Prologue: Origins

Yawning as he climbed out of bed, Jikkyo Nimiichi rubbed his tired eyes.The first rays of the morning sun were creeping through the window of his bedroom, splashing their golden light across his sheets. The rain from the night before had not yet relinquished its grip in the window pane.

It had been a stormy night. Wind slashed through the valley, and a constant torrent of rain pounded the small community. Many feared the nearby river would flood, wiping out the colonists dream, but Jikkyo's father Shintaro had convinced them otherwise.

Shintaro was not an especially wise man, having worked in the mining industry most of his life. His prime years had shown him more star systems than most people would see in a lifetime. He had traveled from one corner of the galaxy to the other. Outer Rim, Inner Core, even skirting the Unknown Regions...every region of the galaxy had been called home by Shintaro and his wife Kagero.

That all changed five years prior. A convoy from the mining company Jikkyo's father worked for, one that the Nimiichi family happened to be on, came under attack by a band of pirates. Shintaro, sworn to the ideals of pacifism, had no choice but to defend his family from the boarding party.

The strong miner killed two of the pirates with his bare hands, spilling their blood in defense of his family. Not even this strong factor, however, helped to erase the memory of those two men's deaths.

Ashamed by his actions, Shintaro decided to sign his family up for his company's colonization effort on remote planet called "Dantooine." He wanted to take his family far away from the anger and violence of society, he wanted his boys to grow up to be strong followers of his ideals...fate it seems, has a sense of irony.

Throwing the covers off of his body, Jikkyo greeted the morning with another partially stifled yawn. The thirteen year old boy threw his legs over the side of the bed and slowly rose to his feet. He blew the long blond tresses of hair out of his face, then searched for his clothes.

His pants he found hanging over the dresser across the room, and his tunic, one specially made for him by his mother...black, with silver angel wings on the back, was laying on the floor next to his bed. The tunic's design came from the nickname Jikkyo had earned from the other settlers. His happy demeanor and willingness to help anyone with anything, coupled with the high morals of his family, had earned him the nickname "angel." Jikkyo couldn't help but smile as the memories of all the happy faces flooded his mind.

"Jikkyo! Breakfast! Get a move-on!"

Kagero's voice floated gently from the floor below. Like a whisper carried upon a cloud, Kagero's voice was soft, yet powerful, much like her. His mother was originally from Kuat, and still carried the same dignity and power commonplace among the women of that planet. She had met Shintaro at the Kuat Drive Yards. She was visiting her father at work, when a mining freighter docked with hyper drive troubles. A young, handsome miner, captain of the ship, stepped out, and the rest is history...

Jikkyo quickly pulled on his clothes, then laced his boots. Dashing out the door of his room, his nose picked up the scent of fresh cooked eggs and nerf steaks. Taking the steps two at a time, the young lad burst into the kitchen...and ran straight into his mother.

Pans went flying, food scattered, dishes fell...a sight Jikkyo's older brother Jubei found quite amusing. The smug seventeen year-old Jubei sat in his seat, a smirk on his face as he watched Jikkyo struggle to help his mother clean up the mess.

Finally the last bit of egg was cleaned up and Jikkyo took his seat at the table, across from his brother and to the left of his father. It was then he noticed the crumbs on their plates, and the lack of a plate in front of him.

"That was my plate of food wasn't it?" Jikkyo said solemnly.

"Haha. Yeah it was bro." Jubei responded, not being able to stifle his laughing anymore.

"Jubei, be nice to your brother" Shintaro reminded Jubei. "Now what do you have planned or today?"

"Well," Jubei started, "I was going to try to fix the power inverters on the harvester, the power couplings on the speeder repulsorlifts, and then take Jikkyo here out for a little adventure in the savannas." Reaching across the table, Jubei rustled his younger brother's hair.

"Oh dear," Kagero started, "I worry about you boys out there alone. We don't know everything about those danturi...dantori...whatever they're called."

"Dantari mother." Jikkyo said in a low voice, "and they're harmless unless you threaten them. Jubei and I bring them little presents."

"Still, I don't like them." Kagero insisted.

"Oh Kay, let the boys get into a bit of mischief, they need to find somethings out by themselves." Shintaro interjected.

"Jubei yes, but Angel is at such an impressionable age right now..."

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!?" Jikkyo protested.

"Oh I'm sorry dear, I forgot you two were still here." Kagero hastily replied. "Go on, you boys go about your business."

The two boys exchanged looks of excitement as they flew from their chairs and headed for the door.

"DONT FORGET YOUR JACKETS!" Kagero hollered after them.

"Awwww Mooooooooooooooooom!"


**Chapter 1: So it Begins**

*smack*

Jikkyo's left fist slammed into the pad strapped to Jubei's hand.

"Emperor's black bones, you hit like a Chadra-Fan. Now put your hips into it." Jubei instructed. "Turn your hips before you move your shoulders. Yeah just like that. You can feel the tension running down your front side right?"

"Yeah, it does feel a little tight there." Jikkyo responded, his breaths coming in greedy gulps.

"That just means more power behind your blows."

"You know if dad ever found out about this..."

"I know." Stepping in front of tree, Jubei assumed the same position Jikkyo was in; feet shoulder width apart, arms raised, fists curled. Placing his left fingertips on the tree, Jubei curled his hand into a fist, maintaining the short distance. Throwing his hips, the elder Nimiichi struck the tree.

The tree shook, and leaves gently fell from the branches.

Jikkyo's jaw dropped in utter amazement. "H-How did you..."

"Practice Jik,"  Jubei responded, a triumphant grin on his face. "I was..."

His last sentence was cut off by a bright flash of lightning and loud clap of thunder. During their training, the sky had grown dark and cloudy. Another bolt leapt out between the dark clouds, illuminating the landscape as a steady rain began to fall.

Cursing in every tongue he knew, Jubei rushed Jikkyo into a small cave nearby. "This day had such promise too." Jubei complained. "It wasn't supposed to rain."

"And how does mom always know when we're gonna need our coats too?" Jikkyo said, rolling his eyes.

"Its a mom thing...they just...know."

Yet another roar drowned out the last part of Jubei's sentence, but this time it was no thunder. Five transports flew directly overhead. A bright red crescent was painted on the dorsal fin of the transport. "Military by the look of them" Jikkyo muttered, "Epsilon-Class shuttles...Dad isn't going to like this at all."

"No Jikkyo, he wont."

*                *

The trees tore at Jikkyo's clothes and face, lacerating his cheeks and ripping away pieces of his jacket. Blood ran down from his forehead, stinging his eyes, but still he ran. Jubei was a good 20 meters ahead of him and showed no signs of slowing.

The transports with the red-crests had circled overhead and landed outside the settler's compound. From the cave the brothers had taken shelter in, they watched the whole thing. Jubei had a small pair of macro-binoculars in his duffel bag, and he used them to zoom in on what was transpiring.

As soon as he saw troops pouring out of the shuttles, Jubei dropped the binocs and took off at a dead sprint without saying a word. Left clueless as to why his brother ran out into the storm, Jikkyo shouted after him, "JUBEI! WHAT'S WRONG!?"

Thus Jikkyo had ended up chasing his brother through the sparse forests of Dantooine. His lungs had started burning five minutes ago, and now his legs felt like gelatin. Black spots started popping into his vision, and each step was a miracle in and of itself.

"How did we get this far away" Jikkyo thought to himself. No sooner had he finsihed the thought, when the walls of the colony came into sight. Pushing the fatigue aside, he forced himself to make it to the wall...where Jubei stoof waiting for him.

Doubling over as he came to a halt beside Jubei, Jikkyo looked up quizzically at his brother. Gasping out the words he said, "W-w-why...did....you..s-s-stop."

"They're guarding the front gate. We have to go over the wall." Jubei's expression had become inexplicably dead and emotionless, his voice dark. "Listen to me. When we get inside, find someplace to hide. I don't know how this is gonna go down, but you'll just get in the way."

Straightening himself, Jikkyo looked his brother square in the eyes and said, "I can fight. You taught me how..."

"No."

"But..." Jikkyo pleaded.

"NO!" Jubei shouted. "You are staying out of this." His younger brother recoiled from the harsh rebuke, but Jubei ignored it. Motioning towards the wall, he continued, "Now give me a boost."

Dejected, Jikkyo bent his knees and interlaced his fingers. Jubei put his left foot into Jikkyo's hands. Pushing off with his right, Jubei leapt up. As he did so, Jikkyo straightened his knees and pushed up on Jubei's other foot.

The elder Nimiichi reached up and grabbed hold of the top. Grunting with the effort, he pulled himself up and over the edge. Rolling over onto his stomach, Jubei reached his hand down towards Jikkyo.

"Jump for it Jik."

Bending his knees once more, Jikkyo took two steps forward then leapt for his brother's outstretched hand. Grabbing hold of it, Jikkyo placed his feet against the wall and began climbing up using his brother's arm as an anchor. Reaching the top, he too rolled over onto his stomach.

The two Nimiichi boys swung their legs over the inside edge of the wall and leapt down. They both landed in a crouch, making very little noise as their feet hit the ground. Immediately ducking behind a stack of empty supply crates, Jubei slipped a small vibroblade out from his duffel.

Jikkyo's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. I wonder how he kept it hidden from father...

Peering around the corner, Jubei held three large fingers up to denote three mean standing outside their home. Taking a moment to contemplate what to do, Jubei pulled back from around the corner. "Ok Jikk, the three out in front are armed. They look like some sort of militia men. If we are quick about it, I think we can slip across the street unnoticed."

Jikkyo nodded in agreement, his calm demeanor betraying the fear that lay in his heart. He watched Jubei as one would watch a hero...admiring all his best traits...brushing aside the faults. Even now, as Jubei was preparing to betray everything their parents had taught them, he still wanted to be just like him.

A tap on his shoulder brought Jikkyo back to the present. The gloomy skies over the Dantooine plains had darkened since they had first returned to the settlement. It was an omen of the fell deeds that awaited the Nimiichi brother...the dark destiny that would consume them both in time. Motioning for Jikkyo to stay right behind him, the two darted across the street as the light rain gave way to heavy downpour. The water thirsty dirt road turned to mud almost immediately, causing Jikkyo to slip past his brother and crash into the side of the settlement wall.

Dragging his little brother to his feet, Jubei held one finger over his lips and peered back around the corner of their house. Satisfied that the guards had missed their approach, Jubei took his finger down from over his mouth and whispered, "Ok. Lets get in the top floor window. Just like we do when we sneak out at night."

"Ok Jub." Jikkyo responded, nervousness growing with each passing second. Something seemed wrong about the whole situation. The mysterious appearance of the transports... the armed guards...Jikkyo couldn't back it up, but he knew something terrible was about to happen.

Jubei crouched down, offering his knees as a step up for his little brother. Backing up a few steps, Jikkyo took a running start, then vaulted off his brother's right knee. His hands caught the window ledge of the second floor and he held on tightly. Grunting with the effort, he lifted himself up onto the window-sil and gently slid the window open. Running over to his bed, he retrieved the rope they used to escape the room whenever they had been punished. Quickly running back to the window, he lowered the end down towards his brother. Lightning flashed in the sky, and less than a second later a tremendous clap of thunder followed. The sound wave rocked the house, rattling the window panes and water glasses lining the rooms bed tables. Jikkyo tied off the loose end of the rope to the legs of one bed, then gave Jubei the thumbs up.
 
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Army - Retired [LoR] [RoM] [BC] [CDS] [WM] [GRoM] [IH] {BoA}
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Sith Guardian
CM/SG Jikkyo "Angel" Nimiichi/Eagle 1-1/Sith/Dark Jedi Order/Vast Empire [VP:1]
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"The ability to speak does not make one intelligent" -Qui Gon Jin

**Chapter 3: Goodbyes and Hellos**

One month later

"You're leaving?"

The question hung in the air as Jubei moved around the small room, collecting his belongings. In his duffel he put nothing more than clothes and a holo of the Nimiichi family from a time where there was one. All mementos of home he left behind. Where he was going, reminders of where he came from would not be a welcome sight. Where he was going, he knew his hands would never be rid of the blood that stained them that day. Where he was going, they would only become bloodier.

A military transport waited on the outskirts of the settlement for the older brother. Jubei had gone into a self-imposed isolation ever since the day of their parents murder. Whether for his actions or to escape the reminders of that which he lost, Jubei had purposely separated himself from the small Dantooine society. Jikkyo had been left in charge of organizing and carrying out his parent's funerals...a service which his older brother did not even attend. He spent the days wandering the vast savannas, presumably searching for direction and inspiration, but Jikkyo knew the truth.

Jubei did not want to face his brother.

Silence reigned, Jikkyo's question still unanswered. "Jub... please talk to me." Jikkyo pleaded, putting a hand on his brother's broad shoulder.

Jubei recoiled from his touch, wrenching his shoulder away. "Yes. I'm going away." He finally said, cinching up the strings on his duffel. With his back still towards his brother he continued, "I'm going to make them pay, Jikkyo...all of them. Anything or anyone that bears the emblem on that ship will be destroyed." Turning to look his younger brother in the eyes for the first time in weeks he said pointedly, "I'm going to kill them all."

"Jub..what about dad...and mom....you know that's not what they would have wanted." Jikkyo was frantic now. He had lost his parents, the guiding forces in his life. And now, right when he needed him the most, Jubei was leaving as well.

"I'll let you worry about what they would have wanted Jik. This I'm doing for me." Tossing the duffel over his shoulder, Jubei faked a smile and tussled Jikkyo's hair in a hollow attempt to lighten the mood. "Just remember what we all taught you, little bro. Whatever you do from here, put everything you've got into it."

Sliding past his now crying brother, Jubei set his vibroblade down on the small table next to the door. "Where I'm going I won't be needing this. Take care of it for me will ya?" Without waiting for an answer, Jubei continued out of the room and down the stairs. "I will be back." he hollared as he opened the front door. "Stay out of trouble."

And with that, Jubei was gone. Jikkyo slumped to the floor of the bedroom, completely lost on what to do. In the course of a month he had lost his entire family. The once proud and admired Nimiichi's were reduced only to him, Jikkyo, 16 years old. You have to look behind  you in order to move forwards, son. Shintaro's words echoed in his mind. Making mistakes is the only way for us to grow. Keep your head held high and move on.

Sniffling once, Jikkyo, better known as Angel, swiped his tears from his eyes and picked himself up off the floor.

There was much work to be done.

Two weeks later

Word had spread like wildfire among the remaining settlers. A new family was arriving on Dantooine that day, one that would be taking over as the new governors, replacing Angel's deceased parents. In the fields just outside the settlement, Angel was taking a short reprieve from working the crops. The colony rejected the use of droids to do manual labor, claiming that droids were invented merely due to man's laziness and contempt for hard work.

Jikkyo agreed.

There was no better feeling for him these days, than the satisfaction of putting in a hard days work. Ever since Jubei had left, he woke up every morning with fresh resolve to give his best to whatever task presented itself. After just these few weeks, his body began to mature, taking on tone and definition as his muscles grew from the strenuous work. Tilling the fields and planting seed were just two of the many grueling tasks he gladly set about. The harsh summer sun left his body tanned, sweat glistening off his increasingly developing torso.

It was here Angel found himself when the shuttle roared overhead. The Lambda  class ship circled the settlement once before kicking in its repulsorlifts, folded its wings, and settled to a stop in the middle of the colony. Steam  erupted from the landing claws as the pistons shifted the weight into balance. Curious about the new arrivals, Jikkyo found himself wandering towards the landing site. By the time he reached it, almost the entirely colony had gathered. The crowd was abuzz with speculation and rumor. The noise level had reached a dull roar when the landing ramp finally descended

A man, small in stature yet with a presence and demeanor that commanded respect, sauntered down the ramp. His gray hair was receding in the middle, giving the look of a distinguished politician or bureaucrat. He wore simple dress, nothing gaudy or ornate, yet fanciful enough to make him stand out from the settlers. Closely behind him came a blonde haired woman of about the same age, perhaps a little younger, whom Jikkyo assumed to be his wife. She was dressed in similar clothes, and carried herself in about the same fashion as her husband. Both appeared to be about the same age as Jikkyo's parents had been. He watched them as they mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and doing formal introductions. Jikkyo thought he caught the name "Kushrin" somewhere in the talk, but his mind wasn't truly focused on the conversations. To him, these people were scabs...replacements for his parents. They could never live up to Shintaro and Kagero in his mind.

Turning to leave, his eye caught movement on the landing ramp. Jikkyo's heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of the last passenger disembarking the shuttle. A young girl, about his age, was timidly making her way down. Her light brown hair matched the shade of her skin and shimmered in the mid-day sun. Her right hand moved to cover her eyes from the brightness of the Dantooine day, and Jikkyo caught a glance of dazzling light blue eyes.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

A burning in his chest snapped his mind back from the daydreaming, and Jikkyo realized he had been holding his breath the entire time. Exhaling sharply, he turned quickly on his heel and hurried back to the fields. Such fancies were dangerous, and he was enjoying his simple life. The last thing he needed was more complications. It took him little time to reach the fields in his hurried pace, and he quickly grabbed his tools and got back to work.

Work was simple. Work made him feel good. Work made him forget....forget about the loss of loved ones and the loss of a hero. He didn't want to feel that way ever again...he never wanted to lose someone he cared about... He never wanted to care again.

Little did he know that his escape had not gone unnoticed. The bright eyed young woman watched the mysterious young man head off to the fields. His tanned skin and muscular back contrasting nicely with his long blond hair. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and watched him intently until he disappeared from view....

"..-tiana....Christiana....CHRISTIANA!"

Her mother's shrill voice pulled her mind away from the school girl daydreams running through her mind. Unwillingly pulling her gaze away from the boy's escape route, she replied. "Coming mother!"

 
-----------------------
Army - Retired [LoR] [RoM] [BC] [CDS] [WM] [GRoM] [IH] {BoA}
------------------------
Sith Guardian
CM/SG Jikkyo "Angel" Nimiichi/Eagle 1-1/Sith/Dark Jedi Order/Vast Empire [VP:1]
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"The ability to speak does not make one intelligent" -Qui Gon Jin