Private The Broken Man

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

Jax found himself back in the Netherworld again.

His entire body felt heavy as if his legs were made out of bricks, yet Jax pressed on towards the tree. Master Oda starting to appear before him. "Master," Jax called out tears started to sting his eyes. "I'm sorry! I've given into the Dark Side."

Oda didn't say anything but flash a look of disappointment towards Jax. Dark tendrils started to creep behind the tree wrapping itself around it. "Master!" Jax yelled as the purple skies began to turn blood red. The darkness consumed the tree before piercing Oda from behind. His entire body dissipated as the ground around Jax began to shake and tear itself apart.

The fallen Jedi tried to run but he remained rooted to the ground full of fear. His stomach felt as though someone was squeezing it and his heart began to beat wildly as if it wanted to burst out from his chest. "No...." Jax muttered before he fell from the ground screaming plunging into the dark abyss below.

"NO!" Jax immediately woke up in a cold sweat his body shaking uncontrollably. He uttered a loud groan as pain washed over him, Jax slowly placed his hand on his abdomen wincing as his fingertips stuck against the wet blood. "What happened?" Jax muttered blinking. Last thing he knew was that his father: Darth Carnifex blasted him with the Force. Pain like Jax never felt before took over and then..... silence.

"Am I dead?" Jax attempted to get up, but he didn't have the strength to. He observed his surroundings seeing a vast, grey marshlands filled with Bogwings flying above him. The air was thick and humid, Jax could hardly breathe though he chalked it up to his injuries.

He began to crawl looking for any signs of life until he saw a familiar figure. A young woman laying on the ground. "Dreidi....." Jax began to crawl towards her. "Dreidi!" He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Don't do this Driedi!" Jax pleaded tears coming from his eyes shaking her. "Give me a sign! Anything!"

A pained cry came out from Jax as tears freefall. "Don't leave me Dreidi," he wept. "Don't go to a place where I can't follow..... Please wake up Dreidi, please wake up I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I gave into the Dark Side, I'm sorry that I let my father hurt you. I'm sorry that I put you through so much pain! I'm sorry for everything."

It wasn't fair, Jax should've died instead Dreidi. She didn't deserve this hell, Jax did.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

The invasion of Empress Teta had supposedly been a success for the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order but Dreidi felt hollow. It didn't feel like a victory for her, she had watched Jax die in an insane fight against his father, Carnifex. Dreidi had not done well from the encounter, her throat was torn to shreds in a final Force Scream before she passed out, her stomach had a nasty slash from a strike from Carnifex. Not even mentioning the numerous bruises and minor cuts that littered her body. Dreidi was in rough shape, not as bad as the orbital bombardment, that had been bad and she was in a bacta tank for weeks after that. This time she recovered in a much shorter time physically but mentally she was still dealing with the loss of Jax. She wasn't especially close with him, nor did she ever see herself calling him another other than Jax, but he was putting in an effort which was more than most of her family was doing.

Once she was officially allowed to leave the infirmary, discharged by the healers. Dreidi looked around lost. Jax had been the one to drag her out here. She had no clue how to get back to Ascendancy space, she was ways off being capable of flying a ship. Dreidi crashed more times in a single simulation than she could count so being in a real cockpit, that was just asking for disaster. Instead she looked around the docking bays to see if anyone was charting in space near to where she was heading. Unfortunately, most seemed to be Galactic Alliance based so Dreidi wasn't really getting much luck in terms of finding a ship heading out.

When she did, the group did not look normal. Skin bubbling, looking like they were made from clay and by someone who had heard a description of a human but had not seen one before. They looked wrong in some way and Dreidi got bad vibes from them but she couldn't afford to stick around and wait for a ship to magically appear to whisk her away. They seemed to be flying in the right direction and it meant getting as far away from Empress Teta as possible. Also looks could be deceiving and Dreidi could end up finding out that these guys were coming normal and nice people. It would be good for her to not judge the book by the cover. After debating a long time with herself, she decided to jump aboard and stated the system that she needed to get to.

This was how Dreidi ended up on Dagobah, unconscious. The weirdos knocked her out with some gas before she could react and flew off to the Dagobah system. When she woke, she spotted Jax looming over her and ranting off about being sorry, in the fear state she was in, Dreidi attempted to punch Jax square in the jaw and shifted away. "You die!" Dreidi shouted, he definitely wasn't a Force Ghost, she had seen those before, this was different. "They drug me or something? Hallucinating or something? Damn it! You left me to die!" Dreidi shouted accusingly at Jax as she looked around at her surroundings trying to figure where she was, if this was all real.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

"What the-?!" Jax felt a fist collide with his jaw as he stumbled back. Immediately Jax tasted blood from his lip falling to the ground as he continuously blinked.

"Left you to die?" Jax moaned massaging his sore jaw. "What are you talking about?!"

What the hell was going on here? What was this planet? Once again, Jax tried to get up but the searing pain from the deep cuts of his torso forced him to sit down. He stared at Dreidi who looked mostly healthy aside from the light bruising on her face. That's strange, last he saw her she was severely wounded when Carnifex slashed her stomach. Yet what was even stranger was that his field of vision was no longer limited. He could see not just Driedi but the entire swampy environment around him.

"My eye....." Jax crawled on his knees towards the water. He could barely see his reflection but there it was, his eye no longer damaged. "I can fully see again Dreidi.... Argh!"

Jax clutched his stomach as more blood poured out. "Dreidi!" Jax moaned. "I need some help here.... What happened at Empress Teta? What happened to Carnifex?! Did the Alliance win?!"

It was too much to take in..... He was happy...... happy to see Dreidi alive. But also he felt shame that she had to witness him fall to the Dark Side. "Do you know where we are?" Jax asked sullenly.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

"You left me to die on Empress Teta! You decided that fighting your father, surrendering to the Dark Side and all that jazz would make you much stronger and able to kill him. Well you failed and I nearly died there because you weren't around to look after me! You left me alone!" Dreidi growled, she was pissed out with the hallucination of Jax, if it was that at all. Right now, she had no idea of what this situation was. All she needed to know what how to get out of here. Looking around after Jax mentioned about being able to see with his eye again and she rolled both of hers, "great. Even in my hallucinations you are as annoying as ever. Good thing though, pretty sure Carnifex did something to your eye so I would never trust it."

Dreidi sighed when Jax demanded more information, "for kark's sake Jax, is now the time to talk about how you betrayed the Jedi code?!" Dreidi looked around, she was still bound and couldn't get herself untied. "Fine, since I am tied and not like a hallucination can untie me. You decided to dive straight into the Dark Side when I told you not to because it would be an idiotic move, it ended up being an idiotic move because you just died when Carnifex hit you with some force beam. Vapourised your body, left nothing but ash from what I could see. After that, I had to escape even though I was severely injured from Carnifex cutting my stomach. Alliance in the end won sure, but you turned and died, everyone found out and now I am Force knows where, alone. Again!"

Fed up with chatting chit, Dreidi tried moving fingers around so she could figure out what she was tied up with and use either Magick or the Force to get out of the situation. "So, now gotta save myself. Get back to Ascendancy and make sure that I never again rely on another person again. I was such an idiot to think you would be different." Dreidi grumbled as she started to use her Magick to undo the bonds and free her hands. After that, it would be finding her Lightsaber, cutting every last kidnapper down and getting the hell outta here. That was the plan and she needed to stick with it.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

"What?!" Jax managed to utter out before groaning his wounds continued to hurt, his vision was starting to blur. "I did not abandon you Dreidi..... I thought I was done for."

Jax might as well be dead considering he did what Darth Carnifex wanted. The Dark Side felt good but it did nothing to Carnifex all that power he attained was an illusion created to trap Jax for whatever gift his father supposedly gave him. "I messed up," Jax said large drops of sweat starting to form on his forehead. "The darkness was clamoring at my heart, the voices in my head promised me power. You were hurt Dreidi, he was about to kill you."

The Jedi Master closed his eyes trying to reach out to the Force to heal himself. He wasn't a great healer, but he should heal himself enough to stop the bleeding until he can find a medic. Jax remained still concentrating but he couldn't feel anything. "What?" Jax murmured his heart starting to beat rapidly. His face scrunched up in fear his hands shaking uncontrollably partially from the shock of losing blood and partially in horror of the reality of what was unfolding right now.

"No....." Jax shook his head pressing his hands on his wounded abdomen he tried to call out to the Force allow it to flow through him. Yet, nothing happened, an uneasy silence filled his mind. "This can't be..... This can't be happening." He felt weak and fell down to his knees. Jax's vision began to blur, Dreidi became a large yellow blob.

There was no way, no way that Jax lost connection to the Force. Perhaps the wounds he sustained was the reason why he couldn't feel the Force but even when Jax died, he can unconsciously reach the Force without any effort. This time though, Jax felt nothing he was like a blind man flailing wildly hitting nothing but air. "Dreidi," Jax said. "Can you heal me please?"

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

Shaking her head, Jax was still arguing that he didn't leave her when the truth was so blatant that everyone could see it. "Oh, no, you were completely there. Every moment of that fight you were there, looking out for me and making sure I was safe. Get real Jax, might be a hallucination but come on, you abandoned me long before you died. That whole fight you were solely fixated on killing a person, it wasn't about stopping the Sith or looking after me, it was about revenge and showing your father you were stronger. Even if you had to use the Dark Side to do so. Don't get self righteous on me, you didn't care about me at all, as soon as you embraced the Dark Side, you didn't care whether I lived or died, you only cared that Carnifex died. I won't forgive that."

Magick weaved its way into the locks of her cuffs and broke her free. Rubbing her wrists, she sighed relieved as she started to undo the bindings on her ankles. "Don't make excuses Jax. Everyone deals with temptations, calls to the Dark Side, cravings to misbehave. It is the choices we make that matters, a person could be dedicated to the Dark Side, and the choices they make could mean they are nicer and braver than any so-called Jedi out there. You made your choice and you decided that abandoning the Jedi way, abandoning me during the fight was more important. You chose to focus solely on revenge and ignore what I was trying to tell you." Dreidi was fed up of Jax trying to make excuses for his behaviour, she had spent time with people who could be a Sith Lord and do good, she had been around people who chose to make things better no matter their alignment and what she saw in Jax was the opposite to dedicate oneself to the Lightside and end up choosing to do harm.

"You're a hallucination Jax, of course you can't heal yourself. I am just going crazy because of stress and all the chit that has happened recently. Get over yourself." Dreidi rolled her eyes as Jax panicked over being unable to heal himself. She wove the Magick and broke herself free from the bindings on her legs. Standing up, stretching her sore, stiff limbs, Dreidi looked over to the weak Jax. Who seemed to be getting worse as time went on which was a little odd in her mind. She assumed he would just stay in one stable condition which was the way she had last seen him. The image that had burnt itself into her mind as she watched him die.

"I don't know how to heal using the Force. Not learnt that skill yet. Was pretty much focused on learning how to fight using the Force and Magick, not really spent the time learning the other stuff." Dreidi sighed as she looked at him, there was a small voice of doubt in her head, saying that if he was real then her leaving him to die would not be good. "I am not gunna take a lesson from you right now on how to do it either. Not the time, place nor appropriate injury to start with." She always started small and progressed when learning how to use her powers, all but Force Scream/Bellow had needed time and patience when learning.

Removing the right black sleeve of her outfit, Dreidi bound it around his waist. It was all she could do, put something there to create pressure and maintain the injury. Anything more was well beyond her skill sets. Standing up, "that's just in case I am not delusional and you are real. Now, I got to go, so unlikely to see you again vision Jax, gotta focus on surviving outta here." Dreidi dismissed the hallucination and crouched low, creeping around to survey the area and make sure that she found out where her Lightsaber was being kept.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

Something wasn't right Dreidi believed Jax to be some hallucination? "No Dreidi," Jax muttered when she healed some of his wounds with her magic. Though the pain didn't go away, he felt some relief as his minor and moderate cuts started to dissipate. "I didn't abandon you. I-I wanted to save you from my father. He was about to kill you he was about to-"

The Jedi Master gave a grunt of discomfort clutching his torn torso. It felt like his lower intestines were about to spill out. "Dreidi I'm not a vision," he said reaching out to her only for the young girl to slip away. "I need your help please!"

He got up limping after Dreidi his eyes darting around the swamp forest. Jax tried to reach out to the Force but he felt nothing a sudden silence filled the air. "What the hell?"

"Come on Dreidi," Jax said. "Wait up!"

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

"Jax get over yourself! You died on Empress Teta, you turned to ash, you chose revenge. You left me, if you hadn't then you would have still been on Empress Teta and you wouldn't have given into the Dark Side. So stop, stop trying to excuse yourself and lying to yourself about your actions." Dreidi growled, she was fed up of this Jax hallucination arguing that he didn't do anything wrong, it was ignoring Dreidi's feelings and views on the situation which was completely clear to her. All her medical skills was ensuring that his guts didn't spill out due to the fabric apply the pressure to diminish the blood flow and act as skin.

Dreidi shifted into a stealthy crouch, moving forward slowly, "no, I was fine. I told you that, we just needed to work together but being the poodoo brain that you are, you decided that you could kill Carnifex and that he needed to focus on your personal vendetta. You got so wrapped up in your own story, you ignored that you left others to suffer and die. Got yourself killed to boot." Dreidi rolled her eyes as the pathetic vision of Jax tried to follow her, "for Force sake, can't you leave me alone! Kinda need to focus brain." Dreidi growled at her own head.

"I have done all that I can do to help, talked to you, just fade away like a vision should!" Dreidi moaned, her therapist was going to have a field day with all this. She crept forward and searched around and looked for any signs of her Lightsaber and a ship to get outta here.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

"I.... What are you talking about?!" Jax huffed starting to become annoyed. What has gotten over Dreidi? Sure, Jax was probably presumed dead by the Alliance but the way she was acting was strange. Maybe it had something to do with the planet they were on?

"Dreidi," Jax said still clutching his bloodied abdomen. The pain was lessened now but he still needed to be cautious. "We need to focus otherwise....."

There was a noise coming from the swamp ahead, the sound of a twig snapping in half. Jax took a step back shocked that he didn't sense that....... It was too much to process. Jax losing his connection to the Force now he felt like a lost child trying to find his way home. In a way he was trying to go back home but everything was just a mess. "Wait Dreidi don't go!" Jax whispered hearing snickering coming from the bushes. "Someone's here."

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

"I. Watched. You. Die... How hard is that to understand? Damn, even my father got that he was a Force Ghost after he died. I don't know how else to explain to you Jax that you died and either you are here as a ghost or that you are just a vision messing with my mind because I must be on Dagobah or something." Dreidi sighed frustrated that the man did not seem to understand what she was saying, as if she was speaking a different language. But it had been clear on Empress Teta, she was there and she saw it up front and very close, Jax died and she felt his connection in the Force fade away. It had been clear as day to her.

Jax was complaining about people being around, Dreidi wasn't paying too much attention to him but the noise of snickering and snapping of twigs had Dreidi to her belt. Except her Lightsaber wasn't there, she growled in frustration again since she was lacking in her weapon once again. Pulling a decent looking fallen branch into her hands. Dreidi stood her ground and looked around.

"To the people thinking they could sneak around here, reveal yourselves, return my Lightsaber and direct me to a ship to get outta here. Cause I am not sticking around and if you make me, I will bludgeon you all with this karking branch." Dreidi growled out, releasing the pent up frustrations of Jax out on the people thinking they could kidnap her.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment: Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

Jax didn't need the Force to know that something was off, he could see shadowy figures hiding behind the slimy trees. Their shapes varied from large and rotund to small and skinny but they all bought an uneasy vibe to them and right now Dreidi is provoking them. "Dreidi!" Jax growled limping towards his stepdaughter. "Don't do this please! Don't provoke them!"

Yet the girl was full of vim and vigor ready to take on anything and everyone. She was at that age where she felt invincible and free from her family's shackles. Sometimes Jax wondered how Jairdain would even handle Dreidi whenever she went off like this. "You shouldn't be here outsider!" The large shadow bellowed.

"Dreidi....." Jax saw the shadows begin to emerge from the trees his grew wide with fear. Fleshy disfigured beings began to approach them oozing with pus and blood. Their clothing was old and faded filled with holes and their bodies protruded an assortment of mutations from an enlarged spiked arm that was as large as Dreidi's entire body or a third eye on their forehead.

"WE'RE GONNA KILL YOUS GOOD!" One of the creatures said beginning to attack.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

The shapes coming out of the shadows were not the most pleasant and Dreidi figured that she would not be impressed with their combat skills based on what they were saying and moving. Deformities were a part of life, she had never judged people for them but killing her or at least attempting to kill her was a step too far. She was not going to allow that to happen. "Really think killing me is gunna make things better? You can try but only just gunna end up dead!" Dreidi warned as she held a strong, defensive fighting stance as she noted the number of opponents and their positions. Sensing them as much as she was seeing them, the Force was with her and she was going to make use of it against these karkers.

"Jax. Either shut up and stay out of my way or find a weapon and help me beat these fools senseless. They ain't looking to talk." Dreidi growled over to Jax as she felt one approach from behind, twirling around, the branch acted as her Lightsaber. Slamming hard against the head of the guy, she knocked him out in a single blow. It was luck that she had hit the temple but she wasn't going to turn that down. "Right. So, now you know who you are messing with. And that's just melee skills, don't make me use the Force or my Magick!" Dreidi growled.

As another one stepped forward, closer, she blasted him with a Force Push to knock him off his feet. It was pushing the limits of her Force powers but she needed to have a demonstration of strength to intimidate these guys.

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Dagobah
Equipment:Traveling Garments, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Dreidi Xeraic

"Oh chit!" Jax saw the large mutated person slam against the tree by Dreidi's Force Push. Pieces of bark went flying everywhere as he slumped to the ground...... before immediately getting back up.

"That tickles!" The creature yelled large quantities of drool coming from the corner of his mouth. The creature grabbed the rusted Ax that he dropped and flung it towards Dreidi.

The Jedi breathed before he got kicked in the ribs by the skinny man. "I gonna eat good tonight!" Jax heard him yell as his body was overwhelmed by the pain. "Fuck!" Jax yelled collapsing on the ground at the mercy of the cult member.

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Location: Dagobah
Attire: Padawan Garb
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Jax Thio

Hearing her attack tickled. That wasn't the intimidating, frightening stance that she had been hoping for. It was extra frustrating since she wouldn't be so worried about these mutants if she hadn't gotten her Lightsaber stolen earlier on. She wasn't all too confident in the branch that she had, the chances of it snapping or just not hitting hard enough was too high. "Well, I can do more than just tickle." Dropping the branch, Dreidi caught the axe with the skill only a Force User could demonstrate. Rusted and not really the style of weapon she would use, Dreidi wasn't completely comfortable holding the axe but it was better than not having a sharp weapon that could cut off limbs.

"Jax, if you're really here grab the branch and get to work helping me fight these guys." Dreidi ordered, before hearing the older Jedi curse out as one of the cultists got him. Which made her realise two things, Jax was useless and she was going to have to apologise to every Padawan he ever trains that they had to study under someone who couldn't defend himself against mutant deformed cultists with no real weapons. Secondly, if the cultists could see and were going after Jax then he was right, he was real and not actually dead. That brought more questions then it answered but for now it meant that abandoning him would be a bad thing since she would be abandoning an actual Jedi.

Moving swiftly, as the cultist focused on Jax, Dreidi buried it hard into the head of the mutant. Splattering Jax in blood and gore, as Dreidi kicked the head off the axe so she could use it again. Before turning to the others, "see, I have no concerns in killing you so LEAVE!!!" Dreidi focused her energy and let out a powerful Force Scream. Hoping this would be enough to get an escape route and hide from the cultists.