A/N~ I was actually having some doubts about this chapter because I'll be writing about something obscure, but after a lucky break, I am confident in making this part of the story possible. More on that later, but for now, let's thank the wonderful people who took interest in this story so far!

Reviews

ZEF the Fox:

Thanks so much for the review, man! Glad to know I've written something exciting for you Yes, much of the training simulation was inspired by the Domino Squad episode and I always envisioned Jaune going through the same thing when making this story.

Lloyd RPGFan:

Yes, it's been really fun writing the lore based on the canon, but I will be including Legends material since, you know, this is a fanfiction story XD

Favourites and follows from Novanski, Azn Lord, Unit529, SSDConker and Tommy298! Thanks guys! Really love it when my stories get people interested You guys are grand!


Nora and Ren: Will of the Force

The Jedi were not the only beings in the galaxy powerful, connected or who, at the least, worship the living power of the force; for everywhere you go, there would be a range of Force-believers coming together in open arms to pray through different aspects of the mysterious power that bound the galaxy together. From the virtues of the promised return to home of the Lasat, to the dark cults such as Zealots of the Red and Blue, or the Nightsisters of Dathomir, the Force had always gathered like-minded individuals to seek out and find representation within it and make use of its power to achieve different goals.

One sect of the Force dedicated itself as more of a protector to its ancient power and history. They could be found in a very densely-populated world located in the Mid Rim, vastly outdated and out of shape, but still held a very spiritual impact upon the numerous believers of the Force, with everyone travelling from the farthest reaches of the galaxy to ravel in its mystical glow. This group of believers, however, maintained a task to defend the sacred wisdom and power of the Force, becoming guardians to everything that laid within the temples throughout the planet's surface.

They were the Guardians of the Whills, situated on the rocky moon of Jedha.


Holy City of Jedha,

Jedha,

Jedha System

If you thought Vacuo was a barren world to live in, at least it had a thriving society. Compared to other worlds like Tatooine, Srilurr and Florrum, Vacuo might seem like a tropical paradise. Another world that should be on that list of worlds of hostile conditions was a rocky moon located in a system located far from Remnant. Orbiting a crystal planet, this dry world was home to only a small portion of civilization when comparing it to most other inhabitable worlds in the galaxy.

Despite its arid land, the moon of Jedha was still home to a significant society in the galaxy. Within the moon, there laid a utopia of some of the galaxy's most obscure of believers in the Force, situated above a rock plateau where the people could safely and peacefully worship many aspects of its immense power.

This large city was ancient-looking with the architecture of its rock-built buildings and cloth awnings throughout. Even as it served as the holy capital of many, from the Beatific Countenance to the Weldsingers and many more, Jedha City still seemed to be a great trading centre, as evident by the large air traffic of cargo transports flying around the city. Down on the ground, it was not hard to see why the city was also known as the Holy City; its citizens dressed in long, traditional robes and ragged clothing to reflect the spiritual presence in the city. Many others, however, were shabby and almost plain dirty, suggesting still a society threatened with low income, regardless of its decent trade.

The large temple at the centre was a huge complex, dwarfing every other structure in the city; home to another certain order of Force worshippers, who believed that they were playing a huge role in the protection of the thousands of worshippers coming to Jedha City. The group had the utmost duty to protect them with their lives while the original guardians, the Jedi of old, were all throughout the galaxy.

Many differing sources dictate that the Jedi Order had originated on this moon, or that the moon itself was named after the Jedi Order. No matter who you ask, the Holy City has become something of a haven for the ancient Jedi long before. For some reason, however, the Order had begun to leave the moon and expanded throughout the known galaxy, setting up new temples and enclaves on Coruscant, Taris, Lothal, and the planets of the Remnant system. All that remained of the Jedi's presence were old pieces of history, left behind to be under protection of said order of guardians. The temples were no longer the homes of the Jedi, and were now the centres of worship for the Guardians of the Whills, defending whatever the Jedi had left and preventing them from falling into corrupted or sinister hands; may it be Sith or other greedy minds.

That very temple, the Temple of the Kyber, was now the home complex of the Guardians, housing some of the rarest and most valuable treasures of the moon's Jedi heritage, now under the protection of the Guardians, alongside the pilgrimages and the safety of the worshippers who came to pray.

The streets were littered with pedestrians, priests, cultists and just normal residents alike. At the marketplace where most of the population gathered, business was going on as usual. Sellers earn a decent pay from their products; at least they could call them products, given that most of them were already well expired after being unable to make more than they intended to. At least, even these spoilt goods did serve some purposes to the people, and one person was going to find out the hard way.

"Well! This is some HOT STUFF!" A loud shriek roared across the busy yet quiet marketplace, devastating the ears of those nearby. The wild voice of a young woman yelling excitedly over the possession of a juicy-looking beverage in a tin jug proved too much for the market vendor. With one big gulp, the woman in question drank up the entire liquid down in one gulp.

The Bith at the counter, bewildered at the sight of the rapid consumption, shook his head repeatedly to see if he wasn't hallucinating.

"Are you seriously that stupid, lady?" He spoke in his native tongue.

"P-lease!" The orange-haired girl, who wore a black vest over a white leather shirt, and black pants, bellowed with sass. Her waist was wrapped with a pink-coloured towel, probably to dry off the amount of sweat from her hyperactive bubbly bursts of energy. "I've got the firepower to drink this stuff! So don't worry about a thing!" The confident soul finished up the drink to the last drop.

The Bith couldn't believe what he saw. Then, they were joined by another wandering individual who approached the girl as she slurped up the last sip. His black hair highlighted by bright magenta on the ends of the strands, covered underneath a hood and blocking sight of his dark green robes similar to those worn by a Jedi, finished with a majestic sash of black with gold leafy patterns; worn from the left shoulder to his right armpit. His soft voice directed at the girl came out as calm and yet straightforward.

"Nora." he told the girl. "That is a cup of nerf juice."

"Duh!" The bombastic woman, Nora, shrugged off the obvious fact. "It's supposed to be good for you!" She drooped the cup and rubbed her tummy after a nice drink of the juice.

"Not unless it hasn't reached its expiration date." Ren spoke again. Nora's eyes then widened in bewilderment.

"PHFFTT!" It was too late. She had drunk the entire drink. When she spat it all out, it only came out as tiny drops of the substance mixed with her saliva. "Yuck! ECK!" The vendor at the stand smacked his forehead in ridicule. This girl clearly had the mind of a hungry chubba frog; just constantly munching or devouring on things without any consideration. Nora went around and slammed the empty mug on the counter, staring wildly at the Bith. "I demand a refund!"

Seeing how alarmed the Bith was towards her reaction, the man came forth, pushed her aside and dropped in a few more credits. He then shifted his hand over to take another mug of the nerf juice, still expired, but did so without hesitation.

"I apologize, sir." he told the vendor. "She's just… Well, her." The vendor snatched up the money from the counter and turned around, not wanting to see the two any longer.

"Just make sure you keep her away from my stall or you monks will not be getting your ingredients from me for long." His warning sounded coarse and cross, telling the monk that he was indeed very moody today. Perhaps it was not just Nora who was being such a troublemaker that made his day. Life in Jedha can be cruel to some, and if you can make it here, well, consider yourself only fortunate for a while before you start losing your earnings.

After that more-than-awkward interaction, the two unlikely friends went away from the stall and proceeded to walk on with the drink and a little more money wasted due to Nora's lack of control. The monk took one good look at his counterpart, seeing the pissed-off expression on her face.

"Nora. Please control yourself next time." Nevertheless, he just reminded her to be more aware of what she was doing next time. The way he did it, though, was like he had been saying the exact same thing all the time, growing tired of explaining to her of why she had to stop doing the things she did.

"Control? Please, Renny! You should know me by now." Nora suddenly erupted in her usual happy self, instantly shaking off her anger for the lousy drink she devoured. For some reason, however, the one named Ren; his real name, had to grin at the sight of her cheerful expression.

"Come on." He shifted his head forward to let her follow him to his destination. The two walked on; Nora's thoughts still on the unsavoury fluids in the jug. The sight of the milky brown mess with filth in the drink continued to give her the icky vibes in her mouth.

"Why do you even drink expired nerf juice anyway?" she directed her question to Ren.

"I didn't say it was a beverage." corrected Ren. "And it is not for me. It's supposed to be a gift for the Central Isopter. They need this as a refreshment to worship the dead."

"Eck! I can see why." Nora stuck her tongue, not just for the wretched taste of the spoilt milk, but also from envisioning those yellow-robed 'disk-heads' as Nora put it, using the disgusting liquid in their less than sadistic rituals. "I still don't get why you guys even help those death-obsessed cultists." With the wiggle of his index finger, Ren was quick to remind her of her misconduct of words.

"Now, Nora." His voice filled with tolerance, informing Nora of the free will of everyone's prayers in the Force. "Every worshipper here has a right to believe in what they want. As long as they hope to achieve…"

"Yeah, yeah. Oneness with the Force, yaddy yadda!" interrupted Nora, fiddling with her fingers like a mouth, continuing Ren's sentence with a tired cliché-busting tone. "Are all people here that fond of that magical stuff?" She then retorted, clueless at how significant the power of the Force was to Ren and his fellow worshippers. Nora was just not the type to delve into creepy mystical superstitions or anything, only respecting Ren's decision to believe in them without getting too caught in them. Ren couldn't blame her though; she had not met or even seen a Jedi before, so she was well unaware of how real these tremendous powers really were.

"That depends." He grinned back, referring to the other, non-believing side of Jedha; the dark side of the city itself with crime and manipulation happening almost from plain sight without the Republic's knowledge. Ren thought it was rather unfortunate that the Jedi no longer influenced the law of the city. Now, everywhere you go in the city, there was always a crooked mind just waiting to profit out of your misfortunes. Even the worshippers themselves were not to be considered innocent when things get rough.

And just when they were on their way to deliver their goods, trouble had indeed found its way to them. Nora picked up the sounds of rough brushing noises like someone being dragged across the sandy floor, along with the crashing sounds of pottery being smashed apart. She was sure Ren heard the noise as well, seeing that he had stopped to hear what the fuss was all about.

"Hey!" Nora pulled the soft right sleeve of his hide-made clothes. "What's going on over there?" Ren didn't need to hear from Nora; he was already well aware that there was a troublemaker on the loose, and he certainly could use a little R&R from her outrageous hyperactive beat-downs to result to his own calculated and calmer methods of settling matters.

"Nora." He took out a piece of paper; the list of the other goods needed to be bought, hoping that Nora would go and get distracted with other chores while he investigated the scuffle. "Go get the rest of the stuff here." Nora's face was riddled with utter frustration. It was getting very typical of Ren to try to make her stand in the side-lines. It didn't really get old for her, still trying to plead to her best friend to let her join in the fun. "Aww! But I wanna…!"

"Now." Ren was not going to remind her again; when he meant business, he really meant it. Not even the likes of Nora could argue with Ren whenever he put his fierce look on. She finally gave up begging to work with him, taking the list with a grain of salt to proceed to the more boring stuff to do.

"Fine!" She shrugged her shoulders, cross that Ren had decided to push her away again from the fun stuff. Just like that, she walked off to do the list while Ren allowed himself the time and effort to resolve the situation his way.

He decided to disregard the gathering audience, surrounding around the chaos like a herd of shaak grazing about a small patch of Nabooian nola grass. Once he stepped into the crowd, he gently coursed his hand at front, brushing through the spectators, sliding through them without even caring about what they might say or do. All that mattered was that there was a life in danger and it was by his code to help him. Through enough of the crowd, he was able to get a good look at what was going on.

Right on the dirt, he saw what seemed to be a brutal beat-down. On the left side, a man, frail and thin, wearing shabby clothes, backing away on the ground while desperately begging for his life to the other tougher, bigger looking Feeorin. The tentacle-headed brawler had a blaster armed in one hand; finger tightly wrapped around the trigger and aiming the weapon right at the helpless human. His jaws shifted like two tectonic plates of a planet, grinding ever so violently within a grin so vile, showing the brute's desire for the kill; the thrill of the hunt.

"Please, sir!" the poor man screamed for his life. "I only ask to seek guidance in the Force! Do not hurt me or my family!" The bounty hunter continued to stare viciously into the man's grief-stricken face, poised to strike at the moment whenever he so desired. Sensing the situation, Ren knew that was going to happen really soon…

"Too bad, you dirty little peasant." the Feeorin growled with no mercy in his deadbeat low voice. "Viceroy Gunray of the Trade Federation has put a hefty price on your head for exposing the whereabouts of his prized treasures to the Republic. And I am going to have the honour of getting what I want."

Ren was disgusted by the hunter's cold-blooded demeanour. Every time a scoundrel came to desecrate the sacred city by harming its citizens or vandalizing structures of importance, he always felt the need to kick them out and made sure that they'd never set foot on the city again. He had to act now, or if he was too late, he would never forgive himself for letting an innocent soul die, no matter how involved he or she had been in the outer affairs of the galaxy.

"I didn't mean to!" the man begged again. "I just wanted to pay up for my family!" It seemed clear that the man was once a former citizen of the Republic or at least someone in league with it. Once he had done the deed, he had been given the credits to sustain himself and his family, but decided to end up on a dry world like this just to hide, using the power of prayer to defend him from sin or wrong. Unfortunately, he was probably unaware that nothing, not even the power of the Force, could save him from being hunted down by crooked beings. The only thing sacred to a bounty hunter was money, and they were going to get it; Force or not.

"You'll pay, alright!" The Feeorin cracked a gleeful grin, fully showing his satisfaction of the man's sorrow. Saying no more, he steadied his aim right at the man's head, about to end his life and to get the credits he needed. Ren couldn't help but find the audience's stoic reactions rather predictable. Just gasps and the turning of bodies away from the gruesome sight that was about to come; even some prayers sung by some of the priests. Not one willing to act against the incoming murder.

Then, from out of nowhere, one voice came from a person who was willing to stand up to the hunter. It wasn't Ren's.

"The Trade Federation has no say here." The voice sounded more mature, sounding wise and calm. The section of the crowd where the man had come from began to give way, only out of curiosity of the man and not the act of allowing him through for good intent. The man who arrived was a human male, dressed in the same robes as Ren, with hair almost shorter than his.

What were the highlights of his appearance were the pair of eyes; irises completely greyed, while having to walk with a long, metal cane. It was no surprise to anyone present that the man was blind. "Everyone you see here are all believers of the Force. They have a right to be here to pray upon the higher power." As he presented himself to the bounty hunter, Ren watched with silent glee, clearly knowing the man himself.

"What do you know, you short-sighted heretic?" The Feeorin bellowed in disgust over the zealotry the man was showering him with. What aggravated him even more was the next reaction the man gave when he was told off.

"Short-sighted?" A wide grin was cracked. "Hah! I'm blind! I do not need sight to know my way around!" The very milky irises didn't have to move; his head was still locked onto the hunter just as he was precisely spot on with his presence. The brightly humour that came out of him was enough to turn Ren's initial frown upside down, finding the wise crack of the joke almost amusing to him. This was all too familiar to him with the older man giving him the peace of mind that would affect his life in the Holy City and his beliefs; forever grateful of what he had to offer.

"Same old Chirrut." But the fun didn't last long. All of a sudden, the bounty hunter came forth in a rush and grabbed the monk by the collar, carrying him up in the air in a threatening grip, teeth gritting with fury. Ren was alerted by the attack on his old friend, feeling the situation was already escalating past the point. Soon, the crowd dispersed, panicked by the sudden thrust of the hunter at the seemingly harmless man.

"You dare mock me?!" the hunter yelled. Chirrut was surprisingly not relenting in the approach, just letting his arms loose with very little fear in his face. The Feeorin saw this lack of emotion as another sign of mockery that his threats were not fazing him one bit. He then curled his hand into a thick fist, ready to punch right at Chirrut's face. Yet, the blind man still relaxed himself, insulting the hunter even more. The Feeorin was almost reaching his boiling point, bringing his fist back to land a solid, fatal blow to Chirrut's soft face.

"Let him go." Ren had had enough. He was going to rescue his senior friend from being battered to the bone by the Feeorin. At once, he walked away from the spectators towards the larger brute. Everyone watched as the young man braved the threat posed by the hunter with a mixture of emotions running wild throughout.

"Ah! Ren!" Chirrut welcomed the presence of his fellow monk with another cheery smile. "You have finally arrived!"

"Great! Now they multiply!" groaned the hunter. He dropped Chirrut to the ground and went to face the seemingly emotionless Ren with the same ferocity shown to Chirrut. Ren stepped forward to face the hunter head on.

"Remember, Ren!" Chirrut encouraged his friend with the same usual advice he would always give him. "The Force is with you, and…"

"I am with the Force." The call of the Guardians of the Whills. Ren finished with a slow breath of Jedha's dirty air, still enough to calm his mind before the hostile exchange. Right in front of him, the hunter stood, tall with intimidation, looking down on him showing all of his might and visual brutality. Brain was going against brawn between a titan and a lightweight.

"You best get your buddy out of here if you know what's good for you and let me claim my prize." The last word cooked up a storm of shivers in the weaker man's body. His threats, however, didn't seem to hit Ren in the spot as he defied him with no intention to run.

"You will leave that man alone." warned the young disciple of the Guardians, with a bit of waving of his right hand. The hunter scoffed with a taunting spit to the ground soon after.

"What are you? Some kind of Jedi?" the Feeorin chuckled, not bothering to know the difference between a Jedi and what he really was. "I'm immune to your little mind tricks."

"Oh! We are not Jedi!" Chirrut interjected, dusting off the sand on his clothes from his fall. "We are far different."

"What he said." agreed Ren before giving the bounty hunter another warning. "You best get out of here and forget your bounty. There can be nothing to achieve here by committing violence." The stern tone in his voice was almost as firm as the local constable, but it wasn't enough to deter a hunter of the size he was faced with.

"But you forget, monk." reminded the hunter. "Jedha City is not always the holy gathering of you and your outdated kind had come to believe."

"I am well aware of the crimes done here, but there's no question that you are standing on grounds that belong to the wilful prayers of noble intent." defended Ren. His resolution for peace and tolerance for all was now becoming more of a nuisance to the hunter. Someone who was so gracious to everyone who came to pray and find peace was only a zealous obstacle in the path of a hunter's prize, and Ren was proving to be far more irritating for the hunter. His semi-slimy skin almost dried from the temper he was losing with this annoying brat in the way.

"Hmph! In this galaxy, nowhere is sacred, pal! I've lived long enough to see such 'wonderful' things like your little backwater civilization fall like dominoes." Having lost his nerve, the bounty hunter cocked his pistol and directed it at Ren. He was tempted to pull the trigger and be rid of the dusty piece of dirt away from his sight and be on his way to claim his money. "So, if you don't move right now, I'll put a laser shot to that poisoned brain of yours!"

The barrel of the gun pointing right at his forehead; one shot could be the end of him. The bulk of the blaster indicating that that one shot was going make him one heck of a mess. No one could imagine why the man refused to move at all. Ren just stood in place; not backing down from a fight. A life was protected by the Force and right now, someone was trying to claim his life and be damned by a gruesome darkness that was plaguing the galaxy elsewhere. He refused to relent, not even to a mere bounty hunter.

"Is my mind the one that's poisoned?" His bright magenta eyes gleaming coldly at the monster in front of him; his tone, powerful and just, showing the hunter just how fallen he really was. "Or is it yours?"

Thick jaws were clashing with each other and the squiggly tentacles swung violently as the bounty hunter roared with anger, terrifying the crowd into running. Ren could had sworn he could feel drops of his saliva dripped on his clothes. Repulsive as it was, the hunter was someone far more revolting and needed to be taught a lesson.

"Why you?!" And so, the battle between two opposite combatants began. One, a titanic tower of brute strength with an attitude to match, and the other, a man smaller in size, but big in heart and mind, backed by the will of the Force to guide him.

The Feeorin made the first move, charging forth like a reek beast lusting for flesh. The sandy ground practically rocked with his heavy steps, threatened to charge straight for Ren. A mistake that Ren easily identified. When the hunter swung his arm for a swipe at his face, the monk made one huge leap over him, soaring right above his head right before the Feeorin's limb struck nothing. Ren landed gracefully on the ground as the hunter turned around to much bewilderment.

It was either the Feeorin warrior blood of the ancient Exalted in him that prompted him to charge forth, or simply a discriminative assumption that Ren was an old model, bent on fighting with nothing more than his bare hands or any weapon of ancient background. The monk was able to outmanoeuvre his opponent with the first move so far, thanks to the lack of foresight by the hunter into what he was capable of.

The bounty hunter was quick to learn of his mistake and fired his blaster at the young monk. A burst of energy particles spread out, almost able to catch Ren no matter where he would be. That, however, was when he pulled off a quick trick. Almost immediately, he reached his foot out to hook his toes onto an old pot and swung it forward. The shots from the blaster broke the piece of pottery into fragments of sharp hardened clay; its fatal energy dispelled and thus, saving Ren from harm.

The show was not over yet; the hunter then fired another round at him. With nothing left to protect him, Ren had to rely on a more trusted asset that had served him well for all his life. At once, the young Guardian took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then, right when the shots came, he sprang into action. In one burst of speed, he charged right for the hunter while letting the laser fire pass right through him. He dodged each shot, stepping from side to side while the shots only went through under his limbs or just over him.

He avoided contact from each and every one of the blaster fire, without a single scratch on his clothes, catching the Feeorin by surprise. He was beyond baffled by how he could have missed a single shot and was now heading right for him. It was all so fast that he didn't react on time when Ren gave him a hard kick to the face.

After the kick, Ren stopped to look at his foe, awaiting any sign of regret from the Feeorin that might finally realize just how capable he was. Much to his disappointment, there was no stopping the hunter. Now, fury grew rapidly within the Feeorin. It was bad enough that his blaster didn't hit the monk, but being kicked in the face by him, that was a low blow even for him. He continued to vent his anger out on Ren, fists ready to smash him up to nothing more than a blob of nothingness.

The hunter tried again and aimed his weapon at Ren. This time, the human came prepared to intensify the fight. He grabbed a pair of small daggers, blades shaped like sickles and built with a jade-like metal that was hard as steel and not too sharp, capable of slicing through flesh but powerful enough to knock anyone around. With its durable plating, the daggers obstructed the blasts with each swing of Ren's arms, dissipating each shot with precision and grace. After the blaster finished firing, Ren quickly sought the opportunity and made another dashing move on the larger opponent. The hunter, despite his large structure, proved to be quite nimble and agile, being able to block Ren's resumed strikes on him by swinging his broad arms with surprising speed. After three unsuccessful strikes, Ren jumped out of the way before the Feeorin's arm nearly struck him on the head. Yet, that didn't stop Ren from resuming his offensive, not giving the hunter any time to use his more reliable weapon.

Chirrut, who was taking care of the victim of the hunter, should know first-hand of the unique battle style of Lie Ren. The lad was skilled, practicing and excelling well in the art of zama-shiwo. Ren would come early in the morning to the temple to tune his body form, sync within his inner self and bring out the power of his combined strength to unleash full blows to whoever he fought or sparred against. However, what made Ren unpredictable was how he was able to blend the ancient martial art of the moon with the battle-like hunting style once sacred to his family.

Ren had let his body feel the surrounding aura around him, and let it course through him; the common routine of channelling strength within the Guardians of the Whills. Through this focused power, he let his agility and precise hits deliver strong and encumbering blows to the hunter, nearly knocking him off his feet with every couple of strikes.

The hunter was able to endure enough to keep his feet on the ground, but Ren's rapid moves were not helping him even the odds, forcing him to block off as much as he could before able swiping him off. Ren then went for the gap between the Feeorin's legs and slid right under, just before he could slam him to the ground with his fists. Turning around after sliding, he then gave the hunter one powerful kick to his backside; this time managing to send him to the ground. The Feeorin's face was soon buried into the sand, groans muffled.

All of the other spectators watching the spectacle was in awe on how Ren was able to avoid being clobbered by the heavy build of the hunter. Supposedly, it would had been an easy fight for the Feeorin, being able to outclass and outgun his more outdated opponent. Turned out they were so wrong. Ren was far more capable of bringing his all against an enemy twice his size and weight. The rumours about the Guardians seemed to be true after all.

The hunter was then pushed down to the ground by a swift tackle to the face; Ren's force uprooting the giant's large body off his feet again before rolling away. After the heavy collapse, the Feeorin twisted his body and fired more of his blaster at Ren. The Guardian vaulted over a rock fence and took cover. The hunter's rage levels were at an all-time high, causing the Feeorin to let loose a rapid barrage of laser fire right towards Ren's cover. The monk was now pinned down behind a sturdy rock wall that was slowly breaking apart, threatening to expose him from the blaster shots.

Now, it all seemed hopeless for Ren. The amount of heat coming towards was about finally break the wall apart and leave him vulnerable to a hasty end. The cracks and holes on the wall were now becoming larger openings that would eventually catch Ren's figure and finally shoot him down.

There was no other way for Ren to turn to but to jump right over and take on the bounty hunter, relying on his inner instincts to drive him through the maelstrom of blaster fire. Again and again, he launched his body from side to side to avoid the blitzing blazes of lasers, eventually getting closer to the hunter once more. This time, he had resorted to using his daggers to discourage his opponent. The daggers were soon swung towards him and hit their mark, only to be blocked off by a pair of metal gauntlets worn around the hunter's wrists. A fistfight ensued with both sides resulting to hands slamming and blades trying to cut. It was almost an even fight between two fighters of different builds.

"Not bad, monk boy!" the hunter bellowed. "But you still ain't got a chance against me!"

"I don't really think you should be concerned about your brawn alone." quipped Ren. "You're only half the fighter you are at best."

"I'll use my head, alright." The hunter arched his body to the back and thrust it forward towards Ren, going to head-butt him into submission. "For this!" The force of the blow would be quite a royal pain if Ren wasn't quick enough. It came down like a bomb, not explosive, but still powerful enough to obliterate the bones inside of the common human skull.

Yet again, Ren was already one step ahead of him. With a trust of both of his hands, he met the bulky head of the Feeorin, with full power. Channelling the energy in his body, he made one focused attempt to block off the attack, surprising most of the shocked crowd. No one would imagine him even keeping his arms from such a strong head-butt.

Alas, he did. With only his palms, he managed to stop the hunter's head from crashing into his own. His right leg was stretched back while his other leg knelt him down to make him stable enough to pull off a skilled defence. It seemed impossible that only the hands of a feebler human stopped the colossal weight of a Feeorin's head, and yet, Ren was able to save himself from a rough headache. The Feeorin himself felt his head like being lifted up by a fluffy cloud in his way and feeling not a single solid object other than the fleshy surface of Ren's hands. It was possibly from Ren's own technique that probably nullified all strength and force from his attack. There were no words to describe how Ren had done it, but the Feeorin was sure astonished by the unexpected block.

After stopping the head-butt, Ren moved his hand back and fired away with one sharp prod of two of his fingers towards his forehead. The strike hit so hard that the hunter was boosted off the ground and crashed down hard on his back. When he landed, he felt his brain was swirling around so violently as if a storm was bombarding his head with lightning bolts all around. A sudden surge of power from Ren's own fingers had dealt a major blow to him, now pinning him down with not much of a sign of getting back up.

The crowd fell silent when they saw the raw power of Ren's fighting skills downed the larger hunter. In an amazing but unlikely show of force, the truth of the power of the Guardians had been proven right before them. Did they really have the power of the Force like the Jedi did? Not many could ever challenge a being that big and win; only those gifted with such power could fight off such brutes like that. But they heard the other Guardian speak that they were not Jedi, so apparently they had something else to do with the Force.

For now, Ren had not time to answer their curiosity. He carefully watched the hunter squirm around, body becoming absolutely numb due to the stunning effects of his attack; eyesight flashed out and his wounds temporarily unfelt. Ren walked over to the downed hunter and looked down on his pained face. The pain was slowly coming back to him as he regained his senses, adding to the fury of finally seeing the person who defeated him with humiliation and anger. However, Ren placed his foot on top of the chest area, almost ready to make another round if there was any more opposition. He put up a sly grin, somewhat enlightened with saving a life this time.

"Now, what do you wish to do?" he asked the bounty hunter, leaning his arm on top of his knee while facing him. With Ren's victorious stance, the hunter soon squirmed some more, more frantically as if frightened by the warrior in disguise.

"Y-you win! Just… let me go!" He exclaimed in a panic, desperate to get out and hunt another day. Ren, satisfied with the answer, released his hold on him and headed for Chirrut to see if he and the victim were alright. The older monk had managed to let the poor man run off to safety while facing his fellow Guardian with glee.

"Watch out!" That joy was cut short when Chirrut shouted out, pointing behind Ren, but there was no time to react. Another powerful explosion rocked the dirt, flinging sand towards Ren's eyes. The blinded warrior monk was unable to shake the stinging feeling in his eyes, forcing him to close them shut. While they were closed, he was unable to see what was coming for him until it was too late.

A nasty hit on his face sent him sprawling across the ground and eventually stopped with nauseating pain in his head. Chirrut was also knocked out of the fight when he too suffered a blind hit to the chest, throwing him to a building and knocking him down. Ren struggled to get himself back up, but could only move his head to see what had hit him.

He was almost shocked to see that his attack didn't deter the hunter at all. The Feeorin was standing tall and arrogantly again, as if he hadn't given up, except that his head was still spinning as evident by him holding his head exactly where he was hit earlier. It was almost disappointing that he decided to cheat his defeat and straight up attack Ren after his false conceding.

Now, it was the Feeorin's turn to tower above his fallen opponent, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up to his face. With a toothy grin, the hunter then aimed his blaster right at his forehead; finger ready to pull the trigger and properly end the monk's life for good. The wretched stench of his breath made Ren's face cringe a little, probably would have made him cough up with disgust if it weren't for his body trying to relieve the excruciating pain on his face.

"Any last words, you wretched filth?" gloated the Feeorin with a grunt. Ren's eyes couldn't open properly, but were still staring down on the hunter's face. With a strained voice, he soon whispered one last word to the hunter before he could finally see the end of his quiet life.

"Watch out." That was all he said. Not knowing what he meant, the Feeorin didn't really have time to find out, focused on ending this miserable fool's life. Ren, however, made one small grin, waiting for the right time for his warning to take effect…

With the loudest battle cry this side of the galaxy had ever heard.

"HHHIIIYYYAAAA!"

BBOOOMM!

A huge dust cloud blew up throughout the street, engulfing everyone within the area with sand. For a solid minute, everyone was blinded by the sandstorm, not knowing what happened and what would happen next. Once cleared, the whole scene was revealed to show what had transpired after that loud boom.

"Ehhh…" The Feeorin was down on the ground again, face flat in the sand thanks to some miraculous bombardment. Ren was back on the ground, lying while adjusting his collar from the bounty hunter's grip on it. He then grasped his head to massage the pain while getting back up to see what just happened.

To his usual relief, help did come in the wildest way possible.

"NO ONE TOUCHES MY RENNY!" Above the fallen body of the hunter, there stood Nora Valkyrie, stepping onto his back victoriously with a grenade launcher in her arm; silver-coated with a large cylindrical magazine at the centre with grenade rounds loaded into it and a scope on top. She slung the launcher on top of her shoulder while her other hand touched her hip in a glorious show of victory.

She vowed to not let a single hair on Ren be pulled by a fat, ugly hunter. She was going to protect him with all her life. Buddies stick together to the end, she thought, and she was not afraid to show it. There was no way she would lose Ren in anyway, not even from a distant walk to the market.

However, her gloating wasn't going to last for long. Ren motioned his head to ask her to come over so she could stop showing off in the middle of the crowd. Surely enough, no one was really cheering, but more shock and fright than joy. Everyone soon began to scramble about, like nothing had ever happened. Nora pouted with disappointment, spoiled that her moment was ruined by everyone else's ignorance of her actions.

She jumped down from the hunter, who was thankfully unconscious, and headed over to join Ren and Chirrut.

"Ee chuta." cursed Nora in Huttese while glaring at the Feeorin.

"Good work, Ren." praised the older Guardian. "That man was a vile being. He needed to have what came to him." Ren nodded in approval, glad that he managed to defuse a situation before it got hectic.

Chirrut then listened to the rustling sand coming for him. Recognizing the pattern of how the sand crusted and feeling the energy of each step through his intuitive senses, he could easily recognize the person as Ren's good friend, without having to see at all. He then turned to face Nora, seeing her sudden return to cheerful form. Nevertheless, he greeted "And you, Miss Valkyrie. You have quite the power! You should meet my friend one day. He's one heck of a brawler himself."

"Ahh! Come on!" She shrugged her shoulders and flicked her hand down as to dismiss his advice. "You know Ren's the only pal I need!"

"You are sure lucky, Ren." added Chirrut. "This young lady has the fight of a tusk-cat!" Ren was not usually one to joke or crack even a wise quip, but when it came to Nora, he knew when to at least find some humour.

"But with the control of a rancor, she just can't keep herself calm for two seconds." The two Guardians laughed as Nora gave Ren a rough friendly whack on the back; not painful but surely strong enough to move his body forward. Ren then signalled for Nora to hand him the groceries, assuming that Nora was paying attention to the task she was given before her timely intervention. Forunately, Nora managed to do what needed to be done, taking with her a crate of the stuff that Ren wanted her to buy.

All done without a single mishap… Well, maybe a few arguments here and there…

"Well, I gotta go and deliver these supplies to the Isopter." Ren bid his farewell to Chirrut, ready to resume his delivery to the other residents with Nora. "I'll see you soon, Chirrut."

"May the Force guide you on your path, Lie Ren!" Chirrut reached for his staff, remembering where it was, after wishing his friend goodbye. Ren and Nora both left the blind man to wander around again and patrol the city for any disturbances.

On their way, Ren had to wonder about Nora's sudden interference of the matter he had under control, even if he was almost clobbered by the hunter. Nora was assuming Ren was going to complain about her hyperactive tantrum towards fights again, chortling her for being too reckless to pursue an enemy and even showing off to end the debacle.

"Nora." He spoke up and Nora was waiting to hear it all, right down to the morale of the story…

"I know! I know! Control myself. Get the list done and be on my merry way. I know… what you're going to say! And I should know because…!"

"Actually." Ren stopped her with a low and gentle voice. "I just wanted to say thank you. For watching my back." Nora was almost stunned from the unexpected response, though it was not the first time Ren had decided to go all nice on her so randomly. At least, she thought it was random considering that everything she did was pretty much the same thing; smash the baddy and win the day. Most times, she'd end up getting lectured, but sometimes, she just couldn't get why Ren would even compliment her on a usual beat-down like that.

"We're best buds, Ren!" It didn't really matter, just as long as she got his approval, she would ravel in the victory. "Why wouldn't I ever get your back, huh?"

"Just as long as you don't hammer me down with that attitude of yours." The monk then gave a playful 'boop' to her nose, gently poking it which tickled the hyper girl.

"D'oh!" And so, they both moved on to finish off their supply deliveries, traversing through the messy streets of the city.

At least life was doable in Jedha, for the city still a decent lifestyle for everyone; baths provided sustainable hygiene while foods were averagely edible, but crime did have its way around. If any imbalance should arise, then society as they knew it would surely fall into darkness far shadier than the Old Shadows. It's almost fortunate the moon had been declared under the protection of the Republic, respecting its neutrality from the Clone War that threatened the galaxy from afar.

However, not everything was safe for long… Ren knew something was going to happen; he just wasn't sure what it would be. He wouldn't have to wait long, however. The day would come for him to fulfil a role huger than ever before, and when that time came, he would be ready.


Ren was soon summoned back to the Temple of the Kyber after his supply drop off to the Isopter. He was called on by Chirrut that the Master Guardian wished to see him for something. It was usually a report on anything that had happened that might had upset the balance of the Force in the city, or just another training session with the young man.

Despite Nora not being one of the Guardians, she was still welcome within the temple as a special guest; an honour she had been given ever since she and Ren first arrived here so long ago.

He entered the ancient complex of the temple that once belonged to the Jedi Order that settled here long ago. Now, it was being resided by beings from different corners of the galaxy who came together to preserve the integrity of both the temple and the inhabitants of the city. Dozens of individuals had come to the temple to play a role in the Force that wasn't as significant as those of the Jedi, or even the Sith, but still offered a task to defend those who believe in its power.

The temple was home to two distinct groups of Force protectors who worked together to maintain the balance of the Force present in the city. There were the Guardians of the Whills and the Disciples of the Whills.

What separated the Guardians from the Disciples was the way the Guardians approached their belief in the Force. The Disciples were more or less watchers, always remaining on close watch for the balance of the city; the Guardians do the protecting, ensuring that everyone in Jedha was safely free to pray and worship, and would answer the call to act when an imbalance threatened to destroy the fabric of balance within the Will of the Force.

Ren felt that his physical training prior to his arrival in Jedha had naturally given him the chance to become more of a Guardian, so once he arrived, he began the path to achieving oneness with the Force through defending the needy and assurance of worshipping and fighting against those who threatened them. To him, the Guardians were practically the authority of the city.

He walked on along the red carpet that stretched from the main entrance to the other end of the large hallway. All around him, a few of his fellow Guardians and some other Disciples were conversing with one another, sharing information and battle tactics. The Disciples wore rather traditional robes; some with hoods and colourful sashes, while the Guardians mainly wore more durable and thicker clothing meant for combat. Despite his status as a Guardian, Ren always preferred the lighter wear, as it would help him become more agile and manoeuvrable when fighting, even as those like Chirrut were able to master speed with heavier clothing.

He didn't have time to interact with the others, passing through who appeared to be Kozem Pel, one of the Disciples who was talking to another Guardian, sharing some insight of what he felt about a certain issue in the city.

Ren reached for the stone doors and pushed them open to head into the other room. Nora remained in place, crossing her arms while standing in front of the door like some bodyguard, cautiously looking around for trouble. Ren found it quite unnecessary, but he didn't really have time to control Nora's behaviour. He had to see the one who had called him into the temple.

In the new room, it was a slimmer interior than the hallway before, with a flight of stairs up a platform, where a robed figure was sitting cross-legged on the platform, basking in the glow of the sunlight entering through the window. With her face covered with a metal mask and wearing a thick red robe that covered all layers of skin, she constantly stared into the sun-lit sky while awaiting the arrival of Ren. On both sides, incense was burning on two trays backed by a candlestick on each side burning dimly within the bright light of Jedha's day.

"Lie Ren." the Anomid spoke, using the digital voice projected by her vocoder mask through translations of her own harmonic humming. "Please, be seated." She turned to face the young man while he sat down below the stairs attentive to her word. The Anomid waved her hands as she talked on, probably due to her prior experience with using sign language to communicate before she had her electronic communicator.

"Do you wish to see me, Disciple Phest?" Ren inquired. The head of the Disciples sat silent for a while. The brief moment of quietness seemed to tell him that Silvanie Phest had something really heavy carrying her down. The way she turned her head down for a brief few seconds was a sign that she was hesitant to go on. For what was worth, when she's unable to proceed like this, it usually meant that there was trouble of the worst kind. Ren had dealt with these kind of troubles before and right now, he was prepared to listen in to what she had in mind.

When Phest continued, Ren's training was about to be put to the test. She had prepared something for him that would see if he would be able to solve a problem that would upset the balance of the Force and come home a true Guardian who helped to fix it.

"There has been a disturbance within our circle." Ren's eyes widened, curious to know what troubled the inner workings of the Guardians and Disciples alike. When Phest said there was a disturbance, more than often or not, it meant a really serious problem.

"What is it, Phest?" the monk asked even more, pushed to find out what was the matter. Phest then fiddled her finger at Ren for being too inquisitive, feeling the intensity within himself.

"Do restrain your anxiety, Lie Ren." he advised him. "One must not be too eager to act. Even if one's intentions are noble." Ren bowed his head to apologize for taking his emotions a little too far. Perhaps being around Nora had some effect to his patience. He did his best so far to suppress any temptation to play his part, composing his energy to meditate and channel his body to let the Force flow through him and calm his mind. "If you must know, there has been a troublesome matter among the Disciples." Phest rose up and looked back at the bright scenery of the afternoon sky to inform Ren what had happened.

"A long time ago, a Disciple had broken the laws of our cause and stole an artefact once held sacred to the Jedi. He escaped Jedha soon after and disappeared into the galaxy without a trace left." Ren had heard this tale many times before, by the other Guardians. And now, Phest was retelling the story again, meaning that there was more significance in the fact that required his attention. "The artefact is said to hold power beyond anything we have ever felt and it showed even by nearing it within our archives. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could cause immense destruction to countless systems."

"And you have sent me." Ren stopped himself before he could go any further, remembering to control himself from asking more. Phest then turned around to tell him of how all of this played to him, probably to inform him of what he needed to do about the artefact. Ren could sense the fear inside of her, suggesting a detail that has come to her and was giving her all sorts of chills.

"I fear that the artefact may have resurfaced." Now, Ren was filled with the same worrying feeling inside of him as hers. With such a dangerous power out there in the open, he knew things were not going to be the same ever again. Out there, where a galaxy was at the brink of war, anything wrong could happen at any time. "One of our Disciples has met with someone who is believed to have found a lead to the artefact. At least as far as he is informed. He shall provide us the details to uncover what we may have to find it."

"Then, if you don't mind me asking…?" Ren felt that he was getting out of it again, but this time, he didn't have to worry as he felt that he was allowed to speak his mind. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Silvaline stepped forward, descending down the stairs to meet up with the human who was always so loyal to the Guardians and her Disciples. She had faith that his devotion shall carry them forward into reclaiming such an important piece of history and prevent the forces of darkness from retrieving it from themselves. She put her whole belief in his abilities and with his physical traits, she thought she had the right choice. "You shall help in delivering the artefact to us."

Ren could not believe his ears when she gave the task of giving the artefact back to the Temple. He could not apprehend the idea that he was chosen out of everyone, even Chirrut who he felt was more capable of dealing with the more drastic ordeals, to retrieve such an important relic to the Guardians and Disciples. Why was he picked to perform something of this level? He hadn't really felt like he was that trusted enough to do such a mission.

There were a lot of questions in his head that he wanted to ask, but he knew he had to try and compose himself and let Phest speak about his task.

"You have proven yourself to be exceptional within the Guardians, and we feel that you can help us restore peace by gaining this artefact and return it to us. Your training has served you well, my old friend." Phest had gained much trust in Ren after what he had done to ensure that peace was secured in the city, and she knew how much the other residents of the temple thought so too. She was willing to take the risk and send one of the best of the temple to locate and bring back the relic before the dark side clamps its deadly jaws upon the galaxy.

Ren, on the other hand, was still unsure if he was even worthy of upholding such a responsibility. He was only getting through with the basic level of Guardian mastery and yet, he was selected to go on this special mission to bring balance to the Force. It was all very heavy for the monk and he wasn't sure if he could actually get it done.

Nevertheless, he prepared himself to devote himself to the Guardians and help secure the balance in the Force, to repel any dark influence left behind by the war that was about to rock the galaxy with corruption. So, composing himself to bear the burden of the Force on his shoulders, he accepted his task, wanting to bring peace and security to those around him. He stood back up and bowed to the Disciple, confirming his acceptance of the mission given to him.

"I will do what I can." he acknowledged. "But on one condition." He felt that the mission needed something he felt was not complete without. Phest silently awaited what that condition was, wondering what could be missing that he needed for this special mission.

"Seeing that Nora has had experience outside of Jedha, I would like to bring her along with me on this task." It was rather an unusual request from Ren. No doubt that he would depend on Nora for company, but the idea of bringing her to official Guardian business was somewhat questionable. The young Valkyrie was never one to believe in the 'superstitious' kind of crazy things out there in the galaxy, which was why Phest had some concerns when Ren suggested her to come along out of all people, even his fellow Guardians.

"Are you certain?" Phest asked the Guardian. He nodded, showing his insistence on bringing along his old friend to the adventure of a lifetime.

"I've never been anywhere outside the city, let alone the moon itself. Nora has, and she has been to the dangerous ones, too. I would learn to appreciate someone with the knowledge sustainable enough for me to travel. Plus, for all of her lack of control, she does have enough protection for me. I have no problem bringing her with me."

As difficult as it was for Phest to even tolerate Nora within the temple, there was one thing she was certain about; she deduced that Ren had a lot of trust in the seemingly disobedient brat. Surely after what she heard about what happened earlier at the streets near the temple, it was probably enough to accept the fact that Ren needed Nora to back him up in those 'dangerous places'.

"Very well." She finally granted permission to have Nora Valkyrie follow Ren to his mission to locate the missing relic before darkness got its hands on it and plunge the galaxy in turmoil. She had to remind, though, that there was much caution to bringing the girl with him on his mission.

"But be wary of your attachment to our good visitor, Ren. It shall prove to be your downfall if you do not become vigilant." Ren slowly fell quiet after her warning. This was when he was worried that she would indeed jeopardize the mission with her usual behaviour, resorting to combat at the very instance and make his mission harder to finish.

He decided to not let that stop him from bringing her along. If there was one thing that had kept him alive this long in the busy city, it was Nora, as much as he didn't really like to admit it. He could always rely on her like some miracle in the Force; always coming in the most unexpected of times to save his live like she did before he was about to be killed by that bounty hunter. Perhaps the Force works in mysterious ways and maybe Nora was one of those unexpected blessings he was happy to have anyway.

"I wouldn't really worry about controlling her, Phest." he assured. "I know how to keep her in place." Phest nodded, going with Ren's claim to put the warrior in her place if she was going to make any more trouble.

"Very well. You shall meet up with our informant on the planet Cantonica, in the city of Canto Bight where the rich thrive within the lights of prosperity." She then dug through her pocket to pull out a small necklace that had a crystal-like object tied to it. Ren grasped the necklace and tried to feel for whatever essence it might leave off. He could feel the dull power of the crystal inside of it, confirming that it wasn't a kyber crystal; the very power source of the Jedi's lightsaber. "This jewel shall take you to him, shining brightly as you near your objective."

Ren wore the necklace around his neck, preparing to let the Force guide him to his goal. He then looked to Phest and gave her a grateful bow to thank her for giving him the opportunity to help the galaxy become a peaceful place to live in.

"I shall not let you down, Phest." said the monk. "I promised my parents I won't fail the Force."

"Let the Force guide you, my friend." With the mission finally given, Ren left the Anomid to pursue his objective, to preserve the balance of the Force. When he walked out, he expected to see Nora already causing some mayhem in the temple; a common occurrence during her usual returns to the place. Surprisingly, she was just standing as she did when he entered Phest's chamber, still watching over the vicinity. When the stone doors closed shut, she turned to see Ren all ready to embark. She wrapped her hands around his neck, jubilant over what they should do next. Ren felt a little heavy by the embrace, as sweet as her intentions were, from his little beating from the Feeorin.

"So… what shall we do next?!" she asked him with joy blown over the roof again. Ren then took the crystal from underneath his garments and showed it to Nora, who was swooning at the sheer beauty of it, not that Ren thought it was any pretty. "Ooooohhh… Shiny!"

"This shall take us to our next destination." Nora was soon filled with overcharged excitement, anxious to know where in Jedha would Ren take her this time. "Do you know anything about the city of Canto Bight?" Then, her eyes were almost as big as a dianoga's, large enough to show how extremely excited she was when she heard Ren mentioning another city… outside of Jedha!

"Follow me!" At the speed of a hyperspace jump, she zoomed right outside the door, crashing right through it and shocking everyone in the hallway, especially Ren. He just watched on as the dust left behind drifted off and his fellow Guardians and Disciples just staring at the open entrance.

Ren had his mouth open a little, flabbergasted at the sudden burst of speed. It then changed to a grin, shaking his head over the predictability of Nora's antics. There was going to be a lot of havoc along the way to retrieving the lost artefact for the Temple of the Kyber, but at least he'd be glad, knowing that he had some company to watch over him. The balance of the Force was his to protect and restore. He had to remind himself…

The Force was with him, and he was one with the Force.

TO BE CONTINUED


A/N~ So, after finally finding the young adult novel, Guardians of the Whills, I was able to form some basic knowledge on how they function. Hopefully, I shall continue to read on and let the information help me write future chapters on Ren and Nora.

Initially, I wanted Ren to be a Jedi Knight, serving as a big brother figure to Ruby. He would have been a Jedi who would have travelled the galaxy with Nora to help her do some crazy stuff, something like Kanan Jarrus from Rebels, a Jedi who wasn't confined to the Order's restrictions and was free to do the right thing without worries.

But like Weiss, who I also originally wanted as a Jedi, it was a good opportunity to delve into something different, something a little unknown to most fans. So, whatever I could write in the future might not be accurate, but hopefully everything could still work.

And that finally concludes the prologue chapters! We shall kick off with the first chapter for all characters as the Clone War comes to a start! Plus, as of today, I'm ready to watch The Last Jedi with the Malaysian SW Fan Club!

No worries, no spoilers until time has passed. See you soon, and may the Force be with you!