(Xina POV)
I remember my life as if it happened yesterday—everything that happened, from the moment my mother sold me to buy spice to the present moment. However, apart from my memory and looks, I was nothing special. I don't understand why others look at me the way they do, though. I never thought I was pretty or anything special. In truth, I thought I looked ugly and despised the way others looked at me, with lust and desire. As if I were an object to be used, and that might belong to them. But that's the way it was, and I have long accepted my reality for what it is: pain.
After being sold into slavery as a young girl, I was taught to dance and please customers at the clubs. There I was, passed around from one owner to another. That was until Darman Skirata and the rest of Clan Skirata found me. The War, which affected most of the galaxy, also affected me, but positively. I was ignored for a while, until the war ended, and then everything returned to how it was. Clan Skirata set me free, but I couldn't be free. I had nothing, new nothing and was alone and without monetary support. So it was no surprise that Zygerrian slave traders found me soon after. I could have hidden from them. I saw them coming, but I didn't. What was the point? It was either being sold into slavery again or being passed around on the streets.
I admit, I preferred death compared to slavery. I wish that I had died, but I was too weak to kill myself. In the end, I am the same as my mother, weak. I saw other slaves who were captured by the Zygerrians, and even there, the situation was the same. I was seen as an object for them to desire and lust after. To be used. None of them understood what actual pain was... not until he arrived. Vader.
It might seem hard to believe for those who call themselves sane, but when I saw him descend from the higher levels of the slave processing facilities and straighten up, I was filled with a powerful feeling. He was the same, the same as me. He knew me, he understood me. I felt the fear in the air and how others reacted to him. The dark warrior, the death on two feet, ploughed through their ranks and slaughtered them. He was the same as I was, I felt it. And yet, he was so different as well.
Power.
That's what it was. He was powerful enough to be angry and hate the world. I longed for it, for him. I wanted to do that as well, to cast off my chains and walk forward. I told him what he wanted to know. I didn't care that the Clan Skirata saved me earlier; they meant nothing. Nothing compared to what I felt at that moment. I knew that he would kill me if I didn't answer right away. He didn't care about me, he didn't look at me because of lust or desire. He just saw another piece of meat in front of him. Something to accomplish his goal and nothing more. But he also felt it. It was like standing in front of a firestorm, when you are but a small candlelight. I did everything, so he would take me with him.
He didn't say anything after he cast off my chains with a flick of his fingers. I don't know whether he planned on taking me with him, but I simply followed him. He carried the Hutt as if he weighed nothing. And then he touched the thick metal wall and shattered it. I nearly fell to the ground because of my weak knees.
I watched as he controlled the mentally dead Darman Skirata, one of those who freed me and turned him into a living bomb. Then I observed how he unleashed his darkness and swallowed all the light in the area. He carried so much pain and fear, like I did. Despite the gruesome sight, I thought it was beautiful.
I know that he would have set me free and wouldn't have killed me. If I wanted to, he would have freed me, because he also felt our connection. But I begged him. I begged him to either kill me or take me with him. I didn't care anymore. I was willing to die by his hands, and it would have been a good death. He didn't kill me. I feel that he has accepted me, but not right away. I had to prove myself first. And I did just that.
.
"You are agile, are you not?" he asked as he walked back to the room, where his first version of an HK-training/battle droid is located.
"Yes," I answered.
The droid suddenly turned on, activated remotely by Vader, and looked at me. Its eyes start to shine red, and it takes out a blaster, aiming it at me.
*Kchch puuh*
"Show me."
The droid started to fire at me. I jumped into the air, instinctively. He told me to show him, so I would do that. I ran around the small room, dodging the blaster shots and not giving up, no matter how tired or hard it seemed. I was first hit in my right leg, being shot through the knee. I shouted in pain, but refused to give up. I looked at Vader, who stood at the edge with his hands folded and looking at me, having no intention of intervening. When the droid walked forward and aimed his gun at my face, I knew that Vader wouldn't help. If I died, I was not worthy to stand at his side.
With strength, which I didn't know where it came from, I dodged the blaster shot in the last possible moment, and hit the droid's legs away from under him. He fell to the ground, and I took him into a chokehold. That was stupid, but I didn't know anything else. The droid aimed its blaster at me and fired several times. I felt the shots penetrate my body and bite holes into my flesh. I remember smiling when I finally closed my eyes.
After I woke up that day, the first thing I saw was Vader, who was holding a hand on my chest. I felt great amounts of energy fill my body, and the wounds closed themselves. He healed me and I felt stronger afterwards. Filled with energy and ready for another round. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. I went back into the room where the droid was waiting and got into position. With a wave of his hand, the droid came to life again, and the second round started.
.
That was only the first part of my training: dodging. I don't know why this was the first thing he made me do, but Vader seems to have a plan with everything. I have never experienced a better trainer. I think I know what he is trying to do. He purposefully doesn't teach me any 'steps' or 'moves' and makes me create something on my own. He wanted me to become unpredictable and not have a single or multiple movement style. And it worked.
Vader added more droids to the mix and eventually started replacing them with real troopers. The live element of troopers does make a tremendous difference. They think and act differently from droids, and that makes it different. After each training session, Vader would heal my wounds, no matter how severe. I was also shot through the head multiple times, but he brought me back over and over again. I don't know what it is, but when Vader is there to monitor my progress and teach me, I learn it so fast that it borders on supernatural.
After that, my training became more versatile. I was scared at first when I was chained to a very heavy object inside a deep pool of water. My memories returned to my time as a slave. But in a manner, I had never experienced in the month of knowing him, Vader touched my shoulder and filled me with strength. He called it embracing those feelings and using them to grow and push out of my cocoon of weakness.
The entire pool was filled with thousands of litres of water. I was submerged in water while chained to the ground. My task was simple. I had to survive and get air. One way or the other. All I was given as a tool was a blaster pistol. I tried to shoot the chains to get free, but they wouldn't budge at all. I looked around, searching for anything that might help me. But it was no use; there was nothing down there. As I felt the lack of oxygen, I looked to the surface, where Vader stood next to the pad that had filled the entire pool.
And then, it got worse. The pool was filled with carnivorous fish that started biting me and ripping chunks of meat off my body. Seeing cheating as my last chance to survive, I shot my blaster upwards. The shot missed Vader very narrowly and destroyed he pad, causing the water to drain away and saving my life slowly. As I lay there, trying to stand back up and not disrespect my Master in everything, he spoke.
*Kchch puuh*
"You have done well."
His voice was deep and smooth. I never cared about the mechanical breathing. But he... he praised me. I felt approval for the first time in my entire life.
"The test was meant for you to fail. But you thought outside the box and survived. Be proud, you have passed your initial training."
.
I knew I was lost after that. My training continued to get more difficult and obscure until recently, when Vader finally gave me my first real mission. I travelled to the Inner Rim and infiltrated Imperial Facility 729-D. My mission was to steal a heavily modified Star Courier, called the Scimitar. It was the personal starship of Darth Maul, an earlier apprentice of the Emperor. A failed one, that was unworthy of the ship. Vader told me to steal it and to make sure that I wasn't discovered. If I were the Emperor, I would know that I would die, as the Emperor would not allow me to live.
I took my tools, the special gas I have been working on and my blaster, which I also created and went off. Vader gives me any material I desire, but I have to create all of my tools myself. I either steal them or build them. But Vader would teach me about weapons, technology and anything I wanted to know, all so that I would become the most deadly woman in the galaxy.
And here I am. Having successfully stolen the Scimitar after first gassing the entire Imperial Facility 729-D with my own poisonous gas. The droid, is not happy it would seem.
{This vessel was originally designed as a hunter-killer, with many unique capabilities. It is a very special ship. It has had very special owners. You should he honoured, Twi'lek. But now, you must give it back.}
I have disabled the droid before making my presence known, and he has only woken up again after I made sure he couldn't send out any signals or move in any way. Vader has taught me in a rather violent manner that failure was acceptable only once. If you make a mistake more than once, you might as well kill yourself, for you are useless and incapable of learning in earnest. I only made the mistake of not being careful enough once, and that was it. Now, I am overprepared for as many situations as possible.
"I have stolen this ship and will deliver it to my Master. But you're welcome to accompany me, if you like."
{The Emperor, in his wisdom, has configured the Scimitar to track enemy ships' drive signatures no matter where they go. There-}
"Alright, wait a moment."
*Beep Beep*
[Ciloz, have you succeeded?] Vader says in his hologram form.
"Of course, Vader. Where may I deliver it? You will be most pleased with this ship."
[You are to follow through with the second and more important part of the test. We shall see how far your skills have progressed.]
"I will succeed."
[No, you won't.]
The holoprojector turns off. Very well, off to track the signal he just transmitted.
"Hey, droid. Track this signal here," I tell the droid.
.
.
(3rd Person POV)
"Are you sure of this? We don't know her. There is a high chance that she's a spy," the man says.
"I don't think so. Have you not heard what the droid said? She stole that ship and fled the planet before she could be captured," the woman answers with a kind smile.
She touches the forehead of the woman lying on the bed in front of her and probes her using the Force.
"Yes, but how do you know this isn't a trick. What is the chance that she lands here of all places?" he asks, unnerved.
"She didn't land. In fact, she crashlanded. But you are correct, I wouldn't trust anyone. However, I feel her emotions, and what's more, I feel her great pain, so much in fact that it brings tears to my eyes, just probing her mind. Poor child. What a cursed life she has led. There is, however, something else. A strong flame, still small, but with potential to grow and consume her pain and suffering..."
"What's that?"
"Love. However, it is more of an obsession. Poor child, she has never learned how to love properly and now clings to the one thing she thinks is love. We will keep her here for now. Make sure she heals and then..." the woman says, but suddenly stops.
"Master? Master Jocasta, what's wrong?"
"No... NO! It can't be. How?!" Jocasta says and runs out of the cave and through the waterfall, looking into the distance.
There she sees it, the darkness personified. Darth Vader is walking towards her, his armour repaired, renewed, and improved. His power has grown once more, and the Dark Side is burning her spirit as he approaches. Jocasta Nu shakes in fear and shock. How could this be? How can it be that she was found? She runs back into the cave as fast as she can.
"Gar! He's here, we need to destroy all of i-" Jocasta stops talking as she enters the cave.
Gar, her assistant, lies on the ground, with a blaster wound through his head and above him... stands the Twi'lek, Xina Ciloz, with a blaster. Jocasta is too shocked, too affected by the Dark Side to react to the two shots from Xina's blaster, which penetrate both her kneecaps.
"Why?... Why child? I sense your pain, your fear... the suffering you went through... why are you doing this? He is a Sith. Sith have no loved ones; you mean nothing to him. As soon as you lose your worth, he will throw you aside..."
"I will never lose my worth. He means everything to me."
"Ackkk...kakk..."
Jocasta is lifted into the air through a Force choke. A second later, the waterfall makes way for Vader, who enters the cave and looks around. He takes everything in and then looks at Xina.
"Impressive. You have surpassed my expectations, Xina Ciloz. You have passed your training," Vader praises his pupil uncharacteristically.
"Thank you," she replies in a tiny voice.
"How...kakk... did you... find me...?" Jocasta asks.
"Did you truly believe I didn't see you, Underground Policeman?" Vader asks, mentioning Jocasta's disguise.
"Oh, you tricked her?" Xina understands.
"Do you believe I would bother with the droid when I know that you are still inside the vault? You feel the Dark Side, do you not? How could you believe that a few blasts of a lightsaber rifle would be enough?" Vader asks.
"B-but the... kackkk... the suit... it was melting..."
"I bathed in the scorching magma of Mustafar. Do you believe a bit of hot metal would phase me?"
"..."
"I needed you to lead me to this place, and I needed someone inside here to prevent you from destroying the evidence once I arrived. You have served your purpose thus far well, Jocasta Nu. Now, for the information I want," Vader says.
"I'll never... give it..."
"And yet, I will take it nonetheless," Vader says, starting to drain all of Jocasta Nu's knowledge directly from her mind.
Her mental fortitude is not enough. Her Jedi training is not enough. Vader will know all that she knew before the day ends.