Think Twice

Chapter 7

            “Master.” He bowed before the holoterminal. The larger than life cloaked figure of the dark lord loomed over him. “What is your bidding?”

            “Tell me, apprentice. What is this padawan to you?” his master asked and an image of her appeared in his hand.

            He tried to hide something. “She is nothing to me,” he said quickly.

            “Lies!” the mysterious Sith snarled, hitting him with force lightning through the transmission. “She has become a distraction.”

            “No, master,” he groveled. “She isn’t a threat to anything.”

            “You lack foresight, my young apprentice,” the cloaked figure growled. “There are bigger threats than power alone. To you or the Jedi she may just be a student, but to me, she endangers everything I’ve worked for. The next time you see her, you will kill her, or you will face my wrath.” He was hit with another round of lightning until he fell to the floor in agony.

            “Yes, Master,” he panted. “Your will be done.”

            She sat up in bed, gasping for air. She felt around her to make sure she was still in her room at the temple. It had felt so real. Just when she’d started believing it was possible to save him, he was ordered to kill her. Would he really do it? She didn’t want to believe it, but if his torture tonight was just a punishment, she feared what the dark lord’s full wrath entailed. She should stay away from him, she’d only succeeded in getting him into trouble. But all she’d wanted was to help him, was that so terrible?

            She got up and paced her room, wearing a rut in the carpet. There was no guarantee she wouldn’t meet him again if she continued running missions with her master, so how was she supposed to stay away from him? The crazy part was, even though he’d just been ordered to kill her, all she wanted to do was run to him. She’d seen his anger before. She knew what he was capable of. She knew he could do it too. But her heart still pulled her towards him like she couldn’t give up that easily. And she feared what would happen if she let it out of the cage. 

            She shook her head in annoyance. She must have a death wish or something. She was playing with fire. She had no idea what she was doing when it came to dealing with him, but no matter how unsure she was, she still didn’t want to give up on him. The Jedi believed him lost. Even if they freed him from this Sith Lord, they were convinced he wouldn’t help them or couldn’t be trusted. In their words, he was too dangerous to be released. It was a load of hoodoo in her opinion. She really didn’t believe he was inherently evil. The tender way he’d spoken of his mother... however briefly, told her there was far more to him than what he was ordered to do. Not to mention, it didn’t sit well with her that the council would rather he stayed in bondage than be freed, simply because he could be a threat. 

            She wished she could persuade the council to help him. She truly believed if they offered to protect him, he’d turn on his master. Perhaps even give them everything they’d need to end this war. Especially if what she’d just seen was how his master treated him. But after she returned to the temple last time, she’d been hesitant to talk to the council about anything that had happened in that cave. They’d tried to hide it, but she’d felt their surprise and disappointment that she’d made it back. It had been shocking and confusing. And it only further confirmed something he’d said to her, you really believe the Jedi care about you?