The Forgotten One

[Julian Orspach]

14 Years, 5 months, and 11 Days Later....

One breath in.

One Breath Out.

One Breath In.

One Breath Out.

One Breath In.

One Breath Out.

It was methodical.

It was rythmic.

It was predictable.

Until eyes gently opened and the breaths came quicker. He was tired, mostly tired of the state of the galaxy, tired of this thick fog that seemed to cloud his vision lately. He had grown since that day, that fateful day where he had lost his Master and most of the rest of the order. As time marched on he felt more and more alone in the universe, his connection to the force seemed to be different than it was when he was a Padawan. Back then he could see things, he could predict them before they happened even if his visions were not crystal clear, he usually had been able to decipher them. Now however, everything seemed to be a mess, maybe subconsciously he no longer desired the gift and had shut it off. That was certainly a possibility, the nearly twenty years of constant death running down all of those he dared to call themselves Jedi.

He had been in hiding since the day the Inquisitors had found him working as a cook in a diner. He was always baffled by how they had found him the first place, he was hidden fairly well, he had always kept to himself and made next to no mistakes. In those days as a young man he was prone to falling into a force induced trance of sorts, he had assumed that however far fetched that must be what led them to him. Since then, he had taken even fewer risks, no longer a boy, but now a thirty one year old man with years of experience and trauma. One might dare to call him a Jedi Knight at this point, but he'd never own the title. The one man he saw fit to bestow that title upon him fell when the clones had betrayed them both.

He stood up from his meditation and threw a worn leather jacket over his shoulders. The little bit he had been able to see was nonsensical, all it was was an amplification of his own breaths in a dark room. He cracked his knuckles and checked his lightsaber, hidden in a sewn in holster of sorts on the inside of his coat. No one had ever seen it, but it had always been by his side, the yellow blade trapped inside for nearly fourteen years now. He looked down at his chronometer on his left wrist and sighed. Today was going to be a different day.

For months now he had heard stories of the Rebel Alliance fighting sporadically against the Imperial Forces and yesterday one of them had found him. Recognized him from his days as cook in a local diner that no one had ever heard of. It was all convenient and try as he might Jordin could not see beyond the current moment in time to where this path would take him. All he knew is that he trusted her word to be genuine and her request for help could not fall on deaf ears. For too long now he had been a bystander in a war that had left his brothers and sisters long dead, no longer could he tolerate it. He would meet Jada, as she called herself with the a few other Rebels in a junkyard just the other side of town and from there he had hoped he would see exactly what was in store for him.

Six hours later.

Jordin cautiously strolled towards the entrance to the Junkyard, the fence was imposing, covered in rust and jagged wire. There was a sign warning of an automated sentry that would shoot any trespassers on site, but from the looks of this place it was long since abandoned, likely driven out of business by the Empire themselves. How they craved law and order, or at least that's what their propaganda said.
The reality of the situation was much more sobering, millions upon millions dead, life for most had never been worse, but it deed seem that the bottom feeders began to thrive. It was a golden age for the bounty hunters, but with fewer and fewer Jedi left alive it was not as if they could kill what was already dead and only a sele. t few could have a prayer against a Jedi to begin with.

As he walked in he heard footsteps from all sides, he stopped in his tracks and looked around.

"Jada if this is your idea of a welcoming committee perhaps I better take my leave..."

His eyes narrowed, nothing about this felt right in his gut, but he couldn't see anything, all that was there was the sound of footsteps and his own breathing. This was worse than his premonition of order 66 in the way it was coming to him, none of it made any sense and it might as well have been in a dead language that was last spoken millions of years ago in some far off corner of the galaxy that no one had ever seen or heard of. He had no idea if he was in danger or not and then that's when she emerged.

"I'm sorry, my companions aren't very trusting of outsiders they wanted to see you before they showed themselves."

Jordin nodded, but did not let his guard down.

"In these times that is understandable. That said, I have been in hiding for almost nineteen years, so lets cut to it. I am the one taking an extra risk, your friends need to show themselves or I'm leaving now and you can find someone else."

"No wait, we need you! Damien, Aldon, Takoot come on out. He's a Jedi Knight and can be trusted."

He winced when he heard the word "Knight" he wanted to correct her but he knew that would not be conducive to the current situation and his ultimate survival, but he could certainly taken on everyone here outnumbered or not. From the shadows emerged a wookiee, and two other men from different areas, both looking a bit rough. Damien carried a massive blaster rifle and had more than a few days stubble, a scar that cut from his dead right eye all the way through his nose and tapered off just to the left side of his mouth. Aldon, had his share of scars as well, but nothing so profound as Damiens', the two men were wearing ragged clothes, but no Rebel Alliance seal on them, but that made sense. These men looking like guerilla righters as opposed to regular soldiers. The wookiee, well he was a wookiee, dark fur around his mouth, oversized blaster rifle in his hands and leather armour on his shoulder's and torso.

"Sorry, we aren't very trusting."

Said Damien.

"You don't look like a Jedi"

Aldon said half accusingly.

"uughguughhhghghghhhgh uggguh aarrragghuuhw"

Growled Takoot as he took a step closer and examined Jordin, both of the other men let their guard down as the old and wise Wookiee spoke.

"Alright, Takoot says your Jedi and that's good enough for me."

Damien said as Jada frowned at him.

"I already told you idiots that."

Aldon arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah well, your judgement of character isn't always up to par...after all you did find us."

The group chuckled.

"Good now that everyone's sure that I am a Jedi and thus risking my very life by even saying so in the open, can we please get on with what you need me for."

Jordin crossed his arms, he was no longer the mild mannered Padawan or the seventeen year old cook in a diner, he was a man now, a man who had seen so much in his life, much more than he had ever planned on seeing even as a Jedi. Jedi were assured their dosage of trauma would not be light, but as an order 66 survivor Jordin's trauma level far exceeded that of any normal Jedi in normal times.

"Sorry Jordin."

Jada said quickly.

"There is an imperial encampment on the outskirts of town I'm sure you know if it..."

Damien held out a holographic disk and the layout of the encampment was visible. Jordin nodded at Jada's suggestion and studied the map.

"Our best pilot has been captured by the Empire and they are holding him there, torturing him, to try and get him to betray the Alliance. He knows so much, he knows who our leadership is and where they are. He knows of conspirators against the Empire in the Imperial Senate itself. We must get him out of there or...."

"Get him out of there or?"

"Kill him."

Aldon said abruptly as Takoot let out a whimper.

Jordin stroked his chin.

"You would kill your friend?"

"We hope that it doesn't come to that, that's why we need you Jordin. We alone could attack the encampment and kill him, but just maybe with you along we have a prayer of getting him out of there alive. We need him and we need you, the Alliance is....not what it could be, we need a leader. We need a Jedi Knight!"

Jordin glanced at the eyes of everyone, trying to look inside them, on the surface they appeared genuine and he did trust Jada at least.

"If you need a Jedi knight you should know that my Master was murdered by the clones during the purge when I was just a boy. I've lived alone these many years, training myself and trying to follow the best example he left me, but I was never formally Knighted. I am a Jedi, not a Padawan, not a Knight or a Master. Just a Jedi, you could say I am at or above Knight level now, but please don't call me a Knight. My Master was the one who would've Knighted me and he's dead because I didn't see the attack coming quick enough. Just call me Jordin or Jedi I don't care. You need my help and your cause seems worthwhile, the Empire is evil and the Rebel Alliance from what I have seen seems to be the only halfway legitimate threat to that evil in the galaxy. I will help you hear and now but I am not your leader, I am just a single Jedi. I have no chance against Emperor Palpatine or...his muscle."

The group listened and there was a long silence after Jordin spoke. Damien was the first to break it.

"Look all we need is your help now, what happened to your Master is awful, I've seen the Inquisitors and got a blade across my face from one of them. We'll talk about the leadership thing maybe later...or not the kriff at all. We just need you now......"

Jordin nodded.

"Then what's the plan?"

The group discussed the intimate details of their siege with him, Jordin threw in his two credits here and there where he saw fit and soon darkness fell and they were on their way to the encampment. As they got closer, Jordin took his lightsaber out and clipped it to his belt for the first time since he was a Padawan. It felt right there, it felt like it was home and for the first time in nineteen years he felt somewhat whole again. Jordin felt a bit of a smile tug at the corners of his lips, he'd hoped Talmore would be proud of him. He had hoped that this was not all going to be for nothing.

There were guards walking around the edges of the encampment and an imperial shuttle at the landing pad off in the distance, nothing out of the ordinary. A guard approached their area and Jordin waved his hand.

"Go back to your barracks, you're relieved for the night and need some rest."

The Stormtrooper stiffened and repeated Jordin's words. He did an about face and headed off to the barracks.

"When this is over you're teaching me how to do that..."

Whispered Aldon

"raaaaaahhgh huuguughghg."

Takoot replied indicating his interest in the fine art of the Jedi mind trick as well.

Jordin smirked, he'd have laughed if this wasn't a serious situation, it sort of gave him a bit of nostalgia for the missions he and Talmore had gone on with the clones. It all felt very familiar to him and as a result was increasingly comforting. He had missed this. The group ran into the encampment, Takoot staying behind to secure their way out and it wasn't exactly like a wookiee was exactly inconspicuous either.

Sprinting through the night air and taking cover when needed they finally found themselves at the entrance to the main building which housed the detention area. Aldon went to work splicing his way into the door as Jordin watched and kept a lookout with Jada and Damien. Finally after what seemed like an eternity the door slid open, Jordin was the first to enter, there was no one at the guard desk. He looked up and force crushed the cameras in the corner of the room, the others followed him in.

"This is too easy, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't complain, I'll take easy."

Jada said firmly as she looked around the room and Aldon moved to the computer terminal to locate their comrade in arms.

"Just down that corridor, we take the lift at the end of the hall down two levels and that's where he is. Yeah Jedi, don't jinx it man. I don't want my face looking like Damien's anytime soon."

"I sense a trap. We need to keep moving, but I get the feeling they want us here. You're sure your friend is here?"

Aldon nodded.

"Yeah he's in the interrogation chamber now."

Jordin swallowed and nodded as he tried to reach out and use his sight, but try as he might the cloud was still thick over his mind.

"Fine lets go."

He took his lightsaber from his belt and rand down the hall with the others, a single blaster bolt rang out and he deflected it back at the stormtrooper that had approached from their rear. No alarm though. He waited for it to sound, perhaps no one had heard it. Aldon got the lift door open and Jordin rushed in, he turned around once inside only to see the lift door slam shut with the others still on the outside. His eyes widened.

"Get the door open, we need to get out of here."

"I'm sorry Jordin, but the Empire pays and this earns us a full pardon and the freedom to live. I'm sure you understand...."

His heart sank and he pressed his head against the door of the elevator. This was a trap, only it wasn't for them...it had been for him all along and he hadn't seen it coming. The said fact was though, he did understand, he understood fully and could hardly blame any of them. He found it in himself to wish them the best life they could have. He sighed shook his head in disgust with himself, after all these years he was going to have to face an inquisitor again. He had been training but training against another combatant was impossible, especially one wielding a lightsaber. He felt the lift move, not down, the machinery doing it's work. The lift stopped and the door opened to a dark room, he had no choice so he stepped out into the darkness and the door slammed shut behind him.

He centered himself and his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber stiffened and that's when he heard it.

One breath in.

One Breath Out.

One Breath In.

One Breath Out.

One Breath In.

One Breath Out.

It was methodical.

It was rythmic.

It was predictable.

Nearly Mechanical.

This had been his vision, this had been what it had meant and he hadn't seen it. He shook his head and looked as a monstrous figure with a black helmet and a cape emerged from the darkness, the lights above him illuminating. He always did have a taste for the dramatic flair and entrance.

::Jordin Shawl, welcome.::

Jordin took a deep breath in through his nose. He wasn't expecting him to know his name, but then again it wasn't much of a surprise that he did. Jordin closed his eyes for a moment and centered himself on the moment, this was going to be a battle he was likely not going to win, the former Padawan ignited his yellow blade and took a Soresu stance against the imposing figure.

"Master Skywalker, it's been along time...or should I say, Lord Vader."

The Dark Lord's red blade ignited slowly and Jordin focused his energy and called on the force to be his ally in this fight. In a flash their blades were clashing together.....in a dance as old as time. Jedi and Sith, only one would survive this ancient dance, only one would join with the Force. Jordin was focused on the moment the movements, but he felt Talmore's presence near him and knew that soon he would be with his Master and the only thing to do until then was to be the best Jedi he could be...