Chapter 8 Training Under Threat

Within 24 standard hours, Samal's fears came true. His family, consisting of his parents Don and Lisa Dicar and his sister Elena were all brought to the place where Samal was being kept. Not only them, but Allia as well. They were brought to the Kaardara prison located on an island just a short boat ride from the city.

"Samal!" Lisa called to her son.

"Mom! Dad!" Samal called at them. "Allia, Elena!"

Suddenly a lightsaber blade snapped to life. Malor stood there, the cyborg Sith held it up

"Who should I kill first?" Malor asked. "One of your parents? The mother who gave birth to you?"

He held the red blade up to Lisa's neck.

"She didn't! She's not my birth mother!" Samal shouted.

The Cyborg's one organic eye widened. "Surprising, she looks a good deal like you."

"Alright… here is the deal young Dicar," Sadastra said. "You will learn to use the dark side of the force and fight for the Sith! If you refuse… we will them… One. By. One!"

The masked Sith girl held up her pointer finger which sparked with lightning. Samal understood by that motion. He gritted his teeth.

"Fine… I'll… I'll learn to use the force," Samal said.

"You'll learn to use the DARK SIDE!" Sadiastra corrected him.

She sent a spark of lightning from her finger, hitting a random member of the hostages. Don screamed.

"Dad!" Samal shouted making to run toward his father.

Only to be pulled back by Linassa.

"Don't go running toward them," the Sith Lady said.

Samal snarled.

"Good. I can feel your anger."

"Samal, don't listen to them!" Lisa shouted.

"Silence!" Sadistra ordered as she sent another spark of lightning.

Lisa screamed as she was zapped and fell next to her husband.

"Mom!" Both Samal and Elena screamed.

"Mrs. Dicar!" Allia screamed, only to fall silent as someone neared her.

"Hmm… she's a pretty one," Malor said as he looked at her and bent down and took a look at the girl.

"Don't touch her!" Samal ordered.

Only for him to receive some lightning this time. Linassa zapped him with both hands for several seconds as he toppled over.

"Enough interruptions!" Linassa said. "The next time one of you speaks without my permission or otherwise defies me, I will cut off a limb. After that… it will be a head. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Samal said. He'd have to play along for now until they figured out a way out of this.

"Yes… Master," Linassa told him.

And so they began the Sith training.

"We will begin at the most basic level. Philosophy. We Sith know the true nature of the force. It is a weapon to empower the worthy. You are special Samal. The Jedi would have you use that power to defend the useless. They would deny of the possibility of any gain. You would not be able to marry her!" Linassa pointed at Allia.

Samal felt his cheeks redden. Though Allia was not his official girlfriend, he like many boys his age no doubt, often fantasized of that happening with their crushes. They would get married, she'd walked down to him in a white dress on a beautiful stone road with lovely plants around them. They would have two or three children and live a happy life together.

"Jedi also take no payment for their missions. It's a self-denial… and for what?" Linassa asked. "It is foolish to deny oneself pleasure. What good is a gift like the force if you can never use it for your own gain? No good! The Jedi are foolish not using their power for gain!"

Samal took in the words as she spoke. Thinking of what he wanted in life, he'd come from a somewhat wealthy family. They had given him much in his life. Money was something that did that, and he did want things out of life. He wanted to someday have a house of his own, one that his children would run through laughing, he wanted people to praise his talents in writing, artwork, or martial arts. He wanted to change the galaxy for the better and wipe alcohol from every planet. That would likely save many lives, speeder accidents from drunk driving would be greatly reduced.

But on the other hand, the Jedi were also selfless in not taking payment. They'd help someone because it was the right thing to do. Samal would as well… helping others was reward enough sometimes. Accepting a reward might not have been wrong though, maybe he could give at least some of it to others in need.

Linassa moved on. "Now… we will begin with some basic force power training. I've brought you something to take your anger out on."

She gestured to several plasteel boxes that lay nearby on the prison grounds. The Sith waved her hand at it and it sprang open… revealing the substance that Samal hated most in the galaxy. Alcohol. Correllian Ale, Ruby Bliels, even a rare bottle of Tarisian ale that was quiet popular. Many people Samal's age looked forward to drinking this stuff, but the only thing Samal looked forward to was the day it vanished from the galaxy. It had made his biological mother suffer… and it would pay!

"Good… I can feel your anger young Dicar!" Linassa said.

"Samal?" Lisa's voice asked from behind.

"Silence!" Malor ordered.

…

Alia watched as Samal looked at the drinking bottles. She knew of his hatred for those things. Who could blame him for harboring ill will because of his biological mother? She likewise didn't care much for them, wishing to stop underage drinking. Many of the delinquents however were tempted to join in though. But she would not. Her cousin had perished in a speeder accident on Taris thanks to a driver that had been under the influence. She wouldn't touch that stuff… at least not until she was the right age.

"You want to crush it for what it did to your mother… your true mother?" Linassa asked.

Next to Allia, she saw Lisa shudder as the Sith said that. No doubt being called Samal's fake mother (albeit indirectly) stung.

…

Samal's face twisted in rage and he answered.

"Yes."

Linassa smiled. "Concentrate."

Samal's eyes narrowed as he looked at one of the bottles. He wanted it to see it crack, he pictured a crack forming at the top just below the neck.

And it did, Samal could see it. The crack appeared out of nowhere suddenly. A small one.

Samal gasped, stunned that it had happened so quickly.

"Yes… release it! Bring your hatred down on it!" Linnassa said.

Samal couldn't resist. He focused on the bottle again.

"It works better to use your hands," Linassa instructed.

Hearing this, Samal raised his left hand. Thinking he knew what to do… he gripped his fingers as though he were gripping the bottle itself as he concentrated on it. Then he squeezed… the glass cracked further as he crushed it with the power of the force. Then it exploded into a hundred pieces.

Samal grinned as he saw this. Turning his attention to the others. He raised both hands now, and two bottles levitated out. Samal squeezed with his hands, and they too cracked and exploded, releasing the contents he hated onto the grounds of the prison.

"So how does it feel to crush that?"

"Liberating," Samal said honestly, unable to hide the fact he'd enjoyed it.

Linassa smiled. He'd taken his first steps into becoming a Sith. She would mold him into one, stamp out the light and turn him to the dark.

Well… I hope you guys are enjoying so far. If you are a beer lover sorry to you for making all these drinks explode! This is probably something an 18 year old me from ten years ago would do. But I've let go of that old hatred long ago. It feels nice to go back and reflect on this though. I lost one friend because of my hatred for drinking and smoking, she asked me if I would like a cigarette and I might have been a bit too blunt on my reply saying I hated those. That was probably when I got the wake up call saying it wasn't good to let hatred guide you. That leads down a dark road. I'm gonna try and update this story on Saturdays. It may not be every Saturday but we'll see.