Calm in the storm
I wake up, stranded in the midst of a dream. Things begin to swirl in the mist. Even though I am young (around 11 years old), I am not frightened. I look down at my hands, they are smooth, never having seen a day of work. I calmly float down to the glassy platform below. Suddenly all around panels begin to form, each being a memory that I haven't had yet. One depicts me with yellow sith eyes, I turn away, this one always frightened me. But as I turn away, I see what in my mind amounts to the most beautiful girl I have ever met. There she is now, with her hair waving in the breeze. The frame pases by, disappointing me. I then look up to see three frames falling to the ground. One is of me not too far from now, blocking some blaster bolts fired upon me by the battledroids. The second, a little farther away, is of me flying high into the air with a suit of some kind. Third, is me much farther from now, faceing someone who looks to be my master with that same girl caught by her throat struggling to breathe with me using some sort of magic to try and save her. I instantly know I must choose one to be improved upon this loop. My emotions always want to go with the magic, but my heart says to go with the suit, and my mind, the base strength. This time I realized there had been a fourth option every loop. I never remember to turn around, there I find an image of someone who looks to be a possible offspring of me and that girl, outsmarting her opponents. This is the one I ultimately choose. Suddenly, my platform shakes underneath me. A massive face of that girl appears in a circle next to my head. Then underneath it, a smaller face of that kid. But, as I stair at her face, darkness swirls. Out of it came demons. Definitely not from any known world, (at least to my knowledge). I instantly knew what must be done. I took the hilt off my thy that I didn't realize was there before. I ignited the blade. It was a bright iridescent green. "Not my favorite color" I thought to myself as I stood, waiting for them to strike first. This prompted the little creatures to become aggressive, they had sensed a real threat for once. Based on the way they acted, I assumed most of their targets barely fought back if at all. I dodged a swipe from one of their claws. However, it scraped my cheek. During this a new image flashed in the background, one of me getting stabbed in the chest by a morgul blade. I quickly dispatched these little critters. They were of no consequence, because thanks to my knowledge of video games, I sensed that the big boy was about to show himself, which sure enough, he did. I picked him up with the force. I sensed this was trying to teach me about magic. So I deactivated the blade. Then I used the force to stop his hand from slamming on the platform creating massive shockwaves. I picked it up. The monster was triple or quadruple my height. And if it had weight, I don't know how much it would have weighed, but none of that mattered in the moment. I felt powerful, like I have never felt before. I knew this shouldn't be being a jedi, but I couldn't help it. After I threw the monster into the infinite abyss, a doorway opened. I walked through. I was suddenly in a grassy field. One much like I would see in my homeworld. Although something was very wrong, then I heard a crunch. I looked at my boot, and found white powder on it. As I glanced, I saw I had crushed a human skull. This did not frighten me as you might think it would. In fact, I had a sense of purpose as I walked through the field. I also began to see weapons and armor strewn around. Along with more dead bodies. I look up. I see a woman with scaly skin crying over the body of a baby, charred and ruined. I put my hand on her shoulder. She stands up with hate burning in her eyes. The world is bathed in fire around me as I find myself lying in my chambers. I have traditional robes on. In my mind I prepare for something deceive tomorrow. I woke up. I along with my master go to meet the crew of the new ship we will be flying out with. Suddenly I find myself being shot at in a long dark cavern. I dodge and weave. Several blasts strike my troopers in the back. I then black out. Only to see seven fases flash too quickly for me to make them out. And I see fifteen figures in black and red hellish armor coming towards me. This is where I wake up and my story begins.
Brady googly opens his eyes after hearing the knocking on his door.
"Coming Master". He shouts as he scrambles out of bed.
Getting up on time was never his strong suit. Some might have called him lazy, others selfish, but he knew that he needed his beauty rest. He put on his robes and walked out of his Chamber. To his surprise it was not his master waiting for him, but Master Windu.
"You're late to the briefing, young padawan." he said in a stern tone.
"How late," Brady sheepishly replied.
"The Meeting finished an hour ago, I have half a mind to put you on non-trivial duty because of it"He replied. "But, because your master has convinced me, you can still go on the mission, but you have to be pushed into the second wave of reinforcements."
Brady could tell the master was hurt by his laziness."Sorry Master"
"Brady this is your final warning, do this again and I'll personally bring your expulsion up with the council."
He could tell he pulled this stunt one too many times for the master's liking. "Sorry master."
"Your apology, while sincere, is not needed. Just make sure next time to be up and ready early."
"Yes Master" Brady walked down the hall with his head hung low. He picked up pace a little to quickly get past a couple of bullies. They never liked the fact that this kid, this outsider, who seemed to know very little of the force, took attention away from them by their favorite possible candidate for a master. He managed to get by without them noticing. He suddenly collapsed onto one knee. He saw the image flash before his eyes that had haunted him in his dreams. The image of that girl being choked to death with her voice faintly struggling to get the word help out. He tried to get up. But, then a figure dressed in all black burned the image away and walked toward him. He was freed from the vision by a punch to the face. For once he was grateful for the bullys. Another kneed him in the chin after he fell down. This caused him some pain. Another used the force to slam him against a pillar, breaking the skin in the back of his head. They continued to beat on him, emotionally and physically. In total there are fifteen of them. Three females and twelve males. 5 of which were of different species, one of the girls looking like him as if he was a girl, and finally, two older ones who were about to become knights. He just curled up into the fetal position with his arms covering his head after he tried to fight back, throwing off the first two and causing two of the girls to change their minds and defend him. He was caked in blood and sweat. They nearly killed him and the two girls. Thankfully, his master stepped in and broke up the fight. Only one was still willing to fight. As it turns out, the others were under a very powerful form of mind control emanating from that one. The master immediately escorted the main bully to be reprimanded by the jedi council because he sensed the strong presence of the dark side in him. He then picked up one of the girls who couldn't walk and had the other one help his apprentice to walk to the medical bay. The one thing he asked his apprentices on the way was, "why didn't you fight back your hardest my apprentice, was it because of fear."
"No, it was because I knew I would win. I knew that if I tried any harder to defend myself, I might inadvertently use a move forbidden by the council and begin to slip into the dark side."
"Good answer" was his only reply. He did not speak anymore. He found out that the reason one of the girls switched was because she had a crush on him, a feeling she knew she shouldn't have. The other girl switched because the first girl was her best friend. He was able to be healed quickly. The only major injury was a broken arm, easily repairable through the force. He felt bad for the Girls, he knew that bully very well. If you crossed him in the slightest of ways, he would hunt you down and make you pay. He felt something familiar about this whole situation. He always avoided those halls when possible. His master had taken to teaching him outside of the general area because A. His powers are advancing too quickly, and B. because of the bullies. No one seemed to like him here. Except for that one girl and his master. Either they were indifferent or outright hostile. It seems he was just doomed to be an outsider. Several hours had passed. It was now time to get ready for the mission "at least I was able to get some rest before" he thought to himself as he ran to get there on time. He managed to make it to the final gunship where the main officer was waiting for him. He was talking about how they would leave him behind if he didn't make it.
"No need for it, soldier," Brady said as he reached the ship and boarded. After he got relatively comfortable, he asked the men what they're names were. They all replied with their Ct numbers like they were instructed. "That will not do, We need names which would be better than CT callouts, Mines Brady by the way." he stuck his hand out in a kind gesture.
"Commander Brady it seems you are not as used to being in command."
"No sir," he replied to the sergeant.
"It should be me calling you sir, not the other way around." the sergeant replied.
"HMN I'll shall call you Drakon then, you are fiery but loyal." he replied jokingly
"Thank you sir."
"C'mon were all gonna be working together here, whats your guys nickname for me?"
"Most officers wouldn't like nicknames" Chimed up a trooper in the back.
"Who said that?" Brady asked
The trooper raised his hand. "Me sir"
"I'll name you, Charon." Cause you're charismatic, and I see you brought the big gun.
"I came up with a nick-name for you sir." Said a trooper to his left.
"Oh, tell me."
"I'll call you the Iron General. Cause you're wearing armor unlike all the other Jedi we have encountered." Said Sergeant Drakon.
"I like that." Brady replied, "nice ring to it."
They docked with the ship. It was a massive troop transport. However, since the planet was one hyperspace jump away, they decided to wait in the ship to hopefully bond some more, however it was way too quick of a moment as their pilot radioed them to let them know that they were heading to the fighting zone. As they were flying the ship was rocked by explosions.
"Blast!" yelled the sergeant as one knocked into him.
The pilot lowered and opened the doors. They were still a few hundred feet from the ground. Brady knew he could make it, but feared for the lives of his men. His fears were justified when he saw the gunship to the left of him explode, killing all inside. He held on for dear life with a death grip. Even though he knew he would survive, this still did not prevent his fear of heights from manifesting at the worst of times like this. The First trooper jumped, then another then the Sergeant, who glanced at him worriedly, as he looked at the men, he noticed they had jetpaks on. A fourth, then a fifth, and finally…. He jumped. Brady didn't know where the courage came from, but he had landed safely just as he thought he would. He immediately froze again when he saw where his objective was. A deep cave in the catacombs of the planet. He had never been a fan of the dark, another reason he was teased and bullied. He always had to have a lamp on at night. Meditation didn't work, nothing did. He worked up the courage again to go and explore. He turned on his lightsaber. The green glow did little to actually light up the environment. But it did provide him some comfort to know he would be able to see anything up close. "Those nasty bugs can be anywhere" he thought. He shuddered, he never liked horror content and he was living through it right now. He took a few turns, left right right left down right right right up left down down right. This went on for a while. He bumped into Charon and Drakon. They reported they were the last survivors in their squad. They stopped talking because they could hear whispers coming from a door. He walked closer to the door and ignited his blade to examine it. It had mysterious markings on it. None that he could guess at with his wide knowledge of fiction. Which was pretty wide for his age. They didn't match Aurebesh, Klingon, Covenant, or….. Well that was about it that he could think of off the top of his head. There was probably more he could think of if he was given a minute, but other matters were currently clouding his thoughts. They had all turned around as they heard blaster fire. He and the troops ran to meet the noise. He and the two men peaked over the barricade. It was his master, another jedi and a squad of troopers. They were being ambushed by a squad of bugs and droids. Several of them fell in battle. His master eyed him and yelled "RUNN!"
He and the troops ran. They made it back to the door which opened on its own. It started to suck Brady in. He was fighting it, but unsuccessfully. The two troopers, who had stopped hearing his footsteps, quickly turned around and grabbed hold of him. First the sergeant does. He catches him by the arm. He begins to get sucked in as well. Next came the heavy gunner, he dropped his minigun to grab the officer's hand to prevent him from falling through as well. Despite this the wind was too strong, and Brady lost his grip. In a last ditch effort the sergeant grabbed his pistol and shot a grappling hook at Brady, which he caught. But not even that was enough, he was sucked in. His vision began to fade into black slowly as he fell further and further from the light.
