Apprentice
Created by(: Laadah Anne
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Chapter 1: The beginnings
Damaerydyn wrapped his arms around the small trembling figure wedged between his body and the steering apparatus of the vibrating speeder bike he had just mounted. With a roar the bike sped off into the silent night, the small suburban home on the outskirts of Coronet City, Corellia blissfully unaware that one of its occupants would never be seen again. She didn't make a sound but apprehension rolled off of her in waves. The Dark Lord of the Sith clutched her tighter to his chest and she seemed to assume it was a protective gesture, but the five year old gasped worriedly as the speeder left the roads. He opened the throttle and the speeder lurched as it made full speed into the darkness. As they approached the ship, the cargo hatch opened and he rode the bike into the hold, and climbed down, tossing the little girl like any bundle over his shoulder. As he touched the door release and went into the rest of the ship, the girl began to cry and he handed her over to his young apprentice.
Allekhin Vercian, a tall slim fourteen-year-old looked down at the bawling red-headed child who suddenly clutched his black silk shirt and buried her face into his shoulder. Awkwardly he pried her fingers from his clothing and put her down where she immediately glomped onto his leg, and looked up at him with teary green eyes.
Still sniffling, though no longer making noises closely resembling those of a vornskr on the hunt, she solemnly looked up at him and studied his longish black hair and midnight blue eyes. Allekhin shrugged and knelt down in the middle of the corridor as the ship hummed with the transition into hyperspace. "So… um, what's your name?" Allekhin bit his lip as those green eyes opened wide. She searched for something in her mind that was no longer there… "Well then, I guess that we shall have to find something to call you... Hmm, let's see. Laadah?" Allekhin looked down at her. "Do you like that name?" She nodded gravely and hid behind him, pressing her face into his robes as the tall dark-sider walked in. Damaerydyn strolled up to Allekhin and the young girl, and gestured at her only to question. "Did you find out anything about her?"
"Well, no. Not even her name. However, I decided to call her Laadah, I hope that is all right with you my masta'?" "Keep her quiet and don't let her touch anything," he muttered preoccupied. "Oh, and get her cleaned up and some food and a bed. It will be quite a while before we reach Korre..."
5-year-old Laadah awoke with a lurch of the ship slipping out of hyperspace. The young girl arose with a yawn and slowly made her way to the small room's entrance. Laadah was less than a meter from the access controls when the entrance slid open. Allekhin was standing before the 5- year-old, arms crossed. He impatiently questioned, "What were you doing?" Laadah merely stared at the sith blankly and unspeaking. Thunderously silent moments passed with the two staring into each other's eyes. Allekhin then asked if the child was hungry. She nodded enthusiastically and a servant responded with a plate of food and some water. Laadah bowed in thanks and plopped onto the sleep-couch while gobbling up the fruit hungrily, occasionally sipping a cool drink of water.
When finished, Laadah offered a man dressed in black and holding an empty serving platter her empty plate, which he accepted with a slight nod.
Now annoyed more than ever, Allekhin interrogated "Do you EVER speak?" The girl smiled slightly and retorted, "Yes, of course I do. Umm... sir, May I have please;" She held her cup in the servant's direction. "...Have some more water?" " No." The sith apprentice coldly responded. Allekhin waved his hand in the air and the servant snatched the cup from Laadah's hand and then disappeared into the dark main corridor of the sith infiltrator. Then, Allekhin left the 5-year-old standing by herself in the room.
"How much farther do we have before we reach the planet's surface, my masta'? "Not long, my young apprentice..." Just then a systems alarm sounded. "Go check on the brat." Damaerydyn commanded. Then, without a word, Allekhin turned on his heels and ran to Laadah's room, pounding on the door controls. When the door finally slid open, Laadah was gone.
" Masta', she's missing and one of the escape pods is also missing." Allekhin explained in a fearful voice. Damaerydyn slammed a gloved fist on the autopilot, arose and growled centimeters from Allekhin's face, hand on sword. "Incompetent fool! Stay with the ship, I'm going down to the planet." Damaerydyn grabbed his cloak from the back of pilot's seat and strode angrily from the cockpit.
Allekhin held his breath for a long moment until he heard the Zas Headhunter launch from the docking bay.
Chapter 2: A new friendship
Laadah ran blindly from the battered escape pod. She looked around; it was a filthy city. She didn't think that she'd ever been to a place like this before. "Aaah!" Two small grubby hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley. "Who...Who are you?" Laadah nervously questioned. "My name is Jada. You mustn't wander around here like that, it could be dangerous...they will come and take you away and nobody will ever see you again!" Jada cautiously explained while eyeing her surroundings. Nervously, Laadah wondered aloud, "W... who is THEY?" "Evil men that come and snatch people who stay out after dark. They linger in the shadows and scoop you up on their speeders. They carry you away kicking and screaming and you're never heard from again. They don't bother me because my brother, Lahmi is one of them, well... he WAS one of them. He was killed some time ago, but they still don't bother me. C'mon... I'll take you to where I live." "Eeeeewwww!" Laadah shrieked. A filthy rat scurried frantically past the two girls in fear. After several frightening moments Jada stopped walking and spoke. "Well, here we are." "You live... here?" "Yeah. Why, what's wrong?" "Uhh, nothing. It's just not what I expected." "Oh, you expected it to be clean; half-way decent... I can tell by the way you're dressed." "Well, I..." "Forget it, just get inside. Okay?" Wordlessly Jada turned and crawled under the filthy tavern before her. "I don't have any food to offer, but there's a rug over there that you can sleep on." "Thank you."
After several hours of dreamless sleeping, Laadah awoke and noticed that a dark, hooded figure stood over her and as soon as she opened her eyes, grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. "Jada!" Laadah shrieked as the hooded figure banged his black fist on the back of the red- haired girl's neck. Jada bolted upright and stared in fear as she saw Laadah being dragged unconscious into the tunnel leading to the street. Fearless and strong for her age, she threw herself at the tall hooded man. Damaerydyn turned and pushed the street rat away from him and his eyes narrowed in speculation as a flicker of force potential sparked to life. She jumped to her feet and hissed a curse at him. "I will take you with me as well to make up for this inconvenience." He growled. She turned to run but stumbled and fell as an invisible hand swept her feet out from under her. He bent down and pulled her up, dragging her behind him by her tunic collar. No one contested him, who cares what happens to a couple of street rats? Climbing the ladder to his two-man shuttle was relatively easy, even with the weight of the two girls, one of them kicking and screaming the entire time. "If you don't shut up I will kill you both!" She silenced and allowed him to buckle the two of them into the passenger seats...
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1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Chapter 3: Visions
Jedi master, Wilum Jaimus sat in the uppermost garden in the Jedi temple. It wasn't the largest garden, or the prettiest. In fact it was the kitchen's vegetable garden but it was quiet since no one came here. He sat in a meditative pose, his back against a fruit tree, and his hands resting on his knees. Ripples of the Force washed over him, and like a red ribbon a particularly violent scene pervaded his mind. Glass shattered across an image of a young child sleeping in her bed, and spots of red blood dripped onto a sheet of white. The scene shifted again to show the child, reaching for him and screaming out wordlessly for help. Blackness swallowed his vision and evil laughter rang in his ears as a final picture was displayed before him. The child, laying still on green grass, stared wide eyed at the blue sky, scrolling blue tattoos gracefully curving over her neck and onto her smooth white cheek. The vision released him and his almond shaped aqua eyes opened slowly to the bright daylight. A long-fingered white hand held out a pale handkerchief for him to wipe away the sweat that trickled down his face in rivers. "Are you all right Wil?" The senior council member asked him as she sat on the damp lawn beside him. "I am afraid not, Thierse. Something very wrong has or will happen. Sometimes I loathe the ability to see what may happen in the future. Especially when I can do nothing about it." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Wilum stood and helped the younger woman to her feet.
The hairs on the back of Thierse's neck stood up and she and Wilum shared a glance as the Force warned them both of some impending danger. Touching her light saber she followed the elder Jedi into the Temple and looked around. Thierse closed her eyes and shuddered as she saw a splash of red paint dripping down the whitewashed stonewall of the corridor. Emblazoned there for all to see was a large circle, flanked by two long lightning bolt shapes which was a symbol of the Sith order.
Wilum and Thierse ran down the long corridor to face the emblazoned seal painted in red and the two studied the symbol for a moment before turning to face a young child who appeared to be a mere shell. Just sitting they're rocking herself back and forth, staring into what seemed to be oblivion. "He..." The young child just rose to her feet and sobbed into Wilum's muscular arm."There, there. It's all right, baby. Do you know who it was?" Questioned Thierse. "Umm, no. He carried a weapon like a lightsabre but there was no fire..."The girl sniffled. ' It had to be a Sith...' thought Wil and Thierse...
Laadah crept up to the large black door, stifling a giggle as her friend, Jada, pulled out a piece of tape and together they pasted a large piece of paper to their master's bedroom door. In bold red ink they had written in sith runes, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus: Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon. Bursting into uncontrollable giggles, the two young girls ran, doubled over down the wide hallway, darted out onto a balcony and climbed over the railing. Dropping lightly the fourteen feet to the ground the nine-year olds kept running until they reached the relative safety of the stables. "We are in so much trouble," panted Jada as she ran a hand through her short brown hair. She had been one of Damaerydyn's apprentices for only a year and already she had been punished more times than any of the five others, including Annick who seemed to be a bit mad. The oldest apprentice, Morrighan who was 24, had only last week taken a knife and cut Jada's long silky hair into jagged hunks so that Laadah had had to cut most of it off for it to be neat. The look suited her but Laadah had made a mental note to never cross Morrighan.
Laadah shook her head, the fit of giggles suddenly forgotten. "Why did I let you drag me into that? Who knows what he'll do to us? Remember the last time we did something bad?" Both girls shuddered, though it was stifling in the warm summer sun. "Why is it that we always forget about getting in trouble when we do something like this Jade?"
"I dunno Lai-Lai but umm…" Jada's eyes had taken on a faraway look and she shook herself and grabbed her friend hand, "Let's go he's coming!" Before she had taken one step forward, Jada stumbled and fell. "Jade! OWW!" Laadah winced as her long red curls pulled her backward." Both girls looked up into the handsome face of Lord Damaerydyn. In his late thirties, he looked twenty, with long black hair pulled into a thong at the nape of his neck and glittering grey blue eyes that held them as firmly as any chains. His voice was menacing in its light calmness; "you have been very, very, naughty little girls." Shifting his grip, he pulled both girls to their feet with his hands on their shoulders, pushing them before him down the wide lawn to the castle. As they went inside the gates, Jada could see Morrighan smirking at them from a window.
A plan formed in the dark lord's mind as he pushed them up several sets of stairs and was complete before he reached Laadah's bedroom. Pushing taller redheaded girl inside he restrained Jada who tried to follow her friend. "Since Laadah has been here for many years and since she has never been in as much trouble in four years as you have been in only one, I believe the blame falls on you my dear. So it is you and not your comrade who will bear the punishment Jada."
He pushed Laadah further into the room and shut the door. Both girls screamed for one another until Damaerydyn slapped Jada across the face with one calloused hand. "Be silent, you are obviously unfit for this disciplined life. So I will teach you discipline." Laadah watched, with tears streaming from her eyes, as the Comdark lifted off of the landing platform bearing her best friend away from the planet and away from her life.
Chapter 4:A New Home
Before the ship reached the atmosphere, Jada sent one message to her friend's mind. It wasn't really words, it was more of a feeling of an arm around her shoulders but she knew she would not see her friend again for a very long time, but Jade was promising that she would come back for Lai- Lai.
Jada rubbed her wrists as her master shoved her down the landing ramp. A few meters behind her left shoulder was a sprawling house and a huge lake beyond. Welcome to your new home, kid. I'll be back when you've learned to obey orders." "What? No, please, master. Master, please. I'll be good!" Damaerydyn took her chin in his fingers, kissed her forehead and then pushed her down on the ground. "You had a year. Maybe we should make it five, perhaps. In a swirl of black he was inside the ship. The small girl banged on the closing ramp and was blown back by the thrusters as the repulsor lifts caused the ship to rise away from her.
Angry and slightly preoccupied, Jada wiped away a tear that was gently sliding down her cheek. Well, since I will be here for a while, maybe I should explore. Jada brought a sleeve to her nose. "Uugh! Right after I have a bath!" One piece at a time, she shed and washed her clothing then dove deeply into the cool water. After several moments, Jada came to the surface, heavily gulping air. "Stars and GALAXIES!" Jada cried as a furry, wet object swam past her and stumbled onto the shore. "Aww frag, you scared me! A cat that enjoys swimming. How strange..."
***
Laadah was sobbing wildly on her sleep-mat when she heard her master's sith transport, The Comdark land and power-down. A few moments later, she sensed the evil presence of her master approaching. She arose and began to slam her clenched fists against the door controls, which had been disabled and then finally moved to the door itself. "What've you done with Jada? Where is she?" Laadah frantically demanded of the sith lord. "She is in a place where she can cause no more trouble. That's all you ever need know." Damaerydyn responded shortly.
The 12-year-old girl opened her mouth to protest and even though the door had remained between the master and apprentice, Damaerydyn slightly raised a thumb and two fingers in the air to force-grab the girl. Laadah suddenly stopped her fitful clamor and began to back toward her only, small window all the while clawing at her throat as she struggled for a sweet breath of the cool Yavin air. She could feel her windpipe being squeezed shut and she struggled even more violently for any oxygen that might seep into her lungs. Hot tears began to spill down over her small, round cheeks in rivers as she gasp and drink in any of the cool evening air of the beautiful planet Yavin 4 that she could, yet, she had no such luck...
Suddenly, the locked entrance to Laadah's quarters blasted open and there stood a very enraged Damaerydyn in the hall just beyond the door's synthetic framework. The child's back hit the wall opposite her master and just as she was allowing her legs to buckle and sink to the cold marble floor, she felt her feet begin to rise. She experienced her body sailing through the air closer and closer toward the evil sith master before her, still chocking on lack of air.
The two were now at eye-level, seeing as how the sith lord had manipulated the Force to lift the chocking, young girl. He was now able to see more clearly the anguish and terror that marked the child's face. Her mind was screaming for air as her vision began to blacken.
"How DARE you question me! I am your master and you will never speak to me in that tone ever again or question my motives." Damaerydyn demanded in stern, dark under-tones, "IS THAT CLEAR?" The man strongly emphasized every word.
Laadah simply allowed her head to drop to her chest, half in submission and half because she had nearly lost all consciousness and her voice. The evil, dark lord had resumed his previous stride when, all in one fluid motion, the invisible hand that held her in the air and had also prevented her breathing, released its grip. Laadah plummeted hard onto the floor in a heap as she gasped deeply and coughed several times until she was able to see clearly. She then had allowed the darkness that she had fought so hard against to draw her into a deep and nearly dreamless sleep, save the occasional thoughts of her best friend, Jada.
1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Chapter 5: Confessions
Years later…
Jedi Master Wilum Jaimus walked down the ramp of his private vessel, a ship designed by his former apprentice Anij Qel-Nerai. Piercing blue eyes watched his every move. Allekhin Verscian, former sith apprentice to Darth Damaerydyn, glared at him from the doorway of the small pre-fab house they had assembled on Dantooine. Wilum took caution as he approached. It had been five years since the Sith War and Allekhin had disappeared with his lover Aeris immediately afterward. No one knew whose side he was on. "You seem to have become a hard man to find Sir-Verscian." Wilum's heart seemed to stop for a moment as a small white head peer round Allekhin's broad shoulder. Aeris. A worried look creased her perfect face and he forced a smile. He had once been her mentor and friend, but now she only viewed him with suspicion. The war had hurt everyone on both sides."Allekhin?" She queried softly. "This gentleman was just leaving. He seems to forget with whom he's dealing." The tall young man emphasized his words by casually resting his hand on the shining chrome light saber at his belt. "He's back Allekhin. He's doing it again. We need your help. Innocent lives are at stake, Allekhin!" Wilum shook his head; he had to get through to them somehow. Only Allekhin, Damaerydyn's second in command, would know where his newest base of operations was. For all the Jedi Council knew they could be residing a few kilometers away from the fallen Jedi couple that stood before him.
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The wind swept up around the large, black transport as it landed on the planet's surface. An 18-year-old came darting out of her simple dwelling with a look of slight bewilderment as she rushed toward the strange ship, a huge panther-like creature trailing behind her.
The access ramp lowered and a very well built man, dressed entirely in black swaggered down and sauntered commandingly towards the astonished woman.
She lowered the entire upper half of her small, yet remarkably strong frame into a submissive bow. "You bastard!" Jada had accessed her un-ignited lightsabre, pointed it toward Damaerydyn's abdomen and was prepared to activate it. "How dare you leave me on this Force-forsaken planet for so many years without nothing to assure my survival.
Without another word, Damaerydyn turned on his heel and began to enter the ship from whence he came. Just then, Jada heard the sound of a sabre being ignited.
****
Valagaar whispered commandingly for Laadah to keep quiet as he silently escorted her to a beautiful gardens room at the far end of the Massassi Temple. Once there he could explain all that had been resting upon his heart for so very long.
"Alright. Here we are. Umm. I…" Val hesitated slightly, taking a deep, jagged breath he nervously dried his sweaty palms on his brown tunic and began again. "I'm a Jedi. I, I…" He sighed. "I don't really know when or how this happened, but …" Laadah silenced him and quietly explained that she, too had forsaken the dark side and just as the two embraced warmly she drew back in horror at what she saw. Valagaar quickly whirled around to see who or what was behind him.
"Morrighan! What are you doing here?" "I'm doing everything that I can to see that Jedi scum like you two don't poison the sith order."
With that said, Morrighan raised her gnarled hands in the air directed at the two Jedi. She gathered the dark side securely about herself and shocked them with Force lightning until unconsciousness came to them both.
Chapter 6: Freedom At Last
Jada screamed and plopped onto the ground clutching her ribs. "Laadah…" she exhaled in death.
Damaerydyn spat and stared down at the motionless heap in the dirt. "You were useless to me." Damaerydyn whirled around in a dance, lightsabre in hand and slashed Jada's panther neatly in two and darted into his ship. He powered it up and rose away into the atmosphere, and typing in the coordinates for Yavin 4, he made the jumped to light speed.
***
Laadah awoke with a burning, tingling sensation throughout her head, pulse throbbing in her ears. 'I'm upside down. Why in the galaxy am I upside down?' Laadah looked around and tried to see through the fog, but realized that she couldn't because it engulfed her entire line of site l. "…Can't move!" The more Laadah struggled, the less she could move. "I'm in some sort of Force-deprivation chamber!" She exclaimed, gasping in surprise. "Valagaar?" No answer. "Val?"
"Laadah!!" Valagaar cried out. He received silence in return and was beginning to panic. He could neither hear nor see anything except the snow- white fog that engulfed him.
Just then, he heard a tiny voice saying something like, "Do you like your new dwelling? You'll be in there for quite a while…"
"Morrighan! You won't remain unpunished for what you've done!" Valagaar shouted as he punched the unseen glass before him. "Aaah… Oh!" He clutched his throbbing fist then hugged his head from the vertigo of being upside down.
The days passed in to weeks and the two sith turned Jedi remained in the Force depravation chambers. Although no longer upside down, they were still very faint and emaciated from lack of nourishment. As of recently, they had received little food and some times none at all.
Soon after being imprisoned, however, the couple had learned that their connection with the Force as well as their spirits were being broken. There just had to be some way to break out of these chambers. Just then, the solution for her and Valagaar to be freed came to Laadah.
Days later…
The Force deprivation chambers slid open and the two frail, weak figures sank to their knees and collapsed onto the shiny, black dura-steel flooring. Laadah had blacked out from extended periods of Force deprivation and lack of nourishment. Morrighan had nearly broken her and now she was a sheer mass on the floor. Valagaar gasped as he saw his beloved Laadah lying lifeless on the floor and he fought as hard as he could to reach her, but try as he might he just couldn't seem to move at all.
When Valagaar inquired of Morrighan as to why he and Laadah were being treated the way they were, she complained something about paying back the Jedi for their years of anguish and then, she used Force-lightning to shock the young man into unconsciousness.
Laadah awoke to the sound of ear-piercing sirens wailing throughout what seemed the entire Sith Temple. "Val?" Laadah shouted inquisitively. She peered about the room and finally, she saw him. "Valagaar!" Laadah rushed as fast as her weak body would carry her to the lifeless body of one and only love. Sobbing, she cradled his head in her lap washing his face with tears as she stroked his still face.
*****
Valagaar's sleep was filled with strange dreams. Filled with dreams of Jedi. He and Laadah had been in the area that contained the Force deprivation chambers and were attempting to stand to their feet when a handful of Jedi burst into the room and with an extended arm, the leader of the troupe of Jedi offered the couple refuge in their Temple on the far away planet of Coruscant.
Valagaar regained consciousness and allowed his eyes to flutter open. The very first being that he saw was Laadah and he smiled up at her tear streaked face. She opened her closed and crying eyes to meet Valagaar's shadowy grey ones. "Valagaar! I thought you were…" Valagaar lifted a hand and placed it gently on Laadah's crimson lips to silence her. As she lowered her head she allowed her eyes to slip closed as her lips met his in a soft, subtle kiss.
Chapter 7:The Dark lord Returns
After what seemed like hours, Wilum Jaimus, Thierce, who was head of the Jedi high council, and a handful other Jedi raced up and down the foreign corridors. They were searching. Searching for … 'what exactly? How much longer must we endure these earsplitting sirens? Ah, skies. What are we looking for?' Wilum wondered as he hissed out a long, fatigued sigh.
Just then, the Jedi were all stricken with strong ripples from the light side of the Force. "This way!" Shouted Wilum as he thought to himself, 'Why would Damaerydyn be harboring a couple of Jedi?'
After several difficult moments, Laadah had finally pulled herself to her feet. "Valagaar, give me your arms, I'll help you up."
Across the large expanse of the chambers that the couple was being held in there was a loud rumble. When Laadah and Valagaar turned to see what the clamor was, a petite militia of Jedi was standing in the doorway. The troupe rushed over to the couple. The leader, who was a male, announced that they were here to rescue the Jedi couple. "My name is Wilum Jaimus." He said, offering an arm to Val, who had been on his knees at this point.
"Valagaar Dracos." "Laadah Anne. Thanks for the rescue. " "We are forever in your debt, my friends." Wilum then motioned for everyone to follow him to his transport, "This way."
On the way back to the Jedi transport, Valagaar, who was leaning on Laadah's shoulder for support, struck up a conversation. "Laadah, I don't trust these people. I don't care if they are Jedi."
A few nights later in the Jedi Temple…
Startled by a vision, Laadah awoke with a stifled scream still lingering on her lips. Her mind. Her entire being screamed that Damaerydyn was in the Temple somewhere. She reached out for the Force. Nothing. No… wait! Valagaar!
Laadah stood, changed from her sleep robes and into a fresh tunic. Then, she strapped a new lightsabre to her utility belt slipped on her boots and raced to the turbo-lift down the hall.
Once on the proper level, Laadah bounded down the hallway in lengthy, rapid strides toward Valagaar's screams at the opposite end of the corridor. She hadn't even reached the middle of the corridor and could already hear the sounds of the battle. As Laadah entered the training room, she heard the sound of metal against the durasteel flooring.
*****
Valagaar's eyes widened as the foreign blade bit deeply into his chest. The young man dropped his weapon and slowly sank to his knees. Then, landing with a heart-wrenching thud, his body fell, lifeless.
Distracted, Laadah mumbled something like 'My precious…' and twisted her face with pain as the evil sith lord wrapped a black, gloved hand around Laadah's throat. The girl clawed at the fingers wrapped about her throat, desiring so much to breathe.
"These pathetic Jedi have weakened you. All things weak must be destroyed!" Darth Damaerydyn then shoved his blade into the young woman, peeling her from the wall. He released his grip on her throat, and allowed her to collapse onto the ground. He then kicked her in the stomach and turned on his heel, sauntering purposefully from the room.
"Valagaar?" Laadah painfully cried out. She was in far too much pain to move and forced out a whispered 'I love you.' She then sighed her last breath and died.
~The End~
Created by(: Laadah Anne
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Chapter 1: The beginnings
Damaerydyn wrapped his arms around the small trembling figure wedged between his body and the steering apparatus of the vibrating speeder bike he had just mounted. With a roar the bike sped off into the silent night, the small suburban home on the outskirts of Coronet City, Corellia blissfully unaware that one of its occupants would never be seen again. She didn't make a sound but apprehension rolled off of her in waves. The Dark Lord of the Sith clutched her tighter to his chest and she seemed to assume it was a protective gesture, but the five year old gasped worriedly as the speeder left the roads. He opened the throttle and the speeder lurched as it made full speed into the darkness. As they approached the ship, the cargo hatch opened and he rode the bike into the hold, and climbed down, tossing the little girl like any bundle over his shoulder. As he touched the door release and went into the rest of the ship, the girl began to cry and he handed her over to his young apprentice.
Allekhin Vercian, a tall slim fourteen-year-old looked down at the bawling red-headed child who suddenly clutched his black silk shirt and buried her face into his shoulder. Awkwardly he pried her fingers from his clothing and put her down where she immediately glomped onto his leg, and looked up at him with teary green eyes.
Still sniffling, though no longer making noises closely resembling those of a vornskr on the hunt, she solemnly looked up at him and studied his longish black hair and midnight blue eyes. Allekhin shrugged and knelt down in the middle of the corridor as the ship hummed with the transition into hyperspace. "So… um, what's your name?" Allekhin bit his lip as those green eyes opened wide. She searched for something in her mind that was no longer there… "Well then, I guess that we shall have to find something to call you... Hmm, let's see. Laadah?" Allekhin looked down at her. "Do you like that name?" She nodded gravely and hid behind him, pressing her face into his robes as the tall dark-sider walked in. Damaerydyn strolled up to Allekhin and the young girl, and gestured at her only to question. "Did you find out anything about her?"
"Well, no. Not even her name. However, I decided to call her Laadah, I hope that is all right with you my masta'?" "Keep her quiet and don't let her touch anything," he muttered preoccupied. "Oh, and get her cleaned up and some food and a bed. It will be quite a while before we reach Korre..."
5-year-old Laadah awoke with a lurch of the ship slipping out of hyperspace. The young girl arose with a yawn and slowly made her way to the small room's entrance. Laadah was less than a meter from the access controls when the entrance slid open. Allekhin was standing before the 5- year-old, arms crossed. He impatiently questioned, "What were you doing?" Laadah merely stared at the sith blankly and unspeaking. Thunderously silent moments passed with the two staring into each other's eyes. Allekhin then asked if the child was hungry. She nodded enthusiastically and a servant responded with a plate of food and some water. Laadah bowed in thanks and plopped onto the sleep-couch while gobbling up the fruit hungrily, occasionally sipping a cool drink of water.
When finished, Laadah offered a man dressed in black and holding an empty serving platter her empty plate, which he accepted with a slight nod.
Now annoyed more than ever, Allekhin interrogated "Do you EVER speak?" The girl smiled slightly and retorted, "Yes, of course I do. Umm... sir, May I have please;" She held her cup in the servant's direction. "...Have some more water?" " No." The sith apprentice coldly responded. Allekhin waved his hand in the air and the servant snatched the cup from Laadah's hand and then disappeared into the dark main corridor of the sith infiltrator. Then, Allekhin left the 5-year-old standing by herself in the room.
"How much farther do we have before we reach the planet's surface, my masta'? "Not long, my young apprentice..." Just then a systems alarm sounded. "Go check on the brat." Damaerydyn commanded. Then, without a word, Allekhin turned on his heels and ran to Laadah's room, pounding on the door controls. When the door finally slid open, Laadah was gone.
" Masta', she's missing and one of the escape pods is also missing." Allekhin explained in a fearful voice. Damaerydyn slammed a gloved fist on the autopilot, arose and growled centimeters from Allekhin's face, hand on sword. "Incompetent fool! Stay with the ship, I'm going down to the planet." Damaerydyn grabbed his cloak from the back of pilot's seat and strode angrily from the cockpit.
Allekhin held his breath for a long moment until he heard the Zas Headhunter launch from the docking bay.
Chapter 2: A new friendship
Laadah ran blindly from the battered escape pod. She looked around; it was a filthy city. She didn't think that she'd ever been to a place like this before. "Aaah!" Two small grubby hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley. "Who...Who are you?" Laadah nervously questioned. "My name is Jada. You mustn't wander around here like that, it could be dangerous...they will come and take you away and nobody will ever see you again!" Jada cautiously explained while eyeing her surroundings. Nervously, Laadah wondered aloud, "W... who is THEY?" "Evil men that come and snatch people who stay out after dark. They linger in the shadows and scoop you up on their speeders. They carry you away kicking and screaming and you're never heard from again. They don't bother me because my brother, Lahmi is one of them, well... he WAS one of them. He was killed some time ago, but they still don't bother me. C'mon... I'll take you to where I live." "Eeeeewwww!" Laadah shrieked. A filthy rat scurried frantically past the two girls in fear. After several frightening moments Jada stopped walking and spoke. "Well, here we are." "You live... here?" "Yeah. Why, what's wrong?" "Uhh, nothing. It's just not what I expected." "Oh, you expected it to be clean; half-way decent... I can tell by the way you're dressed." "Well, I..." "Forget it, just get inside. Okay?" Wordlessly Jada turned and crawled under the filthy tavern before her. "I don't have any food to offer, but there's a rug over there that you can sleep on." "Thank you."
After several hours of dreamless sleeping, Laadah awoke and noticed that a dark, hooded figure stood over her and as soon as she opened her eyes, grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. "Jada!" Laadah shrieked as the hooded figure banged his black fist on the back of the red- haired girl's neck. Jada bolted upright and stared in fear as she saw Laadah being dragged unconscious into the tunnel leading to the street. Fearless and strong for her age, she threw herself at the tall hooded man. Damaerydyn turned and pushed the street rat away from him and his eyes narrowed in speculation as a flicker of force potential sparked to life. She jumped to her feet and hissed a curse at him. "I will take you with me as well to make up for this inconvenience." He growled. She turned to run but stumbled and fell as an invisible hand swept her feet out from under her. He bent down and pulled her up, dragging her behind him by her tunic collar. No one contested him, who cares what happens to a couple of street rats? Climbing the ladder to his two-man shuttle was relatively easy, even with the weight of the two girls, one of them kicking and screaming the entire time. "If you don't shut up I will kill you both!" She silenced and allowed him to buckle the two of them into the passenger seats...
****
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Chapter 3: Visions
Jedi master, Wilum Jaimus sat in the uppermost garden in the Jedi temple. It wasn't the largest garden, or the prettiest. In fact it was the kitchen's vegetable garden but it was quiet since no one came here. He sat in a meditative pose, his back against a fruit tree, and his hands resting on his knees. Ripples of the Force washed over him, and like a red ribbon a particularly violent scene pervaded his mind. Glass shattered across an image of a young child sleeping in her bed, and spots of red blood dripped onto a sheet of white. The scene shifted again to show the child, reaching for him and screaming out wordlessly for help. Blackness swallowed his vision and evil laughter rang in his ears as a final picture was displayed before him. The child, laying still on green grass, stared wide eyed at the blue sky, scrolling blue tattoos gracefully curving over her neck and onto her smooth white cheek. The vision released him and his almond shaped aqua eyes opened slowly to the bright daylight. A long-fingered white hand held out a pale handkerchief for him to wipe away the sweat that trickled down his face in rivers. "Are you all right Wil?" The senior council member asked him as she sat on the damp lawn beside him. "I am afraid not, Thierse. Something very wrong has or will happen. Sometimes I loathe the ability to see what may happen in the future. Especially when I can do nothing about it." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Wilum stood and helped the younger woman to her feet.
The hairs on the back of Thierse's neck stood up and she and Wilum shared a glance as the Force warned them both of some impending danger. Touching her light saber she followed the elder Jedi into the Temple and looked around. Thierse closed her eyes and shuddered as she saw a splash of red paint dripping down the whitewashed stonewall of the corridor. Emblazoned there for all to see was a large circle, flanked by two long lightning bolt shapes which was a symbol of the Sith order.
Wilum and Thierse ran down the long corridor to face the emblazoned seal painted in red and the two studied the symbol for a moment before turning to face a young child who appeared to be a mere shell. Just sitting they're rocking herself back and forth, staring into what seemed to be oblivion. "He..." The young child just rose to her feet and sobbed into Wilum's muscular arm."There, there. It's all right, baby. Do you know who it was?" Questioned Thierse. "Umm, no. He carried a weapon like a lightsabre but there was no fire..."The girl sniffled. ' It had to be a Sith...' thought Wil and Thierse...
Laadah crept up to the large black door, stifling a giggle as her friend, Jada, pulled out a piece of tape and together they pasted a large piece of paper to their master's bedroom door. In bold red ink they had written in sith runes, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus: Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon. Bursting into uncontrollable giggles, the two young girls ran, doubled over down the wide hallway, darted out onto a balcony and climbed over the railing. Dropping lightly the fourteen feet to the ground the nine-year olds kept running until they reached the relative safety of the stables. "We are in so much trouble," panted Jada as she ran a hand through her short brown hair. She had been one of Damaerydyn's apprentices for only a year and already she had been punished more times than any of the five others, including Annick who seemed to be a bit mad. The oldest apprentice, Morrighan who was 24, had only last week taken a knife and cut Jada's long silky hair into jagged hunks so that Laadah had had to cut most of it off for it to be neat. The look suited her but Laadah had made a mental note to never cross Morrighan.
Laadah shook her head, the fit of giggles suddenly forgotten. "Why did I let you drag me into that? Who knows what he'll do to us? Remember the last time we did something bad?" Both girls shuddered, though it was stifling in the warm summer sun. "Why is it that we always forget about getting in trouble when we do something like this Jade?"
"I dunno Lai-Lai but umm…" Jada's eyes had taken on a faraway look and she shook herself and grabbed her friend hand, "Let's go he's coming!" Before she had taken one step forward, Jada stumbled and fell. "Jade! OWW!" Laadah winced as her long red curls pulled her backward." Both girls looked up into the handsome face of Lord Damaerydyn. In his late thirties, he looked twenty, with long black hair pulled into a thong at the nape of his neck and glittering grey blue eyes that held them as firmly as any chains. His voice was menacing in its light calmness; "you have been very, very, naughty little girls." Shifting his grip, he pulled both girls to their feet with his hands on their shoulders, pushing them before him down the wide lawn to the castle. As they went inside the gates, Jada could see Morrighan smirking at them from a window.
A plan formed in the dark lord's mind as he pushed them up several sets of stairs and was complete before he reached Laadah's bedroom. Pushing taller redheaded girl inside he restrained Jada who tried to follow her friend. "Since Laadah has been here for many years and since she has never been in as much trouble in four years as you have been in only one, I believe the blame falls on you my dear. So it is you and not your comrade who will bear the punishment Jada."
He pushed Laadah further into the room and shut the door. Both girls screamed for one another until Damaerydyn slapped Jada across the face with one calloused hand. "Be silent, you are obviously unfit for this disciplined life. So I will teach you discipline." Laadah watched, with tears streaming from her eyes, as the Comdark lifted off of the landing platform bearing her best friend away from the planet and away from her life.
Chapter 4:A New Home
Before the ship reached the atmosphere, Jada sent one message to her friend's mind. It wasn't really words, it was more of a feeling of an arm around her shoulders but she knew she would not see her friend again for a very long time, but Jade was promising that she would come back for Lai- Lai.
Jada rubbed her wrists as her master shoved her down the landing ramp. A few meters behind her left shoulder was a sprawling house and a huge lake beyond. Welcome to your new home, kid. I'll be back when you've learned to obey orders." "What? No, please, master. Master, please. I'll be good!" Damaerydyn took her chin in his fingers, kissed her forehead and then pushed her down on the ground. "You had a year. Maybe we should make it five, perhaps. In a swirl of black he was inside the ship. The small girl banged on the closing ramp and was blown back by the thrusters as the repulsor lifts caused the ship to rise away from her.
Angry and slightly preoccupied, Jada wiped away a tear that was gently sliding down her cheek. Well, since I will be here for a while, maybe I should explore. Jada brought a sleeve to her nose. "Uugh! Right after I have a bath!" One piece at a time, she shed and washed her clothing then dove deeply into the cool water. After several moments, Jada came to the surface, heavily gulping air. "Stars and GALAXIES!" Jada cried as a furry, wet object swam past her and stumbled onto the shore. "Aww frag, you scared me! A cat that enjoys swimming. How strange..."
***
Laadah was sobbing wildly on her sleep-mat when she heard her master's sith transport, The Comdark land and power-down. A few moments later, she sensed the evil presence of her master approaching. She arose and began to slam her clenched fists against the door controls, which had been disabled and then finally moved to the door itself. "What've you done with Jada? Where is she?" Laadah frantically demanded of the sith lord. "She is in a place where she can cause no more trouble. That's all you ever need know." Damaerydyn responded shortly.
The 12-year-old girl opened her mouth to protest and even though the door had remained between the master and apprentice, Damaerydyn slightly raised a thumb and two fingers in the air to force-grab the girl. Laadah suddenly stopped her fitful clamor and began to back toward her only, small window all the while clawing at her throat as she struggled for a sweet breath of the cool Yavin air. She could feel her windpipe being squeezed shut and she struggled even more violently for any oxygen that might seep into her lungs. Hot tears began to spill down over her small, round cheeks in rivers as she gasp and drink in any of the cool evening air of the beautiful planet Yavin 4 that she could, yet, she had no such luck...
Suddenly, the locked entrance to Laadah's quarters blasted open and there stood a very enraged Damaerydyn in the hall just beyond the door's synthetic framework. The child's back hit the wall opposite her master and just as she was allowing her legs to buckle and sink to the cold marble floor, she felt her feet begin to rise. She experienced her body sailing through the air closer and closer toward the evil sith master before her, still chocking on lack of air.
The two were now at eye-level, seeing as how the sith lord had manipulated the Force to lift the chocking, young girl. He was now able to see more clearly the anguish and terror that marked the child's face. Her mind was screaming for air as her vision began to blacken.
"How DARE you question me! I am your master and you will never speak to me in that tone ever again or question my motives." Damaerydyn demanded in stern, dark under-tones, "IS THAT CLEAR?" The man strongly emphasized every word.
Laadah simply allowed her head to drop to her chest, half in submission and half because she had nearly lost all consciousness and her voice. The evil, dark lord had resumed his previous stride when, all in one fluid motion, the invisible hand that held her in the air and had also prevented her breathing, released its grip. Laadah plummeted hard onto the floor in a heap as she gasped deeply and coughed several times until she was able to see clearly. She then had allowed the darkness that she had fought so hard against to draw her into a deep and nearly dreamless sleep, save the occasional thoughts of her best friend, Jada.
1.1.1.1.1.1.2 Chapter 5: Confessions
Years later…
Jedi Master Wilum Jaimus walked down the ramp of his private vessel, a ship designed by his former apprentice Anij Qel-Nerai. Piercing blue eyes watched his every move. Allekhin Verscian, former sith apprentice to Darth Damaerydyn, glared at him from the doorway of the small pre-fab house they had assembled on Dantooine. Wilum took caution as he approached. It had been five years since the Sith War and Allekhin had disappeared with his lover Aeris immediately afterward. No one knew whose side he was on. "You seem to have become a hard man to find Sir-Verscian." Wilum's heart seemed to stop for a moment as a small white head peer round Allekhin's broad shoulder. Aeris. A worried look creased her perfect face and he forced a smile. He had once been her mentor and friend, but now she only viewed him with suspicion. The war had hurt everyone on both sides."Allekhin?" She queried softly. "This gentleman was just leaving. He seems to forget with whom he's dealing." The tall young man emphasized his words by casually resting his hand on the shining chrome light saber at his belt. "He's back Allekhin. He's doing it again. We need your help. Innocent lives are at stake, Allekhin!" Wilum shook his head; he had to get through to them somehow. Only Allekhin, Damaerydyn's second in command, would know where his newest base of operations was. For all the Jedi Council knew they could be residing a few kilometers away from the fallen Jedi couple that stood before him.
****
The wind swept up around the large, black transport as it landed on the planet's surface. An 18-year-old came darting out of her simple dwelling with a look of slight bewilderment as she rushed toward the strange ship, a huge panther-like creature trailing behind her.
The access ramp lowered and a very well built man, dressed entirely in black swaggered down and sauntered commandingly towards the astonished woman.
She lowered the entire upper half of her small, yet remarkably strong frame into a submissive bow. "You bastard!" Jada had accessed her un-ignited lightsabre, pointed it toward Damaerydyn's abdomen and was prepared to activate it. "How dare you leave me on this Force-forsaken planet for so many years without nothing to assure my survival.
Without another word, Damaerydyn turned on his heel and began to enter the ship from whence he came. Just then, Jada heard the sound of a sabre being ignited.
****
Valagaar whispered commandingly for Laadah to keep quiet as he silently escorted her to a beautiful gardens room at the far end of the Massassi Temple. Once there he could explain all that had been resting upon his heart for so very long.
"Alright. Here we are. Umm. I…" Val hesitated slightly, taking a deep, jagged breath he nervously dried his sweaty palms on his brown tunic and began again. "I'm a Jedi. I, I…" He sighed. "I don't really know when or how this happened, but …" Laadah silenced him and quietly explained that she, too had forsaken the dark side and just as the two embraced warmly she drew back in horror at what she saw. Valagaar quickly whirled around to see who or what was behind him.
"Morrighan! What are you doing here?" "I'm doing everything that I can to see that Jedi scum like you two don't poison the sith order."
With that said, Morrighan raised her gnarled hands in the air directed at the two Jedi. She gathered the dark side securely about herself and shocked them with Force lightning until unconsciousness came to them both.
Chapter 6: Freedom At Last
Jada screamed and plopped onto the ground clutching her ribs. "Laadah…" she exhaled in death.
Damaerydyn spat and stared down at the motionless heap in the dirt. "You were useless to me." Damaerydyn whirled around in a dance, lightsabre in hand and slashed Jada's panther neatly in two and darted into his ship. He powered it up and rose away into the atmosphere, and typing in the coordinates for Yavin 4, he made the jumped to light speed.
***
Laadah awoke with a burning, tingling sensation throughout her head, pulse throbbing in her ears. 'I'm upside down. Why in the galaxy am I upside down?' Laadah looked around and tried to see through the fog, but realized that she couldn't because it engulfed her entire line of site l. "…Can't move!" The more Laadah struggled, the less she could move. "I'm in some sort of Force-deprivation chamber!" She exclaimed, gasping in surprise. "Valagaar?" No answer. "Val?"
"Laadah!!" Valagaar cried out. He received silence in return and was beginning to panic. He could neither hear nor see anything except the snow- white fog that engulfed him.
Just then, he heard a tiny voice saying something like, "Do you like your new dwelling? You'll be in there for quite a while…"
"Morrighan! You won't remain unpunished for what you've done!" Valagaar shouted as he punched the unseen glass before him. "Aaah… Oh!" He clutched his throbbing fist then hugged his head from the vertigo of being upside down.
The days passed in to weeks and the two sith turned Jedi remained in the Force depravation chambers. Although no longer upside down, they were still very faint and emaciated from lack of nourishment. As of recently, they had received little food and some times none at all.
Soon after being imprisoned, however, the couple had learned that their connection with the Force as well as their spirits were being broken. There just had to be some way to break out of these chambers. Just then, the solution for her and Valagaar to be freed came to Laadah.
Days later…
The Force deprivation chambers slid open and the two frail, weak figures sank to their knees and collapsed onto the shiny, black dura-steel flooring. Laadah had blacked out from extended periods of Force deprivation and lack of nourishment. Morrighan had nearly broken her and now she was a sheer mass on the floor. Valagaar gasped as he saw his beloved Laadah lying lifeless on the floor and he fought as hard as he could to reach her, but try as he might he just couldn't seem to move at all.
When Valagaar inquired of Morrighan as to why he and Laadah were being treated the way they were, she complained something about paying back the Jedi for their years of anguish and then, she used Force-lightning to shock the young man into unconsciousness.
Laadah awoke to the sound of ear-piercing sirens wailing throughout what seemed the entire Sith Temple. "Val?" Laadah shouted inquisitively. She peered about the room and finally, she saw him. "Valagaar!" Laadah rushed as fast as her weak body would carry her to the lifeless body of one and only love. Sobbing, she cradled his head in her lap washing his face with tears as she stroked his still face.
*****
Valagaar's sleep was filled with strange dreams. Filled with dreams of Jedi. He and Laadah had been in the area that contained the Force deprivation chambers and were attempting to stand to their feet when a handful of Jedi burst into the room and with an extended arm, the leader of the troupe of Jedi offered the couple refuge in their Temple on the far away planet of Coruscant.
Valagaar regained consciousness and allowed his eyes to flutter open. The very first being that he saw was Laadah and he smiled up at her tear streaked face. She opened her closed and crying eyes to meet Valagaar's shadowy grey ones. "Valagaar! I thought you were…" Valagaar lifted a hand and placed it gently on Laadah's crimson lips to silence her. As she lowered her head she allowed her eyes to slip closed as her lips met his in a soft, subtle kiss.
Chapter 7:The Dark lord Returns
After what seemed like hours, Wilum Jaimus, Thierce, who was head of the Jedi high council, and a handful other Jedi raced up and down the foreign corridors. They were searching. Searching for … 'what exactly? How much longer must we endure these earsplitting sirens? Ah, skies. What are we looking for?' Wilum wondered as he hissed out a long, fatigued sigh.
Just then, the Jedi were all stricken with strong ripples from the light side of the Force. "This way!" Shouted Wilum as he thought to himself, 'Why would Damaerydyn be harboring a couple of Jedi?'
After several difficult moments, Laadah had finally pulled herself to her feet. "Valagaar, give me your arms, I'll help you up."
Across the large expanse of the chambers that the couple was being held in there was a loud rumble. When Laadah and Valagaar turned to see what the clamor was, a petite militia of Jedi was standing in the doorway. The troupe rushed over to the couple. The leader, who was a male, announced that they were here to rescue the Jedi couple. "My name is Wilum Jaimus." He said, offering an arm to Val, who had been on his knees at this point.
"Valagaar Dracos." "Laadah Anne. Thanks for the rescue. " "We are forever in your debt, my friends." Wilum then motioned for everyone to follow him to his transport, "This way."
On the way back to the Jedi transport, Valagaar, who was leaning on Laadah's shoulder for support, struck up a conversation. "Laadah, I don't trust these people. I don't care if they are Jedi."
A few nights later in the Jedi Temple…
Startled by a vision, Laadah awoke with a stifled scream still lingering on her lips. Her mind. Her entire being screamed that Damaerydyn was in the Temple somewhere. She reached out for the Force. Nothing. No… wait! Valagaar!
Laadah stood, changed from her sleep robes and into a fresh tunic. Then, she strapped a new lightsabre to her utility belt slipped on her boots and raced to the turbo-lift down the hall.
Once on the proper level, Laadah bounded down the hallway in lengthy, rapid strides toward Valagaar's screams at the opposite end of the corridor. She hadn't even reached the middle of the corridor and could already hear the sounds of the battle. As Laadah entered the training room, she heard the sound of metal against the durasteel flooring.
*****
Valagaar's eyes widened as the foreign blade bit deeply into his chest. The young man dropped his weapon and slowly sank to his knees. Then, landing with a heart-wrenching thud, his body fell, lifeless.
Distracted, Laadah mumbled something like 'My precious…' and twisted her face with pain as the evil sith lord wrapped a black, gloved hand around Laadah's throat. The girl clawed at the fingers wrapped about her throat, desiring so much to breathe.
"These pathetic Jedi have weakened you. All things weak must be destroyed!" Darth Damaerydyn then shoved his blade into the young woman, peeling her from the wall. He released his grip on her throat, and allowed her to collapse onto the ground. He then kicked her in the stomach and turned on his heel, sauntering purposefully from the room.
"Valagaar?" Laadah painfully cried out. She was in far too much pain to move and forced out a whispered 'I love you.' She then sighed her last breath and died.
~The End~