A.N.
An exciting new twist to the saga starts from here.
The end of this story will come with plenty to look forward to in the next and final installment, I promise!
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Chapter10 - Break the Spirits
Ron could feel Kim's touch in the force. She's checking on him again, trying to reassure herself if he's alright, trying to convince him to come with her again; such compassion, such weakness.
Ron frowned and continued to wait beside the beacon, a signal he placed, a gesture to attract the attention of the Empire. The sun had set a few minutes ago, and now the place is dark and cold. He stood in the middle of two sets of pillars, old ruins of some sort, broken and collapsed.
He noticed a light in the sky, it was getting closer, he raised his binoculars to identify it but before he could do so he heard a series of cocking and was almost blinded by lights appearing from the shadows.
He put the object down and discovered in his surprise that he was surrounded by Imperial storm troopers, raising their blasters at him with flash lights fixated on them. Their white armor shined as it reflected the light and they got close enough to whack him on to his knees.
Just as the bruises began to form in the different areas he got hit the loud noise of repulsor lifts got louder and dust flew in different directions. He finally got the chance to raise his head and spot a boarding ramp lowering from the bay of a transport ship.
Smoke ejected in different directions as a familiar mechanical breathing resonated from inside the ship. At last the recognizable armor could be seen marching down the ramp towards him, sending chills down Ron's spine. Two other officers came towing behind the tall figure, one Ron recognized as Ned.
Suddenly a uniformed man came into frame from behind Ron and he bowed in front of the dark lord.
"Well done, captain." Vader's voice boomed, he looked down at Ron, who almost forgot he still has two blasters directed at his head, "I see you've captured one of the two Jedi."
"Any orders, milord?" the green clad officer asked formally.
Vader gestured in the general direction of the vicinity, "Scan the area, set for stun and bring me anyone else you find."
"On it, sir." The officer saluted, turned and marched off.
A wry smile crept across Ron's face as he looked into Vader's mask.
"Oy, that boy is pulling a face at you, I reckon milord." The scruffy looking man at Vader's side pointed out, his clothes resembled that of an old Ace pilot of the great wars, his accent sounded Australian…or French, Ron couldn't really tell.
Ned raised a brow, "Do you want us to…discipline him, master?"
"The boy will be brought to the emperor," Vader ordered, turning to Ned and emphasizing the rest of his sentence, "untouched!"
Moments later, the entire group boarded the ship, with Ron as their captive.
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Master Dan stepped out of the labs and began to pace down the corridor, deep in thought, lost in his own world. After studying the ancient slabs for so long and using what knowledge he had picked up in the Jedi Temple when he studied there, he still doesn't seem to be aware of what is going on.
But he did come over some interesting discoveries, most notable of them all is that there has been a secret order on this planet that have foreseen the coming of the Sith Empire, even after its fall so long ago.
"Master?" Kim's voice snapped him out of his trance, "are you alright? You look stressed."
Dan put on an innocent smile, "Oh I'm quite fine!"
But Kim didn't see a smile; she just noticed the wrinkles across his face, "Tell me, what's wrong?"
Dan sighed, there was no escaping this young woman's fortitude, "I discovered some ancient text on the Dark Disciples. From what I found, these people know of the Sith's coming are said to stick to the prophecy until they return. And I'm wondering where these people are now."
"Well Master," Kim stroked her chin and gestured factually, "remember how Doctors Venture and Quarrel told us about the data pad of a person from this planet explained the same thing," Kim then rubbed her neck as she struggled to remember, "And I recall Venture's wife, Veronica…their lab was attacked by someone who…huh!"
"What Kim?" Dan asked, "What is it?"
"Veronica, she must've been a member of the Dark Disciples!"
"Who's Veronica?"
Kim shook her head in frustration, "Doctor Venture's wife, Veronica, she discovered the first tablet before the Sith Palace was risen. She was studying it when she discovered the prophecy. She must've told the Dark Disciples about it, otherwise they wouldn't have come after it. No one ever finished ciphering the code, but from what she told Ron, a member of the Dark Disciples will be chosen to govern Earth."
"So, what you're trying to say is that the Dark Disciples might be working with the emperor right now? And they are people of this planet?"
"Exactly."
"Do you think Venture knows something we don't?"
Kim frowned as questions bogged her mind, her hand concealed her forehead, "He might do," she looked back up, weary and doubtful, "before she died, she told him something but none of us heard except him and he forgot what she said."
"He forgot his wife's last words?" Dan repeated, almost mockingly.
"It could be the key to our investigation, master. A key that might also help find a weakness to the emperor. If only there was a way we could help him remember."
"Well," Dan held his chin with intrigue, "the force does work wonders!"
Kim eyed him skeptically.
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Venture was outside; he had walked quite a distance down the river that had run from the falls beside the immense and camouflaged structure that was the rebel headquarters.
A stream divided itself away from the savage river, escaping into the swamp and disappearing into a quiet small lake, where Venture sat on a rock just beside it. The misty air that came off the river a couple of minutes walk from here added to the gloomy surroundings, but Venture didn't mind it as long as he gets the peace and quiet.
That was until Kim and Dan found him. The two Jedi, one dressed in the traditional Jedi attire and the other dressed in a casual secret agent type outfit, approached him carefully from the side.
"Doctor Venture?" Kim warily asked. He had his eyes closed and almost leapt at the sudden intrusion.
"Oh my goodness!" He sat up and checked his physical form by dusting his safari-type outfit, "what's…what are you doing here?"
Venture's fussy antics showed uneasiness while he put on a casual smile, yet his face betrayed curiosity, Kim grimaced while Dan's brows rose in interest, "We apologize for intruding on you like this doctor," said Manster Dan, "but it is quite an important matter that we need to discuss with you."
Venture's smile faded, his serious expression came as he steadied himself and placed his arms on his hips, "what matter might that be?"
Kim grimaced a little, "it involves your wife, sir."
"My wife?" Venture frowned, "but she's dead."
"Actually," Kim added, "It's more of what your wife said before she…died."
"Didn't I already tell you?" Venture unnervingly countered, "I don't remember what she said, and can't you just leave the subject alone? It's over!"
He began to turn away from the pair when Dan's rough hand gripped his shoulder and held him in place, "Actually doctor, it's not over." Venture turned around and met eyes with the Jedi Master, "we believe the words she spoke to you may be vital to defeating the Empire."
"Oh please!" Venture mocked, "What could she have said to me that would matter so much to you?"
"Doctor," Kim stepped forward and looked him in the eye, "we can help you remember, but you have to help us as well."
Venture sank into thought. His mind became an ocean of emotions, a raging ocean of familiar waves that he felt so long ago. He slowly turned away and paced closer to the lake, his eyes fell onto its surface, blemished and gruesome, yet calm and quiet; much like his thoughts on his wife.
"Doctor," Kim stood beside him, "I know you'd rather not relive that moment, but…"
"You're wrong Kim," Venture interrupted, "I would very much like to relive that moment."
Kim glanced at him, his eyes were still staring into the lake but his mouth kept moving, "There's nothing I want more than to know what those words she spoke to me were. I've been obsessing over them, even to this day, trying to remember, but no matter how hard I tried it would just not come back to me."
Tears trickled down his cheeks; his hand came to his eyes, while Kim gripped the other and tapped into the force, in an attempt to comfort him.
"So, will you help us?" Kim asked.
The doctor swallowed hard, wiped his cheeks and nodded, "yes, yes I'll help you. Just tell me what I need to do."
Dan watched from a distance, he could not help but feel a sense of pride as his apprentice comforted the man through such a difficult time and helped him take on this great challenge. Indeed, the young girl is becoming a greater Jedi Knight everyday.
"It is simple," Dan said as he stepped forward to meet the two, "all we ask is that you sit on that rock and close your eyes, I'll take care of the rest."
Venture nodded and sat on the rock facing the lake as he was asked. He placed his hands on his laps, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Kim stood beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder, but Dan brushed it away requesting of her not to intrude on this process. Kim stepped back nervously, and watched.
Dan stood behind Venture, placed both his hands on the man's head from either side and also closed his eyes, trying to focus the energy of the force to bring out distant memories.
"Clear your mind," he spoke, emphasizing on his words as though it were a thought and not so much an order, "and try to visualize the time and place. Visualize your wife's face, her voice…how you felt…how she felt…visualize."
Kim glanced at Dan, his eyes, his face, his expression; calm and still. She then glanced at Venture, his eyes were still closed, his face was now squinting, he was sweating…something was uneasy. She could feel the waves of the force emanating from the two, one flowing through the other, and it echoed off of him, a bouncy and uneven wave. The struggle was clearly within Venture's mind, he was having a difficult time remembering.
Then suddenly, his eyes flashed open, he began to cough, his sweat trickled face became still and he opened his mouth to speak, "Honey, listen to what I have to say…please listen…", he coughed a little and struggled to speak, "Break the spirits and seal the unopened gates. The dark empire silently comes… a throne will emerge from beneath …and the stars will fall..."
A few ghastly noises made it out of his throat, then his eyes shut, finally he fell silent. Slowly the eyes opened, this time a terrified face came to life, with tearful eyes he searched his surroundings. He glanced at Kim and tried to speak but nothing came out, lifting his arms Kim came and embraced him with a hug as he cried.
Dan stepped aside and allowed the two this moment, walking towards the lake he began to think about those words. There was definitely something behind those words.
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Kim and Dan left Venture alone, he decided he needed sometime to think over what happened, and the more the two paced back towards headquarters the more confused they got.
"So it's definitely a riddle." Kim concluded.
"And it certainly describes the coming of the Empire." Dan pointed out.
"The palace will rise…" Kim thought, "could that possibly be the Imperial Palace?"
"There's a good chance of that!" Dan nodded.
"Break the spirits, and seal the unopened gates?" Kim rubbed her chin, and brushed her hand through her hair, "I have no clue."
"This needs research," Dan suggested, "but while I do this Kim, I need you to find out about these Dark Disciples whatever you can. I have a feeling they won't be far from where Imperial concentration camps are."
"Will do master and I know exactly where to start my investigation. The place of my first encounter with one of them," Kim smiled at the curious looking old man, "home!"
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A.N.
And thus Kim will head back to Middleton for the first time since the Imperial Invasion.
You do not want to miss the next chapter!