Jack took his blade back sheepishly. His mother had always hammered home that lesson. Even in a place where Jack was completely safe, Thea had always wanted the young man to have hold of his saber. He needed to be able to defend himself and not everyone could stop blaster bolts with the force. Clipping the saber to his right hip, Jack took a step back to take in the sight of his mother. It had been so long since he had seen Thea, yet she seemed to not have changed a day.
When his Mother asked her question, Jack felt a change in his mother. More specifically Jack could see the change in Thea’s eyes. It was a trait that he had but given his split lineage with Jake, his iris’ changes were far rarer. Regardless, the color of her eyes was a lighter shade of a red and peered past him and to his father.
It was here that Jack finally felt the tension in the air. It was not his Mother that broke it, even though he could see that her eyes were tearing a whole through Jake. It was not The Twelve that sliced through the suddenly thick atmosphere. No, it was the man Jack had never met; a man that he had only seen in a photo. His half-brother who lunged at his father in a scathing assault.
“You bastard!” Romano howled.
His crimson blade was drawn and came crashing down on Jakes. Father met son but unlike Jack and Jakes spar, this was no lesson. Romano wanted blood.
“Let me explain.” Jake pleaded as he deflected Romano’s onslaught.
Jack came to stand next to Thea, his saber suddenly in his hand as he had the urge to go protect his father. Thea’s hand on her son’s wrist prevented the man from leaving her side.
Romano was ruthless in his assault. Every lesson that Jake had given him was on full display. Every tactic the young Shamalain could think of unleashed in a flurry of motions that were blind to a mere-humans eyes. Jake Daniels was no mere human however. He was a highly skilled, highly trained warrior who taught his attacker everything he knew.
“Let me help!” Jack pleaded as he watched his father take a completely defensive soresu form.
“He doesn’t need it.” Mycell explained.
The Twelve remained as they were. Not one seemed concerned with Romano, though startled as they were at the sudden change, their attention remained focused on Thea. It was as if they viewed her as a bigger threat to the Duke than the man currently attacking him.
“You had an affair?” Romano screamed.
“No.” Jake replied.
“Liar!”
Their sabers slashed time and again though Romano was unable to break through his fathers’ defenses. It was remarkable to watch as two skilled fighters clashed. Jake, surprisingly, did not fight with emotion. Romano did and that was his eventual undoing. Jake waited for his opening. Then it happened. Romano was disarmed, saber knocked away and father overwhelmed his son.
Jake had his arms wrapped around his son in an advanced, disabling choke. His deactived saber held was pressed against Romano’s throat, preventing the man from speaking while Jake brought him slowly to the ground.
“I did not cheat on your mother. Master Hinata and I had a brief relationship a few years before I served your mother.” Jake explained.
Romano shoved against Jake.
“Listen to me. You know nothing is more important to me than family. Nothing. I would not lie about this. I am going to let you go but if you attack me again, I will be forced to lock you up until you calm down.” Jake said.
Slowly he released Romano and backed away.
The Shamalain Heir rose to his feet. His eyes looked to his father, then Jack, and finally Thea. He now knew why the Jedi Master was so elusive in her responses to him. He now understood as the pieces finally clicked as to why she had been hesitant to reveal anything to him. This hurt. It really did and it was evident on his face. Romano had family he did not know about. Why? Why did this Jedi Master and his father, the Eternal Apprentice, keep Jack a secret from everyone?
“I’ll be inside.” Romano said as he summoned his lightsaber and sulked away.
There was silence in the yard as Jake’s attention soon turned to Jack and the woman he had not expected to see. Not yet at least.
“I would not let him contact you.” Jake said answering Thea’s earlier question.
He knew she would demand to know why. His nerves were heightened. Everything was still unfolding as his vision had foretold. Everything. The former Sith, the Duke of Honoghr, the Eternal Apprentice, the man renowned for his composure and control held a fear in his look of the very woman that still eyed him.
This was it.
The moment of reckoning.
Jake would explain. She would become offended by his reason. She would fear for his son’s safety and like a mother lion she would protect him. Jack would be too slow. His training incomplete which would end with Jake at Thea’s feet.
“I had to try and complete his training in secret. I have failed in that regard as it seems fate ensured you arrived before it was finished.” Jake said.
Force visions were something Jake had only experienced once before. It came true. This vision was just as detailed and precise.
Jack took a step aside from his mother; fully aware of his father’s vision.
Jake took a step back.
The Twelve readied themselves.
“I need to show you, Mom.” Jack said.
Gently his finger tips pressed to his mother’s temple. His mind mending with hers as he shared the vision just as Jake had done with him. The vision unfolded perfectly. Jack and Jakes training being interrupted by their arrival. Romano’s attack on his father. The tension of the twelve and even Jack sharing this said vision. What happened next had yet to unfold. It showed Thea’s eyes darkening. She would unleash a torrent of force energy that rendered The Twelve unconscious as they attempted to protect their Duke. She would leap at Jake, a mother enraged that a father hid her son away. In a flurry of motions, she would easily break through his soresu defensive posture and bring her blade across him. Jack would be a split second too late to stop his mothers’ blade and Jake would die in his son’s arms.
Pulling his fingers back, Jack held his breath as he watched his mothers eyes.
Jake meanwhile stood, expression still of defeat, his own blade in hand waiting for what he deemed to be the inevitable.
Evanthea Hinata
When his Mother asked her question, Jack felt a change in his mother. More specifically Jack could see the change in Thea’s eyes. It was a trait that he had but given his split lineage with Jake, his iris’ changes were far rarer. Regardless, the color of her eyes was a lighter shade of a red and peered past him and to his father.
It was here that Jack finally felt the tension in the air. It was not his Mother that broke it, even though he could see that her eyes were tearing a whole through Jake. It was not The Twelve that sliced through the suddenly thick atmosphere. No, it was the man Jack had never met; a man that he had only seen in a photo. His half-brother who lunged at his father in a scathing assault.
“You bastard!” Romano howled.
His crimson blade was drawn and came crashing down on Jakes. Father met son but unlike Jack and Jakes spar, this was no lesson. Romano wanted blood.
“Let me explain.” Jake pleaded as he deflected Romano’s onslaught.
Jack came to stand next to Thea, his saber suddenly in his hand as he had the urge to go protect his father. Thea’s hand on her son’s wrist prevented the man from leaving her side.
Romano was ruthless in his assault. Every lesson that Jake had given him was on full display. Every tactic the young Shamalain could think of unleashed in a flurry of motions that were blind to a mere-humans eyes. Jake Daniels was no mere human however. He was a highly skilled, highly trained warrior who taught his attacker everything he knew.
“Let me help!” Jack pleaded as he watched his father take a completely defensive soresu form.
“He doesn’t need it.” Mycell explained.
The Twelve remained as they were. Not one seemed concerned with Romano, though startled as they were at the sudden change, their attention remained focused on Thea. It was as if they viewed her as a bigger threat to the Duke than the man currently attacking him.
“You had an affair?” Romano screamed.
“No.” Jake replied.
“Liar!”
Their sabers slashed time and again though Romano was unable to break through his fathers’ defenses. It was remarkable to watch as two skilled fighters clashed. Jake, surprisingly, did not fight with emotion. Romano did and that was his eventual undoing. Jake waited for his opening. Then it happened. Romano was disarmed, saber knocked away and father overwhelmed his son.
Jake had his arms wrapped around his son in an advanced, disabling choke. His deactived saber held was pressed against Romano’s throat, preventing the man from speaking while Jake brought him slowly to the ground.
“I did not cheat on your mother. Master Hinata and I had a brief relationship a few years before I served your mother.” Jake explained.
Romano shoved against Jake.
“Listen to me. You know nothing is more important to me than family. Nothing. I would not lie about this. I am going to let you go but if you attack me again, I will be forced to lock you up until you calm down.” Jake said.
Slowly he released Romano and backed away.
The Shamalain Heir rose to his feet. His eyes looked to his father, then Jack, and finally Thea. He now knew why the Jedi Master was so elusive in her responses to him. He now understood as the pieces finally clicked as to why she had been hesitant to reveal anything to him. This hurt. It really did and it was evident on his face. Romano had family he did not know about. Why? Why did this Jedi Master and his father, the Eternal Apprentice, keep Jack a secret from everyone?
“I’ll be inside.” Romano said as he summoned his lightsaber and sulked away.
There was silence in the yard as Jake’s attention soon turned to Jack and the woman he had not expected to see. Not yet at least.
“I would not let him contact you.” Jake said answering Thea’s earlier question.
He knew she would demand to know why. His nerves were heightened. Everything was still unfolding as his vision had foretold. Everything. The former Sith, the Duke of Honoghr, the Eternal Apprentice, the man renowned for his composure and control held a fear in his look of the very woman that still eyed him.
This was it.
The moment of reckoning.
Jake would explain. She would become offended by his reason. She would fear for his son’s safety and like a mother lion she would protect him. Jack would be too slow. His training incomplete which would end with Jake at Thea’s feet.
“I had to try and complete his training in secret. I have failed in that regard as it seems fate ensured you arrived before it was finished.” Jake said.
Force visions were something Jake had only experienced once before. It came true. This vision was just as detailed and precise.
Jack took a step aside from his mother; fully aware of his father’s vision.
Jake took a step back.
The Twelve readied themselves.
“I need to show you, Mom.” Jack said.
Gently his finger tips pressed to his mother’s temple. His mind mending with hers as he shared the vision just as Jake had done with him. The vision unfolded perfectly. Jack and Jakes training being interrupted by their arrival. Romano’s attack on his father. The tension of the twelve and even Jack sharing this said vision. What happened next had yet to unfold. It showed Thea’s eyes darkening. She would unleash a torrent of force energy that rendered The Twelve unconscious as they attempted to protect their Duke. She would leap at Jake, a mother enraged that a father hid her son away. In a flurry of motions, she would easily break through his soresu defensive posture and bring her blade across him. Jack would be a split second too late to stop his mothers’ blade and Jake would die in his son’s arms.
Pulling his fingers back, Jack held his breath as he watched his mothers eyes.
Jake meanwhile stood, expression still of defeat, his own blade in hand waiting for what he deemed to be the inevitable.
Evanthea Hinata