2.9k words

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Fear is a Path to the Dark Side

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(Y/n)'s POV
The ocean is similar to that of a black hole in space. The eerie darkness inhabits the terrifying unknown; and if you were to ever get sucked in, chances are, you're never going to come out.

So when my body was immersed in the icy salt water that blanketed my body with an intense pain equivalent to a thousand needles stabbing  every part my skin, I accepted that the odds are - I was going to die.

The further down I was pulled, the less I could see and a whole new darkness was taking over as my lungs burned and begged for oxygen. Tunnel vision took effect and the structure that sat above the water was growing more and more distant, the world around me caving in - my body preparing to give up as I slowly closed my eyes. I was too scared to try, the shadows were already clutching onto my will to live and swallowing me whole.

'Never give up.'

Master Ti's voice echoed in my mind, causing my eyes to snap back open. The salt water re-entered them and stung, but that pain was nothing in comparison to the ache in my heart I got every-time I heard the soothing voice of my fallen mentor.

'I saved you,' She reminded me, 'Now please, save yourself.'

Something I've never told anyone about that day, was that my former Master died because she made the choice to save me. The fatal wound that took her was originally meant for me, but she pushed me out of the way in order to give me a chance to survive. I didn't tell anyone because it's one of the reasons I blamed myself, I was stupid and persistent that I could handle our foe alone, and she's gone because of it.

Now here I am about to throw away her sacrifice? No, I needed to be stronger, I couldn't give up. I had a life to live, adventures to experience. So with gratitude for her spiritual guidance, I was able to pull myself out of my fear and doubt, and fight for survival.

The hold on me that the monstrous creature had was tight and I had no weapon to aid myself, so I went for the second best option, my only option really. I gripped the tentacle around my neck and dug my nails into its slimy skin with both hands - until I felt them pierce through and my ears were overwhelmed by an underwater screech, followed by a sharp pain on my neck,

The hold around my throat loosened, but not the one on my leg. So with as much energy as I could muster up, I used my free leg to kick at the tentacle, trying my hardest not to look at the depths below. I was terrified of what I might see, the last thing I needed was to freeze over in fear again.

The burning in my lungs was becoming unbearable since my movements were tiring me out quicker, and I knew I was seconds away from passing out. But that's when I saw it, a blue light emerging from the darkness and cutting through the tentacle around my leg - setting me free.

I already knew who it was, it could only be one person, and I never thought that I would actually be happy to see him. But if I were on land, I'd be jumping with joy, and if I could breathe, I would be sighing with relief.

My Master wrapped his arm around my back, bringing the blue light close to our faces to illuminate our features. He swam us up towards the surface, and as he did this, he used his other hand to grab the aquata breather from his mouth and placed it on mine.

Instantly, I was able to breathe and I clutched onto the front of my Masters tunic as we continued to swim up, hoping he could see the gratitude in my eyes.

We broke through the surface and he gasped for air as he kept his tight hold on me, "Are you okay?" He asked as water from the strong and angry waves attempted to devour us, but he used the force to keep them at bay.

I nodded as I pulled the aquata breather from my mouth - handing it back to him, "Yeah I think so," Other than the fact that my neck was burning from where it had a hold of me, I did feel okay, "But whatever that is is not gonna give up, we need to get out of the water and fast." The anxiety in my chest was rising each second as I worried about it grabbing ahold of either me, him, or both; and dragging us down to the depths.

That's one of the reasons I fear the ocean so much, I can't see anything. It's a pitch black void underneath and my mind has a way of imagining the worst kind of beings that may very well reside there.

"Way ahead of you," He looked up and I followed his line of sight to a clone trooper transport ship that was lowering down to us. I could already see Rex who was standing at the opening with his hand held out, and numerous clones behind him with their weapons raised and ready, "Take her first,"My Master yelled over the loud engines as he raised me up, my hand meeting Rex's so he could pull me into the ship.

Once I was safely on, a medic clone was quick to get to my side and tend to my neck, "Try not to move Commander," He rubbed a cold gel on my wound. It stung at first, but soon it was soothing.

"I got you General," Rex said as I watched him pull Master Skywalker onto the ship, "Alright, raise it up!" He yelled to the pilot.

But raising the ship wasn't going to do us much good right now. In the blink of an eye, a reddish tentacle rose from the crashing waves below and wrapped around my Masters waste; pulling him out of the ship and into the water before he or any of us had a chance to react.

"Master!" I screamed and without second guessing, I lunged forward to go in after him, but numerous clones stopped me, and held me back, "Stop, let me go!" I fought against their restraints and was even tempted to use the force on them in my state of distress—I didn't want to lose another one, I couldn't—but I paused all thoughts and movements when my body was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness, nausea, and pain.

The burning pain returned to my neck and slowly began to spread throughout the rest of my body.

I dropped to my knees, "You're okay, you're okay," The same medic clone spoke as he grabbed ahold of me and laid me down gently onto the cold floor of the ship - my body trembling, "Don't worry, I have an antidote for the poison, you're going to fine."

Poison? That thing poisoned me? But what about-

"And try not to worry about the General," I felt a sting on my neck and I took that as him injecting the antidote, "If there's one thing I've learned while working along his side — nothing gets the better of him, he'll be okay." He assured me as stroked my shoulder for comfort. He then pulled the medicine away from me and I could feel my eyes begging to close, "The antidote might make you sleepy, it's your body trying to heal-" His words trailed off into a distant muffle as my eyes involuntarily closed.

And the last thing I heard besides him and the shouts from the other clones, was a ship shaking explosion from down below.

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One of the most blinding lights has to be the ones inside of the medical bays. Everytime I wake up in a hospital bed my eyes burn worse than any other pain I may be feeling in that moment.

I squinted my eyes closed and turned my head to the side to bring myself just a small amount of relief, "Finally, I thought you'd be asleep until life day."

I then snapped my eyes open, completely ignoring the burn as they landed on my visitor. He was sitting next to the bed with my lightsaber in his hand, twirling it, "You're alive." I gasped with relief.

The last time I saw him he was being dragged away and despite the clones attempts to comfort me - I wasn't sure if I had faith in my Masters survival. I was truly worried I'd be mourning yet another dead mentor, and I know I've only known him a very short period of time and he's been an arrogant jerk for ninety-nine percent of it, but that doesn't mean I'd ever want to see him dead.

He smirked at my words, and even chuckled a little as he tossed my lightsaber onto the bed next to me, "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" He said rather narcissistically.

I sat up in the bed, my eyes remaining locked with his, "I saw it take you, what happened to it and how are you okay?" I had so many questions, there's no way he fought that thing single-handedly and walked away without a scratch — or wasn't poisoned by its tentacles like I was.

"Well it kind of," He made an explosive gesture with his hands - even going as far as to making sound effects with his mouth, "Blew up and died."

"So, you used a bomb?" I asked, for clarification.

He leaned back in the chair and placed his dirty shoes on the bed, "Uh not exactly," He folded his arms, "It was more of a very strong force push — from the inside."

I knitted my brows together as I thought about what he was saying, "Huh-"

"Okay, let me clarify," he waved his hand as he cut me off, "The giant squid or octopus or whatever the hell it was, tried to eat me. Like it actually had me in its mouth and don't get me started on its teeth," He shivered with a grimace of disgust, "So there was really only one way I was going to make it out of there alive, so I-" He pushed his hands forward, "Blasted my way out — sort of." He shrugged, dropping his hands down onto his lap.

Now although his story was impressively fascinating, and horrifying at the same time knowing that thing was pulling me down to have a late dinner. But I also couldn't help but notice that he was talking to me right now like he didn't hate me and like I was an actual person. There was no hint of malice in his tone as usual or even a snarky remark regarding my almost demise. Maybe this turn of events has shifted our relationship in a way. Both of us experienced the same near death-

"How are you doing on that medicine there General, your head doing okay?" A clone walked in, interrupting my thoughts.

"Everything is wonderful." My Master responded with a sloppy grin.

I side-eyed him. Nevermind he's just high..

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"Do you know how to fly?" My Master asked as he lazily dropped into the pilot seat, his fingers rubbing his temples to nurse his headache now that the pain medication wore off.

Apparently the force from his crazy escape shook him up a little, thus resulting in a minor head injury. It's nothing serious, according to the medic clone, but he has definitely been acting like the injury has been the end of the world.

I nodded as I sat in the co-pilot seat, "I do, but I think you flying would be best - you need to stay awake and I'm also not that good at it." Nearly every ship I've ever flown has either gotten a large dent, or has blow up.

He groaned in annoyance as he sat up straight and flipped a few switches so the ship could roar to life, "Let's keep todays little accident on the down-low," He mumbled, raising the ship from the group and taking us up through the rain and towards the stars, "The last thing I need is Yoda giving me crap for almost having a dead Padawan on my first day having her." He sighed, setting the ship to hyperspace.

"I'm not sure little is the right word to describe it," I leaned back, never taking my eyes from the blue hyperspace lights that always had a way of soothing me, "But don't worry I won't tell him, although you did save my life - so thank you." I turned my head to look at him, and he was in the exact same position I was in — comfortable, laid-back, and watching the lights.

He hardly acknowledge my thank you, and turned his head to the side, his eyes clearly fighting to stay open, "We're going to have to work on your fears. Someone once told me that fear is a path to the dark side," He said quietly, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering," He whispered so low, it was almost as if he wasn't talking to me at all, but to himself, "Fear clouds the mind and it's judgement Padawan, you can't let it win."

Fear leads to anger.. I was so terrified in that room thinking he locked me in the dark that I began to scream and hit him. I was overcome with anger, and I never want to lose myself to my emotions like that again.

"Yes Master," I responded, studying his features as his gaze remained on the lights, like he was under a spell.

After a few more moments of silence, he sighed and closed his eyes, "Wake me when we get there."

"But the medic clone said you need to stay awake-"

"I know what he said," He cut me off without opening his eyes, "But I can tell you right now that my time to die isn't now. A simple concussion won't be the end of me, that I promise you,"  He folded his arms and leaned further in the seat to get comfortable.

I chose not to argue with him and leaned back as he did, folding my arms as well, "Do you happen to know what it was that attacked us?"

"No," He responded low, "But I have someone looking into it."

I nodded as I looked away and gazed forward, trying my best to ignore the burning pain on my neck. The universal antidote worked fine, but the injection sight still needed healing, and my neck had dark red marks that resemble that of an octopuses grip. It burned, it itched, and it was also hideous to look at.

For awhile I was confused on how I was poisoned and he wasn't, but when I thought back on it - I remember the sharp pain from the injection when I had dug my nails into the creature. And when I told my Master this, he theorized that poisoning me was the creatures way of immobilizing me when I decided to actually fight back — it's a technique for many poisonous creatures out in the wild.

But we'll know more soon enough when we learn exactly what it was.

"You're groaning," He broke the silence, scaring me into a jump, "What is it?"

I looked at him, and his eyes were on me again; then they shifted down to my neck, "It just hurts, but I'll be fine." I waved it off like it was no big deal, when really I was more uncomfortable than ever right now.

Without saying anything, he stood up and came towards me, "Don't move," He bent down and brought his hand up, placing it around my neck.

Confused, I tried backing away from his touch, "What are you-"

"Sh," He cut me off as he placed his other hand on my shoulder to hold me in place, "I'm trying to concentrate and I can't do that with that annoying voice of yours making my headache worse."

I huffed in a pout, "I liked you better high." I mumbled, which he ignored.

Seconds later; the burn, the itch, all of it was gone. My Master removed his hand from my neck and stood up, "There, now keep it down so I can sleep." He grumbled, dropping back down in his seat and placing his feet on top of the dashboard.

I immediately brought my hand to my neck; I no longer felt the abrasions, just smooth unscathed skin. I caught my own reflection on a metal surface that resided on the dashboard of the ship, that's when I inspected my neck and saw what it was that he did for me.

The painful marks from the creature were completely gone.

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Please vote, comment, and even give me ideas(: I plan to make this book long since I want to bring a lot of the clone wars into it. So please feel free to let me know if there are any subplots you would like to see my version of ❤️ like the Zygerrian slaves, Mortis, Obi-Wan's false death when he went undercover, etc.
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