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Author	Topic: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge
SabyneAmberle Registered: Sep '04	Date Posted: 2/9 9:12pm Subject: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge - Date Edited: 2/9 9:14pm (1 edits total) Edited By: SabyneAmberle
	Title: Tarnished Gold Author: SabyneAmberle Timeframe: pre-KotOR Characters: Jolee Bindo, Nayama Bindo Genre: Angst, Drama Summary: Nayama has exciting news to share with her husband, yet his reaction is not what she expected...and her response will tear them apart forever. Notes: Written for brodiew's Hurtful Heartthrob Challenge. ****************************************** Even before she bounded through the door like an excited Kinrath pup, Jolee could feel her excitement through the Force. She burst through the front door of their modest dwelling with eyes shining, seeming not to care that the door behind her hung wide open to invite the night’s chill into their small home. Chuckling to himself, Jolee rose from his chair and moved to the open door, closing it firmly behind his wife. “Hello, my dear.” He greeted her with a warm smile and a loving peck on the cheek. “I sense you are excited. What has gotten you into such a tizzy?” “Oh, Jolee! The wonderful things I’ve heard!” Nayama spun and clasped her husband’s strong hands in her own. “Things about glory, and fame…the riches and power…oh, you should have heard!” “Hey, slow down now,” Jolee regarded his wife with curiosity. “You know those are things Jedi shouldn’t strive for. The Force is all the reward we need.” Nayama’s mood seemed to dim slightly. “I knew you would say something like that,” she replied as she released his hands. She watched him cross the room to settle back into his favorite chair before attempting to speak again. “And I know that’s what the Jedi teachings tell us. But…but what if the teachings are wrong?” She saw the arch of his brows exaggerate disapprovingly at her words. “What if there’s more to being a Jedi than what we are taught? After all, Exar Kun says…” “Exar Kun?” Jolee shot back to his feet. “Nayama Bindo, don’t tell me you’ve been listening to that delusional fool!” “He’s not delusional, Jolee!” she shouted back. “He speaks the truth! He talks about how the Jedi teachings hold us back from our true potential. And the Masters who teach us are even worse, the way they withhold from us the true knowledge of the Force.” She saw him start to shake his head in disagreement. “Don’t you shake your head at me, Jolee Bindo! You know more than any other Jedi how their teachings have held you back. You’re thirty-five years old, for frack’s sake. You should be a Master by now! But they keep you as a Padawan. Why?” “I’m sure they have their reasons…” he began, his heart aching at hearing such things from his wife. “Oh, do they?” she sneered. “You’re more than powerful enough to be a Master, and you know it! I’m sure they know it, too. Why else would they keep you as a Padawan? Why else were you forbidden from training me as a Jedi?” “They…they felt you were too old to be properly taught in the ways of the Force. I never agreed with their thinking, but that was their decision.” Jolee could feel the start of tears scalding his eyes. What had happened to his Nayama to make her act this way? “They say this, they feel that,” she mocked coldly. “They knew damn well how powerful I am, how strong in the Force I am. They’re jealous of us and our power. But like Gizka to the slaughter, fools like you believe their lies.” She saw his noticeable wince and instantly softened her tone, her expression pleading. “Exar Kun has made great promises of a golden age of the Sith, an age where we can be even more powerful than we are with the Jedi,” she said, her tone softer. “Please come with me, Jolee. Come with me, that we can recognize our true potential together. Exar Kun has sworn that any who do not join him will be seen as enemies, and be killed. I cannot allow that to happen to you, Jolee. I love you too much.” For a moment, her pleading almost convinced him to agree. Yet, he knew that the pain of turning against what he believed in would far outmatch the possible pain of being killed by one of Exar Kun’s followers. He took a shaky breath, his heart filled with an agonizing ache as he realized this could be the moment in which he lost his Nayama forever. “No, Nayama.” His words were firm, disguising the anguished lump in his throat. “I am a Jedi. I have sworn to protect the Galaxy as a Jedi. Even if I am merely a Padawan, even if I am never made a Master, I will fight to uphold that vow. I cannot turn from this path for anything or anyone, not even my beloved wife.” The next few seconds passed by in slow motion for him. He watched the emotion ebb from his wife’s face, watched her eyes narrow in cold fury at his refusal. And he knew for a fact that nothing more he could say would reach her. His love, his Nayama, had fallen to the dark side. “Very well, Jolee.” The low tone of her voice was painful to his ears. “If you will not join me, then I have no choice but to destroy you.” With a barely-perceptible flick of her wrist, she had her saber drawn and activated, its blue blade cutting an arc through the air as it moved down toward him. He had no memory of reaching for his weapon where it lay on a table across the room, but suddenly he felt its weight in his hand. He quickly activated it and raised its emerald blade, the block occurring mere inches from his face. She tried to push her blade harder against his, he responded by pushing back against hers with equal force. They remained locked together for several moments before she drove a powerful kick into his stomach, knocking him back against the chair behind him. It toppled backward beneath his weight, dumping him onto the floor. Quickly, he tucked himself, rolling backward with his momentum before springing to his feet and holding his blade before him. The fight continued for many long minutes through that room. It knocked over tables, scorched walls, and burned holes through furniture and tapestries, yet it showed no signs of abating. Jolee felt a small amount of pride at seeing his wife’s technique; she had become a powerful fighter since she had begun her training, even if he never thought he would become one of her opponents in anything other than sparring. He continued to defend against her attacks, matching her blows with equally powerful parries. Yet he knew that his strength would soon run out, that he would eventually grow too tired to fight. And then she would be able to finish him easily. Finally, an opportunity presented itself to him. She had pushed him back against another small chair, which broke under the sudden impact. He barely had time to scramble to his knees before she was there with the tip of her saber against his throat. He knew if either of them moved, he would be dead before he could either duck or raise his saber to protect himself. “Nayama…” his whisper was hoarse. “Don’t do this. Please.” He saw her hesitate, saw the confusion in her green eyes, noticed the slight tremor in the hand that held the saber to his throat. It was a tiny opportunity, but he took it. He whipped his saber up, knocking hers away easily. Leaping to his feet, he went on the offensive, pushing her back toward the room’s far wall. Finally, he released his own powerful Force Push, knocking her back into the wall. Her lightsaber, jarred from her grasp by the impact, clanked on the floor as it bounced away, and she slid down the wall as she struggled to catch her breath. Before she could recover, he approached her, pointing the tip of his saber at her chest. He saw her freeze, saw the genuine fear that showed in her eyes for a moment. “Kill me.” She said simply, her voice emotionless. “If you think you can do it, end my life.” His hand steady, he prepared himself to stab her through the heart. But he stopped himself, the rational Jedi in him fighting against the loving husband. The former clamored at him to finish her, to end the anguish right there. The latter pleaded with him to spare her, reminded him of the love they once shared for one another. I…I can’t kill her. He admitted to himself, his hand lowering his saber to his side. Even if she has turned to the dark side, even though she tried to kill me, I can’t do it. I…I love her too much to kill her, regardless of what just happened. His eyes registered the cold smirk on her face mere moments before the blasts of lightning coursed through his body. He tried to scream from the pain, but no sound would come from his voice. He barely felt his saber drop from his hand, barely felt the impact of his body hitting the floor as the endless electricity flowed through him. Suddenly, it stopped. And he could hear her voice in his ear, low and cold as death. “Fool. You should have killed me when you had the chance.” The last thing he recalled hearing were her fading footsteps as she walked away from him. Yet, even as the world faded to black around him, he could taste the saltiness of his bitter tears on his lips. -----signature----- What can I say? I did it all for the Wookiees! - Jolee Bindo Guardian of the Old Republic Mistress of the OC Dueling Circle Check out my OC's blog! http://jedisabyne.blogspot.com/ Fic links in my Bio, too many to stick here.
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MarasFire Registered: Jun '07	Date Posted: 2/10 11:14am Subject: RE: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge
	Poor Jolee! You did an awesome job with this. I really felt Jolee's pain at seeing his beloved wife join Exar Kun and the dark side. The last thing he recalled hearing were her fading footsteps as she walked away from him. Yet, even as the world faded to black around him, he could taste the saltiness of his bitter tears on his lips. -----signature----- "There comes a time when a man has to ask himself whether he wants a life of happiness or a life of meaning." -Linderman
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brodiew Registered: Oct '05	Date Posted: 2/10 10:03pm Subject: RE: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge
	Wow. Very well done, SabyneAmberle. Jolee's pain is evident thoughout. He is not so much shocked as eaten up by her betrayal. His goodness shines through. Nayama's sway to the Dark Side seems evidence that the Jedi should have trained her, a la Anakin Skywalker. I also enjoyed that Exar Kun was involved. From how Nayama decribed it, he sounded like a cult leader making tent revival speeches. -----signature----- Drabble Babble the Third: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29083113/p1/?23
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KELIA Title: Fan Fiction Moderator Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 2/15 12:01pm Subject: RE: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge
	WOW If you will not join me, then I have no choice but to destroy you How unfortunate Nayama allowed Kun's words to override her love for Jolee Great response to the challenge -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 Undue Circumstances: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28530583/p1/?10
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UnderCoverJedi Registered: Jul '06	Date Posted: 3/12 10:05am Subject: RE: Tarnished Gold - pre-KotOR angst. Response to the "Hurtful Heartthrob" Challenge
	I…I can’t kill her. He admitted to himself, his hand lowering his saber to his side. Even if she has turned to the dark side, even though she tried to kill me, I can’t do it. I…I love her too much to kill her, regardless of what just happened. His eyes registered the cold smirk on her face mere moments before the blasts of lightning coursed through his body. He tried to scream from the pain, but no sound would come from his voice. He barely felt his saber drop from his hand, barely felt the impact of his body hitting the floor as the endless electricity flowed through him. Suddenly, it stopped. And he could hear her voice in his ear, low and cold as death. “Fool. You should have killed me when you had the chance.” Great stuff. -----signature----- Not e-married, e-engaged, or e-attached. I prefer to do those things in person. In His Master's Wake http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28185973/p1/?0 Never http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/25789579
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