{"id":88,"date":"2009-03-15T22:58:48","date_gmt":"2009-03-16T02:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.auroraforce.org\/blog\/?p=88"},"modified":"2009-03-15T22:59:37","modified_gmt":"2009-03-16T02:59:37","slug":"vong-war-annals-dont-give-in-3142009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.auroraforce.org\/blog\/?p=88","title":{"rendered":"Vong War Annals – “Don’t give in” 3.14.2009"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jinx\u2019s gaze held her, even after the light in his eyes faded and died away, his final words ebbing into the silence.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJinx\u2026\u201d she pleaded, \u201cforgive me.\u201d He had, that she knew; only she could never be able to forgive herself. It had to be done; for her son\u2019s sake, it had to be done.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Comrade and long-time friend<\/em>\u2026. Memories flooded her mind \u2013 their first mission on Tatooine; fighting side by side here on this very planet and all over the galaxy across the years; wounded and aiding each other, scrambling to get aboard the Raven<\/em> with mere seconds to spare, then laughing about it together at death\u2019s expense.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And so then\u2026this is how it ends. She wanted to throw her pistol as hard as she could, watch it spin as it flew, bounce across the rooftop, flip end over end over the side to fall into Coruscant\u2019s cavernous depths and break into a thousand pieces when it reached the bottom.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cradling his head, emotions rose like a drowning flood \u2013 too many of them, all threatening to overwhelm her \u2013 pain, grief, anger, denial, horror \u2013 all vying for dominance. She couldn\u2019t afford to give in to any of them. Not right now. Not yet.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Les moaned behind her, a sound so full and so tortured that was hard to read. She holstered her weapon, the one that had taken the life of Jinx Katarn. She eased his head down, gently \u2013 the metal rooftop seemed so very hard. When she laid a hand over his eyes to close them and felt the mixture of warmth that still lingered in his flesh and the coldness that was taking over, she almost lost it then. Fighting back her feelings, she crossed his arms over his chest, gave his hand one final squeeze.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She turned to her son, down on his knees, watching her. He watched as she approached him in the day\u2019s waning light. Standing over him, looking down into his eyes, a chill went down her spine. Though calmed somewhat, there was a trace of that strange light in his eye, that untamed anger he\u2019d unleashed on his late master; a look that made him seem more alien than her own flesh and blood, her Les.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She slapped him.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI have just killed for you,\u201d she said in a quavering voice. \u201cYou will NOT look at me like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When he looked at her again, that crazy light was gone. Back was her son, her little boy. Tears filled his eyes. \u201cMom\u2026.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDON\u2019T!\u201d she warned. \u201cDon\u2019t talk to me right now. Not right now. Don\u2019t say anything, understand?\u201d He nodded sheepishly, looking very much like a kid who knows he\u2019s in great big trouble. His face was turning white. He looked like he would be sick. \u201cCome on, son,\u201d Janet said, putting Les\u2019 one remaining arm over her shoulder and helping him to his feet. \u201cYou\u2019re going into shock.\u201d With a crushed knee and missing limb, she practically had to drag him aboard. When he had been strapped in the medical bay and covered in blankets, Janet went about bringing Jinx and the old man aboard. Again she was struck with a wave of emotion as she lifted the Jedi\u2019s limp body onto the repulsor cart she\u2019d found on the ship; it seemed he ought to have put an arm around her to aid her in her labor; to open his eyes and tell her once again that he understood. None of this seemed real, had yet to sink in. Force help her when it did.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Up in the air to join Coruscant\u2019s never-ending stream of traffic, Janet looked back. The Storm\u2019s Revenge<\/em> seemed so lonely sitting there alone and bereft of her pilot. Turning back to the business at hand, she guided the borrowed craft to a medcenter she knew of that would treat Les\u2019 injuries, and ask no questions.<\/p>\n

“:)
\nSkyy<\/p>\n

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