The Path Before Us

Chapter 2: The Broken and Forgotten

AN: A long chapter ahead with a lot of background information. Hopefully everything starts to make sense now!

"The only thing I have to do in life is die. Everything else is a choice, even breathing."

"Zyelle Ryxx. That's an interesting name. Do you want to try and explain some things to me? Honestly, all of us are pretty confused. When the council told Ariae there was a strong force signal on Dantooine, we expected to find a person not a human sized ice cube," Doc was rambling now. He could feel the frustration of Ariae while she was meditating in her private quarters all the way at the other end of the starship and it was causing unrest. I kept in a chuckle. This Ariae character was emitting a strong jealousy aura and I'm pretty sure the whole ship was affected by it. She must care for Doc a great deal. He was fidgeting with his hands and pacing in the small med room. I stared at him with a stone expression even though I was laughing on the inside. I didn't know if it was safe or smart to make friends at this point and I was trying to reveal as little about myself as possible until I felt safe.

Doc sighed, "Of course. You're about as easy to read as Ariae." Doc slumped down onto the chair across from me and buried his head in his hands ruffling his hair. "I guess it's a force user thing." I laughed out loud this time and Doc eyed me with surprise.

"We do tend to be a cryptic bunch. We try to hide our emotions as much as possible for our own safety and the safety of those around us," I joked but my expression turned cold quickly, "Our emotions tend to become our weakness… that's why we have a tendency to lose everything we love…" Atton's bloody face flashed through my mind… Malak's last breath… Revan disappearing without a word… Carth's reoccurring nightmares every night for months… Meetra pushing herself away from us the closer we got to Malachor… my parents…

"Hey, you okay? Ariae is pretty secretive about her past. Sometimes I wonder if she's trying to protect me from those demons she faces alone but you look like you've seen hell and back a thousand times over," Doc's voice was soft and welcoming. When I looked into his eyes I could feel my walls break down. I can't remember the last time I was able to entrust my past to someone. All of my friends were dead. Right after Ariae left I glanced at Doc's datapad and wanted to throw up when I saw the date. 313 years had passed since my last memory. 313 years since I last saw Atton die before my very eyes. Even now I have no idea what happened in those 313 years after the rubble fell on top of us. I'm sure it only caused me minor injuries but… I just hope that Atton's death was quick and painless.

"I can't tell you what happened when I was frozen but I can tell you everything I remember before that," I looked intensely at Doc. This wasn't going to be an easy story to tell and it was an even harder story to be told. Out of the 353 years I've lived, not many of my memories are happy ones. In fact, most of them are bloody and dark and end with nothing but pain. Doc was hesitant at first be he nodded firmly at me. My hands clenched and I sucked in a sharp breath. I knew he was going to have to report this to Ariae eventually but if we were on our way to Tython and a bunch of Jedi, I wasn't going to be able to keep it secret for much longer. The Jedi had a way of figuring out what they want to know and I was going to be an interesting case they just couldn't refuse once again.

"I'm ready to listen only if you're ready to tell me," Doc reassured me. He seemed like the type of guy who usually hid behind quick jokes and tall walls. He was a lot like Atton in that way. In the beginning, Atton would push me out in any way possible. It took me a long time to see the real feelings and thoughts behind the lies and the humor. It seems like the man with walls was ready to listen to the girl hidden deep in a guarded fortress.

"As you know, my name is Zyelle Ryxx. I am 353-years-old," I started. Doc's jaw dropped when I named my age but he let me continue. "I'm 5'7" and 120 Ibs, if that matters at all. You can probably tell from my appearance that I don't look like you or Ariae." Ariae was tan with deep maroon hair and bright blue eyes and looked like any other human in the galaxy. My appearance always made people look twice. My skin was pale like snow. My eyes were a light purple with a white glacier inner ring. My eyelashes were think and black, very different than my hair and eyebrows which were also cotton white. My lips were a constant shade of deep wine red and they popped from my pale skin.

I continued, "I'm the last of an extinct race called the Ziccar. We hailed from the planet Ellyss in the distant outer rim. I'm not sure if the planet is still inhabited but it used to thrive with never ending forests and water falls that fell for an eternity. The sky was always changing between gentle shades of purple and blue and the white clouds would fall and create a soothing mist that danced on the grass floor. The animals were always peaceful and lived among our race as pets most of the time. We lived in very complex buildings made inside tall ebony trees with silver leaves which made us seem unintelligent and primal to outsiders at first glance but in fact it was the opposite. We were tracked down for our knowledge of nature that intertwined with technology and our strong connection with the force. You see, our force sensitivity is twice that of a normal force sensitive being and our abilities are… special."

Doc's face morphed into confusion, "What do you mean abilities?"

I laughed at his raised eyebrows and foolishly parted lips, "We can… how do I say it… we can see what you're feeling."

Doc was silent for a moment, "…What in force's name is that supposed to mean?"

I closed my eyes and focused on my surroundings before opening them again. My usual light purple orbs lit up with a soft white glow as I answered his question, "Right now there are billions of tiny light particles swarming around your body. They're flickering lightly because you're confused but they're a soft blue color showing you're at peace." His aura flickered again and turned yellow with confusion. "Your Jedi, Ariae, has a stormy green aura because she's filled with jealousy and frustration but it gives away her strong connection to the force. I'm sure many people see her as a threat. A young woman's aura is drifting calmly like a deep blue sea after a storm. She is at peace. A soldier who's aura is orange with concentration while he cleans his weapons and runs through military missions through his head. Then…" I stopped and the white glow fell from my eyes. I jumped from my seat on the bed and stared through the walls focusing on a few doors down. A dark black aura was swarming calmly around a being, shielding it from force intruders.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Doc's voice was laced with concern and I stared him down, anger boiling inside of me.

"I'm only going to ask you this once. Do not lie to me. Is there a Sith aboard this starship?" Doc's body relaxed which made me tense even more. I have bad opinions of the Jedi but the Sith and I… Let's just say the last Sith I saw ended up meeting their head with my lightsaber. I was ready to eject myself from the escape pod into empty space if I had to.

"Don't worry Zyelle. You're completely safe. He left the Sith and joined Ariae in her quest to destroy the Emperor. He wouldn't hurt you, especially right now. He's just overly sensitive." Doc's joke instantly eased the atmosphere in the room and I sat back down on the bed, a little more alert than I was previously. I had become too relaxed. This was still an unfamiliar atmosphere and I didn't know enough about this crew yet to put my guard down completely.

I chuckled lightly at myself and shook my head, my long, white hair falling from its clip. I ran my fingers through the thick waves and sighed before continuing. "This was only one of our talents. Our hearing is enhanced, our sight is enhanced… all of our senses are always heightened and on alert. We can connect with the feelings of other beings and make them feel what we do whether it's pain or joy or hate. We were known around the galaxy for our advanced technology. We made traveling in hyperspace faster and connecting holo-calls across time and space more efficient. We also have a tendency of being connected to the nature around us so if we're on a damaged planet then our powers decrease exponentially but if we're on a calm and force connected planet like, say, Dantooine or Naboo, then our force powers are heightened."

"What about on a planet like Nar Shaddaa or Coruscant where it's full of people and machines?" Doc seemed very intrigued now and I couldn't help but smile. Atton was the exact same way when I explained this all to him.

"It's very… distracting. All of the auras tend to mix together and it's hard to keep your emotions under control. It's the same for all force sensitive beings but we, as a race, tend to bond to other beings more quickly and it affects our state of mind. We can see a force being across the galaxy if we focus enough. This also means we're good at deciphering lies and discovering the truth. I always know when someone is lying to me just by their force aura." As I said this, Doc's eyes widened.

"Can I test that theory?" Doc smirked mischievously. His back shot up straight and his body shook with anticipation and excitement like a small child.

I chuckled, "Sure. Try me."

Doc rubbed his chin before smiling at me, "My name is Archiban Frodrick Kimble." He looked at me and then began again, "Actually, My real name is Donald Otheus Storme." His aura spun wildly and turned a bright red and I started laughing hysterically. I clutched my chest and fell onto the bed. "What? What did I say?"

"Your…" I squeaked between laughter, "Your name is Archiban?! What was your mother thinking?!" Tears appeared in my eyes and my chest squeezed painfully with the lack of air from laughter.

"Sure, sure. Laugh it up tattoos," Doc mumbled but he was smiling despite himself. I calmed my senses and took a deep breath in before smiling at my tattoos. They were white and you could barely see them on my pale skin. Vines and technologically looking flowers adorned every inch of my body. It's something that connected my people to nature during ceremonies. The ancestors claimed that they brought us greater knowledge but I think they were just for show.

"The people of the tribe would gather around a newborn child and focus on the force to create these tattoos. They connect us to the force life around us," I informed him. We sat in silence for a while examining the tattoos that covered every part of my body except my face.

"What ended up happening?" Doc asked. My eyes bore into his with confusion, "To your people. What happened to them?" I opened my mouth but ended up letting out a deep sigh and turned my eyes to the floor. I traced the tattoos up and down my arms. I didn't really know the exact story behind the demise of my people. There were few of us throughout the galaxy in small colonies spread across different systems after the great slaughter of my people before we ended up fading away and I was the only one left.

I put it the only way I knew how without making it too complicated, "The Sith killed us all. They took our knowledge and then destroyed us." Doc's eyes turned soft. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth opened with shock. He reached his hand across and put it on my forearm. I produced a small smile while staring at the small nicks and cracks on the white floor. There was nothing more to be said on the matter. I could hear his next question before he asked it.

"My parents were also murdered by the Sith many years after the slaughter of our race. As I'm sure the Jedi already know it is nearly impossible to shield our force signature from the rest of the galaxy because of its strength. We're like walking force waves. We were eventually found by a female sith warrior by the name of Darth Zyralay. She cut my parents in half and took me as her apprentice." The word apprentice fell from my lips with malice. "I was five-years-old when she began the torture. The… experimentation as she liked to call it. Her team of three scientists worked on me every day while she trained me every night. She was hoping to awaken my force powers to incredible lengths and eventually use me to demolish the Jedi order. When I turned 21 the scientists made a breakthrough. I was drugged when they threw me into the lava on Mustafar like a children's doll."

Doc's aura turned a deep shade of purple and fell around him like rain. I watched as a tear slipped from his eye but I continued, "At first I was overwhelmed by pain. My skin was burning off but started to mend just as quickly and the painful process would just repeat over and over again. It was then I realized what they had been trying to accomplish all those years. They made me immortal. I found the floor of the river and began walking towards my slavers. When I reached the shore Zyralay's laughter chilled my very core. The doctors shouted triumphantly and my disgust reached its limit."

"That's when I exacted my revenge. I force pulled Zyralay's lightsaber from her side and snapped the head doctor's neck before tossing him to the volcanic floor. I cut the other two doctors in half with Zyralay's lightsaber before shooting lightning out at her. I was a thousand times stronger than she'd ever be and she had no chance of fighting back. Her screams vibrated off the volcanic walls and before she died I force pushed her back into the lava and watched her burn," my voice faded as the images flashed through my mind. I had nightmares about that night for years and had memorized every detail.

A river of tears was flowing down Doc's face now soaking his clothes. He didn't say anything and just stared at me. I realized I was connecting his emotions with mine. I sent soothing waves out into the room and waited until Doc visibly relaxed before continuing.

"I took her starship and landed on Nar Shaddaa. I needed the distraction and it was a good place to disappear. Even if someone felt my force sensitivity, it would be nearly impossible to find me with all the people living on that planet. I sold the ship and used the money to get a cheap apartment on the lower levels. I started with cheap jobs but within five years I was earning thousands of credits for the bounties I was taking care of. There was only one thing I was good at during that time in my life and everyone needed someone to disappear on Nar Shaddaa. After five years someone finally found me. Thankfully it was the Jedi and not another Sith. I was hesitant but once they told me they could help me control my powers and emotions so I could eventually shield them from the outside world, I agreed to the training."

"The Jedi council took little convincing since I was such an interesting case. A Jedi by the name of Master Varon took me as his apprentice. I wasn't an easy apprentice either. I had many walls. I didn't want to let anyone in but he soon became like an older brother to me. He was a mentor and friend..." my voice cracked and I had to hold the side of the bed to stabilize my emotions before continuing.

"After a few months I made friends with a young Jedi Padawan, Meetra Surik. She introduced me to two strong Padawans Revan and Malak. The three of us caused havoc for years. We would sneak off the temple to drink and party at cantinas. We pulled pranks on the Jedi Masters simply because we were bored and we always got away with it. Eventually we ended up defying the council and running off to fight against the Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Wars," I paused for a moment to see if Doc understood what I was talking about. I didn't know if the Mando wars were still frequently referred to.

Doc's face turned to one of admiration and that gave me my answer, "You fought in the Mandalorian wars?!"

I hummed, "Revan, Malak, Meetra and I commanded the Republic Army and many Jedi. Without Revan, the Republic would have fallen to Mandalorian rule." Doc made a whistle of approval before letting me continue.

"However, the victory was short lived. We discovered an ancient force artifact with great power and it turned Revan to the Dark Side and Malak followed in his footsteps like he always had. Meetra disappeared for a few years after being exiled from the Jedi Order." I stopped to make sure Doc was taking this all in. This story was much calmer and he looked like a child listening to bed time stories.

I smiled and continued the story, "Revan and Malak created a large Sith empire which was constantly fighting with The Republic. The thing with Sith is, they always betray each other in the end. Malak tried to kill Revan over power but the Jedi saved him when they realized Revan lost the memory of who he was as a Jedi and a Sith. They reprogrammed him as a Republic soldier."

"I had been working as a slicer when I met him and a small party in a Taris underground cantina. We were all stranded because Malak was looking for a Jedi and they had barricaded the planet to find her. I realized quickly that Revan didn't remember who he was and played along. I ended up joining the party and helped them escape Taris. By the end of the mission there were 11 of us: Two droids, the Republic soldier Revan, a real Republic soldier Carth Onasi, a smart young Twi'lek Mission Vao, her Wookie friend Zaalbar, a Mandalorian turned mercenary by the name of Canderous, and three Jedi: Juhani, Jolee Bindo and Bastila Shan. Our mission was…" Doc cut me off mid-sentence.

"Wait, did you say Bastila Shan? The Jedi master Bastila Shan?" He looked annoyed by the new name and I had no idea why.

"Yes, that Bastila Shan. Why? How do you know of Bastila?" There's no way he would know a Jedi from 313-years-ago. A Jedi might but a Republic doctor? Unless… did she accomplish something really awesome when I was gone? Bantha fodder… she's not even alive anymore for me to one up her.

I watched as Doc clenched his jaw and heaved a deep sigh, "Her great-great-great, however many greats, grand daughter is on the Jedi council: Satele Shan. Her son is a real swell guy. Theron. He works for the SIS. Great guy, really. Real smart. Smooth with the ladies"

A smile came to my face when Doc's aura turned to a vibrant green. There must have been some past with Theron and Ariae. "Bastila was a pain in the ass too if it makes you feel any better. She was always a controlling know-it-all. Anyway, the Jedi council sent us on some galaxy saving mission to find the same thing that turned Revan and Malak to the dark side except this time we were supposed to destroy it."

"We succeeded and after finding out who he really was, Revan disappeared leaving a note saying he was going to find and destroy the real sith. All of us went our separate ways. I stayed and helped Carth and the Republic on Telos. That's where I ran into Meetra again…" The atmosphere turned cold. I didn't mean to push my dark feelings out into the room but images of Atton flashed through my mind and blood clouded my vision.

"Well, that's all I remember," I concluded and lay back down on my bed while looking up at the white ceiling. I wasn't ready to talk about Malachor V. About Meetra and Atton… All of it… I wasn't ready. Doc rose from his seat before filling up my glass with water.

"Don't worry. You've told me enough today. You shouldn't push yourself. Especially after 313 years of being a popsicle," His joke lightened the mood and I looked at him in appreciation and smiled.

"Thanks… Archiban," light laughter escaped my lips before I could hold it in. He rolled his eyes and started for the door, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips.

"Yeah, yeah. Call me on the intercom if you need anything. I'll be just a few doors down," He informed before walking out the entrance way. I smiled at his retreating form before staring up at the ceiling again. I closed my eyes to try and sleep but images of Atton and Malachor V played before me like a holo-vid. My eyes shot open. I clutched the stark white sheets below me and tried to control my breathing. Sweat rolled down my forehead and my chest contracted painfully.

"Zyelle… people don't cry because they're weak. They cry because they've been strong for too long."

"Atton…" I cried for the first time in 313 years.

Good lord. That chapter just did not want to end. I was writing while texting my friend and I was trying to get all the background out so we could keep the pace of the story moving but I was trying to cover her childhood, her race and the events of KOTOR I all in one chapter and it was a lot more than I thought it would be so I apologize in advance for that (unless you want all the chapters to be this long. In that case I can oblige).

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! She's going to have interactions with more of the crew in the next chapter, especially with Kira and Ariae. She's gonna love T7 because he reminds her of T3 so that's cool! She does not, under any circumstance, get along with Scourge and she drinks a lot with Rusk so that's something to look forward to later on!

Chapter 4 she's going to meet the Jedi Council and have some not-so-friendly banter with Satele Shan (I am so ready). She's also going to get drunk and tell Ariae about her first love. I'm super excited about this story. I've never been so pumped before! I'm writing the third chapter right after I post this one! I stayed up way too late writing this chapter so I'm going to go to bed now! Enjoy and leave any comments and questions you have!

-Jenna