Episode VI: The Apprentice

 

All illustrations are designed and provided by Kira Karboski!

Location: Ord Mantell - The Hungry Sheepdog Tavern

One Year before Tython’s Force Drought…

“Mom!” Jake shouts as he walks towards the back door of the tavern. “I’m taking the trash out!” He continues, carrying a large black trash bag filled with a bunch of junk. As he swings the bag backward to gain momentum in his attempt to throw the bag over the side of the dumpster, the plastic tears and trash goes flying backward, spilling all over the ground.

“Kriff…” Jake curses under his breath, looking around to see if there were any watchful eyes. After confirming that nobody was around, he lifts his hands up using the Force to pick up all of the trash and toss it into the dumpster. He rubs the grime off of his hands as a girl begins clapping as she walks towards him. She looks to be about a year younger than Jake and has vibrant fuschia skin, white painted markings on her face, and iridescent white hair. Aside from those qualities, she looks human.

“Eoni, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Jake exclaims nervously as he walks over to the woman giving her a big hug. As he pulls away from the girl, he pushes a few of the hairs from her face and can’t help but flash a toothy grin as he stares into the glittery pink pools that sit in her eyes. 

“Don’t be a laserbrain, Jakey.” The girl giggles softly as she takes Jake’s hands in her own. A pink shimmery dust faintly glows around the two as they levitate hand in hand up to the roof of the Hungry Sheepdog. Sitting against the green tin-like roof, Eoni rests her head on Jake’s chest as the two stare down at the townspeople going about their evening business. 

“You have to be more careful, Eoni.” Jake frowns and leans back onto the rooftop. “If anyone found out that you or I could do any of this…” He shakes his head and looks over to the young woman nuzzled into his dirty apron. 

“Yes… They would take us away to Jedi Temples where we would have no choice but to become the saviors of the galaxy, indentured to eternal servitude.” She says almost as if reciting the words. Jake returns a disappointed look at the Zeltron woman before interlocking his hand with hers. “I’m sorry… I don’t mean to make light of it. I know that you’re scared.” Eoni frowns as she begins to feel Jake’s emotions, a natural gift that her species is born with.

“It’s okay… I just worry. I wouldn’t be able to live without you in my life, Eoni… You’ve been around every day since… As long as I can remember.” Jake sighs, running his hand through the woman’s hair. 

“You’ll never have to, Jakey. I’ve told you from the very beginning that we’re in this together till the end. You’re my ride or die.” She chuckles, looking down at her watch. “Ugh… It’s almost time for me to get to Naavaro’s. He has me importing shipments from Naboo today.” She sighs softly before standing up to her feet. 

“Don’t go,” Jake says, standing up with her. “The Blood Moon festival starts tomorrow and we’re going to be working so many hours over the next week. I’m barely going to see you… Let’s play hookey and go hunting.” He  takes Eoni’s hands into his own before the two hover back to the ground. 

“You… Are so lucky that you’re my best friend.” Eoni giggles, kissing Jake on the lips. “Give me an hour. Let me go pack a bag and we can go.” She says with a cute smirk before turning around and running into the night. Jake lets out a sigh as he watches the beautiful girl run away. 

“I love you…” He mutters, scratching his head awkwardly. “Just wish I could grow a pair and tell you…” Jake sighs, walking back into the tavern where his mother and father are dancing to the jukebox music in the center of the dining hall. Jake leans against the doorway to the kitchen and smiles as the two take every smooth step and stride together. 

“You guys are such…” Jake takes a few steps forward and grabs onto the counter to support himself as he nearly falls over. 

“Jake! Are you okay?” His mother rushes over followed by Jake’s father. Jake reaches up to his lips and wipes off a clear gel from them. 

“I think I need to sit down… I feel… dizzy…” Jake says just before he loses his balance and falls into his father’s arms. 

“Go get a medic, Althea!” Jake’s father shouts before his mother proceeds to sprint out of the front door screaming out in cries for help. When she finally returns with a nurse, the father has Jake lying in his bed upstairs. 

The Twi’lek nurse sits by his bedside and begins to check his vitals and symptoms. After about five minutes of inspection, she turns to the Tadus and gestures to the door. “We should go downstairs and speak. He will be okay to rest here.” She says before striding out of the room followed by two very nervous parents. “Your son has been poisoned.” She turns around and looks between the two. “His lips had concentrated pheromone residue on them. Has your son been near any species that would secrete pheromones? Anyone that would want to hurt him?” She arches a brow, looking between the two.

“No… Nobody would ever hurt Jake. He’s always going around helping everyone in town. He’s the first to jump to action around here. Why would anyone want to hurt my baby…?” Althea begins to cry as she hugs her husband.

“I apologize for upsetting you, Mrs. Tadu. I should go. Your son just needs some sleep for the night, the pheromones are not deadly in any way. When he wakes up, just be sure he drinks plenty of water.” The nurse offers a hopeful smile before walking out of the front door.

“Come, dear. Let’s go try and get some sleep ourselves. We have a very big day tomorrow. Jake can’t be the only one with enough sleep for it.” Her husband says, attempting to console her. The two retreat to their bedroom and the entire town of Ord Mantell sleeps tight through the last peaceful night they would ever see.

The alarm beside Jake’s bed begins ringing loudly before he lets out a loud groan and slams the button on top of it silencing the ringing. Slowly rising from his bed, he looks around in sheer confusion as he recollects himself. “What happened…?” He rubs his eyes before the sound of blasters firing outside nearly causes him to fall out of his bed in a panic. The man rushes downstairs to see his mother and father barricading the front door. 

“Mom? Dad? What’s going on? Why are there-” Jake begins to ask before a massive explosion shakes the foundation of the tavern and sends the new barricade flying into the dining hall. 

“Get your mother into the cellar, Jake! GO!” Jake’s father shouts before picking up a kitchen knife and kneeling behind one of the tables. Jake rushes down the stairs taking his mother by the hand and into the kitchen. Just before they enter the cellar, she stops and looks back to the front door. 

“Jake…” Althea reaches up to her son’s face, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I love you so much… I need you to promise me something.” She says, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. “I need you to promise me that you will run out of this door and keep running. Don’t stop no matter who gets in your way…” She pulls away as two men in black plated armor walk into the tavern. 

“Get up, old man!” One of the men shouts loudly as the other one fires a lethal incendiary round at the table. Jake’s father slowly stands up before Althea turns around. “Hey, you two! Get out here!” The man shouts again, marching towards the kitchen. 

“Go.” Althea turns around and places her hand on Jake’s chest using the Force to push him out of the back door, slamming it shut after he rolls out into the dirt. Run, Jake… RUN NOW! Althea’s voice echoes within Jake’s mind as he gets up and sprints down the back alleyway. The morning sky is filled with massive pillars of black smoke as the town of Ord Mantell burns. Explosions constantly shake the ground as screams and blaster fire create a cascading symphony of death and destruction. 

“Andalia!” Jake shouts at a Togruta with jet black skin and bright yellow eyes and golden face and tendril markings. The Togruta checks her surroundings before sprinting over to Jake. The two kneel between two dumpsters and lower their voices to hushed whispers. 

“Jake… My parents…” The young girl grabs onto the man and begins to sob. 

“Mine too… I’m sorry…” Jake holds the girl, still trying to process everything that is happening at such a fast pace. “What is happening, Andalia?” He asks, pulling away from her.

“It’s the Black Suns… They’re killing everyone who defies their reign… It’s bad, Jake… It’s really bad.” Andalia grabs onto the man before the building beside them erupts into an explosion that blows the entire front half of the structure out into the street. In the alleyway behind, Jake holds onto the Togruta until the ground stops shaking. “It’s Naavaro… He’s leading the Black Suns and his business has been a front this entire time… Jake… I’m so sorry…” She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. “I saw them taking Eoni… I tried to help but there were too many… They had her at gunpoint with the other workers who tried to rebel against the Suns. There was talk about an execution, Jake…” The woman says with a quivering lip before two gasps escape her lips.

Jake looks down at the Togruta’s blouse which is stained with the blood from two bullet wounds. Jake looks up at the man in black plating behind her and screams at an unmatchable volume, raising his hand at the man. Blue lightning erupts from Jake’s hand enthralling the Black Suns mercenary reducing him to a smoking husk on the ground. He looks back down to Andalia with tears in his eyes as the girl barely holds onto life.

“Andalia… I am so sorry… I should have seen him… I could have-” He begins but the Togruta weakly places her finger over his lips. 

“I don’t want… to die alone…” The Togruta places her hand over Jake’s and holds onto it as tightly as she can. “I’m so scared…” She says as tears stream down her cheeks. 

“Y-you’re not alone… I’m right here, Andalia…” Jake says between his shallow sobbing as he holds onto the woman. He places his hands over her ears so that she can’t hear the blaster fire and explosions.

Ord Mantell is so beautiful in the morning. Jake’s voice enters the Togruta’s mind. Though unaware of his influence, Jake is using a mind trick to cause Andalia to see what he describes. The bright yellow sun is just rising over the white willow trees on the Northern hills. The reflection off of the white leaves makes it look like the trees are glowing… It’s always so pretty.

“It’s… So gorgeous…” Andalia whispers, her eyes slowly looking at her illusional surroundings. There is a grass hill and it’s perfect for lying down in… The clouds up above… They look like shapes… What do you see?

“I see… A girl… She’s so pretty…” Andalia whispers as her grip on Jake loosens. “She has so many marks on her… She is so nice… So pretty… I hope I get…” The Togruta coughs, sputtering blood onto Jake’s apron. “I hope I meet her one day…” She says softly as Jake pulls her close.

“Andalia?” He asks, looking down at the Togruta. Tears swell his eyes as he realizes that she has passed on. Two Black Suns mercenaries jog up to Jake before lifting their rifles. Jake slowly stands, Andalia slipping from his hands. “Please… I won’t defy the Black Suns-” Jake begins to say before a massive strike of lightning incinerates the two where they stand. A man with a deathly pale face and dark robes stands ominously behind them with his arms crossed formally and a hood concealing most of his face. 

“Come with me, child.” The man holds out his hand to Jake who seems completely unsure of what to do. “I will show you how to protect yourself. How to protect the ones you love…” The Sith Lord’s devilish lips creep into a wicked smile. 

“Who are you…?” Jake stares at the man as he takes a step back, glancing back down to Andalia’s body before wiping the tears from his eyes.

“I am Darth Kavar… And you, Jake Kadu…” The man’s hand remains extended outward towards Jake. “You will be my apprentice. I will show you the secrets of the Force. I will show you how to survive in a galaxy that wants to kill you.” The man grins, reading the boy’s thoughts. “There is a girl… You wish to save her from these bloodthirsty mercenaries. Come with me… We will save her together.” He gestures to a large imperial cruiser at the end of the alley surrounded by imperial troopers in black uniforms. 

“Eoni…” Jake looks to the man and then the cruiser. He cautiously walks up to Darth Kavar and takes his hand. The two return to the cruiser and gather around a holo-map. 

“Your friend has been taken to the Binreth Quarry North of Ord Mantell… This location is crucial to the Empire for it’s… sensitive contents. You will be travelling with a trusted friend of mine. Your task is to clear out the Black Suns from the Quarry. You may do whatever you wish with the prisoners. This friend of yours will be amongst them.” The Sith Lord explains as he enlarges the hologram of the quarry. 

“However… The cavern leading into the quarry is infested with spiderlings and-” The man is cut off by Jake who seems mildly angered.

“You said that you were going to help me…” Jake crosses his arms and looks to the Sith Lord.

“And I am. But your first test will not be at my side. We will see how well you play… with the worst.” He gestures to the cockpit of the ship as a figure begins to appear from the darkness. As she emerges, her threatening demeanor becomes very apparent. Black boots embroidered with blood red designs and a matching red tunic that drapes between her legs. “This is Darth Malevolence. You will be completing this task by her side.” Kavar gestures to the woman.

“You’ve brought me a boy to finish a woman’s job?” Malevolence’s eyes dart into Kavar’s direction from beneath a red hood that conceals most of her face. 

“I brought you my apprentice to finish a man’s job.” Kavar places his hands on the table and narrows his eyes on Mal. The woman strides over like a spider stalking its prey before she stands behind Kavar, running a finger down his spine.

“As if a man could ever measure up to a woman…” She grins wickedly as her hand trails over his shoulder to his chest and leads up to his chin. Grabbing the bottom of his face with her hand, she turns the man to face her. “Your way of thinking… It truly causes me to pity you.” She cackles quietly before Kavar pushes her back and growls at the woman.

“Know your place in this hierarchy! You are beneath me, Malevolence.” Kavar angrily shouts at the woman before lifting his hand up to grasp her with the Force. Before he can take hold of the woman, Malevolence kicks her leg upward right into Kavar’s privates causing him to fall to his knees. She uses the Force to lift the man off of the ground, choking him as he slowly hovers towards the ceiling. 

Jake watches in fear as the rest of the imperial soldiers watch in a similar fright, too timid to stand against the Darth Malevolence. She slams Darth Kavar into the floor just before he is about to lose consciousness from the choking. The man dry heaves as he is sprawled onto his hands and knees at Malevolvence’s feet. “I… am beneath you?” Malevolence lets out a joyful laugh. “I would beg to differ, Darth Kavar. It is you that will learn your place in this hierarchy.” Malevolence grits her teeth before turning to Jake and lowering her hood. She offers a warm smile before Jake takes a step back, raising his hand and letting a strike of Force Lightning strike at the woman. 

The Sith Lord raises her hand and deflects the lightning with ease, sending it into one of the imperial troopers killing him where he stands. “Ah… So you show promise.” Malevolence smiles at the man and slowly walks around the table. Jake freezes in fear as the tall woman stands feet away from him. “Come… I believe we have a quarry to clear out.” She gestures to the door as the ship lands. Following behind him closely, Darth Malevolence exits the ship and steps out to the cave mouth that leads through the spider’s nest into the quarry.

Malevolence holds out a lightsaber for Jake and then proceeds to take a second out, igniting the red weapon and walking into the cave. “H-how do I use this?” Jake asks, studying the weapon as he follows after her, still cautious about the woman. 

“The red button will ignite your saber. Do not hold the end that ignites towards yourself or this will be a very short mission for you.” Malevolence remarks, lifting her saber to give some light to the darkening cave. The sound of skittering legs echoes from all directions as they continue through the twisting formations. Jake holds his saber upward and ignites it, shedding just enough light to see a spider the size of a small rabbit leaping towards him. He swings his saber outward slicing the spider into two halves which effectively covers him in green arachnid guts.

“Gross…” Jake sighs, following after Malevolence. Any spider that jumps at Malevolence is yanked by her use of the Force and is catastrophically yeeted into the cave walls. 

“Spider remains should be the least of your worries…” Malevolence says in her signature sadistic tone.

“What should be the most…? You?” He asks, staring at the woman. She slowly spins around and deactivates her saber. As the woman vanishes into the darkness, Jake’s heart fills with fear.

“Do you… fear me?” She asks loudly from the left. When Jake turns to the left, there is nothing there. “Are you… afraid?” Malevolence hisses from the right but when Jake turns to slash his saber at her, she is nowhere to be found. “Do you fear… the unknown?” The woman asks from behind him. Jake spins around and sees nothing. He finally turns back to where she was originally standing as her saber reactivates. Jake lets out a soft sigh of relief as she continues walking through the cave. “I feed off of the fear in your heart, young one. It is primitive… primal…” She says in a vicious tone as the two finally exit the spider cave and walk into the quarry. About ten Black Suns mercenaries seem to be present as hovercrafts deliver more prisoners into large packed cells.

“What are they doing to them…?” Jake asks as he watches one of the Black Suns mercenaries open a prisoner cage. It looks to have at least twenty people packed into it. The mercenary whistles loudly and a crane machine holding the cage tilts it downward dropping the prisoners into a pit. Malevolence and Jake run along the side of the quarry, careful not to be seen. They come to a cliffside where at the bottom of the large pit a Rathtar devours innocents trying to flee for their lives. Nearly a hundred corpses already lie in the pit. “What… is that thing?” Jake looks to Malevolence who almost looks intimidated by the creature. 

“Rathtar… One of the deadliest creatures in the galaxy… Fascinating that they were able to contain one…” She glares down at the Rathtar before Jake looks over to the arriving prisoner transports. 

“We need to find Eoni… I can’t let her die…” He says, getting to his feet. The boy begins running over to the mercenaries. 

“What are you doing?!” Malevolence hisses as he runs off. The Sith Lord shakes her head and slips into the shadows. “Foolish child…” She whispers softly as Jake manages to use his lightsaber to cut down one of the mercenaries. One of the other nine mercenaries fires a stun round into Jake’s chest causing him to fall to the ground. Two of the mercenaries walk over and begin to pick him up when a voice interrupts. 

“Stop!” Eoni shouts, slowly walking over to the three men wearing her full Black Suns attire. “Not this one.” She says, gesturing for them to lift him up. 

“Eoni… What are you doing?” Jake asks, looking to the woman in disbelief.

She is with the Black Suns… She is going to kill you… Kill her first. Malevolence’s voice echoes in Jake’s mind which he tries to ignore.

“Jake… You weren’t supposed to find out this way… You weren’t supposed to find out at all… I had paid a bounty hunter a lot of money to get you out of here before any of this happened… You were supposed to be asleep…” She says remorsefully. 

“You… That was you last night? You poisoned me… All of this was planned… How long…” Jake looks up to Eoni with anger in his eyes. “How long were you planning this?” He asks as the two men tighten their grips on him. 

“Not here… Bring him to my quarters.” Eoni gestures to a white tent decorated with the Black Sun sigil set up a few hundred feet away. Once inside, Eoni ties the tent’s entrance shut and pulls out a chair for Jake. “Sit… Please.” She requests as the man takes the seat and looks up to her, still grasping the reality of this betrayal.

“Why… Why did you do this?” He asks with a broken voice.

“Do you remember when my parents were killed in that speeder accident?” Eoni asks, crossing her arms as she leans back against her planning table. Eoni is dressed differently than her allies. Her plate armor seems more customized and fitted and she wears many more emblems on her chest. A long fur pelt hangs over her back and waves back and forth as she walks around. “It wasn’t an accident. Captain Kalithus ordered my parents assassination because he suspected their affiliation with The Black Suns.” She explains, running her hand down her pelt for comfort. 

“That’s impossible… I saw the accident as they were coming into town. Your father lost control of the speeder and…” Jake trails off, avoiding looking her directly in the eyes.

“He didn’t lose control… He never had it.” She says, reaching over to a small black device and pressing a red button on it. 

“Someone cut our break lines… I can’t stop the speeder and we’re going too fast to stop… They know that I’m leading the Black Suns Syndicate but… They don’t know why… Ord Mantell is corrupted from within… If the Black Suns don’t take over, then people are going to fall under the curse… Please deliver this message to Naavaro… He will know to give it to Eoni when she is of age… When she can understand… I love you Eoni…” The recording stops with the clutter of the microphone and a few seconds later, a distant explosion. 

“There is more going on in Ord Mantell than you realize… And it’s too late for these people… But it’s not too late for us…” She says, stepping forward with a smile. Jake falls out of his chair and backs  away from her.

“You’re killing innocent people… You’ve killed so many… My parents… Andalia… All of the explosions…” Jake says, shaking his head at her. “You’re a monster…” He spits at her feet.

“I… I’m the monster?” She tilts her head as Jake slowly gets up and backs to the entrance of the tent. “You think that I wanted to kill all of these people? I loved your parents, Jake! I loved Andalia! But they were sick… Cursed… And now I see that you are as well…” Eoni slowly raises a blaster up at him. 

“Eoni… What are you doing? It’s me… It’s Jake…” He pleads, looking into her eyes which are void of emotion.

“I am… cleansing the corruption. I must save Ord Mantell. Before it is too late…” She fires at Jake. He accidentally ignites his saber just before the blaster bolt hits him and it deflects back into Eoni’s hand. She drops the blaster and picks up a vibrosword from her desk, swinging it at Jake. 

“Eoni, stop! This isn’t you! You aren’t thinking straight!” Jake shouts as their weapons clash. Eoni stares into his eyes and he can almost see the insanity in the pools of pink glimmer that he once admired. 

“Eoni… Please… Think back to when we were five… We used to run around and give all of our neighbors those awful cookies we tried to bake… Or on your twelfth birthday when I made that necklace for you with the kyber crystal… Please… Just remember who you are…” Jake cries out between parrying her blows.

“I-” She drops her vibroblade and falls to her knees. “I can’t fight it, Jake!” She screams, reaching for her blade. “IT HURTS! PLEASE! JAKE! KILL ME!” She begins to scream in hysterical pain as she snatches the vibroblade and swings it into Jake’s thigh. He falls to the ground and Eoni slowly gets up to her feet and raises her sword into the air.

“Goodbye, Jake.” She grins wickedly. Jake’s eyes fill with tears as he reaches his hand up to his first love.

“Goodbye, Eoni… I love you…” He whispers before a surge of lightning explodes from his hand, ensorcelling the woman until she’s reduced to ash. Malevolence slashes through the tent with her saber and looks down at Jake and Eoni’s corpse. 

“I have handled the rest of them. Are you ready to return to Kavar?” Malevolence asks, looking down at the man. Jake slowly gets to his feet and looks back to the Sith Lord. His demeanor is completely different… Darker. This seems to please Malevolence.

“Yes…” He says coldly, wiping the tears from his face and handing the saber back to Malevolence. She shakes her head and latches the weapon onto Jake’s belt. 

“You have earned this. Use it with pride, Kadu.” She grins as the two depart from the quarry leaving behind the prisoners who scream in agony awaiting a savior… But on this day no savior would come.

* * *

About One Year Later…

Location: The Wrathbreaker - Tython Orbit

Darth Kavar, Darth Malevolence, Jake, and several other significant Sith Lords and their apprentices stand around a table. “The final part of our execution of this plan will require the rest of you to follow Malevolence’s lead into the Jedi Temple. Slaughter every last Jedi… Find the girl…” Darth Kavar finishes, gesturing for Jake to follow him into a private room. The door closes behind the two and Jake looks up to Kavar in confusion.

“Why aren’t you telling me everything? Who is Malevolence looking for? What girl?” Jake asks, his arms crossed as Kavar places his hand on Jake’s shoulder.

“In due time you will know. But for now, there is a special matter that requires your attention. There is a mountain on Tython… Mount Thelnas. On the peak lives an old Jedi master named Caithe Valor. End her life… She is one of few who can still thwart our plans.” Darth Kavar remarks, looking down at Jake. 

“It’s always smoke and screens… You just send me on these menial tasks that waste my time and-” Jake is cut off as Kavar backhands him, throwing him back onto the floor. 

“Remember your place in the hierarchy, Apprentice… You speak to a Sith Lord…” He remarks, opening the door to the room. “Go… You will carry out this mission… Kill Caithe Valor and in return I will reveal all to you.” The man says as a grin creeps onto his disgusting pale face. 

“Of course… I will do better…” Jake glares at the Sith Lord retaining his posterity as he walks out of the room and past the other Sith Lords and apprentices. The Sith Apprentice travels to the hangar and boards one of the shuttles before making way to Tython where his life would ultimately change… Forever.