Chapter 2: Jedi Knight.
"Varielle," Jedi Master Amarell Cordenn said to his apprentice, "Varielle! Listen to me. One of us has to escape to warn the Admiral. You're the fastest runner and the best in the woods."
"How? We can't get the ring here to work."
"Find a way. We can buy enough time for one of us to run. It has to be you."
"Why not you? You're a Master. I'm just a Paduin."
"There's no such thing as 'just' a Paduin. Duck!" She flung herself behind a tree and took out three of the oddly armoured aliens with three quick shots. Why design such ingenious helmets and leave the legs totally exposed?
"Master Cordenn!" He was nursing a badly burned leg. "Master!"
He shook his head. "I'm old, Varielle. And it'll take all of us to buy you time." She looked around at the grim-faced soldiers.
"You're the youngest," the senior sergeant said with a shrug. "It's your right. Here." He handed her a piece of paper. "For my family." The others handed her their last letters. She took them blindly, tears blurring her eyes as she cowered behind the tree.
"Don't worry," the tough-as-nails corporal told her. "They won't find our home from us. Tell Admiral Sadderve everything. And here. All our work." He handed her the data-cards and his terminal. "Now, I'll throw my satchel-charge and we'll lay down cover fire. You've got to get past that bend and down the incline before the smoke fades. We'll use the last of the rockets to take out their air cover. Alright?" He shook her. "Alright?" He only let her go when she nodded. It was necessary, so she would do her duty.
She sniffed hard, forcing herself to calmness, and reached for her connection to the Force. "Alright. Bless you all, and may the Force be with you."
"We're going to die. Of course it won't be," he said matter-of-factly. "But we'll take as many as we can with us."
"Master…" she hugged him, contorting herself oddly so as not to present a target while she did so. "Thank you for everything." Into his ear, she whispered, "You were a father to me. I love you." She wiped her face again and winced as he handed her his spare blaster packs. "Use them wisely," he told her. "And don't dishonour this."
She made no move to take his lightsaber.
"Take it," he insisted. "Jedi Knight. You've earned it. Now run, and don't look back." She had no time to argue, even though she wanted to. She dropped a kiss on his forehead and waited for the explosion, then sprinted down the narrow track.
As she ran, concentrating on her footing and breathing, she felt him in her head. For the last time, she knew, and mourned. "The Force will be with you. Always." She forced back tears; she needed her eyes. Someone had to escape these slaughterers and warn their people, and speed was her only hope. She'd always been a good runner, and with the Force she was exceptional. Her feet slapped the ground as fast as she could possibly make them.
Behind her she felt lives wink out, friends lost forever. When the last fire, that of her teacher who had raised her from a child, winked out, she felt like howling like a baby, but she kept running. It would only be worse if their deaths were made useless by her failure.
"I must not fear," she recited the litany mentally. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Fear, anger, hate and suffering all lead to the Dark Side. Only through peace may we know mastery of ourselves and the Force. Be at peace, Paduin." She knew she was no Jedi. The extra weight of the slim cylinder at her belt was a burning reminder of loss, not a thing to celebrate.
"Varielle," Jedi Master Amarell Cordenn said to his apprentice, "Varielle! Listen to me. One of us has to escape to warn the Admiral. You're the fastest runner and the best in the woods."
"How? We can't get the ring here to work."
"Find a way. We can buy enough time for one of us to run. It has to be you."
"Why not you? You're a Master. I'm just a Paduin."
"There's no such thing as 'just' a Paduin. Duck!" She flung herself behind a tree and took out three of the oddly armoured aliens with three quick shots. Why design such ingenious helmets and leave the legs totally exposed?
"Master Cordenn!" He was nursing a badly burned leg. "Master!"
He shook his head. "I'm old, Varielle. And it'll take all of us to buy you time." She looked around at the grim-faced soldiers.
"You're the youngest," the senior sergeant said with a shrug. "It's your right. Here." He handed her a piece of paper. "For my family." The others handed her their last letters. She took them blindly, tears blurring her eyes as she cowered behind the tree.
"Don't worry," the tough-as-nails corporal told her. "They won't find our home from us. Tell Admiral Sadderve everything. And here. All our work." He handed her the data-cards and his terminal. "Now, I'll throw my satchel-charge and we'll lay down cover fire. You've got to get past that bend and down the incline before the smoke fades. We'll use the last of the rockets to take out their air cover. Alright?" He shook her. "Alright?" He only let her go when she nodded. It was necessary, so she would do her duty.
She sniffed hard, forcing herself to calmness, and reached for her connection to the Force. "Alright. Bless you all, and may the Force be with you."
"We're going to die. Of course it won't be," he said matter-of-factly. "But we'll take as many as we can with us."
"Master…" she hugged him, contorting herself oddly so as not to present a target while she did so. "Thank you for everything." Into his ear, she whispered, "You were a father to me. I love you." She wiped her face again and winced as he handed her his spare blaster packs. "Use them wisely," he told her. "And don't dishonour this."
She made no move to take his lightsaber.
"Take it," he insisted. "Jedi Knight. You've earned it. Now run, and don't look back." She had no time to argue, even though she wanted to. She dropped a kiss on his forehead and waited for the explosion, then sprinted down the narrow track.
As she ran, concentrating on her footing and breathing, she felt him in her head. For the last time, she knew, and mourned. "The Force will be with you. Always." She forced back tears; she needed her eyes. Someone had to escape these slaughterers and warn their people, and speed was her only hope. She'd always been a good runner, and with the Force she was exceptional. Her feet slapped the ground as fast as she could possibly make them.
Behind her she felt lives wink out, friends lost forever. When the last fire, that of her teacher who had raised her from a child, winked out, she felt like howling like a baby, but she kept running. It would only be worse if their deaths were made useless by her failure.
"I must not fear," she recited the litany mentally. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Fear, anger, hate and suffering all lead to the Dark Side. Only through peace may we know mastery of ourselves and the Force. Be at peace, Paduin." She knew she was no Jedi. The extra weight of the slim cylinder at her belt was a burning reminder of loss, not a thing to celebrate.