Time Heals Nothing

[Julian Orspach]

Four years had passed since that fateful day, that day that was so long ago yet forever etched into his memory as if carved by a lightsaber itself. The smells, the sounds, and the blood. It was forever at the forefront of his mind, but now more than ever. He froze in place his a sharp pain stabbed at the outer edges of his aura and tried desperately to push past his defenses and manifest itself physically but he was older now, more mature and disciplined. He was outside of himself for a moment watching the pain which took on the physical presence of a lightning bolt poking at his aura which reacted like a shield. What did this mean? He hadn't been in a trance like this in four years ago, completely outside of himself since the day that he was warned of the oncoming danger. There was a burning smell, like the flesh of animal being burned alive and there was more...a sense of heat...

"JAX! Damn for the fourth kriffing time you're burning the meat! What the kriff is with you today?!"

His eyes shot open and he took in a sharp deep breath to look down at the charred and smoking meat in front of him. He swore under his breath and scraped it off the grill, couldn't serve that to a customer could he? He needed to focus on the present, the here and now.

"I don't know, a bit too much Jawa juice last night. Won't happen again."

Said the seventeen year old.

"Kriffing kids, take some responsibility for your actions or your ass is out of a job. Got it?"

"Yessir, I got it."

He took more meet out of the fridge, seasoned it carefully and threw it on the grill, focusing on the task at hand rather than anything and everything that was trying to distract him. There was a noise in the front of the restaurant and a comotion, he looked through the opening and saw them, two clone troopers standing with their weapons drawn. His heart sank.

::We have orders to search this property for enemies of the Empire. We hear you're harboring one...::

"That's preposterous..."

Said the man who had just lectured Jax moments ago.

The young man flipped the meat over but watched out of the corner of his eye as the troopers pushed past his manager and made their way to the kitchen, the door swung opened and creaked quietly and he focused on his duty, sweat pouring down his face, but that wasn't unusual, the stove was hot. He looked at his order ticket, the meat was supposed to be rare anyway, close enough. He pressed it down lightly, steam and smoke filling his nostrils bringing back more memories. He set the meat out on a plate to rest for a moment, and then he felt a hand on his shoulder as a trooper turned him around.

"Ahh....sirs. Can I help you?"

::"You look nervous.::"

"I am. I kriffed up the last order and if I do it again I'm going to get fired and you're distracting me."

The manager barged into the kitchen and put himself between the young man and the troopers.

"Leave my cook alone, he has enough problems focusing without the likes of you giving him a hard time, he's just a kid."

The one of the troopers hit the man in the stomach with the butt of his rifle, the manager collapsed to the floor coughing while the other trooper
wrapped his hands around the manager's throat and lifted him up.

::Are you an enemy of the Empire.::

"...n.....n.....no.....can'.......t.....br......bre......breathe."

::I think he is, should we take him in or kill him here?::

A coat on the wall began to flutter as if in a breeze and the young man watched in horror looking as helpless as a child as the clones bullied his manager.

::He's an enemy of the Empire, I say we blast him::

Said the other trooper. Meanwhile Jax had side stepped quickly and the room went dark as the lights unexpectedly shut off. With no windows it was pitch black, no one could see. Well....almost no one. There was a quick snap-hiss as Jax's yellow lightsaber sprang to life, the clones had no time to react, with lightning quick reflexes he decapitated one and then stabbed the other before either knew exactly what was going on. The lights came on again and he turned on his feet in a ready stance as a dark presence dressed all in black entered the kitchen.

"Bravo. Jordin Shawl I presume...."

A feminine yet sinister voice said.

He stood to face her, his blade humming, while his manager stared at him looking shocked.

"Get out of here!"

Jordin boomed as his eyes darted to his manager.

"You're a Jedi??!?!"

The voice cackled at the absurdity of the question.

"Why of course he is and you've been harboring him."

"Leave him out of this! He hired a clumsy kid who would work for cheap in his kitchen, he didn't know me, but you already know that, so lets keep this between you and me like you want it to be."

"The child who survived, by letting others die for you, just like Talmore. Remember how you failed him four years ago? Your visions distracted him and he died because of you young Jordin, it'd be better if you just gave yourself up and own up to the fate that you know awaits you."

He opened his aura for the first time in years, allowing the Force to show him what to do, the precognitive Jedi raised his hand swifly and let out a mighty force push, which sent the dark attacker flying back into the wall. She jumped up, a double bladed red lightsaber in her hands swung as he dodged the right, his manager behind him now. She swung her blade and it cracked against his, he planted his feet and pushed back.

"GO NOW!"

He didn't have to say it a third time, the Manager got up and dashed towards the door, while the dark sided attacker broke her blade free, while Jordin dodged again and spun, bringing his blade to strike at her torso. She stepped back, closer to where Jordin had been standing when the clones walked in.

"You're a coward, threatening an unarmed man like that."

"Says the Jedi he ran when his master died, the Jedi boy who has been hiding and working as a cook versus facing his destiny. You are pathetic Jedi, a weak and pathetic fool."

Jordin pushed foward again, slicing while she backed up and blocked and tried to push back but as she did his left hand freed itself and he let out another ferocious force push which sent her falling back against the grill, he fell against it and dropped her lightsaber, Jordin jumped on top of her and shoved her face into the piping hot grilling surface, she screamed and her hair burst into flames, her flesh sizzling as he backed up and sliced her in half at her torso. He extinguished his blade, and looked at the twitching halves of her body for a moment, the customers who had not fled staring at hime in fear.

He grabbed his coat and sprinted out the door into the rain...