Hidden Malice

Chapter One

Asante talked happily with one of the crew members of the ship. They were returning from a trip to visit the ancient Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Something about the stories of the Jedi and Sith had always interested her, so she had jumped at the chance to take a trip to have a guided tour of the old, basically crumbling temple.

"I still don't understand how the Jedi could have built their temple over top of a Sith holocron! Wouldn't they have sensed it?" Anna, the crew member she was talking to, asked. Asante shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe something in the planet blocked it? I heard that when they were all killed, the Sith went in and got it back." She added. Anna tilted her head.

"Where did you hear that?" She asked. Asante shrugged again.

"Probably the Holonet." She laughed.

The ship suddenly lurched to a stop, and the two girls looking out the window to see a huge ship flying right over them.

"What's happening?" Asante asked, looking to Anna.

Anna's face was white, her eyes wide, as she ran to the control room. Looking back up, Asante noticed what had scared Anna so badly. The ship had the mark of the First Order on it. Thus far, she'd tried very hard to keep off of either side of the war and just mind her own business.

The ship lurched again as it slowly became level to the huge First Order ship. Asante braced for the impact of the huge ship, prepared to die, but it never came. She opened one eye to see Anna and many other members of the crew coming out into the hallway.

"Anna, what's happening?" She hissed at the girl, who slowly walked over.

"We're...being boarded." She said quietly, fear very evident in her eyes.

"Why? Isn't this just a transport ship?"

"Yes! That's why we're worried. We're hoping its just a routine checkup."

The door in front of them suddenly sprang open, a a large group of stormtroopers walked in. All in formation, they looked very intimidating. But even more frightening was the blacked, masked figure that followed close behind them all. The stormtroopers began to gather people up, ordering them to get in line. There was panicked shouts coming from the entire room as people were found in other rooms of the ship and brought to the others. Once all in a row, the black masked figure paced in front of them.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what we're doing here. We know you aren't with the Resistance, but even so, you have something we need. Or rather, someone."

Asante snuck a look at the line of people. Was someone here with the Resistance? And if they were, why would they endanger the ship like this? One by one, the masked figure placed two fingers on each persons forehead, before moving onto the next person.

"Who is that?" Asante hissed at anna, who was in line next to her.

"Kylo Ren. He's a general..or commander...or something like that. I hear he can use the force."

"The Force?" Asante thought to herself. "Does that mean he's a Jedi or Sith?"

She'd never heard of force users being apart from those two categories, but supposed there could be another option.

Kylo Ren was coming closer. Asante wasn't sure if he had found what he was looking for, and just doing a brief sweep of everyone, or if he was still searching. They were near the end of the line from where he had started, so theta d stood in anxiety, waiting for him to come closer. As he neared, Asante noticed something on his belt.

A lightsaber!

This was more proof that he must be a Jedi or Sith. A force user and a lightsaber wielded? Though she was still terrified out of her mind, she couldn't help but feel her heart speed up at the notice of his weapon.

Suddenly, he was at Anna, a places his fingers on her forehead. She shook, looking at him with big eyes, before he brought his hand back. It seemed she wasn't the one. He now stood in front of Asante, and as his fingers touched her head, she felt a sharp pain rip through her head. She gasped, surprised by such pain, and dropped to her knees as a white light seemed to flash through her memories.

A black and red demon, a venomous senator, a regal count, a looming shadow. With each of these memories, the pain grew, beating with a kind of
Rhythm. Kylo Ren kept his fingers there, as she fell forward, catching herself with her hands.

The pain ended with the memories as the fingers left her head. She breathed heavily, slowly looking up at the figure in front of her. He waved a hand, and she felt herself floating into a standing position. Everyone had their eyes on her, but she could not pull her gaze from the masked man. His hand clenched into a fist, and she went limp, enveloped by darkness.