Darkness Shared

"Darkness Shared" is a short story by Bill Slavicsek, originally published in Star Wars Gamer #5, and since released on Hyperspace. It takes place in 1000 BBY, 6 months before the Battle of Ruusan.
==Plot summary==
Jedi Master Crian Maru and her Padawan Dree Vandap arrive in the Balowa system in the Mid Rim in their ship, the Golden Song in search for Kaox Krul. Soon after they arrived Kaox in his starfighter ambushed the Golden Song, managing to cripple the freighter but, in his overconfidence mistakenly hits his ship's nose in the back of the freighter instead of flying through the explosion as he had planned damaging his ships Sensor array. The Golden Song then spiraled and crashed onto Balowa, with Krul's starfighter not far behind.
Kaox left his fighter and began to seek out the two Jedi as they recovered from the crash and while Crian was salvaging what was still intact in the ship she asked Dree to keep watch. While she did the Sith Marauder attacked her, but she managed to hold off long enough for Crian to release their Speeder bike to collide with Kaox and allow her Padawan to land on the bike. The Sith pursued them with Force speed but only managed to cut the bike's power cable before he lost balance and tumbled down, causing him to briefly lose consciousness.
The two Jedi ditched their bike when its power was depleted and moved as much distance as they could into some rocky hills, they then shared rations and water while taking turns sleeping. Meanwhile, Kaox Krul would spend almost two days seeking out the Jedi. He then found Crian Maru near the riverside, he told Crian to reject the Jedi oath and join the Dark Side, she refused and the two began to duel, while they were dueling, her Padawan Dree woke from her cave and sought out her master hoping to aid her in the battle when she found the dueling warriors and joined she found that she with her master against the Sith were evenly matched, that was until Kaox switched to a one hand grip and used Force push both Jedi Kaox then sprung behind Dree and stabbed her from behind killing her. Crian was devestated of the loss of her Padawan and drew in the Dark Side intending to kill Kaox Krul for her Padawan. The two dueled each other for hours but were both still evenly matched though the armor that Kaox wore was worn out and falling apart. The duel colminated in Kaox striking Crian in the chest while Crian struck him in the belly, both were fatal wounds and both bodies fell into the water.
Jedi Knight Salen Toth would arrive long after the battle, picking up the Golden Song's distress signal. He arrived to find only Dree's body but neither her master's nor the Sith's. He felt a lingering darkness from the battle's aftermath that had turned the place into a swamp. He picked up Dree's body and returned to his ship, declaring his investigation complete.
==Appearances==
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Fiction republished on Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club
Category:Star Wars Gamer 5
Category:Star Wars Gamer fiction