Revenge: Bittersweet

[Jorshal Vuntana]

Mood and intent never stay within the body and mind of its source, they radiate into the surroundings and taint the world about the source. For example, Jorshal Vuntana walked with a brisk pace down the cobbled street in a beautiful town that appanrently time had forgotten. Durasteel and ferocrete were unheard of and more primitive bulding materials were used. About him were lush, green trees and shrubs casting blue shadows on the white plaster wall. Small puffs of white cloud speckled the blue sky. None of this beauty mattered to him and in return for his ignorance, the enviroment ignored him.

A man and woman changed to the opposite side of the street, aware, subconsciously, that the aura he carried with him was most unpleasent and left a sour taste in their mouths. To them, the lush, green trees and speckled sky faded and the possible angry thoughts that might be whirling through Jorshal's mind occupied theirs. "Wonder what his problem is..." The man muttered to his lover. But as the angry blond man passed behind them, the trees regained their color and the golden sunlight from above shined heavily. "Look at that red bird!" The man exclaimed quietly to his lover as the red bird flew across the street to another green branch.

In his own mind, Jorshal Vuntana had never even noticed the couple nor the bird nor the trees or sky. The world may as well be a sunless desert with two men in all of existance. The first being obviously Jorshal himself. The other being a slimy and slithering excuse for a man Jorshal once called friend; Xau Ghin. The cause for their most recent meeting was blatently apparent to both Jorshal and Xau, though Xau hid from it as he hid from Jorshal and the king of pain himself. Jorshal was out for revenge and painful death of Xau ghin was going to tribute to that.

Jorshal stopped his pace in front ofa bright red door that under his shadow turned to a rusty and faded red. The door predictably creaked as he pushed it open to reveal a small garden with an elderly woman attending to a blue flower. Jorshal's brisk pace resumed as if it had never stopped. Like the couple before, the elderly woman shifted away while attempting to not make it apparant that she didn't want to be near Jorshal. He passed her with disregard and pushed through a matching red door that also predictably creaked. The house was like the town which was like the world, extreamly natural and ancient. For all the inhabited planets in Palpatine's great Empire, there were twice as many technology and civilization had yet to reach.

Jorshal reached out with the Force as best as he could, searching to find Xau Ghin. Xau had a particularly strange Force signiture, it was faint and pathetic, reflecting the man it belonged to. He searched again and found nothing. Perhaps it was fainter than Jorshal remembered. He searched harder and found no signiture but that of the other occupants in the house. However, he did find soemthing of curiosity, the complete lack of Force presence in the upstairs back corner of the house. Ysalamiri prevented Force users from detecting the Force within their area of search, could Xau have obtained one? It was pointless as it gave Xau away as much as his Force signiture ever did.

To be continued.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

The will of a person is powerful and so long as the will remains strong, the person can do anything he pleases. In this case, Jorshal Vuntana did not want his prey, Xau Ghin, to know that Jorshal had finally come to take his revenge. Willing such a thing is not as simple as wanting it. Jorshal willed that his presence remain a secret and embarked on doing so as he carefully climbed the stairway. Making his will so was easy at this point. Countless years of training within the walls of the Sith Order as well as outside had taught him to move silently. He had also learned to mask his Force presence and prevent alerting anyone, Force user or not, to him.

Surprise was the most important element in his strike. Without it Xau could easily escape and run, but he would not be able to hide from Jorshal's grip. He took his last step off of the stairs and silently creeped alogn the carpeted hallway towards the far back corner. Jorshal was skilled in most forms of combat, no one had defeated him in pure combat. His weakness was Force tricks, things like telekinesis and especially telepathy could easily destabilize him and cause him to loose any conflict. Lucky for him, Xau was not skilled in anything regarding the Force or combat.

The normally creaky door opened without a noise and Jorshal entered the room without alerting Xau who was focused on a small computer that connected him with the rest of the galaxy. Silently he walke dup behind him and placed his lightsaber hilt just after Xau's neck met with his chest. He tilted the hilt to that the sunlight reflected in the silver hit Xau in the eye. Xau's head spun to the right to see the lightsaber ignite. It's crimson blade pinning Xau's neck between it and the chair.

"Don't you dare move." Jorshal said through gritted teeth.

"Jor- I- I-."

"Stop stammering. The only reason you're alive is because I need some answers." He said as darkly as before. Had it been his way Xau would be dead at this moment and Jorshal would be closer to completing his revenge. However, his partner and lover suggested otherwise. More like forced upon him. He didn't want to interrogate Xau but Nadja had barely convinced him otherwise.

"Are you allied with the Jedi?" Jorshal asked.

"No."

"But you worked for them when you betrayed my master."

"No."

Jorshal hit Xau with the hilt of his lightsaber.

"Y-Yes." he screamed. "I was but, I tried to stop-"

"Bull!" Agani Jorshal hit his former friend. "You helped kill him!"

With a blody mouth Xau denied the charges. "Who told you that?" Xau couldn't think of anyone who might have reported anything to Jorshal.

"Nadja was there. She told me everything."

Xau did his best to hide his surprise. Behind the blood pouring from his forehead it was almost easy. He knew what she was up to, she had talked about it before. Killing Southstar's apprentice as well as Southstar. She'd get him out of Jorshal's wrath, wouldn't she?

"I can't believe you would do that. You were my friend, one of my oldest friends!" Jorshal knew he wasn;t talkign to Xau, he was talking to himself, trying to keep his rage in check. He needed more information. He exhaled and picked up a vial of red liquid. "Ysalamiri blood?"

"It's mine. I-"

"You kill the Force presence within you." He muttered. "What have you fallen to?"

"I have to! I- I... Are you going to?"

"Going to what?"

Xau swallowed. "Going to.. kill me."

Jorshal eyed him for a moment. "What happened at the complex?"

"The Jedi ambushed him. I was there on a money job, you know how it is. I fought with Southstar for everything he's done for me. I owe him, but... Nadja came to save him, but not me. The bickering slowed us down and... I don't know why she wouldn't help me! I was right there! The Jedi offered me my life, I took it."

The story fit in perfect with Nadja's. What struck him as peculiar was why would Nadja want to frame Xau. "Where are the Jedi now?"

"Barali. I'm going there in a month."

"Do you want to redeem yourself?"

Xau paused. "Yes."

"You'll get me in." Jorshal picked up the vial of Ysalamiri blood. He wasn't about to storm a complex like his master did. The Jedi were apparently full of surprises. "With this."

Xau nodded his head and Jorshal drew his near. "But no crime goes unpunished." He twisted his wrist and caused the crimson blade to sever Xau's right arm at the shoulder.

To be concluded.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

"Wait, you simply cut off his arm?" Should space carry sound, the exclamation of Nadja Storm might have been heard for millions of miles.

"He needs to live." Jorshal retorted. "I'm not an idiot, I have a plan."

"You have a plan?" She said and raised her eyebrows. "Listen, I'll make the plans, you just need to do what you're good at." Perhaps her thoughts escaped from her too quick for her to realize what she was causing.

The silver and black hilt flew from his belt to his hand and ignited, the crimson blade inches from Nadja's face. "Don't ever talk to me like that!" He barked. "Ever!"

She exhaled through her nose and witheld her words.

"I know what I'm doing. Can't you trust me?"

"I do trust you." She confirmed and dropped a mental aura of calm around him. "But when we stray from the plan, unpredictable event occur. Southstar knew that and he'd have told you that too."

Jorshal couldn't argue. Southstar would probably have said something like that.

"We'll use Xau to get to the Jedi, like you planned. But from here on out, let's not make things too confusing. Ok?" By now she was inches from, his blade humming centimeters from her ear.

"Yeah." He breathed and turned off his blade. "We make a good team."

"We do." She agreed and kissed him. "We'll be back at Korriban soon. You had better get you things ready."

She always left him wanting more, a funny sensation in the pit of his gut. "Yeah, I'll be ready." He said and turned to the wall where his single bag lay. Xau was nearly taken care of now, it was just the two Jedi that stood in his way now. He could almost taste revenge on the tip of his tongue.