Hey Everybody,

Pirate here. So I tried to post this guy as a stand-alone story and it really didn't get much in the way of feedback. So, since this is just for fun anyway, I've decided to take this in a new direction. Welcome to one of, if not the only Non-Linear stories on FanFicNet! Here's how this will work...I have not thought past this chapter of this story. At the end of each chapter I will give you all a choice as to what Mady should do next. Sound off in the review section and give me your opinion! Based on that, I will write new chapters. So Fictionites, there it is. Mady's fate it in your hands! Don't blow it!

Mady sat in the Biology lecture hall, just as she did every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 to 11:50 until May eleventh when she would be free to focus on things that really mattered. To look at Mady, she was an average nineteen year old girl. She was of muscular build. She was closer to skinny but to call her a bean-pole would have been incorrect. Her hair was streaky and somewhere between blonde and brown. Light bangs covered her forehead and, today, she had the rest up in a ponytail. She sat as any Sophomore longing for the end of the semester yet dreading it as well, for with the end came finals. She propped her head up on the butt of her hand and rested her elbow on the desk. She twirled her pencil around her thumb as she had taught herself through years of boredom. Yes, "average" described her perfectly. This was the look she strived for…this was the look she had been ordered to strive for.

She often daydreamed during this class. The creatures of this planet were so much more boring than the creatures of her homeworld. All the creatures of this land were painfully predictable. If it looked like it could fly, odds were it could fly. There were flying beasts of Corellia that would make these people stand in awe like little children. So she slowly drifted away. She thought back to this morning and the e-mail she had received with the "D" on it that she had come to know all too well. "Denied" was what it meant, and she had received said response so often lately that they no longer even bothered to write out the whole word. She had had a strange feeling for the past few days. She would wake in the night from nightmares that were so horrible they left her ready to vomit yet, minutes later, she'd not remember them. She'd be striken by massive headaches from nowhere that were gone as quickly as they had come. Feelings like this were ones that she had not felt in a long time. Not since…well, best not to think of that here. A public place was no place to get as angry as she occasionally did.

She glanced down at the front row and there he was. His hair was short and brown; his jaw line was chiseled and tan. That was about all she saw of him as he scribbled furiously in his notebook. That was all she needed. His name was Johnny Madison and he was her reason for waking each day. The first time she had ever gotten up enough courage to say something to him was to ask him to borrow a pencil which he instantly obliged. The dance proceeded slowly. He sat next to her one day. They began to talk. The next step was naturally coffee. Before either of them knew it, they were dating. They loved each other so much that one day he decided that it was best for both their GPAs if they did not sit together.

It was strange how her opinion of them had changed. When she had first been sent here, she thought the dwellers of this planet to be unevolved, unintelligent cavemen. Now, finally, she had grown to love them, befriend them, care about them. Now that Johnny was in her life, for the first time, she could fathom spending the rest of her life here.

Suddenly, the door of the lecture hall flew open and standing there was the thing she hoped she would never see again. The man was gargantuan and the two men with him were only slightly smaller. Every one of the hundred and twenty students in the class gaped at them. Their clothes were strange. Something crossed between and ninja costume and a bathrobe. The professor immediately began shouting at the strangely dressed monsters. The largest one only extended a hand in the professor's direction sending him flailing to the opposite wall. Everyone's jaw dropped. Mady was frozen. She didn't know what to do.

"Dearest children." The beast began. "We are looking for the one among you that follows the ways of the Jedi."

Mady was horrified. She knew exactly who they were and she also knew that their business with her was not friendly. She was even more horrified the next instant when she heard a sound that was so twisted and strange that she felt nearly as if she could vomit. Her classmates were laughing. She knew that to them, the Jedi were things of fantasy and lore. They could never have imagined that there was indeed an ancient Order that began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Everything about the Jedi went against their "modern" science. They could have never comprehended Jedi…nor would they have liked to hear that their planet was where they sent the "bad" ones.

Mady then desperately tried to blend in managing a horribly fake sounding laugh, but with all the commotion around her, no one noticed. The cacophony instantly stopped as they all saw the bright red glowing blade shoot from the metal hilt. The man walked over to a red-headed boy sitting in the front row and extended his lightsaber to his throat.

"I know you're here, Jedi and you've got three seconds." He said. "One."

Mady's mind was going a thousand ways at once. Was it worth it?

"Two."

She had to stay hiding. She had to keep a low profile. She couldn't let her emotions control her.

"Thr—" the man was cut off.

"Hold it!" Mady shouted as the leapt up onto the bench style desk that sat in front of her.

"What do you want, girl?!" the man asked gruffly.

"I want you to back the hell out of this room and go back to whatever scumbag planet you came from!" She said. With that she pulled back the puffy white vest and drew from her hip an item that she had kept hidden but handy every day for three years. The sound made those around her jump as the blue blade shot from its hilt. She twirled the saber a few times hoping to scare the beasts away with just that skill. Unsurprisingly, they did not seem phased at all. The biggest one smirked.

"Well, I must say, you don't look much like a Jedi. For a moment there I thought you just some brave fool." He said gesturing at her clothes. It was true. She looked nothing like a Jedi anymore. She wore a brown long-sleeved shirt under a white puffy vest. An ordinary pair of jeans and tennis shoes was all that hid her lower body. She rolled up her sleeves and began to walk down the desks like steps occasionally and casually twirling her lightsaber as she did. She had always been slightly cocky. That was why the Masters and she had always butted heads.

"The clothes I wear make me no less of a brave fool, let me assure you." She said. She hopped from the front row desk to the floor and extended her lightsaber towards him.

"My request remains, however. Retrace your steps and stay there!" she ordered.

"If only you'd accompany me, I'd be happy to leave this Force forsaken planet and never come back." He said, cordially. She took up a fighting stance.

"I don't think so." She said. "This is the last time I'll say this. Take off or you'll go back in more than one piece."

The creature laughed patronizingly. This infuriated Mady who lunged forward. After three quick minutes of clashing of blades the two again parted. Mady was now in a less civilized fighting stance, hunched over as if lifting something from the ground. She was tired. It had been a long time. The great monster had not worn at all. He smiled.

"My duty here is not to do kill you child." He said, calmly. Mady rose up straight in a prideful fury.

"Fine. Let's do things the way I like 'em then!" she said. With that she disengaged her lightsaber and tossed it off to her side. She then took up a bare-fist fighting stance.

"My girl, you are outmatched." He said, disengaging his own lightsaber.

"If you won't leave on your own, I'll make it so you can't!" she said. She would not go down without a fight and she would not hide and let these men hurt her classmates. She knew that she was outgunned. Though she never would have admitted it she was afraid. But she had to do something. Surely, the Masters could sense this struggle. Surely they would send someone now. Surely.

She charged. The first few of her blows he blocked expertly. She threw a kick into the stomach of the monster. It connected. The outcome, however, was not what she expected. The great statuesque gut did not give at all. It was as if she had just kicked a brick wall. She stared up at the creature showing him her horror for the first time. He quickly smiled before grabbing her foot. He twisted it causing her spin up into the air and land squarely on her back. The class cringed. She rose in an adrenaline fueled rampage. She threw blows now at the man's face he dodged three of them before grabbing her fist on the fourth. He twisted the thing behind her back and she cried out. Bones and ligaments crackled. He lifted forcing her to stand tip-toed now on the floor. He smiled and leaned down, his mouth only inches from her ear.

"Why do you fight this? Your order has abandoned you." She tried to wrench free slightly only to be met with a new blinding pain in her shoulder as he reminded her that he was in control. She cried out again and tears welled in her eyes.

"Surely you don't fight for them." He said, condescendingly gesturing at the class. It was true. She had not come forward because of the Order just now. She had come forward to protect her new people; her new home. She never thought that she would be proud to say she lived with and loved these people, but it was true. She had come to love them with all her heart.

"I fight only for them." She groaned through clenched teeth.

"You weak, pathetic fool!" he hissed as he shoved her away from him. She caught herself on the front row desk. She looked up for a moment. She was looking instantly into the eyes of the man she loved. He was speechless. She didn't know what to say to him. No words could make up for this lie that she had told him. No words could express the pain that holding this in brought her. She managed but two words.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Suddenly she stood up straight.

"Weak, pathetic fool?" she said louder as if announcing it. She began to circle him. He mimicked.

"That's what I said, Jedi." He said, gravely.

"Oh, dear. That really cuts me to the core. Classmates! Am I really a weak, pathetic fool?!" she said, announcing again.

"No!" came one voice from the front. It was Johnny. Her Johnny. She smiled. "No"s came up then like slowly popping popcorn.

"But guys!" she said halting the noise. "He is older than us! He has experience! I am sure that he knows a weak, pathetic fool when he sees one! So, yes. I guess I am a weak, pathetic fool."

She turned to the beast with a grin now on her face. She still spoke loudly so all would hear…but she faced him. She did know exactly who he was. She knew where he had come from and why he had come for her. She knew what she had done to him. She knew that if it hadn't been for that fateful day; That one adolescent choice; That one idealism driven, innocent, naïve, childish, instinctual and ever-damning choice, she would have never been sent here.

"Would you care to tell the class, then, how such a weak, pathetic fool managed to hunt down and kill your sick, twisted brother like the cowering nerf that he was?!" she said. The beast then lunged at her. She blocked only one blow, before one caught her in the middle. She was knocked off the ground for a moment before meeting it as he slammed his fists onto her hunched back. He kicked her in the side causing her to fall flatter to the ground. He kicked her again as she lay there. She rolled over quickly only to be met with his grabbing her shoulders.

"Here's what happens to your hero!" he yelled. He tossed her like a rag doll into the arms of his apprentices. They held her shoulders as she wrenched to get free. He walked over to her and leaned down. She could feel his hot breath on her face.

"This is for my brother." He said, darkly.

The next few minutes to Mady were a blur. She only felt the first five punches or so. That's when one caught her in the face that assured she would feel no more. Her world went black and anything that happened after that would be forever a mystery.

She came to about two hours later. The room around her was dark. She awoke slowly, unsure if she was even alive or dead. It was the smell that ultimately aroused her. She sat up and felt a scream get caught in her throat. Before her were the bloody corpses of each and every one of her classmates. Some were in the aisle as they had tried to run. Some were under the desks as they had hid. The closest body to her was his. His eyes were wide open and his jaw was agape. She crawled over to his body a touched it gently. It was so cold. She gathered him into her arms and pulled him up against her. She screamed now to an Order that had deserted her, a cult that hunted her…and a Force that had surely forgotten her. She sobbed into his soft brown hair. Just then, the door opened. She didn't even turn around. She hoped that it was that giant man. She hoped that each new second was the one that he would drive that merciful red blade through her chest. She should have been so lucky.

"Madylyn." Said the emotionless voice. Mady glanced over her shoulder. It was Master Vinli. The black haired woman stood slightly taller than Mady and was several years older. When Mady was young, Vinli had been her Master. That was before the dark. Vinli stood there hands poised behind her back, staring down at the huddled, quivering shape of her former apprentice.

"Get out of here, Vinli." She spat, turning back around.

"What happened to addressing Masters by their proper title?" she asked.

"I have no Master!" Mady spat, still not facing her.

"Come with me, Madylyn. The council has sent for you." Vinli said, lacking even the slightest tone of compassion. This was what Mady had always hated about Vinli. Vinli followed the code nearly to a fault. Mady had been told that Vinli was just like her once. Spunky, energetic, hopeful. Becoming a Master had turned her into a code spouting droid. Mady hated the idea of becoming that way. She thought that perhaps that was why Vinli seemed to resent her so.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Mady said, softly yet firmly.

"I wasn't asking." Vinli said.

"I wasn't answering. I am not going anywhere with you and I don't give two shits about the damn council." Mady said.

"How dare you defy a direct order?!" Vinli asked sternly. There it was. Disrespecting the council was the only thing that could ever get Vinli to show any passion. Mady had seen this more than anyone. Mady sprang to her feet and turned around.

"HOW DARE I?!" she shouted. "LOOK AROUND YOU, ICY BITCH!!"

"This was unfortunate, Madylyn, but—" she was cut off.

"UNFORTUNATE?! All my friends are dead and it's your fault!!" Mady screamed now.

"Madylyn, you know the Council would have prevented this if they had the slightest idea—" she was cut off again.

"I told you something was going to happen!! I contacted you just like you told me to!! I called for reinforcements eleven times!! ALL I GOT BACK WAS A SINGLE LETTER!!" Mady argued.

"Given your previous record, Madylyn, we can't send in the troops based on one of your "feelings". You feel too strongly." Vinli stated.

"Damn it, when are you cowards going to let that go!? I was sixteen years old!! I killed a man who had killed hundreds for sport!!" Mady was enraged and the storm showed no sign of letting up.

"You did so against the Council's wishes." Vinli said, simply.

"It was against the Council's wishes because you were paranoid!" Mady struck.

"It was against our wishes because we looked more than one step ahead! Yes, you defeated and evil man…you also got Lon killed and you nearly joined him!" Vinli said. Never had those actual words been said. "You got him killed". It had always been, "Was indirectly responsible for…" or "Contributed to the accidental death of…". She had tried for so long to move past that horrible day. It seemed that just when she had been at her closest to achieving this, Vinli had yanked her back.

"And if you record was better, we may have been able to prevent this mishap from happening as well." Vinli said. Mady heart was pounding. She had been responsible for Lon's death, but not those today…not Johnny's. She had done all she could. This was the Council's fault for their cowardice and conservatism! This was Vinli's fault for holding a petty grudge against a child that had long since become a woman! This time, Mady was not to blame!

"I'LL KILL YOU!!" Mady shouted as she began to walk towards Vinli.

"Don't do this, Madylyn." Vinli warned. Without another word, Mady lunged at Vinli who was ready. Her orders had never stopped Mady before. Vinli knocked away four of Mady's punches before delivering just one of her own that hit its mark. The backhand hit Mady in the cheek and before she knew it she was being slammed to a wall by Vinli who now had a firm grip on Mady's shirt.

"Madylyn, come to you senses!" Vinli shouted, shaking Mady. Mady only glared at Vinli for a moment before knocking both hands that held her downward. Vinli was weaker than she. She then threw a punch that landed on the side of Vinli's face. The hit sent her to the ground. Mady looked over to where she had thrown her lightsaber and found it still there. She pulled it towards herself, ignited it and turned back to Vinli. Vinli was on her knees looking up at Mady. Mady drew her lightsaber back. She looked in Vinli's eyes and saw fear. Real, genuine fear. She hesitated. She wanted to kill her. She wanted so badly to make her pay for her negligence. But, everything about this felt wrong. To become living proof that violence begets more violence. To show that she was no longer above revenge. She hated Vinli for what she had done, but something held her back. No! She had to show Vinli that what she had done would not be acceptable! She had to show her that Jedi can not just be hidden away like a dirty secret and expected remain loyal! She was not so naive that she would be trampled on like a doormat! But, this was wrong. All she had ever been taught held her arm in the air almost as if someone was hanging on to it.

Mady stood there, frozen, as she wrestled inside. Vinli sat there, frozen, wondering which Mady would win...

So that's Chapter 1, Fictionites. What should Mady do next? Should she make Vinli pay? Should she allow Vinli to live and see what the council has in store for her? Should she do something else that I haven't even thought of? Let me know and I'll make it happen. This story is in you hands now, fictionites! Good Luck!

pirate88