The Crucible[Closed]

[Jedah Lynch]

Part 1.

Beginners Light.

The pain in his arms would not go away, no matter how high he climbed the stench flowed all around him, the vile odor clogged his throat and nostrils in a bid to make him choke upon the reality of the situation. Surely if he climbed so high he would leave that foul stench behind. His finger nails were cracked and chipped, patches of skin on his hands ripped and cracked from the long journey and yet he would not give up. Several times he almost lost his footing but he did not dare to fall into the abyss below or else all would be lost, he had a duty to accomplish, nothing would stop him from it. Only would this damned stench end would he be grateful.

At long last his hand touched ground and he hauled himself free of the long climb, now he stood upon a hill top free of the gruesome eyes that stared lifelessly at him during the climb, he would not have to stare at the faces of the young and innocent murdered who were slaughtered like pigs and left to rot in the scorching days twin suns. A sound rustled behind him, as he turned he saw the creature, the killer for the first time, his hand instinctively went for the lightsaber clipped to his belt but it was far too late. The creatures hand raked his stomach tearing a deep gash that spilled his blood and threatened to spill the contents of his stomach. The last thing he remembered as the wind screeched all around him was being tossed off the hill top to crash upon the score of other lifeless bodies piled around the hill atop of each other. Now he too would join the landscape of the dead.

It had been the same dream, the same nightmare that had plagued him for a month. His eyes looked warily around the room he was in, all around him sat other passengers, the woman beside him tucked in her child and smiled as the child reached out to grab her fingers and laughed. So free, so free of the reality where often life was cruel and unjust to ones as innocent as him. How long had he fought against the forces of darkness that never seemed to go away? It had not been that long, it could not be. His past was a blur, a maze of darkness that he could never find his way out of, he had been told in time it would come back to him and he took trust in the soothing words that eased his state of mind. Still it was at the back of his mind and that worried him.

Such thoughts were not wise and often lead one down the pathway of darkness, it might be his own downfall if he was not careful. He would remember his teachings and meditate, the practices would rest his wary spirits and give him faith it would be all right, everything would turn out for the better good. All that was pure and just would win out over the evil and hate that cloaked the hearts of men and women. He believed that, he had to believe that.

Beside him the mother had fallen asleep yet the child still stared around looking at whatever amused it at that tender age of innocence. Its eyes followed anything that moved, then as he shifted in his seat it looked up at him and smiled as it laughed in its voice. He looked down at it, into the eyes of innocence and wondered how long would the reality of things keep this child happy, if it would be so kind to spare it the hardships of life that followed so many and drove others to deeds of hate and rage. It was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep for several hours.

The trip had gone smoothly enough, and after landing in the space port he had caught a shuttle down to the planets surface. It would have been easier and faster to have a private craft take him there, one had been offered to him however he enjoyed traveling with those he sought to help, seeing them....seeing how they laughed and found joy filled him with happiness that never failed to rekindle his hopes for a better tomorrow. With their nature of goodwill they proved they were worth the long battles, the hard life and the personal pain that sometimes went with it. Still he understood of the dark side that lurked in the shadows and what they threatened.

Walking throughout the city he looked around taking in the sights as children ran past him laughing chasing one another. Did he play such games when he was younger he wondered. In his brown robes he appeared to be another traveler no special than any other but the reality behind him was much different. Not that he wanted it so, if he had chosen....if he had been given that right he would be living a simple life helping others, instead he had abilities many did not have. With that came a responsibility and power that had to be controlled and tempered with a discipline honed into an art form that became a permanent lifestyle of well maintained balance.

"Mister...can I have some money?"

The timid voice caught his attention as he looked down to his side to see a small girl holding out two hands. Her face and clothes were matted over with mud, a street child. Had she been so carelessly tossed away? Had her parents died and she left with no one to care for her? He produced several credits and handed it to her, wanting to ask her. To see if he could help but before he could she smiled and said her thanks before running off into the crowds. This pained him, people were never meant.....should not have to live in unhealthy conditions in rat infested alleys or homes with little hope. In a universe that could shelter all of its own the charity was simply not there.

Through several more streets were he was asked by more beggars for money he thought of why he was here, to reinstate order where lately chaos and darkness that gotten a foothold in. For these people who could turn on him if it was to benefit them and their ambitions he would fight this evil. For those that could kill him he would only attempt to save them. Anything else was unthinkable to him.

Coming around the turn he saw the house he was appointed to stay in for the next few days. Compared to the Jedi quarters back on the home world it was nothing special but then he had not lived with luxuries either seeing many unneeded items of life an obstacle or deterrent to that which really mattered. Trudging though the puddles that his boots stepped in he walked up the chipped stone steps and knocked upon the door three times. A blonde hair woman opened the door and looked at him.

"Yes?"

"Greetings, I'am from the Jedi Order here to help out with the local problems, I do believe you were expecting me miss."

"Yes of course! Come on, you must have had a long trip, your room is prepared but may I ask your name?"

Walking in and turning around as he removed the brown hood from his head he smiled at her.

"My name is Jedah, what's your name?"

[Jedah Lynch]

Killing in the name of

The three stood in a room around a holocam that showed images of what Jedah had been sent here to find out and then put a end too. In the footage several men exited from a store after they had completed their robbery, the innocent bystanders ran away as fast as they could but as fast as they could run a laser blast was all the more faster and struck several down. Totally numbered killed that day was eleven, two employees had been killed in the heist, a customer in the shop had met a similar fate, six more random people including one child would die outside as the robbers attempted to leave the scene. The two robberies themselves would be the final casualties of the days act.

"By the order of The Young Jedians we hereby sentence you to death!"

All three watching the holocam stood watching now as two young men appeared through the crowds and lit two lightsaber like devices. With a mild force push one robber was tripped long enough while the other shot several laser blast at one of the two young Jedians who blocked the shots and pulled out a blaster of his own. His shot was more dead on as the blaster shots dug into the mans flesh dropping him dead. The second surviving robber struggled to his feet unsure of what had tripped him, a look in his eye said he would make whoever these two were they would pay, aiming his blaster he shot at the one who had taken down his partner in the days hostilities only for the youth to jump into the alley to avoid being hit.

One had fled...but the other, the one with the tricks....where had he gone asked the man to himself as he moved towards an opposing alleyway from which the force user had ran, it was his hope the other had already left. Sweet ran down his forehead as he ran for the chance of escape only to see a piece of metal tumble out of the darkness of the alley and strike him in the face shattering his nose dropping him to one knee with a hand grabbing the blood stained crushed lump on his face. "You dumb little @#%$ you think you can stop me?! Come out you little punk!" A knee crashed into his back knocking him forward upon the dirt of the ground. The two Young Jedians encircled the man staring at him while he looked up at the face of the two.

One of the two was relatively slender with dark hair wearing a dark trench coat. The other was blonde with several piercings in his eyelids, nose and tongue, while the other wore dark attire the second had only a casual white shirt that hid several tattoos while several more lined his arms. The man was caught by these two and had no chance for escape, delivered to the local law enforcement he would be convicted of several murders and robbery ensuring a steep penalty. The Young Jedians had other ideas. "You going to kill him Gate?" To answer the question the one known as Gate pointed his blaster at the mans face as the robber cowered placing his hands in front of his face, three shots rung out and the man was dead.

"Lets go Trance there is nothing further for us to do here" Gate placed his blaster inside his trench coat while Trance celebrated the victory with a small dance around the corpse and gave the body a finger before he struted off. Gate in turn followed in a more calm collected manner and stopped as he looked back then up at the camera that had recorded all of the carnage then quietly left as well.

The holocam flickered off as the lights in the room activated. "The Young Jedians? Who are they?" asked Jedah puzzled, these two had no connection with the main Jedi faction that sought peace throughout the universe, certainly the Jedi would not execute a man as blatantly as the Young Jedians did with that man even if sometimes such actions seemed to be the best way to stop such threats from arising, yet wiser Jedi knew the truth, such ways lead to the dark side eventually as ones own soul and heart became corrupted and lost their sense of moral right and wrong.

A older man chipper man with white hair picked up a disk handing it to the Jedi. "They are some sort of group that began showing up eight months ago, since that time they've stopped crimes and halted much of the illegal trade in this district, they do this by executing all of the offending parties in cold blood. Many citizens have applauded their actions due to the fact many feel safer however the local enforcement call them vigilantes with no sense of true justice. Its their opinon the actions of these Young Jedians will race out of control and eventually backfire if not cause some underworld groups to join together to eliminate them catching any number of innocent people in the crossfire of a street war."

Exaiming the disk the old man had given him the Jedi did not care for such a thing happening, he knew such a event could end up possible and far too many would die as a result. In the meantime this group was associating themselves as part of or a group of the Jedi. The Order had determined it had to be stopped. ‘How many are there?"

The old man scratched his beard in thought. "Seven, you saw two of them but there are five more known members. Could be more we really dont know....even if some people around here know much of them they keep their mouths shut in fear they will be found out and dealt with by the Young Jedians. Others think they do a good job so are willing to protect them in any way they can."

With a nod Jedah took the disk and inserted it into a computer as he took his chair and began to read the files made available to him. "Thank you for your help and the added hospitality of your home, but I must read up on this and then I may need to ask you more question if I find something of intrest."

Smiling the old man put a hand around the back of the woman who had met Jedah at the door earlier and lead her out of the room so the Jedi could move along in his task without interruption.

[Jedah Lynch]

Illusionary World

Her body rose and fell underneath him as their bodies mingled together in the dark low lit room, moans and heavy panting bounced off the walls back at them as the woman's finger nails dug into the sheets as she felt his body to hers. Sweet rolled down the mans body as he pressed harder to her moving in a fury.

Soon the task was done and they lay in each others arms. Her fingers touched his face going to his multi pierced eyebrow as she shut her eyes. For the one known as Trance it was a night to celebrate with partying that had caused him to drink more then his share of moral rising liquids. With him had come Schala whom had grown bored being locked up in their hideout from the law, she had finally been pursued to join him this night. She had never cared for his attitude or the way he did things, she considered him if nothing else to be one of the weak links in the small force group they had, at the least he alone with his ways could cause them much trouble and on more then one mission wished he would be mortally wounded to save them future grief.

This night however dulled by alcohol and simply in a mood that came to all living beings she had given in to him. She knew she would regret it, she certainly would have to tell him to keep it secret or else she would make him pay, for the others to know this moron had bed her was simply too much of an embarrassment to one of her ilk, in that knowledge she slept restlessly for a brief time.

In the middle part of the night Trance woke up from his slumber. His head ached as if his mind threatened to burst from his skull, his body covered in cold sweat seemed to not respond as normally. Frantically, needfully he stumbled across the floor from his bed to a cabinet shuffling though articles of clothing. Taking out a small case he leaned against a wall struggling to stay awake, his hands shook as they opened the case retrieving the needle inside.

With a clank the case fell to the floor.

Holding opened one eye with two fingers he positioned the tip of the needle directly below his eyeball and slowly pushed down. The drug immediately coursed into his body directly to the brain. Shaking furiously he fell down to the floor shaking as the drug fed his daily need. For an hour he lay there passed out.

Slowly once more his hand begun to move, fingers clenched and brushed against the cold stone. With a deep breath his eyes opened wide, sitting up he sought to stand but almost collapsed once more. It was then he noticed the needle had stuck in his leg after falling and snapped. Cursing silently he removed the broken piece that bite into his flesh tossing it to the opposite side of the room. Hopping up on one foot he looked to Schala, she had slept soundly and had not awakened during the time he had passed out.

With a grimace on his face at her he gathered up his clothing and walked to the doorway of the room, turning about he looked at her once more, her top nude half barely visible in the dim lighted room.

"Skank"

With that he left.

Jumping out onto the walkway of the hotel he screamed in the night, the drug had taken its effect and now he found he was in the mood to party once more. Racing about people who walked in the fresh nights air he laughed at nothing, flinging his arms about almost as if he was mad at several.

Spotting a familiar bar across the road he jumped out in the empty street without looking, halfway he stopped as a female back on the other end caught his eye, twisting about he was prepared to make a cat call when everything went dark.

Only twenty minutes later the Jedi was awaken by a beeping, the lights in his room adjusted as he shifted from his bed and went to answer the call. Another twenty minutes would pass until he was standing in the middle of a road staring down at a bloody body.