Title: Dark Magic (3/?) 
Author: Jessica Barber 
Author email: mara_jade101@hotmail.com 
Category: Series (New Republic) 
Keywords: Kyp Durron, original characters 
Spoilers: Jedi Academy Trilogy, Darksaber 
Rating: I'd rate this fan fic PG 13 because there is some violence
and a couple bad words and a few sexual innuendos in the later
parts, but that's about it. 
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created
and owned by Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made and no
infringement is intended. 
Summary: This is a story all about Kyp Durron and an evil woman
named Legerdemain. Hopefully you've read the Jedi Academy
Series and Darksaber, but if you haven't you probably shouldn't
read this! Some of this story contains flashbacks of Kyp's
childhood, but not much. Legerdemain is a three-hundred or so old
woman who, with the dark side, switches bodies and stuff. She's
out to kill off the Durrons, so obviously Kyp's going to confront
her. 
Author's Note: Thanks to Michelle Windsor aka Wicked Lady for
all her ideas. 


                         Dark Magic
                    Part Three

The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not
laugh is a fool. -- George Santayana
People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges. -- Joseph 
Newton


Yavin IV
  Already Kyp missed Kereene and Derek.  He promised himself to visit them
again as soon as this was all over.  He still had the rose Legerdemain had
given him, it gave him bad vibes every time he looked at it, but he
couldn't destroy the rose or throw it out.  What had happened on Anoat was
set perfectly into his mind like a movie and he knew he wouldn't forget it
until he had been able to tell Luke Skywalker all that had happened and
that things weren't over yet.  He was going to go back in a few weeks and
fight Legerdemain.  Fight her and defeat her.  Kyp was smart enough
to know that as soon as he told Legerdemain he would not join her they would
fight.  She would be so angry she would be blinded against making good
decisions.  She would make rash moves and he would defeat her.  It was as
simple as that.  His ancestors would be revenged.  He hoped.
  "Kyp!"
  Kyp sighed, twisted the dark blue rose in his fingers around, and turned
facing Seretessa in the open doorway of his small room.  "Hi Shia."
  "You weren't gone for long what happened? . . . My!  What a beautiful
flower.  Can I see?" Seretessa reached out her hand as she stepped into
the stone room.
  Kyp handed the rose to her, glad to have it out of his hands for even a
little while.  He did not bother to answer any of her questions.  Right now
he was not sure if he could put up with her happy look and words.
  "It's beautiful, but very dark."  She handed it back uneasily.
  "It's just a flower, don't be ridiculous."
  "Are you okay, Kyp?"
  "I'm fine, Shia.  Do you know where Master Skywalker is?"
  "Coruscant."
  "Shit."  Kyp stated and turned away from Seretessa, heading out of his 
room
and towards the near jungle to think about what would soon be happenning.
  Seretessa widened her green eyes at Kyp, what Kyp had said, and the mixed
emotions she felt boiling within him.  Biting her lip for a moment,
she decided the best thing to do would be to go to Guy.  Kyp
would never share anything so important as how he felt with her.
Seretessa narrowed her eyes at that thought and crossed her arms over her
chest.


  Guy calmly sat down in a seperate chair from Seretessa's and rested his
elbows on his knees, placing his pointed chin in the palms of his hands.
Deciding against that position, he sat up straight in his chair looking like
a prince.  His bright blue eyes studied Seretessa's strict posture, tense
muscles, obviously clenched teeth.
  "No need to be nervous around me, Seretessa.  We are friends after all."
He said smokily.
  "Yeah . . .ummm,"  Seretessa willed herself to relax, Guy was right.  But,
it wasn't being around him that tensed her up like this.
  Guy smiled softly and said fluidly, "Ask me your question about Kyp."
  Seretessa's eyes widened, she didn't know her thoughts were so unveiled.
  "I'm just very good at reading minds and the sort," Guy cooly spoke.
  "You're good at everything,"  Seretessa admitted to Guy.
  Guy smirked.  "Go on with the question."
  "Something's wrong with Kyp,"  Seretessa let her eyes wander throughout
Guy's dimly lit room.  Streams of yellow light cascaded in from the slitted
window above Seretessa's head, pooling around her booted feet, barely
touching Guy's black boots.  Behind Guy sat his small bed, made perfectly.
Abutting the other side of the bed, resting against the opposite wall was a
small, three-feet high, brown table with a small holographic picture of Guy
and his entire family lit up.  There was nothing else in the room except for
a very small dresser that lay beside Seretessa, in which Guy kept his
clothing.
  "Yes.  His confrontation with Legerdemain has upset his peace."
  "So she is real?"
  "Of course."
  Seretessa furrowed her brow, "He's not telling anybody."
  "He told me."
  Seretessa smiled sheepishly.  "Figures.  He was upset that Master 
Skywalker
wasn't here."
  "Very upset, yes.  He doesn't know what he should do, wether he should
return to Anoat or not," Guy said, recalling his conversation with Kyp the
other night.
  Seretessa's eyes widened.  "He shouldn't!  He can't possibly . . ."  Her
voice faded out.
  "I told him to stay here for a couple of weeks to rest up and decide what
would be best to do."
  Seretessa chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.  That was a good idea,
figured that Guy would come up with that.  After that brief thought flew
through Seretessa's mind she stared at Guy straight in the eyes.  "I want to
learn how to be more mature.  I don't want to be so jumpy, and happy."
  Guy smiled broadly at Seretessa.  "Maturity comes with age."
  "I'm sixteen, nothing's happened."
  "I'm not sure I can help you."
  Seretessa shook her head at Guy's statement.  "You can.  You can make me
more aware of the things around me.  You can up my maturity level."
  Guy leaned forward, clasping his hands together.  "You want me to do this
just so you can impress Kyp?"
  In utter surprise Seretessa pushed herself out of the chair she sat in.
Guy politely stood with her.  Seretessa turned away from his piercing gaze
and looked out the slitted window now before her.  Outside the day was 
bright,
which was amazing.  Birds twittered, the wind blew softly into Guy's room.
  "I -- no."
  Guy chuckled, "You do want to impress him.  It is obvious to me.  No use
hiding something like that from me.  I shadn't tell him, Seretessa."
  "And it is obvious to everyone else?"  Seretessa asked, not turning away
from her view of the outside jungle.
  "No.  I'm more aware."
  "Maybe I do want to impress him.  Yet, it just boils down to one thing and
that is that I want to be a friend to him."
  "But you already are."
  "Not really.  He's annoyed by me."
  "Only now because he's upset."
  Seretessa turned back around to gaze at the blonde-haired, older man.  
"No.
He'll always be annoyed by me . . . Unless I change somehow."
  "The kind of person you want to be already exists within you."
  Seretessa stared quizzically at Guy.  "What?"
  "Your past is an interesting one that is mixed in with great tragedy.  The
way you act now is just a put on of what your mind wants you to feel.  You
are truly mature and . . . serious."
  "I just have to find this part of me?"  Seretessa ignored the mention of 
her
past, the first day Guy had come here she had spilled out everything to him
because she had had a slight feeling that here was a man that could be 
trusted
with anything.  Here was a man that would be kind and keep whatever she said
a secret.  Here was a man that could be a good and trustworthy friend.
  "Correct."
  Seretessa stepped closer to Guy, close enough so that she could feel his
breath on her cheeks.  "Help me find it."
  Guy frowned, "It could lead you to the dark side."
  Seretessa shook her head.  "Never.  I shall never turn.  What Kyp has done
has made me decide to never even think of turning. He has so much to answer
for.  So many deaths."
  Guy nodded, "I'll help you.  You'll be a different person by tomorrow.  
Now,
sit down, get comfortable."

               *    *    *

  Kyp sat up, his back ramrod straight.  The pounding in his ears hurt, he
shook his head which only made the pounding of his heart louder.  Beads of
cold sweat fell down his face, neck, and bare chest.  He heard a distant
noise, as that of thunder.  Kyp easily ignored it, concentrated on the
fading memory of his dream.  All he could remember were the eyes.  The
dark blue like his own, only different because there was no pupil, no white
in them.  He had no other recollection of the nightmare.  A darkness slowly
settled over his thoughts, and the thunder slowly grew louder and more 
urgent.
  Kyp brought his face up and looked around the darkened room.  The pounding
in his ears slowly softened as his heart began to beat normally once again.
Kyp then realized that the noise he heard was not thunder, but someone 
banging
on the door.  As hearing finally returned, he heard a male voice calling his
name.  It was Guy.  A female voice soon joined.  It was Seretessa.  Another
voice joined in, Kam.  Then another, Tionne.
  Kyp slid out from under his sweat soaked covers.  He put on damp hand to 
his
forehead, trying to still the headache within.  "Coming." He whispered, 
knowing
none could hear him.
  The door before Kyp finally slid open.  Guy rushed in, followed by 
Seretessa.
Kam and Tionne waited at the doorway.  Seretessa punched on the small light
by Kyp's bedside.  Soft, orange light made its way throughout Kyp's room,
creating dark patches in the corners and around the tangled sheets atop his
small bed.
  "You okay?" Guy asked.
  "Yeah, Tionne, Kam, you can go. I just had a dream.  Shia, you, too if you
want.  It's real late."
  Tionne nodded her head at Kyp's statement.  "You'll be fine?"
  Kyp managed a weak smile.  "Of course.  It's me, infallible me."
  Tionne smiled back along with Kam.  "Right.  We forgot," the older man 
said.
  Silver-haired Tionne and brown-haired Kam stepped back and the door shut,
leaving Kyp, Seretessa, and Guy alone in the small, dimly lit room.
  "What was the dream about?"  Guy asked, pulling up a chair to sit in.
  Kyp sat down on his bed beside the already sitting Seretessa, who quietly
watched him with seemingly dark eyes.  "I can't quite remember.  All I 
recall
are her eyes."
  Out of the corner of his eye, Kyp saw Seretessa slightly frown.  Something
about the younger girl was different.  He turned his full attention to her, 
by
slightly turning his head.  "Are you feeling okay?" He asked her.
  Seretessa didn't smile, or speak happily.  Instead, she calmly said, "Of
course.  We should be worried about you instead.  The turmoil you feel is
wreaking havoc on your mind."
  Kyp turned back to Guy and lifted one dark eyebrow at his friend.  Guy 
gave
him a look that had 'later' written all over it.  Kyp nodded his head, made 
a
strange face.  "I'm fine now.  It was Legerdemain.  I think she's doing
something to me.  Giving me these dreams that I shall continue to have until
I go back to her."  Kyp shuddered, and pushed away Seretessa's hand before 
she
could touch his shoulder.
  Kyp sensed her frown, said calmly, "I'm fine.  You should go to bed, 
Shia."
  "But . . ."  Seretessa's voice faded, she stood gracefully, said 
"Goodnight,
Guy," and swiftly made her way out of the dim room.
  The door shut behind her, Kyp chuckled.  "What's up with Shia?"
  "How can I say this?"  Guy muttered the question to himself.  There was a
short silence, then the blonde-haired man, his hair looking brown and orange
in the light said, "She has found her calm, inner self."
  "So, I can say goodbye to the happy Seretessa?"
  "You could say that.  Her maturity has upped three fold."
  "How?"
  "Memories that had been shut off were awakened.  She acts like her 
mother."
  "Weird."
  "And your dream?"  Guy asked, returning to the older subject, leaving the
more interesting one behind.
  Kyp sighed.  "Nothing of importance, I can't remember anything except for
her eyes.  It was unnerving, that's all."
  Guy stated, "So you will be returning to Anoat."
  Kyp nodded his head, stared at his feet.  "With you."
  Guy stood, said, "As you wish.  I have had no visions of this coming to
pass.  So many roads of my life I see, many of them leading to my death."
  "And where does this road lead us?"  Kyp turned his eyes to look up at an
eerie image of Guy, his eyes a milky blue, his hair unruly and 
brown-shadowed.
  "Only two ways, death or pain."
  "Who's death?"
  "The galaxy's."
  Kyp let out a ragged breath, so that was the price of failure.  "Who's 
pain?"
  "Our own,"  there was a pause, "and Seretessa's."
  And, that was the price of winning.  "How does Seretessa fit into all of
this?"
  "Our lives are one large puzzle and all the pieces fit together, yours
and Seretessa's more than mine and Seretessa's.  Your's and mine more than
your's and Seretessa's.  In between each puzzle piece, no matter how minute
is a string of pain.  I see some happiness, some pleasure.  Love.  But pain.
Internal, and external.  And then, I see many winding paths.  Winding deep
into the future, and winding into abrupt death."
  Kyp supressed a chilled shiver.  "I'm tired, Guy.  All these roads you 
speak
of, I see none of them.  It is impossible for me to see any part of my 
future,
when it comes to that my mind remains blank.  Yours, though, amazes 
everyone,
including the Inner Council."
  "It unnerves them, as does all of our powers.  They just don't understand.
No silence conversations are conversed between the aliens and humans of the
Inner Council, nothing as deep as that could ever exist for them."
  Guy silently studied Kyp's face, half of it covered in shadow from the
darker side of the room, the other highlighted in orange light.  Under his
lighted eye were dark circles.
  "How many hours have you had of sleep in the past week since you 
returned?"
  Kyp closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, sleepily.  "Certainly not
enough.  Four hours or so a night.  Those dreams . . ."  Kyp's voice faded
out slowly as he rested his forehead in the palms of his hands.  "Tell me,"
Kyp's voice grew stronger, "of the roads you see."
  Guy sat down in the shadows beside Kyp, resting the palms of his hands on
his knees.  "They're crooked, and lead into so many different futures.  Most
of them lead to death.  I can see it clearly, not what causes my death, but
the way I would die if I take those paths.  I'm lying on my stomach, with a
puddle of blood forming around my upper body.  My hands are clenched into
fists, tightly, squeezing.  There are few paths that do not lead to that.  
But,
I figure if everyone could see their own paths, they would see the same
things.
  "Sometimes I am able to see far into the future, maybe hundreds of years
from now.  I can see two paths, one leading into peacefulness, a golden age,
and the other leads into the Jedi Knights becoming political and religious
idols.  I can see,"  Guy closed his eyes, bringing up images from his early
morning dreams, "I see flames, burning banners with the symbol of something,
maybe the sign of the Jedi.  It's a blue flag with a cross and x on it in 
gold.
I have no idea what these signs could possibly stand for.  I see thousands
of humans and aliens dying, trying to overthrow the New Republic in the name
of the Jedi.  I see Jedi Knights and Masters at the front of these battles
on both sides.  I just never know who is right, the New Republic, or the
Rebels because the Jedi have split on both sides."
  This time Kyp did not repress the shudder that coursed through him.  "Who
controls these happennings?"
  Guy shrugged cooly as if he were not worried of what the future might 
bring.
"I have no idea.  Someone important.  But, don't forget the other path that
I have seen, the path of harmony."
  "Which is more likely to happen?"
  "It is human and alien nature to fight, you must understand that Kyp.  
Ever
since the beginning of time wars have been raging on, and they will continue
to rage on.  Our lust for others' blood cannot be quenched."
  Kyp's voice came out in a rasp, "Then the future holds trouble.  Instead 
of
making peace grow, the Jedi will be the destroyers of amity."
  "Maybe," Guy said strongly.
  "Maybe," Kyp said, acknowledging the fact.  "What other paths do you see?"
  "My own, yours, Seretessa's.  I used to see my parents'."
  "You no longer see theirs?"  Kyp asked, his voice now stronger than it had
been.
  Guy finally let his gaze drop to the floor, as if he were surrendering his
calm and regalness to old memories.  "I did, I saw their deaths'."
  Kyp rested his hand on Guy's shoulder, said:  "I'm sorry, Guy.  I'm sure 
it
can't help, but, I am sorry. I know how you feel."
  Guy lifted his blue-eyed gaze, now looking a gray in the orange light,
looked at Kyp.  "The pain was not as bad as it would have been had I not
known that they would die.  Then I had had no idea what the Force was,
so I had no idea that that was why I was seeing these things.  Luckily, I
believed that what I was seeing would eventually come to pass, so I loved
my parents with more devotion than anyone I have ever met, and I enjoyed my
time with them.  When they were killed, accidently may I add, it hurt, but
I could only remember the good times.  After that, I saw the roads that I
had to take.  I dimly saw the road that would lead me here, but nevertheless
I took it.  Now I am here, and now I see many roads."
  "Tell me of Shia's."
  "Seretessa has many roads like I do, but not as many of them lead to 
death.
I also have some trouble seeing them, they are dimmer than yours and mine.
The first day I came here and saw her, I knew that there was something about
her.  The first day I meditated, I saw the roads of her life.  I decided 
that
because I was seeing all this I should be her friend.  I figured my vision 
to
be a sign of some sort.  I see her in pain, brief, but extraordinary pain.
That . . . brief pause in her path is coming closer.  It is closer than I
would like.  Other than that, I see her in love."
  "With you?" Kyp asked, smiling.
  Guy smiled back, but shook his head.  "We are friends, we shall never be
more than that."
  "I see, continue, then."
  "I see her in love, and fighting along beside us, happily," Guy finished.
  There was a long pause.  Guy sensed what Kyp wanted to ask, but was afraid
to.  "You want me to tell you what I see of your roads, right?"
  "Yes."
  "I shall.  After all, there are so many roads, and what you do tomorrow
could destroy old roads and create new ones before my eyes.  The future is
very dependent on the past and present.  After all, the past and present 
bind
the future together.
  "You are a great Jedi Knight, Kyp Durron.  I see very few roads leading to
anything other than dying of old age.  You shall be a great Jedi.  You will
love, you will marry, you will have no descendents.  No matter what 
Legerdemain
does, you will be the last of the Durrons.  But, you will be a man never
forgotten in the hearts of the Jedi.  Your story will be told to generation
after generation.  On this planet you shall never die.  But,"  Guy took
his eyes off of Kyp's and shrugged his friend's hand off his shoulder, "the
war cry I hear, of the rebel Jedi, is your name."
  Kyps stopped breathing, a lump began to form in his throat.  "My name is
the war cry?"
  "For Kyp Durron, our god," Guy said bitterly.
  "How?"
  "I don't know.  Somehow, something you might do could trigger the effect
that, in decades to come, could lead to this political and religious 
uprising.
It is a warning, Kyp.  You may become great, but don't you dare let that 
ever
go to your head.  It will be the downfall of us all.  Have nothing to do 
with
any polytheistic religion, keep to our one true God and His blessed son.
Politics is a tricky thing.  No matter what, put down all offers the New
Republic gives you to become anything from an admiral to a member of a
commando team.  We both do not want a war to break out, where the men shout
your name and call you a god."
  Kyp nodded his head, "I am sorry that you must see all this, these things
that could be, things that should not be."
  Guy shrugged, "It does not bother me as much as you would think.  See, I
know that only one thing, out of the many I see can come true.  Since I
sincerely do not know which one shall be, I do not let it bother me."
  "Tell me, do you know why I won't have any heirs?"  Kyp asked, trying to
get as far from the subjects of war and death as he could.
  Guy shook his head, but said, "You will most likely marry a barren woman."
  "Like Shia?  I remember her mentioning that she couldn't have kids."
  "Yes, like Seretessa Shia."
  "Too bad. I would like to at least have a son.  What of you?"
  "I," there was a brief pause, "see no roads leading to a wife.  I see
myself having a lover, but she will last for mere months.  She might die, or
she could leave me, I know not which.  That road is far into the future,
though."
  Kyp smiled sadly, "All these roads . . . I am tired."
  Guy smiled back, a brighter smile.  "I sense your dreariness.  I shall let
you be, then.  The sun,"  Guy looked out the window towards the light gray
sky, "will be rising soon.  But, sleep on until late in the day.  Tionne and
Kam can take care of things by themselves for a few hours."
  Kyp nodded his head and stood up with Guy.  "I will, thanks.  Tell Shia I
am looking forward to meeting the new her."
  Guy acknowledged the statement with a grin.  "She will be the happiest
woman alive."
  Kyp chuckled, his dark eyes lighting up for an instant, "Yes, I agree."
  Guy smiled again and said merrily, "Sweet dreams.  Oh, and one more thing,
just remember this, a hero is no better than an ordinary man, and, hero-
worship is mostly done by those enslaved by their god."


               *    *    *


  Again, Seretessa's lightsaber locked with Guy's.  Guy pulled back and his
lightsaber came up and around, almost knocking Seretessa's blade out of her
hand.  Seretessa returned the blow, aiming at Guy's right hand thigh, but he
blocked the blow easily.  She turned to her right and caught Guy's blade in
mid-arc.  With the lightsabers against each other, Seretessa and Guy slowly
lowered the blades until each end pointed at their knees.  Seretessa took 
her
lightsaber away from Guy's and swung it parallel to the ceiling and caught
Guy's blow, which had been heading towards her stomach.
  "You've already lost, Guy.  Give it up," Seretessa said through clenched
teeth.
  Guy laughed, brought his lightsaber down and up, unlocking it from the 
blue
blade of Seretessa's lightsaber.  He angled his lightsaber to his right 
side,
slightly parallel to the floor.  He moved his wrists around and around,
making the blade slowly turn in small circles.
  Seretessa lunged towards Guy, but he hopped back, laughing harder.  
Seretessa
pushed the buzzing noise of the lightsabers out of her head and concentrated
on her moves.  She lunged at Guy once again, and this time he stood still to
return her moves.  She watched his hands at work, noting that he was
ambidextrous.  She also noticed that he usually fought with his right hip
and leg angeling in towards her, with his lightsaber blocking any moves she
would make towards those two places.
  Seretessa backed far away from Guy, a plan already forming in her head.  
If
he did what she thought he would do, she could easily win this duel.
Seretessa smiled devilishly and Guy did exactly what she had planned he 
would
do.
  Guy ran forward quickly, jumped up in the air, risking a quick flip, and
with the flip a switch of hands.  Even though for the first few seconds of
the fight, his left hand would be weaker, and Seretessa could easily knock
the lightsaber out of his hand, but she would be too surprised that he could
use both hands, giving him the precious seconds he needed for his left hand
to get used to using the lightsaber.
  As soon as he landed on the floor on both feet, Seretessa lunged at him, 
no
surprise of his switching hands on her face.  She used all her strength and
swung her blue blade at Guy's yellow one.  The lightsaber flew out of Guy's
hand and fell to the floor of the temple room, immediately turning off.
  There was some clapping from the younger students who had been watching
the two.  Seretessa smiled at Guy as she heard Kam ushering the
students out of the old hangar bay of the temple.  She turned off her light-
saber and hooked it to the belt around her waist.
  "Well?"
  Guy's lightsaber flew off the floor and into his hand.  "Very nice.  Let's
see, what's the score now?"
  "You've won four, I've one three."
  "Catching up slowly but surely, Seretessa."
  "Next to Kyp and Kam, we're the best, right?"
  "Yes," Guy said, wiping what sweat had formed off his brow.
  Seretessa copied the motion and let out a sigh.  "We gave them a very
nice show.  I loved the flip."
  "How did you know?"
  "That you were going to switch hands?"
  Guy nodded his head as they walked out of the hangar bay.
  "Well," Seretessa explained, "even though you haven't ever pulled that 
trick
on me before, I always noticed that you could use both hands, because
sometimes in the heat of a fight, you will unknowingly switch back and forth
between your right and left hand.  I noticed that, especially today, and
figured that if I backed up enough you would jump towards me and maybe, just
maybe you would pull that trick.  Actually, I would have lost the fight if
you hadn't of done that.  I was getting kind of tired and desperate there."
  Guy hooked his lightsaber back to his belt and squeezed Seretessa's 
shoulder
with his hand.  "You'll be better than me, soon, I suppose.  You might even
have a chance at beating Kyp.   But remember, I did say might."
  Seretessa chuckled, "I know.  Everyone might have a chance at beating him.
You might have a chance."
  Guy shook his head as if sorry, but he was actually smiling.  "I have
actually been beaten by him more times than I care to remember."
  "But you do put up a good fight, right?"
  "Not as good a fight as Kam, but yes, I suppose I do."
  "I won't even try to fight with him until I can beat you three times in a
row."
  "Well today made one fight.  Beat me two more times and you can go against
him."
  "Guy!"
  Guy and Seretessa turned around to see Kyp running after them.  Guy 
stepped
forward half a step.  Kyp reached the two, refusing to look Seretessa 
straight
into the eyes.
  "Guy, I must talk to you."
  Guy turned to Seretessa, silently asking her permission.
  Seretessa smiled up at Guy.  "Go on, I'm fine."
  Guy nodded his head and followed Kyp towards the outside of the stone
temple.
  Kyp said nothing until they had reached outside.  Guy looked up towards
the sky.  There were only a few gray clouds far away, forecasting a heavy
rain later in the day, maybe at night.  Other than that, the sun was out,
casting a warm glow on the temple and the two men standing just outside it.
  "I had a dream," Kyp said before Guy could say anything.
  Guy nodded his head, understanding things that he had seen completely now.
He decided it best to let Kyp tell him himself how he felt about Seretessa.
  "Shia and I were in it, we were . . .together."
  "It was not a dream.  It was a vision."
  Kyp laughed at that statement.  "A vision?  Me and Shia?  Ha!  She's just 
a
kid!  I'd never do that to a kid."
  Guy closed his eyes to the glaring sunlight, sighed.  "She may be sixteen,
but she knows a lot.  She has been through a lot."
  "Shia means nothing to me."
  At that statement Guy laughed.  "Tell me you don't believe what you just
said!  I have been watching you two ever since you became friends with her."
  "I have never showed any ounce of love towards her."
  "Ahhh, but you have felt it."  Guy opened his eyes.  "No use hiding the 
most
blatant facts from me, Kyp Durron.  You are cruel to her because you are
afraid of what you are feeling whenever she is near you."
  Kyp shook his head, whispered, "No.  She is too young."
  Guy turned to look Kyp straight in the eyes.  "Age has nothing to do with 
it.
My father was ten years older than my mother, but they loved each other with
a fierceness that no one could mimic," as if too emphasize his statement, 
Guy
threw his hand into a swift cut in front of himself. "You are afraid, Kyp,
because everyone that you have ever loved has died."
  Kyp grimaced at that fact.  "I have never loved that girl."
  "You have always loved her.  And she, she has always loved you.  
Everything
points to it, all the roads of your life lead to her.  There is no way you
can deny what you feel for that girl."
  Kyp turned from Guy's piercing stare and looked out into the fog coated
jungle.  "I want to deny it."
  "Why must you?"
  "If you were me, would you bring someone into your life?"
  "Yes.  Your past has nothing to do with this, Kyp. What blood you spilt 
you
are cleaning up.  Leave it be, the past matters not.  If I were you I would
think about Seretessa."  With that statement out, Guy headed back into the
temple.



               *    *    *

  It was once again night on Yavin IV, and heavy drops of rain beat onto
the temple and into the windows.  Kyp sat in the main room of the temple, in
a corner, darker than the rest, watching the newer students show off to the
younger ones, watching the older students show off to the newer ones.  Kyp
leaned against the wall with his chair and closed his eyes, longing for 
sleep
that would not come.
  "Kyp?"
  Kyp's heart skipped a beat, he looked up.  Seretessa's wide-eyed gaze 
watched
his movements closely.
  Kyp said smoothly, "Shia.  I was just getting up to go to bed."  At that,
Kyp stood up, and took three long strides that got him to the door of the
room and took him into the hallway.
  Seretessa ran after Kyp, wondering at his strange behavior.  She slipped
into the turbolift he had stepped into just as the doors began to close.
Alone in the blue-lit turbolift, Seretessa allowed herself an exasperated
sigh.
  Kyp slowly backed towards the farther side of the turbolift, smiling
awkwardly at the younger girl.  "Shia."
"You sure are looking at me weird, like I weren't wearing a thing. Are
you feeling okay?"  Seretessa asked, studying his face.
  Kyp's eyes widened at Seretessa's statement, he said,   "Yeah, just a
little tired."
  "I guess that's why you're acting so weird.  I just wanted to ask you if 
--"
  The turbolift doors opened and Kyp quickly stepped out, followed closely
by Seretessa.  Kyp closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, knowing that he
was acting like an idiot.  He thought to himself, 'I refuse to act like this
in front of Shia.  Guy was right after all, I feel like I am on fire 
whenever
I am around her, and now all I want is to hold her in my arms.'
  "I'm leaving soon to confront Legerdemain."
  "No!"  Seretessa grabbed hold of Kyp's right arm.  "You can't possibly."
  Kyp looked down at Seretessa, smiled warmly at her.  Seretessa's green
eyes widened at the smile.  "It'll be fine.  Guy is coming with me."
  Seretessa was silent for a moment, refusing to let go of his arm.  "Then I
guess you won't wait until I beat Guy two more times in a lightsaber duel so
I can fight you, huh?"
  Kyp chuckled, stopped outside his room.  "I'm afraid not, unless you can
beat him twice by the end of the week."
  "I could try."  Seretessa had to open the door herself.  She stepped into
Kyp's room, letting go of his arm.  "So, how have you been?  You sure did
sleep late today."
  "Yeah, I was tired."
  "Anymore dreams?"
  "What!?"
  Seretessa eyed Kyp strangely, "Dreams, with Legerdemain."
  Kyp laughed, "No."
  Seretessa nodded her head.  "Good."
  "Tell me,"  Kyp said, becoming serious as a question popped into his head,
"tell me of your childhood, Shia."
  Seretessa swallowed hard, sat down at the foot of Kyp's bed.  "Well . . ."
  "Where are your parents now?  Do you have any brothers and sisters?"
  "I . . . did."
  "They're dead?  All of them?"
  "Yes.  I think my father was in some kind of debt with the Empire.  They
sent a man named Lexer to either get the money or kill my father.  He not
only killed my father, but he killed my mother and sister, and he took my
other, older sister with him.  He left me, alive.  I saw him shoot my father
in the head, slit my mother's and sister's throat, and take my other sister
away from me."  Seretessa sighed, "I still don't know why he didn't kill 
me."
  "What was your mother like?"
  Seretessa crinkled her brow at the question and at the fact that Kyp sat
down beside her.  She ignored his actions, calmed her herself down, and
smiled at how she was able to handle her reactions.
  "My mother was beautiful --"
  Kyp interuppted, "She looked like you then?"
  Seretessa smiled at the compliment, "Yes.  She was always so elegant, she
reminded me of a queen.  Everything she did was perfect, she always pleased
my father, more than his real wife."
  Kyp raised a dark eyebrow, "His real wife?"
  Seretessa slightly blushed and smiled.  "Yes.  On Hander, men with a high
political status can have a wife and a concubine.  My mother was my father's
concubine.  My sisters were my mothers, and I had a brother who belonged to
my father's wife.  But, you see, the only reason he married the other one
was so he could gain a better status on Hander.  He only shared his bed with
her once.  That was where his heir, my brother, came from.  In actuallity,
my father dearly loved my mother."
  "And Lexer?"
  Seretessa's eyes flashed fire, "I shall one day kill him.  I swear it, I
shall have his head."  Seretessa squeezed her hand into a fist.  "You can't
understand how much a loathe that man.  I will kill him, and if she's still
alive I will get my sister back."
  "I see.  I shall help you find him and your sister, then.  Seretessa?"
  "Yeah?"  Seretessa asked, looking down at her hands which rested in her
lap.  Her eyes widened when she felt two of Kyp's fingers on her chin, her
cheek.
  Seretessa looked up and met Kyp's awaiting lips, receiving a butterfly
kiss.  She froze, not knowing what to do.  Kyp covered her right cheek with
his hand, keeping Seretessa's face a hair's breadth from his.  She felt his
warm breath against her left cheek, she could sense him studying her face,
his eyes trying to catch her own.  She kept her gaze locked on his chest,
he was taking slow, deep breaths, probably trying to stay calm.
  Seretessa's heart beat against her chest hard.  She didn't know what to 
do,
her mind was barely registering what had just happened.  What had just
happened?
  Kyp rubbed his thumb across her lips, she let her gaze flutter up to meet
his, and her heart stopped beating.  In that moment, she knew that he was 
the
most beautiful, most perfect man in the universe.  His dark-eyed gaze stared
back at her with an intensity that both delighted and scared her.  Delighted
her because she just knew that he had realized that he felt the same way
about her, scared because she did not know what she was getting herself 
into.
She wasn't sure what to do.  This had never happened to her before.
  Kyp moved his head closer to hers, Seretessa took in a deep breath, closed
her eyes.  The first kisses were gentle, barely touching her lips again and
again.  Seretessa stayed as still as she could, afraid that if she moved
he would stop.
  Kyp pulled away from her sweet lips. And, there Seretessa sat, unmoving, 
her
face flushed in the lamplight, her green-eyed gaze flying from his face to
his chest to her hands and back again.
  Kyp wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her up off the bed 
with
him into a standing position.  He tightened the hand he had on her cheek,
pulled her tightly to him, lifted her up onto her toes so that she had to
rest up against him to keep her balance.  Kyp kissed Seretessa passionately,
running his hand up and down her back, trying to press her tighter to him.
Kyp then kissed Seretessa with a slower, sweeter kiss.  Kyp pulled away 
after
the long kiss, afraid to go any farther, just being near this girl did 
amazing
things to his insides.
  "Shia," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
  "Kyp, I --"
  "I love you, Shia."
  Seretessa rested back on her feet, looked up at Kyp.  Her eyes were large,
her lips were slightly apart.  "I love you, too, Durron."
  Kyp smiled said, "Seretessa, I'm sorry.  It's Seretessa."
  "Right," Seretessa said smiling.  She lifted herself up onto her toes and
pecked Kyp on the cheek.  Kyp grinned, pulled her to him, and kissed her
intensely.

                    Part Four . . .


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