Star Wars: The Jedi Chronicles:Enter The Shadows (Books 1-4)

Chapter Eleven: Awake and Alive

Chapter Eleven

Awake and Alive

That night, Shain has a nightmare about the final battle with Censes. He dreams that the only thing that can beat Censes is dark and light Force powers, used at once. However, the dream is unclear as to how he is to do that without purposefully turning himself Shadow.

The nightmare wakes Shain up at about five thirty. He looks over at his clock and tries for a half hour to get back to sleep, but he has no luck. He decides to go for a run around the ship. He opens his door just in time to see Sarah to run by. She turns around, running backwards.

Sarah: You’re up early.

Shain: Bad dream. Sarah, watch out!

Sarah trips over Aria, who just came around the corner. Sarah helps Aria up.

Sarah: I’m so sorry; are you ok?

Aria: A little sore, and I have a headache. Otherwise, I’m ok... kind of.

Shain: Sorry, Anthony, Willie, and I had to follow you all the way down to Dantooine to get you back last night.

Sarah: Do you remember anything that happened?

Aria: (uncertainly) Maybe it was a dream, but I was sure I was on Coruscant. I was... I was going to... I think I'm going crazy.

Shain: (nodding his head and sort of smiling) Yah, ya did...

Sarah: Do you remember anything from being Shadow?

Aria: (quietly) I killed my own brother. What else do I need to remember?

Shain and Sarah look at each other, worried.

Aria: (suspicious) Alright, something’s happened; tell me what’s going on.

Sarah: You killed Josh Sietsma while you were Shadow...

Aria: What? No, I killed DJ... Shain, you told me what happened! It was DJ, not Josh.

Shain: Aria, this is your second time being on Censes’s side... don’t you remember?

Aria: I remember having a really weird dream... I went back to kill Censes myself. (frowns) That wasn’t real, was it?

Sarah: Yeah, it was...

Shain: You were pretty ticked off with him after we got things settled... the swiftest path to destruction is though vengeance.

Aria: (sits down in shock) I’m usually the one who says that... Either I’ve gone crazy, or the world has. I vote for the world. (looks up) I really went back there, and I really tried to face him, alone? What else did I do?

Shain: You messed up Elena and Andrew pretty bad. (Sarah and Shain sit in the middle of the hall with Aria.)

Sarah: We still don’t know exactly what you did to them... you messed with the bacta tanks. But they’re ok now.

Aria: (sighs) Tell me this is a practical joke. Please tell me this is just a dream.... It’s not, is it? Sticklebacks.

Shain: I’ve been wishing that since Yoda told me about Censes seven months ago. Heh. I suppose we had it comin’... I don’t know about you girls, but I’d gotten so cocky over the years, it’s not even funny. I feared nothing and thought we could take on anything... I think we all got that way, in one way or another.

Aria: If you fear nothing, you are a fool; only a fool thinks himself able to conquer anything.

Shain: (ashamed and rolling his eyes) Thanks..
Aria: Anytime, little brother (she is grinning from ear to ear, but it fades in an instant)What can I do to fix it? Everything I did, I mean.

Shain: Before we get to that, I have more bad news... But there is slightly good news, for you any ways... (Shain rolls his eyes and slouches.)

Aria: Good news first, please?

Shain: Good news is you didn’t do it... Bad news is... (he pauses, drops his head and shuts his eyes and says reluctantly.) Bad news is we lost Cassandra...

Aria: I’m sorry, Shain. I’m so sorry.

Sarah: We all are...

Shain: It was Nathan Ingram... He used his power to control lava to cover her ship... I couldn’t find her... there was nothin’ left. I beat the tar out of him with my bare hands for no reason...

Aria: (quietly) Yes, there was a reason. I know how you feel. (gives Shain a hug)

Shain: Thanks, girls, and no, there wasn’t a good reason... I knew it wasn’t Nathan’s fault and I beat him any ways...I let my anger get the best of me... I feel like such a loser sometimes.

Sarah: You’re a human being, not a Vulcan. It’s ok to have emotions

The three laugh.

Aria: You’re only a loser if you’re a quitter. And you, Brandon Linley James Purinton, are most definitely not a quitter.

There is a moment of silence as he thinks about the last seven months and how he left.

Shain: Hannah, I'm both. I quit on you guys and left...

Shain’s head drops and Sarah quickly changes subject.

Sarah: What about Jordin? With Josh gone, he has no one to train him.

Shain: Yeah, he has been just kinda hangin’ around... Why don’t you train him, Aria? I know you don’t think we should be training students, but at least until we are done with Censes.

Aria: You do realise I’m the one who killed his master, right? Is it really a good idea to put us together?

Shain: I’ve talked with him and he doesn't blame you. He’s anxious to get to Coruscant.

Aria: Ok, I’ll do my best.

Familiar voice: (softly) Shain?

The three turn around and to their surprise. They see Cassandra standing there, her clothes and hair still singed from the lava.

Shain: (not believing his eyes) Cassandra?!

Sarah: Cassie?!

She runs to Shain and hugs him. He hugs her back, then pulls her back to see if it’s really her.

Aria: But how?! They just said--

Cassandra: I know - I heard the whole thing...

Sarah: So how did you escape?!

Cassandra: I cut a hole out of the side of the ship and bent the ship’s hull out enough to change the flow of the lava. I jumped out just before it exploded. I went back up over the hill to get another tanker. By time I got over there with another ship, Shain and Nathan were nowhere to be found. I took the tanker back and had to wait until I found a smuggler and he flew me back here... I can’t believe Josh is gone..

Aria: I’ve been told that’s my fault. I’m glad you’re alright, Cassie.

Cassandra: Me too...

Shain: I’m sorry for leaving you, Cassandra... I thought you were--

Cassandra: It’s ok, Shain. I’m fine.

Shain: Ok... What do you say we go down to the mess hall and grab some food before everyone gets up in (looks at his wrist watch on his right hand) an hour and twenty minutes?

Aria: Sounds good to me.

The rest of the group wakes up at about eight and gets ready for their long day.