Hello everyone! I'm updating today primarily because we decided to put off seeing The Rise of Skywalker until my birthday and I'm okay with that! Still hyped for that movie but anyone who has already seen it, please, no spoilers!
Anyway, thank you to Lord Revan Reborn, ivanruzic3758, Hotshot6, Abyss Trinity, Bountyhunter1977, ssj3gohan007, and Imperial Hydra for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome.
Also, the creature that is mentioned in this chapter is not meant to be an actual creature in the Star Wars universe. I literally just made it up out of thin air. Just so you know.
I do hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
Chapter Fifteen
The Crystal Catacombs, Beneath Mortis's Surface
Luke ran his fingers over the crystal walls as he walked down the tunnel, mesmerized not only by the colors that glistened within but also the designs that were etched into the crystal itself. It was an intricate design that Luke couldn't begin to decipher, since it was beautiful and amazing to look at. It was unlike anything Luke has ever seen, even if his Dark Jedi companion didn't seem to care.
"Would you get moving?" Dustil said with an irritated glare. "Or are you going to stop every five feet to look at the kriffing wall?"
"You have to admit that these designs are amazing," Luke replied, glancing back at Dustil who scoffed and turned around and started walking again.
Luke quickly jogged after him and the two continued to walk in silence. That had been what they had been doing for the past couple of hours that they've been lost in the catacombs beneath the maze above. They had quickly found out that Zhane's theory was correct and the maze above did reflect the catacombs below them so Luke and Dustil were able to keep up with Anakin, Zhane, and the rest of Luke's companions and Dustil's companion due to the bond between him and his father.
He glanced at Dustil, studying him not only with his eyes—the crystals gave off enough light that he was able to see more than a few feet in front of him—but also with the Force. He could feel how Dustil felt about Selene and it baffled him that Dustil would still ally himself with the Sith even though he had those feelings. It wasn't as if he was obsessed with Selene or anything negative like that, he truly, sincerely, did love her and it was odd that he would still be with the Sith in spite of that.
Of course, based on his own words, he felt that the Sith were his family and Luke had to wonder how much the Sith had manipulated him into believing that they actually cared.
The resentment and anger that he felt toward his father probably played a large part in the darkness that Luke could feel swirling within the younger boy. He supposed that a part of him could understand Dustil's anger but he also wished that Dustil would be willing to give his father another chance.
But that was him and he wasn't about to try to force Dustil to do anything. Dustil would have to come around on his own and Luke hoped that if they were able to find proof to prove the Sith were evil then that would help.
He felt his father's nudge when they reached an intersection and nodded to the left. "This way," he said and started walking, keeping his senses fixed on Dustil. Even though he didn't sense any ill intent from the Dark Jedi, he was still a Dark Jedi and Luke was sure that he could still stab him in the back if he gave him the chance.
He liked to see the good in everyone though, which was why he was giving the younger boy the benefit of the doubt.
"This is taking forever," Dustil muttered, folding his arms across his chest as the two continued to wander down the tunnel, taking rights or lefts depending on the instructions that Luke received from his father. They didn't seem to be getting closer to the end of the maze and Luke was starting to wonder if they were making any headway of getting out of the maze.
"We did still have a good ways to go when we met up," he said. "I'm sure we'll get out of here soon enough."
"You and your Jedi comrades are far too optimistic."
"Being optimistic isn't a bad thing."
Dustil didn't respond.
They walked in silence for a bit longer before Luke decided to break it. "Why did you decide to join the Sith, Dustil?" he asked.
"None of your business," Dustil said shortly.
He cast a sidelong glance at the younger boy. "Was it because of your father?" he asked and, when Dustil tensed, he added, "I can feel your anger and resentment toward your father. It's strong and I just figured that might have been part of the reason why..."
"I said it's none of your business, Jedi."
Luke turned his gaze to the tunnel in front of him. "You know I can understand," he said. "My own father was never around while I was growing up, even if the reasons were different. My father has done things that were very hard to process at the time, he probably did worse things than your father ever did." He, subconsciously, flexed his right hand, the same one that Vader chopped off back in his own time.
Dustil cast a glance at him. "Do you hate him?" he asked.
"No," Luke said. "Even if he did do terrible things, I couldn't find it in myself to hate him. I was upset, yeah, and angry but I just wanted to know why and, due to certain events, I realized that there was still good in him. He wasn't beyond redemption so I strove to prove that to him, to show him that he could be redeemed, could be forgiven, could put his past behind him and be good again."
"How utterly naive."
"Maybe it was but I was right. My father...he redeemed himself when he willingly sacrificed his own life to save my own. In that moment, he proved to me that I was right to not give up on him, that I was right to forgive him and help him redeem himself." Luke closed his eyes as he came to a stop, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "I may have been naive but my conviction, my determination to prove to my father that he really was a good person, is what gave him the chance to walk the path of redemption."
He opened his eyes and turned to Dustil, raising a hand and gingerly wiping his tears away. "I know you resent your father and are angry at him but...I guess I'm just telling you this because I don't want the same thing to happen to you. I don't want you to become so consumed by your own anger and hate that you won't give your father another chance and I don't want you to feel the pain of losing him. He is your family, no matter your feelings toward him and no matter how much you might blame him for what happened to your mother. He is still your family and I really believe that family bonds are far stronger than people may think."
Dustil continued to study him, his lips pressed together in a tight line. "I can sense that everything you just told me is the truth and yet...how were you even able to forgive your father after everything he'd done?" He didn't ask what Luke's father had done and, for that, Luke was grateful. He didn't want to talk about what happened at Cloud City and he didn't even know of everything else that happened before then.
He thought about for a long moment. "He was the only family I had left," he admitted finally, turning his gaze to the wall, his gaze contemplative. "It took me some time to actually believe that my father could be redeemed, it didn't happen over night, but then he started doing things that began to prove to me that there was still good in him. Once I saw those actions, once I was able to see the good that he was hiding within him, I knew that he was redeemable. Your father...I know that he cares for you and loves you very much. I could feel it and I know that you could too. He made mistakes in his past but he is only human and humans make mistakes."
"He abandoned us and Mother died because of it," Dustil snapped.
"It was the Sith who killed your mother, Dustil. If you're going to blame someone for your mother's death then you should blame the ones that were truly responsible." He paused and turned his gaze when his instincts flared. There was something dangerous up ahead. He held up a hand to Dustil and nudged his father through the Force.
There's something down here. It feels dangerous, he sent through their bond.
'What kind of something?' Anakin sent back.
I don't know but it's up ahead, blocking the path. We're going to have to go through it, Luke thought.
'Stay safe, Luke, and keep me updated.'
I will, Father.
"There's something up there," Dustil said as he moved to Luke's side. "I can sense it but I'm not sure what it is." He removed his lightsaber from his belt but didn't ignite it while Luke did the same and the two of them began to move forward.
They rounded the corner once Anakin nudged Luke through the Force to warn them that the group above were turning the corner. The Force flared in warning and Luke came to a stop, his lightsaber igniting and bathing the crystalline walls in brilliant green light. A brilliant red saber joined Luke's as Dustil moved to his side, his eyes scanning the area with narrowed eyes.
"Where is it?" he said.
"I don't..." That was as far as Luke got when the creature attacked.
Dropping down from the ceiling, the creature nearly landed on top of the Jedi and Dark Jedi had they not quickly thrown themselves backwards to avoid it. It was like a spider with six long, hairy legs jutting out of its massive spherical body, several beady black eyes resting on its massive face and fangs dripping an acid green liquid jutting out of its mouth.
"What the blazes is that?" Dustil said.
"I have no clue," said Luke. He has never seen anything like it and a quick scan through the Force let him with no information to help him figure out what it was. It was almost as if it was a void in the Force, a hole that was only filled with black. "I can't even sense it in the Force. It...It's like a void."
"I'm getting the same feeling."
Luke relayed the information to his father as he held his lightsaber at the ready in front of him while the creature bared its fangs and started prowling toward them. Its massive body could barely make it down the tunnel but Luke knew that he and Dustil would not be able to get past it either.
"We need to lure it to an intersection where we'll have more room," he murmured to Dustil.
"Tch, why don't we just kill it?" Dustil said and darted forward.
The creature reared back and lashed out with three of its six legs but Dustil's lightsaber slashed toward the hairy legs. He seemed surprised when the lightsaber didn't slice through the legs and, instead, the legs pushed the lightsaber away, forcing Dustil to jump back to avoid getting hit by the leg.
"Shavit, I can't slice through it with my lightsaber."
Luke darted forward and lashed out with the Force and gritted his teeth when he saw that his Force push hadn't even nudged it. "I think it might be resistant to the Force as well," he said.
"Shavit, now what?"
The creature let out a snarl and lunged at them.
"Run?" Luke suggested.
"I won't run like a..." Dustil jumped back when he nearly got skewered by the creature's leg. "Tell no one about this, Jedi!" He bolted in the opposite direction while Luke hurried after him, sending a quick update to his father as he ran.
. . .
The Crystal Labyrinth, Mortis
"Luke's in trouble," Anakin said and relayed Luke's message as he and the rest of the group came to a stop at an intersection. He knew that Luke was going to be heading in the opposite direction of where he and Dustil had been because of the creature that was chasing them. The fact that the creature was impervious to a lightsaber and was resistant to the Force was incredibly worrying as well.
"I've never heard of a creature that a lightsaber couldn't cut through that was also resistant to the Force itself," Bastila said, a frown on her lips. "We should head back and try to help them."
"We've already gone quite the distance. It would take too long to go back to the heart of the labyrinth, go down into the catacombs and then catch up with them," Revan pointed out.
"I'll just go back then. You Jedi can stay here for all I care," Selene said flatly as she turned on her heel and jogged back the way they had come.
"Is it a good idea to let her go off like that?" Mission said.
"It's dangerous, since we don't know if there are more of those creatures down below," Bastila said. Even if Selene was a Dark Jedi, she was still someone who wouldn't be able to do anything against that creature and it was a Jedi's duty to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Selene would resent them if they went back to help her but she already didn't particularly like them as it was so it wasn't as if it would make that much of a difference.
He glanced at Revan who was thoughtful.
"Anakin and I will go back," he said out loud. "The rest of you should finish the maze. We can find you afterwards."
"I will accompany you," Bastila said immediately.
Of course she is suggesting that. Anakin knew that Bastila was watching over Revan and wouldn't want to let the former Sith Master out of her sight. She had to keep watch over him to ensure that he didn't get his memories back—a bit late there—and make sure he didn't do anything suspicious.
But a quick nudge through the Force told Anakin that Revan wanted to go after Selene with just him.
If Revan protested, it would make him look suspicious.
But if Anakin protested, no one should think twice about it.
"I think it might be better if you stay here, Bastila," he said. "Think about it, if that creature is down below then there are likely creatures in this labyrinth itself. I know the Three who rule this place and if this is one of their tests, and I'm positive it is, then they won't make it easy. Juhani is a strong fighter and I have no doubt Mission, Carth, and Canderous can handle their own but it would be better if they had another Jedi helping them. Don't worry. I'll make sure Zhane doesn't do anything stupid."
Mission snorted.
"Not a word, Mission." Anakin gave the blue-skinned Twi'lek an irritated look.
Mission grinned at him but didn't respond.
Bastila frowned. "I believe..." she began.
"Bastila, I know this place and I know the Three's kind of tests. Mission, Carth, and Canderous are going to need more than just Juhani aiding them." He wasn't sure if that was actually true but he also knew that Bastila didn't have any way of proving his words as false, especially since the Father, the Daughter, and the Son were no longer able to communicate with any of them.
Bastila gritted her teeth but finally nodded. "Very well. It is the duty of the Jedi to aid others," she said and turned to Anakin. "Anakin, please keep an eye on Zhane for me. If anything happens, reach out to me with the Force and I will come and aid you."
She turned and began walking away while Juhani fell into step at her side and Mission, who gave Anakin a thumbs up and a "good luck!", Carth, and Canderous followed her.
Anakin waited until they were all out of sight, out of earshot, and out of range of their limited senses before he turned to Revan. "So why did you want just me to accompany you?" he asked as he fell into step alongside Revan as the other man turned and began walking back the way they had come.
"This place is dense enough in the Force that I can start training you without the other Jedi noticing," Revan replied. "You did rather well convincing Bastila to let me go off on my own. I swear she insists on basically being attached to my hip all the time."
"You probably enjoy having her close to you," Anakin said with a grin and his grin widened when Revan gave him a glare, a light blush crossing his cheeks. In the time that he has been traveling with Revan and the rest of their group, he has come to see that Revan was starting to like Bastila as more than simply a comrade and a friend, even if he was sure that Revan didn't quite understand what he was feeling himself.
"At least I never called her an angel," Revan retorted and smirked when Anakin went red.
"I really am never going to live that down, am I?"
"Not with me and not with Luke."
"Great."
"Anyway," Revan added as he rounded the corner, scanning the area with his eyes and the Force, "I've seen you fight and I've seen your uses of the Force. All of the uses that you've used are typical abilities and techniques taught to the Jedi when they are young but there are still several techniques that you have yet to be taught. We'll start with some of those."
"Such as?" Anakin asked.
Revan hummed as he continued to walk. "We will talk while we walk," he said simply.
Anakin blinked but nodded and fell into step alongside Revan again.
"Tell me what you've been taught already, Anakin."
Anakin frowned but listed all the techniques that he'd been taught ever since he became Obi-Wan's apprentice. It was mostly the basic, some of which he already had a good grasp on simply because of his reflexes, while others he hadn't learned from Obi-Wan but rather developed on their own, such as his ability to see the future. He still didn't know about that gift, or curse as he saw it as after what happened to his mother, or how he got it.
"You were taught the basics, it seems," Revan mused. "I suspect that a lot of the techniques I have access to are techniques you won't feel that comfortable using and, given your prosthetic right arm, you won't be able to use Force lightning so we don't have to worry too much about that ability."
Anakin let loose a breath. "I know there are many kinds of abilities that the Sith use but if I want to achieve balance then I should learn some of those abilities," he said.
"Learning about the dark side is about more than simply learning the abilities that the Sith use," said Revan. "There are many teachings that I studied during the Mandalorian Wars that started my descent, though my memories of that are still sketchy at best. There is one thing that those who use the dark side have that light side users have. What do you think that is?"
Anakin's brow furrowed. "All the Sith and Dark Jedi I've fought seem to all harbor negative emotions, such as anger, fear, and hatred," he said.
"That's true but it's not those emotions that make a Sith a Sith, or a dark side user a dark side user. It's passion. Unlike the Jedi, who are taught to repress their emotions or release their emotions into the Force, Sith actively control and use their emotions to aid them. All dark side users have a tendency of using the more passionate emotions to aid them, like anger, rage, hatred, even fear, but the one thing that you need to keep in mind is to ensure that your emotions don't control you. There is a difference between using your passionate emotions and your passionate emotions using you."
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me again what happened on Tatooine with your mother, Anakin."
Anakin gritted his teeth. He didn't want to relieve that moment and he wasn't sure why Revan was asking him about it. Revan cast a sidelong glance at him, his eyes calm and contemplative as if he was attempting to figure something out in his head.
Letting loose a breath, he said, "All right. My mother had been captured and tortured to death by Sand People. When I found her, she was barely clinging on to life and she died in my arms."
"What happened next?"
"I...I just lashed out. I massacred the entire tribe that kidnapped my mother. I didn't leave anyone alive."
"And that is what I mean."
"What?" Anakin gave him a puzzled look.
"When you slaughtered the tribe, you were blinded by your anger, your hatred, and you just lashed out. That is what I mean when I saw there is a difference. Your rage and your hatred blinded you and you lashed out as a result. That blinding is what I mean about you being used by your passionate emotions."
Anakin frowned as he thought about Revan's words. It was true. While he could remember what he did to the Sand People's tribe in stark clarity, he also knew that he hadn't really been thinking. He'd just been reacting, lashing out, and not once thinking about anything other than the Sand People needed to pay, deserved to pay.
"You were like a mindless beast reacting only to your emotions, allowing your emotions to guide you and string you along like a puppet being manipulated by a puppeteer. That is the difference. If you wish to learn more about the dark side then you need to learn how to use your emotions, not let your emotions use you."
"How?"
"It helps to focus on something, something beyond those emotions your feeling. Maybe it can be your motivation for what you are doing, maybe it can be something more simple and light. Maybe you could focus on those you are trying to protect. Learning about the dark side doesn't necessarily mean that you are evil after all. Yes, if you keep walking further into the darkness then you can end up crossing that line of no return but that does not mean you are evil when you first venture into the darkness."
"Is that what happened with you?"
"Yes. During the Mandalorian Wars, I started studying the dark side out of a desire to garner enough power to defeat the Mandalorians and save the Republic. My memories of my turn are still very sketchy so I don't know how or when I actually turned but I do know that, even after my turn, I never had any intention of destroying the Republic. I wanted to conquer it to prepare it...I don't remember what I was preparing it for but I wanted it to remain standing and to make it ready for...something." His brow furrowed and Anakin could see puzzlement in his eyes.
"Those must be part of the memories that the Son were not able to return to me, the ones that were damaged beyond repair when Malak betrayed me," he added out loud. "Malak's fall was far worse than mine was. He fell past that line of no return whereas I was walking along its border when I was betrayed. Bastila saving my life and even the Jedi tampering with my memories has allowed me to pull myself back from that line. I will never actually be a true Jedi, not like Bastila or like Luke, but I also know that I have no desire to be a true Sith, like Malak. I suppose that is what makes me different from Malak, and from other Sith. I suppose that might be what the Son and the Daughter meant when they called me the Child of Light and Dark."
Revan turned to him. "What is it that you desire to do, Anakin? End this war? Protect those you care about? Fulfill that prophecy?"
Anakin turned his gaze to the crystal corridor that stretched out in front of them. "What do I desire to do?" he murmured, his thoughts going to his own time and the people that he left behind there: his former master, his padawan, his wife. He thought about his son in this time as well as the friends and comrades he's made. He thought about the war that he was currently fighting in, and the one that he left behind.
"All of that," he said finally, "even that prophecy. I want to do all of that. I want to end this war, and the war I came from. I want to protect everyone I care about and love. And, yeah, if it will bring peace, I want to fulfill that prophecy."
"How far are you willing to go to fulfill your greatest desires?"
"I'll do anything."
"That's dangerous thinking, Anakin. Had I been anyone else, like the Son, then I could take advantage of that. The Son already has, if you'll recall. If you become too obsessed with fulfilling something then you will start sliding down a very slippery slope and, before you even realize it, you will have crossed that line of no return."
"Then what do you suggest I do? How do you manage it?"
"It's not easy." Revan also turned his gaze to the crystal corridor. "I suppose the one thing that keeps me walking the path that I'm walking is the bonds that I have made since the Jedi tampered with my memory. Even if I'm not exactly happy that they tampered with my memories and altered my identity, they could have easily killed me, especially because of how dangerous I was. And yet they didn't. Instead, they gave me another chance and, with that second chance, I have managed to form bonds that are not easily broken. With Carth, Mission, Zaalbar, Bastila, Canderous, Juhani, Jolee, Luke, you, I've made bonds with all of you well before I regained my memories and those bonds still hold in spite of me regaining my memories."
Revan came to a stop at an intersection and turned to Anakin. "You have those bonds yourself, Anakin. Not just with me and the rest of our comrades but with Obi-Wan, Padme, and Ahsoka back in your time, and, of course, with Luke. Those are what can help you to remain on the path of gray between the two sides, those bonds are your anchors to keep you from slipping past that line of no return just as my bonds help me do the same."
"My bonds?"
"Yes."
A warning flared through the Force.
"Come, Selene is in trouble," Revan said and picked up the past, bolting down the corridor and Anakin, storing Revan's words to think about later, bolted after him. He reached out with the Force as he ran and was relieved when he felt that, while he was tired, Luke was all right. They had managed to outrun the creature that had been chasing them.
He stretched out with the Force toward the Dark Jedi and frowned upon sensing the presence of another Dark Jedi. "There's another one here," he murmured.
"Yes, I sense that as well," Revan murmured back. "They are already in the catacombs. I have a general location of where they are. They are rather close to where I can sense Luke and Dustil's presences."
"They must have been pushed back the way they had come by the creature that attacked them," Anakin said as the two skidded into the heart of the labyrinth and jumped down into the hole, using the Force to soften their landing before bolting down the same tunnel that Luke and Dustil had taken earlier.
Luke, there is a third Dark Jedi in these catacombs and Selene also entered them, Anakin sent through the Force.
'Understood. I'll keep an eye out for them,' Luke replied.
The creature?
'We've lost it for now but I know it's still behind us somewhere. I can still sense the void that it leaves in the Force but it's not close to us right now. I can sense that you're in the catacombs yourself. Be careful when you reach the second intersection, Father. That's where the creature was when I last checked.'
I will. "Luke says that the creature that attacked him and Dustil is at the second intersection," Anakin said out loud.
Revan nodded and the two continued their run through the catacombs.
. . .
The Crystal Catacombs, Beneath Mortis
Selene huffed as she continued her dash through the crystal tunnels. She had sensed that void in the Force as well and figured that was the creature that had attacked Dustil and that Luke kid so she knew that her best bet would be to avoid it so she had taken a different direction. She could only hope that if she kept following Dustil's Force signature then, even with this alternate route, she would catch up with him. Then she could help him escape from that creature, and the Jedi kid as well, she supposed.
She knew that it wasn't Sith thinking to want to help anyone, whether it be one of her own classmates or a Jedi, but she didn't want to harm anyone. Maybe that was why everyone thought she wouldn't cut it out as a Sith. She just didn't have cold, heartlessness to throw others to the wolves just to ascend through the ranks like the other Dark Jedi at the Sith Academy on Korriban had.
She just wanted to live a peaceful life with Dustil.
She just wanted to convince Dustil to leave the Sith and find someway to survive that decision.
She just wanted to be with the man that she'd fallen in love with.
She shook her head. Focus on finding Dustil. She rounded the corner and scanned the area with the Force, her lightsaber remained in her hand but it was off since she knew that she didn't need it right now. She knew that the creature that was chasing Dustil and that Jedi kid was still in that area but she wasn't sure of its exact location, only that the void in the Force wasn't anywhere near her at the moment.
She did sense something else though.
She frowned as she scanned the area again, her frown deepening upon sensing that dark presence, a presence that she recognized.
What's Yuthura Ban doing down here?
She hadn't thought that Ban had actually made her way into the labyrinth and she wondered why she hadn't sensed her presence earlier.
Ban wasn't anywhere near their location though so she decided not to worry about that for now.
She rounded the corner and continued to make her way down the tunnel. Where is he? She knew that she was getting close but she didn't see Dustil anywhere, or that creature for that matter. She knew that it was close as well because she could sense that disturbing void in the Force.
She shivered. She hated the feel of that void in the Force.
She pushed the thought away. She needed to focus. Dustil needed her. He was in danger, she could sense that much, and she had to get to him. She didn't want to lose him. He was the only person in the galaxy that she loved after all. Granted, he was the only one she had because she had lost her entire family when Telos was destroyed but that just made him even more important to her.
Stay safe until I get there, Dustil. I'll get you out of here. I promise.
She was getting closer. Dustil's presence was getting stronger. She figured that she was only a few tunnels away from wherever Dustil was hiding to avoid being found by the creature chasing him.
She had just rounded a tunnel, not too far from where she could sense Dustil's presence when a warning flared through the Force at the same time that the void in the Force nearly overwhelmed her senses. She threw herself backwards just in time to avoid the creature as it scuttled into the open, its too many beady eyes fixed not on her but on the tunnel that lay ahead of her.
At where she could see Dustil and the Jedi kid Luke were backing down. Dustil was scowling as he held his lightsaber in front of him while Luke was frowning, his own lightsaber held out in front of him.
She recalled that this creature was resistant to the Force and to lightsabers and she scowled. How are we supposed to kill it if its resistant to lightsabers and the Force?
She was about to ignite her lightsaber when she heard one blaze to life. She whirled around and barely managed to ignite her lightsaber and lift it to catch the crimson blade that slashed toward her. Her eyes widened when they locked on violet. "Ban?"
Yuthura Ban broke off the stalemate and hummed as she held her lightsaber in front of her. "I should have expected you to block even though I tried to use that monstrosity's presence to mask my presence," she said.
"What are you doing?" Selene frowned as she held her lightsaber horizontally in front of her. "We're on the same side so why are you attacking me?"
"It's nothing personal but I have my orders," Yuthura said.
"Orders? What do you mean orders?"
"Master Wynn has ordered you to be killed and I have been given that task. This is the perfect opportunity now that we are all alone."
All alone? Selene realized that the creature's presence, while it hadn't masked her presence completely, was masking Dustil's presence. Yuthura Ban didn't know that Dustil was there. She scoffed and narrowed her eyes. "We're..."
Yuthura attacked before she could finish her statement and she quickly caught the blade, deflecting it and dodging the thrust that Yuthura aimed at her side upon retracting her blade. Yuthura spun and slashed toward Selene's head and she quickly brought her lightsaber up to block the attack, only to realize it was feint with a split second to spare to block the slash aimed at her leg.
She jumped back to avoid the Force blast that Yuthura aimed at her and barrel-rolled away, unintentionally bringing herself closer to the creature, when Yuthura unleashed a blast of Force lightning toward her. It crashed into the creature but the creature didn't fazed at all, it didn't even turn toward them as its attention was focused on Dustil and Luke.
Selene scrambled to her feet and barely caught the blade aimed at her head while Yuthura grunted and, breaking the stalemate, stabbed downward but Selene quickly wrapped her legs around Yuthura's, knocking her feet out from under her. Jumping to her feet, she lashed out with the Force, grabbing Yuthura with it and throwing her into the wall.
Yuthura hissed as she pushed away from the wall and dodged out of the way to avoid the blade that Selene stabbed toward her. She stabbed at Selene's side but Selene twisted out of the way in time to avoid it, angling her blade behind her and downwards to catch the stab wound aimed at her back.
"You are weak, Selene," Yuthura said coolly. "You are nothing more than a weakling that is dragging Dustil Onasi down with you. He will never achieve his true potential so long as you are around and, as per Master Wynn's orders, I will rid the Academy of a weakling like you."
"I'm not just going to let you kill me," Selene retorted as she pivoted and catch the slash aimed at her chest. Their blades pressed together as Yuthura leaned forward, putting more force into the blade to where Selene could feel the heat attempting to burn through her clothes and into her skin.
She lashed out with the Force, shoving Yuthura a few feet away, and took a deep breath. She held her lightsaber in front of her as Yuthura lunged, slashing toward her side and then her head in rapid succession, forcing Selene to quickly match her moves to avoid losing a limb or worse.
They continued to clash, their blades lashing as they parried and dodged each other's blades as they danced around each other. Selene gritted her teeth because she could feel exhaustion clawing at her and knew that if she faltered, if she slipped up, then she was going to lose.
But it was hard. Her moves were starting to become sluggish due to her exhaustion and it was all she could do to parry and block every slash and thrust that Yuthura launched at her.
She mistimed a parry and a scream erupted from her lips when Yuthura's blade sliced through her arm, sending it and her lightsaber flying. She stumbled back, clutching at her arm as she gritted her teeth.
Yuthura approached her, her blade still ignited and held in front of her. "You are unable to defeat me. That is because you are weak," she said as she pointed her blade at Selene. "That's why you will not make it in the Academy."
"I'll leave the Academy then," Selene said coolly. "I don't even want to be part of the Academy! I only joined because I had nowhere else to go but I won't stay if you think I'm such a weakling and won't make it in the Academy."
"No one leaves the Academy. The weak are disposed of while the strong survive. That is our way," Yuthura said and raised her blade.
Selene called her lightsaber to her left hand and barely managed to ignite it in time to catch the blow that would have severed her neck. She hissed in pain as Yuthura pushed down on the blade. Her left hand has always been her weakest and it was all she could do to keep Yuthura's blade from reaching her neck.
"Master Wynn wanted to be the one to kill you," Yuthura said, "but I offered to do so instead to prove myself to him, to prove that I am getting stronger in my own right." A burst of Force lightning erupted from Yuthura's other hand and Selene screamed as the lightning crashed into her, shattering her concentration and Yuthura twisted her blade and stabbed downward.
A searing pain erupted in her chest and she gasped, her eyes widening as she felt the burning sensation of the lightsaber surging through her chest. Pain like she has never experienced before raged through her, a burning inferno that blazed out from the blade that protruded out of her chest.
A darkness began to reach for her, a wave that rose up higher and higher beneath her eyes. Her lightsaber fell from her hand as she slowly began to crumple to the ground, the darkness rising higher and higher.
Dustil, I...was never even able...to tell you how...I feel about...you. I wish...I could have...told you that...I...love...you…
The last thing Selene heard before darkness consumed her was a terrifyingly powerful scream of anguish.
. . .
"Selene!"
The scream that erupted from Dustil's lips was augmented by the Force, surging forward in an extremely powerful burst of Force energy that crashed into the creature and the crystalline walls. They shuddered and cracked under the force of the energy that slammed into them. The creature roared in pain as it was sent flying backwards into the cracking wall and the wall shattered as did every wall and the ceiling above.
Luke dove forward, tackling Dustil to the ground and shielding him with his own body as the ceiling caved in on them, showering them in thick pieces of crystal. He winced as various pieces of crystal crashed into body and then nothing.
"...uke...Luke!"
Luke groaned at the voice that sounded above his head. Sluggishly, he opened his eyes, wincing as the brilliant rays of Mortis's sun streamed into them. Wait, I was underground so why…?
Memories of what happened came into his mind and Luke slowly sat up and peered down to see that he was still laying protectively over Dustil's unconscious form. He crawled off him and turned around to find the source of the voice to find his father standing only a few meters away, gazing at the scene with surprise in his eyes.
"Father…?" he said, his voice sounding as dazed as he felt.
Relief flooded Anakin's face as he began to pick his way over the debris-filled tunnel and crouched down next to Luke and Dustil. "Are you okay?" he asked and Luke could feel him scanning him through the Force.
"I'm okay. I think I just got knocked out when the ceiling caved in. I think the same thing happened to Dustil," Luke said, glancing at Dustil who groaned and stirred.
Zhane made his way forward and scanned the area, his eyes going to the far end where the creature was laying mostly buried underneath the crystal debris. He moved toward it while Dustil slowly lifted his head, one hand clutching at it.
"S...Selene..." he managed to get out. "W...Where...Selene?"
Luke winced as he recalled what he'd witnessed before Dustil had released that powerful burst of energy when he screamed Selene's name. The young Dark Jedi getting speared through by another Dark Jedi's blade while Luke and Dustil could do nothing but watch hurt. If that creature hadn't been in the way then Luke would have tried to help but he hadn't been able to get past the creature.
He just didn't know why that Dark Jedi had killed one of her comrades.
But I should. The Sith betray each other in order to gain power for themselves. That's the way it was when Palpatine tried to goad me into killing Father so I shouldn't be surprised by this.
"Selene..." Dustil said again. "Where's...Where's Selene?"
Anakin bit his lip and glanced toward Zhane. "Zhane…?" he began.
Zhane looked up and slowly shook his head as he stretched out a hand and used the Force to begin digging through the debris.
"I'm sorry, Dustil," Anakin said, turning his gaze back to the other boy.
Anguish rolled off Dustil in waves that were nearly powerful enough to bowl Luke over. The brown-haired young man clenched his hands into fists as tears welled up in his eyes. "I...I want...to...to...see...her," he managed to get out.
Anakin glanced toward Zhane again and Zhane caught his glance and nodded. He reached into the hole in the debris that he had made and gently lifted the motionless body out of it. Selene hung limply in Zhane's arms, her lone arm hanging at her side as her eyes remained close. She was covered in scrapes and bruises but the most telling sign that she hadn't made it was the smoking lightsaber wound speared through her chest.
Dustil choked out a sob as his gaze landed on Selene's body. "S...Selene..." he stammered out, reaching out a hand toward the girl as Zhane moved closer. Zhane knelt down and gently placed Selene's body on the debris-filled ground in front of Dustil who gently stroked the girl's cheek, tears spilling from his eyes.
"I...never even...got the chance to...tell you how...I felt," he whispered and, lowering his head, he took Selene's hand in his and sobbed.
Luke, deciding to give Dustil some privacy, slowly got to his feet. His head throbbed and the world spun for a moment but Anakin was at his side in an instant, allowing Luke to lean against him while Zhane moved over to join them.
"What happened?" Zhane asked.
"I'm not too sure," Luke admitted. "We were being chased by the creature and finally managed to get to a tunnel that was too small for it to fit through. While we were trying to figure out a way to get past it, Dustil saw Selene and then saw someone he called Yuthura. Yuthura attacked Selene and I remember hearing her say something about Selene being weak and holding Dustil back and that she wanted a Master Wynn to see her as getting stronger."
Anakin gritted his teeth.
"Such is the way of the Sith," Zhane said coolly. "The weak are disposable, the strong continue to get stronger by trampling over the weak."
"Being weak isn't a bad thing," Luke murmured.
"No it isn't," Anakin agreed.
Zhane turned around and gazed up at the sky. "We should join the others," he said.
"What about Dustil and Selene?" Luke asked.
"We'll take them with and, once we're out of the maze, we'll give her a proper funeral."
Dustil lifted his head at that, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. "But...I'm your enemy," he said.
"Do you want to remain with the Sith after what they have done here today? Do you truly believe that the Sith are your family when they have taken the woman that you love away from you? Is this enough proof for you that the Sith truly are evil?"
Dustil gritted his teeth as he gazed at Selene's body, anguish in his eyes. He gently gathered Selene into his arms and stood up. "I want to give Selene a proper funeral for now. After that...we'll see," he said.
"Very well." Zhane turned and began walking down the tunnel.
"Do we know how to get out of here?" asked Anakin as he, Luke, and Dustil followed Zhane.
"I remember the way that we came, Anakin, so we simply have to head back that way, but through the catacombs instead."
Anakin nodded and Luke found himself gazing at Dustil. He dropped back so that he was walking at the other young man's side. "I'm sorry about Selene," he said quietly.
"I know," Dustil murmured, gazing down at Selene's motionless body. "I never meant to fall for her, you know. But...she was all that I had when Telos was destroyed and we grew very close. She was the one who suggested that I join the Sith but...after a while, I could tell that she was regretting her decision. I didn't think much of it. I just thought that she would adjust like I had but...I think she might have noticed what I was too blind to, that the Sith aren't what I thought they were."
"The Sith are good at manipulating others and making them believe one thing over another," Luke said. "They saw your potential and didn't want to lose it so they sought to ensure that your loyalty was reserved for them."
"I know but...What am I supposed to do now?"
"There is your father."
Dustil's face went cold for a moment before he sighed. "Even if the Sith have proven that they are evil like you said, I don't know if I'm ready to leave yet. There are so many students back at the Sith Academy who don't know the truth about what the Sith are doing and what they do to those who either defy them or are considered weak in their eyes. I...I need to go back to them. Maybe...Father and I could make amends but I want to save as many students on Korriban as I can before that."
"I think you should talk with your father before we leave this place," Luke said. "Tell him that and, maybe, you can set up a place to meet after this is all over."
"Yeah...I think that would be best."
. . .
Lush Forest, Outskirts of the Crystal Labyrinth, Mortis
"Did anyone else feel that?" Mission asked as she gazed at the rest of the group after that violent earthquake nearly knocked her off her feet. Her question was an obvious one because she was positive everyone else had felt it. It was a massive one so she was sure that everyone in that realm had felt it somehow.
"What caused that earthquake?" Carth said puzzled.
"I felt a massive scream in the Force, one that was filled with such anguish and such power that I know that it was responsible for that earthquake," said Bastila.
"Someone was in great distress and lashed out with the Force as a result," Juhani said.
Mission bit her lip and turned to the labyrinth. "Was it Luke or Anakin?" she asked.
"We do not know. The Force is still too dense in the labyrinth so I cannot sense their presences," said Bastila. "The only thing we can do is wait."
They waited.
Mission wasn't sure how long they waited before Bastila straightened and started toward the entrance to the labyrinth. She followed and Canderous, Juhani, and Carth followed her until they were standing behind Bastila right as Zhane came into view. He was followed by Anakin and then came Luke and, finally, the Dark Jedi Dustil.
In Dustil's arms was the motionless form of the Dark Jedi Selene.
"I see..." Bastila murmured, gazing sympathetically at Selene's motionless body and the grief-stricken expression on Dustil's face.
Carth looked torn. It was as if he wanted to go and try to comfort his son but, at the same time, he probably figured that his son wouldn't appreciate it. The captain clenched his hands into fists and pressed his lips together, that conflict still raging in his eyes.
Anakin moved over to Carth. "Give him some time and then try to go to him. You might find him to be more receptive but, first, he needs some time," he said.
Carth relaxed his fists and nodded. "What happened?" he asked.
"There was a third Dark Jedi on the planet," said Zhane. "She attacked while Dustil and Luke were cornered by the creature they were facing, except she went after Selene. I don't know the whole story, since Anakin and I arrived after Dustil had unleashed a Force scream that killed the creature and collapsed the entire area of the catacombs they were in but that was what Luke told me happened."
"The Sith turning on each other is not surprising," Anakin muttered.
"It is terrible but it is the truth," Bastila said.
Luke rested a hand on Dustil's shoulder. "Why don't we find a nice place to lay Selene to rest, Dustil?" he offered, pointing to the lush forest. "Do you think she would like to be laid to rest in the forest?"
"Selene loved the forests on Telos," Dustil murmured as he made his way toward it and Luke followed him.
Mission felt for the boy. She may not have remembered losing someone she cared about but she still felt for the boy. It was probably pity, since she couldn't sympathize when she hasn't lost anyone she was extremely close to, but she still felt it.
"What now?" she said, turning her gaze to the rest of the group. "Do we head back to the Ebon Hawk or what?"
"Let's wait for now," Bastila said.
"All right."
It wasn't long before Luke came back with Dustil in toe. Dustil still looked quietly somber but he didn't say anything for a long moment, even as he went to stand in front of his father.
Carth studied the young man, that conflict still in his eyes.
"I've gotten the proof that the Sith really are evil," Dustil said finally, lifting his head to gaze at his father. "But...there are many students still on Korriban who don't know the evils of the Sith. I...I want to return to Korriban to try to speak with them, to show them the truth that my eyes have been opened to. When...When this...this war is over, can we meet up on Telos IV again and talk?"
Carth nodded. "Yeah, that will be fine, Dustil," he said quietly.
"Thank you."
"Is it wise to return to Korriban after what happened?" Juhani said.
"It's a risk, I know, but I simply have to lie to Yuthura and say something along the lines of how her actions made me realize how the Sith were right or some shavit like that. I'll think of something."
"It might be safer if you stay with us, Dustil," Carth said uncertainly. "I know that you really want to help your fellow students on Korriban but if you were the one who destroyed the labyrinth after your friend was killed then I have no doubt this Yuthura person knows you were behind it."
"Carth's right," Luke said. "You unleashed that Force scream when Selene fell so Yuthura was still there and yet she hadn't been caught in the collapse of the catacombs so she must have either used the force to deflect much of the debris and flee or we never found her body."
"I didn't sense any other deaths aside from Selene's so it must have been the first option," Anakin said.
"Neither did I so Yuthura likely fled," said Zhane. He pressed his lips together in thought before adding, "We don't know how the master of the Sith Academy will react to what happened here, especially if Yuthura makes it out of this realm so..."
Anakin suddenly tensed and lifted his head, turning it slightly. "I thought you had already become one with the Force," he said.
Mission turned to find the glowing form of the Daughter standing only a few feet away, her form flickering in and out.
"I cannot stay for much longer," the Daughter said. "I simply came to inform you that everyone standing here are the only living beings left in this realm. The Dark Jedi known as Yuthura Ban has already left the land. She has incorrectly presumed that Dustil Onasi died when the labyrinth collapsed and Father, Brother, and I decided that she has overstayed her welcome in this realm and have forced her out."
"Then how am I going to get out of here?" Dustil demanded.
"You will simply have to accompany your father and his comrades for the time being. Rest assured, Dustil Onasi, you shall get your chance to save your companions on Korriban but you must be patient. Your father and his comrades are your only chance out of this realm." The Daughter turned her gaze to Anakin, Zhane, and Luke. "I also came to say my goodbyes to you three. I do not know of what the future holds for the three of you but I do know that you three are the catalysts for much change to come, in both this time and in the future. I wish you the best of luck, Chosen One, Child of Light and Dark, Child of the Chosen One. May the Force be with you always."
And then she was gone.
"We should go," Anakin said. "The last time the Daughter, the Son, and the Father vanished, Mortis vanished not long after it and I was thrown into this time so we need to get out now."
"So when you say vanish, what exactly do you mean vanish?" Mission asked.
"I mean the entire realm was destroyed."
"..."
"Let's move," Canderous stated firmly and the group, with a reluctant Dustil in toe, hurried away from the labyrinth.
. . .
Darth Malak's Chambers, The Leviathan, Above Rakata Prime
Letting out a breath as he came out of his meditation, Darth Malak opened his eyes and stood up, pushing the chair he had been meditating on away. His attempt to find some clue as to the location of the anomaly that he had Uthar Wynn send some of his students to was proving difficult. There was nothing there. It was just a big empty part of space and yet Malak was positive that he'd felt something not that long ago.
Right around the time the disturbance happened and, again, when the second disturbance happened.
What is that anomaly? And why am I blind to the anomaly's actual location?
He didn't know.
He had decided to retire to his quarters to meditate on the location of the anomaly mostly because the search for the young Jedi Bastila and Anakin was proving fruitless. Even though his followers had managed to find Bastila and Anakin on Kashyyyk, due to some rather impressive—those were the words of the Dark Jedi who reported to Malak, not his own—maneuvering of the ship that Bastila and Anakin were on, they managed to get past his followers and jump into hyperspace.
And, unfortunately, there was no sign that they had arrived on any of the other planets that Malak was sure they were heading toward. They had already visited Dantooine, Tatooine, and now Kashyyyk so it didn't take a genius to know that they were going to be heading toward either Manaan or Korriban next.
Given what Malak knew about his enemy, Manaan was going to be his next stop.
And if that is, indeed, his next stop then I will be prepared.
He pressed a button on his console and walked over to the large windows to gaze at the Star Forge that hovered above Rakata Prime with various small ships constantly being produced by the massive station and then tested by Malak's followers. The massive armada that the Star Forge has produced for Malak would definitely help in ensuring his victory over the Republic, the Jedi, and him.
He clenched his hand into fists. He had only discovered recently that he was still alive and it infuriated him that his one chance to rid himself of the biggest thorn in his side had backfired, and each attempt afterwards had also backfired. He needed someone who could actually hold his own against him while also standing a chance at capturing the young Jedi Bastila and Anakin.
And his Shadow Hand might be his best bet.
He wasn't sure if his Shadow Hand would be strong enough to defeat him and capture Bastila and Anakin but he was running out of options. None of the Dark Jedi that Wynn were sending were having any luck so Malak decided that he would have to send in someone of a higher caliber.
The door to his chambers opened and Malak turned.
"Darth Bandon," he greeted as the tall bald young man with dark brown eyes came forward and knelt down in front of him.
"You summoned, master?" he said.
"Yes," Malak said. "The search for Bastila and Anakin is taking too long and everyone that has attempted to find and capture them have failed. Even Calo Nord, whom I had hired to capture Bastila, had failed. That is why I am sending you. Find Bastila and Anakin and bring them both to me. Alive, if possible."
"As you command, Master."
Bandon stood up and walked out of the chambers while Malak turned his gaze back to the Star Forge.
. . .
The Ebon Hawk
"So the ship's operational now, Zaalbar?" Revan asked the wookiee upon noticing Zaalbar was standing outside of the Ebon Hawk by the time the group, and their new reluctant tag-along, had reached the ship.
'Yes, Zhane. The ship is fully operational. I ran through every preliminary check necessary to make sure of that,' Zaalbar growled.
"Good job, Big Z," Mission said with a grin and a thumbs up.
"Very good job," Revan said, inclining his head to the wookiee before making his way into the Ebon Hawk with the rest of the group walking behind him. Dustil walked at the back of the group, chewing on his lip nervously as he walked into the ship and gazed around.
"Who's he?" Jolee asked from where he was lounging next to the holoterminal at the center of the main hold.
"Dustil, my son," Carth said.
"Whoa, what's your son doing in a place like this?"
"Long story." Carth didn't elaborate.
Revan caught Jolee's eyes and gave him a subtle shake of the head, hoping he understood that he shouldn't push the matter.
Thankfully, Jolee did because he leaned back in his seat. "Welcome aboard, kid," he said. "By the way, Zhane, you're gonna have to turn HK-47 back on at some point."
"What did he do this time?" Revan deadpanned. He may be incredibly proud of HK-47, whom was probably his greatest creation during his time as a Sith, but he could understand why HK got on the nerves of everyone he came across.
"He wanted to go hunting the animals in the forest because he was bored so I turned him off before he actually went and did that."
"His trigger-happiness can get a bit annoying just like the fact that he keeps referring to every living thing as a meatbag," Anakin said.
"I have this odd urge to punch the person who created HK in the face because he is that annoying," Luke said.
Anakin snorted and ruffled Luke's hair.
Revan made a mental note to never tell Luke that he was the one who created HK. He did still find it incredibly amusing whenever HK referred to a living being as a meatbag though.
"We should go," Bastila said.
Anakin glanced at Luke who grinned and bolted, vanishing down the hallway that would take him to the cockpit.
"Hey, wait! You are not flying, Luke!" Carth shouted and ran after Luke.
Revan raised an eyebrow at Anakin.
The other Jedi shrugged. "I told him that, since I got to fly us here, he gets to fly us to Manaan and he jumped on the chance," he said.
Bastila bolted after Carth.
"Should I find something to hold on to for dear life?" Mission asked.
'Should we?' Zaalbar asked in a growl.
Revan shrugged. "I don't know if Luke's as suicidal a pilot as Anakin is so I can't answer that," he admitted.
Bastila came back. "I really hope that Luke is not as insane a pilot as you are, Anakin, because he is stubbornly refusing to leave the pilot's chair," she said.
"Both Padme and I are incredibly stubborn so Luke being even more stubborn than me is not really that surprising. I wonder if I could be his co-pilot," Anakin said thoughtfully.
"No!" Bastila coughed and added in a calmer voice, "I mean I believe that Carth is more than capable of fulfilling the role of co-pilot."
"Damn."
Thankfully, Luke wasn't as insane a pilot as Anakin was. He was a terrific pilot, capable of withstanding and navigating the storms that still filled the atmosphere above Mortis's surface until they broke free from the monolith they had flown int. Revan, who was in the cockpit now along with Anakin, watched as the monolith vanished behind them, disappearing like a star winking out of existence.
"This is likely the last time I will see that place," Anakin said. "Thank you, the Three, for helping me to walk a new path."
Luke glanced at his father, who was standing behind the pilot's seat with his hands resting on the back of the seat, and rested a hand on his father's hand. He squeezed it and added, "And that new path will definitely lead to a better future."
Anakin smiled down at his son, fond love shining in his eyes. "Yes, it will," he said.
Luke released his father's hand and typed in the coordinates for Manaan. "Setting course for Manaan," he said and, grasping the hyperspace lever, pulled it. The stars blurred into starlines as the Ebon Hawk sailed into hyperspace, heading toward the next planet to visit in their quest to find the Star Forge.
Revan gazed at the hyperspace and turned to Anakin. "Anakin, can I speak to you in private?" he asked.
"Sure. Make sure to get some rest, Luke. You've been through a lot on Mortis, even if it was only a moment in the galaxy itself."
"Yeah, I will," Luke said and Anakin turned and followed Revan out of the cockpit and toward the dormitory that Revan had claimed for himself.
Once they were in the dormitory, Anakin turned to face Revan who closed the door. "What's this about?"
"It's about what we found out on Mortis," Revan said, leaning against the door. "Due to what I know, we don't even really need to find the Star Maps anymore. No matter how sketchy some of my memories are, the location of the Star Forge is one that is crystal clear."
"And yet it would look far too suspicious, especially for Bastila, if we just went straight to the Star Forge's location when you aren't supposed to know where it's located," said Anakin.
"Exactly so I will have to continue playing my role of finding the Star Maps. What worries me is my bond with Bastila. She hasn't noticed anything is off yet but that's only because I've been masking my returned memories with the Force and because she has been a bit distracted by everything that happened on Mortis."
"What do we do?" asked Anakin.
"My bond with Bastila is what allows her to share visions with me about the location of the Star Maps but if I were to form another Force bond then that could help me in dictating what I share and with whom. If I form a bond with you, Anakin, then I can share my knowledge and my memories with you while only supplying Bastila with my memories of the Star Forge."
"That's possible?"
"I believe it is. My mind is my own and I should be able to dictate who I want to view what memories or emotions or knowledge that I have. Besides, this will allow me to train you while we are in the presence of others because no one will be able to know what passes through our bond. It is typical of Jedi masters to form bonds with their padawans after all so why should the same not be said for us?"
Anakin seemed to think about it before he nodded. "That would be best," he said.
Revan studied him but he could sense that Anakin did actually agree with him and he nodded. "We should get to work," he said.
Anakin nodded in agreement.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: and there is the next chapter! I really hope that you enjoy it
Anakin: it certainly was interesting.
Luke: yeah, I liked it
Revan: so did I
Malak: I was in it for like...three paragraphs. It sucked!
Revan: (shoves Malak into a Sarlacc's Pit) no one cares what you thinking
Bastila: (peers at Sarlacc's Pit) when did that get there?
Luke: Blaze has an inter-dimensional matter transporter that brought it here
Bastila: ...that's possible?
Luke: you'll find out quickly that, when it comes to Blaze, anything is possible, no matter how completely and utterly random and nonsensical it is
Bastila: I see…? Should I be worried?
Luke: not at all. She only harms the characters that she loathes. By the way, do you want to end the chapter? I don't think you've done that yet
Bastila: all right, sure. Blaze would like to thank everyone for reading. Reviews are much appreciated and see you in the next chapter.