Disclaimer: Same as before
AN: Here you go! Enjoy!
In an almost hopeless effort, but out of ideas, she keyed up her com. "Luke?" she asked,
not liking how loud
her voice sounded as it echoed down the empty hall. There was no
response. "Luke?" she tried again, daring to be just a bit
louder as she made her way down the hall.
With a sigh she placed it back in place on
her belt when there was no response. Her mind went back to Luke that night
beneath the stars. She now had to worry about finding another way back to the
ship, her footsteps almost deafening, even though she tried to be silent.
Even her own breathing was loud with the
pounding of her heart. It sounded ragged yet clear and was getting louder
with each moment.
Ari stopped short. 'Louder?' she
asked herself she held her breath, fearing she wasn't alone.
The raspy breath came again at the same
moment a figure rounded the corner.
Ari froze in fear as the masked creature came closer, purpose showing in each
confident step. His black mask was enough to strike fear into any one,
black eyes looking blankly from his 7 foot form. Black clothing and a
chest plate with lights and switches covered him. A midnight black cape
flowed behind him.
Ari felt her breath catch, still as frozen
as a womprat right before it is attacked by a krayt dragon. She had heard
of this man in whispers as a child. This man, if he could be called such,
was Darth Vader. Dark Lord of the Sith.
Vader slowed then stopped looking at the girl in front of him, his
breath the only sounds as she felt his unblinking eyes look over her. Ari
couldn't break her eyes from his while her mind was screaming for her to run
and not look back.
She stared at him, trying to look defiant,
while at the same time wave after wave of fear crashed over her.
"You are brave to stand so," the
Dark Lord finally spoke, his voice cold and Ari almost shuddered from that
alone.
Ari stayed standing where she was whether
from fear or bravery she didn't know. All she was sure of was her pulse
was racing as she did the very thing people had been killed for. Showing
no respect for the Sith Lord, staring at him with her intense blue eyes.
"Brave, yet stupid," Vader said
almost casually.
"It is a thin line between the
two," Ari finally found her voice though it was low, fear weighing heavily
in the back of her throat.
The Dark Lord's gaze went over her again
and fell on her lightsaber.
"A child such as you should not have
such a weapon," he said and Ari saw one black gloved hand open and the
shift in the air around them.
With lightening reflexes, Ari grabbed at
her lightsaber as it unclipped from her belt and she held it tight, eyes then
fixed on the Sith, determination and a flash of anger, refusing Vader to take
the saber.
The Sith was silent and dropped his hand,
leaving Ari holding the deactivated lightsaber.
"Do you dare defy me?" he asked, anger underlying in his
tone. Ari nodded in response, firmly, though all she felt was fear,
amazed her knees hadn't buckled.
"You? A mere girl?" he
questioned, this time amusement. "Foolish child."
All of a sudden Ari felt something around
her, though her eyes saw nothing. All of a sudden she felt herself pulled
down, dropping to her knees hard, one hand landing while the other held tight
the lightsaber. Ari winced but pulled against what was holding her,
lifting her head up to look at him.
Then, just as quickly it was gone.
Ari slowly got to her feet as the Dark Lord watched her carefully. She stared hard at him.
"Where did you find that weapon?" he asked after a moment.
"It is mine," Ari answered confidently.
The Dark Lord laughed, chillingly evil causing Ari to shiver.
"The Jedi are dead. Their flame is extinguished."
"You are wrong," Ari shot back, almost forgetting to whom she was talking to. "There are still some left."
The Dark Lord was silent the only sound that of his breathing. Ari felt a coldness wash over her.
"You are not a Jedi," he finally spoke up.
"I will be…" she told him, determined, pushing her fear back as much as she could.
"Foolish child. The way of the Jedi is only for the weak. The real power lies in the Dark Side."
"No. That is a lie." Ari felt something come over her. It seemed to whisper to her that Vader was right. With a fierce shake of her head, she glared at him.
"You know it is the truth. You have an immense amount of raw talent that could be turned into power." The Dark Lord spoke almost as if he were a friend.
Ari shook her head but couldn't stop the thoughts. They came to her over and over. 'Maybe he is right. It would be so easy. You could be powerful. Even as powerful as-" Ari gave out a cry as she pushed the voice away. She glared at Vader, eyes flashing with anger that she bit down, remembering what the voice from the Falcon had said about controlling her anger.
"So where did you get your weapon young one?" Vader asked, his patience was starting to wear thin.
Ari didn't answer, holding her chin up regally. All of a sudden she felt something grab her mind, pulling up images that she had pushed away and some she had forgotten. Luke helping her fix her T-16 the first time she had crashed it. Playing with Jett. Helping her mother fix dinner. Small simple things that looking back, Ari found herself cherishing these memories.
The pull was harder and all of a sudden everything was being seen at once. The smoldering shell of her home. The burning speeder. The blaster bolt showing in Jett's back. Holding Saber as the faithful pet died in her arms. The smell of death, the feel of it surrounding her…
Ari fell to her knees with a cry that came from her very soul, piercing her heart.
"Your mother would have been a fine Jedi," Vader told her, taunting her. "If only her fear hadn't stopped her. She was too weak to handle the Force." The flash of her mother's body stayed in Ari's mind. Through the pain, she knew it had to be Vader's doing. The tears streamed down Ari's face as Vader continued. "And your brother…Jett was it?. Such a tragedy. So young." This time, the flash was not of her brother's body. Instead, it was of his death. The fear on his face as the blaster hit its mark and he slumped over the seat.
"NO!!" Ari howled, hands holding her head. "Get out of my head!!!" When she finally looked up, anger burned in her eyes as she could feel him still, probing, searching.
"Arianna. Hate and anger lead to the Dark Side. Let it go." The voice was back, this time it was soft and the dark anger she felt started to leave her, replacing it with white calm. Feeling it, she closed her eyes and concentrated on it. She could feel Vader's anger like heat as he searched more to find something else to hurt her with. With a frown of concentration, Ari blocked her mind, like a steel trap.
She opened her eyes; this time only the blue of calmness was there.
Vader was standing there still, eyes looking towards Ari, yet seeming to go past her. "Obi-Wan….my old master." A smile was evident in his voice. He turned back to Ari and she felt the fear start from her toes. Something urged her to get out, though she knew Vader's attention was elsewhere.
Ari turned and ran as if fire was lapping at her heels, telling herself not to look back, but failed. The hall was empty though, but Ari refused to stop or slow down until she found herself looking at the Falcon, one of the most welcome sights she had ever seen.
AN: What
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