Jedi Academy I: The Next Generation

Chapter 7: In The Way

(From Eric's Point Of View)

"You sure?"

"Sorry, Eric. But nothing is wrong."

I sighed. I had gone to the academy's medic, Kala, to get myself checked out. Kala was a Twi'lek from planet something–or–other and was a very sweet, kind person. She had this warm smile and her aqua blue skin just made me relax whenever I looked at her. One of two giant tentacle things that came from her head (a trait her race shared) was rapped around her neck like a scarf. The other was just hanging. I came into her room for help. We did a bunch of tests, but so far, I was perfectly fine. Even my head was okay, despite the illusions I had experienced on Tatooine.

"You sure?" I asked.

She put her arms on her side, smirking cockily. "You questioning my expert opinion? Don't make me whip your butt, little Jedi."

I chuckled at her joking anger. "I wouldn't put it past you. I'm not a Jedi yet."

Kala smiled. I liked her. She seemed young, but had this wisdom about her that I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed the fact that she was the only person around here who wasn't training to be a Jedi or had any connection to the Force. It gave her this humble feel.

"Yes, well…" She looked at my results. "Sorry, Eric. Nothing's wrong. Those illusions were just the sun playing tricks on you. It's not that odd. Coming from Coruscant, with a fair amount of sun, to here, with quite a bit of sun, to Tatooine, with a blazing sun. It's natural that your body had a reaction."

I didn't want to believe it, but I had no choice. "Okay. Thanks, Kala."

"Any time, kid," she said as I walked out.

I wondered about her age. Calling me kid. Hah! She didn't seem that much older, but then again, I wasn't going to argue. I turned the corner, heading towards… somewhere. I don't know. At that point I was just walking, thinking about what my illusion had said. Follow the ancients. Who, or what, are the ancients? I continued walking aimlessly when I suddenly bumped into someone. It was one of the Jedi Masters.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"No problem, kid," he replied and continued walking.

Kid! What is with everyone today? Do I really look that young? I chuckled a bit and shrugged it off. I carried on walking and decided I needed a place to think. A quiet place. I turned to my right and entered a room. There were a few things pushed against the corners, but nothing important. It was probably a spare storage room. There was a window looking over the forest. I looked out of it. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining over the great green jungle. I all seemed so… so…

"Serene?" she said.

"Yeah," I answered. Wait? Who just said that? I spun, waiting to see Jaden. Instead there was this person, covered in a black robe. It definitely was a woman. It definitely wasn't Jaden.

"Hello, Eric," the woman said. She sounded wicked, almost as though she was going to maim me. And enjoy doing it.

I reached for my saber.

"No, no," she said, moving her head to the right. A force got a hold of me and practically tossed me into the wall. She moved her hand, my lightsaber sliding away from me. She moved towards me, raising her hand, the Force raising me with it.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"That is not important," she replied as she leaned on a big box. "The question should be: what do I want?"

"Okay," I said sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"You… gone."

"I'm sorry?"

"I want you gone." She stood and picked up some kind of gadget, examining it. "Preferably dead."

"What?"

"You are threat to my plans, Eric. It's nothing personal, really. But I can't have you walking around. Not so freely."

I tried to break free of her invisible grip. "Why? What is this about?"

"You…" She tried to think of a word, "…influence people with you righteousness and just personality. I can't have that. To better a world, desperate measures will need to taken. And that cannot happen with someone like you around. And the fact that you're extremely powerful is an issue." I gave her a look. "Don't look so shocked. Come on, Eric. You must have noticed you're not exactly… normal. That stunt you pulled back on Tatooine with the lightning. Very impressive. How you intercepted my message."

That caught my attention. "Follow the ancients?"

"That's right. That was not meant for you."

"If not me, then who? Jaden?"

"Very good, Eric." I shivered. The way she said my name was just creepy. I don't know why, but it made me go cold. "You see, Jaden is very very special. However, she has taken a liking to you. Granted, she's not exactly throwing herself at your feet, but still… you are an unnecessary risk."

"Who are you? What are you? A Sith?"

"An Ancient," she replied with an amazing pride.

"A what?"

"You Jedi sicken me. The Sith too. You are all fools. Light and darkness. It's pathetic."

"What's an Ancient? Why must Jaden find them?"

"Not them. It."

"What?" Now I was completely lost. "What is it? What is The Ancients?"

"It doesn't matter." She walked up to me. "You're not going to be around to care. I'm sorry, Eric, but you are a distraction. You are in the way. And I can't have that. It's nothing personal, but now you need to die."

She threw me against the wall opposite the window. And then the lightning began. It hurt so badly, worse than before. I tried to scream, but the pain was unimaginable. It was as though someone was stabbing me with a heated blade from the inside over and over and over again. And then it got worse. I screamed in my head as I moved away from the wall and slammed against it again. She was now shocking me and hitting me against the wall? What, one torture method not enough? I struggled to break free or to absorb the lightning or something. But nothing happened. I felt myself dying. Who was this woman? Why did she want me dead? What did she want with Jaden? I don't know why, but the thought of her doing something to Jaden sort of angered me. I managed to open my eyes and look it hers. She wasn't satisfied with what she was doing. Maybe she was telling the truth, this wasn't personal for her. But it was for me. I felt something inside me beginning to boil, to build up. A power. The Force? I had to be. I hit the wall again and it was like setting off a spark. I screamed out loud in pain and it was as though a wave of energy escaped. Remember training, where I said it felt as though a second skin came off me when I broke that wall? Well, this felt as though twenty skins were breaking off me, as the giant wall with the window practically tore off the building, falling down into the jungle, taking that psycho witch with it. I ran to the edge, my lightsaber dangling. I compelled it towards my hand and then looked over the edge. The jungle was below, so if she had fallen and died, I would have been able to tell. The again, I'm an idiot for thinking I'm that lucky.

"That hurt!" I spun around to see her there, as though nothing had happened.

"What the hell are you?" I asked, shocked beyond belief.

"Angry," was her answered.

I activated my lightsaber. "Let's go."

She laughed. "Oh, please! I am not going to fight a child."

"Okay, people, I am really not that young!"

Geez, first Kala and then the master and now this psycho. It's just not my day. I ran for her and swung, but when I looked there was no one there. I spun around, seeing her behind me.

"You fool," she waved her hand and I went crashing into the wall.

It was at that point that Jaden, Kyle and Luke burst into the room. Nice of you guys to join us. The party just started. I got to me feet, ready to fight. I ran for the woman and swung, but she just jumped back, off the edge… except she didn't fall. She stood there in mid-air.

"That…that's impossible," I said as the other three joined me.

"We heard a giant bang," Luke stated, examining the giant whole in the room. "I guess we found the cause."

"Who is this woman?" Jaden asked.

"Follow The Ancients," the psycho said and then became… distorted. She started changing shape, turning into Rosh, Luke, Me, Kyle, Jaden, Kala, some thug and another woman who caused Kyle to whisper "Tavion." And then the woman/thing disappeared into thin air, leaving us all speechless.

You are in the way.

And leaving me very very worried.


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