I walked into my rooms after a very long day of studying at the Shadow Academy libraries and later being beat up by my Master at the training hall. I was sore, had a killer headache and really felt old. Maybe accepting the offer to join the Brotherhood was a mistake. Lilith was fitting right in and had already made a name for herself as an outstanding student and as a healer.
“Lil? I am home ma love. What do ye want for dinn-“ I stopped an looked around. Something felt _off_. I could not place it, but something… I dropped my training gear and books and unhooked my saber from my belt. Calming myself, I slowly searched our rooms looking for anything that was amiss. Nothing, they were empty. I went back and grabbed up my gear where I had dropped it and went to the kitchenette muttering to myself. It was then, while I was getting myself a drink, that I noticed the holocom light blinking. Still trying to shake off the odd feeling something was amiss, I thumbed the activation switch. I popped the cap on my cider fully expecting Lilith to be messaging me that she would be late for dinner. No surprise her Master had her slaving away at the Shadow Academy and she had not been home on time for the past 10 days.
The static of the holocom made me turn and look at the unit and stopped cold when I saw who had left me the message. That miserable Twi’lek Ch’Cadick had the gall to call me again.
“—anos, I have t—ken Lil—th with me back to D-s—un. She isn’t h–rt and I wi— send h— back when she h—heal--- ----st—r Th---lan.” The image jittered and shifted because of the distance and the scrambler on the device. “I had ho—d to avoid thi- if y-- would have he-ped me befo---. By t-e –ay, the sec-rity whe—re you are at is a joke. Ju—t lik- th--- scrambler on the holo was able t- trac—you e—ly. Nice apar--ment you have." Screaming in rage, I smashed the holocom against the wall causing it to short out in a shower of sparks. I lashed out in anger I punched the refrigerator door leaving an imprint of my fist deep in the metal. Seeing red as I looked at my broken knuckles as they bled and started swelling, I fell to my knees and wept in frustration.
Fifteen minutes later I was in the medical ward with my hand healing rapidly in a kolto tank. I had a droid bring me holocom so I could contact my Master. When he answered, he could see the medical staff behind me moving about. “Janos? Why are you contacting me from the medical facilities, I trust you weren’t injured to badly during our sparring.”
“Nae Master, I broke ma hand punching the refrigerator in ma rooms. I need your permission ta go off planet an track down a piece o stinking filth that has kidnapped Lilith.”
“Wait, you punche—who would kidnap Lilith and more to the point. HOW did someone kidnap Lilith? Are they in the Brotherhood, from another house or clan?”
I removed my now healed hand from the gel and flexed the fingers to see if they would be a problem. They were sore but would be fine in the time it took me to get to Dosuun. “A former Padawan I trained with back on Dosuun, a Twi’lek named Ch’Cadick, managed ta sneak on planet an take her from our rooms! He somehow tracked me here, slipped through the security, which he says is a joke by the way, and, and HE TOOK HER! He took her to Dosuun ta heal Jedi Master Thuallan” I started to get angry again at the situation. “So ah’ll be a need'n ta goo an faind her an get hair back from thair!” I yelled my accent coming out thicker than usual, as it often did when I had lost my cool.
My Master smiled at my anger and an evil glint appeared in his eye. “Janos you have my permission to take the first shuttle off planet and to where you need to go. I will make the arrangements and speak with Atra and Darkblade. We will monitor your journey and assist where we can. I want you to promise me something though. When you find this Twi’lek, and this Jedi, if he lives. Kill them.”
“With pleasure my Master, with pleasure.”
Within a few hours I had packed and made my way to the spaceport to catch the outbound shuttle. Settling into my seat I began to meditate, forcing my mind to revel in the death that I was going to be bringing. Within moments, I was deep in a trance.
I transferred from shuttle to ship and back again quite a few times before I made it to the wild space and the Dosuun System. I hid aboard a cargo shuttle heading down to the planet and waited in the hold, using the Force to cloak myself from everyone on the ship. When we landed I waited until the right moment and made my way off ship.
I got my bearings and realized I was about a day’s journey from where I needed to be. Looking about I spied a speeder that would do nicely for getting me to where I needed to go. Waiting until dark I made my way to it and stole it, heading into the jungle. I traveled for hours, skirting communities and the numerous First Order outposts that had sprung up in the years since I had been there. Only resting when I needed to, I made my way to the small commune hidden deep in the forests.
It was quiet, very quiet. Many of the buildings showed signs of neglect and the grounds where I spent my youth training were overgrown in some places. I let the Force guide me as I reached out and sensed where my love was. I could feel her Force in a far building along with my enemy and a very, very weak feeling. I stood up and shucked off my cloak then removed my saber from my belt.
“Ch’Cadick!” I bellowed, “It’s time for you to die along with the rest of the miserable Lightsiders here!” I strode forward out of the woods onto the grounds. “I will raise this place and bury you in an unmarked grave for what you have done!” Igniting my Lightsaber, I slowly and purposely walked forward. An adolescent rushed towards me yelling a battle cry and waiving a practice saber over his head. Without a thought I parried his wild blow and cleft his arm from his body. Screaming in agony, he rolled about until I killed him. I looked up and grinned at the horrified look on Ch’Cadick’s face. “It is your turn next my friend.” I mocked.
Ch’Cadick ignited his lightsaber and the blade was a brilliant blue. I raised my indigo purple blade in salute and charged him. The clash and arcing of the blade brought Lilith to the door. I could see she had a black eye and fat lip. she also looked very tired. My eyesight turned red at the thought of this alien laying his hands on my wife. Slashing with all my might, I forced him back towards the door. He countered and with the grace of one who has trained for years he leapt away and positioned himself for another attack. “You can’t beat me Janos.” He said. “I trained under Master Thuallan after you fled, and I learned what you never could learn. How to focus and control my anger. Now I am a Jedi Knight and you still wear the sash of a Padawan!”
“Aye lad, a Padawan ah may be but ye will never be my equal, Jedi or no.” I countered, stepping towards him again. “Ah have the love o’ a good woman, an a master that has been teaching me ta use my emotions an ma anger ta fight with.” I snarled reaching forward towards him with my left hand; I blasted a bolt of lighting at him. Caught unaware he barely blocked the bolt with his lightsaber. Drawing inward, I looked him in the eyes and sent a crushing blow of terror into him. His eyes widened as his fears took hold of him. Using the opening, I gripped my saber with both hands and I stabbed forward. The indigo blade pierced his left shoulder causing him to drop his saber. Holding the hilt of the saber against his shoulder with my left hand, the blade sizzling with his blood, I reached down to my belt and drew forth a corroded and beat up vibroknife. “Do ye recognize this lad? I killed our master with it. Right in the heart no less.”
“And that’s what you will do to me now, stab me in the heart too?” The now panicked Twi’lek asked. Fear and tears were in his eyes. For a moment, I hesitated, thinking that he no reason to die. Then I thought of Lilith and his taking her.
“Nay Jedi filth, this!” I stabbed the blade just above his groin and drew it upwards eviscerating him. I looked him in the eye as his guts and blood splashed down over my legs and boots. Then pushing the blade further in I cut out his beating heart.
Turning off my saber, I let his corpse fall among his entrails. I turned and saw my wife recoil in horror at my gore-covered appearance and the red of my normally blue-grey eyes. “Stand aside wife, Ah have me orders.” I growled and stepped towards the door.
“Janos, _JANOS_! Stop! He’s dying, he’ll be dead very soon.” My wife sobbed, “Please, stop! You don’t need to do this. I, I, I couldn’t save him, it’s to late.” I watched as she curled inward sobbing at her inability to save someone. I knew it was her greatest fear.
“Lass I love ye, but Master Stahoes has given me an order. Now step aside an let me finish ma work here.” I said gently pushing her aside. I entered the darkened room and went to the figure lying on the bed. The Jedi Knight lay dead; his hands limply grasping the saber I had seen so often him flourish with gusto and grace. I felt my eyes tear up and could not understand why. After everything that had happened between us, the fighting, the yelling, all of the grief he gave me trying to make me into a Jedi. I found I couldn’t hate him “Goodbye..Ma, Master.” I whispered tears streaming from my eyes. Lilith came up beside me and we watched as the body dissolved into shimmering, sparkling light.