Octavia lay there regaining her breath. Medenna ran over to her and tried to protect her body with her own. "Are you alright?" Medenna asked. Octavia shook her head. "I will be." Octavia replied. 'I hope we *both* will be.' she thinks to herself. "Oh no...none of that melodramatic stuff! It's *your* turn now, Medenna..." "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Octavia yelled from the ground. As she watched, the Emperor's large image bend and scoop up Medenna in his hands. Medenna's scream of terror echoed in Octavia's head. The Emperor laughed as he glared hard at her figure trembling in the palm of his hand. Octavia stood slowly. "If you harm her so help me--" She began, but the Emperor ignored her. "Let me take a better look at you, little Medenna...ah, but you are *not* a fully trained Jedi are you?" "On-- only .... 4 years." Medenna swallowed hard. 'Roses ... trees ... I wish I was on Yavin.' Medenna wished silently to herself. "Your Jedi teachers have not conditioned you to avoid feeling fear. You have a long way to go, I can plainly see." "Palpatine!" Octavia yelled louder. "Leave her alone, she isn't prepared for your evil." The laughter echoes around the room. "That is plain to see. Listen close, little Jedi apprentice. In reality, I am not always this size...and I have no intention of harming you...yet." "Then why are you holding...me..." She asked softly. "I want to make you aware that your precious Jedi Masters have carefully avoided telling you that, in your present state of mind...you naturally feel fear and anger.. which, essentially, amounts to the *dark side* of the Force. One day they will stifle those feelings. Seal the tap and send you hurling into an endless Jedi sense of honor that will stifle your power, your potential!" "I chose to follow that path, it's the right way." Medenna answers "If you remember my warning...you can always come back -- I will train you properly..." "I AM being trained. I won't come to you." "So then, become a Jedi if that is your choice...And face the future consequences. I'll be waiting to show you just how I can *crush* your kind...like - so..." And suddenly the Emperor squeezed Medenna into his fist. "NO!" Octavia screamed. "RELEASE HER you monster!" "And we mustn't forget *you*, Jedi Jinn!!" With two fingers of his other hand, the dark ruler picked her up, and enclosed her in a fist, squeezing likewise! Octavia gasped for air. Giving into her fear, she dug her nails into his hand and bit his thumb. The Emperor chuckled at her feeble response. He opened both hands and let the Jedi fall to the floor. "What do you see?" Octavia watched in horror, as the floor disappeared, revealing only endless darkness rushing up to claim them as she and Medenna fell from the Emperor's grasp. ~*~ Celesta was waiting and watching for Octavia. She saw a very shaken Octavia being brought back to the cellblock. Octavia looked at Celesta she saw a concerned woman, but she didn't comprehend that this was the same woman she was talking to a few moments ago? Or was it hours? "Octavia?" She whispered. "Anger ... I failed." Octavia replied hoarsely. "No... don't say that!" Celesta moved to the wall between them and slid down it, keeping her voice low. Octavia watched the guards leave. "Did you see any one else brought this way? A girl ... did they bring a girl through here?" Celesta pauses. "No, not in this cellblock. I'm sorry..." Octavia nodded, not sure why she asked that question. "I won't--I can't survive another meeting." Celesta pressed her hands flat against the steel wall. "What happened?" "The Emperor--I failed to stand up against him." Octavia hit her hand against the wall. "He knew my thoughts... he knew my THOUGHTS!" Celesta nodded, waiting for the rest. "He is the Emperor." "I couldn't stop him. I wanted to kill him. I WILL kill him." Octavia spat venomously. Celesta sounded a bit shocked. "What?" "He *has* to be stopped." Octavia's whispered, breathing heavily. "I can't--I can't focus." Celesta spoke sharply. "OCTAVIA. Focus. Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out." Octavia closed her eyes. Something wasn't right. What was it? She listened to Celesta's words. "*Control*." she whispered. "*Yes*... control. Focus on my voice. Nothing else. Find the center." Octavia listened to the voice. "So hard without the Force." Her breathing began to slow down. "Focus..." "Talk to me Octavia. Count with me as you breath." "1 ..... 2 ... I gave into my anger." Octavia stated slowly. "I gave into my fear." "Then let it go. See it for what it is, a natural thing that is in the past, not your present." "The past." Octavia echoed. "The past." "Octavia?" Celesta pounded on the wall. "I'm here Celesta." Octavia answered slowly. "I'll be alright." Celesta's lips smiled humorlessly, as her forehead touched the cold metal. "Fear is a part of us. It is what we are. Becoming a Jedi or becoming a Sith does not change that. Only how we deal with it. Anger, hatred, fear. They are a part of us. Do you understand?" Her voice was soft again, though not calm - just strained. Octavia leaned against the wall feeling the cold against her. "Yes, I understand. WE learn how to control our anger and fear, and not to be controlled by them." "I'm sorry." "Don't be, it's not your fault." Octavia let out a dry chuckle. "See you are not as weak as you thought." "I am, but I have been here longer than you. Don't feel guilty for what happened. How you felt." Octavia looked around the cell the steel that surrounded her. "We've got to get out of here, neither one of us will be able to hold out much longer." "How?" Celesta turns around to sit back to the wall. She glances quickly over her shoulder at the blank wall. Octavia grew quiet. "I don't know, but there has to be a way, the guards are infallible." Celesta was quiet, wondering what Octavia is thinking. "Have to you tried to oppose the guards?" "No...." Celesta paused. "I could call them, tell them you committed suicide somehow and they will come." "Maybe that's the key." Octavia mused. She knew it could be a suicide move. "It's dangerous, and could fail." "Yes..." She looked again at the wall then faced forward. Octavia remembered the trick Luke had used in the arena. She wasn't that good, and the Force was absent, but all she needed was to hold her breath and bring them in. "Call to them -- give me a few moments." "Alright..." Celesta got to her knees, wondering what Octavia was doing in there. After nearly a minute she put her face as near the Force wall as she dared and began to scream. "HEY! HELP down here! I think she's dead or something! HELP!" The guards came, and they open the cell. One went in, one stood outside and looked away as he put in a call on a commlink Octavia waited until the guard bent over, she reached up snapping his neck. Using his blaster she fired at the guard outside. To Octavia's surprise the guard fell to the floor. Celesta pressed her face closer to the Force wall trying to see. Octavia moved out of the cell and checked on the guard that was hit, he was dead quickly searching for the control to the cell. When she found it Octavia opened Celesta's cell. "We don't have much time." Celesta hesitated, then stepped out. "Okay.." Alarms went off near the guard station and the stormtroopers began to react. Shoving the guard into the cell, she locked it. Taking the blaster, she looked to Celesta. "Come on down this corridor." Celesta followed helplessly, unarmed, and barefoot. Raven informed the techs to let them escape, but with injuries and a huge firefight. She watched to see what the outcome would be. Octavia and Celesta move through the corridor, Octavia hands the blaster over to Celesta. "Take this, I'm not good at using this thing." Celesta didn't comment, she was quite good with a blaster. Checking the power cell, she snaps the safety off, raising it as they round the corner to snap off two shots into two stormtroopers. Octavia used the force to shove the guards away from them. they make it to main area and could see freedom just a few feet away from them. Celesta fired into the security console, alarm systems, fire control -- everything to cause the maximum confusion. She then pushed Octavia ahead of her seeing a new contingent of troopers led by Lord Taras coming toward them. Octavia turned and pulled Celesta with her. "Come on, we can't face that Sith in our present condition!" Celesta fired into the floor ahead of Taras and skipped backwards after Octavia. The security door crashed down after they went through and she stepped over the unconscious guards to the control panel blasting that too. Octavia stopped long enough to catch her breath quickly once they get outside. "We've got to reach the Alliance, come on." Celesta picked up a second blaster and nodded. Celesta followed Octavia, watching their backs. Octavia carefully and stealthly led Celesta to the Rebel base. Safe at last!
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