Star Wars: The Alderaan Affair/Part XV - The Rise

“Lanmaw, is it?” Asked Vydushi, extending his hand, which Epin didn't take immediately, due to his shoulder.

“Yeah.” Answered Epin, slightly cautious as he remembered Denbo saying that Epin's fight would be with Vydushi's enforcer. And that Epin wasn't supposed to win. Which in reflection, Epin knew now, to mean he was supposed to die.

“Come with me, the main event is starting soon and it will be difficult to talk.” Vydushi said as he turned and headed to the locker room. “We'll get that shoulder patched up as well.”

Vydushi and Epin entered the locker room where Epin had talked with Denbo Ryshaw and took a seat on one of the benches. Vydushi rummaged through the medical cabinet and pulled out some bacta patches and bandages. He complimented Epin on a good fight while he administered the patches and wrapped the wound in bandages.

“You know, that wound looked like it was healing already.” Said Vydushi as he pulled a credit chip from his pocket and sat on the bench with Epin. “Almost like it was older than just a few minutes.”

Something for us to discuss in the future my young friend. Kreia's voice said to Epin.

Alderaan Affair

Part XIII - Part XV

“Listen son, I've got a spot for a fighter like you here. Regular fights, a chance at the championship if you're good enough.” Said Vydushi, handing Epin the chip.

“Where do I sign up?” Said Epin eagerly, taking the chip.

“Tell you what, come back when that's all healed and I'll put you in against Crensh Aldan if you want.” Said Vydushi as he motioned to Epin's bandaged arm.

“How much is...?” Began Epin, but Vydushi cut him off.

“Five thousand.” Said Vydushi.

“Five...” Said Epin, almost dropping it.

“Thousand, yes. No, I'm not joking.” Said Vydushi, standing and entering his office at the back. “That's the proverbial drop in the bucket compared to what the galactic circuit can bring you.”

Vydushi closed the office door, leaving Epin alone.

Now, perhaps you've got some time to discuss something of importance with me? Came Kreia's voice.

“Yeah, alright.” Said Epin as he stood up and headed towards the lockers to retrieve his tunic and cloak.

It has to do with your abilities. Kreia began. Namely, your ability to heal at a faster rate than normal. Even among those that possess your talents, yours is quite exceptional, given that you don't even seem to be aware of it occurring. I wonder what you could accomplish with it if you trained yourself in the healing arts and focused your powers.

“So...what does that mean?” Asked Epin. “So what? My body heals faster than other people, it's always been like that. It's probably one of the reasons Dad hit me so often and beat on me, my body healed so quickly it didn't really leave any scars or bruising.”

Kreia seemed to think on that as she didn't immediately respond to Epin. It's certainly a possibilty, yes. And maybe a bit of jealousy, given his lack of ability.

“Lack of ability?” Said Epin. “Dad would kill me in a fight.”

If you were to fight him now, yes, he would. Said Kreia. She paused a moment before continuing with a hint of humor in her voice. But I never taught your father the way I've taught you. He was weak minded and was a puppet to his baser instincts and emotions.

Epin froze in place, turned to face Kreia and raised his eyebrows. She stared back. - Leia awoke feeling tired after a mostly sleepless night due to the return of her nightmares of Alderaan's destruction. She noticed Winter was still asleep, as she was schooled here in the palace by private tutors. Leia sighed, she was expected to got Vesta's school as it was what was considered proper for her. Well, at least she got to sleep at her own home, many of Vesta's students lived at the academy, having come from planets far away. She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for her day. After showering and changing into the uniform students wore, a blue top with a knee length dark blue skirt, she brushed her hair and tied it back into a ponytail with the white ribbon students also wore in their hair. She sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, wondering what she would do if the Empire ever turned its sights onto Alderaan and brought about its destruction.

A voice came through a small speaker on the wall outside the door. It announced that Leia was needed downstairs, as she had a visitor waiting in the main hall. Leia's heart leaped at the thought of Epin coming to see her. She hurried towards the lifts that would bring her downstairs, but when the doors opened and she was disappointed to see that it wasn't Epin who was waiting with her father.

“Princess.” Said Lania Lanmaw.

“Ah Leia.” Said Bail.

“Good morning Mrs. Lanmaw.” Leia said as she made her way to them and stopped by her father's side.

“Lania says that Epin has been missing for some time.” Said Bail. “Do you know where he is?”

“Oh, uh no I don't, I'm sorry.” Said Leia truthfully, as she herself hadn't heard from or seen Epin recently.

Now that Leia had time to think, when was the lat time she saw Epin? Then she remembered they had been at the lake, where they had kissed for the very first time, almost an entire month ago. She hadn't realized that much time had gone by and they hadn't seen each other. Her stomach fluttered at the memory however, and she thought she must be turning red at the thought, and that her father and Lania would notice. Leia noticed that Lania was watching her with a searching look and smiled warmly at her before turning her attention back to Bail. Leia began to wonder where Epin could be, surely he would've come to see her or made an attempt at speaking to her if he had seen her in the streets somewhere. She couldn't think of a reason for him to simply run away, after all, his family seemed fairly normal and happy.

“Well, thanks for your time Princess.” Said Lania a few minuted later with a courteous nod of her head to Leia. She turned to Bail. “Well, thank you Bail, sorry if I kept you. I'll leave you to your business.”

“Think nothing of it.” Bail said with smile, shaking her hand.

“I'm on my way back to the farm, I could drop Miss Leia off at Madam Vestas on the way if you want.” Said Lania.

“That would be fine with me.” Said Bail. “Leia?”

“Sure, I'd be late if I walked now. Thanks Mrs. Lanmaw.” Answered Leia as the two women walked to Lania's speeder and got in.

“Princess, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but if you see Epin, I need him to come home as soon as possible.” Said Lania seriously, starting the engine. “It's, well, we all miss him at home, you know.”

“Have you tried going to the police and reporting him missing?” Asked Leia. “And you don't have to call me Princess, you know me.”

“Well, Leia, the police don't usually concern themselves with the troubles of us farm folk.” Said Lania with a frown. “I'm just worried he may have gotten himself into trouble with those boys that are always hounding him.”

“Oh I don't think so.” Said Leia with a grin, remembering Epin's fight with Arod and his gang at Lake Aldera where he had caused them to flee in fear. “He took care of them the last time.”

“Did he?” Said Lania in a concerned voice. “What did he do?”

“Well, he made them run away.” Said Leia laughing. “He just kind of beat them up, you know. They could barely hit him!”

“Listen Princess, Epin needs to know that his father and sister are also missing.” Said Lania. “Please tell him if you see him.”

“Uhm, yeah, sure.” Said Leia, slightly confused, but still somewhat frightened.

Lania stopped the vehicle at the front of Vesta's academy. A large white and blue building with large steel gray doors, it had six floors and a secondary building off to the side which was of nearly equal size, which housed the students and staff. Out front was a sign that had the school name on it, Madam Vesta's Select Academy for Girls. Lania looked as though she wanted to ask something, and did start to speak but Leia wasn't eager to be late and get into trouble.

“Thanks for the ride Mrs. Lanmaw.” Said Leia as she hopped out of the speeder. - At lunch break, Leia was sitting outside in the courtyard at the back of the building at a table with a few other girls. The tables were medium sized and comfortably sat around eight to ten people. The girls were talking animatedly about a fight they had witnessed last night.

“They way he just flattened the other guy. Wham!” Said one of the girls, punching a fist into her opposite hand.

“Do you want to go back again tonight Serena?” Asked another girl.

“Absolutely Tess.” Said Serena. “Crensh is a really awesome fighter!”

“Who is it he's fighting tonight?” Said Tess.

“Uhm...” Said Serena as she looked into the distance. “Oh, it's that kid that's been winning all his fights recently, you know, the one that beat that Trandoshan.”

“Oh right, Epin I think was his name.” Said Tess.

Leia coughed loudly, having spit out her drink at the sound of Epin's name coming up in such an unexpected conversation and from these girls nonetheless. She hurriedly cleaned up as the others at the table looked at her with stares of disgust and annoyance. After a few moments of staring, they returned to their conversation and decided they would return to the scene of the fights. Leia listened and heard them discussing plans to sneak out of the school later that night and meet up outside King Junior. - Epin stepped into the arena, ready for his fight with Crensh Aldan, the Manka's number two ranked fighter. Crensh was a human of medium height and build with a large diagonal scar on his face across his left cheek, which many say he got in a fight with a Wookiee. He was bald with dark green eyes, thin eyebrows, a goatee of reddish hair and he wore simple black pants and shoes with no shirt. He grinned at Epin.

The arena today was the simple concrete pad that Epin had fought in when he found himself in the cage the first time he came here. He focused and remembered what he had learned with Kreia about focusing his powers and channeling them into specific maneuvers and attacks, feeling like he would be needing a good powerful finishing blow. The pair began the fight slowly with short bursts of attacks, neither gaining an advantage, but still inflicting damage to each other. Crensh was sporting a bloody lip and Epin had sustained scrapes and cuts to his face after Crensh had ground Epin's face into the concrete floor. But Epin was able to keep up due to his foresight and training and Crensh was simply a seasoned fighter and had experience. The fight took a turn however, when Epin, due to his training was able to outlast Crensh, who was beginning to become winded from the battle. He grunted and punched the ground as he returned to his feet after being tossed to the ground after Epin had thrown Crensh off a rear choke attempt. “Don't know how a punk like you got so far in this club.” Crensh growled. “The quality of our fighters must be declining.”

“Well that explains how you got and held onto your rank, doesn't it?” Said Epin, spitting out some blood that had gotten into his mouth from the cuts in his face.

Crensh charged at Epin wildly with a scream. He lashed out with a left hook, which Epin dodged under and tried to trip up Crensh with a kick to his legs. Crensh fell but rolled through and stopped in a crouched position, turning quickly back at Epin and going on the attack. But Epin was aware of this before even Crensh himself was and had begun pursuing him during his roll, throwing a punch just as Crensh turned to strike back. Epin connected with a viscous punch dead center of Crensh's face, breaking his nose and sending blood and teeth flying out of his mouth and flooring him immediately.

The crowd roared at the announcement of Epin's victory and new rank at the Manka club. Having defeated Crensh, Epin was now the second best fighter in the club and was eligible to fight club champion, Denbo Ryshaw if he chose. Epin let out a huge sigh and wiped his face with his hand, clearing the blood off the best he could as he slumped out of the cage, exhausted, yet exhilarated. - Epin, having earned a shot at Denbo Ryshaw, decided that he would challenge him at the earliest opportunity. He figured he would have to set it up with Arkan Vydushi, so at the next event, he went to talk to Vydushi. He made his way to the locker room and knocked on the door in the back that Darien Vekkar had pointed out to him before his fight with the Trandoshan, Reejalgo. There was no answer. He began to walk away to ask some of the other fighters if they had seen Vydushi when he heard the door to the office swish closed. Turning, he saw Darien Vekkar walking toward him.

“Ah, good to see you my boy.” Said Darien. “You've made quite a name for yourself here, and made me quite a lot of credits. Speaking of which, you left before I could give you your winnings from your defeat of Crensh.”

“Oh, yeah well I had other stuff to do.” Said Epin distractedly. He felt like danger was near, though wasn't sure how he could feel danger. Fear he supposed was a better description of what he was feeling.

Darien handed Epin a credit chip. “The five thousand I promised you.”

Epin pocketed the chip with a grin. “Thanks, who's next? I'd like to fight Denbo, is Arkan here?”

“Ah, glad to hear you're eager to continue your rise.” Said Darien. “But I'm afraid Mr. Vydushi is away at the moment, though I'll be filling in for him. And as for Denbo, he was beaten.”

“Beaten!?” Shouted Epin. “By who? How? I was next in line!”

“Some masked fighter.” Said Darien. “After you left, Denbo issued an open challenge. The masked fighter approached from the crowd and absolutely demolished Ryshaw. He was lucky he survived to be honest.”

“So, do I fight this person instead?” Asked Epin.

“Uh, yeah, if you want to.” Said Darien. “You don't have to challenge them immediately, maybe you should wait to see how this person fights to get a feel for how they move in there.”

“I want to fight.” Said Epin.

Darien frowned and nodded his head.

Alderaan Affair

Part XIV - Part XVI