((Yeah, I talked to Dehoir and I got permission to write a proper end to this under what we had decided to do in the first place. So... ta da!))
Irtar was frozen like he was in a block of carbonite when he felt the hilt against his back. Irtar was half-expecting the sound of a hiss and a short, hot feeling in his chest. But it never came, instead he saw a face next to his. A face that, if not for the situation, would seem beautiful. Lined with vibrant red hair, deep eyes, and ruby lips. From what he could see anyways... but there was this aura about her. It was said by his masters that when there was something of the darkside nearby, it would feel chill.
And her words spread that chill to his bones.
"Don't worry; I'll make your death quick and painless."
"I am, however, up for hearing you beg. It sometimes helps."
Irtar's mouth was dry, his skin clamy, and his body cold. He felt helpless. He tried to mumble out something by nothing escaped his lips. He didn't want to die. Really didn't want to! He had... uhm... things to do! Places to go! A life to live. In a flash, Irtar's life went by. The faces fo friends and family.... Would he make them suffer with his death? No! He couldn't do that to them! Irtar had to do something. But what?
Irtar kinda hunched over and raised his hands above his head, lightsaber in his right hand, showing the classic symbol of submission. He needed to do this quickly and absolutely could NOT screw up or he'd be dead.
"I-I'm sure you're a-a reasonable person...." Irtar began, sounding as if he was to start pleaing for his life. "I-I'm sure t-there's better stuff you can be doing tha-than killing me. Like... uhm... GRAGH!"
Quickly, Irtar's blade flashed to life as he swung backwards, turning on his heel to his left while falling forward. His saber met with Dehoir's as she ignited hers. Their blades met with a louding crackling sound as the padawan feel upon his back. His mysterious assailant was upon him quickly, her red blade flashing through the air giving Irtar barely enough time to respond. Irtar tried to knock Dehoir's towards the right while he rolled to the left in an effort to get off the ground and on his feet.
Irtar's mind was racing with the lessons that Master Leia taught him. She only really had taught him the basics but piecing together from action flicks he saw on the Holonet (though he knew there were a lot of stunts he couldn't do without a double) and from duels he had seen at the Academy, he had his head somewhat around what he might be able to do. Irtar's mind was pacing with ideas while he came out of his roll, he didn't notice that Dehoir was already right there.
Irtar brought himself out of his stupor just in time to parry her blade and get pushed against one of the stalagmites in the cave. Irtar grunted in pain as he felt numerious sharp pains in his back. It had to be the crystals there.... You never realize how sharp they are until you've got your back pressed up against them.
Dehoir gazed intently upon Irtar, her face still cold as she held him there while Irtar's was twisted between pain and fear. He had to break this dead lock... Irtar pushed his blade as strongly as he could against Dehoir and took the risk of loosing his footing to bring left foot in a sweep beneath her. The Sith quickly leveled herself from it, only having her footing weakened while Irtar took the opportunity to back off and brought his saber at the ready for her next assault.
"You know... we could just part ways you know? Let by gones be by gones?" Irtar asked hopefully, not wanting to get anymore hurt than he is today.
"Hrm. You really are pathetic." Was his assailiant's only response as she grunted and gave into Irtar once more with a fierce assault.
She swung at him widely and fiercely. Her assault was extremely aggressive and all Irtar could do is throw off every blow as well as he could but she was quickly gaining ground. She had obviously gotten much better saber training than Irtar's hodge-podge training. Each swing brought her closer to breaking through his defenses and though Irtar tried to not let on, the growing smile on Dehoir's face was telling him she knew all to well.
One thing was for certain... this duel was keeping him on his toes. Once more Irtar had to make a press to avoid the crimson saber of his foe. Irtar searched for something and his mind went back to one of the first lessons that Leia had taught him. How to move objects with the force... It was worth a shot! Irtar tried to make his mind go off and focus on the shards left over from Irtar's attempt to take out the beasts in the cave.
Fortunately for Irtar, the moment Irtar's lightsaber was knocked aside and Dehoir was given a clear shot, the shards Irtar were focusing on made their way into her back. And with a mighty screech, Dehoir reacted to the pain in her back and Irtar jumped away from her wide swing. He had to end this duel. And ten Irtar was reminded of a geological lesson... thanks to the Clone Wars, the cave networks were unstable.
Haldrin's blaster rifle was right there... he had to try it. If he screwed up, well, he would be dead either way if he stayed in this conflict. When Dehoir recovered and marched towards Irtar obviously angered at his counter-offensive, he grabbed the blaster and she prepared for him to take more shots. And he fired right past her head and she smirked.
"You missed."
"That's what you think." Irtar replied, pointing to the ceiling of the cave that had begun to shudder. Irtar saw a small opening near by and made his way. The last he saw of Dehoir, was her moving towards the exit which was quickly hidden by the falling rubble. As everything faded to darkness....
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How long had it been? He'd lost track. Irtar felt very... odd. Like he was floating in a vast nothingness. Was he dead? Was this what it's like to be one with the Force? It wasn't quite like anything he'd felt before. This place was... cold...
That's when Irtar saw it.
Wreathed in shadow, the figure of his mother with her head in her hands. Her face was twisted in agony and sadness. Irtar was frozen as he saw this image pass by him and vanish into the darkness. He wanted to reach out but... he couldn't do anything. He couldn't help but just watch her float by....
Then he suddenly felt a powerful tugging sensation and the darkness gave way to a great light.
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Haldrin had awoken to a searing sensation. His head... What had hit him? He went to sit up and felt a sturdy hand on his shoulder and looked up to see a man in the grey officer's unifrom of the Empire. It seemed they had placed him on the couch of the Mal'Gro farm. The officer smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Hold up Lieutenant. You took a nasty hit there." The other officer said calmly. "Don't worry, the medics say you'll be alright. Not what I can say for the woman though..."
"Commander Dupor?" Haldrin asked, as his hand went to his head. "Argh... what happened?"
"It seems that someone jumped and attacked you and... Tiana Mal'Gro is her name according to records." Commander Dupor said as he looked at a data pad he held in his other hand. At that Haldrin threw off the hand and stood. The Imperial nearly fell over but steadied himself on the wall and cast a stern gaze at the commander.
"What's happened to her?"
"It seems that someone assaulted her with some sort of laser cuter. Most signs point to it being a lightsaber that a Jedi would use." Dupor said as he walked towards Haldrin and handed him the datapad. "I'm sorry but she was killed immediately. If it's any consolation the medics said it was painless..."
Haldrin was too shocked for words for the first couple of moments. He had known the Mal'Gros for years. How was this even possible? Why would a Jedi come here? And why this family? What harm had they done? Then suddenly Haldrin's face stiffened as he remembered about Irtar.
"Commander, we need to send a patrol to the Kinrath Caves."
"What? Why?"
"Her son was heading there shortly before I was jumped."
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Irtar blinked and looked away from the bright light glaring in his eyes. He grunted as he tried to look away from it. After a couple of moments, Irtar's eyes began to adjust to the light and he looked about. He was in his room at home. He tried to sit up but was met with more than a couple of points of sharp pain.
Irtar groaned slightly and in a couple of moments, Haldrin came into the room and gave him the darkest glare Irtar had ever seen. Irtar was so confussed on what was meant by that glare it took Irtar a second to respond as Haldrin walked up to the bed.
"Uhm... what's wrong?" Irtar asked Haldrin as he took a seat next to the bed in a chair that was taken from Irtar's desk and put there.
"Why did you do it?" Haldrin replied in a cold tone.
"Do what? Collapse the cave? Well, it's a long story... I didn't really know it was important or anything..." Irtar began to stammer out, thinking that perhaps it might have been important to the Empire. At which point Haldrin reached within his jacket and slammed Irtar's lightsaber next to him.
"Kill your mother!" Haldrin shouted angrily as he took hold of Irtar by the cuff of his robes.
Irtar was completely in shock and the fact didn't register to him that his mother was really dead. He just looked at Haldrin with a perplexed look. "Kill my mother!?! Why in the name of the Force would I do something like that!?!" Irtar demanded of Haldrin.
"She was killed by a lightsaber. And you're the only one found with it! I had to hide it and claim I was taking leave just to get you to myself while your brothers and sisters look for your father. And trust me, I will turn you over to them.... They deserve to have at you before any Imperial interagators!" Haldrin said hotly, and that's when it dawned on Irtar.
"You mean... my mother's dead?"
"Killed by you, yes."
"But I-I didn't... I couldn't.... I was heading towards the Kinrath caves. I-I-I... Her."
"What?"
"That Dark Jedi..."
And with that, Irtar informed Haldrin of what had happened. He told him of his training under Master Organa-Solo and Vodo Baas. He told him of his journey and his reason for returning. He told him of his facing with the woman with red hair. He told him of how he collaped the cave in an attempt to stop the fight and save himself from death.
"Hrm... you tell a good tale..." Halrdin says, stroking his chin. "But I don't know if I can trust you. There's really no evidence you can present me about this."
"EVIDENCE!?! You think I would kill my mother!?! With all the years you've known me and you suspect me of doing something so... dispicable!?!" Irtar shouted at Haldrin. If he could move his arms, he'd have taken him by the scruff he was so angy at this point. The very thought that he still suspected him of these things. He would think that after all these years of knowing him, that Haldrin would be able to show faith in him?
But eventually, after a couple of hours, and a couple of requests of evidence to the investigation, Haldrin began to come around to Irtar's side. Especially after the tracker on the speeder showed Irtar had kept course with the cave the whole time. After putting both feet firmly in his mouth, Haldrin began to comfort and seek respite from Irtar for his action and for the death of his mother.
Within a couple of days, Irtar's father was finally rescued by the patrol lead by Indarin. When Argas found out what had happened, added to the stress from his kidnapping experience, Argas became inconsolable. Irtar was forced to lay in recovery for a couple of weeks, worried of what the future for himself and his family would be....
THE END!
