AN- I'M ALIVE! OMG! I am so sorry, folks! As soon as school started I had absolutely ZERO time to work on fan fiction. All of my time is spent: sleeping, doing school, working on writing my original fiction (which I hope will turn into a published novel someday), cooking, or talking to friends that I haven't seen in eons.

AN2- Adam, thank you for giving me a kick in the butt when I really needed it. This chapter's for you!

CHAPTER FIVE:

"Break us?" Han snapped. "What does that mean, Anakin?"

"NEVER insult me by using that name!" Vangoren smacked his father with the same force he had used on his mother just a moment before.

Han wisely kept his mouth shut after that.

For a long time, no one spoke as the once-familiar figure paced before them with his hands behind his back, his left shaper's claw grasping the wrist of his real right hand. Finally, Vangoren broke the uneasy quiet. "You have all been chosen by Warmaster Tsavong Lah to be shown the true way. Before the week's end, you will be one of our faithful servants."

Jacen was quickly losing his calm as he usually did around his brother. "I will never be a servant of the Yuuzhan Vong, Ani—Vangoren Kwaad. Don't waste your time on me."

"Or me," Jaina chimed in.

The rest of the group echoed the twins' statements. This only served to amuse their captor. "Hmm…so, a touch of spirit does exist under all of that self-pity," he said. He pulled an amphistaff from where it was coiled around his right forearm. With practiced ease, he commanded it to stiffen. The serpent-like creature was all too pleased to be used and gave a soft hiss as its owner lowered the head toward Jacen's face.

Jacen flinched back from the amphistaff's fangs. He knew exactly what those things were capable of, and didn't want to be as close as he was right now.

"Hmm…" Vangoren seemed to be thinking over some obscure question, inwardly debating the answer. "Ah, yes," he chuckled, apparently delighted with the answer he had just come up with. "How good are you with an amphistaff, jeedai?"

Jacen smirked. He could always beat Anakin at lightsaber duels easily. This could be a good opportunity; he would have a weapon in his hands and—if and when he beat Anakin—he would humiliate this twisted version of his brother enough to pull him out of the clutches of the Yuuzhan Vong and escape…hopefully with Anakin in tow.

"Why do you hesitate, jeedai? Do you already accept that you would never win in a fair duel with a Klevinda?" Vangoren sneered.

Jacen looked him in the eye, Solo smirk firmly in place as he said, "No, I was just giving you time to see your foolishness and withdraw your challenge."

Vangoren barely batted an eye as he struck Jacen in what appeared to be his favorite, nose-breaking manner. "You will pay for your insolence, infidel." He barked an order to Nom Anor, who brought him another amphistaff and released Jacen from the blorash jelly that bound him. He handed Jacen the staff as soon as the captive was able to stand upright without assistance, gave him a sneering smile, saluted Vangoren, and stepped to the side of the room to watch.

Vangoren watched him unnervingly as they circled each other. As Jacen stared at his opponent's face, a strange thought occurred to him: Everyone always says that their little brother is a monster. Thanks to the Vong, in my case it's literal. The two of them circled, matching each other step for step as they sized each other up.

Without warning, Vangoren stepped forward with such speed that Jacen barely managed to dodge the incoming staff that swung toward him.

Behind him now, Vangoren was laughing. "I see you're not smiling now, jeedai…"

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