Silently watching her double that seemed like an evil twin from some bad story, Elizie took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of all distractions as if it could help her past the test. Time stood still and the cold started kissing the young Adasca’s body once again. It was her who broke the silence after several more minutes passed, when she felt her mind to be ready for anything to come. Keeping her mind at peace, trusting in the Light Side of the Force and being mindful of the Jedi Code, the noble ensured she would not be tempted by the possible influence of the Dark Side gnawing at her mind.
“How should I prove that?” Elizie asked, breaking the silence, “If what you say is true and my faith is not true, I am fully aware that you are not real. You are nothing but a small piece of my consciousness taken by the Force and analysed for the purpose of the test. There is nothing you can say that could make me doubt the Jedi way.” The white-haired girl stated coolly, observing the apparition.
“If I am a part of your consciousness, then you know my words are true. There is no need for me to plant seeds of doubt into you; for it is already there. You know it. You just refuse to acknowledge it. Deep inside, you are scared of the conflict with the Sith. You want your old life back. Life of a Jedi is nowhere near as easy as your former life, is it? You have to accept what you are; by staying in denial and pretending to be a proper Jedi only makes you more susceptible to falling to the Dark Side. You have tried to bury your old self behind a wall made of Jedi Code and tenets, therefore the slightest crack into your precious wall will make it crumble with your former self set free. If what you tried to suppress for so long meets your weakened Jedi persona, falling to the Dark Side is inevitable.” Elizie’s fine-dressed double paused for a second, her eyes coldly staring at the real Arkanian as if judging the teen’s strength.
“Soon you will witness the horrors of war, whether you are ready or not. By participating in the battles to come, you will face death, Sith, Dark Side. Your Jedi friends, innocent civilians, Republic soldiers, Sith and their troops; you will see and feel them die without being able to do anything about it. Whether you live or draw your last breath alongside the others remains to be seen… but whether you fall or not is up to you and your actions.”
With no warning, the illusion reached out and dug her clawed finger into Elizie’s forehead. The young noble raised her hands in defense, but it was too late. The ice around them started to melt and crack and within a few seconds, the cavern collapsed and the two fell into an endless abyss of darkness.
Smack!
The Arkanian felt as something hit her in the face, hard enough it knocked out two of her teeth. With some difficulty, she slowly opened her eyes, only to be blinded by sharp light shining directly into her face. As her senses returned to her, she found herself surprisingly weak, sick even. As the noble tried to move, she noticed her hands and legs were tied to something, most likely a chair, as she was sitting.
“For the last time,” a rough and deep voice said, perhaps the deepest Elizie ever heard in her life, “Tell me everything you know about Jedi Shadows.”
Managing to open one of her eyes, the girl was able to make out two silhouettes standing in front of her. Nothing more, nothing less; the Force told her of the Dark Side being strong though, and growing stronger yet. While she could not see anything else in the room, a loud bark of a blaster rifle followed by the Dark Side getting more powerful told her of another death that happened somewhere around. Elizie understood nothing. One moment she sat in the caves on Ilum, the next moment she was here. This had to be a part of the test, this had to…
“Lady Adasca, please listen to the man. We only want to help you. Think about it. You give us enough information to destroy the Shadows and show your will to betray the Jedi, we will make a fine Sith out of you. Not only that. You will be allowed to keep Adascorp and finally taste the true power of the Force. It is a good deal, really.” Another voice said, a female voice like poisoned honey.
“This is not real…,” Elizie muttered, closing her eyes and trying to focus to get back to the real world. She focused on Ilum, trying to feel the cold around her body…. When a flash of red appeared and its tip sank into her belly with lightning speed. The noble wanted to scream, but couldn’t; it felt as if her insides exploded, sending waves of agony through her entire body. Gasping for air, Elizie desperately tried to stay focused, but found it impossible to do so. The pain radiating from the wound, the smell of burnt flesh, it was all too real to let her concentrate on anything. Not even the few lines of Jedi Code found their way to her mind.
There was no peace.
Considering the offer made her aware of the chance of living her life again. But could she really return to her old life after all this? Definitely, but would she be the same person she used to be? Absolutely not. Whether she was a true Jedi or not, the she has already been changed by living with them. The noble lived her life as a Jedi and would die as one.
“You are not getting anything from me,” she informed her captors, “I am a Jedi. I will not betray my brothers and sisters.” Another flash of red light, this time coming closer to her head and then… nothing.
The Arkanian’s milky white eyes snapped open, looking around. She was back in the caves. Her head swiftly turned downwards as she inspected the injury she had sustained in the vision. Much to her relief, she found no evidence of a lightsaber penetrating her skin. Letting out a heavy sigh, her attention turned towards the figure that still stood in front of her. “I understand now,” Elizie stated, “Following the Jedi way is not enough. You have to believe the purpose of your journey, be honest with yourself. Accept what you are and what you were, make peace with your past instead of trying to run away from it. I cannot change who I was, I have to accept it and work on bettering myself.”
The apparition vanished, leaving Elizie alone. It was then that she noticed a green crystal in place the illusion stood. Gently taking it into her palm and firmly grasping it in her hand, the Padawan recited the Jedi Code.
“There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death, there is the Force.”
