Masro Fhin: Homecoming

by Robert C. Mason

  Furious at being used Noe’ray grabbed Malka by his robe and lifted him off the ground, “The Domelans are no ones pawns!”

  Malka ignited Masro’s lightsaber and struck at Noe’ray’s cutting off his arm just above the elbow. The Domelan guards descended on the throne in aid of their fallen Lord. Malka wielded the green bladed weapon with ease and quickly cut down the royal guards.

  Malka turned his attention back to Masro who had quietly managed to free his hands from his ropes.

  “This worked out even better then I had planned,” Malka gloated, “Now I can tell the Domelans that the Alconian Jedi murdered their leader. Their hate will grow and the next Lord won’t hesitate to launch a full scale attack on Alconia.”

  Chapter XVIII

  Masro could sense that while Noe’ray was seriously wounded he was still quite alive. The one thing about lightsaber wounds was the blade cauterizes the wound immediately preventing the victim from bleeding to death.

  As long as Masro could keep Noe’ray alive and defeat Malka he felt there was a great chance of preventing an all out war on Alconia. Unfortunately Malka still had his lightsaber and enough swordsmanship skill to use it quite effectively.

  Malka began circling Masro, “It really should have been me that Yareal took to the Jedi Temple Masro. I was the oldest. The honor should have been mine. As you have seen he obviously lied when he said I was not strong with the Force.”

  Masro knew he needed to disarm Malka if he was going to have a chance. He tried to stall as he tried to formulate a plan, “Perhaps Yareal felt you were just too old to start the training.”

  “Too old? Too old! No! He obviously thought me unworthy of being a Jedi. But not you. He told our parents that you would be a great Jedi Knight. He sensed it he said.”

  “Malka, I don’t want to fight you,” Masro continued to stall, hoping the conversation would distract Malka from what was about to happen.

  To his left, a battle axe. That should work.

  “And then for years I had to hear our parents gloat about their son, training to be a great Jedi hero. I always hated you for that,” Malka then shouted angrily, “It should have been me!”

  Now!

  Masro used the Force to hurl the nearby battle axe at Malka hoping to dislodge the lightsaber from his hand.

  Malka sensed the attack coming a moment to late as the axe struck his hand knocking the lightsaber across the cavern. Masro rushed at Malka

  “No!” Malka shouted and Force pushed Masro back, knocking him to the ground. Malka turned and started towards the larger part of the cavern to the right of the throne picking up a battle axe as he ran.

  Before pursuing Malka Masro used the Force to summon his lightsaber. Knowing that he would not be able to kill his brother Masro clipped the lightsaber to his belt and picked up a battle axe. He then cautiously followed Malka deeper into the cavern, hoping he would be able to turn Malka away from the Dark Side.

  Chapter XIX

  Masro took his time following Malka knowing that he has had success hiding his presence from Masro before.

  Roughly fifty meters past the throne room the passage opened up into a vast cavern ten times greater in size then the throne room. Where the stone of the throne room walls was smooth the rock in this cavern was rough, uneven and porous. Probably formed by volcanic eruptions eons ago. Masro could see that dozens of similar cave passages ended at this chamber. There were cliffs at various different heights. Several underground streams ended at the cavern in huge beautiful water falls. The cavern was also much brighter then the throne room. At the very top of the cavern was a large fissure that let sunlight into the cavern.

  Initially struck by the awesome beauty of the cavern Masro reminded himself to be on guard. He still had to find Malka, but where. If he made his way into any of the cave passages he could be anywhere. The tunnels could go on for kilometers in any direction. Malka could stay hidden in the catacombs for months.

  Perhaps I can get him to come to me.

  “Malka! Listen to me brother!” His shouts echoed threw the cavern. If Malka was anywhere near he would hear him.

  “Malka, you have been seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. Your gate and your anger have led you down this path. But it is not too late to turn back. I can help you.”

  Silence.

  “The Jedi can help you.”

  “Jedi!” Malka suddenly appeared on the cliff above Masro and leapt at the Jedi, battle axe raised above his head.

  Masro quickly leapt out of harms way, doing a back flip to avoid the blow.

  Malka’s battle axe came down on the spot Masro had just been standing at. The power of the blow sunk the blade several inches into the ground. Malka tugged at the axe trying to free it.

  Seeing his chance Masro leapt at Malka, who was still tugging on the axe handle. Masro’s blade came down on the axe handle, just behind the head of the axe. Still pulling on the handle Malka tumbled head over heals backwards as the handle was separated from the axe head.

  Rolling to his feet Malka did not hesitate to attack. No longer armed with an axe, he still had a very dangerous spear in his possession.

  Masro could feel the hate and anger swelling in Malka as he made his attack. The two brothers stood toe to toe as they traded blows. Not wanting to hurt his brother Masro was holding back, maintaining a strictly defensive posture. The drawback was that as he pressed his attack Malka kept forcing Masro back closer to the edge of the cliff. As they neared the edge the spray from the waterfall began to fill the air in the area around them.

  The stony ground began to become increasingly slippery the closer to the waterfall they got. Masro knew he was giving ground at an alarming rate with his defense only approach and that he was going to have to change his method soon.

  Malka connected with a hard blow to Masro’s side knocking him back within less then a meter of the edge of the cliff. Masro tried to gain his footing and prepare for a leap over Malka in an attempt to draw the fight away from the cliff.

  Masro braced him self and timed his jump for just after Malka swung and missed him. Masro jumped, but lost his footing on the slippery wet rock. Instead of leaping two meters above Malka as he had planned his leap took him less then a meter above his brother. As he tried to complete his forward flip the flat end of the battle axe inadvertently struck Malka in the back of the head, knocking him forward to the ground and sliding over the edge of the cliff!

  Masro twisted in mid air and landed, “No!”

  Chapter XX

  Masro ran to the edge of the cliff and dropped to his hands and knees. Peering over the edge he saw that with one hand Malka had managed to grab onto a small ledge just under the cliff. His spear remained firmly in the other hand. The spray of the waterfall was all around making the rocks wet and slippery. He won’t be able to hold on long. Masro dropped the axe and reached out his hand.

  “Malka, drop the spear and give me your hand,” Masro pleaded.

  “No,” Malka replied angrily.

  “Please Malka.”

  “I will not yield my weapon Jedi!”

  “Then hand it to me and I’ll use it to pull you up.”

  “No, I hate you. I would rather die then have you help me.”

  “Malka you have been consumed by the Dark Side. Don’t give in to hate. Let your hate go. Can’t you see how the Dark Side has driven you from your family and your home? Hand me the spear.”

  “Never,” Malka shouted as he swung the spear in an attempt to strike his brother. Masro leaned back to avoid the spear. The blow missed its target and as momentum pulled the spear across his body the spear handle struck his own arm knocking his gripe loose and sending him falling.

  Masro shouted, “Malka!”

  Masro watched as his brother lost his grip and started falling to his death. He concentrated and reached out with the Force and tried to catch Malka.

  There is no try.

/>   Masro could feel Malka’s descent slowing as he pulled on him with the Force. Masro strained at the effort, but he would not give up. He was going to pull his brother back up.

  The strain of his effort caused blood to start flowing again from the gash on his head, but he would not quit.

  Do or do not.

  Masro dropped to one knee as he began to pull Malka back up the cliff. The blood from his head wound now flowed down his face, forcing him to close his left eye.

  As Malka neared the edge of the cliff Masro made one last great effort and flung Malka back onto the cliff. Malka landed with a thud on the hard ground, but he was safe. Weakened by the rescue Masro collapsed face first on the ground in exhaustion.

  Chapter XXI

  Still groggy from the rescue Masro struggled to get to his hands and knees. He wiped the blood from his face but before he could get to his feet he was knocked back to the ground by a kick in his side. Masro rolled from the kick, his lightsaber flying off his belt.

  Lying on his back Masro heard the familiar sound of his lightsaber blade igniting. Malka. Masro tried to sit up and was again knocked back down by a kick to his chest from his brother.

  Armed with his brothers’ lightsaber Malka angrily paced back and forth in front of his brothers battered body.

  “I have waited years for this moment,” Malka barked angrily, “At last I will finally show everyone who the stronger one is. Alconia will see that it should have been me, not you, that was worthy of being a Jedi.”

  “Malka no,” Masro moaned.

  “All these years I’ve had to hear how proud of you our parents are. All these years of living in your shadow, even when you were light years away are over.”

  “Malka, I’m sorry that my going away hurt you.”

  “Of course it hurt me! The Jedi took my brother and left me behind. Alone.”

  Masro sat up again, “But killing me now won’t make the hurt go away Malka. Your hate and anger have started you down the path of the Dark Side of the Force. It’s not too late to turn back, but if you kill me now you may never be your self again.”

  “There is nothing wrong with me. You’re jealous of my power, jealous that I am more powerful then you are.”

  “No Malka, the Dark Side is not more powerful. It is the quick and easy way of the Force. It is fed by your hate and your anger. The more power it gives you the more power you will want. The Dark Side can give power to a person with even a small ability to wield the Force.”

  “Liar! The Force is strong with me!”

  Masro held out his hand, “Let me help you Malka, give me the lightsaber.”

  Malka stared at his brother, “No.”

  “Malka, I can feel the conflicting feelings inside you. You don’t hate me, you feel like I was taken from you. You do not want to do this. Give me the lightsaber.”

  Malka tightened his grip on the hilt of his brothers’ lightsaber, “I am strong with the Force. I should be a Jedi, not you. I hate you!”

  Masro stood, “I am sorry you’ve been hurt Malka. If you think killing me will bring you peace then go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

  As he spoke Masro was reaching out to his brother through the Force trying to calm his anger. If I can clear the anger from his mind I can reason with him.

  Masro continued, “But beware your turn to the Dark Side will be complete if you kill me. Evil will dominate your life.”

  Masro continued to reach out with the Force. Calm. Peace. Relax.

  Malka held the lightsaber out, pointing the tip of the blade at Masro, “I am not evil!” Malka hung his head, “All I ever wanted to be was a Jedi.”

  Masros’ attempts to calm Malka seemed to be working, “What happened after I left for Coruscant?”

  Malka extinguished the lightsaber and started to sob, “Once I was old enough I read all I could about the Jedi. I wanted so badly to join you on Coruscant. I tried to use the Force, tried to move things with my mind, but I never could until one day while I was out in the jungle I was attacked by a Takka. My reaction was out of fear or instinct. I wanted to push the Takka back and I did, without touching it. I felt the Force Masro. I felt the power as I shoved the Takka away.”

  “You must have a small midi-chlorian count. Your fear must have tapped into the Dark Side of the Force. That’s what allowed you to strike the Takka.”

  “After that I tried even harder to use the Force, and sometimes I could move pebbles or leaves, but nothing like the Takka. I found that when I got angry I could feel the Force.”

  Masro continued to calm Malka through the Force and took a step towards his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. Malka suddenly shoved Masro back, “What are you doing? Get out of my head!”

  The green blade of the lightsaber roared to life again as Malka charged his brother. Not having time to use the Force to levitate a weapon to himself Masro jumped backwards onto a nearby ledge two meters up. Before he had a chance to plan his next move Malka was also using the Force to leap to the ledge. As Malka landed on the ledge Masro continued to back up giving up ground. Masro started using Force to throw rocks at Malka in hopes of slowing him down, but Malka was fully engulfed in the power of the Dark Side.

  Malka used the lightsaber to deflect or destroy the rocks being thrown at him, “You can try all you want, but I won’t stop.”

  Masro thought to himself.

  If I keep trying not to hurt Malka one of us may die here, and it could very well be me! Wait, there is no try!

  Masro knew that he needed to stop holding back if he wanted them to both come out of this alive.

  Up to now Masro had been hurling small fist sized rocks at Malka, but now he set his sites on a larger stone. Malka did not notice the rock the size of his head as it floated in the air behind him and came crashing down on the back of his head sending him to the ground face first.

  “I’m sorry Malka.”

  Malka held the back of his head and rolled over onto his back as his brother stood over him. Masro used the Force to call his lightsaber back to his hand, “It’s over Malka.”

  “Kill me and get it over with,” Malka barked, “I just want the pain to end.”

  Masro knelt beside is brother and placed his hand on Malka’s forehead and closed his eyes. Using a Jedi Healing technique to ease the pain in Malkas’ head Masro pushed energy from his own body into Malkas’. Masro felt a mild resistance from Malka’s body as he tried the healing technique.

  The midi-chlorian’s are trying to hold onto the Dark Side. Masro focused and pushed harder. The midi-chlorians need to be healed as well. Masro grit his teeth and kept pushing until the resistance faded and Malka’s body embraced the positive energies it was being offered.

  The healing has begun

  Masro opened his eyes and took a deep breath, “No Malka. I won’t kill my brother. You need my help.”

  Malka closed his eyes as he felt the energy flowing from his brother into his head, wiping out the pain from the blow to his head. As the pain in his head eased Malka felt the energy in his head begin to flow down his neck into his shoulders. The energy moved down his shoulders and into his arms. It flowed throughout his chest and torso and down through his legs. The energy flowed down his back and filled his tail. Malka let out a giggle as the energy tickled the tip of his tail. Then Malka felt something that he had not felt in years.

  He felt at peace. There was no anger. There was no hate. In its place was love. Malka realized the love was coming from Masro.

  Malka looked into his brothers eyes, “You’d still help me after what I’ve done?”

  Masro gave a sharp toothed smile that only another Alconian could appreciate, “You’re my brother Malka, of course I’ll help you. The Jedi can help you at the Jedi Temple”

  “Coruscant? You’ll take me to Coruscant with you?”

  “Yes Malka.”

  “I’m so sorry Masro. I wanted so badly to b
e a Jedi. I just wanted our parents to be as proud of me as they are of you. I hated you, and the Jedi.”

  “Your hate and anger led you to be seduced by the Dark Side of the Force.” Masro explained, “But why convince the Domelans to attack Alconia?”

  Malka sat up and hung his head in shame, “After I was exiled from Alconia I learned how the Jedi were banished by the Domelans. I knew that I could use that to get you here and then I would show everyone that I should have been a Jedi. I’m such a fool, can you forgive me brother?”

  Masro took Malka’s hand and helped him up, “I forgive you Malka. Now lets’ see if we can convince Noe’ray to reinstate the treaty and then we can get you to Coruscant.”

  Malka pulled Masro close in an embrace, “Thank you.”

  Chapter XXII

  As the Fhin brothers approached the throne room they could hear a great deal of commotion in the chamber ahead. It was obvious that a very heated discussion was taking place.