Star Wars: Shadows of the Force pt. 1
The night was cool and damp. Running through the shadows, my face hidden underneath the hood, I made my way forward in the dark, shielded from the bright moonlight by the trees. My blaster trembled against my hip, making slight tapping sounds as it hit. Keep your eye on the prize… Jaenela's words echoed in my head as I stopped at the base of a large oak tree right outside the complex. I set my foot on the knots of roots going up the tree, and started to climb. Pulling myself up to the top of the tree, I leaned out over the branch, my dark cloak concealing me from the light. The tree branch was amazingly wide, so that I could lie down with my cloak tucked underneath me, and still be invisible to the stormtroopers below. I could hear them speaking, so I slid my head out from underneath the cloak, peering down at them.
"Hey, Renard, did you see the thing on TV about that Bespin Crab outbreak?" one of them said, taking off his helmet. The sweat on his forehead glistened as he lit a cigarette, sticking it in the corner of his mouth, where it hung like a twig.
"Nah, Boris, I'm not into that kinda stuff," said Renard, also taking off his helmet. He sucked in a breath of air, blowing it out through his cheeks. Drops of sweat fell off of his armor, splashing onto the ground. "But I did hear about it. Something about the crystals that they're workin' on over at the Artus Mine, they infested in a shipment and polluted all the stock. I heard that about fifty thou' republic credits went out the window…" Renard stopped, looking up towards the tree. I ducked back quickly, hoping he didn't see me.
"What?" said Boris, snapping on his helmet and looking up. He flicked the switch on his E-11 Imperial Blaster Rifle, powering it on and pointing it up at my branch. He fired off a few shots, and I curled in my body, wincing as a red energy bolt sliced past my cloak, singing it.
"It's nothing, Boris," said Renard, sitting on one knee. "Probably just an animal or something."
Boris set his weapon back at his hip, sighing. "Yeah, you're right. Nothing to worry about," he said, taking his helmet off again.
"Uh-oh," said Renard, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "Here comes Captain Blow-Me."
Captain Blonae walked up to the two stormtroopers, eyeing them. "What are you two buffoons up to now? I leave you alone for five minutes, and I hear blaster rifles?! Explain yourselves!" Blonae stood with his hands on his hips, waiting.
"Look, Blow-Me," said Boris, but Blonae responded by pulling out a stun baton and administering three swift jabs. Boris cried out, the electricity convulsing his body. He fell over, flailing, and then his eyes closed, and he lay still.
"What the hell was that for?" asked Renard, taking his blaster off of his hip. Blonae moved his hand toward his, but Renard fired three bolts into his chest, and Blonae fell backwards, dead before he hit the ground.
"Damn Captain scum," said Renard, spitting on Blonae's body. He tapped his wrist, activating a computer. "Wallace, get two troopers and a captain out here, ASAP. We have two casualties, both accidental. Blonae and Boris got rough again."
His wrist blinked, and a voice responded, the static distorting it. "Roger that, Captain, troopers on the way. We will wait for you here in the Vault."
Renard tapped his wrist again. "En route, we will speak again in the Vault." As the communication disconnected, Renard stared at his wrist, noticing a shadow moving. "What the…" he said, looking up, and then his muffled cry was blocked by a thick wool cloak dropped from above. He felt the sting of a stun baton from the bag, and he tried to cry out, but a heavy blunt object hit him in the side of the head, and he fell forward, hitting the ground. The corners of his vision got dark, and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
As I tied the bag on the stormtrooper's body, I looked at the log that I smacked him with. I picked it up again, slamming it down as hard as I could over his helmet. I heard plastic shatter, and I kept smashing, over and over again, my rage subsiding as blood soaked the log and the bag the body was in. I picked it up, and held it away from my body, careful to not let and blood touch me. As I dragged it through the woods, I did so on a blanket of leaves, so that they couldn't follow the blood trail.
As I dumped the body over the edge of the valley, I smacked my hands together, and sprinted back to the complex. I climbed the same tree that I had, and leapt onto the roof, stalking forward silently. As I neared the glass, I looked down, staring into the Vault. In the center lay a gun, the shadows concealing most of it. But I knew what it was. It was a Tenloss 6X-R Disruptor Rifle, outlawed in most quadrants because of its destructive nature. The sleek, polished handle of the gun beckoned to me, shining.
I pulled a small laser cutter from my hip, also a sticky-pad. As I bonded the sticky pad, I began to cut a small hole in the glass, pulling the circle out. Poking my head through, I made sure no troopers were there, dropping through. I pulled a pair of Light Amplification Goggles out of my backpack and set them over my eyes, adjusting the focus until the lasers came into view. Crisscrossing the entire room, the web of red death pulsed silently in the dark light. Taking a Bryar Blaster pistol from my backpack, I charged it, firing it into the control box in the corner of the room. The box fizzled as the bolt struck it, and then the lasers deactivated. I jumped forward, stopping before the Tenloss rifle, and looked at it through my IR setting on the LAGs.
There…just as I flicked on the IR, a red dot pulsed under the Tenloss rifle. An electrical circuit, most likely connected to a Klaxon. I pulled out a communicator from my backpack, turning it on. "I've almost got the Tenloss rifle, Jaenela. Have the Onyx Fang ready for takeoff at the edge of the valley."
"You've got it, Dylan. Just be careful, OK?" Jaenela's face flickered on screen, her soft features accentuated by the low light. She made a kissing motion at me, and I returned the gesture.
"Will do, see you soon." As I broke connection, I jammed a pin into the communicator, prying off the screen. Taking the two main power wires, I lifted up the rifle and, one by one, twisted the wire ends around the Klaxon circuit. As I lifted up the Tenloss, the connection continued through the communicator, so the Klaxon remained silent. Grinning, I set the Tenloss rifle on the ground, taking another cloak from my backpack. With the rifle and my cloak safely on me, I shouldered my pack, leaping through the hole in the roof. As I walked away, I sensed a spike of some sort, and I whirled around. What I saw next made me short of breath and would haunt me for a very long time.
He stood, about six and a half feet tall, his long black cape whirling in the wind. I caught a glimpse of a saber under his belt, and I backed up a step. He threw open his cloak, and I gasped. Holding Jaenela by the back of the collar, he threw her forward. I ran to catch her, and then screamed out as she jerked to a stop, her eyes wide. In midair, her feet pinwheeling, her hands moved to her throat, her face coloring.
"No! Jaenela!" I ran toward the man, my anger seething. He pushed forward, and I flew backwards, slamming onto the rough stone roof and flipping over the edge. I grabbed the lip of the roof, flipping back onto it.
"You fool!" he said, his dark and deep voice resonating in the wind. He reached his hand to his throat, unclasping the clip that held his cape together. Throwing his arm out, he let it go, and I watched it drop to the ground, fluttering. His hand moved to his side, and he drew the saber out, clicking the side. A deep crimson red blade flashed out from the metal cylinder, and he waved it in the air, the saber making soft whooshing noises.
"What do you want with us? Who the hell are you?!" I yelled at him from across the roof.
"I am Kaernellis, and I want that Tenloss rifle back. It belongs to the Imperials, and not to rebel scum like you!
"Rebel scum? What are you talking about?!" My hands tightened on the rifle under my cloak, and I wasn't afraid to use it if necessary.
"I know about your little rebel base on Yavin 4. You and those…rebels…that stole our plans for the Tenloss rifle and needed a model to manufacture their own weapons for the war."
"I don't care about them! I'm trying to make a living!" I drew the Tenloss rifle out, holding my stun baton towards it.
Kaernellis' eyes widened. "You…you wouldn't dare!" he said, spinning the saber and stepping towards me.
"Oh yes I would!" I said, jabbing the baton into the Tenloss. The electricity fried the circuits in it, and the weapon powered down.
"No!" shouted Kaernellis, running forward. At that moment, time slowed down, and it was as if I was moving in a dream, floating in a thick, syrupy liquid. He charged me blindingly fast, and I threw the weapon, dodging to the side. His saber strike was incredibly quick, but it barely missed me, instead cleaving the weapon in half. Time sped back to normal, and I regained my footing, running to Jaenela.
Kaernellis spun around, his eyes red with rage. "You fool! You destroyed the last model of that weapon that can be found easily! You will pay for this!" He advanced on me, tightening a fist.
"Let…me…go!" my voice sounded weak and hoarse as he lifted me into the air, tightening his grip on my throat. My vocal cords and jugular were pushed close together, and cords in my neck bulged as I tried desperately to break out of the hold. Suddenly, I hit the ground, gasping, and looked on as Jaenela shot Kaernellis in the back with her Bryar rifle.
"You bitch! You'll pay for this too!" Kaernellis charged at her, slicing downward. Jaenela cried out, her eyes wide and bulging.
"No!" I screamed, roaring long and loud. I looked up in time to see Jaenela's body hit the ground, a long diagonal burn mark across her body. I got up, charging Kaernellis, and he swiped with the saber. I dodged to the side, and shot him right between the eyes. He gasped, falling over, and I shot him three more times in cold blood, making sure he stayed down. I knelt beside Jaenela, tears welling at my eyes.
"Dylan…you…didn't…get…the weapon…" Jaenela's eyes were distant, and her voice was cracked.
"Don't worry about that," I said. "Let's get you a medic so you can heal."
"It's…too late for me…" she said, her eyelids flickering.
"No…don't say that…" I laid my head on her chest, listening to her heart. The smell of burnt flesh and hair was strong and acrid, and then her heart fluttered. I looked up, expecting to see her be well, but her head was already turned, her eyes glazed.
No… I thought, the tears flowing openly. No…please, God, no! NO! My mind raged, and I howled at the sky like a demented wolf, torn asunder from reality. Alarms sounded as the stormtroopers heard my howl of anguish, and I stood up, drying my face. A small door opened in the little hut on the edge of the roof, and I ran toward it. A stormtrooper poked his head out of the hole in the floor, and I connected my boot with his face, growling. His head snapped back horizontally, and he fell forward. I grabbed his E-11 from the lip of the hole and leaped inside. As soon as I hit the ground, red bolts began flying at me, so I rolled to the side for cover. At least twenty stormtroopers stood in the hallway, firing. As I remembered Jaenela's death and the man I had killed, I suddenly felt no fear or remorse for what I did. My anger was making decisions for me, and I didn't care. I let the pain and hurt wash over me, and it was like the cure for my cancer.
The stormtroopers firing at me had horrible accuracy as I stepped into the hallway. Feeling my blood pumping in my heart, I opened fire on them, screaming as the red light lit up my face. The bolts arced through the hallway, smiting the stormtroopers where they stood. I barreled forward, tripping, and then slammed into the ground, busting my lip. Scurrying up, I wiped my blood off and charged again, slamming through the front doors of the complex. As I did, I leapt off of a small hill, rolling to my feet, and found Kaernellis boarding a ship. I leapt to the top of it without his noticing, climbing forward and resting on top. The blackness settled in, and I fell asleep.
When I awoke, the searing heat burned at me. The ship had stopped at a lava mining complex on the other side of the facility, twenty kilometers out. I heard Kaernellis talking to an Imperial Officer.
"Don't let these crates fall in. Open the door of the ship via the roof, and have the Probe Droids carefully carry them across the lava to the mining doors."
The Officer saluted him. "Yes, sir!"
The doors of the roof began to open, and I steadied myself. As I lay on the roof, the probe droids came, and I froze. But to my relief, they weren't advanced models, and couldn't see above them, which luckily, the roof of the ship was. As I blew a drop of sweat off of my nose, however, it hit one of the droids, and it fizzed and sparked. The other turned toward me, beeping. In that instant, thirty more came from behind me and circled me.
Kaernellis leapt onto the roof behind me, knocking me toward the edge. I rolled over, and then realized that the ship was on the edge of a precipice overlooking a lake of boiling lava. I grabbed the lip of the edge and then rolled underneath the supports on the ship, thankful that the thrusters weren't engaged. Crawling out from the other side, I watched Kaernellis descend down the steps, eyeing me.
"You are very impressive, Dylan," he said, smiling. "That jolt you gave me didn't quite kill me, however, so now I've come to finish the job."
"You killed her, you murderous bastard!" I charged at him, and he flared his lightsaber, cutting into my arm. I screamed as the flesh was cleaved off, and my severed left hand dropped to the ground.
"You fool! You cannot hope to defeat me!" he said, putting the saber away. He pushed forward again, and I flew backward, slamming into the bus. I grimaced as he picked me up, throwing me over the bus. I slammed into the roof, blood flying from my mouth as I coughed. He jumped up, kicking me over the edge, and I fell towards the lava. I blacked out, and welcomed the darkness as my escape from the pain…
Star Wars: Shadows of the Force pt 2
When I awoke, the pain in my head was instant and intense. There was an angry demon in my skull, pounding on my brains like the drums of war. As I sat up, the demon got pissed, and jabbed hundreds of little needles into every inch of soft tissue.
"Fuck…" my voice sounded low and hoarse to me, and I cleared my throat, wincing at the burning sensation it gave me. Looking around at the small space in my room, I got up from the bed, walking towards the dresser. The lush blue carpet scuffled under my feet and I yawned, stretching in front of the mirror. On the dresser beside it, in a red wooden ornate frame, was a picture of Jaenela. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and the soft lighting enhanced her gorgeous features. My god…she's beautiful…a tear came to my eye as I stared at the picture, and I wiped it away, picking up my comb and running it through the tangled mess that I called my hair.
"Dylan," said a voice behind me. I whirled around, seeing Luke, and I walked forward, shaking his hand.
"Luke!" I said, setting a hand on his shoulder. "How the hell have you been?"
Luke returned the gesture, and then stared at me, his eyes downcast. "Dylan, listen…"
I cut him off. "Don't…" I said. "Don't even apologize about Jaenela. I've tried to put it behind me, and nothing's worked, so just forget it."
Luke looked up, seemingly relieved. "OK, well as long as that's over with."
I stared at him, quizzically. "Luke, what's the matter? You didn't come all this way just to talk about that did you?"
Luke stared at the floor, his back to me. "No, Dylan," he said, turning to face me. "I was wondering if you'd reconsider joining the-"
"Joining the Jedi Academy again?" I frowned. "Luke, you know that before I became a mercenary, after the incident on Yavin, that I vowed never again to pick up a lightsaber."
'OK, just wanted to see if you'd changed your mind, that's all." Luke spun around, walking out of the room. I watched him go, and then walked to the kitchen, sitting at the table.
"Just gonna let him leave, huh?" said a female voice, and I turned to find Taliana's eyes on me, her fiery red gaze locking onto mine.
I laughed. "Of course I am, Tal. You know what happened as well, and I told everyone that I vowed never to pick up a lightsaber again, and I intend to keep that promise." I cracked my knuckles, drumming my fingers on the table. I got up, walking behind Taliana, and picked her up, setting her in my chair at the table.
She giggled, blushing. "What are you doing, Dylie?" she said, using the nickname she'd called me ever since we'd met.
"Makin' you some down-home cookin', Tal," I said, kissing her on the forehead. "My treat."
"Mmm…" she said, rubbing her stomach and smiling at me.
I plundered through the fridge, taking out some eggs and other such ingredients. I pulled an omnitool from my belt, plucking the electric tip from it and jabbing it into the stovetop. After jiggling it around for several moments, the stovetop power kicked on, and I set a frying pan on, turning the heat to low. I scrambled the eggs, adding in some mushrooms, peppers, onions, and ham, and put a dollop of butter in the pan.
"Luke's gonna kill you if he finds out you've been hacking into the stove's computer system again to turn it on," said Taliana, twiddling her thumbs. "…but I didn't see anything," she said, winking at me.
"That's my girl!" I said, blowing a kiss at her as I poured the eggs in the pan, stirring occasionally.
The smell of fresh peppers, ham, and egg filled the hallway as I set eight pieces of toast on the broiler with butter rubbed on them. As I flipped the eggs around, I sprinkled the cheese on top, cutting the heat and setting them on the opposite burner. At the same time, I got the orange juice out of the fridge, taking three glasses and three plates down. I poured the juice while spooning the eggs onto the plates, and set two pieces of toast on each, leaving the last two.
Taliana sniffed, smiling. "Mmmm, baby…you sure know how to take care of a woman!" she smiled at me as she spoke.
"Oh," I said, grinning. "You mean Luke?"
Taliana laughed, her shoulders shaking. "That's mean!"
"But true!" I said with a grin as I set her plate on the table before her, and another one to the right.
"Looks good," said Luke, walking in and sitting down, a big smile on his face.
Taliana looked at me over her glass, smiling. I smiled back, and then bit into my toast.
"So…" said Luke, taking a sip of orange juice, "How's everyone been?"
"Good, good," said Taliana, taking a bite of eggs. "Mmm…Dylie, these are fantastic!"
I stirred my eggs absently on my plate, lost in thought. After I heard Taliana speak, I looked up.
"Hm?" I said. "Oh, the eggs…thanks! I'm glad you like them!"
"Are you OK, Dylan?" said Luke, setting his fork down and looking at me.
I rubbed my eyes, shaking my head. "Yeah! I'm perfectly fine, man! Why?"
Luke looked at me, concerned. "Are you absolutely sure? You don't seem so well…maybe you should lie down, get some rest."
I stood up, suddenly feeling drowsy. "OK, guys, I'm gonna hit the hay." I set my plate in the sink, running hot water over it, and rubbed my face.
"OK, honey," said Taliana, smiling at me. "You get all rested up, and we'll all take a trip to the theater later on, catch a flick."
"Yeah, that sounds fun, Taliana," said Luke. "Go ahead and get some rest, Dylan."
"OK, guys, see you in a few hours," I said, walking out into the hallway. I moved down the corridor as if in a dream, groggy blurs flashing past my face. As I neared the end of the hallway where my room was at, I passed my hand over the keypad, and the door slid open. I stumbled toward the bed, falling forward and landing on it. Forgetting to take my shoes off, I drifted off, rolling around in my sleep.
The hall was calm and quiet, and everywhere I turned, darkness stood, threatening to suck me into a never-ending abyss. I took a step forward, feeling slow and sluggish, as though I was moving through an ocean of syrup. As my foot hit the ground, thunder resonated throughout my ears, deafening me. I fought through the hellish wasteland, stepping forward and wading my way through. I bent my knees, jumping up as high as I could. I felt myself being lifted upward, and then I stopped. Looking down, seeing myself only a few feet off of the ground, I straightened out like a torpedo, pointed forward, and began to swim. My arms and legs kicking steadily, I advanced through the darkness, not knowing what lay ahead of me. A pair of red eyes glinted at me from a distance, steadily getting closer. Although so very far away, they felt unmistakably close.
"Who are you?!" I called out into the blackness, not expecting a response, but getting one. An eerie voice filled my head, making me shiver in the syrupy world.
You…you shall pay for what you have done…Kaernellis is not pleased, and you shall have his retribution. Your woman was cut down…she is only the beginning. Only the power of the Valley of the Jedi can save you!
The voice faded, yet the eyes got closer and closer. I soon made out a dragonesque, serpent shaped mouth and snout, and glinting razor-sharp teeth. As the beast closed in on me, I closed my eyes, stretched my arms out, and felt the pain as fangs sliced into my flesh, severing skin and muscle from bone. The pain blinded me to everything, and as I descended, dying, into the belly of the beast, I felt nothing except the empty blackness all around…
I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart pounding. The dark was all around me, except for a small circle, as if a beam of light was shining down upon me. I stood, feeling the blood pounding in my ears, and stretched, feeling the muscles in my torso quiver in pain. I walked forward, and then tripped, falling forward into the darkness. The wind whistling past my ears, I let out a fearsome howl as the shadows swallowed me up.
The rooftop was dark, the wind blowing softly, rustling my hair against my forehead. I realized that I was reliving moments of my own life. God no, oh please, God no… I thought as I saw Kaernellis standing with his lightsaber before Jaenela. I cried out, running forward, but Kaernellis put his hand out, stopping me. I screamed out in terror as I watched Jaenela's body being cut down by the dark Jedi's lightsaber. I rushed him, tackling him into the ground, and he flung me off of him, scrambling to his feet, his cape billowing. I yelled, charging him again and punching at him. He knocked my fist aside and I gasped as I felt the white-hot heat of a lightsaber blade penetrate deep into my chest…