A/N: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF STAR WARS OR YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THEIR CREATORS!
Chapter 33: Holocron and Child
It had been two days since Luna's vision came true and Yusei saved her and Leo's class from expulsion. At the moment, Yusei was working on the duel runner alone. Suddenly, a familiar communicator went off. 'Who's contacting me on the communicator?' he thought uncertain.
He grabbed it and pressed the answer button to see his master on the other end. "Hey, Master," he greeted.
"Hello, Yusei," Obi-Wan greeted back.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. "I wouldn't think you would contact me so soon."
"I left a message at the Jedi Temple for you and any other Jedi in three separate holocrons, so three Jedi could take them. I would like you to go get one," Obi-Wan told him.
"Alright," Yusei agreed. "I'll leave immediately."
"Be warned, Yusei. The Separatists have been renamed the Empire and they have just about every system under their control," Obi-Wan responded.
"How many exactly?" Yusei asked tense.
"The only one that is in known space that isn't taken over is your homeworld's system," Obi-Wan answered worrying Yusei. "Watch the twins and your world carefully. Make sure they stay safe. I have no doubt that the Empire will eventually come to take over your system as well. And when you get to the Temple to get the holocron, be wary for anyone nearby. You don't know who could be there and watching the Temple for any surviving Jedi."
"Right," Yusei agreed. "Should I contact you once I'm back at Earth?"
"No," Obi-Wan answered. "It's risky enough for me to contact you for this. Make sure you show it to Leo and Luna as well."
"Right," Yusei responded. "Where in the Jedi Temple would the holocron be?"
"Each one is hidden in a different seat in the Council Chamber," Obi-Wan explained. "Only a Jedi with the right Force Signature can open the certain compartment."
"So there is a holocron only allowed to be opened by my Force signature?" Yusei asked.
"Yes," Obi-Wan answered. "Good luck, Yusei. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you," Yusei repeated in respect before the connection was cut. Yusei put the communicator in his pocket and put a black, hooded cloak on. R8 then rolled up beeping away. "No, R8, you can't come with me." It gave a shocked, gasp like beep. "I know. But I need you to stay here in order to let the others know where I went. But no matter what they say or what happens, do not allow the twins or others to follow me. Do you understand?" It tilted back and forth once to simulate a nod. "Thanks, R8. I'll be back before noon tomorrow." He then walked out with that, grabbing his lightsaber on the way out.
Yusei had walked to the junkyard, so as to not risk his runner getting stolen while he was away, and quickly arrived at his destination. He boarded his starfighter and quickly took off.
. . .
Crow and Jack walked into the garage and looked around. They noticed his runner but didn't see or even hear Yusei anywhere.
"Yusei?" Crow called.
R8 rolled up and began to beep. Jack sighed with Crow in annoyance a bit, the droid still didn't seem to understand the fact that the two couldn't understand a word he was saying.
"R8, you know we can't understand you," Jack told it. "Can you pull up a map or something to tell us where Yusei is?" R8 quickly pulled up a image of Earth with a red dot that was moving out of the atmosphere. "Where's he going?"
"Jack, he can't tell us that if we can't understand," Crow replied before R8 could say anything.
The man groaned, "Right." He sighed. "We need to get the twins, then."
"Get us for what?" Luna asked and they turned as she, Leo, and Akiza walked in.
"Yusei, just left Earth," Crow answered. "Can you translate R8 for us?"
The twins nodded and R8 beeped a bit seeming a bit anxious. Leo then said, "R8 said that Yusei got a message from Master Kenobi telling him to go to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to get a holocron."
"A what?" Akiza asked.
"A holocron," Luna answered. "Think of it like a cube with the ability to store a lot of information and messages. Like star charts or something can be held in it. But it can only be opened with the Force."
"R8, do you know what's so special about the holocron?" Leo asked the droid. It beeped and the boy sighed.
"What did he say?" Crow asked.
"No, he doesn't," Leo answered. It beeped again. "But Master Kenobi did say that the Separatists' name has been changed to the Empire and that, other than our system, all known systems have joined the Empire. He had also warned Yusei to be careful since people looking for surviving Jedi might be at the Temple."
"And despite that danger, Yusei still went?" Jack asked tense. "R8, you have to take us there!" It beeped seeming to say no, but they couldn't understand it. "What did he say now?"
"He can't," Luna answered sadly. "He promised Yusei that he would keep us here no matter what and to not let us go after him." She looked at them. "Besides, even if he didn't, we only have the ability to fly two of us to Coruscant. We don't have any other ships for it besides the two person fighter."
Crow growled in frustration. "R8, listen to us. We want to make sure Yusei' stays okay. Don't you want that?"
It beeped and Leo repeated, "He does, but he made a promise. He isn't going to break it."
Jack stepped towards the droid in frustration, but R8 shocked him in warning making him call out in pain. "What was that for?!" he asked the droid. It made a growling noise while Leo and Luna smirked a bit. "What?"
"He said he wasn't going to let you go after Yusei even if a Wampa attacked him to do it," Luna answered.
"A Wampa?" Akiza repeated.
"Pretty much a Yeti that lives on Hoth," Leo answered. "They are dangerous and deadly. Many who face them don't come back alive. If R8 isn't planning on taking you even for that, he's not going to budge on the matter."
"Listen you tin can…" Jack growled but he got shocked again making him stop.
"Alright, R8, we get it. We're not going anywhere. Can you stop shocking Jack?" Crow asked. It made a laughing sound but backed away happily. Crow sighed. "We're not going anywhere then. Not unless by some chance, R8 is given the okay by Yusei to bring us to him."
"I'll contact Yusei, see if he can explain to us what's going on," Akiza stated bringing out the communicator.
"You know, you carry that thing around like some good luck charm," Jack stated.
"Well, it's a good thing I have it now, isn't it?" Akiza retorted defensive. Jack shrugged in response. She then turned to call Yusei.
. . .
Yusei had just silently landed on a hidden platform by the Jedi Temple. He pulled his hood up to hide his face before walking through the dark halls. He watched and sensed everything around him, feeling for the Dark Side.
But he quickly heard a young child's panting and noticed a figure run behind a door to a room. But the strange thing was, he felt a Force signature mirroring a Jedi youngling. Yusei cautiously followed the figure into the room that used to be a youngling bedroom. He noticed feet scurry under the bed.
Yusei kneeled down and looked under the bed to see a familiar youngling in old, dirty Jedi robes hiding there in fear. It was a human girl, no older than six. She had black hair pulled back into a ponytail and forest green eyes. The last time he had seen her was when he was helping train her batch of younglings while Leo and Luna were in their own group. She was quite smart and had a great deal of skill when in training. But even so, it shocked him to see her here.
"Delaia?" he greeted.
"M-Master Yusei?" she greeted back.
"It's me," he answered. "Come on out. I won't hurt you." She slowly emerged from under the bed and looked at him. "Are you alright?"
"I… I thought the Empire killed all the old Jedi Knights and Masters," she admitted.
"Me, a couple other Masters, Padawan Leo, and Padawan Luna made it out alright," Yusei told her. "How did you survive? Last I saw, the clones and Anakin Skywalker slaughtered all of the younglings here."
"I-I was hanging out in the Archives, studying. Then I heard shooting and screams from other younglings outside the doors. I felt a shiver and a dark power and hid in the air ducts under the floors," Delaia explained. She began to cry. "I've been hiding around here and surviving ever since. I've been fearing of the Empire finding me and killing me with their Inquisitors."
"Inquisitors?" Yusei repeated.
"The Empire's bounty hunters. The thing that makes them different is that they are also Sith," Delaia answered shocking Yusei.
"Don't worry, Delaia. I have to find something in the Council Chamber and then I can help you get out of here and back to where I've been hiding," Yusei told her. "And until the Empire finds its way to there, you'll be safe. I'll protect you as well."
"Really?" she responded, her tears stopping in her shock.
"Of course," Yusei answered. He stood up. "Come on. Let's go get what I need and then we'll take my fighter out of here."
"M-Master…" Delaia muttered before standing up and following Yusei out. She was quick, though, to grab his arm and hold onto it in fear.
With a youngling under his protection now, Yusei became much more vigilant. He could sense her fear and he knew she wasn't lying about her story due to his connection with the Force. They were soon in the Council Chamber and Yusei looked around. Nothing had been moved or touched.
Yusei took a deep breath and stretched his Force abilities throughout the room. He watched as his old master's chair armrest lit up with a small mark before a compartment opened. Yusei pulled the holocron out and put it in his pocket.
"Why do you need a holocron?" Delaia asked.
"Master Obi-Wan contacted me telling me to grab it," Yusei answered. "I'll find out what's in it once we're safely back to where I'm staying. Come on, we need to get out of here fast." Delaia nodded and grabbed onto him again. Yusei kneeled to her eye level and set comforting hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here and to safety. I promise."
"Thank you, Master," she responded.
"If you don't mind me asking, why haven't you left the Temple? It isn't safe to stay here alone with the Empire," he responded.
"Other than the Temple, I don't know any other place on Coruscant and I had no way to get back to my home world and to my family," Delaia explained sadly. "And even if I went to my family now, with the Empire so powerful, I would be killed there."
"I've heard how powerful the Empire has become. The place I'm staying is my homeworld, Earth. But the Empire's borders haven't reached there yet. So you'll be safe there," Yusei assured. "Now, come on."
They soon reached the fighter when the sound of lightsaber activating came from behind them. Yusei and Delaia turned only to see a pale man, Pau'an in species, with red markings on his face standing there in a black uniform seeming clothing that held an emblem on his shirt. He was holding a red glowing lightsaber that had a half circle around the handle.
"I figured a Jedi wouldn't be able to stay away from their old home," the Pau'an stated.
Yusei activated his lightsaber and held it at ready while Delaia hid behind him. "Who are you?" he asked the person in front of him.
"I am the Grand Inquisitor," he answered. "I've known this youngling has been living here for a while now. And I knew if any Jedi returned, having her by their side would slow them down and allow me to start finishing the last of the Jedi."
Yusei noticed his communicator go off. 'My friends must be trying to contact me,' he thought.
Suddenly, the Inquisitor used the Force and yanked the communicator out of his pocket. "I see you have some friends who are trying to contact you. The other Jedi perhaps, hm? Or are they friends who know about the Jedi and are concerned for you?" he asked. Yusei stayed silent. "Let's see, shall we?" He threw the communicator in the middle between him and Yusei so both her were in the shot while activating it at the same time.
"Yusei!" Akiza exclaimed as all on the other side saw the situation.
"Ah, so your name is Yusei, hm? I have heard of you," the Inquisitor stated. "Well made Jedi, wise and noble Padawan and Jedi Knight. All up until the Empire has risen and destroyed all of you but yourself and the very last. And the starting of the end of the Jedi will be with you!" He launched towards Yusei who used his lightsaber to defend himself.
"Delaia, get into the fighter!" Yusei ordered throwing the Inquisitor back. "Now!"
"R-Right," she agreed and hurriedly climbed into the co-pilot seat.
"Just as every Jedi, protecting their kind to their last breath," the Inquisitor stated. He ran forward and clashed his own lightsaber with Yusei's.
Yusei forced the Pau'an back before flipping out of the way of the fighter and Delaia. The Pau'an smirked, but kept his focus on the human Jedi as he attacked. Yusei used the Force to push him off the edge of the platform, but the Pau'an barely managed to catch himself by gripping the edge. His lightsaber sitting just out of the Inquisitor's reach.
The human walked over and kicked the lightsaber farther away. The two glared at each other before Yusei retracted his lightsaber.
"You'll regret having kept me alive. I will find you; And when I do, you'll find an ending far worse than a swift death in battle," the Inquisitor stated.
Yusei glared for a moment before turning around. He turned off the communicator with the Force while grabbing it back and running into the fighter and taking off.
"Master…" Delaia called sounding worried.
"I'm fine, Delaia," he reassured. "Are you alright?" She nodded. "Good." He quickly boarded into the ring and went into hyperspace towards Earth. Yusei pulled out the holocron and looked at it for a moment.
"What do you think is in it?" she asked.
"A message of some kind," he answered. "We'll be at Earth in a couple minutes."
"Thank you, Master," Delaia stated. "Thank you for helping me and saving me."
Yusei grinned. "Of course, Delaia," he responded. "I am currently still training Leo and Luna. I'll see what I can do about your training if you want." She nodded with a small smile. "Alright." He pulled out of hyperspace just behind the moon to hide the ring and flew through Earth's atmosphere to the junkyard.
"This world is so pretty!" Delaia commented as she looked around.
"Thanks," Yusei responded with a small smile, relieved to see her a bit happier.
They landed on the ground where Yusei's friends were driving up to meet him. When he jumped out, he helped Delaia while the others hurried up. The young girl immediately hid behind Yusei, watching the others carefully.
"Hey, you're Delaia!" Leo exclaimed. "You're still alive?"
"I managed to hide in the air ducts while everyone else was killed," she answered nervously.
"Yusei, are you alright?" Akiza asked. "After what we saw on the communication…"
"I'm fine, guys," he assured. "Don't worry about me."
"What about you, kid? Hurt after those people and that man attacked?" Crow asked.
Delaia shook her head. "Master Yusei kept me safe," she answered.
"How do you know him?" Jack asked.
"I helped teach her class a bit while Leo and Luna were still beginning their training," Yusei explained for her. "She was pretty smart and well skilled even at her young age." They looked at her and how she was still hiding behind Yusei. "Don't worry, Delaia. These guys won't hurt you." She slowly stepped out from behind Yusei.
"She's really only trusts you, doesn't she, Yusei?" Akiza asked.
"Considering I'm the first Jedi she actually knew that she met since the fall of the Jedi Order, I can understand," he replied.
"By the way, did you get the holocron, Yusei?" Luna asked. He pulled it out from his back pocket.
"Any idea what's in it that's so important?" Crow asked.
"A message for Leo, Luna, any surviving Jedi, and I," he answered. "We'll check it out once we get back to the garage." They nodded and took off.
"How old is she anyway?" Akiza asked. "And her name's Delaia, right?"
Delaia nodded. "I'm six," she answered.
"How old are kids usually taken in to join the Order again?" Jack asked.
"Three to four years," Yusei answered. "Delaia joined when she was three. She actually is pretty good with technology and mechanics."
"She is?" Crow asked.
"Yeah," Yusei answered. "She could take apart a starfighter and put it back together given enough time."
They came over the bridge that was over the ocean but nearing the garage. Delaia immediately ran and looked out at the sea. She then turned to the Infinity Tower. "What's that?" she asked.
"That's the Infinity Tower," Yusei answered. "It symbolizes the unity between Satellite and the City."
"Huh," she responded.
"Come on, we're almost at the garage," Yusei told her. She nodded and followed him and the others again to the garage.
"How long was I away anyways?" Yusei asked.
"Well, it's almost seven," Leo stated.
"So about four hours," Yusei deduced. They arrived at the garage and slowly walked in. Delaia was looking around a bit, nervousness on her face. "It's alright, Delaia." He guided her into the room and she sat on the couch.
"Yusei, what're you going to do with her?" Akiza asked.
"I was going to see if Martha could keep her at her house for the time being," Yusei answered. "But I wasn't about to let Delaia stay hiding in the Jedi Temple." He was about to continue when Delaia gripped onto his arm, eyes scrunched up in concern and fear. "What's wrong, Delaia?"
"Don't leave me, Master," she whispered and the others found it a bit touching while Yusei just smirked a bit awkwardly.
"I will always be nearby, Delaia. You shouldn't worry about me leaving you," he assured her, but she merely gripped tighter.
"I don't know about you, but I don't think she's wanting to go anywhere unless she's with you," Crow commented with grin.
"Delaia…" Yusei began but she gripped even tighter and he was beginning to struggle to feel his arm with how hard she was holding it. He sighed.
"We can probably keep her here until we can find her a better home and she's more comfortable with leaving you," Crow told him.
"Are you sure about that?" Yusei asked.
"I honestly don't think we have much of a choice," Jack stated.
Yusei gave a small nod and looked at Delaia. "Alright, Delaia, you can stay here with me for now," he told her gently. She looked at him and nodded with a nervous face. Yusei kept his relief away from his features when she loosened her grip on his arm, allowing the blood to flow there again and allow him to feel it. "It'll be okay, Delaia," he told her, trying to help her calm down.
"I understand," she responded.
"If you've been hiding in the Jedi Temple all this time, you probably need something to eat, don't you?" Yusei asked her. She looked down a bit but nodded. "Come on, I'll get you something."
"I could find some clothes that could fit her, Yusei," Akiza told her. "So she's not wearing clothes that don't fit in here too well."
"That would definitely be helpful, Akiza. Thanks," he responded. She smiled before walking out to go find the young girl clothes.
Yusei got Delaia a bit of food and water and she ate them slowly, as if savoring their taste. He then walked out to let her eat. Once he was out of her view, he stretched the arm Delaia was holding onto a bit to make sure he had feeling back to it fully.
"Hold onto it a bit tight?" Crow asked.
"Yeah," Yusei answered.
"To think she's been hiding at the Temple this entire time," Luna stated.
"At least she's okay," Leo stated. "Who know what would've happened if the Empire found her?"
"So I'm guessing R8 filled you in on everything Obi-Wan told me?" Yusei asked.
"Yep," Luna answered. "We had to translate it for the others, though."
"Want to check out the holocron?" Leo asked.
Yusei nodded and pulled it out. Delaia came running next to him having heard about the holocron. Yusei closed his eyes and focused as he felt the holocron lift out of his hands and open. He kept his concentration in check to keep the holocron open while he opened his eyes to see what the message was.
A holographic image of Obi-Wan appeared and began to play the recording, "This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report than both the Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple, that time has passed. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust, our faith, our friendships… but we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you. Always." The image then disappeared and Yusei closed to holocron and brought it back to his hand.
"Why would he tell us what we already know?" Leo asked.
"And why would he leave the holocrons at the Temple?" Luna followed. "I mean, if we can't go there anymore."
"It's like what Master Yoda would do. It has a hidden message within it," Yusei replied. "We just have to look for the answer on our own and figure it out."
"Do you think when this hope is found the Empire will be stopped?" Delaia asked.
"Probably," Yusei answered. "I'm not sure when this hope will come; but when they do, we'll help them end the Empire's rule."
"Think the Empire will ever come here?" Jack asked.
"At some point, they will," Yusei replied. "It's just a matter of when." He then added mentally, 'And I have to be ready to protect this world alone when the Empire comes here.'