The Rebel Faction

.. Jensen.. he reminds me of you.. Kahn.

The sudden change of topic caught Kahn off-guard, and he broke eye contact with Amalia to glance at Jensen, a hint of confusion in the Jedi Master's gaze.

"What do you-"

He started to ask the question without thinking, then halted abruptly as a slight frown graced his features. He'd suddenly realized what Amalia might have meant by her words- both he and Jensen seemed to have taken paths that paralleled each other in many respects.

Both were Jedi (even if Kahn had to pull himself out of the Darkness to become one), and both Jedi had been tempted- and, judging from the vibes he was getting from Jensen- given in to the Dark Side at one point or another, even as they held onto the title of Jedi. In a sense, they'd both fallen from the Light before. . .of course, the difference seemed to be that Kahn had fallen farther, and yet he'd still returned to the Light. Jensen, on the other hand, was not as deeply immersed in the Dark as Kahn was in his past, but the Jedi Master didn't believe his former Padawan would be rushing back to the Order to beg forgiveness any time soon.

"You mean because we've both. . .gone astray?"

Kahn wasn't quite sure how to put it, suddenly aware that this time, Amalia wasn't the one holding either of them back from the Darkness, as she had with him each time he faltered. It appeared as though this time, she'd merely joined Jensen, free-falling with him away from the Light. . .

"I'm. . .I'm sorry."

Kahn's gaze moved back to Amalia as he spoke, the words revealing more of his feelings on the issue than he'd spoken aloud. Deep down, he believed that the turmoil both Jensen- and especially Amalia- were going through was somehow linked to his own weaknesses concerning the Dark Side. Those close to him got hurt, got burned; at least, that was the way it appeared to the Jedi Master.

If he'd been there for Amalia, maybe she wouldn't be following, as she was now- maybe she wouldn't be speaking in icy tones that he didn't recognize coming from her mouth, maybe. . .maybe. For what he thought he'd done, for what he knew he failed to do, the Jedi Master held deep regret. He knew the words were likely to mean nothing to Amalia- after all, they could not change the past, couldn't heal wounds. But if anything, Kahn was sincere; he only hoped she'd be able to read from him what he couldn't fit into words.

Amalia's gaze was unwavering, her brown eyes looked as if they could cut right through Kahn.

An icy stare.

"I hope that is not what you truly believe."

Amalia could easily feel the Jedi Master's feelings, particularly the negative emotions that he was harboring deep within.

She wanted to feel compassion for his feelings, but found that none came to surface.

Only anger, a hint of it, anyway.

"You know better," she said thinly, her brown eyes peering at him through a slightly heated gaze.

Her private thoughts reached out to him, clarifying her words for him, with some difficulty.

.. If you do not know any better.. it would be because my guidance has somehow not told you so... This is.. not where you belong... especially here and now..

Amalia knew how blurred her words were, but she could do no better for Kahn; there were no more words she could say that would make it all clear to him.

Except...

.. Do not let me take you with me, Kahn.

She wondered if he understood; nothing came out clearly. Amalia wondered privately, in small silent hope that he could understand.

.. Be as I know you to be... because I can't be that..

Slowly yet carefully Amalia marked what little distance there was between herself and Kahn, coming to stand directly in front of him.

Leaning into him slightly, she whispered quietly into his ear, only to move back to catch his gaze again shortly after.

".. No matter what happens.. promise me.. promise me, Kahn.. please..."

.. Do not let me take you with me, Kahn.

The words echoed in the Jedi Master's mind, as he held Amalia's gaze, reading the meaning in her silent message; for a split second, he even thought he caught a glimpse of the old Amalia in her eyes- then it was gone, and he wasn't even sure if it had merely been a trick of the light. Her words troubled him, almost scared him, because of what he feared they meant- that she was aware of what was happening. . .and that she didn't seem to plan on doing anything to stop it. For the first time, Amalia, his Master, was going somewhere he could not follow. . .

.. No matter what happens.. promise me.. promise me, Kahn.. please...

Kahn didn't move as she whispered the words, knowing what she was asking. It was something he'd swore long ago to himself, that he would never go back- and now, that oath was already being challenged, because deep down, a part of him wanted to follow Amalia, was willing to go down with her rather than remain standing alone. He wouldn't acknowledge that part conciously, but the desire was there. . .a desire she was asking him now to turn away from.

It was more the brief change that came over her, the almost pleading tone in her voice, than her actual words, that caused Kahn to incline his head slightly, his blue eyes meeting her own brown ones, holding the gaze for a moment, as he responded, not aloud, but to her mind.

You have my word, Master. I promise. But I cannot promise that I will let you fall alone. Even if I can't save you as you saved me, I'm not going to go away- I won't leave you, Amalia.

Kahn retreated from her mind, not entirely sure what affect his silent promises would have on her; he held her gaze for a moment longer, before turning to Jensen, to address the words he'd directed at the Jedi Master.

"I've gone astray before many times, Jensen, and I know how it feels. Most of my childhood was spent in the Darkness."

He didn't even start to expand on that statement; he had no wish to visit the past, a place that, up until about a year ago, had held more dangers for him than the present.

Kahn avoided Jensen's questions about whether or not he and Amalia were slipping off the path of the Light. . they all knew that was what was happening, there was no need to say it aloud, really. Instead, he glanced around the room, a slight frown breaking his essentially neutral expression as he noted the ancient carnage at their feet.

"What purpose did you have in mind, that you would come here?"

It was an answer Jensen expected Kahn to give him, to be sure he knew what Kahn's answer was already.

Jensen breathed slowly and deeply, he glanced down, and then back up to both Kahn and Amalia, the silence from the man could be described as somber due to the situation at hand, then he addressed him.

"I can look into your heart, and find you came here for all the right reasons. Friendship being the most notable, and that in itself is commendable. However, you should also realize it is only one point of view. To a Jedi, I've fallen off the wayward path, to a sith I'm waking up and to a shadow jedi, I'm just having a bad day. Nevertheless, what you see is merely one point of view of one man's fate, and of Master Amalia's. Who's to say we have really been led astray? Perhaps it's something only the future knows…

Whether my view fits yours is beside the point, because it doesn't change the situation. But I am asking you…to have faith in who she is and myself."

Jensen would let those words settle before he answered Kahn's question.

"Perhaps we just let the winds of change take us to wherever it may. To be honest I don't know what this place is, a tomb of some kind."

Kahn's attention had been focused on Jensen, his former Padawan's words serving to fuel the internal confusion that was growing within the Jedi Master, though he showed no outward signs of it.

The Jedi in him protested that going even slightly astray from the Path of the Light was dangerous, and an opening for the Dark Side to taint one's presence, growing in the shadows until it was too late. After all, he could sense hints of anger and fear in the air. Fear led to anger, anger led to hate, hate led to suffering and the Dark Side. It was a phrase Kahn had heard many times before. When he chose to join the Jedi, he'd sworn to follow the Jedi Code, and uphold the teachings of the Jedi, and he couldn't abandon them simply because another point of view conflicted with them.

But then, a voice inside reminded him that he'd strayed many times from the Light, that even now he was experiencing emotions that weren't at all healthy for a Jedi. Indeed, how could he pass judgement on Amalia and Jensen's apparent choice, when he himself was on shaky ground?

Kahn was drawn out of his thoughts by Amalia's sudden change of topic; he turned his gaze to her, caught a bit off-guard by her inquiry.

"It has, as far as I know."

The war. He'd nearly forgotten about it, as much of a battle it had been- the war itself was overshadowed in Kahn's mind by the memory of his first recognition of what was happening to Amalia- and his failure to stop it, even then.

He blinked, glancing at Jensen; he avoided the request that he have faith in them both- he did have faith, but that faith was currently being challenged by the fear of losing them- a former Padawan, as well as his Master, his best friend, his savior. It was rather ironic, really- the woman who'd done the most to keep him from the Dark Side was now sinking into it herself, and he couldn't seem to do anything to stop it.

"A tomb for who, I wonder?"

The question hung in the air, as Kahn glanced around once more; wondering if it was just his imagination, that a chill passed through the air around them.

OOC: Since I was absent from RPing before the war's outcome was decided (or I just can't recall if it was) I'm not sure if it actually ended or not, if I'm wrong, let me know.