles down in the copilot seat.
>"We're not going to Yavin 4?" she asks.
"We will," you assure her with a comforting smile. "But first, there is somewhere I want to take you."
>"I hope the journey is long," she says, sitting up and bringing herself to sit upon you in your seat. "Because I want some time with you alone."
"Where we're going, we'll have plenty of that," you reply, leaning up to tuck a strand of fiery hair behind her ear.
>You meet her loving gaze and for a time you two are content to merely sit and enjoy each other's company, holding each other.
>After all that has happened, all of the turmoil and uncertainty, you two finally have each other once more.
>You gently rub her cheek as she holds onto your mechanical arm, gingerly feeling the metal as she parts her lips to kiss you.
>The kiss starts off simple and sweet, but does not stay that way for long.
>Soon enough it deepens, giving way to passion and comfort as clothes begin to be shed.
>More words are exchanged, professions of love are shared, stories of your time apart are swapped, of her time and adventures with Luna as they scoured the galaxy in search of you, before passion rises once more and no further words need be spoken.
>By the time you arrive at Mestare, you and she are in the meager sleeping quarters of the ship, clothing forgotten and worries similarly discarded, asleep in each other's arms.
>You rouse to waking and head to the cockpit, where you begin entry procedures into the planet's atmosphere.
>Landing the ship in a wide field, you redress and meet with Sunset to take her outside.
>Her eyes grow in wonder as she takes in the sights of the pristine planet.
>"By the stars, Anon, it's beautiful," she gasps. "Even Yavin 4 doesn't compare..."
>You hold her hand as you look out upon the fields of grazing herd animals, snow-capped mountains in the distance and wide valleys to the south.
"This is where I came after I left," you tell her. "This is where I learned that I could achieve balance in the Force."
>"And did you?"
"It was my quest, for a long time... After I left the Jedi, I came here, and the spirits of this world, echoes of the ancient masters who once lived here, told me to seek out the Sith."
>"It nearly destroyed you."
"Nearly." You close your eyes as you feel the wind blow through your hair. "But it was necessary to know what the Dark Side truly meant to me."
>"And what did you learn?"
"That, in the end, it wasn't what I wanted. I didn't take the path of balance... I chose another path."
>She nods. "I know. I could sense it even before we landed that you had chosen the light."
"And because of it, I suppose I'm no longer worthy of learning what ancient secrets this planet has hidden away. The spirit spoke that only one who knows equal portions of light and dark could come here and learn... but I do not feel that way. I feel once more like I did long ago, when I first joined, I feel the light, and though the Dark Side lingers within, now I have knowledge and experience to temper it."
>"You intend to return to the Jedi?"
"...I think I do. The more I think about it, even after denying it for so long, that the Jedi are who I belong with."
>After a moment of silence, she looks down at the ground and then asks, "Anon... What would you do if I told you that I did not wish to return to the Jedi?"
You look at her, a bit surprised. "But all of our friends are there. I'll be there..."
>"I know." She looks away. "But... even after all that has happened, I don't know if I can."
>You turn her to face you and kiss her again.
"Don't doubt," you say. "We can return. Master Luna will be there, and things will be different."
>"Maybe so. But you remember, that even as far back as the time when we first met, I felt as though I don't belong. That I never belonged with them, in the light."
"Your feelings are important, Sunset, but you're like me. You're redeemed in their eyes."
>She hugs you tightly, silently contemplating your words.
>"I can return to them, but I won't be one of them." She looks back into your eyes, gently rubbing the scarred flesh around your right eye with her thumb. "I'll always feel like an outsider to them."
"Why? Don't you want to come back? In your heart, don't feel as I do?"
>"It's not that I don't feel," she insists. "But I feel something else, as well. I feel what you must have felt on the night you left, on the nights when you dreamed of what would come after your time with the Sith."
>She looks out over the horizon.
>She whispers, "Balance..."
>You watch her as her eyes scan the lands, and you wonder if she is seeing the same things you are.
>Perhaps... it was not you meant to see the ancient structures upon this planet, but another.
>One you, and the choice you made, brought here.
"What do you see?"
>"I do not know... I hear something, echoing in the Force."
"I have heard it as well. The spirits of this planet, the echo in the Force, they're speaking to you."
>"They're showing me something," she replies. "I don't know what it is, but..."
>After blinking a few times, she points. "A temple! I see a grand temple!"
>You look, but see only the mountains and the sky.
>You realize it now fully, and it grieves you, for the truth can always hurt.
>She is the one meant to embark upon the path of balance.
>The spirits need not even appear to you for you to know this.
>But what does this mean?
>Are you to simply leave her here?
"Sunset," you get her attention. "You've been accepted by them. The echoes left to guide those upon the path of balance."
>She understands, but also understand what it implies.
>"I... Part of me does not wish to go, if it means you cannot be with me."
"I've made my choice, and I rejected the Dark Side. It is with me, but it plagues me no longer. Not like you." You swallow a bit before continuing, "You have faced the Dark Side long before you joined the Jedi. If anyone deserves to know what balance can bring, it is you."
>Her hand comes to your neck and she presses her forehead against yours. "But I love you."
"I love you too," you whisper, kissing her again. You hold her close as she giggles a bit, but it isn't as happy a giggle as before. "I love you, but I've decided to return to the Jedi and Master Luna. Now you have a choice as well."
>"Does it mean we cannot be together?"
"I don't know."
>She kisses you again before saying, "I don't want to decide now. I want to be with you now."
>You stare into her eyes, feeling her love, and you cannot deny her request.
"I had a dream, once," you say, reaching up to take her hands. "I dreamt of you, and I, running through the fields and forests of this planet, laughing, loving each other. I woke up, and the dream was just that: a fantasy."
>"It's never too late to make a fantasy real," she says with a smile. "Stay with me. Until I decide."
"I've wanted nothing less for a long time," you tell her as you wrap your arms around her and kiss her again.
>Soon enough, the two of you leave to explore the planet, just as in your dream.
>Its fields, its forests, the streams and crags.
>You climb, you run, you jump, you swim.
>All with her.
>You examine the animals of the planet, observing them from afar, even approaching a few of the herding animals to touch them.
>Sunset leads you on a journey down into a valley, where you find caves and a twisting river with so many bends it seems as though a snake.
>When night comes, you camp, laying with her as you look up at the stars.
>Beneath those stars, upon the grass, you make love again, feeling her and connecting with her very soul as you both love without restraint or remorse.
>Through the Force, you two join together, two beings linked physically and spiritually, almost like you used to on Yavin 4 in your secret place, but now on a much deeper level.
>But in the backs of your minds, you both know this is but a fleeting thing.
>Neither of you care as you find comfort, pleasure and love in each other's arms.
>Three days you spend with her upon this planet, three days of flying across the skies in your ship to explore new regions, see new sights.
>But the further you both stay, the more you both know that it will not last.
>When the night of the third day comes, and you and she sit upon the edge of a mountain cliff overlooking the most breathtaking vista you have ever witnessed, you know she has made her decision.
>Your hand finds hers as she speaks.
>"I'm going to stay," she says what you both already knew. "This has been the most wonderful time of my life, Anon..."
"I'll never forget it," you say, bringing up her hand and kissing the back of it. "I'll always treasure these moments."
>"Must they end?" she asks.
"If I'm going to become a Jedi, I can't be flying back here to visit very often," you sigh. "And if I were to, it would be a big distraction, for both of us."
>"If either of us is going to continue down our separate paths..." she begins.
"...We must be separate, or we will never truly reach their end," you finish, as much as you don't want to.
>She closes her eyes, a small tear falling down her cheek from one of them.
>"I know. I don't want to, but I know."
>You lean over and kiss her, wiping away her tear.
"No matter what happens, no matter what may come, I'll always love you, Sunset."
>She hugs and kisses you again, placing her head on your shoulder afterwards.
>"Stay with me this night," she bids. "Stay with me and watch the sunset in the morning."
"I will."
>The pain of what is to come is pushed aside as you enjoy your remaining time with her.
>The two of you sit all night, talking, kissing and more, resting alongside each other.
>Come morning, when the three suns rise and the sky is streaked red and orange, you watch it with her and hold her close.
>Time cannot be stopped any more than death, and so when the suns rise fully, you and she rise and walk somberly back to the ship.
>You briefly discuss what she is going to do; where she will be dropped off at, and what supplies she will have.
>"I will have my lightsaber. That will be enough."
"But some rations will help you our as well," you say with a smile.
>She laughs as you two reach the exit ramp, but before you walk up she stops you.
"What? You don't want me to leave you on top of this mountain, do you?"
>"No, it's not that. Anon, I want you to do something for me."
"Of course, anything."
>"When you leave, I don't want you to only think of me as your one love."
"What do you mean, exactly?'
>"If you return to the Jedi, but all you're doing is thinking about me, then you'll be just as distracted as what we talked about before. What I'm saying is, don't worry if you find love elsewhere. People all over the galaxy have loved after their first."
>Her gaze is firm, yet understanding, as she tells you this.
Your eyes stray off to one side, averting from hers as you say, "I suppose this really is it, then."
>"Do you regret your choice?" she says. "If you could go back to the Shatterpoint and choose again, would you do anything differently?"
>You close your eyes and shake your head.
"No. I made my choice. If I regret the consequences, I'll never live it down and I'll never move on."
>You reach for her hand again and pull her in for a hug.
"I did what I did... Just as you're doing what you're doing now. We both have our reasons, and even if our paths take us in different directions, we will always have our time together. Nothing in the galaxy can take that away from us."
>"You missed your true calling," she says, wiping her eyes. "You're going off to be a Jedi, but you should have been a poet."
"Maybe I can be both," you smile as you lead her up into the ship by the hand.
>You pilot the ship to a small field in a temperate region, a good place for her to begin her journey.
>You take some time to gather up some things for her, field supplies and other useful equipment she may need.
>After helping her get everything off the ship, the two of you stand still, somewhat awkwardly.
>"I shouldn't keep you from the Jedi any longer," she eventually says. "This is where we part."
"But we'll see each other again," you tell her. "My ship may be the only one in the galaxy that has the exact coordinates for Mestare, and I doubt anyone else is looking for the planet."
>"But remember, do not come to visit." She pauses. "But... Perhaps every now and then?"
"I'd hate for you to go crazy, all alone on this planet with nothing to talk to but the wind, animals and spirits." A thought occurs to you then. "Say, Sunset..."
>"Yes?"
"I'll be returning to the Jedi. I don't know if I'll become a knight, or a master, or whatever the future may hold, but during my time there, if ever I encounter someone who is troubled, someone stumbling on the path to light who cannot escape the darkness... I won't make the mistakes the old order made. Instead, I'll send them here. To you."
>She smiles. "I'll help guide them. You have my word." She pauses before adding, "And please, tell Master Luna that I am sorry for my choice and that it has parted us as well. She was a wonderful master for the time that I had her."
"I will let her know. Perhaps I'll bring her to see you sometime?"
>"I would like that very much. If you could, apologize to the others as well. I never got much of a goodbye with them, either."
>You nod and approach her then, giving her one last hug, solidified with one final kiss.
>It is long and lingering, but both of you don't mind how long it takes.
"I love you," you say as you break away.
>"I love you too."
With a heavy sigh, you say your parting words. "Goodbye, Sunset. And good luck."
>She smiles. "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you as well."
>You pause briefly, before diving in for one last, post-final quick kiss.
>She giggles and laughs as you move back towards the ship, holding your hand until your grips loosen and they slide apart.
>You give her a wave, and she gives one back as you turn and enter the ship, walking up to the cockpit and taking off.
>As you lift off, you can see her down below, looking up at you with a smile.
>It occurs to you that this is much like another time you flew away from her, when you left the Jedi Temple, only this is the inverse.
>Now, you fly away to return to the Jedi, while she remains to seek the path of balance.
>Though your heart is heavy, you understand why you have both chosen your way.
>There is nothing left for you to learn on Mestare other than the person who is taking the journey in your place.
>What would it have been like, you wonder, if you had made another choice?
>Would you be down there with her now if you had killed one or both of the others?
>Shaking your head, you realize that you were right: it doesn't do well to dwell on such things.
>The past is the past.
>You may learn from it, but ultimately you must move forward.
>As you take off into the blue skies and soar into the void of space, you set the coordinates for Yavin 4 and take off into the future.

Epilogue...

>It has been one year since you returned to the Jedi, now in hiding on Yavin 4.
>When you returned, you had much to speak about with the others, much to atone for.
>But under the guidance of the newly-elected Grand Master Luna, you were reinstated in the Order before a conclave of the remaining masters and given your status as a Padawan back.
>Alongside Flash, you returned to the order a hero, and your defeat of both Scorpan and the Dark Side were celebrated.
>Master Redheart worked diligently to remove the bomb from your skull, as well as removing all remaining traces of your mask from your face.
>Treatments and surgeries allowed you to resemble your old self, though you still bore some subtle scars.
>A new arm, as well, was crafted for you, one that can touch and feel just as good as your real one.
>And your new eyes, though synthetic, are not cumbersome or heavy, but soft and realistic with pupils that match your old ones.
>You bid farewell to the cortosis-covered limb that had been given to you, and do not miss it.
>You also had much to make up for with your friends, but now you had time to heal with their help.
>When you told Pinkie Pie of Maud's sacrifice, she wept, but in meditation with her you helped her commune with Maud's spirit, now transcended into the Force, earning her place through her final and selfless act.
>It did not take long for Pinkie to return to her old self, and she threw the biggest and best "Welcome back to the Jedi" party for you in the history of Yavin 4.
>Which probably hasn't had much of a history of those, but it definitely set the standard.
>Though things were initially difficult between you and Applejack, who was still grieving for the loss of Big Mac, reuniting her with her cousin Braeburn went a long way to both patching relations with you and the freighter pilot.
>Though Braeburn and Noteworthy denied joining the new order, you made peace with them both before they departed in the freighter.
>Rainbow was dismayed that you had not killed Coco, but when you explained to her how you had defeated the mandalorian who shot down her master and fellow pilot, she made peace with what happened and forgave you.
>Along with many other things, you and she have embarked on journies of personal growth to conquer your anger and impatience, two traits that do not belong within a Jedi.
>Twilight's primary focus was on restoring as much knowledge of the archives as possible, working with Spike to rebuild them, and you assisted her in this noble endeavor whenever you could.
>Even more, her brother Shining Armor has elected to join the order, even though he is older than usual.
>But under the tutelage of his younger sister and Master Cadance, he has begun the process of learning how to connect with the Force.
>Rarity was quick to forgive you, happy to have you back, provided that you would duel with her to improve her own skill, and that you would try out her new line of Jedi robes.
>She and her sister, along with the other younglings, would often become enthralled with your harrowing tales of your journey into the Dark Side, which they treat almost like theater.
>Trixie at first avoided you, ashamed of what had happened in the temple, but eventually warmed back up and once more became your friend.
>Her experience being mind-controlled humbled her quite significantly, it seems.
>Master Luna, now Grand Master Luna, has been with you every step of the way.
>During your procedures, while you recovered, and taking a personal hand in training you and Flash.
>Though her duties, to the Jedi Order and to your training, were strenuous, she always made time for you.
>In time, through meditation, you came to make full peace with yourself: your past with your brother, your journey into darkness, and your redemption in the light.
>Flash, too, was by your side all the while, training as his body fully recovered, standing by you as your brother and fellow Padawan.
>But none among the Jedi were happier at your return than Fluttershy.
>The mirialan had been devastated by your leaving, and so upon your return, you made it your mission to make up for what you had done to her.
>From meditation with her, to training with her, to helping tame and raise animals with her, and eventually, to loving her.
>It was a gradual thing, but over time, you grew closer to her than anyone else at the temple, sharing with her things you had only ever shared with Sunset before her.
>And though your heart still sang for the zabrak, you came to allow another inside as you began to return Fluttershy's profound affections.
>The first time you kissed her was atop the great temple, while the red gas giant painted the night in a warm, red glow as you held her soft form.
>She returned your half of the necklace she made, and you wear it to this day.
>She loves you dearly, giving herself completely to you, body and soul.
>With you, she feels stronger and more confident.
>By your side, her connection to the Force grows only greater.
>And when you make love with her, though she is passive, never have you had a more tender, soft and caring partner.
>You spend most days with her, unless your training calls for otherwise.
>Tonight, you are alone with her, in the secret place that you once only shared with Sunset.
>But now it belongs to you and Fluttershy alone.
>Beneath a woven blanket, your bodies lay gently entwined as the stars shine above.
>She is asleep, snoozing soundly as her head rests upon your chest, but you are wide awake and thinking.
>The future holds many questions, for the direction of fate is uncertain.
>The Jedi Temple pilot, Gummy, brings word from the wider galaxy as often as he can when he makes secret supply dumps in support of the temple.
>The Sith, among them Tirek and Chrysalis, still remain, and are actively attacking the Republic.
>The Emperor yet commands them to do so from his hidden lair, somewhere deep in Sith-controlled space.
>Coruscant has become politically corrupt, with the true face behind the Force Hunters, Senator Starlight Glimmer, using the Sith attack to rally strong anti-Force movements among both the senate and the general populace.
>As it turns out, her Force Hunters protected many of the senators who would have died in the changeling attack... but it is curious that the only ones who survived were strong supporters of her position.
>The Force Hunters now operate with impunity, as her new position gives her political power that is nearly unrivaled in influence.
>And amidst all of this, there are rumors that the Mandalorians are beginning to act up and are raiding Republic worlds and stirring up trouble.
>The Jedi Order remains hidden, and will do so until Grand Master Luna devines the time is right to return to the Republic.
>But there is another question that burns in your mind: what of Sunset?
>Has she made progress on her path to balance?
>What role will she play in the future of the galaxy while you remain with the order?
>These are things that remain to be seen.
>As you lie next to your love, all you can do is wonder... and trust in the Force.
>You close your eyes and hold her just a bit more tightly as you drift off to sleep.
>Whatever the future may hold, you will be ready to face it when it rears its head, Arbitrator in hand.
>You are Anonymous, of the Jedi Order.
>And right now, you know peace.

There is no Emotion, there is Peace.
There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge.
There is no Passion, there is Serenity.
There is no Chaos, there is Harmony.
There is no Death, there is the Force.

THE END