Saga A Sacrifice of Youth- Clone Wars/Intertrilogy, OC Jedi, Author's Note, 11/8

FORCEBlLADE, I'll try not to make you wait too much longer. I hope to post this weekend, but DRL attacked me this week.

Remember the end of RotJ, well, Vader should be glad that she's a Jedi and not a Sith.


Thanks

 

UP PLEASE

 

Thanks for the up.

I promise, she'll be back by monday.

 

Chapter 21

The crack and flash of the ion grenade startled Drav awake. Finding his muscles tight, he awkwardly pushed himself up to his knees, and looked around. Everywhere he looked, chunks of cargo crate, refueling carts, and raw durasteel, were strewn in chaos. The fighter Lisea had been looking at before the attack had crashed to the ground, and a blue glow radiated through its hull. Peering over the shipping palate, he saw no sign of Lisea. Tenatively, he called to her.

?Lis? Lis, where are you?? Without a response, he ventured out onto the open platform. Now he could see the true extent of the damage the Jedi had caused. The towering black-armored giant who had attacked them lay immobilized near the damaged fighter. Several small fires burned around the platform.

Cautiously approaching the body, he noticed Lisea?s deactivated lightsaber just in time to avoid tripping on it. He reached down to pick up the strange weapon, and nestled it safely on his belt. Easing closer to the fighter, he stepped nervously around their prostrate attacker; Vader, he seemed to remember from what Lisea had told him, noting a similar electric blue energy discharging through his body. On the far side of the smoking fighter, he found her.

The blast had blown her to the other side of the damaged Eta-2. Lying face down, he noticed the menacing burn that traced around her back. Her clothes were torn in several places, and as he rolled her over, he felt her shallow breaths, her chest heaving for oxygen. A gash on her cheek dripped blood down her face, and with each breath more blood seemed to cough from her mouth.

?Lis, wake up.? He pleaded, wetting her lips with water from his canteen.

His mind seemed to go to lightspeed with worry. He had no experience with injuries like Lisea had suffered, and he seemed unable to wake her. What was he supposed to do if the Imperials showed up, which he had no doubt was only moments away.

?Anakin?? Lisea coughed.

?Lis, its Drav. We?ve gotta get you out of here. I don?t know what to do.?

?Anakin, I?m sorry.?

Ignoring her incoherence, he brushed a strand of hair from her face, and gently spoke again. ?Lisea. Wake up.?

She moaned in pain again, ?Why, Anakin??

Growing impatient with her incoherent cries for another man, Drav raised his voice, shouting as he slapped her cheek. ?Come on Lis, wake up. We?re out of time.?

Shaking slightly, her eyes opened, sparkling as if she?d just had a full night?s sleep. ?Drav, I?m sorry.?

?Sorry for what, you saved my life again. I?m worthless without you. This isn?t a life I understand at all. I can?t do it.?

?I?ve made a real mess of this though,? she retorted, looking over her injured body. Sensing that nothing was too serious, she tried to raise herself, only to realize that her left arm no longer worked. Imploringly, she turned to Drav, ?Can you help me up??

He pulled her torso off the duracrete, being careful to avoid the wound in her back. Finding her feet again, she stood, her left arm limp at her side.

?What happened, now?? he asked, motioning to her arm.

?Ion grenade. That?s what I used to stop Anakin.?

?Who?s Anakin? You were mumbling about him before you woke.?

?Anakin was a friend, and now he?s an enemy. Now he?s Vader.? Resignation was heavy in her eyes, and she looked toward the immobile Vader only a few meters from her.

?You mean he?s still alive?? Drav asked in shock.

Straining in a moment of concentration, the Force answered his question, with her nod. ?He is. But barely.?

Drawing his blaster, Drav made his way toward the Sith.

?No, you can?t. He?s injured badly enough. He?s unconscious. You can?t kill him.?

?He tried to kill you. Why not kill him? You certainly were trying to kill him a moment ago.?

?No, I wasn?t. Jedi don?t kill the helpless,? she added, her right hand urging Drav?s blaster aside. Looking down at Vader, she let one tear escape her eye, only to feel the sting of the salt

 

Great chapter I liked Anakins musings while he lay there maybe there is hope for him yet!

 

Great Chapter thanks for the PM

 

Thank you my faithful readers

I think we know there is hope for him, but the story will fit canon, so lets just say he's not going to be happy when he wakes up as Vader again.

Now the Emperor may have a different take on the whole situation.

 

Great update!

it's rather bittersweet to see Anakin resurfacing-- especially knowing that Vader is going to remain in power for a long time to come.

I'm so relieved that Lisea and Drav made it out of Imperial range for the time being-- they are going to be running for a long time I fear.

I'm looking forward to more, as always

jcs

 

Ohboy, I'd say Vader owes Lisea onenow. Now that she and Drv got out of that mess, where to for them now, hmm?

 

Authors Note:

I apologize to everyone for the delay, but DRL has been a real nasty lately, and gave me a good case of writers block.

Don't fear, Lisea and Drav will be back this week.

 

Okay, we'll be waiing.

 

Chapter 22

The cold steel of the operating suite high atop the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Facility had just been repaired from the destruction caused the first time Lord Vader had been a patient. Needless to say, TwoBeFourOne was not pleased to see the black armored body arrive once more on the repulsor gurney. Maybe it was the programmer?s fault for placing too much empathic programming in the medical droids brains; they always seemed to develop the most pedantic and disapproving personalities. The droid rightly feared the damage he would cause this time. Ushering the patient atop the table, TwoBeFourOne concluded that Lord Vader looked better than his last visit. At least this time he?d had most of his limbs.

After a few hours of work replacing the damaged arm prosthesis, and refitting the artificial lung, TwoBe?s photoreceptors noted the arrival of his only other patient. If the droid had been more familiar with humans he would have recognized the dispeasure on the grizzled man?s face. Noting the expression, the droid concluded that perhaps the Emperor had expected a scene like last time as well.

?My master,? Vader spoke, deep and mechanically from inside his helmet.

?This is becoming a disappointment my apprentice. Did I make the wrong decision on Mustafar, Lord Vader, when I saved your life??

?No, my master. The failings of my new body kept me from disposing of her. It was an ion grenade.?

?Her? So it is the padawan from the Perseverance incident? Powerful she must be to defeat you, a lord of the Sith.? Sidious twisted the phrase ?lord of the Sith? like a vibroblade in Vader?s stomach, the displeasure rippling through the Force. What kind of Sith Lord am I, Vader questioned.

?You are my apprentice, Lord Vader.? Sidious responded, reading even the deepest thoughts behind the mask. ?If you hadn?t been so careless with Kenobi, your body would not be a weakness. How did she live long enough to wound you??

?She is quick, and powerful. She was one of Master Yoda?s students, and her master was also a skilled fighter. Skywalker fought with her several times.? The way he said his old name, like that of another person, allowed him to keep distance from his old life. His old memories were useless, unless the thoughts served his master. He would have to develop stronger shields if he wanted to stay alive.

?You had kept your previous knowledge of her to yourself, why??

?Master, I was not sure that it was her.?

?Use your feelings. The Sith are not different from the Jedi except in our honesty. Blind anger will only get you killed, by the Jedi, or by me.

Vader could sense the lightening crackling in his master?s palms, his vulnerability a shining disappointment in his mind. ?Yes, Master.?

?I want you to find this padawan, and bring her to me. I feel Lisea Venn may be your first true challenge.?

***

Hyperspace had always calmed Lisea?s thoughts. The stars swept past the viewport hypnotically, and her breath stilled in meditation. Drav had collapsed in his crash couch, and slept deeply since the course change they had executed. As a sector capitol, Eriadu was guaranteed to have a sizeable military presence. Looking down at her still inflexible arm, she knew that the longer they could avoid the Empire?s attention, the better.

Now that Drav was asleep she figured that it was time to fix that. Standing she made her way to the stateroom in the rear of the shuttle, and sat down at the desk. Setting her arm out on the desk, and rolling her sleeve up, the laser scalpel quickly opened the access panel on the underside of her prosthesis. The ion grenade had shorted both cells, and Lisea had only been able to find one replacement in the kit. Nestling the cell into the durasteel frame of her forearm just below her elbow, the urge to flex her fingers pulsed along her nerves and crossed the connection point, a bioelectric reaction flipping her slender fingers into a tight fist. The servos clicked back as she op

 

Great Chapter thanks for the PM

 

Great update!

and now Palpatine knows about Lisea and wants her found I have a bad feeling about this...

And the last line ?Like I said, no problem.? So very Correllian of her.

I can't wait to see where this goes next!

jcs

 

Yay! Glad to see an update it's been awhile! I hope we get another one soon any maybe a little longer?

 

comments

G__Anakin: gracias!


jaina_clan_solo:

Palpatine not only wants her found, he's thinking about trading up on someone a little less vulnerable, at least if Vader can't prove himself stronger than she is. As far as Palpy knows, perhaps balance was all the Chosen One was good for?

100% Corellian, and as proud as a Jedi can be!


Peagis:

Thanks. There's certainly a lot of trouble to be found on Nar Shaddaa, especially when it's every bounty hunter in the galaxy's backyard. They may find a few friends too.


Thanks everyone. I'm going to shoot for weekly updates, on thursdays from now on. So I'll see you thursday!

padawanlost

 

Can't wait for that next post!

 

Wow, I feel really irresponsible. I know I said thursday, and here it is early friday morning and no post.

I'm almost done, and promise that I'll get it up as soon as I can.

So, so, sorry. Don't hate me.

padawanlost

 

Chapter 23

A stolen Imperial shuttle would have sent most system?s security forces into frenzy. Nar Shaddaa didn?t have security forces. Each rival gang, crime syndicate or trans-galactic corporation enforced Hutt law with little regard for due process or fairness, as it best served the concerned interests. If you were powerful enough, or dangerous enough, no one could touch you. The Imperial emblem on the wing kept most from looking too closely. It was the few who dared to look that Lisea and Drav had to worry about.

Landing on a planet that had more bounty hunters than criminals should have made Lisea nervous. After her actions on Despayre and Chandrila, she was sure that the price she would fetch from the Empire was worth the potential hazard for almost any bounty hunter to consider. Arriving on Nar Shaddaa should have been the least likely course of action for the young Jedi, but she was counting on their disbelief to give her the advantage she needed. By the time they were looking for her, she would be gone.

Leaving the shuttle locked down, the two humans quickly moved into the depths of the lower city. Nar Shaddaa was a such a common stop on the hyperlanes that no one could look out of place in the crowds wandering through the street bazaars and shops that lined the main promenade through south sector. Lisea?s travel-worn poncho covered her flight coveralls and her lightsaber, and the hood draped low over her face left her inconspicuous and common. Drav hadn?t managed to change clothes since leaving Chandrila, and the dirt and wear from their time on Despayre gave credence to their cover as displaced war refugees; thousands of whom covered the moon waiting for a chance to move on. Drav even seemed comfortable wearing the blaster Lisea had insisted he carry. She knew he would be less comfortable should he have to use the blaster, but Lisea hoped they could meet with her contact and be gone before he needed to.

It had been years since Master Nera had brought Lisea to Nar Shaddaa. They had been investigating a slave trading operation in the outer rim at the time, and despite the disturbing nature of their assignment, Lisea fondly remembered the excitement she had felt on her first major assignment outside the Jedi Temple. Before traveling on to Ryloth, Master Nera had insisted they consult the only information broker that she could trust absolutely. Remembering how her Master had stressed the word ?absolutely,? Lisea hope that the woman still resided on the smuggler's moon. After the escape from Chandrila, it would be months before she might be able to make contact with Drayson or Mon Mothma. She needed answers about Despayre now.

Deep in the durasteel under city of south sector, along a plaza littered with casinos, tapcafs and shops, a small diner hid in shadows, under a broken neon sign. This was the place, Lisea laughed to herself, remembering her disgust at the appearance of the building at the time of her first visit. If anything, the last five years had only made it worse.

?This is it Drav. We?ll go in, get something to eat. This place could be a little rough, so stay close. And please, pay attention to what I do.?

?No problem,? Drav responded, eying the four Gammoreans in the corner booth. The diner had a long counter that followed the stretch of the kitchen into the back of the room. Dim glowpanels lined the edges of the ceiling. A Twi?lek couple sat in the back booth, arguing over an appetizer, while a group of Bothans stood at the register disputing prices with the server droid. Taking two stools halfway down the counter, a young Zabrak male approached them, setting down steaming mugs of caf.

?Thank you,? Lisea replied. Drav nodded.

?Don?t get many humans down here. Especially from the Core."

?You?re perceptive,? Lisea complemented the boy, sipping the first of her caf. ?We?re looking for Onora.?

The boy?s eyes stayed steady on a lone Devaronian, who had just sat down in the first booth behind Lisea.

?She?s not here. The custo

 

great chapter I really liked it!!!

 

Thanks guys

We'll learn a little more about Onora and her business next chapter. We also might learn about some other old friends.

 

Hopefully Onora is a friend and not a foe. Hard for Lisea to trust anyone at thispoint

 

Chapter 24

?Onora, what do you know of the other Jedi that survived?? In the three days that Lisea and Drav had been on Nar Shaddaa, it was the most loaded question that Lisea had asked the older woman. Staring over the promenade from the third floor balcony, they were alone, watching the world pass them. Onora waited, as if testing the Jedi?s patience with her delay.

?So, you?ve discerned that you?re not the first Jedi I?ve helped. Very perceptive.?

?You?re protecting them? From me?? If she hadn?t understood the Zabrak?s logic, she might have been offended. Lisea had already attracted the attention of one bounty hunter during her stay, and the increase in her Imperial bounty would be attracting considerably more interest should she once again show herself. Keeping her contained, Onora kept not only Lisea safe, but any other Jedi also on Nar Shaddaa, Jedi who might be even more important.

?There are more Jedi here on Nar Shaddaa.?

?Yes, and until you can tell me why the Empire wants you alive, I can?t let you put the others at risk.? Her voice was stern, and heavy, but Lisea could feel the emotion behind it, a deep sense of respect and admiration.

?I know Vader.?

?We've established that,? Onora dismissed her, letting Lisea breathe a sigh of relief. ?Does he simply want the pleasure of your death for himself? The thought occurred to me, but I did some investigating. It wasn?t Vader who upped your bounty. It was directly from Palpatine?s office.?

Lisea grew suddenly cold, as if the hand of the Sith had reached out across the stars to caress her cheek, deceptively. Her stomach turned and her face contorted with illness.

?Don?t be sick child. Gero?s cooking is exemplary, and shouldn?t be wasted, simply because the Emperor is a Sith.?

A Sith. How did Onora know Palpatine was Lord Sidious, the hidden Sith orchestrating the entire war, right in front of the Jedi? Lisea looked questioningly toward the Zabrak, who dismissed her glance with the same look Master Nera had always given her when she wanted Lisea to focus. After months without her, Onora?s similarities to her fallen Master were disconcerting sometimes. There was only one advantage that she had over any of the Jedi that were alive. Something that would be very useful to a tyrant bent on galactic domination: battle meditation. ?If the emperor knows about me, then I?m sure he wants to make use of my battle meditation. Not many Jedi can hold the meditation. It was a skill my master and a few others possessed, but they are all gone.?

Onora nodded affirmatively, looking far into the distance. ?Padawan, I do know of more Jedi, but they have become less Jedi, and more rebel. I hope that you can do the same, for it is the only way for you to survive. Go to the north sector, quadrant eight-b. In the municipal docks, you will find a freighter called the Drunk Dancer. Speak with Captian Shryne. She may have work for you."

?The Drunk Dancer. Captain Shryne. Okay.?

?Take Drav with you. You need cover, and most casual observers don?t expect Jedi to have boyfriends.?

Lisea flushed red, and looked away, trying to calm her feelings. The disappointment in Onora?s voice echoed just like her Master?s.

?I was Knighted, Onora, by Master Yoda. He told me that the Jedi had to change. Yes, I have feelings for Drav, but I have not given up on who I am.?

?Of course, Lisea. That is why I told you about the other Jedi.?

***

North sector was far busier than south Nar Shaddaa, and even less reputable. Most commercial shipping slipped out of the northern ports to spread slaves, spice, and contrband across the hyperlanes. The tamest ports were full of bounty hunters, spice addicts, and petty criminals. Such qualities seemed to give any Jedi there the perfect alibi.

Walking the streets of north sector, Lisea felt better than she had in weeks. The anticipation of finding another Jedi was almost a taste in her mouth, and with new clothes from Onora, and a 300,000 c

 

Yay! More jedi are alive WOOT! and joining up with the Rebellion too Awesome!!!