Pain, Anger, And Hate (Prologue III)

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Slave Quarters, Eir'mo The Hutt's Palace, Nal Hutta)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

[Run, Adren!!]

[Don't look back!! Never stop running!]

[AAAAHHHHH!!!]

[*FRIIITTTZ*]

"Haa... Haa... Haa..."

The same nightmare... Everyone else is asleep... They get mad when I wake them up... I stare at the ceiling and take a breath.

Mom should be okay...

Ever since I could remember, I've been a slave... Serving a Hutt. I asked Mom why we were like this, and she always starts crying. She should be back tomorrow. She leaves for a few weeks at a time and stays with me for a little bit before being sent away again.

She's taught me what she can about the galaxy beyond Eir'mo and his palace. I've asked her to take me with her, but she always says it's impossible.

That she doesn't want to lose me.

I lean up in bed and look toward the small window in the room... The sun isn't up yet... My eyes glide around the room, and I see the same faces I'm used to seeing.

The sudden need to use the bathroom is hitting me. Going as quietly as I can, I move toward the door and leave the room. Walking down the hall and entering the toilet room. The rank smell of an untreated septic tank hits me.

A smell I've gotten used to. I make my way over and quickly relieve myself. As I leave the bathroom, there are two Gamorrean guards. They look down at me with animal-like eyes.

I avert my gaze, and a squeal comes from one of them. They grab my arm and pull me back to the room. Tossing me inside and shutting the door. As I lift myself from the ground, I look around the room, and some people stare at me.

"Go back to bed, you bantha shit. Some of us got some actual work to do tomorrow."

I lower my head as one of the older men in the room makes his frustration known. As soon as my cot is in front of me, I quietly sit down. Trying my best to stay quiet for everyone else.

As I close my eyes, a feeling of anger starts in me... At the bottom of my heart... I hate this place...

I hate it here so much...

I hate it!!

My fist tightens, and the anger I'm feeling starts to boil.

"Why aren't you here, Mommy..."

I miss her...

~~~(POV: Annabella Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Transport Ship, Landing Dock, Nal Hutta)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 39 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

It'll work. It has too. This is the only chance I'll get to get our freedom. Everything's in place, and now all I need to do is get Adren. The sun is starting to rise over Eir'mo's palace.

As I'm escorted back to the palace, my heart begins to race. If anything goes wrong, we're dead. But at this point, it's better if we die than continue being slaves. Eir'mo won't hold Adren hostage against me anymore.

I have what I need to free him, and once I do, we're leaving this place. Heading to the Core and never looking back.

Once inside the palace, I'm brought to my private quarters. As I sit down on the bed, I quickly run to the bathroom and stick my finger down my throat. After a couple of tries, what I swallowed before I was picked up on Nar Shaddaa comes back up.

They should be bringing Adren to me, and I can use this to override his slave collar. I stick it between my bra and chest as I walk back into my room and look at the door.

Soon, it opens, and I see my little boy.

"Mommy! You're back!!"

He rushes over to me with open arms. The Gamorrean guards at the door press a button on a panel, and the door shuts. As soon as they do, I pull my son away.

"Okay, Adren. I need you to listen to me."

I reach into my chest and pull out the datachip. It's an override for his explosive shock collar and holds codes for all the locks in Eir'mo's palace. This is what will free him and me from this hellhole.

"We're going to be whispering from now on... Okay?"

He nods his head silently and looks at the datachip in curiosity.

"Okay, Mommy..."

A smile forms on my lips, and I fit the datachip into his slave collar. As I do, it deactivates, and I take it off. As I do, there are scars from constant chafing and bleeding.

"Wow, Mommy... This is the first time I've ever felt my neck without the collar on me..."

The ripple of pain goes through my entire body... It is indescribable. I wrap him in a second-long hug and turn toward the window in the room. I lift the datachip to it, and it silently opens.

I lift him through the window, and he grabs me and tries to help me. Once outside, I close the window and lock it. It might buy us a few seconds. They only give us a couple of minutes each visit, and now we're down to about a quarter of that.

My instincts kick in, and I pick him up. Running toward the closest forest and swamp. On the other side is a ship belonging to Eir'mo's personal bounty hunter.

We're about halfway through the swamp when an alarm at the palace goes off, and I use that as motivation to run faster. Once at the ship, I use the datachip, and the loading ramp lowers.

Adren quickly runs up the ramp, and I'm right behind him. However, as I'm turning on the ship. My heart sinks. It's locked with a tractor beam. And it's outside the ship. I take a knee beside Adren and make him look at me.

"No matter what happens, don't go outside the ship or follow me. Understand?"

There isn't a response.

"UNDERSTAND!!?"

He quickly nods his head, and I run out of the way we got in and head for the nearest communications tower. About 25 feet from the ship itself.

Once I insert the chip, I'm able to shut down the tractor beam and start the ship remotely from here. As I do, the ship hums to life. Quickly inserting an automatic destination as I do. I turn around and run to the lowered ramp as fast as I can.

About halfway there, a painful stinging sensation hits my leg, and I fall on the metal loading dock. Hitting my head hard and becoming dazed.

"You really thought you could steal my ship? How stupid are you? Once you lowered the ramp, I got an immediate alert. You may have been able to override most of the systems but not the communications between my ship and my helmet."

This can't be happening!!!

We're so close!!

My eyes find the bridge's window and see Adren looking out the window. Fear and terror on his face. Then I see him duck his head.

He can't be...

No!! If I can't get out of here, he at least has to!!

"I'll give you credit, Anna. Stealing a Mandalorian's ship takes serious balls."

I'm trying to crawl to the ship at this point, but Zafar is right behind me. Horror takes me as I see Adren rushing down the ramp toward me.

"Run, Adren!!"

"Don't look back!! Never stop running!"

A look of panic spreads across his face as he's at the bottom of the ramp. Before I can get any closer, my outstretched hand is grabbed by Zafar. Turning me on my back and pulling out a Vibroknife.

The blade sinks into my chest, and the pain is unlike anything I've ever felt in my life.

FRIIITTTZ

"AAAAHHHHH!!!"

The hissing of the blade is heard clearly, along with my scream... My eyes stare up at the bounty hunter who caught me eight years ago... The same one that made our lives like this... A small grin is on his face...

"GET AWAY FROM MY MOMMY!!!!"

Adrens voice is nearly deafened as I hear it. My world moves slowly as my life is leaving me...

A second passes...

Zafar is floating above me... Grabbing at his neck...

"RAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!"

ZZZRRRAAAAKKKK

"AAAAHHHHH!!! STOP!! PLEASE, STOP!!!"

My vision is filled with red electrical currents storming through Zafar's body. His skeleton flashes as he screams.

"YOU WON'T HURT HER!!!"

As my son roars at the Bounty Hunter, so does the red electricity. My eyes capture Zafar's body starting to crumple and shrivel on itself. His eyes explode from his head in smoke and liquid.

After a couple more seconds, he's a curled ball of husk. The red electricity stops, and he falls to the side. My eyes look into his burnt and deformed skull.

"Mommy!!"

Adren... You need to get out of here... There isn't much time...

"MOMMY!!!"

They're too heavy to keep open anymore... My son's tear-filled eyes are the last thing I see before darkness...

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Outside Ship, Loading Dock, Nal Hutta)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

My arms wrap underneath Mom's armpits, and I drag her back to the ship. The tears dropping from my eyes are heavy and hot. As I'm pulling her up the ramp, people are running down to get us.

They're all carrying blasters and have angry looks on their faces. Once inside, I lift Mom as best I can and place her in the Bacta tank. Mom said this was the most important thing she'd teach me. How to use it, and what a Bacta tank looks like.

Once inside, I press some buttons on instinct. Following the feeling I'm getting. After Mom is all hooked up, I head to the bridge.

As I'm staring at the panel and trying to figure out what to do. All that I really see are the men closing in on the ship. They're at the body of Zafar... The man that tried to kill my Mom. In a moment of desperation, I throw my hand out at them.

Doing what I feel is the best thing to do. Letting my instincts take over.

As I do this, the men fly off the side of the loading bay and into the trees and swamps below. I turn my attention to the panel, and my eyes run across it.

Which one?!!

WHICH ONE!!!?

After a second, my eyes land on a specific button.

[That one.]

That's all I need, and press it. The next second we're off the ground and leaving Nal Hutta.

A breath of relief enters me as hyperspace surrounds us. Mom always said it was really beautiful...

MOM!

I jump from my seat and rush to the Bacta tank. That's when I freeze. A droid is standing there, pressing buttons on the panel. It must've just come out.

Its head turns to me, and I freeze.

"Greetings, I'm BT-45. Medical droid on standby for Master Fett. Are you a friend of Master Fett?"

Fett.

Zafar...

I throw my hand out at him. But this time, nothing happens. That's when I feel weak and hollow. Like all my energy has left me. I fall to the ground and try to hold myself up.

"Please... Save her..."

That's all I can get out before I lose consciousness.

~~~(POV: Jedi Knight Krayla Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Personal Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 28 years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

[GET AWAY FROM MY MOMMY!!!!]

[RAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!]

[*ZZZRRRAAAAKKKK*]

[AAAAHHHHH!!! STOP!! PLEASE, STOP!!!]

[YOU WON'T HURT HER!!]

"HAAA!!"

My sweat-covered body shoots out of bed, and a hand rests on my temple... My heart is racing, and my adrenaline is spiking. Never in my life have I left a disturbance like this. The Darkside was surging...

My legs hang off the edge of the bed, and my feet take in the cold from the floor. I'm out the door after a few more seconds. I need to check on Taylor.

~~~(POV: Jedi Initiate Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Bear Clan Bunkroom, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

[GET AWAY FROM MY MOMMY!!!!]

[RAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!]

[*ZZZRRRAAAAKKKK*]

[AAAAHHHHH!!! STOP!! PLEASE, STOP!!!]

[YOU WON'T HURT HER!!]

The pain...

The anger...

The hate...

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

The scream leaves the top of my lungs as I shoot out of bed. Sweat pouring down my head and body. Soaking my bed sheets in the process. Everyone in the room wakes up and turns to look at me. But all I'm doing is shivering in my bed.

It was so cold...

"Taylor!?"

My Mother's voice breaks out near the entrance to the bunkroom, and she rushes toward me. She grabs ahold of my hand and helps me out of bed. Taking me out of the room and toward the medical bay.

My sense of time is lost... A buzz muffles the noise and the healers around me... Mom is watching me from the side of the room. All the while speaking with Master Larkor and Master Yoda.

The exhaustion takes me, and I lean back in the bed. Letting the healers do whatever they need to do. I don't know what happened to me. I've never had that happen to me before. Not in my entire life.

We've been taught that The Force will show us things. It could be the future. Something happening in the galaxy at the exact moment. It could involve people we're connected to. Or strangers that'll eventually come into your life.

After a few minutes of lying here in a buzzed state, Master Yoda sits on a chair beside me. Looking at me with a reassuring smile.

"Nightmare, did you have?"

For some reason, his voice isn't muffled like others...

"Yes... I don't know what it was... It happened so fast... So much pain and anger... Pure hatred... I've never sensed anything like it before..."

The old Master takes on a thoughtful expression and hums to himself.

"Sensed it too, I did. Strange, this is. Hmm, yes... The Darkside, this is. Rest, you must. Talk later. We shall."

I feel like some deep part of me is hurt... That someone important to me is hurt... A Jedi has no attachments... Everyone I know and care about is here at The Temple.

My energy is slowly being restored as the healers care for me. After a few more minutes, I watch the Masters leave, including Mom. We spend time together when we can. She cares for me deeply, as I do her.

The Jedi Code tells us that we're not to have a relationship. We follow the laws of The Order. But right now, I really need her...

Suddenly, I feel a hand take mine and open my eyes.

"It's okay, Taylor... I'm here..."

That's when my eyes close again, and sleep takes me.

The night passes on Coruscant, and my body is a bit sore as I wake up. My attention lands on Mom as she's sleeping. Her head is lying on the bed next to me. Her hand is still in mine.

At my movement, she's soon awake too.

~~~(POV: Medical Droid BT-45)~~~

~~~(Location: Zafar's Ship, Hyperspace, Corellian Hyperroute)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 51 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

The child is suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. Who I assume to be his Mother, has suffered a near-fatal stab wound to the chest. The Bacta might not be enough. The prognosis is poor.

Blood samples indicate they're not biologically related. Must be adopted.

Ding!

Ah, the results are in.

The Mother has a midi-chlorian count of 2,000 per cell. That's an average level from my outdated records.

Now onto the child.

A midi-chlorian count of 25,350 per cell. A new record, according to my outdated logs. Master Fett gave me strict orders not to record or send data to The Republic or Jedi. My inquiry into the breach of protocol almost resulted in my death.

Eir'mo didn't want any blood results I found in Zafar's missions sent back to The Republic or The Jedi. He's erased my ability to do so.

It shouldn't be long before the child is awake again.

Hopefully, his Mother will recover. It'd be bad if the child lost her at such a young age.