Rothel stands, the biting cold nipping at his exposed extremeties, the rest protected by his tunic and insulated robe. Before him stands a masked figure in acolyte wraps. The two stare and scowl at each other, neither moving.
“You’ll find only death here, Jedi! You knew that before you even climbed the peak…” The masked man’s eyes squint further than they already were from the cold.
“I came here to offer you a choice!” Rothel called out through the howling winds. “We grew up together! You’re still like a brother to me! I don’t care what you did or what you do to find meaning, but I’m extending my hand here for you! You need to take it!”
The man snarled behind his half-mask. “You don’t know what I do!” He barked back! “You hide behind your creed of good and justice, but it’s a lie! I know what kind of person you are!”
“And I know what kind of person you are! Listen! You may not believe me, but I know the pain that drives you so! It drives me too! The only difference is I take that pain and direct it to the betterment of the Galaxy! I don’t care if it builds me up or knocks me down! That’s not what matters anymore! Ask yourself!”
The masked man pauses, consideration and sadness commanding his once hateful and cold eyes. His gaze drifts to the mountains surrounding them in thought for only a moment, before he stares Rothel back down. “You chose to do so because you were weak! You were always weak! You couldn’t get approval from your father! You couldn’t save the woman you loved! You couldn’t even save your master! You’re a failure!”
“Maybe I am,” Rothel frowns. “maybe not!.. But you bend the knee to a man who promises power and fortune! He tells you these things, but you are a pawn! A piece in holo-chess for his game, not yours! He will destroy you! Please, don’t do this!”
“You are one to talk of being a pawn, Jedi!” The man draws a lightsaber, igniting the crimson red blade that reflects the white snow on the peak of the mountain. He points the blade at Rothel. “You have gotten in our way long enough!”
Rothel draws his own blade and ignites it, readying himself in a defensive position. “These past cycles were troublesome for us both! This is your last chance!”
The man roars and charges in.
(Part 2: Prequel - Coming at a later date.)