The Darkening: Chapter One

The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.

Jysella Horn is not a happy girl. Being the daughter of a respected Council Member, and a Jedi of the Halycon line, ensures that she is mercilessly teased by her classmates and peers. As she slides out of bed, she wonders if she can convince her parents that she doesn't need to attend classes today.

Sighing as she knows that such a lie would never work against her father, she runs through the refresher, carefully cleaning what she considers one of her best features, her hair. As she glances into the mirror, she sighs once more, unhappy with the reflection that stares back at her. At seventeen she has reached the full growth her heritage will provide, and though not as short as some, she still lacks the height which she has always admired in some of the older Jedi Knights such as Tahiri or Tenel Ka.

She twists and looks at her profile, still unhappy with the sight in her mirror. Turning from the mirror, she quickly dresses in her customary Jedi robes, tan colored pants, with a sand color tunic, and white linen shirt. Slipping into the baggy, dark brown over cloak, she strides down the stairs to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before her first lessons of the day.

She hesitates in the entry way, then seeing no one was in there, quickly enters and grabs some fruit for her meal. As she chews her food, she wonders where her family is, as it is normal for them to be eating breakfast when she comes down. Shrugging her shoulders, she slips out the door, hoping to get to class early enough that she could get into one of the seats in the back of the room, so that she wouldn't have to deal with the stares of the other students if she entered in after they did.

As she slips through the corridors of the academy, she hears the laughter of some of her classmates. Stopping, she peers around the corner, and sees the group gathered there, the one that's led by Kai Andur. Jysella's eyes narrow, a flicker of jealousy flying through her as she sees the features and height and body on Kai that she wishes she had.

Ducking back around the corner before she could be seen, Jysella tries to figure out how to get to her classroom without opening herself to the taunts of this group. She squeezes her eyes shut harder as laughter, from the group of girls, echoes around the corner; she knows that they're talking about her, laughing about her.

In her head she begins a mental countdown. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

"Hey Jelly!"

She opens her eyes and sees Kai standing before her, with the group of sycophants around her, all of them wearing matching sneers. Jysella's eyes flicker around the group of girls, and finally settle on Kai.

"My name is Jysella."

Kai ignores her and looks to Merida Tool, an arconian girl who is standing to the right of Kai. "You know, I heard her brother call her 'jizz' the other day."

Some of the girls behind them snicker, as the one spoken to replies, "I thought that was bad bar music?"

"I guess it's fitting then, she'll be in a bar somewhere while we're out saving the galaxy; after all she's just a weakling of a Force user." Kai looks from the girl back to Jysella. "She can't even pick up a leaf with the Force."

In a flash of anger, Jysella lunges forward slamming her fist into Kai's nose, and is quickly propelled back against the wall with a Force shove.

"Girls."

The voice that spoke is soft, yet it contains unmistakable power. The entire group looks down the hall and sees Master Skywalker standing there, a mixture of a scowl and a frown on his face.

Kai glances his way, and then rushes towards him, dropping her Force grip on Jysella. As Jysella crumbles to the floor she can hear Kai talking to the Master, her voice nasally and slurred from the broken nose. "It was horrible Master Skywalker, we were trying to talk to Jysella, and she just punched me for no reason."

As she finishes her story, her group of friends reaffirms it, and as Jysella starts to stand up, she takes a look towards Master Skywalker, and notes how his features have darkened with frustration. She looks down the hall the opposite way, wondering on her chances to get away.

His soft voice is there once more. "Go to the infirmary Kai, the rest of you, go to class."

She looks at the group, and sees them walk back towards the room, when Kai is passed Master Skywalker; she turns her head to look at Jysella a smile on her face, and vitriol in her eyes. Jysella waits where she stands as the Master walks towards her slowly; finally he is standing in front of here, disappointment etched in his bright blue eyes. "Why were you fighting again Jysella?"

"They were teasing me again Master."

Luke watches her for a moment, and frowns even more. "A Jedi should be above such concerns; you have to learn to not let it bother you."

"But-"

He holds up his hand, interrupting her. "No buts, Jysella. You must learn to control these outbursts."

Jysella bows her head, feeling her tears as they start to slide down her face. She knows that the Grand Master did not understand, could not understand what she was going through. "Jysella is everything all right?"

She keeps her head bowed. "Yes, Master."

He places his hand on her shoulder, startling her. She looks up at him, the tears still flowing. "I'm sorry I am so hard on you, but I expect more from you because of whose daughter you are."

"But I can't control whose daughter I am! Why not treat me like everyone else?"

His smile is warm, and inviting, even if she knows it is fake. "Because I know you are capable of more."

She sobs again, her entire frame hitching from the tears. "But I just want to be like everybody else." She turns her piercing green eyes on Luke. "Why can't I be like everyone else? Why am I different?"

Luke smiles at her. "We're all different Jysella, and as soon as you learn to not let the girls' taunting get under your skin, you will be a great Jedi Knight."

She looks up to him, the tear streaks lining her face. "Why do they call me names? What did I do to them?"

Luke shakes his head. "It's not necessary for you to have done anything. You want to know what my peers called me on Tatooine while growing up?"

Jysella mutely nods her head. Luke is once more smiling at her. "Wormie."

Jysella's mouth drops open, and her hand automatically covers it. She considers that maybe the Master just might know what she is going through. "Why?"

Luke glances off down the hall. "Tank always said I was squishy like a worm, so I was dubbed 'Wormie.'" He reaches out and places his hand on her shoulder. "So, I have first hand experience with name calling, and I know it can hurt your feelings, but I also know that you don't have to let it control you."

Jysella bows her head once again. "Yes, Master."

Luke releases her shoulder. "Now, go to your lesson, and may the Force be with you."

Jysella turns from him and mutters the traditional response to the farewell. Her thoughts once more directed to the room she is heading towards, the one in which Kai's friends are already sitting in, waiting for her to arrive, waiting to make fun of her once more.

She quickly glances over her shoulder, noticing that Master Skywalker has once more started walking down the hall. She sighs as she draws closer to the room, not wanting to enter, scared of what her parents would do if she didn't attend the lessons. Finally lowering her head, she walks into the room, watching her feet and finds a workstation to sit at.

All the while trying to fight the tears, and ignore the snickers of her classmates.

That night Jysella readies herself for bed, once more frowning at her reflection in the mirror. Wondering just why the other girls refuse to leave her alone, refuse to just let her be. She knows that as a Jedi she should not be concerned about such things, but as much as she tries to not be, the pain still rankles.

Sliding between the covers, she closes her eyes, and allows the peace of sleep to claim her.