Twists of a Force Sensitive

This article, , is part of the Force Chronicles story-line which tells the story of Vin Garth, as well as his companions. In this chapter Vin, after being reassigned suddenly by the, makes a new acquaintance, faces the Dark Side and uncovers a plot...

Vin wished he had more time to spend recanting the history he and Ellie shared but it seemed matters concerning the galaxy took precedence. He had just discussed a possible security concern on the Zabrak homeworld of Iriodania with Jedi Master’s Yoda and Mace Windu and the latter had instructed Vin to proceed, with the former insisting he go alone and leave the matter of the duty he would be abandoning to his apprentice and Ellie Grey.

“This is all I needed.” Vin whispered.

This matter left a sour taste in Vin’s mouth. He had objected of course. The information they where working on was flimsy at best and Yoda knew it, even if Mace wasn’t willing to accept it. Still Vin ultimately relented – which he knew he would regret in the long run – and decided to investigate alone.

“That’s what bugs me most.” He said aloud to no one in particular.

“I take it the update was more bad news?” Ellie asked.

Vin was so far gone he hadn’t spotted her presence at all. He wasn’t even sure how long she’d been standing there leaning against the wall farthest from where he stood. How tired was he? If Ellie could sneak up on him undetected then who else could? He sighed. Still he turned to greet her with a half-hearted smile that was more than a little forced.

“I’m going to. Lloyd’s gonna swing by and pick me up, so I’ll need you to look after Elena again.”

“She isn’t going with you?”

“Master Windu wants me to go alone.” Vin explained. “Don’t ask me why. The only thing they told me is that there is a possibly potential security risk on Iriodania and I’m to investigate.”

“That’s… quite thin.” Ellie replied.

“Practically anorexic,” Vin quipped. “But I’ll manage. I always do.”

Vin turned his back on Ellie then and slipped into apparel more befitting his mission. Iriodania possessed rocky canyons, acid pools and seas and had a few temperate – if small – rainforests. He didn’t have a clue which area his search would take him too and so he dressed basically. Above all the planet was arid. So he donned a sleeveless combat vest, a long-sleeved black jacket which had his lightsaber secured in an inside pocket out of view, a pair of loose brown trousers with a tad of wear-and-tear, and finally a bandanna around his neck. From his waist he holstered a pistol.

Ellie was waiting for him outside his chambers when he departed.

“Are you sure about this?” She asked.

“Nope, but I trust Master Yoda. He told me to trust in the Force and let it guide me, as it always has. All I can do is roll the dice on this one.”

How Vin came to be chased through the rocks of Iriodania with a group of mercenaries hot on his heels was truly beyond him. He had landed amongst the canyons and after hiding his starfighter he proceeded in whatever direction felt best to him. He hadn’t much information to go on besides “let the Force guide you”, but truly it was his gut that he was following. One moment he’d been walking past surveying the terrain and attempting to get his bearings. The next minute he was being shot at! If he didn’t know any better he would have sworn he was expected.

“Lovely thought,” Vin remarked.

A bolt of blew lightning impacted the wall near his head!

“Great, just what I needed! Am I dealing with a forgotten or a Dark Side splinter group?” Vin asked aloud. “Trust to the Force? Ha! Now I remember why I ridiculed Anya every time she said ‘I sense a disturbance in the Force’. It always bit me is the backside!”

He threw himself into an opening in one of the canyon walls with about as much grace as a drunken thug in the underbelly of the galactic capital once the bouncers had had enough. Once there he consciously disguised his presence in the Force and took to the shadows as if that was his rightful home.

“Where are you?” Vin whispered.

“Fan out!” A crued voice exclaimed. “I want the child found!”

Now that was an interesting tit-bit of information. They'd mistaken Vin for a child? Idiots. The fact he was an inch off 6ft should really have indicated he wasn't a child. The speaker finally came into view and Vin wasted no time memorizing his face and attire. He was a Zabrak with skin as red as fire and eyes that clearly showed his immersion in the Dark Side of the Force. They shone in his head like little yellow lights and the aura of dreed emenating from him made Vin curl his lip in distaste. This fool was beyond redemption.

“There he goes!” Another Zabrak called.

The red-skinned Darksider loosed a surge of Force lighting at the general area his colleague pointed out and a shriek of pain and fear filled the air. A young boy – a Zabrak with tanned skin – rolled down the canyon side to the floor mere inches from the Darksider.

“You will return what you stole.”

Vin didn’t hear the young Zabrak’s reply. He didn’t need to. He had already seen and heard enough. And quite frankly his patience was at its end. He had already clarified this Zabrak to be beyond redemption. So Vin would give him peace in another way: a lightsaber through the heart should suffice to send him on his way.

“I would look to others, Darksider, for your thrills and kicks. Or are you afraid you’ll find someone who won’t take your beatings lying down? Oops, I think you found one. Turn and face me!”

The Darksider turned and immediately loosed Force lightning upon Vin, though he merely outstretched his left hand and grabbed the bolt with his bare hand! Vin proceeded to nullify and then absorb the energy until nothing at all remained.

“You still have a lot to learn, boy.”

“So… you are a Jedi then? You are vastly outnumbered.”

“And you are vastly outclassed.” Vin replied. “If I where a betting man – and I am – my money would go on me.”

Vin discarded his black jacket and ignited his lightsaber the moment the Darksider took the offensive. He employed Soresu initially to feel out his opponent but once he had a good grasp of his strength and speed Vin shifted to his preferred Form, which was Juyo; otherwise known as the Ferocity Form. He employed it with such intensity that he immediately shattered the Darksider’s defence with only one sustained offensive march, at which point he employed a disarming slash! The Zabrak’s hand went flying and Vin seized the lightsaber from the limp hands grasp with the Force, which he then held to the poor fools throat.

“You’ll be dead before any of your friends squeeze the trigger.” Vin warned.

“Is that… so? You are nothing before a Sith!”

Vin felt his intent crystal clear through the Force and immediately put the red-bladed lightsaber between himself and the Darksider’s Force Lightning.

“You truly are a fool.” Vin whispered.

Vin would not have struck down a defenceless or unarmed opponent. It went against both his own views and those of the Jedi Order, but as of right now this Darksider was hardly defenceless. Vin felt the killing intent clearly. And truth be told he was tired of this Sith pretender already. Vin plunged his own lightsaber through his chest and then retrieved his jacket, where he then returned his own lightsaber alongside that of his fallen opponent to his inside pocket.

“I’d clear out of here if I where you.” He said to the thugs glaring down from the rocky plateaus. “Now, before I change my mind.”

Vin treaded close enough to the Dark Side at times that people referred to him as a Grey Jedi. He had even been seen employing various… questionable Force powers from time-to-time, one of which was Force lightning. Killing a few Zabrak who had fired at him first wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility when Vin was concerned.

“Are you alright?” He asked of the child Zabrak laid out on the floor.

“I think… so?”

“You think? Then that’s a no.” Vin answered.

He took the boy to the safety of his earlier hiding place after determining that the other Zabrak had indeed fled. He wasn’t particularly masterful in the arts of healing, but he knew enough to facilitate basic first aid when out in the field. Thankfully the child’s injuries weren’t extreme. He was burned in a few places and bruised from his fall, but his bones where whole and so was his mind. Quite lucky Vin noted.

“Boy… you’re Force sensitive, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question, more a statement of fact.

“How did you know!?”

“Call it a lucky guess. What’s your name?”

“Zur Cen.”

“And why where those men after you?” Vin asked.

“This.” Zur said, showing a data pad. “It looked valuable so I took it. I need to eat you know!”

Was that supposed to be justification for his theft? Vin shrugged his shoulders. He'd done worse to survive after all.

"This is ridiculous." He said at last, laughing.

Vin wasn’t sure if the Force was messing with him and being obvious about it, or if his gut had proved its worth once again. One thing he was sure of though: his meeting this boy was no accident. That was painfully clear to him. Master Yoda and Master Windu where going to have a field day… and kittens for by, but Vin didn’t see much other choice.

“Zur, have you any family?” He shook his head. “No relatives at all?” Again he shook his head. “Do you want to become a Jedi?” His eyes lit up like a bonfire. “I’ll take that as a yes. I hereby take you as my padawan learner, even if you are a little old.”

And he gave him the lightsaber of the Zabrak he had just killed.

“Did you know who these men where?”

“The one you killed. He was called Bull.”

“I don’t think he’ll be missed. I hope Bull’s lightsaber serve you better than it served him. Come on, it’s time to go.”