Malice took a sip of her drink, mulling over the day's events. She enjoyed the alone time, using it as a means of escape from her everyday schedule. Most of the other drinkers knew well to not bother her. She'd been known to punch teeth out when she felt like it. She tensed slightly as she sensed two people coming near her, and silently wished them away in her head. Unfortunately, wishes were for children, and the two took the empty seats to her left side. She groaned inwardly as the two started laughing loudly together, and she saw the bartender glance her way, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged back, indicating that she had no idea who the fools were.

They were both female, at least a few years younger than she was. The armory lightsabers at their sides indicated that they were also someone's apprentices, and she pitied the force users who had to deal with them.

"I accidentally lit my home on fire. It was enough force energy that my master picked up on it and came to ask me if I wanted to train! Of course, I accepted, my parents were so annoying." One of them spoke up slightly, reaching for the drink she'd ordered. Her companion laughed slightly.

"Well, I accidentally killed three people before I knew I was force sensitive!" She said proudly. Malice tried to drown out their obnoxious voices, but her attempt was interrupted as one of them turned to her.

"What about you?" She asked, sounding very full of herself. "You look around our age. How did you find out you were force sensitive?" She was almost so annoying that it was amusing, as she seemed to challenge her to top killing three people.

Malice glared at them from out of the corner of her eye before sighing and finishing her drink off. She turned in her seat to face the two of them, clearing her throat.

"You think you're something special? Either of you? I didn't have parents to raise me, and I killed a lot more than three people. When I first showed signs of being force sensitive, my parents tried to get rid of me. They tried to dump me with the Jedi, and when I was too old to be accepted, they abandoned me on the outer rim planet Cholganna. It's a wild and dangerous planet, covered in thick forests and vicious creatures. The most dangerous of any of them is what I was raised by. The Nexu."

She grew more satisfied as she saw the girls eyes grow wider and wider, their egos slipping with each sentence.

"They accepted me almost immediately, teaching me to survive in the forest. Leaping through the trees, killing from the shadows, you'd be dead the second you stepped into our territory. Not even your bones would remain after we were done with you, they'd been ground down and crushed by even the smallest of cubs. Even with all their ferocity, that doesn't stop Nexu from being a highly sought after prize. They're used for their fur, their teeth, their spines, as arena beasts, even as pets if you think you've got what it takes.

One night as we all slept, poachers arrived on our planet. They scoped us out easily, sleeping in the highest branches of the trees. They quietly set fire to our forest, using it as a means to draw us out. I just remember waking up and feeling my throat burn as I inhaled the smoke. My mother handed me her only other child and had us run as far as we could the other direction. Even if I was fast, one of the hunters had us cornered almost immediately, and none of the grown Nexu where there to protect us. We didn't' even know if any of the others were still alive. He was getting closer to us, until all of a sudden he was writhing on the ground. I felt something I'd never felt before, some sort of power. It only grew stronger as I got more angry, so I thought about everything he'd done. How we might never see our family again. I thought of our mother, and how she must surely be dead now. I watched his eyes roll back into his head as he fought for breath. I watched all the different colors his face turned, watched as he slowly began to look more like the monster I knew him to be.

We went after the others after he was no longer a problem. The fire was put out quickly, it's purpose now served. Many of the people had left already, their prizes secured as well as their bounty on them. We tortured the rest. I wanted to make them suffer, make them beg for death. Even when they finally did, we savored their pain, the cub and I. We allowed one to escape after the others were dead. Who better to spread the fear than someone who had just watched his comrades eyes bulge out of their sockets? We wanted to stop anyone else from coming to our world, and it worked for the most part. There were a few groups that thought themselves strong enough to best us, but as the cub and I grew, we only grew more deadly. Some were killed instantly, others we played with, toying with them and playing mind games. No one left the planet alive. Until one day, word got around to my master, Selika. She heard the tales of a wild girl using a mysterious power and recognized it as the force. I must have peaked her interest because she paid us a visit. We didn't kill her right away, we were more curious than anything. I sensed in her the same thing I had in me, and she eventually convinced us to join her. So please, go on about your three deaths and your measly fire. I'm sure we're all dying to hear more."

The girls were silent, and one of them had their mouth hanging open in surprise. Their confident gazes had been completely taken over by fear, and Malice dropped a few credits on the counter as she stood from her seat. She glanced at them once more before turning, smiling smugly to herself. Nothing welcomed new recruits like intimidating them out of their minds.

When I was nineteen years old I chose to go on a religious mission for my church. I would be doing service, and proselyting. In February of 2012, I submitted the necessary documents to be able to apply for this opportunity. I worked with my parents and local church leaders to do this. In April 2012 I received a letter from the leaders of my church saying that I was called to labor for two years in Scotland and Ireland.
I would spend two years away from my friends and family with only the most basic of communication and amenities. Missionaries aren’t allowed to use computers, cell phones, or watch TV. Missionaries are paired with a companion for a period of 6 weeks to 6 months. You spend every waking moment of your life with them, never leaving each other’s sight.
There is a rigid schedule to follow and all of this is done to help keep your mind focussed on the task at hand. A missionary wakes up at 6:30 am everyday, then exercises till 7. They then shower, get dressed and eat breakfast before 8. From 8 - 9 missionaries study by themselves what they plan to be teaching for the next day and the various things they might be particularly interested in learning that day. Then from 9-10 the companionship discusses what they studied, and studies together if needs be. Then for the rest of the day the missionaries teach, and do service. They have one hour for lunch and dinner, then are home at 9 to get ready for the next day and are in bed by 10.
After finishing my three week training in a missionary training center, I was assigned to serve in a town called Livingston. This town is fairly small, located right outside Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh. I was trained in the field by a young man named Alex. He was a good teacher, and he had a great work ethic.
Eleven weeks into my two years over in the UK, we had one of our rare days off that happen once a week on Monday. We’d been invited to go on a hiking trip with some members from the local church. We went out to some hills, saw some sights and visited some ruins. It was a great day right until the very end.
On the last hill we climbed for the day, the gentlemen leading our trip told us that we were going to be hiking up the last hill, and on the other side there would be a smooth rock face that we would slide down. When we reached the hill, we climbed up the back side and come to the point where the rack face was. All the people in our group slid down this hill and landed rolling at the bottom. The hill on this end was steep and nearly two stories above the ground. I was the last to go, and had a terrible feeling about what I was going to do. As soon as I landed at the bottom I watched my right leg break underneath me.
The sound was like two guns shooting at the same time, and I watched my leg shoot out side ways. I knew instantly that it was broken and fell to the ground to try to stabilize it. Eventually the group got the car near enough to get me in, and drive 45 minutes to the hospital. My leg twisted inside the car to almost upside down. I wanted to pass out from the pain, but that sweet release never came.
Upon arriving at the hospital I was greeted with two hours of waiting in the lobby, before any real treatment was administered. My leg was reset back in place and a half cast was applied. This is easier to take off and allows the leg to continue swelling. I was then transferred to another hospital in Edinburgh as the one I was originally taken to was primarily a burn hospital.
I was then treated to waiting for five days to receive the surgery needed to help my leg heal properly. I got three screws and two plates in my leg to help hold the pieces together. At this point the President of the mission came and relieved me of duty and sent me home. I was then looked after and cared for my friends and family. My father is a surgeon and helped recover greatly.
I broke my leg in October 2012 and desired to finish the two years I’d been assigned. I pursued my recovery heavily so that I was in top shape to go back to the mission as soon as possible. I was able to return in February 2013.
This was one of the most difficult and trying experiences in my life. It still affects me to this day. My ankle still hurts from being overexerted. On the other hand, I was able to learn many great lessons from those months. I learned perseverance, hard work and dedication. I also learned that more often than not, a gut feeling can save you from a lot of situations. This situation and the opportunities it lead to helped shape who I am, and why I do what I do.