Chapter 6
"Concentrate Skywalker, keep your focus. No, just breathe, you're not breathing right!" I grunt from a cross between exertion and frustration.
"Well, maybe if you stop harassing me, I will be able to concentrate." I bite back through gritted teeth. I'm currently standing on my head trying to keep the object around me floating and although you may already think it looks hard, it's even harder than you can imagine.
"Direct your anger into the force and not at me!" He says whilst pacing backwards and forwards in front of me. I grunt again and then close my eyes reaching out with the force. I use my senses to find where the inquisitor is and then I use the force to push forwards slightly.
"If you think that you can push me over using the force after only a couple of weeks training, then you have another thing coming." He tells me, which causes me to laugh and lose my concentration so I fall. Everything around me then falls with a loud crash.
I fall into a large heap on the floor with my legs over my head, I look over at the inquisitor, he just raises his eyebrows, which causes me to then burst out laughing. I untangle myself and allow my legs to fall on the floor I bend my head back to look at the inquisitor, I can't see his mouth as his mask is covering it, but I have a feeling that he is smiling at me. We stay there in companionable silence the only noise is from my rapid breathing, which is starting to slow and the never-ending hum of the ship.
"I think we have had enough of force training, let us move onto physical training." He orders me suddenly. I look up at him and nod. He walks over and holds out his hand, I grab a hold and pull myself to my feet. "Start by doing laps of the training area." He instructs. I nod and start jogging around the training area.
I have been on the ship for a couple of weeks now. My aunt and uncle have been contacted to say that I wouldn't be coming back and from what the inquisitor said they weren't happy. I can understand why they are upset, I'm not massively happy that I won't be able to see them again either. But the inquisitor said that I have to cut all ties that I have to my old life. Who knows, maybe one day I will be able to see them again.
The training that he has been putting me through is very intensive. I understand why he had to wait for me to recover from my injuries before starting. It involves a lot of running, weight lifting and gymnastics.
"That's enough, come back." The inquisitor calls me over, I walk back to him panting. The training moves to me tackling the obstacle course. Lots of running, climbing and balancing whist dodging the blasts being shot at you.
I still remember the first time he put me through this it was a complete disaster.
I was starting my third run through. I was out of breath and aching all over but I carried on anyway, forcing myself to continue. I climb up the artificial frame whilst trying to dodge the shots coming from directions, hissing in pain when they skim over me. Every time I feel like the fatigue is finally going to take over, I push myself by searching for the power inside of me. I can't stop, the inquisitor has made it clear that I either make it through the training or die trying as giving up isn't a option.
Another shot connects with my shoulder as I'm climbing and this is the final thing that breaks me. I lose my grasp and fall from the frame. As I hurtle towards the ground, I brace myself for the impact that doesn't come. I prise open my eyes that I had squeezed shut in fear and see that I am hovering a couple of inches from the ground. I'm there for a second and then I fall hard to the ground with a thump that causes all of the air to escape from my lungs.
I lay there for a minute trying to control my breathing and then force myself up so that I'm sitting on my knees. The inquisitor has somehow walked right up to me without me noticing and is looking at me with disappointment clear in his eyes but I find that I'm too worn out to care.
"Can I just have a five minute break?" I ask looking up at him through my lashes but as I see his eyes harden, I immediately regret it.
"No." He spits out and walks away.
I am becoming certain that I am going to have to give up, that I'm not strong enough to finish the training so I carry on half heartedly and continue to get hurt until the inquisitor eventually takes pity on me and sends me back to my cell.
When I get there, I just plummet to the floor in a ball of self-pity. I feel the need to cry but I'm too tired for even that! I lie there dozing for I don't know how long when the door opens but I'm too exhausted to even lift my head. However, I do open my eyes and recognise the black boots standing next to my head.
"Get up!" He orders, anger lacing his voice.
"I can't" I whine.
He sighs and then grabs me under my arms and pulls me into a sitting position.
"Why have you given up?" He asks me gently. I look at him in confusion, trying to understand why he is wasting his time with me.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I watch as he sits on the floor next to me. He contemplates my question for a moment before he answers.
"I see a great potential in you and I don't want it to waste."
"Yeah but I don't think anyone would try as hard as you."
"If you were an average recruit, then you would be long dead by now." He says simply. I'm taken back by his brutal honesty and then smile. I like that he's always honest with me, it's different to my family who are always trying to protect me from the truth.
"That being said, if you carry on acting the way you are then your potential will not save you. You need to toughen up if you want to be an inquisitor."
"I'm trying as hard as I can-" He interrupts me by laughing.
"You know, in some ways I pity you privileged kids. You don't know the definition of hard work or trying." He looks down at his hands and I can see the memories passing through his head.
I feel a slight irritation about what he said but the look on his face gives me pause, I can't imagine what he's been through, I don't think I want to though. I rest my hand on his shoulder and when he looks at me, I smile but for some reason his eyes harden, he swipes my hand off his shoulder and stands up.
"I do not need your pity!" He spits out at me and this time I do get angry.
"Well it's a good thing I was giving you empathy instead then." I lean against the wall still too tired to stand but giving him my best death glare.
"You can't give empathy." He raises his eyebrows.
"Oh just shut up and piss off!" I cross my arms and turn away from him and he sweeps out of the room.
I'm still angry with him but he doesn't treat me any differently, the same vague but bored interest. I am improving with my physical training, I can dodge most of the bullets and haven't fallen since my second day. I have no mirror to look at myself but just from looking down and how I feel, I can tell that my muscles are growing. I have a slight two pack now.
When the inquisitor is satisfied that I have done enough for the day he calls me over.
"You're doing very well, I think it is time that we take you to Coruscant. You are ready to meet my master."
My eyes widen at this. He said that it could take months for me to be ready for meeting his master, it's only been weeks. I try to school my features, another lesson that I have picked up from the inquisitor is that they have no emotions.
"I trust your judgement inquisitor." I say. He nods his head in approval.
"You can retire to your room now." I incline my head and then turn to the stromtroopers. They still don't trust me enough for me to walk by myself.
We reach my cell and they leave me there, not shoving me in as they used to, I guess I kind of scare them now. I'm not even going to pretend that I'm not happy with that.
I sit on the floor waiting for my dinner and then bed, I want the rest of my time here just to hurry up and end. However, the lights turn off before my dinner comes, maybe I'm not getting any today. That has happened before when the inquisitor thinks that I haven't tried hard enough that day. I lay down on the floor using my arm as my pillow. I can't get myself settled as I feel like something is wrong.
I jump when I hear a defining sound coming from all angles shit is that an alarm or something? Maybe it's just a drill, yeah that must be it but I then have the overwhelming feeling that I'm lying to myself.
I sit up when I hear the door open suddenly, I look to see the outline of the inquisitor standing in the door way. All the lights seem to be off outside of my room too. Apart from the red emergency lights everything seems to have stopped, oh and the deafening sound of the alarm going off that has gotten louder since the door opened.
"What's going on?" I ask the inquisitor completely confused. He rushes over to me and drags me to my feet.
"We need to leave now, you are in danger!" He grabs my arm and drags me to my feet.
"What the hell is going on?" I ask as he drags me along the corridor, almost ripping my arm from my socket.
"The star destroyer is under attack. I need to get you out of here." He snaps as we half run half stumble down the corridor.