Turning the Clock Back

This article, , is part of the Force Chronicles story-line and features back-story to the main characters, Vin Garth and Ellie Grey.

The more Vin heard of this “assignment” the more he disliked it. No, dislike wasn’t the right term, not when he thought about it. And hate wasn’t sufficiently strong enough a term either… Bullocks! Why couldn’t Ellie leave him alone and take Elena with her instead? He had a war to wage for Pete’s sake! But no, that would be to easy a solution. Ellie would have him fighting alongside Clone Troopers on a desert planet whose name he already forgotten, without his own militia, and in nothing but a spruced-up transport ship with minor weaponry and few facilities. They’d be three days in space before they even got there! That should clearly tell how much Vin detested this “assignment”.

He hated stealth missions.

“You’re punishing me for something, aren’t you?” Vin asked in complete seriousness.

“Remember the second time we visited Raxus Prime?” Ellie asked with venomous undertones.

It took a moment for him to catch on to what particular incident she was referring to, because a lot of things had gone down on Raxus Prime between Vin and Ellie. But then it finally registered.

“That was years ago!” He exclaimed, hoping that made his case. It didn’t.

“What is your point?” Ellie asked.

The incident Ellie was talking about had been a complete accident, at least on Vin’s part. How was he to know that the security droids of a local pirate gang who had no legal right to be there employed flamethrowers? And how in the name of all creation was it his fault when Ellie, after fleeing the scene, hadn’t a stitch of wearable clothing left above her waist!? She never remembered it was he who healed her burns with the Force, oh no, or he who gave her his spare outfit! Even if it had drowned her. That particular piece of history was forever lost to her anger it seemed. The woman didn’t half hold a grudge.

“What was my point? Vin answered. “If memory serves, I think we all remember you stalking into the ship without a stitch on above the belt, and I think it was me who healed your burns. But no, I have no point.” Vin remarked, crossing his arms. “Unbelievable. I want that outfit back too.”

She hit him.

“Did that really happen?” Elena asked, dumbfounded. Her cheeks had gone scarlet! “Not the you healing her part, but Ellie walking in topless?”

“Aye,” Vin answered, rubbing his jaw. “It happened alright. Best time I ever had foraging through scrap. She hit me then too.”

“It was the worst day of my life.” Ellie answered.

The ships journey through a minor engagement between Republic forces and a droid scouting party jostled them in their seats but it had been a welcome interruption, all the same. Vin knew Ellie was lying. The worst day of her life was also the best day of her life, which had also occurred on Raxus Prime, the planet of scrap. Ellie’s master had been killed and Ellie’s dependence on him had driven her over the edge, leading her to embrace the Dark Side of the Force after his murders turned their attentions on her. Vin and his old master, Anya Veil, had arrived on a separate mission to recover a Jedi Holocron believed to have been lost amongst the rubbish. Suffice to say the three crossed paths even though Vin and his master knew nothing of Ellie’s presence or predicament. What was the result? One of the hardest fights of Vin’s Padawan career.

He could still recall that day with perfect clarity…

The sun was high and a hateful wind was blowing. Anya poked through the garbage with a degree of serenity few in this wretched place could match, for she had barely dirtied her robes at all. Vin however was unidentifiable. His brown hair had been practically dyed black by dirt and oil and his clothing was tattered in more than one place. His skin, usually a tanned colour, was blackened by soot so it made little difference.

“This is impossible!” He declared.

“You must have patience, my young apprentice.”

Anya was a purple-skinned Twi'lek with brown eyes. She wore the apparel often associated with the Jedi archaeologists and even though she often took missions dealing with what the archaeologists sought, she was not actually a member of the group. Just highly respected by them and trusted with their assignments. She was also the closest thing to a mother Vin had. It was only recently he learned why she had apprenticed him. Sure, she wasn’t the best at lightsaber combat or in raw force power, but her ideals and inner strength could be passed on to him she argued. That was why Vin respected her more than anyone he’d ever met before. Anya was a remarkable woman. But still she hadn’t quite smoothed over Vin’s rougher edges yet. |Nor was she ever likely too, some would say.

“Screw patience!” Vin barked. “Look at this place. It’s worse than that slaver’s den we raided three weeks ago, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t red sauce smeared across the walls like you told me it was.”

“Please, be silent.” Anya asked. “I sense a disturbance in the Force.”

“Of course you do.” Vin chided. “Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you sensed one of those? I was beset upon by a very androgynous female Twi'lek who wanted me for some kind of twisted love experiment! I swear, she had an Adam’s apple as big as her bal-”

“That’s enough of that language, young man! She was a Dark Jedi, and nothing more. And all she wanted to do was drain your life essence.”

“Is that all?” Vin asked, incredulous. “Well, isn’t that comforting? What is it you sense anyway?” He asked, to what he knew would be his regret.

“I sense great fear, anger… and pain. And your impatience is distracting.” Anya whispered. “Something is very wrong here.”

“Sure, it’s my fault.” He groaned.

But he decided to humour her anyway and when he did so Vin was a teenager transformed. He was often snarky, confrontational and a tad annoying; and those where his good days. Bad days he was a foul-mouthed little blighter most folk wouldn't believe to be a member of the esteemed Jedi Order, however lowly he sat within it. Now he was poised and serious. He had squared his shoulders and inhaled sharply. Suddenly everything seemed clearer and cleaner. It was like he wasn’t looking through a dirty window anymore. He felt what Anya described after only a few moments of careful search, and shook his head in dismay. He could even hazard a guess as to what the disturbance in the Force was.

“… The Dark Side of the Force is strong here.” Vin remarked.

“Yes, it is. What you sense, Vin, is a Jedi who has embraced the Dark Side.” Anya confirmed.

“I thought as much. Can we do anything?”

Anya exhaled slowly.

“That depends on how far they’ve fallen. We can make no promises; we can only do our best.”

Vin was determined to do more than his “best”.

“Evasive manoeuvres!”

Vin was dragged back to the present when the shuttle he was seated in was jostled rather violently. He grasped the situation immediately by opening himself to the Force, at which point he seized the controls from the piloting Clone with the Force without even rising from his chair! He took their small ship through evasive manoeuvres and finally opened fire on a droid ship that should not have been following them. He then gave the controls back to the startled Clone.

“That was fun, but can you not get us shot down, please?”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

Vin left it at that and returned his attention to his Padawan, who was busying herself tugging on his sleeve.

“Could you finish the story Master? Please?”

It was only when Elena asked him that that Vin realized he had been reliving his memories aloud. Ellie watched from the opposite side of the craft with a little half-smile, though it was clear Vin’s vivid recollection had pleased her. She looked less likely to throttle him now. Perhaps he’d tell this story again in the future?

“Okay, the heat was fierce. I mean really so. You couldn’t walk ten foot without sweating. So imagine my predicament when…”

He walked forward closely behind his Master, who was walking quickly but cautiously all the same. Vin had never had a run-in with a denizen of the Dark Side before and he was acutely aware of a sense of growing fear. Was he ready for this? Could he really help? Or would he merely get in Anya’s way? She was the Jedi here. He was merely a Padawan!

“A Padawan,” Anya whispered, “who has surpassed many and learned much; despite all the odds. Take comfort in that truth, young one. You are more than prepared.”

He hated it when she read his thoughts but he'd let it slide this time. If only because she was complimenting him.

"Keep thinking like that and it may be the last time I do so."

"Sta outta my head!"

It took them no time at all to traverse the junk heap that was Raxus Prime. Anya was capable of following their target without much effort, and he or she had so far proven oblivious to their presence. Over ship hulls and broken shells of ancient vessels they climbed. Yet when Vin laid eyes on the target – a woman with long and flowing black hair – he was seized by a sudden notion: she was quite pretty. She was curvy and sharp-featured and he was happy to see she was as dirty as he was. Good to see he wasn’t the only one incapable of digging through rubbish with any degree of grace.

“Who is that!? Stay back!”

Vin gave chase immediately, which, when he thought on it, hadn’t been a good idea. The footing was treherous at the best of times and up until now he had been matching Anya's cautious stride, but now he was anything but. He and the teenage girl – she couldn’t have been older than him – feel through an old ship hull and down multiple stories! Vin landed awkwardly and the woman pounced, yellow eyes flashing with murderous intent! Vin brought his green lightsaber up in a flashing parry to block her blue blade and then side-stepped.

“I’m not here to fight.” He assured her. “Please, let us help you.”

She attacked him again.

"Ah, crap." He murmured. His day had just hit rock bottom.

He was suddenly thankful she was young. His initial reaction to her strike – aside from his parry – was that her technique was much like his own; unpolished, rudimentary and not fully mastered. But man was she strong! Maybe it was the Dark Side fuelling her powers? Or maybe she just packed more muscle than Vin thought, but he was hard-pressed to defend against her. Vin had chosen to study Form VII with Cin Drallig’s permission, but he had achieved a working knowledge of all forms of lightsaber combat despite his young age. He had even been remarked on by a few Jedi to have an innate predisposition towards the lightsaber and its many forms of combat.

Her Ataru offensive found a solid reaction in Vin’s defensive Soresu and even though it wasn't particularly advanced, her Ataru wasn't much better than Vin's Soresu. If he took Juyo to bear against her he'd probably defeat her hands down. But then he wasn't here to do that.

“Please, listen to me!” Vin again pleaded.

“No, you’re here to kill me. They’ve already killed my Master…!”

Vin reacted immediately. He deflected her attack with a cutting parry and dashed inside to avoid her follow-up, which cut into the floor where Vin had been standing. She switched to a Shien backwards grip and swung backwards, though Vin avoided it by sinking low and sliding along the dirt. As he came to his full height again he twisted on the balls of his feet and fell into a one-handed Makashi strike. She brought her own lightsaber up to block and the two stood in a stalemate!

“I don’t know what happened to your master,” Vin said quietly, “but I had nothing to do with it! I’m a Jedi, like you. So tell me why we have to fight one another!?”

She kicked him in the shin.

“Damn it!”

She darted away and leapt up the demolished remains of the ancient vessel, away from where Vin and she had originally fallen. But her progress was impeded by Anya. The Twi’lek stepped out onto the precarious sheet of metal and brandished her lightsaber in a defensive manor; Vin didn’t sense any intent from his Master to attack except in self-defence.

“I understand your pain.” Anya whispered in a consoling manner. “But this is not the path.”

The Darksider attacked but Anya simply flowed around her. She was a master of the Niman form. Balance was one thing Anya always had over her opposition, and on that precarious platform it was all the defence she needed. The Twi-lek moved again and sliced the floor out from under her opponent, who fell back down towards Vin. She landed lightly enough and moved to attack!

“Enough!”

Vin had lost whatever patience he went into this engagement with. He grasped her leading hand and by proximity her lightsaber, but did not ignite his own weapon in retaliation. He instead looked her straight in the eye and spoke:

“Are you control of yourself or are you merely a tool for the Dark Side?” He said to her.

“Vin, that is not the way!” Anya exclaimed.

“I don’t buy it!” Vin roared at the woman, ignoring his Master. “You’re scared; I get that. You’re confused; I understand. But what you’re feeling… it’s only temporary. Let go.” He whispered. “Let go and come back.”

“… What am I doing?” She asked, tearful.

“What are you doing right now?” Vin asked. “You’re doing the right thing. Trust me, it’ll be alright. Now let go. That’s all you need to do.”

Vin, ending the story, looked across the room to Ellie. She was clearly emotional from his story and he nodded at her in recognition. She nodded back and finally smiled as well.

“That woman…” Vin said to his own apprentice, “was the woman sitting opposite us.”

“I came back to the Light to foil the Dark.” Ellie said aloud. “And I have Vin to thank for it.”