Private [Solo] The Open Wound

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

So, apparently, synthetic crystals are just the cheap starting point…



She mused, glaring out from the cockpit and she gripped the steering tighter.



But I’m more than that. I will bleed a crystal. The hard way.



The ship, the Solo II, flew over the planet. The cold, blue world was trapped in an eternal winter. Snow blew over the white surface as the pale ship landed in an isolated area, apart from a cave entrance. The girl inside the ship stood up, her pure white eyes devoid of any irises. She turned and pulled open the closet. She put on a full, white winter suit with anxious eagerness then opened the cargo door.



Heavy white flakes zoomed into the warm, dim ship. The dim sunlight made the blankets of white even paler against the cold winter sky. The girl lifted her hand, even with goggles on her face, and clung to her pack as she exited her ship. The snow was up to her knees. She scowled as she approached a cave nearby. Half way there, shivering despite her protection, she turned to glance at her ship. It was dull, grey, and boring. She sighed, I need to paint that thing soon!



She turned and once again made way for the cave. Soon enough, she was granted relief from the storm. It was still bitterly cold, however, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness within.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

The dim, blue walls seemed to be made of pure ice. The cavern was cluttered with stalactites jagged sides. The ground was coated in the frozen water. It was rough, yet still slippery. It was lucky that she was wearing gripping boots. She loudly brushed powdered snow off her as she muttered her misgivings on this cruel climate. After several moments, she pulled out her datapad and turned on its light feature.



”Heeeere, crystal, crystal, crystal…”



She took careful steps into the tunnels. She knew lightsaber crystals grew here. They grew here for millennia. She had done her research. She took her time to plan. She landed in a cavern little used due to its small size. Still, crystals were rumored to grow here. She bit her lip as the darkness grew and she stepped deeper. The cool air grew colder as she went down, down, down…



“Alright,” she spoke aloud. “I go in. Get the crystal. Get out. No Jedi mind tricks!”



Once again. She had done her research. Jedi came here to cave these stupid little tests to prove some sort of light side usefulness of something. But she was no Jedi. This was Gwyneira Craft, a Sith apprentice. She came to get a lightsaber crystal, then go through the Sith’s own test of bleeding it. She already had a synthetic lightsaber, with a synthetic crystal, at her hip. But it was artificial, fake, and little worked for. She believed that if she poured herself into bleeding a crystal, it would be proof of craftmanship and worthiness as a training Sith.



She gasped aloud as her boot slipped once. She cried out, falling down a series of steps in the darkness. Confusion swirled as she hit some sort of floor. She bolted up,, then was gripped with terror as she realized her datapad was gone. She was in pitch black darkness.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Standing in the bitter cold darkness, she felt alone and terrified. She realized that it was impossible to tell where the tunnel back up was, or even if it was available down here. She reached with a shaking hand for her lightsaber hilt. Perhaps, it would offer some light.



Crimson glowed as the weapon was activated. Against the deep blue walls, it was artistically fascinating. She looked up and noted that the way she came in was way above her, with the corner of her datapad peaking from the falling point. She felt herself grow stiff in fear as she realized she was potentially stuck down here.



She flew into a series of quiet curses as she glanced up at the escape route with dread. No! I came too far from this! I am a licensed engineer and a training Sith! I can’t die down here!



”Why not?”



The girl’s grip on her lightsaber weakened as she felt herself going numb. Barely holding the lightsaber, she turned like a droid in need of an oil bath. She was slow, hesitant. She knew who that voice belonged to. No…no…



It was her father. Standing as a pale blue phantom.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

The lightsaber slipped from her hand. The blade deactivated before it hit the ground. In its place, the glowing apparition of her father lit the room in a dim, haunted light. It was unnatural.



She stood there, shocked. ”How- how did-“



She stopped, hand twitching as her common sense attempted to take over. Her cheeks grew hot despite the freezing temperatures. She felt anger growing in her. ”Stupid Jedi tricks…”



She curled her fingers, life returning to her in hot adrenaline and she squeezed her hand in a fist. ”You’re not real.” she lifted her gloved hand, pointing at the transparent light in rage. ”You’re an illusion! So just disappear!”



The phantom was still, and silent. It tormented her with its presence. It stood there, eying her with those lidless Arkanian eyes. Those devoid eyes! His white hair lay smoothly along his back as he spoke. ”I am not here. But I can still hurt you.”



Despite being a beginner in the Force, the child was competent enough to call her lightsaber from the ground to her hand. Her emotions raged as she activated the blood red blade. ”Shut up! Go away!”



She pointed the blade towards the phantom, tears starting to form in her eyes. ”Stop it! Just leave!”



The shade only chuckled. A cruel chuckle. A horrible chuckle. ”You obviously lack my species’ intellect, half breed.” The term ‘half breed’ was scoffed in a bitter, disgusted manner. The mocking image raised an eyebrow. ”If I am not here,” he clasped his hands, ”How can you hurt me?”



Tears started pouring down her face as her scowl deepened.



”I will always haunt you. Always.”

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Emotions overrode common sense as the girl bolted forth, swinging her lightsaber at the ghostly appearance. Indeed, the red blade did nothing to disperse the torturer. She growled as she stepped back, desperate to see this thing gone.



Instead, it sighed. The image of her father shook his head. ”Honestly, half breed, you fail at everything.” He opened his hands and gestured towards the glowing blade she held. ”Your Shii-Cho is amateur. Your swings were uncoordinated and sloppy.”



She gasped, growing defensive. ”I practiced for weeks!”



He shook his head. ”You let your emotions get the best of you. Your human DNA is pathetic.”



She was burning, sweating, in the flames of her internal emotions. The cold did nothing to her as she swung her blade in the darkness. ”I am not pathetic! I am a licensed engineer! I am training to be a Sith!”



”You barely got your degree.”



”Because your perfect, superior race barred me despite my grades!”



The hybrid spit on the ground as she glared down the ghost. ”But I made it!” She shook as she attempted to stand straight. ”And I will make it through this as well.”

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

It started as a soft scoff, a light chuckle. Then, his face distorted in wrinkles as it steadily grew from laughter, to howling. It was the mocking she felt her entire life. The feelings of worthlessness that made her want to curl up and die. Her tears tripled as her “father” stared at her in amused belittlement. ”You! A Sith?!?” He continued to laugh as the girl felt so defeated Her posture immediately slumped again.



At last, the laughter slowed to a stop as he gave her the creepiest grin of cruelty. ”You are a useless halfling! A nobody! Your apparent brainpower is only because of my race’s completed evolution! Take away my DNA, and you nothing!”



She stood there, looking down. She glanced at the lightsaber in her hand. Was he right? She fought so hard, came so far… for what? She yearned for approval, for something aside what she kept hearing her whole life! She wanted to be strong, feared! Yet, here she was. Nothing.



”You will never know love! Affection! You will never know peace!”



”Peace…” she mumbled, still looking down as she loosely held her lightsaber. The familiar mantra echoed in her mind. She repeated it. ”Peace is a lie.”



She looked to her lightsaber again, hair still in her face. She gripped it tighter, remembering how she made this one. With the Force. ”There is only the passion.”



She looked up, glaring at the illusion with a fresh renewal. She used her remaining hand to wipe the hair from her face. ”Through passion, I gain power.”



She pushed the hair behind her ear, her irisless eyes starting to form orange-red pupils. ”Through power, I gain victory.”



She deactivated her lightsaber, placing it back on her waistline as she took a step forward. ”Through victory, my chains are broken!”



Despite the lack of air flow, the fabric of her clothes shook as if a wind was blowing through. She extended her hand, her tears spent as she growled, ”The Force will set me free!”



Her emotions bent through the ripples of the Force. Power, precious power, flowed through her as she stood toe to toe with the man who both made her and broke her. ”I will be free of you, father! I have control now! I am not your dog to beat around!”



She could swear she was taller than him, despite being younger and shorter. She could swear she was beyond his strength. This… this was just a man. A smart, handsome, brilliant, yet narcissistic man. A sad man. A man with nothing to him but the pride of his people. He did not have what she had. He did not have the Force.



Her voice was low, threatening, as she spoke slowly. ”Now. Do as I say this time. You will listen to me.” She let out a scream which seemed to shake the very foundations of the icy walls as she ordered the phantom. ”Go away, phantom!”

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Everything went dark again.



The shattering ice stopped, replaced with an eerie cracking. The wind was gone. And, most importantly, the image of her father was gone. It was all dark. It was cold again. The arctic weather bit at her skin. Yet, one small thing was new. A light. A dim light. It was so, so small. Yet, it was there. In the place of her father, there was a tiny light. It started off small, then started to glow. The girl’s eyes widened as orange eyes laid upon a beautiful, elegant, brilliant blue lightsaber crystal. It glowed in the dark, lighting the cave in brilliant light as glorious as the stars. She felt comfort as she stood there, silent, at the crystal.



So… she had passed her test.



She stood there, her cheeks still damp from her tears. Yet, the wet on her face started to freeze in thin ice within the cold. She stood there, realizing what had just happened. She had proven herself worthy of this crystal.



Her father was always the liar she thought he was.



She smirked.



She reached down, clutching the crystal as the room went dark again.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

…

…

… … …

…

…

… How did she come back here?





Her thoughts were so blurred. How did she manage to get back to her ship?



She stood inside the heated ship, within the cargo bay. The door was closed behind her. She was still in her ice and snow coated gear. She stood in the middle of the room, silent. She… remembered not what had taken place. Had she climbed out? What about-



She gasped, looking down. She did not even realize both hands were holding something. In one hand was her datapad, the same one she dropped. The light was turned off. Unfortunately, her screen was badly cracked. She sighed, realizing she would have to replace the screen. Then, she looked in her other hand. In her palm, small yet marvelous, was her lightsaber crystal.



For a long moment, she stared at it. It was like a gem, worthy of being the crowned jewel of an expensive golden necklace. It was so, so perfect! Yet, she remembered why she came here. She was here for a crystal, yes, but the crystal needed refining. Reforming. It needed to be bled.



She sighed, turning and placing the two objects on a nearby tank of some sort. She slowly peeled her gear off as she considered what it meant. She had to pour her pain into it, the brokenness. She needed to turn the crystal from a starlit blue to a dangerous red. As she yanked her goggles from her face, dropping it on the floor with the rest of the gear, she remembered all the archives lessons on bleeding a crystal. She realized, with pleasure, that she looked forward to doing this.



New confidence overwhelmed her as she took the crystal into her hand again. It was cold to touch with her bare hand, likely due to the chill of the planet. She observed the glowing gem as she stepped out of the cargo bay, Walking through the hallway, she subconsciously made way to the cockpit of her ship. She sat upon the floor, placing the crystal in front of her. She sat in a meditative stance as she gazed upon the crystal. If it was beautiful now, how much more spectacular would it be when she opened her eyes again?



She closed her pale eyes. It began.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

It was dark. She felt the Force surround her as she entered the meditative stance. She felt the darkness calling, she answered it. Emotions swelled as she felt herself aching from some sort of open wound. Was she bleeding? Yet, oddly enough, she felt no pain. She felt her pain, but not in the way of active torment. Instead, the pain was so fresh yet potent, it strengthened her. She looked back upon memories. Memories of her father, her mother, the academy. Everything. All the times she was belittled, all the times she was scoffed at. Ignored. Mocked. Judged at first glance for a broken heritage. Yet, she felt empowered here. She was broken now, but through the Dark Side she would gain the power to gain victory, break her chains, and be set free. Soon, she would be broken no more.



All the anger she felt towards them was bolstered. All the times she cried, or felt hot inside because her grade was brought down for an unfair reason. The injustices, the anger, the cruelty. She poured it all out in a way crying or breaking things never would. She felt like she was screaming, but her lungs were not sore from the cries. She felt… she felt…



… amazing…



This was amazing.



Empowered by the very things that tormented her, she poured it all into the lightstaber crystal. She flooded it with all of her agony, suffering betrayels. This crystal would know the same pain she did. It was learning of what drove her here. Yet, now that she was here, it felt so so good. The crystal screamed with the same suffering she had her whole life. All at once. The Force bent and quaked as she gave the crystal the same feeling she had felt her whole life. The feeling that she bled, without tourniquet to stop it. Her whole life, a wound was opened that never healed. For years she bled, but just now it was starting to seal through the suffering of this crystal.



She opened her eyes, delighting in what she saw. It was the most intoxicating, deep red she ever saw in her life.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

The girl stepped into the bridge of her ship once again, holding a new lightsaber in her hands. Excitement rushed over her as she smiled brightly. She had earned this. She did a slight skip as she stepped towards the center of the ship. Lifting the glorious hilt in front of her, she felt the burning jewel within her weapon, glowing, groaning, waiting to extract vengeance. This was nothing compared to the synthetic lightsaber at her waist. This was more raw, more real. And it represented so much more. She activated the weapon. It was both heavy and light as she gasped in awe at the deep, red Sith blade.



She thought the crystal itself was beautiful.



It was nothing compared to this…

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Done.