One minute, he was standing up ready to face Savage, the next minute, he was on the floor, bashed, slashed, and bloodied. He was able to get up again, though he didn't know for how much longer as Savage charged again, meeting his blows, but always being pushed back. Savage knocked his lightsaber away from him and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth.

"How are you going to stop me?" said Savage triumphantly. Shakily, Taran got to his feet, but was forced back down as Savage's hand found its way to his throat and slammed him to the ground, slowly squeezing the life out of him.

"I want to watch you die," said Savage as his fist closed around Ceran's throat even tighter. Taran could not breath in the slightest, and his vision was starting to see black spots. His fingers grasped at Savage, bu he might as well have been trying to pry off steel. He felt his windpipe begin to close shut and his lungs scream to breath. His fingers slowly lost the the ability to function and his efforts to get free of Savage's grip was growing fainter. He felt his life begin to seep out as his eyes began to close shut, for the last time.

Suddenly Savage yelled as a lightsaber pierced through his calf. Taran felt his grip leave him and he fought to get oxygen back to his lungs before he blacked out. His harsh coughs however, couldn't block the sound of Obi-Wan fighting Savage again, followed by his cries of pain. Taran fought to get back up and help his master, but he only got as far as one step before he crashed to the ground. He managed to lift his head, only for his heart and mind to seize as he saw Savage's foot on top of Obi-Wan's body to pin him down, his lightsaber.

"Now watch your master die," said Savage as he raised his lightsaber to deliver the final blow. Then he swung.

"NO!" yelled Taran. The blade seemed to move in slow motion towards Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was more or less conscious, and unable to even try and move out the way. The blade got closer and closer till it was nearly on him, Savage's triumphant face gloating for finally getting the revenge he so desperately needed. It was nearly upon him...

Suddenly, he felt an immense force hit him in his side like a full-size tank barreling straight into him. He felt spit and some blood exit from his mouth as he was smashed into the wall. Getting up, slowly, he looked to see a sight he was not able to understand. Taran stood over his master, yellow eyes present and a look of outrage and anger on his face. From the looks of it he had used his bare hands to punch him. Savage was unable to comprehend how a regular Human teenager could hit so hard, and why his eyes were yellow.

"Come near him again, and I'll kill you myself!" said Taran, his normal tone there, but there was some kind of dark, sinister backdrop to it. Savage growled and came at him. He used a lightning fast slash that few could dodge, but Taran dodged it as if it was nothing. Savage swung again and Taran dodged it just as fast. An air gust shoved Savage back, followed by another one that nearly sent him toppling over into the ship's core. Taran summoned Obi-Wan's lightsaber to him and attacked Savage. He was just as swift and deadly as Savage, the blows between them so aggressive that one would think the lightsabers would physically break from the amount of force behind the blows.

Taran weaved his way around Savage, pressing him relentlessly, the two nearly evenly matched.

"How is this possible?" yelled Savage as Taran blocked his every move with relative ease. He was also wondering how Taran's eyes were yellow without the power of the ring. Savage aimed a thrust to his chest, which Taran blocked and knocked away, causing Savage to stumble. A slash to his shoulder made the acolyte growl with pain as his anger welled up. He unleashed a massive Force wave that sent Taran back two feet, but Obi-Wan was thrown back nearly ten, almost toppling over the side of the large railway perched over the ship's core.

Savage charged at Taran again, and their lightsabers clashed endlessly, never stopping. Obi-Wan, though seeing Taran's new power, knew his padawan still needed his help and began to crawl towards Taran's unused lightsaber on the ground.

Taran had felt this before, and he still wasn't fully realizing what he was doing. Everything deemed darker and slightly tinged with red, but he knew what his body was doing nonetheless. He felt powerful and calm, and his senses seemed to be even sharper than they were before. Savage's attacks, though fast, seemed like they were coming at a normal speed.

Savage could feel that he hadn't reach the peak of his power and as he pressed his attack, he felt his strength steadily increase to the point that he was starting to become slight fast than Taran. Taran noticed this and switched to the Shien grip to keep Savage at a distance, the whirlwind style attacks slightly negating the acolyte's speed.

Savage realized this and tried to press in closer, but Taran always stayed a healthy effective distance away, weaving around Savage in a circle. Savage grew more and more frustrated by this and practically leaped at Taran, catching him slightly unaware, allowing him to have an advantage over the teenager. Savage jumped at Taran and both fell to the ground. Savage brought his lightsaber down towards Taran's face, but Taran blocked it, the two lightsabers coming to rest right above his face. Savage pushed down, his strength still increasing. Though Taran had new strength as well, he hold out for long as the edge of his lightsaber came closer and closer to his face. He could feel the searing heat of the blades, and knew it was only a matter of time before his face was melted off. his yellow eyes slowly turned back to green as the feeling left him, leaving him feeling weak, and as he realized this, he knew his end was now.

Suddenly, Savage screamed as he felt his hand sliced off. What was worse was that it was the hand the ring was on. The hand fell down to the ground, as well as the lightsaber clutching it. Savage stood up, clutching his stump as Taran slumped to the ground, exhausted.

Obi-Wan took the hand and threw it over the edge.

"NOOO!" yelled Savage as he dived over the edge. Obi-Wan couldn't believe what he just saw as the acolyte dived down towards the ship's core. He caught his hand and held it to his heart as he and the ring plummeted to the core. Obi-Wan looked away, for he knew what was going to happen next. Quickly, he grabbed Taran's hand to lift him onto his shoulders and began to hurriedly make his way out. As he moved out of the room, a powerful explosion rocked the ship. Fire shot towards them, but Obi-Wan was able to close the door leading to the core's room. Continuing on once the doors closed, he began to make his way to the hangar.

"Obi-Wan," Taran said weakly, feeling his consciousness beginning to slip. "I'm sorry."

"Stay with me Taran, we'll get out here soon, just keep fighting," said Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was weak too, but Taran needed him, and his love for his padawan and his well-being outweighed all the pain racking through his body. He trudged through as the core began to implode, shaking the ship. Obi-Wan knew they only had a short amount of time before the ship blew up. Droids passed by, but they paid them no heed, which Obi-Wan found odd because droids, mostly SBD's and droidekas, don't care about themselves.

As he reached the hangar, he saw that most ships had taken off or were gone. He saw one getting away and rushed to it, but it pulled into a hover and sped off out the hangar as explosions rocked the ship. Obi-Wan searched around in vain, but he knew he couldn't find a ship.

"Master," Taran said weakly.

"Don't worry Taran, we'll find one," said Obi-Wan, trying to keep Taran spirit up, as well as his own, but straining. "We'll..figure out..something."

"Master, please listen," said Taran. Obi-Wan took him off gently on his shoulders and cradled him in his arms as Taran fought to keep his eyes open and his body awake.

"What is it Taran?" Obi-Wan said gently.

"Obi-Wan, I think this is it for us," said Taran.

"Don't talk like that-"

"Obi-Wan, please, I need to say this. this might be it for us, and I need to say some things. First, I didn't mean to say all those things that way. It would be a lie to say that it wasn't true. I always wanted your approval, and at times it felt like no matter what I did, I could never reach, but I should have known that even if you didn't say it, didn't mean I never earned it. I'm sorry for letting the power of the ring do that to you," said Taran.

"It's not your fault," said Obi-Wan as parts of the upper hangar fell down to the floor as the ship began to explode from the inside out.

"And, I want to let you know that I've always admired you Master. You may be stern, harsh, and sometimes a bit of a downer at times," Taran said, chuckling at the last time, even getting Obi-Wan to crack a smile, "but I know you did that to make a better Jedi, and an even better person. You've always been there for me when I'm knocked down and you're there to make sure I'm always alright and doing the right thing. I haven't had a real father since mine died before I was born, and even though he's still my father, I feel like you've been a father to me all this time. I'm sorry it took me trying to kill you and now this to get me to say this," said Taran.

Obi-Wan felt his heart swell with pride and love as he looked down at his Taran. He considered Anakin his brother, and in a way a son, but he always considered Taran a son, and it warmed him to know that Taran saw him as a father figure. Obi-Wan hugged Taran to him as the explosions got closer. Taran weakly hugged him back. Just as they felt that the end was truly near and their lives end...

A lone Separatist ship, a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle, came into the hangar and it swung its rear section around to open its rear doors, the metal floor down to reveal Cody.

"General Kenobi, get in," said Cody. Obi-Wan got up, Taran still in his arms, and ran for the ship as explosions erupted behind him, gaining speed. The ship was still moving to get away from the massive explosions.

"Hurry!" yelled Cody. Obi-Wan was gaining on the ship, but they were running out of floor and the flames were getting closer. Obi-Wan picked up speed, now deeply ignoring his exhaustion and wounds, and caught up. Cody reached out his hand and grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm, pulling him onto the floor. Once the floor retracted, the ship took off. It exited the hangar bay just as the flames near engulfed the ship. It shot off into space, leaving the crumbling ship behind.

"We're safe now Taran," said Obi-Wan. However Taran didn't respond. Obi-Wan looked down to see that Taran's eyes were closed, but he could visibly see him breathing, and his pulse was still going

Obi-Wan took Taran to the ship's cabin, putting him down on the bed. Taking one last look at his padawan, he headed towards the cockpit, Cody going in to check his vitals. Anakin was piloting the ship as Ahsoka sat in the passenger chair. Rex was behind them as the ship jumped into hyperspace.

"Are you alright?" said Anakin.

"I'm okay, just banged up a bit, but I'll live," said Obi-Wan.

"And Taran?" said Ahsoka

"He's unconscious, but he'll be okay. Savage is dead," said Obi-Wan. He told them all of him and Taran's fight and Savage's tragic end.

"I'll go look after Taran," said Ahsoka, getting out of the seat and walking to the ship's cabin. As she passed by she hugged Obi-Wan, who was startled because she had never done that before, and made her way to the back.

"Obi-Wan, there's something troubling you," said Anakin. If anyone knew the others' feelings, it was Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"Yes, something very curious happened when Taran was fighting Savage. His eyes turned yellow," said Obi-Wan.

"Didn't he have the ring?"

"No. It just, happened," said Obi-Wan. "And while he was like that I felt as if there was some old, dark energy in him like it was inherited."

"I don't know what to think about that," said Anakin, the ship continuing on through hyperspace.

"Me neither, but maybe someone at the temple may have something about that," said Obi-Wan.

Taran felt he was in a dark room, shadows curling around the room like bubbling liquid. He reached out to touch, but it shimmered around his hand like smoke. A red glow highlighted the dark walls, so dark you would think you were looking at a black hole in space.

"You have made it, my descendant," said a dark voice behind him. He turned quickly to see a tall, dark figure. He could not see it's face, only its black robes present.

"Who are you?" said Taran.

"I'm an old ancestor of yours, although with some of the life choices you've made, I'd say we were distantly related," said the figure. "Probably from the Elementian blood diluting your veins." He came closer to Taran so that he now stood in front of him, but Taran still couldn't see his face.

"And why does it matter?" said Taran.

"Because you were to be a tool to destroy the Jedi, not join them, and to find love? Unpleasant," said the figure, growing anger in his voice.

"Well I guess maybe we aren't from the same bloodline, whoever you are," said Taran. The figure chuckled.

"Unfortunately, we are bound, as your inherit powers have shown," said the figure as it began to sink into the shadows. "We will meet again."

"Wait, who are you?" Taran said, trying to follow him.

"Your Jedi Master at the Temple will tell you," said the figure before it disappeared completely.

"Taran, can you hear us?" said Ahsoka. Taran's eyes slowly opened. He had felt crappy before, but this time was running for a close second place. He saw Ahsoka and Cody standing near him on his bedside.

"Where are we?" said Taran.

"Don't worry sir, we're heading for the nearest Republic fleet," said Cody, still checking his vitals. "You got banged up pretty good, but nothing a quick dip in a bacta tank won't fix."

"Where's Ceran?" said Taran.

"Ceran?" said Ahsoka and Cody.

"Yes, he...healed me...a little," said Taran.

"What?" Taran proceeded to tell them what Ceran did for him back at the ship. If Cody was astonished, Ahsoka definitely was.

"In a way, if he hadn't done that for me, I think both me and Obi-Wan would be dead," said Taran. "I thought for a minute..that.." He couldn't finish the end of his sentence.

"Whether he did it or not, he's still a Separatist," said Ahsoka.

"She's right sir. I don't know his motive, but he's still an enemy," said Cody. Taran was heavily in thought, unsure what to think.

"Why did he do it?"

It didn't take long to find the nearest fleet, under the command of Jedi Master Plo Koon. Bruck and Tia happened to be on board too and spent time with Taran and Ahsoka before they disembarked to Coruscant, specifically to the Jedi Temple.

There Taran sat alone with Master Yoda, giving him a full report of this new ability he had, as well as the dream he had. However, he saw that the Jedi Master seemed to know this already.

"Young Cyneran, this power you possess, brought down it was," said Yoda.

"What do you mean?"

"At your name, you must look. Cyneran not Elementian, but from elsewhere," said Yoda.

"Yes. My family name comes from Corellia," said Taran.

"Yes, and from Corellia, your dark power comes, for your male ancestor from there, descended from darkness he came," said Yoda.

"What do you mean?"

"Descended from a Dark Lord of the Sith he was," said Yoda. Taran felt his blood go cold.

"No, that can't be," said Taran, feeling as if the room was spinning. His wished this was a cruel joke, but Master Yoda rarely, if ever, told jokes.

"It is, I am afraid. Tell you I am, who the Sith Lord is, and the danger he has," said Yoda.

The others stood outside the Council chamber's doors, waiting outside patiently. They all were wondering what could possibly be going on in the room, and what Taran was being told. The anxiety was felt worse by Ahsoka, who hoped that the news wasn't bad.

They didn't have to wait too much longer as the door came open. Taran came out of the room, unnaturally pale, and visibly shaken. His eyes looked as if he was on the edge of insanity.

"Taran?" said Obi-Wan. Still shaking, Taran slowly turned and looked at them, sheer panic in his eyes.

"We have to find Ceran now, at all costs."

The next story in the Darkness Rising trilogy will be Game of Shadows