29 Mar 2009
Vong War
Her throat was so tight, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Arilyn squeezed her eyes shut against the tears welling up, hands clutching at her pillowcase, balling into fists. I can’t just let it happen. I can’t just let it happen. But I have to, don’t I? Don’t I? But I can’t just let him…
She choked on a sob, shaking her head hard. “What if it’s not real? What if it’s not real and I stop him from doing something good?” She grabbed her pillow, held it against her face, screamed into it—screamed for so long that she was out of breath when the lights came on in her room.
“Ari?”
(more…)
9:39 am
Indiana Bridger
29 Mar 2009
Vong War
It would surprise some to know that Carlos DeLong found equally distasteful both of the communiques loaded on his datapad. The first was the news about Jinx Katarn. They had not been ‘friends’, not precisely… but still at times comrades, sword-brothers in the old way. A pity that he could not go to the memorial himself, or even send a representative: the contents of the second communique forbade that.
(more…)
9:34 am
Indiana Bridger
17 Mar 2009
Vong War
When he had first received the news, Kyle Katarn had admittedly felt less than he would have expected a person to feel in a similar situation. Though he had certainly known his half brother and even spent a few years training with him closely along with Mara Jade Skywalker, their relationship was more like casual friends at best. During the trip back to Sulon, however, it had set in. Not so much the loss at first as the isolation…Kyle truly was the last of the Katarn bloodline, save for what little was in Kiiara’s veins.
(more…)
10:54 pm
Indiana Bridger
17 Mar 2009
Vong War
Les lay sleeping in a hospital bed in a private room. Across the room Janet sat curled in a chair with a blanket around her, looking outside, though there was little to see; the sky was as blank and gray as the walls. It was sitting in the quiet, with the rain streaming down the window, that all those emotions that she had been keeping at bay conspired to overwhelm her, as well as the questions that troubled her…was Jinx right? Even if you get him away from here today he’ll turn again. Les has tasted the power, he’s let it in Janet…you can’t change that. Was he lost to them, for good? Repeatedly she defied that question. Les had the benefit of family and friends who loved him, no matter what he had become…surely that counted for something. Wasn’t love stronger than hate, light than darkness? There was hope, always hope. By the Raven, there had to be. Where there’s life, there’s hope, as her father had been fond of saying. Yet that scared, lost and alone feeling endured as she wondered what to do from here. How do we handle this? How do I handle this?
(more…)
9:50 am
Indiana Bridger
15 Mar 2009
Vong War
Jinx’s gaze held her, even after the light in his eyes faded and died away, his final words ebbing into the silence.
“Jinx…” she pleaded, “forgive me.” He had, that she knew; only she could never be able to forgive herself. It had to be done; for her son’s sake, it had to be done.
(more…)
10:58 pm
Indiana Bridger
15 Mar 2009
Vong War
”The hell was all of that about?” Kal’or asked, doing his best to make it as casual as he could though he knew something was wrong. He had that feeling ever since they came to the cursed planet in the first place, and he was kicking himself for not giving it the proper attention it deserved. A Mandalorian that didn’t trust his instinct wound up dead.
Jinx stood there for a long moment, Janet’s words still ringing in his head as a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him. As he tried to fit the pieces together in his mind, he could begin to feel a disturbance in the Force growing…it was not unlike getting sick to one’s stomach, and yet the pressure it used against one’s mind could become numbing quickly as well. “I don’t like this,” Jinx said.
(more…)
10:55 pm
Indiana Bridger
15 Mar 2009
Vong War
All the long way to Coruscant, Marcus Leslye Wyler III barely slept. When he closed his eyes, his dreams were filled with darkness and pain, rage and fear. He would awaken trembling and wet with sweat, cursing his former master for leaving him when he needed him most; for not being there at his first and most crucial test that ended with his sister being taken by the Vong; for abandoning him a second time and shattering his hope for guidance and salvation, especially after his brush with the Dark Side; for treating him like an obligation when Les looked up to him as a hero.
(more…)
10:39 pm
Indiana Bridger
13 Mar 2009
Vong War
Rain sheeted down and thunder crackled even as far up the valley from Shay Memorial as the Drake ranch, several dozen klicks away. The hangar near the house was warm and dry, though, and one of the Drake children was taking advantage of that fact. Xander Drake was underneath the old speeder he’d been working on since before he was tall enough to drive it, still working on fixing up the ‘old girl’ after all the years.
He’d arrived home late the night before, under cover of darkness and festivities—and fleet activity above. He still wasn’t sure what had happened, but he wasn’t inclined to ask, either. That was his mother’s concern, his father’s concern, his brother’s concern. Not his. Not anymore. Not ever.
(more…)
12:37 pm
Indiana Bridger
12 Mar 2009
Vong War
Jinx landed on the balcony far lighter than he should have, or at least so it would seem to any innocent bystander. Of course they might question where he came jumping from in the first place, given that this balcony was several floors above the next balcony down and so on down the length of the building.
He was on the hunt though, the Force flowing through him like some kind of intoxicating drug. It was at times like this that he felt at his full potential, in full control and yet not as the Force guided his actions faster than any normal person. It didn’t make him special, it just put him in a different group than most citizens of the galaxy. The Jedi group.
(more…)
11:17 am
Indiana Bridger
11 Mar 2009
Vong War
It seemed like years since Janet had visited Indy’s office, so much had happened in the mean time. Once news was swapped and briefings on the current state of the war had been hashed over, the two women kicked back over a cup of caf and reminisced. After so many years and so many missions together, there were innumerable stories to call to mind, comrades to remember, and plenty of laughs to share.
But before they could get too comfortable, Indy’s comm went off. As she took the message, she smiled at Janet. “Two more back into the fold,” she told her.
(more…)
11:04 pm
Indiana Bridger