The Coming of Darkness

[Ussej Padric Bac]

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

*He gently took her hand as he threw the bags over his shoulder. He smiled, though he did not know if he was telling the truth or not. With her hand in his, he began running out the doorway. They made their way into the streets, running as fast as they could towards the starport. They were slowed down, of course, by Laili’s injury though Ussej still felt that they had enough time to escape what was undoubtedly following them. However, he was wrong. As he made his way past the guards in the starport, two Jedi Knights stood waiting for them. He stepped out in front of Laili and dropped the bags, calling his lightsaber into his hand.*

“Ussej Padric Bac,” the lead Jedi Knight said coldly. “In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you’re under arrest.”

“I think not."

*His blue blade coming to life in the palm of his hand. Like a bolt of lightning, he channeled the Force around him and shot towards the two Jedi Knights. His blade impacted against theirs as he moved them away from Laili’s Rose, the battle proving all too easy for the former Jedi Knight.*

“Laili, get to the ship. Prepare her for take off.”

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

Gasping as she saw the two Knights before them, she clutched to Ussej's arm as she peered over his shoulder. What was going on? Surely Damien hadn't sent these Knights after Ussej. There was no reason. She had hoped to talk him down from quitting the Jedi and rejoin them, yet now that possibility seemed even more grim.

"Arrest? What madness is this? He's done no wrong," she cried out to them. Her hand instinctfully went to her hip to where her lightsaber would have hung only to remember she wasn't wearing it.

Yet, Ussej quickly replied to them. “I think not."

It had begun. Realizing she could do nothing to stop this, she snapped herself out of it and quickly hobbled toward the ship. Shaking half from the night's cold air and half from the horror of the events unfolding around her, she made her way up the ramp and hurried to the cockpit. Looking briefly over the controls to the ship, she tried to familiarize herself with them. However, her eyes were drawn up to witness the battle ensuing below on the port. With years of expertise in flying all different types of ships, be it her own or one she had stolen, she quickly found them. Warming the engines up and going through the necessary pre-flight procedures as quickly as possible, she dared a glance again toward Ussej.

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

*Though there was nothing he would have loved more than to continue the battle against the two barely trained Jedi Knights, Ussej realized that there truly was no need to do so. He threw his hand outward, blowing them away through his will and determination through the use of the Force. As their battered bodies impacted with the walls meters behind them, Ussej had already made it up the ramp of his vessel. Not wasting anytime, he closed the hatch and placed his blade back onto his belt and jumped into the co-pilot’s seat.*

“Get us out of here.”

*He did not want to remain on the planet any longer. However, that mattered not at that point, as he would never be able to return without being noticed. He was unsure if what he had done was truly the right thing, but in his heart he felt better knowing that he could not be away from Damien and away from the corruption of the Jedi Order.*

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

As he joined her, she turned her face to him quickly as she had already begun bringing the nose of the ship up and quickly switching the thrusters on.

"Ussej, what the hell's going on? Why were those Knights trying to arrest you?"

Her eyes left him to focus on the airtraffic of Onderon as she began to weave their way toward the black blanket of space. It was not the first time she had to make a quick getaway before. She had obliged him thus far, but she wanted full answers now. Their destinies were forever twined and she needed to know just where he was leading them.

Her eyes moved to the sensors checking to see if anyone had begun pursuing them, hoping against all odds that no others would be hurt this day.

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

“Don’t bother checking the sensors. I made sure that they would not be able to track us. That is why they were trying to arrest me.”

*Though she would undoubtedly not understand what would have ever possessed him to carry out such an act, he knew in his heart that it had to be done regardless of whether or not it was the right way of going about it. His mission was a success, for the most part, but then Damien came into the picture. He made it his mission to end the life of the Jedi Grandmaster as soon as he saw him, but Damien proved to be a valuable contender. Ussej had no real desire at first to fight him, but when the Grandmaster displayed his own anger and attacked him Ussej realized that he had little choice. However, Ussej soon found himself outnumbered and was forced to flee. The hatred he held for Damien intensified at that point and he vowed to get his revenge.*

“I went to the Jedi Enclave after you fell asleep. I knocked out their tracking systems but Damien tried to stop me. He attacked me and I was forced to fight him, but I soon found myself having to flee. They tried to arrest me simply because I took out their means of finding us. It’s pathetic, really, to see that they would waste their time on us.”

 

[Lillianne Crasse]

She looked at him as if seeing a stranger before her.

"Is that what all of this is about? About your psychotic belief that Damien is after me? You've taken out what few defenses the Jedi have left to them! You've blinded them to every freighter that enters the atmosphere, be it friendly or foe. Queen Arael and the other Jedi have put their lives on the line repeatedly to combat the Sith and hold together what little is left of the Republic and this is how you repay her? This is how you repay all of them? How could you be so callous? so conceited? Ussej, what is happening to you? I don't even know you any longer."