BALANCE | A Star Wars story

XXXI

      My eyes blink open wearily. Everything around me is blurred so I rub my eyes hastily to make everything come into focus.

      It takes a moment but the recent events come crashing to the forefront of my memory. I curse and groggily stand up to get a better look at my surroundings. I'm trapped in a prison cell. Hay covers bits of the stone floor and the bars are made from some kind of metal that I haven't seen before. It's extremely dark down here, one light comes from the end of the corridor where there are stairs leading to Gods know where.

     One other notable fact is that I am no longer in the Iokath officer uniform. Instead I'm in a tight fitted black jumpsuit, the sleeves stop about three quarters down my arms and the neck reaches up to wrap around my throat. I have black boots that come half way up my calf along with a long dark cloak and a shiny obsidian utility belt.

       My hair has been brushed and I actually smell clean. This means someone has undressed and bathed me whilst I was unconscious, I shudder at the thought but I have more pressing matters.

      I remember everything.

      I remember growing up in an obsidian castle, surrounded my darkness. I remember being educated to hate the Jedi and use that hate to manipulate the force. I remember my lessons in how to use a lightsaber and the several hundred scars that came from that. I remember that solider from the bar, one of my parents most trusted generals, and I remember how we became incredibly close.

      I smile gently. We were the best of friends. We both had similar viewpoints about this place. Regret floods through me, we were going to run away together. Go warn the Jedi and then go explore the galaxy. Both of us had been raised on Korriban and had never left. But I left him. I ran without him. I can't imagine how he must have felt.

  I shake away the feeling, regret will get me nowhere in this place. I came here to stop them, to do what I should've done years ago. In order to do that I have to get go of my emotions and everything that weighs me down. I have to do what's needed. And I will.

I send everything out into the force, every feeling, every emotion, everything. I order it to stay away from me. I don't want to feel anything for what comes next.

      I take a deep breath and stable myself, it's time.

     Footsteps echo loudly as someone walks slowly, menacingly down the metallic stairs. I know who it is and I stand up straighter automatically, like a soldier addressing her general.

      I turn my head as the man comes into view, his red skin is cloaked by a long hood that drops low over his eyes but I can see long, slightly circled, tentacles protruding from above his mouth like a moustache. The man walks so agonisingly slow, as though every step requires a lot of thought. I grind my teeth together impatiently as I wait for him to reach my cell. When he eventually does his lips tilt up into a devilish smirk that sends shivers of fear and terror up my spine.

      "So." The man says, cutting of my chain of thought. "You have finally decided to return to us." He uses the force to remove his hood and I can clearly see the face of my nightmares.

     Short black hair rests upon his head, it's  pushed to the right but a strand dangles down in front of his eyes that seem to glow a menacing amber in the darkness. Wrinkles have started to form under his eyes and around his face, the only sign of how old he actually is.

      "Get bored playing Jedi did you?" He asks coldly, eyes piercing into mine. I can feel him trying to enter my mind and use the force to see exactly what I'm thinking and feeling. Luckily however much of a coward he is, Nilim did teach me how to block peoples attempts at reading my mind really well.

      He snarls annoyed when I refuse to let my walls down and let him in, "so you've learnt some new tricks, that's good, they'll be very useful."

   "Useful?" It's the first I've spoken to him in years and goosebumps rise on my arms out of fear of how he'll react to my speaking out of turn.

      "Yes, I have a lot planned for you Erinyes." I cringe at the name I had forgotten, he must see it because he merely chuckles hauntingly.

       "Forget you own name? Those Jedi really did a number on you ey?"

       "I don't know what you're talking about," It's a lie, I know exactly what he's talking about.

       "Ah you know, that memory wipe they did on you to make sure you'll never revert back to your old 'evil' ways." He laughs as if this whole situation is amusing to him, which it probably is.

     "What do you want from me?" I demand, wanting to change the topic.

     "You've grown feisty haven't you? Thinking you can talk back to me. But you've got your memories back now so you remember exactly what happens when you do."

       "I'm no longer a child, and my time with the Jedi has made me more powerful. Powerful enough to defeat you, once and for all."

        "You think you can defeat me? Well we'll see about that, but for now I have a job for you."

        "What makes you think I am going to do anything for you?" I ask disgustedly.

        "Because I have incentive."

        "Oh yeah and what's that? Jedi don't form attachments, so what could you possibly have that would make me want to join you again?"

        "Well luckily for me, you're no Jedi." Damn, that stings. Despite remembering everything, I have not changed my view on the war between the Jedi and the Sith. I still very much have the same views as the Jedi. I am a Jedi.

        "I am!" I insist.

         "You've been running from planet to planet to do nothing but talk 'negotiations' all because the council didn't want you near them incase you reverted back. I mean they haven't exactly been your friends have they? They changed your skin colour for gods sakes! All because they're afraid of you! Because they don't trust you!"

       "You're wrong!" I yell. "They do trust me! They aren't afraid! It's not the Jedi way!"

      "When will you learn, the Jedi council are the opposite of everything they preach!"

        "Stop lying!" I shout instinctively push my hands out, the man falls backwards and the straw around me flies all over the place.

        "You just gave into your anger," he muses joyfully, picking himself up. "I can't wait to see what you can do when you stop holding back, you are going to make the most powerful Sith yet."

       I'm breathing heavily from my outburst and cannot think of an answer to that, hatred directed at myself forms for giving into anger until I realise that these emotions are exactly what I wanted to get rid of. Maybe getting rid of emotions is more difficult than I expected.

        The man flicks his hand and the cage unlocks and the door swings open so there is nothing to separate us.

       "Now come upstairs and join me and your mother, we will discuss everything over tea." How kriffing civilised for murderers, I roll my eyes but I know better than to argue.

         "Yes father."