HI guys! Ever since KotFE was released, I was hoping we'd be able to mix and match some of our LIs in game. Sadly, that didn't happen. But I couldn't stop thinking about how a relationship between Aric Jorgan and a Jedi might go. And so, this was born :) I hope you guys enjoy it!

A HUGE thanks to my beta and good friend, Mordinette, for beta reading for me! You are awesome!

Blindsided

||Chapter One||

Aric Jorgan's hands shook with barely controlled rage as he shoved the last of his meager belongings into his dufflebag. The bright side, he supposed, was that he was finally getting off this mud-ball of a planet. He'd hated Ord Mantell from the moment he'd stepped foot onto its war-torn surface. Perhaps coming here wasn't the best choice career-wise as he'd first imagined.

Demoted. The Cathar's fist clenched into a tight fist of frustration and he bit back the urge to send it flying into the durasteel paneling behind him. He'd worked damned hard to get where he was - had been - and had been proud of his accomplishments. Now, thanks to Havoc Squad's defection, everything he had worked for since he was old enough to enlist would be overshadowed by this black mark on his record.

He hoped the last, loyal member of Havoc Squad would make those traitors pay for what they'd done. He just wished he could make them pay himself. He should have been put in charge of Havoc Squad, not that hot-headed rookie. He was green, barely out of the Academy. What did he know about running a squad?

With an angry growl, Aric shifted the bag onto his shoulder, giving the barracks one last glance over to assure he hadn't left anything. No, he certainly wouldn't miss this place. It reeked of sweat, dirty socks, and testosterone. But this had been his home for the past two years.

No. Not home. Home was somewhere he belonged.

That place didn't exist for him.

Ignoring the sympathetic (and the occasionally smug) glances from his colleagues, Aric kept his head held high as he marched towards General Vander's office. His body hummed with anxious energy, the way it always did when he received a new assignment.

He'd walked these familiar hallways every day for the past five years, and yet he felt no sadness at its loss this final time. He'd made no fond memories of this place, no one he could call a friend to say goodbye to. He'd been here to do a job, and he'd done it well. There was no use in forming attachments to squadmates; ultimately someone would be reassigned, as he was being now, or they eventually fell in battle. Life was easier to go through alone.

When he finally reached General Vander's office, Aric's nerves were on edge. What kind of assignment was he about to receive? Where would he be stationed? Cathar could adjust to change quickly, but it didn't stop the anxiety from setting in.

Just as he was about to knock, the door swung open, revealing the general himself.

"Ah, Jorgan, good. I was just about to come find you." The general stepped back, gesturing for Aric to enter. "Please, come in."

"Thank you, sir," he replied, stepping past the older man and glancing around the small, familiar office. "Just wanted to get my new assignment and I'll be on my way."

Vander sighed, closing the door behind him before moving back behind his desk. "Have a seat, Sergeant."

Aric swallowed hard, trying not to let the title get the better of him, before shifting his bag off his shoulders and settling into the empty seat across from Vander. The older man's face was blank, void of all emotion. But Jorgan knew the man well enough that he could sense his unease. Apparently, this assignment was going to be worse than he initially feared.

Vander ran a hand through his grey, thinning hair. "I am sorry about this, Jorgan. I fought it as best I could."

During his time on Ord Mantell, Aric had grown to respect the general. Vander was a fair man; he gave his absolute best for the men and women serving under him. He also knew the demotion hadn't been his decision; that call had come from the brass. After a moment of hesitation, Aric cleared his throat. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

The general waved his hand, gesturing for the Cathar to continue. "Of course."

"How could the brass choose the rookie to take over Havoc Squad? The kid was barely out of the academy. Sergeant Jascen is as green as they come." Aric paused as he tried to reign in his temper. "Tavus and the other traitors are going to destroy him."

The older man folded his hands on his desk, a knowing half smile quirking the corner of his mouth. "General Garza has already compiled a list of possible recruits to rebuild Havoc. They'll get them, don't worry." He paused. "Or is this your pride and lust for vengeance talking?"

Aric looked away, shame and embarrassment coursing through his veins. Maybe it was his pride getting the better of him. Nevertheless, he felt that leaving Havoc in the hands of someone so inexperienced was a mistake the Republic couldn't afford. "Maybe. I won't deny that I would kill for the chance to track those traitors down myself."

Vander gave him a level look. "Would you really have been happy taking orders from someone like Jascen? The two of you were at each other's throats the entire time you were working together on his ZR-57 op. You would have been miserable and you know it."

Aric couldn't argue with that logic. From the moment Jascen had stepped foot into Fort Garnik, the man's bad attitude had rubbed him the wrong way. He was disrespectful, arrogant, and impulsive. Being stuck in close quarters with that infuriating man would have, most likely, driven him to homicidal tendencies. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Fair enough, sir."

Nodding, Vander opened his desk drawer, producing a heavy packet that he deposited in front of Aric. "However, the timing of this is actually perfect. I have an assignment for you." He paused, turning pensive. "I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it."

Aric waved off his concern. "Whatever it is, General, I'll handle it."

Vander huffed a laugh, folding his hands on the front of his desk. "You're a damn fine soldier, Jorgan. That's why I want you for this mission."

Aric raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Reaching for the packet, the Cathar thumbed it opened and began to read over it, but before he could get very far, Vander stopped him.

"I assume you've heard the news coming out of Coruscant."

Aric nodded. Everyone had heard that story; a very small group of Jedi had somehow managed to infiltrate the Sith Emperor's temple several months ago. No word had been heard from the strike team since, and they were presumed dead.

Or worse.

But what did this have to do with his new assignment?

Aric must have voiced the question aloud, because moments later Vander responded, "The Jedi who led the strike team and her crew somehow survived and made it back to Coruscant just this morning. They've been held prisoner for the last six months."

Aric was silent as Vander continued, anxiously awaiting where his part would come in.

"Knight Meihel and her team made it out, though not completely unscathed." Vander seemed to have a hard time voicing what he was going to say next. "Her padawan, Keira Carson, says they tortured all of them for months, but Jayla got the brunt of it by far."

Vander pushed back his chair and began pacing, hands grasped tightly behind his back. Aric could feel the tension thicken in the room, but he remained silent, resting his elbows atop his knees and leaning forward as he waited for the general to continue.

"For a while, the emperor had control of Jayla's mind. She did things, terrible things, while under his control that she has no memory of. Thank the Force for small miracles; she'd never forgive herself if she knew the things she'd done."

Vander seemed to forget Aric was in the room as he paced back and forth, his voice growing distant. "When the emperor found out she'd regained control of herself, he continued torturing her. Nonstop, relentless assaults. It left her blind, and cut off from the Force."

"How did they manage to escape?" Aric asked, amazed and slightly horrified by the tale. He'd never worked with Jedi before, but respected them as allies of the Republic and formidable warriors. To be cut off from something that was so deeply a part of you had to be traumatizing. It would be like him losing an eye or an arm. It would end his entire career.

The general huffed a laugh, though there was no humor behind it whatsoever. "Surprisingly enough, they were aided by a Sith traitor. He helped them escape and brought Jayla to the council on Tython."

After a few tense moments of silence, Aric cleared his throat. "So what's the plan? Apprehend the Sith? Or are they afraid Meihel is now a potential risk?"

"No. The Jedi have no intention of confining the Sith, and they are certain that Jayla is completely free of Vitiate's control. The objective is her safety. The Council feels that, in time, they will be able to fix the damage the emperor caused that left her cut off from the force. But she's vulnerable, and the Sith will no doubt be searching for her."

Aric's patience was starting to wear thin. As much as he respected the general, he hated beating around the bush. "With all due respect, sir, but if we're not going after the Sith, I don't understand what any of this has to do with my reassignment."

Vander sighed, running a hand over his greying hair. "Jayla will have plenty of healers working with her, but she needs proper protection. She needs to be taken someplace where the Sith aren't likely to look for her." He paused again, standing tall and confident with his hands grasped behind his back. "Grand Master Satele Shan says Jayla could be one of the greatest Jedi in history, and someone like that needs someone dedicated, loyal, and hardworking to make sure she stays alive. Someone who will put their job ahead of anything else. She needs the best, and that's why I recommended you for the job."

Aric stared, dumbstruck. He couldn't be serious. He was a soldier, he was meant to be out in the field, fighting Imperials. "Wouldn't that job be better suited for a bodyguard, or one of their other Jedi? I realize the Jedi are our allies, but I have a hard time believing the Republic would agree to something like this."

"Truth is, Jorgan, this isn't only a Republic matter. " With a heavy sigh, the general wandered over to the window, staring blankly out at the war-torn scenery that was Ord Mantell. "It's personal."

Intrigued, Aric leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Personal, sir?"

Vander was silent for several moments, staring blankly out the window. When he did finally respond, his voice was quiet, filled with an emotion Aric couldn't quite interpret. "Jayla is my daughter, Aric. I want to be sure she's in good hands, and, frankly, I don't trust the Jedi to put her above themselves. I need someone I can trust."

Vander turned back to face him, and now that the real reason was out in the open, Aric could see the desperation and weariness on the older man's face. "I know you're the type of man who puts duty above all else, Jorgan. I trust you to keep my little girl safe, when I cannot." The older man paused, leaning his hands on his desk, his head sagging with defeat. "She doesn't even know who I am, Jorgan. This is the only thing I can do for her; to ensure her safety. Force knows she's been through enough."

Aric leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face. This was not what he had signed up for. When he joined the Republic military, it was to fight Imperials, and to ensure his people had a place in the Republic. Not this.

He could refuse, and had every right and reason to. If he accepted this position, he'd be nothing more than a glorified bodyguard, a gun for hire. However, his refusal died on his lips as he gazed at Vander.

Aric had never seen the man look so desperate, so lost. The general was never one to show such raw emotion in front of any of his men. The fact that he was allowing him to see just how much this entire situation affected him showed Aric just how much the general trusted him.

So, with an unhappy sigh, Aric stood and extended his hand to General Vander. "Very well. I accept."

-/-

Several hours later, Aric found himself on a transport shuttle to Tython, reading over the encrypted information packet Vander had given him. It contained facts about his new charge, mostly family history, that he was certain Jayla herself didn't know. Details about her mother, Vander's wife, who had passed away shortly after childbirth. How he had been forced to give her to the Jedi at the age of three. Guilt settled in his stomach; it felt wrong, invasive even, to know so much about a stranger's private life. But the general had felt it was imperative that he learn everything he possibly could about her.

Vander had apparently kept a close eye on his daughter over the years. There was documentation for each and every one of Jayla's accomplishments; from her early training at the Jedi enclave, to liberating Tython of Flesh Raiders, and bringing a fallen Jedi back to the light. Even in her short career as a Jedi Knight, she had taken down powerful Sith Lords, and convinced someone known only as "Watcher One" to defect to the Republic. And just before she had disappeared, she had taken down Darth Angral, and stopped him from destroying Tython, earning her a special commendation from the Jedi Grand Master.

Aric was impressed. It took him hours to read through all of her information. He felt a pang of sympathy for the young Jedi, however; for someone to be so active, it had to be hard for her to be sitting on the sidelines.

Just like he was.

With a sigh, Aric shut down the datapad and settled back into his seat, exhaustion pulling at his consciousness. He would be landing on Tython within a few hours, and from there they would be heading to Dantooine, where the Vander had secured lodging for them. It would be a long trip and he wanted to be fresh and alert when he met his new charge; best to get some shut-eye while he could.