Chapter 6 - 62 ABY - Hearts live by being wounded - Oscar Wilde
(Jayden-Age 25)
“Well that was…”
“Amazing!” Jayden finished as she and Jax held each other tightly. Water droplets rained down on them as they shook from the exertion of their lovemaking.
“Was that your first?” Jax asked and Jayden nodded. Jayden knew that she wasn’t as experienced as Jax, after all, this was her first relationship. They had been together for two years but Jayden wanted to wait for a special time to take it a step further. They had been on Tython for about three weeks. Tython was a Force sensitive planet where the first Jedi Order was established. Back then they were called the Je’daii. Kyra wanted to bring Jayden here so that she could relax and meditate in the Force. Their first week was spent in meditation. The second week they started to explore and found the remnants of what they believed was the first Je’daii Temple. Then they found this amazing waterfall and beautiful river and set up camp at the base of the river.
“I know it’s not your first, but…”
“No, but I have to say… Making love behind a waterfall is definitely amazing!” Jayden smiled and they kissed again.
“I’m just glad you said yes,” Jayden laughed as she grabbed Jax’s left hand and interlaced their fingers. “I’ll get you a ring once we get back to Coruscant.” It was a spur of the moment decision that she wasn’t prepared for, but she couldn’t have imagined a better place, than this exact spot, to propose. “Do you think they heard us?”
“We were kind of loud,” Jax responded as they both laughed. They weren’t alone on the planet. Luke agreed to let them come if they allowed two of the Republic’s guards to accompany them. They stayed far enough away to give Jayden and Jax their space, but checked in every couple of hours to make sure everything was ok. The guards stayed in a shuttle about four hundred meters away and kept them apprised of any animals or creatures that might be nearby. They also kept in contact with Coruscant regularly in case there were any emergencies.
“Well I guess we better get dressed and head back to camp and check in, lest they think our screams were because of some animal attacking,” Jayden said as she started putting her bathing suit back on.
“Well, we are Jedi after all, I’m sure they think we could handle a few dangerous manka cats,” Jax replied as she winked at Jayden.
They took one last look at the rocky ledge behind the waterfall and smiled at each other. Jayden couldn’t help but stare into Jax’s beautiful blue eyes. They were the color of the oceans on Naboo, and she felt like she could get lost in them. She then grasped Jax’s hand and they both jumped through the waterfall and landed in the river below. Once they reached the shore they heard a voice calling through their comms in their tent, so Jayden quickly ran to the tent and picked up her earpiece.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?”
“A ship came into the atmosphere a few minutes ago. It looks like it’s heading our way. They’re not answering our hails. You need to get back here so we can take off, just in case.” the guard replied.
“Thanks, P’scal, we’ll pack up and be there shortly.” P’scal and Diante were Jayden’s two regular guards that accompanied her everywhere during the day shift on Coruscant. She had gotten to know them very well. She had even met their wives and kids. Diante’s wife was pregnant and should be delivering their third child next month, and she couldn’t help but enjoy his excitement and laugh at his nervousness. She knew it was hard for him to be away from his family these last three weeks.
“What’s going on?” Jax asked.
“We have to go. A ship just came into orbit and P’scal is worried they might be coming for us.” They quickly packed up their camp and started running towards the shuttle.
***
Ten minutes later Jayden and Jax had reached the edge of the clearing that the shuttle was parked in. The ship that came into the atmosphere had already landed next to it. Jax and Jayden slowly crept up to the edge of the forest and heard voices. Then they saw two Jedi standing in front of the guards who were on their knees on the ground.
“Wait a minute… I recognize those Jedi,” Jayden whispered to Jax.
“Yeah that’s Yang’xie and Yako. What are they doing here?” Yang’xie and Yako were always together. They demanded to go on missions together, and were rarely ever apart. Jayden always had an odd feeling about them, but didn’t really know them all that well. Yang’xie was a human female from Corellia, and Yako was a human male from one of the Outer Rim planets. They were romantic partners as well.
“What are they doing?” Jayden asked and then gasped as she watched them ignite their lightsabers and slice her guard’s heads off. Jayden started to get up and run towards them but Jax pulled her back.
“We can’t do anything for them now, and if we get caught, they will kill us, and no one will ever know what happened here. Let’s wait and see what they do.” Jayden nodded and crouched back down as she focused on the Force to try and listen in on what they were saying.
“Now they’re won’t be any witnesses, but we have to get Jayden and her partner,” Yako said.
“Let’s get back in the ship and do a low sweep for life signs. Then we can blast them and report back that she’s dead,” Yang’xie replied.
After the ship took off, Jayden and Jax ran to the shuttle. They grabbed the bodies of the guards and took them into the ship. “We need to get back to Coruscant now!” Jayden ran for the cockpit and pulled up the coordinates for Coruscant and plugged them into the hyperdrive. She went to switch the levers to start the engines but Jax put a hand on hers to stop her.
“Wait until they’re out of range before you start the engines, or they’ll be right on top of us as we pull out of the atmosphere.”
“Good idea,” Jayden nodded. She wasn’t thinking clearly. She had just watched her two guards get murdered, and a swelling of anger was clouding her judgement. She closed her eyes for a few moments until Jax told her it was clear. She started the engines and lifted off, going as fast as the small Republic shuttle could possibly go. Once they hit the blackness of space, Jayden engaged the hyperdrive.
***
Jayden had paced the Council chambers for what seemed like an eternity. She had told them that Yang’xie and Yako had murdered her two guards, and told them that Jax had also witnessed it, but they didn’t want to hear Jax’s side of the story. They were waiting on Yang’xie and Yako to get back to Coruscant. Finally she grew tired of waiting and stepped out into the corridor to see one of the Jedi Masters on the council, Master Kyega, talking to Yang’xie and Yako. She noticed he seemed very friendly towards the two Jedi Knights. As they noticed Jayden enter the hallway they stopped talking and turned towards her.
Master Kyega frowned at Jayden. “Yang’xie and Yako just told me that they were nowhere near your system. They have even brought me the data from their flight recorders that shows them several parsecs away.”
“They are lying! I have told you the truth. Just ask Jax.”
“We don’t need to speak to Jax. The proof is right here. You must have seen two other Dark Jedi.”
“Then ask Master Luke. He will vouch for me! He knows I never lie!”
“Master Skywalker is in the middle of an operation and can’t be bothered right now,” the Jedi Master responded.
Jayden turned on her heel and headed towards the Operations room where Luke supposedly was. She entered the room and noticed that Luke was nowhere to be found, only a few of the Republic soldiers were in the room. Master Kyega, Yang’xie, and Yako followed her into the room.
“I thought Luke was in the middle of an operation?” Then it dawned her. “You’re the one that they were supposed to report to after they killed me.”
Master Kyega looked at her incredulously. “How dare you accuse me of treason! I have nothing to do with this!”
“Then why did you say ‘two other Dark Jedi’?” She saw the look on his face as he realized his mistake.
“Guards, take this Jedi to her quarters and watch her until the Council reconvenes,” Master Kyega demanded.
She saw two of the guards encroach upon her and used the Force to halt them in place. She then focused on Kyega and Force pushed him through the glass door, shattering it into pieces. Everyone in the room scattered and left Yang’xie, Yako, and Jayden alone. They tried to leave the room but she reached out with the Force and held them in their place.
“The Council won’t do anything about you, but I will! You murdered those guards! They were my friends!” Jayden lifted her hands and using the Force, lifted them off the ground and held them where they couldn’t move.
“Yeah, so what if we did? Kyega is on our side. The Jedi’s days are numbered!” Jako smiled ferociously at her and Yang’xie laughed.
“Well, it’s too bad that Kyega won’t be using your services anymore,” Jayden smiled, her sharp white teeth glistening in the brightly lit room, and her long canines made her look like a feral shistavenen, a wolf like creature that gave many children nightmares throughout the galaxy.
“No, you can’t! You don’t have the approval of the Council!”
Jayden glared at them and reached out with the Force. They struggled against her Force grip but were powerless to stop her. She took their powers and then fell to her knees as her energy drained. Her Force hold on them released and they fell to the ground. Several guards rushed into the room and Jayden looked up at them. “These two are traitors and murderers. Take them to a holding cell until Master Skywalker returns.” One of the guards helped her up as the other two guards put cuffs on Yako and Yang’xie and escorted them out of the room. “Where is Master Kyega?” Jayden stepped outside of the room and looked around as her boots crunched on the broken glass.
“He took off after you threw him through the glass.”
“Find him!”
***
Master Skywalker stood next to Jayden as they faced the Council together. She had spent the last hour telling him what happened and he and Jax tried to calm her down. She knew she was in the wrong, but felt that if she didn’t do something, that they were going to get away. Luke believed her, but he also knew the Council was right to question her methods.
“Jayden knows that she shouldn’t have taken their Force abilities without the Council’s consent. However, why would you convene a Council meeting without me here? Last I knew, I was the head of the Jedi Council!”
“Master Kyega said that you were too close to the girl, seeing as she was once your Padawan,” responded one of the Jedi Masters.
“Master Kyega is a traitor, and yet another one of our Council members to turn to the dark side. Ask yourself this question… how are so many of our Jedi Masters turning to the dark side under our very noses?” No one responded and Luke shook his head.
“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Master Kyega, Jayden has broken the rules that we set in place about using her special abilities. She needs to be reprimanded.”
Jayden stepped forward and unclipped her Jedi signet from her chest. “You don’t have to worry about reprimanding me. I will not be part of an Order who hides behind hoods and talks in secrecy. I will not be part of an Order who punishes those who are trying to help rid the galaxy of the ones who wield the dark side. All of my life I have wanted to be a Jedi Guardian, yet once I became one, you kept me hidden and not able to live up to my full potential. Not anymore!” She threw the signet on the table and walked out of the room.
Luke looked at each Council member and shook his head. “I am ashamed of you all. Jayden wasn’t in the right, and she knows this, but neither are you. I am ashamed of what the Order, that I have created, has become.” He reached up and untied his Jedi robe, folded it and laid it on the table. He heard several gasps as he unclipped his Jedi signet from his chest and placed it on top of the robe and walked out.
***
Jayden rushed into her quarters at the Jedi Temple and saw Jax sitting on the couch. She immediately ran to Jax and embraced her as Jax got up to greet her.
“What did they say?”
It took Jayden a few minutes to get her composure back, but she finally pulled away from Jax and walked to her bedroom.
“What’s going on, Jayden?”
“I’m out,” Jayden replied as she pulled out a bag and started packing her clothes in it.
“They kicked you out?” Jayden shook her head and that made Jax even more confused. She walked over and grabbed Jayden’s arms to stop her from packing, and spun Jayden around to face her. “What happened?”
“Master Luke tried to talk to them, but they wanted to reprimand me. Like I wasn’t in seclusion enough, they wanted to punish me even more. So I quit. I’m tired of being their pawn! I’m tired of not being what I have trained so hard to be. While other Younglings and Padawans had time off, I spent every spare minute I had studying, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! So I quit.” Jayden turned and started packing her bags again. “If you want, we could take the next flight out and head anywhere you want. I just want to be away from Coruscant right now.”
“I’m not leaving the Jedi.”
Jayden turned to Jax and couldn’t believe what she just said. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? The Jedi Masters don’t care about us, we’re just pawns in their game!”
“That may be what you think, Jayden, but I am a Jedi. I have always been a Jedi, and I always will be a Jedi. I’m not going to quit just because things get tough.”
“That’s why you think I quit? Do you see these three triangles on my chin?” Jayden furiously pointed at her chin tattoos. “Those are the three Dark Jedi that I have fought and captured! I am not afraid of things getting tough!”
“Well it looks like you get to add two more to your tattoo. But I’m not going with you,” Jax replied as she walked out of the bedroom that they had shared for the past several months. Jayden threw the last of her clothes in a bag and followed her out.
“I thought you wanted to marry me?”
“Of course I did, but I am a Jedi first. I will never leave the Order. I know it’s not looking good right now, which is why it’s important that we stay and help fight against the Dark Jedi.” Jax walked over to Jayden and tried to reach out for her hand, but Jayden jerked away.
“I see. So apparently love is always conditional?” Jayden was in danger of letting her emotions get to her, so she turned away from Jax and started walking towards the door.
“Don’t do this! Don’t put me in this position, because I was a Jedi long before I met you, Jayden.”
Jayden halted in the doorway for a second. “And you’ll be one long after I’m gone.”
***
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