Behind Enemy Lines (Day Two)

[Akirapryde]

Frija nodded, "you are right, Jay." She turned to the three judges and asked them in their native language, "your ruling?"

To Jaden's horror one by one they each said that the family as a whole were guilty of treason, for aiding and abetting the enemy. The translator standing next to Jaden explained what the judges were saying. That this family had betrayed all of Olivan when they tried to shelter this enemy of the people and should pay for their crime.

Frija reached out and waved her hand on the family as she called for the execution of the family. She smiled when she singled out the mother and said, "all shall die for their crime, but her. Tie her to the post so that she can watch the judgement of her people against her own children."

On that the mother was tied to the back side of the post Duke Saar's body was hung from. The family was set up for their hanging. The children and mother wailed as the father sobbed. Within moments, it was nearly over. Once the father and two children were set up, Frija called upon the Force and used move object to rip the supports out from under them. The three dangled and dance at the ends of their rope, while the mother continues to wail loudly.

As the group slowly withdrew from the area, Frija kept Jaden close to her. Behind him, Jaden left a sights of true horror. The wailing of a heart broken Mother was had been forced to watch her own child hung echoed. The lone Republic survivor was staked to the ground. His eyes burned from their sockets. His tongue cut out with a hot knife.

The mother was branded on the side of her face with a hot iron. The symbol the Partisans burned in to her flesh was that of Traitor. Frija's words hit Jaden hard, "grief and loss are both powerful tools to nurture the Darkside." It was then Jaden realized that the mother was an untrained Force sensitive. Somehow Frija had realized that.

This was all just the tip of the ice brig. Jaden had seen first hand the horrors of this war that had been talked about around the Vengeance. He had seen the depths of evil, and now walking away from it. Despite his most deepest desires to save that family, he had to recognize the simple truth that he couldn't. A lesson an old friend taught him.

Flashback:
Jaden walked out on to the ledge to the early morning dawn. He had spent the entire night trying to figure out a way to over come a peculiar test his Master had given him. Frustration was setting in after repeated failed attempts to over come the test.

To his surprise, Jaden discovered he was not alone on the ledge. He walked up to Grand Master Dooku in meditation. He tried to not disturb the leader of the Jedi Order.

"Ah, Padawan Starchaser. Is not the morning over Coruscant peaceful," the old Master said. He set there on the edge of the roof top overlooking the Senate building. His knees touching the edge. His hands softy resting upon his knee. His face relaxed and his eyes closed.

Jaden lowered his head, "I am sorry Master. I did not mean to disturb you." He started to slowly back up the way he came.

"And yet, here we are," the old Master said. "Join me Padawan," Dooku said softly.

There wasn't much Jaden could do but step forward and drop to his knees. After all, one doesn't refuse a request from the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. "Thank you, Master," Jaden humbly said.

Dooku opened a single eye as if searching the young Padawan. "I sense frustration within you," Dooku finally said closing his eye.

Once more Jaden lowered his head. He felt ashamed that he could hide his emotions. "Yes Master. I have been given a task, but I can't seem to find out how to accomplish it. No matter how hard I try. No matter what I do. I fail each time. For six days, I have test more times than I can count. And for six days, failure. My Master will not tell me what I am doing wrong. All he says is, 'if you feel you must, try again.' It's incredibly frustrating. And I know that there is an answer, something I am missing. A way to beat the test."

Dooku only nodded as he listened. Finally after Jaden finished his apartment did Dooku speak. "Padawan, has it ever dawned on you that you can't accomplish the task at hand?"

The very question blew Jaden's mind. "No Master," Kaden had answered confused. "Why would I be give a task if I can't compete it.that makes no sense."

"Do you think all things are possible within the Force," Dooku asked softly. "That a Jedi can do all things?"

Jaden laughed at the question, "well no. Not all things."

Dooku finally raised a finger, "your feeling betray you again your Padawan. You feel that some things should be within our abilities."

Jaden nodded as he said, "well yes Master. After all, the Force is a great ally of the Jedi."

Dooku lowered his hand back to his knee, "it is. But even within the Force, there are limitations. This is a dangerous temptation that some Jedi fall pray to. Notable those within the Hunter Corps." He moved his over his beard slowly straightening it before returning his hand to his knees.

"Padawan Starchaser, we the Jedi can do remarkable things my trusting in the force and allowing it to give us strength. But there are things we can't do. We can not control the Senate," he said motioning to the large building in the distance. "We could try and for a time we could succeed, but in the end we would fail."

He returned his hand to his knee, "the Hunters, like Master Chun, feel that they can stop all crime. Catch all criminals. This simply isn't possible. In believing in this falsehood, the Hunters leave themselves open to temptation from the Darkside. To call upon its strength to accomplish that which they can't."

He tilted his head to the side as he spoke softly, "even if they manage to accomplish the task at hand, at what cost. Darkness now has a hold on their heart. Their results tainted by the means to accomplish them."

"But Master," Jaden said softly. "Shouldn't do something?"

Dooku nodded, "yes something, but what. This is the real question." He final rose and turned to face the Padawan. He lowered himself to his knees before the Padawan. "In seeing that a task is impossible at teatime doesn't mean ignore it. But at the same time, we don't run headlong in to a hopeless situation. The temptation of the darkside is compelling. And in calling upon it, could very well achieve your goals. But always ask yourself, at what cost."

He frowned a bit as his voice drew softer, "sometimes you simply can't save the girl. And in seeing that truth, you have denied the Darkside a valuable means to tempt you."
End Flashback

OOC: This concludes Day Two

[Duncan_Starchaser]

Later that evening the group had returned to base camp. The two brothers went to the room that they had been assigned among others. Duncan had cleaned up and tried his best to get some rest. While he laid on the cot he closed his eyes and did his best to meditate. He didn't dare open himself up to the force out of fear that he'd be detected so he just focused on clearing his mind of the days events. He had seen a lot of violence since this whole thing on Olivan had started but nothing like what he had seen today. He opened his eyes and looked around seeing that they were finally alone. "Jay?"

[Jaden_Starchaser]

Like his brother Jaden lay in his cot attempting to clear his mind from all he had seen that day. He tried to let go of the sounds of the family's cries as they awaited their fate. He tried to cleanse his mind of the seducting voice that tempted him to give into his anger and hate to strike down his enemies in cold blood. It was almost overwhelming until he heard Duncan calling for him. He opened his eyes and shifted to look at him. "Yeah?"

[Duncan_Starchaser]

Like his brother Jaden lay in his cot attempting to clear his mind from all he had seen that day. He tried to let go of the sounds of the family's cries as they awaited their fate. He tried to cleanse his mind of the seducting voice that tempted him to give into his anger and hate to strike down his enemies in cold blood. It was almost overwhelming until he heard Duncan calling for him. He opened his eyes and shifted to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? I know that we've seen a lot today. The masters trey and prepare us for it, but I don't think anything really ever could." Duncan said as her laid there looking up at the ceiling.

[Jaden_Starchaser]

Jaden thought back to everything he saw, everything he felt, the temptation of the darkside. To say he wasn't okay was an understatement. "No. I'm not okay Duncan. I'm the furthest thing from okay." He sat up on his cot. "I saw you die. I saw used be used as a damn battering ram and thought you dead. Then I felt it. I felt the call of darkness. It spoke to me like a mother to her child and told me to take my revenge."

[Duncan_Starchaser]

Jaden thought back to everything he saw, everything he felt, the temptation of the darkside. To say he wasn't okay was an understatement. "No. I'm not okay Duncan. I'm the furthest thing from okay." He sat up on his cot. "I saw you die. I saw used be used as a damn battering ram and thought you dead. Then I felt it. I felt the call of darkness. It spoke to me like a mother to her child and told me to take my revenge."

"You're human, it's only natural to feel the temptation. It's how you deal with that temptation that matters. You didn't give in, you did what you did, but it wasn't out of the need for revenge." Duncan told him. "That's something I think these people chose another path and haven't looked back since. That is all except for Trysta." he added. "While we were on the roof I felt... I think I could feel the good still within her."

[Jaden_Starchaser]

Jaden looked at him questionably when he said that. He had an inkling that was the case, but he asked, "How do you know? What happened on the roof?"

[Duncan_Starchaser]

Jaden looked at him questionably when he said that. He had an inkling that was the case, but he asked, "How do you know? What happened on the roof?"

"I don't know what happened honestly. We were discussing the death of Master Saar. She felt she should differently about it... that she should have felt happy about it, but didn't." He said paraphrasing what she had told him. "Then we started talking about how what was happening here was wrong. How the Clones are treated, about the people of Olivan. I even brought up how what Frija was doing was wrong. That no one deserved what she was doing to the bodies of the dead." he paused. "She has a lot of anger in her... however I think she's now starting to face it instead of letting it consume her."

[Jaden_Starchaser]

"That...I think I know why. While I was in bacta Lysire came to me again. She... no they showed me a vision of what is to come if Darkness completely wins. They said we aren't ready, but that they would not be leaving us to darkness and that we will be guided. After that they put their hands on Trysta's head and now all of this. She's different than that bloodthirsty killer on the roof all those months ago."

[Duncan_Starchaser]

"That...I think I know why. While I was in bacta Lysire came to me again. She... no they showed me a vision of what is to come if Darkness completely wins. They said we aren't ready, but that they would not be leaving us to darkness and that we will be guided. After that they put their hands on Trysta's head and now all of this. She's different than that bloodthirsty killer on the roof all those months ago."

Duncan listened to everything his brother had told him, and it made sense. It seemed that this Lysire was very powerful in the force. She must have done something that forced Trysta to begin to see the truth of things. It would be a long road for her, but it was possible for her to come ba to the light. If she had a reason to. What frustrated him was this was the second time that Lysire had told his brother that they weren't ready for what was coming. A fact he actually agreed with. However he wished they would just tell them what it was they needed to do to get ready.