Notice: I do not own STAR WARS or any of its characters, The characters you see are my creation, but are owned by Disney.
A quick catch-up: Duro'cor radioed a jedi knight from the academy on Yavin IV named Keelan Tine to meet him at the temple of Coruscant. He Returned to Coruscant and immediately visited Nyla, who had not gained any health.
Nyla laid as still as death in her medical bed. I sat by her side resting my hand on her own. Nothing anyone was trying was helping. I went over the confrontation with Kirnak to Nyla. It had been confirmed she could hear everything that went on around her so I had been telling her of my going-ons. Just because my padawan was disabled did not at all mean I had to stop teaching her.
"You have an idea. I can tell" I jumped at the low husky voice behind me and turned to see a tall Twi'lek with a red band covering his eyes. A long scar traced his face from the left of his forehead to just below his lip. "What's stopping you? She means alot to you. Save her." I sighed, "Keelan, It's good to see you. I know I can save her. But Kirnak didn't tell me what this powder is. It could be anything. He told me it could save a friend but...what if he didn't mean Nyla?" Keelan was a young Consular who had just recently gained his knighthood. Despite being completely blind from an injury received defending his family, he excelled as a jedi and easily gained knight status.
"You went to ask him to help you and your padawan, I've heard enough stories to know that Kirnak can tell what your intentions are. That powder is for Nyla. I know it." I laughed, "Blind fool. It's not powder, it's a stone." Keelan smirked, "I hate you so much Duro'cor." Then we laughed out loud and embraced each other in a tight hug, "It has been far too long my dear friend." "Mutual my blind friend."
I knew Keelan well as I was the one who found him when I was just a knight myself. His village on Ryloth was under attack by Imperials and I had been part of the strike team sent to assist the situation. I found Keelan defending his mother and sister from two stormtroopers. One of them shot the young Twi'lek in the face and he fell to the ground. Everyone thought he was dead but as soon as I ignited my saber to defend the family. The boy rose and unleashed a massive blast of force energy, killing both troopers. I took the family to safety and once the battle was over, I invited Keelan to the academy. Everyone was surprised when I received Nyla as a padawan as opposed to Keelan, but all turned out well.
"Now. That stone is most definitely imbued with dark side power. I'm willing to bet you can channel the power into a form that can save your padawan. Now. Be the jedi who brought me to the order. Be Duro'cor Venn." I nodded and held the stone in my hand, it fit nicely in my palm and seemed to almost stick there. I could feel the power Keelan was talking about and, despite all my training, fed on it. And in return I fed the stone's power.
I could see the stone glowing slightly more and more as I fed the cycle of power between me and the stone. Then once the stone was glowing a brilliant dark purple, I thrust forward my palm and pooled all of my force energy into healing power which shot out of the gem in an amazing beam of purple and red. The beam hit Nyla and for a tense moment, nothing happened. But I kept feeding the beam my force energy and then, miraculously, Nyla began to heal. In mere seconds she was practically herself again. Save the jagged scar that marked her cheek. I held the beam for as long as I could before it faded away. A glance at my hand showed that the stone had disappeared. I ran to Nyla's side and so did Keelan. "She's exuding an awful lot of dark force energy. I can't be certain but I think it's coming from her cheek…." Then he pointed at the scar on her cheek, "Is that her cheek?" "It's the scar." I looked at Keelan' red band and fixed my statement, "There's a hideous red scar on her cheek. It must be a mark of the dark side power that affected her." Keelan nodded, "I doubt it will ever be purged. But don't be a fool and not tell her it's there. She can keep it contained within the scar if she focuses on it." "Worry not Keelan," I said, "She can hear us. Nyla, are you ok?"
The young human's eyes fluttered open and she gently sat up. Swinging her legs over the edge and going to stand, I went to stop her, "Easy Nyla, you need rest." She smiled her cocky smirk, "Master, I respect your opinion but i've never felt better. I want to meet these "Jerome and Llyon" fellows. They seem cool" I laughed, "Eager as ever my young apprentice. Patience is something of value. They are away for the moment, they will return shortly. Meanwhile you should reacquaint yourself with Ain and Keelan." Nyla nodded and stood up. Gathering her clothes and lightsaber and other weapons. She looked at me and Keelan, "Master Venn, Keelan. Get out, i'm getting dressed and I don't want you seeing me naked." Keelan went to speak but Nyla stopped him, "It's out of respect Keelan, get out." We nodded and left the medical bay.
"It's good to have my padawan back. It's been weird without her." Keelan nodded, "I imagine it is. But know she will be much more dangerous than she was now that the dark side is physically within her. The lull of the dark side will be stronger for not just her, but those around her." I sighed, "As I feared, you are too observant for your own good. Nyla was put under my training for good reason. I plan to live up to that. If that means erasing the sith from existence, so be it." Keelan laughed, "You treat her like a daughter. That is…" I interrupted, "I know it's not a healthy padawan-master relationship. But when you spend countless years on an abandoned planet with a padawan. A bond is bound to happen."
Just then Nyla exited the medical bay wearing her tunic and armed with her weapons. "I wanna see Ain again. I wanna see him as a Trandoshan. He was really annoying as a Gungan I won't lie." She ran off down the hall to find Ain.
"So Keelan. You are willing to help? Despite the risks of this task?" The blind consular smiled, "Duro'cor, my dearest friend. If I was afraid of risks, I would still be able to see." I smiled at that, knowing that if not for his bravery, Keelan would be dead instead of blind. "Good, then this should be the perfect task for you. Because risk is the main factor." I think Keelan smiled at that, but I couldn't see his face as he was staring at a wall instead of me. I didn't want to tell him though.
A short time later, I was standing with Jerome and Llyon trying to figure out how many ships we should have. So far we had The Jayel, The Aeroplume, and The Bee. "We might want to have us all on the same ship for convenience's sake." Llyon noted, "Agreed, but one or two fighters would be very useful for certain situations. Such as reconnaissance, ship attacks, and other things." Llyon nodded and Jerome turned to Llyon, "You know Llyon, we have those delivery ports, you could fit a person through those I bet. I can modify them to hold onto a small fighter for long distances." I laughed, "You can do that?" Jerome nodded with pride, "That'd be exactly what we need. Get on that. I want to speak with the council on something." Jerome nodded, "I'll get right on it Duro'cor." I nodded as I left the Hangar for the Council room.
"The Seven Brothers are a dangerous ally Master Daggoth. I urge you to choose differently." Jyiyn Daggoth shook his head, "Master Venn, we have no other hope. The Knighthood has been corrupted, and our knights do not have enough resources for this kind of crisis." The Knighthood? Corrupted? "How was the Knighthood corrupted Master?" Master Lerann answered solemnly, "The Overknight turned to the darkside. The Knighthood, loyal as they are, followed suit."
"That doesn't change the fact that the seven brothers are not a good ally…" "And why not Jerome?" A soft, dark voice interrupted me, "I am curious to know what's so terrible about me and my brothers that Jerome, space pirate, frowns upon us." I slowly turn on the man in green raider wraps, "Torin, I am not Jerome anymore. You know this." Torin laughed, "A traitor to tradition as well? You're Jerome until your death. That is the legacy. But never mind that. If the Jedi order wants our help, who are you to deny that. We all know you've been gathering a ragtag team of your own, Jerome and Llyon included." I nodded, "You are correct, I so suppose my request is out of line. I will let your decisions be your own, Councilmen." I left the council room.
The truth was I still frowned upon the recruitment of the Seven brothers. But maintaining my calm demeanor was difficult with a man like Torin around. He was the oldest and leader of the Seven brothers, and him and I had been butting heads ever since I took the title of Jerome. I had more important things to do anyway.
As I was leaving the council room Master Tazel came after me and stopped me, "Master Venn! Wait! I must speak with you." I turned to her as I spoke, "I have nothing more to say to the council for now." She shook her head in desperation, "It's not like that Duro'cor." My first name? Council members never refer to masters by their first name. It's not a tradition, they're just conceited, "I agree with you Duro'cor, I don't agree with the council's decision to hire the Seven brothers but I was outvoted." I nodded, "I'm glad someone in there has sense. I'm ever more glad it's you. But what does this have to do with anything?" Cashaa nodded as if she just remembered what she wanted to say, "Right. I want to join your team to defeat the neo-sith. You know full and well how good I am in battle and it definitely wouldn't be a bad idea to have another Master with you. You have two knights, one padawan, and two pirates, only one master? I can't allow that. You need me." I sighed, "Cashaa I do need you, but I can't risk your life. You're frankly the only good council member and when Master Daggoth leaves, you'll need to be alive to take that spot."
Cashaa blushed slightly but persisted, "Duro'cor it's my choice to make this risk. And i'm at risk either way. If you fail, they will surely come for the council. If you want to build and lead this team then you have to ask yourself. What's in a team? What qualities do you need? Once you know the answer to that question, then, and only then, will you be the leader of this team." I sighed, Cashaa was right, I was not a leader. I was a man who needed help. And she was right about another thing, "I could use another master." She smiled and, despite everything i've ever learned about Cashaa Tazel as a person, she hugged me.
I smiled to myself as she turned and left for the council room, "i'll be in the hangar in a short while. I would like to meet this team of yours."