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Despite all the enthusiasm, the sense of achievement that hung in the air, Kiplee couldn't share the same feelings her Master and the others had for their new purpose. They had Corporal Matthews, the so-called 'Forceless Abomination', along with other less than unfriendlier names he had obtained during the tenure of his current stay in the cell they had him under lock and code. The Master called this their last step to ensuring the survival of all living beings from an evil that would bring certain chaos and death to the galaxy.
Kiplee however, started having great doubts over this. How could one being bring about some cataclysmic apocalypse? She had seen what the Corporal's cells did to the midichlorian. To see the source of life being ripped apart like a swarm of piranha beetles feasting on their victim was one of the most shocking and grotesque things she had ever bare witnessed to. It was abhorrent and vile but it didn't explain why Matthews was practically sentence to death over this. Master Chikas told her if the Earth-human and the rest of his kind were to expand into the galaxy, then life as they knew it would cease forever.
The purpose for this at first was sound, believable they were doing a good service for the people of the Republic and beyond. Now Kiplee knew this as an untrue and bordering into the cold abyss that was the Dark Side of the Force. Kiplee stood waiting on her Master in the central command room created in an old worship room that once housed B'omarr monks. The remote monastery on Ord Kanto she and the small conclave of Jedi backing the Master resided in had long been abandoned but remained in very good condition. It's out of the way location from the Core worlds of the Republic and closeness to Hutt controlled Space was the perfect place for hidden activity from specific searching eyes.
There was evidence in a few other rooms that somebody else had used this monastery after the monks left, on their own accord or not she wasn't sure, and before their current occupation. What also didn't sit right with Kiplee was not only the way they went about their goal, but working alongside Separatist battle droids.
"How long do we have to wait for the gracious Count? I'm getting tired of all this hanging around for these communiques." Jotal gruffly complained pacing next to the holotable situated dead centre of the command centre.
Jedi Knight Jotal Renuchi was an intimidating figure in many senses of the word. Kiplee always felt particularly uncomfortable to be in the Pantoran's presence. He was considerably tall for someone of his species at two metres in height and worked his body into a more thick muscular build. She was told of a handful of his exploits in the war that involved brute force action to break enemy lines. What was also spoken of often regarding Jotal was his hot temper towards his troops and fellow Jedi. Kiplee had already seen once that short fuse temperament surface, only for The Master to simmer it back down.
"Relax, Jotal. You forget there is a war out there." Amoran said lazily flipping his lightsaber in his hand, unconcerned by the long wait.
Amoran Col Ilga was another Jedi Knight but Kiplee found him to be polar opposites to Jota. The human's presence in the Force was always calm and collective. Kiplee somewhat enjoyed being in his company as he was the only other than her Master who didn't see her as a supposed naive youngling. His blonde hair was cut short not too different to the style the average clone had theirs and word she got on the wire was he caught the eyes of many women, much to the Order's disapprobation.
Due to Amoran's nature, it at first confused Kiplee for his belief in the cause her Master explained he was the former Padawan learner of the The Master. It immediately clicked into place why he was here however, she wondered if he believed in their cause or was doing this out of loyalty to his old teacher.
"How can you stand there so relaxed? The Abomination is still breathing is he not?!" Jotal said spitting out the more favoured less than flattering name labelled at the Corporal.
"He is. But he's in no shape to go anywhere without help and if he somehow were to miraculously break out he has nowhere to run. Besides, the more we get out of him the more we know about our enemy." Kaayla Djanros reasoned sitting on the edge of the table with an ever present chilling smile on her face.
Out of all the Jedi that followed The Master and including the old man himself, Kiplee found Djanros came off on the more unstable side. The Rattataki was an unusual Jedi to say the least. She had the typical look one would expect from the near human race; chalk white skin, a complete shaved head and tattoo markings running down her face and eyes. It was rare for someone of her species becoming a member of the Jedi Order given where their homeworld resided and their culture was known for its violent tendencies. Not only that her attitude and actions was regularly seen as unfitting to the behaviour of a Jedi.
Kiplee's heard Djanros' applied methods of obtaining information by creeping or outright breaking ethical borders she, and all Jedi were never permitted to use. It is perhaps this and her close friendship with Amoran why Djanros stood with The Master. The two Knights had been good friends since their Padawan days, although there had been whispers their bond went beyond friendship.
"It is too loyal to its homeworld to ever spill anything useful." Jotal sneered.
"It's not like we can probe his mind, or want to for that matter. Not after what The Master said he saw and felt in the soldier's mind." Kiplee heard the disturbance in Amoran's voice.
The Master last night attempted a deep probe into Corporal Matthews mind and the description he gave afterwards of the experience sent shivers down her spine. The Jedi Master said the more he stayed, the more he felt as if a deathly ice, hard grip tried trapping him in the depths of the soldier's mind. He claimed it wasn't like the coldness that manifested in the Dark Side but something else but equally sinister. When he first tried pulling out from the soldier's mind he was prevented from leaving, as if a pair of powerful hands tightened and latched an unbreakable hold over him.
When he eventually did break free the Master's face possessed a look of pure distress and horror. This was in fact the first time Kiplee saw the true identity of the man leading this 'crusade'. He didn't elaborate to her or those gathered over what he witnessed, only saying there was another entity dwelling within the Corporal, one with a face of evil. Master Chikas since then forbade her to reach out with the Force whilst near the Earther.
"Who knows what festers in that man's head. It only drives the need to eliminate him and burn all evidence of his existence."
"Steady now, Jotal. Some might think you're going off the deep end." Djanros said in a deliberate teasing jest in her usual efforts to provoke him like it was a form of entertainment.
"With the ways things are working in this blasted monastery, chances are he has tried to contact us but another power glitch has shut the holocom down." Amoran came up with the more believable explanation behind the delayed call, breaking the inevitable argument between the two.
From day one setting up shop in this old monastery the power grid had a greatly irritating habit of fluctuating glitches at random. Doors opened and closed on their own accord, lights flickered on and off, communications cut off in the middle of reports with others who sympathised with their cause and even the doors to the hangar bay would extend out without command. The droids provided by Count Dooku worked on the power problems making significant progress but things still acted up regularly.
"Hey droid, is the holocom power unit working?" Djanros called out to the T-series tactical droid, Tee Nineteen who acted as head of the battle droids detachment at their disposal.
"It is not my role to perform the menial tasks of maintaining the conditioning of the apparatuses." It curtly said, turning from its station occupied also by two B1 technicians. "But if it rests your organic minds, the holocom's power unit is fully operational with no power distortions."
"Ha, I like this droid! It's has guts, even if they're metal and wire." Djanros gave a tooth grin at complimenting the tactical droid. Seeing the Jedi Knight's gaze fall on her Kiplee looked away, not taking a liking to the way her eyes bore at her. "What do you think, Padawan? Think the turncoat Count is holding out on us?"
"It is not my place to say." Kiplee answered feeling all the attention now diverted her way.
"Come on, Kaaya, leave her be." Amoran spoke up in her defence.
"Now, now," She said with a chuckle that lack any humour or warmth, jumping off the table then walked a few paces toward her. "I only want to hear her opinion. After all, wasn't it Master Yoda who said to look to the young for a fresh perspective?"
Kiplee looked back at the Rattataki with a hardened stare, bristling at the hidden snide in the older Jedi's statement. Another smiled grew on Djanros' lips and her grey coloured eyes met a glare, staring down at her as if she was gauging her for a more fiery response. The tension in the command centre thankfully to Kiplee's relief broke from the sound of heavy clunking coming from the main entrance.
With no response from it's automatic settings the door eventually opened with assistance from the use of the Force by those on the other side. The large durasteel doors shunted into the walls as they were manually pried apart by the unseen strength of its users. The lighting from inside the command centre met the corridors own along with three more people and a pair of IG-100 Magnaguards entering in.
The figurehead leading the pack was unmistakable in the tradition dark toned Jedi robes covering his body and hood that masked most of his face, except for the grey bearded covering his mouth. The Master's commanding presence set aside any potential heated arguments as everyone bowed in respect to him.
Flanking him, Kiplee saw Nyless, a Rodian Jedi scholar who felt ill at ease with the Council's permission to allow Corporal Matthews free rein to roam the Jedi Archives. It was from her understanding the Master wanted Nyless to record everything about the soldier, his people and the explanation behind why the Earthers hadn't evolved without the Force and the threat they posed to galactic civilisation.
Welcomingly, the other Jedi walking along with the Master was her own teacher and mentor, Master Hure Chikas. The red-haired human smiled at her as she came over.
"Master." Amoran greeted him on their behalf.
"Amoran. Everyone, I have good news." The Master said sounding cheerful.
"Forgive me, Master, but when will Dooku make contact with us?" Jotal asked rather reluctantly.
"You needn't worry, my friend. I spoke with the Count a moment ago." The Jedi Master said.
"Oh?, and what did the dear ol' Count discuss with you?" Djanros quizzed. Kiplee sensed the others were not too pleased at their exclusion from the talks with the Jedi turned Sith.
"I informed him of our progress and the details we managed to obtain through our interrogations of the Earth warrior."
"Master, with all due respect, do you think it wise to disclose everything with Dooku. He is the one leading the Separatist Alliance." Amoran said with concern.
"I've known Dooku for a long time, my old Padawan. His beliefs maybe misguided for parting ways with the Order and for siding with the Separatist movement, however, he knows greater threats when he sees them." The Master explained to ease their minds.
"I understand but we're talking about a former Jedi who practices in the arts of the Dark Side." Kiplee caught glimpse beneath the shadow of his hood, a small grin on the Master's face as he placed a hand on his former apprentice's shoulder.
"Worry not, Amoran. Any of you." He said to all in the command centre listening to him. "The futile, stubborn resistance from the Earther will crumble for Dooku will be sending us new means to draw out the vital information we need."
"Which is?" Nyless asked.
"The Separatist have developed a new droid capable of performing a varieties of interrogation techniques. There are examples I wish to witness myself as the less civilised ways not only failed, but strengthened the Corporal's resolve."
"And what happens if none of these work either?" Jotal questioned next.
"Then we dispose of our outlander friend and rid the galaxy of the only link between his world and the rest of the universe." The Master's calmness of the soldier's fate earned a few looks of approval.
Kiplee couldn't believe what she was hearing. The casual discussion of committing such actions made her stomach churn, especially as they weren't reflecting as examples of peace and justice, the beacon of Light to the galaxy. Amoran mention Dooku's affiliation with the Dark Side but at least he was honest about it, unlike those around her who were unaware of their blind encroachment to the same path. How low had they stooped to?, to gain knowledge of things she believed Corporal Matthews didn't possess and becoming the very monsters they viewed him as.
"Master?" Kiplee spoke with her teacher, gaining her attention. "Is it alright if I go meditate for awhile?"
"Sure, I'll inform you of any developments later." Hure gave her permission, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Giving her Master a departing and grateful bow, Kiplee turned to leave the rest to discuss topics that morally didn't at all sit right with her and felt saddened Hure willingly took part in it.
"Young one." The deep, wise voice of the Master called to her, referring her to her age rather than her title as a Padawan. The difference that didn't rile her up compared to when Djanros called her it was the Master didn't mock her or felt condescending. Instead there was more warmth and general interest to his manner. "I suggest going to the upper level watchtower. There's hardly any activity that side of the monastery and no one will bother you up there."
"Thank you, Master." She gave him a respectful light bow then left the others to it.
The forced smile she had given the Master slipped off her face once she had exited. That smile was quickly replaced by concern, of confliction over the actions being taken by her fellow Jedi. The image of the helpless Midichlorian replayed in her head gave them all a more driven purpose to put down a so called 'monster' in its tracks. It was the determined will of the Master to see life in the galaxy was to never encounter this species, ever.
Kiplee feared however, to defeat this monster they were resorting to ways that too would make them the very thing they branded the Earth soldier and his people. She had used mediation as an excuse to break away from the others but now she truly did want to seek guidance from the Force for her inner conflict.
"What are we doing?" Kiplee said allowed wandering down alone, no one around to hear the questioning doubts begin to eat her.
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The aches, the pain, the nausea and the complaints from all over his body from the punishment he endured was an oddly reassuring reminder to Jake that despite his dilemma, he was alive. For how long was completely up to his deranged captors. For days the energy field bound his limbs together. His body suspended in mid air in the dank, dark cell.
The Jedi who held him captive tried gauging information of everything in regards to Earth and his people through means they couldn't do with words. The big blue ape had beaten him, cursed at him to reveal to this 'Master' Earth's whereabouts. The punches were hard and unforgiving, leaving his bottom lip cut and torso covered in bruises from taking the brunt of his interrogation. Jake only replied with comments that antagonised the alien more and to his slight enjoyment, spat blood on the abusive Jedi infuriating him to no end.
When that didn't work the bald headed woman, who looked not too different to the Sith assassin came with two robots he never seen before. The machines oddly had capes around their necks and armed with metal poles with purple electricity buzzing each end. Those same droids used their electrical staff weapons on his person with no remorse, adding further agony to his already pain ridden body. The woman had looked as if she took some sadistic pleasure at the torture, putting on a fake voice of concern for his well being. Again she went with the same line of questioning as the blue ape and again he said nothing.
Truth be told the temptation to crack gnawed at him, to relent to their questions. They were desperate to know where Earth was but he hadn't a clue even if he was to succumb to giving some form of useful information. The Royal Marines taught him to push his state of mind to new boundaries, to work on the your limits to new levels and there had been a fair few occasions this concept tested him. Then again, the Marines didn't give a course in dealing with alien zealot mystics taking you prisoner.
The latest undertaking and without doubt to Jake was the strangest to grill him for intel. The leader of the crazy cult like band of Jedi had him lowered temporarily from to floor and sat across from him. The others stood by him watching as he reached a hand out to him. For a good few minutes Jake was left confused about what the Jedi was doing. Ahsoka said reading him through the Force was impossible, so for these crazies to try it clearly was scraping the bottom of the barrel in their quest to gain knowledge he didn't have. He was a marine, not a scientist.
Predictably the Master didn't stay long to root around in his head. The Jedi struggled, claiming something within his mind was fighting against the mental probe and then to Jake's bewilderment, he flew backwards like somebody had roughly shoved him aside. Jake only caught the slightest of glimpses of the hooded man who became the bane of his existence since their first assassination attempt in a cowards manner, before one of his followers blocked his view. For a second the man came across as familiar but Jake didn't much of a second chance to see the Master's face properly, for the old man's hood masked his face again.
To his luck they haven't since ventured into the cell again, which included starving him for a few days. Despite the discomfort, Jake managed to get some much needed sleep, only for restlessness to return in the shape of his dreams, rather than the awkwardness of his body's positioning. Like those he was experiencing now.
Jake questioned whether calling it a dream was the correct way to describe where he was. The weird, out of body feeling lately became a more regular occurrence, more so since being the unwilling guest of the zealots. The places he found himself in were always a mix of familiarity and alien landscapes.
Where he had been 'walking' before was a stark contrast to where he found himself now. The clear blue skies of Earth were replaced by a blanket of smoke blocking out the sun. No longer was he wandering through the streets of his former hometown of Reading. The streets he cautiously walked now were battle scarred with rubble and husks of destroyed vehicles littered everywhere. The whine of fighter craft flying overhead, screeching loudly through the polluted skies. Jake looked up but the fighters were difficult to spot and hidden from sight due to the thick billowing smoke.
The source behind the smoke was all around him from futuristic styled skyscrapers of all sizes and designs erupting into flame and debris. Up ahead he saw the largest of them all engulfed in fire, standing out like as if a giant pillar straight from hell had burst through the ground. The top of the colossal building collapsed from its support beams weakened by the intense heat and damage from whatever had bombarded it. Bodies were laid out among the war torn streets, all of which looked distinctly like soldiers. Laser sounding gunfire rang out in the distant as he examined the dead.
One group were equipped with red and black light armour plating covering their torso, shoulders, arms and legs with a body glove not too different looking to the ones the Clone soldiers used. The helmets these soldiers had on were a little more wider than the Republic's own standard issue for their troopers and the visor was only designed for one way viewing.
Checking over another soldier in a different suit of armour, he found this one had thicker, elegantly designed, yellow shaded and offering better protection than the first group. It didn't take Jake long to figure out these dead soldiers were opposing armies. None of the fallen had lost their helmets during the ill fated battle so to distinguish the identification was impossible for him to make out. Jake learned from his last mixed dream his inability to touch anything except for his body, seeing multiple times his hands going through objects like they were ghostly transparent. Or he more than likely was the ghost.
The sound of a fierce engagement drew his attention up ahead once more to hellish settings surrounding the dream. Jake left the deceased to investigate the fighting. He climbed over a high wall of debris belonging to a building levelled by the presumed attackers of this city, stepping over the twisted and mangled remains of metal, glass and masonry. How he was able to do this but not touch certain objects was one of many mysteries that piled up.
Reaching the top Jake saw the engaging combatants. They were the same foreign soldiers whose comrades lay dead below his position, battling it out in heated exchange of laser fire. Red and orange traces went back and forth in anger, blasting relentlessly between the two parties. Again the two sides had helmets covering their heads making it troublesome for Jake to pin down who they were. Out of the battle played out before him, Jake spotted one thing recognisable. The massive robot he first saw of its type aboard the unknown starship flying over Earth fending off the bug people, was laying down heavy fire in support of the yellow armoured soldiers.
Troops from both sides fell from the onslaught of merciless fire with the yellow side looking close as the victors. Jake's eyes suddenly drew over to behind the black and red counterparts of the winning side, finding a shadowy silhouette approach through the smoke and fire. He remained staring at the figure, seeing a human woman emerge with pale skin, dark hair tied into a ponytail and dressed in a combination of black robes and armour protecting her chest, legs and forearms. Examining the woman more closely, Jake felt there was cold and wicked presence about her.
As she drew closer to the battle she reached a hand over to her hip and brought out the hilt of a lightsaber. Jake narrowed his brow in confusion for a second then straightened it up when a crimson energy blade extended out. At her appearance, the majority the yellow armoured soldiers concentrated their fire on the woman. Skillfully and incredibly the woman deflected away the orange energy bolts with ease and grace.
The blade twirled with its user, brushing away or sending back the energy bolts to those who fired at her. A few of the yellow soldiers fell from the bolt sent back to them whilst a couple jumped from cover and charged at her. Their clumsy and reckless actions ended in punishment by a blast of violet lightning emitting from the woman's finger tips, demonstrating before Jake's eyes the power Ahsoka told him the Sith were capable of. The violent cast of lightning stopped them dead in their tracks, reducing them to a smouldering pair corpses.
Jake watched on with wide eyes to this Sith lady tearing through the yellow soldiers with incredible, supernatural power and strength. All orange laser fire was now aimed at her but none of it concerned her as one by one they fell, sliced or stabbed by her blood red lightsaber. The black and red soldiers moved forward to finish off the stragglers, leaving the war robot and the Sith to duel it out. The size and firepower the machine possessed in a normal bout would have it overwhelmingly in favour of winning but this was no normal fight.
Heavy energy fire and rocket attacks blasted with maximum prejudice at the Sith but her speed and agility couldn't be matched. Another jolt of lightning struck the robot causing it stumble and cease fire. The Sith moved in by cutting off its weapon arms, then its legs and then finished with driving her scorching hot sabre right into the machine's face. The war robot went still, showering out sparks from its dismembered limbs.
The battle had ended. Not one of the yellow soldiers stood. Jake was shocked at the result, how one sided it became at her inclusion. The woman barked orders at her subordinates who obeyed them without question to her commands. Jake observed them search the bodies of the fallen, for what exactly was unknown to him. When he glanced back to the Sith he found her staring back him with sickly, dark yellow eyes. Dream or not, those eyes made his spine shudder at the dead aroma they held.
She took purposed steps in his direction. Jake looked from side to side to see if somebody else was with him but found nobody. Looking back at the Sith he saw she was heading straight for him at the base of the rubble.
"Oh crap." Jake said to himself in panic as he moved backwards, realising he was her intended target. Climbing down he lost his footing on a piece of glass panel cracking up beneath his feet. The glass shattered and broke up into dozens of shards and with it his secure footing.
Having lost his holding Jake fell back expecting a rough landing to the tattered road below. He hit the ground with a thud, only it wasn't the alien city's cracked and laser ridden roads he found himself flat out on. The polluted, thick blackened smoke that choked the sky was no longer there. Blue skies filled his vision again with the sun beaming down, dominating the skies of his homeworld. The ground around him was covered in grass, a complete contrast and cleaner difference to the war zone he had been roaming. Sitting up, Jake scanned around the new environment seeing the alien city had swapped into a lush green fields like those in Yorkshire or Oxfordshire.
Why the swap of landscape had brought him here was another confusing and nerve grating question growing forever tiresome.
"Okay," Jake said out loud standing up. "Enough is enough. Is this you again?!" He called out for the oversized glass ball. "I've already got enough on my godforsaken plate without you messing my mind up as well." Silence was all he got in response angering him further. "What was that shit back there? Don't you think I'm being tormented enough? Well?!"
"Jake?" The uttering of his name made Jake freeze and mind go blank. It wasn't the fact somebody else was here in this slide show of visioned filled dreams with him that made him go still. The feminine Australian accented voice was one all too familiar and truly a cruel trick to torture him with. Turning around, Jake's eyes darted wide and heart fluttered as he saw her standing there with the scenery illuminating her beauty.
"K-Kate?"
Jake stood there stunned, unable to move as the woman he loved and cherished stood before him appearing from out of nowhere. Her ocean blue eyes locked on to his own and she gave him a disarming smile drawing one from his face too. Kate walked over until she was just a mere step from him. She reached out a hand and brushed it over his cheek, bruised and battered but Jake never flinched or shied away from her welcoming touch. He in turn brought up a hand up gently embraced her own.
"Who else would it be, you pommy drongo." She said jesting the nickname she'd tease him with often.
"How can you be here? This doesn't make any sense, how-"
"Shh." Kate moved her hand from his cheek and placed her index on his lips. Jake raised a brow at the unusual move made by Kate but said nothing. "Jake, you must promise me to hold on. Don't give up."
"Not an easy thing to do when you're having the seven bells kicked out of you constantly. And being electrocuted. And having some creepy old prick rummaging in your head." Jake made light on his situation.
"They won't find anything useful in that thick skull of yours."
"Oh thanks." They both chuckled. For a second Jake was lost in her gaze, believing her to be real and genuine with her appearance and dead on personality being correct.
"You must endure it for a little longer." She told him growing more serious, lacking the humour she held previously but trying to raise his stubborn spirit. "Help is on the way."
"Help? What are talking about? Who's coming to help?" She gave him another affectionate smile then shifted her eyes over his shoulder. Jake gave her a quizzical expression then looked back at what she was indicating to.
The glorious summer settings of the English countryside had gone and morphed into a space filled venue of stars and the empty, dark vacuum of space. The dominant feature of the new surroundings was his hidden observer. Its large glass balled body and vertically thin white pupil staring down at him like a magnified reptilian eyeball glaring at an ant. Jake spun round to find Kate gone, or whatever had been impersonating her.
"So you've now resorted to using the ones I love to muck me about?"
"No, Jacob Matthews. I would never do such a thing. I am trying to help you." The Orb said in it's eerily soft, flanging voice. "But you must endure and stand against the tyranny inflicted upon you for a bit longer."
"By projecting an image of my girlfriend and playing on my emotions?" Jake said facing the Orb. "I've got those arseholes out there wanting to kill me for some paranoid, bogus reason because my cells or whatever just so happens to kill off their source of power, and now I can't even get the ounce of rest offered to me without someone else playing around with my head."
"I promise you, Jacob Matthews, I mean you no harm. I never meant to." The Orb said, sounding almost like it was pleading with him to believe Its' words. "I am here as a friend, motivator and messenger. You must stand against the mystics unlawful and repulsive actions. Do not relent, stand strong for help is on the way."
"What help?!"
"Corporal Matthews?" An echoed whisper filled the void.
"My time here draws to a close for now." The Orb said 'looking' up then back at Jake. "Remain defiant in the face of adversity, soldier of Earth. Allies are on the way." As it uttered those last puzzling and curious words, Jake took several steps backward as the giant glass structure lit up with currents of pure white electricity and lashed out with an arc of its powered up energy.
"Corporal Matthews?" Jake awoke with a jolt, startling the purple skinned alien nudging him awake. His vision cleared to the present, to the current predicament he found himself residing in. The pain throbbing in his ribs, arms and legs returned as a not so kindly reminder of his return to the land of the living.
"What the hell do you want? Can't you lot be humane enough to let me kip for five minutes?" He said wincing at the stabbing pain up his side.
"Sorry. I heard you haven't been fed or given anything to drink." Kiplee said reaching down to a tray of substance on the floor besides pod keeping him restrained. The Jedi Padawan picked up a grey cup of water then stood on the step ladder attached to the pod, offering up the drink to his lips. Jake snapped his head away in rejection to the offered drink. "Corporal, please. You must keep up your strength."
"Why? So your cultist mates out there can keep me strong enough to put up with another one sided and shackled joust?" He sarcastically questioned facing her again.
"No, I just want to make sure you're alright." She said sounding sincere.
"Last time I ingested anything with you around I was poisoned." Jake remained hostile. "What's in it this time? Cyanide? Chlorine? Liquefied sarin gas?"
"Nothing, it's just water." Kiplee blinked and tried offering him the cup again. The clear as crystal water in the cup drove his body's natural instinct to replenish itself to nudge his stubbornness to accept the offered drink. The Orb's words also played a factor to give in to the minuscule bit of help offered, holding out on hope it was correct. Easement crossed the alien girl's face at his reluctant acceptance.
"Cheers, I guess." Jake said with begrudged gratitude. "Is this a new move to kill me with kindness?"
"It is not my purpose to hurt you, Corporal." The Jedi girl said.
"You'll have to forgive my lack faith in trusting that. You are the one who backstabbed me and threw me to those wolves you call masters." He reminded Kiplee of her part in his incarceration.
"I did as I was ordered." Kiplee said stepping off the ladder.
"I thought Jedi weren't soldiers?" Jake retorted.
"We're not but I still must obey my Master. I am a Padawan Learner after all."
"You're old enough and smart enough to know right from wrong." He counted the weak excuse.
"The Master is right." She said looking back at him. "You, or your cells rather, are a threat to every male, female and child in the galaxy."
"Oh enough!" Jake snapped at the fast tedious rhetoric. "Tell me please, why would a race of people who have no knowledge of other intelligent life beyond their own solar system, want to purposely commit genocide against a lifeform they've never even heard of?! Quite frankly if they hear this is how you treat people who are different because of their DNA, because we're not blessed with those microscopic maggots coursing through our veins they'd happily stay the fuck away from you."
The Mikkian girl was taken aback with his venom filled statement. Her face was locked in confliction as an unsteady silence fell upon them. Jake rolled his eyes from her picking up the tray and ascending up the stairs like a immature teenager storming off from a telling off by a parent. At least Ahsoka showed maturity when we argued, He thought back on the Togruta teenager.
Reaching the top step he watched as she halted from calling for the door to be opened. "I don't agree with the way you've been treated, Corporal. There's nothing I can do about that."
"There is. You need to look past your misplaced prejudice and see there is another option." Jake said wincing again from the aches travelling down his arms.
"I'm just a mere, ignorant Padawan in their eyes. They wouldn't listen to anything I have to say. I'm sorry."
"And I'm sorry for trying to help you see reason and common sense." His glacial response was met with mute silence. No more was said when the door opened up.
Jake kept his eye on Kiplee walking out from the cell, seeing a torn girl split between morality and loyalty. She turned to him one last time with a downridden expression, confirming that inner battle. The door closed at the same time she turned away, leaving Jake to the forced solitude of a prisoner. Jake blew a sigh from his nose letting his himself calm down. One of the last things he wanted now was more pain adding with the rest jolting through his limbs and the effects of poisoned induced potassium deficiency taking hold.
One upside he was pleased with was his mouth no longer felt dry as a desert. Though he wasn't happy with the Orb projecting his girlfriend and toying with his head, however, it did lift his spirits to see her face and hear her voice again. The Orb admittedly did do a good job in strengthening his resolve not capitulate to the zealot Jedi.
Kate and the overgrown alien light bulb words chanted in his ears, truly livening up his hope for the first time in days instead of clinging to the slither of hope something out the blue would materialise.
Hope these Allies hurry the hell up, Jake thought grinning with his new strengthened morale.
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