Chapter Five

The mysterious figure appeared out of nowhere. As he let Korlan slump off his blade, he quickly swung it at the raiders holding Altair down. Their heads separated from their necks in one clean cut and Altair found himself free.

Having no time to react, the raiders lost two more men before they finally collected their wits and started trying to take the figure down. A wave of fire appeared out of nowhere setting the raiders ablaze, their burning flesh and screams of anguish filling the air with a stench and sounds that Altair would never forget.

He grabbed a plasma rifle that one of the raiders holding him down had dropped when their lives had ended seconds before and opened up fire on the closest raiders, seizing his one and only chance to survive. He didn't know who this stranger was, but he knew he wasn't Palentar and he knew he owed him his life if he made it out of this.

The cloaked figure kept appearing behind the raiders in brief flashes, ending their lives in an instant. More villagers had been freed and all rushed to find a weapon to make their stand and take their lives and what was left of their village back.

Things would never be the same, but they could pick up the pieces once the fight was done.

The fight barely lasted fifteen minutes after the stranger appeared. He made short work of the raiders once the villagers started fighting back and kept them occupied. He freed what was left of the survivors and they all gathered by the gate to access the damage.

"Are you with the Palentar?" asked one women, grateful to be alive after her harrowing ordeal.

"The Palentar would never bother helping a place like this. Let me guess, they took one of your own with the promise of helping you out with these raiders right? They were never coming back. They only care about what benefits their order, no more, no less. Remember these words well, and tell the masses. The Palentar left you to die, hoping the raiders would cover their tracks and end you're miserable existence. But also remember that it was a Dark Templar who saved you. I ask for nothing in return and will be taking my leave." said the mysterious figure as he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" yelled Altair as he rushed forward. The Templar phased to the right and Altair stumbled forward to the ground in front of the Templar. Altair couldn't see it, but the Templar had a wicked smile on his face, almost like he was waiting for this very moment. "Take me with you! It sounds like you have no love for the Palentar. They have my brother! I want him back and I want my revenge for their empty promise of helping these poor people. Please! I have nothing left. My life is yours if you will train me."

The Templar looked at down at Altair. "Get up Acolyte. I will take you to my world but it will be up to you to survive. If you make it through the training you will have true power, enough to get your brother back. If you do not make it through the training, you will die and be forgotten."

"I have nothing left master, I will prevail. I will do what ever it takes to make it through. The Palentar will pay for their treachery" replied Altair as he kneeled on the ground in front of the Templar.

"Get up and follow closely behind and remember those words. They will be your only company in the darkness of your mind when the training attempts to drive you insane. We leave now." Said the Templar as he walked away.

"My name is Al.." The templar abruptly cut him off. "Names aren't important. You are an acolyte. You will be addressed as acolyte. From this point forward your life begins anew. Everything before this doesn't matter."

The Templar walked off with Altair following close behind. Altair looked back at the village, but only once, understanding that he had to leave these people behind so he could grow more powerful to truly make a difference in the galaxy. The only thing he was leaving behind was his pain and suffering. What he kept with him was his hate and anger. Hate for himself for not being strong enough, and anger to the Palentar for their lies. He would do whatever it took to make them pay even if it cost him his life. He would look at Master Wen again as he made him suffer the same way Altair suffered tonight. He would kill the Palentar in front of Master Wen and only when Wen understood what true despair was, would Altair end his life.

He would have to make it through this training first though. He had never heard of the Dark Templar and didn't understand how truly hard the next year of his life would be under the guidance of the Templar Academy staff.

The two figures boarded a solid black, sleek ship built for stealth and evasion, but also carrying enough fire power to make it a force to be reckoned with. The plasma cannons and rail guns gleamed in the star light as the ship ramp lifted up and sealed them inside. Like night and day, the templar ship was the exact opposite of the Palentar. They flew places in opulence and extravagance, while the Templar were more utilitarian. It was obvious they worked alone or possibly in small teams, while the Palentar were used to traveling in large delegations brokering treaties between governments to continue to leech the lives of their citizens. This wasn't just a Palentar issue Altair realized, the whole system was corrupt. He didn't know if he would ever get the chance, but he vowed that he would try to help as many people as he could from suffering and oppression.

He would have to live through the training first. Shifting his mid to the now, Altair walked up to the templar piloting the ship and asked to sit down.

"You have questions acolyte, ask." said the Templar glancing up at Altair.

"What is training like, is the academy a good place to learn? I've never heard of the Templar before" asked Altair.

"We live in the shadows, influencing events for the greater good. We sow chaos and dissent when it's needed, or influence political agenda for the good of the people. The Academy is the final resting place for most Acolytes. Trust no one, you will be betrayed when your usefulness runs out to the other Acolytes. You will have only yourself to rely on. No more, no less. No more questions, you will sleep and the rest of your questions will be answered one we arrive on world" said the Templar as he turned back around to enter coordinates of his world in the ships navigation computer.

Altair went back to the main hold, laid down in a corner and finally closed his eyes to sleep.