He is a beautiful lie.

We were one and the same once; Warriors fighting hand in hand for the forces of good. Unstoppable, inseparable beacons of hope and light. Jedi.

But it was a lie. A horrible, soul-crushing, head-splitting lie. A lie that tore me and everything I loved apart.

Flames surrounded me. They mercilessly consumed marble columns and woven tapestries and rooms full of sacred Jedi texts.

Soot filled my lungs instead of oxygen. I was being smothered. The fire was closing in, I was going to burn-

My mind went clear.

I raised my hand.

The fire surrounding me went out. The debris blocking my path floated out of my way as I stride forward.

I didn't even have to look to know what I was doing. I had the force; that was enough.

I needed to find whoever had done this.

My trail finally cleared, I reached the foot of the Training Compound. It was not yet destroyed. I had time.

Pulling out my lightsaber, I pushed open the large, ornate doors to the training hall. It looked peaceful and serene; moonlight filtered through glass skylights in the ceiling. Untouched by the disaster just outside its doors, it gave me a sense of peace.

The glow of my golden lightsaber illuminated murals on the walls depicting the legacies of the past Jedi masters. On one wall, heroes of the Light Side were depicted: Obi Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa. On the wall opposite, the menaces of the dark side reigned: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and other famous Sith Lords who had deserted the Light for a life of corruption and evil.

It stood as a reminder to us what the Dark Side entailed. Now, it reminded me of what was destroying my home.

I reached a fork in the hallway. Before I could choose a direction, though, a boom from my right chose for me.

I sprung into action. Sprinting down the hallway, my mind was on high alert, searching for life near the explosion. I was met with only one soul, and it was surrounded with hatred.

I skidded to a stop at the end of the  hall. There was a hole in the wall to my right, revealing a burning room containing one dark figure.

Feeling a sense of dread so strong it made me sick, I walked through the opening towards the figure. Seeing the person's broad shoulders, long, curly hair, and curved nose, I knew instantly who it was.

And it broke my heart.

"Ben?" I whispered. It was so quiet, just a murmur of longing, but he heard.

He spun to face me. The expression on his face was one of pure malice. It terrified me.

His eyes flickered with malicious delight. Sweat and blood poured down his face, making his hair stick to his forehead and cheeks.
His hands were stained crimson. He was clutching a red lightsaber with two jets of unstable red energy protruding from the sides.

I faltered. Moments before, I had been fully prepared to strike down whoever had destroyed the Jedi Temple. But upon seeing that it was Ben, I couldn't.

The Ben I knew and loved wouldn't do something like this.

"Ben!" I cried. "What is this?!"

A crazed smile came over Ben's face. He raised his arms. "This," he declared, "this, Ada Vivian, this is the power of the Dark Side."

I felt nauseous. "Please... don't say it's true. Don't say you did this." My voice broke.

"The Light Side is a lie! We've been told throughout all of our training that the Light Side is good, that it's the right path for us. But it's a facade, Ada; it's an excuse that lets the Jedi do whatever they want without punishment. They're no better than the Sith Lords. On the Dark Side, there are no lies. There are no limitations. We can be unstoppable!" Ben snarled.

"We?" I sputtered weakly. "What makes you think I'll follow you?! I don't know what's come over you. You've been told lies about us. There's nothing but truth and selflessness here. The Sith are the ones who lie. They are evil."

"You said you would always be with me. You said we were a team. We're the same; I can't leave you here to be poisoned by Master Luke." He spat the name like it was poison.

I shook my head. "We are a team Ben. But if this is who you are then we aren't the same. You've become blinded by hatred. If that's the path you choose then I cannot be your partner as you walk down it."

Ben paused and studied me for a second. Finally, he continued, "You have so much power, Ada. I know it. I've seen it. It's greater than mine, maybe even Master Luke's. You could do great things on the Dark Side." Ben's expression faltered. "You could stay with me. We could do great things." He extended a hand to me. "Together."

Any weakness I felt before towards Ben was starting to leave me.  A tear fell from my eye and I shook my head again. "I wouldn't want to be with you, Light Side or Dark Side, now that I know what you've done to yourself. This..." I took a shaky breath. "I loved you, Ben. This is a betrayal I cannot forgive."

Feeling as if Ben had ripped my heart from my chest himself, I raised my lightsaber and charged.

I leapt into the air, holding my lightsaber so that it was positioned to kill. Ben raised his arm and threw me to the opposite wall with the force. Breaking free of his mental grip, I kicked off the wall as I came in contact with it. Concentrating on a burning table behind Ben, I brought it forward and rammed it into his head. He grunted in pain, but other than that showed no signs of weakness.

"I'll spare you if you leave now, Ada! Don't make me fight you!"

I swung my lightsaber and held it parallel to my face. "I'd rather die than let you destroy my home."

Gritting his teeth, Ben held his lightsaber defensively in front of him and called, "So be it."

With a cry of malice Ben sprinted towards me, brandishing his deadly weapon. As he approached me, he raised his lightsaber and brought it down over my head. I blocked his attack and threw him back with a cry. He landed on his back a few feet away. Breathing heavily, I raised my saber and jabbed towards his abdomen. With a grunt Ben parried and sprung to his feet.

Aiming to hit my shoulder, he swung towards me, but I grasped my weapon tightly and blocked.

We were inches apart, the only thing separating us the deadly lightsabers crossed in an x. I gritted my teeth and pushed back with all my might, trying to keep the deadly blade away from me. My eyes flickered up to Ben's steely deep brown ones, and I was surprised to see regret in them. But suppressing that regret was determination and hatred.

The hatred in his eyes hardened. With a defeating battle cry, he threw me back. I flew into the air and landed on the ground several feet away. The ground hitting my back stole the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping on the floor like a fish out of water.

I tried to get to my feet and get away, but Ben held me in place with the force.

I thrashed in place, trying desperately to break free of Ben's manipulation, but the darkness inside of him had transformed him into something I could not escape from.

He approached me slowly, his chest heaving. I stared up at him with steely resolve.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" I spat.

"No," Ben replied. His knuckles went white where he clutched his lightsaber.

"Then get on with whatever you're going to do. I'll take whatever pain you give me proudly."

Ben stared into my eyes. "I thought you of all people would support me. Help me. That's what you told me."

"I can't support you through this Ben. This is wrong,"

"You said you loved me. I was stupid enough to believe it. I was stupid enough... stupid enough to love you back," he snarled.

"The Ben I loved is gone!" I cried angrily. "I was telling the truth when I told that Ben that I cared about him. But you..." I glanced at his bloodstained hands. "You're not him."

Ben looked away. I thought he was going to leave.

Instead, he raised his lightsaber and swung it down over my eyes.

And then all that remained was darkness.

~~~~~~