The Jedi Everyone Wants Me to Be

Chapter 2

The Shadow dropped out of hyperspace as close as Ben could risk to the asteroid belt in the Horuset System.

It was a planetary system known to many but its coordinates a carefully guarded secret. Korriban was a desolate world of craters and forgotten tombs, regularly bombarded by comets and asteroids. It was a single planet system, complimented by an asteroid belt and seven moons. Ben took the safer option and sat on the border of the asteroid field, he considered touching down on one of the moons but none were in very stable orbits. Scanners showed no orbital defences around Korriban; or any high-powered technology on the surface. Ben knew from experience on Endor and Shedu Maad that hiding on a desolate world was not the hardest task so he didn't read much into the scans. Advanced sensor jammers in conjunction with an underground complex could easily mask energy signatures.

Rowdy was beeping and whistling from the back of the bridge but Ben ignored him, he shut down all main systems and touched down on one of the larger asteroids. Ben waited. If anything his two and a half years away from the Jedi taught him was the value of patience which was so often preached at him.

Ben waited for twelve standard hours in silence, until a convoy of freighters rose from the surface of the dead world. A couple of off-the-line YT-2400s and an aging G9-Rigger which had seen better days, none of the ships were heavily armed or dangerous to the Jade Shadow. A few concussion missiles and barrage of laser fire would cripple any of them but Ben supposed laying low was a priority for the One Sith. A Galactic Alliance Fleet group or even a single Star Destroyer could wipe them from the face of the Galaxy without breaking a sweat.

Within the hour, the ships cleared the system on different vectors and Ben powered up the Shadow, trusting in the Force that this was his window of opportunity.

"Rowdy. Take us in quietly on the far side of the planet from these co-ordinates, land in whatever natural cover you can find four clicks out." Ben typed the coordinates, unsure of how he absorbed such specific numbers from the Codex as he rose from his seat and made his way from the bridge to gear up.

The Shadow didn't have much of an armoury. A few racks of blasters in varying degrees of antiquity, a selection of lightly armoured advanced combat flight-suits, a collection of vibroblades and a storage bin filled with thermal detonators and ion grenades. All in all it was a pale imitation of what the Shadow once held under the purview of Jedi Master Mara Jade Skywalker but it was enough for Ben.

He changed into a flight-suit and activated the active-camouflage systems. The once black fibres of the suit melted into a lighter shade of grey, matching the Shadow's metallic walls. The camouflage system would change dependant on the terrain he stood on or leaned against and if he had to get by without the Force, Ben would need every advantage to go unseen. Jedi robes weren't very practical in a desert setting, especially his black and grey variants.

Ben clipped on his favoured utility belt and picked up a modified blaster and holster, similar in look to the standard issue DL-44 many other Jedi used but very different under the surface. He grabbed his mother's lightsaber and secured it in his sleeve and pocketed his own in case of emergency. He had taken to using his Mother's blade over his own; it was far superior to his own design. He also picked up a belt of four thermal detonators, in case some reconstruction was in order. Lastly Ben picked up a vibroknife attached it to his belt.

It wasn't a nice thought but it was a silent means of eliminating an enemy. Mara Jade taught her son to be well prepared and Ben stopped at the thought, his mom, the women who raised him. Ben spoke with her for a time Beyond Shadows, in the Lake of Apparitions. She reassured him, stopped Ben from thinking he could have anymore to prevent her death on Kavan. Jacen, in his madness would have just killed him too and it was Caedus himself who related that.

Ben still had trouble believing he could talk to her in such a way but he missed her every day. Jacen took her life long before it was over, long before Ben or his Father was ready. And thinking of her it struck Ben; the words of Tadar'Ro rang in his ears, like his mother's would have.

Ben Skywalker must be careful of the Codex and the knowledge it gives.

Was Ben doing the right thing? Did Anakin want to come back? Ben didn't speak to him much in the Lake of Apparitions; a quick few words and Anakin told him to move on. Was Anakin whole or was he a shell of the boy who died to save the Jedi?

Did the Codex deceive him? Could the Codex deceive him?

The Shadow jerked and the screen on the far wall lit up with a message. WE HAVE LANDED AT THE COORDINATES PROVIDED JEDI SKYWALKER. A SCAN OF THE AREA HAS SHOWN NO LIFEFORMS OR RECENT ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCTION

"Give me a minute Rowdy."

AFFIRMATIVE JEDI SKYWALKER

When he reached the bridge Ben saw it was dark beyond the viewport. Good, he would need every advantage and darkness could be counted as one. "Rowdy." He said and the little black Astromech rolled to his feet, bumping his shins. "Try not to break my shins please."

Rowdy whistled in indignation.

"No Rowdy, Sith will not come tapping on the hatch while I am away." Ben assumed; Rowdy's tone was panicked. "Keep the Shadow ready to break atmosphere and prep my StealthX. If I don't come back in 12 hours, shut down the Shadow and get to my dad at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Tell him about the One Sith, show him everything I've complied along with the transponders of those freighters and get them to come rescue me please."

ROWDY WILL LEAVE IN 12 HOURS UNLESS YOU RETURN JEDI SKYWALKER

Ben nodded, approving the holographic message hovering in front of Rowdy. He was glad the little Astromech was so forthright; Ben didn't understand the bleeping and whistling language well. "In my StealthX, I would like the Shadow to be around if I get caught and can escape myself."

THE STEALTHX HAS A LOWER SHIELD GRADING

If a droid could frown Ben would be looking at a downcast droid. "Take my StealthX Rowdy."

AFFIRMATIVE JEDI SKYWALKER

And that was sullen. "The StealthX burns TibannaX Rowdy; it's safer if you leave at night. No one will see or detect the engine trail and you can't fly the Shadow all the way back to Coruscant yourself."

AFFIRMATIVE JEDI SKYWALKER, I WILL LEAVE ON THE STEALTHX

"You will leave on the StealthX only after twelve hours of waiting for me with no contact." Ben wasn't leaving Rowdy any loopholes.

AFFIRMATIVE JEDI SKYWALKER

"Thanks for everything Rowdy." Ben patted the Astromech's matte black dome. Despite how the little guy infuriated him at times, he was Ben's only true companion for going on three years; he would miss Rowdy and even his program defying survival streak if anything happened.

Ben passed the Shadow's hatch and found Korriban cold; a light frost covered the sand beneath his feet. On his way to the valley Ben made himself small like Jacen taught him, so small that his Force presence diminished to where to a being who could harness the Force effectively would detect nothing more than an insect.

The Shadow was several kilometres out and Ben made his approach on foot, arriving at the Valley in less than an hour. Even mostly cut off from the Force Ben could feel the discomforting, dark malaise. He was glad to be almost shut off from the Force and Korriban's darkness. The miasma of dark energy the planet and tombs radiated was intoxicating, smog which filled the air even without the Force and choked those unfortunate enough to be on the surface. Ignoring it as best he could Ben continued through the Valley, keeping to the shadows and seeing the first of a series of magnificent monolithic statues. Ancient aurebesh inscribed the names of Sith Lords gone past but Ben didn't read them or wait around, even with his diminished connection to the Force, Ben could feel something. He wasn't sure what it was but he didn't feel like sticking around to see it either.

In and out, he told himself.

That was the plan but a Sith on a strolling down the valley vaped the plan pretty quick and Ben pressed back into the shadows, he felt a slight flutter as the material of his flight-suit conformed to the wall. He breathed deeply and slowly to calm his heart-rate. With the vibroknife in hand Ben waited until the Sith passed him on the return leg, noticing the gentle bump of a metallic hilt on his belt. Ben followed slowly.

The simplest way to immobilise almost any near-humanoid species quietly is the severing of the spinal column, at the back of the pelvis or at the base of the neck; easy to remember and effective.

Those where words Ben remembered from his dead friend Lon Shevu, a man who died at the hands of a Sith Apprentice. That thought stayed with Ben as he patiently followed until the Sith reached the dark cave from which he emerged.

It was over in seconds, a hand covered the being's mouth and Ben buried the vibroknife into the base of the spine, up to the hilt. A sharp twist and the heavy body turned limp. Ben laid the being down slowly; the male Devaronian was light and couldn't have been very strong in the Force if his senses didn't pick up Ben's threat. He wiped the vibroknife on the humanoid's robe, smearing silver-like blood on the black robe. Taking a deep breath to calm himself Ben continued into the cave until he reached a durasteel bulkhead fitted in the rock, Ben used his datapad to pry open the heavy durasteel from a nearby com-panel.

Stepping inside the corridors abruptly became metal all around and Ben stopped as the bulkhead slid shut, allowing his suit to absorb the new patterns but knowing full well if he was spotted it would be a fight. As he continued on Ben ruminated that there was a good chance of being caught, he was lost. The Codex told him where to go but it wasn't exact. He needed the Force but couldn't risk opening himself to it.

Ben settled for a door with a nameplate Security. It was small; more the size of a tiny refresher than security room but it was complete with monitors and live feeds of the complex. Ben pulled out a datapad and carefully synced into the system to avoid detection, activating the holo-displays. The software was aged and mostly civilian standard, nothing like the military-grade slicing packages Ben's datapad was armed with. In a few minutes he had a map of the facility and his target location.

He checked the logs and it seemed they were finished with the cloning stage, the body matured to an acceptable age and they also completed dragging Anakin's essence from the Beyond Shadows. Anakin was under the purview of a Darth Maladi, the Sith Chief Medical Advisor. Ben would have to be careful, be prepared to wait it out even if she was torturing Anakin and Ben had a feeling a Sith wouldn't just finish up for the night.

With the map clear in his mind Ben navigated the facility more easily, not encountering any resistance. Ben supposed they weren't expecting company and manning the facility fully wasn't a priority. Either way Ben hoped he didn't run into the One Sith's leader Darth Krayt, from what he glimpsed in the Codex Ben knew he would not fare well single combat. The former Jedi would give his Father Luke a good run out and probably destroy any of the other Masters on the Jedi High Council.

Arriving at his destination Ben entered the door code he memorised from the logs and it slipped open soundlessly. He moved in quickly, staying low as he heard the crackle of Force Lightning and Anakin's screams. He kept behind the terminals and lab equipment bordering the room as he moved forward.

The organic, rack-like device in the centre of the room was all too familiar to his eyes. Ben could remember every second he spent in the Embrace of Pain on the Anakin Solo in terrifying detail. Ben liked to think he moved past the event but seeing the device made him shudder at the thought of the constant pain, it riled his anger and made him want to burn the Sith witch for subjecting a member of his family to it. To throw her on and let the slimy tendrils wrap her up and pull at her, pierce and stab her skin until the unrelenting agony drove her mad.

The anger didn't subside as and Ben tried to concentrate on what little of the Force he could feel, the perfect opportunity to neutralize the Sith would only come from the Force.

Darth Maladi, a red skinned Devaronian blasted the boy tied up in the binds of the Embrace with more lightning as he screamed and writhed with pain. After almost an hour Ben was sick of watching and waiting and gripped the vibro-knife. If she earned the Darth title, Ben knew from his limited study of the Sith that she would be more than adequate with a lightsaber. More than likely she would be better than him but Ben had the element of surprise; that had to count for something.

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence, never for attack.

The ancient mantra, hammered into younglings at the Jedi Academy flashed into his mind. Ben disregarded it often but after all that happened during the War he used it a lot to direct his actions, but Ben was defending his cousin and attacked without regret. He threw the vibroknife hard, guiding it with what little Force-energy he could muster while keeping himself small and hoping it was enough. It wasn't, the Lightning stopped and the screams turned to gentle moaning as a snap-hiss precluded the crimson blade cutting the vibro-knife from the air.

It fell away in two pieces.

"Come out little Jedi."

Ben hoped for far too much. He stepped from behind the terminal and released his control, allowing his presence in the Force to radiate outward; no longer small but strong and overwhelming with light to fend off the darkness of Korriban. He kept his blue eyes on his enemy as she turned to him. The room was familiar from his time behind Anakin's eyes, Bacta Tanks, equipment, computer terminals…If he wasn't on Korriban Ben would have expect Master Cilghal and Knight Tekli to be running around urgently attending to patients.

"A Jedi without his weapon and a boy no less," Maladi sneered at him. Her anger was hot in the Force, being fed and heightened by the dark energies of Korriban.

Ben ignored it, calming himself and letting the Force purge the anger and emotion from his mind. "Who says I need my lightsaber to beat you?"

"You are a boy."

"I'm a Skywalker." Ben stated and it had the effect he wanted, as it did on most beings. The humanoid took a step back and the lightning left her palm quicker than Ben would have liked, but he was ready and with a quickly outstretched hand the lightning dissipated harmlessly against his skin. The Hassat-durr techniques Ben learned with the Baran-Do saved his life while traversing the Kathol Rift and were particularly useful when deflecting or absorbing electrical energy.

Sith Lightning had nothing on the planet-sized storms of the Kathol Rift Ben had to deal with, he felt a slight tingling as he absorbed the energy until finally he used his other hand to direct the flow.

The blast of Force energy threw Maladi back in a crumbled heap, well away from Anakin and the Embrace of Pain.

"I hate to say I told you so," Ben quipped and with a snap hiss, the blue blade of energy once belonging to his grandfather dropped from his sleeve and stopped a strike meant to take his head from his shoulders. Pushing her off, Ben advanced strongly using a mishmash of heavy overhand Djem So strikes to beat down on the defences of the Sith Lord.

Maladi to her credit ducked, dodged or blocked them all, flustered by the furious attack of the young Jedi Knight. "My apprentice will be here soon Jedi."

Ben smirked as he turned aside her thrust, "Devaronian male, pretty red skin like you, kinda old? He won't be back for sweetcakes Milady."

Darth Maladi ignored him and advanced wildly, thrusting her saber quickly again and again, forcing Ben back.

Ben didn't like being pushed back and when he was invariably cornered he jumped, using the Force to launch himself into a somersault overhead and when he landed he brought his lightsaber around in an awkward but sweeping Soresu block which pushed Maladi's blade away and Ben spun with it. Coming around, Ben scored his blade along her shoulder but before his blade could take her arm off the burst of pain gave the Sith enough power to use the Force and she blasted Ben in the gut with a vicious Force Push. He spun end over end and tumbled until he landed on his feet unsteadily, gripping his saber with one hand and a table with the other.

The smoking gash only served to empower the Sith as she drew on the energies of Korriban to embrace her pain and Maladi was on him before he could recover, locking Ben's blade downward so he couldn't disengage but Ben forced his blade high, stopping her from severing his wrists or cutting into his blade.

"My apprentice has finally-"

Ben's danger-sense screamed and he released one hand from his lightsaber and summoned the blade of his own creation to hand. The blade snap-hissed to life across his shoulder…just in time to stop a second crimson blade cleaving him in two but he was caught between them. The greatest failing of Jar'Kai practitioners was strength, using two blades was deadly in attack but required hard training to strengthen both arms in order to withstand the pressure of two handed blows or to be able to survive saber-locks. Ben drew on the Force heavily to tighten his grip and pump oxygen to his muscles but he was shaking and sweat pooled in his flight-suit, flattening rusty locks of hair against his forehead and he could smell where his own blade was melting the outer layer of his flight-suit and burning the hair on the back of his neck.

He was tiring and the Sith could smell it, the male Twi'lek was broad-shouldered and his eyes burned sulphuric yellow as he bore down on Ben with all his Force enhanced strength.

Ben saw a flutter, a metallic sliver of metal that was once his vibroknife. He poured his pain and uncertainty into the Force as he reached out for the metal shard, confusing his enemies. He accelerated the shard of metal to incredible speed and it tore into Maladi's unprotected flank. She faltered, freeing his grandfather's blade and Ben kicked out, catching her knee beneath his boot and hyperextending it until it cracked horribly. With his main blade free, Ben ducked under his own arm, warding away Maladi's Apprentice by almost decapitating him but only succeeding in burning his blade along the Sith's chest.

"You will pay for that Jedi."

"Promises," Ben muttered, holding his blue blades crossed and low, in guard. The Master gone, it was time to school the Apprentice.

He didn't disappoint and flew at Ben with more ferocity than his Master. Ben spun and twirled, intercepting the single blade with every turn and pivot of his pair, withstanding the assault with relative ease. Vistis taught him that Jar'Kai was an effective defensive weapon, perhaps even more so than its more famed offensive aspects when used correctly. The twin blades were more of a psychological weapon, used to discourage attacks with unwavering speed and focus until a perfect counter could end matters.

Ben continued spinning and twisting around the crimson blade until he felt a shift in the Force. Until the Apprentice was soaked with sweat, having hoped his vicious assault would break Ben's defence easily. It did not; one so inexperienced in combat could not break him without the will of the Force behind them.

With the Force guiding him, Ben turned offensive. Spinning and slashing his blue blades in an unwavering attack he knew Vistis would pick holes in all day long but the Apprentice was not near the level of the Jensaari Defender. Ben twisted and turned constantly, spinning the twin blades furiously until finally the Force turned his way and he brought the blade in his right hand in hard, an obvious attempt at a killing blow. It was parried quickly but knocked the Sith off balance, enough that when Ben turned with the spin his other blade came around it was too quick and decapitated the Sith Apprentice at the waist, the shock still etched in the Twi'lek face as his body fell away in two parts.

Ben threw himself away quickly; away from the spinning crimson blade about impale him. His lightsabers clattered to the ground and deactivated as he dropped them in motion. He rolled and came up with his blaster in hand, levelling it at Darth Maladi. "I wouldn't recommend you try that again. Now free my cousin from the Embrace-" Ben summoned his blades to hand and clipped them to his belt, "-or this won't end well for you."

"You're a Jedi; you won't kill a defenceless enemy." Darth Maladi spat at him, silver-like blood dribbled down her chin as she cradled the leaking wound in her side.

Ben raised a brow. "You need a new definition of defenceless lady, you just threw a lightsaber at me and love a bit of lightning-" Ben gestured to the organic controls in front of the Embrace of Pain, "-I don't think so, let him down now!" A blaster bolt burned a hole in the plasteel at her feet.

"My Apprentice will have alerted the others, you will not escape Jedi!" Maladi said as she limped over and worked at the controls.

"You guys always say stuff like that," he said and Ben used the Force to lift one of the lightsabers littering the plasteel floor and it hit Maladi on the back of the head. She crumbled forward, splayed over the Embrace of Pain and Anakin.

Ben hurried forward, pulling the leather-clad Sith off his cousin. Anakin looked young, younger than Ben himself but he reasoned that they didn't have to mature the clone until his late early thirties to make it viable. His hair was the darkest of browns and his eyes ice blue when they flittered open. He reminded Ben of his Uncle Han, the same stubborn Corellian jaw and strong shoulders. Ben laid a hand on his Anakin's forehead and reached out with the Force. The feeling of warmth Ben recognized as family was familiar but there was something else, Anakin was distant. It was like Anakin was asleep and unable to wake up. Ben didn't have time to figure it out; he pulled one of Anakin's arms around his shoulders and used the Force to support the rest as best he could.

Anakin was immovable and it took all of Ben's remaining strength not to drop him. Ben set him down once they cleared the lab and picked the string of thermal detonators from his belt; he depressed the primer on each and made to throw them in but stopped short. They would kill Maladi and obliterate any leftover genetic samples, a must.

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence, never for attack.

It had to be done. Ben couldn't go back for her and he had to destroy any leftover genetic material. Even if it went against everything Jedi in him, Ben threw the detonators inside and sealed the door.

Ben hefted Anakin up and pulled him down the corridors and out of the facility, moving past the still and unmoved body of the other Devaronian Sith quickly. He cleared the cave entrance and was halfway back up the Valley when the moons began to fade and the sun broke the horizon. It was only a few kilometres back to the Shadow but Ben was tired from fending off the dark energy of Korriban since opening himself to the Force and dragging Anakin alongside him.

He wouldn't make it back to the Shadow before the other Sith Darth Maladi boasted about caught up to him. Ben could feel them distantly, tracking him but it was useless attempting to hide himself again with a beacon of energy like Anakin Solo at his side. He pulled Anakin along, digging into his pocket and coming out with a broken comlink.

"Stang!" Ben swore, throwing it into the sand and pulling out his datapad. It had limited wireless capability, Ben hoped it would be enough to reach Rowdy on the Shadow but if the Sith had the capability they would be able to pinpoint his position exactly. Ben looked at Anakin with concern, his cousin was out for count, his eyes flickering open like he was struggling to wake but the way he felt in the Force Ben wasn't sure.

Two Jedi would have been better than one in delaying the Sith, and Anakin died on a pile of Yuuzhan Vong he slaughtered with lightsaber in hand. Ben would appreciate that kind of help.

Ben set Anakin down in a cluster of rocks, the only cover for couple of hundred meters. The datapad activated and Ben's fingers slid along it quickly, typing a message to Rowdy that would play on all the Shadow's holo-displays. The minutes went by excruciating slow until he read, AFFIRMATIVE JEDI SKYWALKER, on the screen and Ben saw the Shadow lift off in the distance. He hoisted Anakin back up and made his quickest pace as the first of the black-clad Sith came into sight bounding up from the path to the Valley.

Unfortunately for the Sith the Shadow was just landing and Ben popped the hatch with the Force and unceremoniously dumped Anakin in the main corridor before making his way to the bridge.

Rowdy greeted him from the droid terminal with a loud whistle; Ben assumed it urgent and vaulted into the pilot's chair. "Rowdy, bring us up to full power and prepare to break atmosphere."

The holo-display lit up quickly. WE ARE NOT MOVING JEDI SKYWALKER, REPULSORS ARE RESPONSIVE BUT ENGINES ARE NOT.

Ben frowned, "How many of them are out there Rowdy?"

TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE…MORE WILL ARRIVE SOON JEDI SKYWALKER.

"Sync main weapons to my console Rowdy, blind fire forward and load concussion missiles in both tubes."

DONE JEDI SKYWALKER, HOWEVER MAY I WARN THAT YOUR PILOTING ABILITIES WILL BE SEVERLY TAXED WHILE OPERATING THE WEAPON SYSTEMS

"Just get ready to kick in the sublights on my mark, full burn and I'll take care of the rest." Ben spun the Shadow around to face the group of Sith holding his ship in the sky. At the fore was a colossal figure in spiked grey armour.

Darth Krayt.

Ben hit the controls and the Shadow's missile launchers loosed their load which stopped only a hundred meters from the group of Sith; caught in the air like the Shadow and before they could be thrown back Ben fired everything he had.

The Shadow glassed the area around the Sith and Ben remotely trigged the detonators on the missiles. Instantly four of Sith disappeared from the Force and the Shadow was free and soaring through the atmosphere without a word in Rowdy's direction.

When they broke atmosphere Ben pulled the Shadow onto the quickest vector out the gravity well and ignored the aging starfighters rising from the surface. A couple of Z-95 Headhunters and four I-7 Howlrunners, none of which had the capability catch the Shadow before it reached hyperspace.

Ben was still on the edge of his seat until he pulled the lever and the Horuset System disappeared into the blue swirls of hyperspace.