She peeked her head toward the entrance to the house, where the knocking continued. Her father had a blaster she couldn’t identify aimed at the door.
“Janice,” he said toward her, “Don’t let them arrest you. Run.” She opened the hidden door before he finished talking, entered it, and then closed it as blaster fire was exchanged.
“One down.”
She was alone, trapped in the Corporate Sector, trapped on Bonadan. With nothing to her name, she was stuck as a beggar, doing things to survive.
It was just another ordinary day for her, Janice was cutting through the back alleys of the city, using them as shortcuts to get home faster. She had just been paid for some intelligence she got from hiding and listening.
About halfway home, a boy around her age, 17 or 18- not that it mattered to her, blocked her path, a smile plastered on his face.
“A volunteer, I see.” She noticed a knife in his hands, as he began walking closer, the sounds of others approaching her where she couldn’t see, the boy who spoke’s smile was showing teeth now, as he stood tall approaching her.
She began backing up toward a wall, trying to get away from her attackers who had her trapped in the alley, her eyes darting between the one with the knife and others as they got into her eyesight, 5 in total. They all stood tall, approaching with confidence, the closest grabbing her arm. She tried to free her arm, yet she was overpowered, helpless to stop them. A second boy grabbed her other arm, pushing her down to the ground with a smile on their face. The smile remained, even as something changed in her. Her fear and anger came forward, the power she didn’t know she had or could command coming forward, the force bending to her will in her desire to escape. Bending the force to her will, lightning sprang forth, hitting the two boys holding her down first, sending them flying into a wall. The lightning spread to the others in the alley. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but the strength she felt then was invigorating, a smile creeping onto her face as she watched her attackers die. They were writhing in pain in front of her until they stopped moving, and the lightning vanished.
Back at her ‘home’- a rather dreary 1 room apartment, she wasn’t able to reproduce the lightning again, despite her best efforts. Why could I do it then, but not know? She didn’t know, but she wanted to find out.
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The following day, Janice had ideas on how to harness the force, and how to make this newfound power hers. It came in a dream, a planet filled with ruins named Korriban. A Sith world, it said- the voice- a place where she will find what she needs, what she needs, to control the force. But she needed a ship first, and she had no credits. Her quest to get a ship led her to a crew of privateers, sponsored by a company, who raided competitors' ships and outposts. She observed the crew for weeks, waiting for when she could make a move. Studying their habits, routines, and weaknesses, she approached them with a mix of confidence and humility, presenting herself as a valuable asset eager to join their ranks. Her silver tongue and steely resolve made an immediate impression. She was quick to ingratiate herself into their fold, masking her true intentions with a web of deception and false camaraderie.
Integrated into the crew, she began to participate in raids, using quick thinking to earn respect from the crew. Hoping to prove her worth, she took daring moves during raids, showing an ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations and her uncanny knack for predicting the enemy's moves made her indispensable. Yet, all the while, she was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Janice solidified her position within the crew. She carefully cultivated the trust of her unwitting comrades, always projecting an image of loyalty and dedication. Behind this facade, however, lay a darker ambition. Janice's desire for supremacy and unbridled wealth grew with each passing day. She meticulously planned her betrayal, ensuring that when the time came, she would be ready to seize control.
Her opportunity came during a raid against a cargo vessel. She had planned the attack with the crew, but Janice had her own agenda. As they boarded the vessel, chaos erupted. She executed her plan with calculated precision, turning on her comrades as they began to board the other vessel. With a few shots from a blaster, she killed the captain, detaching the ship and blowing up the cargo ship, killing the crew.
The dark side of the force didn’t fail her, and she was embracing it. Days after seizing the vessel, she followed the thing in her dreams, cutting a path to Sith space, where supposed ancient knowledge and untold riches awaited her, all to sate her hunger for power.
The journey was surprisingly easy, she thought, as she stared down at the planet from her dreams, the remnants of an ancient civilization, the Sith, waiting on the surface. Ruins of fortresses and temples, tombs of long-dead Sith. She spent weeks exploring these desolate places, searching for artifacts and knowledge that could further enhance her abilities. One day, while delving deep into a crumbling tomb, Janice felt a presence calling to her through the Force. It was an ancient Sith spirit, imprisoned within a shard of crystal. The spirit identified itself as Skaidrus and offered Janice a tantalizing proposition: untold knowledge and boundless power in exchange for her service.