บท 191: Taste Of Darkness
~~~(POV: Nella Opal)~~~
~~~(Location: Main Road, Unknown Village, Dantooine)~~~
~~~(Galactic Time: 5:25 PM)~~~
Garlan crashes through the metal barns doors after my Porce Push. He rolls and skips across the ground. Blood is leaking from the bottom of his helmet. The anger and hate fill me as the images from the last village fill my mind.
The mandalorian stands up and shakes his head, trying to get rid of the daze he's in. The Force courses through me in ways I never thought possible. The Darkside is so powerful.
He tries to take off using his jetpack, but it's too damaged to go further than a few feet off the ground. Knowing he must fight, he stands up straight and looks at me. The mando helmet has its signature look.
When he looks at me, and I look at him, a power surges inside me. One that I've never felt before. His hands quickly grab his blasters, and he points them at me. The moment his fingers pull the triggers, my saber is already up.
The bolts scream in my direction, only to be sent back the way they came. He's barely able to hit the ground and dodge them. He curses a few times in mando and seems to be breathing heavily.
I use this opportunity to leap through the air and bring my saber down at him. He turns on his back and looks at me. Rolling away a second before the tip of my blade drives into his chest.
That's when I feel a thunderous kick to the side of my head, nearly knocking me unconscious. I jump back and stumble a few times. Using The Force to help me recover quicker. The heavy breathing of the mando isn't getting closer.
When I look at him, he's back on his feet, catching his breath. He raises his right hand and presses a series of buttons on his left gauntlet. I don't know what he's planning, but I must hurry.
"I'll give you credit, kid. You pack one hell of a punch. I've killed seasoned Jedi much older than you who didn't do nearly this much damage to me."
The anger pulses inside me, but one of my lessons with Nate appears in my head. He's told me before that letting the Darkside control you will only lead to death and defeat.
That the only way to use the Darkside is to control it instead, my eyes look to where Nate is, and he's picked up Wendy and placed her unconscious form on the back of his speeder.
Dayla is what takes my attention next. She's holding her ears and shaking in fear. Looking at the mando clad in armor. I sense her fear and pain. Reliving the memories of what he did to the people she loved and cared for no more than an hour ago.
My hand tightens around my saber hilt, and the injuries that were affecting me are now gone. I look back at the mando, and he's leaning forward with his hands racing to his blasters.
"Beasts like you need to be put down!"
As the cry of war leaves my lips, I throw out my hand and grip him in The Force. Pulling my hand back, he comes rushing to me. As I'm about to cut him in half, he turns his body using one of the thrusters on his jetpack.
Forcing me to let him go and dodge another kick to the head. He spins in the air and shoots at me before he lands. I'm barely able to block the bolts with my blade.
"It's part of the job. She's the one that ran into the villages looking for help. They're the ones that got in the way. I'd have preferred not to kill them, but it's not like they left me much choice."
His words only fuel the anger inside me. Using Force Speed, I dash to him and swing my blade. He's able to duck his head, and while thinking on his feet, he drives his helmet into my abdomen full force.
Causing me to fall to the ground with no air in my lungs. Another hard and heavy kick to the side of my head forces me to see triple of the mando.
Instead of pulling out his blasters and finishing me off, he turns around and jumps into the air. He grabs hold of something I can't make out. Clearing the fuzzy vision, I watch a drone carry Garlan to his ship.
I stand up and reach out using The Force, but I miss him. In a desperate act, I look to Nate. Hoping he'll do something to stop Garlan from escaping. But he is only watching me, with his arms folded. A disappointed look on his face.
"Stop him! He's getting away!!"
My pleading and hurt voice only causes Nate to close his eyes and release a sigh. Knowing I won't get anything from him, I look at the ship and see it blast off into space.
All I can do is look up at the sky with shame, guilt, and anger... I failed... Even after everything I've been through. All the training and preparation for a fight with someone who can kill Jedi, I've failed completely.
The only thing I feel in the next second is the pain in my hands as I repeatedly slam them into the ground. Over and over again. Becoming numb and bloody.
Approaching footsteps don't stop my release of anger and punishment upon myself. The footsteps stop, and Nate takes a knee next to me. Placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Now you know the blinding power of the Darkside."
It was just a lesson to him... He doesn't care about the people who've died... He doesn't care that I've failed... All he cares about is that I learned my lesson... That doesn't make me feel any better about how great my failure was.
Anger at Nate sparks within me. He could've stopped and killed Garlan anytime he wanted. Instead, he just let me fight and lose. He let him get away without lifting a finger to help.
"Why... Why didn't you stop him... He killed so many innocent people... WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING!?!"
My vision turns from the ground, and looks at Nate, and his eyes are piercing into mine. No doubt within them. Nothing to indicate that anything I said to him just now will cause him to think.
A soft smile appears on his lips, and he places his hand on my head. The same way he would when we first started training.
"Because it was your fight."
That's when my heart sinks to my stomach, and hot tears stream from my eyes.
~~~(POV: Nathen Opal)~~~
~~~(Location: Campsite, Road To Partition Major, Dantooine)~~~
~~~(Galactic Time: 7:38 PM)~~~
Nella and Dayla are already asleep next to the fire. The little twi'lek snuggled up to the person that makes her feel safe. My cousin is exhausted from her first experience using the Darkside. Not that it's a bad thing.
My first experience using The Force was far more... Unconventional. Causing Imperial troops to explode was the manifestation of my powers.
Nella will learn to control both sides of The Force. Seeing her today has shown me she's capable of using The Force as I do. I'm proud of her and a little surprised. I didn't expect her to put up the fight she did against a seasoned mando like Garlan.
But she ended up putting the man through a fight for his life. Sure, I didn't step in, and he's still alive. He's not coming back here, though.
As for our second passenger, Wendy stares into the fire since she's out of danger and no longer being pursued. She regained consciousness an hour ago and hasn't said anything since. She's taken a few glimpses of me but nothing else.
Seeing into her mind is trivial, and she only wants to ask me where her sister is and how she can get to her. But she's too scared of me to do that.
"How much do you know about why Riley left the Republic?"
She looks at me with frustration. A mixture of anger, disappointment, and compassion is swirling around inside her. She still sees Riley as her sister, even after she abandoned the Republic. I know she knows why; I just want to hear her say it.
A long sigh escapes her, and she leans against the log she is on. Looking at the night sky. Billions of stars stare back down at her.
"I know everything. How our brother died. Why he died. The Senators that were responsible. Even still, the Republic needed her. And she just left."
There are a lot of things to be said about the siblings, but I'll say this. They're a complex bunch. With my memories of my past life, I can sympathize with wanting to escape a source of pain, just like Major Riley.
And chasing the people you care about, just like Captain Wendy.
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