Disclaimer: All rights belong to Disney, George Lucas, and all the men and women that created the Star Wars movies, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The cover art image belongs to peanutbutterroastedchestnuts. tumblr .com (remove the spaces)

Rating: T for violence, disturbing imagery, and dark themes

Author's Note: Hey! Thanks for all the nice reviews! You guys are awesome :) My goal is to update every Wednesday, so check in then. In this chapter we learn a little bit about Minerva and there's a fun fighting sequence, so enjoy!

Chapter 2

Outer Rim Territories, Anoat Sector, Bespin System, 39 BBY

Bespin is a beautiful planet with many freedoms - hugely popular with those escaping the turmoil of the senate and other affairs going on in the galaxy. Like Tatooine, it's located in the Outer Rim - a safe haven of sorts. Unlike Tatooine, though, it's much nicer in every single way. A respectable planet I've always dreamed of visiting.

One unique thing about it, though, is that there's only one inhabitable area, and that's in the sky. Cloud City is indeed located in the clouds - fancy that - and it possesses a staggering but breathtaking view. Isaiah perks up as it comes into view, and he starts bouncing his leg in excitement. The entire mood lifts on both our parts. I wonder how long he's been separated from his family.

Parking in an open spot just on the outskirts of the city, I can't keep up with Isaiah's excited jog as he leads his way through the city. I realize he hadn't been lying about his father being a senator when I see his house with a swimming pool out back, a rare luxury for those living in Cloud City.

A row of algal trees tower over us on either side of the walk leading up to the grand house. Schools of the rainbow-colored air shrimp fly around in the canopies, dispersing color to the area. Blue and red Rawwks fly past as well, chasing the flying shrimp and eating them when they catch the smaller species. The air positively vibrates with the activity of the native fauna, something most other planets lack. Under Cloud City, in the inhabitable area of the planet, there are many other different types of fauna to be seen. Maybe I'll fly through it when I leave.

Isaiah walks straight through the unlocked front doors of the grand house. I'm about to make my escape when he grabs my hand and drags me with him. I think about running, but he looks up at me with those wide blue eyes and I can't bring myself to do it. A few minutes won't hurt anyone, I suppose.

Inside the large living room are couches and imported rugs of all sorts of colors. Bright patterns are splashed everywhere, bringing life to the home. Isaiah pulls me through room after room of similar size and grandeur, and we only stop when we reach an outdoor balcony high in the air. He never slows down, not even after staircase after staircase. I'm starting to breathe a little harder, despite being in the best shape possible. Excitement does strange things.

Two adults, whom I assume to be his parents, are in deep conversation with someone I recognize immediately. Isaiah runs up to his mother and hugs her tight, and the conversation breaks off as the parents fawn over their returned son.

"What happened to you? How are you back with us? Who rescued you?" The questions keep coming, and Isaiah lays out his tale.

"... And then this wonderful and beautiful lady came to save me! She fought off Jabba the Hutt's slaves and bargained for my release! Then she flew me all the way back here to you!" The three adults turn to me, the two parents looking relieved and thankful, the other adult with his eyes narrowed. Isaiah's mother possesses the same trusting blue eyes as her son, but he looks more like his father, who exudes sophistication. I'm sure I've seen him before at a senate meeting.

I smile slightly, inwardly cursing the little whippersnapper for selling me out. I had specifically told him not to tell them about how I helped him! Luckily, I won't have to sit through a dinner while his parents keep telling me how thankful they are, because at the moment it looks like their friend is about to kill me.

Ah, yes. Their "friend". Also known as Quinlan Vos, a member of the Jedi order. He's known for his tracking abilities, and I'll bet Isaiah's father summoned him to search for his son. Fortunately for me, Quinlan Vos happens to be impulsive and doesn't always play by the rules. This isn't the first time we've had a run in, but I know he's probably been waiting for his chance to get back at me. Last time we'd met, I had told him things he didn't like… and I hadn't been nice about it, either.

His eyes are still narrowed, and the yellow stripe - called a qukuuf - running under his eyes and over the bridge of his nose seems a little squashed. His dreads are freshly done, and he actually looks only semi-caveman, surprisingly. He's a Kiffar, either from Kiffu or Kiffex. Never could remember exactly which, but it isn't that important to me. He does posses psychometric abilities, though, which are pretty rare, and account for his amazing tracking abilities.

"Sith," he hisses, a feat considering his deep voice. He really is one for introductions.

"What?" Isaiah's mother questions in surprise. "But she saved our son!"

"Only 'cause I thought I could get something out of it," I lie, hoping it saves my reputation. "Seems I was wrong." I cross my arms and smile in a wicked way. It achieves the desired effect.

Isaiah, of course, doesn't buy it, but that's okay. His parents do, and they react accordingly. His mother covers her mouth in shock and his father holds his son protectively to his front and his arms criss-crossed the boy's chest.

I roll my eyes at their defensive positions. "I don't kill children. But a Jedi...well, it will be a new experience."

Quinlan buys right into it, drawing his normal (and boring, in my opinion) green lightsaber. Quite the hero, isn't he? But I know his future. I sensed it the last time we fought. He'll end up learning the ways of the dark side of the force just like I did. Sure, he has almost two decades before it happens, but it is going to happen. Everything I see always comes to pass. The future is set in stone, and some people really don't like to believe that, Quinlan being one of them.

I sprint to the edge of the balcony, jump on the railing, and then jump off, using the momentum to propel myself across the yard. I hear gasps behind me, probably from Isaiah and his parents, but I know Quinlan isn't far behind. Landing on the next building, I continue to run, knowing I have to find a more secluded area to duel him. Innocent casualties are messy and unwanted, not to mention I don't want to get kicked off of Bespin forever. This is seriously one of the nicest planets I've ever visited.

There's a park not far from Isaiah's house, and at the moment there aren't too many residents around. I stand in the middle of it, shucking off my black robe and pulling out my lightsaber. The remaining civilians run at the sight of the red blade, and Quinlan lands in front of me with his green blade gripped tightly in his hands, his knuckles white from the strain. Most of the Jedi are good at controlling their emotions and attacking with calm and precise movements, but not him. He is full of emotions, and right now, anger is leading them. It's no wonder he'll eventually turn. Anger is the first step to the dark side and my master always told me.

"Ready to finish what we started?" I taunt him, twirling my blade in a showy manner. His fighting skills are still developing, and when you couple that with his rash anger, he's defeatable. I'm counting on those facts and his impulsiveness to make this a relatively easy fight.

I don't like easy, though, so I'll spice it up a little bit. 'Make some mistakes', if you know what I mean. He'll buy into it, of course. I'm a young girl who's in way over her head. What I'm more curious to know is whether he'll only ever see me as a Sith and try to dispose of me for good or if he'll have some mercy and decide to take me into Coruscant. I'll give him that, he does pose a mystery to me.

He makes the first move, lunging forward with his blade. I counter it with one of my blades, being careful to not let the other side push back. It would be quite embarrassing to cut off my leg on my own weapon. I push forward, forcing him to pull back his saber and take a step back. He jumps forward again, aiming for my collarbone. I deflect it easily, swinging the other side up towards his ribs. He jumps backwards, and I use the opportunity to advance, rotating my blades to set blow after blow upon him at a steady speed.

At this point, I know I can easily dispose of him, but what fun is that? He brings his lightsaber forward in a choppy manner, and I step back, hitting the buttons to retract the blades on my own weapon. I pretend to look at it in shock, as if he had just broken it.

"It's over," he commands, taking my bait and putting the blade up near my neck. I force my eyes to open wide and my mouth to quiver in fear.

"Please don't kill me," I sob, covering my face with my hands and dropping my 'broken' lightsaber. "I know I've made a mistake, but please, I'm too young to die! I'm just a poor, foolish girl! Please have mercy on me." I know I'm laying it on thick, but he's buying it. It's all I can do not to laugh.

"Just a foolish girl, eh?" He snorts, raising his eyebrows and setting his jaw. His eyes squint and I almost read his mind. He's going to monologue. Seriously? I have a million other places to travel to before I die, and any of them would be preferable to hear this. I don't have time for him to teach me the virtues of a Jedi life. Of course he doesn't hear my thoughts and takes a deep breath and continues. "You're a Sith with a reputation for violence! Maybe you should have thought twice about your life choices."

I blink. Yeah, I need to get out of here soon. I can just imagine my ship being stolen. Maybe instead of thinking about life choices I should have been thinking of locking it. If only Isaiah hadn't run off so fast...see, this is what you get for doing good things.

"It's too late now." Oh, the immeasurable drama. Wait, I think he's onto me. Note to self: don't roll your eyes in front of Quinlan Vos. Actually, scratch that - don't roll your eyes in front of any Jedi that you're trying to lie to; most of them are smart enough to catch it, but luckily for me Quinlan is too preoccupied with acting fierce. For a moment I believe he really is going to kill me. None of the other Jedi would, but I don't put it past him.

The only way to beat drama is to be more dramatic. Let's pull the it's-my-master's-fault card. "It's my master!" I cry harder. "He makes me do awful things. I can't escape his control! You're the only one who can help me!"

His lightsaber lowers an inch, and it wavers slightly. He's debating my words, just as I had predicted. "Controlling you, huh? What about last time we met?" He doesn't seem convinced, as evidenced by his added words: "You were completely different. Confident. Powerful."

"He was controlling me back then," I say softly, adding in a gulp for extra measure. "But you've changed, too." The last time we had met he had been even more sarcastic than I. Now he's watered down, and actually kind of scary. Had I ruined his life by telling him his future? I need to stop doing that. From now on, I'll only tell futures if I need to use it as a bargaining tool for something. Sure, Quinlan had been the one to ask about what I'd seen, but he wasn't and still isn't ready for that.

"Maybe I'm only different around you, because you were the one who was spouting all that prophecy crap about me learning the dark side of the force! That's a serious accusation, and I don't take lightly."

Not like you were the one who searched half of the galaxy just to ask me about it, I think to myself, but I don't say it aloud. He's starting to annoy me, and all this talk is starting to make my head spin. His lightsaber has moved a safe distance away, and I throw my hand out, using the force to make him fly backwards. He hits a tree and crumples to the ground, and I summon my lightsaber up to my hand and proceed to toss it back and forth between my hands. My expression changes from the tearful one to my normal no-business face. "Nice chat, but I'm tired of it. Maybe the next time we fight you'll actually be a challenge."

Quinlan groans and pulls himself up, but he's still a little dizzy. He must have hit his head hard. I don't feel a bit of remorse. As he's struggling to his feet I reach down and pick up the bundle of black robes. The temperature of Bespin is hot, but not as much as Tatooine, and I'd actually been relieved to be rid of the heavy garments for a while. Sweat not only smells bad, but is pretty inconvenient when you live on a starship and don't know when or where your next shower might be.

"I'm going to kill you," he threatens, regaining his composure and starting up his lightsaber again. Again with the theatrics. (But who am I to talk? I live my whole life with that extra flair).

"Come fight me when you've grown up a little," I call back, tucking my lightsaber into my belt and strolling away. He charges up behind me, ready to impale me in cold blood, but I casually turn and hold him in a force choke for a few seconds. When I release him he falls to the ground, coughing, and I continue walking leisurely down the beautiful streets of Cloud City.

It's a nice day. I see more air shrimp flying around, their beautiful colors reflecting off of windows and metal objects. There are Humans and Ugnaughts alike walking through the streets, the Ugnaughts standing short but still proud with their pig-like snouts held high. I see a Twi'lek family walking past, a green baby Twi'lek in the stroller. I sense it's a girl, and that she's strong with the force. Soon she'll be in Jedi training, and she'll be an excellent Jedi Master until she gets betrayed by her own soldiers and shot down in cold blood. (Great way to ruin the mood).

I can hear Quinlan coming up behind me again. He's really starting to get on my nerves. I've never killed a Jedi before, but he's really starting to make me rethink that personal policy. Maybe I can just wound him really bad. Nah, I don't feel like it today. He stays a safe distance behind me, and I know he won't try anything as long as we're in public. He'll wait until we're isolated.

Well, too bad for him. My starship is parked in an open area. He sees me headed for the starships and catches up to me. His hand has a death grip on his lightsaber, but he keeps it hidden under his brown Jedi robes.

"You don't know when to give up, do you?" I question, casually hopping on the wing of my ship and sitting on it. My droid beeps a welcome, but again I ignore it, my attention on Quinlan. He stays on the ground, watching me closely.

"I don't get it. Why did you bring the kid back? You could have left him in Jabba's possession, or you could have resold him or stranded him in another system. Why did you bring him back to his parents?" Quinlan's line of questioning makes me instantly suspicious… of myself. Am I going soft?

"I know what it's like to have a rough childhood," I say, my tone even and relaxed. Well, I hope it comes across that way, at least. "I don't think any kid deserves that."

"Why are you a Sith?" His next question throws me off guard, but I don't hesitate to answer.

"Why are you a Jedi?" I shoot back. He thinks about it for a moment.

"Because I believe in fighting for what's right, and being a Jedi is a way to do that," he responds slowly. "I was gifted with being able to use the force, and I'm going to use that gift to help people."

"I too believe in fighting for what's right, but I guess my version of what's right is different than yours. And by being a Sith, I'm able to fight for it myself. One day you'll understand," I add in. He catches my subtle meaning.

"You weren't lying about me one day using the dark side of the force?"

"You are right to not take that lightly. I wasn't lying. One day you'll understand that the dark side is the only way to accomplish your goals. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to go." I enter the cockpit of my ship, but before I close the door I hear him again.

"Where are you going?"

"Good question!" I shout back, starting up my engines.

"I sure hope you figure it out. Kiffu's always a great place!" he replies, a bit of his old humor coming back. That's the Quinlan I know, or at least closer to the one I knew.

A school of air shrimp scatter as my ship rises and then shoots off and away from Cloud City, leaving the blue skies and peaceful people far behind me.

"Me, too," I murmur. KZ-4 beeps me a message. "Is that so? Well, let's go there immediately."

Outer Rim Territory, Unknown Sector, Anthan System, 50 BBY

I'm good at hiding. Hiding from my siblings, hiding from my parents. Hiding from the bullies at the academy. Hiding from the trouble I always find myself in. Hiding from my problems. Hiding from myself.

My father always tells me that hiding is the art of a coward. I don't want to be a coward, but I am not strong enough to face the world on my own. I don't know how to be strong. All I know is how to be scared and small, how to curl up in a ball in avoid reality. It's much easier than trying to be strong and stick up for myself.

Weakness is a trait I learned from my father. Cowardness I learned from my mother. Fear I learned from the bullies. Abandonment I learned from my siblings. Disappointment I am learning from myself.

I need a teacher who can show me strength and confidence. Someone who can teach me to rise above my fears and restrictions. A person who understands what it is like to be this low, and how terrible it is. I need an instructor who will not let me down, someone who will teach me true power.

I need a master who will teach me how to get what I want.