I already told you I like how you portrayed Jaesa as being a part of the family and a valued teacher and friend. Your Nox definitely belongs to the people I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley or a lit up one or at all. I do wonder how much pain she inflicted on purpose during lifting Adrik's first block. Convenient for her there a two more left. Is anyone going to check whether what she claims is true? I am looking forward to seeing how the complete removal of the first block will change Adrik.

Thank you, my friends, for your replies. I hear you, and I also heard Thorns and Ciner. Today I took the time to get another small part written. I hope you do enjoy it! _________________________________________________________________________________________ #44 The anger consumed the last of my energy. Numbness replaced coherent thoughts. Feet dragging, I follow Ciner. When he stops in front of a door I bump into him. He tells me to wait for him, and I catch a glance into a dorm as he enters. What am I supposed to do? I mean, except waiting. Slave. Baras confirmed my status. Ciner already threatened to kill me. Only weaklings make threats they won’t execute. I am not dealing with a weakling. From a different point of view, threats make for excellent promises. The easy way out remains an option should I decide to give up. In the back of my mind Ce’na promises to kick my @ss if I do. The temptation to join her smiles at me offering a pillow and a soft blanket, painless sleep without sorrows and concerns. Sleep sounds great. Exhaustion is a bad adviser. A good night’s rest and a cup of caf before I make any real plans. For now, I’ll do as I am told, I’ll wait. Ce’na nods her approval. A few minutes pass, then Ciner returns with two large duffel bags and a bundle of clothes. He gives me a once-over before he thrust the bundle at me. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Follow me.” I tote the bundle after him, its weight multiplied by the depressing state I’m in. When we reach a corridor one level up I start to wonder about our destination. The decor here resembles the Sith-y one below with a few more details like carved slaves bearing the wall-mounted lamps. Also, the number of doors has increased, as has the dark aura assaulting me. Single rooms for stronger Sith than acolytes I conclude. Ciner confirms my assumption after he stops in front of the door at the end of the passageway. He produces a code cylinder from one of his pockets. “Let us see if this works. Academy policy reserves these rooms for apprentices. Since my orders tell me to leave Korriban I am not entitled to one. Yet administration should have updated my access authorizations by now.” He swipes the code cylinder in front of the keypad. There is a soft click and then the door slides open. It doesn’t admit us to a single room but to some kind of locker room. “Ta-dah! Welcome to the apprentices’ bathroom.” He wrinkles his nose. “Still subpar, yet a significant improvement when compared to the acolytes’ communal bathroom.” I take a look around and can’t imagine what he’s used to if he calls this hall of polished dark stone and shining metal subpar. Ciner drops the duffel bags on one of the benches. I place the bundle beside them and remember to close my mouth. Flickering lamplight bathes the walls in a warm sheen. Vents provide a gentle stream of heated air, and for the first time in I don’t know how many days I don’t feel cold. Instead, I feel out of place in my dirty rags. Whoever handles the cleanliness of the place is bound to end up with a heart attack if they saw me touch anything here. I run my fingers over the surface of the bench anyway. Its smoothness makes it feel almost soft. Despite the soreness of my bones it invites me to take a nap here and now. “Hey!” With a snap of his fingers, Ciner interrupts my awed reverie. “Do not fall asleep before you have seen why I brought you here.” Healthy suspicion wars with exhaustion. “Why…” A good yawn keeps me from finishing my question. He’s going to tell me anyway. “You can sleep once we are on board the shuttle. But first, we have to get rid of your smell. Whether you classify as a chemical or rather as a biological weapon the personnel will not care about. They will not allow you to join me in first class.” I manage a scowl despite knowing he is right. With my current luck, I’ll end up with the animals in the cargo hold. Not that they wouldn’t provide a better company. Still, who’d spurn the opportunity to travel first class for the very first time in their life, because the seat neighbor wasn’t exactly their first choice for traveling companion? Ciner smirks. “We will have to wash that dirty look off your face together with the rest of the grime.” I become aware of the air’s humidity. Did he say wash and meant like with real water? His grin broadens. “I doubt a sonic shower would be able to get the job done, so why not combine the necessary with the pleasant?” He meant water! “Whom do I have to kill?” Ciner laughs. “My only concern right now is to prevent you from killing yourself — without intention, of course — by short-circuiting your shock collar.” “They are supposed to be waterproof.” Aren’t they? Slaves do work in rainy weather all the time. Maybe not on Korriban. It doesn’t rain on Korriban. But on other planets. There are so many slaves on other planets. Force, I’m a slave now, too. I’m … “I will take it off to be on the safe side. Who knows whether you and Knash have not put too much strain on this one.” A small sarcastic Ce’na inside my head congratulates me on my skill to manipulate the Sith. Yes, yes. I’ll work on that. I’m tired, okay? Ciner takes off my collar and drops it onto the bench without a second glance. I struggle to look away from it. That’s one of my main problems right there. When I look back at the Sith his grin is still there and a mischievous sparkle in his eyes has joined it. Again I wonder at his age. “Last one clean carries the bags!” he hoots before he turns to dash into the adjoining room dropping discarded pieces of clothing in his wake. “Nice try!” I call after him. “You won’t get me out of this shower under half an hour even if I have to carry you on top!” ________________________________________________________________________________________ Note

This week’s SFWC prompt: Week of August 24, 2018 Friends to Enemies: Hate is always easier to evoke than love or friendship, so easy prompt this week. Or is it? Imagine one of your character’s friends becoming an enemy. Why do they diverge when they obviously got along well? A slow drift or one inciting event? Losing a good friend hurts, and making one an enemy means the wound never really heals. How does your character live with it? This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: Affection - It’s more than just a game mechanic. How do your characters show it, whether to their lover or their family or to their friends? Does it always have the intended effect, or do things get lost in translation? Star-Crossed Lovers - Back when most marriages were arranged, falling in love with someone wasn’t always wonderful. It caused all sorts of complications. Love can be an all-consuming fire, beautiful and terrible at the same time. People in love were prone to ridiculous acts–and that hasn’t changed. Cupid’s golden arrow doesn’t always choose a wise or appropriate match. This week, write about a time when your character or someone they care about loved not wisely, but too well.

Phew! Looks like Adrik mastered his first test. Will there be a proper introduction now? Familial ties do seem to be important to Kit, so I assume we will see more of Great Grandfather. Adrik has still much to learn, after all. <3

This week’s SFWC prompt: Week of August 17, 2018 Lovers Back to Friends: Then again, love doesn’t always work out. It’s easy to take the hostile view of a breakup. Where both characters end up disliking or avoiding each other. This time try something harder: they remain friends despite their previous intimacy. It needn’t happen right away. Few people are so mature. This time, imagine it does or has to and how your character handles it anywhere along the timeline. Explore what it means to retain real friendship, not merely stating “we’re friends.” This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: Starting Over - Rarely, your character may get the chance to start over. To try again. Do it right this time, or at least differently. What would your character do with such an opportunity? Would they take it or are they content with their current situation? What might they pay, give up, to start over? Or have they already done so? Did it work as well as they hoped? In most cultures the new year is a time to get a fresh start. What about your character? Scary Stories–As long as there have been campfires, there have been spooky stories. The kind that send a chill up your spine, make you look over your shoulder, or sleep with the light on for a bit. This week’s challenge is to tell a scary story, either one featuring your character or an in-universe story they know and relate to others. Get creative and have fun!

@Lady_Thorne: I like how Var Suthra doesn‘t talk to Maioni like she is a child, which probably wouldn‘t have worked out half as well. @RatchetGuyClanks : Welcome back! Romantic settings and no interruptions are for the weak. True love can‘t be stopped by holograms!

Sorry for being late. Yay for Yuun, and mentioning Master Timmns. I so wished I had been able to recruit him. Also, I'm pretty sure we will read more about Elara, which I'm looking forward to. Kit's father's collection is a nice way to introduce Aric, or better Adric, and us to some of his lost childhood memories. As always, looking forward to the next part. <3

I love Andronikos and Sephna. I assume it won't be easy to get her away from him. I am looking forward to seeing how Theron's plan works out. I doubt Jadus is going to make it easy for them. <3

I think I mentioned before how much I like the friendship between Aric and Elara. I hope the pad contains something to ease Elara's worries. Looking forward to finding out

This week’s SFWC prompt: Week of August 10, 2018 Friends to Lovers: This one is almost a given in many stories. Many people enjoy reading (or writing) a story where the characters find their friendship growing into something more intimate. Whether it’s a coffee shop romance a super-slow-burn fic, write characters going from friends to lovers this week. This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: What’s In A Name - Names are special, they almost always have some meaning behind them. First names, family names, nicknames - none of them are ever arbitrary. Write a story explaining a name given to your character or a companion, whether it’s their personal name, nickname, or alias. Rites of Passage - Sort of related to the cultural theme, there are tons of different rites of passage our characters go through. Some are common across cultures, like weddings. Some are specific to a culture, like coming-of-age ceremonies. And sometimes they are just an internal realization that your life has changed. Feel free to take this in any direction you would like.

@Lady_Thorne: Even best friends need to pursue their own dreams. Looking forward to seeing them meet again.

More mysteries explained I guess the Jedi torturing Aric had no idea ^^ That's one of the problems with keeping secrets. What plans do the Republic military and the Jedi have now? What else still lies hidden in Aric's past? Looking forward to finding out more.

I don't think I'd want to trade places with any of them but least of all Ilia right now. Looking forward to see what plans each party will come up with. <3

That answered some of my questions After what the Jedi did to him it comes as no suprise Aric'd rather be trained by Kit than go to the Jedi. Looking forward to see if there's is more about Aric's past to be discovered. <3

No worries I assume I am not the only one who is just even more busy during summer... Nonetheless I'll take the time to post the new prompt from over on Tumblr, with a huge 'Thank you!' to Striges for providing us with a prompt every week. <3 August isn’t a Month of Meta, but it does have a theme: Friends. No, not the show. This week’s SFWC prompt: Week of August 3, 2018 Friends: Our characters collect any number of friends and helpers during their adventures. In fact, few characters can do without friends. They’re part of what makes a story vibrant and alive. Friends don’t have to be sycophants; they can (and probably should) disagree with your character about things. Things that matter, not easy things like favorite foods or colors. Friends and companions breathe life into your character’s story. This week, write something where one of your character’s friends has an important role as well. This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: Borders: In essence, borders are nothing more than imaginary lines between properties or political entities. Crossing the border might be little more than opening a gate or stamping a passport. It could be an all-day affair with questioning and bribery if the parties involved are hostile to each other. In space or a remote area, there are lots of opportunity for skirmishes. Someone thought the border was a light week over. The navicomp or maps are out of date and need calibrating. The patrol was supposed be gone by now. Those military exercises were planned for our side but someone got trigger happy. Transgressions could be real and deliberate, real and manufactured, or honest mistakes. This week, write about your character crossing a border, and what happened when they did. Not My Holiday - The Western world celebrates Christmas and the New Year but no holiday is universal, even on Earth. Are your character’s holidays in line with the culture they live in? Do they celebrate something different at a time no one else does? Do they feel left out on either occasion? Their reasons don’t have to be cultural; they might associate bad experiences with a popular holiday or good ones with something obscure. There are stories in any of the permutations. Write one.

Everybody should have at least one friend who tells them the truth even if they don't want to hear it! Loved this exchange, where the agent calls out Kit's euphemism: I had been wondering why Kit didn't sense Jorgan eavesdropping, and I liked the way you presented the explanation. Now I am right there with Kit. How die Marr know Jorgan was there? Looking forward to find out

I never imagined it would take me so long to get this story written. And I also didn't imagine it would receive more than 8000 views. You all bearing with me is the biggest motivation to not give up. Thank you for that! ________________________________________________________________________________________ #43 I stumble over a stone once or twice and the damned sand keeps sucking at my feet with every step I make, but we reach the Academy’s main entrance without any noteworthy incidents. We draw the eyes of the Imperials we pass, yet they don’t interfere with us. I can only guess at what I look like right now, however most of them give Ciner an approving nod, so “bad” probably doesn’t even begin to cover it. A black-robed Sith intercepts us to tell Ciner this Baras guy is already waiting for him. Ciner straightens his shoulders and picks up his pace. Apparently Baras doesn’t like to be waiting, or at least everybody assumes so. We hurry through the entrance hall. “Walk three steps behind me to the left!” Ciner growls under his breath. I may no longer be able to lift my feet properly, but my hearing still works; I recognize an order when I get one. In this case I can even guess at its purpose. I get cranky when I am tired, though. “Why?” The hum of the lightsaber beside my ear jolts me awake in an instant. Some people are born as natural leaders. You follow their orders because it seems the right thing to do, and often they are as astonished at your obedience as you are. If you’re lucky you will meet one of them. Then there are those born with a distinct privilege. They expect you to follow their orders, and most people simply will do so, because that’s the way things are. Those are astonished if you fail to obey. If you’re lucky you won’t have to deal with those kind of people too often in your life. Maybe Ciner could have been one of the first if he didn’t happen to be one of the second kind. I was only ever lucky when it came to finding trouble. Then again, I survived so far. “I am right-handed, and I am in possession of a lightsaber. So, if you want to keep your head in case someone is foolish enough to attack me…” With a flick of his wrist Ciner deactivates the weapon and clips it back to his belt. “These walls accommodate some dark passageways. Any other questions?” I scratch at the back of my head in thought. “If you feed sugar to a nerf, does its milk taste sweet?” He blinks. “Not much longer and we will be rid of each other. Do us both a favor. Do as I tell you and keep your mouth shut.” I refrain from telling him those are two favors. “Why not leave me in my cell?” I have a bad feeling about meeting his boss. At least with Knash I know what to expect. “After the meeting. One does not keep a Darth waiting!” We continue our small procession, walking in the middle of the hallways, him in the front, me three steps behind to his left. Wouldn’t want to risk my good looks to a lightsaber slash across my face. Ciner’s shoulders tense ever so slightly at each corner we approach. Not long and an army of ants is crawling along my own spine despite the lightsaber clipped to Ciner’s belt drawing the onlookers’ attention away from me. Reactions vary from indifference, over approving nods, to open scowls. Success always adds some more enemies to your list. Violence begets violence, mom used to say. Can’t argue with that. So far life has proven her right. As we climb the stairs traffic thins and the air thickens somehow, like stepping out of a cantina on Tatooine during double-high if you exchange the heat for creepiness. Breathing leaves an oily slickness at the back of my tongue, tasteless yet still worse than a room full of decomposing bodies. Before we reach the elevator I already fight to keep the bile down. I most certainly don’t want to go further up. I hate the mix of contempt and pity on Ciner’s face. Chin up, chest out. I concentrate on shallow breaths through my nose. There aren’t that many of my muscles left to need more oxygen than that. Ciner’s lips curl upwards and the temptation to hit him wakes me out of my misery. “That is the spirit!” he approves grinning. Maybe I should just vomit onto his boots. We step onto the elevator and I realize I wouldn’t be able to stop once I started. The unnatural stillness of the air makes my skin crawl. Invisible tendrils slither across my body probing my every pore for entry. The pressure grows with the rise of the elevator. At the stop of its ascent I’m barely able to step out of it. “You are wearing a suit of armor!” Ciner whispers. “What?” The tattered remains of my clothes consist of holes kept together by some pieces of thread. “Just imagine it,” he urges. “Concentrate! A full suit protects your body. The helmet filters the air. You are safe inside. Every attack glances off its surface.” I wore armor when I was on Ord. It wasn’t close to the best the Republic military had to offer, but it was certainly much better than what I’m wearing now. I recall the weight of the breastplate, the softness of the padding underneath. I flex my fingers like I used to do to adjust the fit of the gauntlets. They connect to the black body suit, and the tendrils can no longer touch my skin. The air filters in my helmet never worked properly. I focus, and after a few more breaths a slightly moldy and stale odor replaces the rotten not-stink. My tongue still feels like it grew a pelt, but the urge to vomit lessens. Ciner gives me a reassuring nod. “You are doing great!” His eyes show some red sparks, but otherwise he seems to be unaffected. I scoff while trying to keep my imaginary armor in place. “No really. Several high ranking Sith reside here today. They all project their auras.” “So this is some kind of dick-measuring contest?” He grins. “An apposite comparison!” “Opposite comparison?” “Apposite,” he repeats emphasizing the a. “It means fitting.” He should say fitting if he means fitting, but what do I know. Once more I square my shoulders. “Let’s get this over with. I’m starting to miss Knash.” A short trip down the corridor takes us to Darth Baras’ office. The doors beyond hint at even more important people, yet Ciner focuses all his concern on the bulky masked man greeting him as we enter the room. Gray dominates the interior as well as the man’s clothes. A huge desk instead of cells takes up most of the space behind the Darth. Otherwise a first glance at the office reveals not much more to set it apart from the jail I spent the last weeks in. Ciner bows and I do my best to imitate him. My pretended armor shrinks a size in the presence of the high ranking Sith. Maintaining it requires most of my attention. I keep my mouth shut and my gaze locked upon the ground. Self preservation compels me to remain as unremarkable as possible. Exhaustion lets my thoughts get lost wandering the grain of the floor tiles. Only bits and pieces of the conversation drift through to my brain; praise for Ciner and the completion of his trials, his appointment to being Darth Baras’ apprentice, orders to travel to Dromund Kaas, the younger Sith kissing the older one’s @ss. None of this concerns me. I sigh when with a last bow from Ciner the audience comes to an end. This went better than anticipated. Darth Baras waves a hand and the door leading back to the corridor opens behind me. I already reached the corridor when Baras’ voice calls Ciner to a stop. “Take the slave as my gift,” the Darth adds as an afterthought. “Do with him as you wish. If he’ll be of use, by all means, take him with you to Dromund Kaas.” “Thank you my lord. You are most generous!” Ciner bows again before he hurries me back to the elevator. Once we stepped inside I grin. My fatigue faded away. “This is great. You don’t even have to send me to some other planet. You can just let me go now.” Ciner shirks from my look. His fist meets the wall of the elevator with a crack and I can’t help a flinch. He takes a deep breath and finally meets my eyes. “I can’t do that,” he states. “But…” I clear my throat with a cough. “But he said you could do with me as you wished.” “And what is it I wish?” he asks softly. “To act against the law? To throw away the first gift given to me by my new Master?” He shakes his head. “Do you not see that this is but a new test? I cannot let you go.” I let his words sink in for a moment. The urge to hit something — or someone — threatens to overwhelm me. I blink back tears of helpless anger. “You gave me your word,” I croak. As he glares at me his eyes turn red. “I know exactly what I agreed to.” His voice has turned to a quiet calmness which shouts of danger lying beyond. “I remember your words. ‘If you’ll get me off this planet!’ you said. And that I will do. I will take you with me to Dromund Kaas, just as Darth Baras suggested.” “But that’s not what I had in mind when we made our deal, and neither did you!” The frown wrinkles on his forehead deepen. “You are right. It was not my intention to be responsible for you. I have more important things to do than to babysit a murderer.” “I am not a murderer,” I yell. An unseen fist slams me back into the wall. “It is not your place to raise your voice against me. You have been convicted. I am neither interested in a confession nor your remorse. But you might want to avoid to get on my bad side. Gratuitous gifts are known to break on accident now and then.” I clench my jaws and I clench my fists to keep them from shaking. I stare at Ciner and realize he hates the situation as much as I do. That realization keeps me from doing something pea-brained. I don’t want to die just yet.

Did I mention I was curious about Aric's past? Well, I am curious about Airc's past. I am looking forward to find out more about your background story for him, especially how he came to forget about the things he obviously once knew. <3

*waves* Week of July 27, 2018 Treat Yourself: Indulge! What’s a treat for your character? Food, a spa day, a movie/theater/holovid/musical? Surely they have something they love to do that they maybe don’t do often, something that makes them feel good about themselves. We torture our characters enough. This week do something nice for them. This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: Promotions– As characters advance through their stories, they often advance in their (fictional) organizations as well. Has your character gotten a promotion? Was it deserved? Did higher-ups pass over someone more qualified, or did your character work hard for their advancement? Additional responsibilities usually accompany a new position, how does your character handle them? Did they receive any extra training or were they thrown in the deep end? Did things work out for them? Are they pleased with their promotion or do they wish they could go back? Is it, as many things, a mixed bag? This week, give your character a promotion and see what they do. …Like No One’s Watching - When we’re alone we often indulge ourselves in things that might embarrass us if others knew. Bad music, bad dancing, whatever it is, we’d be pretty mortified if someone caught us. This time, write about your character’s secret indulgences - and how they react when it’s discovered.

It doesn't take long to hate Odessen's wildlife I am looking forward to see whether Fernal and her party are stranded or if and how they manage to escape Odessen. Jadus' plan can't be a good one. Again, looking forward to see what he is up to. I imagine the agent has some security measures in place, and I do hope they will suffice. <3

There it is again, the lightning... Whether or not the recording helps with actual memories, it at least proves Kit told Aric the truth, so that's one worry less for him. I suspect there is much more to learn, and it probably is connected to his upbringing. Looking forward to find out more.

Hiho, just a short break from gardening to copy the new prompt from Tumblr. It's great to see so many people share their stories here again. <3 to all of you. Thank you to Luna and bright for your kind comments. <3 Week of July 20, 2018 Once in a Lifetime: Some things only come around once. A show, a natural phenomena, an opportunity. Grab it, enjoy it, experience it while it’s here or available, because your character won’t ever have another chance. What is a once-in-a-lifetime event for your character? Are they able to take advantage of, appreciate, or participate in it? What happens afterwards? This week’s prompt not for you? Look for something more to your taste in the Prompt Archive. Consider all the prompts active and waiting to inspire you. This week’s featured previous prompts are: First Impressions - Our characters meet tons of people on their journeys. What are their first impressions of each other like? Are they accurate, or did someone put up a front? Write about it! Failure - Our characters have flaws. They have bad days. They do it wrong. And sometimes they don’t win. What failures have your characters experienced? What, if anything, did they learn from it?

Thanks for the explanation. Nice to see Kit and Aric get at least a little of their well earned rest. I don't really trust the quiet, though. There is something in the air Vector eating the spices made me giggle.

You have been busy while I have been on vacation, not much of Odessen left I hope the rescue party will find enough fuel to leave again. Looking forward to see what is left of the Alliance, and meeting Theron again. <3

Ohoh The previous chapter had me wondering whether Pierce had made a decision of his own, without Kit's agreement, because I couldn't see her doing this. Now I think you shouldn't tempt her when she's half out of her mind over a loved one. She is Sith after all. Still, nobody deserves such a treatment, and so I am wondering if she'll regret the decision. Especially since Aric certainly wouldn't approve.