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Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Flowerlady
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
7/21/07 7:14pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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I feel so sorry for Aari... 
That was a wonderfully written chapter 
More soon...
FL 
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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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YodaKenobi
Title: TFN EU Staff
Registered:
May '03
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Date Posted:
7/27/07 3:13pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Sorry, I'm so late  Been a busy week.
For a Sith, survival is everything so you really have to teach your pupil everything you know or the line will die out.
Yeah, I know. I was just making a little joke
I'm an action junkie. So I tend to write alot of action scenes that are seriously lacking in today's movies.
Awesome 
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.
Very cool  Loving the action already 
“I don’t have to win. Just stop you.”
Interesting  Aari's obviously seen the light if she's willing to sacrifice her own life to stop Jacen.
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.
Geez! 
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.
Wow, that's pretty brutal Very creative though. This can't be the end for Aari 
“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.”
Jacen really creeps me out It's heartbreaking the way Aari pushed her mother aside to go with Jacen
“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.
Great, vivid descriptions
“Vergere didn’t seem to think you worthy.”
Interesting
“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.”
He thinks very highly of himself...
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.
He still has a hold over her
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.
I had a feeling it was only an illusion.
“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.
Chilling 
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.
Wonderfully written
What a great post!  I think this was my favorite one so far. The duel between Jacen and Aari was horrifying and very inventive. Loved the way we slip back and forth between flashbacks, and now illusions as well.
Can't wait to see what you have in store for us next
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ispeaknotruths
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
8/3/07 2:49pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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AN:
Hello All!!
Thanx for the comments! *does the snoopy dance*
So the new chapter will be coming pretty soon. The title will be called Betrayal---a simple word that had loads of meaning for the past and the future.
Healer Leona: To lose yourself is to find yourself anew. Aari may suffer now but she will survive and be strong.
Flowerlady: I know it comes off strong at the begining but don't worry. It's not all pain and tears. There will be laughter soon.
YodaKenobi: I loved  writing this chapter, mainly for all the action I put into it. Glad that you love it! So as you can see in the future, Jacen is blinded by his pride while Aari has opened her eyes to the truth of what he really is.
Keep around, I'm sure you'll be please with the next chapter because I am. 
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divapilot
Registered:
Nov '05
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Date Posted:
8/3/07 6:10pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Wonderful story! Sorry I missed a post. You write with such lyricism.
Aari has had such a terrible life. Under other circumstances she would have been a remarkable Jedi, but she was broken with the Vong, like Jacen was. How tragic for her that her love is subverted into serving her master.
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Never tell me the odds. AKL
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ispeaknotruths
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
8/22/07 12:49am
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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AN: Gah! I don't know why but this chapter was kicking my--y'know. I call this a standalone chapter but it still ties into the rest of the story. It's not going to have a flash forward. I tried to add a scene in and it just didn't work.
So. Enjoy this strange chapter of mine and beware, its get heavy in some parts.
Thanx to everyone for hangin' around!!!
= == == =
Chapter Four: Betrayal
= == == =
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.
Keep going.
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.
I know it hurts. It’s too loud.
In. Out. InOutInOutInOut.
It’s too fast. It’s cold against your skin but you have to keep breathing. Don’t ever stop.
InOutInOutInOut.
Don’t ever stop breathing.
You have to survive.
A deep ache had been burning into Aari’s lungs as she sucked the air in from around for a long time now, panting as if running a race. She didn’t know how long she had been breathing like this and didn’t care. Curled into a tight fetal position, her arms thrown across her eyes, she laid thinking of how she ended up here.
You know how you got here.
Her hands fisted into tight balls of anger as she thought of the creature responsible for her entrapment and for the loss of Jacen. For the pain and the sorrow. But most of all the fear that she had trapped her in. She took Jacen away and left her behind!! Worst, she sent her out to the black nothingness.
That’s right.
Don’t open your eyes. You won’t like what you see.
Aari squeezed her eyes shut tightly until blood started dripped from her right eye like tears as she pulled her body closer as if to hide. Eventually she passed out from lack of air as she had drew her knees to her chest that made it difficult to keep breathing like she had.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
He stood on the very top, his arms high above his head with the amphistaff blade pointed down, ready to plunge the blade down and kill the monster that created this world. His name is Jacen Solo and he’s the only one for her. Nothing to it, she would follow him anywhere.
They were in the Nursery, a place where the monster men called the Yuuzhan Vong had raised twelve giant creatures that were monsters as well called dhuryams. They controlled the Nursery through telepathy and through slave seeds planted into each slave that caused them incredible pain if its orders weren’t followed.
To everyone not a Yuuzhan Vong, this was hell. To live day after day in pain, performing meaningless tasks over and over again until you dropped from exhaustion or die from the native wildlife. Death was the only way out--sometimes not even that. It could have gone on forever until Jacen attacked. He had created a bond with the one of the monsters, in fact the very one he stood over. They came up with a plan to free the slaves. By killing the rival dhuryams, this one would be given complete control over everything.
Only once Jacen started, he didn’t stop nor did he seem to care who he killed. He cut down shaper, warrior and slave alike in his mission to reach the hive island. Now he stood over the very last dhuryam, ready to kill it. But if he did, then he would have killed the very people he was trying to save.
Worst, he would be killing himself. And Aari couldn’t have that. Using the skills taught to her by Vergere, she reached out to him, invaded his thoughts and fought through the barriers in his mind. She felt like her head was going to implode as she broke through the barriers, felt the blood flow from her nose as her knees weaken.
Dig deeper, go inside and pull out the one thing that means most to him. Use it. Stop him.
“Jacen don’t do it!”
It was her mouth that moved, her lips that formed the words but it wasn’t her voice that came out. It was deeper, older and husky sounding. Out of all the voices that filled the air, it was this one that made Jacen pause.
It was enough time for Vergere to scramble up the hill to talk with him. Aari crawled over the bodies as they talked, on hands and knees she made her way to the top, her head throbbing. She watched as Vergere give Jacen a choice and watched as he chose and went to stab the infant dhuryam.
Vergere grabbed his face between her hands and he went down slow. Aari reached his side as he went unconscious. He didn’t even know she was there.
“Jacen! Jacen!!” He didn’t respond, his body limp and heavy as if he were dead. The only thing that comforted her was the Force telling her that he was alive.
“What did you do to him?” Aari cried, shaking Jacen’s limp form. “If you hurt him, I swear I will---“
“Do what child? Avenge him?” Vergere said in a mocking tone. “I have no qualms against your loyalty but right now they do nothing for him. We must take him away and off the seedship before the Yuuzhan Vong arrive. So stop your pathetic sniveling and protect your Master.”
Aari glared at Vergere who just stared back with her fathomless eyes. With one last soft caress of Jacen’s cheek, she reached over and picked up the amphistaff that Jacen carried, and stood in front of Vergere and Jacen against the wall of warriors that had come to quell the rebellion.
It became a slaughter.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It’s so cold.
Of course it’s cold. We’re in the nothingness.
Aari shivered, her whole body shaking, partly from the chilled air and partly out of the fear of what she would see if she were to open her eyes. Of what was around her. Her skin felt as if insects were crawling all over her. In fact, there was. Tiny spider-like creatures skittered about over her body, their tiny feet feeling like pinpricks on her skin. Sometimes they bit into her and the wounds they left behind itched but she didn't have the will to scratch. She didn't know how or why they were here, only that they were and that she wasn't totally alone.
I don’t like it here. I want it to go away. I wish that it weren’t so cold! I wish it weren’t so quiet!
If wishes were shadowmoths---
shut up.
--then the air will be filled with moonsongs.
“I said shut up!!” Aari screamed out of nowhere, sitting up with her eyes open. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
Oh you did it now. You opened your eyes and now here comes the---
Aari screamed and screamed and screamed as she took in the sight before her. The vast nothingness of space, the deep black blue sky with small beads of light eons away that were cold and impersonal. She scrambled back away from the scene only to hit her back against a wall. She didn’t dare look back, already knowing that she would only see endless space there too.
Foolish girl, I told you to keep your eyes closed. You’ve lived in the mid levels of Coruscant your whole life. You’ve been surrounded by building and where people, aliens and droids are everywhere you look. There is never a time that you’re not alone when you’re out of the safety of home. It’s rare that you experience the sunlight on your person. You may see some sky in the small spaces between the tall buildings if you know where to look and if you spent all your time looking upwards.
Aari dry sobbed and curled back into her protective ball but it would never erase the fact that she traveled alone in a small pod that had see through walls. Everywhere she looked, she would see space. The vast never ending nothingness. This open space frightened her. This silence was deafening. And this loneliness she felt was overwhelming.
It scared her beyond thought and reason. And the more frighten she was, the more angry she got at the one who put her here. The Betrayer.
Vergere.
~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Vergere! Wait for me!” Aari yelled as she scrambled after her and Jacen. Jacen was unconscious still so he was thrown over Vergere’s shoulder like a sack. The Nursery had started shaking uncontrollably as the dhuryam took control of the ship. The surviving slaves were skittering around like insects, certain that this was the end of everything.
And maybe it was. Aari riled against it. She was close to Jacen again, and nothing was going to keep them apart. She’ll face the whole Yuuzhan Vong army if she had to, even the other slaves, just to stay with him.
“Vergere, you’re not leaving me behind!” Aari reached Vergere’s side when a piercing scream filled the air as a slave ran towards them; his eyes open wide and drool on his lips. His fur was sticking out in all places, standing on end from the all fear and pain he had experienced since his capture.
He had broken under the barbaric pressure of the dhuryam’s control, the constant pain of the slave seed and finally under the outbreak of violence that erupted in the Nursery. He held a large cleave in his hands, swinging it wildly side to side, unknowingly hitting the other slaves that tried to escape from his mad run.
He turned this way and that way before he found himself in front of Vergere and Jacen, his chest heaving. He rose the cleave high above his head. Aari felt the world sudden slow, as he swung the cleave down towards Vergere and Jacen. Vergere struggled under Jacen’s limp weight, unable to move fast enough to escape the path of the cleave which was heading straight for Jacen’s head.
“NOO!”
Aari didn’t think, only reacted as she threw her body in front of Jacen’s. A blinding white hot pain struck her, forcing her back some steps before she swung the amphistaff she held in her hands. She felt it connect and the cry of pain from the slave. Her world went blood red and spotty as she struggled to remain standing, pressing her palm to her face. Vergere shouted something at her as she fell to her knees, before it went black.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
She stared into the black through a haze, barely breathing. Time had no meaning here, floating in the nothingness of endless space. This way and that way, it made no difference. Nothing mattered.
So you’re giving up.
The quiet. The numbness of her own body. The lack of thought.
You can’t give up.
It was a strange sense of peace, like being covered in cold damp blanket. It reminded her of when the pollution sank from the upper levels on certain days. A dirty haze that blurred the lines of buildings and dimmed the artificial lighting. Only there was no smell, no warmth, no buildings and no light---
Jacen didn’t give up.
"I’m not Jacen."
But you’re his.
"He’s gone."
You can find him again.
"Why don’t you leave me alone?"
Because we need you to survive.
"We. We! WE, WE! There's no we, there's just you and me! And I even don't know who or what you are!"
You know, you just can't see. You will find nothing in me.
"I hate you."
Good. Use it.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
She had awoken in a small unfamiliar alcove that wasn’t in the Nursery. Jacen lies next to her, his chest rising and falling with each breath he took. She watched him breathe for a while when a sharp pain alerted her to small spider-like creatures crawling on the right side of her face. Most of them were bloody and eating bits of something.
She went to slap them away but Vergere held her down. “Don’t move child. Let them do their job. They’re giving you a reward for your loyalty.” Vergere crouched next to her, in a strange caring motherly fashion.
Aari frowned, confused as the pain increased until it was like a fire licking at her face. But she remained still on the bed until they started moving away and Vergere placed a cloth over her face. “There now, it will take time for your mark will heal.”
“My mark.” She repeated, gingerly touch her face. With trembling fingers, she reached up to touch her face but at the last second pulled back. She wasn't brave enough to know.
“Yes. You’ve proved yourself. You should be very proud.” Vergere cooed to Aari as she stood up. "Now its time for us to go. This ship will land soon and we need to be off before it does. The Yuuzhan Vong hunt for us."
“Where are we going?” Aari asked.
“Silly child, who said anything about you coming with us?” Vergere chuckled.
A shot of dread shot through Aari as she realized that Vergere meant to leave her behind. “No.” she whispered.
“You are in no condition to come with us. You’ll only slow us down.” Vergere said ruffling her feathers as if insulted.
“Please. Please, don’t take him from me.” Aari said weakly, her hand reaching out for Jacen. His face was just a hair breathe from her fingertips but she had no more strength to keep reaching for him and her arm fell limp at her side.
"This pod will take you to safety." Vergere continued as if she hadn't spoken. "These spider creatures will tend to you for some time."
“If you want to prove yourself worthy of him, survive. Learn what you can and come back when you’re ready.” Vergere said gently. “Survive Aari and you will meet him again.”
A pain unlike any other ravaged her spirit as Vergere carried Jacen out of what she now realized was a small escape pod meant for only for her. As the door sealed itself shut behind them, she closed her eyes from the pain of the betrayal that roared in her.
Her nails dug into the flesh of her palm, creating little half circles that bruised despite the little strength she had. A whimper fell from her lips as the pod was ejected from the ship and she felt the shift of gravity as the pod shot through endless space, taking her farther away from Jacen.
She turned over on her stomach, the cuts and bruises protesting in her movements and the spiders chirping in distress, biting into her skin as she crawled to the small window and looked out. She was falling, and the sky twirled outside, blurring the stars.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
She floated.
The gravity of the pod had gone out some time ago, so now she floated, never touching the sides of the pods, drifting side to side, up and down. The spiders now jumped from her to the walls of the pod where they had made a nest. She had watched them for some time before she realized that they were feeding from her. The thought should have disgusted her but in a way, it made sense.
In here, there was no source of food. Whatever their natural prey was, there was none here so they made use of the only thing there was to eat. Her. They used everything that came from her, her sweat and tears to her bodily wastes for food or for their nests. Like the robeskin she wore, they ingested what she produced and in turn, they tended to her like they would a garden.
The bite marks that itched were where they injected her with nutrients from their own bodies that kept her alive. After all, there was no food, and no water in the pod. Apparently, Vergere had either forgotten to supply her or chose to set her out without it. Neither one would have surprised her.
But there was only so far they could carry their symbiotic relationship. Her body needed real food.
"hey." she called out, watching as the spiders disappeared and reappeared in their nest. They worked and spun, crawled and jump, in constant motion as they went on with their lives. "You don't care do you? I might die and then you'll be out of a food source. What will you do then? Will you continue on, ignorant of my passing or will you only notice when there is no more food?"
As always, they ignored her.
A dry chuckle burst from her lips and she pushed herself off against the wall of the pod, floating towards the nest. She reached out and a spider jumped from the nest and landed on her hand, crawling up her arm and disappearing under her long hair.
"No. I don't think so. You only live for the moment. What do bugs care about what happens to them the next day?" She twitched as she felt a slight sting at the back of her neck. Without thinking, she slapped her hand down and came back with the gooey remains of the spider. Itching her neck with the other hand, she held out her hand for the rest of the spiders, as they jumped to her hand and started carrying off the remains back to their nest. "After all, its survival of the strong and death to the weak."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Can you feel it?
"Twinkle, twinkle little star---" Aari sang, pushing herself off the walls as she twirled around in the middle of the pod. Her arms moved in the air above her dancing as she sang. "Little banta cub where did you wander?"
"I hear your whispers. Break the silence. And it calms me down."
This peace you've found yourself in. This is it. We've reached it. Listen.
"oooOhooooh." she cooed as she danced to her own songs.
She could feel them. Out there, beyond the walls of her pod and beyond her sight, they were there. All the pain and loss they felt, all the suffering and sadness were like rain in a puddle. Small waves that collided and merged with each other, becoming one and the same.
"Here we go again with the pain I feel isn't real but in my mind
But I find myself in places with names, but not faces.
My memory races at speeds hundred degrees
My soul (it bleeds?) Vergere must have planted this seed."
How could she have been so selfish to think that she was suffering alone? All over the galaxy, people were suffering. Humans, Wookies, Ithorians, Ewoks and countless others, they were crying out. For the loss of loved ones, for the pain of an injury or the shock of destruction of their home. The war was weighting heavy on the galaxy and if nothing was done---then it would break under the pressure.
"Toki wa kumo o tsuku yoo na nami o tate osou yo
Kesarete yomichi o hau koe tachi ni kotaete."
Each wave flowed through her, an ocean of lives she's never known, never dreamed about until now. For every pain and tear, there was laughter and joy. The delight of a hug, the success of a win and the overwhelming gratitude of seeing a loved one return. The simple joy of a smile.
That seemed so alien to her. Bizarre and strange.
Jacen smiled.
"Kienai koe yo ima Yomigaere Chikara e to."
So did you once.
Eons ago.
You can again.
"Like a wounded bird, I endure the rain with grace."
A sudden blast of energy hit her, forcing her from that state of peace. She jerked in the air, lashing out with her arms and legs. She squashed a few of the spiders that were in her away while the others skittered out of her reach until she settled down, gasping for air. She stared upwards, or was it downwards as she struggled to breathe but no matter what it was like she couldn't get enough.
How much air do you think we have left in here? We have been floating for such a long time. Who knows how much longer this pod will live, if it lived at all?
Aari stared at her distorted reflection from the walls of the pod, for the first time, really looking at what she saw. Although her face no longer burned and the creatures no longer had interest in her face, she kept it hidden under her hair. She didn't want to see what was left behind.
Do you wonder if it will still be you? Or will it seem like looking at a whole other person?
Aari crawled closer to her reflection, her fingers tracing the outline of her face. Over the scar on the bridge of her nose and around the melting baby fat on her cheeks, she traced the features of her face, stopping when she reached the right side of her face.
Don't afraid to see your own image.
Aari ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back away from her face. Her eyes shone an uneasy light but her right eye glowed hot like the sun, vivid feral golden yellow. The mark of her loyalty to her Master and a gift from the Yuuzhan Vong.
Is it still Aari?
"For now." she replied. "Ship. Open the doors."
I can't do that.
"Then I will find another way." she said, floating towards the far wall where the spiders had built their nest. Already, they had laid egg sacs and soon the young would be born. And when that happened, they would kill her. Not out of hate or anger but out of necessity. The young would need to feed.
There is no other way. This is all there is.
"I may have been blind but I'm not stupid. Vergere grew you for me. My prison, my cell, my lesson." she replied, tearing down the webbing holding the nest together. The spiders hissed and chirped at her in distress before jumping at her, intending on stopping her from destroying their nest. She killed them without a thought before finally facing the wall behind the nest. It looked the same as the rest, more space, more stars and her dark reflection. But Aari knew better and she brought her fist back before slamming it into her reflection.
How did you know?
"That place I was in, that peace--I felt you then. You're not from this galaxy and yet you exist. Everything is linked. Even you. This eye is my link to you just like Jacen was my link to the dhuryam."
Pain shot up her arm but she ignored it and brought her arm back again. "Jacen is alive. I felt it. He's in agony and in despair but he's alive. I need to get to him. Nothing is going to stop me." she said as she continued to punch the wall.
Not even space?
"This is a lie. I see beyond it now." she replied, her hand bleeding from the broken skin. "Vergere put me here, to keep me away from Jacen. She was a fool. She should have killed us."
She reached inside her, finding that power she held, the one that she shared with Jacen. She could feel him, just at the edge of her perception, blinking in and out, weak but alive. Using the joy she felt, she changed it to power to escape. She slammed her fist against the wall and felt it crack under the force of her blow.
"She said that we would slow her down. But in truth, she was afraid of us. Of what we could do when we’re strong. Of the hold we would have over Jacen." With a Force punch, the wall broke away, the space around her disappearing into a blank screen. She crawled out of the hole she created, the remaining spiders skittering out of the cell and disappearing into the large room of the ship.
"She was right to be afraid. Because when I find her, she's dead. And I will take my rightful place at Jacen's side." She walked towards the front of her new ship before stopping and looked upwards. "Ship."
Yes.
"Don't disobey me again." she said. "Now, take me to the nearest safe planet. I tire of this space travel."
Yes...Mistress.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The pod was only a shell that was a prison. Like the shadowmoth, I had to fight against my fear and for my freedom before I could take flight and sing. Vergere's last test for me.
I passed and in the end I was stronger than before. I had no fear of dying. I had no fear for myself. I had no fear of pain. I had become stronger and more determined to be everything that Jacen needed.
I knew now that he was alive. And one day I will find him and stand beside him as I've always wanted. Through the isolation, I learned to connect with the Force on a whole other level. On my own, I learned to stand and to reach out to others without being told to.
Because for now, I was on my own. But I wasn't alone.
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Flowerlady
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
8/22/07 9:52am
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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How she survived with any sanity is amazing.
Of course she became a Sith so maybe that's debatable.
More soon
FL
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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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SilSolo
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Mar '04
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Date Posted:
8/22/07 2:40pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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at jacen's side/ that's no true sith
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Healer_Leona
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Jul '00
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Date Posted:
8/23/07 2:20am
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Very intense in parts.
Plus She watched him breathe for a while when a sharp pain alerted her to small spider-like creatures crawling on the right side of her face. Most of them were bloody and eating bits of something.
Ewwww!
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I want to swim away but don't know how
Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean
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ispeaknotruths
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
8/27/07 3:52pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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AN:
Flowerlady: Yeah, maybe she lost a bit of something during that time alone. Or maybe she just has a clearer sense of direction and her own ideals. You'll find out the next chapter.
SilSolo: Don't forget she doesn't know what a Sith or what a Jedi is because she's just a kid. But don't worry, she'll find out very soon. But for now her focus is surviving.
Healer_Leona: It may be gross but she got an eye out of it and the link with her ship which happens to be Yuuzhan Vong created. It's what happens when you spend a long time with the Yuuzhan Vong. Nothing ever remains the same.
Okay!! Thanx to everyone for posting!!
The new chapter should be coming up soon with more action and more flash forwards. And plus Aari has her first run in with a familiar NJO character, who helps her in her goal. What character? And what goal? Stick around and find out!!
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YodaKenobi
Title: TFN EU Staff
Registered:
May '03
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Date Posted:
9/2/07 5:49pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Sorry for my lateness
Aari squeezed her eyes shut tightly until blood started dripped from her right eye like tears as she pulled her body closer as if to hide. Eventually she passed out from lack of air as she had drew her knees to her chest that made it difficult to keep breathing like she had.
It must have been so hard for her
Aari glared at Vergere who just stared back with her fathomless eyes. With one last soft caress of Jacen’s cheek, she reached over and picked up the amphistaff that Jacen carried, and stood in front of Vergere and Jacen against the wall of warriors that had come to quell the rebellion.
It became a slaughter.
Wow I always wondered what happened in the nursery after Jacen went down.
Aari dry sobbed and curled back into her protective ball but it would never erase the fact that she traveled alone in a small pod that had see through walls. Everywhere she looked, she would see space. The vast never ending nothingness. This open space frightened her. This silence was deafening. And this loneliness she felt was overwhelming.
That would be pretty frightening for anyone.
It scared her beyond thought and reason. And the more frighten she was, the more angry she got at the one who put her here. The Betrayer.
Vergere.
I guess we know who the source of young Aari's ire is.
Aari didn’t think, only reacted as she threw her body in front of Jacen’s. A blinding white hot pain struck her, forcing her back some steps before she swung the amphistaff she held in her hands. She felt it connect and the cry of pain from the slave. Her world went blood red and spotty as she struggled to remain standing, pressing her palm to her face. Vergere shouted something at her as she fell to her knees, before it went black.
Wow
Aari's devotion to Jacen is total. It's really sad when you think about the way he abuses it in the future.
She stared into the black through a haze, barely breathing. Time had no meaning here, floating in the nothingness of endless space. This way and that way, it made no difference. Nothing mattered.
So you’re giving up.
The quiet. The numbness of her own body. The lack of thought.
You can’t give up.
It was a strange sense of peace, like being covered in cold damp blanket. It reminded her of when the pollution sank from the upper levels on certain days. A dirty haze that blurred the lines of buildings and dimmed the artificial lighting. Only there was no smell, no warmth, no buildings and no light---
Jacen didn’t give up.
"I’m not Jacen."
But you’re his.
"He’s gone."
You can find him again.
"Why don’t you leave me alone?"
Because we need you to survive.
"We. We! WE, WE! There's no we, there's just you and me! And I even don't know who or what you are!"
You know, you just can't see. You will find nothing in me.
"I hate you."
Good. Use it.
This whole section was perfect. I loved the rythmn to it and the way it works in conjunction with Traitor. This is almost a companion piece to that book, and you write Vergere so well.
“There now, it will take time for your mark will heal.”
She turned over on her stomach, the cuts and bruises protesting in her movements and the spiders chirping in distress, biting into her skin as she crawled to the small window and looked out. She was falling, and the sky twirled outside, blurring the stars.
No wonder she hates Vergere  She left her all alone.
"After all, its survival of the strong and death to the weak."
She's got the whole Sith philosophy down...
"She was right to be afraid. Because when I find her, she's dead. And I will take my rightful place at Jacen's side." She walked towards the front of her new ship before stopping and looked upwards. "Ship."
Revenge can be a powerful survival tool.
That was an amazing chapter, ispeaknotruths By far, my favorite yet. Even with the icky spiders
I love the way Vergere tested and used Aari. This is the best characterization I've read of her outside of Traitor! And Aari is such a great OC. You can really see how she was shaped into a Sith now.
Terrific work I can't wait for the next post!
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ispeaknotruths
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
9/24/07 2:59pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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AN: GAAH!! Yeah I know it's been waaaay too long since I've posted (stupid writers block, how I loath thee). So cookies for all!!!
Anyways, I finished up the chappie and I will post tomorrow for sure. Okay?
Thanks for hangin around.
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SithGirl132
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
9/24/07 9:39pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Please add me to your PM list!
The raw emotion in this fic is amazing. You have deftly intertwined Aari into the events of Traitor (best of the NJO!)and her character is superb. I love your Vergere and Jacen as well- it is rare that I see Vergere in a fic, and you have really done her justice.
Amazing story and I will definitely keep reading!
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if loving you is wrong, i don't want to be right
the life of a crazy college student. beware.
give me coffee and no one gets hurt!
Fics in Prolific Writers' Thread.
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ispeaknotruths
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
9/26/07 7:22pm
Subject:
RE: Axiom of a Sith --The Apprentice of Darth Caedus (AU, J/OC, J/TK, Ben, Allana)
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Chapter Five: The Way of the Abandoned
= = = = = =
Aari's lightsaber crossed blades with her Master’s, the vicious clash causing sparks to rise up from the blades and sending a numbing hum up her arms as she held her blade tighter in effort to overwhelm Darth Caedus. As the blades lowered slowly, for a moment she sensed victory until she saw the fatal smirk on his face.
“Tsk tsk. I thought I taught you better than that.” He said in a condensing tone before he dropped his blade low, pulling Aari off balance. She stumbled forward and met Darth Caedus’ knee in the gut. With the low blow, all air left her body and she crumbled to her knees in front of him, her head bent forward as spots swarmed her vision. Darth Caedus sneered at her before grabbing a handful of her hair and yanked her head back painfully. “You fool, you know you could never kill me!” he threw her away from him, using the Force to do so. “I am the only reason you exist!”
Aari slammed against the stone wall, nearly biting her tongue off as the bone jarring slam weakening the already damaged wall, causing dust and small pieces of stone to fall. She sat on the soft grass, her head rolling to the side as she struggled to get rid of the double vision she had, the pain at the back of her head overwhelming her senses. Darth Caedus approached her quickly and slammed the heel of his boot on her left hand, the one holding her lightsaber.
Although she had been expecting an attack, her Master always took a one step ahead offensive, she still cried out as he grounded his foot harder into her hand. She brought her other arm up to hit him off her but he held his lightsaber up to her chin, shaking his head. Painfully, she released her lightsaber and he kicked the handle, sending it spinning away.
“Why do you fight against me?” he asked her, standing over her. His voice was soft, reminding her of the time when they weren’t at war with each other. He touched her face, stroking her cheek like he used to so long ago. Out of habit, she leaned into his touch like a kitten, soaking up the attention. “The war is over.”
She closed her eyes in pain.
The war was never over for her.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
I fight.
That's what I do.
It's what I was trained to do, even if I didn't know it at the time. All I knew is that I couldn't stand by and watch people suffer around me and do nothing about it. Something of you, Master, must have rubbed off on me. I took up a weapon, became a weapon in order to survive--to make sure that YOU survived.
And then--I became abandoned.
What's a weapon without someone to wield it?
Useless.
I was like that once.
I will never be that again.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
While on a planet called Heska IV, she heard that the Yuuzhan Vong had been defeated. The war that had consumed an entire galaxy was over. That had come as a complete shock to her. To her the Yuuzhan Vong were the unbeatable monsters whose touch was fatal and far reaching. So to hear that the war was over and that they had given up and exiled themselves to a living planet had sent a chill up her spine. It made her wonder about what extreme lengths the Galactic Alliance went to, to stop them.
Heska IV was far from the Core, on the outskirts of the Mid Rims yet not far enough out to be considered in the Outer Rims. It was a large unfamiliar planet surrounded by smaller planets, far from anything she knew. It had neither overcrowding cities with towering buildings that reached to the sky nor deep underground cities that never saw the sun. It had cities but they were small and full of life with jungles and animals that she’s never seen before. There were seasons, a long summer and a short brutal winter with intermingling springs and falls.
It was a wonderful place to recover.
If it weren’t for the overabundance of gangs that roamed the streets of the cities and the towns in between, that is and the pirates that flew around the planet. With the Galactic Alliance spread thin over the rest of the war torn galaxy, planets had to rely solely on themselves to bring order and protection. As it was, some planets were so used in having the assistance of the galactic forces, that they had forgotten how to take care of themselves.
So they relied on security-for-hire, gangs, thugs and whoever had the firepower to protect the planet in case of an attack by the Yuuzhan Vong. For a few planets, this worked. When small forces of the Yuuzhan Vong had attacked, they managed to hold their own until most of the population fled to safety or the Yuuzhan Vong were repelled in someway. Sometimes the Yuuzhan Vong ignored planets and flew right by them.
For some, this gift became a curse. With so many heavily armed forces gathered in one place and no one to fight, it soon became a fight to see who could take control of the planet who hired them. The planetary government was either overthrown or were bought off, becoming corrupt and leaving the citizens at the mercy of the gang in charge.
Heska IV was such a planet.
Daily fights and skirmishes were seen overhead or on the streets as rival gangs fought for control. The citizens, who just wanted to live in peace without fear of being attack by the Yuuzhan Vong now had new and many enemies to fear. Even now, as a nearby building was being destroyed by rockets and energy cannons, the fight for planetary control continued. Fire and ash filled the sky as the building fell down, another victim to another chaotic war.
Aari lived among them ever since she crash landed after pirates mistaken her ship for a coralskipper and shot her down three years before. Jumping from shadow to shadow, wearing a small pack on her back and carrying a lamp, she hid from the patrolling gang that claimed the area she lived in as theirs. They had stolen it from a rival gang so there was always conflict between them. People lost their lives in the skirmishes and Aari came close a few times but she always managed to escape.
She hid back in the shadows, switching the lamp off and waited until the gang walked by before jumping down, landing quietly in front of the hovel she lived in. She toyed with the entry before it clicked and beeped, opening the door for her to enter. She crawled through a small tunnel that had little space before finally reached a larger opening that spread itself out to create a two room spread.
“I’m baaack!” she called, clapping her hands together to get rid of red dry flakes on her hands and pulling off her wet cloak, quickly stuffing it in the clothes hamper near the fireplace. She didn’t need another lecture right now.
“Oh Aari, what took you so long dear?” a kindly voice said from further inside. Aari followed the voice to the small kitchen where an old fur covered Yrashu was stirring a pot of stew. “I’ve worried about you.”
“You needn’t worry Yasha.” Aari said, putting her pack on the small table. She hugged the ancient primate gently, snuggling into the green soft fur on her back and tracing the small bare lines on her back, wounds from long ago. “I can take care of myself. And I would never do anything that would jeopardize you.” she said walking around to face Yasha as they spoke. Though capable of vocal speak, the Yrashu used their hands to speak as well. Aari had adopted Yasha's way of speaking, moving her hands as she spoke.
Yasha, the old Yrashu came from the jungle planet Baskarn from the Outer Rims. The Yrashu were Force sensitive primates that lived in harmony with their environment. Baskarn was left alone and the Yrashu were unaware of anyone living off planet until the Rebellion set up base during the Galactic Civil War decades before. The Empire had discovered the base and started attacking.
With the aid of the Yrashu, who had adopted a few of the rebels into their clans, the Rebellion had defeated the Imperial army. Since then, they've had a base set up on their planet and trained soldiers whose specialty were jungle warfare.
“I know child.” Yasha replied, toying with Aari’s long hair. It was so long now, silky soft and dark like the shadows with a few colorful braids mixed in. “It’s not me and you I worry about when you leave. It’s them.”
Yasha felt the flash of anger then sadness come off of the young girl before she turned away, her hair falling over her face. She sighed as Aari once again pulled into herself, hiding from the Force. She always did this when she didn’t want to give away her true emotions.
“They’re thugs and brutes Yasha. They hurt other people for money and power. They break apart families and give out poison in form of drugs.” Aari said softly. Aari always spoke softly when she was really upset, mostly when she talked about how unfair the galaxy was. She saw this world as one of the largest unfairness. Yasha knew that there was one that was much larger and more personal to Aari but she had yet to speak about it. “They deserve what they get.”
Yasha grunted in disapproval, slapping her hands against each other. “Its not that I don’t agree, but there are other ways of making things right. Your way is---”
“Wrong?” Aari challenged, her hands moving in sharp motions. She turned to face Yasha, her eye bright as she pushed her hair out of her face. By human standards, Aari was a very beautiful girl; save for the scar on the bridge of her nose and the pink eye patch on her right eye that was hidden under her long hair. Yasha knew it hid the bright sunburst yellow eye that Aari didn't like other people to see. It made people uneasy when they spoke with her. “I’m not wrong about this.”
“I was going to say harsh.” Yasha replied, dropping her hands to her side. “Did you get what you needed?” she asked, turning back to the stew.
Aari sighed and walked to the table to dig through her pack. “Yeah, I did. I got something for you too.” She pulled out a small glass case and held it out to Yasha. “It’s legit; I didn’t steal it or anything.”
Yasha studied the case before smiling and hooting in pleasure. “Oh Aari. You---“
“I wanted to thank you. For being here and for teaching me---" Aari looked down, toeing the floor with her hands in her pockets. "I know you miss home. I thought this might make it a little easier.”
In the case a small colony of bright blue caterpillars crawled on the leafy greens of a plant. Some were fat and large while others were small and thin. On the sides, a few white silk cocoons sat waiting for butterflies to emerge. Yasha tapped the glass in wonder.
"These are Mmhmm butterflies, from my home planet." Yasha looked up at Aari. "How did you come by these?"
"The Orphans. They--came up with a deal with one of the ships that flies off planet---they collect scraps of metal and savage parts from wreckage and dumps in exchange for passage or to have things shipped." Aari replied with a shrug. "I mentioned Baskarn and the Yrashu, and they came back with this. A cousin of a friend's sister of the ship's engineer is stationed on a planet near Baskarn and while on a retreat, collected insect specimens for study and to keep as pets."
"Give them my thanks when you see them again." Yasha said, putting the glass case down and hugged Aari. "Thank you."
"Anything for you Yasha." Aari said against Yasha's fur. "I don't like it when we fight. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Nor do I." Yasha pulled back, running her fingers over Aari's face. "Come now, its time to eat. You must keep up your strength for the ritual tomorrow."
Aari's eye lit up in excitement and a smile bloomed on her lips. "You mean---you're taking me through the momu?!"
Yasha nodded and Aari squealed in delight, throwing her arms around Yasha again.
Yasha soaked up the joy from Aari, knowing that just a few years ago; she would've never shown such blatant emotion or made contact of any kind for any reason.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It was three years ago, that Yasha had sensed Aari, a ghost in the Force, intangible and unseen yet could be felt if you concentrated long enough. So young yet full of anger and pain, her presence cried out to Yasha whenever she came close enough to the slaver camp deep in the jungles of Heska IV.
Yasha had been a slave then, taken from her planet after the New Republic had fallen prey to the Yuuzhan Vong forces in the Outer Rims. The Yuuzhan Vong had taken little notice of Baskarn, sending out coralskippers to destroy the New Republic base before moving on. With no defenses from outside visitors, the Yrashu and native creatures became fodder. Slavers and pirates had swept across her planet like a virus, capturing and killing her people for sport and pleasure. Yasha was old, and past her prime and yet full of life, living with her Clan of the Jungle Mist located in the high valleys. Though they had lost family and friends to the Yuuzhan Vong, they carried on like the Force wanted them too.
It was over all too quick.
Torn from her family and whisked off the planet with other members from other clans, she fought for freedom. The Yrashu are not meek creatures, nor were they without defenses. In touch with the Force, they raged and howled against the injustice they found themselves in. They fought until they were implanted, branded and sold to creatures they’ve never seen before.
Yasha found herself as a slave on Heska IV under a brutal master who liked the stun whip just a little too much. While out on a forging trip for the camp, Yasha stumbled upon Aari unconscious with a broken arm and bleeding from several cuts on her arms and legs, most notably her hands, like she had crawled out of a wreckage. It looked like Aari had managed to travel some distance before finally collapsing outside a small hole at the base of a large tree.
Afraid to leave her alone, and unwilling to take her back to the slavers camp, Yasha remained with Aari until she woke up some hours later. Aari had been frightened of Yasha at first and then she became defensive, growling and trying to swipe at her with her nails like a feral animal fighting for survival. Yasha had to watch as Aari fought against her, even with the broken arm before she had enough and knocked Aari out again.
Working quickly, she built a small bed of leaves and branches for Aari and then a brace for her arm and gate for the entrance of the hole for cover. She put Aari inside, left food and water before leaving for the camp. She was whipped soundly when she returned and locked away for two days.
The time she was locked away, she focused on the girl she could sense through the Force. The girl was strong, there was no doubt about that, but she kept herself hidden, and that made Yasha wonder why. What had happened to her that made her pull away from the Force? She sent out warm pulses to calm Aari down when she became fearful or upset, letting her know that she wasn't alone.
Aari never responded back.
When she was finally free, she went out to the jungle in search of Aari. To say that she was surprised to find Aari where she left her was a huge understatement. Aari had eaten the food and drank the water but had torn apart the gate that hid her. Whenever Yasha came within reaching distance, she'd move away, refusing to let Yasha tend to her wounds.
The weeks that followed, they had shared an impersonal relationship, at least on Aari's side. Though Yasha had given her food and water, as well as leaving what little medicine she could find in the jungle, Aari had treated her like she would any other unknown animal, wary and cautious. Yasha tried to her best to gain Aari's trust, and to a point she succeeded, but nothing seemed to break through the shield she had built around herself.
Aari would welcome Yasha to her camp, ate food with her and traveled with her when Yasha went in search of food or medicine but she wouldn't speak nor would she let Yasha touch her. They made contact through the Force when Aari allowed it, but that was far and between.
But that changed one night when Yasha had stolen away to visit with Aari. Looking back now, she couldn't understand how she missed the signs that she was being followed by the guards. Had she been so blinded in her good luck of not being seen, of having escaped the camp without any problems, that she become too lenient and led the guards straight to Aari?
Aari was asleep when Yasha came to her camp, but that didn't last long when the guards stepped out of the shadows and fired stun bolts at Yasha. Her roar of surprise and pain had yanked Aari from sleep and she lashed out with the only weapon she had--the Force. She had ripped branches off the trees and sent them flying out towards the danger she sensed. It had taken out majority of the guards quickly but the remaining had shot her as well.
Yasha was on the ground, barely conscious as the guards dragged Aari in front of her, throwing her to the ground rather roughly. The head guard, a vicious man by the name of Axel had taunted Yasha with knowledge of Aari, of having spotted them one day and instantly wanted Aari as his personal toy. Thanks to Yasha, he now had her.
Yasha growled and pulled herself to her full height, refusing to let another girl suffer under his control. Aari may not be hers, but she still innocent in her eyes and she had to do anything to make sure that Aari was safe. Sending out warning pulses in the Force, she told Aari to run, to hide and forget about her, she had to escape. She launched herself at the guards, not caring what happened to herself so long as Aari escaped.
Aari cried out as Yasha was quickly overcome by the guards, although she did take down a few guards before she had fallen. Small hands had caught her as she fell, feeling a sense of joy in knowing that Aari had made first contact and sorrow that it had to be like this. Distinctly through the Force, she felt a great sadness followed by a pulse of warmth, like receiving a wink and a comforting hug before she felt nothing at all.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
You awoke a few hours later, when the planet's sun was rising from east, the air quiet as smoke created a fog around the camp. You were overjoyed in seeing me, and held me close in your large arms, cooing in my ears. Then you sensed the pain coming from the jungle.
You sensed the agony of the animals as they ran to escape the fire that was licking their homes. And then you looked around you and saw what I had done in order to save you. The look in your eyes said it all and I knew that I couldn't stay with you.
Not when you saw me as a killer. You were from a peaceful species and even though all you've been through, you still had some naive look on the world. I had cracked that window and I felt so horrible that I did.
I wanted to leave you then. But you held on to me, letting me see that even though I had done something terrible, that you had looked beyond that to see me. To you I was a girl who had no protection and no one to love.
You gave me that. And I wanted to return it in kind. You, Yasha were one of the best things to happen to me. I wanted you to know that.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The next day, Yasha and Aari started their travel through the city to reach the jungle on the other side. Carrying only a small pack on their backs, they made their way through the twisted streets and the ruins of buildings while avoiding calling attention to themselves from the gangs that roamed the city.
Other people were out as well, going on to their own day to day business. Foolishly brave but safe all the while. Some time ago, someone had miraculously produced a treaty signed by the major players in the running for planetary control that called a cease and desist fire order that came into effect during the day. Business could go on but there was to be no attacks on rival gangs or attacks in the cities. Anyone caught breaking that treaty were instantly dealt with by the other gangs, sometimes very publicly and very violently.
Nearing the city center, the main gathering area for the whole city and one of the safest places, they stopped to take in the sight. Yasha never seen so many people in come together in one area and she was always taken in with awe by how many there was and how comfortable they were with each other. Aari always felt like coming home even when she barely remembered what home was like. She could barely remember her Mum, a fact that cut her deep, much less what it was like before the war.
Yasha had commented that maybe she was so traumatized from the war that she blocked off her own memories to keep them from hurting her. Sometimes when that happens, she blocked off the happy memories as well. It made sense but it wasn’t anything she would talk about. Aari kept mostly quiet about her experiences in the war, offering very little to share. It was why she was alone most of the time, she never met anyone who could say that they shared her experiences.
“Aari!!”
Well, maybe a few.
Instantly, Aari was surrounded by a ragtag group of kids, covered in dirt and wearing worn out clothes, these were her friends. Children who lost family and friends from the war either in battle or from Yuuzhan Vong attacks. A couple of them became orphans on the day their families moved to Heska IV from the surrounding planets. War orphans, abandoned children, abused and used, they ran away from all authorities, unwilling to be sent to poorly run groups homes. Victims and strugglers, they made the worst experiences of their lives into something a little better by becoming carriers, collectors, runners and sometimes public disturbances.
The Orphans, one and all.
“Where you goin?”
“Did you see the fire last night?”
“-here, really really I’ve seen them.”
Aari tried her best to keep the facts straight as the younger members of the Orphans demanded her attention but talking and pulling at her at once. They were so many of them, humans, twlieks, duros, all different aliens from all over the galaxy, whose lives had been change forever by the war. A few seemed to be recovering fine, if the smiles on their faces were any signs.
"Hey! Hey! Back off you lil Rats!" a voice yelled, quickly quieting the kids. Aari looked up to see a boy with light brown hair spiked with grime and dirt, pale white skin with a streak of oil on his left cheek and a crooked smile. He wore a pair of torn, red dirty overalls that spoke of his work. "Give Aari some breathin' room! Hey." he gave her a nod.
"Hey." Aari said with the same nod. "How are things?"
"Workin' along. Some snags here and there but--"
"Oh come on--get to the gross kissy-kissy already!" one of the kids commented. It rose a wave of 'ewws' and 'oohhs' from the group.
Aari flushed pink before pushing at the kid. "Shut up! I'm not goin' to kiss Gill." she denied. "Boys are icky you know that."
"Hey. I resemble that remark." Gill said, wiping at the streak of oil on his cheek.
"Mommy! Mommy's home!"
Aari turned just in time for a little boy with pink hair jumped at her legs, his small arms wrapping themselves her waist tightly as he nuzzled his face in her stomach. "Hello Bry." she said, hugging the boy just as tightly. Bry was the most protected in the group because of his small size and because of his mental state. Adults thought he was crazy, and in a way they were right. Aari just figured that because he called everyone Mommy and Daddy.
Bry viewed the world in a permenant dream state, his words were useless and poetic and he acted without thinking of the danger he put himself or others with him in. And it was because of his Force empathy that he was unable to shut off or control. He saw things, and felt things that no one else could know, no one should know. It was because of this that Aari felt closer to him than anyone else.
"Mommy? The birds and the squrriels chatter and squeak, may I have a peek-a-boo too?" Bry looked up at Aari, a hopeful look on his face as he pointed to Yasha. Several of the kids were playing with her, climbing over her and hanging on as she twirled them around in circles. "Can I Mommy?"
"Good ahead."
His face lit up before he jumped up, kissed her on the cheek and set off towards Yasha, squealing when she picked up him and threw him in the air only to catch him. Aari watched them play, taking in the joy of the sight when Gill walked up, staring at the scene with a calm face.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Yasha is finally taking me through the momu." Aari said, the smile fading from her face. "We'll be gone for the next week."
"That long?"
"Can't be helped. Yasha is an Yrashu and they have their rituals just like any other. Just be thankful that she's taking me at all." Aari said her arms crossed her chest. "She says that there's something dark inside me so she’s been hesitant."
"Yasha is just a stupid ape--" Gill started when Aari snapped at him. "Don't go there!"
He stopped and swallowed. He didn't want to get on Aari's bad side. He's seen Aari's bad side. It was what drew him to her in the first place all those years ago. Gill had just started forming The Orphans when he ran into her, quite literally. He had stolen a basket of bread for the kids to eat and the ruling gang in that area had started chasing him. He wasn't watching were he was going when he ran into her, knocking them both off their feet as the bread scatted on the ground. The gang caught up and started beating on him and hassling her, thinking that she was with him.
He didn't remember the exact details, especially since he was having his head kicked in, but he did remember seeing her fighting and thinking that she was the most beautiful thing he ever saw. And the scariest thing he ever encountered. The gang was spread out on the ground, knocked out and laying in strange positions with blood spreading around them soon afterwards. She turned to him, her eyes bright that they seemed to be glowing. He thought he was going to die right there when like a switch she changed.
The kids had come to meet him. It was a small group then, maybe six or seven kids but to Aari they might as well has been an army with blasters trained on her. She stepped back as the kids ran forward to grab at the bread and then him, pulling him to his feet. The kids had gathered around her as well, pulling her into their group. She looked frightened and bewildered as they asked her questions and offered her some of the bread.
And then, she smiled.
And he was doomed to love her even if she gave nothing back. Since that time, she had come and gone from the Orphans. The kids loved her and she seemed to care about them, never minding that they always demanded her attention. It was how he managed to pull her into a fight she didn’t want.
"We can't hold off that long. The gangs know that someone is killing those in power." Gill commented. He gave Aari a side glance. "They're having a meeting somewhere in orbit for some kind of treaty. Its why they attacked the safe house last night."
"I know. I was there." Aari said, thinking of the building that was destroyed the night before. "I escaped and I brought the vitals from the vaults."
"Where--?"
"And I gave them to Bry." Gill shot his eyes to the crowd of kids with Yasha, scanning the group before realizing that Bry had already slipped away. Aari turned towards Gill, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Around them, the sounds of 'eews' and 'ooohs' rose from the kids before it broke into giggles. None of them knew about the true meaning of the hug.
"I like you Gill. Really I do. You take care of the kids, you keep them safe and you make sure that they have a place to sleep and food to eat. But I don't trust you." Aari whispered into his ear. "You brought the Orphans into this war Gill. A war that they didn’t have a choice in or have a reason to be in. Make sure that they get out of it alive." There was a dangerous hint of a warning in her tone that made Gill wonder just how much he knew about the girl | |