Shards of glass fell, winking in and out of existence like stars, like the flickering neon lights of a seedy bar or strip joint that lit up the trash-strewen streets.
I was free falling backwards in the slowest damned way possible, rethinking my life choices up until that moment. I suppose I had the time, after all- even in the lowest sector of Coruscant, the buildings swallowed up everything, tall looming shadows with toothy grins and no faces and little insects racing and buzzing by, mindlessly.
Normally youâd panicked. I mean- câmon, no one could survive a fall like this. It was impossible. But, I had to trust my training. I had to trust my senses. I had to trust in the force, even if the reason I was in this situation was due that very training in the first placeâŚ
I grew up poor and dirty. The streets of low-sec Coruscant werenât very hospitable to a young boy trying to provide for his family. Mom and Dad were always sick; the air quality wasnât so good. Guess thatâs what happens when you live in the bottom of an industrial fishbowl. Anyway, lucky me, I was rather hardy for a snot-nosed brat back then. Keen eyes and quick fingers kept the creds flowinâ and the family fed for the most part. I also was a rather picky scavenger, always digginâ around trash piles and back-alleys where people liked to throw away junk. I was good at getting out of trouble usually, too, but even I took my fair share of beatings from a wide range of low sec denizens; hutt thugs, spice dealers, droid merchants, you name 'em I probably knew what was in their pockets-or already had it.
Life was hard back then. I had hoped and dreamed for a day when I could see the surface. Just a ray of light, you know? Thatâs all I had wanted. But I was stuck. Besides, my parents were bedridden. I was the only thing keeping them alive at this point.
I remember thinking just that as I leaned up against a wall in some random dark alleyway that smelled like piss and old spoiled food. I was waiting for an easy mark to come along, one that wouldnât suspect a lonesome, cute blonde kid like me to be a cut purse. And then, there he was: an older male, very out of place looking, wearing tattered grey and black robes. I only caught a glimpse of his greying beard in the dim light. He was traveling light; no bulky packs. Actually, I almost let him pass uninterrupted. He looked credless to me.
I was slouched forward, head tilted down, subtly studying him looking. A glimmer of metal on his hip as his robe parted slightly, just within armsâ reach. I pushed off the wall, and turned, just as he passed. I brushed up against him and lifted the metal piece attached to his hip. Iâd plan on darting off down the opposite alley and lose him; after all, these alleys were connected like one big maze and I knew every turn like the back of my hand.
The object was strangely cool in my hand. I went to break away from him and run off; but a hand came down onto my shoulder. I hadnât noticed the movement, either. I tried to shrug the hold off. No use. Wide-eyed, Iâd look over my shoulder at the hooded man. He wasnât looking at me. He hadnât even turned his body at all. His voice was low, and rasped like gravel.
âTell you what, kid. If you can hit me with that, Iâll let you keep it.â His head motioned to the side, eye glancing down at metal piece I was holding. âGive you three seconds to turn it on. How about it, hm?â
I glanced around nervously, still trying to pull away from him. It was no use. It was like I was stuck to him.
His grip tightened for a moment, and he pushed me stumbling to the side, up against the wall. Now he turned toward me and I flattened against the wall. He took a step forward. I held the thing up in front of me, eyes darting between it and the man slowly approaching. What was this thing? Some weird cylindrical blaster? Would it shoot him? Should I shoot him? At this point, I was trembling.
âIâll tell you a little secret. Push the button.â
I turned the thing around. There was a button. I held it with two hands, and each thumb was placed over the other, hovering above the ignition. I didnât want to hurt him. Nope, I just wanted something to sell so I could buy dinner that night. Decisions, decisions. I was sweating. A splash from a puddle of water indicated that he was well within striking distance. I closed my eyes tight and turned to look away as I hit the button-
I felt a soft hum as the weapon was turned on, but sudden, the humming sensation was⌠gone? I opened one eye. The robed man nearly blocked my whole view. I looked all around, and caught the glint of that same weapon, rolling along the ground to my left. Had he simply knocked it out of my hands? But I hadnât felt any sort of contactâŚ
And then? The thing began to float toward his outstretched hand. In simple awe, I just watched, in wide eyed wonder. Once it reached his hand, his wrist turned- and his thumb flicked over the stud on the hilt. A yellow beam stretched out, illuminating the dark alleyway.
For some reason, I immediately wanted one.
âJust remember: You can put an eye out with one of these, kid. Not unless youâre trained correctly.â The yellow light I was fixated upon retracted into the handle, and he tucked it away under his robes.
âP-please donât beat me up too much, mister. I only wanted to-â He waved a hand, dismissively. âForget about it, kid. I knew what you were doing even before I turned down this alley. Could feel it.â He paused, canting his head. " I also sensed your hesitation. You thought I was going to harm you, yet you didnât harm me.Whyâs that?"
I sniffed, looking away, and shrugging a bit. âNever wanted to hurt anyone. âsides, itâs uh, easier to just grab anâ run, anâ uh⌠I canât fight. Too weak anâ small.â
âThatâs pretty logical, especially from someone your age.â His eyes, I could feel that they were intent on me. I felt a weird shiver run down my spine. It was like he was looking through me or into me, even. Maybe he was reading my mind?
âHrm.â His lips pursed, and he combed through his peppered beard. âItâs getting late. Let me walk you home. Iâd like to talk to your parents.â I was shaking my head at that. âAw, donât worry kid. I wonât tell on you. This is our little secret, okay?â I nodded. His hand fell on my shoulder once more, only this time, much lighter. Oddly comforting, for some reason. I let out a huge sigh of relief. His hand never left my shoulder the whole way home.
His name was Jedi Master Grey.
He wanted to take me on as an apprentice. Mom and Dad eventually agreed. I was okay with it, too. Master Grey would take care of their expenses and in turn, I would be taken care of. I promised that Iâd visit them sometime, and that Iâd make this place better for everyone.
Boy was I in for a rude awakening.
I let out a breath and closed my eyes, wind howling against my robes and my ears. I pushed all thoughts to the side. The throbbing adrenaline, the blood pounding in my head- I had to center myself; I had to reach out and feel around my surroundings.
I simply let go and risked it all, relying on the force to guide me. Wherever that was. Hopefully, it would be nice and cushy landing pad. Patience. Wait for the precise moment.
I barely heard and felt the vehicles passing all around me. I probably would have freaked out as well at the barely perceived proximity of them, too.
I continued to fall for what felt like eternity. Hell, at this rate Iâd be a Jedi Master if I just meditated hard enough!
There. A flash of yellow, mixed with black and white burned through my mind.
I opened my eyes and suddenly, impossibly, twisted around like a corkscrew. Just as I did, my rib cage impacted the passenger side door of the taxi airspeeder, leaving a nice dent- in both my ribs and the frame- and I thrashed violently along the length of the speeder, reaching out to find a handhold. I nearly bucked and ricocheted off, but quick thinking and an even quicker hand reflexively shot out. I always kept a spare vibroblade on me, hidden away for an emergency or just a rainy day. I flicked it out, reverse grip, and sank it into the yellow metal flesh of the taxi. It cut a line, all the way down to the bumper and-
My whole body jerked to a stop just at the end, held aloft, dangling like some gaudy, out of place decal. The taxi continued to speed along itâs usual course, ignorant that I was hitching a free ride.
Eventually, I was able to dismount at a stop. I made my to an old safe house of mine to grab a few things; some herbs and bandages to wrap around my wounds and hold my rib bones in place; a fake star port pass and some creds linked to that name; some clothes; and a datapad with custom encryption codes and security measures that would take Master Grey some time to trace. Iâd be good as dead for now, until I could regroup and sort through what had happened to him. That confidential mission he went on for six months⌠What did he come in contact with? He found something that changed him⌠Did he see something so dark that it could have changed him?
All I could do right now is calmly assess and analyze. Keep a cool, level head and out of sight, for now.
I bought a ticket to Viscara. Perhaps this backwater colony was a decent hole to hide in for a while until I gathered information for the Council.
I leaned back in my seat, resting my head and rubbing my side gently.
âTch. Maybe heâs teaching me a lesson. Perhaps itâs some kind of ploy⌠force pushing your Padawan out a window. Or maybe heâs infiltrated a Sith cell or somethinââŚâ Still, I was hurt. Not just physically, not just as his Padawan, butâŚ
As his adopted âsonâ.