DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc, 20th Century Fox, Timothy Zahn, Barbara Hambly, YKW and the other writers of the expanded Star Wars Universe. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Vaiya had to get out. It was suffocating, being in the same home with them, no sense of privacy, her mother knowing her mind even as it changed. She felt like was going to pop if she didn't find a place to hide.
She went to the window and looked down. Two stories..that should be little problem for a Force sensitive like herself. She was good at lifting things--could lifting her own self be any different? Popping open the window, she stepped onto the ledge and shut her eyes. Then one foot went out---
The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, gazing into the dark jungle that was some distance behind their home. She took a deep breath, and found that she was finally alone. Her mother was distracted, Father was busy trying to meditate and figure out another answer to his problems--namely, her. *Let him,* she thought viciously. Let them worry for her, let them fret over her. Quite frankly, she didn't care.
"Vai?"
The voice was familiar. Vaiya looked over her shoulder to see a dark figure approaching her, and for a brief moment was convinced it was Derrin.
No such luck. "Hey, Jaid," she said, a bit uneasy.
He was all concern and caring as he neared her. "What's wrong? I felt this terrible disturbance in the Force. Are you okay?"
"Fine." She clenched her fists to keep herself from shaking. The memory of the man who looked like Jaid was vivid in her mind, and being around Jaid was the last thing she really wanted right now. Sure, he was good to flirt with, sometimes he was a good confidant, and he was great during lightsaber practice--he didn't treat her like she was five years younger, even though she was. "What are you doing out here?"
"I came to see you. I have a feeling that Master and Jedi Skywalker are going to ask me to leave." He gave her a little half- smirk, but it was sad. "I may have worn out my welcome."
Vaiya frowned. "What makes you say that?"
He shrugged. "Jedi Skywalker was asking me questions about my father. I think she's really hostile toward him, and that hostility is going to come down on me. Master Skywalker passed me on to Kyp Durron in spite of my enormous abilities. Master Durron was surprised, but he's done well. I can't train here anymore, and I don't think that either of the Skywalkers would be willing to complete my training, alone, on their ship."
He gazed upward, and Vaiya felt the sudden urge to embrace him. He seemed so very much alone--perhaps that was why she connected to him so well. He didn't have any family, and few friends, and while she did, she still felt alone many times. Like there was a bigger life out there, waiting for her to come and claim it. Sometimes, it had nothing to do with her craving for adventure and excitement. Sometimes, it had everything to do with it.
Whatever she case, Vaiya felt enormously sorry for Jaid Saphringer. And in spite of what her parents had explained to her about his father, she felt she could trust him with anything in the world.
"If you think they're bad to you," she said, taking his arm, "just wait until you hear this."
Mara crept into the docking bay unseen. She had personally seen to the holding of Jaid's ship, not wanting it to attract any unwanted attention--especially Cal's, Force forbid--and also anticipating that one day it might have come to this.
Perhaps they had been a little blind. Maybe it was the fact that Luke was searching for his own son that softened their hearts towards him enough to let him stay. They didn't dare train him personally. They weren't going to risk any dark side influence--for students or teacher. Kyp, however, was more sympathetic, and he took care of the young man fairly well.
But Jaid needed to complete his training and go. Kyp had just told him the other day that it was time for him to face his destiny, and Kyp had had a vision where Jaid was to face it alone-- at least, that was what Kyp had said. Come to think of it, Kyp had seemed a little spooked earlier that day.
Mara scowled into the dark, reaching out with her Force- enhanced senses. The ship was not in cold storage like she had thought. Now how had that happened? Had someone moved it? Maybe Jaid was getting ready to leave already--still, getting a ship out of cold storage was not something to be done so flippantly. There was so much preparation they had to make for it in the bay.
She turned and headed out toward the main dock. Sure enough, there it was, on the edge of the landing bay. It was nearly completely primed as far she could see. Carefully glancing around, Mara made sure there was no one near and crept up to it, wondering if there might be a way up without having to break something.
No such luck. The hatch was on a combination lock. She stared at it for a long moment, and then just for the sith of it she punched in M-A-R-A.
And was rewarded by the hissing sound of the ramp detatching from the ship to land at her feet.
Stealthily, she prowled up into the ship. This was already bad enough. Who knew what was waiting for her inside?
Jaid was listening to her with that same wide-eyed compassion and interest that she so often wished that Derrin would show. Of course, Jaid was very handsome--in her opinion, a little too handsome. Like he was made of plastic or something. Not Derrin... she sighed in mid-sentence about her parents' past, her mind a hundred miles away from her mouth. Of all things, she kept returning to him. It was going to drive her nuts.
To her surprise, Jaid knew. "Funny how our minds can get stuck in a loop no matter what the world does to try and change it."
She gave a little laugh and reached over to slap his foot. They were sitting facing each other, toe to toe, their backs against a few of the trees on the farthest rim of the jungle. On one of the trees, toward the top, Vaiya had carved "Vaiya -L- Derrin 4-Ever," and even though it had been childish at the time, this nook made her feel safe. No one ever came here. Least of all, Derrin.
"Shame on you," she said, "spying on my thoughts like that."
"Oh, if I were doing that, I would know exactly what I did in your nightmare vision," he said seriously, looking down at his hands and then back at her. "I know this is going to sound bad, Vaiya, but you shouldn't be panting after that Derrin Nighttreader. He's beneath you. In more ways than one."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Jealous?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. I just don't like seeing him---" And then he stopped, snapping his jaw shut, like he'd nearly spilled a secret. "Nevermind."
"You don't get out of it that easily," Vaiya growled, grabbing his foot as he tried to get up and away from her. "Tell me. What does he do?"
Jaid squirmed. "I'm sorry I said that when I don't know anything. Just rumors."
"Liar."
A long moment passed. Finally, Jaid sighed. "Okay, you win. You know that Derrin and Drianna are unofficial now? They haven't made a public announcement, but Derrin told me he wants to marry her." His voice was gentle, but the words were like a Death Star beam on her heart.
More time passed. The stars moved in their orbit around the center of the galaxy, and distant spaceships glittered as they passed through the system. The winds blew through the jungle, warm and tropical. Animals of every kind sang to each other through the leaves, vines and branches.
Vaiya's broken heart lay silent in her chest--for all of about three seconds. And for the first time, she felt the real touch of the dark side.
Her parents hadn't trusted her, Derrin had snubbed her. What was she still doing here, anyway? What was the point? All these hateful people--only Jaid had ever given her what she wanted. Sure, her parents loved her and Derrin was her friend, but it obviously didn't mean anything to them! Look at how they had all treated her!
Finally, Jaid spoke. "Are you okay, Vaiya?"
She gave him a tight grin. "So when did you say you were leaving, Jaid? Maybe I'd be inclined to join you. So we can teach all of them a real lesson."
Jaid's forehead wrinkled. "All of them? I mean, the Skywalkers I can see, but Derrin? He doesn't care about anything but Drianna--"
"And his precious training. Mom and Dad were getting ready to complete it, but if I were to suddenly disappear without a trace--well, who do you think Mom and Dad are going to go searching for?"
He grinned back at her. "Sometimes you are so deliciously wicked," he said, and then under his breath, "just like your mother."