The Mandalorian Jedi

Part Two: Chapter Eight

I woke to find myself strapped to a table. There were restraints strapped chokingly tight across my entire body, I couldn't move so much as a finger, and a smaller restraint kept my mouth harshly shut. It felt all too familiar, a sensation from a period of my life I had no true memory of. I struggled to draw in any breath, my chest too tight from the rising terror. I tried to turn my head to see anything about the room I was trapped in but failed at even that. Against my better judgement I started to struggle, I knew it was useless and I knew better, but it gave me some sense of control. There was a low chuckle somewhere to my left.

"Come now Rhea, there is no need for you to struggle. I have no intention of harming you. Well not yet at least." The man came into view, peering down on me with a sickeningly calm smile, the same man who had led those guards, how long ago had that been? Where was Naakla? Wraith? My eyes darted from side to side as if I would be able to see them. The man seemed to understand what I was searching for. He sighed, and it felt so opposite from Obi-Wan's sighs that I missed so much,
"Don't worry my dear, your friends are very much alive. You will see them soon I'm sure. But for now..." He wiggled a needle in my face and slowly lowered it to my arm. I tried to writhe away, my yells at him to stop muffled by the gag over my mouth. I watched, wide eyed, as he pushed some foreign liquid into my blood. I held my breath in anticipation of some blinding pain and then... nothing. The man held the needle up again and looked at it in the light above,
"It's a masterful little thing. The only remnant of the original experiments done on you, how long ago was it? Fifteen, sixteen years ago? My predecessors of course intended for it to be used many years ago but... well Ziro's greed got in the way." I furrowed my eyebrows and swallowed the growing tightness in my throat. The man chuckled,
"My apologies dear. Allow me to explain. After the successful attempt at increasing your force sensitivity it was decided that ten years later this would be used to unlock the true potential of your power. Of course we intended for you to remain in our facility until that time but a parents love... it's a shame what happened to them, truly. Ziro kept a tight hold on you until we decided to allow him to protect you for us, we should never have put our trust in him, he killed our researchers and sold you off to the Jedi for the highest price he could get." The man tutted and shook his head, feigning disappointment then suddenly cheerful said, "but we have you back now, that's what matters. This will unlock the dormant potential of the midi-chlorians in your blood and then we can start replicating it. Just imagine, an army of Sith with your potential, their lives ten times longer..." he trailed off dreamily, a large grin spilling across his face. I wanted to throw up.

He eventually retreated to what I assumed was a chair in the corner of the room, waiting for some kind of reaction to whatever the hell he had just injected me with. It didn't take long. The tightness in my throat grew and grew until suddenly I was choking, my whole body starting to writhe for air as something tried to force its way out of me. The man leapt up from his seat and rushed over to. I wanted to kill him as his hand came to rest against my cheek, brushing away a tear that had leaked out of the corner of my eye as I choked for air,
"Let go," he said softly, "let go, my dear." I tried to keep whatever it was within me, I tried so hard, but a moment later power exploded out of me. I heard screams echoing through the building. The walls around us disintegrated. I tried, and failed, to reign it in. The last thing I saw before I blacked out were people, civilians, frantically trying to escape the destruction I ravaged through the streets of Coruscant.

I woke briefly, vaguely aware of the whine of a ship as it jumped into hyperspace. And then nothing.

When I next awoke I was standing, my arms strung high above my head in thick cuffs that locked my hands in place, ensuring I couldn't use them to inflict any damage, a shock collar around my neck, and my feet loosely chained to the floor. It was hours before anyone came to check on me. The man in the long white coat appeared in front of me, an attend at his side. I was exhausted, I wanted nothing more than to collapse but the strain on my arms forced me to my feet every time I stumbled. He stood there for a long while, examining me. Every now and then he muttered something and his attendant furiously scribbled down notes. Finally he approached, his fingers trailing across my arms, down my back. I felt bile rise in my throat and couldn't help the shudder that ran through me. I was dressed in a thin, ragged shirt and trousers and I shivered in the damp cold of the room. I followed his every move until he came to stand in front of me again,
"That was a thoroughly impressive display Rhea. Congratulations." As if I had something to be proud of,
"I hate you." My voice was hoarse and he just chuckled in response. It was a stupid, childish thing to say andit was a lie, I didn't hate him, I was terrified of him, but it was the only response I could muster up. He rubbed his hands together, as if in anticipation. He nodded to the attendant who turned on his heel and rushed out of the room. He returned a moment later with two guards, hanging between them was Wraith. He looked like absolute shit. There were cuts all over his arms and despite the brave face he was putting on he couldn't keep his feet beneath him. They connected the chains on his arms to the ceiling and he hung there, his piercing gaze locked on mine. There was no anger in his eyes, only a deep pain he couldn't mask no matter how hard he tried.

"What is this?" My voice broke slightly as I spoke,
"I have often found, my dear, that my subjects comply much better with the threat of pain. Not their own of course but..." He nodded to Wraith and I shook my head,
"No, please. Please." My desperation was clear. The man merely smiled,
"It is ever so fun to witness as well, I must admit. You see, if we took your blood now... well it would be effective but anger, pain? Those emotions are the foundation of the Sith, if you are to create an army of the most powerful people the galaxy has ever seen, I need you overflowing with hatred dear."

"Begin."