[fic] Renewal

[Kado Sunrider]

The Dark surrounds me like a living shell...

 

I returned from my trance in the cockpit of my X-wing but kept my eyes shut.

And I revel in its presence...

 

The beeping of the realspace return system sounded in the cockpit. The lever pulled itself of its own accord and the small craft reverted to realspace in the Coruscant System. Without moving, I directed the ship towards the bright ball of life that was the capitol world of the Galactic Alliance.

 

"unidentified fighter, this is coruscant control. Please state your business." The bored voice of the traffic controller droned through the cockpit.

 

"Just here for a visit control."

 

"please proceed to landing platform one-one-nine-zero-alpha."

 

An alpha landing zone? I thought. Those are reserved for smugglers and other lowlifes on the wrong side of the law.

 

I dropped the fighter into the atmosphere, heading towards the landing platform on my sensor screen and landed smoothly. Popping the hatch, I leaped out of the cockpit, expecting resistance and was not disappointed. However, what I did not expect was too see recently elected Chief of State Natasi Daala waiting for me.

 

"Welcome back, Jedi." she said with a slight gleam in her eyes.

 

I bowed, slipping into my former role as a servant of the force for just long enough to create an illusion to my true self. I righted myself, looking back into her face, and caught the every end of her grin as it slipped from her face. She likes being in a position of power. I guess I'll just have to prove too her that she's not in control here.

 

"Thank you for welcoming me back personally Admiral Daala. Your appearance here is quite remarkable for a Chief of State whose main priority should be sitting behind a desk attempting to restore the balance this galaxy needs."

 

She cringed at the insult, but managed to hold her tongue. Only barely.

 

"You are correct, I must return to my duties. These men have been assigned to your personal guard for the remainder of your trip here."

 

"They will not be necessary." I implied with just a hint of force.

 

"That may be true, but they are not for your safety, but for the safety of the peoples of the Galactic Alliance. I fear what harm a Jedi might cause in such turbulent times."

 

My anger, held under control for the beginning of our conversation suddenly burst forth.

 

"I am no Jedi."

 

My two armed guards were tossed into the air and disappeared off the sides of the platform. Daala, suddenly unprotected, pulled a small holdout blaster and fired a bolt at my chest. Instead of easily blocking the futile attack with my lightsaber, I allowed the shot to connect, burning a hole through my robe directly above my heart. The bolts energy dissipated over my skin as I looked down into the smoking hole. I looked back up and into Daala's eyes. I smell your fear, Daala. I grinned maniacally as I lifted her bodily into the sky. I gripped her throat tightly, just tightly enough that she could manage a few words.

 

"If you kill me, all will be thrown back into chaos."

 

I chuckled.

 

"Admiral Daala, do you really believe you are that important?"

 

I reached into the brain and forced her mind to fire an impulse that knocked her unconscious. I allowed her to fall to the floor, and was satisfied by the crunch of a broken wrist, and possibly a few ribs.

 

A lesson learned, Admiral Daala. Next time, do not cross me.

 

I strode away back towards the small shuttle that had brought the trio to my platform. Hopping into the drivers seat, I started up the engine and sped away into the Coruscant skyline. I swerved through traffic, heading for the old GAG headquarters. I parked my landspeeder in the bay, jumped out and was immediately confronted by a guard.

 

I reached into his mind and forced him to forget I existed and to go grab something to eat. He immediately turned around and walked out of the hangar. I proceeded through the door and walked down the halls, unimpeded by anyone. I waved my hand and the door in front of my unlocked and I entered the GAG guard barracks. I quickly stole a uniform and slipped it on, pulling myself into the tight-fitting uniform with incredible dexterity.

 

The door opened and a young woman walked in.

 

"What the --"

 

I reached out with the Force and grabbed her by the neck just as she reached for the security alarm. Her body crumpled, fingers sliding along the button and finally hitting the floor with a dull thud. I stepped over the corpse and walked brusquely down the hall towards my destination.

 

A short turbolift ride to the top floor and I was standing outside the door to Jacen Solo's office. The door slid open and I stepped inside, entering the massive space with a keen eye. The massive window opened a view to the vista of buildings with their tops sticking out of clouds, small speeders looking like bees weaving in and out from around the towers. The dark wooden desk sitting in the middle of the office reminded me of the wood from one of the planets in the Hapes Cluster, though I did not know its name. Because Jacen had died only a short time ago, his possessions had yet to be removed, and such, were still cluttering the office. Official documents were spread out all over the desk in an endless maze of fiberplast sheets. I'm not here to investigate his work with the GAG. I reminded myself. I used the Force to shove all of the sheets off the desk and onto the floor.

 

I spread myself out within the Force, searching every nook and cranny, feeling for the presence of the dark side that might reveal the location of his last treasure. There was nothing here. I will not give up. I walked around to the other side of the desk and slid my hand around on the bottom side. I pulled my hand off and felt a slight tingle in the Force, barely perceptible, like a scream being heard from far away. I used the force to pull the small section of wood away from the desk to reveal a hidden compartment. Inside, there was a sheet of fiberplast with a short handwritten note on it.

 

If you have found this then I am one with the Force,

Whether you are Jedi or Sith, I wish to pass on my

knowledge to the next generation of Force-Users.

 

My holocron, the holocron of Darth Caedus,

is hidden away in the Palace of my wife,

Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium

 

If you found this, Uncle Luke, know that even in my darkest moment,

I never abandoned my family, there was always the faintest glimmer,

that last bit of love for them that I could not sever.

 

I love you, Uncle Luke.

 

This is it. I found it, the holocron of Darth Caedus, his secrets would soon be mine, and then I would find those miserable excuses for Sith that hid on the barren planet and make them pay for the death of my lover. It was fitting that, in death, her brother, the man who had almost ripped apart the entire galaxy, was helping to bring down his twin's killers.

 

I stared out at the endless skyline, thinking on my life. This was my chosen path, and there is no turning back.

[Tysyacha]

*More applause and huzzahs* You are creating my favorite kind of villain, not the one who does evil because he loves evil, but the one who does evil for the sake of good. I want to jump in the story and turn into a character, just to enjoy the ride!

 

More, more, more! Have you played Fallout 3? *tightens slave collar around your neck*

 

Although, it appears that this time, I'm your slave, because this story has captured me!

[The_Catto]

It appears you have been granted two slaves this day Kado!

I find myself being immersed more and more into this story.

 

The cunningness and ruthlessness of Ghel is only outdone by his desire for justice.

The way of the Jedi still lives in him despite what he may think.

 

Lol, I would want to jump in as a character as well but knowing me I'd disagree with Ghel with something along the way and ... well ... I've seen what he can do and I do not think it would end well for me hahaha.

 

Brilliant story, brilliant author; WE WANT MORE!!!! :D:D

[Kado Sunrider]

Ask and ye shall receive my friends, but first, I've got to get this bloody Pre-Calc Homework out of the way!

[Tysyacha]

Pre-Calc:

 

PUKE

READILY.

ENERGY-

CONSUMING,

AWFUL

LEECH of your

CONSCIOUSNESS!

[CommanderQ]

Pre-Calc:

 

PUKE

READILY.

ENERGY-

CONSUMING,

AWFUL

LEECH of your

CONSCIOUSNESS!

 

THE TRUTH!

[Kado Sunrider]

too true. lol

 

even though we're just reviewing logarithm's, I still hate it. D:

[Kado Sunrider]

The endless lines of Hyperspace reverted to their normal locations in a flash. My long journey from Coruscant to the Hapes Cluster was finally over. I stretched, arching my back against the small cramped seat in the X-wing cockpit. I drifted slowly through space, waiting for the hailing call of one of the Hapan Patrol ships to contact me and order me to identify. I sat in silence for nearly a minute before realizing that the entire Hapan Fleet had gone to Shedu Maad. I was alone. I hit the thrusters and continued on my course, allowing the small ovoid astrounit behind me to compute my final jump to Hapes. The starlines enveloped me once more. A few minutes later I arrived at Hapes.

 

This time I was not so lucky.

 

"Unidentified fighter, this is the Hapan Battle Dragon Dalliance, please state your intentions and destination."

 

I leaned forward into the small mike on the dashboard.

 

"This is Ghel Thek, I'm here on behalf of the Jedi Council. Requesting permission to land at the palace."

 

"Permission granted, Master Jedi. I hope you know that the queen is not with us here at Hapes."

 

I clicked twice to acknowledge and blasted towards the planet. The sooner I get out of here the better. I pulled out of my steep drop and into the Palace hangar. The repulsorlifts hummed as the ship was lowered to the floor, then shut off. I popped the hatch and leapt out of the cockpit to be greeted by a small escort. Standing in front of the group was a beautiful Hapan woman in diplomatic attire.

 

"Welcome Master Jedi. It is an honor to meet a member of your order." she said with a slight bow.

 

I nodded and walked past her, the group turned and followed me, the diplomat walking slightly faster to catch up with me.

 

"I can lead you to your quarters now, if you'd like, or I can show you around the palace."

 

"Show me to my quarters."

 

The seemed a little off-put, but did as I ordered, and soon we were standing outside the door to a luxury apartment. I motioned to the door and it slid open and we all stepped inside.

 

"The guards really aren't necessary." I turned to face the woman.

 

"Its just a precaution. All visitors to the palace are not allowed to travel without armed escort."

 

"I guess I'll be the first then." I replied.

 

The weapons of all four of the guards were ripped from their hands and tossed across the rooms. Instantly, all four engaged and the diplomat retreated slowly towards the door. Before she could run out, I closed it with the force, then shoved her head first into the hard metal. She slid to the floor, unconscious. The guards engaged me in hand to hand combat. The first went down with a broken arm, the second with a snapped tibia. The third and fourth had their skulls smashed together when the tried attacking from too close of an angle to each other. The skirmish had lasted about 5 seconds.

 

I walked to the door and hit the panel. The body of the diplomat hit the floor with a thud as the door slid out of the way. I walked on, down the hallway towards the Queen Mothers quarters. I could feel the darkness growing, pulling me ever closer to the hidden holocron. Surely Tenel Ka had felt this power, how could she have been so blind? I turned left and a group of guards hurried past me on the way to my apartment.

 

I strode quickly along the hall, towards the elevator shaft at the end of the hall and pried the doors open with the force. I leapt inside, landing nimbly on a small outcropping, and began the climb, launching myself into the air and landing on small platforms for less than seconds, reaching skyward like a bird soaring ever higher. At last, the Force directed me through another door, and I somersaulted through, landing on the level of the Queen Mothers bedchamber.

 

I walked along the empty halls, alert for dangerous traps that could fill the empty space. I met no resistance, and reached the Queen Mothers chamber in a few short minutes. The darkness here is almost material, as if I could reach out and feel it with my hands.

 

I sat down and crossed my legs, allowing my mind to fill the room and search for small crevices and other hiding places. In one corner, hidden behind a large tree from an unknown planet sat in a pot, the darkness here was slightly more powerful than the rest of the room. Barely noticable, and easily overlooked. I crouched down and pushed through the branches to find an empty compartment. Disappointment washed over me, and I sat down once more to meditate. Suddenly, I noticed a tiny section directly underneath the royal bed that was almost devoid of darkness.

 

Oh Jacen, you were a clever one.

 

I lifted the bed carefully into the air and saw a small crack in the floor. Pulling up the boards, I saw that my prize was indeed hidden here.

 

I reached into the small hole and lifted out the small prism.

 

"Finally."

 

I replaced the bed, then turned to leave the room.

 

Standing in the doorway were three female commandos.

 

"You have violated one of the sacred laws of our people. For that you shall die."

 

All three drew menacing blaster rifles and aimed at me. I chuckled in response then let me face darken.

 

"Do your worst."

 

The shots hit me one after the other, striking three spots on my chest. Instead of burning through, however, the energy raced up my arm and lanced back towards the attackers. The bodies fell, smoking holes in their chests and looks of surprise on their faces. I strode to the door, stepped over the bodies and proceeded back to the hangar.

 

Finally.

[The_Catto]

Finally

 

QFT!!!!

 

Another wonderfully dark chapter, Kado.

I'm surprised as well that Tenal Ka did not sense the holocron, but perhaps it was only visible to the person who was actively in serach of it?

Hmm?

...Anyways ...

 

The last technique Ghel used however; I've never seen nor heard of it before. Is it a new inventive technique by yourself, or is it just one of those things I've completely missed whilst in my musings of the SW Universe?

 

But enough of my rambling!

 

10/10! Awesome work!

(I'm sure Tysy would agree, would you not Tysy? )

[CommanderQ]

Excellent chap, Kado!!

 

I second what BFA has said, 10\10!!

 

MORE!!

[Kado Sunrider]

QFT!!!!

 

Another wonderfully dark chapter, Kado.

I'm surprised as well that Tenal Ka did not sense the holocron, but perhaps it was only visible to the person who was actively in serach of it?

Hmm?

...Anyways ...

 

The last technique Ghel used however; I've never seen nor heard of it before. Is it a new inventive technique by yourself, or is it just one of those things I've completely missed whilst in my musings of the SW Universe?

 

But enough of my rambling!

 

10/10! Awesome work!

(I'm sure Tysy would agree, would you not Tysy? )

Well BFA,

 

Its of my own invention. Its like a dark adaptation of Corran Horn's (Ghel's Master) ability to absorb blaster fire, only Ghel redirects along his arm and out again as a blaster/lightning riposte (not sure if thats the right word but it looks good. xD).

 

Thanks both of you for the encouragement. Sometime in the next few chapters (to be precise in either chapters 9, 10, or 11.) You'll see the return of a few old characters. Other than that. Stay tuned!

[The_Catto]

Ah, I see.

Well, it's a very nice adaption to the already existing technique!

 

Can't wait to be reunited with the old characters! (Ghel is an awesome character, I just want to see if Luke can tell how far he has fallen if he does indeed see Ghel once again)

[Kado Sunrider]

hehehe

 

no spoilers. You'll just have to wait!

[Kado Sunrider]

The image of Jaina swam to the murky forefront of my sleeping mind.

 

Ghel...

 

She seemed to be in intense concentration, focusing on something far away.

 

Come back, my love...

 

I awoke slowly, lingering on the edges of reality, wishing, hoping with all my heart to slip back into that wonderful abyss in which I could see my love once more. She was gone, and only in memory would I remember her. Our last conversation, in that small cell on the sith battle station, was one of love. She wished too die as lovers, and she did. But I persevered. A familiar darkness stole over my thoughts and I attempted to calm myself. My path has been laid before me. I have but one more stop to make before I begin my hunt.

 

The ship emerged from hyperspace on the edge of a small asteroid field on the very rim of the Hapes Cluster. I wound my way through the rocks, feeling for a darkness hidden in the debris. Suddenly, I felt it, and piloted the craft swiftly to an immense asteroid, and landed near the opening to a small cave. I exited the craft and headed down into the tunnels. I sped along the rocky floor, looking for the site of a terrible deed, the murder of Mara Jade Skywalker, and the birthplace of Darth Caedus.

 

I stood in the center of the room, feeling the dark powers surrounding me, and knelt down to meditate.

 

Ghel. I could feel a voice whispering in my head, yet it was somehow not inside me.

 

Open your eyes.

 

Something inexplicable told me to open my eyes. Standing before me was the shade of Jacen Solo, yet he did not look like he had when his body was brought back from the battle with Jaina. He seemed somehow happy, at peace.

 

"Jacen?" I asked.

 

He smiled.

 

Hello Ghel. Yes, I am Jacen, not Caedus. I have been returned to the light.

 

"But-" I began.

 

Jacen held up a hand.

 

My sister.

 

I hung my head in shame and sorrow.

 

"So," I said quietly, "You have come to exact revenge on me for your sisters death."

 

Ghel. She's alive.

 

I sat silently waiting for something terrible to swoop down and claim my life, and then suddenly, I understood his words.

 

"what?" I said in disbelief.

 

She lives. The Sith did not kill her, they sent her on a random hyperspace jump and she was stranded in deep space for days before finally managing to get a lock on her position and flying back to Shedu Maad.

 

"Are you serious?" I asked.

 

Do mynocks chew power cables? he said with a chuckle.

 

This more than anything, reassured me that this was Jacen, not Caedus. I remembered the feeling I had had of Jaina reaching out to me in my sleep and knew in my heart that what he said must be true.

 

Suddenly, the darkness fell away and a feeling of intense calm and peace set in. I looked up into Jacen's face.

 

"You have brought me back to the light, Jacen. I cannot repay you enough."

 

Actually, you can. Love my sister as I loved her. Let my parents know that I am sorry, but that this is the way it was meant to be. And lastly, tell Tenel Ka that she was my guiding light in the dark, and that she and Allana led me back.

 

"Of course." I said, feeling more happy than I had ever felt in my entire life.

 

May the Force be with you, Ghel.

 

"And you, Jacen."

 

The form faded, and I stood up, turned and left the cave. But not before looking back one last time for a glimpse of my savior. He was gone, and the darkness that had prevaded the cave had disappeared as well, replaced by a glowing calm.

 

I arrived back on my ship and set a course for Shedu Maad. After clearing the asteroid field I accelerated into lightspeed, headed for home.

[Tysyacha]

UH OH!!! It's awesome that Ghel has returned to the light, but now he's going to have to pay for all the wrong he's done when he fell to the Dark Side! How are the people on Hapes going to handle it? Will they want revenge? They should, as it's only logical considering the carnage that Ghel caused.

 

Also, I would have liked to see Ghel wrestle with the Dark Side a bit more. Ahyone who has fallen has been at least partially intoxicated by its power, if not completely. Witness Anakin before he became Vader. Great work! 8/10

[Kado Sunrider]

he'll struggle. I promise.

 

You'll just have to wait to find out why...

[The_Catto]

Kado!!!

A nice addition ... although, I do have one nit-picky thing I wish to nit-pick about (who knew? )

 

And that's .... How quickly Ghel fell from the dark and back into the light. Now, I know that he was only falling in the first place was because he thought Jaina had died, but ... To fall and do the things he did, and come back so quickly and flawlessly? ... I just find that a little hard to beleive.

 

I remember I once had a problem in my first story where I had a character that tried to kill Jolee but he managed to come back to the light after only a few minutes of talking.

I didn't realize it until somebody pointed it out!

 

Anyways ... that just being said ... I really liked it

It was only that nit-picky thing that a cocked my head to the side at, haha.

 

8.5/10!!!

[Kado Sunrider]

well, not to justify my intent here, but Anakin came around pretty quickly when he transformed from DV. And I tried to write the chapter beforehand like he was having some doubts, and only gave into the dark side when someone threatened him or said something particularly urksome to him. Anyways, I'm writing chapter 10, and without giving everything away, he's going to spend a lot of time trying to come to terms with what he's done, and what he will do.

 

There's your spoiler for the day. Hope you enjoy. xD

 

BTW, good to see you BFA! Its been a while, hasn't it.

[The_Catto]

Too long its been, Kado.

Way too freakin long, lol.

 

In response to your comment, and after a millenia of thought (thats how long I believe the gap of time in my visual response to the cerebral response in my head takes for me ) I have come with an answer to that which you have said.

And that is ...

 

Touche, indeed!

I didn't think about it that way.

 

I look forward to seeing the struggle that awaits Ghel!

[Kado Sunrider]

Just reviewing it now, though due to the lateness of the hour, it could be tomorrow before i post the next chapter.

 

Anyways, to BFA!

 

Once again, a comparison. My plan, which is always subject to change as my mood goes, is to have his return be something along the lines of Lukes when he returned to the light after the Reborn Emperor died.

 

Anyways, back to the grindstone. If I post here again before the next chapter is out, someone whip me! ;D

[The_Catto]

Oh, don't worry .. I already have the whip ready just in case.

[i think it'll be best if you didn't ask why I have a whip though, lol ]

 

And the plan sounds good enough for me!

But lateness of the hour?? Tis only 1:51pm =O

[machievelli]

teacher's review Part 1

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

The Transitory Mists that enscorled(Encircled) the Hapes Cluster shone suddenly with the brilliantly bright explosion of a nearby starfighter. Everything was falling apart. Jaina Solo had not been heard from since she had boarded the Anakin Solo, and the Jedi battle group was beginning to sustain loses, although there had been no casualties. I flipped my XJ5 on too its backside to avoid a beam of turbolaser fire from the Super Star Destroyer Megador. Suddenly, a blast of intense pain, followed by an incredible sadness permeated the Force coming from the Anakin Solo. Either Jaina is dead, or Caedus has finally been defeated. [should be new paragraph] The thought came through the battle meld that I and my wingmate, Tesar Sabatyne were connected through. My heart goes out to them. They have suffered much already. I replied to the Barabel, also sharing my empathy for the Solo family.[should be new paragraph because of conversation break] This one does not understand the human grieving process, but I can feel their pain. Its intensity is great. I clicked the comm twice to acknowledge the thought and continued my dodge and weave tactics through the enemy fire.

 

"All wings, we have distressing news."

 

A flurry of comm clicks ensued, meaning that while everyone was listening, they were to busy avoiding fire to actually speak.

 

"A nanovirus has been released upon the Dragon Queen. It is unknown whether or not Queen Mother Tenel Ka and her daughter escaped."

 

A sob came from the comm, whom I identified as Leia Organa Solo.

 

"Those bastards are going to pay if they killed my granddaughter." Han Solo's voice was thick with emotion, and it sounded as though he was speaking through a lump in his throat.{I have not read the last book yet, so are we sure Han knew the girl is his granddaughter?)

 

Emotions we're running high through our battle meld, and Tesars thoughts came crashing through the battlemeld into my own mind.

 

Calm, Tesar. That way leads to the darkside.

 

They are eggbreakers, unworthy of life. They deserve to be hunted.

 

Tesar, calm yourself.

 

Through the comm, I could hear his shallow breathing as he used a Jedi breathing exercise to calm himself.

 

This one is calm.

 

Good, lets see what our next target is.

 

Suddenly, the turbolasers stopped flashing, and I completed my barrel roll to find a quiet battlefield, devoid of the louds(No s) booms and screeching sounds of combat.

 

"Command?" I asked as I used the force to activate the comm.

 

The voice of Master Horn came over the speaker.

 

"The battle is over. Darth Caedus is dead, and the Moffs have been captured. You may return to base for recovery."

 

Letting out a long slow sigh of relief, I spun my ship around and headed for home, Tesar gliding along silently next to me. If I get the chance, I'll help them in any way I can, on my word as a Jedi. We shared a few moments more thought with each other about the battle, and then dropped the meld. This has been a very interesting day...

 

 

~ ~ ~

 

 

The hangar bay was packed with Jedi of every age unloading and disembarking from the many passenger shuttles that served as a decoy for Darth Caedus to follow. A mechanic who I recognised( recognized) as a wizened old man named Grel came rushing up to my fighter with the fuel line. Reaching out with the Force, I popped the hatch and waved to him.

 

"Hello Grel. Happy to see me back alive?"

 

"You young rascal. You're too much you know that. Even for a Jedi."

 

I chuckled in reply and slid off the side of the fighter and landed nimbly on my feet.

 

As I walked away, I felt a stur(stir) in the Force coming from the other jedi in the hangar. I turned around, and saw the battle-scarred hulk of the Mellenium ( Millennium) Falcon, escorted by two more XJ5's land in the center of the hangar.

 

Remembering my earlier resolution to help the family in any way possible, I decided to see if there was anything I could do for this Force-forsaken couple climbing down the ramp in front of me.

 

When I tried to approach and offer any assistance, Han Solo flashed me a dangerous look, and I decided that now would be bad time. He had one hand around the waist of his wife and the other hand resting on the handle of his blaster, as if ready to attack the first person who spoke to him. Next came a handsome man pushing the battle-scarred body of Jaina Solo to the bases medical facility for a bacta session, and it looked like she would be needing quite a few of them. Even through the sweat and blood, I could tell that she was an exceptionally beautiful female, and the gentle sobbing noise she was making seemed to make her seem more beautiful than normal in a sad kind of way. Her glassy eyes met my bright blue ones as she was pushed by on the hover(-)gurney and she gave me a sad sort of smile. I returned it, and felt for her with the force, then sent her soothing messages of recovery and happiness. She let out a tired sigh and stopped sobbing, then drifted back into the divine realm of sleep.

 

I turned away, thinking that the parade was over, when a very noticeable ripple permeated the crowd. I turned sharply, and saw the thin figure of Master Skywalker holding the unmoving form of Jacen Solo in his arms. Tears of sadness were running down the older mans face, and following the path of his family into the warren of tunnels.

 

Master Sabatyne and her son approached me from behind, and I turned to greet them.

 

"Master Sabatyne. It was an honor flying with your son today, he is a most able pilot."

 

She sissed out the Barabel form of a laugh.

 

"This one thinks you have a good sense of honor and dignity. You did well in working with my son today. He says you yourself are an excellent pilot."

 

"It is one my favorite hobbies. Most of my free time is spent on a simulator."

 

She nodded and thanked me once more before turning to depart. Suddenly, the weariness the battle had inflicted on me set in, and I decided it was a good time to retire to my quarters, where I could meditate on the days events in peace.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

 

The healing effects of my Jedi meditation trance cleansed my body of all weariness as I sat on the floor of the Shedu Maad Medical facility that was doubling as the Jedi infirmary. Floating in the bacta tank next to me was the sleeping form of Jaina Solo, recent hero of the space battle and the killer of Darth Caedus, her twin brother, Jacen. Even through the meditation trance she was in, I could feel the waves upon waves of endless sorrow coming from her lithe form. The uniform swooshing of the infirmary door announced the arrival of Jaina's parents, the legendary Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. I pulled myself out of my trance and cracked open my eyes to see the pair staring at me confusedly.

 

"Master Organa Solo. It is a pleasure to meet you."

 

Leia let out a short sigh and said,(No need for a paragraph break)

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. Might I ask who you are?"

 

Silently cursing myself for not starting with the introduction.

 

"I am Ghel Thek. My father was a survivor of Alderaan."

 

A small smile spread across Han's face.

 

"You're Faerd's son? How is the old rascal doing?"

 

I was surprised that my father knew someone as famous as Han Solo, but I guess it shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did, they did fight in the Rebellion together after all.

 

"My father was killed several years ago during the Yuuhzan Vong war. He was killed in action during a combat mission on Borleias."

 

The smile faded from the roguish face.

 

"I'm sorry to hear that kid, your father was a good man. We fought together a fair few times during the Rebellion."

 

"Please," I replied, "you have no reason to feel sorrow for my fathers passing, you have enough to deal with as it is."

 

The pained expressions on both of their faces immediately told me that I had said the wrong thing.

 

"I apologize. I said that too brashly."(Didn't need last quote)

 

Leia nodded, then walked over to Jaina's bacta tank closely followed by Han. When the stood next to each other in front of Jaina's face, he slipped a hand around her waist. I felt it was time to leave. Walking quietly to the door, I turned around and spoke quietly to the pair.

 

"If you need anything, let me know. I'd be happy to help you in any way I can."

 

~ ~ ~

 

 

Over the next few days, I encountered Han and Leia many times passing through the halls. They greated9greeted) my(me) happily, though I could still feel the pain of loss they we're9were) masking. Occasionally I would sit and eat with them, trading stories that my father had told me of his time in the rebellion, and the daring victories and near defeats they had suffered during the brutal war.

 

Han was particularly fond of sharing his old smuggling, which I found entertaining, even though his wife sat next to him and rolled her eyes whenever he reached a particularly unbelievable part of the story, which ruined the effect slightly. About 5 days after Jaina had been put in the tank, I was spending my free time in the simulator room, running pilot simulations with an XJ5.

 

Through the Force, I felt Han approach me from behind just as I was beginning to start my fourteenth or fifteenth run through the simulation. The computer was pitting me against a dozen coralskippers with a pair of corvette analogs firing plasma cannons at me as well. The attackers almost immediately began to spray fire towards me, and I jinked, dodged, rolled and wove my way through the onslaught. The first coralskipper I encountered was doing its best to jink and weave out of my burst-fire laser blasts, but its shielding anomalies soon caved, and the skip erupted into a flash of atmosphere and chunks of yorik coral. One of his allies had caught on to my tail and was spraying fire past my fighter, only slightly missing the edges of my shields. I swerved right, directly into the path of an oncoming skip, then at the last moment, flipped my fighter upside down and dove. The two skips collided and broke up in another brilliant flash.

 

The remaining skips began to coordinate, and I realized that the sim had added a yammosk to one of the frigate analogs. I deduced which of the corvettes had the yammosk, then headed for the other one. I swooped along the hull of the ship and the skips began to fire at me from above, using the force, I swerved, avoiding the plasma balls, unfortunately for the corvette, the shielding crews we're not expecting their owns ships to fire on them, and massive hull breaches began to vent atmosphere. When the crews finally realized what was happening, they began to swallow up the shots. Climbing steeply, I spun my fighter in a three hundred and sixty degree loop and loosed a shadow bomb. I propelled the projectile into one of the larger hull breaches. The massive explosion split the ship in two, taking four coralskippers with it, and sending large amounts of space debris carreening (careening ) off my shields. Flipping around towards the other analog, I tried the same tactic, but the shielding crews we're(were) ready.

 

I launched a shadow bomb, opening a hull breach, then corkscrewed around. Most of the skips managed to copy the maneuver before they plunged into the debris cloud and a certain death, but one didn't pull up in time and exploded when it was hit my(delete my) a massive chunk of yorik coral. With only four coralskippers left, and the yammosk analog leaking atmosphere, I harried the fighters slowly elimating(eliminating) them one by one until their(there) was only one left. By jinking and diving the last skip had managed to avoid all my attacks so far. I launched a concussion missile, and when it was within meters of where the shielding anomaly would appear, I sent a single shot into the anomaly. The miniature black hole swallowed the shot and closed, and the concussion missile slid right past the skip(')s defenses then exploded, destroying the vessel. I circled back to find the yammosk carrier trying to slink away, but I accelerated to catch the vessel, then fired my last shadow bomb and, like its fellow, burst apart and vented bodies and supplies to the cold vaccuum(vacuum).

 

I sat back and released a breath that I hadn't known I was holding. I turned to look up in the face of the man standing next to me, only to find it blank with shock.

 

"Han?" I asked.

 

He pointed and I turned back towards the screen. My time was just over three minutes. I looked at the name below me on the register. Luke Skywalker - 3 min. 21 sec. I was shocked beyond belief. Master Skywalker was perhaps the best pilot in the galaxy. He had single-handedly destroyed the most dangerous superweapon ever created with only a single proton torpedo, and I had just bested him.

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

 

I stood quietly outside the door to the room that was serving as an impromtu (impromptu) council chamber while the Jedi we're on Shedu Maad. 3 hours ago, I had bested Luke Skywalkers time for the quickest run on the Jedi flight simulator, and Han Solo had gone running to Luke to brag about it. I shook my head slightly and let out a quick chuckle. He certainly has his smuggler moments. A beeping noise signaled that I was allowed to enter, and the door slid open. I walked slowly into the room and stood in the speaking area, surrounded by the council. I glanced around at the faces of the men and women surrounding me. The dark eyes of Kyp Durron stared at me over his steepled fingers, on his left sat Kenth Hamner, the surprisingly level-headed Corellian Master whose tactical skill was unmatched. Sitting on the left side of master Luke Skywalker was my former mentor, Master Corran Horn. Arrayed around the room were Jedi Masters Sabatyne, Cilghal, Kyle Katarn, Octa Ramis, and Kam and Tionne Solusar.

 

"Masters. You wished to see me?"

 

Luke's blank stare diverted from the floor to meet my gaze headon.

 

"Yes, Ghel. We have an important mission for you to undertake. However much I think the Jedi need time to regroup and refresh, the galaxy at large still needs us. We have heard news that a large group of pirates have raiding trade routes along the mid rim, the Council would like you to investigate these pirates, then if necessary, deal with them."

 

"I understand, Master. Is there anything else I should know?"

 

Luke nodded.

 

"You will not be leaving for a few days more, as Jaina Solo will be accompanying you. She is in a state of turmoil over her brothers death. Part of the reason we chose you is because of your ability to help people see through their pain. We would like you to help her in any way you can."

 

The news made me happy, as I had been looking forward to getting to know Jaina more since our first encounter.

 

"As you wish, Master. I will do my best."

 

Luke nodded, and my old mentor smiled at me, before turned and departed. His mind brushed against mine, and I felt his pride at my maturity and responsibility. I continued down the hall, feeling more upbeat than I had since the war had started. I wandered the halls of the mining facility, greeting my fellow jedi (Jedi is a proper name and always shuld be capitalized) cordially before continuing my walk. As I approached the mess hall, I saw Han Solo open the door and take a step through.

 

"Han!" I yelled.

 

He poked his face back out of the door way and his famous Solo grin split his face.

 

"Well how ya doing, kid?"

 

I sped up to enter the hall alongside him.

 

"Great. Just great. Jaina and I have been given a mission from the council."

 

Han's face fell.

 

"You we're hoping to spend more time with your daughter before she ran off and almost got herself killed again, weren't you." I said.

 

"yeah. Just promise me one thing, kid."

 

I knew what was coming, and I already had my answer ready.

 

"If it comes down to it, I'll make sure she makes it home, with or without me."

 

He nodded, then we headed over towards the table where Jaina and Leia were sitting.

 

Han sat down across from Leia and I sat across from Jaina.

 

Jaina was staring at her plate, her food untouched, and Leia kept throwing sidelong glances at her daughter as if afriad(afraid) she might break down at any moment.

 

"Jaina, hunny(honey)?" Han said.

 

She looked up into his face, but her eyes looked distant and unfocused.

 

"Hello Dad." she said quietly.

 

"I've brought someone for you too meet."

 

I could feel Hans gaze as Jaina looked into my face.

 

"You're the one from the hangar."

 

I nodded solemnly while her parents looked confused.

 

"The hangar? Jaina, this is Ghel Thek."

 

She reached out with the Force and probed my consciousness, so I opened myself to her pleasant, although saddened, touch. I sent her a few more images of comfort and peace and she sighed in content.

 

"So the Masters have given us a mission."

 

I did not outwardly show my shock, though I wondered why I had not felt her probe that particular thought. It must be her pain masking her presence in some way. I thought.

 

Leia glanced at Han with a look of pained shock on her face. She looked towards me and opened her mouth to speak, but Han reached across the table and put a hand over her mouth.

 

"I already asked him." he said solemnly.

 

Leia looked at me once more, and this time, I felt and saw her gratitude for my willingness to sacrifice my life for her daughters. I turned back towards Jaina and began to speak.

 

"Yeah. The council wants us to track down some pirates who've been raiding shipping lanes in the Mid Rim."

 

She nodded, then looked back down to her food.

 

"We should head out as soon as possible."

 

I knew this was coming, so I put an easy grin on my face and cocked my head.

 

"You sure about that?" I asked.

 

She looked up at me once again, and her dazzling green eyes met my sparkling blue ones.

 

"Absolutely."

 

 

 

 

 

The starting of the loud engine roused me from my clouded thoughts. I looked over to the young woman sitting next to me, taking in the beauty of her almond brown eyes and shiny brown hair. My apprehension at the coming mission was like the noise of a roaring waterfall that I could not block out. Rearranging myself in the co-pilots seat to make myself a little more comfortable, I reached out to the repulsorlift ignition switch and flipped it down. With a soft hum, our repulsorlifts engaged and we lifted slowly into the air. Glancing out the front viewport, I saw Han and Leia, one hand around each others waist, waving up at us as we left. I smiled back at them, and waved as well. I glanced over at Jaina and noticed she wasn't smiling at all. I sent her another message of happiness and peace, and she seemed to relax a little in her seat. She let out a deep sigh.

 

"That's a really nice talent you have there, Ghel."

 

She turned to me and smiled.

 

I shrugged my shoulders, "It comes naturally too me. Master Skywalker believes it is a unique ability, and it is one that not even he can achieve at this time. For some reason, I can access peoples emotions even when they are shut down completely."

 

She giggled softly. "Well, I'm just glad to have you along."

 

I settled back in my seat and relaxed my shoulders. The long flight ahead would allow me to try out the new jedi meditation technique that Master Skywalker had taught me only days before. Standing up, I retreated to the main hold of the ship, and sent Jaina a telepathic message that I would be in a meditation trance for a few hours. I sat down in the center of the hold and crossed my legs. Slowly releasing all tension in my muscles I dropped into a state of hibernation.

 

Using the Force, I augmented my memory and brought memories from my past to the forefront of my councious thought. For nearly three hours, I studied everything that I was and had become, I pointed out flaws in myself that I wished to change, and things that were good in me, that would hopefully stay the same. When I was almost ready to drop the trance and return to the land of the living, a crystal clear image that I had never seen before sprang up behind my closed eyelids.

 

I was in a metal holding cell, of standard imperial design, but old, rusty and delapidated.( dilapidated ) Suddenly, the door slid open and two armed guards threw a hunched and bloodied body into my cell. I rushed forward and caught the falling body. Without looking, I sensed that I knew this person from somewhere. I turned the body over, and Jaina's bloody and ragged face stared up at me. Her face was bruised and her eyes were half-shut with pain. She was breathing raggedly, almost panting for breath, and I knew something was wrong.

 

"What happened?" I whispered in a pained voice.

 

She shook her head and raised a finger to my mouth.

 

"My time has come. Tell my mother... Tell my mother I love her. Dad too."

 

I shook my head and told her she could not die on me now.

 

"Goodbye, my love."

 

Her head lolled backwards onto my chest and rested there, eyes open, staring endlessly at the ceiling.

 

With a gasp of breath, I opened my eyes and stared around the compartment.

 

Jaina was standing in the doorway to the cockpit, staring at me with a discomforted air. She smiled slightly when she saw I had come back to reality, then walked around behind me and settled down on her hands and knees and started massaging my back.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

 

"I am now." I replied.

 

"You had a vision."

 

It wasn't a question. She knew I had experienced something, and she probably knew it was bad, due to my pained expression and unusual return to normality. I nodded solemnly.

 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

 

She asked me in a tone that said she wanted to know, but didn't want to intrude unless I felt like sharing. I stood up, then pulled her to her feet.

 

"I will tell you. But first, I'd like to take a shower. I'm covered in sweat."

 

I walked past her back to the sleeping quarters, and I could feel her eyes following my muscular form until I disappeared from view. I grabbed a towel from my quarters and proceeded to the refresher. A minute later, I stood in the sonic shower, hands covering my face, reflecting on my vision.

 

I had never experienced a vision before, and the nature of my first led me to never want to have it happen again. Suddenly, I remembered the last thing she had said to me in my vision. My love, she called me. Smiling, I flipped the switch on the sonic shower and gingerly stepped out of the stall. I called the towel to me with the Force and had barely tied it around my waist when Jaina came through the door. She blushed slightly for just a moment, but then recovered her poise and said, "We're coming out of hyperspace into the Teneb System."

 

I nodded, and she left, closing the door behind her so I could change in peace. I quickly put my flight suit back on headed forward to the cockpit. I sat down, and Jaina pulled the lever dropping us back into realspace. We emerged on the edge of what had recently been a massive space battle. The wreckage was spread out as far as the eye could see, and probably farther.

 

I looked over at Jaina in disbelief, a look that was echoed on her face. A battle this big hasn't been fought since Endor. I thought to myself. We carved a swath through the debris, slipping around the shattered hulls of endless Nebulon-B's and Imperial Star Destroyers. Suddenly, out of the gloom, a massive hulk of what looked like Star Destroyer wreckage floated past us. Inscripted in massive letters that were covered in blaster scarring and other damage was the word Extractor, the flagship of Admiral Defth of the Galactic Alliance 6th Fleet. Horror radiated from Jaina through the Force.

 

"No.." she began. "Who has the firepower to wipe out an entire GAG fleet?"

 

I shook my head.

 

"It seems impossible that those pirates could have done so much damage, but this is where we're supposed to start looking for them."

 

She glanced at the scanners, which had begun to beep.

 

"I don't think we're going to need to find them. It looks like they've already found us."

 

 

 

 

 

I was almost tossed from my seat as Jaina launched us into a complex backwards roll. If the Artificial gravity had been set any higher, I most likely would have been. I thought to myself. Her consciousness linked with mine as we engaged a Jedi Battle Meld. She told me to head back to man the turrets with her mind and I hopped out of my seat and ran for the turret ladders. I slid down the ladder until the artificial gravity kicked in again and I was suddenly crawling along the floor. I slipped into the gunner seat and powered up the quad-lasers. I sent a message back through the link saying that I was ready. Instead of replying, she flipped the craft end-for-end and headed straight towards the fighters. By that time, my lasers were already going full speed, strafing the shields of the lead fighter. I noticed that these were old model X-wings, like the kind flown by Master Skywalker back in his Rebellion days. I alerted Jaina to this through the meld. Once again, she didn't answer, so I returned to my duties.

 

The fighters, mostly old rebellion era models, continued to stream out from the debris field, chasing the freighter like a swarm of deadly wasps. We had only managed to survive so far because the debris we were dodging was taking all the hits for us. Jaina continued to dodge and weave through the asteroid field while I fired continuosly( continuously) at the oncoming fighters. So far I had managed to take almost a half dozen fighters down, but another dozen seemed to replace each fighter that was vaped. Suddenly, Jaina's voice echoed in my head. We're out of the debris field.

 

Moments later, I was almost thrown from my seat for the second time in less than ten minutes and the entire ship began to rattle and shake. I knew what had happened before I got confirmation, but my worst fears were confirmed when Jaina contacted me again. Tractor Beam.

 

I slipped out of the turret and jogged quickly back to the cockpit.

 

"What is it?" I asked.

 

She pointed. Floating out in space was the immense remains of a large space station, orbiting the 3rd planet in the system.

 

Darting past us, what remained of our attackers forces slipped into small crevices that could only be landing areas. Our ship was inexorably pulled slowly into one of the larger openings. Our landing pads settled on the dust covered docking bay's light()less interior.

 

"This is where the fun begins." I said with a slight grin.

 

She nodded and we both drew our lightsabers and proceeded out to where the loading ramp led off the ship. She slapped the button to lower the ramp and then activated her purple lightsaber. I took a second to calm myself and let out a sigh, then followed suit with my brilliantly green blade. She ran down the ramp, and immediately the blaster bolts started flying. I ran down to join her, my green blade flashing in all directions to redirect any fire that came my way. After a few more seconds of fighting in which a small group of the pirates were killed, I noticed that too many of their shots were going wide, and thats when I realized we had fallen for a trap. A sharp poke to the back and a massive amount of electricity raced up my spine and into my brain, and everything went black.

 

~ ~ ~

 

The first thing I noticed upon my return to consciousness was the terrible ache in the back of my head. The splitting headache was doing me no good, and I had incredible trouble just opening my eyes. Finally, I managed to crack them open enough for me to see where I was. Fear flooded through me as I realized that this was the cell from my vision. I managed to sit up, and thats when I noticed that Jaina wasn't in my cell with me. I would not have found this uncommon, except that I could smell her sweet scent on the air, and the cell had two cots. Almost as soon as I reached this conclusion, the door opened and a body was tossed inside. I caught the body, knowing it was Jaina, I was afraid to turn her over and see my vision realized, but I forced myself to face the truth. I flipped her over to find her face only a little sweaty, with a tired look on her face. Her eyes were closed, but I could tell by her breathing that she was not sleeping. She opened her eyes slowly.

 

"Its good to see a familiar face." She said with a small smile.

 

As relieved as I was too see her alive, I could not ignore that she had obviously been through some type of torture, though it was not as brutal as the one from my vision.

 

I ripped a small piece of my cloth shirt off and dipped it in the small water bowl that the two of us would be sharing for the rest of our confinement, then I lifted it too her forehead and wiped some of the grime off her face.

 

She sighed and leaned her head back on my knee.

 

"I thought I would never see you again. They said they were going to kill me."

 

She sat up and put her head on my shoulder and began to cry. I used the Force to soothe her and send her messages of comfort and companionship, but I did nothing to stop her sorrow.

 

Sometimes its better to let your emotions out.

 

She stopped crying for a second and looked into my eyes.

 

"Ghel, I have something to tell you.."

 

I stayed silent and waited for her to continue.

 

"Ever since the first time I met you, I've felt a connection."

 

I tried to look away from those brilliant hazel eyes, but could not.

 

"I felt it too.."

 

She was getting closer, much closer, until her face was almost touching mine.

 

"I love you." she whispered.

 

And then our lips met. I could not help but kiss her back. It was like blissful oblivion, like nothing I had ever felt before, almost as if the Force had taken on an earthly manifestation in our intertwined bodies.

 

She pulled back for a moment and stared into my eyes again.

 

Amazing...

 

"Ghel, if we die here, I want to die with you, loving you." her speech was barely audible, and I heard it more through the Force than the material world.

 

"If we die here, it shall be together, as lovers." I said to her, continuing in the small whisper.

 

She leaned forward and gave me one final kiss, a lingering sensation on my lips, ran a hand across my cheek and whispered,

 

"good night, my love."

 

I watched her graceful form cross the small cell and lay down on the small cot.

 

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

 

That was... interesting. I thought to myself as I walked the few steps to my own cot and lay down to get some sleep.

 

Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

 

I awoke to find myself being dragged down a hall towards an unknown destination. I had a massive headache, and didn't open my eyes at once. Instead I turned the force inwards upon myself to try and find the source of the pain. There was only one problem. I couldn't feel the Force. Thats when I decided to open my eyes. I instantly regretted my decision and spots of light blurred my vision. After a few seconds, the spots disappeared and I was able to discern my surroundings. Dragging me down the hall were too brawny human males with shaved heads and dark skin. On their backs were small reptiles clinging to organic support devices.

 

Ysalamari.

 

I closed my eyes and slumped my head down to conserve energy. A door opened ahead of us and I was thrown bodily to the floor inside the dark room and the door closed behind me. Pulling myself to my feet, I sat on the floor and rubbed my hands against my eyes to try and cure my headache. I had been sitting there for only a few seconds when I recieved a sharp blow to the lower back and was tossed across the room. I hit the wall with a loud crunch. Mentally I assessed the damage. One, maybe two ribs, nothing I can't deal with.

 

I rolled to my feet and straightened up. In return I got another sharp kick to the abdomen, doubling me over. An elbow connected with the back of my neck and I collapsed into a convulsing heap. Thats when the lightsaber came on. The crimson glow illuminated the entire space. A barking laugh, familiar yet erie, echoed around the chamber.

 

"You are pathetic. You call yourself a Jedi."

 

I knew the voice, but I couldn't place it. Instead of responding I slowly got to my knees and stared up into my attackers face. Basked in the crimson glow was the face of my father, grinning ferally down at me.

 

"No. It can't be. You died at Borleais."

 

His barking laugh echoed around the chamber once again.

 

"You are ignorant of the many mysteries of the Force my son."

 

"It can't be. You're dead."

 

The toe of his boot connected with my nose, and I felt it shatter. Blood spewed across the floor.

 

I could sense him kneel down next to me, leaning close to my head to whisper in my ear.

 

“Will you join me in the Dark Side or die my son?”

 

“I will never fall prey to the Dark. Whether you truly are my father or not, I will not join you.”

 

He chuckled.

 

“Time to die.”

 

Blue intertwined with red as forks of lightning arced out from his fingers and lanced like sharp knived into my body. The pain was unbareable( unbearable), and it continued for almost 30 seconds. When it stopped, he was still laughing.

 

“Your whole life is pathetic. You are the son of a world that no longer exists. You have no one to care for you. Your family is gone, and you have no one left but me.”

 

“You are wrong. I have one person. Jaina still cares for me.”

 

His laughed echoed one last time.

 

“You ignorant fool. She died before you did.”

 

The lightning struck me and I disappeared into oblivion.

 

~ ~ ~

 

I woke with a scream of agony. I sat up abruptly and felt the blood rush from my head. Normally I would have felt dizzy, but my overwhelming anger overpowered all other feelings. Thats when I realized the ysalamari had been removed. I laughed. I stood up and full of the darkness that was my hate for my father lifted the guard on the other side of the door off the ground. He collapsed back to the ground with his head facing the complete opposite direction. I lifted the keycard from his pocket with the force and slid it into the slot to unlock the cell.

 

I stepped out into the hallway and alarms immediately started blaring. I kept walking. I had only one thing on my mind, anything else was just a distraction and would be destroyed. Four guards came around the corner ahead and all of them had their hearts ripped from their bodies. I continued on, through the increasingly large pool of blood and around the corner. I realized that with each person I killed, I became stronger, more immersed in the Force. At almost every corner I met more guards. All of them died. If they attempted to shoot before they went down, the got the particularly painful treat of having their insides melt under the force of the lightning issuing from my fingertips.

 

I’m coming for you Father. I sent the message ringing through the Force and felt a slight sturring( stirring) from the center of the station. I turned another corner and headed for my father. Its time to die.

 

I turned one last corner and a group of a dozen guards stood waiting for me. Standing in front of them was a short man dressed entirely in black. He ignited a red lightsaber and pointed it at me. The blinding flashes of blaster shots richocheted everywhere along the hallway. I stuck a hand out and at once, all of the bolts redirected themselves into my hand. The gathered into a small ball floating about an inch from my hand. I threw the ball with the force. It shot forward like a cannon, completely obliterating the Sith’s head and passing through 2 more soldiers before burning a hole in the door behind them. Bolts kept flying, but I used the Force to deflect them away from me and into the walls on either side of me. When i got within 2 meters of the men I used the Force to slam them all into the walls with back-breaking force and blasted the door open.

 

I strode inside and my father stood in the center of the room, lightsaber already ignited. I stopped. Time to die. We charged towards each other, he with glowing sword in hand and me possessing only the Force. We collided, and I grabbed his arm just before he could deliver a killing blow from the saber. With my other hand I landed several punches in the gut with lightning fast agility. Prancing away, I dodged swipe after swipe of his saber, sometimes jumping over the blade, others bending my body in unnatural poses to avoid the deadly beam.

 

I danced forward well within his first ring of attack and started deflecting his attacks with my limbs, striking his sword arm before he could land a critical strike against me. I shot my hand up into the air and caught his hand. I shot lightning directly into his sword arm and his muscles convulsed. The lightsaber fell limp from his hand and I caught it with my other hand. Swinging the blade in an arc I disemboweled(Disemboweled implies removing the viscera from the abdomen. It should have been amputated) his right arm leaving him shreiking( shrieking) in pain. He collapsed to the floor in a screaming heap rolling around holding the stump of his arm. I lifted him into the air by the neck. I forced myself beneath his mental barriers and spoke directly into his mind.

 

This will not be a quick and easy death. I will make you suffer, and I will enjoy it.

 

Reaching deeper into his head, I brushed aside his mental barriers with ease and grabbed at the most terrible memories I could find and forced him to replay them in his mind. I continued, my hatred at him for killing Jaina driving me onward like a whip from the master. Slowly his eyes blanked and began to glass over. I walked forward and brought him down to eye level and looked directly into his eyes. I put a hand on his forehead and sent one last message.

 

You should not have forced my hand.

 

Lightning arced from my fingertips directly into his skull. In a millisecond, all the hair on his head had burnt off and his brain fried. I let the corpse collapse back to the floor. I looked down at the corpse, noticing it no longer looked like my father, but was instead a middle aged man of a different look entirely.

 

He used a hologram to try to torment me.

 

I called his lightsaber to hand. During his last seconds, I caught glimpses of a rocky planet with no foliage, standing in a circle all around were men and women of different species all holding ignited red lightsabers.

 

They are my goal. I will hunt them all down for the rest of my life for killing Jaina. None of them are safe. They will all die.

[machievelli]

Teacher's review part 2

 

The Dark surrounds me like a living shell...

 

I returned from my trance in the cockpit of my X-wing but kept my eyes shut.

 

And I revel in its presence...

 

The beeping of the realspace return system sounded in the cockpit. The lever pulled itself of its own accord and the small craft reverted to realspace in the Coruscant System. Without moving, I directed the ship towards the bright ball of life that was the capitol world of the Galactic Alliance.

 

"unidentified fighter, this is coruscant(Capitalized) control. Please state your business." The bored voice of the traffic controller droned through the cockpit.

 

"Just here for a visit control."

 

"please proceed to landing platform one-one-nine-zero-alpha."

 

An alpha landing zone? I thought. Those are reserved for smugglers and other lowlives on the wrong side of the law.

 

I dropped the fighter into the atmosphere, heading towards the landing platform on my sensor screen and landed smoothly. Popping the hatch, I leaped out of the cockpit, expecting resistance and was not disappointed. However, what I did not expect was to see recently elected Cheif (Chief) of State Natasi Daala waiting for me.

 

"Welcome back Jedi." she said with a slight gleam in her eyes.

 

I bowed, slipping into my former role as a servant of the force for just long enough to add an illusion to my true self. I righted myself, looking back into her face, and caught the every end of her grin as it slipped from her face. She likes being in a position of power. I guess I'll just have to prove too her that she's not in control here.

 

"Thank you for welcoming me back personally Admiral Daala. Your appearance here is quite remarkable for a Cheif(Chief) of State whose main priority should be sitting behind a desk attempting to restore the balance this galaxy needs."

 

She cringed at the insult, but managed to hold her tongue. Only barely.

 

"You are correct, I must return to my duties. These men have been assigned to your personal guard for the remainder of your trip here."

 

"They will not be necessary." I implied with just a hint of force.

 

"That may be true, but they are not for your safety, but for the safety of the peoples of the Galactic Alliance. I fear what harm a Jedi might cause in such turbulent times."

 

My anger, held under control for the beginning of our conversation suddenly burst forth. My two armed guards were tossed into the air and disappeared off the sides of the platform. Daala, suddenly unprotected, pulled a small holdout blaster and fired a bolt at my chest. Instead of easily blocking the futile attack with my lightsaber, I allowed the shot to connect, burning a hole through my robe directly above my heart. The bolts energy disappated over my skin as I looked down into the smoking hole. I looked back up and into Daala's eyes. I smell your fear, Daala. I grinned maniacly( maniacally) as I lifted her bodily into the sky. I gripped her throat tightly, just tightly enough that she could manage a few words.

 

"If you kill me, all will be thrown back into chaos."

 

I chuckled.

 

"Admiral Daala, do you really believe you are that important?"

 

I reached into the brain and forced her mind to fire an impulse that knocked her unconscious. I allowed her to fall to the floor, and was satisfied by the crunch of a broken wrist, and possibly a few ribs.

 

A lesson learned, Admiral Daala. Next time, do not cross me.

 

I strode away back towards the small shuttle that had brought the trio to my platform. Hopping into the drivers seat, I started up the engine and sped away into the Coruscant skyline. I swerved through traffic, heading for the old GAG headquarters. I parked my landspeeder in the bay, jumped out and was immediately confronted by a guard.

 

I reached into his mind and forced him to forget I existed and to go grab something to eat. He immediately turned around and walked out of the hangar. I proceeded through the door and walked down the halls, unimpeded by anyone. I waved my hand and the door in front of my unlocked and I entered the GAG guard barracks. I quickly stole a uniform and slipped it on, pulling myself into the tight()fitting uniform with incredible dexterity.

 

The door opened and a young woman walked in.

 

"What the --"

 

I reached out with the Force and grabbed her by the neck just as she reached for the security alarm. Her body crumpled, fingers sliding along the button and finally hitting the floor with a dull thud. I stepped over the corpse and walked brisquely(briskly) down the hall towards my destination.

 

A short turbolift ride to the top floor and I was standing outside the door to Jacen Solo's office. The door slid open and I stepped inside, entering the massive space with a keen eye. The massive window opened a view to the vista of buildings with their tops sticking out of clouds, small speeders looking like bees weaving in and out from around the towers. The dark wooden desk sitting in the middle of the office reminded me of the wood from one of the planets in the Hapes Cluster, though I did not know its name. Because Jacen had died only a short time ago, his possesions( possessions) had yet to be removed, and such, were still cluttering the office. Official documents were spread out all over the desk in an endless maze of fiberplast sheets. I'm not here to investigate his work with the GAG. I reminded myself. I used the Force to shove all of the sheets off the desk and onto the floor.

 

I spread myself out within the Force, searching every nook and cranny, feeling for the presence of the dark side that might reveal the location of his last treasure. There was nothing here. I will not give up. I walked around to the other side of the desk and slid my hand around on the bottom side. I pulled my hand off and felt a slight tingle in the Force, barely perceptible, like a scream being heard from far away. I used the force to pull the small section of wood away from the desk to reveal the hidden compartment. Inside, there was a sheet of fiberplast with a short handwritten note on it.

 

If you have found this then I am one with the Force,

Whether you are Jedi or Sith, I wish to pass on my

knowledge to the next generation of Force-Users.

 

My holocron, the holocron of Darth Caedus,

is hidden away in the Palace of my wife,

Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium

 

If you found this, Uncle Luke, know that even in my darkest moment,

I never abandoned my family, there was always the faintest glimmer,

that last bit of love for them that I could not sever.

 

I love you, Uncle Luke.

 

This was it. I found it, the holocron of Darth Caedus, his secrets would soon be mine, and then I would find those miserable excuses for Sith that hid on the barren planet and make them pay for the death of my lover. It was fitting that, in death, her brother, the man who had almost ripped apart the entire galaxy, was helping to bring down his twins killers.

 

I stared out at the endless skyline, thinking on my life. This was my chosen path, and there is no turning back.

 

 

 

The endless lines of Hyperspace reverted to their normal locations in a flash. My long journey from Coruscant to the Hapes Cluster was finally over. I stretched, arching my back against the small cramped seat in the X-wing cockpit. I drifted slowly through space, waiting for the hailing call of one of the Hapan Patrol ships to contact me and order me to identify. I sat in silence for nearly a minute before realizing that the entire Hapan Fleet had gone to Shedu Maad. I was alone. I hit the thrusters and continued on my course, allowing the small ovoid astrounit behind me to compute my final jump to Hapes. The starlines enveloped me once more. A few minutes later I arrived at Hapes.

 

This time I was not so lucky.

 

"Unidentified fighter, this is the Hapan Battle Dragon Dalliance, please state your intentions and destination."

 

I leaned forward into the small mike on the dashboard.

 

"This is Ghel Thek, I'm here on behalf of the Jedi Council. Requesting permission to land at the palace."

 

"Permission granted, Master Jedi. I hope you know that the queen is not with us here at Hapes."

 

I clicked twice to acknowledge and blasted towards the planet. The sooner I get out of here the better. I pulled out of my steep drop and into the Palace hangar. The repulsorlifts hummed as the ship was lowered to the floor, then shut off. I popped the hatch and leapt out of the cockpit to be greeted by a small escort. Standing in front of the group was a beautiful Hapan woman in diplomatic attire.

 

"Welcome Master Jedi. It is an honor to meet a member of your order." she said with a slight bow.

 

I nodded and walked past her, the group turned and followed me, the diplomat walking slightly faster to catch up with me.

 

"I can lead you to your quarters now, if you'd like, or I can show you around the palace."

 

"Show me to my quarters."

 

The(y) seemed a little off-put (Put out, but why would they be put out if they did offer you a choice?), but did as I ordered, and soon we were standing outside the door to a luxury apartment. I motioned to the door and it slid open and we all stepped inside.

 

"The guards really aren't necessary." I turned to face the woman.

 

"Its just a precaution. All visitors to the palace are not allowed to travel without armed escort."

 

"I guess I'll be the first then." I replied.

 

The weapons of all four of the guards were ripped from their hands and tossed across the rooms. Instantly, all four engaged(me) and(as) the diplomat retreated slowly towards the door. Before she could run out, I closed it with the force, then shoved her head first into the hard metal. She slid to the floor, unconscious. The guards engaged me in hand to hand combat. The first went down with a broken arm, the second with a snapped tibia(also a broken arm). The third and fourth had their skulls smashed together when the(y) tried attacking from too close of an angle to each other. The skirmish had lasted about 5 seconds.

 

I walked to the door and hit the panel. The body of the diplomat hit the floor with a thud as the door slid out of the way. I walked on, down the hallway towards the Queen Mothers quarters. I could feel the darkness growing, pulling me ever closer to the hidden holocron. Surely Tenel Ka had felt this power, how could she have been so blind? I turned left and a group of guards hurried past me on the way to my apartment.

 

I strode quickly along the hall, towards the elevator shaft at the end of the hall and pried the doors open with the force. I leapt inside, landing nimbly on a small outcropping, and began the climb, launching myself into the air and landing on small platforms for less than seconds, reaching skyward like a bird soaring ever higher. At last, the Force directed me through another door, and I somersaulted through, landing on the level of the Queen Mothers bedchamber.

 

I walked along the empty halls, alert for dangerous traps that could fill the empty space. I met no resistance, and reached the Queen Mothers chamber in a few short minutes. The darkness here is almost material, as if I could reach out and feel it with my hands.

 

I sat down and crossed my legs, allowing my mind to fill the room and search for small crevices and other hiding places. In one corner, hidden behind a large tree from an unknown planet sat in a pot, the darkness here was slightly more powerful than the rest of the room. Barely noticable( noticeable), and easily overlooked. I crouched down and pushed through the branches to find an empty compartment. Disappointment washed over me, and I sat down once more to meditate. Suddenly, I noticed a tiny section directly underneath the royal bed that was almost devoid of darkness.

 

Oh Jacen, you were a clever one.

 

I lifted the bed carefully into the air and saw a small crack in the floor. Pulling up the boards, I saw that my prize was indeed hidden here.

 

I reached into the small hole and lifted out the small prism.

 

"Finally."

 

I replaced the bed, then turned to leave the room.

 

Standing in the doorway were three female commandos.

 

"You have violated one of the sacred laws of our people. For that you shall die."

 

All three drew menacing blaster rifles and aimed at me. I chuckled in response then let me face darken.

 

"Do your worst."

 

The shots hit me one after the other, striking three spots on my chest. Instead of burning through, however, the energy raced up my arm and lanced back towards the attackers. The bodies fell, smoking holes in their chests and looks of surprise on their faces. I strode to the door, stepped over the bodies and proceeded back to the hangar.

 

Finally.

 

 

 

The image of Jaina swam to the murky forefront of my sleeping mind.

 

Ghel...

 

She seemed to be in intense concentration, focusing on something far away.

 

Come back, my love...

 

I awoke slowly, lingering on the edges of reality, wishing, hoping with all my heart to slip back into that wonderful abyss in which I could see my love once more. She was gone, and only in memory would I remember her. Our last conversation, in that small cell on the sith(Proper name, Capitalize) battle station, was one of love. She wished too(to) die as lovers, and she did. But I persevered. A familiar darkness stole over my thoughts and I attempted to calm myself. My path has been laid before me. I have but one more stop to make before I begin my hunt.

 

The ship emerged from hyperspace on the edge of a small asteroid field on the very rim of the Hapes Cluster. I wound my way through the rocks, feeling for a darkness hidden in the debris. Suddenly, I felt it, and piloted the craft swiftly to an immense asteroid, and landed near the opening to a small cave. I exited the craft and headed down into the tunnels. I sped along the rocky floor, looking for the site of a terrible deed, the murder of Mara Jade Skywalker, and the birthplace of Darth Caedus.

 

I stood in the center of the room, feeling the dark powers surrounding me, and knelt down to meditate.

 

Ghel. I could feel a voice whispering in my head, yet it was somehow not inside me.

 

Open your eyes.

 

Something inexplicable told me to open my eyes. Standing before me was the shade of Jacen Solo, yet he did not look like he had when his body was brought back from the battle with Jaina. He seemed somehow happy, at peace.

 

"Jacen?" I asked.

 

He smiled.

 

Hello Ghel. Yes, I am Jacen, not Caedus. I have been returned to the light.

 

"But-" I began.

 

Jacen held up a hand.

 

My sister.

 

I hung my head in shame and sorrow.

 

"So," I said quietly, "You have come to exact revenge on me for your sisters death."

 

Ghel. She's alive.

 

I sat silently waiting for something terrible to swoop down and claim my life, and then suddenly, I understood his words.

 

"what?" I said in disbelief.

 

She lives. The Sith did not kill her, they sent her on a random hyperspace jump and she was stranded in deep space for days before finally managing to get a lock on her position and flying back to Shedu Maad.

 

"Are you serious?" I asked.

 

Do mynocks chew power cables? he said with a chuckle.

 

This more than anything, reassured me that this was Jacen, not Caedus. I remembered the feeling I had had of Jaina, reaching out to me in my sleep and knew in my heart that what he said must be true.

 

Suddenly, the darkness fell away and a feeling of intense calm and peace set in. I looked up into Jacens face.

 

"You have brought me back to the light, Jacen. I cannot repay you enough."

 

Actually, you can. Love my sister as I loved her. Let my parents know that I am sorry, but that this is the way it was meant to be. And lastly, tell Tenel Ka that she was my guiding light in the dark, and that she and Allana led me back.

 

"Of course." I said, feeling more happy than I had ever felt in my entire life.

 

May the Force be with you, Ghel.

 

"And you, Jacen."

 

The form faded, and I stood up, turned and left the cave. But not before looking back one last time for a glimpse of my savior. He was gone, and the darkness that had prevaded the cave had disappeared as well, replaced by a glowing calm.

 

I arrived back on my ship and set a course for Shedu Maad. After clearing the asteroid field I accelerated into lightspeed, headed for home.

 

 

Critique

The basics were good, but the going dark then returning to the light both happened too fast. For that matter from what I have seen of Jaina you had her falling for your character too readily. From what I've seen of the girl, she would have been leery of falling in love at all.

 

It would have been more satisfying if the vision, then having her calling him through the force were the only times when she expressed her love. You also left unresolved the question of where the enemy got enough firepower to take on an entire fleet.

[Kado Sunrider]

Excellent. Thanks Mach!

 

I can accept that i may have pushed the characters into a relationship a little too fast, but give me a chance to explain my point of view. xD

 

Jaina's brother had just died, and she was looking for a little bit of TLC. Ghel had noticed Jaina before, and thought she was beautiful, but never got a chance to talk to her up until the hangar scene. That, along with Ghels ability to influence peoples mood and emotions pushed them along rather quickly.

 

Anyways, just wanted to justify my writing it as I did. Thanks much for the critique! I'll fix those errors immediately. (Oh how I wish I had Word...)

[machievelli]

Excellent. Thanks Mach!

 

I can accept that i may have pushed the characters into a relationship a little too fast, but give me a chance to explain my point of view. xD

 

Jaina's brother had just died, and she was looking for a little bit of TLC. Ghel had noticed Jaina before, and thought she was beautiful, but never got a chance to talk to her up until the hangar scene. That, along with Ghels ability to influence peoples mood and emotions pushed them along rather quickly.

 

Anyways, just wanted to justify my writing it as I did. Thanks much for the critique! I'll fix those errors immediately. (Oh how I wish I had Word...)

 

The thing is Jaina has had two men, Zekk and Jagged Fell circling her for so long, and neither has gotten very far with her. While I can see her wanting a shoulder that isn't family to cry on, it didn't feel right for her to fall head over heels in such a short time.

 

As for something to work with, download Open Office, which is a system that mimics the older word, and is free.