Not much to say in this opening blurb. Usually I have some input on what's been going on as of late, but really, I can't think of anything noteworthy to add. It might be writer's block, it might be sheer laziness, or I just legit don't have anything interesting to say at moment. Anyways, hope you enjoy the new chapter.
DISCLAIMER: No, ya know what? Fuck it. I don't even have it in me to do the disclaimer this time around. If I hadn't made it abundantly clear by now that I own NONE of Star Wars outside my OCs, I don't think anything will.
Enjoy!
December 22nd, 2011, 7:00 PM
The blue car pulled up toward the house that stood in the thickly wooded area. Teresa was the first to exit the car as the rest of the family followed. Adam was the last to come out, staring at the house with almost a sense of dread on his face. They entered the house as Teresa gasped in excitement.
"This could be perfect." She said happily.
"It certainly looks spacious enough." Riyo said turning towards her boyfriend. "What do you think?"
"Huh? Yeah, it looks fine."
"Fine?" Asajj said turning around the corner of a wall. "I think the word you're looking for is "amazing."
"I mean, yeah, it's nice looking, but it'd take forever to pack and unpack all my stuff. Plus, can we even afford a place like this?"
"Adam," Riyo said. "I know you're having some mixed feelings about leaving the old house. It's understandable. You've lived in it your entire life and it housed me the entire time I was staying here. But you really look at this place, compare it to where we are living now and tell me that we wouldn't be better off here."
"I really don't see why we're making such a big deal out of it, we're just looking." Adam said.
March 14th, 2012, 8:55 PM
The desk that had previously housed dozens of small plastic figures now laid stripped of any decoration of any sort. Small plastic bags with a figure next to each one were laid out on the front of the desk while Riyo and Savage lifted boxes out from atop the closet.
"Just looking huh?" Riyo said.
"I can't believe this is actually happening." Adam said frustrated. "19 years we've lived in this house. 19 years of happy memories we've spent here and they're going to just toss that out the window?"
"Don't you think that you're the only one making a big deal out of it?" Savage said putting the box down. "The house had been falling apart long before any of us showed up and you know better than anyone that your family doesn't have the money to fix it up. It'd be cheaper just to tear the place down."
"Then why don't we get a loan from somebody?" Adam argued. "We helped save the galaxy from a tyrannical Sith Lord. I wouldn't think a renovation job wouldn't be that out of the question."
"You know we can't do that. It'd be using your connections as a Jedi for personal gain." Riyo countered.
"I know.. I just… I just don't want to leave the place."
The episode of Clone Wars that had been playing had just ended as the ending credits theme played.
"Did we even have time to watch the episode?" Adam asked.
"Well, I got some bits and pieces out of it. The only difference is that Maul doesn't have prosthetic legs like he did in it. Mother Talzin used magik infused with the Light Side of the Force to heal him as opposed to with the Dark Side." Savage said.
"That reminds me, how's he doing?" Adam asked.
"Last I heard, fine. He's been elected one of the main chiefs of our clan back on Dathomir and he's helping in negotiating the annexation of the world into the Republic. Oh that reminds me, Asajj and I we-"
A loud knocking sound interrupted whatever the Nightbrother was going to say. Adam walked over towards the shades and lifted them up to find a man with a flashing camera.
"Hey! Can I get a picture of the Heroes of Time? What's up with the all the boxes? Going somewhere?"
"Oh, for Christs sakes. MK! DK! We have another one!"
The two droids entered the room, both giving electronic sighs as they raised their weapons at the window.
"We start firing stun shots on three." MK said. "One, two.."
The man had taken the hint and dropped out from the window with a loud thud.
"I hate that we have to threaten them with tasering to get us to leave us alone, and even that doesn't work." Adam said frustrated.
"Get used to it." Riyo said. "I had to deal with this daily when I was a Senator. When you had people scaling 30 mile high buildings just for picture, you know nothing's going to stop them for long."
She took the TV remote in her hands, changing the channel.
"No report on what the Heroes of Time are doing to hel-"
CLICK
"The M.I.B. have officially been integrated into the CIA in the wake of the First Contact Meeting. No news on how the Heroes of Time are tak-"
CLICK
"As Republic and U.S. negotiations continue, one question remains unanswered: Where are the Heroes of Time?"
CLICK
"Adam VanDerMaelen and the Heroes of Time-"
"UGGH! Can't they just give us a break?!" Adam said falling to the bed.
"The name they gave us isn't that bad." MK comforted. "The Heroes of Time. Has a nice ring to it."
"Maybe, though it sounds like a bit of a rip-off from Legend of Zelda. I only recently got into that to pick up that reference." Adam said as he waved his hand towards his desk. One by one, every figure was lifted up while the small plastic bags were opened. They each slipped inside their places as the tiny ziploc seal was formed around them before they all were filled away gently inside a plastic tote.
Adam gave off a tired sigh. "It's going to take me forever to get all those placed again."
Riyo moved over to his spot putting her arms around his shoulders. "Well, just think of all the positions you'll be able to put them in in your new room…. That came out far worse than I intended… as did that."
Everyone laughed at the awkward situation made. It served as a welcome distraction from the hype and hustle that came with their newfound fame.
March 15th, 2012, 11:00 AM
The moving truck carefully backed up into the concrete parking lot. Savage and Asajj had raised the beds and tables into the back using the Force as Riyo watched.
"Hey, where's Adam?" She asked.
"He said he was going to take a walk somewhere." Asajj said lifting a box into the back of the truck.
Out of the corner of her eye, Riyo could make out the shape of a person walking down the street past the house.
"I'll be right back." She said jogging after it.
Adam walked down the road quietly with his head filled with excess thoughts. He tried to use the Force to quiet his mind, but even that was beginning to fail him at the moment. This was it. This was really happening.
He then felt a familiar presence nestle itself right beside him. He turned his head to see Riyo ducking her head in the space between his arm and his neck.
"Feel like talking about it?" She asked.
"Honestly, not really." He answered. "All I want to do is get some ice cream at Dairy Queen. You know I can walk over to it from the house in less than a minute?"
Riyo gave a soft "Mmhmm" as she continued walking beside him.
"Guess it'll be the last chance I get to do that."
Suddenly, the constant clicking of cameras caught Adam's ear behind him. He stopped walking and turned around to see a crowd of people all flashing and clicking.
"Do you want to get me at another angle?" He sarcastically said in a mock turn.
The cameras just continued to flash.
With a frustrated groan, he pulled out the hilt of his lightsaber, flashing the azure blade once, giving the crowd all the incentive they needed to leave in a hurried frenzy.
"I swear to God, Riyo, one more time with this garbage…"
"Don't let them get to you. Let's just go get our ice cream."
"Yeah, let's go before I haul off and maim somebody."
The duo had made it into the establishment and had walked up to the counter.
"What can I get you guys?" The employee asked.
"Can I just get a small vanilla cherry dipped cone, please." Adam answered.
"Same for me, please." Riyo also said.
As the man went to complete their order, a familiar image appeared on the TV screens over the counter.
A red abd black striped flag with the Imperial insignia and the outline of the Star Forge behind it was shown as the figure stepped forward towards several microphones on a podium.
"Oh, boy." Adam said to himself before the figure spoke.
"People of Earth, and of the Galactic Republic," He began. "As many of you know, I am Jordan Tackett, one of the humans from the planet Earth… however while I was born and raised on Earth, it is no longer my home. As many of you have noticed, during the recent Battle of Earth between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a third party intervened in the battle to aid the Republic in the fight, but before any communications could be made, they left shortly after the former Chancellor - Palpatine - aka the Dark Lord Sidious - was confirmed killed. I stand here, before you all to confirm that these forces were under my command." He said, with a slight sigh. "Belonging to an organization I have been building with my master for roughly two years now… and within this organization, I possess a different name and title..." He reached down, and pulled out a black mask akin to Darth Vader's, quickly putting it on.
"I also go by the title… of Darth Saren, founder and current leader of the Neo Sith Empire."
Several people had decided to bombard the newley announced Sith with questions and responses.
"I know many of you view the Sith with contempt for all of the horrible atrocities committed by our predecessors." Saren continued, "Malak, Malgus, Sion, Nihilus, Bane, Maul, Sidious and many, many more… but I wish to assure all of you that the Neo Sith is nothing like our past incarnations. I founded this empire upon the same principles of Darth Revan, who wished to use the name Sith to prepare the galaxy for the true Sith empire hiding 300 years prior to the Great Galactic Wars. I founded this Empire for a similar purpose… to prepare the galaxy for any and all threats which may threaten our way of life."
"Since I know many of you - especially our brethren in the Jedi Order - may doubt my words… I wish to hold a meeting with the Jedi Council on the planet Earth, so that I may prove to you all that the Neo Sith is not the same Sith that you have known in the past. Thank you for your time."
Darth Saren then walked off the stage as the channel had cut out.
Adam and Riyo simply stood there in shock.
"Wow… He actually had the balls to go out and do that." Adam said impressed.
"That'll certainly complicate things regaurding the transition for Earth." Riyo said. "Now the planet has the backing of a Neo Sith Empire wishing to remain separate from the Republic. Can you just imagine the beuaracratic mess Jordan just created by going public with all of this?"
"Hey, I onced doubted that the guy could handle something like this, but if Revan was able to give him his blessing, he must be doing something right."
It was at this moment that a familiar teenager approached the couple.
"Yo, VanDerMaelen!" Chris called out.
The second he recognized the voice, Adam internally groaned.
"Look, I just had to scare off a bunch of paparazzi. If you're seriously thinking about bothe-"
"Whoa whoa! Just wanted to say that what you and your friends did against that Sith was
pretty brave." Chris replied.
Adam's eyebrows raised. "Really?"
"Really. You were out there risking yourself to save a dumb kid like me. You're alright."
He extended his hand towards the shocked teen. Hesitant, he soon took it in his own with a firm shake.
"Thanks, man."
"No prob. Oh, and before you ask, no, we haven't heard from Nick. Haven't even seen him since the whole deal with the Republic. Pretty crazy stuff, huh?"
"Yeah, kind of puts you shoving spit into my ear in Middle School into perspective, huh?" Adam jokingly said.
"Yeah, I guess it does. Hey, if you're still mad about that, you can always… You know…"
"Wait, you sure?"
"Yeah, go ahead." Chris said leaning his head back.
Adam slowly put his finger into his mouth, hesitated for a minute, and stuck it into Chris's outstretched ear.
The two simply stood there as Riyo watched her boyfriend moved his finger around in the teen's ear.
"Feeling better yet?" Chris asked.
"Uh… Not really.. Just awkward." Adam replied.
Adam pulled his finger from his ear and turned to see a weirded out Dairy Queen employee standing over the counter with their ice cream in his hands.
Adam simply took the two cones, paired the man, and turned back to face Chris. "Have a good one, man."
"Yeah… You too." Chris said picking his ear.
The two left the store and walked back down the street.
"Ok, that was INCREDIBLY weird." Riyo said.
"No arguments there." Adam answered.
The truck started up as it carefully made its way out of the antique store parking lot. After it had made its way down the road and out of sight, the two blue and gray cars started to rev up.
Adam took one last look out the window at the house he spent his entire life living in, the house where he made so many precious memories and moments, some the most important of his life. He didn't look away until it finally slipped from his line of sight.
Riyo put a gentle caring hand on his shoulder as she gave him a loving and sympathetic look.
This was the end of a very long chapter in their lives. A new one was just beginning.
The blue and gray cars followed the yellow moving truck through the green wooded areas as Adam and Riyo sat in the back seats.
"You do have to admit that the scenery is beautiful out here." She said.
"Yeah, it's just a bit of a drastic change from living in an apartment complex all my life." Adam responded.
A loud series of honking behind them caught their attention. As Adam looked back, he could see people in the cars behind them pulling out cameras and flashing them.
"Ok," Adam said with a sigh. "Who's turn was it again?"
Riyo had pulled her head out the window with a frustrated scowl planted on her face as she began to flex her fingers. "Mine."
She then shot a blast of lightning from her hands which traveled towards the undercarriage of the car behind them, quickly shorting it out as it came grinding to a halt. The car behind it couldn't break in time as it came screeching behind with a short crash to the back of the car in front.
"Very nice touch." Adam complimented.
"Well, I'm not as adept as you, but thanks." She answered.
The cars soon came to a stop outside the large white house. Soon everyone was pitching in to move all sorts of pieces of furniture from the truck.
Adam lifted Treecko's tank with a skittish looking gecko up with the Force gently before placing it down on the carpeted floor and plugging in all the necessary plugs for his heating pad and heat lamp. After that, he looked down the top of the stairs to the basement to see Riyo and Savage hauling the stand to his bed through the small door.
"Let me help you with that." Adam said. "It is my bed."
"Technically, after sleeping in it with you for so long, it qualifies as our bed." Riyo said correcting him as the three Jedi raised the wooden piece of furniture up and along the staircase.
"Ok, and we're gonna turn it right about.." Savage said lifting it into the kitchen area. "Now."
The piece of wood was then turned on its side as they carefully moved it into the hallway and into the room on the left.
Once in its new home, the three carefully dropped it to a sitting position in a nearby corner.
"Well, that's taken care off." Adam said wiping his forehead.
"Yeah, and about 13 or 14 more to go." Asajj said sticking her through the doorway. "Don't plan on relaxing just yet."
With a sigh, the Jedi headed back out of the room with his friends in tow to finish moving everything in. It was times like these that the ability to move objects with one's mind really came in handy.
Once all the moving was done, the family decide to have Chinese to mark the occasion of the successful move. The only part worth worrying about were that the cats outright refused to come out of Alysha's bedroom, most likely due to being moved to an unfamiliar environment.
Fal'ec, on the other hand, seemed to be handling the move fairly well as he had found himself seated underneath Asajj's place at the table whining and begging for food.
"Alright, you big baby, here." She said finally giving. She tossed a piece of orange chicken down where the Nexu quickly chomped down on the savory piece of meat.
"I really shouldn't be feeding him too much greasy foods, but at the very least he can tolerate more than regular cats can." She explained.
"Yeah, like feeding strands of lo-mein to your already overweight cat." Riyo said looking at Adam with a half-scowl.
"Hey, it's only once and awhile!" Adam defended with his hands in the air. "It's not like I feed him piles of the stuff like he was Garfield."
"Anyways, changing the subject," Savage said speaking up. "There's something Asajj, Kalifa and I wanted to bring up."
"What is it?" Adam asked.
"Well…" Kalifa started. "The Republic's needed more and more Jedi to help with providing relief to systems and planets hurt by the war, and since we don't want to take up anymore room in your new house…"
Riyo's eyebrows raised. "You're leaving soon, aren't you?" She asked.
"It's only going to be for a few months… but yes." Asajj answered.
"Kalifia is headed to Mon Calamari to help Ahsoka in aiding Prince Char with training soldiers while Asajj and I are going to Dathomir to act as ambassadors to the Jedi Order so that their transition into the Republic goes more smoothly. And admittedly, I have missed seeing my brother." Savage said.
"When were you planning on telling us this?" Adam asked a little hurt.
"We were going to tell you yesterday before the move, but with all the crap you've been getting from the media and the stress of moving to a new house, we wanted to wait for a more… peaceful time to break it to you."
"Ah, I see." Adam said getting up from his seat at the table.
"Where are you going?" Riyo asked.
"To bed. I'm suddenly not all that hungry." He said dumping his plate in the garbage.
He then walked off to his room leaving the remaining four Jedi seated at the table.
Entering his room, Adam kicked the wooden bedstand with his foot before falling right into bed.
In hindsight, not the most fitting behavior for an accomplished Jedi Knight, but at the moment, away from all the diplomatic nonsense that came with the Republic and Jedi Order, he was dealing with one more big change that came too unexpectedly. He understood that people out there needed help and it was the Jedi's duty to give it, but it felt as if they were breaking up a family that had managed to endure so much, and still came out on top together. It was selfish, he knew, but maybe that was his Aspergers side of him again, wanting familiarity as opposed to unwanted change.
Slowly, Adam let his exhaustion from the day get to him as sleep overtoook his body.
March 16th, 2012, 9:00 AM
The Republic shuttle had touched down upon the grassy lawn in the back yard of the house. Asajj, Savage and Kalifa stood in their traditional Jedi robes all packed and ready as Adam, Riyo and the droids stood oposite of them.
"Promise me you guys won't take too long out there." Adam said sadly.
"And most importantly, be safe." Riyo added.
"We can only try." Kalifa said.
"Be sure to give Ahsoka, Maul and Mother Talzin our best." Adam said to them.
"We will." Savage said stepping closer and embracing the teen in a brotherly hug.
Asajj had done same for Riyo and even hugged the two droids while Savage patted them both on the back.
Asajj had stepped closer towards Adam before saying "I know things are going to change, some are probably going to be for the best and some won't be. But above all, don't let those changes stop you from living. And know that no matter how far apart we may be sometimes, we'll all still be together."
Adam nodded his head as Asajj hugged him tightly.
The two Dathomiran natives then boarded the shuttle before it soon descended back up into the sky and out of sight.
For a while, the two teens had simply stood there, looking at the spot where their ship had been before it finally registered. They had gone.
"Well," Adam said with a strech of his arms. "I better get ready for work at the theater. Good thing the Senate and Council gave me a reprieve from all this negotiation crap."
"Given how much things are changing, that might not last very long." Riyo said to him.
Adam headed back up the back porch steps with a sigh. "Yeah, nothing but a whole lot of changes lately."
End of Chapter 2. I wanted to throw another reference at Jordan's character and also give a little nod into the Neo Sith Empire has been doing since the Republic revealed itself. They ARE going to be a huge player in things to come in events to come, so of course it makes sense that Earth learns about them as soon as possible to know that they're on their side. Now I know that some of you who haven't been keeping up with 117Jorn's story Fighting For the Future are gonna be like "Oh, I have no idea who this Jordan character is or what he's even doing here." But let me remind you that in the events that take place before this stories place in the overall timeline, Adam and Jordan have already had their first encounter. I'm sorry that this is how you first come to get to know him, but keep in mind I wasn't planning on leaving this series and coming back to it two years later. If it's any consolation, once I'm finished with a chapter of OotB that I've left sitting on my computer for over two years, I'm jumping straight towards the chapter that crosses over with FFtF, complete with lightsaber battles and character meet-ups a plenty.
Also, and I really hate to admit this, I think I may need help with this story from here on out. Let me explain, I have an idea of how it should end, but not so much what should come in the middle to occupy the time until then. I suppose I might have had ideas back when I first came up with this story a few years ago, but whatever plans I had have just sat for a while and I sort of don't remember what I was going to do. I'd like to write this story so that it occupies at least six full-length chapters, the final one being the ending I have in mind. If you have any ideas for what should occupy the middle of that, I'd be more than happy to hear them. The next few chapters were going to focus on how stuff with the Republic and the Jedi have melded into Adam's work and school place, the continued harassment of the paparazzi until Adam finally snaps for a moment, and the eventual call he receives about needing to settle a dispute before the United Nations. Really though, all of that could be fitted into a single chapter, and I'd like it if this story could be a little longer than three. So please sound of in the reviews what you'd like Adam and co. to tackle as the Annexation of Earth continues. I'd also like to apologize if my writing style seems a little bit choppier than my past writings have seemed. I guess I'm trying to get these out as fast a possible and without as much effort seeing as it's only a side story, but if I could be doing better in terms of length, please let me know.
JAC ^_^