7 years later

~~~(POV: Nathan Opal)~~~

~~~(Location: Personal Ship, Hutt Space)~~~

I sit in my starship and meditate. Everything in the room calmy floats around me. I've been on my own for the last 7 years, and today is my 20th birthday. I'm 6'3 now and fully grown. What's weird is I don't look a day older than 18. My body feels and looks the same it did when I turned 18. My mind flashes to the memories of my mom and dad when I was on Tatooine. The ship groans, and I stop channeling the force. I remember burying them in our old home, putting them to rest.

I was too late in saving them, despite all the help Kemro gave me when I finally found them on Ryloth. My rage that day left the planet devastated. It is cracked and broken in the force. I can't go very long without thinking about them. My control over the force and my total power have risen greatly. I'm capable of anything now. I'm still wanted by the republic, but that is of no concern to me. Right now, I'm in Hutt space, away from the Empire and Republic. The war is escalating out of its cold war state. I'm on my way to Nal Hutta. I have business with the Hutts.

I've since gotten myself a new ship, one that serves my needs. I keep having dreams of a place I've never been, with a woman. It looks like a hospital room, and it's identical to the room I saw in the caves of Ilum all those years ago. Thinking back to then, I wonder how Satele is doing... She is one of the main figures in the shifting war, along with other Jedi and Sith. The Sith Empire was weakened greatly in my rage when I found the bodies of my parents. My desire for the death of the Sith was so great. Many Sith died across the galaxy when I lashed out.

It was the bolster that the Republic needed, it seems. That wasn't what I intended. The one being that I wanted to kill was left unharmed. The Sith Emperor remains hidden from my gaze in the force. Despite all my new power and skill, he still illudes me. The ancient Sith power and techniques he's using to protect himself from me need constant maintenance. Sooner or later, his focus will slip, and I'll see him. Once I see him, I'll come for him. I want to kill him in person, not with a force ability from across the galaxy wherever he is.

The mini holo terminal in the cockpit blinks, and it activates at a mere thought with the force. Kemro is there, and despite my original plan to kill him when he was no longer useful, he's still here. Mainly because I made a deal with him that if he kept the galaxy's bounty hunters off my back, I'd let him live. So far, he's done a satisfactory job. "Nathan, when are you arriving on Nal Hutta?" I use the force to translate his Huttese into basic. He doesn't sound like he's using basic, but I can understand what he's saying.

I should be arriving in about an hour. I destroyed a capital ship that harbored an Imperial General that's been tracking me for a while. Crushing entire fleets with the force is something I do regularly. "I'll be there soon, Kemro. Have the elders ready. What I need to talk about is important." Kemro nods his head a single time, and the holo call turns off. I turn in my seat and head for the kitchen. I stare into the metal reflection of the fridge as I pass it to the bathroom. It shakes violently as it gets crushed. Sometimes I can't stand the sight of myself.

My face and body are completely unharmed, with no scars or old wounds, just with what I've become, despite my constant shifts between the dark and light sides. My body and mind remain unaffected. Untainted. Unlike most creatures, I'm not affected by the force physically. My thoughts remain clear and straight, unhindered by delusion. I don't know what I am... Am I a Jedi, or am I a Sith... Sometimes I'm both... Others I'm neither... I sigh and stop dwelling on something that doesn't even make sense. I need a shower.