CHAPTER ONE

The night was pitch black as you hurried towards your small and cozy home. Since it happened, you had managed to find a stable home and job, something easy so that you didn't have to stress about it to the point of paranoia (a problem that had plagued you for a while afterwards). Your home was a safe place for you. Whenever you arrived back from work, you'd just collapse and not have to worry about hiding.

But the moment you pushed open your door, you felt there was something wrong. It was a shift in the air, and you paused in the doorway for a moment, cautiously taking in your surroundings. Not a thing was out of place. So why did you feel so odd?

A thought popped into your mind. Was it the Force? Your stomach churned at the idea. Of course. There was no way for you to suddenly not be Force-sensitive. A part of you had just hoped that, maybe, you had managed to outrun it.

It took all of your strength to force yourself forward and into your home. There was nothing to be afraid of; was there? You had locked the door, you had been sure of it. In fact, you remembered checking three times after, just to be sure. No one would have gotten in. No one could have.

For the whole time that you made yourself dinner, you were panicking. A ball had knotted itself in your stomach, and you couldn't eat. There was humming in your ears, and a headache was on the horizon, but you tried to keep going, to ignore the feeling that someone was watching you. That something was out of place. You were sure that everything was as it had been. Even the pen that you had left on your desk that morning hadn't moved.

You chewed your lip anxiously as you entered your room. But you didn't move away from the doorway. Here was where the Force was strongest. How could that be? You had locked your Lightsaber away - you could barely remember where. It couldn't be that, then.

You could hear your heart beating rapidly as you awaited a sign. Anything to give you a sign. The Force was thrumming all around you, sending shivers down your spine, and scaring you senseless. The world spun slightly, and you lost your balance, stumbling, and you quickly regained your stability.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, you managed to pluck up your remaining courage to step forwards and into your room. You thought it silly, stupid, to be afraid of entering your own room. You had been a Jedi. You had been prideful and powerful. And now look at yourself - cowering at the thought of taking one step forward, scared of whatever awaited you.

Then you did something so stupid, that you almost burst out laughing.

"Hello?" You called into the dark of the room. The realization of what you had just done hit you, and, as stated before, you almost laughed. Hadn't your masters before you taught you to feel with the Force, before entering a place deemed unchecked? They would be so disappointed in you at this moment in time.

Your gaze danced towards the spot where your lamp rested. In one quick movement, you had slammed the lamp on and pirouetted so that your back wasn't to the door. That would leave you vulnerable, and you had always been taught against that. Strategy, you reflected.

The light from the lamp lit up the room. You squinted slightly and smiled, now sure that no one was there, that everything was safe and that you had just been overreacting. With a sigh, you lowered yourself onto your bed, lying back and closing your eyes slowly. Everything was okay, you told yourself. Nothing is different, you tried to reassure yourself.

Something is wrong, you panicked.

Shooting upwards and punching the lamp back on (which made it fall to it's side and send the light in the opposite direction to which you wanted it), you peered at your room. You didn't bother to pick the lamp up, because all your attention had locked onto the metal of a Lightsaber. For a split second, you thought that it was yours. But you would know if it was your own. Plus, the Force felt strange around this one. It belongs to someone else, you decided.

You should have moved to pick it up, like any logical being would have. Of course you had to be frozen in place, paralyzed by a thought that made your teeth chatter. Whoever owns this Lightsaber must not be far, you thought. It was true. Because in your moment of fear, a hand grabbed the Lightsaber. It dawned on you that you had been focusing on the object so much, that you hadn't seen a masked figure sneak in.

Your mouth opened wide, a soundless scream of panic never making it's way past your lips. The gloved hand held the Lightsaber, a red light thrumming with an electric power unlike any known to mankind shooting outwards. And then the Lightsaber was moved close to your face, and a mixture of elements that amounted to your fear, filled every pore of your body. There was the slash of the Force, alerts ringing inside your head. The electric beside your face was overpowering, pain bursting through your mind. The person who wielded this Lightsaber was powerful, a well-trained Jedi. Or something like it, at least. This Lightsaber belongs to this person - you could feel it in the way that the Force shifted.

"Don't move." The metallic voice of a man behind a mask rang out. You winced. That voice was unmistakable. Especially to a Jedi.

You're not a Jedi, you told yourself firmly, not anymore.

You felt the need to smile, because you remembered to firmly block your thoughts, shielding yourself from the other Force-user. It took some strength to glance up and towards the mask. The wobbling in the air, of the Force, gave you the feeling that the person was trying to read your thoughts - and failing.

"Sorry." You apologized, keeping your voice as even as possible. "But I'm trained. I know how to keep you out. Maybe next time you should ask for permission."

He didn't like this. "Zonta, this is not a time for your petty jokes and sarcastic comments. We are leaving, now. Grab your Lightsaber."

You don't move. Him using your name was like sending someone to execution. It made you flinch away, from both him and the blazing Lightsaber. Whilst you gathered your next words, you tried to look for a solution, some way out of this problem. You pushed away your rising panic, remembering your lessons on staying calm in the face of battle.

Well, that didn't go so good last time. You think to yourself, and then go stiff. The barrier had gone. You had let it go.

So you do remember. The Force-user glowered, making his way into your mind almost immediately.

Go away and leave me alone. You snapped, hoping it would work. It didn't.

You know who I am, so why are you so afraid? He asked, and you could almost feel his glare coming from behind his metallic mask.

Because you murder innocents. You gulped. Who wouldn't be afraid?

"An old friend." This time, he spoke aloud, startling you and returning you to the room. "An ally, I suppose."

"Who says I was ever your friend?" You gasp, as a pain lances through your mind. You know this pain.

The masked man was silent, his grip tightening on the Lightsaber. "Grab your weapons or Lightsaber. We're leaving now, and it's not optional."

So be it.

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A/N:

Hello! I really hope that you enjoyed chapter one! I've got to tell you, it's so much easier to write in second person. Anyway, I'll say this again so that you're not confused; I put Zonta instead of y/n because it makes it easier for me to write. Just replace it with yours or your character's name, if you wish to. I honestly don't mind.

Please comment nice things and follow if you want alerts on all updates. I'm going to be honest and say that this chapter has the most words that I ever written before. Good for me, I suppose?

Thanks and good day!

Nat xx