Begin Again
A/N: So, this is a crazy little idea I have in mind and combine with others authors ideas, I came up with this piece to contribute to the rare Shaak Ti/Grievous fictions out there, so please, enjoy and tell me how I'm I doing, maybe beside my grammars.
I don't Star Wars and its characters. And I also don't own you, so reviews is depend on you, I just want you to enjoy this story because I'm not a American writer, but a Vietnamese writer and this is new to me, so please, enjoy and thank you for reading this.
She ran.
She ran as fast as she can from the things chasing her through the dense forest jungle of Kalee, a young Padawan trying to escape a jungle beast trying to tear her apart from existence, but even the jungle play a part at slowing her down.
And a dead branch laid in her way as she made her way toward its, but she doesn't know of its lying there, as she too focus on the force to give her power, and the force did help, preoccupied with her, and so, she tripped over, and fall on her back to a nearby tree.
The beast made its way toward the helpless pray, looking at her with a hungry eyes and sharp teeth ready to devour her, making its way to a triumph victory to the young Padawan.
''Oh Force''
And she closed her eyes, waiting for her young demise, she ready herself to become one with the force, all her dreams flashed before her mind, those dreams would never be continue if one red bolt didn't ripped through the air and hits the beast straight in the eyes.
She still held her eyes closed, as for waiting for its teeth to bite on her skin, but instead, a gloved hand patted her on the shoulder, and start lifting her up, she opens her eyes, and straight into the eyes of hollow yellow, and she realized she is safe, passed out in the man's arms.
She was send here on her first solo mission, without her master there to help her, her team set up camps and the next thing she knows, she was chasing a exotic creature with beautiful wing out of the camp site, but then, she ran, from the beast that was chasing her, then now she realized she was lying in somewhere not her camp, but a small makeshift cot.
The place look empty, beside her and some other things on the makeshift, then soon, another figure came to life outside the door, a tall and fearsome figure, who have a scarf around his neck, tattered desert clothes and a bone mask, but with that fiery yellow eyes - the man who carried her here to safety
''Glad you're awake, sleeping beauty, bad injuries you have there, but it will heal in time''
And when she notice the bloodied bandages in her leg and some scratches on her arms, she sighed, her first solo mission, and now she lying in some Kaleesh's cot just because she was chasing an exotic animal then got chased by another '' exotic '' animal, just her luck.
''I should leave, thank you for saving me'' and on her feet she goes, but immediately collapsed on the cold floor, and she can feel those same hand on her shoulders again, lift her up again, and carried her to the cot.
''You are on no condition to leave, Jedi, rest, or if you like, you could go out there like this and let the Tum inhale the blood smell on your body''
He knows she is a Jedi, judging by the light saber hanging on her belt, then so she been forced to stay and rest, her master will not like this, failed on her first mission to bring peace to this world, then now she is stuck lying here, in the mercy of this man.
At the first day, they didn't said anything, not even a words, but he always came back to check on her, and replace another bandage on her wounds, and use some of the native oil to ease the pain, she wonders how fast he can do that and as soon as he done, he swung the rifle over his shoulder and left, in the night, he brings back some food, a creature she doesn't know the name, and he begins to tear his skin and motion for her to look away, she complied and the next thing she knows, she was sitting on the ground outside of his house, around the fire as he hand her a stick with grilled meat of his kills, she gladly take it for her sake of hunger.
''Thank You, for saving my life and for this wonderful feast you bring upon me''
''No need, Jedi, I can't let you die out there, it will be sinful to turn away''
''Why don't you eat?''
''I'm not hungry''
She wonder what is behind that mask of his, a small wonder lead to curiosity, and she knows he won't let go of that mask as long as she was here, and she would just let that go, she doesn't want to insult the man and his hospitality.
And some days later, she begins to question why his planet was always on wars, he said there was creatures called the Huk, a humanoid beings like insect was always at war with them, and she asked why the Kaleesh and the Huk never have a peace's talk, he immediately have angers, as he explained why his people always have to fight, to have meaningless wars, the Huk wanted to take the Kaleesh as slaves and so he said how many of his comrades has been coldblooded murdered by the Huk, he and his people would never sit down and talk with these savages.
And that talk is a way to put an end to her mission, she would failed it, no matter what, and she said her apologies, and turn away to have a peaceful rest, bringing with her dream of the words he said, as she can sense his great anger, as he had lost something to this dreadful war.
And the next day, he begin to wonder, why is she so young to bear such a great responsibility, to bring hopeless to his home planet, she is young, but naïve, and he begins to question her, why does she have to do this, to enter the world of violence so young, and she said a Jedi must always have to bring peace to this galaxy, peace was a hopeless concept on his planet, but she aimed for galaxy wide, such hopeless dream, and he ask why she have to do this, she said she is a Jedi, a Jedi with responsibility, a duty to the Republic, to this galaxy, and he said smile under his mask bone, and said she is still young to worried such about thing but she was determent to prove him wrong, but the next thing he said would change her.
He said she lack of grace, and mind of a great Jedi, she was still too young to understand such things, great bearings required great scarifying, must always be steadfast and willing to put everything aside for the greater good of others, she was such a carefree Padawan with a dream so wide and so wishful, only to be crushed under the feet of another war.
Talks, only talking can bring two peoples together, Jedi forbid attachments, but to her, he is a friend, a friend of knowledge and wisdom, but he was always hiding himself under that mask, it still like he didn't trust her enough, but added with his care, she felt something else for the past three days, something sweet yet bitter, something felt so right yet forbidden, some new feelings she never have before.
And on the fourth day, they left his home, after those last four days, he taking care of her unwillingly, because she was his burden for the first day, and annoyance the second, a friend on the third, and a farewell to the fourth, he feel something that changed his stiffness, she is a friend that he could talk to, for he lives alone on this jungle, no one to talk to, only to talk to the stars and the gods he worship, but to another, not to even say a woman, he felt something different.
They are not lovers, but they consider something more than friends.
As the pierced through the jungle with the wind leading their path, rustling sound of left clinging in the air, they walks in silence, left with the thoughts of thinking of one another, clouded their minds, sometime they could just sneak a glance at each other's only for eyes met eyes, violet to yellow.
The camp in their sight, as they said goodbyes, she was left dumbstruck, the walks was so fast, and he was leaving, like her others dreams and wishes to the stars, she take off the Padawan's braid and gently put it in his hand, hand in hand, it felt like eternity, but only just seconds, they let go, her braid in his gloved hand.
''Farewell, Jedi''
And he left, disappearing into the shadow of the jungle and that was the last time she ever saw the man, but that was she thought, until she met him, again, but something different.
He was clouded with anger, regret, blinded rages and unleashed on the Jedi fighting him on Hypori, as he cut them down one by one, Shaak Ti was left to defend herself, as she stared into the eyes of the man who saved her, now the man, the cyborg who tries to kill her with his light saber, how ironic, the yellow eyes of the man she knew now was clouded with anger, and vengeances.
He didn't kill her that day, but only injured her, as he stepped on the bridge of the Invisible Hands, he pull out a strings behind his dark cape, a braid of long forgotten, a braid he found in his old possession, he doesn't remember it and he considered the braid useless, he was blinded by rage and enough to turn him into this, a heartless Jedi hunter, but when he saw her again, that braid started to make sense, a braid hanged on her montrals, a young woman many years ago, a woman he considered a friend, something more than just friend he corrected himself, but the great irony is.
She became exactly the woman, a grace and powerful Jedi he wished her to be, but she is a Jedi, a Republic's warrior, he was a cyborg, a Separatist, not to mention a Jedi Hunter.
She is a Jedi, a warrior.
He is a Cyborg, a warrior.
Same propose, yet worlds apart.
She wanted to kill him, but then again, could she, the man who save her life, but also the man who murdered her comrade, she felt an attachments for him, a heartless cyborg, but she can sense his pains, his longing and sorrows in every clash they fought.
He wanted to kill her, but every time he got the chances, he rage was gone, replaced by some uncontrollable feeling, he can kill her, but then he can't, he can't sense her, but from the look behind those violet orbs, behind that will, also there is miss from her, as she do remember who he once was, a man, flesh and blood, a beating heart, and a face filled with life, but now only steel made up his face.
Even now she is a master, there was always something to remind her of him, such like Padawan Ahsoka Tano, looking at the young Padawan, she felt like she is looking at herself at that age, age of naïve, of carefree and wild dreams, not burdens of a Jedi master she is now, and every time she saw Ahsoka, she saw Grievous in her memory, she never knew his real name and so did he.
He had nothing to remind him of her beauty, of her will of bring peace to the galaxy, and he is now crushing it in front of her, only the braid remind him of who he was, and remind who he once love, love was something luxury to both of them, something so far out of reach, so far, yet so close, but now they on the opposite side, and he was the one to blame for all the crime he committed, a duty must be done, and may the gods help him for her to forget all about him.
And she was the last thing he ever saw, before Kenobi ripped his heart apart, and let him die, a peaceful death, Kenobi was always a pest to Grievous, but now, he thanked Kenobi for killing, to put him out of his misery, to all his blind rages and hatred toward the Jedi, to leave this duty behind, to finally rest, but something was missing, as he tighten his grip around the braid.
And sometime later, Shaak Ti found herself falling to her death on Felucia, and let the memories flashed before her again, as now, no one will be there to save her, and now, with one final thought, she let herself joined one with the force.
''I wonder what is his name?''
And he standing there, far from her, she in her Jedi robe, he in his cyborg form, still filled with regret and longing, and they met eyes, violet meet yellow, as they both realized now that they were both gone, disappear from existence and they facing each other like old friends, not enemy anymore, they both rest, and she notice he holding something in his mechanical hand, and stretch it out for her, and she felt a tear ripped through her cheek.
And she put a hand on his, cover the braid in his hand, she let all of her emotion goes to him, to explained how long, only spending four days with him, and years of apart, she finally felt love, proving by him still kept that braid, a braid that she too long forgotten, she doesn't care if he a cyborg anymore, she forgive him, as they both now one with the force.
And before her eyes, Grievous turned, not in his cyborg form anymore, but in form of what she saw him in Kalee, as they both realized they are standing in that same forest in Kalee where they parted ways by the will of the force, but this time, she won't parted anywhere, and she keep holding his hand, never wanted to let go, she doesn't care how he's look, but she care how he feels.
''You are not scare of me?, Master Jedi?''
''No, I love you just the way you are, General''
With three words, she proved her love to him,Qymaen jai Sheelal never cried, but now, he knows there's someone who loves him, even in death, and let the tear slide quietly in his mask.
And Shaak Ti leaped, and put her lips to the lip of the mask, let him felt her love for him, Jedi forbid attachments, but they both dead, no one could stop them now, they are one with the force, it doesn't matter how many sins he committed in pure anger, of blind rage, but how he feels, he was just a man, and she was just a woman.
Love was something luxury to them, but now, it felt like priceless.