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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Before the Saga From the darkness monsters come... (Evil Unfinished. Tara - OC)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Kit', Feb 14, 2021.

  1. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Title: From the darkness monsters come...
    Author: Kit'
    Genre: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort (mostly Hurt)
    Timeline: Before the Saga
    Characters: Tara Tarindae, Fitz, Master Jed Ky-lann (OCs)
    Synopsis: It was supposed to be a routine mission. It went horribly wrong. Now Tara is lost and alone, without her Master and her sight. Rescued by two other Jedi, she must return to save the one she left behind...

    This will be a few chapters. I'll update over the week.

    Notes: Written for Evil Author's Day. This is unfinished. I started writing this in 2002. The problem was, after the initial premise it never went anywhere. There is no long plot lines to draw it together. So it's languished for close to twenty years on my hard drive. I've blown the dust off and edited out some of the plot holes but don't expect it to go any further...

    If you do have any ideas for a plot, feel free to pitch them. I have to keep moving on Snips and Snails, and USJS and my Kit' long fic, and Only If and Something Wicked...

    But I do want to get back to this.

    One day.

    2040 anyone?
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2021
    GregMcP likes this.
  2. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Darkness surrounded her, encircled her, made her its prisoner and its slave. No matter where she turned, there was darkness.

    Tara leant against the cool stone wall, eyes closed as she prepared herself for what lay ahead. Her moment of freedom was coming. Soon she would escape. Soon she would get help and then she would come back and free her Master.

    She tugged at the collar around her neck. The circuitry had broken that morning, at least she assumed it had been morning. She had no idea of time anymore. The days were only broken up by the sounds of the prison and palace above her changing. The only other thing that ever let her know what the time was, was the -

    The heavy clunk of boots sounded in the passage outside, snapping her out of her reverie. She took a shuddering breath, willing her body not to betray her.

    There was the terrifyingly familiar grate of the key in the lock.

    Tara gripped the shard of rock harder. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was all she had. She opened her eyes slowly. It didn’t make any difference, it was just as dark with her eyes closed as open.

    “Here pretty.” The guard’s voice was gravely and sent shivers of fear down her spine. The door whined on its hinges as it opened. Tara listened carefully to the sound, hoping that he would leave it wide open for once. The door stopped with a groan and tried not to give away her elation. He had gotten sloppy over the last couple of months. The door to the outside was wide open and waiting for her.

    She heard the tink of the metal tray as he put the food down. She feigned indifference, turning her head away to face the wall.

    “Now, now that’s no way to treat me,” the guard protested. Tara’s stomach turned at his voice. She knew what was coming next. It had happened dozens of times since her capture. Only this time he wasn’t going to get that far. She would make sure of that.

    “I‘m sorry,” she whispered as she stood. She tried to make herself look tiny and terrified. It wasn’t far from what she was actually feeling. She waited for the feel of his hands on her body. The Force shrieked in warning and Tara winced as it ran, shuddering through her body. It had been so long since she’d been able to touch it, that it’s return after the break of the collar was almost painful.

    “Now that is more like it. Who's a pretty Jedi then.”

    He pushed her roughly back against the wall. Her back ground against the rough stone and she bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying out. His hand reached to pull at her tunic, but this time Tara was ready for him.

    She shook one shoulder free. The guard brought his hand up to slap her, but she twisted underneath his arm.

    There was a soft, fleshy whump as the shard of rock ripped into his stomach. The guard groaned and clutched at where the rock had landed. Tara lashed out at his legs and she heard him fall heavily. His flailing hand managed to grab her foot but she kicked out. There was a crunch and a groan as her foot connected and Tara smiled to herself.

    He swore at her and she kicked him again and again until he was quiet. The whimpers through the Force told her that he was still alive and Tara narrowed her eyes slightly. Leaving him alive would put her in jeopardy if he was found, but killing him would make her no better than the monsters who had trapped her.

    She shook her head and drew a deep breath, her conscious warring against the overwhelming desire to make sure he could never hurt anyone else. She went to kick him again but stopped herself. She didn’t have time to get her justice, not yet.

    Heart hammering in her chest, her right hand clutching the now slippery rock, she stumbled out through the door. The fingertips of her left hand trailed gently along the corridor wall as the Force howled around her, harrying her onwards.

    There were more corridors then she thought there would have been. They twisted and turned and, at every junction, Tara had to make a choice as to which way she would go. The Force keened, guiding her onwards, tugging and pushing as she made her way through the never ending corridors.

    The Force whispered about approaching guards and Tara flattened herself into a niche in the wall. Several guards passed her, the solid thump of their boots on the floor hurt her Tara. As soon as they were gone she was back in the corridor, moving as fast as her bare feet would allow her.

    She listened to the quiet whispers and the Force guiding her to the outside world. A soft breeze whistled past her and she turned to where it was coming from, feeling it caress her skin. It had been so long since she’d felt anything other than the stale air of the cell, that the smells and touch were overwhelming.

    Tears slipped down her cheeks and she brushed them away.

    Now was not the time to get sentimental. Now was the time for action.

    There was the sound of voices haggling at the door and the jingle of coins. She tapped her foot softly against the floor.

    Tara was torn. She knew that she should go and get help but she didn’t want to leave without him.

    There was the sound of kitchen slaves approaching. Tara slipped in behind the kitchen slaves, forcing herself not to run. She felt the Force twist and sing around her and she called to it, using it to shield her. It suggested to those around her to look away, to ignore, to forget. The other slaves trudged forward in a line out into what smelt like garden.

    Tara lifted her face to the night sky letting the cool breeze float across it. She could taste the hint of rain.

    That meant no moon. It would make the guards just as blind as she was.

    The gaggle of girls continued to walk silently, but Tara lagged behind, trying to stay close to the walls. She kept walking until she bumped into something. Her hand felt the rough splintery side of a cart and she heaved herself into the back of it. Too late she realised that it was the rubbish cart.

    From far away there was the sound of shouting and then the bell sounded. Loud and harsh, it jangled throughout the complex alerting the guards that a prisoner had escaped.

    Her.

    Her master would know now.

    He would know that she had escaped.

    She held her breath, desperate not to be discovered now. A troop of guards passed close and she prayed to Terebeth and the Force that they would think she was still somewhere in the keep. She wormed her way down deeper into the garbage, trying not to breath in the smell or think about what her hiding place was composed of.

    The Force sighed that they had gone and Tara took a long, halting breath of relief. She was wondering if she should stay in the cart until the alarms died down, or if she should leave when the cart creaked suddenly. It tipped as if someone large and heavy had climbed on. There was the whisper of reins and then the cart pulled away from the yard. She closed her eyes and listened to the rattle of the cart mixing with the murmurs and trills of the Force as juddered into motion.

    Tara breathed a sigh of relief as the shadow of the gate passed overhead and the sounds of soldiers disappeared into the distance.

    Now she just had to stay free.
     
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  3. GregMcP

    GregMcP Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2015
    We're getting a bit of agro out today.
     
  4. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    From the characters or from us at not finishing their stories :p
     
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  5. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    She travelled like that until dawn, not letting herself sleep but instead listening to sounds of the cart and the pack animal that pulled it.

    The driver whistled to himself and occasionally talked to the creature. Practising on it the ribald jokes he had gotten from the guards. He would laugh to himself with each one and the animal would often snort in response. Tara let herself be lulled into a half-waking state by the movement and the lullaby of the Force that ebbed and flowed through the nighttime landscape. She wanted to laugh along with the driver, but she was too tired and scared to make a sound and the humor washed over the emptiness that had, long ago, consumed her.

    Close to dawn the cart stopped. She could hear the man get off. He grunted at his animal about not lasting the journey anymore and then the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs as he made his way off the road. She crept from the back of the cart, trying to keep her body low. The rocks from the road cut into her feet as she scurried into the brush.

    The animal whickered.

    Tara paused, heart hammering.

    She took two more steps waiting for another sound but the animal made no more noises. Tara’s questing fingers found the thicker hedgerow and she forced herself through it, not caring for how the sharp stems of the bush scratched her.

    She pushed herself deeper into the undergrowth, straining her ears for the shout of alarm. Still nothing. The only sounds that met her were the buzz of insects and the sound of the man whistling as he made his way back to the cart.

    She waited with baited breath; listening to the creak and groan as the man climbed back into the cart. He talked gently to the animal and then there was the sound of the cart moving away. Tara waited until there was nothing left but the chirp and buzz of the insects before she pulled herself from the bush.

    Grimly she tugged fruit peel and wrappers out of her hair and clothes. Once finished, she gathered the Force. It whispered and rustled around her, and she tugged at the collar again, desperate to get it off. The Force murmured the way that help was but, for the moment, Tara ignored it and turned back to the way she thought she’d come. She could feel the soft heat of the dawn as the sun crept over the horizon. She stood for a long moment, not caring about the danger of being seen. She hoped her Master was still alive and that he’d heard the alarms. She hoped that he knew what those alarms meant. She hoped that he would stay strong until she came back.

    “I’ll come back for you,” she whispered as the day grew warmed. “Promise.”


    *


    Tara walked. She didn’t know how long she’d been going but the warmth of the sun had long since disappeared. The promise to her Master repeated like a dull echo through her mind, driving her forward. It had not let her stop even as her head spun and the heat of the day had risen around her.

    She stumbled over another stone in the path.

    Her grip on the Force had weakened as she’d grown tired and now it deserted her. She couldn’t stop herself as she tumbled forward into a heap, grazing palms and knees. She lay where she fell, spears of red-hot pain running through her back. She could feel the trickle of blood as the wounds that they had inflicted opened up again. Her legs ached; unaccustomed to the exercise. Her tunic clung to her skin. The stone, which she still carried as if it was some talisman to ward off evil, cut deep into her hand. Every part of her hurt.

    Tara bit back a sob. Crying wouldn’t get her Master back.

    The Force returned, fluttering and beckoning her towards a tree. She crawled forward, not trusting herself to stand, and found its smooth, bulky roots. She curled into a ball, trying to release the pain that reverberated through her body out into the Force. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the two little bright spots in the Force. They seemed so far away, but they pulled her forward. She willed them to stay just a little bit longer. She would get there soon and then together, they would rescue her Master.

    Tara told herself that she would only stay at the tree until she felt well enough to stand. She breathed deeply, feeling the life essence of the tree wrap itself around her.


    *


    A cold, wet, and decidedly rough tongue was licking her face. Tara started upwards and the beast bellowed in annoyance. The Force whispered reassurance and she rubbed blearly at her face. She felt hot, sticky and desperate for water. Tara stumbled upright and the beast bellowed again. She could feel them through the Force, the dull, curious and decidedly peaceful minds of a herd of herbivores.

    Her back ached, the lacerations tugging against her tunic. Dew clung to her, making her tunic feel like a sheet of ice against her skin. Tara fought the urge to lay back down again as the Force urged her onwards, whispering instructions. She focused on it, frowning in concentration as it slipped in and out of her grasp.

    She stumbled forwards, following the two blinking Force lights. They seemed brighter now, but the whisperings of the Force were more urgent, the message harrying her every-time she stumbled.

    She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as the sun rose, the tendrils of warmth melding with her already hot skin.
     
  6. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Tara is amazing in this! Wow, to be captive and at someone's literal mercy for months! :eek: I am so happy she broke free. [face_relieved]

    (This has to be finished) [face_batting] LOL

    [:D]
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2021
    Kit' likes this.
  7. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    What she said. :D
     
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  8. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha and @Cowgirl Jedi 1701 thank you so much!

    I would love to finish it, but the problem is once these scenes end (and there's two to go after this one) then there is no more plot line. I literally have no plan for what comes after this...like nothing...

    *


    Tara smelt the town long before she entered it. The smell of rotting garbage and cooking food melded together, making her stomach rumble. She stumbled sideways and was sick; the contents of her empty stomach burning as they came up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and wondered when the day had gotten so hot.

    She could feel the life-forces of the Jedi now, glowing softly in the Force. Two life essences. Two men; one young, one old. They would be her help. They would help her rescue her Master.

    There was the sound of baying dogs as she stumbled on. The sound startled her and she veered sideways. A horn blasted and a glancing sideswipe from a speeder caught her, spinning her around. The Force fled with the shock and new pain. Tara dropped to her knees. Without the Force she was suddenly too exhausted to move. Thoughts and notions slipped away from her. She tried to grasp after them, but they fluttered away.

    She found the edges of the Force and gathered it around her. She was too weak to move but she could do one last thing. She sobbed with pain, misery and fear as she sent one last pulse of energy.

    //Help me//

    Then the thoughts and the Force fled. She pitched forward onto her face, as the darkness embraced her and made her its own.


    *


    Jed watched with a slight smile as Fitz picked up a small glass bangle on the shelf and turned it over in his palm. It was the intricate design of the Mariden people and almost too fine and delicate to be made of glass.

    //Padawan, be careful// Jed warned knowing that it was a wasted effort but feeling better that at least he had warned him. He knew that his padawan wouldn’t break it. Fitz might be a lot of things but clumsy wasn’t one of them.

    Stealing it, however, was a different matter entirely.

    //Of course master// Fitz replied over the link, his teeth dimpling his bottom lip as he smiled.

    “Fer a girlfriend p’haps?” the merchant asked, a broad smile on his equally broad face. “A very pretty gift, innit?”

    “Very pretty,” Fitz said, turning it over again. Jed smiled at his padawan’s diplomacy and touched his pouch wondering if he had enough credits to spoil his padawan.

    As he touched the supple leather, the Force whispered gently. Jedi frowned and glanced around to see where the disturbance had come from.

    He had no time to do anything more as the Force went from a quiet whisper to a roar of sound. Jed grabbed onto the table for support as the Force buffeted him from all sides. His padawan almost dropped the bracelet, fumbling for a few seconds before managing to catch it. Jed looked across to see his padawan mouthing the words that had echoed through his own head.

    “Help me.”


    *


    They found the source simply because of the crowd of on-lookers that had gathered. Fitz and Jed pushed their way through until they stumbled into the middle of the circle. Curled onto its side, brown hair matted with unidentifiable filth, it looked more like a bundle of unwashed rags than anything that could be identifiable as human. Jed bent down and felt for a pulse trying to ignore the smell. He rolled the person onto its back and frowned in shock as he realised that it was a human girl. The girl’s face was coated with dirt and blood but she was still breathing.

    “She’s force sensitive,” Fitz muttered and Jed nodded.

    “Let’s get her somewhere safe,” Jed replied. Between them the two Jedi managed to pick the small human girl up. She weighed almost nothing and Fitz volunteered to carry her. The girl moaned as Fitz shifted her weight.

    “Master?” She asked, her voice coming out as a husky croak. The two Jedi shot each other a quick, questioning glance. It was an unusual term of reference on Mariden and it immediately sparked Jed’s interest.

    “It’s okay,” Jed said, sending out a small pulse of Force to calm her. “We’re here to help.”

    “Poor kid.” One townsperson muttered, “’magine lockin’ up a kid like ‘er, it’s barbaric!”

    “Ahh, but if she was one of ‘em, they wouldna let ‘er escape now would ‘ay.” Her neighbour replied dangling his pipe between his teeth. A couple of other townspeople nodded. Before Fitz or Jed could ask what they meant there was the sound of booted feet on the pavement and the hum of a speeder engine.

    “Soldiers,” someone in the crowd whispered and the people scattered.

    Fitz raised his eyebrows and gave his Master a questioning look as Jed took off his cloak and placed it over the girl until she was completely hidden.

    “There’s something wrong here,” Jed said softly. “I am not going to hand her back to any authority at the moment until I find out exactly what is wrong.”

    The group of soldiers that came into view were instantly recognisable as the personal bodyguard of the high prince. So it was no surprise that in the speeder they jogged beside, sat the prince himself. He was a small fat man whose head was only covered with a few loose strings of black hair.

    “Master Jedi!” he called out when he saw them. Jed smiled and gave a small bow. Fitz remained where he was. “And Fizz!” The prince added.

    Jed imagined he could hear his padawan gritting his teeth. No matter how many times he had been corrected, the high prince still insisted on calling him ‘that name’.

    “My mother tells me you are going home today.” The small man said as the speeder stopped. He didn’t get out, just leaned against the side and looked at them eagerly.

    “We are,” Jed replied mildly amused, he had told the high prince himself this morning.

    “And without saying goodbye?” the man asked. “What would I do without your company? I shall be lonely.”

    //I’m sure you’ll manage.// Jed said mentally to Fitz and heard the snicker in response. On the surface he only smiled. The fat man turned to Fitz.

    “I see you have been shopping.” He said, “Let my guards take that for you.”

    Fitz smiled again, and clutched tightly at the girl in his arms. Jed held his breath, willing the girl not to stir or make a sound. “I am perfectly fine, thank you high prince. I have it balanced perfectly.”

    “Well...” the man said, seemingly disappointed that he had been rebuffed. “It does seem so unfortunate that we must say goodbye.”

    “Yes indeed,” Jed said, still smiling. “But we are needed back at the Temple.”

    “Oh yes, I forgot. Fighting evil and all that...very good. Well goodbye then.”

    “Goodbye your Majesty.” Jed replied. Fitz gave a wobbly half bow considering the load he was carrying. The high prince nodded and the speeder took off, the guards jogging dutifully and silently beside it.

    Jed glanced sideways at his padawan, not needing their bond or words to get the message across. They waited until the high prince’s speeder had turned the corner and then turned on their heel and walked quickly and silently in the opposite direction towards their waiting ship.
     
  9. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Like Jed and Fitz and I am glad the rescue went off unnoticed by that smarmy-seeming High Prince :p
     
  10. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    But there is more plot. I mean, we know from stories set later in the timeline that Tara's Master survives and gets rescued. And that is what this story is about. So write that. Jed and Fitz have just rescued Tara, and that's great. But she's sick and out of it. They'll need to take care of her. Write about that. And her Master still needs to be rescued. Write about that. And then they'll both need to adapt to the ways their injuries will change their lives. Write about that. There's plenty of plot left. You just need to figure out the details. :D
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2021
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  11. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Thanks. The prince is a little one dimensional for me, although I've met a few too many people in my life time who are actually like that...so...

    That's kind of my problem :p I have no details. I don't even have an idea of details. It kind of just ends with "hand wave" and then they found Davin...the end.

    I appreciate the 'you can do it' talk. I will definitely come back to it though. I just have a bunch of things to finish first - including the Namia/Kit story (the one where Kit kills her Master). I think once that long-fic is off the table and Snips and Snails is at a good point then I'll revisit this one :) I'll keep what you said in mind though... [face_love]@};-[:D]
     
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  12. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    “Master?” Fitz asked. Now that they were safely in space, the boy had journeyed back to see what Jed was doing. He was glad Jed had said that, for the moment at least, they could fly without the hyperdrive. He’d left R3 to do the calculations and headed back to see how his master was going. Fitz didn’t like hyperspace travel. Something about it set his teeth on edge and it didn’t seem to matter how many times his Master asked him to meditate, the gnawing feeling that rippled through his stomach everytime they jumped never went away. He clenched his hands in the depths of his robes and hoped his Master was too busy to notice.

    His Master looked up at him and smiled and Fitz realised he already knew. He sighed and dropped his shoulders.

    “Is it that obvious?” he asked

    “I know you too well padawan,” Jed said softly, dipping a sponge in warm water. “I have travelled too long with you to know exactly how you feel about hyperspace. This time, however, it might be a necessity.”

    He dabbed at the dirt and blood that was crusted across the girl’s face.

    “How is she?” Fitz asked softly.

    “In and out of conciousness, which may be a mercy in itself considering her condition.” The black haired Jedi Master replied with a look of disgust on his face. “I’ve only cleaned the visible parts of her body so far, but I’ve seen what’s oozing from the back of her tunic and it doesn’t bode well.”

    Fitz took a step forward to stand on the other side of the table that was serving as a makeshift bed. He looked down at her now clean arms, covered with scratches and like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards. His Master had bandaged one of her hands with a bacta patch. Fitz starred in horrified fascination at the tiny tray and the tweezers that his Master had put to one side. The tray was filled with little slivers of stone and wood. He looked up at his Master and his hand clenched in his robes.

    “Do we know who she is?” he asked quietly. Jed gave him a smile and, with one finger, dug a braid out of the girl’s hair. It was a mess of knotted hair but it was decorated with a few small beads and more importantly it was hanging behind her right ear.

    “She’s a padawan.” Fitz said softly.

    “Maybe, but it is not unusual for other cultures to braid parts of their hair.” Jed replied evenly. He wiped the girl's face again and she flinched and murmured.

    “Most cultures have more than a single braid,” Fitz replied. He knew his Master was using this as a learning opportunity. Everything was, as Jed frequently put it, a learning opportunity. “Plus you cannot deny that coupled with the trained force burst we felt from her earlier it makes a very convincin’ argument.”

    “Very good Fitz.“ The Jedi Master smiled at him. He set the cloth down. “You’re going to have to help me with her clothes in a minute. They are filthy and I’m pretty sure they’ve contributed to the fever and infection that’s going on.”

    Fitz frowned. “Is that wise, Master? I mean we ain’t healers.”

    “We aren’t healers,” Jed corrected, “which is part of the point padawan. I want to see how bad this is. We might not even make it back to Coruscant if her temperature keeps rising. We don’t have enough bacta and I’m not skilled enough to put this right.”

    Fitz felt his face flush. What his Master was asking would mean that they would have to undress the girl.

    “Padawan, I get the feeling you are uncomfortable,” Jed said, raising an eyebrow as he wiped more mud and blood from the girl’s cheek. A thick white scar had appeared from under the dirt and Jed was following it as it made its way up and across her cheek bone. Fitz nodded and Jed shook his head. There was a tremor of fear through the Force from the girl as Jed’s cloth wiped gently at the scar.

    “If she’s like this now, Master. She ain’t, I mean she won’t want us to undress her.”

    “She needs to be cleaned,” Jed said firmly, “I need to see how bad her injuries are before deciding if we head to the Temple or one of the other planetary hospitals on the way. We’re on the outer rim here Fitz. If we make the Temple, that’s great but we need to work out the extent first. I don’t want a rescue that ends in a death.”

    Fitz nodded his head reluctantly.

    Jed gave his padawan a tired and rather sad smile. He worked in silence for a few minutes wiping gently at the scar. Fitz watched in horror as the scar appeared from under the dirt. It flowed unbroken across her cheekbone to her eyelid where it disappeared, reappeared on the bridge of her nose, disappeared again on her other eyelid and then made its way down her towards her ear. With every wipe the girl moaned and Fitz could feel the stabs of fear and panic in the Force.

    “M...Ma…” she mumbled and Jed paused.

    “Who’s your Master, padawan,” his own master asked quietly. The girl shuddered.
    “D..da...no…ma...” she murmured and gave a little cry. Jed shook his head and stood up.

    “I’m going to see what else I can dig out of that medpack,” he said abruptly. Jed was shaking his head as if having an inner battle that Fitz wasn’t privy to.

    “What can I do?” Fitz asked quietly.

    “Sit padawan,” Jed said motioning to his now vacant chair. “See if you can help keep her calm. I’ll see what the healers packed for us that we can use.”

    The girl moaned again, her eyes fluttering. Fitz sat on the chair and glanced between his Master and the girl. Jed was focused on unpacking the medpack, examining each vial and cursing under his breath at the lack of bactapads.

    Fitz bit the inside of his lip and pushed away the residual bubble of panic that was still left over from the idea that they might have to hyperjump. He listened carefully to the Force and placed his fingers carefully on each side of the girls’ head. He had seen healers push people into healing trances. Maybe if he could do the same then they would make it all the way back to Coruscant without having to rush. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to reassure her that everything would be okay. He frowned, not knowing what would happen next.

    He certainly wasn’t expecting the girl to open her eyes and scream.
     
  13. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Ooh, neither was I. I was expecting that to help her drift into untroubled sleep.
     
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  14. Kit'

    Kit' Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 1999
    Last chapter!

    *


    “Don’t touch me!” The girl shrieked and Fitz recoiled as if slapped. She sat up violently, brown hair swinging in clumps around her face.

    Clutching her injured hand to her chest, the girl inched her way across the makeshift bed until she fell off the other side with a thump. For a few seconds the terrified teenager lay on the ground winded, trying to get her breath back between sobs.

    Jed moved towards her, and the girl edged away crashing into things as she went. Her face was panicked and white, and Fitz could see beads of sweat peppering her forehead. She glared at the room from clouded green eyes, not quite focusing on anything.

    “She’s blind,” Fitz heard himself say. His Master nodded as he walked towards her, as if he was approaching a terrified animal.

    “We’re not going to hurt you.” Jed said. Waves of fear emanated from the girl. Her flailing arms brought down another tray of objects and she grasped at them. She came up holding a long piece of metal and Jed shook his head.

    “We’re not going to hurt you padawan,” he said gently. The girl glared at him, her eyes fever bright.

    “You lie,” she spat, “this is a trick. It’s always a trick. I won’t give in. I won’t tell you anything.”

    “Padawan,” Jed said softly again, moving forward, his hands outstretched, “you’re okay. You’re safe.”

    She shuddered.

    “Not safe,” she murmured, “never safe. Not safe. You lie.” She stumbled backwards away from him and bumped into the edge of the counter. She screamed in pain and sank onto the floor, mumbling to herself. Fitz looked at his Master in alarm. Jed made a face and went back to the medpac, scrabbling through it. A second later he was holding a small medispray, grim determination set on his face.

    “We’re going to have to work together,” Jed said motioning to where the girl was staring at them wide-eyed, the metal implement still held in her bandaged hand. “She needs to be sedated. We can’t have her roaming around while she’s hallucinating.”

    “Can’t we calm her down with the Force?” Fitz asked. The sight of the medispray took him back to far too many trips to the healer’s wing of the Temple. Jed raised an eyebrow and gave a little shrug.

    “You can have a go padawan, if you think it’d help.”

    Fitz didn’t walk towards her. Instead he sunk to the floor and tried to reach out to the girl with the Force. He could feel the maelstrom of emotions as they poured out of her.

    He surrounded each emotion with his own.

    Terror with calm.
    Fear with compassion.
    Pain with trust.

    He could feel his Master’s glow of approval as he wended and wove each emotion until there was peace.

    Everything was touched with fever, making it unpredictable and dangerous. His master had been right, she was far sicker than he had realised but not in the way that Master Ky-lann had thought. Underneath the wounds was a river of despair, grief and anger that spoke of something that Fitz knew he was too young to understand.

    He could hear the girl start to sob, and opened his eyes to watch her curl up into a small ball. The metal instrument clattered to the floor. He glanced up as his Master purposefully moved towards her. He wanted to yell at him to stop, that he had this under control, but he was so busy trying to keep her emotions from overwhelming his own that he could do nothing but watch.

    His Master reached the girl and pushed the end of the medispray against her arm. She shrieked and Fitz covered his ears with his hands as the river burst its banks, sweeping him along with the current of emotions. He was vaguely aware of his Master sweeping the girl into his arms as she fought him. The torrent of emotions faded as the medspray started to work and Fitz blinked blearily, his head pounding.

    “Please,” the girl was whispering, “please don’t take me back. I won’t escape again, I promise. Don’t send me back.”

    Fitz staggered to his feet as his Master laid the girl gently on her stomach. He winced at the way her tunic stuck to the dark wet patches that criss-crossed her back.

    “No, don’t,” the girl murmured again as Jed reached for the scissors. The Jedi Master paused and glanced at her. “Don’t hurt...hurt me…” she continued. “p-please...I just wa-want my...my master...I just wa-wa-want Davin…don’t...hur...”

    Her eyes closed and the emotions faded with it. Fitz glanced at his Master who was staring at the girl, his face pale and eyes wide. He took two steps towards Fitz and grabbed him by both shoulders.

    “Padawan, you need to get R3 to get us back to the Temple as fast as possible.”

    “Why Master? I thought you said if she was in danger we’d find the nearest hospital and land there,” Fitz’s headache from navigating the emotional maelstrom was quickly being joined by the sensation of gnawing panic.

    “She is in danger, but this is more important,” Jed said firmly. “Her Master is Davin Dor. He and his padawan have been missing for almost a year.”
     
    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha likes this.
  15. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Intense! =D= Almost a year. Wow.