—/ Chapter 9 /—

Long Ago Junk - Spira

[Arran woke up in his room. The ship had landed already. He looked at the time to find out he had been asleep for fourteen hours. Arran sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing at his eyes, before throwing his shirt over his shoulder and opening up his bedroom door. There was nobody around, but he could sense their presence nearby. The loading ramp was already down, and when he walked outside, he was met with a sharp glare from the sun. Arran put his hand in front of his face and heard the sounds of water crashing up against the shoreline.

In the distance, Arran could see Zanka sitting on the sand in front of the waves, drinking from a large glass bottle. Myles was crouched down at the bottom of the ramp with a hydrospanner working on H8er. Azura could not be seen, but Arran could still feel her presence nearby.]

Myles: [deep in concentration working on H8er, but he noticed Arran and looked up.] You might want to look into getting a new droid.

Arran: Why? What'd you do?

Myles: Even if it can be fixed it's just going to try to sabotage everything we do again so it can destroy itself.

Arran: He's better than when we first got him. You see that dent in the hull there? [points to the front of the ship.] Droid nose dived into Korriban.

Myles: [Shakes his head and goes back to his repairs] That doesn't exactly help his case. You're lucky it hasn't killed anyone yet.

Arran: He's unique. It's better than having a stagnant droid, I'd say. Get him back and running—but not too soon—let's enjoy the quiet while we can.

Myles: It would be better if it did it's job without risking everyone's lives.

Arran: Not everyone is like you Myles. Keep working on him, I need to train Nk'ik. [he nods to Myles and walks off toward Zanka, who is still lounging on the beach and drinking from a bottle. He walks over to Zanka and stands next to him, looking out at the rolling waves coming in.

Zanka takes a long swig from the bottle. He looks up at Arran and nods before looking back at the waves.]

Arran: Time for training. How big is this island?

Zanka: It's about ten kilometers straight through.

Arran: Good, finish your drink and run two laps, no stopping.

[Zanka got up and dusted his robes off with his free hand. He handed the half-filled bottle to Arran.]

Zanka: This brings back memories. Enjoy the drink. [With that, he took off running.]

Arran: [he took the drink and sniffed the top. He decided to take the plunge and take a sip of it, the sour taste was great and his sinuses started to swell. He placed the bottle on the sand and growled at Zanka.] Pick up your legs Nk'ik! Hustle!

[Zanka heard Arran's words and picked up the pace, he ran as hard as he could along the beach. When he became out of sight, he was tempted to slow down and resume a brisk pace, but he took this seriously. This wasn't the Jedi Temple. He had to try now. It was fight or die with Arran.

He watched the jawa until he left view. Arran felt Azura through the Force, but she was difficult to locate. It seemed she was still trying to hide herself from him. He walked back to the ship and circled it, finding a tide pool surrounded by a few palm trees. Azura sat at the base of one of the trees meditating. Arran sat down next to her.]

Arran: Are you always going to distance yourself, witch?

Azura: Given our history, I thought the space I give you guys would put your minds at ease.

Arran: [sarcasm.] Oh look at you, actually caring for other people.

Azura: Hilarious, but if you do go spreading that around it might not end well for you. [She smiles.] Now that we are away from the others, how about we talk seriously?

Arran: [he wanted to question her threat, but her second statement caught him in agreement. He nodded.] Why were you at the Tomb of Freedon Nadd?

Azura: [Pondered for a brief moment on the question before simply replying.] Paying my respects.

Arran: You can't be serious.

Azura: Am I really that easy to read?

Arran: No. You're difficult to read. But I know you to be a cryptic liar.

Azura: I needed to be in an environment teeming with the force. Dxun is heavily shrouded in the Dark Side and natural life. It was the perfect place to try.

Arran: To try what?

Azura: I am dying, Arran.

Arran: [rubs his chin.] How so?

Azura: This body I reanimated is beginning to wither and die. It was not meant to be a permanent solution. I knew this but I thought I had more time. It is strange; I have lived much longer than most and yet I feel it is not enough.

Arran: So you went to Dxun in the hopes of salvaging what time you have left by feeding off of the Force?

Azura: Yes, only I can't keep it up all the time; I am trying to preserve what little time I have.

Arran: You aren't of any use on this mission if you're dead.

Azura: Yeah and being dead is not high on my list of things to be yet Arran, but I have to ask, you had a vision of me helping you?

Arran: [he lets out a deep breath.] After Liz betrayed me, Nk'ik took me to Dathomir. We got caught up with some Nightsisters, they showed me a vision, we ended up killing them all. It was a mess. But yes, I saw you in the vision. I was just as surprised as you are now.

Azura: Very surprised...I would of thought I would of felt something through the force about this, but then again it has never guided me well.

Arran: It guides me...one way, or another.

Azura: Looking at the state of the ship, your situation, and your companions, one has to wonder if it truly does.

Arran: Even with the odds stacked against me I manage to find a way. Myles is loyal, H8er only answers to me, Nk'ik is learning to accept the Dark Side without losing himself, and you're...you. I don't expect to control you, but I expect you to follow orders promptly.

Azura: I am not complaining. I could use a bit of excitement before I go, instead of sitting on a cold steel floor until I die.

Arran: That's all you've done so far. Let's face it Azura, I could have killed you many times over if I thought you were a threat to me, or the Jedi. But you are wise in areas of the Dark Side I could never be. I could use you as an advisor, and to help me train Nk'ik. The Dark Side is strong in him, it comes to him naturally. It always has. I felt it when I first met him at the Jedi Temple. He's already managed to learn how to use lightning on his own.

Azura: You want me to train the one that blew up my temple?!

Arran: No, I'm training him. But if he acts foolish or out of line, slap him upside the head. If he comes to you and asks how to perform a certain ability, aid him, but have him do it himself. He's learned more in the time he's been with me then the years he's been with the Jedi. I put him in difficult situations that he manages to excel in. His head doesn't belong in the archives, it belongs in the real world.

Azura: I am not so sure of him myself but [she sighs.] If he comes with questions I will give him answers. He really looks up to you I see.

Arran: I never understood it myself. He's been joined with me at the hip ever since I first met him. Khaar didn't approve, neither did Vallen. Pissing off the Jedi made the venture of training him even more exciting.

Azura: Maybe you should've spent less time on him and more on your own daughter.

Arran: [he felt a mix of anger and guilt rise, but he let it go.] No, she wants nothing to do with me. Distancing myself from her and my son is the best thing I could do for them.

Azura: True, I have seen inside her mind , she really resents you Arran but doesn't know you are her biological father.

Arran: It's better that way. I was never around when she grew up anyway. I'm no more her father than Khaar.

[Zanka came into view, running at a fast pace as he sped past them along the beaches edge.]

Arran: [calls out.] Keep it up Nk'ik! One more lap!

[Zanka nods as he runs past.]

Azura: Hey now, don't push the little guy too hard. [Standing up she slowly strides off.] Good talk Arran.

[Arran nods and watches her leave. He picks himself up from the ground and leans on the palm tree, waiting for Zanka to come back around.

Azura was heading her way back to the ship when she noticed Myles repairing H8er. She leaned against the loading ramp, watching.] Why are you bothering to repair a suicidal droid?

Myles: Normally I wouldn't, but Lord Zarkaine and the jawa have grown attached to it for some reason.

Azura: Hard to believe anyone would get attached to him.

Myles: Agreed. It tried to abandon the three of you on Dxun, and from what I've heard it's tried to either kill or sabotage them multiple times since they purchased it. I can't figure out why they would agree to take it in the first place.

Azura: Can you at least remove its voice box?

Myles: [He gestures towards a pile of parts next to the droid.] It shorted and fried the circuitry. Until it gets replaced, no talking droid.

Azura: So there can be good news. What do you make of everything that is happening Myles?

Myles: Not my place to say, but if you must know I don't approve of you or the jawa.

Azura: You don't approve of me? I can hardly think of anything that I've done wrong. [she smirks, saying this sarcastically.]

Myles: You might want to try thinking harder then, however as long as Lord Zarkaine wants you here I won't oppose you.

[Myles closes the droid's body and turns it on. Small sparks erupt from where the droid's speaker used to be. Its head whirls around looking between the two of them before the droid powers down again.]

Myles: Good enough for me.

Azura: [Ignoring what just transpired, her grin widens] You oppose me just by thinking poorly of me. [Her tone shifts to that of innocence] I wonder what will happen when the time comes for us to work together?

Myles: [stands up and wipes the sand off of his pants.] When that times comes I will work with you, but I will be keeping an eye on you.

[Once Azura was out of view of the others, she pulled up the sleeves of her blouse to assess the damage done to her body. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight; her blue veins were visible through her dark purple skin. It had begun to lose its lustrous color. She pursed her lips; it seemed that her body's cells were decaying at an unnatural rate.

She walked into Arran's cabin, stopping just short of the mirror. Looking into it, she noted her reflection. Her eyes were bloodshot. She grimaced inwardly, another sign that her body had begun to give up on her. She hated sleep, the nightmares were becoming too much for her to bear; seeing her life decaying away before her was too intense. Every moment she stay awake was one more moment she had to live on her own terms. She had used the Force for some time to keep her body going, but even the signs were evident on her face. Fatigue was ever-present.

Seeing the physical effects brought up feelings of dread and despair that her calm composure slipped. Her fist met the mirror, shattering it. She mentally chastised herself, she was letting herself become too vulnerable to these emotions. Blood had begun to drip from her hand onto the floor but she found herself unable to care. She was already ill, one cut would not stop what was already happening.

Azura quickly regained her composure and exited the room. She made her way to her cargo hold and sat down in a meditative pose where she began to center herself in the Force. As several moments passed, the hot liquid dripping from her hand had begun to heal. Azura felt her companions energy through the Force and began to feed off of it. She let out a deep breath she had not realized she had been holding and began to take comfort in her renewed strength.]

Secluded Island - Spira

[Zanka had continued his lap yet slowed down upon seeing Arran. He stopped just short of him.]

Arran: I didn't say to stop running! Run in place!

[Zanka begins to run in place at the same pace he had been whilst running laps]

Arran: Drop!

[Zanka dropped to the ground on his stomach. It reminded him of the times he had done it during the Tatooine Civil War when there had been snipers.]

Arran: Pushups, go! Don't stop until I tell you too.

[Zanka placed both of his hands on the sand. They sunk in slightly before he began pushing himself up and down. Arran paced around him and watched his technique, looking for signs of weakness and fatigue. Zanka's strength was proven as he completed eighty pushups by Arran's count.]

Arran: [points.] Pull-ups on that branch, now!

[Zanka sprang up and ran towards the tree. Jumping up, he grabbed the branch and began to do pull-ups. He remembered Adem and his overall laziness, how he sat in a tree the entire day. Back then, Zanka hadn't been much better himself. If you wanted to be better, you had to put in the effort yourself.]

Arran: [takes out his comm unit.] Myles, man the turret, aim for Nk'ik. Fire at will.

Zanka: What? [was all he managed to say before shots began firing at him. He let go of the branch, pulling the lightsaber from his boot with the Force. Activating it, he began to deflect the shots.

Arran stood a distance away and monitored Zanka's swordsmanship. He waited for a weak spot in his defense and used the Force to hurl a hand sized rock at him.

Zanka sensed the incoming projectile, dove to the side out of the rock's way, and resumed deflecting the laser shots aimed at him. The injured ribs were still tender, but he was still able to deflect them, more-so than when he was initially injured. His attention was more divided now. He had to be on the lookout for more attacks from Arran.]

Arran: Good. [pulls out his comm unit.] Thank you Myles, that will be all. Resume about your business. [He drew out his own lightsaber, throwing the shirt draped over his shoulder to the side. Arran ignited the crimson blade and walked toward Zanka.] Attack me with everything you've got. Don't hold back.

[Zanka channeled his anger and launched himself at Arran. He had only one end of his lightsaber activated. He swung the activated end toward Arran's left leg, intent on severing it at the knee.

Arran lift up a nearby log with the Force and sent it flying toward Zanka mid flight before Arran sidesteps to the right. Zanka's lightsaber makes contact with the log, and he lands where Arran once stood. Arran gave the jawa no time for a follow-up attack. He lunged forward, driving his lightsaber toward Zanka's face.

Zanka brought up his lightsaber, activating the second end to block Arran's own. Using the Force, he kicked up a fair bit of sand from the beach into Arran's face. The sand caked Arran's eyes and forced him to be blinded, but he didn't need his eyes to fight. As their sabers clashed, Arran put strength into the saber lock to force Zanka to relent.

Zanka pushed back, he wasn't going to relent. Not when he still had strength. Arran seemed pleased with this. He pushed off of Zanka and twirled his lightsaber in his hand, attacking in a diagonal in one fluid motion. If Zanka tried to block it, he would have had to do so overhead. He closed the gap between the two and dove, giving a swift leg sweep at Arran's right foot.

Arran's attack went unhit and due to the power he put behind it, his arms were thrown forward. Zanka's leg kicked up under Arran and sent the man on his back.]

Arran: Good Nk'ik. You've brought me down to your level. Even here, your enemies will not be defenseless. Most will feel vulnerable on their backs and will find a way back to their feet. They will try to evade, trick you, or use the Force to push you away. Be mindful of this. [Arran did none of the above, he attacked Zanka from the ground with his lightsaber and then sent the bottom of his boot to Zanka's head.]

[Zanka jumped up just above Arran's boot and used the Force to come down hard on top of it. Arran swung his legs around and rolled backwards onto his feet. He stood as Zanka hit the ground. Arran pulled a holoprojector from his pocket and threw it in front of him. It took a moment to initialize, but a hologram appeared of a cloaked man. The hologram began to take the form of a real life person. Their cyan lightsaber ignited and their hood lowered. It was a training simulation taking on the form of Jaden Vallen. It was programmed to adopt his fighting style, and even had his blaster located in the holster on his hip. The hologram attacked Zanka in ataru form. Arran stood back and watched. This would be Zanka's true test.

The sight of Jaden Vallen brought forth several emotions from within Zanka. Jaden was the one who accepted Zanka as his padawan. He had him run laps around the Temple, write essays, and draw maps. His tendencies back then he been different, and he knew Jaden had been much more lax than any other Jedi would have been. He went off-planet often, coming back with salvage of questionable origins and drank to his fill. He had thought of Jaden as a friend. He hadn't given him the respect one would give a Jedi Master, but then again he never did that for anyone. Things changed when he met Arran. He had given him his first lightsaber and taught him things that he actually found useful. Over time he had spent more time with the ex-Sith Lord than his own Jedi Master. He had invited Arran to minister his wedding, he hadn't even invited Jaden, let alone told him that he was getting married. The last time he had even seen Jaden had been when the man had found out that Zanka had not invited him to his wedding. He had shed a single tear and told the jawa that he was sad at being left out of such a big event in his padawan's life. At first, Zanka had felt guilty—one of the few times he had ever felt such an emotion. Over time it had been replaced by anger. No, he hadn't invited Jaden. Why should he? They hadn't been as close, he didn't see the point in inviting him. That brought about the question that he had been wondering for some time now, how did he view Jaden? His thoughts were interrupted when the hologram spoke.]

Jaden Hologram: Surrender, or face what's coming.

[Zanka had been tempted to retort but realized that this was a hologram. Any words would be wasted. The hologram of Jaden attacked Zanka with his lightsaber. As the jawa parried it away, Jaden sent a swift kick aimed at Zanka's head. He dodged it only for Jaden to leap forward with his lightsaber, intent on slicing the jawa in two. Zanka rolled backward, yet it leapt at him, still attacking. It did not matter if he dodged or blocked the strikes, there was no opening for an attack. It had him on the defensive. Zanka had difficulty thinking of fighting Jaden. They had a past together, and he was angry. His thoughts stopped there. He was angry at Jaden. He would—should have been using that. He was an idiot—he had been going back on old habits. He wasn't with the Jedi anymore, let alone Jaden. He hadn't been for a long time. It didn't matter if the hologram looked like Jaden. Even if it actually was him, it wouldn't matter. His own survival came first.

Zanka attempted to give the hologram a leg sweep. It didn't work as the hologram had already swung its lightsaber at him in a flurried manner. Zanka parried swing after swing with one of his own, each one from the hologram occurring faster than the last one. Zanka blocked the last of the hologram's swings only for it to take advantage of the opening and aim a kick at the jawa's head. Zanka used the Force to pull the hologram forward and swing his lightsaber at the extended leg only for the leg to suddenly firmly plant itself into the ground in a readied stance and the hologram's lightsaber coming up to block his own.

Zanka blocked Jaden's next strike before stabbing forward with his own at the hologram's leg. A scream erupted from its mouth. It sounded like Jaden. Zanka looked up at it. The expression of pain was just as his former friend would have had. He ignored it. The hologram made an attempt to stab at the jawa, stumbling slightly forward due to its leg injury. Zanka shot lightning at the hologram. He latched onto his anger at Jaden's actions, not relenting despite its screams. He poured more of his anger into the lightning. It collapsed onto the beach. Stopping the torrent of lightning, Zanka walked up-to the doppleganger of Jaden. Before even thinking about the action, he stabbed his lightsaber into the hologram's head. He stared down into the pseudo-Jaden's lifeless eyes before the hologram disappeared. This was different from killing Sith. He again felt powerful, but he had also essentially 'killed' his former friend. The hologram had it coming, he told himself. It was just how things were. He looked over at Arran.]

Zanka: I did it.

Arran: You did. I'm impressed. I designed the hologram myself as a training regiment. I've studied Vallen's fighting over the years firsthand—I can't say all of our meetings have been peaceful.

Zanka: [He nodded, remembering their talk on Dxun] What's next?

Arran: You killed Vallen out of cold blood. The Dark Side is powerful, but remember not to lose yourself in it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, too many Sith before us have lost themselves in the moment and died like idiots. If you kill someone, do it for yourself, not out of pure anger.

Zanka: [He paused for a moment] So I should only kill when it gets me something in return?

Arran: No, you are not a petty criminal. You kill when it is right to kill. Liz betrayed me, I will have her head. I can no longer trust her and she will only continue to harm me. I have to end her. Giving into darkness is the easier and more foolish route of destroying her. Do it as yourself. Use the Dark Side, don't let it use you.

Zanka: So you're saying that I should control my emotions when I use the Dark Side.

Arran: No, you are not a Jedi. When you killed Jaden you were fueled by something powerful. You electrocuted a fallen opponent and had no remorse when you slew him. Why? You lost yourself. Zanka Nk'ik would have felt something if he were to kill his former master. Do not be afraid of your emotions. They are normal, even Jedi feel them. The Dark Side focuses on one or limited emotion. Don't lose yourself, fight with purpose, kill for reason.

Zanka: So it's alright to kill and feel something afterward, even regret.

Arran: When I was young Nk'ik, I was a Jedi student. During a mission I was separated from Drasli and my old Master. I felt that Drasli had betrayed me—I had anger towards my brother that I cannot explain in words. I used that anger to later kill several of his students, and even his wife. I did it purely out of anger. I had lost myself for nearly twenty or so years of my life. For what? Nothing. I would tell you to kill without regrets, but that is simply better said than done. I have regret for what I've done. But it's a part of my past. I've accepted it. Don't make the same foolish mistakes I have.

Zanka: [He nods] I get it.

[Arran nodded and was about to say more when he heard the sounds of ships flying overhead. He turned, his lightsaber still in hand and ignited. Union assault fighters were heading towards them in a standard 'V' formation. Arran could sense their blaster cannons locking onto them.]

Arran: Nk'ik! Go! Start up the ship!

[He gripped his lightsaber in his hand as they fired. Arran deflected the shots and called upon the Force as they flew overhead. He grabbed one out of the air and threw it into the ground.]

Arran: [mutters] Myles better be getting on the turret.

[Zanka ran across the beach, sand kicking up around him. Ships fired at them from above. He brought one hand up to his face as a ship crashed into the ground, exploding. As he neared the ship, he yelled to the nearby Azura to get into the ship and ran past Myles who was still at the base of the ramp with H8er. Making his way into the ship, he ran into the cockpit and began to start up the ship.

Myles dragged H8er inside of the ship and rushed to the turret, while Azura made her way into the cargo bay and sat herself down to meditate. Myles slipped inside of the turret control room and sat himself down on the targeting computer. He swivelled around in the seat and fired at the incoming ships. Several of his shots made contact, but the starfighter's shields kept damage to a minimum. The four remaining ships came around for another run before peppering the top of the 'Long Ago Junk' with laser cannon fire, disabling the turret.

Myles: That's not good. [He ran back towards the cockpit and spoke to Zanka.] If you don't get the shields up soon we aren't going anywhere.

Zanka: [muttering as he flicks on a switch] I'm doing it. Get to firing at the other ships.

Myles: Guns are down, why do you think I'm here telling you to turn on the shields? Now get this pile of rust off the ground.

Zanka: You're paying to fix it. [He grabs the steering and the ship hovers above the ground, groaning slightly and shuddering. Zanka checked a display in front of him.] The loading ramp should be lowered. We'll do a sweeping run, Arran can jump up to us. Go make sure he gets in and no one else does.

[Arran had made a run for the ship after the second attack run. He had tried to distract the fighters from attacking the 'Long Ago Junk' but to no avail. As he turned to run a barrage of laser cannon fire decimated the landscape in front of him. The sheer force of the fire threw him backward. He grabbed at his head and got to his feet slowly. The starfighters turned for another attack run. Arran again ran for the ship, hearing it ready to takeoff in the distance.

Azura sat meditating in the cargo hold, focusing in on the Union pilot's minds. She searched for the weakest minded one and searched their mind for their greatest fears, deepest desires, and darkest secrets. She found her target, a Union pilot who suspected his wife of cheating. Azura grinned as she used the Force to plant thoughts of his wife cheating on another pilot in his squadron.

As Arran made his way to the 'Long Ago Junk' he hopped on board as he kicked up off the ground. He stood on the loading ramp and looked at the two starfighters coming towards them. One suddenly jerked to the side into the other one. Arran was surprised, but upon hearing the soft cackling of Azura from the cargo bay, he knew she was responsible.]