Jedi Academy

The entrance to the site of the trial looked innocuous enough. The front seemed to be the entrance to a ruined temple, nothing immediately marking it as any different from the other ruined temples on the planet. But on second glance, the shadows within the entrance was just a little bit darker. The air was just a little bit colder. Even the smell, the taste of it was just slightly off. And the longer one studied any of these things, the more they would cause a creeping sense of dread. Of fear.

Ares was standing at the entrance, Jaric beside him. The warrior offered no words of comfort, only his stoic presence.

Ares gazed into the abyss, and he felt it stared back. He tried and failed to withhold a shiver.

"You had the same trial Master?"

"In a way, yes," Jaric replied with stoic calm. "It is different for everyone. Not even I know what you will face inside."

Ares took another breath, and laidhis hand down on his father's blade. He took another, slower, calming breath. That's reassuring.

A third breath, followed by a sudden step into the darkness.

Stepping into the entrance, the shadows grew deeper and the temperature seemed to plunge to almost freezing. Even the light coming from outside seemed dimmer than it had before almost as if his exit was slowly disappearing, but there was only one way to go... into the growing darkness ahead.

Even the muted darkness, he could somehow barely see his path ahead, twisting and turning as it led him towards a very faint light. A glow of red mixed with green...

Ares held the hilt of the sword, his knuckles paling from the strain. Still, despite the cold, he moved forward, following the eerie lights. He saw his breath fogging up the air in front of him, even in the dim light, but he soldiered on.

He could not fail. He would not fail.

The smell hit him first before his eyes could see anything: the smell of death. Of scorched flesh, and blood. Then came the whimpering of the dying.

Everything seemed suddenly very bright as he stepped forward, into a large hall that looked almost like it belonged in the Jedi Temple, but it seemed strangely twisted and inverted. Where there once was smooth lines and elegant forms, there was now a harsh sharpness to each line and spiked corners. And on the floor lay a number of bodies, some dead, some mortally wounded...

Ares felt his steps quicken unconsciously. By the time he realized what was happening, his heart was already beating. He felt nauseous, as the strange temple seemed to weigh on him, suffocating him, but he didn't care. He took a breath, and drew his blade. He let out a yell, meant to be coherent, but it was just raw instead.

One of the men on the floor groaned as he tried to sit up and reach for his weapon, but fell over from exhaustion. As he fell down on his back, Ares could see the symbol of the Sith Empire on his breast.

Ares' eyes widened at the symbol.

No, an attack on the temple? The younglings! The masters! Ayura...

He blinked once, the smell and heat getting to him but he soldiered on.

His feet felt light as he hurried onwards, seeing more signs of combat along his way. There was a faint sound of clashing sabers that seemed to beckon him in a specific direction, but... something just didn' seem right.

It looked a lot like the Jedi temple, but... why were there Sith symbols on the tapestries and banners? It was either as if the Jedi temple had been corrupted by the Jedi somehow, or the temple had been remade in a cruel mirrored version in the eyes of the Sith.

His heart caught as the markings sank in. He was confused, but his steps didn't falter. Whatever was going on didn't matter. He had to help.

The sound battle grew closer and more intense as he moved and the stairs led him to the top of a tower, and infront of him was a forcefield to keep him out.

On the other side of the forcefield he could see two people locked in a duel to the death. Ayura's Makashi elegance seemed weary and her arms had several cuts from her opponent's saber.



Jaina Von was toying with her opponent, nipping at Ayura's heels figuratively as she gradually cornered the younger woman.

Ares let out a roar as he assaulted the forcefield with his blades, trying to fight through. His mind went blank, as the scene unfolded in front of him, and he just wanted to b there.

Jaina cut Ayura below the knee and the younger woman fell over. "It was a mistake facing me alone. How foolish to think you were strong enough or had enough rage to do that. Maybe he would fare better?" she pointed out Ares to Ayura.



"Ares..." she said weakly at first, and then clenched her fists. "This is all your fault!"

Ares continued pounding on the forcefield. Tears started streaming as he bellowed.

"Fight me you coward! Leave her alone!"

"It sounded like you had your chance... isn't that right, girl?" Jaina looked at Ayura.



"We could have fought the Sith together, Ares... why didn't you? Why didn't you want to avenge your parents, my father...?" Ayura wept angrily, her anger now directed at Ares.

"I...I didn't know." He coukd barely see past his tears as he struck the fircefield again nd again. "You will not take ger! Not her too! Not from me, not from anyone!"

"This is all your fault!" she cried again, still on the ground. Her eyes burned with anger and betrayal. "I hate you!"

"Ayura! No! Please, run!" He felt his skin ister as he contiued his pounding of the forcefield, throwong away his blade and now with his bare hands. "Please, live!"