Chapter 5: The Escape & The Promise
What is the best way to describe a nightmare, hell on earth, absolute terror, or the feeling that no matter how hard you want things to change you can't save things and people whom matter too you? For newly knighted of the jedi order Jaina Star it was the latter, it was the dream she had almost every time she closed her eyes. It was the day her life was shattered, the day her family, and world were broken. But most painfully it was the day she lost her childhood friend, a sweet kind hearted boy that always had managed to keep happy, a boy it took years to realize she loved with all her heart…and a boy who was taken and transformed into a monster as she was powerless to stop it. The tears began to fall as they always did, as the painful phantom from Jaina's past replayed.
"You know pretty girl like you shouldn't be crying so much, I mean if our families saw they'd probably think I made you cry?" A cheerful boy said sarcastically to Jaina's younger self as the nightmare took hold and went into full motion.
"It wouldn't be the first time you nerf herder, you know I'm still mad at you that stunt yesterday. I mean you tries to steal a ship as a birthday present, we both got into a lot of trouble for that!" Young Jaina said to young Var whom only laughed at the remark before taking her hand with his own.
"What it was big birthday for my best friend and I was just trying to make it special for them, can't blame me for that? And "we're" not in trouble "I" am I told them it was all my idea, and I tricked you onto the ship, man was mom angry with me? You know now that I'm talking about something strange happened at home recently." Var said to Jaina as they walked home, down a grass cover trail to a small colony town just off in the distance.
"Strange how? I swear you always make things either more confusing or serious…and thanks for trying to make my birthday special I guess." Jaina said to Var whispering the last and blushing while avoiding eye contact.
"Man my ears must be broken, cause I could swear you just complimented me, nah couldn't be my friend doesn't do that kind of thing. That would be way too "cute" and "normal" for her…but seriously to the strange thing hahah! I kind of well…" Var said to Jaina as she sent a jolt of pain up him from his squeezed hand.
"You what? Speak up jerk what did you do?" Jaina said to Var with a serious tone she was done with Var's playful attitude for today.
"Fine geez who's the serious one now, and please loosen up the death grip on my hand! I moved the kitchen table when I got mad my mother for scolding me only I didn't do it with my hands…I think I did it with my mind weird right?" Var said to Jaina but before either of them could answer something knocked them onto the ground. It was the a shockwave created as hundreds of battle ships dropping out of hyperspace in orbit over the planet blazing the sky a terrible red as their weapons began to charge, and dropships began to descend to the planet.
Before either of the kids could react the first blasts were fired and the ground shook, cracked, burned, and finally exploded around them stealing their consciousness for a short time. The two did not awaken until three hours after the attack, and by then their lives would forever be changed.
"Oh god Jaina wake up come one get up PLEASE!" Var roared as he tried to shake the sleeping Jaina Star awake from her knocked out form.
"Wha Var we're still alive? WAIT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?" Jaina shouted at Var after shooting back up.
"I don't know why but I think I did it, right before the blasts came down I thought I had to do something to protect us, and this kind of invisible wall wrapped out us then we both passed out.
"…wait what! I thought the same exact thing Var did we save us just now?" Jaina said to Var in utter disbelief, as her attention was drawn back from her friend grabbing her, and looking her in the eyes.
"Maybe we did and maybe we didn't what matters is what happens now those creepy guys are here fighting the Republic right now on the surface and in space. Some how the towns safe maybe we saved that to either way I need you to go now your family made it to the Republic safe zone I saw the speeder take off just now. So you have to make it to them alright?" Var said to Jaina whom was still shell shocked over the craziness of the past events.
"What about you? I can't just leave you Var we can both get away together!" Jaina said after grabbing Vars hand again.
"Trust me "J" I really want to…but my family might still be at home. I have to try and make it back to them before those monsters get there first. Its not safe for you here and you need to get to safety now! You know what we'll make a promise, yeah one that will last the rest of our lives ok, no matter what happens we'll always find our way back to each other sound good?" Var said to Jaina after pulling her hand to his chest so she felt his heart beat, and then vice versa for her.
Before the still dumb struck Jaina could do anything Var took off into the chaotic fighting, trying to race against all odds back to their home his family the only thing on his mind as he did.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T LET HIM LEAVE PLEASE, DON'T LET HIM GO!" A disembodied adult Jaina yelled at the top of her lungs, too her younger self who only stood and watched her best friend's back as he ran home, each step brining him closer to heart break, and a much darker destiny.
"No no this is not happening again no no no! Var please stop turn around please turn arou…" Adult Jaina yelled chasing after Var, stopping once she caught up to him, grabbed his shoulder to turn him around, and in that instance seeing him transform in a dark mist cloud into a terrible dark being masked with in red and black helm, with cloaked in black and brown robes.
"Your just in time Jaina the perfect spot to see the flames, isn't she Voren?" The creature said to Voren Kar Jaina's other best friend who lay on the floor at his feet, as the whole world morphed around them. No longer were they on Jaina's home world, now they were in the sacred jedi temple on Corusant only…it was burning around them. The heart of the Republic was set a flame like the ancient days of the republic. And with lightsaber in hand Var Shan was striking at Voren wounding him, but not enough to kill or mime him, taking great…pleasure in the screams of pain as he did so.
"No no no please just end please just end why does the force torture me like this?" Jaina yelled in pain as she tried to break awake from the nightmare.
"Running away again Jaina that's all your good at isn't it, you can lie to your self and pretend I gave you an exit all those years ago. But we both know you wanted to stay, you wanted to help me, but your own cowardice stopped you from chasing me down. You know my parents were dead when I got there, butchered by the sith I wept and screamed more then I ever thought possible. But you know what talk is cheap why don't I just show you what happened, its quite an entertaining show…LOOK!" Var shouted at Jaina using the force to keep her eyes open; as he changed the world again back to their home world that day, but from his perceptive after he ran back.
What Jaina saw after Var forced her into his past, was horrific the once prosperous and lively colony town from her childhood was burning as bright as the sun. Dead republic and brotherhood troopers littered the ground everywhere; as did the still warm bodies of some of Jaina and Var's neighbors unable to reach escape ships fast enough. She'd only ever seen it when it was in ashes afterwards, never truly being able to grasp the full scope of this inferno blazing, and burning away her past and childhood innocence in one foul swoop, like both never mattered or were sacred in the first place. Only death lay ahead in this hell, that's when she saw with horror young Var dashing through it, desperate to save his family.
"Mom, dad, Jacob brother do any of you hear me! Please if anyone is still here and breathing answer me…PLEASE!" Var shouted with tears in his young eyes, as he fought through the blazing heat and pain produced by the flames, they wouldn't stop him from reaching his family nothing would.
"Amusing isn't it? You know the funny thing, despite seeming so very…"hopeful" in the back of that pathetic little boys mind he already knew what he'd find, he just refused to accept it. He refused to accept the fact he was, all alone in the world then, his feeling of "hope" overpowering his own common sense and logic. Let whats about to happen be a lesson for you "J" hope the "hope" you jedi oh so love to preach about it's a mistake. Hope only leads to pain and misery; it can inspire and provide comfort…for a time. But after that time when it's rewarded with nothing, it only begins to crush the spirits it "hoped" to give strength." Var laughed at Jaina as she watched young Var continue to desperately search and search for his family through the burning town, to no avail.
"NO HOPE ISN'T, A MISTAKE! It can make those lost in the dark feel safe, it can guide them to the light. It isn't a mistake to believe things can get better, that you and your loved ones could happy and safe one day. The jedi teach it because its light will always pierce straight through the darkside, and all its angry and pain!" Jaina shouted at the Spector of Var whom simply laughed at her again.
"Really now that's so adorable "J", but those are just the words of a guilt consumed women trying to bring some kind of balance back to her life. I'll say again hope is a mistake, its just an empty promise that if you believe and wish hard enough things will actually change. Any fool who truly believes hope could possible change anything deserves to have their world shattered…but don't take my word for it just let the boy show you?" Var said with a smug tone as he gestured to his past self, once he finally arrived back at his ruined home.
"Ok I made it back, hopefully everyone's alright…NO I KNOW THEY ARE I CAN FEEL IT!" Young Var said once he leaped into the charred building that was once his home only to find a group of brotherhood soldiers and three sith cut father down with a quick saber swing.
"VAR RUN GET YOUR BROTHER." Was all Var's mother could say before she was lifted up off the ground and choked to death with the force to Var's horror. As he feel back down Var saw his older brother Jacob collapsed, and dragged him behind him, before screaming like he'd never done so before. He'd hope and hoped he could save his parents, his family would be safe, and maybe they could rebuild their lives after the Brotherhood left, but what had actually happened? His hope betrayed him and only made his suffering multiply.
"Lord Kaan what shall we do with the two boys?" A trooper said after he and the sith faced Var and his brother. He spoke to one lone sith in particular a mid aged tanned man with long black hair, goatee, draped in black and gold robes his eyes burning straight into Jaina's soul. This was the now dead leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness Lord Kaan, the most feared man in the galaxy less then ten years ago.
"Do not waste my time captain we have a world to conquer, I was drawn here because I felt…something, but I can't feel it any more so just slay these two boys and lets leave this pathetic little town." Lord Kaan said to the trooper captain who nodded and took aim at Var's brother and fired.
"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOO!" Var roared as he screamed so loud it echoed off the wall, and in an instant grasped one of the other two siths lightsabers with the force, and deflected the blast. To the shook of everyone except, Lord Kaan whom wore a face of great intrigue.
"Kill that brat right now!" The captain roared before Lord Kaan blasted him into the wall walking right up to Var and ripping the blade from his hands with the force.
"So you are what I sensed well, well, well you are certainly full of "potential". You won't believe me now, but one day you will thank me for freeing you of your weak parents, they were nothing but obstacles in the way of your destiny." Kaan said with a sinister smile before he repeatedly bashed Vars head into the wall with the force not enough to kill or leave scars, but enough to knock him out and keep him out for travel.
"What about the other one master, what should become of him?" One of the two sith said to Lord Kaan after taking the knee to speak with him.
"I have what I came here for leave the boy's brother, if he's strong he'll pull himself out of the flames and escape, and if not it saves our new member the trouble of having to kill him in the future. Either way I don't care, this boy's training must begin at once, he's strong in the force and properly channeled in the darkside could be the strongest sith born in centuries, my vision in the force has shown me this." Kaan said to his fellow sith before lifting up the unconscious Var with the force and walking out of the building towards his ship.
"Where did that boy's hope get him, his parent's slain in front of him and months in a torture chamber as piece of his soul died with each day. I fought at first tried to push back my hate not give them what they wanted, but then…they showed me what real power was "J". What "I" could do once I simple gave myself to my negative primal emotions of hate and rage, what I never could have done as that foolish boy. My family was a chain holding me back, keeping me from becoming what I was always destined to be I am Lord of The Sith. My chains are broken now my hatred and the force have freed me!...It's not all bad though, the force works in mysterious ways I found my way back to you "J" keeping our promise. You could have helped me possible even changed the events of my ultimate destiny, but you were to afraid to move you made a choice to be a "coward", and I AM WHAT YOUR WEAKNESS MADE ME!" Var said after removing his mask with a insane evil laughter, while strangling Jaina with the force, and shifting super fast between young Var, the Var fought by Voren, and back to this mask monster.
Jaina struggled to breath and try breaking Var's force choke, but to no avail her world was nothing but pain now. Then everything began to fade too black, the nightmare ending with her awake on her bed as it did.
"It was the nightmares again wasn't it? They've been getting worse for you Jaina, you're not out right telling me, but I can feel your pain and anguish. We're going to find him and bring him back to the light I promise, you'll have your friend back one day you have my word." Voren said to Jaina before he walked back over to the republic shuttle's pilot seat, beginning the process of jumping to hyperspace.
"I'm ok Voren believe it or not I'm kind of glad theses nightmares are happening it breaks my heart every time, but this latest one proves something I've known since me and Var were kids we're "connected" in the force. I saw horrible things from his past, I could only see because of our connection this connection is like the promise we made as children. We'll always find our way back to each other…always" Jaina said to Voren as she stared at the hand Var held when he made the promise so many years ago.
"Whatever it takes to keep your sprits up my old friend, trust your feelings and hold onto that hope. If it is it's will the force shall bring you to back together, just trust it. Ah good we're about to reach Nar Shaddaa's atmosphere, Carter Dral was last reported here we find him and we find Var." Voren said after the ship dropped out of hyperspace in front of the Hutt controlled crime planet of Nar Shaddaa.
Elsewhere as two being made they're first steps to finding him Var Shan was being beaten in his cell, his hands restrained by the guard to prevent him from fighting back. It had been a week since his episode with what could only have been the force, and the coliseums owner was not happy about it.
"I SAID LOOK AT ME YOU SLAVE SCUM! Not only did I lose good credits on you in that match, and not only did you kill some of my biggest prizefighters, but you scared the audience half to death with your crazy little jedi sith whatever moment madness. Attendance is down now, and I'm going to take it out of you every last credit. What do you have to say for yourself huh slave boy!" Slave and coliseum owner Kreegan roared at Var as he continued to have his guard beat him bloodied.
"…Just one thing…thank sir may I have another, wait one more to your guards hit like a weak child." Var said with a sarcastic rage filled voice to Kreegan while looking him straight tin the eyes, whom was not amused and waved his hand for the beating to continue once more.
"Oh you think your funny do you boy, well laugh at this tomorrow as a sign of good faith I'm going to have you executed in front of all those nice investors you scared yesterday. You can't believe just how many people want to see you breath your last slave. So get a good rest its going to be your last eh hahahahaha!" Kreegan laughed at Var before walking off with his guards, leaving the beaten Var on the floor in the fetal position in pain.
"You will not die here boy, you will LIVE!" Echoed in the back of Var's head like a hazy dream just inches out of reach, but still visibly there through the haze.
After a few hours of sleep his friend Shae, having somehow broken out of her cell, and her hand restraints, awakened Var.
"Shae what are you doing in my cell, and how the hell did you get your restraints off?" Var asked Shae as she started to free him from his restraints as well.
"It's a long story Var, but I've had an escape plan lined up for years now looking for the perfect opportunity to escape, with you scheduled to be killed in a few hours I had to push up the schedule. I'd hoped to take you after you'd finished maturing as a warrior, to make the change easier but I don't have a choice now your just going to have to roll with the punches." Shae said after helping Var slowly back up to his feet.
"What do you mean change? What the hell have you got planned now?" Var said as Shae carried them to security room.
"I'm going to make you into a Mandalorian Var, your one of the best fighters I've ever seen, and your cunning as hell to all good traits for a clansmen. I know it's a bit much to take in right now, but trust me this is the best thing that could happen to you. You'll finally have something you've been lacking, a sense of purpose. I know your going to call me crazy right now, but I've watched you for almost ten years now, and I've seen the emptiness in your eyes this isn't what your warrior sprit was made for, and we both know it whether your willing to admit it or not." Shae said as he began to splice into the security rooms door panel.
"Your damn right I think your crazy, I know I'm a good fighter Shae but I'm not warrior. Certainly not mandalorian material, your over estimating me I promise you I'm nothing special, I'm just me." A very frantic Var said to his crazy sounding friend.
"And I'm telling you, you are Var Shan 100% a warrior no one survives as many fights as you did without it. You also have the force, or at least have a better connection with it then most people do and that's more then enough to help you. I know your confused and a bit uncertain from self-doubt, but trust me I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't care about you and know it will help Var?" Shae said to Var before the security doors opened and she shot the two-security battle droid dead with her blaster pistol.
"…Fine I'll go along with it Shae, you're my only friend and I know you wouldn't suggest something like this if you didn't this it work. Now putting that aside for now, why the hell have we broken into the security room? The ship hangars are the other way!" Var said to his friend after taking many silent moments to think.
"We're here because we can't steal Kreegan's ship like I planned until we create a big enough distraction, like say opening all the prison cells. I've told enough people I know we can trust about this, and they're about to start a riot that will keep them occupied, while we steal that nerf herding punk Kreegan's ship…and done now lets go!" Shae said with a laugh to Var after entering in the last command and unlocking all the gladiators holding cells releasing them long enough for her friends to start the riot.
The distraction worked for the most part the gladiators kept security off them for almost the entire mad dash for the hangars. Once they made it to the hangars however that was a different story, Shae had to unload the entire power pack on her blaster cutting down the security guarding Kreegan's ship before they could make it and hack its doors open.
"Can you even fly this thing?" Var shouted at Shae after he slide into the gunner seat for the ships side blaster, pausing for a few seconds from confusion, and finally attempting to work the cannons to cut the approaching security reinforcements form getting any closer.
"Yeah yeah relax Var I know what I'm doing…I think this is the right sequence?" Shae said to Var before he could shout "you think!" the ship took off into the sky. The coliseum a visible wreck in the night because of flames caused from the rioters.
"So where are we heading miss Mandalorian?" Var said sarcastically to Shae whom simply brushed it off and punched in another series of controls.
"Well if you'd let me concentrate I'd tell you, we're heading to the last known location of my clan, the ruined debris of Malachor. The clan leader said in his last secret transmission they were looking for something their, and your going to find it first for him and earn a place in the clan. Trust me its not as bad as I'm making it?" Shae laughed to Var as the ship slipped into Hyperspace for their LONG journey, Var falling back into his much-needed sleep as they did.