And for the title...each short story has a seperate title and such not so that why the title itself is different then entire story itself.
Dawn
By Dennis Mullan
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
The ruins of the once enormous temple still shook from the explosions that bombarded the planet. No natural sunlight pierced the red skies that hung over the planet, instead thousands of shimmering green bolts shattered the sky and sundered the land. Buildings tumbled effortlessly as the green rain showered the sky, engulfing anything it touched. The acrid smell of smoke and blood mingled with the screams of a thousand thousand men. The horizon was illuminated with fires that leapt and raged as they touched the sky, and broad smears of black soot and scorch marks smearing the once bright walls of every edifice across the planet. Death had it’s day and was being paid in full.
At the entrance of the Jedi temple, one man stirred from his forced slumber. At the foot of this huddled figure’s marred boots was the symbol of the Jedi, his lightsaber, shattered. His once fine black cloak stood limply about his shoulders as he laid on the ground regaining consciousness. The first feeling when the world returned to him was pain. He tongued his mouth finding that he had lost a couple teeth and could taste fresh blood, he did not open his eyes because of the air caressing him felt like a bed of needles. Blood expelled from his mouth when his lungs took in a full measure of the foul air. He knew he was dying.
Sifting his fingers through his mottled brown hair, the first image to strike him as he forced his eyes open was a woman’s auburn hair mingling with a pool of blood. He crawled towards the shape and cradled the head is his burnt arms and whimpered.
Why her, why now…how? This was all his mind could come up with, all his mind would comprehend.
In the vast distance he spied a tall solitary figure walking towards him. The steady pace of the man’s black boots echoed louder then any explosion, cleaner then any scream. The dark figure wore a fine purple cape that seem to swirl about his handsome figure as he walked up the stairs. His black tunic and pants enveloped him, had golden edges around them, and on his side was a single lightsaber swinging lazily. He walked carelessly up the stairs, letting his cloak brush against the carnage, reveling in every touch, every body he passed. When he had reached the apex of the hill, he towered above the huddled form and let a small laugh escape his lips.
“To think I once offered you, to be at my side.” Said the tall man.
“It’ll never happen…I’ll…”
“What? If I should strike you down, you’ll become more powerful then I can possibly imagine?” said the tall man as he eyes wandered to the dead woman being cradled. “It would seem that she would, disagree with that particular sentiment.”
The huddled man gathered the last of his anger and lunged towards his enemy. The gaunt one sidestepped effortlessly and watched as he saw the man tumble down the stairs, accentuating every hit with a gout of blood from his lips. From the top, a bellowing laugh echoed throughout the city. The man looked upon the pathetic crumpled heap, and sauntered down the stairs as the explosions raged around, unaware of the carnage. The hunched man heard the boots once again echo, each step enunciating the approach of his executioner. When the broken man finally looked up, he saw the towering man stand before him with his red lightsaber hissing in the pungent air. A smile played across the man’s lips as the saber rose high above, slightly illuminating his cruel features.
“Oh, how it pains me to do this, Derith.”
“Master, wh…”
*****
Derith leapt forward from his bed. His eyes opened wide, his body covered in a thin sheen of perspiration, his breathes coming out in deep gasps.
“There is only peace, there is only peace, there is only peace.”
He said as thin slivers of sunlight cracked through his windows. He rubbed his temples repeating the mantra, hoping for a measure of calm. It was only a dream, but for any Jedi, dreams had a haunting way of being much more. For a man able to see things before they happened, this was an unsettling thought.
A single light pulsing on his wall caught his attention. He shook his dream away and focused. He was on Coruscant, the months long ordeal was over. The mission given to him by his master, Durandal, was a complete success. He wondered if he would be able to consult him on his dreams, wondered, then he washed this thought away, if anything Master Durandal valued self reliance above asking for help at every corner. For his part he focused the things that he still had, he was still a Jedi Knight, he still had his health and sound mind, he still had his cramped apartment.
He strolled through the shadowy apartment, avoiding the chaotic mess that enveloped his floor. With a press of a button an image appeared before him. A face in blue leapt out of nothing and smiled. The man’s face was a tad thin but sharp, his combed back hair and ponytail highlighting his cheerful toothy grin.
“I see the noble warrior has finally awoken from the great slumber.”
“Cut the crap, Connor.” Derith replied, while rubbing the bridge of his nose in an effort to animate himself. “Why the call?”
“I’m hurt, you don’t believe that I wouldn’t just call, as a sign of our enduring friendship?” Connor said as he pursed his lips. “After all the years…”
Derith’s hand moved towards the console with the sole purpose of hitting the off switch.
“Alright, alright, you son of a Hutt.” Connor said shaking his head a bit. “Master Wong wishes your presence as soon as you are able, Connor signing off.” And with that the image dissolved in flash of blue light.
“Wait, did you say?” Derith said as he frantically pressed the recall button only to receive a no signal message. “Sith spit.”
Derith shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs and wandered into his fresher area. His presence activated a small light which flickered to life, illuminating his haggard features. His deep brown eyes gave himself a cursory look, moving his face left and to the right. It was not everyday Master Wong request one’s presence, and at the very least he thought, he could look decent and not some scruffy nerf herder. Splashing some water onto his face, he felt the small pang of the dream return. For the life of him the tall gaunt man was so familiar yet so alien. Something to bring up to Master Dalton after the meeting with Master Wong…maybe. He shook it away for a final time focusing on the here and now. He was back home, be what it may…he was amongst friends.
After leaving the fresher and feeling somewhat cleansed, or at the very least smelling better then his place, he commanded his clothes to come to him. It was such a small gesture and most would see as such an impractical use of the Force. His masters protested against these abuses, but for all their protests he knew Master Durandal’s hair was not perfect because he used some odd smelling gel. He chuckled at the thought; Jedi used the Force in little ways because it was there for them to use. The sad truth was, that only immaculate objects in his entire apartment were his black cloak, green tunic and pants, and cloned leather boots. Kept in such a perfect way that only could speak of one trained in the Force. He never pressed his clothes or shined his boots, just merely applied a small touch there, a small field here. Usually though that meant that rest of the apartment suffered. After putting the clasps on his cloak, he opened the shutters to reveal the ugly truth of his apartment. It had the look of someone who hadn’t lived there for decades and the only use the current occupant had was for living space. For all intents and purposes it was the truth, Derith was usually on some mission far away handling some sort of fact finding or destruction of some long ago Sith enclave for one of the Jedi masters. His eyes spied the small Nabooian fern he had. Amazing plant really, it could take but one feeding and it would last an entire month. Once per cycle it would bloom with a cavalcade of colors that illuminated any room. Too bad he thought, this one died six months ago. He made a mental note to himself as he adjusted his lightsaber, buy fern.
Walking out his small home, Coruscant greeted him as it does with any resident, with splendor. Hundreds of ships flew about in an orderly pattern, once one discerned said pattern from the chaos it usually appeared as to the unwary. Lights of a thousand colors made the sky appear anything but blue from down below and from above, even as far as orbit the city glowed stronger the star it orbited. There was no true night on Coruscant, nor any true day, it just was. Truly, there was no place in the galaxy quite like it.
Derith looked out into the horizon noting that he was as high up above the ground as he was below the skyscrapers that dominated his view. Walking over to his small tan speeder. It was in good order, but lacked a window that most commercial speeders had, mostly because he had yet to replace the one that fell off many years ago. The object had been looked as if it had been tinkered for many hours for one purpose in mind, speed. He tucked himself into the seat and pressed a few control that lit up the entire board. It showed him everything was in optimal order and was ready for launch. He clicked the appropriate switches, and the bike hummed even louder, wanting to free itself from the sitting position. He closed his eyes and counted down from five, and at the last second as large transport was about to enter view, he throttled the accelerator. The larger transport’s pilot swung his fist out the side cockpit window and gave some untranslatable curse and went on his way. Derith smiled, now that was fun.
He weaved amongst the traffic with a practiced ease, no driver took any second look or note but instead slightly adjusted themselves. This was something a Padawan could do with her eyes closed, but was something that Derith always enjoyed doing, it reminded him that life wasn’t one grungy ugly mission after another. He ascended himself easily into the traffic heading towards the Jedi temple and admired the scenery from here. The small wispy clouds added to the aura of Coruscant’s upper levels. Droids milled about making minor repairs, ships docked in innumerable areas, people turbolifting to even greater heights Many buildings and signs beckoned him as well as the only natural mountain on all of Coruscant. To think it had survived numerous invasion and rampages that marked the start of the Galactic Alliance. Then before stood the Jedi Temple. It was of a simple yet elegant design with four grey spires reaching heavenward at it’s base, and in the center of them was a structure that dwarfed all but the Senate hall. A grey white circular pyramid that reached to touch the highest point in Coruscant, and at it’s apex a small semi-globular structure which held the Jedi Council itself. As he made his approach to the docking area of the Jedi Temple, he saw a man walking towards him. He landed gently next to him the slight wind whipping the other man’s red cape.
“I see you’ve deigned yourself worthy to approach us lesser Jedi.” Connor said smiling as he clasped Derith shoulders
Derith smiled and shook his head.
“I have indeed, and to imagine your ugly mug is the one to greet me.” Derith said as he began walking toward the temple, his friend following suit at his side. “So, what has happened in the past months?”
“Zaia’s gotten a new hairdo.” Connor said as Derith just stopped and laughed.
Inside the temple was a bustle of activity. Padawans followed their masters in due accord as other Jedi attended to their usual activities. Small droids flitted about accomplishing duties given to them to maintain the order of the temple. In the main hall one master was erecting a statue, with the help of many Padawans with little success, motioning his arms to the left and to the right. For the most part the Padawans were distracted by the two women who walked across them, disregarding the admonishing Master Verilon was giving them.
“Ice!” Verilon said as he kept staring at the two women passing by. “Would you for one second stop thinking about a woman’s breast size and concentrate upon the task at hand?”
“Uh, I wasn’t…uh…sorry Master Verilon.”
Verilon just sighed, and rubbed his temples for a bit. The other Padawans grunted a bit as the enormous statue was giving way on top of them.
“Ice would you mind, assisting the others…NOW?”
“Sorr…”
“NOW!”
The two women passed by with little notice of the Padawans, one of them more preoccupied then the other. The taller blonde one was just shaking her head as the auburn one was smoothing out her blue cloak.
“So, is it all okay?” Zaia said.
“Why, you’re getting flustered…” I’Brat said shaking her head a bit.
“I do not, for any man, get flustered.”
“Right, that’s why you actually hemmed and hawed a bit for man who has not said a word to you nor a letter in over a year!”
“He did send that flower.”
“Oh, please…that could’ve been Connor, Verilon, even Dalton.” I’Brat said as she picked out a small piece of lint from her black leather tunic.
“Sometimes I just think you don’t like him, none of those guys would buy me that plant.”
“And why not?”
“Why would they?”
“Because…”
“Because…?”
“I don’t know…but why him?”
“Because I know.”
“Right, because instead of saying ‘Zaia, I love you’ or ‘Zaia, I’ve always felt the same’ or anything, he gives you a fern after you confess to loving him and leaves for eight months without telling a soul.”
Zaia just peered down a bit, completely silent.
“Oh I’m sorry honey.” I’Brat said as she hugged her friend “Okay, if it was him, I’ll sleep with Connor.”
Zaia raised her head a slight tilt and smiled a little. She then looked as two men were approaching them.
“…okay, so your story is going to be you were off battling hundreds of Sith, destroyed an enclave of billions, and saved the galaxy from the terror of their eternal dark side rule?” Connor said.
“Connor, for the last time, this was a mission given to me by Master Durandal.” Derith said as he increased his pace to his meeting of Master Wong. “And under such I cannot reveal what happened.”
“But that never works out so, this would fit far better then telling Zaia ‘I went off for eight months on a mission of who knows what, ignored my friends, and gave you a silly plant instead of revealing my true feelings!’”
“Thank you for illuminating my private life in front of the entire order, Connor.”
“Yeah, because everyone here is blind, deaf, dumb and mute.”
“More so then you can imagine…”Derith said under his breath.
“Pardon?”
“Connor, please not right now.”
“Sounds like your favorite catchphrase, Derith Rider.” Said a voice in front of the pair.
In front of him was a woman in a black tunic and black golden cloak, and her companion in a royal blue tunic and pants and blue with gold trimmed cloak.
“Hello, I’Brat.” He said with a slight grimace. “Hello…Zaia.”
“Derith.” Zaia said.
“So what brings your sorry carcass here today?” I’Brat asked.
“I’m on my wa…” Derith said as Connor shoved him a bit to the side to confront I’Brat.
“Now listen, you blonde haired, data digging, scruffy looking, nerf herder, my frie…”
“Excuse me, who’s scruffy looking, you lightsaber compensating egotist?”
“You heard me. What, just because he’s saving the galaxy while you dig through books gives you the right to think…”
“At least I do something…all you’re doing is covering up for your friend who dumps a beautiful woman because he’s too damned scared to admit what he feels about her.” I’Brat fumed. “And secondly I do research. Something you should try doing instead of sitting around the archives shoveling data tracks about like some dumb astromech.”
“I am doing no such thing, I am merely clarifying the facts that he wasn’t here and obviously you’re jumping to conclusions that he was running away.” Connor replied. “And I do research, you Force bleached wench, just because I prefer to do it an environment that doesn’t have me chasing after pointless leads in the backwaters of Dagobah does not mean I do not do research!”
“Pointless leads?!” I’Brat said with her arms at her side. “I’ll have you know that pointless research, as you so eloquently put it, was what lead us to the discovery of some pertinent facts of the Jedi of old. More so then your little plodding about, trying to understand pointless little equations of telekinetic manipulation and the upper limit factors!”
“Little equations?!” Connor roared “I’ll have you know…”
Derith just stood there in awe as Zaia pulled his arm and walked him towards the steps leading to the Jedi Council’s meeting room.
“So did you get the Falleenias fern?” Derith asked.
“Yes.”
“Did you…”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you leave?”
“Uhhh, because of my mission for Master Durandal.”
“No, why did you leave me?”
“…I…can we talk about this, another time?”
“No, we cannot.”
“I really can’t…”
“You don’t love me?”
“No, I uh, but I…”
“Do you or do you not?”
“I always thought my actions spoke for me.”
“Your actions do not always speak everything for you.” Zaia said arms crossed. “You never once said ‘I love you.’. The best you ever did say was ‘I know.’ I know what?”
“I thought…”
“You thought what? That it was some cute way of telling me?” Zaia said with small tears streaming from her face. “Why couldn’t you just once drop that facade of sarcasm you protect yourself with and for once in your entire life admit what you were feeling!”
“Because I was scared.”
“Of WHAT?” Zaia said. And with that she stormed off passing I’Brat and Connor who were engaged in a contested fight between who’ll give first of pinching each other’s noses.
“Zaia?” I’Brat said as she disengaged and looked at Derith with a harsh glare “Jerk.” With that she left and followed her friend. Connor walked towards Derith while rubbing his nose.
“Sith spawned woman and her grabbing…one day I swear…” Connor said looking at his friend. “I’m guessing it didn’t turn out to kiss, kiss, love, love?”
“No.”
“You should’ve just told her.”
“I couldn’t.”
“And why not…what is she going to tell you afterwards ‘I only loved you because of your scruffy beard?’. Somehow I doubt that.”
“It’s not that simple, Connor.”
“No, I believe it’s more simple, you’re the one making it more so.”
“Connor…”
“You cannot keep blaming yourself for Fe…” Connor said but fell silent when Derith glared at him with a icy stare.
“Do not ever go there.”
“Maybe so, but it’s the truth whether you care to admit or not.” Connor said ignoring Derith’s look. As the reached the apex of the steps and stood before the enormous doors that lead to the inner sanctum of the Jedi temple. Connor turned around and clasped his hand his friend’s shoulder.
“I’ll see you hopefully sooner then eight months. May the Force be with you, my friend.”
“Always. And with you as well.”
Connor took his leave and Derith expelled a small bit of air and pressed against the great doors. The door slowly gave way and with enough of a opening Derith walked through. On the far side next to a window was a greenish brown gnome like creature admiring a plant.
“Come, come.” The creature said while still focused on the plant.
“Master Wong.” Derith said as he stopped in front of the small one, headed bowed low in respect.
“Your mission, a success it was?”
“As good as any.”
“Ah.”
“Master, I doubt you called me over to ask me just that.”
“Perhaps, noticed have you the plant?”
“Yes, it’s a Falleenias fern…I gave one to Zaia.”
“Indeed. Figured did you, it said what you did not?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“Uncertain were you of her or of you?”
“Me, I guess.”
“Hmph, you guess.”
“Right now is not the best of time to broach…”
“For this subject with my children, never a good time is any. Call you here for that I did not. What makes this fern so unique, do you know?”
“Not really, I got because it was pretty.”
“Ah, why speak loudly to her your actions never did.”
“Master…”
“Yes, yes…nevertheless this versatile plant has a most unique quality, changes itself when situation arises.”
“Pardon?”
“For three reasons many races hold this plant, highest of esteem. For the Wookiees, danger it senses. For Bith, holds peace it does. For Falleen, displays feeling most true. Adpats it does to the situation it is in.”
“I don’t see…”
“No, you do not. And for this is why you fail.”
“Master?”
“Like the hammer you are, all can you do is pound and destroy?”
“No, I’m…”
“Proven this have you?”
“Master…”
“No, you haven’t. Every mission is one that is of destruction, never of peace. For all your talents still a Jedi you are, a guardian of peace”
“Master Durandal…”
“No, not Master Durandal, you. Accomplish your goals you have always through force, never do you seek a path of peace.”
“I doubt my jobs can be done…”
“Tried have you?”
“No.”
“And that is why you fail.”
“My missions have always been successful, it’s not that I don’t find a peaceful solution, it’s…I have no peaceful solution for them.”
“So, when you destroyed the Rodian enclave, negotiate did you? Resolution which spared lives you did?”
“No, I killed them all. But I had to.”
“Why?”
“They were my targets, I was assigned to insure they wouldn’t continue pirating those Corellian shipping lanes.”
“Justified were you? Ask for surrender when you killed their captain, did you?”
“No.”
“Hmph.”
“Master…you asked for me to come here, to show me what am I doing wrong?”
“Perhaps, but a mission to give you, I will. One you will accomplish through peace or most disappointed will I be.”
“I will try.”
“No, do not try. Do or do not. There is no try.”
“Yes, master I will do it through peace. May I ask how?”
“Mission I have given you already?”
“No.”
“Patience, and learn will you.” Master Wong said as he will a small globe to him. Placing it down the globe erupted with an image of the Hapan star system, and then focused on a particular world.
“Ah, Isolder74.”
“Know of it do you?”
‘Some, it’s a hotly contested shipping lane world, mostly between two people. The planet’s ruler Poe and the Shinji Corporation. They enjoyed a hot but mutual respect of who went where. Why is this a concern?”
“Two months ago, Lord Poe had passed away and acceded his rule to Sir Nitram and Lady Tevar. Accepted this passing, Shinji has not.”
“So, I’m to do what again?”
“The dispute you will solve, through killing you will not.”
“Hmm?”
“A mission of concerns diplomatic this is.”
“What? Why not I’brat, Kuja, or Zaia?!”
“Fail will you?”
“Uh, I, uh…no.”
“Good, then off you are. May the Force be with you, young knight.”
“And with you Master Wong.” Derith said, and bowed his head low and walked slowly back to the door. Master Wong shuffled towards the plant, once again admiring the blue hue it emitted.
EDIT: added a header...dur, me am smart.
j/k
