Far From Home
Chapter 16
"Don't you think you're overreacting?" asked Thrice as she combed out her hair for bed. She was dressed in a simple white robe with a plain sleeping gown underneath. And in the low light of the room her eerie ruby-eyes shone like twin stars in the half-light. She had excellent eyesight in the darkness. She saw her husband standing stoically by the balcony and his shadowy outline stood out from against the cityscape behind him.
She noticed he hadn't heard her since he was thinking so hard, so she used her powers of the Force to send a chill down his spine with a wave of her hand. She saw him shutter and turn around with satisfaction.
"Force! Thrice, do you mind?"
The lady-warrior smiled and said, "I was calling you, Sir Knight, but you were light years away."
"Oh, I'm sorry, darling, but this Sith business has got me worried."
"Yes, but I think you're overreacting."
"No. I'm not. A Sith is very dangerous, Milady or have you forgotten our battle with our own Darth Sidious and my evil twin, Darth Malice?"
Thrice grinned and replied, "Oh, I remember, but Kiya is no fool. She obviously chose him, if not she would have never swore by her sword. Now come, let's think about this in the morning."
Ben came up to his wife and held her close and spoke into her ear. "How can you be so calm?"
The ruby-eyed beauty smiled and snuggled closer to her Knight and replied, "It's because I trust Kiya. And if she was being deceived I don't think Jinn would allow him to stay."
"Well, this Scorn has to prove himself more to me than just win Kiya's trust."
Amused, the red-eyed beauty leaned up to Ben and gave him a kiss goodnight and closed the light and whispered, "As you wish, my Knight."
-0-0-0-
The next morning, Ben had Scorn brought to him at the hanger bay without warning or explanation. The young Sith narrowed his brow and stared at the Jedi Master wearily and tried to think what the elder man wanted. Scorn would have rather liked to spend the day with Kiya and learning about her world instead of spending it with her grouchy father. Though, he wanted to try and make amends for their fight yesterday, but he was still too annoyed to apologize. He had done nothing wrong. This Obi-Wan was just being prejudice.
However, as Scorn approached Ben couldn't help thinking that Scorn looked remarkably like Anakin did as a Padawan. He was dressed similarly in a black tunic and robe with long hair and a dark aura. The only difference between Anakin and Scorn was that Scorn had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. It unnerved Ben to look at the young Sith. It made him think too much about the past—about the good friend he had lost.
"You summoned me, Obi-Wan?"
Inwardly, Ben shuttered. That particular phrase from such a particular person sounded very much like Anakin. Anxiously, the Knight took several deep breaths to find his center and said, "Yes, well first, don't you have another name besides Scorn?"
The young Sith crossed his arms over his chest and turned his gaze to the ground with an expression on his face like he was tasting something sour. "Yes, I do. My original name is Warren Starling."
"Well, Warren, I think we ought to get underway."
Ben then turned around and began walking up the ramp of a ship parked in the hanger bay. Yet, Scorn was confused and jogged up the Knight and said, "Wait. What do you mean? Where are we going?"
With false innocence, Ben replied, "I thought it was obvious? We're going on a trip."
Scorn frowned and was about to question him when he was abruptly stopped as the Knight added, "You don't have to come if you're afraid. I won't force you, but I thought you were serious about being with Kiya."
Determined, the young Sith replied, "I don't fear anything. And I am serious about Kiya. I can take anything you've got, Obi-Wan."
Scorn then marched passed Ben and entered the ship without a second thought. Meanwhile, the Knight smiled and shook his head. Scorn—no, Warren was turning out to be too much like his former Master.
-0-0-0-
Location: Dagobah
After several hours in space, Ben navigated the spaceship towards the swampy marshland of Dagobah. The forests were dense and damp with wild creatures chirping and clicking all around them. The ground was wet and overrun with moss and algae that carpeted the landscape in an emerald sheen. And cautiously, Scorn wondered about taking it all in perplexed. He had no idea why the Jedi Master took him here or what he wanted, but he was beginning to grow suspicious.
He looked at Ben and asked, "Do you plan on killing me?"
The Knight smiled. "Kill you? Where ever did you get an idea like that?"
"You've taken me to a remote location in the middle of nowhere and I know you don't like me. What other reason is there?"
Ben laughed and placed his hands on his hips and replied, "No, Warren. I didn't take you here to kill you. I took you to Dagobah so you can undergo a Jedi trail."
Confused, the young Sith said, "Trail? What are you talking about? What trail?"
Ben rubbed his beard and began to approach the young man and placed his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Warren, if you truly wish to be with Kiya then I want you to do away with the Dark Side and walk the path of the Light. And the only way to be sure that you will not succumb to the ways of the Sith is to undergo a Jedi trail. This trail is the final test that every Jedi must face before becoming a Knight. You will have to face your own demons and not stray into Darkness."
Scorn gave Ben a critical look and said, "But, I'm already a Sith, Obi-Wan. I've been trained in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. I've already done things that you would consider crimes. What makes you think that taking this test will make me a Jedi?"
Ben let his hand slip away and he replied, "I don't know if you will ever become a Jedi, Warren, but I have learned that it is never too late for second chances. And since meeting Milady I have learned that the line between the Darkness and the Light is paper-thin. However, this test will push you to make a choice. And there is only one path you can take that will allow you to find happiness with Kiya."
For a time, Scorn grew very quiet. He wasn't sure he could ever denounce the ways of the Sith. He had been a Sith for most of his life. It was either live the life of an orphan slave on a harsh rocky world or become a Sith and train under the right hand of the Empire. It didn't seem like a problem at the time. He was desperate and hungry. He would have done anything at the time to leave such squalor and filth. He was already rough as a boy when he and Lord Vader first met in the slaver's trade market on Nor. It was only through a random act that Scorn had even caught the Sith Lord's eye.
/flashback-start/
When Warren Starling was a boy, he was owned by a non-humanoid named Kran who purchased him as a toddler from his mother at the Trade Station at Nor's major mining town. He was trained to clean up messes and run errands at Kran's gambling house. Though, one day Vader arrived with his stormtroopers and blasted up the whole place into stardust when Kran missed his supply date. However, as the troopers fired away, Warren unexpected used the Force to knock a group of them down and saved his miserable life from the hands of death. Vader was intrigued by the boy with Force-powers. He stood over him with his great shadow to strike fear into the child, but Warren didn't flinch. He stared darkly at the Sith and closed his eyes.
Vader asked him, "What is your name, slave?"
And like a shot, Warren opened his lids and shouted, "I'm not a slave! I'm a being. My name is Warren Starling."
Fascinated, Vader tilted his head and took a step closer. "Warren Starling? Do you have a mother, boy?"
"No. I am an orphan. Are you going to kill me?"
In response, Vader was amused. He liked the child's spirit. There was a great deal of himself in this young one's eyes. It was obviously being wasted on this wind swept rock. And with his mind made up, Vader replied, "No, Warren Starling. I will not kill you, but you will come with me. I will be your new Master and you will be my apprentice."
/flashback-end/
Scorn realized that he had nothing left of his old life yet again when he journeyed through the wormhole with Jinn and Kiya. At the time, Vader had been his closest thing to a family but with him gone there was no turning back. There was only Kiya, his Archangel of passion and war. She was the only thing worth living for now and if pleasing her father was what he needed to do then he was willing to do it.
He nodded and said, "I will take your Jedi test, Obi-Wan. I will take the trail."
-0-0-0-
Silently, Ben nodded and led Scorn through the swampy woods until they eventually made it to a large tree standing tall and looming like a giant among it's smaller counterparts. It's tall branches shaded the earth beneath it with it's great shadow and it's large roots emerged from the muddy soil like natural arches.
Ben drew out his lightsaber and cut away from of the long vines that grew over a hidden tunnel by the massive trunk and quickly returned his weapon to his belt. He then pointed to the darkness within and said, "There, Warren is your test. You must walk through that tunnel and emerge on the other side."
The young Sith scowled. "Is that it? That's your Jedi trail? You want me to walk through a mossy tunnel and then I can be with your daughter?"
"Trust me, Warren. This is no ordinary tree. Once you enter there you must face that which you fear most in all the galaxy."
"Are you for real?"
In a serious tone the Knight said, "The only advise I will give you, is that you must learn to let go of your fears and keep in mind the path you wish to choose."
Grumpily, Scorn replied, "I'm starting to think that you did bring me here to kill me. Except in some kind of round about way so it makes it look like an accident."
"I'm not here to trick you, Warren. If anything, I'm trying to reform you."
Darkly, the young Sith shouted, "Stop calling me Warren! And I will take your damn test because I fear nothing."
Scorn then turned around sharply and marched up to the gloomy tunnel and entered the enormous bowels of the giant tree. Though, as Ben watched the young man leave he couldn't help thinking about Anakin and how he too was once a hero without fear. How he had also entered the realm of Darkness because of a blind love for yet another young woman who was as lovely and sweet as his dear Kiya. Although, despite these similarities Ben knew that unlike Anakin, Warren was not yet completely taken over by the Dark Side. And a talk earlier with Lady Thrice confirmed his suspicions that the young Sith was actually not totally without a heart.
-0-0-0-
Location: New Jedi Temple
Dressed in a sky-blue gown with a bright red sash, Kiya smiled happily and raced towards the lower levels of the Temple to see Scorn. There was just so much she wanted to show him here in her universe that she just couldn't wait. The young woman merrily ran by the Temple personal, the Padawans in training and the countless Masters with glee. Some of her many friends tried to stop her and question her about where she'd been, but she hastingly bide them hello and sprinted on. However, once Kiya reached Scorn's door and opened it unannounced she was shocked to discover that he wasn't there.
Anxiously, she looked around and called out his name, but there was nothing but silence. "Scorn? Scorn, where are you?"
"He isn't here, Kiya."
The lady-knight turned and saw Jinn standing by the doorway. She gave him a look and said, "Jinn, where is he? What's happened?"
"Scorn was invited to go on a trip with father."
"What!" she shouted stunned. "What does he plan to do to him? Please, tell me, Jinn."
The warrior tilted his head suddenly perplexed. He quietly studied his sister and stated, "You like him, Kiya."
Flushed, she tried brushing off the comment and said, "Please, Jinn I must know. What does father have planned?"
Jinn smiled charmingly and folded his arms in front of him and gazed at her amusingly with his amber eyes. "I think you love him. Force, I never thought I'd see the day."
"Jinn, please!" she cried out with emotion. However, the warrior took pity on his little sister and gathered her up in his arms and hugged her tight. Soothingly he swayed and rubbed her back.
"Hush, darling. Don't fret. Father isn't going to harm him. I learned from mother that father had planned on taking Scorn to Dagobah and make him take the Jedi trails. He's undergoing the same one Master Luke did with Master Yoda."
Kiya lifted her head from Jinn's shoulder and asked, "But, why?"
"Father wants to convert Scorn to be a Jedi."
The blue-eyed beauty frowned. "Somehow I doubt it has anything to do with Scorn's suitability to court me. What is he planning?"
"Father thinks that if he can convert Scorn than he won't be a problem in the future. He figures he can neutralize a potential threat before it can grow."
"I sense there is more to it than even that, Jinn. Father was very disturb by Scorn, more so than he first realized."
The warrior smiled and sat his sister down to sit beside him. "That's very perspective of you, my dear. I agree. I think father might have seen a bit of Anakin Skywalker in Scorn. I think this conversion will help father as much as it will help Scorn."
Annoyed, Kiya replied, "I suppose you're right, Jinn, but it still doesn't excuse father for making up tests for my—my friends."
-0-0-0-
Location: Dagobah
In the murky deep of the dark tree, Scorn waded through the still waters of the under roots till he thought he heard a sound coming from just up ahead from him. Nervously, he drew his lightsaber from his belt and ignited the blade to shine a crimson glow to light his path. Tentatively, he inched closer into the black depths until he saw a figure of a man standing with his back turned away from him in the muck.
"Who are you? Show yourself?"
However, the stranger didn't speak but remained facing away from him. The silence grated on Scorn's nerves. He was in a bad mood with this whole Jedi spirit quest and just about had enough so he reached forward aggressively and spun the man around.
"I asked you a question!" he roared, but once the man was facing him, Scorn jumped back alarmed.
He saw that the man was himself.
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TBC
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Jedi Angel001 - Thanks a bunch for your review. I'm glad you don't mind the Vader death scene. And yes, Ben is not happy with a potential son-in-law being a Sith, but Ben is a man with a plan and the best thing to do is make him a Jedi. I kind of stressed over what kind of boyfriend test Ben should give Scorn, but I think Luke's swamp test is pretty neat. Plus, I gave Scorn a normal name. I hope it sounds ok. I made it up. Though, this chapter ends with an air of mystery.
Please keep reading and reviewing. Thank you.
