The Creation of a Sith

Darkness Awakening

Korroban; it wasn't what I thought it would be. When Master Xan told me they were going to a Sith homeworld, I expected to see barren land, volcanoes, darkness, death. But, to my surprise, everything was green and full of life and light. It was beautiful.

"Come along, Nera," Master Xan called, but I had my mind fixed on other things. The colors entranced me; curiously, as I'd seen dense, lively forests before, but there was something odd about this one. Perhaps it was the way the birds sang, or how the wind whistled through the trees...I had to look around. Forget the mission.

"Nera!" Xan called once more, drawing my attention from the beauty around me. I turned and began to grudgingly follow him, but then I heard something...

"Nera," it called. "Nera..."

I couldn't resist. Once my master's back was turned, I raced off into the trees, ducking through the underbrush. The lush green forest seemed to be calling to me, beckoning me to come closer.

Wait, I thought, stopping abruptly in the middle of a dirt pathway. This is a Sith homeworld. The dark side could be playing a trick on me.

"Nera," the voice cooed once more, and I couldn't resist. I followed its beckoning up to the mouth of a cave. For a moment, I stood at the entrance. A cool breeze blew over me from inside, carrying my name with it. I could sense something strange about the cave, but I couldn't figure out what. I assumed the only way to find out was to venture inside.

Before stepping into the darkness, however, I took my lightsaber off my belt and held it in my hand, in case I should need to use it at a moment's notice. And with that, I took a deep breath, and stepped into the cool dark of the cave.

As I kept walking, the air grew frigid. The light, as it would naturally, faded, except for the light from the rock on my necklace. It was glowstone, something I had discovered on my very first mission. It was a sort of momento, reminding me who I was, and what I stood for.

But, as I journeyed further in, even my glowstone began to grow dim. However, another light source came into view. It wasn't much, nothing more than a dim red glow, but it was enough to illuminate a few stalactites and stalagmites surrounding it.

"Nera," the voice sang again, much louder this time, as if its owner were standing nearby. "Nera..."

"Who's there?" I demanded, holding my saber hilt ahead of me. I suspected whoever was there had taken place near the red glow.

"Hello Nera," the voice cooed, echoing all around me. The air had grown stagnant. Something was most definitely wrong.

"Who are you?" I asked in a harsh tone I'd never even dared to use before. I was terrified. I had no clue why I'd followed the voice in the first place, the lushness of the forest was just so...entrancing...

"You'd best watch yourself, Nera," the voice warned me, again bouncing off every wall to throw me off. "There are dangerous people in this galaxy."

"I know that," I retorted, gripping my hilt with both hands now. "I can defend myself. Now answer my question!" My hands were trembling. I'd never been more frightened in my life.

The voice released a sort of hissing noise before speaking again. "Are you sure you want to know who I am?" It questioned.

I was determined to find out what was going on. I thought it must have been some joke, but then again, who would know to trick me on a mission? It seemed impossible...but I had to know! "Yes," I replied finally, my eyes fixed on the red light, which had moved far closer towards me.

"Alright then," the voice hissed. "You want the truth?" A cloaked figure appeared, blocking the red light. It pulled back its hood to reveal...

I gasped. Underneath the hood was a near mirror image of...me.

"I'm you," this other me growled, giving an evil grin.

I was so shocked, my lightsaber fell from my hands. "No," I muttered, stumbling back. This other me, this mirror image, was different, I could sense it. She reeked of the Dark Side.

"Oh, don't fret, sweet Nera," the dark me reached out to grab my hand, but I jerked it back. She frowned and pulled back her hand as well. "I am what you will become," she hissed, leaning over me. "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE IT!"

Shakily, I fell to my knees and cried out "NO!" I covered my face with my hands. Tears began to fall from my eyes. I was terrified of this darkness, what I was to supposedly become. I couldn't let it happen!

The dark version of me laid a hand on my back. At first, it was almost comforting, but as she spoke, it grew cold. "It is your destiny." When her words were said, the feeling of a hand on my back faded away, as did the dark presence, and the red light. All that was left was me, and the dim glow of my glow stone. The breeze returned and filled the cave with a chill.

I stood back up to my feet, still a bit shaken about what had just happened, but I began to leave the cave anyhow. On my way, my foot ran into something unusual. I bent over to pick it up, and recognized it as the hilt of a lightsaber. I found the button, and activated it.

The saber I had picked up glowed a vibrant crimson color; a Sith's lightsaber.