Hi everyone! As promised, here is an update and it's only been eight days!
Bakura: do you want a medal?
You can take your sarcasm and shove it, Bakura. Anyway, since this story mostly follows the events of the game, with a lot of twists and turns, there are many scenes that won't make the cut of the final product. This story would have been far longer if I kept a lot of the scenes that I ended up cutting out.
Bakura: who cares?
(Shoves Bakura off a cliff) nonetheless, I am really glad that everyone is enjoying my story, and what I decided to do with Revan and Anakin.
Thank you to tymaxion, Abyss Trinity, ssj3gohan007, TianYi (both times), BountyHunter1977, Lord Revan Reborn, ivanruzic3758, and stars90 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome!
I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
Chapter Fourteen
The Monastery, Mortis
It was still pouring rain outside while thunderous claps echoed in the dark overcast sky above and Luke wrapped his arms around himself as he gazed at the thick rain that fell, preventing him from seeing more than a few feet in front of him. HK-47 and T3-M4 were at his side, just within the Monastery to ensure that their circuits weren't damaged by the rain.
Luke had woken up not that long ago, just in time to see Zhane slipping out of the Monastery, but asking HK and T3 where Zhane went hadn't provided any answers. They hadn't noticed him leaving, though they did tell him that Anakin had left only a few minutes before Zhane had but they didn't know of where he was going.
He couldn't even really sense his father's presence because of how powerful the Force was in this place. Maybe that was due to the lack of training because there was no denying that he was far behind in terms of training with the Force than the rest of the Jedi that were part of the group. But he felt worried do the lack of knowledge on his father's location.
He didn't want to risk going out into that storm, especially not when he could barely see through the pouring, scalding rain. So the only thing I can do is wait for Father and Zhane to return. That did little to ease the worry though.
He drew his cloak closer to him as he continued to scan the darkened landscape that stretched out at the base of the Monastery. All the plants had withered and died, the ground around the withered plants little more than a wasteland where nothing lived. It had happened the instant the sun had disappeared and Luke shivered.
He's never experienced a place like this, a place that changed depending on whether it was day or night. Anakin was right. He could feel the strength of the Force in this place and he could feel the strength of both the light and the dark side in this place, each feeling slightly more stronger depending on whether it was day or night.
It was odd.
He frowned when he felt a touch on his mind and he turned, scanning his companions but Bastila, Juhani, and Jolee were fast asleep and they were the only Jedi among the group. The person who'd reached out to him hadn't been one of his companions and it hadn't come from outside of the Monastery so Luke knew it wasn't Zhane and he would have recognized his father's Force presence so it hadn't been him.
So who was it?
The touch came again. It was beckoning him and Luke's eyes traveled to the hallway he'd seen the Daughter disappear down several hours earlier. He could sense it, the presence of the person who was beckoning to him. It was powerful and he could feel the light and the dark swirling around that person's Force presence.
Come, young one.
The voice that echoed in Luke's head was old and wise, reminding him of Ben's voice when he'd been aiding Luke in using the Force back during the trench run on the Death Star.
I shall not harm you, young one. I simply wish to speak with you. Come.
Luke frowned again but walked toward the hallway. He could feel, even with his rudimentary understanding of the Force and of being a Jedi, that the voice was sincere. He wasn't trying to trick him and really did simply want to speak with him.
He was still cautious, though, as he walked down the crystalline hallway, rounding a corner and approaching the door at the far end. He hesitated and raised a hand, about to knock, when the door opened on its own.
"You may come in, young one."
The old, wise voice echoed in the room beyond and Luke slowly made his way into the room. It was empty save for the lights that dangled from the ceiling that reflected blue and red light upon the floor that pooled together in a cyclone of color. At the center of the cyclone was a tall, slim humanoid with a flowing white beard, smooth gray skin, and blue eyes surrounded by black sclera.
"Hello, young Luke Skywalker," the figure greeted Luke softly, his voice sound weary as if he had little energy.
"Um...hello," Luke said, studying the figure. "Are you the Father?" He figured the humanoid was because he had already met the Daughter and this humanoid didn't seem to be the Son due to the fact that Luke could feel both the dark and the light surrounding him.
"I am. And you are the Child of the Chosen One, the Chosen One's Guiding Light," the Father said softly, "the one whom allowed the Chosen One to fulfill his destiny even if it had come at a great cost to him, and to you."
Luke frowned. "What do you mean?" he said.
"Your father fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One when he redeemed himself and killed the Emperor to save your life but the price he had to pay for fulfilling his destiny was a steep one, one that still haunts you to this day."
Luke winced but he couldn't deny the Father's words. He was still haunted by his father's death, by being at his father's side and listening to his father's final words. After all that he had done to save his father, he ended up losing him in the end without even getting to know who he truly was beyond the mask of Darth Vader. It was a pain, a sadness, that he knew he would probably carry with him for a very long time.
"You were brought to this time for reasons that you do not yet know," the Father said, "but I suspect that you do not regret it, you do not regret coming to this time and getting to know the man your father had been before he became Darth Vader. Is that correct?"
"It is," Luke admitted, gazing around the room. He didn't know how the Father knew so much about him and the future he came from but it was eerie to say the least. And the Father was also right about Luke's feelings. He may miss Leia and Han and Chewie and everyone he had left behind when he was sent to the past but, at the same time, the time he has spent with his father, learning from him and learning about him, were memories that he was going to cherish forever, even when he went back to his own time whenever that ended up being.
"The future is going to change, young Luke Skywalker," the Father said softly. "A decision made on this world and your very presence in young Anakin Skywalker's life is going to change the future but it is not clear if the future will be one of light or one of darkness. That is why you must remain with Anakin Skywalker and continue to be the guiding light you already are for him. He is the Chosen One, the one destined to bring balance to the Force, and...I am starting to believe that if you remain at his side, his destiny will not have as steep a cost to pay as the price had been in your time."
"You...You really believe that? I won't lose my father?" Luke couldn't keep the hope out of his voice.
"That is what I believe but I do not know of what the future has in store." The Father rested a hand on his head. "I am very weary. My son, my daughter, and I exercised much of our energy to manifest as Force specters in this realm but all three of us shall become one with the Force once you and your companions have left Mortis. No one shall be able to access Mortis again once you and your companions have left."
Luke scanned the area again. "Is this place really a realm in the Force?" he asked.
"It is. It does not exist in the galaxy. It exists in a plane beyond the galaxy. That is why time does not flow in here as it does in the galaxy itself. Several days on Mortis is only a moment in the galaxy itself. You will return to the galaxy at the exact same moment that I guided your ship, the Ebon Hawk, here."
"I see." Luke chewed on his lower lip for a moment. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?" He didn't know why but he had the feeling that the Father had wanted to speak to him about more than just his father.
"Yes, there is something else that I wished to tell you," said the Father. "It is about one of your companions. Zhane Kando."
"What about him?"
"You were told when you were brought to this time that the only way to return home was to aid a certain someone, correct?"
"Basically, yeah."
"You have already found the one that you are supposed to aid. Zhane Kando, better known by his true name, the name that he has gone by for a very long time: Revan."
Luke's eyes widened. "Revan...has been part of our group this entire time?" he whispered. "That's why...that's why I felt that Zhane was the one I was supposed to be aiding back on Kashyyyk. Was the Force telling me that Zhane was Revan this entire time?"
"The Force was guiding you to that truth. I am simply confirming what the Force has already hinted at to be true. Do not tell anyone about this because they will not react well, in spite of the fact that Revan is aiding them and has made the decision of which path he is going to walk. You are to aid him because he is the one who has the potential to be the Child of Light and Dark, the very person who has the potential to be Anakin Skywalker's greatest and most powerful ally in fulfilling his true destiny. He and you are the Chosen One's greatest and most powerful allies, I should say."
"That's...a lot to take in," Luke said finally after several moments of silence. "But I don't understand why you're telling me this, about Zhane's true identity, and yet you're not telling anyone else. Is it just because they won't react well? But if the truth is going to be revealed anyway, why reveal it to me early?"
"I am simply fulfilling my duty to the Force itself." The Father lowered his hand from his head. "And I cannot stay longer. I am afraid that I have said all that I have wanted to say. I must rest now. Go now, young Luke Skywalker. Once your ship is repaired, you may leave this place and, once you do, none of you will be able to return."
Luke frowned because the Father's words held a final note in them, a finality that made him think of his father in his last moments. "You're dying," he said quietly.
"I am already dead. The energy that I used to manifest is simply fading and will soon disappear and I will become one with the Force."
"I see..." Like my father in my time. Luke raised a hand when he felt tears well up in his eyes and he gently wiped them away.
"You really are a kind young Jedi, young Luke Skywalker, as you are already mourning the passing of someone you have only just met." The Father smiled softly. "Never lose that, young one. Never forget your kind heart, your compassion, your ability, and willingness, to see the good in everyone."
"I won't," Luke said softly.
The Father inclined his head and gestured for the door.
"Thank you," Luke said softly, "even if I do have to think about everything you've told me, thank you for trusting me with this." He gave the Father a short, respectful bow before turning and making his way out of the chamber.
The door closed behind him and vanished, plunging the hallway into silence.
Luke glanced back at the wall where the door had been moments earlier before turning and walking back to join the rest of his companions, his thoughts still on the Father's words.
. . .
The Father's Quarters, the Monastery, Mortis
The Daughter made her presence known as soon as Luke was gone and turned her gaze to the Father. She knew what he didn't tell Luke, and had instructed her and her brother to not tell any of the companions, and she understood why he told her not to tell anyone but that didn't mean that she liked it. They should know of what it is they were going to be facing, especially Anakin.
"Last time, Anakin Skywalker knew about the trial that he would be presented with and yet, this time, you did not tell any of them about the test that they are about to face," she said.
"Nor did you tell them about the enemy that is still in this realm," said the Son as he materialized in the room as well.
The Father closed his eyes. "They do not need to know," he said.
"And why is that?" The Son frowned. "Why do you believe that the Chosen One, the Child of Dark and Light, and their companions do not need to know that there are enemies in this realm even though they are likely going to be heading toward them soon enough."
"It is a test."
"For who?"
"For all of them."
"What sort of test, Father?" the Daughter said. "Do they all really need to pass another test? They already have much on their shoulders and yet you wish to place more on their shoulders?"
"I wish to have an idea of what will happen to the galaxy once the Chosen One and the Child of Light and Dark return to it and this test will give me an idea of what will happen, just like the trial I gave the Chosen One gave me an idea of what will happen with his prophecy. This will not be a bad test and I have no doubt they will all pass it."
"I hope that you are right, Father."
The Son scoffed. "You get upset with me for meddling and yet you are doing the exact same thing," he said with a slight curl of his upper lip.
"Your meddling is far different from my meddling, my son." The Father gave the Son a long look. "I know about your encounter with Anakin Skywalker and Revan and I know that you removed the block that was placed upon Revan's memories. That should not have happened. It is not yet time for him to remember who he truly is."
"And you think that later is?" The Son scoffed. "Are you delusional, old man? Do you really believe that I should have just left matters alone and allow Revan's memories to return to him on their own?"
"You do not know of what the consequences of your decision shall be."
"Neither do you."
"No, I do not. However, there is little that we can do now. We are not long for this realm. We will become one with the Force soon, once Anakin Skywalker, his companions, and his enemies have left this realm. And we must also think about her."
The Son and the Daughter grimaced.
"We will still be able to keep her at bay for a while yet but not indefinitely," said the Son.
"No, not indefinitely but for a while yet, even once we have all become one with the Force, the power you both used to seal her away will not fade away for many years, possibly even millennia, yet," said the Father.
The Daughter and the Son inclined their head in agreement and the Daughter turned her gaze to the window. May the Force be with you, Anakin Skywalker, Revan, and may it guide you to the future that both of you are striving to achieve.
. . .
Shuttle, Outskirts of the Son's Cathedral, Mortis
There was no way to reach the outside world. All this time spent on this planet had made it impossible to speak to the outside world. While three of their own had managed to escape, had been allowed to leave by the Three who ruled the planet, three remained behind, though it was unclear as to why they hadn't been thrown out of that realm themselves.
"This is odd," Selene said, folding her arms across her chest as she gazed at the map that she had managed to get of the land. It didn't really matter too much because the landscape was constantly changing and landmarks were constantly changing positions to where it was virtually impossible to figure out where they had first entered the monolith. "The landmarks have changed their position again."
"Of course they have," Yuthura Ban said. "They have been changing every night since we arrived in this Force-forsaken place!"
"I'm pretty sure calling this place a Force-forsaken place is irony," Selene mused, leaning back against her chair as she turned her gaze to the viewports. "This place is humming with the Force."
"Actually, it's more like it's throbbing," said Dustil Onasi, the third member of the group that had stayed behind in that realm while their companions left to deliver what they had found to Uthar Wynn and Darth Malak.
"I still don't see what is so important about this place when no one can actually enter it unless they're invited in by the ones who rule this place," Yuthura said. "Master Wynn sent us here only because Lord Malak sensed the anomaly in this region of space and we were supposed to figure out what that anomaly is. We've figured it out and yet we can't leave."
"Why were we kept here and the others were allowed to leave?" Selene said, tilting her head in puzzlement.
"I wish I knew."
Dustil leaned back in his own chair. "I don't know about you but I would rather be doing something than just sitting around and waiting for the ones who rule this place to kick us out," he said. "There has to be something we can find for Master Wynn and Lord Malak in this realm other than that crystal that our companions found.
"We have only explored this area of the realm. Maybe we need to explore more of the realm if we want to find something else that would appease Master Wynn and Lord Malak about this realm," Selene suggested as she stood up, stretching her arms above her head as her long wavy blonde hair fell over her shoulders.
Dustil nodded, a soft smile on his lips as he also stood up. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."
Yuthura waved her hand dismissively. "If you find anything, come back and let me know," she said.
"Sure." Selene turned and led the way out of the shuttle with Dustil walking after her. They stepped out onto the withered dark landscape with the sprawling cathedral rising up several meters away with green light glowing around the top of the tower. That had been where their companions had found that crystal so Selene decided against looking there.
Honestly, she wasn't even going out into this realm to find something to appease Wynn and the Dark Lord Malak. She just wanted to get out of that shuttle, out from under the scrutinizing eyes of Yuthura Ban, and be alone for a while with Dustil.
Ever since she joined the Sith, and convinced Dustil to join the Sith after the bombing of Telos IV, she hadn't been doing that well learning the teachings of the Sith and it hadn't taken her long to become disillusioned with what the Sith were doing. Now, she knew that she made a mistake and she wanted to rectify it but she also knew that just leaving the Sith was not something that she could do.
Especially when it would also mean leaving Dustil behind.
She glanced at the young man at her side as he scanned the area, reaching out with the Force to see if he could find anything that they hadn't been able to sense before. She knew that Dustil had the potential to be great, which was why Wynn had taken a liking to him, but she also didn't want him to remain shackled to the Sith. She wanted him to be happy, she wanted to be happy with him, and she knew now that they wouldn't get that with the Sith.
But I don't know how we could possibly leave. The Sith won't just let us leave. She bit her lip and, when Dustil glanced at her in concern, she gave him a small smile and turned her gaze to the land that stretched out in front of them, forcing herself to focus.
"Let's head over that way," she said, pointing to where the withered, scarred land gave way to a lush forest. "We can look in there for anything interesting." They were stuck on that planet anyway so they may as well do what they had been ordered to do to pass the time until the rulers of this realm decided that they had overstayed their welcome and kicked them out.
"Sure," said Dustil and the two began to make their way toward the lush forest.
. . .
The Ebon Hawk, Lush Forest
"So the ship's almost fully repaired?" said Carth as he poked his head into the room where Luke, Mission, and Zaalbar were working on repairing the damage done to the stabilizers, as they had already repaired the damage to the hyperdrive earlier.
"Almost," Mission said as she leaned back and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "It's a bit tricky 'cause we only got so much to help us repair everything, y'know, but we can do it. We just need more time."
"Yeah sure." Carth left the room and walked back to the main hold where the rest of the party were gathered. They were looking at the holoterminal where Zhane was scanning the galaxy map that rested on it, his brow furrowed in concentration as his eyes traced over the location of Dantooine, Tatooine, and Kashyyyk as well as Korriban and Manaan. His eyes seemed to linger on an area of space that didn't seem anywhere near the other planets though but they drifted away almost instantly.
"Manaan would be our best bet for our next move," said Bastila. "It is a neutral planet where the Selkath are very strict on their neutrality. They allow both the Jedi and the Sith on their planet but they are incredibly strict on keeping the peace on their planet. I do not think we will have much trouble there."
"Can we trust the Sith to not start anything?" Luke asked, his eyes studying the system in which Manaan was located.
"Manaan is the main distributor of kolto, a major healing liquid that both the Jedi and the Sith utilize, and that's because Manaan is the only place that kolto actually exists in the entire galaxy. The Selkath are very strict on exporting kolto. No one will risk angering the Selkath because it could mean losing their access to kolto, which would be a severe disadvantage to whoever loses it," Jolee said. "So Bastila is probably right about us not having too much trouble on Manaan."
"Well, not too much trouble is certainly better than a lot of trouble," Anakin mused. "So Manaan next and then Korriban?"
"Yes, that would be best," Bastila said.
"Does everyone else agree?" Zhane asked, still not taking his gaze off the map.
"Seems like the best plan," Canderous said.
"I think so too so I agree," Carth said.
"I do as well," Juhani said.
Anakin tilted head to the side, his eyes going distant for a moment. "Luke just asked Mission and Zaalbar and they both agree that going to a planet that won't be as much trouble is a good idea," he said as the distant look faded from his eyes, reminding Carth of the bond that Anakin had with Luke, with his son.
Still mind-boggling to know that Anakin had a son, and one that was currently full-grown and older than his father and aiding them.
Carth really didn't get this Force thing or this whole time traveling thing.
Even so, watching the relationship between Anakin and Luke, he found himself thinking about his own son. He bit his lip because he really did miss his son as much as he did his wife. He didn't even know if his son was still alive. He knew that his wife died when Telos was destroyed but knew nothing of the fate of his son but he feared the worse.
He never really got to spend that much time with his son, due to his work with the Republic military, and he found himself wishing that he had. A part of him wished that he could have the same kind of relationship Anakin had with his son with Dustil.
He gritted his teeth and pushed that thought aside. It would only serve to stir old feelings of anger toward Karath for what he did to Telos and grief over the loss of his wife and, possibly, his son. He had to focus on the now. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by his grief and his anger. That wouldn't help matters at all.
"How are the repairs going, Mission?" Bastila asked when Mission, covered almost head to toe in grime, made her way into the main hold.
"Slowly," she said as Luke followed her into the main hold, trying in vain to get some of the grime off, and Zaalbar followed them both, his fur matted with grime. "We're getting it done but it's just taking a long time."
"So we're just gonna sit here and twiddle our thumbs while waiting for the repairs to be done?" Canderous sounded irritated at the thought.
"What else can we do?" said Juhani. "There are no dangers in this realm."
"We could always explore while waiting for the repairs to get done," Anakin mused. "I've only seen parts of this realm, I haven't seen all of it yet."
"Is that wise?" Bastila raised an eyebrow.
"Probably not but it beats sitting around and twiddling my thumbs. Luke, you up for exploring this realm with me?"
Luke smiled faintly at his father and then shrugged. "I could use the break. We can't do much until the metal plating cools down anyway," he said.
"I am all for doing something other than sitting around," Canderous grunted.
"It would be educational," Bastila said after a moment of thought. "We know nothing of this place, except that it is the central hub through which the Force flows out into the galaxy. The Jedi Council could benefit from any knowledge that we find in this place and it may even help with the war effort."
"Doubtful on that part 'cause Anakin did say that this realm is neutral," Jolee mused. "I dunno 'bout you guys but I ain't a youngling anymore. I'm gonna stay here and relax."
Zaalbar barked.
Mission glanced at him. "You sure, Big Z?" she asked and, when Zaalbar nodded, she added, "Well, all right. Big Z is gonna stay and keep an eye on the stabilizers until we get back. He said that he'll get to work on it again once the metal plating cools down if we're not back by then. I'm going with you. I could use a break from doing repairs for the last several hours, y'know."
"I will accompany you as well," Juhani said. "I believe it would be best if the droids stayed behind to aid Jolee in guarding the Ebon Hawk if something should happen."
"Annoyed Statement: I was not programmed for simple guard duty," HK-47 said. "Addition: I was programmed to blast organic meatbags."
"There are no people to blast in this realm though," Carth pointed out. He didn't know why Zhane seemed like he was trying very hard to not start snickering but he could see the amusement that shone in his eyes. He decided against worrying about it and pushed the thought away.
"Disappointment Agreement: I know, which is so disappointing," HK-47 said. "Statement: I really do miss blasting annoying meatbags."
Zhane was unable to contain his snort of amusement but Carth seemed to be the only one who noticed. He gave the other man a look but Zhane simply shrugged and didn't say anything.
What was that about?
"Should we split up like we did when we scouted out the area yesterday?" asked Juhani as the group, with HK, T3, Zaalbar, and Jolee remaining behind, made their way out of the Ebon Hawk.
"We could cover more ground if we did," said Anakin. "Who knows how much of this place is left to actually explore."
"I'll go with you, Father," Luke said.
"Sure thing, Luke."
"I'll go with you too," Zhane said.
"I will accompany you three as well," Bastila said.
Anakin muttered something that Carth was too far away to here but there was a grin on his lips. Zhane gave Anakin an irritated glare and promptly smacked him upside the head while Luke covered his mouth to hide his snickers.
"What did Anakin say?" Mission asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," Zhane said.
"Oh I just said..." Anakin began.
"...that you are absolutely terrible at complimenting beautiful ladies, instead resorting to using the cheesy line of calling them an angel," Zhane said.
Mission and Luke burst out laughing while Anakin sputtered, his cheeks going red with embarrassment.
"I was nine!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation and glaring at both Mission and Luke. "Stop laughing, you two!"
Mission and Luke both ignored him.
"I believe we should stay together for the time being and then split up once we reach a point where we have a better understanding of what else is located in this realm," said Bastila as, slowly but surely, Luke and Mission regained their composure, though that didn't stop the big grins from crossing their lips.
"I am never living that down, am I?" Anakin asked wryly.
"Never," Luke said with a grin.
Anakin sighed.
Carth found himself glad that he never called his own wife an angel. He was sure that he would never have lived it down himself if he had, and someone else knew about it, especially if his son knew about it.
He pushed that thought away and started walking away. He didn't know why he was suddenly thinking about his son but he couldn't focus on that. His son was gone and, while his memory would never leave Carth's heart, he knew that he had to focus on the current mission.
. . .
The Crystal Labyrinth, Far Side, Mortis
Dustil sneezed and frowned as he came to a stop at the edge of the lush forest he and Selene had spent the last couple of hours walking through. He wasn't sure where that sudden sneeze had come from but figured that, maybe, there was some dust in the air or he was allergic to something in the flora that surrounded him.
"You okay?" Selene asked, glancing at him with concern in her green eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm probably just allergic to something," said Dustil giving the beautiful girl at his side a small, warm smile. Selene was a light in his life, was the one person who remained at his side and became a constant in his life ever since he lost his mother when Telos IV was destroyed. He had come to care for her in a way that he knew would never be accepted within the Sith Academy but he found that he didn't care. He truly loved Selene and the times he could spend with her without having to worry about anyone saying anything about it were ones he cherished, no matter how far and few in between those times were.
This mission to this strange realm was one such time.
"This labyrinth is beautiful," Selene noted as she moved further away from the forest and knelt down at the edge of a cliff and Dustil joined her, peering down to see interlacing trenches made out of crystal stretching out as far as the eye could see in front of them. It was like a maze of winding crystalline trenches that cut their way through the ground.
"It's deep too," he said. "And, even with the Force, we won't be able to leap that distance." He nodded to the area that lay several kilometers away, far enough away that they wouldn't be able to make the jump but close enough that he could see it.
"So we go down into the catacombs and navigate our way through it?"
"Considering how dense the Force is in this place, navigating our way through it with the Force is going to be difficult," said Dustil.
"If we keep moving then we'll eventually find our way out. We can also mark the walls so that we don't end up going down a way we've already gone," said Selene. "And we do need to get across it if we want to keep exploring this realm."
"True. All right, we'll do that."
The two of them climbed down into the catacombs and Selene pointed to the right. "Let's go that way."
"It's as good a direction as any."
Together, they turned right and began walking, meandering their way around corners and marking the path with their lightsabers to ensure that they would know of what paths they had already walked down. The crystal were beautiful to walk through, a myriad of different shimmering colors: shades of blue, red, and yellow that all mixed together to form other colors like green and purple and orange.
"This is really beautiful to walk through," Selene murmured as she marked another corner in an arrow to show which direction they had taken if they reached that intersection again.
"It's relaxing too," Dustil mused. He hadn't expected it to be relaxing but, then, he hadn't expected the entire time he had spent in this realm to be relaxing. It was different from the Sith Academy, where he spent most if not all of his time training with his lightsaber and with the Force, with relaxation times being few and far in between.
He was glad for this chance for a break, and to be able to spend time with Selene.
Even if he knew that he would eventually have to return to the Sith Academy, once the rulers kicked them out of this realm, he was going to make the most of the time he did have with Selene. Even if that time was spent navigating around a crystalline labyrinth, at least he was spending it with the woman he loved.
. . .
"Look at that! It's beautiful," Mission blurted out.
After wandering around the lush forest, the group finally found something that was worth exploring. Stretching as far as the eye could see were a series of interlacing trenches that were carved into the ground like a giant labyrinth made entirely out of crystal. Sunlight shone down on the labyrinth, allowing the brilliant colors that shimmered within the crystal to shine brightly.
"That is amazing," Juhani breathed.
"I have never seen anything like this before," Bastila admitted.
"It certainly looks like it would be a challenge to navigate that maze," Canderous said.
Anakin hummed. "There's something strange about this maze," he said and turned to Zhane. "Are you feeling it too?"
"Yes. The Force is stronger in this Labyrinth than in the rest of this realm," Zhane murmured.
"I am noticing that as well. There is something very odd about this labyrinth and yet I feel as if it is calling to me. I can feel the Force reaching out to me, prodding me as if it wants me to enter this labyrinth but I do not know why," said Bastila.
"I am feeling the same way," Juhani said.
Zhane hummed in agreement, his eyes narrowing as he peered at the labyrinth. "There is something in this labyrinth that the Force is trying to guide us toward but what? What could the Force be attempting to guide us toward in this realm?"
"Even I can't answer that," Anakin admitted, shaking his head. "I've never felt anything like this the last time that I was on Mortis."
"It's odd," Luke whispered, moving toward the edge of the labyrinth and kneeling down, his brow furrowing as he ran his finger over the crystal that was crawling over the lip of the cliff's edge. "What is this place?"
"Uhh, I don't get any of this Force thingamajig but what do we do?" Mission asked, since she was beyond confused by what the Jedi were saying. She couldn't feel anything but, then, she wasn't Force sensitive.
A quick glance at Canderous and Carth told her that they were feeling the same puzzlement that she was feeling.
"Do we ignore the call or do we follow it?" Bastila said. "The Force is guiding us to answer the call but we still do not know of what to expect."
"Is it a test of sorts?" said Anakin. "The Father tested me when I last visited Mortis so this could be another test and, maybe, it's for all of us or something. I don't really know but I feel that we should go down there and see what the Force is trying to guide us toward."
"I am in agreement," said Bastila. "The Force's guidance is not something that we should ignore, especially not in this realm."
Juhani nodded in agreement. "The Force would not be guiding us as it is if what it is guiding us to was not important," he said.
"Still don't get what the kriff you guys are talking 'bout, y'know?" Mission said blandly.
"Believe me, I don't get any of this either," Carth admitted, rubbing his temples. "But I guess we're gonna be trying to figure that maze out 'cause that's what I figure the Jedi have already decided on doing."
"Well, it will certainly kill the time," Canderous mused.
Luke stood up and glanced toward the rest of the group. "I see a trail we can use into the labyrinth," he said, pointing to a path that was sloping downward next to where he had been kneeling.
"Then let us go," Bastila said.
"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Anakin said, turning his gaze to Mission, Carth, and Canderous.
"I am bored anyway. This will kill some time," said Canderous.
"I'm with ya. I don't wanna just sit back at the Ebon Hawk or whatever and do nothing and this seems interesting," Mission said.
Carth sighed. "I suppose I will accompany you as well." He glanced toward the labyrinth and frowned. "Besides, I've got a bad feeling about this place."
"Carth's starting to channel Obi-Wan," Anakin murmured to Luke who snickered in amusement. Mission's own lips quirked because she knew of just how much Anakin's former master used to say that line due to the many stories that Anakin told him during the journey.
"Well, I dunno 'bout you guys but I'm heading on down. I think I wanna get a close up look at that crystal too," she said and made her way to the trail and started down it, hugging the wall because the trail was far more narrow than she thought it would be. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that the rest of the group were doing the same thing and Canderous, being the biggest out of all of them, was taking it slowly.
Once they were on the floor of the trench they were in, Mission spun around. "Okay, what way?" she said.
"I suppose we will simply follow the Force's guidance and see where it leads us," said Bastila.
"We don't know what to expect in this place, huh?"
"No, we do not."
"Sooo we're going into a situation blind again. Great."
. . .
Heart of the Crystal Labyrinth, Mortis
"There's literally nothing in this maze but a bunch of crystal walls," Dustil noted as he and Selene round another corner with Selene marking the crystal with her lightsaber.
"I suppose we can count ourselves lucky that we haven't run into anyone or anything that will try to kill or eat us or something," Selene noted as she deactivated her lightsaber and clipped it back to her belt.
Dustil raised an eyebrow at Selene, an amused small smile on his lips. "Do you really think anyone would try to eat you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Selene planted her hands on her hips and glared at him, daring him to respond to that question.
He, wisely, decided against responding. "Nothing, nothing at all," he said.
"That's what I thought." Selene grinned as she nudged him with her shoulder and moved forward. "C'mon, slowpoke. We've still got a heck of a ways to go. I'm pretty sure we're only about halfway across the maze, if that."
"At least we're making progress." And I certainly don't mind taking a long time to finish this maze if it means spending more time with you. Dustil mused that he would have never thought that he would ever get the chance to spend time with the woman he loved due to the rigorous and constant training that he endured at the Sith Academy.
"Definitely." Selene began walking again and whistled suddenly as she stepped out of a trench. "Whoa, take a look at this, Dustil."
Dustil moved to her side and his eyes widened upon seeing the crystalline structure that rose from the center of the circular area that the two of them had just walked into. Diamond in shape, it rose as high as the walls that surrounded them and shone with a brilliant inner blue light. All around it were smaller diamond-shaped crystals that pointed in four directions, one of which was pointing in the direction that Dustil and Selene had just come from.
"I think this might be the heart of this maze," said Selene as she moved forward.
"It looks like it," said Dustil as he also moved closer.
He tensed upon sensing another presence and glanced at Selene who nodded. She had sensed the new presences as well, which told him that the presences were likely very close because they would not have sensed them. The Force was too dense in the labyrinth for them to be able to sense presences unless they were within a certain range.
The two of them darted forward and pressed their backs against the large diamond. Dustil peered around the diamond just in time to see a group of eight individuals slowly make their way into the large circular area. A quick scan of the Force told him that five of them were Force sensitive and, judging by how those five were dressed, they were Jedi.
Jedi are here? So the rulers of this planet hadn't deemed to just bring Dustil and his comrades to this planet. They had also dragged some Jedi to that planet as well and, clearly, the Jedi and their companions didn't know that they weren't the only ones there.
Dustil's eyes scanned over the group before his eyes landed on one of the three non-Force sensitives in the group. He would recognize that brown-haired older man anywhere, even if the Force itself wasn't already determining who he was.
It had been years since he had last seen his father and he certainly hadn't expected to run into his father in this realm of all places.
Not that he particularly wanted to run into his bastard of a father.
Resentment flooded him as he thought about his father who had done absolutely nothing while Telos IV was bombed and his mother had been killed.
He had to fight to keep it at bay because he knew that the Jedi would sense it and the last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with the five Jedi. Even if he was decent with a lightsaber, he knew that he wouldn't be able to take on five Jedi at once. He wasn't arrogant enough into thinking he could, even with Selene's help.
"What is this place?" he heard one of the Jedi, the female human, ask.
"I believe we are at the heart of the maze," another Jedi, the Cathar one, said. "That is what I sense."
"Wow, we already got that far into the maze? Pretty amazing when the Force is guiding you, I guess, even if I can't feel that guidance myself," the blue-skinned Twi'lek noted.
"Takes the fun out of figuring the maze out though," the large bulky man that Dustil had briefly recognized as a Mandalorian grunted.
"There really is a lot to this place than what I initially saw when I first came here," the tall dark-blonde haired Jedi said.
"So what now?" the bastard said.
"I cannot feel a pull from the Force anymore so I think we might have reached where we are supposed to be," the taller brunet Jedi said.
"There are others here," the blonde Jedi who bore an unkindly resemblance to the taller blonde Jedi murmured.
Dustil cursed inwardly. He didn't know how that Jedi had sensed his presence when the others hadn't.
Selena tensed at his side, her hand resting on the hilt of her lightsaber.
"They are, hiding behind that big diamond over there," the brunet Jedi said. "Ideas?"
"Flush them out and destroy them," the Mandalorian stated firmly.
"That sounds like something HK would say," the blonde Jedi said. "But I don't think we should fight. I mean if we can talk things out then shouldn't that be something to try? They might be lost and they could need assistance."
"Luke, you have a kind heart but I can feel the dark side within them. They are Dark Jedi. They won't want to talk," said the brunet Jedi.
"But we could try," the blonde Jedi, Luke, insisted. "Aren't the Jedi supposed to try to solve matters peacefully before resorting to violence?"
"You really do remind me of Padme," the taller blonde Jedi murmured. "We could try to talk since they haven't attacked us yet but I doubt it'll work out."
Dustil glanced at Selene, not sure of what to do and he could tell that she didn't know of what to do either. The Jedi knew that they were there, and that they were Dark Jedi—though Dustil felt a little insulted that they didn't see him as the Sith he was training to be—but they weren't attacking. And he knew that it would be foolhardy to attack when he and Selene were so badly outnumbered.
Even if he did want nothing more than to, at least, punch his bastard of a father in the face.
He resisted the urge to do so though, since it was liable to get him killed by the Jedi. Self-preservation was something that had been drilled into him ever since the fall of Telos after all.
Selene clenched her teeth but removed her hand from her lightsaber and moved out from around the diamond.
Dustil peered around the crystal as Selene approached the group, her eyes watching them warily as if expecting them to attack her at any moment.
"Hello," Luke greeted her as he moved forward, ignoring the warning hiss that the taller blonde Jedi gave him. "My name is Luke. What's yours?"
Selene was still as tense, ready to strike, but she said stiffly, "Not that it matters to you, Jedi, but it's Selene."
"It is nice to meet you, Selene," Luke said calmly, patiently, not the slightest bit fazed by Selene's hostile tone. "Are you lost in this maze too?"
"No, I know exactly where I'm going."
Which is a complete and total lie. Neither of them knew where they were going. They were literally just wandering the maze because they had nothing better to do and they wanted some alone time away from Yuthura Ban and with each other.
"I see. Well, maybe we can travel together," Luke offered.
Dustil stared at the young man incredulously from around the large diamond.
Even his party were staring at him like he grew a second head.
"Did he just…?" the blue-skinned Twi'lek began.
"Yup, he is definitely a hell of a lot like Padme," the taller blonde Jedi said, rubbing his temples.
"How is he still alive?" the bastard said in surprise.
"He's as reckless as his father," the Mandalorian grunted.
"Yeah, hey!" The taller blonde Jedi protested.
"Don't bother on protesting, Anakin. Everyone and their uncle knows of how reckless you are," the blue-skinned Twi'lek deadpanned.
"You're crazy," said Selene, a sneer twisting her lips. "Do I look like someone who would travel with Jedi? We're enemies in case you forgot."
"And yet you aren't attacking me even though we are enemies."
"I'm not a fool. My companion and I are clearly outnumbered. We would be slaughtered if we attempted to take you all on by ourselves."
"Your companion? Might we meet him?" Luke asked, his eyes fixing to the area that Dustil was hiding behind.
Selene scoffed and glanced over her shoulder. "May as well come out, you big idiot," she said.
Idiot? Dustil rolled his eyes but, nonetheless, walked around the crystal to join his companion, ignoring the way Carth went stiff, his eyes widening with utter shock.
"Hello," Luke greeted him. "What's your name?"
Dustil gritted his teeth. "Dustil," he said and turned to Selene. "I, personally, say we leave them and finish figuring this maze out."
"D...Dustil?" the bastard managed to get out, startling the rest of the group.
Dustil gave him a cold look and promptly looked away, not wanting to look at the bastard as the resentment and the anger he felt boiled within him. He didn't bother on pushing it away, he simply let it simmer within since he knew he could use it later if need be.
"Yeah, yeah, sounds good. You're off the hook this time, Jedi, but only because we're not suicidal to fight you while we're outnumbered. Besides, we aren't ordered to fight Jedi," Selene said.
"Dustil, why are you with that Dark Jedi?" Carth asked as he moved past Luke to gaze at Dustil who gave him another cold look.
"Like you care," he said with a curl of his upper lip and felt a great deal of satisfaction when Carth flinched as if he'd slapped him. He really did want to punch him in the face, at least, but there was a Jedi at his side and he doubted he would let that happen.
"Of course I care, Dustil. You're my son," Carth insisted.
Dustil felt his blood boil at those words, at the sadness and love that echoed in the bastard's voice. All it did was make his anger rise and he had to fight to stop himself from strangling the bastard then and there.
"Your son?" the Mandalorian echoed.
"You have a son, Carth?" the female Jedi asked.
"They don't even know?" Dustil scoffed. "And you say you care and yet your companions don't even know about me? How ridiculous. You don't give a damn about me, you never have just like you never cared about mother! It's your fault that mother's dead because you never gave a damn about either of us."
"That's not true," Carth insisted. "Dustil, I loved both you and your mother."
"You're a liar! If you truly loved both of us then where were you when Telos was bombed? Where were you when Mother died? You weren't there! You were never there!" Dustil could feel his anger raging within him, augmenting the power of the dark side that swirled within. "But it doesn't matter anymore. You may have been the one to sire me but the Sith are my new family now."
"The Sith are evil!" Carth shouted. "They are the ones who bombed Telos! They are the ones who caused your mother's death!"
"You didn't protect her! You didn't do a damn thing for her or for Telos!"
"That doesn't mean the bombing is my fault. The Sith are responsible. The Sith are evil, Dustil! Please, come back to us, come back to me, leave the Sith behind. They aren't your family. They don't care about you."
"They do care! You're the one who doesn't care about me in spite of your honeyed words!"
"I do care, Dustil! The Sith aren't people that you can trust. They are evil!"
"Prove it! Prove to me that the Sith really are as evil as you claim them to be!"
Carth gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with distress.
"Fine then," the brunet Jedi said suddenly, moving forward and startling both Dustil and Carth, causing both of them, and Selene, to look at the calm yet imposing Jedi. "If we find the proof to prove that the Sith are evil then will you, at least, be willing to give your father the benefit of the doubt?"
"Fine," Dustil said. "If you do find proof then meet me on Korriban and show that proof to me."
Selene moved to Dustil's side. "Let's go," she said.
Dustil nodded in agreement.
And then the ground began to tremble beneath them. The large diamond at the center of the area began to glow brightly, forcing Dustil to shield his eyes from the brilliant glow, as the ground trembled violently. He whirled around and, using the Force, pushed Selene out of harm's way just as the floor caved in beneath his feet.
"Dustil!" Selene shouted.
"Luke!" Anakin shouted and that was the last thing Dustil heard before he fell into darkness.
. . .
"Luke!" Anakin shouted as he lunged toward his son who had used the Force to push Carth out of harm's way as soon as the ground began to cave in beneath his feet. He wasn't in time and, with a scream, Luke fell with the crumbling pieces of the ground.
Anakin darted to the edge of the giant crater that made up the center of the heart of the labyrinth. "Luke?" he called, hoping that his son was all right.
A cough sounded followed by "I'm okay, Father!" from the rubble down below.
Anakin scanned the rubble until he found his son slowly climbing out of the rubble he'd landed in and limp over to where Dustil was digging himself out of the rubble. They had fallen a good ten meters but Anakin was more than a little grateful to see that his son, and Dustil, were both in one piece. The fact that they didn't break anything in spite of how far they fell was a miracle.
"We will figure out how to get you both back up," Bastila called as she crouched at the edge of the crater too.
Luke nodded and scanned the area. "There's a tunnel here," he said, pointing and Anakin followed the gesture to see that there was a tunnel branching off the crater with several pieces of debris and crystal shards covering part of its entrance.
"It seems to be following that pathway in the maze," Revan said thoughtfully as he peered at the tunnel and then up at the pathway that was directly above it. "There might be another maze beneath this one."
"Do we have anything that we can use to get them out of there?" Mission asked.
"What about the Force? Can't you use that to get them out?" Carth asked, worry in his voice as he gazed at his son before he winced when a bruised and scraped Dustil gave him a withering glare and promptly turned his back on him.
"The Force is too dense in this maze. While we can sense other people's presences once we are within a certain range of them, that is all it seems we are able to do," Bastila murmured. "We will not be able to use the Force to lift them out of that hole."
"You Jedi are kriffing useless," Selene scowled.
"You aren't coming up with any ideas to get your boyfriend outta that mess, Miss High and Mighty Sith," Mission shot back.
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"I'm not her boyfriend!" Dustil exclaimed from down below.
"Calm down," Revan said firmly. "Arguing and yelling at each other is not going to help us get our companion and Selene's companion out of there. For the moment, Selene, it would be in both of our best interests if we work together to reunite with our companions. No matter your dislike for the Jedi, the fact remains that we are the only ones here who can help, and who are willing to help. We may be enemies but, on this world, our allegiance means nothing. We are no longer in the galaxy as a whole, rather we are in a realm that is within the Force itself, so there is no need for us to hold onto our previous allegiances when working together can help us to leave this realm alive and unharmed."
Selene frowned but huffed. "Fine but only until Dustil's safe," she said.
"You care about him very much," Luke commented from down below. "And I can tell that you love her too, don't you, Dustil?"
"That is none of your business!" Dustil growled but Anakin was treated to the sight of a Dark Jedi blushing and he raised an eyebrow, throwing an amused glance at Revan that he reciprocated before he masked his amusement.
"So what now?" said Mission. "If we don't got anything to help them out of that crater with us then how do we get them out?"
"If that tunnel is beneath that pathway," Revan said, pointing to the pathway to the right of where the group stood, "and if my theory about there being a second maze beneath this one is true then our best bet is to get out of this maze. If we get out of this maze, there may be a second exit beneath us that Dustil and Luke can use to get out of their maze."
"And if your theory is wrong, Jedi?" Selene demanded.
"Then we improvise," Anakin said as he stood up. "Either way, we can get both of them out of there."
"How will we know if Luke and Dustil are following the same path that we are?" asked Juhani.
"My bond with Luke will help us in that department," said Anakin, reaching out with the Force to nudge Luke who nudged him back in response to confirm that their Force bond was still intact.
"Let's move," Revan said.
"Who put you in command?" Selene demanded.
"Everyone here, except you," Anakin said with a shrug. Revan was a natural leader after all and charismatic enough that he could sway whole groups of people to follow him, as was clear during the Mandalorian Wars, so it was only natural that he would lead them. He hadn't even been given the leadership role, it just sort of fell on him and no one protested and he just ended up stuck in that role.
Selene scowled. "Fine," she said.
"We'll head down the pathway that's above the tunnel you spotted, Luke," Revan called down.
"Understood," Luke called back.
Stay safe, Luke, and keep an eye on Dustil. He may be Carth's son but he's still a Dark Jedi. Don't turn your back on him, Anakin sent through their bond.
I will, Father, Luke sent back as both groups, one above ground and one below, made their way back into the labyrinth.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is only one chapter left of the Mortis Arc and then we are heading to Manaan
Bakura: yeah, yeah, get on with it
Blaze: shut it, Bakura. Anyway, the next update won't be until after Christmas, not the day after no because that is when my family and I are going to go see The Rise of Skywalker and I am WAY too hyped for that movie to even think about updating!
Bakura: even if you do prefer Legends! Luke to Canon! Luke.
Blaze: I like both but I do prefer Legends! Luke but that's just a personal preference, and mostly because I grew up with Legends! Luke and have basically read almost all of the books in Legends after Return of the Jedi
Bakura: yeah, yeah
Blaze: why are you even here?
Bakura: boredom
Blaze: (sweatdrops) so go...bother Palpatine or something
Bakura: can I blow up the Senate Building?
Blaze: (hands Bakura a list) make sure those Senators aren't in the building and you can
Bakura: (takes list) fine by me (walks off)
Blaze: I know I already said this before but I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated!