Summary: Known to have taken out both Inquisitors and Jedi alike, the bounty hunter Tir'ack Waz has made quite the reputation for himself. Now he's gotten a new bounty; one that might change the course of the Galaxy. What he did not know however, was that his target had something different in mind for him.
Set between Ep. VI and VII, where Luke Skywalker is trying to rebuild the Jedi Order.
This is the first installment of a series of one shots.
A/N: For those that have read my previous fanfictions: I will not continue my discontinued stories. It is thanks to a few of its reviews though that I've written this story. Although it'll be difficult for me to start writing multiple chapter stories (due to time and energy), one shots are still manageable to do.
This one shot is an idea I've had in my head for quite some time. As I've only recently started reading Legends, I'll mostly keep myself to the canon universe (including Star Wars Rebels), taking inspiration and stories from Legends. As the Star Wars universe is very massive, please don't mind me creating new species, plotlines and characters (one of those characters being Tir'ack Waz) to fulfill my needs.
Reviews are very much appreciated and I hope that my attempts to bring you a Star Wars worthy story are not fruitless. Give me a while to adjust my writing style. I promise it will be better over time. Enjoy!
Horn Station, 11 ABY
As one of the most notorious planets in the Outer Rim when it came to crime during the time of the Old Republic, Horn Station has changed. Under the rule of the Empire, many species had fled the Core Systems, looking for a place of solitude and this planet was perfect for it. While it was first inhabited by all sorts of unknown species, now the Rodians were its most prominent inhabitants. After Plèr Tambor, the son of Separatist Leader Wat Tambor, took charge, many criminals were flushed out of the system and the planet's defense mechanisms were updated accordingly.
That didn't mean it was impossible for someone to smuggle themselves in though.
Posing as one of the guards of an important ambassador, Tir'ack had no problem getting himself on the planet. He had been there before three months ago and now he found himself on Horn Station once more.
He had received a message from his droid, TR-7 last night. Tir'ack had left the droid on his own three months ago in hope it could locate its target from there. This planet was his only lead to find the unknown Jedi and as if that wasn't bad enough, it was also an old one.
From his own sources, he had heard the Jedi had once come here to get rid of the planet's many crime lords. Although the Jedi hadn't been sighted here since, Tir'ack had this gut feeling that this was where he should look first. Still, three months ago, he hadn't gotten a single clue after coming here.
But now there was one.
Opening the door of his once rented house, Tir'ack felt a sudden shift in the Force. He quickly took a step to the side, dodging the laser that was aimed at him. Another one was coming soon after that but this time he was prepared. He ignited his lightsaber and deflected the shot towards the ceiling.
"Kriff, easy TR-7! It's me", he exclaimed. Some high-pitched Binary beeps were sent back and slowly the assassination droid moved forward, coming into view thanks to the white light coming from Waz's lightsaber. The droid was still on guard though and Tir'ack reminded himself that he had to update its sensors.
He changed back into his true form and immediately TR-7 lowered its blaster and bowed its head.
"I got your message last night", his raspy voice almost surprised him. It's been a while since he had been back in this form. He had started to like the fluid pronunciations of many Basic languages the humans could do. Truly, their ability to adapt their speech was extraordinary and since the humans were still the most prominent species in the galaxy—whether the New Republic liked to admit it or not—changing into humans had given him many advantages over time. "Tell me, what did you find?"
TR-7 turned around and came back a moment later with a display disk in its hand.
"A hologram? That's all you got?" He didn't state the obvious message behind this sentence but the droid understood it nonetheless. It gave a low whistle, indicating that it had been unable to send the hologram directly towards him, simply because it wasn't programmed to do so.
"Stupid droid", Tir'ack snatched the disk from the assassination droid and activated the disk. A hologram came into view and immediately the changeling's attention was turned elsewhere. "When did you get this?"
The droid gave another whistle in reply.
"Yesterday, huh. You were good to contact me immediately."
It was time to finish this job once and for all.
The Rodian was dead within seconds. He knelt down at the body and touched the creature's stomach. The odd sensation of his body changing engulfed him and after a few seconds, he stood up and turned to his droid. "Stay on guard. Tell anyone that wants to enter the building to go somewhere else. Kill them if they won't listen."
TR-7 responded with a complying beep.
"If you see the Jedi leaving the building… you know what to do" and with that, he walked towards the cantina where the Jedi was seen only a day ago. Inside he could hear a recording of a band playing in the background, indicating that even the largest cantina in the system didn't even have the currency to hire a live band.
"Manis, how good it is to see you here!" his target exclaimed and walked towards him. Tir'ack did his best Rodian laugh and gave the male human a hand.
The Jedi was older than he had expected and he was suddenly reminded on how frail humans actually were. Whereas his species could live for a good 150 standard years, 200 if you were lucky, the humans had to settle with around 80. It forced a lot of humans to rush their lives once they reached a quarter of their lifespan and was probably the reason why he saw many upcoming human boys trying to take over his job, while they usually haven't even flown a spacecraft yet.
It was bad for business.
"It's been a long time, my friend", Tir'ack, posing as an old Rodian diplomat replied. "It's been years since you've decided to visit Horn Station."
"It isn't actually. I visited once, 6 months prior. It's a shame I didn't get to see you there."
"Indeed."
"It is nice to see a familiar face again. I was afraid everyone I knew had already died."
"Many have… You told me you needed my help for something?"
The human Jedi straightened his back and nodded. "Many things have happened since the Empire has been dissolved. Yet I still sense the darkness, but in a different form this time. I've found out some incredibly important information, which needs to be brought to the New Republic as quick as possible. You're the only one I could think of."
"You want me to transport information without knowing what it holds?" In truth, the bounty hunter had a good feeling on what kind of information the Jedi held and that it was probably connected to him employer somehow.
The Jedi looked around. "Let's talk about this in a more secure location."
This was the moment he had been waiting for. Tir'ack stood up from the seat he had taken and followed the Jedi to the other room. "Where is this information?"
The lost Jedi reached for his side and for a moment Tir'ack thought he was going to pull out his lightsaber. Instead, he took out a data pad and gave it to the bounty hunter. "Here."
"Why not just deliver this information yourself?" Tir'ack couldn't help but ask. The Jedi gave him a sad smile.
"The time for me to act like a hero is over, my friend. I've gotten old and to be honest, living in solitude is looking very promising right now. I didn't deserve it before but now I've finally been able to give something back. Manis, you've been a good friend to me after the Jedi were slaughtered and I hate to put you in a dangerous position like this, but if I were to bring this personally, I feel like I won't deserve the credit they'll most likely give me."
The Jedi once called "Pinky" put a hand on Tir'ack's shoulder. "A new age of the Jedi is approaching. Young Skywalker will rebuild the Jedi Order once again with a whole new generation of Jedi. I will not be a part of it but this information will help them be one step ahead of their enemies, if only for a small while. Please Manis, I know this is a lot to ask of you but please take this information to the New Republic. Only then will we still have a future left in front of us."
Manis, or rather Tir'ack, put the data pad in his left hand. "I will."
"Thank you."
The moment these words left the man's mouth, it was already too late.
There was no fight. No more words.
Just death.
Naboo, 11 ABY
"TR-7, be ready to jump out of hyperspace." The droid beeped and pushed down a few buttons on the ship's control panel. Although the assassination droid hadn't been programmed to control a ship when Tir'ack had first purchased him, he had quickly made sure that it was at least capable of the basics for when he was in trouble.
The changeling reminded himself that he had to upgrade the droid's circuits while his stay here on Naboo. As the planet's economy was blooming under the New Republic, Tir'ack didn't expect the costs to be that high.
After the spacecraft finished landing, the bounty hunter changed into the skin that he was most comfortable in: that of a brown skinned male human. His black hair was tied in braids that reached his shoulders. His blaster holster was strapped on his right thigh and his lightsaber and the one he had taken from the Jedi were hidden on the inside of his jacket. It was the appearance of a man Tir'ack had met back on his home planet, all those many years ago.
It was also the appearance of a bounty hunter that was now better known as the Jedi Slayer; a name that made Tir'ack cringe every time he heard it.
If he was a slayer, it would mean that he gave the Jedi equal chances whenever he fought them. Tir'ack was hardly that stupid.
It didn't take long for him and his droid to arrive at his residence in Theed. Before entering the building, the bounty hunter made sure TR-7 scanned it to make sure it was safe. The droid gave a high pitched beep, indicating that there was a lifeform inside.
Tir'ack slowly made the door slide open, keeping his blaster ready to kill. But when he saw who was standing there, he put the SE-14C back into its holster. "Zaela."
The human woman turned around and stared at him for a second before saying: "They told me you were back and I guess they were right."
"They?"
Zaela just smiled and moved to hug him. "How much I missed you, brother."
Tir'ack sighed and hugged back. "I know and I'm sorry. This particular job took longer than I thought."
"You could have contacted me more often, you know."
"I was busy."
Zaela didn't seem convinced. After having accompanied him for more than 10 standard years, she knew him far too well to believe that statement. But she also knew him well enough to know when not to push it, apparently. "Now, where is my favorite droid?"
"Well, he's standing outside, waiting for anyone to come out to so he can shoot them. After all, you couldn't help but sneak into my house without notifying me."
"Well, you didn't notify that you were coming either so we're even." They sat down. "How long will you be staying?"
"I'm going to have to contact my employers soon and get my money. After that, I'll probably head out again."
"I guess any and all communication devices you own will have disappeared soon then."
"Indeed." They laughed and chatted for a while, talking about all the developing matters within the New Republic, on the planet and of course, Zaela's life. What they didn't talk about though, was what Tir'ack has been doing and he was grateful for that. The woman knew what he did for a living of course; how could she not. After all, they had met while he was in the middle of a job: to kill one of the few remaining Inquisitors, the Third Brother. In the end, it had been she who had delivered the final blow, shooting a well-aimed blaster shot while Tir'ack was keeping him busy.
Back then, she looked at him as if he was a hero and maybe back then he might have been. Now, however, he was anything but.
"Something is bothering you." He looked up and saw his sister in everything but blood looking at him with worry. He shook his head.
"It is nothing. I'm just exhausted from travelling for so long", he lied.
"I've long overstayed my welcome anyway." Zaela stood up. "Have some rest… I trust you'll still be here tomorrow?"
"If I won't, I'll tell you."
"You do that."
He sighed to himself, watching her leave. In all honesty, he would have liked her to stay for a little longer, but she was right: he had to rest, but not for the reason she thought he should. The Jedi hadn't been the first man he killed while they were defenseless. Yet there was something about today that was bothering him. Touching the data pad in his pocket, he could somewhat feel the Force surrounding it and intertwining with his. It was a warm, almost intoxicating sensation and he quickly pulled himself away from it.
He put the pad down on the table and walked away from it. It was not his job to know what information it held and he most certainly did not want it to influence his life. All that mattered was that it was clearly of importance to his employee, something he could definitively take advantage of. Maybe use it to finally quit this job, to get the Black Sun off his back.
That's right. Maybe Zaela would be proud of him again. Stop worrying about him. She would finally be able to let go of him and live her own life, away from any danger.
After all, her life was more precious than his.
It hadn't taken long for the Black Sun to contact him, or at least, one of its many mercenaries; Legless G'wan. A name everyone who was associated with him called him, yet also a name the human himself didn't take proud in. His metallic legs made it difficult for him to walk, though that didn't make him any less dangerous. He had contacts everywhere and was the eyes and ears of the organization.
G'wan was also one of the few who knew how to find him.
It was two days after Tir'ack had arrived back on Naboo. He had been enjoying the company of two fairly attractive women at the time and very displeased to hear his comlink go off during a heated and intoxicated conversation. It had been the newly upgraded TR-7, saying that someone was trying to contact him. (Even after Tir'ack angrily told him to relay the message, TR-7 told him once again that it wasn't within his programming. If the bounty hunter could strangle the droid, he would have done so then and there.)
So now Tir'ack driving his speeder back to his home, wishing not for the first time in his life that he could use the Force to get rid of the intoxication within his system. Yet he forced himself not to try. The Force was a weapon and nothing more. Thinking it was more was like admitting it was a more prominent part of his life than he'd like to think it was.
If that would mean he would have a hard time talking to whoever it was, then so be it.
The bounty hunter felt like there was a vibroblade stabbing his brains the moment he saw Legless G'wan standing in front of his door. He knew he would come of course and he had had a whole conversation planned ahead for when he did. The problem now though, was that he couldn't remember it at all.
"G'wan", he acknowledged. The mercenary turned around.
"My favorite bounty hunter," he replied with a grin, "already enjoying the goods of Naboo, I see?"
"Cut to the chase. I know you're here because of the Jedi."
"I trust you've gotten rid of him then?"
"Yes."
G'wan seemed pleased. "Tell me, was he hard to find? You sure took a long time to find him. I bet killing him must've been such a relief."
It hadn't been. In fact, it had been quite disappointing. "I want my credits."
"And you'll get them… in time. Although I do trust you, the Prince does not. He wants reassurance you have indeed caught him, you see."
"I have his lightsaber."
"Not enough."
Tir'ack chided himself for being so sloppy. He knew where the conversation was going, of course. If the Black Sun wanted reassurance, the only thing he could offer them was the information he had retrieved from the Jedi. Did they know he had it?
If they did, he would soon know. He wasn't ready to release his bargaining chip yet. If there was one thing he learned from being in the business for so long, it was that he should keep his cards close to his chest.
He took a deep breath in.
"Take your men to Horn Station. There is a cantina there called "The Thirsty Bantha". You'll find your dead Jedi there. If his body is found by someone else, you'll probably hear too." He walked by him to open the door. There was a small chance the body was still there. All he could hope was that word of the Jedi's death would have travelled around the city by now. "If there's nothing else, I have quite the headache right now, so I'd prefer for you to leave."
"Not so fast, bounty hunter. The Prince has a new bounty for you that I'm sure you'll find interesting. If you were to succeed, you'll be rewarded exponentially."
Tir'ack stopped himself. "Go on."
"There is a certain Jedi that's posing quite a threat to the organization. He wants you to take him out before he does the Black Sun any harm."
"Who?"
"The Jedi Skywalker."
Luke Skywalker. The one who singlehandedly took out the first Death Star and has risen up to be quite the Jedi after the destruction of the second one. There were even rumors that he had defeated both the Emperor and Darth Vader right before it blew up. Although Tir'ack wasn't inclined to believe these rumors, he did know there was always a bit of truth behind them; the Jedi Knight was powerful.
"He's worth more money than you could think of."
"Name your price."
Tir'ack couldn't help but think about the proposition that was right in front of him. To kill Skywalker would be quite the feat but that wasn't the only reason he was inclined to accept the job. After all, Skywalker was also one of the closest associates of a certain princess of Alderaan and he had a personal score to settle with her.
On the other hand, Zaela would never forgive him. The Jedi was like a hero to her.
The bounty hunter cursed himself for letting the human woman weaken his resolve like this.
"I refuse."
G'wan seemed surprised. "You refuse?"
"Yes."
"I see… It is understandable that you would think of your own life first. After all, we wouldn't want you to end up in the Sarlacc Pit as well, would we?" G'wan gave him a short laugh.
Tir'ack narrowed his eyes. "Do not compare me to that lousy clone, mercenary."
"Oh, but I will, not until you've proven me wrong that you can't do a better job than all those other bounty hunters that have gone after him."
Blast, that did it.
"Fine, I'll kill Skywalker for you." G'wan grinned, but that grin disappeared when Tir'ack told him his price.
"Ten million credits? That's enough to buy a planet!" He pursed his lips. "Five million."
"Nine million, then."
"Seven-and-a-half."
"Eight-and-a-half."
"Eight. Eight million or none at all and I do suggest you take it." Tir'ack didn't think he could up the deal much more so he agreed with it. It was always better to let the other think that he won the negotiation instead of the other way around. For future reference. G'wan nodded. "Don't disappoint me, Jedi Slayer, or else there'll be a death to pay."
And with that the human left, leaving Tir'ack to curse his intoxicated mind for being talked into doing the job so easily.
Coruscant, 11 ABY
It hadn't been difficult to say goodbye to Zaela; they were already used to him leaving by now. He didn't tell her anything about his job and she hadn't asked. He hoped she never would.
It's been four standard weeks since he had taken on the job to kill Skywalker and it had been unnecessarily difficult to track him. While yes, his every move was being tracked by the whole galaxy, he always seemed to get away from all the attention and slip through the bounty hunter's fingers. It was as if some being was watching over him, making sure he was invisible to anyone that wanted to find him.
The culprit would most likely be Alderaan's last princess Leia Organa-Solo who tried to keep the media away from the Jedi as much as she could while Skywalker was travelling the galaxy, not staying in one place for two long. While that made it very difficult for the bounty hunter, there was a certain pattern in his actions: he always came back to Organa and her husband, Han Solo.
Recognizing this pattern fairly quickly, Tir'ack figured that if he'd want to find Skywalker, all he had to do was wait while being in the presence of Leia Organa.
Posing as one of her trusted guards was an obvious choice. They were the ones that travel with her and stay by her side the most, yet they were also the ones that Organa socialized with the least. Talking to her would have only made the job increasingly difficult. After all, he didn't know how much he would have been able to contain his loathing for her.
Right now, the princess was visiting the former Imperial Center: Coruscant. It has been a decade since he had last been on the planet and seeing it now, Tir'ack couldn't help but think how much the city has changed since the time of the Empire. Any and all propaganda for the Empire in the form of statues, banners, buildings, etc. have been destroyed by the public and propaganda for "freedom" and "democracy" have taken its place. There were less humans walking around now, with ambassadors and senators from countless of planets visiting the planet.
More so with the upcoming meeting in the Senate that Organa had initialized.
She was heading to said meeting now, with Tir'ack and three more guards following her. Walking beside her was Mon Mothma, who after leading the army of the Rebel Alliance was now one of the New Republic most important figure heads. They were discussing the different stances of several senators. All Tir'ack could make out of that conversation was that there were still a couple of Imperial sympathizers left that would make their job increasingly difficult, but that those were still the minority.
What he also heard was that the meeting was going to address what was to be done with the remaining Moffs that were still resisting the New Republic's rule. Apparently there were two Moffs that have teamed up and now had a considerate force residing in the Dromund System. Normally the New Republic would have had no resistance fighting those forces before they became a problem, but the real problem was the system it resided in. The Dromund System was known to be visited by Dark Side Force users regularly and from what Tir'ack could pick up from the conversation, the ruling government in the system had a trading agreement with one of the Moffs, Moff Fixus, meaning that if they were to attack the Imperials, the New Republic could face a war with not only the Imperials, but also Dromund and its allies.
Tir'ack was quite certain that the New Republic would have won that war regardless, considering its many resources and military power, and that if the galaxy would have still been under the rule of the Emperor and that if those forces would have been rebels, the Imperials wouldn't have hesitated to take them out. This wasn't the Empire however and since Organa and Mothma were convinced that their moves have to be justified by the Senate in a democratic matter, they were incredibly slowed down by the many politicians opposing them.
Hearing all this, the bounty hunter was more than glad that he didn't have to worry about politics as long as he could do his job. It bored him anyway.
He was just starting to turn his attention elsewhere, when the conversation shifted to Skywalker.
"—it doesn't work, then I think sending Luke might be a solution."
Organa raised her eyebrows and stopped walking. Mothma, Tir'ack and the rest of the guards stopped with her. "You're suggesting we should defy the Senate? That's against everything we're fighting for."
"I'm suggesting that we should look at all of our options", Mothma denied with a soothing voice. "I'm not saying he should infiltrate the system and fight the Imperials. All I'm saying is that if the Senate were to think the Dromunds have the political high ground in this matter, then maybe we should send an ambassador towards the system to not only investigate the threat, but also evaluate the situation and maybe persuade them to rethink their decisions. Who better to do that than a Jedi such as Luke?"
"Luke already told me he'd much rather rebuild the Jedi Order than get himself into political affairs."
"If the Imperials expand their fleet much further, it won't just be a political affair."
"Then if it really gets out of hand, we'll send someone else who can give us the same results", Organa suggested instead. Mothma sighed.
"They'll never trust anyone other than a Jedi. Back in the time of the Old Republic, the Jedi were always the ones to complete missions very similar to these in favor of keeping the peace throughout the galaxy, especially the Core Systems. I believe the Dormunds will recognize this as well." And when Organa opened her mouth to say something: "No, Leia. Even you won't be able to gain their trust like Luke can."
"You didn't even know what I was going to say", the princess protested.
"No, but I know you." The aged senator smiled. "They'll just think you're trying to brainwash them into thinking the Empire is evil. Luke—well, you know how Luke is. If there is anyone that might be able to understand their situation, it'd be him."
Leia sighed. "Although I agree with that, let's not forget that the Dromunds have a known history with the Sith. It might not be safe for him to go there."
"You may have a point, but wouldn't that just be more of a reason why he should go? To investigate a planet where so many Sith have resided. He might be able to learn more about them."
Leia thought about it for a second. "Let's see what this meeting will bring us, before we get ahead of ourselves. After that, we'll be able to talk about it with Luke himself when he gets here."
Tir'ack glanced at her and even Mothma seemed surprised. "He's coming here?"
"Tomorrow, yes. I received a message from him an hour ago. Apparently he wanted to inspect the Jedi Temple and thought it'd be a good opportunity to do so now, since we're here now too. He even thought it'd be good for Ben to go with him as well. He was bored out of his mind here anyway, so I agreed."
"Ah yes, Ben. Has his Jedi training started yet?"
"No and I doubt it will be for a long time. Luke told me about how strong he is in the Force and even I can recognize that, but he is still my son. With the peace we have now, I want to get him a childhood first, without having to become a fighter like us."
"And does Luke agree with you?"
"He has to." And when Mothma gave her a disapproving look: "He is just a child. Han and I, as his parents, are still the most prominent people in his life. The day I'll allow Luke to train Ben, will be the day his voice has lowered and when he has grown taller than me. I only want the best for him. Luke, he agreed with me after we talked it through, eventually."
"I admire your resolve… I remember children weren't even allowed to see their parents during their Jedi training. Were taken into the Jedi Temple when they were mere infants so they could be trained by Jedi Masters, such as Master Yoda."
Organa seemed bothered by this. "I heard, yes." She lifted her chin. "But not anymore. Luke wants to do things differently. He is studying the history of the Jedi Order and is learning from its mistakes. This would be one of them."
"Of course." Mon Mothma nodded slowly. "So we'll be able to talk to him tomorrow about the matter?"
"Yes, but only if this meeting will not go the way we want it to go."
Mothma looked grim. "Whatever your expectations may be, I still have a bad feeling about this."
"You always do", Leia chuckled and started walking again. Her older superior shook her head and followed, probably planning her speech beforehand for when she was going to speak before the Senate.
Tir'ack, however, was planning something else entirely.
Skywalker arrived at the planet earlier than he had expected. It was in the late morning when Organa got the message. Walking behind her together with one other guard, Tir'ack tried to think of a way to affiliate himself with Skywalker. He'd rather not create a scene here on Coruscant with people watching their every move, so it would be ideal if he were to be able to go with the Jedi on one of his trips, where there would be a lesser chance of eyewitnesses.
The problem with that however, was that Luke Skywalker always travelled alone.
Tir'ack was surprised to see a lone X-Wing standing on the landing platform when they arrived there. Skywalker was tending to his ship while an Astromech Droid was standing beside him. They seemed to be talking about something.
As they walked closer to the ship, the bounty hunter could spot the lightsaber on his belt, barely hidden under his black robes.
"Luke!"
The Jedi turned around and have the princess a wide smile. "Leia." They hugged and even from the sidelines, Tir'ack could see the affection they had for each other. It surprised him a little. "It's been way too long."
"Indeed it was", Organa replied with a tired voice, "but it was worth it, I hope?"
"I've found some things that can be very useful, yes. Where are Han and Chewie?"
"They're off world. They had an errand to run. At least, that's what Han told me but if you ask me, he just wanted to avoid this place."
"Well, he was never one for politics…" Luke trailed off. He glanced around to the guards, momentarily making eye contact with the bounty hunter, before looking back at Leia again. "How are the negotiations going?"
"They are not negotiations." Skywalker gave her a look of indifference and the princess gave him a sigh in response. "The Senate isn't budging to our pleas. People say that they don't want another war but what they can't see is that we're actually trying to prevent one." It was to be expected, of course. The Senate was now more careful than ever.
"So, what now?"
"Well, Mon thought that maybe you could go to the Dromund System to try to negotiate with its government. Even if you wouldn't succeed, you'd know how much of a threat the Imperials are at the moment."
Luke frowned. "I see."
There was a small silence between them until the Jedi sighed and brushed his hand against Leia's arm in an affectionate manner. Tir'ack was surprised by the gesture and not for the first time he wondered just how close their relationship really was. It was unheard of for a Jedi to show this kind of affection for someone, at least during the Old Republic. Perhaps the old man back at Horn Station had been right that Skywalker was raising a whole new generation of Jedi; with different customs and different rules.
The thought filled the bounty hunter with both dread and anticipation: a silent longing for a new age, but also an underlining fear and uncertainty of what that new age might bring.
Tir'ack stopped himself from thinking about the possibilities. After all, Skywalker wouldn't live long enough to set this new age in motion, much less let it influence the rest of the galaxy.
"You know that I would have done it if I would have still been working with the Alliance, but I have different responsibilities now. You know that", Luke replied eventually.
"That's what I told Mon." Leia smiled at him. "But she still thinks the travel might be useful for you as well. But we'll talk about that later. I still need to show you where you'll be staying."
And so she did.
There was always a certain risk when you shapeshift into a different person. First, there was the risk that you might run into the person you shapeshifted into. That's why Tir'ack always killed the person he wanted to change into, usually burning the body if the situation allowed him to. Second, if you wanted to change into something else, people might miss the person you were before. For instance, if Tir'ack wanted to follow Skywalker into the old Jedi Temple, he would have to change into someone affiliated with the Temple or with the Jedi. However, this would mean that one of Organa's guards would be missing, something that might cause the princess to suspect something.
It was a risk he didn't want to take, especially not when the stakes were this high.
He had been thinking about this problem for quite some time during the afternoon. He had almost been inclined to take the risk anyway, when the solution came to him in a rush. Literally.
The boy ran through the hallway, bumping into Tir'ack in the process. "Wha— "
They both stumbled and the boy—couldn't be more than 10 years old, probably younger—scrambled back on his feet to start running again. A piercing voice however stopped him. "Ben Solo."
The boy, now named Ben Solo and—the bounty hunter realized—the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, tensed and stopped in his tracks. He turned around. "Mom…"
Leia crossed her arms and scowls at him. "What are you doing?"
Right as he was going to answer, one of Organa's associates arrived at the scene, completely out of breath. "My Lady, I— ", she breathed, "I apologize for his behavior. I didn't realize he was going to run off like that."
Organa sighed. "What happened?"
"He wanted to look for his father", the woman replied.
Tir'ack could feel the boy shift beside him and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from running off again. He didn't dislike children but when they bump into him like that, he most certainly didn't want them to have their way. Ben glanced up at him and then looked down again.
"Ben, I know you miss your dad, but he has responsibilities to fulfill, just like you and me. He'll be back soon", Leia reasoned.
"When?", Ben snapped. "He sometimes stays away for months and even when he is home, he'll be home for only a few days. He promised he'd look at the new droid units with me!"
"You can do that with someone else. Like me", Leia suggested.
"You never have the time."
"Alayna— "
"I don't want her, I want my parents!", Ben exclaimed before shrugging Tir'ack's hand off his shoulder and running away again.
Leia let out an exasperated sigh and turned to her associate, Alayna. "Let's leave him be for a while. He knows his way around the building just as much as you do. Just make sure he doesn't leave the building unguarded and contact me immediately if he does."
Alayna nodded. "I will, my Lady." She hesitated before saying: "I'm sure he'll come around."
Leia gave her a small smile. "Thanks you, Alayna." She left, leaving the princess alone with her guards. Tir'ack knew an opportunity when he saw one.
"My Lady, if I may…" He started. It was an odd thing to call her that. After all she hadn't been his lady for more than a decade. Leia turned to him and he took that as a permission to speak. "It's come to my attention that your associate has a hard time controlling your son at the moment."
The princess frowned. "Alayna has helped me raise him since he was just a baby." There was a slight suspicion in her voice.
"Yes and I'm sure that she is the best at what she does. But he is becoming a man now and he's finally starting to understand his place in the galaxy. That can be quite frightening and intimidating for a boy his age. It might make him act more reckless than he used to be as a child. From what I'm seeing, your associate won't be able to handle that alone."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Maybe have someone watch over him at all times. Like a personal aide, if only to keep him from getting hurt; from other people and himself."
Leia was silent for a moment, perhaps thinking about his proposal. "And who could I trust with such an important job?"
"You would know that better than me, my Lady."
"Yet you were the one to suggest it in the first place." Leia chuckled. "Tell me."
Tir'ack acted hesitance for a few seconds. "It would have to be someone that would understand what you want to achieve. Someone who has already worked for you for years so you know you can trust them. They would need to be able to protect him at all costs. With that comes a lot of experience and reliable skills. I don't know anyone specific right now but I could look for someone if you want."
"You underestimate yourself, Gillian."
The bounty hunter acted surprised. "Me, my Lady?"
"I've known you for many years and you've never let me down. Who would be better to fit the job than the one who suggested it himself? Only if you want to take on the job, of course."
Tir'ack nodded slowly. "If you feel like it'd be the right choice, I'd be honored to be of service to you."
Leia smiled. "It is settled then. Starting today you'll be removed from your service as one of my personal guards and will be reinstated as a personal aide to my son. I'll have the paperwork done by tomorrow so it'll be official. Talk to my son about it. I doubt he knows you very well and vice versa."
The bounty hunted gave her a bow with his head out of curtesy and gave her a small, almost triumphant smile. "I'd be glad to."
He waited until the evening before trying to get in contact with the little Ben Solo. He wasn't incredibly fond of talking to upset children, therefor he hoped the kid had calmed down by now. Tir'ack looked around the room; it was oddly clean for a child's, with the boy's clothes neatly folded on top of the shelf and no toys or other things laying around on the floor. It didn't seem to fit Ben's personality.
"I don't need a personal aide", the boy crossed his arm from where he sat on the couch. The bounty hunter could see that he was trying to act tough but with his big ears, nose and puffed eyes from the crying he could hardly take him seriously. "It's already bad enough with Alayna following around all day."
"I'm afraid you won't have much say in the matter, kid. Your mother has already given me this job and I intend to do it."
"Well, then intend differently."
Tir'ack chuckled slightly. "That's not how you say it."
"Yes it is."
"No it isn't." Is it?
"Shut up. You know what I mean."
"Do I?", Tir'ack asked but when the boy just stared back at him, he sighed and sat down besides the child. "You may not want it, but sometimes you're going to have to live with things not happening your way."
"Things don't happen my way all the time!"
"You're talking about your parents", Tir'ack realized. The boy looked away. "Oh well." He stood up and cracked his neck. He'd spoken to the boy and Organa's associate Alayna had seen him do so, which meant that he could now turn his attention somewhere else. Like how he was supposed to kill Skywalker in the base of the New Republic.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going back to my quarters, if that's alright with you. We have a big day tomorrow, I heard."
"What—but you're supposed to— ", Ben stopped himself just in time. Tir'ack wasn't having any of that however.
"Supposed to do what? Make you feel better? Say that your parents love you very much and that there's no need for you to feel abandoned? You would like that, wouldn't you, kid?"
"I don't want you to feel sorry for me, but the least you could do is be nice to me…"
"I'm not here to be nice to you, especially not when you're acting like a spoiled little— ", he stopped himself when he looked down at the boy's eyes. They seemed hurt. He sighed. "Look, I'm not nice to you because you don't deserve my respect. People listen to your mother because they respect her and acknowledge the things she did for them. You know how she did that? By not crying whenever your dad's not here to pick you up." He hesitated. "Probably."
The boy surprised him by saying: "You don't like my mom very much, do you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"You said 'they', not 'we'."
"It's just a manner of generalizing it."
"Oh…"
Figuring the conversation was over, Tir'ack turned to leave again, but when he wanted to open the door, the boy stopped him once again. "Gillian?" (He didn't know how he knew his name, but then he realized that as the guard he was posing as had been in Organa's service for a long time, Ben would have probably known him for a long time as well.)
"Yes?"
"How can you make people respect you?"
Tir'ack glanced back at him and saw the look of uncertainty in the boy's eyes. For a moment, the bounty hunter was unsure how to answer him. He thought back on his own life, the experience he'd gathered from the many years he'd been through. In the end, there was only one answer to this; a truth many were foolish to ignore. So he told him that, hoping that the boy wouldn't end up like his father once had: following fake ideals and destroying his and his people's identity and eventually their lives.
What he didn't know however was that his answer would be one of the many things that would cause the New Republic to crumble in defeat many years later.
Before the age of the Empire, the Jedi Temple had been impressive to say the least: the spires reaching the heights of your average AT-AT and the bronze statues of ancient Masters guarding the halls managed to make any creature feel insignificant and small. To many it seemed like a fortress, one built to make the other seem like a lesser being. Yet once one had the privilege to enter the building, they could see that it had never been intended to be a symbol of pride, but more of a symbol of humility.
Tir'ack had been inside the Temple only once during that time. The Temple's Library had been one of the biggest in the galaxy, as it had been for many centuries. When the bounty hunter hadn't been able to find a Dark Jedi using his own contacts, the Jedi Archives had helped him massively in locating him.
Entering the building had made him look at the Jedi in a different light. He saw the potential of what the self-proclaimed Peacekeepers ought to be, yet also the pit of pride the Jedi had been doomed to fall in ever since they had tied themselves to Coruscant and the Senate.
Back then and even now (even though most of the statues have been brought down when the Empire was founded) it made him think about his own decisions in life, the time he had left Alderaan and with that his family. At the time it had seemed like the logical choice: it allowed him to take care of his family, giving them a part of the money he earned, while still keeping his dignity and identity. For a long time had he been angry with his father for the decisions that he made for the Waz'nai, their tribe, yet now he could finally see why.
Their kind had been in trouble at the time. There were only a few nai scattered on Alderaan, the Waz'nai being the biggest one of them all. The humans hadn't known of their existence for a long while and they had intended to keep it that way, until their sister tribe Ruyt'nai's territory was invaded by them. It had been only a small group of humans, hunters perhaps, and clearly not enough to fight the warriors of the Ruyt'nai who have been trained to survive since they were young.
After the 'attack' the Ruyt'nai proclaimed war on the humans and asked the Waz'nai for help, yet knowing the threat and not wanting to sacrifice his tribe for pitiful revenge, his father refused. The war only lasted a few days. After that, their relationship with the humans had never been the same. Seeing their species as a threat to their civility and peace, they swiftly went through the lands to take care of all other nai one by one. Until the Waz'nai was all that was left.
Tir'ack, young and bloodthirsty as he once had been, had ridiculed his father for his decision; thought him a disgrace to his own people. He wanted revenge, yet he didn't get it. His father ordered for everyone to blend in with the humans, be a part of them to eventually be forgotten. Tir'ack left shortly after.
This was seven years before the Clone Wars started and a few months later, he had found himself here, in this Temple. How times had changed since then.
Now, the bounty hunter finally knew that it wasn't cowardice that had moved his father's decision, but that it was actually the bravest thing he could have done for his people. He had been prepared to sacrifice his status and pride, just so he could save his species. To get them to survive instead of get killed in a war they wouldn't have won.
For the Jedi, the Temple was a place of meditation and serenity and to be honest, he could finally see the truth in that statement. He hated it. He didn't want to be confronted with the past, didn't want to be reminded of the mistakes he had made.
He saw Skywalker glance at him from the corner of his eye and immediately suppressed his feelings of anger and grief that were probably radiating heavily through the Force. The bounty hunter didn't know if the Jedi had caught up with them and seen the reason behind those feelings (some Jedi were known to be able to read someone else's thoughts), but he had no choice but to assume he didn't.
"Uncle Luke, where are we supposed to go?"
The Jedi Knight looked at Ben and smiled. Tir'ack did not miss how Ben had called him. "We're already here, are we not?"
"But there's nothing here…"
And there wasn't. The remnants of the Temple were now nothing more than rubble. Although spires and pillars were still standing tall, anything of value had long been taken from the temple. Pieces of the walls were littered all over the floor and have been blocking their way to certain passages for quite some time now.
"Sometimes you have to look further than what you see."
The child, 7 years old as Tir'ack found out the day before, frowned in confusion. "The Force?"
"Indeed", Skywalker nodded. "Open yourself up to it and you might be able to find what we're looking for." Now the bounty hunter finally realized why the Jedi had decided to bring Ben with him: to teach him to become a Jedi, without Organa's approval. Although it was still the mere basics, Tir'ack knew the Princess wouldn't have appreciated it.
In a way, the thought saddened him. It meant that the kid was already getting shaped into a Jedi way before he could decide whether he wanted to follow that path or not. Of course it didn't matter to him really, but it was still a sign that Skywalker might not be learning from the Jedi's mistakes in the past as much as people thought he did.
Plus, he'd started to like the kid over the last few days, though he wouldn't admit that to anyone.
"I'll be able to look through walls?", the excitement from the boy shone bright in the Force. It was a large contrast to the darkness Tir'ack had felt upon entering this place.
"No," Skywalker chuckled, "you won't be able to look through walls. But sometimes you don't have to. Not only living things can be felt through the Force, but objects as well. Some objects having a far greater Force signature than others, depending on their history and importance it has on our fate."
"I don't understand…", the boy trailed off.
Skywalker stopped walking, making Tir'ack, who was biding his time behind them, stop as well. "Close your eyes and open yourself up to the Force. Don't think of anything else, just let yourself flow through it."
Ben did what he was told and concentrated, but when the Jedi asked him if he could sense anything, he shook his head. "No…"
There was a glint of disappointment in his eyes, but he didn't let it show. "Then it might be somewhere else", Skywalker reasoned. "Go ahead and search some more."
Ben started to walk off and Tir'ack was just about to follow him, when they both realized that Skywalker was still standing there, looking up to the carvings in one of the pillars. "Uncle Luke?"
"You two go ahead. I'll check out the other side of the Temple and meet with you later." He nodded.
Tir'ack glanced at him, suspicious by his reasoning but when Ben continued walking, he had no choice but to follow.
Ben Solo walked around the hallways, trying to take it all in. He was being overwhelmed by every single pillar he passed; not because of how much bigger the Temple actually was from the inside, but because everything they passed seemed like it was screaming out to him. He could hear loud shrieks within the wind that was whistling through the openings in the walls. Blaster shots with every step he took. And worst of all: sounds of lightsabers clashing against each other at the end of each hall, echoing through his eardrums and making him slow down every time he heard it.
Before he realized, he was already shaking. It was as if he was right in the middle of a massacre, getting forced to watch the side of the assailant and the victim both at once.
Ben continued walking, blinded by the visions the Force had given him. It frightened him, but even now, he could still hear the voice of his uncle ringing through him. 'Don't fear the Force. Let it guide you…'
But what if it wanted to guide you in two different directions?
Knowing that no answer would come, he stopped and swallowed. He didn't want to fail his uncle; wanted to show him and his parents that he was old enough to become a Jedi like him. 'You have to be strong, unwavering… Make choices, do what your mind tells you to do, and stick to them. Do that and people will respect you for it, no matter how old or how much of a brat you are.'
Ben straightened his back and swallowed. He would have to make a choice.
He closed his eyes and walked to where the Force was calling him to go—now a clearer path than it had ever been.
Moments later, he found himself in a chamber. It was dark and moist, as if it were underground.
And in front of him, there were small cubes, lighting the room just slightly. There were only three, but that didn't matter to find. He had found something and he had used the Force to find it!
Grinning, Ben turned around. "Gillian! Look what I found!"
When there was no reply, he left the room and looked around. There was no sign of the man anywhere. He started to worry a little. "Gillian?", he yelled.
Still no reply.
He breathed. A part of him wanted to go back and find him (even though he had no idea where he was exactly), but something in the Force held him back.
A part flashing him a sharp warning.
The other calling out to him, making him want to pick up the cubes—the holocrons.
Figuring his aide would be alright (he had seen him stand off against two wookiees once after he won a game of Sabacc—if he could do that, he could do anything), he went back and picked up the holocrons in his arm. But as he did so, he saw the glint of a small red light underneath the rubble.
Ben walked towards it, careful but curious.
Knowing the Force wanted him to take it (and the Force hadn't been wrong before), he went on his knees and reached out with his hand to grab it. It was stuck but after enough twisting and pulling, he was able to take it.
Looking at it closely, he saw that it wasn't like the other holocrons. In fact, it didn't seem like a holocron at all: it was a small and round disk with a red light shining in the middle and a single button right beneath it. Letting his curiosity take over, he pressed the button. The red light started to flash slower and slower, until it eventually dimmed out.
Disappointed, Ben sighed and put it in his pocket. No one would mind him taking his piece of scrap metal with him, right? After all, it would be a nice souvenir to take back home with him as a slight reminder of his first mission ever.
He looked around to make sure he didn't miss anything and left the chamber again.
Now, he just had to find his aide and uncle.
With his droid on stand-by outside, ready to fight if he was needed, and the kid out of his way. this was the best chance the bounty hunter would ever get on killing Skywalker. But when he came back to where they separated, he was surprised to see the Jedi still standing there with his eyes closed.
Wasn't he supposed to search the other side of the Temple?
Tir'ack silently grabbed the lightsaber he had hidden on his back, but didn't ignite it, keeping his distance. He could leap behind him, stabbing Skywalker in his back if he wanted to, but there was something unsettling about this whole situation. Something wasn't right here.
Just when he was about to attack anyway, the Jedi's eyes fluttered open. "I figured you would come. I wasn't sure who you would go for, but now I do."
The bounty hunter cursed himself for being this sloppy. He must have made a mistake somewhere and given him away. But when and how, he did not know.
"You didn't."
Tir'ack looked at him surprised and Skywalker smiled.
"Gillian isn't a Force sensitive. I sensed you were not him the moment I saw you. Now the question is: where is he and who are you?"
"That is none of your concern."
The Jedi's eyes saddened. "I see."
The bounty hunter lunged at him and ignited his lightsaber, swinging it down on Skywalker. He could see his eyes widen slightly, before rolling away and igniting his own. Judging that Skywalker wouldn't attack him immediately, Tir'ack stabilized his feet and brought himself into a fighting stance. It had been a while since he last fought a Jedi and he didn't want to take any chances.
"That lightsaber wasn't made for you", Luke noted. "Where did you get it?"
Tir'ack swung at him again, this time with more precision and less strength. Skywalker blocked it easily and pushed the white blade away from him.
Using the opening presented to him, the Jedi swung his blade to his other side. Tir'ack was able to dodge it just in time and grabbed the blaster pistol from the holster on his thigh, firing a single burst.
If it wasn't for his Jedi reflexes, Luke Skywalker would have died then and there. Instead, his lightsaber was already up to deflect the shots back at him. Tir'ack rolled to the side and fired another burst. He already expected the shots to be blocked and he was not disappointed. He ducked his head to dodge the deflected blast once again and used the opportunity to slice the lightsaber up to his target.
Skywalker used the Force to jump back right in time. With his blaster in his left hand and his lightsaber in his right, Tir'ack continued to throw different attacks, but they were all rendered useless. Realizing he was just tiring himself while his target was merely defending, Tir'ack created some more distance between them. Skywalker lowered his lightsaber slightly.
"I sense no desires from you. Yet you try to kill me", he observed. "Why?"
"There's a bounty on your head, Jedi. And I intend to claim it."
The Jedi tilted his head slightly. "Really? Then why are you holding back?"
Tir'ack clenched his jaw with anger and attacked him once again. The battle went back and forth, each attacking the other with swift and accurate strikes, but as the fight went on, the bounty hunter could feel himself getting pushed back. He was defending mostly now, his actions restricted by the sheer force that was Luke Skywalker. It was a position he did not wish to be in for too long.
Knowing that only a surprise attack could bring him out of this position, he holstered his blaster and reached for his back with his left hand.
Skywalker frowned and brought down yet another powerful strike, which Tir'ack blocked with difficulty. They were close to each other now, neither willing to be pushed back by the other.
Then suddenly, a second lightsaber was ignited.
Luke widened his eyes and used the force to jump back. It was, however, not on time and the white lightsaber cut through his right leg like it was nothing. He gritted his teeth, glancing at the red gash that was probably restricting his movements a lot now.
Tir'ack allowed himself to breathe and twisted the lightsaber in his left hand so they were both facing forward now. He did not like using both lightsabers at the same time. In fact, he was a worse dualist with both than with one. But from sheer experience, he knew that changing his fighting pattern as drastically as this, might give him the edge in battle that he needed right now.
These two lightsabers belonged with each other anyway.
He charged once again, attacking with both of them and forcing Skywalker to defend. The Jedi kept blocking every single strike coming at him but more and more he got through that seemingly impenetrable defense.
Just one more…
He did not realize the Jedi had closed his eyes until his lightsaber was already mid-swing.
Suddenly, an invisible blow knocked the air out of him and pushed him backwards, making him drop both his lightsabers and fall on the ground. He could hear a disturbing crack from within his body and he knew he had broken something. Tir'ack groaned and tried to reach out to the one closest to him, the Force still forcing him down on his back. Skywalker held out his hand and the lightsabers flew into his hand. His eyes were still closed and his mind was still deeply immersed with the Force.
"It is over, bounty hunter. You cannot beat me, not without the Force guiding you." He opened his eyes and deactivated his lightsaber, as if the fight was already over.
As if.
Tir'ack sneered and quickly grabbed his blaster. Skywalker's hand was already up, but knowing that even a Jedi wasn't able to do anything against some good old laser fire with just his bare hand, he shot.
It turned out that he was wrong.
Instead of hitting Skywalker in the head, the five separate laser bursts were stopped in its path. The lasers were twitching violently, itching to move with the enormous speed it carried, but somehow they didn't. Couldn't.
Tir'ack glanced at the Jedi and knew in that moment that he had lost. The realization gave him an odd sense of relief and he slumped back on the ground, lowering his gun but still holding it, just in case. He was beaten, but if he were to die one way, it might as well be by the hand of the man who had beaten him in a fair fight.
He heard the Jedi coming closer and tensed up. No. He did not want to die. Not while knowing that he hadn't been able to tell Zaela the truth in the end.
He reached to the transmitter on his wrist, which would send an emergency signal to TR-7. The droid would be able to distract Skywalker, long enough for him to take his lightsabers back and—
Tir'ack felt a hand on his shoulder and he froze under the touch. Yet when he looked up into Skywalker's eyes, he could feel a warm glow wash over him as if the Force was telling him to relax. To give in. He frowned.
"I don't know about you," the Jedi started, "but I'm pretty tired from the fighting. How about we just call it a quits, huh?" He grinned slightly. Only now did Tir'ack realize how young the Jedi actually was. It hurt his pride a little bit. "I do not wish to kill you."
"What makes you think that you will?", Tir'ack pulled himself up a little, feeling that the invisible force holding him down had vanished. "This fight is far from over."
"It is", Luke said matter-of-factly. He straightened a little and the young ambiance around him was gone again. "Do not make it harder for yourself, not for a few extra credits."
"Eight million."
"What?"
"Its eight million credits, not a few extra."
Skywalker was silent for a while.
"And who would be able to pay you such a large sum of money?"
Tir'ack chuckled slightly. "I will not tell you. It's against the rules."
"Whose rules? Theirs? I assure you, if you tell me, I'll make sure you will be well protected if they were to come after you."
"I doubt that. I've stopped trusting Jedi a long time ago. Besides, it's not their rules, it's mine. Bad for business, you see."
Skywalker frowned. "Why?" Then, probably realizing that his question was too vague, elaborated: "Why did you stop trusting Jedi? Did you ever meet one anyway?" At that prospect, the Jedi leaned forward a little, clearly interested. "Do you know of some that are still alive?"
Tir'ack snorted. "As if. The Jedi still alive after the Jedi Purge were either killed by Darth Vader, other bounty hunters or me. There are none left that I know of, because I kill every single one I meet. Or Inquisitors for that matter", he sneered. If there was anyone he despised more than Jedi or Sith, then it was an Inquisitor. They were mere pawns, doing everything the Sith told them to do. At least both the Jedi and Sith took responsibility for their own actions and decisions, unlike them.
"Why?"
"Why I kill them?" Tir'ack laughed mirthlessly. "Because they're all the same. Jedi, Sith; it doesn't matter. They are all the same in the end: arrogant, mindless cunts that do all the bantha you can think of just so they'll get what they want. They may seem as heroes to you, but they deserved everything they got to them at the time."
When Skywalker didn't seem to get it, the bounty hunter threw his head back, staring at the dark ceiling. "I'll explain it to you. You probably will just keep asking questions unless I do.
It might surprise you, but I was actually trained by a Jedi when I was young. The Republic was still striving at the time, sending its Jedi all over the galaxy to keep the peace. One of them was Sacc-Ti, a Devaronian woman. She was sent to Alderaan for a purpose I did not know at the time. One day, our clan found her wounded in one of the caves and we took care of her, took her in. Somehow, she found out that I was Force Sensitive and even though I was too old to be a Padawan learner at the Jedi Order, she trained me anyway. We were close friends and I trusted her completely."
Tir'ack breathed. "When she was healed again, she had to leave, saying that her loyalty was still with the Jedi. She promised that she would return soon though.
"She came back years later, when the Ruyt'nai, a tribe not so different from ours, pledged war against the humans. She was one of us, yet she turned our back on us. She helped the humans defeat the Ruyt'nai even though they didn't need the help anyway. I saw her slaughter dozens of my kin without flinching. I wasn't allowed to intervene by my father's order, but if I could have, I would have asked her why…
"When I finally left the planet, I wanted to find out what really happened back then. I didn't know what to think. So I went to Coruscant and sneaked into the Jedi Archives, looking for answers. I found out that it wasn't by accident that we found her back then. There were already rumors about our species living there and Sacc-Ti had been sent to Alderaan to investigate us, to familiarize with us in case we were hostile and needed to be taken care of as swiftly as possible.
"She was my friend, my Jedi Master", he sneered, "but it was all just to get information about my species. And it worked. When she got back to Coruscant, she told them everything about us. It was that information that helped the humans die out our species. Almost, at least.
"The other Jedi were no different back then."
There was a long silence between them, both men repeating the story once again in their thoughts, one to drown in their own emotions and the other to try to make sense of everything that has been said.
It was the latter who broke the silence. "Then help me change that. We might not be able to change the past, but we can shape the future. I'm building a New Jedi Order and I want it to be different from the old one. But… I admit that I lack the experience and knowledge to truly know what to look out for and what to pursue. But you do."
Tir'ack wanted to laugh. Was Skywalker actually being serious?
"Think about it", Luke insisted. "Jedi are not inheritably evil, just being able to use the Force doesn't make you wrong all of the sudden. It is a great responsibility, yes, and that can turn into arrogance real soon. But at the other side, to have a connection with the Force is like having a connection with life itself. I'm sure that Sacc-Ti, besides her underlying intentions, wanted to give you that connection. Because she cared about you."
"What would you know about that, huh?"
"I don't but you do."
With those few words Tir'ack was silenced. Because he wanted to believe that she did. Oh, how much he wanted to believe…
"So… will you help me?", Luke asked again.
Tir'ack looked at him, his eyes blurring slightly and couldn't help but crack a smile. "Like hell I will."
Luke watched the ship take up speed as it flew into space, before turning to see his sister standing there with a small smile on her face. "So I guess in the end it didn't work out, huh…"
"He'll be back. He just needs to sort things out in his life first", Luke replied with utmost certainty. "Is Ben still upset about him leaving?"
"A bit yeah, but I think he'll come around soon enough. In the end I wasn't able to explain to him who he really was."
Luke sighed. "That might be better, for his own sake. Did you analyze the data pad I gave you?"
"Yes."
"And?", he prompted.
"It's amazing really. There were locations, battle reports, records of people getting interviewed. I didn't know what it all was at first so I crosschecked it with General Madine. In turn, he crosschecked it with the data we already have in our own records and guess what? It all resolves around a single organization: The Black Sun. Not only that, but if you combine it with the knowledge we already have on them and the data we restored from the Royal Palace, we can have solid case against them."
"The Black Sun is still an enormous organization. Even if we can arrest its top leaders, they can still break out. They have contacts everywhere."
"That's just the thing: they don't. According to the data we analyzed from the data pad, the Black Sun lost most of its followers and connections with the fall of the Empire. It only was able to grow so big because the Emperor allowed them to be. They may seem like a big organization still and maybe they still are, but they're unstable; easy to fall apart with just the slightest push."
Luke smiled slightly. "Then I'm sure you'll know what to do with the knowledge now."
"Of course", there was a glint in her eye that reminded Luke so much of himself. "Where did you get it anyway?"
"Tir'ack gave it to me, as a thanks for not killing him I guess."
Leia seemed to ponder that for a second. "And if he comes back to kill you again, what then?"
"Then I'll just fight him again. Hey, he's a pretty good fighter. Has a Han-like kind of fighting style, you'd like it." Luke smirked, before he turned serious again. "I'll do it over and over again until he'll finally use the Force again, if only so he could beat me. It's the least I can do for him; no Jedi should life without the Force guiding him."
"So, he's a Jedi now?", Leia raised both her eyebrows.
"Perhaps not yet, but he will be… eventually."
A/N: It's finally finished but this will not be the end. I hope you could the many references I integrated into this story, from Rebels to the prequels to Legends/EU. Please tell me what you think in a review and if the story is well-received, I'll continue with the second installment of this series, which shall be posted as a separate story. Thank you for reading!
Special thanks to TheeFirstEvil for proofreading this story and giving me some feedback