Chapter 14: Clan and Creed

Jarek staggered back a few steps ignoring the pain in his chest where Gaegan's blow had landed. The blond boy gripped his beskad tightly while Jarek's lay useless several feet away; well out of reach. They stared daggers at one another for several moments, until Gaegan launched himself at the young man stabbing with the point of his short sword. Jarek deflected the incoming thrust with his gauntlets. With that attack failing, Gaegan withdrew and made a series of slashes. The young man quickly deflected and blocked again with his armor. Sparks flew as beskar struck beskar. Jarek gave ground luring his opponent into believing he was succeeding.

Taking advantage of his overconfidence, Jarek captured the blade with his gauntlets. He circled it around, sliding down towards the hilt thus gaining control of the sword. Next, he executed a reverse elbow strike to the side of Gaegan's skull. He then grabbed Gaegan behind his head to control his movements, preparing to throw him and possibly disarm him...

...But Gaegan countered by striking away Jarek's grapple while simultaneously freeing his blade from his gauntlet. Moving swiftly, Gaegan hit Jarek with a forehand pommel strike to the cheek. The glancing blow barely registered as Jarek moved in and raised his arms using his gauntlets to block a forehand slash showering him with sparks.

Gaegan was a blur of motion as he spun and switched to a reverse grip on his sword, attempting to thrust towards Jarek's midsection. The young man countered again with his gauntlets and swept the attack aside. Using the momentum Gaegan spun and leaped slashing downward. Jarek raised and crossed his arms blocking the incoming attack and capturing the blade once again. This time he twisted and jerked the blade free from Gaegan's hand sending it flying out of reach.

Jarek shifted into the offensive. He attacked with a spinning reverse elbow, but Gaegan countered by covering up and pushing him away. Jarek advanced again, attacking with a double hammer fist, aiming for Gaegan's now exposed head. His opponent countered again with a dodge and sweep of his arm to deflect the blow. Jarek felt metal glancing off his forearm and saw Gaegan had produced a kal fighting knife from somewhere. Ignoring his annoyance in not anticipating the treachery, Jarek was forced to go on the defensive again.

Gaegan flipped the knife around into a reverse grip and began a gutting attack. Jarek grabbed Gaegan's arm to stop his incoming strike while simultaneously countering with a punch to the ribs. Ignoring the pain, Gaegan retained his weapon by bringing the blade over the top and switching hands to remove Jarek's grip.

Jarek swung a poorly aimed fist which passed harmlessly over the top of Gaegan's head. As he ducked Gaegan slashed low with a reverse grip. Jarek shifted his stance at the last second causing the blade to barely graze his tunic. Undaunted, Gaegan aimed a second attack at his throat with a backhand slash, but once again Jarek was just barely able to evade. The weapons may have been blunted but even a dull wedge of steel would cause untold amounts of damage to soft tissue.

Advancing, Jarek grabbed Gaegan's face with one hand and gripped the knife-wielding arm with the other to gain control. Catching him off balance, Jarek then pumped his legs and pushed Gaegan back several feet and slammed his head against the wall. Several other students had to leap out of the way to avoid being trampled.

Unfazed by the wall, Gaegan countered by coming up underneath and striking Jarek's arm to remove his grip. The blond youth followed up immediately with a head-butt. Pain exploded above Jarek's right eye. Taking advantage of Jarek's dazed state, Gaegan jumped up and forward to gain leverage, pulling his opponent completely off balance and placing himself in a position to slash his throat.

Jarek grabbed Gaegan's arm and struggled to maintain control of the blade as it inched towards his exposed esophagus. Gaegan smiled triumphantly as he quickly yanks the knife away and brought the pommel down directly on his temple. The dull rounded edge struck the same spot where his head-butt had earlier.

More pain exploded and stars danced in Jarek's vision. His legs gave out and he crashed to the floor clutching at his head. He drew one hand away to see it coated in blood. Jarek tried to focus but as the blood seeped into his eye, he lost sight of his opponent. He could barely make out the figure of Ja'Hailir approaching. If he was present than the fight was well and truly over...and he had lost.

"Did Gaegan's blow hurt you?" Ja'Hailir asked without a hint of remorse in his voice. Jarek looked up at him trying to see past the blood dribbling down from his scalp. He could just make out his scowl of disappointment. "You think this is 'pain'?" he asked one hand clenched. "You are mistaken." Ja'Hailir reached down and gripped Jarek by the front of his tunic. With surprising ease, he lifted the young man to a standing position.

Jarek knew he had failed, and failure meant punishment. He'd already been lashed once, he refused to go through it again. He opened his mouth to protest only to have his words driven out in a rush of air. Without warning, Ja'Hailir had driven his hand into his gut, forcing all the oxygen out of his lungs. If that wasn't enough, he curled his fingers and twisting upwards into the diaphragm. Jarek felt something pop and tear inside and then an eruption of pain the likes of which he had never experienced before shot through his body. It felt like a drop of molten lead sat just under his ribcage. The moment Ja'Hailir let go, Jarek dropped heavily to the floor once more. He wanted to scream but every time he took a breath the pain increased tenfold.

"That is true pain," Ja'Hailir intoned looking down at Jarek without pity even as the young man writhed on the floor clutching his middle and screaming in agony. "This is your test, Jarek. Conquer the pain...and stand."

The words were barely above a whisper, but Jarek heard them. He tried to roll onto his hands and knees, but every time he moved or even breathed it felt like knives stabbing into his abdomen. He screamed again straining his vocal cords to their limit. He turned and could see Ja'Hailir standing by, waiting. Behind him, Gaegan also stood with a look of smug arrogance plastered across his face. Jarek felt anger and shame at having lost to the boy, and he tried using that rage to push through the pain and rise, but it only served to fuel the agony and he fell once more with another heart-wrenching cry.

Blood continued to drip from his head wound giving the vision in his left eye a reddish hue. With his one clear eye, he saw Jilo sitting with the rest of the young warriors. Her eyes were tear-filled and pleading. She silently mouthed the words 'get up'. Her encouragement and the memory of her tender touch filled his heart with determination.

Pain is a weakness, he thought to himself even as another wave of stabbing pain coursed through his system. Pain is weakness leaving the body. Jarek took a deep breath; his first full breath since being gut-punched by Ja'Hailir. It hurt, but it helped to clear his mind.

"Strength is life," Jarek gasped forcing his hands away from his abdomen, "for only the strong have the right to rule." He pressed his hands to the floor pushing himself onto all fours, a feat that caused his limbs to quiver violently.

"Honor is life," he breathed as sweat burned through his wound and dripped down to the floor, "for with no honor one may as well be dead." Jarek took another deep breath forcing the pain back down and allowing himself to focus even more.

"Loyalty is life," he stated planting his right foot firmly on the ground even though his knees shook with fatigue, "for without one's clan one has no purpose." With an almighty heave of his muscles, he stood, stretching his core, and nearly doubling over as the pain threatened to overwhelm him once again. Yet he remained upright.

"Death is life," he declared drawing himself to full height. It was all he could do to keep from whimpering and meet Ja'Hailir face to face. The elder Mandalorian didn't look upset or proud, only expectant. Behind him, Gaegan wore a mask of anger mixed with disbelief. Ignoring his opponent Jarek squared his shoulders and finally finished the creed, "one should die as they have lived."

The smallest of smiles graced the mouth of Ja'Hailir, and pride filled his eyes. "This is the Way, Jarek," he stated simply.

Jilo was standing in the garden. The dawn sun was barely illuminating the valley. She was so lovely, the morning rays making skin and hair practically glisten. She hummed a soft tune as she picked and plucked the various fruits and veggies and deposited them in the container. Jarek had seen her many times growing up, even more, since the night in the lodge, and yet she still seemed just as beautiful.

The young woman plucked a small berry and started to place it in the container before quickly popping it into her mouth and chewing.

"You shouldn't do that," he said making her jump in surprise. She relaxed as soon as she saw him and continued to chew the fruit. It was obvious from her expression she found it delicious. Jarek stood next to her and assisted in picking more of the berry's as he was supposed to do. "If they catch you stealing food then you'll be punished," he whispered, making his genuine worry for her obvious.

"If we don't take the occasional risk," she stated sotto voce, "How will we ever know how far we can push ourselves?" Her teasing tone hinted at their various stolen moments since arriving at the enclave. Hiding away from the rest of the youths and instructors for a few frantic moments of joy and pleasure.

"I think we push ourselves plenty," he murmured giving her a playful nudge with his hip.

Jilo giggled but didn't comment. After a moment of companionable silence filled with the sounds of stems and vines being stripped, she asked, "How's your wound?" Jilo gestured to the small scar above his eye where Gaegan's blow had struck. He shrugged by way of response. Jilo shook her head. "And the other one," she said glancing down at his abdomen.

At the mere thought of it, his ruptured diaphragm throbbed at the memory of Ja'Halir's 'lesson.' He hastily shoved the discomfort away and shrugged again. "It's nothing," he replied quickly, "pain is just weakness leaving the body."

Jilo gave him a stern look which made him shuffle nervously. No one sense his father had ever looked at him in such a way that made him feel like he could hide nothing. The young woman stepped up and placed a hand on his cheek. The sensation sent chills up and down his spine. She stared intently into his eyes as she spoke. "Pain just means you're alive, and that you can still feel," she stepped in closer making his heart skip a beat, "And if you feel pain...then you can feel joy," she drew his face down to hers, lips barely touching, "and pleasure."

Jarek closed his eyes, anticipating the kiss to come when he suddenly felt something trickling down onto his scalp. He sighed in frustration as Jilo deposited the handful of black soil atop his head in a steady cascade that dribbled down his face, the back of his neck, and down his tunic. Jilo giggled as Jarek grimaced with a barely restrained smile.

The young woman attempted to slip away only to find Jarek's strong arms clamped around her waist. She groaned in annoyance as he shook his head raining dirt particles down on her. Pressing themselves closer together he stared down at her with loving intensity. She blushed, biting her lip in nervous anticipation.

"You're going to pay for that little one," he growled grinning wolfishly.