Enigma: Part 3

Chapter 4

        Over the course of the next week, on their own time, Evander and Flint used Flint's old Holocron to try and find anything and everything that would help free Jolie. Synyc led his team, including Evander and Flint, in the mission to find out what made Jolie that way. Now they just called her,"D.S." No longer "Dark Soldier," but it still wasn't her name. Although, she still wasn't herself.

She remained in stasis almost the entire time. They only lessened the effects of it so she could eat and use the bathroom. She had fluids hooked up to her at all times and her vitals were monitored 24/7. She was doing fine. Meaning she was alive.

Every night Evander visited her. Sometimes Flint came, but he knew Evander needed his space to try and cope with everything. It was almost worse having Jolie present and alive, but too far gone and clearly messed up- potentially forever. They'd gotten used to having her out of their life and supposedly dead.

One night Evander wandered down with Flint's Holocron in hand. He'd swiped it on his way out after Flint fell asleep. He was allowed to use it, but not take it. But he had an idea.

He sat cross legged on the cold, concrete floor and faced the thick glass pane separating the two. She was suspended in the same day shield in stasis. She just looked like she was asleep, but he imagined a million thoughts were in her head. She's in there, I know it.

He closed his eyes and let the Holocron go. It floated into the air and clicked open, the Golden pieces forming a complex shape. It illuminated the underground room in a brilliant blue light and the presence of the Force increased right away.

Evander worked the Holocron with his mind, just like Flint had painstakingly taught him to, and brought up the message from Alda and played from a very specific point. He knew it by heart based on the thousands of times he'd watched it.

"Jolie, if you're there too, I hope you find your way. It's always hard discovering who you are, and I don't really know if you ever do find out completely, but keep at it. I know deep down you have a heart of gold that was just painted over from a traumatic event or two. Keep searching for that path you're meant to take."

All Jolie heard was muffled sounds that were uttered from a source that she somehow knew. She was having a hard time placing who exactly that was, but she understood that she knows who was speaking. She desperately tried to piece everything together, but only got a small puzzle piece. It would take a lot more work to get the rest of the puzzle together.

Evander sighed when he thought there was no reaction. He definitely sensed a change, but at this point, if he didn't see it, he was convinced it was his imagination.

Then suddenly, her fingers twitched while she was stasis.

He gasped and stood up, taking a few steps towards the glass. He pressed a hand against it and held his face to close that his breathe created a mask of fog. "Jolie! Jolie!" He shouted. His spark of hope quickly diminished and he just sighed, pressing his head against the glass with remorse.

"Did you take my Holocron?"

Evander turned suddenly and saw Flint smiling in the large, industrial door. He closed it behind him and walked over, a serious expression spreading over his face. "What happened?"

Evander sighed. "I got a reaction from her by playing Alda's final message. She twitched her finger."

"Isn't she in stasis?" Flint furrowed his brow in skepticism.

"Yeah," Evander said with bewilderment. "It was probably my imagination."

"Come with me," Flint said after a moment of thought. Evander followed him up to the old, crooked elevator and through the halls of the complex until they were outside. The planet was transitioning from Summer to Winter so the trees surrounding the base were molting and the leaves were changing into deep, vibrant reds, bright oranges, and sunny yellows. Of course at night it was hard to tell. The stars glinted in the sky, shining bright over a clearing directly in front of the base.