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Author	Topic: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/3/07 3:32pm Subject: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana) - Date Edited: 7/9/07 3:06am (2 edits total) Edited By: ispeaknotruths
	Axiom of a Sith: The Apprentice of Darth Caedus Summary: The apprentice of Darth Caedus has one final test to gain the title of Sith Master. And that requires the death of the present Sith Master, Darth Caedus, formerly known as Jacen Solo. Who is this apprentice and what has she gone through to become a Sith? Chapter One: The Cinders Fell like Snow = = = = = = A girl runs in the gardens of the city, touching every flower, every leaf, feeling the life of these simple living creatures surrounded in a place of durasteel and permacrete. Speeders and ships flew above and below her and a war is going on but it doesn’t touch her. She’s a child, safe, loved and happy--far away from the heartbreak, anger and terror of war. Dressed in her white Princess Leia costume, she danced through the garden followed by her smiling mum. Until now. Small white flecks float down from the sky and she holds out her hands, having never experienced soft flakes falling on her person before. It tickled and she giggled, twirling around in the falling ash of the ships above, her hands raised to the sky to catch them. She looked up at the sky, seeing the glowing flashes and the colors that blinked in and out, like magic. Clouds swelled and expanded as the skies turned darker and more ash fell. She felt her heart fluttering as the first ship fell and crashed into the building not far away. She felt the burning hot wind created from the crash, whipping her white outfit around her and she closed her eyes as they teared up. Through smoke and ash, she watched the sky burn and more stars fell from the sky to die on the ground. As thin warm arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her from the now grey garden, she thought, “All the colors upon leaving will turn to grey.” The Yuuzhan Vong had come to Coruscant. She felt the panic coming from her mother, and the fear spreading through the crowd as they pushed and shoved to get to the evacuation center, to a place that would keep them safe from the war above them in the skies. The girl screamed as she was being overwhelmed with the emotions coming from the strangers and aliens around her. She was getting sick, her eyes dulling down from their bright shine as she struggled to keep from drowning. She clutched her mother tightly, hiding her face in her mother’s neck, breathing in the warm comforting scent. Her mother was beyond scared, she had thought that Coruscant was safe, the only safe place from the Yuuzhan Vong. A loud screeching whistle sounded from above as yet another flaming ship fell from the sky and crashed into the walkway in front of them, the one leading to the evacuation center. It created black ash filled smoke, choking and blinding the crowd. Amidst the panic, the people fought to get away from the edge while others fought to the edge only to find out too late that there wasn’t anywhere to go but down. The pressure was becoming unbearably heavy as everyone pushed together to escape only to find that there wasn’t one, they were trapped. They remained together as the first unknown ship came down and they realized that there was no escaping their fate as troops of Yuuzhan Vong warriors came out. “Mum!” the girl cried into her mum’s neck as she had her first glance at the monster men. “Shhh, I’m here darlin’. I’m here for you always.” Her mum said softly, her heart breaking as she realized that she would never see her little girl grow up. Tears fell from her eyes as the Yuuzhan Vong started grabbing people and pulling them out of sight. “I love---“ “MUM!!” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 20 years later… Is this the end Master? Here and now, amid the greenery of the palace garden, with the sun shining bright and the birds singing lovely songs in the warm air, I stand against you now as it has been required for an apprentice who wishes to become a master to do. As it’s always been for the Sith. Darth Caedus faced his apprentice, his black cloaks smoothed down, giving him a shapeless figure, a black hole swallowing any light that landed on him. Here in the garden of the palace that he made his home, he will find out if he had truly created a Sith worth carrying on after him. If not, he will have to search for a new apprentice to train in the ways of the Sith. He could sense her now, a rarity since she took to hiding herself from the Force like he had, a presence that demanded to be known and filled with power. He could sense the strong will she had and the under laying hatred she had of him for the act she was committing. "This is the end for us." he said. He held his unlit lightsaber in his hand, waiting patiently as his apprentice stood three meters away. "Yes, it is Master." He lit his lightsaber, the red blade shooting out of the hilt in a blaze of blood red light, lighting his ashen complexion with its dark veins spidering out on his gaunt hollowed face. His eyes were red and yellow, jagged and dilated from years of drawing on the dark energies of the Force. “So you want my place as Master.” He stated. “No.” “No?” Darth Caedus smirked, his lips forming a thin cruel smile. “Can’t say I’m surprised. You were never the apprentice I wanted, not really.” As he spoke, he approached the young woman who was his apprentice. She was thin and battle-harden from having to fight to survive most of her life. Her tan skin was incredibly pale, you could see the veins under her skin and her eyes were ice cold, one violet and the other a searing starburst yellow, an implant from a barbaric alien race. “You just followed me like a love dazed ewok. Weak. Harmless. And pathetic." Darth Caedus could see that his words hurt his apprentice. She could fight against Jedi, Mandalorians, Hapans and Yuuzhan Vong without flinching or showing signs of pain when wounded but when he told her how much he didn’t want her, it hurt her deeply. As he swung his lightsaber at her in a dazzling display of swings, he wondered how it would have ended if he never saved her. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ It started out with pain, master. It is all I can really remember of my childhood. I remember the crushing fear of everyone around me as we ran to escape the falling debris from the battle in the skies above and from the buildings that fell. We lived in the Mid levels and were unable to reach the evac ships. We were left behind to face a more brutal fate than death. Captured and taken off world to the Nursery. It's ironic, Master, that my first time off planet would be as a slave hiding in the arms of my frighten and dying mother. She had been stabbed in the stomach while protecting me the monsters who captured us. She offered to me words of hope and love. When the ship carrying us landed, I walked off alone and left behind the words she gave me with her dying breathe. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The little girl scrambled to hide among the rocks as the monster men walked by. Dressed in rags, clothing that used to be white was now dirty, her black hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, tangled with clumps of mud and weeds from the Nursery. Her purple eyes were bright with fear and pain and hopelessness. Blood, sweat and dirt gathered on her tan skin and she made no effort to wipe it off. Tears streaked down her cheeks and blood ran down from a fresh cut on the bridge of her nose. She didn't notice either as she scrambled on hands and knees pass the screaming slaves and hissing polygroves that whipped out to grab her. She screamed as one brushed against her ankle, creating a new wound. It wasn't deadly yet, but it brought more pain to her already aching body. "Let me go. Let me go. Let me go." she prayed over and over again to whatever gods or goddesses out there as she crawled away from the polygrove. She grew dizzy and her vision blurred as the burning poison ran through her system. "Please let me go--" She sobbed, curling into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut. "It's okay, it'll be alright." a voice said gently as strong arms lifted her up from the ground. She snuggled closer to the warm body, wanting to stay here always. "I have you now." She opened her eyes with great effort to see the face of her savior. "I'll take care of you. I'm Jacen Solo." "Please--please don't--let--me---" the girl whispered before darkness took her. -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 7/3/07 5:03pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Whoa, very intriguing start, and one I have to follow along with, might I ask for PM updates? -----signature----- Still crazy after all these years.
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iamobiwan1970 Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 7/4/07 2:49pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	I found this interesting too! I liked the link between the girl in the "Nursery" and the young woman talking to Caedus. I enjoyed the pacing and the movements in time. Well done and clear. One thing though, why is Caedus so ready to have his (what 24 year old) apprentice already face him. Seems soon. Well that's just me, I am tired of the rule of two and hope Caedus is too. -----signature----- Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, with open arms and open eyes.
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G__Anakin Registered: Apr '06	Date Posted: 7/4/07 6:19pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Great job! Can I please be added to the PM list? -----signature----- Knighted by Courtney_Solo - - - My fanfic - - - Jedi Sith - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=26751105&brd=10476&start=26759554
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divapilot Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 7/4/07 6:31pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Wow! Intense! That opening scene is brilliant- the little girl mistaking the ash from the burning ships for snowfall. It seems fitting that life as a Yuuzhan Vong slave was her preparation to being Jacen's apprentice. Terrific story! Can't wait for the next update! -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. AKL "Beyond the Wall" http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28964433/p1/?6 The Society for Girls Who Like Things that Go Boom. (M. Corde, Pres.) "This is your badness level." ~ Lilo!
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ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/6/07 1:58am Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana) - Date Edited: 7/6/07 1:59am (1 edits total) Edited By: ispeaknotruths
	Thank you to everyone for posting a comment. I love comments but then again what writer doesn't? This story has been bouncing around in my head for a while and I've decided to write it up and here it is. After all who hasn't been looking forward to seeing a Sith Jacen Solo? Healer_Leona: Sure thing. I'll start a PM list for anyone who wants to be updated as I go along. iamobiwan1970: I've never actually revealed the girl's age yet. That would be in the next chapter as well as her real name(not her Sith name hint that's coming later ) G__Anakin : No prob! You're on the list! divapilot : I thought it was fitting since no one really explains what happens to the people living in the lower levels of Coruscant when the Yuuzhan Vong attacked. Next chapter you see why she becomes Jacen's apprentice. Chapter Two is coming soon!! -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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YodaKenobi Title: TFN EU Staff Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 7/6/07 6:09am Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Wow, this is amazing Love your descriptions, especially all the imagery in the invasion second and when the little girl is in the nursery Very powerful. Also really enjoyed the flashforward and the mystery about whether it's the same girl 20 years later or not. If it is, I can't wait to see how she ended up there Great post! Can you please PM me when you update? -----signature----- FADA Therapist The Lands of the Dead: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28522077/p1/ Blood Trail: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28636429/p1 "We're Jedi, not assassins."— Anakin Solo
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SilSolo Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 7/6/07 6:20am Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	interesting AU. So when does Allana come into play? I want some J/TK -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27517284/p1/?11 Like this quick sketch: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32848083/ ? Then commission me. Prices are negotiable.
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ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/8/07 12:43pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana) - Date Edited: 7/8/07 12:51pm (1 edits total) Edited By: ispeaknotruths
	YodaKenobi: Thank you for commenting! I'll add you to the PM list. SilSolo: Hmmmm... It might be a few chapters until Allana comes into play but don't worry it will be worth the wait. I promise!! She has a large part to play in the story. And to everyone else, the next chapter is coming TODAY so keep an eye out for it. -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/8/07 3:56pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana) - Date Edited: 7/9/07 3:21am (3 edits total) Edited By: ispeaknotruths
	[b]AN: I'm such a dope. I forgot to put the summary in the first chapter when I posted. So I'm adding it to the second one so ppl will know what the story is about. So here it is, the second chapter--ENJOY!! [/b] Axiom of a Sith- The Apprentice of Darth Caedus Summary: The apprentice of Darth Caedus has one final test to gain the title of Sith Master. And that requires the death of the present Sith Master, Darth Caedus, formerly known as Jacen Solo. Who is this apprentice and what has she gone through to become a Sith? ~~~~~~ Chapter Two: The Embrace of Reality Darth Caedus neared his apprentice, the humming and whizzing of his lightsaber a constant sound as he twirled his blade. She remained where she stood, her lightsaber held lightly in her fingertips, waiting. As he raised his blade against her, he thought to himself that she was foolish to even face him if she wouldn’t even defend herself from his attacks. She moved; thumbing the switch of her lightsaber and throwing it in the same motion, the blade extending as it flew at him like a spear. He turned in mid-step, twisting his body backwards, the muscles in his back protesting as he jerked his head back to avoid the blade. He felt the intense heat of the blade burning across his cheek before it flew pass him to lodging into the pillar behind him. Darth Caedus turned just as his apprentice reached him, having run at him as he avoided her blade, her fists tight as she threw a punch at him. He blocked with his arms, grunting as his arms met her vonduun crab shielded forearms. His lightsaber was useless in close hand to hand combat. She knew this. He had taught her everything he knew. He kicked out, hitting her in the upper thigh, giving him a mere moment to deliver a crushing blow to a weak point in the armor protecting her chest. There was a spot, just below the arm where one could deliver a killing blow or to gain time to escape. Since this was her test to ascend or fall, he wanted to prologue it and enjoy every second so he used the time to skip back a few steps. Surprisingly, his apprentice pursued him, a few seconds later. Darth Caedus felt a certain amount of pride as she worked pass the pain, more determined. “You surprise me my apprentice.” He said. “I don’t see why. I’ve mastered the lesson of pain when I was but a child.” She said. “That you did.” Darth Caedus said with a nod. “As did I.” They fought on. ~ ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ I became sick. Though the poison from the immature amphistaff wasn't deadly yet, it was grown enough to cause serious harm. My systems were failing slowly but surely and there wasn't anything you could do. But it didn't stop you from trying. Over the days, you cared for me, talked with me and give me food and water while also tending to the other injured and sick. You fought against the slave seed inside you and argued with the strange bird creature that came from out of nowhere. You pleaded with her to save the others before pleading with her to save me. Though she never agreed to help the others, she helped me. She reached out and touched me. And I touched back. She was the first one to know that I had Force powers. Through it, she healed me and made me feel safe and warm, just like you. When the darkness took me, I remember thinking that maybe it will be a long sleep where I can dream of a life without pain and suffering. But I awoke the next morning with you smiling down at me. My body no longer ached and my senses were fully in control...except there was the waves of emotions coming from the slaves that made me feel as if I were drowning. The only time I didn’t feel it was when I was near you. I decided then, that no matter what, I would stay by your side. Always. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Jacen Solo walked along the edge of the dhuryam's border, carrying an armful of herbs. He looked behind him at the young girl and called out, "Are you fairing okay Aari?" "Yes." Aari yelled from behind her armful of herbs. "I'm good." Jacen nodded as he navigated through the Nursery with Aari following after him. The young girl was a good student, learning everything quickly, from how to wrap a wound and how to stop the bleeding. She wasn't strong enough to mend broken bones but she helped calm the injured and wounded. At first, when she healed from her wound, he tried sending her on her way. But she didn't leave. She would remain at a distance, in plain view watching him and coming to help him when a slave became too much or with extra supplies. It was one day that when a slave gang got too close to an immature polygrove and started a feeding frenzy that gave him a start. He had been walking ahead of them, looking for some more moss that had aseptic properties that she had cried out. He turned in her direction and saw that the gang had overwhelmed her small frame and was pushing her towards the edge of the lake where the Yuuzhan Vong warriors guarded the dhuryam’s hive island. Their sole purpose was to keep anyone from entering and that usually meant death to any slave who wandered too close. She was getting too close, she knew this but she couldn’t fight pass the gang and they were too frenzied to notice. Jacen rushed in and grabbed her, earning himself a good knock in the head. When he woke up, he saw that Aari had managed to drag him away from the lake and to a safe point, guarding him with a little stick she had made sharp. She even managed to wrap the wound on his head. She cried, pleading with him to not send her away again. She wanted to stay near him because he made her feel safe and needed; he made her forget for a while that she was trapped in a hellish world where nothing made sense. She needed him. Jacen agreed to let her remain with him. He comforted her, focusing on her for the time and he felt the world melt away to this little girl. They slept there, with her curled by his side and it had remained like that every night since. She would sometimes disappear and he feared her lost in the swarm of slaves, but always she returned to him to sleep by his side. It was when he slept with her small body curled next to his, that he found some sense of peace before reality came crashing down on him. Vergere's betrayal. Life as a slave. Anakin's...death. "Jacen?" Her voice broke through his thoughts. "Yeah?" "Can I stay with you forever?" He stopped in his steps suddenly, forcing Aari to stop as well to avoid running into him. She looked up him, a hopeful look in her wide innocent eyes. Jacen swallowed, as he looked down at her. She must have been ten or eleven, somewhere between a child and a teenager, he wasn't sure and he didn't ask because he didn't want to get too involved. Her hair was tangled and dirty, held back by a strip of her outfit to keep it out of her face and out of reach of others who would grab it. Her skin was streaked with mud and sweat from the humid Nursery and the cut on the bridge of her nose had healed, becoming a scar that stood out on her face. She wore a robeskin, torn from his own since she had escaped the ship when it landed and had avoided being planted with a slave seed like the others. It was because of her lack of slave seed that made her hide herself. The dhuryam didn’t like having an unknown in its realm and regularly sent someone out to find her. So far she had escaped capture. And yet, her eyes which had seen death and horror, seen the lost of hope and the breaking of a soul, still held a light that glowed. It had dimmed considerably, much like his own must have, but it was still there. Jacen didn't have the heart to be the one to destroy it. "Yeah. You can stay with me." he said. Her wide smile seemed to brighten the air around her. He turned away to hide the fact that it pained him to see it. There was no guarantee that she would be alive tomorrow. He didn't even know if he would be. The rules of the Nursery were wildly different than any other he's known. The slave seed made sure of that. It was a wonder that Aari was still alive after all this time. He didn't have much hope for her, much less himself. "Come on. We have to get these herbs to the shelter." he said without looking back to see if she followed. He didn't have to worry. Aari would follow him anywhere. And as Vergere watched them through the viewspider, she knew that she would have to do something drastic soon if Jacen was to continue on his path. ~* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ I sensed a difference in you one day. You were looking inward, I could tell by the far off look in your eyes and the steady breathing you had. It was like you found something you had lost and it made you feel whole. I asked you about it but you said it was nothing to worry about. But I did worry. I worried because something was taking you away from me and I didn’t know how to stop it. I wandered away because it hurt when you went inward and because the dhuryam had sent someone after me again. I hid in the bog, perched on a sleeping vonduun crab. No slaves came here unless ordered to. It was too dangerous to get pass the hissing polygroves that grew along the border but I was small and could crawl my way through a mud tunnel the crabs used to come and go. It was there when the strange bird creature came to me. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ “Hello there child.” Aari turned in surprise, holding her stick in her hands. The strange bird creature from before was standing there, perched on a half submerged rock. Out of surprise rather than fear, Aari blurted out, “How did you get here?” “How did you?” “No fair. I asked first.” Aari said with a slight pout before it faded away, anxious to talk to someone. No one would talk to her except Jacen and lately he hasn’t been talking to her much. “So tell me birdy, how did you get here? No one come here because of the polygroves, not even the Yuuzhan Vong.” “Is that why you come here?” the bird asked, its head tilt to the side, its feathers changing colors from dark green to a vivid light blue. “You don’t follow the control given to the rest of the slaves---” “I’m not a slave!” Aari interrupted sharply. “I’m not like them. I escaped. I don’t have the seed. I’m not a weed.” The bird creature seemed startled. “So you know me.” “Not really.” Aari said ashamed of her outburst. “I remember that you did something to me and that you and Jacen talked about gardens. You called everyone weeds and that it was a gardener’s choice to choose. I’m not a weed.” She repeated. The sound of an alien language reached their ears, the sound associated with Yuuzhan Vong and Aari remembered that the dhuryam was looking for her. Unease came through her when she noticed that the strange bird creature was studying her intently. “You’re not Yuuzhan Vong are you?” Aari asked looking behind her. “You never told me why you come here.” Aari looked back startled. She had almost forgotten about that. “I—I come here because it’s the only place I can go without drowning.” Aari admitted. When the bird looked down at the water she continued. “Not by the water. I mean—everyone else. Its like they’re trying to, pull me under, and make forget who I am. I can feel them, inside my head, screaming and crying but I can’t make them stop.” “Mum said that I was special, just like her. That one day I could go to this special school with people like me. She said that she went there once to learn how to control her gift but left when she had me.” Aari said. “That gift you have, may I see it Aari?” the bird creature asked. She wanted proof from what she suspected from her earlier encounter with the girl. “I can’t use it a lot anymore. I can’t find anything here that will work. But I can do this.” Aari said, pulling out a shiny comlink she had found on the ground while changing bandages. She held it in the middle of her palm and it floated up in the air. Aari focused on it and sent it flying towards the strange creature and it went in circles around her. Aari loved playing with it while no one was around. She was going to show Jacen but--- Suddenly something far stronger than her ripped the comlink from her control. She gasped in shock as she looked at the bird creature. She almost fell off the crab in fear when she felt how powerful the bird creature was, the energy around her was overwhelming. She wanted to run away, far, far away but she didn’t. She swallowed, watching as the bird, just as it appeared, disappear from her senses. “You—you—what are you?” she asked in a trembling voice. “I’m Vergere. What are you?” Vergere asked, her head tilt to the side. Her feathers turned to a deep red, like blood. It gave Aari an uneasy thought of blood. “I’m Aari.” “And who is Aari?” Aari decided to share the secret she kept hidden from everyone, even Jacen. About that night when Vergere came. “Dead but I’m still Aari. I know I died that night and I'll never be brought back to life. Life can't be like this. Not this. People shouldn't have to suffer like this. Its not right.” "Maybe it is. But who says that you have to suffer like you have? Why not change?" Vergere said. "You're so young. It's a shame that you don't belong among others like yourself." "I belong--" Aari paused thinking hard before it came to her, her eyes widening as a thought came to her. Vergere was like her. She saved her, brought her back, maybe only to appease Jacen but maybe, she could teach her to disappear so she wouldn’t be drowned out by the agony of the slaves around her. She could even help Jacen! Vergere seemed to like Jacen and from what Jacen told her, she keeps helping him. Even when she appeared for that short time, Aari could feel that Vergere really cared about him. “I belong with Jacen but right now, I’m yours.” Vergere’s lips curled back in a small smile. “That you are. Come along, I have much to show you and little time.” Aari followed after her, skipping on the rocks before stopping and looked back towards the hive island where Jacen set up his camp for the wounded and dying. She made a promise, a vow to return to him again before she chased after Vergere. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ “You are such a child Aari.” Darth Caedus said, pushing her away from him, purposely using her former name in disgust. “You never learned to let go.” “Wrong Jacen.” Aari said in return, earning a hiss as she used his former name. “I learned to live again after all this time.” “Perhaps I should return you to the ground.” Darth Caedus raised his lightsaber. With a flick of her wrist, Aari’s lightsaber returned to her hand, its blade red and humming with energy, casting blood red light over her face as she brought it close, one hand holding the blade and the other in front of her like a shield. “Not before I do the same to you Master.” They charged each other with their blades, meeting halfway in a clash of light and sparks. -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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Flowerlady Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 7/8/07 6:32pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	I really like this. I love the way you worked the Nursery from Taitor in to this and into Jacen's eventual fall. I really like Aari, (the little girl) I just want to cry for her and the horrible life I'm sure she lead. Wonderfully written and even though you jump from not only POV but timeframe, it is easy to follow. If you do PM's may I have one when you update please. FL -----signature----- I used to dream of Kyp or Jag, now it's Edward Cullen...I blame Cyn and Saber.. Master to DanaeMariSkywalker, JediMasterArmada and PHGS_Weyr
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 7/10/07 11:22am Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Aari decided to share the secret she kept hidden from everyone, even Jacen. About that night when Vergere came. So not good an idea. I love how you show us the present and past this way. Wonderful post!! -----signature----- Still crazy after all these years.
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YodaKenobi Title: TFN EU Staff Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 7/12/07 11:39pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	grunting as his arms met her vonduun crab shielded forearms. Interesting little detail there I guess she picked up something for her Yuuzhan Vong imprisonment. He had taught her everything he knew. Classic Sith Lord mistake I became sick. Though the poison from the immature amphistaff wasn't deadly yet, it was grown enough to cause serious harm. My systems were failing slowly but surely and there wasn't anything you could do. But it didn't stop you from trying. Over the days, you cared for me, talked with me and give me food and water while also tending to the other injured and sick. So she was one of the slaves Jacen cared for in the Nursery I liked that you had Vergere helping her. With the revelation that Vergere was setting Jacen up this whole time with Lumiya, it makes an interesting twist that she had sort of chosen an apprentice for Jacen too. She cried, pleading with him to not send her away again. She wanted to stay near him because he made her feel safe and needed; he made her forget for a while that she was trapped in a hellish world where nothing made sense. She needed him. Really sad when you think about how he'll probably abuse that trust later “I’m Vergere. What are you?” I was reading some of Traitor last night Love that. “I belong with Jacen but right now, I’m yours.” Bad idea With a flick of her wrist, Aari’s lightsaber returned to her hand, its blade red and humming with energy, casting blood red light over her face as she brought it close, one hand holding the blade and the other in front of her like a shield. “Not before I do the same to you Master.” They charged each other with their blades, meeting halfway in a clash of light and sparks. Wow Awesome descriptions of the duel! Great post again, ispeaknotruths This is really fascinating. I love all the Traitor scenes and the amount of detail you managed to stuff in there. Very well written I feel so sorry for Aari She seems doomed from the start. But the part about "living again" give me some hope. Maybe she's not killing Jacen to become the Sith master after all Can't wait for more -----signature----- FADA Therapist The Lands of the Dead: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28522077/p1/ Blood Trail: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28636429/p1 "We're Jedi, not assassins."— Anakin Solo
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ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/14/07 3:06pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Flowerlady: Thank you for commenting! I'm glad you like it. Aari is very loveable right now, maybe not so much in the future because really, who has heard of a loveable Sith?! I'll add you to the PM list so you won't miss any of the excitement coming up. Healer_Leona: Being around Vergere is never a good idea but as it is, she's the only one who can come and go as she pleases! Plus, Aari is only a young girl, she doesn't know better! YodaKenobi: Believe me, she picked up more than armor from the Yuuzhan Vong which you'll see in the next chapter. He had taught her everything he knew. Classic Sith Lord mistake For a Sith, survival is everything so you really have to teach your pupil everything you know or the line will die out. I liked that you had Vergere helping her. With the revelation that Vergere was setting Jacen up this whole time with Lumiya, it makes an interesting twist that she had sort of chosen an apprentice for Jacen too. You know what they say, get them while they're young. Plus Aari didn't know anything about the Force, about Light or Dark except from what her Mum told her, so that leaves her WIDE open. She cried, pleading with him to not send her away again. She wanted to stay near him because he made her feel safe and needed; he made her forget for a while that she was trapped in a hellish world where nothing made sense. She needed him. Really sad when you think about how he'll probably abuse that trust later Oh its gonna be bad, maybe not in the physical sense but you'll see what I mean later on. “I’m Vergere. What are you?” I was reading some of Traitor last night Love that. I totally LOVE Traitor! Which is how this story sorta came to be. Oh and the whole Legacy storyline. Show of hands who didn't see this coming from miles away! “I belong with Jacen but right now, I’m yours.” Bad idea Or good idea. Let's go with the good idea. With a flick of her wrist, Aari’s lightsaber returned to her hand, its blade red and humming with energy, casting blood red light over her face as she brought it close, one hand holding the blade and the other in front of her like a shield. “Not before I do the same to you Master.” They charged each other with their blades, meeting halfway in a clash of light and sparks. Wow Awesome descriptions of the duel! I'm an action junkie. So I tend to write alot of action scenes that are seriously lacking in today's movies. Great post again, ispeaknotruths This is really fascinating. I love all the Traitor scenes and the amount of detail you managed to stuff in there. Very well written I feel so sorry for Aari She seems doomed from the start. But the part about "living again" give me some hope. Maybe she's not killing Jacen to become the Sith master after all Well as you can see, she took her first step towards the Dark side without even knowing it. Maybe later, when she's older she'll realize it, which it looks like she did when she faces Darth Caedus later on. Maybe she saw the light, now I wonder what that could be? Can't wait for more Don't worry, that time is coming very, very soon. So everyone keep your eyes peeled and just your PM box!! -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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ispeaknotruths Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 7/21/07 3:34pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	Chapter Three: Crossing the Lines ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The fight was brutal and without rules. It was pulsing with Force energies, large and small as the fighters used it for their own twisted uses. The ground was torn up as they grabbed the rocks lying under the surfaces, activated the defense systems hidden out of sight but not out of mind. Pew-Pew! Pew-Pew-Pew! The air came alive with blaster fire, forcing the fighters to not only avoid the other’s blade but the energy blasts as well. Aari flipped back with one hand, using the Force to keep her balance and to warn her of oncoming blaster fire as she sliced through the guns with her lightsaber. Darth Caedus twirled his lightsaber around him, deflecting the blasts back at the guns. He kept a close eye on Aari as she sliced through the last of the security guns, noticing how calm she looked, how at peace she seemed through the whole chaos of the fight. Like a dancer, she graced the fight of her life like a passionate lover. She attacked him. With a burst of Force aided speed, she launched herself at him like a rocket, her lightsaber posed to stab him through. He stopped her with his own blade, holding it out like a shield, never blinking as the blades met with a fiery clash, sparks of energy erupting from the blow. Even though he braced himself for the blow, they had slid back some feet before they found purchase on more solid ground. They were at a stalemate, neither backing down and each pushing harder to overcome. “Give it up Aari.” Darth Caedus sneered. “I’ll never give up.” Aari said. “You’ll never win against me.” “I don’t have to win. Just stop you.” “You won’t succeed.” Darth Caedus called on the Force to overwhelm his apprentice, gaining more strength to push her blade down near her neck. Aari felt the heat of the blade, her skin burning under the red lights. With a simple move of their blades, her head would be cut off. “I’ve never failed before Master.” She said with a smile. She sent out a gentle pulse which surprise Darth Caedus for a moment before his danger sense shot up. A barge of buzzing came from behind him and he took a chance to glance behind him and saw that a nest of buzz wasps flying straight at him. He turned back to Aari, who still had a smile on her face and grew angry. He let that anger overwhelm him and with it, he summoned a burst of energy, to knock her lightsaber aside and kneed her in the gut. With her off balance, he slapped her across the face, picked her up by her neck and threw her some meters away into some poison Ithorian rose bushes. Millions of thorns that were tipped with poison that could cripple a Wookie with a single poke, it was one of the deadliest and most beautiful plants in the galaxy and long thought to be extinct when the Mother Jungle of Ithor was destroyed. It was a gift she offered her Master from one of her many trips out. Aari thrashed in the bushes as her skin was pierced by the thorns and crawled out on bloodied hands and knees, losing her robe in the process as Darth Caedus fought off the buzz wasps in the distance. Already the poison was attacking her nerves, forcing them to freeze up and shoot out painful shocks that sent her into convulses. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Pain was nothing new, even before I left with Vergere. As a child trapped in the Nursery, I knew about pain, if not personally but because of my empathy through the Force. Each attack, each wound and each shock from the slave seed inside the slaves was like an attack on myself. I searched my body for the wound that wasn’t there and I sometimes found myself following the commands of the dhuryam before the link faded. Those were merely pinpricks of a needle compared to what Vergere did to me in the name of helping me to help you. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ It was a child’s dream. A dream where there were no monsters. No pain. No suffering. Safe in the safe comfort of their loved ones, a child will know no fear. No hate. No sadness. That is the magic of a child’s dream. “Gotcha!” Aari squealed as her Mum’s arms came around her waist before being lifted up and twirled around. They turned around and around before coming to a stop, giggling and laughing all the while. Both wore light colored robes and were walking along in Aari’s favorite garden on Coruscant. Aari looked at her Mum, studying the bright violet eyes like her own and the clear tan skin and the wide smile that was slightly off centered. Black hair tumbled in curls around her shoulders as her Mum swung her up to her hip. “Mum!” Aari protested half heartedly. “I’m not a baby anymore, I can walk now.” “You’ll always be my baby luv.” Her Mum said with a slight pout. “Can’t you just be my little girl just a bit longer?” “Sorry to say, it’s not possible.” A deep voice said from the side. That even though the world is falling apart, here they are untouchable. Invincible. Aari turned in her Mum’s arms and her eyes lit up. “Jacen!” “Hello Aari.” Jacen stood at the edge of the garden, content to remain where he was. He wore light brown robes, his hair was pushed back from his eyes and he smiled, wide and lopsided. He held out his hand for her. “Come. I have something to give you.” Aari moved to jump down but her Mum’s arms tighten around her. She looked at her Mum in confusion. “Mum? Let me go, I have to go to Jacen.” “Don’t go pet. I beg you, stay here with me.” She said to her little girl, her eyes dark with worry. “Going with him will only bring you pain and sadness.” “Aari.” Jacen called for her again. “Coming!!” she yelled back over her shoulder before turning back to her Mum. “I love you Mum. I will always love you. But I can’t stay with you. You’re my past.” Her mum let her go, her arms falling limply to her side as Aari headed towards Jacen. “And he’s my future.” So what happens when that dream becomes a nightmare that mirrors the world outside? The sky darkens around them and the smell of sickly sweet rotting vegetation filled the air as she reached Jacen’s side. She grabbed his outreached hand with her own and the world around them changed to that of the alien prison that kept them. The air filled with screams and moans of the slaves around them. When does dream and reality become so immerse with each other that the line that divides them begins to fade? Aari smiled up at Jacen. “I've already seen this. I know this place.” “But you’ve never seen it like this.” Jacen said, letting go of her hand. Aari reached for it again but he stepped back from her, always out of her reach. “Like what?” “Like a slave.” He said, pointing at her. Aari looked down and saw that she wore a robeskin and that on her chest, there was a 2 inch scar that she knew many of the slaves had. It was the entry point of the slave seed. Her heart lurched in panic as she looked up at Jacen only to see that he disappeared. A bright hot nova exploded in her chest and spread through her body. “AAAAHHH!” Aari screamed as her nerves were set afire. She jerked forward only to be held back by thick vines that moved to tighten around her wrists and ankles, holding her painfully tight within the Embrace. Vergere sat nearby, watching as she thrash against her prison before Aari succumbed to the Embrace once again, still fighting a bit weakly. A sly smile curved her beak as she felt Aari disappear from the Force once again. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ A nest of buzz wasps was disturbed and coaxed to attack. Their dead and dying were lying on the ground, fluttering their wings uselessly as they were trampled by the man they attacked. Darth Caedus bore a few sting marks on his face and neck; his black robes were shot through in several places and were smoking still around the holes. He bore a burn scar on his cheek from a lightsaber. If he looked bad, Aari looked just a bit worst. He walked towards her curled form intent on finishing her off when she glared up at him. “Simple tricks.” Darth Caedus sneered at her as she stood to fight him again, bearing the marks of tiny pin holes in her skin. He could sense her disappearing from his senses even though she stood right in front of him. “Tricks you’ve never mastered.” Aari said, wiping the blood from her cheek, concentrating on counteracting the poison in her system. It took effort to remain standing but she had learned from the best. “Vergere didn’t seem to think you worthy.” “She was a fool.” Darth Caedus hissed in anger at the teacher who left him incomplete. “And so are you.” Aari said, breathing heavy as she fought the poison. She needed to buy time. If her Master attacked now, she would be defenseless. “You risk everything and gained nothing in return. This is all you are. Alone, twisted with false truths—your pride had blinded you to everything except your own selfish needs.” “And you, Aari, were a deluded little fool. You follow me to your death and beyond.” Darth Caedus sneered as he took a step towards her. “Blinded by the hope that one day I would be yours.” He took a step closer, his eyes cold and fierce. “I. Will. Never. Be. Yours. But you will always be mine.” Aari came back into the Force, flooding his senses with anger and hate and cold sorrow. She rushed at him, jumping off the ground with her lightsaber in her hands, wanting to shut him up, to silence him forever. And yet she held back. Although this was her fight to end him, there was still the deeply embedded urge to protect him. It was an urge that had been beaten into her from the day she followed Vergere out of the Nursery and into the Embrace. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ She sat in the garden, singing and weaving some red and white flowers she picked into a crown to wear. Two crowns were already made and sat on the soft ground besides her while she wore one on her head. She wore a white outfit, a sundress that was given to her on her birthday some years ago. Her hair was loose, flowing down her back, reaching the middle of her back and slightly curled at the end. “And now, I'll stop the storm if it rains I'll light a path far from here I'll make your fear melt away And the world we know disappear.” “Aari!” she looked up as the voice broke through her song. “It’s time!” “I’m not done yet.” She said, her fingers still making the crown. “Can’t I stay just a little bit longer?” “It’s time.” She sighed in disappointment, looking at her half woven crown in her hands. It wasn’t done yet and now she feared that it would never be. But she was so close! The temptation to stay and finish was strong but when she felt the light brushing of a clawed hand touch her face, she looked up to see Vergere standing in front of her. And instead of the garden near home, she found herself in some kind of oddly distorted chamber, the walls heaving and moving as if it were alive. “It’s time to go Aari.” Vergere said. “Jacen needs us.” Aari tilt her head to the side before dropping the writhing vines she had been weaving. They were the bonds that had held her prisoner for the long weeks since she left Jacen. They hurt her but over time with Vergere’s teachings, she learned to overcome. To control. “Ok.” Aari said following after Vergere. They reached the Nursery in record time with the guards sent to protect them from the revolting slaves. Aari didn’t know what to expect when she entered the Nursery again. It felt like lifetimes ago, she was so disconnected to the place. But then again, she felt disconnected to everything around her. The time in the Embrace had torn down the walls of reality and fantasy to the point she couldn’t recall if she was dreaming or awake. As she took in the sight of fires burning throughout the Nursery, the confusion and surprise among the Yuuzhan Vong as they fought the screaming slaves, she firmly filed this under dreaming because this was too wild for it to be real. “Over there.” Vergere pointed to the hive island. “Can you sense something there?” she asked Aari. Aari frowned before closing her eyes and sought out with her senses, ignoring all distractions until she was hit with a wave of pain, causing her to break off the bond out of surprise. She shivered and brought her hands up to her arms. She recognized that presence, from her dreams and from the time before the Embrace. It confused her, that pain and that coldness that radiated from the light that used to be warm and caring. His drive to destroy rather than save filled her with sorrow. “There’s someone there.” Aari said, reaching out with her senses again, this time prepared for the connection. “I believe its Jacen. He’s going after the dhuryams.” “Then we must stop him. Hurry.” Vergere said, heading towards the hive island with the warriors and Aari right behind her. They raced across the Nursery, avoiding the thud bugs, razor bugs and other flying projectiles that were flying through the air. The warriors guarding them hack down more slaves than their entire time fighting in the battlefield. Conflicting emotions ran through Aari as she followed Vergere, trying to ignore the slaves around her and the Yuuzhan Vong as they fought off the slaves. She once lived among them, so long ago, she helped them, and healed them from their wounds. She even cried for them when they died. She paused in her steps when a slave fell at her feet, his body filled with slashes from the amphistaffs and crude tools the slaves worked with. He was still alive, breathing heavily and his eyes were looking around wildly in hopes of some savior. He stopped on her and she sucked in a breath as his lips started moving, but with no sound coming out. No words had to pass for her to know what he wanted. "Ignore them child." Vergere's sharp voice said from ahead of her. "If he dies, it’s for the greater good. It's who he died for that is of up most important." "He didn't want this." Aari said, reaching for him. "He had no choice. The seed---" She reached out with her senses, felt him and started rearranging his very being to bring him back from the brink. "We don't have time for this!" Vergere said impatiently. She coughed an order to the guards. A large terribly deformed hand grabbed Aari around the waist and pulled her off her feet, carrying her off before she had a chance to save him. The link between them broke like glass, slicing into her very being and she struggled to breathe as he faded completely. Just as she was recovering another wave, this one like acid and fire sliced into her gut causing her to scream and lash out. The warrior holding her struggled to hold her still when she went limp, sobbing in pain as she clutched her stomach as she felt the pain race through her entire being. "It burns. Searing into my body." she cried as Vergere came to her side. "I'm dying." "No child not you." Vergere said gently, running her clawed fingers over her face gently. "It's them." "Them?" "Yes. The dhuryams infants are without protection. Jacen has reached them and he will kill them all unless we stop him. He is the link between you and them, what you feel is what he feels from them." "How?" "My dear child, what Master doesn't share all with his pupil?" Vergere stared into Aari's eyes, her black fathomless eyes reflecting the confusion written across Aari’s face. "M-Master?" The word bounced around in her mind. It was just that, a word but for her it was beginning to hold a different meaning. All this time when she was following Jacen around, she didn’t know what to call him. Calling him by his real name didn’t satisfy her after a time and he wasn’t her father so she couldn’t call him that. She wanted, no she needed to give him a title to show how much she respected him, loved him. “Yes.” Vergere’s voice had become low and soothing, hypnotic, drowning out the hellish world around them. “Master. Your Master. Protect him, serve him become everything he needs and give what you can’t.” “With you at his side, he will become more, so much more than I could ever dream.” Vergere stepped closer, her mouth right next to Aari’s ear. “Give him your trust, your loyalty and your love and in return, he will need you like he will need no one else. You will be his entirely.” ‘yes.’ Aari felt it in her very being, the want to be his. Every cell in her body was longing to be his, demanding that she give herself over but there was one part that wanted to remain separate. A warning that if she gave everything, there will be nothing left for her. “Yes.” Vergere smiled as she felt success. She had assured that no matter what, Jacen will continue on his destined path. “Then take your first step.” Vergere pulled away and hopped back some steps. “Kill them.” Aari’s eyes dilated, the purple disappearing into the black as she reached for the amphistaff curled around the unsuspecting warrior’s waist. The warrior gave a bark in surprise but it was too late as Aari took her first step towards being Jacen’s. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ There are some things that a child should never do. Keeping secrets that hurt people, taking a ride with someone they don’t know, making your parents cry and being given a weapon with intents to kill. I was given a weapon and I’ve never let it go. After my first mission, I was never a happy-go-lucky child who loved gardens and smiled on a drop again. I became something so much worst. -----signature----- Fading Starlight - http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=22956516&brd=10477&replies= ============ http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27046597/p1
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 7/21/07 6:02pm Subject: RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
	“Coming!!” she yelled back over her shoulder before turning back to her Mum. “I love you Mum. I will always love you. But I can’t stay with you. You’re my past.” Her mum let her go, her arms falling limply to her side as Aari headed towards Jacen. “And he’s my future.” What does one so young know of the future? “With you at his side, he will become more, so much more than I could ever dream.” Vergere stepped closer, her mouth right next to Aari’s ear. “Give him your trust, your loyalty and your love and in return, he will need you like he will need no one else. You will be his entirely.” ‘yes.’ Aari felt it in her very being, the want to be his. Every cell in her body was longing to be his, demanding that she give herself over but there was one part that wanted to remain separate. A warning that if she gave everything, there will be nothing left for her. “Yes.” Vergere smiled as she felt success. She had assured that no matter what, Jacen will continue on his destined path. “Then take your first step.” Vergere pulled away and hopped back some steps. “Kill them.” My heart goes out to her. To give all the good of yourself over is to always lose yourself. -----signature----- Still crazy after all these years.
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