Path of the Dark Jedi Jaden
Chapter 1: Betrayal!
Author's note:
This is a story about female Jaden Korr, a very talented young lady with bob shaped red hair, stunning azure eyes, with a gentle smile and a determined character. She is dressed in a brown and yellow thermo jacket and pants, with knee high, small heeled boots.
Arriving at the Academy, she strode to prove herself to be the best. How could she not? She built a retaliator lightsaber with an ocean blue color; plus, it seemed that the powers of the Force were open to her like the pages of a book. It took her only a few months to develop her barely balanced abilities: Force lightning, Force grip on one side, Force healing, protect and absorb on the other side. She was destined to become one of the best Jedi Masters to have ever lived. But, as always, there was one miscalculation: the appearence of a certain Rosh Penin in her life.
Taspir III...
" Rosh!" Jaden exclaimed as she Force jumped onto the hangar's level. The road through Taspir III and the countless clones and cultists was hard, tiring, but she reached her destination. Out of reflex, more than anything, she extinguished her deep purple lightsaber.
" Jaden!" he answered visibly suprised and ran to meet her. He didn't expect to be Force pushed into the crate behind him. His head still spinning around from the impact, he muttered a " what's happened to you?"
Jaden Korr, the prodigal Jedi Knight, wondergirl of the Academy on Yavin IV, despite her fragile age of only 19 yrs, fumed. Her red hair was messed up, she was full of cuts and bruises, plus her clothes were about to fall into pieces. Her body hurt in so many places, but she never complained; she was a warrior.
Yet there HE lay, unscathed, not chained to a pole or anything, or at least locked up in a cell. No, he was perfectly fine, if not a bit scared, but that was all. No trace of ill will on Alora or Tavion's side.
Her stunning azure eyes flared with anger, their color about to switch to the terrifying sith yellow. Also, the aura around her would turn just about anybody around, sending the running for their lives.
Rosh tried to get up, but it was difficult. His body was freezing, the joy of being reunited with his dear...friend( or girlfriend?) turned to pure horror. She heard his call for help, she came to him, but... it was as if it wasn't her. Where was that gentle, reassuring smile? Where was that energizing, always hopeful look in her eyes? Her whole demeanor changed for the worst. He then heard her now filled with venom words:
" You don't look that much of a captive, Rosh!" she said igniting her purple lightsaber again and pacing towards him. " Did YOU dream this up, or was it Tavion's idea?"
He struggled to get his words out, in fear of causing more damage, but he had to try to calm her. Shutting up and surrendering to her seemed... deadly, at least now.
"W-w-wai-t-t! I was wrong, please! Take me back to the Academy! I...I... need help!" he pleaded.
His words only angered Jaden further. She thought he couldn't be more of a hypocrite, yet there he was, pleading, begging her to help him. HER, after all he'd done?! The nerve!
" Why Rosh, my dear, I know that much already!" she answered darkily. After what you did to me on Vjun, I wouldn't put it past you to hurt me again, you worthless... –she couldn't say the word aloud; it hurt." She then pushed away all the crates in front of her, then ran to him and smashed him against a wall. " You need help? I tried to help you, I tried to reason with you, for the sake of our friendship, (if not for more..., she thought), but you chose the easy, coward way out by joining that wretched bitch Tavion!" she continued and began to punch him again... and again... and again; a rain of hard hits landed on every inch of Prnin's body.
Rosh himself felt immense pain engulfing him like a wave of lava. Most of it was physical, in terms of punches and now kicks, but there was another part, made of rage, of anger, of disappointment...regret...and Jaden felt hurt, not just hurt, but heartbroken! he betrayed her trust, her friendship and he dared think of it... her love for him.
(FLASHBACK)
His memories brought him to that day they've first met, back on the ship that was taking them to the Academy to start walking the path to becoming jedi. He tried to befriend just about everyone, but most retorted to small chatter when he was around; nobody liked his hyperactive behaviour. Time and time again, he tried to make friends, but was turned away, ignored or awkwardly accepted, if only for a short time. If that was how his time at the Academy was going to be, than he might have thought twice about singing up. Just then, he noticed a beautiful red haired girl sitting in a corner in the front row of the ship. She was dressed in a casual thermo jacked and pants, had knee high boots and only a backpack's worth of baggage. Taking his chance, he approached her casually, taking a seat next to her.
" Aren't you excited? We're going to become jedi, learning the ways of the Force, saving the galaxy, building a lightsaber..." his eyes trailed down to the spot between the seat. He couldn't believe it. " Wow, you already have one, so you'll be a step ahead of me, ahead of everyone!" he said, but then his face fell for a moment. " I'm gonna use one of those stupid, cheap training sabers..."
It was she that interrupted him.
" I wouldn't worry too much about that! You'll see you'll have a great time ahead of you and maybe it will be fun, who knows!?" she added with a smile.
Her first words to him were angelic. Soft, comforting, it did wonders to his spirit. Now he felt tense, afraid of making himself look like a fool. She just smiled at his attempt to look cool and carefree; at his eagerness to prove himself.
" I agree with you completly, but I can't help it! I want to make a good impression! Plus, everybody here seems to hate me or not mind me!" he added with a sad face and turned away from her. He felt bad for being ignored. Maybe it had to do with him growing up in a senator's family, being the youngest son and always receiving what he wanted, always being respected and listened to, because of his parents's status; take that apart, and he would be lost. This is why he wanted to join the Jedi Academy, to pursue his dream of living in a compassionate place. He wanted to prove that he wasn't just a spoiled brat, but a good person that will do anything to protect life when the time came. What a sorry joke he was.
Again, the girl shook him from his saddening thoughts by putting a hand on his right shoulder.
" I don't hate you! In fact, you seem...cute, with all your efforts of trying to look like a macho type!" she spoke softly, reassuringly, looking at him with those stunning azure blue eyes. The sparks he felt in his body lifted his mood.
" Thank you! You're the best...
" Jaden... Jaden Korr!" she anwered to his silent question.
" Rosh Penin, glad to meet you, lady Korr!" he presented himself and kissed her hand teasingly, instead of shaking it. She actually let out a laugh at his attempt to tease her.
(FLASHBACK ENDS)
" She's so cute when she's laughing!" he looked back and smiled fondly at the memory. The hand that was grabbing him by the collar tightened its grip.
" Isn't it painful enough for you? Is it amusing you, you masochistic fool? What are you smiling at?" she shouted.
That pulled him out of his thoughts, but couldn't make him forget that memory, no matter how much pain he felt right now.
"... at the first day we've met! You were the only one to believe in me, to push me forward! It was you that put my reassuring smile back on my face! I was caught up in the beauty of the girl that lended me a hand and cute, gentle smile!"
(Again, a FLASHBACK)
Jaden stopped her punch in mid air. Her hand trembled and she looked at herself. It was painful indeed. She remembered that day clearly. It was she who saw through his carefree guy disguise. He was so similar, yet so different from her. Jaden too felt socially awkaward, but that was because she was the best of the best whereever she went. People would think her a snob, a geek, a human girl that cared only for improving herself, showing off and the like. She wasn't like that. Sure, she was powerful and tried to make the best use out of it by helping others. Those "others" somehow ended up misjudging her intentions. So, people started avoiding her... and she began avoiding them as well. Even when she got onboard this ship, she sought a secluded place, where she could be alone with her thoughts. It was towards the end of the journey that this rejected teenager came to talk to her, obviously curious about the "hermit" of the ship. At first, she didn't want to speak with him, but after he opened his mouth and his true emotiones ( timidity, fear of looking like a fool, hope of making a friend...) started showing themselves, she found the friend she was looking for.
A friend...
