Star Wars: Duality

CHAPTER ELEVEN: BROKEN

    Wake up.

    The young man's eyes snapped open and he tried to raise his arms to a defensive position, but he couldn't; there's never an easy way to realize one is strapped to a chair.

    Drystan writhed, his mind flooding with recollection. He made little to no progress on his steel restraints, so he looked to his surroundings. His uncomfortable wooden seat was the only piece of furniture in an otherwise luxurious-looking penthouse. The windows all around the edge of the building showed him nothing but the night sky and some storm clouds, so he must have been somewhere either very isolated or very high up.

    A cold draft snaked its way over his neck, causing him to sit still as quickly as he had come to consciousness.

    Danger.

    His brain was buzzing, but somehow Drystan could hear that warning through the fog and panic in his mind; he decided to trust it.

    Drystan rocked forward and got his feet planted on the floor, picking the chair up behind him. From his crouch, he flipped and spun, smashing the wood across the chest of whoever it was that was approaching him from behind. They fell flat on their back, and Drystan then came down in a tight handstand and bounced away.
    That move was far more advanced than the usually clumsy Jedi had ever pulled off; instead of questioning the electric feeling empowering him, though, Drystan shook the loosened manacles from his wrists and prowled forward. The stranger was dressed in rough clothes and an armored vest, but had no helmet, revealing...

    ...Maive?

    Groaning, she raised her hands. "Easy! Stang, I'm lucky you didn't break my ribs."

    This had to be a trick. The tomb... Eris... "What happened, Maive? Where are we?"
    "We're back in Prosperity; this penthouse is the top floor of a new building I own. I was thinking of moving in, but if that creepy magic guy has been lurking in here, that's kind of a turn-off." She stood, but didn't come closer. "You don't remember anything?"
    Drystan shook his head. "There was a cave-in, and then–" Memories hit him like body blows. "Aedan! He was knocked unconscious, and then I killed all those soldiers, and– and–"

    "Take it slow, kid," Maive placated. "Let's figure this out from my end. Aedan asked me to check if we had a clean exit route, so I poked around and came up on the main chamber from another angle. But by the time I got there, those Imps had come out of nowhere, and you were facing off with what's-his-face, Erik. It was all I could do to get clear when everything started collapsing; I did manage to steal some armor and the keys to a speeder bike on my way out. When I saw an Imp shuttle flying towards the city, I followed it as close as possible, and what do you know, they made a beeline for one of my properties.

    "I know you're worried about Aedan, and believe me, I'm dying inside every minute I spend without going back for him. But if there's one thing he knows how to do, it's survive, and I know I can't help him on my own. If he trusts you, then so do I, Drystan."

    Liar.

    Drystan didn't understand, but still he kept his guard up. "No... something's not right."

    "What is it? The Force?"

    Instead of answering, he checked his pocket. Somehow, the fact his lightsaber hadn't been confiscated failed to worry him; he pointed it at the increasingly frightened woman in front of him.

    "You expect me to believe you just tiptoed around and no one stopped you?"
Maive put her hands back up. "I... I guess I got luck–"
    "LIAR!" Drystan ignited the violet blade. "For all I know, you're only here to make me lower my guard for that Sith creature!"

    It was storming outside, and the sound of thunder painted an ominous backdrop for Maive's betrayal. She kept a decent space between the two of them as Drystan advanced.

    "I would never work with the Empire, much less some fragging wizard!" Maive reinforced her shaky voice with anger. "Calm down, you're not thinking clearly!"
    Drystan extended his strength and desperation into the Force, just as he had learned this terrible night; he pushed Maive's back, causing her to stumble towards him. With perfect form, he kicked her in the gut, sending her back to the floor.

    "You, Aedan, and the whole kriffing galaxy want me six feet under. Well, I don't go down that easily!" Drystan kicked her again, and she cried out, arms over her head.

    End her.

    Breathing heavily, the young man brought his saber up... and held it there. Is this really what he had come to? Was his Jedi upbringing well and truly dead?

    KILL HER NOW!

    Lightning flashed, and for the briefest moment, he could see at the edge of his vision a familiar, slender silhouette. It was standing in the shadows across the penthouse, radiating violence.

    Drystan gave in to his instincts of fear and survival. He slammed his weapon down, coming up just short of the curled-up form in front of him, but still let loose a repulse of Force energy; Maive flew back, her back wrapping around a pillar with a horrifying snap.

    "Maive...?" She wasn't moving, and regret punched a hole in the blanket of dark emotion wrapped around Drystan's brain. He spun, looking for the source of the malicious presence he felt pervading the space around him, but he was alone.

    Are you so ready to find me?
    Drystan fell to his knees, his senses on fire. The Jedi Code echoed in his thoughts and his soul, a last-ditch effort to defend himself against smothering evil.

    "There is no emotion, there is peace."

    Don't make me laugh. Your peace has been stolen from you.

    "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."

    Every bit of knowledge you've gained tonight has served only to wound you.

    Drystan choked back tears. "There is no passion, there is serenity."

    Your passion cannot be contained! It burns you, consumes you!

    He dropped his head into his hands. "Th-there is no chaos, there is harmony."
    Who do you think you are!? YOU CANNOT DEFEAT CHAOS.

    The silence around him was deafening, the air felt like it was boiling. "There is no death, there is the Force!"

    EVERYTHING YOU ONCE WERE IS DEAD!

    Drystan screamed, and the room tore itself apart.