The Darkening: Chapter Six

In the real world as in dreams,
nothing is quite what it seems.

She is running through the forest. Her breath is coming slow and steady, the fast pace she is keeping barely winding her at all. She can feel the vibrancy of the forest, of the night as she runs. She revels in how the small sticks and stones feel on her bare feet, and how the wind slices through her nightgown. Ahead of her is her prey, a shining beacon in the forest, running scared.

The wind and tree limbs whip past her as her grin grows larger, coming around a corner and spying her prey. It is a pretty young human female, about fifteen standard years old. She recognizes her from the Academy, her name is Keira Mirand, and she is one of Kai's friends. The scent of fear is all around her, and she almost laughs as the girl turns around, her blue eyes large and round.

She jumps at her, knocking her to the ground, pushing her face into the hard pressed dirt floor of the forest. The girl tries to fight back, sending a Force wave at her, and she just smiles, using her new skill to twist around telekinetic attacks, to deflect them away from her. She scratches the girl, marring the girl's perfect face, her perfect skin with four long, ragged gashes.

She laughs as the girl screams in pain. Then she grabs her around the neck, squeezing tight until all movement stops, until the girl's presence fades into the Force. Licking the traces of blood from her fingers, she turns around and heads back towards her lair.

With a stifled scream, Jysella sits up in her bed, her heart beating way too fast, and her breath nearly a pant. She grimaces as a muscle in her leg twinges. She looks around the room, recognizing it for what it is, as the last vestiges of the horrible dream fade away.

Looking at the chrono she realizes that she has awakened only a half hour earlier than usual, and decides that she doesn't need to go back to sleep. She strips out of her night gown, noticing the rip in the shoulder. Shrugging she tosses it away before stepping into the shower.

She shivers as the warm water begins to loosen muscles tightened by her dream. Finally she starts to soap herself, as she lifts one of her feet, she notices the small cut. Frowning she sticks her head from the shower, looking around the floor of the fresher to see what could have caused it.

After she finishes her shower, she finds herself once more in front of her mirror, appraising herself, wondering just what Jacen saw in her that would make him ask her out. Shrugging her shoulders again, she returns to her room to get dressed. Opening her wardrobe, she frowns at all the browns and tans. Digging further, she finally pulls out an old pair of black pants and a navy tunic. Slipping into those clothes, she glances at her reflection, and frowns once more. As her eyes travel up and down her from, she decides that she needs to get a new outfit or two.

Sitting back down on the bed, she picks up her box, and the Custodian appears as before. He gives her a slight half-bow. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. I have something that I am wondering, if you could offer advice?"

The Custodian, once more bows. "I would be happy to."

"Well, I went on that date last night, and I was just wondering what he could see in me? I am about the same age as his apprentice after all."

The Custodian strokes his chin. "I doubt that he is truly interested in you. Maybe a test is in order."

"A test?"

"Yes, but not yet. You do not have all the necessary skills or outfits that the test will require. For now, just go along with him, and do not let him suspect your doubts."

"So, exactly what skills am I going to need?"

The Custodian smiles and begins to teach.

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Luke is standing over the mutilated body of one of his young students. He frowns as his eyes travel over her form, noting the small details, such as the bruises up and down her torso, the long gashes on her face. He glances up at the steps of the temple, wondering why someone would kill one of his students, and then dump her broken, naked body here.

The crunch of a twig attracts his attention and he turns to see Jacen and Ben walk up. They both give him abbreviated bows. As he waves them over, he notices as Ben's eyes narrows. Luke can understand this, after all the girl is Ben's age.

Ben kneels down next to her, his head moving slightly as he looks her over and, then he glances up at his father. "This is Keira Mirand. What? Who did this?"

Luke shakes his head. "I don't know. The Force is strangely silent, clouded on this matter. I'm assigning the two of you to help find out for me."

Jacen nods his head. "Yes Master." Then he turns towards Ben. "You know her right?"

Ben nods. "Yes, she was in a couple of my classes, but I've not seen a lot of her since I became your apprentice."

"That's fine; it just means that you're going back to the academy for lessons. Get to know who her friends were and get to know who her enemies were." Jacen pauses for a second. "And get to know who she and her friends teased."

"Yes Master."

Jacen looks towards his uncle. "Are we getting any forensic specialists in to look the body over?"

"Yes, they will be here soon. Corran will also be working with you on this, but what I want you to really focus on is the Force. After all what worries me most is the lack of guidance from the Force. This clouding worries me. I sense dark tidings, a darkness that is heading this way."

Jacen gives Luke a grin. "Don't worry Uncle Luke, we'll figure this out.

Luke gives Jacen a half-hearted smile and then walks inside.

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Ben slides into a seat in his first class of the day. He looks around the room, noticing the knot of girls standing in one corner, obviously upset. He recognizes one of them as Merida Tool; a vindictive Arconian girl he used to be paired with during saber training.

After a second, one of them looks his way and smiles at him. "So the Great Skywalker has once more been reduced to attending lessons with us normal trainees."

He looks up at them, a mischievous light flashing in his eyes. "Yeah, my dad thought you all could use a little bit of help, so he sent me to see you."

He notices as a few of the other students laugh, and smiles as he sees the outrage in her eyes. Then she turns from him, retreating back into her cluster of friends. Then he glances at the door and really smiles as he sees who is standing in the doorway.

He watches how she enters the room, as if she is almost hesitant to walk in. Then his eyes travels to her hair; which she has left down today, and he wonders what it would feel like to touch it, to run his fingers through it.

As he looks over her clothes, he realizes what is different about them. They're not the tans and browns he has so often seen her in, but rather a tight fitting pair of black pants, which show off the curves of her hips, and a navy tunic, which brings out the blue of her eyes.

She catches his stare, and as he looks away, notices that she blushes slightly. From the corner of his eye, he watches as she darts into the room, and slides into a seat in the back. After a moment, he stands up and walks back to where she's sitting and slides into a seat next to her. As he opens his mouth to talk, he can hear the girl from earlier once more. "Well, look at that, the great Skywalker with the clipped Mynock."

Then Merida glances at them, a look of disgust crossing her features. "Hey Bennie, you shouldn't spend time with her, she'll just drag you down."

Ben cocks his head slightly and just stares at them, a calm bemused expression on his face. "Maybe I'd like that. Regardless, I'd rather spend time with her than you."

Beside him, he can feel Jysella's anger and embarrassment radiating off of her, and he reaches beneath the desk and grasps her hand giving it a gentle squeeze. He can feel her jump slightly and almost loses his blank "Jedi" face. Finally the girls once more retreat to their cluster and he turns back towards Jysella and gives her a bright smile. "Hi, hope you don't mind sharing this desk with me."

She looks up at him, her smile hesitant, as if she's not sure what to expect from him. "No, I don't mind at all."