Rise of the Warrior

Chapter 25

Location: Imperial ship

Everything was going as planned. Soltarius had bought Tiana time and the means to escape and now he could freely operate his plan to eliminate the Sith Lord once and for all. There was no more fear of her untimely death or torture. There was no objective standing in his way. He was could now slay the dog once and for all and take what he desired most without repercussions. He was sure that Tiana would be well treated and provided for by Leia and the Rebels. They would not harm his maiden.

"Lord Soltarius, come here," commanded Sidious sternly.

The youthful Sith strode before him and smirked cunningly. "Yes, Emperor."

"Why do you seem so pleased? I dare say you are almost happy."

The warrior paused and adjusted his feelings accordingly. "Just thinking about what I will do to those Rebels if they harm, Lady Tiana, my Lord. Please, allow me to hunt them down. I shall end them swiftly."

Sidious contemplated his reply and answered, "Very well, Lord Soltarius. Go and get your maiden."

The warrior bowed respectfully and exited the chamber, meanwhile Vader watched him go suspiciously. He turned to his Master and said, "Master, do you think it wise? I sense that Soltarius maybe trying to deceive us. His motive are unclear."

Sidious laughed and stated, "No, let him go. Soltarius is very attached to his maiden and he is very close to turning completely. He only needs one more push to send him to the Dark Side permanently. However, I want you to follow him. Make sure he does not try anything foolish."

Vader bowed humbly and replied, "Yes, my Master."

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Location: Tatooine, Mos Eisley

When Han and company landed back on Tatooine, Han was still nervous about his debt with Jabba. Though, Luke assured him that he had nothing to fear. The Jedi told him that the Resistance owned him a favor since he helped save Leia. He invited the space-captain to run with them for a while until Jabba gave up on him.

"Oh, I wish it were that easy, but Jabba is not going to just forgive and forget, kid. I've still got a debt to repay and the sooner you pay me the better off I'll be."

Leia looked at Han in contempt and said, "Is money all you think about?"

"Yes!" retorted the Captain.

"But the universe is in peril and you can only think about is saving your own skin?"

"That's right, Princess. I think about one."

Chewie roared at his friend and Han then added, "And Chewie too, but he's my partner. I don't see anybody else looking out for me."

Kiya smiled at the two and gaze out towards the dunes. She shielded her eyes with her hand over her forehead and peered out into the distance. She felt something familiar and noticed Owen waiting by his transport with Beru and the droids in the backseat.

"Luke, look there! It's Owen and Beru. They're here!"

Leia turned to see what the commotion was about and immediately brightened at the sight of her aunt and uncle. She instantly forgot her argument with the Captain and ran to greet them. The elderly couple hugged their niece tightly and began gushing all around her. Beru kept tell her how beautiful she'd grown up and how stubborn Luke came to be.

Owen said, "You two must get it from old Ben. That old man hasn't been raising you properly."

The she-knight was annoyed and shouted, "Hey! My father raised us just fine."

"Yes and who said anything about him being an old man?" added a voice in the shadows.

The group turned and to group's surprise stepped out the hooded figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, instead of being a weather old man in his sixties, yet there he stood before them a younger man in his prime thirties. He pulled back his cloak and reached forward to greet his daughter warmly.

"My sweet Kiya, how are you little one?"

The blue-eyed beauty beamed. "Oh, father you look amazing."

However, in response Luke, Leia and the Lars were all flabbergasted and amazed. They didn't expect Obi-Wan to look so young and fit. It was like someone had shaved away 30 years from his body. Yet, the one who was most disturbed was Leia. She couldn't help thinking that Soltarius and Obi-Wan looked nearly the same. She couldn't believe it that her torturer was really her mentor's son.

"Father, I didn't expect to see you here, but now we can all bring the droid to Central Command together."

"Yes, my dear, but for now I'm more interested in hearing you're report in how you managed to rescue Leia."

"It can wait," answered another hood figure standing behind the Jedi Master. The group turned and saw that it was Padme and Thrice.

The former-Senator hugged her daughter and son before greeting Owen and Beru happily. The little family was finally reunited and talking wildly. It was a touching scene, but oddly Han started to feel misplaced. He coughed politely into his fist to get their attention and stuck his hand out to Obi-Wan for a handshake.

"Hello, I'm Captain Han Solo and this here is my first mate, Chewbacca."

Obi-Wan smiled and took his hand firmly. "Yes, you have my thanks, Captain. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is my wife, Lady Thrice. And this noblewoman is our friend and Luke and Leia's mother, Miss Padme."

Han was momentarily taken back at how formal the Jedi Master was behaving. He had the feeling that this guy was the real deal. He was obviously the cultured type and wasn't sure how to go about asking. Yet mercifully Luke stepped in and said, "Hey Ben, Han helped us save Leia from the Imperial ship. He would very much like to collect his reward."

"Yeah," muttered the Captain. "What he said."

"Oh," answered the Jedi Master abruptly. He turned to his wife and watched as she reached into her robes and pulled out a jeweled bracelet. She placed the glittering bangle into the space-captain's hand and he inspected it carefully.

"Wow, is this real?"

Thrice replied, "Consider it a token of my appreciation for saving our Leia."

Han gave the woman-warrior a bow and took the bracelet graciously. He didn't expect to be paid in jewels, but it was a simply means to carry around a lot of cash easy. He gave the she-warrior a nod.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He then turned to his friend and said, "Well, come on Chewie. Let's get out here."

The Wookie roared in agreement and together they left, but at the last minute Leia said, "Hey, Han. If you ever change your mind, look me up sometime. The Resistance could use another good man."

Han didn't reply back. He walked away with Chewie and couldn't help feeling like a heel. He knew that the bracelet was worth more than the 2,000 credits, but then again the trip was a lot more than a simple transport. However, they were the first up front honest people he ever met in his life. He felt like a lowlife taking the jewelry from that noblewoman for saving the Princess. And when it came down to it he didn't feel like a "good man" about it at all.

"Come on, Chewie. We've got to settle things with Jabba."

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Location: Yavin, Rebel Base

Meanwhile, the group headed off to Yavin to get in contact with the Rebel Base. They needed to get the information out of R2 so they could figure out their next plan of attack on the Death Star. Leia later learned from the Base that Alderaan had been blow to pieces by the Imperial weapon and that nothing remained. It torn her to bits to think about her lost second home. However, the information they retrieved was vital to insuring their success.

Though, later that evening Tiana approached Padme and gazed at her curiously. Padme didn't know much about the girl. She only knew she was about 19 or 20 years old and was a servant on the Imperial ship. She had helped save Leia and for that she had her gratitude.

"Thank you for helping Luke save Leia. I don't think we've had a change to talk yet. What's your name?"

"Tiana, but I think I know who you are. He talked about you. Sometimes I feel like you're all he every talked about. You—you're his angel."

Padme stilled, she wondered if Tiana knew Anakin. She wanted to ask her questions. She wanted to know if he was still evil and a Sith, but to her surprise the hazel-eyed maiden said, "I have to admit that I am jealous."

"Jealous? What do you mean?"

Tiana smiled bashfully and approached her and said, "At first it was beautiful…I never heard of anyone speak of love so beautifully. It was so romantic. It was like a story from a fairytale. He used to tell me at night. When it was dark and I was scared. He said he knew a noble lady who lived in a world of vision and light and that she worked to bring peace to people with her words, but that one day a knight who loved her slain her in a world of fire. And that he could not bear her passing that he look her body to his Maker and begged for her life. He saved her from death and gave her his love, but the angel did not love him in return. She still loved the knight that slain her and not the warrior."

Padme shook her head and turned to her and said, "Tiana, you don't understand."

Yet, defiantly the maiden stated, "No, I do understand and it's awful. He doesn't talk about it anymore, but the feelings—they're so strong. I'm afraid, Padme. I'm afraid of what he might do."

The former-Senator drew in a deep breath and stared at Tiana intently. She saw that the cream complexion girl with full dark hair and hazel eyes was so much like her when she was young. She wondered how her life must have been like living in the Empire and held captive with Jinn as her only companion. She wondered what she must have seen in the presence of evil.

"You care about him."

"Yes, Jinn is my friend. I met him when I was 14 years old, that was 6 years ago. I was an orphan on a mining colony on the Outer Rim when the Empire came and took me. They sent me to Jinn to help tend to his injuries, but later they made me stay with him. He became my friend. They were going to kill me, but they didn't because he wanted me safe."

"Tiana, you don't owe anybody your life. And the Jinn I used to know would never make you owe him a debt."

"Yes, I know, but Jinn is changing. There's Darkness growing inside him. He's Light fades day by day whenever the Emperor commands him to do his bidding."

"Do not fear such things, Tiana," called a voice in the shadows.

The two women gasped and rose from their seat and saw two glowing orbs in the dim. However, as the man approached they saw that it was Jinn. Horrified, Padme saw that the warrior looked as if he had not aged a day. He smiled charmingly and dramatically threw one side of his cloak over his shoulder to reveal a single Naboo bloom. The white flower stood out brightly against the inky blackness of his robes and confidently he strode up to Padme to hand her his offering.

Sweetly, he whispered into her ear, "A flower maybe lovely on the ground, Milady, but not as nearly as lovely in your arms."

Padme gasped. She looked at the flower and remembered when Jinn had first said those words to her back in her apartment on Coruscant nearly 20 years ago. She realized for Jinn it was like nothing had changed, but it wasn't true—everything had changed. Abruptly she dropped the flower onto the floor and began to weep.

"Oh, Jinn…no."

Tenderly, he approached her and touched her face and then like a cruel trick he grabbed her by the throat and said, "You should know that at first I tried not to blame you. I actually still loved you—my mortal angel—flaws and all I did not care. I swore that I would love you forever. I promised myself that I would remain true to you even if you did not love me. I would have taken you away from all this. I would have been your knight, but like a lying harlot you only wanted me for your lust—for your petty feelings. I don't know what I was thinking when I wasted my time trying to save your traitor of a husband from the Sith. You are no better than he is. You hide behind my father's robes like an insect. You are so weak and useless that it makes me sick. I should have let you die the day you gave birth to your children."

Terrified, she tried to break free, but his grip was too strong. Her efforts were useless against the warrior's iron hold. Desperately, she cried, "Jinn! Please, don't!"

The warrior harshly replied, "What's wrong, Padme? Don't you believe in destiny? Don't you remember? You once told me you thought you're life was a mistake. A mistake I aim to remedy."

He then pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited the blade. The red hum from the laser caused Padme's blood to chill and her heart to pound erratically. Padme was afraid. She saw the murderous look in his eye and knew he meant to kill her without a second thought. She then realized that in reality he had changed. He wasn't the same man she believed him to be. He was no longer the stubborn sweet-talker that tried to win her heart so long ago—no, this man was wounded, beaten and dark. The Jinn she once knew always strived to do the right thing. He didn't blame her. He didn't hate her so keenly.

Wide-eyed she watched as he shoved her back against the wall and prepared to run her through in cold carnage. Yet, without warning Tiana stood in his way. With her arms out strength she blocked his path and with tearful eyes she shouted, "Jinn, no!"

Dangerously, his eyes glowed red with rage. "Out of the way, Tiana. Don't make me hurt you."

He then stepped forward, but she didn't flinch. Instead, Tiana held her ground and said, "Hurting her isn't the answer! It will only make you dark."

"I don't care! She's a nuisance! She must die!"

"No!"

Jinn lunged forward to strike Padme down, but Tiana took hold of the hilt of his lightsaber to try and yank it away. However, the warrior was stronger than her and easily knocked her aside with the back of his hand. Tiana landed on the floor and cut her lip on her teeth. The impact left her stunned and momentarily dazed.

Yet, she desperately managed to scrabble up and grab hold of his cloak and cried out his name, "JINN!"

The shock of her scream startled him, but it didn't save the Padme from injury. The middle-aged beauty received a laser burn down her neck and shoulder. The smell of burnt flesh perfumed the air and the warrior deactivated his weapon in a numb woke. He could not believe that his anger had driven him to do. Yet, desperately Tiana rose to her feet and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Oh, Jinn…please, please forget about her. She doesn't mean anything. Please, for me…for me I want you to walk away." Tiana gazed up at him with her bloody lip and tear stained eyes and said, "I love you, Jinn. Please, don't punish this woman for your pain…please."

In response, he let out a shaky breath and pulled her away from him slowly. He gazed into her eyes and solemnly brushed away the blood from her cut lip with his thumb. He was ashamed of he had done. He had never meant to hurt her. Yet, Tiana felt her heart burst at the contact of his touch against her cheek. She didn't think Jinn would ever see her as anything other than a friend. He didn't understand that when she said she loved him she meant she was in love with him. She felt like at any moment she'd break.

Then, solemnly he inched away from her and said, "For your sake I would do anything."

Jinn then released Tiana and went to check on Padme. He saw that her burns weren't serious, but the shock had caused her to faint. Quickly, he pulled out a regenerator and began running it over her skin, but abruptly Luke, Leia and Kiya came running to investigate Tiana's screams.

Luke saw the state his mother was in the blood on the girl's face and pulled out his blue lightsaber to attack.

"Get away from her!" shouted the Jedi.

Jinn swiftly ignited his own saber and the two clashed in a furry of light and sparks. Meanwhile, Leia and Kiya went to check on Padme. She was unconscious and Tiana was desperate to get Luke's attention.

"No, stop!" cried the hazel-eyed beauty. "Please, no more fighting!"

Though, the maiden's words were ignored as the two dueled furiously. Luke tried to drive the Sith back with his parries, but to his surprise the strange man block him blow for blow like a mirror image. In a close clash of blades, Luke glared into the stranger's eerie eyes and noticed he looked like Ben.

"You lack focus, Jedi."

The warrior then shoved Luke back and drew out his black sword with his left hand and flicked it with his wrist. Stunned, Luke saw that he had the same fighting style as Kiya. He realized then that his man was Jinn Kenobi, Obi-Wan's lost son.

"How could you hurt my mother? I thought you were our ally."

Amused, the warrior replied, "I am not a Jedi. I was never properly trained. And your mother's burns are not fatal. She'll live."

"You bastard! I thought you were my mother friend!"

The warrior smirked and said, "Friends? Is that what she told you? Dogs of hell, I was her suitor. I could have easily been your step-father and Padme my angel."

Hotly, Luke shouted, "No, that's a lie! My mother would never fall for you."

Luke shoved him away and watched as Jinn quickly recovered and circle him and said, "Think what you like. The past can never be undone. She and Vader deserve each other. I was a fool to think I could be her knight."

"Jinn…is that you?" spoke a voice from behind him from down the opposite side of the hall. The amber-eyed warrior turned and saw that it was his father. It was Obi-Wan. The two men looked nearly identical expect one was dressed as a Sith and the other a Jedi. Obi-Wan never thought Jinn would ever fall to the Darkness, but the aura he emitted was saturated in despair and hate. There was no longer the look of peace and pride in the young warrior's golden eyes. Instead, there was a deep pain churning inside him and bleed out like a salted gash.

It pained Obi-Wan to see his son so darkened by the Sith. He had always believed Jinn to be a good man. He knew him to be a good man. Jinn was like his mother. He was drive, hard and passionate but at his core he knew that Jinn was man who obeyed no one. He was a man who only obeyed his heart.

"I've waited for this moment, father."

"Jinn, please. You don't have to do this."

However, the warrior ignored his protest and swung his blade to drive him back. Obi-Wan had to block his sword with his lightsaber to prevent from being maimed.

Hotly, the Sith said, "We do."

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TBC

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