fdenied-unedited Chapter 1, a x-overs fanfic

May 12, 2017

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This idea was inspired by GSpectre's Officer of the Republic SI thread and shout out to him for helping me with not only the idea but proofreading this prologue.

This is something of a writing exercise for me but I feel that its been evolving in my head as I've given the idea more thought. This is Legends canon because I know it better and honestly like it more but I will include some canon elements here and there. I've got some extensive knowledge of the setting and hope to create some interesting divergences.

So by all means as this is a writing exercise for me. I encourage and accept feedback and criticism as well as discussion over the concepts.

45BBY Jedi Temple Coruscant

The lightsaber is heavy in my hands, lungs laboring as my opponent circles me, she was not nearly as tired as me. The training room is empty save for myself and Ilena with the assembled Knights and Masters in the viewing balcony above alongside my fellow apprentices.

The Force is with me though and through the colorless 'vision' it gives me I can see her smile; she's confident as ever and with good reason, I'm no slouch but she's better than me.

"Good fight Viera but this is it." And then she's on me lightsaber flashing.

I raise my saber to block and the sizzling as the two connect fills my ears before we begin the dance again; lightsabers flashing as I try to block, and maybe come up with a plan, calling to the Force I allow it to lift me into a forward leap, lightsaber flashing towards her head as I descend.

She's already blocked my strike and I get a glimpse of her lightsaber flashing towards me before I can think about it my blade is moving to intercept without any conscious input from me, our blades lock together, crackling and sparking I try to push her back or at least disengage but she is immovable and before I can try anything tricky her knee slams into my gut, knocking the wind from me. A follow up push knocks me to the ground and I don't get up, I can't beat her.

"I submit Ilena, you win." I briefly contemplate grabbing her training saber and surprising her but Ilena Xan is a friend and I don't really want to do that to her.

Her smile is warm, her aura in the Force brightening at her victory. I really hate being a Miraluka sometimes, it's done wonders for getting me used to the Force as a concept but I miss seeing color and form.

Master Bondara calls the match and the Apprentice tournament in Ilena's favor, The Rutian Twi'lek Battle master is honestly a lot of fun and I know full well I'll miss him when Maul kills him, I've considered saving him but I don't know how besides doing my damndest to hang around Coruscant in 32BBY in hopes I'm there when Maul arrives and can help him win or at least survive.

How long am I going to live? Assuming I don't get killed at Geonosis, during the Clone Wars, or during the purge? Food for thought, later that is.

He reaches down and effortlessly lifts me to my feet, giving me a reassuring pat on the back, a nice gesture but I'm not really broken up over the loss Ilena has always been better at me at lightsaber combat; not surprising considering I know she's destined to be a combat instructor herself later in life. I'm content with second place.

I have just enough time to steady myself as our other friends rush out to congratulate us; people I've come to know beyond their characterization in books: Arligan Zey, Politrix, Jai Maruk, Maks Leem, and Jang Li-Li.

"That was a great fight, you're guaranteed to get chosen by a master." Jang as perky as normal, strong in the Force and filled with potential but dead before her time at Ventress's hand.

"Thank you, Jang, it was an exhilarating fight, Ilena fights dirty though." I can feel her retort before I hear it.

"That was a legitimate move, stop being so petty." I shrug good-naturedly and tone out her lecture on the importance of close-combat skill, I can see where she'll get the nickname 'Iron Hands' from.

From behind her Zey frowns, and kicks at the ground in frustration. I resist calling him adorably grumpy.

"I'm just happy that Ilena avenged me." Oh Zey, you're just as grumpy as a child as you will be during the Clone Wars. I'm not sure what to do about that really and unsure of how much his attitude was stress, his actual personality or Traviss letting her bias show in her writing.

"You think too much Zey. If you didn't hesitate you'd have done much better." I'm not proud of head-butting him, in a moment of surprise, but it did work. He sighs and waves it off, not at all concerned.

"We all did well and there are plenty of potential Knights and Masters to take us as padawans. There's no need to let anxiety and worry get to us." Maks smiles at all of us, her friendly nature a calming reassurance, for them not for me. I know all of them become full-fledged Jedi in canon but I'm not so sure about my own future. Still I offer the Gran woman a smile if only to reassure her, she's too sweet to leave upset.

Master Bondara ushers us out of the training room and tells us to get some rest; we'll be informed in the morning whether we've been chosen or not. Twenty initiates filter out of the room and into the main hall, conversation filling my ears as everyone talks between themselves.

"Winning the tourney doesn't necessarily mean a Master will choose you, what matters is that you show the potential to be a Jedi, we all did that I think." Politrix hangs at the edge of the group, Jang's friend more than anyone else. I know of her death but little else. Another person to save, how I don't know but I will.

Jai already has a crush on her, it'll pass, unless I do something to push it forward.

I sighed, relaxing my tired muscles, "I'm going to hit the library and relax a bit. I'll see you in the morning." With a short bow, I excused myself, nodding at their farewells and going my own way.

It is haunting to walk down a translucent corridor, where if I focus, I can see through walls and doors with little difficulty. The Jedi around me existing as auras in the Force, colorless and with features I have to focus on to comprehend beyond basic shape. I hate it so much; I'd have been content as a Rodian if only to have normal sight back.

No use in complaining though, not like I can change it. Cope, I have to cope.

The Temple library is perhaps the most calming place for me and the only consolation for my forsaken existence. In another time, without the existential threat of Palpatine's purge, I would have been content to become a Jedi Librarian and spend my life here reading and learning the histories of thousands upon thousands of worlds. With the threat looming it serves as a place to relax and attempt to plan.

The Matukai and Luka Sene exist thankfully, so that's one part of my grand plan still in play, likewise there are short mentions of the Zeison Sha and Witches of Dathomir. I see no mention of the Fallanassi but Lucazec and Ialtra exist so when I get the chance I have to see if they're there and teaching their abilities. If not, then the Disciples of Twilight on Dyspeth are my best bet.

Learning the skills those orders teach would be invaluable to keeping myself alive and strengthening the Order through people I teach it to, assuming I teach anyone, but it does little to solve the big problems.

Palpatine and Hego Damask's efforts in building their power base and destabilizing the Republic are already underway. I've no way of stopping it now being all of 12 years old and when I'm finally free to act against them, reversing it will be impossible.

As such I've decided that outside a few certain events I'm not going to bother trying to run around behind them in an attempt to undo their plans. Instead I need to have plans to lessen the impact of theirs. If I can't prevent it, I need to counter it, and I have a rough plan to do that.

The first and most important part is that an army of clone troopers with ingrained loyalty to a Sith Lord who will turn on and kill you at a single command is a horrible idea. Three years is not enough time to train an army of non-clones to counter-balance them. However, ten to fifteen years is hopefully long enough. I need to find a way to support the Militarist faction in the Senate gain enough power to overturn that aspect of the Ruusan Reformations. Aks Moe is my best bet there, a militarist but ambitious and scheming enough to know how to maneuver and bribe, perfect for opposing the red tape Sidious will throw at him. I just need an inroad to meet him. Candadine Bru and Ambassador Golfhan are likewise going to be necessary partners in that area.

I bow slightly in greeting to Master Nu who returns the greeting but otherwise leaves me to my own devices. I've been here enough for her to grow accustomed to my presence. I go to my usual secluded terminal and begin bringing up the galactic map that I've been referencing. Millions of worlds and sectors pop up on the data terminals before me, I narrow the focus to the Mid Rim, still countless planets and sectors but I can comprehend the scale easier and I have an idea of what I need to find.

Thank you, extensive knowledge, of Legends canon and Jedi memory techniques. My target is simple, somewhere in the southwestern portion of the Mid Rim is the supposed destination of the Katana Fleet. Granted the Katana Fleet won't disappear for another year but hopefully it'll still disappear to the same place. Not good to place faith in random chance but with the Force involved who knows.

Though on the chance that it doesn't go there I need to do something else to offer aid to the Militarists. A Jedi's support for the faction could afford it a lot of weight but I don't know if it'll be enough. Even more I'm an apprentice right now, little more than an initiate. There's no way I have enough clout to give them some support, I need someone else to speak out in their favor on my behalf, someone known and respected.

And I have some ideas on who.

Crossposted on request to .

Last edited: May 20, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 2

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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The next morning our entire clan is lined up in a large room reminiscent of an Amphitheatre, Master Bondara is there as well as several older Jedi in the seats, we're all on a stage of some sort and it's hard not to feel like an item on display. Despite my best attempt, I can't help the anxiety I feel, if no one chooses me then this is all for naught, I'll be sent to the agricorps until the purge.

Master Bondara is a font of serenity, like this is all a normal occurrence for him and perhaps it is, he's probably used to standing in front of a group of younglings ready to decide their fate like it's no big deal. I feel angry and it takes will to suppress that feeling, this isn't the time to get angry and that only leads to trouble anyways. I need to appear calm and steady for whoever has chosen me, if anyone.

Names are called, Ilena and Jang are among the first, two human Jedi standing to meet them. As the newly paired Masters and padawans meet they quickly file out of the room, likely not wanting their young charges to see any of their friends not be chosen. For a moment, I'm scared I won't be chosen, that I'll be assigned to one of the service corps.

"Viera Sarat" I release a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, for a moment I wasn't sure if I'd be chosen. The Jedi who stands to meet me is another Miraluka, a tall lithe man with short brown hair and a blindfold over his vestigial eye sockets.

I walk quickly to meet him and offer a quick polite bow as I approach. His presence in the Force is serene and calm, a seemingly friendly fellow and I dearly hope we get along.

"Padawan Sarat, I am Master Zun Tavik, as of today, I will be your teacher in the ways of the Jedi." His voice is reassuring and slightly condescending in the way adults can be towards children but I'm too happy at being chosen to complain on that regard, especially since by his reckoning I am a child.

"Thank you Master Tavik, I promise to do my best as your Padawan." He takes the flattery well; bemusement clear in the way his Force aura shifts. He leads me from the room and out into the hallway, other Master-padawan pairs are milling in the hallway but I hardly have time to do more than wave at Ilena, Jang and Zey as Master Tavik leads me down the hallway.

"It's a bit crowded here Padawan, we'll talk more in the Room of a Thousand Fountains." Ooh, I love that room, it's the best part of the Temple outside the Library.

Our walk is mostly silent after that until we get to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and it takes my breath away every time.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains is a seven-story tall greenhouse, from the wooden doors it is only a short walk to veranda, several stone and dirt paths extending into the rest of the room. The paths are lined with benches and small secluded zones for meditation, surrounded by plants from a thousand different worlds. Master Tavik leads me down one of the dirt paths, we cross a wooden bridge over a babbling brook of water from who only knows where, to a small grove out of sight.

Zun takes a seat in the grass, shifting to sit cross legged and gesturing for me to take a seat across from him. The grass is warm as I sit, instantly it becomes a matter of habit to breathe out and relax, it's like I'm ten and in meditation class with Master Yoda.

"This clearing is where my own Master took me every morning we were in the Temple. When I started training padawans I decided to do the same, it's so much easier to relax and teach here." He looks at me, as much as one without eyes can.

"Master Bondara speaks highly of you, eager to learn both the ways of the Force and Lightsaber and mature for your age. Normally that wouldn't have made me choose you, but Master Nu told me you were spending time in the library, researching some interesting data files."

He pauses to give me a chance to react and probably to gauge my reaction but the only surprise is that they kept track of certain searches. Understandable in hindsight but I was never too worried about that and I'm hardly going to react like my hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar.

He takes my silence with a short chuckle before speaking. "I was intrigued by your curiosity regarding the practices of the Luka Sene, Matukai and other Force-using orders. Not many Jedi take interest in such groups, outside of a select few." I wish that he was lying but everything I've seen has said that he's not.

"The skills and applications of the Force they teach seem useful not to mention their different philosophical views on the Force itself. I had hoped to have the opportunity to study with them someday and share those skills with the Order." I mean, much of initiate training was physical conditioning, imagine if Matukai conditioning was given to incoming initiates. Saying that it would double the effectiveness of the Order is probably not doing enough credit to the training.

Master Tavik smiles and sits up, leaning on his hands for support, "Well it's your lucky day then Padawan, in my younger years I spent some time at the Alpheridies Academy and learned the arts practiced by the Luka Sene, I'd be happy to pass those skills onto you. The other groups, well maybe when you're older we'll see but let's just focus more on Jedi skills for now."

That's fair I suppose, not like they would just immediately agree to let me go learn from them but the option isn't off the table so I'll take it. The smile on my face is genuine relief and excitement as I reply.

"I'll do my best Master; you won't be disappointed." He gives a slight nod in acknowledgment before shifting to a traditional meditative position

"Very well padawan, we'll be taking our trip to Ilum for constructing your lightsaber in a week. Go move your clothing to your new room and meet me back here. We'll do some meditation exercises together." He hands me a datapad from within his robes, it has directions to my new room and the keycode for the door. I stand, nod and with a quick "Yes, Master" I'm off.

The walk back to the initiate dormitories feels off now, It's been my home for six years and now I'm moving, not far admittedly but I've gotten so used to my fellows sleeping and existing beside me it's going to be strange by myself. When I arrive Jang, Ilena, and Politrix are there talking animatedly between themselves while they pack. I smile when I see them, familiar as they are to me and step further into the room. Jang notices me first and beams, her aura bright as the sun.

"Viera! I knew you'd get selected, Ilena, Pol, and I all got chosen as well. Our Masters sent us to collect our things and move to our new rooms, I assume you're here to pack up and move too?" I can see Ilena carefully folding her spare clothes into a bag while Politrix watches.

"Yes, I was chosen by Master Zun Tavik, another Miraluka like me." Ilena stops packing for a moment to look up at me.

"Really? I wonder if he chose you because of your shared species, who better to help you focus on your natural sense abilities." Astute as ever and quite frankly something I was wondering myself.

"He chose her because he can see her potential, she's going to be eye-mazing!" Jang finishes her pun with a giggle while me and Ilena can only groan at the horrible pun. I'm chuckling regardless and even Politrix is smiling slightly though she doesn't laugh, she never has.

"You're horrible." Ilena grumbles and I can feel Jang about to fire back with another pun or horrible joke, distraction time.

"What about you three, who chose you?" Jang eagerly takes to the new topic, either not noticing the obvious distraction or not caring.

"Well, Master Rana is a part of the Starfighter Corps, I figure she'll probably teach me to be a Jedi Ace like she is. It's going to be so much fun, flying all over the galaxy, bringing pirates to justice." Didn't she die in a Starfighter? I-I hate that I know that fact, I'm listening to her enthuse about something that will eventually get her killed.

"I'm sure you'll be an excellent pilot Jang, Ilena, I assume your master is more combat oriented. It would suit your talents for lightsaber combat." She nods hefting her pack over her shoulders.

"Yes, Master Bridger is one of the foremost Weapon Masters of the Order, he says he'll teach me everything he knows about lightsaber combat. I like him, he seems nice. Pol's Master, Kaim is a diplomat so she's already leaving for Denon tomorrow." I spare a glance towards Politrix who has already packed her bag and has been mostly content to watch us talk.

"Master Kaim says there's a local dispute he has been asked to settle, his familiarity with the parties involved makes him ideally suited for resolving it." That's literally one of the longest sentence I've heard her speak in a year outside lessons. Hopefully Kaim can get her to open up a bit more.

"Oh! You're leaving Coruscant already? You're so lucky! Master Rana says we aren't leaving for Ilum for a week, and Ilena's going in a couple of days. What about you Viera, when is your Master taking you to construct your lightsaber?"

"We'll be leaving next week, Master Tavik wants to spend some time meditating before we go." Which means Jang and I will be going to Ilum together most likely, which is fine really, company is always good.

"What about the others though, did you hear from them yet?" Zey and Jai obviously are in the boy's dorm but Maks should have been here unless I just missed her. Ilena answers before Jang can go on another excited tangent.

"Zey and Jai are going to be investigators and Maks is studying with the Historians." Oh Maks, my dream job, if only I wasn't in danger of the Purge I would have gladly aimed for being a Jedi Historian. Ah well, once the Sith are dealt with I can devote myself to studying the countless histories of the galaxy.

By this point all my meagre possessions are in the standard carry bag we're provided with and as I heft it onto my back I can't help the urge to just look around the room. I lived here for years and now I'm moving on to a new stage in my life. It's going off to college all over again. A quick glance and I can see everyone else is having a similar realization, well Ilena is pretending she doesn't and reading Politrix's expression is tricky but I assume she feels the same.

"Hey, come here you three." I take a step into the middle of the small dorm, Jang practically skips over while Ilena and Pol walk more sedately. We're roughly in a circle, standing reasonably close together. Ilena is to my right and Politrix on my left with Jang in between the two, I give Jang a look, and I'm happy to note she's already figured out what's going on.

Ilena realizes it far too late and me and Jang have our arms around her shoulders, pulling her into the impromptu huddle, Politrix doesn't attempt to stop it or escape. Ilena grumbles about the close-contact but gives in easily, she's used to us by now.

"This is a new stage of our lives as Jedi, we won't see each other as often as we did before but we will still see each other plenty, we're still the best of friends, all of us and by the Force we'll all become Knights and train padawans of our own. For now, though we'll be the best padawans we can be." I'm no good with motivational speeches but its fallen on me to be the balance between Ilena's restraint and Jang's exuberance.

"Yeah, we're stuck together, like a pack." Huh, thanks Jang, that's an opportunity I'm not passing up.

"Yeah, we're the Padawan Pack." I'm rewarded with Jang laughing and that's reward enough really.

"We'll need to let Jai, Zey, and Maks know too." Ilena says after a moment, doing her best to sound like she's putting up with us but it is impossible to miss the way her aura brightens. Politrix is silent but I'm confident of her support.

"Alright then, let's not disappoint our Masters, let's go and be the best Jedi we can be." Motivational speech finished we all bid each other farewell and move on to our new rooms.

Mine seems to be surprisingly close considering but not going to complain about that, the room itself is sparse with a small single bed, a dresser for clothes, a stand with a data terminal, though I imagine its access to library records is mostly restricted without authorization, and a small refresher and shower attachment. It's also connected by a door to another room and I imagine that's likely Tavik's.

Honestly it's almost like a hostel room except meant for a single person instead of four or five. Cramped compared to my old home but it's my own room with my own privacy and that's just awesome after six years of bunking with other people, no matter how much I may like them.

After that it's back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to find Master Tavik waiting for me, apparently while I was gone he left and came back because now there's a half dozen small objects arrayed around him. Mostly little trinkets but I can imagine the purpose.

"Welcome back Padawan, take a seat, I've got some things here for an exercise I'd like you to do while we meditate." I take my seat across from him, relaxing on the grass as he levitates the six objects in front of him.

"Padawan, while we meditate I want you to levitate each of these objects with the Force then once you're comfortable with that start spinning them in a circle around you. We'll do this for as long as you want to or until you can't anymore." Okay then, simple in theory it's a combination of exercises done as initiates. I take a moment to breathe in and relax before beginning.

The Force for me has always been like the sun, whenever I call on it for things other than basic sight its always felt like a warm sunny day, that feeling of the bathing in the warmth of the sun on a good summer day, growing up in Florida there were plenty of them, a good visual as any.

Now as the warmth suffuses through my skin and down to my bones, the anxieties of the past, my worries about the future gradually begin to fade out, floating away as if by a breeze while I remain grounded in place. The meditation classes as an initiate taught me well and as I take another deep breath to steady myself I allow my focus to spread out to the world around me, the grass beneath me, warm to the touch imbued with the light from the ceiling, swaying leaves in an artificial breeze, in the background the bubbling brooks and flowing waterfalls. In front of me the six trinkets begin to shake and slowly rise from the ground.

"Focus on the Force, feel the objects as they lift as if you were grasping them yourself. Don't focus too much on them or you'll overcompensate and it won't work. Remember work with the Force don't try to impose your will on it." The shaking begins to cease as they rise higher and higher. By now they're at head level with me.

"You're doing good Viera now when you're ready start spinning them, take it slow at first and build up speed." The warmth spreads to my fingers and in a moment they're clasped together as I narrow my focus onto the objects, giving them a gentle push to spin. The image of a Ferris-Wheel enters my head and I shift the objects slightly so they begin to spin in a circle.

"Don't narrow your focus Padawan, that's not a habit you want to get into." I don't nod as I'm trying to focus but I let myself expand my focus on my surroundings. I can understand that reasoning, no point doing better if you blind yourself to everything else around you. The objects wobble slightly but soon steady themselves and resume spinning.

For a while we just sit there, me levitating these trinkets with Master Tavik occasionally calling out encouragements or correcting me when I begin losing focus or stray from the goal. Soon though it becomes harder to maintain my focus, the trinkets wobble more and more and a dull throbbing in the back of my head tells me that we've been doing this for a long time.

Eventually it's too much and I drop the trinkets with a groan, falling back and laying down on the grass, my head is spinning slightly and it feels like a gong has gone off in my skull. Master Tavik nods to himself and smiles.

"Good work Padawan, a solid two hours, not bad for a beginner but we'll work on improving that later. Eventually you'll want to be able to do this without strain for several hours but that will come later, along with some more difficult exercises."

I stand shakily, still a little dizzy, and try to stretch my muscles, Master Tavik hasn't stood yet but simply looks up at me with a content expression.

"Go grab some lunch and we'll do some more exercises, you should feel better by then." I nod and bow, careful to not fall over forward before departing.

My first day as a Padawan, I'm quite excited for what comes next but also worried.

Alright part two is here. I tried my hand at focusing on more dialogue. Please point out all my grammatical mistakes as well as where I can improve in my storytelling. The next part is going to focus almost entirely on constructing the lightsaber as well as a couple of hooks for future divergences and changes. Part four will skip ahead a very short bit and we'll meet some canon characters. more well known characters too.

This part is a little rushed as I have a lot of work piled up so I wanted this out quickly so apologies if there are some errors I missed.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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256

Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 3

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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So I was inspired to keep writing and had some free time to do it, this one is quite a bit longer than the previous update.

The journey to Ilum is a relatively tedious one, travelling a long contiguous jump from Metellos that requires either advanced navigation computers or a Jedi Master piloting. In our case, we had Master Rana, a human woman in her late thirties with short hair tied in a ponytail. Jang's Jedi Master and noted Jedi Ace.

The small transport we're traveling in, Senate-class, in addition to its terrible naming scheme is not spacious at all. Barely enough room for the four of us in a single bunk room for sleeping, a connected refresher and a small eatery set aside for food. The rest is basically cargo and the pilot's seat. I'm more than used to being in tight confined spaces, living in a dorm with twelve other girls of various species prepared me well enough. Dealing with Jang's exuberance in such confined spaces is likewise familiar enough that I can simply tune it out.

Master Rana and Master Tavik less so, they watch Jang practically bounce around the room with her excitement with a combination of amusement, and wariness. They don't seem to want to stop her but also seem worried of her causing an explosion or other form of destruction of the ship's interior. That they eventually set us to meditation to keep us occupied is no surprise though Jang spent her time not meditating in the cockpit with Rana learning more about piloting.

I'd have liked to join her, we had the opportunity to play around in pilot sims our last two years as initiates but not as much as I'd have liked and being able to fly a ship would be fun I think. Master Tavik had me doing other things though, continuing the same exercise he had me doing previously with the obvious goal of getting me familiar and used to using the Force in such a manner.

Which is why I'm sitting here now, in the bunkroom, Master Rana and Master Tavik are in the cockpit discussing what I don't know and Jang is right beside me, talking. Talking incessantly, I don't think she even knows I've stopped replying, probably doesn't care, though to be fair I don't either.

"This is going to be so exciting! We're going to finally get our own lightsabers; what color will they be, what kind?" It's hard not to smile and listen, I'm certainly anticipating having an actual lightsaber but the fact that I won't even get to see what color it is makes it a bit depressing. It's otherwise just a tool to use, Jang's excited enough for me too.

"The crystal caves on Ilum are supposed to be so beautiful, Master Rana says that Ilum is itself a vergence of the Force, that the caves can cause visions and trials to those who enter seeking crystals."

Oh, right I had chosen to not think about that part of it. Master Tavik had told me the same thing, the caves would throw visions at me while I went in and that I might have visions while constructing the lightsaber itself. Quite the troubling idea, as I'm not sure what kind of trial or vision the Force might throw at me, does the Force realize my nature as a being from presumably another dimension? If so will it throw things related to that at me?

"Ooh Viera, what if my lightsaber was a saber staff or a lightwip? That'd be so cool, an exotic saber type would be awesome."

"I'm not sure if Master Rana is capable of properly teaching you how to use either of those weapons, you'd have to find a specialized teacher for your specific weapon."

"Maybe but it would still be awesome, right? There aren't many Jedi who use those weapons, it would be something special and notable."

I'm not sure what kind of lightsaber I'll make, its supposedly a thing that just happens while you're attuned to the Force, not necessarily a conscious decision. I imagine that it'll probably be a standard saber, at least I hope it is, I really don't want to have to go through the hassle of specialized training for one of the more exotic variants. Jang will probably get a standard saber if I remember right but then again maybe not.

I'm more interested in whether I could get away with using the visions here as a justification for preparing the Republic for the future, maybe even outing Sidious and his master to the Order. The obvious problem is that Master Tavik and the other Jedi might sense that I'm telling the truth about them being Sith but not about seeing it in a vision and doubt me. Or that they'll go with the logic that I only believe it to be true and not dismiss it. Is that a risk I want to take right now while I'm just some ordinary padawan, its chances of success are low and if it fails then they won't believe me later.

I could consider finding a Jedi Shadow to point in their direction but aside from the fact that there are few Shadows around right now, they're kept on a very short leash by the Council due to their tendency to paranoia. So, convincing one to see Palpatine as a Sith might not be too difficult, but getting the rest of the Jedi to believe them would be much harder. Maybe I can find and make friends with Taria Damsin and try to push her towards the Sith.

I suppose I'll have to wait and see if I even have any visions and of what before I decide to try and manipulate anything. But back to the issue at hand, I tilt my head in Jang's direction and offer her a smile.

"It would be very cool Jang, but impractical to burden another Jedi with special training and would take away from the training our Masters provided." She sighs dramatically at my complete lack of enthusiasm for her idea but acquiesces.

"I suppose, it'd delay training and make it harder for us to all become Knights together."

"We are the Padawan Pack after all." She smiles brightly and in that moment, I remind myself that I will do my best to not see her die.

"Yeah, we stick together, thick and thin." The moment is interrupted by Master Tavik entering the cabin.

"We just exited hyperspace, landing is in twenty, get into your winter gear and be ready to go." Time to go then, he heads back to the cockpit while we quickly get dressed and head to the small kitchen to grab some food.

The food here has been an experience I haven't decided whether to praise or abhor yet. Mostly it's been bread, fruits and vegetables of various sorts and the most meat I've eaten has been in stews. Some of it has been good, some not so much. I still shiver at the thought of Yoda's lunch special, but they'd dared me to try it!

Thankfully Master Tavik and Master Rana brought more palatable food and I help myself to some bread and fruit from the food synthesizer while Jang does the same. By the time we finish eating we've made planetfall and our Masters have likewise changed and prepared themselves for Ilum.

The ramp lowers and the view is breathtaking, not the vista as without color it's all translucent, but the Force is powerful here, the very ground radiates with Force energy, forming swirls of energy and patterns floating around the ground and mountain ranges to provide a mystifying effect.

Merely breathing is an invigorating sensation that I can hardly describe. Beside me Jang is staring in wonder at the snow and ice formations but that's not important right now. I just want to fall and breathe in this entire place, bask in the glow of the Force.

Master Tavik and Master Rana are both already heading off to the nearby cave entrance and reluctantly I follow them towards it, Jang right behind me, the cave entrance doesn't seem like anything special but as they lead us inside I can see crystals of various sorts and sizes already protruding from the walls and ground, the tunnel extending further inwards and a noticeably out of place box in the corridor. Master Rana and Master Tavik are already standing by it.

"Alright Padawans, listen up, inside this box are pre-prepared packs with all the materials you'll need for lightsaber construction." Rana lifts out two packs and hands one to me and the other to Jang as Tavik waits nearby.

"Go down the tunnel until you come to a fork, split up from there. The Force will guide you onward, but remember this chant: The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

She has us repeat the chant a few times till she's sure we'll remember it. I think it won't matter too much if I forget but I really don't want to. I've become somewhat fascinated with the ritual and ceremony behind the Order, the franchise didn't do enough to impart the general monasticism of the Jedi.

"Will we have enough parts in these packs for our lightsaber construction, what if we end up constructing something exotic?" Master Tavik nods in response to my question.

"Yes, the packs have enough materials for multiple lightsabers, so no matter what type of saber you end up making you'll be covered." He walks over towards me and crouches down, placing his hands on my shoulders. I realize this is supposed to be a touching reassurance to his young padawan but to me its just a bit creepy. He doesn't mean anything bad with it so I ignore it and let him have his piece.

"The tunnels will throw visions at you along the way, remember your training and work past them, you might also have visions while you construct your lightsaber, remember to trust the Force." I nod and he smiles, standing up straight and stepping back.

"Then good luck Padawan." Rana is already offering Jang her own advice and after a moment we're both off. For once Jang is silent as we approach the fork, I guess even she feels anxiety as much as her exuberance hides it

As we reach the fork I reach out to her, resting my hand on her shoulder and giving a firm squeeze.

"It'll be alright Jang, go make your lightsaber, I'll see you on the other side." She grins and nods, rushing down the left tunnel. I can't help but chuckle at her antics before turning down the right tunnel.

It doesn't really seem that bad at first, the tunnel is fairly illuminated with the Force, the coat is warm, and I'm not in the tunnel anymore.

Wait what?

That's not snow, there's sky and trees and grass and everything else expected of an idyllic garden world. I'm confident I haven't been teleported, only the Dark Woman can teleport so this must be what Master Tavik warned me about. Goddamnit this isn't really what I wanted out of this, I just wanted to get the lightsaber and get out. Alright, deep breath, breathe in and breathe out. I'm here and there's no going back now, just push forward.

The path before me goes downhill and I really hope that while I'm hallucinating this that my body isn't just walking into the actual tunnel walls and getting covered in snow. That would suck so much.

The rolling hill morphs and shifts as I walk, landscape changing from grassy hills to mountains and snowscapes and oceans of a thousand worlds. I don't recognize any of these places, kind of worried that I should but I'll deal with that later. What looks like a meteorite crashes down from the sky ahead of me, the sudden screaming sound and rumbling knocking me off my feet.

Alright, stand up, check for any bruises. No? I'm good then, time to go, I start to jog as I head in the direction of the crashing meteorite, nothing else to do and its straight ahead of me anyways. As I get closer I can't suppress the gnawing sensation growing in my gut even as I try to suppress and ignore it.

As it turns out, it wasn't a meteorite but a crashed starship. I don't recognize the design, the frame is too mangled and torn to be recognizable, fire is everywhere with debris scattered about the area. The pit in my gut is still there and now it's worse than ever, a quick scan of the area reveals the corpse on the other and of the wreck, facedown charred and still burning.

I step closer to the corpse, drawn in by something I can hardly explain to myself, the corpse's uniform is burned away, but the human features are present and I can see enough signs to say it was a woman. The hands are outstretched as if grasping for something and despite every instinct screaming not to I approach the hands, noticing its holding something, something metallic.

Holding a lightsaber.

For a moment, I just stare blankly, is this me, is the Force trying to show me how I die. I genuinely don't know but the feeling of recognition, that I should know is haunting me. Until I get it, it comes with a single moment of realization and I feel weak in the knees.

That's Jang, in canon she was shot down by Ventress. She died grasping at her lightsaber, an instinctual reaction per Ventress. The corpse doesn't suddenly animate and blame me for failing to save her and for that I'm grateful. I feel like I'm beating myself up as is, but no she's not dead, I just saw her a few minutes ago, she was fine.

I take a step back from the corpse, just to get distance and put as much distance between myself and that as I can. There's a small path leading further down the path and I take it gladly, so the question of whether the Force knows of my foreknowledge is answered.

She won't die, I won't allow it, she will survive this. The path leads off into a jungle and I'm not surprised when the path behind me disappears. The only way out is forward and I take it, pushing through leaves and brush to find a way out, anywhere I can go that isn't here. I just want to get my lightsaber built and leave.

"Viera!" the words stop me dead in my tracks as I look around for the source of the voice, my name is called again and I spin in place until I see her, approaching through the brush towards me.

"Pol!" Politrix is moving through the jungle towards me, another vision, she's on Denon right now this isn't her. It's another vision and she's going to die, I remember how she dies even as the grenade sails out from the trees towards her.

"Pol, look out, there's a grenade!" I shout trying to warn her off, she calls my name again apparently heedless of the danger even as the grenade detonates, and she disappears in a flash of fire and smoke.

Before I can even go to her the room shifts to metal, Maks and Jai are there with lightsabers drawn. The trend is clear now and even as I shout a warning Maks cries out in pain as a lightsaber blade erupts from her chest, the blade sizzling the flesh as she drops to the ground. Jai is next as two lightsabers neatly cut him in half, he doesn't make a sound as he falls to the ground.

"Viera." Jai mutters, repeating over and over and over. I can't move, he's not dead his master took him to Taris on a mission. Maks is on Tython studying the Jedi ruins there she's fine, they have to be fine. They're not dead, I didn't fail to save them cause they're not dead yet.

The world shifts before I can get to them, I'm in the Temple now, this is the Jedi Temple. Ilena and Zey are the only two of my friends I haven't seen yet. I know Zey survives the war because his clone decides to save him, so only Ilena is left. I can feel the bile building up as I step through the ruined Temple corridors, bodies litter the hallway clone and Jedi alike. Young and old, we're near the initiate halls right now. Ilena was a lightsaber instructor so she would have been here, teaching initiates lightsaber techniques.

Ilena's body is in the east hall by the stairs. There are several initiate bodies around her, she was obviously trying to get them to safety when she was killed. Numerous clone corpses surround her but the felling wound was a lightsaber to the chest, it seems Anakin killed her. I'm shaking as I stare at the corpse, I can't help it, it feels so real. Her body is cold to the touch, the stench of death is everywhere and I can feel the anger and pain in the air around me. Why, why show me this.

"It's because you're going to fail, do you really think you can stop what's coming?" Zey is behind me now, alive and well, it makes sense that as the only survivor would be the one to do this.

"You think because you know what happens that you can prevent this. What can you really do, the enemy is stronger than you, has more resources and even if you manage to change anything, then what? Then you'll be no better, you'll have no idea what's coming next." Breathe in and breathe out, just keep breathing.

"Sidious has advantage you can't match, no one will believe you without concrete evidence, how do you plan to get that evidence? Sidious hides his connection to the Dark Side well and you know they'll believe a respected Senator over some deranged Padawan."

"Your plan to prepare won't work, Sidious will sabotage it before it can get off the ground his power and reach is beyond anything you can hope to match. How do you plan to solve this? Can you even save them?

"I-I don't know, I can't know, what else can I do? I can't escape having to deal with it, the purge isn't just going to prevent itself if I do nothing, I don't want to die, I don't want my friends to die." I didn't ask for this, I didn't want this burden, I never wanted it.

"Can you save them? Even if you prevent the circumstances that killed them originally, they'll just die somewhere else, to something else. You can't protect them from the galaxy, no matter how much you may want to!" The frustration and anger has reached a crescendo within me and I turn to face him

"What else can I do! I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing. If I do nothing when I know what's coming, then how could I live with myself." Zey doesn't react but begins to circle me,

"You could accept the future, the fate of this galaxy. When the time comes stand and fall with your fellow Jedi or retreat into hiding and hit at Sidious when the rebellion happens."

"No, I refuse to accept that this is my fate, the fate of the galaxy. I'll do whatever I can to prevent that outcome I will deny this fate, one way or the other." He laughs, still circling me and I can see his shoulders shaking with mirth.

"And you believe you can do this, you think that you can stop what's coming, the seeds of war are already planted all it will take is one good spark to set the galaxy aflame. Do you think you can prepare the Jedi, the Republic for this storm?" He stops in front of me again, staring intently.

"No, not alone but I can help others prepare, get other people invested and get things moving towards readiness. I won't stop, not now and not ever!"

"And your friends."

I'm breathing heavily, their deaths echoing in my mind. I can't save them, not from everything. If I should cause them some more pain by preventing their canon death, then I don't know if I could live with myself. But they're clearly not going to just ignore the war if it comes to it, there's no way I'll convince them to just run away from the Jedi and hide.

"I can only do my best, I can only be the best. I'll do everything I can to keep them alive and if they die even after all the changes I make then at least I know I did my best, I can live with that and I know they would understand that."

Zey looks at me for a long moment, I don't know what he'll say, strictly speaking he's a Force manifestation here to make me question my convictions. The fact that he's been an asshole about it is beside the point.

"You do that Jedi, you'll need something to cling to, for what's coming. Already your presence will change a great many things and not just for the better. Remain strong Jedi." Zey fades away into nothingness just as the ruined Temple does and before me lies a crystal, glowing strong in the Force.

Well that happened, where am I, how did I get into this cavern, I don't even see the tunnel anywhere near me, not even footprints in the snow. The pack containing the lightsaber parts are at my feet and here I am. I grab the crystal and instantly feel so much better, so much calmer now. Alright, I take a seat and move to a meditative position. What were the words again, ah yes I remember.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

The various parts of the lightsaber float up around me alongside the crystal. The Force swirls around me, the warm sensation on my skin moves through me as the parts begin to float together. The methods of lightsaber creation were taught to us in our last year as initiates until we memorized them. For this moment, apparently.

The pieces move closer together forming the generic shape of the lightsaber, they're not fused together, I have to do that with the Force. The crystal resonates within the lightsaber shell as I work to hold the lightsaber together.

Now comes the tricky part, using the Force to fuse it together. It's a hard thing to articulate, using the Force to make the disparate pieces fuse together on a molecular level which seems difficult and odd, why a molecular level.

The lightsaber pieces are aligned, the crystal is in place and the fusing process begins, the most intense concentration is required for this and I do my best to block out all other thoughts and sink into the Force, just the Force and my lightsaber.

The cave around me disappears and I'm off to somewhere I don't recognize. Not this again, I don't want more castigation from the Force. But this seems different, I look around and kick myself for not recognizing where I am, a rocky and barren wasteland with no one around. A single tree stands in front of a large ruined structure that, in my opinion, feels like a Jedi Temple.

Is this Ossus, it is isn't it, that would make the tree Ood Bnar the Neti Jedi Master who turned himself into a tree to protect a collection of Jedi relics from Exar Kun. I can go recover him and the relics there, that would be useful for the Order. I wish the Force had shown me a vision I could use against Palpatine but beggars can't be choosers.

When my senses return, my lightsaber is on the snow in front of me, apparently fused together, how nice. I reach for it and stand. The moment of truth, I press the activator switch and the lightsaber springs to life with a snap-hiss.

"This is awesome, now to go find the others and get off this rock and away from pesky visions." I hook my new lightsaber to my belt and head off to look for the tunnel out of here. It's not that far away surprisingly enough, still no tracks of me walking in here or of how much time has passed, that's worrying.

Finding my way back is thankfully not as difficult as it could be, the Force doesn't force me into anymore visions, just the two. Master Tavik and Master Rana are waiting at the point where the tunnels converge and I can see Master Tavik smile as I approach and remove my lightsaber, activating it to show him I succeeded.

"Huh, Green's a good color for you Padawan." Rana says as she looks down the other tunnel and waits for Jang.

"Did you see anything during your journey Padawan? It's not uncommon for Miraluka given our increased sensory perceptions of the Force." A pointed question, yay but one I have an honest answer for.

"I saw a ruined, rocky world, with abandoned ruins and a single tree growing within them." I have to remember I don't know that the tree is Ood Bnar or that the world is Ossus, I can develop that later. Master Tavik nods, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Meditate on it later, it might have an ulterior meaning or it could be a premonition of events to come, the Force speaks to us in different ways." The Force is an asshole is what it is. Still I settle in and let myself fall into a simple meditation exercise while we wait for Jang.

"Master Rana, Viera!" I can hear her already, alongside the sounds of her running down the tunnel towards me. I stand and brush the snow off my coat, as she excitedly holds out her lightsaber, pressing the activation switch to show her success as well. Rana is clearly amused by something as she chuckles.

"And another green saber, think they coordinated that between them Tavik?" she says, glancing his way. Jang gasps and runs over to me and points at the lightsaber on my belt.

"You have a green lightsaber too, that's so cool, we match now." She grins and pats me on the shoulder and I smile even though I'm so tired from the day's events, she must have had an easy vision quest.

"Yeah, we match Jang, good to see you succeeded." She giggles even though it's not that funny.

"Well of course I did, we are the Padawan Pack, we stick together." I can hear Rana laughing and pointedly do not grimace, that may have been a poor idea on my part. I can tell it's going to be a thing that I will quickly tire of.

"Can we go back to the Temple now, I'm going to collapse in a moment." Master Tavik smiles and nods, turning towards the cave mouth.

"Agreed, come along Padawans let's go home." I nod and follow while Jang hangs back to talk excitedly with Master Rana. The vision from the cave still forms a pit in my gut and I expect my dreams to be plagued with some nightmares for the next few weeks but I'll cope, I'll have to.

I will deny my fate.

Alright so lightsaber construction is done, and this ends the prologue of this story. The next update timeskip about 6 months and finally we'll get to some legends events one in particular. We'll also get to meet some canon characters that people actually know of so yay.

Last edited: May 20, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 4

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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44BBY Room of a Thousand Fountains Six Months Later

This is my life now, I'm sprawled out on the grass, basking in the warmth of the artificial lights and the general peace, my muscles are still sore but the good kind of sore that reminds you of the good exercise you've done. My lightsaber is resting on my belt and even now six months later I enjoy holding it in my hands, feeling it. Master Tavik thinks I may have gotten a Pontite crystal for my saber which would explain why it's so calming to hold.

In other news, now that I'm a padawan I've gained new opportunities, most significant the freedom of the Temple, when I'm not on assignment or training with Master Tavik. The Great Holocron in the Temple Archives is also now available to me and is simultaneously the most amazing and depressing thing ever. So much knowledge available to me, thousands of Jedi offering teachings ranging from cartographical reports on outlying systems to great Jedi philosophers discussing aspects of Jedi lore and doctrine. Even better is that they're actually interactive, I can talk and converse with them. Unfortunately, I've had to force myself to broaden my horizons and skillset to better prepare myself for what's coming, otherwise I'd never leave the Archives.

Master Tavik has been running me through Ataru and Niman forms in our training spars which is a bit of a mixed blessing, Ataru's a decent form but Niman is terrible for what I know is coming. It has no use in open battlefields and every noted practitioner of it who was at Geonosis died. Master Tavik disagrees with my criticism of this form and in his defense, he doesn't know what's coming. It's still frustrating though.

Ilena has been a much better sparring partner for this reason, she's all too willing to practice Ataru with me and whenever the two of us have some free time we tend to gravitate to the training rooms to practice against each other. I've also spent some time practicing blaster deflection with training remotes, sensing them is easy but testing my reflexes is the point.

Beyond that I've been meditating and practicing moving objects with the Force whenever I can. Flight simulators with Jang, sparring with Ilena, helping Maks with her studies, practicing with Jai and Zey when they're around, and discussing politics with Politrix. My free time has been severely limited as of late. Especially with how tense the Temple has been for the past three weeks. Master Tavik and the other senior Jedi aren't talking about it but I've noticed the tension. Is Galidraan about to happen, or the Stark Hyperspace War maybe? I know they're coming up soon just not exactly when.

Even now the Room of a Thousand Fountains is silent, the waterfall has stopped flowing and I think I'm the only one here right now, not even Yoda and he loves meditating at the bridge leading up to the waterfall.

I did manage to talk to Yoda in private after Ilum and talk to him about my vision in the cave and my belief that the old Academy on Ossus is what I was shown. He didn't commit to anything and I didn't expect him to but he said he'd meditate on it and bring it up to the Council during a free moment, so here's hoping.

Though now that I consider it, why is it so quiet in here, that's not right. I stand slowly, breathing out and calling on the Force I can feel my senses expand and fill the room around me. There's one person in the room with me now, they're…..at the top of the waterfall? Alright, I should probably go see what's going on. I swear something's off, I feel I should know what's going on but the memory is eluding me now.

Finding the path isn't hard nor is making the trek up to the top of the waterfall, the old me from before I came here would have been panting by the end of it, instead I'm not even winded. The top of the waterfall is a lake with rocky outcroppings on the side wide enough to walk on. I've contemplated swimming here but with the Waterfall it's too dangerous. Where's the person I sensed, I narrow my focus to the room and frown as the Force directs me to the lake.

Why is there someone in the lake? And why are they chained there, not moving. I don't even think as I toss my lightsaber to one of the rocks and dive in, the water is cold and refreshing but my goal is the person, small and close to my age, chained to the depths, they're still alive as I can feel them respond to my approach.

My hands feel for whatever's holding them in place, there are several, one around the neck, one holding both hands together and one around the feet. Go for the hands first, then they can help you do the rest. The synthcord is taut and firm but a few tugs with the Force has it undone quickly. My breath is almost out so I shoot to the surface for air, whoever's down there can obviously, breath underwater so they shouldn't need me with their hands freed.

After a few moments, a young Mon Calamari female surfaces and smiles at me, I don't immediately recognize her but she's another padawan I think. I swim towards the rock where I left my lightsaber and pull myself up, she's right behind me.

"Thank you so much, I thought I'd be trapped down there until they came back for me." She says as I help her out of the water.

"You're welcome, who's they and why did they tie you up down there? You're a Mon Calamari, what's the point of tying you up underwater?" If they were trying to kill her they failed spectacularly, she doesn't seem to notice the sarcasm.

"Xanatos and Bruck wanted me out of the way so they could destroy the Temple, they've stolen the Healing Crystals of Fire and plan to use them to ignite the Temple's fusion furnace." The-wait! Xanatos, Bruck Chun, the super healing crystals with the cliché name. I'd forgotten all about them, mostly because I found Xanatos to be a completely uninteresting character, same with Bruck. That means this has to be Bant Erin, Obi-Wan's friend.

"Where are they now?" I expand my senses again, the last thing I need is either Xanatos or Chun showing up here now, Chun I could probably handle but not Xanatos.

"I'm not sure, they chained me down here and left a little bit ago, I don't know where."

That's unfortunate, and would probably explain why the Temple's been on alert for the past week or so, goddamn it, I never cared for that plotline so I'd just ignored it. Now it's here to bite me on the ass. Well it was never a problem before without my help, not like I'm going to fuck this up.

"Alright, you're free now so we'll go get some of the Masters and let them stop the Temple from exploding." I really don't want to get involved in this situation any more than I need to, Xanatos was a terrible character and I shouldn't even be needed to solve him, let Qui-Gon deal with him.

I hear clashing lightsabers approach from above as I finish that statement and I suppress some very unhelpful language. Of course this would happen the minute I got involved. Alright I don't remember exactly who fights here if it's Xanatos and Qui-Gon then we need to run but if it's not then-

"Obi-Wan!" Bant's shout snaps my train of thought but it's actually the best news I could ask for as I look upwards, there he is, a young Ewan McGregor, lightsaber flashing as he retreats along the upper walkway. Normally its used by Temple staff to activate the lights, waterfalls, and ambient sound for the room but they're nowhere to be seen. Obi-Wan is fighting another young man, Bruck Chun if I had to guess.

"Bant, go find a Master and tell them about the furnace and what's going on here, I'll help your friend." Thankfully, with no weapon she's not in position to argue and takes off. Alright here goes nothing. I take hold of my lightsaber and ignite it, instantly as the blade extends I feel calm and the stress fades away.

The Force is my ally as I leap, allowing the Force to extend and guide my jump, I've practiced force jumping on occasion and it's surprisingly easy but still every time I feel anxious. It's such an exhilarating rush and then terror as inertia reasserts itself and pulls you towards the ground. As I land on the walkway, my lightsaber is already moving, guided not by my own hand as Bruck's lightsaber comes toward me. Okay he's reacting quickly, but he couldn't beat Obi-Wan in canon so with me here he's in even worse shape.

"Another weakling come to die." Bruck from what I remember was the stereotypical jock type bully. Which is weird, how the hell did that attitude survive initiate training

"He's fallen to the Dark Side, be careful!" Thank you, Obi-Wan I hadn't noticed, the obvious. It's odd however, this is my first encounter with someone consciously using the Dark Side, I remember the typical yellow eyes of doom but as a Miraluka it's rather different. Despite Obi-Wan's words he hasn't fallen, not yet, but he's close. The Force swirls around him but it's twisting in places, distorted. It's almost like looking at something through a kaleidoscope or looking at a tree with a single rot inside and seeing it grow. It's honestly disturbing, and I have to force myself to keep looking at him, I need to defeat him quickly.

Another strike comes my way and I raise my saber to block. Obi-Wan tries to attack from behind, oddly content with a lethal strike but Bruck simply disengages with me and turns to block Obi-Wan.

Alright, this is harder than I thought, he's open but do I kill him? It would be easy to do, he's not nearly good enough to fight me and Obi-Wan, finding an opening to kill him would be easy. It's not the Jedi way though, non-lethal is the name of the game unless no other choice presents itself. Taking him alive it is then.

I swing my lightsaber towards him, aiming for destroy his own lightsaber when he ducks and I have to quickly stop before I sever Obi-Wan's head. Damnit, he seems to have figured out a strategy of trying to force us into each other.

Well I can play that game, we don't need to win, we just need to stall. I raise my lightsaber into a defensive position and wait, Bruck watches me and Obi-Wan warily for a moment before he senses I'm not moving against him. He takes the cue and begins to attack Obi-Wan furiously as I follow, not necessarily attacking but still staying close enough to intervene. Obi-Wan seems to be tired and he spares me an incredulous glance

"What're you standing there for, help me!" Obi-Wan is not as amused by my less than helpfulness, alright might as well give him a break for a few minutes.

"Alright, disengage and rest, let me handle him." Step forward, overhand Shii-Cho slash and watch as Bruck blocks it reflexively, continue engaging to draw his attention. Obi-Wan seems to understand my plan and hangs back cautiously, I can see the exhaustion in him from here.

"Another weak padawan like Oafy-Wan there, Xanatos was right you're all fools not to use this power." Oh, my god he sounds like a combination of Biff Tannen and Flash from the Spider-Man cartoons. I do not grace him with a reply and continue my strategy of delaying, it can't take that long for Bant to find a more experienced Jedi to come to our aid, if we even need it

Unlike Obi-Wan, Bruck is not nearly as exhausted and he seems to be more than willing to lash out at anyone nearby, he takes a swing for Obi-Wan but is forced to back off when I press the attack.

"You can die first, bitch," Very mature, he's not a happy camper. I offer a smile in return and flourish my saber in an over the top manner, which only angers him more.

Bruck seems to have not realized my plan, all too happy to just attack my defense furiously, Obi-Wan is watching and waiting for a sign to take over and attack but I've got this for the moment, Bruck is hitting surprisingly hard and fast, obviously, the boon the Dark Side has given him. However, it's pointless as I'm still better than him, compared to Ilena this is nothing.

Seriously she hits like a truck.

His strength and stamina is not limitless though and eventually it seems like but he's tiring, his swings coming slower and with less force. Where the hell are the senior Jedi? They better be busy keeping the Temple from exploding, otherwise this delay is horrible. Bruck growls, something I don't hear and cuts the grating below him and jumping towards the top of the waterfall. I make to follow but the walkway splits under me and I'm forced to jump to the ground. I summon the Force again; the bright warmth of the sun invigorates my body and guides me to safety on the rocks lining the lake. A quick look shows Obi-Wan has done likewise.

Bruck is already further down the hill, he's trying to run.

"After him! Keep him contained." I leap after him, and as I descend he turns, swinging to try to bisect me as I land. My Ataru training with Master Tavik kicks in, the basic rolls at least. The minute I hit the ground I'm ducking and rolling backwards, his blade passing inches over my head. Okay, that was too close, we're in the open now-Ah, he's kicked me, I'm tumbling down the slope.

He's chasing me, my saber is deactivated so I don't accidentally kill myself and he's almost on top of me. I come to a halt, momentum finally stalled and I see him standing over me for a moment before Obi-Wan tackles him from behind. He stumbles forward and trips over me, sending both him and Obi-Wan to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

I scramble to my feet, and look around, Bruck's Lightsaber is farther off and I rush for it, igniting my own saber and destroying it with one clean cut, the grass around it scorched from the strike. Alright, that's done with now back to Obi-Wan.

And his own saber has been knocked aside, the two have descended into almost childish brawling, I hesitate for only a moment, I'm already done with this shit and I stride over to Bruck who is too busy punching Obi-Wan to notice me before I kick him in the face. His head jerks with the force of the kick and he's unconscious immediately.

He'll wake with a massive headache and in some serious trouble but I don't really care about him anymore. Obi-Wan stands slowly, panting noticeably from his ordeal. He does not look relieved though.

"My friend Bant, she's missing, Bruck said they'd taken her somewhere." Oh, well I can relieve his fears there.

"Don't worry, I found her in the lake and sent her off to find a Master to fix this whole situation." By all means, let's end this so I can go back to training for the upcoming war. Obi-Wan offers his hand and I take it, shaking firmly as I was taught.

"Thank you for that then, I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn." Force that accent is amazing, I'm remembering why I adored Obi-Wan in the prequels, but now is not the time.

"Viera Sarat, padawan to Zun Tavik, a pleasure to meet you Obi-Wan." He takes a moment to retrieve his lightsaber and I walk over to Brun's, a bit of fiddling around with the casing reveals the transmitter I just remembered was there. Now we have some evidence should any shenanigans happen.

"What is going on here!" And that's when Anoon Bondarda storms into the room in all his Battlemaster glory, I just shrug and point to Obi-Wan.

"Ask him, I just got here."

After that things began to happen very quickly, Bruck was expelled from the Order and last I heard he was facing charges for his role in the attempted destruction of the Temple, Xanatos fled but died on Telos IV as normal.

Obi-Wan and I received a commendation from the Council, Obi-Wan for his part in discovering the plot, myself for rescuing Bant and the both of us for working together to defeat the fallen initiate. Master Tavik seemed quite pleased and I'll take that as a plus.

Afterwards Obi-Wan, Bant, and Siri Tachi joined our little group of padawans. Bant took to Maks and Jai quite well and Obi-Wan and Siri have proven to be adept and able duelists for both myself and Ilena.

However, a few weeks later I found myself with Master Tavik, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan before the Jedi Council, I assume we're here for a mission together, but what kind of mission I wonder.

Master Yoda stares deliberately at each of us for a moment before he taps his cane on the ground.

"Emerged, a crisis has, Pirates in the Outer Rim have joined together into a collective. Powerful and dangerous they have proven to be." Mace picks up from there.

"A pirate by the name of Iaco Stark has brought several different pirate groups together to form an army, they have all but stopped traffic out of Thyferra and if this continues we'll see a bacta shortage across the galaxy." Wait, what.

"Have the pirates made any demands?" Jinn is concerned, quite rightly, but holy shit this is the Stark Hyperspace War!

"None as of yet but the Senate is determined to see an end to hostilities, since the Judicial forces have failed, we are being sent as mediators over the conflict." Master Tavik frowns.

"Are we being ordered out by the Senate now; some Jedi Aces should be enough to help the Senate Judicial forces break up these pirates." Mace frowns.

"Possibly but the Chancellor has asked that we solve this peacefully if we can, Finis Valorum will be acting as the Republic negotiator for the talks alongside Nute Gunray representing the Trade Federation, we will be sending you along with a few other Jedi as bodyguards and representatives of the Order." Holy Shit, I'm going to be taking place in the Stark Hyperspace War. So many possibilities to die.

"Who else will be going with us." Jinn asks and I immediately turn to the person I know is coming along. The Wookiee Jedi Master roars out something unintelligible to me as he stands and speaks in surprisingly good basic

"I will be accompanying you as the leader of the Jedi delegation, as will my former apprentice Plo Koon." If I remember this right, Tholme and Quinlan Vos will be going to Thyferra and come to help us later. I mostly tune out the rest of the briefing, too focused on another more important factor.

Ranulph Tarkin.

The lead militarist of the era, he leads a fleet here and tries to steal the glory for solving the Stark problem, he fails and inevitably dies resulting in Wilhuff Tarkin's rise to prominence.

But what if he doesn't? Sure, he's a glory-seeking humanocentric bigot but he's rich and influential in the Senate, plus I remember faintly him and his men having a 'we're all equal' moment fighting alongside Plo Koon. If the same happens here would he move beyond his humanocentric ways?

Could I use this moment to offer my plan for the militarists? I'm not quite sure but this offers new opportunities I can't afford to pass up, provided I don't die along the way. Which is the real pressing thing here, could I die here? Obviously, I'm not required for any 'canon' events down the line so my chance of dying here is certainly higher than anyone else.

That's….worrying to say the least, I've given thought to my own mortality here but this will be the first time I'll have to face that mortality, I'm not sure how to handle it.

I turn to look at Obi-Wan next to me, he's obviously excited about such an important mission, lucky him he's likely to survive this.

"Transport has already been arranged, you leave tomorrow morning, dismissed." I bow alongside the other Jedi and we exit the Council chambers.

I need to meditate, I need to be calm.

Alright, Part Four is out and I'm going to put out a little query for you readers. There are a number of scenes that necessarily have to be cut from each part for one reason or another, would you be interested in short interludes posted every now and then? They're all canon to the story but they'll be covering a number of things I didn't put in each update.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 5

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May 12, 2017

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I'm straining with exertion, sweat pouring from my forehead, I can feel the object before me but it's hard, like trying to write with your left hand after writing with your right for your entire life. Eventually it becomes too much and I let my concentration break, breathing heavily. Master Tavik is right beside me, resting a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"It's difficult at first, the power coming from generators and other devices is different from sensing the Force. The difference between artificial and organic may seem small in theory but in practice is not as easy." I nod slowly, frowning and trying to concentrate. The hyperdrive in front of me thrums quietly as it works and I get a sense of something there but it's hard to focus on it. My senses gravitate towards Master Tavik and the others, or onto me, anything organic.

It goes against the instincts trained into me by the Temple during my youngling years, I'm so used to sensing the Force itself and how it mixes with biological beings that trying to find an inorganically generated power is against all sense. Still, the skills are incredibly useful going by Master Tavik's description.

I stop practicing for a moment to catch my breath and just think, I've plenty to think about.

Sensing the location of electronics, power generators and their strength, even detecting shields and how strong they are. There are so many practical uses for this, A Sene Seeker attached to every fleet, detecting fluctuations in the shields of enemy ships and where to focus fire would increase the effectiveness of a navy tremendously. I'd just need to find a way to make it possible, if it even is possible.

In fact, add that to the list of suggestions for Ranulph, cooperate with Sene Seekers if possible. That's an unlikely scenario as the Seekers don't really leave Alpheridies except in specific circumstances but who knows maybe he can pull it off.

The other members of our mission have been busy with their own work, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spend their time meditating, Senator Valorum and Adi Gallia seem fond of chatting about philosophy, from topics of skepticism to the ideas of justice and simple aesthetics, I'd have liked to join in but learning from Master Tavik takes priority

Tyvokka and Plo Koon have been going over the mission details, discussing strategy, talking points and offers they could make, all of it pointless so I don't pay much attention. Nute Gunray is thankfully coming in his own ship so I don't have to deal with him, not sure how I would anyways. The man is the definition of a fool who somehow lucks his way into positions of authority.

Our destination is a place called Troiken, small outer rim world only notable for its major spice exports, a relatively lawless place like most worlds in the outer rim and the perfect place for pirates and smugglers. I expected my first few years as a padawan to be light assignments, isn't this endangerment of a minor? Though to be fair most minors don't have mystical powers and a weapon that can repel blasters.

Still the media firestorm this would have caused back home would be amazing to watch from a distance. A thought crosses my mind, I turn to Master Tavik.

"Master Tavik, back in the Council chamber, you said something about the Order and the Senate, what did you mean by that?" He frowns, though he's not upset at me from what I can see, and sits down cross-legged.

"That's a complicated issue padawan; the Jedi are nominally under the supervision of the Judicial Department but we are not necessarily beholden to them. We work with them on interstellar matters when needed but otherwise we go where we're needed."

"But we're not outside the law, we obviously follow and enforce the laws of the Senate." Are we vigilantes, awesome. We're like magic Batman.

"Yes and no, the Jedi follow the Force and certainly enforce the laws of the Republic, we work with the Office of Criminal Investigations when needed but the Jedi are allowed leeway in the fulfillment of our mandate. I have no issue aiding the Republic in the Stark Crisis but the Senate does not 'order' us to get involved."

"So, you're afraid the Jedi are becoming another tool of the Senate to enforce legislation and policy?" Huh, he sounds like Dooku, before Sidious twisted him. Master Tavik nods slowly, clearly unhappy with the thought.

"I suppose so, the Senate isn't perfect and neither are the Jedi, but we have the benefit of the Force guiding us to the right decision, they do not. If they came to a decision that was unjust or went against the Light Side and insisted the Jedi enforce it, what then? It's better if the Jedi decide themselves what conflicts to get involved in and how." I'm not sure what side to take here, on the one hand Jedi should be held accountable for their actions but on the other hand, putting us under the command of a Senate with unpredictable motivations and desires seems flawed.

"Regardless, these negotiations are important to the safety of not just the Republic but the galaxy itself." No pressure at all.

"Why couldn't our first mission be diplomatic dispute on some mid rim world or something easier than negotiations for the fate of the Galaxy?" Because it was just my luck really, why did the Council want us on this mission? His soft chuckling is not helpful, I hate when he treats me like a child, I hate even more that I can't just tell him I'm an adult in a child's body.

"The Force works in mysterious ways padawan, we'll be fine. Hopefully our next mission will be less hectic." Somehow, I doubt that, but I'll take the reassurance, I'd hate to press my luck.

"I'd like that, in the meantime, I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit Master." I stand and he does likewise.

"Very well padawan, we're almost at Troiken, so we'll continue this training once the mission's over." I bow respectfully and take my leave; our ship isn't as small as the ship we took to Ilum but finding Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon isn't that hard. They're both in the crew quarters meditating, Obi-Wan takes note of my presence first and smiles, taking a moment to wave.

"Hello Viera, is your training done?"

"No, Master Tavik decided to take a break , and I figured I'd come check on you, see what you were doing." He scoots over to make room for me and I take the open spot next to him.

"Master Qui-Gon is having me meditate on the Living Force by sensing everyone on the ship right now." Well, that would be the only way to practice it here.

"So, you knew I was coming and didn't call out then." I poke him, gently, and look at Qui-Gon who is sitting in the corner of the room. Obi-Wan seems to misinterpret my statement.

"I-I, that is, I just." Aww did I embarrass him, adorable, the accent makes it even better.

"No, he was distracted, I had hoped meditating would help him overcome his anxiety for the mission." Obi-Wan flushes in embarrassment and I pointedly don't laugh at how adorable he is about it. Also, Qui-Gon has the Liam Neeson voice and I find myself wanting him to talk more, I could listen to that voice all day.

"You are welcome to join us Padawan Sarat, it might do Obi-Wan some good to have a friend to meditate with before the mission." I nod my acceptance this is the perfect time to ask him a question.

"Master Jinn, may I ask a question, if you don't mind that is."

"I don't know, Padawan Sarat, can you" he smiles and I sigh at the lack of definite answer. Oh well, might as well ask anyways.

"Master Jinn, have you ever studied with other Force using groups?" He pauses for a moment and even Obi-Wan looks at him quietly.

"Yes, I once had the pleasure of briefly studying with some followers of the Guardians of Breath. It was just a few years into my knighthood, I'd just graduated and wanted to spend time following the Force before taking a padawan. I met him on Dantooine, he was aiding the farmers with their crops." He pauses, trying to remember and both Obi-Wan and I are silent as we listen, not wanting to interrupt.

"I'd never met a Force user who wasn't a Jedi before but I knew it was possible, we ended up talking about the Living Force. The Guardians of Breath have developed an advanced version of the Consitor Sato used by the Agricorps as well as exceptional healing arts."

"Because of their connection to the Living Force?" I ask, Qui-Gon smiles and nods.

"Yes, much of what I know of the Living Force I learned from that man, the Council focuses too much on the Unifying Force, upon prophecy, destiny and looking forward. I prefer to follow the Living force and focus on the moment." Obi-Wan listens dutifully though he looks a bit uncomfortable at Qui-Gon's veiled chastisement of the Council. It sounds wise certainly but ironically it's Qui-Gon who insists upon Anakin being the Chosen One, a Unifying Force theory.

The sad thing is, Qui-Gon's right, the Council's focus on looking forward did end up blinding them to the threats and problems of the present. It was all you ever heard in the prequels, the future's clouded, or unknowable, or uncertain, take your pick. The problem is, aside from a freak accident killing 90% of the Council and letting Mavericks and other adherents of the Living Force fill the new seats, I don't see an easy way to convince them otherwise.

"Why the interest in such groups, I assume Master Tavik's lessons on the Luka Sene have to do with it?" I blink and focus back on Qui-Gon, seems I got a little distracted there.

"Yes, well that and I had done some reading on the Matukai Order and hoped to one day learn from them as well, I think that their abilities would be useful to the Order." Obi-Wan frowns, apparently trying to remember if he knows who the Matukai are.

"Ah yes, I remember hearing a story about them from my own master Dooku, he and Thames Cerulian, his Jedi Master, encountered a Matukai once." Really? Tertiary source it might be but I'll take the free information.

"There was a dispute in one of the smaller settlements on Ukio, two neighboring towns, miles from Sashasa had accused the other of sabotage and murder. Dooku and Thame were sent to mediate the conflict and discovered the presence of a gang of pirates hiding out in the nearby hills. Figuring it was likely the pirates raiding for food and supplies, Dooku and Thames went to arrest them and bring them to the ROCI."

"What's this got to do with Matukai, Master Jinn?" Obi-Wan, don't interrupt, he's getting there! Qui-Gon laughs softly and shakes his head.

"I'm getting there padawan, well as it turns out someone else was after the pirates, the Matukai in question. He was a young Pantoran man by the name of Del Kimer. There was a bit of a misunderstanding during their first meeting which resulted in a short fight." He trails off, clearly remembering Dooku telling him this tale and I get the impression it wasn't a flattering one.

"Dooku never got too detailed about it but did admit that he and Thame lost to Kimer, he was supposedly lightning fast and strong enough to shame even a Wookiee." Not to mention their ability to turn even a small connection to the Force into something powerful.

What would happen if a Matukai went to Alpheridies and taught the Miraluka there? Would it be possible to eventually have thousands of Miraluka with a strong connection to the Force? Give it a few centuries and a strong connection to the Force could be the norm for Miraluka.

"So, if these Matukai are so strong, why don't we work with them more?

"Well, Master Bodo Baas attempted to forge an alliance with the Matukai and Zeison Sha orders centuries ago but they decided against joining the Order." Yeah, something about autonomy and not caring for the Jedi ways, personally given the whole 'assimilate other force groups' I'm not surprised it failed, but no one wanted to learn from them?

Whatever, something to work at later, Obi-Wan isn't convinced it seems.

"What made them so special that the Order wanted to ally with them?" I can answer that!

"They use the Force to augment their bodies so much that they're immune to poison and disease, can adapt to any temperature, resist physical damage as well as augment their own speed and strength. They're some of the best martial artists in the galaxy and can strengthen their connection to the Force." That last bit alone makes studying their techniques worth it.

"So their training can make your connection to the Force stronger, wouldn't that be useful for the Jedi then? All those initiates who were denied Jedi training for having a weak connection to the Force could strengthen themselves with it." Another fair point and one Qui-Gon considers briefly.

"All true, after Master Baas failed to convince them to ally with the Order he suggested to the Council that the Matukai be left alone and I suppose no one has ever thought to do otherwise." Typical, well I'm sure it won't be that hard to go myself. Master Tavik trained with the Luka Sene so its obviously possible to spend time with other Force traditions.

"Well that's foolish, if we instructed initiates in Matukai techniques during their training then we wouldn't have to send so many to the Service Corps."

"Perhaps but that could cause problems if we ever get to the point where there aren't enough free Jedi to take those padawans." Oh indeed, the rules against multiple padawans per Jedi might have to be abolished for practicality's sake.

What a shame.

I shrug and he laughs, though whether he's laughing at my disregard for tradition or seemingly childish disregard for consequences is unclear, honestly knowing him it could be either. Before we can continue that line of thought the intercom comes to life.

"We've arrived at Troiken, everyone prepare for landing!" Qui-Gon stands and Obi-Wan and I quickly follow suit. We meet with Master Tavik on the way to the cockpit and once inside it's easy to see the planet coming into view ahead of us.

The Combine fleet is ahead of us orbiting Troiken, I can see the Raptor as well as numerous smaller ships, mostly patrol boats and modified freighters but here and there various starfighters and I think I see a CR-90 corvette. To an established military these guys would be a joke but with the armament limitations on the Judicial Forces I can see how they'd be considered a threat.

"Master Jedi, the pirates are hailing us, I've got coordinates for the location of the conference." Master Tyvokka roars and growls before the machine on his belt translates.

Bring us down quickly, no need to spook them, these negotiations must succeed. Valorum nods his agreement.

"Indeed, the security of the Republic is at stake, our negotiations will not fail." Quiet agreement from the others and I look up at Master Tavik as he places a hand reassuringly on my shoulder.

"We'll be fine padawan, trust in the Force and your training." He whispers and I nod graciously, I needed that I think. I'll be fine, this won't be my end and dare I say it, I'll do my best to make things turn out better than they're supposed to.

Still, that little knot of anxiety hasn't gone yet, it's final presentation day and I'm not sure I did my best to prepare. Only this time failure means death or severe injury for myself and/or others.

I barely notice when the ship lands outside of a small compound on Troiken's surface, I can see Gunray's ship on another landing pad and force myself to some measure of calm, hand resting lightly on my lightsaber.

A squad of pirates is waiting for us at the bottom of the ramp, human and alien alike, they're armed with a type of blaster rifle I don't recognize and blaster pistols on their hips. They're trying to look tough but I can see apprehension on their faces. Unsurprising, I'd be scared standing before seven Jedi with just one measly squad to support me.

I wonder if they know about the plan to backstab us, I can't sense any duplicity from any of them but that doesn't mean anything, my senses aren't nearly up to par with someone like Master Tyvokka or Master Tavik. Valorum strides forward confidently, every bit the diplomat, I can see how he managed to become Supreme Chancellor, he carries an obvious dignity and grace that lets him stand out even amongst numerous Jedi.

I don't bother memorizing the compound interior, we won't be here long and I've got other things to think about. Once the meeting starts Gunray will send Tarkin the coordinates for his fleet, simultaneously dooming them, Stark will reveal he knows about the fleet and the trap he's laid. The pirates attack and Gunray panics, his droids attack the Jedi and pirates, mortally wounding Master Tyvokka. After that it's straight to Mt. Avos and the siege there.

I need to protect Master Tyvokka, that said the only way I can think to do that is position myself between him and Gunray's droids. If I'm lucky I can block enough shots for him to respond and defend himself from the droids. With Tyvokka alive I can't say what the long-term effects will be but for the short-term another Jedi Master can only help our chances.

All too soon we arrive at the meeting room and I take a deep breath as we step inside. Time to get to work.

Next chapter will be longer and finally the SI gets the chance to lay out her plan to Ranulph Tarkin, so we can get that settled.

Also a fair warning I probably should have made at part 1. This is going to be a very long story, I'm not going to go into the daily experiences of the SI but I will be writing a number of 'custom' adventures. So I'll apologize in advance but this is not a fast-paced story.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 6

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May 12, 2017

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The meeting room is rather large, about half the size of the temple hanger. I'm beginning to think this facility was 'appropriated' for this conference instead of designed for it. It also has several doors on each wall that could be hiding any number of pirates or other surprises. A table sits in the middle of the room, though I note it's not long enough to hold all of us.

Pricks.

Other than that, Nute Gunray is here with his battle droid escort, unfortunately these aren't the stupid B-1 battle droids. I could deal with them myself with no issue if they were, no these are the advanced hunter-killer droids. Has he already sent the coordinates to Tarkin? I've no way of knowing until it happens.

Iaco Stark is waiting for us at the table alongside the other co-directors of the Combine, flanked by a pair of guards. He's wearing some cliché try-hard pirate outfit with a high collar, too long sideburns and a little tuft of hair right under his lip. With the smirk on his face he looks like the definition of stupid. I'd say he was overconfident with only the pair of guards and squad with us but I'm sure there are more squads outside the room ready to swarm in at a moment's notice.

I can sense the tension in the air, the foreboding sense of something about to happen. It's like that sick feeling in your gut when you feel something's about to go wrong but all around. I feel like the very air itself is pressing down on me. A quick glance around tells me that the other Jedi sense it too, Master Tavik is tense and Obi-Wan seems to be glancing at the surrounding pirates cautiously.

"Senator Valorum, Representative Gunray, Master Jedi, welcome to Troiken." Stark says with false sincerity. He's not happy to be negotiating with us, for obvious reasons, this doesn't look good to his co-directors. Valorum seems to realize it too but he doesn't let it bother him as he approaches the table.

"Thank you, Director Stark, I am eager to begin the negotiations to end this regrettable conflict for both of our benefit." Stark's smile is disarming and casual but I know better, as the representatives position themselves around the table I make sure to stand behind Tyvokka. Valorum takes a seat and for a moment there is silence.

My hand reaches down for my lightsaber, Obi-Wan does likewise but no one draws just yet, though we all know what's about to happen. Only Valorum and Gunray seem oblivious

Eventually it is Tyvokka who breaks the silence, my body tenses, knowing what's about to happen.

Director Stark, shall we skip the negotiations then and get to your intended solution? Even as he finishes, Stark and his co-directors have drawn their blasters, pointing them at us, likewise the pirate guards have drawn theirs. The doors open and a dozen other pirates filter into the room, weapons drawn.

"What is the meaning of this Director Stark! These are meant to be peaceful negotiations." Valorum is shocked and a little afraid but he manages to suppress it surprisingly well, Stark gestures to Gunray with his pistol and the man flinches.

"Gunray here just transmitted the coordinates to your strikeforce, yes I have spies on Coruscant, I know about the attack force Senator Tarkin is bringing here!" His smile is vicious and smug now.

"Ah, but I still have the upper hand, I had my men add a virus on Gunray's signal, Tarkin's fleet will be scattered and broken up before they get here." I glance around and see that Master Tavik and the others all have their hands on their lightsabers but no one's drawn yet. We're all waiting for the right moment.

"We did no such thing! The Senate did not sanction this strike, please Director Stark, there's still time to negotiate peacefully." The pirates begin to spread out to surround us even as Stark refuses.

"After I capture you, I'll be able to negotiate with the Senate from a position of strength, now lay down your arms before my men- "He's cut off by a roar as Master Tyvokka literally flips the table and sends it barreling into the pirates.

And like a flipped switch, everyone draws their lightsabers, the Force guides my hand as I twist to deflect the incoming blaster bolts. And like that it's on, Stark and the other directors retreat towards the door as even more pirate's stream in.

"Padawan! Get behind me." Master Tavik is in front of me now, lightsaber flashing in fast, fluid motions as he bats blaster bolts back at the pirates. He's not getting them all but it's more manageable now as I join him, deflecting shots as best as I can.

Tyvokka has leapt into the fray, his lightsaber swinging with a fluid grace belying his species and size, instantly he becomes the center of attention, takin the attention of every pirate in the room

Adrenaline pumping, the Force and training guiding my hands to deflect blasters, my arms feel light as a feather, I'm moving faster than I thought possible and the knot of anxiety in my chest is gone, replaced by the sensation. Master Tavik is with me, a comforting presence, a wave of his hand and one of the chairs rises up and flings itself into one of the pirates. He takes the hit and tumbles

Gunray has backed away in his mechno-chair, his droids aren't firing yet but they are on alert. I see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fighting their way in his direction. Technically he does still need to be protected from the pirates. As much as I'd enjoy him out of the picture, I'd hate for someone more competent to replace him.

"Viceroy, we could use your droids!" I hear Qui-Gon call out and I immediately turn towards Tyvokka, fighting my way towards him, Master Tavik is right behind me. I can almost feel Gunray's fear and panic as he shouts for his droids to attack.

The droids, being droids, immediately obey but without specification they automatically focus on Master Tyvokka, the closest and arguably biggest threat. They open fire at Tyvokka's exposed back.

I'm already there and deflecting, Master Tavik is behind me shortly after. The droids don't miss a beat and switch fire to the two of us, behind us Tyvokka notices the droids and leaps in front of us. Tyvokka roars and a wave of Force energy sends the droids flying into the wall hard enough to break them instantly. Alright, Tyvokka is saved, now what. There are still pirates all over the place, but against seven Jedi working together it isn't much of a contest.

Already Stark and his co-directors have fled and the pirates left are starting to waver, a number of them are already wounded or dead and none of us are so much as injured. One pirate just throws down his blaster and runs, and like that the floodgates are opened and they all begin to flee.

I lower my lightsaber into a resting position but do not deactivate it yet, no telling where the next threat may come from. I look up at Master Tavik and he nods slowly, a small smile on his face, aura bright and steady.

"Good work, Padawan." I can't help but smile at the praise, yay I did good. I also prevented Tyvokka from being killed as normal so yay! Tyvokka steps towards us, the other Jedi behind him as he regards us.

Good reflexes padawan, we need to leave before they regroup and come back. Valorum is holding it together remarkably well, his aura is disturbed and tinged with fear but the man holds it together well.

"Where though, Master Tyvokka, the Stark fleet in orbit will shoot us down before we could escape and Senator Tarkin's fleet is being destroyed as we speak." Plo Koon steps forward.

"I did some research on this planet before we arrived, there is an abandoned mine at Mt. Avos. It's not too far from here and we could hole up there till we find a solution." I don't know what's going on in orbit right now, presumably bad things but we really ought to leave now, Tyvokka agrees.

Very well, we should hurry then, protect Senator Valorum and representative Gunray. Protect Gunray, sure I'll get right on that shit. A resounding boom shakes the facility and we all decide to get moving, an orbital bombardment would kill all us in short order.

Tyvokka and Plo Koon take the lead, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Adi Gallia in the middle, leaving me and Master Tavik to play rearguard. The Force warns me before I hear it and my lightsaber flashes, deflecting the shot from behind us. It seems like the pirates have already regained their morale and are on the attack. I can't tell how many are behind us but they are determined.

Master Tavik and I both spin around, deflecting shots and retreating backwards towards the landing pad. A quiet word I can't hear and Adi Gallia is now beside me, helping to deflect the incoming shots.

A gust of air blows down the corridor behind me as the doors open, I can hear the screaming of sublight engines coming from outside and I can only imagine a few fighters have come down to harass us. Our ship seems to still be intact, no such luck for Gunray's but for how long I don't know.

Valorum and Gunray are already rushing up the ramp while Tyvokka and the other Jedi turn to form a barrier, we turn and break into a sprint towards the ramp. As soon as the two of us go up the ramp, I can feel Qui-Gon and Obi-wan following.

Adi Gallia and Plo Koon are next, then Tyvokka last as the ramp rises up, the engines are already hot and we're taking off. The ship shakes and I have to lean on the wall to not stumble, seems like the fighters have taken notice of us. I manage to make it to the cockpit where things are no less tense. I can hear the comm crackle to life.

"Senator Tarkin, are you there? Come in Senator Tarkin! This is Jedi Master Plo Koon, please answer!" Plo Koon seems to be trying to hail Tarkin, though is he even here yet, or has he yet to arrive.

The comm is silent for a moment before our message reaches…whoever he sent it to, I can hear the sounds of multiple people talking quickly, mild panic before someone answers. The voice is curt, formal, and undeniably angry.

"This is the Invincible we read you, speak quickly." The irony is that he named a Consular-class cruiser 'Invincible', literally one of the worst ships ever, even for the Judicial Forces. Plo Koon does not find it as funny as I do, how sad.

"Iaco Stark uploaded a virus onto your navicomputers, the rest of your fleet is scattered, we're retreating to Mt. Avos, you need to abandon ship and join us there." Tarkin's end is silent and I can imagine the man fuming.

"You expect me to just give up!" Yep, he's not happy, can't really blame him. This was supposed to be his big moment and he gets screwed over hard. That said he's not stupid, he has to see that his position is untenable.

"Senator Tarkin, you don't have the firepower to fight off the Combine fleet, please for your soldiers, give the order. We can regroup at Mt. Avos." Silence on the comms before a sigh.

"Fine, I'll give the order, we'll be coming in hot, be ready." The comm cuts out and we're left on our own. Tyvokka rumbles quietly in Shyrieewook.

He is quite the querulous man, how far is it to Mt. Avos? The ship rocks as the fighters pursuing us open fire again. How durable is this ship, I feel like it's not going to last?

"It'd be going faster if these fighters weren't harassing us." Adi Gallia is making a valiant effort piloting this ship but you can only do so much with our transport.

"I believe, I have a method to deal with them, if you would be so kind as to assist me, Master Tyvokka." Plo Koon and Tyvokka both fall silent, and it's odd but I can see the way the Force surges within them, their aura seems to glow more radiantly, pulsing rhythmically as they stretch out to the pilots attacking us. So that's what a mind-trick looks like, huh, first time I've seen it.

In any case, it seems to have worked, they're not firing at us anymore. I hear Obi-Wan breath out behind me in relief and offer him a brief thumbs up he's holding it together much better than I would if I'd not known we'd succeed. Adi Gallia goes back to piloting and it seems like we'll have a few minutes of peace before we arrive at Mt. Avos.

Alright so Tarkin's troops are going to be abandoning ship and heading to Mt. Avos, we're likewise enroute and now we get to the arguably boring portion of this war, the siege. Our transport shakes again, and the fact that there isn't anything shooting at us tells me that our ship is almost at its end. The frown on Adi Gallia's face says something similar, though probably cruder.

"We're almost there, she's not going to hold together much longer but I can get us there, everyone get ready." Master Tavik places a hand on my shoulder and I give him my full attention, the distraction is welcome I guess.

"When we land, head for the mine as soon as you can and get to cover. I'll be right behind you." Alright, happy to do that, not sure what else I might consider doing.

"Look, over there!" I look towards where Obi-Wan is pointing, our destination is ahead of us but a cloud of dust has been shaken up around the area, as I look an impact hits the ground nearby and throws up more dust. I can vaguely see movement, looks like Tarkin's men are already arriving.

Tarkin's troops are landing, bring us down next to them, we'll proceed into the mines together. Adi Gallia turns the ships towards the impromptu landing area and sets down. Master Tavik puts his hand on my shoulder and firmly leads me towards the ramp, Qui-Gon and the others right behind us.

At least two dozen pods have landed around us and our unflyable ship, man that is damaged. I can see troops filing out and proceeding to the mine and two men just walking briskly, so that's Ranulph Tarkin which means the other one must be Jace Dallin, the more useful of the two. Man, his aura in the Force is bright with anger, frustration and a simmering bit of despair.

Beneath that though I can see that same forge of determination that led him to create his own private military force and make Seswenna one of the safest and most productive sectors in the Outer Rim. That's what I need though, Aks Moe has the intrigue to work through Senate bluster and Palpatine's machinations but he lacks the will. He's in it for the political prestige, so's Tarkin but at least Tarkin genuinely wants a strong military for the sake of safety and security for the Republic from pirates and slavers. He's rough and uneven but with a bit of work, maybe his flaws can be smoothed out or worked around to something profitable.

We're all sort of just jogging for the safety of the mines, dragging supplies with us, mostly little bits of food and medical supplies, no time for anything else really. I hear the sound of ship engines, there are transports landing in the distance, bringing the pirates assault force probably. The mine itself is located at the crest of a pretty significant hill, plenty of rock formations at the top for cover, all in all a good defensible position I think.

As we stagger into the mine I can't help but notice the odd looks we're getting, me and Master Tavik less so compared to Master Koon and Master Tyvokka. Ah yes, the humanocentrism of Tarkin and his men. Granted, it'll be mostly gone by the end of this crisis but it's still uncomfortable.

"Now what, damn you Valorum, you've brought us here just to make these mines our tomb?" Tarkin is not happy about anything really, not surprising that he lost his fleet. Valorum is all too willing to fire back.

"And typical of your zealous militarism you've cost countless lives here, if you hadn't decided to barge in Stark would have been willing to negotiate!" That is a fair point but it's doubtful whether or not Stark would actually agree to any terms brought.

I tune the rest of their argument out and focus on steadying myself. They know we're here, and it's a matter of when they decide to attack. Any moment certainly, if I remember right. Whatever, I'll just meditate a bit until the fight starts, I focus on the Force and then- a hand on my shoulder, shaking firmly, blasterfire? Where?

I stand up suddenly, how long, Master Tavik is with me, he seems grim and focused.

"Padawan, outside we're under assault." And with that he's already on the way out, lightsaber activated. I activate mine and follow him outside, blasterfire is immediately all around me, troops firing from covered position, pirate and Republic aligned.

Alright, hold up, what are we dealing with here? I can see the pirates position just past the base of the hill, they've got a staggered formation, they're using the lifepods for cover alongside a couple armed and armored landspeeders. The speeders each have a laser cannon on the back that they're firing. Master Tavik and the other Jedi seem plenty busy deflecting fire and keeping the pirates suppressed, those landspeeders are also out of range of any grenades we might have. Well, I can fix that, maybe.

I look around at the assembled troopers, one of them has to have a grenade, right?

"Anyone have a grenade? Quickly, I need one." No one moves, predictably they're still busy firing at the pirates. Okay, quick look around, the gentlemen to my right has a thermal detonator on him. I turn just enough to make sure he knows I'm talking to him.

"Trooper, I need your thermal detonator to take out those landspeeders." He scowls up at me, unhappy at what, that I interrupted him or that I'm asking for his grenade.

"None of us can toss a grenade that far and you think you can?" Alright, asshole.

"None of you have the Force, I do. I can make it go farther than any of you can throw. Besides, you have a better use for it right now? None of the pirates are in range yet." He scowls at me some more before giving in with a grunt and reaching for his detonator. He hands it to me quickly and goes back to shooting.

Alright, the idea behind this is simple, throw the grenade, catch it with the Force, increase the distance and guide it to the landspeeder. I've done all of those things separately before, combining them shouldn't be that hard. The arming button is obvious enough and I press it, giving the detonator my best toss.

"Fire in the hole!" Now as I reach out with the Force, sensing the detonator isn't hard. It's sailing through the air, in the Force a miniature sun just ready to burst. I grasp it with the Force and it's as if I was throwing it again, the detonator picks up speed and sails towards the speeder, the Force guiding it's descent.

A moment of silence and then the landspeeder's laser cannon, along with the entire back goes up in a brilliant explosion. It also seems to have taken out a couple pirates who were taking cover behind it. Should I feel bad about killing these people, I mean they were trying to kill me but still Jedi are supposed to avoid killing when possible.

Whatever, I'll moralize later, when the crisis is over and I can think more clearly about what I've been doing. I hold out my hand again, the trooper staring wide eyed at the distant explosion.

"Got anymore?" He looks at me for a moment before turning to a few of his compatriots.

"Curran, Malric, Ferriman! Toss me your thermal detonators." A few moments later I have a half dozen more thermal detonators in hand. Hurray for High Explosives!

The landspeeders are a bit ahead of me and start up, moving to avoid providing a steady target while still providing fire. Okay, ruin my plan then, I'll just aim for different targets. I look for the biggest clump of pirates and lob the first detonator. The explosion is bright, and the bodies sent flying give their friends something to think about before they group up.

And like before at the conference, the pirates aren't a very disciplined force, they're not winning a crushing victory so they're feeling less and less confident about this whole battle. I can already see a few running away and it's not long before more and more notice they're fleeing friends and decide living is preferable to dying. Eventually it's just a rout as they fall back to a point outside our range. And in a moment, it's over, I can hear the troops cheering but all I feel is a general sense of excitement and relief. I didn't die yet!

Now what, I look around, the troopers are celebrating or being pushed into defensive action by their sergeants, some are carrying the wounded into the mines with Plo Koon helping out, good for him. Master Tavik is approaching me, and he seems pleased with the outcome.

"Padawan, good work, you handled that well." I bow lightly, the praise is admittedly pleasing.

"Thank you, Master, I'll continue doing my best but next time, a mission to Alderaan would be nice." I can see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon talking as well. Master Tavik turns to look back out at the pirates who seem to have formed a siege line farther out. He smiles at the joke.

"I'll look into it but we're not done here yet, you should go inside the mine and get some rest. They'll come back in force soon enough." Alright sure, rest sounds good, and if I spot Tarkin inside then even better. Inside Plo Koon is tending to the wounded, there're only a few wounded but with our small force even a few wounded is dangerous. I'll assume I'm not needed there unless specified otherwise, not much I could do anyways.

Valorum and Gunray are off to one side discussing something I can't hear, nor do I really care to. Tyvokka and Plo Koon are by the wounded, Adi Gallia is meditating and if I reach out, Tarkin and Jace Dallin both seem to have gone down one of the numerous side tunnels adjoining the main chamber. I'd say that's dangerous, going off alone, but Tarkin probably wants to vent and Jace went to be vented at.

Alright, here goes nothing, I start walking down the tunnel after them. The plan I have isn't the greatest, it's no master plan to save the Republic but it's the best I can think of given the situation. There simply isn't an established support infrastructure for a full military so nothing too fancy but with luck it will help get things started, lay the groundwork. It's not a long walk and I hear Tarkin before I see him.

"Damn them, Valorum and Tyvokka both, they've usurped my command for this fool's venture! We don't have the supplies to outlast them, a surrender would allow us to escape with minimal loss of life."

"Sir, we'd be hostages and there's no reason they wouldn't just butcher us for the trouble we've caused. That's Jace Dallin, a good man.

"If they butcher us then they'll have no bargaining power with the Senate, their navigational trick won't work forever, they need us to negotiate a profitable settlement."

"Sir, the men, they won't take it well, being told to surrender without a fight." Whatever Tarkin was about to reply is cut off as I step into the light of their lantern.

"What do you want, did your Master send you for me?" He's cautious, and defensive. Jace is much more restrained but he's wary as well, also loyalty to Tarkin, which is honestly a bit surprising.

"No sir, Senator Tarkin. I came on my own initiative, I really just wanted to see the founder of the Outland Regional Security Force myself." And oh, there goes his aura spiking, he's probably expecting a rebuke of some sort.

"And? You've seen me, seen it destroyed, are you here to gloat then, spout some platitude about peace and diplomacy to me? I don't need your scorn, go and run back to your Master." I can't really do that, he'll just wallow in self-pity and kill himself later.

"I apologize for the interruption Senator, I just wanted to say though that I approve of what you're doing, the Republic does need a strong military." That throws him off, both of them really, they didn't expect that. Tarkin doesn't reply, and for a moment I wonder if he will, continue then.

"But the problem is, I don't know why you're trying to convince the Senate to rescind that portion of the Ruusan Reformations." I sit down and lean against the cave wall, he's still wary and distrustful it seems.

"Because as useless as they are, I need them to approve creation of a military, despite what some may claim I am a loyalist and will follow the Republic's laws."

"Well yes true, but what I meant is, they'll never approve of a military creation act because you won a single victory. Instead of working from the top down, you'd be better off going from the system level up. You've already done it with this force of yours, why haven't you just banded together with more systems to increase the strength of this alliance?" He frowns but doesn't necessarily dismiss the question, he's still distrustful but he's at least listening to what I'm saying.

"Too many Outer Rim worlds who would be interested can't afford a defense force bigger than a consular and some used A-9's and the ones that can are either under corporate control or unwilling to risk joining me, Eriadu is rich and with my financial connections it's easier to support a larger fleet."

"Not much of a fleet if you ask me, the Consular's firepower isn't much to look at, nor the CR-90's of CEC. Rendili would be a much better place to go to." It's Jace that replies here, isn't he from Rendili?

"The Rendili dreadnaught has too high a crew requirement and for all the press it's gotten, it has far too many technical problems to be effective. Consular's are armed and only require a small crew."

"And how effective were they in orbit against Stark's flotilla? No, I'm not talking about the Dreadnaught, Rendili Stardrive still holds the design patent for the Hammerhead and Valor cruisers, don't they? From what I understand they don't require much in the ways of crew?" Now they're both frowning, they are old designs I'm not surprised they don't remember them immediately. Rendili Stardrive acquired the various patents from Rendili Hyperworks when the latter went out of business sometime after the New Sith Wars.

"Those're old designs, they wouldn't stand up to the ships of today, they've been out of production for nearly a thousand years." Tarkin remembered first, good for him then, but thankfully recent events have made that less of an issue.

"True, but after the Katana Fleet fiasco, Rendili's stock plummeted, wasn't their fault really. Hive Viruses are nasty, but that's how the market works. That's also adding to their inability to compete with KDY and CEC. The state they're in financially if you asked them to modernize those old designs they'd probably do so gladly. You could get the old Aurek fighters modernized too while you're at it." And now they're both thinking about it, and the potential implications so I press on.

"If you're going to get the Republic military reformed then what better way than bringing back the designs of the old Republic Navy? I mean even with the restrictions on firepower they could easily be respectable ships, and the starfighter compliments they carry would only make them more powerful. Landor system is still overrun with pirates last, I heard. You could get a journalist to document your efforts and go force them out. The press you'll get from that will put your cause in a better light and earn you support from local planetary governments. Keep doing that until you have enough popular support, then Senators will be much more willing to vote for you out of political gain if nothing else." Tarkin looks at me, then at Jace before eventually just shaking his head.

"And where do you expect me to get the men for that? Even with the lower crew requirements I still wouldn't be able to crew many of those ships, and that's not even getting into the pilots I'd need for the starfighters, ground troops, support personnel and more." I've also thought about that.

"Oh, all over really, there are plenty of outer rim and mid rim worlds with people who could be convinced to join up with a proper recruitment campaign. But to be more specific, Iridonia, Shili, and Ryloth are all good places to start." He frowns, trying to place the worlds but Jace figures it out first.

"The Twi'leks, Togruta, and Zabrak?" Tarkin scowls so hard I'm mildly afraid for his face.

"You expect me to trust aliens to defend the Republic?" Well, expected I guess but I had thought offering up three near-human species would be more palatable for him, humanocentrism is inconsistent.

"Well, I expect you to trust Republic citizens to defend the Republic. To be more specific it's a matter of opportunity. The Zabraks have a long martial history and serving in this little paramilitary excursion would appeal them. Regarding the Twi'leks, they do have a warrior culture, they're just not in the best place to show it. You could fix that though." Tarkin doesn't answer, he's just staring at the ground now, I can sense the turmoil and anger boiling inside him, Jace however seems at least a little bit intrigued, or maybe he's just talking for Tarkin, I don't know.

"How so, my knowledge of Twi'lek history isn't that good." No surprise there really, a galaxy with thousands of civilizations each with thousands of years of history, hard to memorize it all. I just made an effort to make this sales pitch.

"Well, the Twi'leks have always been popular targets for slavers, the truth is they tend to willingly give their own up into slavery to avoid raids they can't stop. Ryloth has no defense force, every attempt to create one has resulted in murders, pillaging and more on the part of the criminal guilds who control the slave trade on Ryloth. A well trained and disciplined military could break up those cartels." I'd always wondered why the Twi'leks never tried to form a defense force to protect themselves, that was a long and disheartening read. The savagery done in response was horrifying and it's not like the Judicial Forces ever had the influence or strength to protect an Outer Rim world so far from the Core.

"I mean, if they had to choose between you or the slavers, I don't doubt they'd jump into your camp, not to mention the support of Senator Taa." Oh boy, that's not a happy relationship.

"Orn Free Taa is a corpulent sack of corrupt filth who deserves to be ejected from any position of power." He isn't wrong really, Taa is terrible but until someone replaces him he's the go-between.

"Well, fair, but I believe he'll be up for reelection in a year or two, find someone better to replace him, work with them and get him out of office, standard political process." He scoffs but there's less anger behind it? No, the anger is there but it's directed elsewhere.

"It's been tried before, no one has the public presence to battle Taa's hold. Every opposition candidate has been some no-name joke." Jace, seems to get where I'm going though.

"But a politician who supported a successful defense of Ryloth against slaver attack and could run on a campaign of providing true security for the Twi'lek people could." I like to believe my smile is innocent, but I know better.

"I'm no political expert but Taa would be weak against such a candidate, would he not?" Tarkin shakes his head.

"It's a good idea but even I don't have the money to do all of this. If I put effort into it, in a year I could maybe get 12 Hammerhead's and a Valor crewed, the starfighters would be harder to fully crew but I could get some of them. There just isn't enough money to spare in the Tarkin family or Eriadu defense budget to do more."

"Anaxes and Carida would have the money though, same with Lansono and Malastare. A cooperative venture with the other militarists funding it would allow you to do more and if you're lucky, strengthen your hold on militarist leadership." And this is the perfect point to bring out my other card.

"And if I may, one of my fellow padawans is apprenticed to a member of the Jedi Starfighter corps, so I spend a good deal of time with her in the hanger and flight sim rooms. I hear a lot of gossip relating to the Jedi Aces. I've heard that one of the Aces, Master Clee Rhara is drawing up a proposal for a pilot's academy on Centax-2. She plans to present it to the Senate eventually." Tarkin scoffs before thinking it over.

"The Senate would never approve the funding needed to run an academy like that, at least not for long. I assume you want me and the other Militarists to offer funding instead?" I smile, smart man, he gets it.

"Yes, ideally you and your fellow militarists, even the reformist faction, could find some common ground to fund an academy like that. And if a number of pilots graduating from the academy ended up working as starfighter or capital ship pilots in the Outer Rim then well isn't that just a nice coincidence."

"Conveniently solving the need for pilots for expanding the security of the Outer Rim and the prototype for a new Republic Military, the College of Planetary Security Forces on Anaxes for ship crew and the academies on Corulag and Carida for infantry. I see what you're suggesting." He's calmer now, thinking the idea over.

"What I don't understand is why you came up with this idea for me and what you get out of it?" That's fair, he wants to know what my goal is, fair enough.

"My motives are depressingly simple I'm afraid, I do not like the growing tendency to use the Jedi as enforcers of the Senate, working with the Judicial forces to apprehend criminals and help solve local disputes is one thing but the Jedi are not a military force and should not be. I want you to succeed so that we do not have to get involved in the politics of the Senate. No more and no less, Senator." He looks like he doesn't want to believe that it's that simple but it is.

"Think on it please Senator, I have to go back to Master Tavik." I bow and walk back to the main cavern. If he survives this then maybe, maybe things will work out.

Alright, part 6, I got a bit carried away and wrote nearly twice as much as normal. But we have the SI's general plan to improve the Militartist's standing. It's not the greatest plan I admit, but considering the situation it's a good place to start. Get momentum going.

Feel free to nitpick and question the plan as much as you like. I probably didn't consider something when I made the plan, best find out what now.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

May 12, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 7

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Saphrith

May 17, 2017

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#24

Sleep came fitfully as every sound had me awake and listening for an assault on the that and the general anxiety over the situation I didn't get nearly as much rest as I'd have liked. Obi-Wan was much the same and we ended up meditating together to try and compose ourselves. That turned out to be less helpful than I'd hoped but the familiarity of it was comfort enough.

Some of the troopers have proven relatively good company though the awkwardness of being a near-human in a militia whose humanocentric beliefs are swaying between xenophobic then tentatively not. They're trying, most of them, but it's still a bit awkward.

The trooper who provided me with the grenades in the previous battle, one Sergeant Errol Vance, sought me out almost immediately after my chat with Tarkin and he's become the most ardent 'pro-alien' among the group of troopers I've sort of become acquainted with. That isn't saying as much as I'd like but it's a start, right?

Though this has given me the freedom to tell jokes from my old life. Predictably they laughed the loudest at the dirtier jokes. I don't know if they just liked the jokes or appreciated the moment of levity but I don't care, I liked telling jokes back home, not much chance for it now.

The pirates, having failed their first assault have decided to starve us out as the better option. Our food supplies aren't going to last, but on a promising note Tarkin hasn't advocated surrendering yet. He's just been quiet, he hasn't approached me, hasn't really done much of anything.

Master Tavik, Qui-Gon and the other senior Jedi have been busy working with Jace, occasionally Tarkin, and the assembled soldiers to maintain a watch on the siege line and fortify the mines. We've done pretty good I think, though I haven't really been involved in it that much. The real issue now, is letting the Senate know what happened and getting help. Though from what I remember, the Senate said no and a Jedi Strikeforce is what'll save us.

The sound of boots on stone alerts me to Obi-Wan's approach as he sits down beside me, his aura is bright with…. something, excitement, anticipation, anxiety? I'm not quite sure but whatever it is its raised his spirits somewhat.

"Viera, I just heard from Master Qui-Gon, someone discovered an exit from the mine down one of the side tunnels." It'd probably only be able to handle a small group of people at a time but say a small team could escape from it.

I think I know what's he going to say but I'll pretend I don't for the sake of letting him have his peace.

"Are we retreating then? I was under the assumption that Mt. Avos was the most convenient place for us to bunker down?" He shakes his head, pointing over to where Qui-Gon is talking with Valorum, Gunray, and Tyvokka.

"Master Jinn, Master Gallia and I are going to take Senator Valorum and Nute Gunray through the tunnel and see if we can find transport for them to escape Troiken and go warn Coruscant." Alright, so here we go, diversionary battle is a go then.

"How do you expect to get past the pirates, their siege line and aerial patrols aren't going to just let you go unmolested."

"That'll be our job, padawan." Master Tavik walks over to us from the other senior Jedi, he's on edge himself, not worried but tense and ready to move at a moment's notice. I turn my head to focus on him and nod in response.

"How so, Master? I assume a diversion?" Obvious answer really and not just because I know it's coming. He nods and points to the gathering of troopers near the mine entrance.

"Indeed, we'll be launching a diversionary attack while Master Jinn, Master Gallia, and Padawan Kenobi escort Senator Valorum, and Minister Gunray out one of the side tunnels." I notice a name missing there.

"Not Senator Tarkin?" I had sorta hoped he'd leave if only to avoid any chance of him dying here but no such luck there. Master Tavik frowns and shakes his head.

"No, he's refused to leave, he and Jace Dallin will assist with the diversionary attack." Okay, can he even shoot? I guess I'll find out shortly. Obi-Wan grins and stands, stretching his arms.

"I can't wait to actually do something and not sit around here waiting for an attack." I listen to his exuberance quietly, he's almost like Jang in that regard though comparably he's more reserved than her, it's going to be disappointing to see him become less open and exuberant in the coming years.

"Be careful Obi-Wan, there's no guarantee this diversionary attack will completely draw them off. Don't get in over your head." He'll be fine but it doesn't hurt to say it. He nods and gives me a thumbs up.

"I'll be fine, same to you Viera, I expect to come back and find you alive and well." I stand quickly and give him a short nod. The others are gravitating toward the mine entrance and I should probably join them.

"I like living, I don't plan on stopping here, see you later Obi-Wan, may the Force be with you." He smiles and nods before rushing over to Qui-Gon and the others.

A flicker, a glimpse of something and I start walking in the direction of the aura, moving through troopers towards my target. Sgt. Vance is with the remnants of his squad, briefing them on the diversion, when I approach. He spots me and waves me over.

A tall man and surprisingly young, short cropped hair and the strangest not-jersey accent I've ever heard. We talked after the first battle and he's apparently from Commenor out near the Core Worlds. The third son of a miner who thought fighting out in the Outer Rim with Tarkin was the best way to start anew. Irony of ironies he ends up getting besieged inside a mine.

"Hey there, padawan, ready to rumble? We're just about ready to get this diversion started." I nod affirmative and can't help but grin back, reminded of why I sought him out personally. We both like high explosives and blowing things to pieces.

"I'm just about ready, do you have any more thermal detonators?" He nods and points towards a small satchel against the wall, I can already see the small balls of high yield explosives.

"I went around and got as many as I could, go wild with them. They'll be useful for this diversion I think." Oh, they will indeed. I grab the satchel, seven thermal detonators inside. Were these all he could find? I hope they're not all that we have.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" I hear Tarkin's voice and immediately turn towards the mine entrance. And there he is the daft man, blaster rifle in hand and an expression made of stone. Jace is beside him, similarly armed and tense.

"This attack is a diversion, that means you don't get too eager and overextend the battle line. We're to draw their attention until Senator Valorum and his escort are safely away. Jace steps forward and takes over.

"Stick with your squads and make for the escape pods, they'll be our best cover from enemy fire. Watch for those landspeeders and any artillery. When you hear their air power it's time to retreat." He turns to point at several troopers in particular.

"Zem, Dahn, Durame, Anjek, Mardin, you're on overwatch, you'll cover our retreat." The five troopers each nod, reaching for their sniper rifles and heading off to take up positions. Tarkin steps forward again and raises his blaster rifle.

"Let's show these pirate sum what we've got, for the Republic!" The cry is taken up and everyone is moving.

"Everybody out, let's go!" Jace yells and I grab the satchel and join the troopers exiting the mine entrance. How is this distraction going to work, their siege line is outside the range of our blasters, wouldn't we have to get closer to them to attack?

I hear someone yell charge and the lightsabers of the other Jedi ignite as they take off down the ridge and towards the siege line. I ignite my own lightsaber and sprint forward. All around me the troopers open fire in the direction of the pirate's siege line. It isn't long before they return fire and my lightsaber flashes before me, deflecting shots, Sgt. Vance and his squad behind me return fire as we run.

Dirt and dust are thrown up around me from the fire of the pirates and-oh shit is that a rocket! A plume of smoke and the ground in front of me explodes outwards and I stumble, barely falling to the ground. Okay where's that cover.

The crashed escape pods are still there though and they're perfect cover for us. Most of us get behind the pods before the landspeeders take hold of our position but as the sharp staccato of laser cannons and behind me four people drop, a moment of pain and surprise, their auras flashing in the Force and winking out of existence. I shiver slightly, that's horrifying, but I have to push past it. There is no death, there is the Force.

I'm just behind the cover enough to avoid the worst of the enemy fire and especially the laser cannons from the landspeeders but still enough to deflect some shots. Sgt. Vance and the others are occasionally ducking out of cover to fire at the pirates before slipping back into cover.

I am just a little envious of them right now.

The landspeeders haven't moved to flank us yet, but I can see through the escape pod we're hiding behind, the pirates are advancing towards our position with the speeders giving cover. There seems to be a little dip in the terrain between us and them, it's not much but it seems to be serving as a mini-trench. There are four speeders firing on us, and I have seven thermal detonators. Alright so same as before, toss the grenades precisely towards the landspeeders.

This time though, I need to move faster before they take off. Pick your target, prime the grenade and toss, accelerate and guide it towards its target and immediately onto the next. At first the only sound is the fire of blasters and then a trio of explosions go off in rapid succession. I can see two landspeeders detonate, pain, terror, and a blinding heat. The third detonator seems to have gone off course slightly, blasting into the front and taking out the repulsorlifts keeping it aloft. It's immobile now but the laser cannon is still functioning it seems. The fourth speeder takes off before the detonator hits. Though it does take out the three pirates around it, a sense of terror and raging heat, three detonators left.

Sgt. Vance ducks out of cover and opens fire on the advancing pirates before he turns back to me, it seems like the squads of pirates are halted at the lip of what seems to be a mini-hill? Whatever it is, its providing half decent cover from our attack.

Master Tavik and the other senior Jedi are spread out across our 'battle line' deflecting shots away and back at the pirate forces but no one's really advancing on the other. With most their landspeeders gone or turned into stationary emplacements they're not nearly as eager to advance as they might have been.

That other landspeeder drove off but I think it's coming back around I think and when it does I have a feeling we're going to want to be back into the safety of the mine.

"Padawan, toss a detonator onto their cover, see if you can smoke them out." Ah, right I can do that, another thermal detonator is primed and tossed. A moment of nothing then an explosion. Some dead, even more injured but they're not giving up just yet. Even they must realize that turning and running will only get them shot.

This is going well, too well, where's the threat. I toss another grenade and the explosion echoes across the field, but now there's a whine growing louder and louder. Did I not actually destroy the repulsorlifts on that other speeder? A quick look shows that It's still out, so what's making that noise?

The force gives me a warning, a sense of danger, right before the cries of everyone else reach me.

"Incoming!" someone shouts and I barely have time to even move before the descending A-6 starfighters open fire and burn lances of laserfire into the field. Dirt and stone explode outward, covering me and everyone else in dirt and dust.

That's, can we deal with that? Plo Koon managed one in a ship with no distractions and he had a talent for it. But I count at least seven A-6 fighters, and already they're whirring around for another run at us. I think it's about time to go back to the mine. And it looks like that one functioning landspeeder is already back on its way, to make things even worse for us.

I can hear running, Master Tavik is on his way over to me now and I take that as the cue to get ready to run for it.

"Padawan, back to the mine we're retreating." I nod quickly, too nervous to do anything else really. The A-6's come around for another run and we all hunker down to give a smaller target. Even still the attack is a nightmare. Our cover is glowing red hot and seems to even be melting in places from the heat. Master Tavik gives me a firm push towards the mine even as the others are already beginning to move.

"Go!" he turns back to join the other senior Jedi as a rearguard. I take off running, straining to keep up with the other, taller people around me. Damn these short teenage legs! A hand roughly grabs the collar of my tunic and hauls me up, before I can react, I am being carried by Sgt. Vance as he sprints towards the mine. The only consolation is that he's using a fireman's carry and not the princess carry. I swear I'd die from the mortification alone otherwise.

"Ah, hey! At least turn me around! I can deflect shots still." The mortification of being carried is warring with the underlying terror of the situation but he complies and my lightsaber flashes, batting at the few shots sent our way. Okay, I get it, I appear to be a thirteen-year-old girl to these older soldiers. It's fine, they're not being purposefully insulting to my ability, let it go.

That said he is running faster than I would be so whatever, we're already halfway up the hill. I can see the bodies of the pirates scattered over the mini-trench they tried to hide in and it is gruesome. I can also see the bodies of our own strewn around the escape pods, I easily count over a dozen.

We've crested the hill and he sets me down quickly, turning to give covering fire to the others coming up the hill. The senior Jedi coming up last, still deflecting the last of the oncoming shots from the pirates who have proven so far reluctant to come forward. The A-6's have pulled off but that won't be forever, but once we get into the mine proper they won't have a good shot on us.

Gosh I'm tired, feels like I've run a marathon, the adrenaline must be wearing off but I can't rest now, not until the battle's over. The other Jedi are at the top of the hill now and they're still firing. When are they going to stop? I'd really like them to stop.

My lightsaber is still deflecting shots but I'm getting slower and I know it, damn my childish stamina! And the whine is back, the starfighters are coming for another pass at us. Their laser cannons fire and we're only saved by the rock ceiling of the mine entrance. Even then the ground shakes and dust and rocks crack and fall down, pelting us. The pirates have stopped firing and for a moment all is quiet save for the whine of sublight engines. Have they given up? I think they've- no, the mine shakes again as they come around for another run.

Then comes the quiet, the long quiet where we all just sort of wonder what's about to happen. I think they've given up this time, they're not droids or professional soldiers, no way they can keep throwing themselves at us for that long and not just decide to give up.

Slowly, the pirates creep back to their siege line and everyone breathes out in relief. Another battle done and we're not dead yet. We're not done yet though, we have to consolidate ammo, get the wounded sorted and set up watches before we can rest.

Master Tavik taps me on the shoulder and pulls me aside to where Master Koon is inspecting the wounded. I was trained in basic first aid during my initiate years and I feel like I'm going to get some experience at it now.

"We need to bandage up the wounded, we can rest when that's done." Master Tavik gets to work on a wounded soldier and I nod, going to the first untreated soldier.

Back at the temple we always practiced on lifeless dummies and other simulated representations. Other times we'd pretend our fellow initiates were wounded and we'd need to treat them, all under the watchful eye of the Temple healers but this is something different entirely.

Patching up the wounded is a simultaneously enlightening and horrifying task. Blasters being energy based, most wounds are burns and not entry wounds so there's no blood, which is good because I hate blood, but the burns smell horrific. Roasted flesh and something that makes me think of sulfur, it's sickening and makes me glad I haven't really eaten much yet.

Another trooper is set down in front of me, there's a blaster bolt to her chest. Her uniform is burnt away at the front, the edges have melted and fused to her skin and the middle of her chest is burnt black from char. Okay that's serious, she's lucid though the Force only knows how with how much pain she has to be in.

"Please." It's no more than a whisper, I can barely hear it but I look up into her eyes. There's fear and pain and the sense of terror that death is looming over her. I offer my best smile as I reach for the bacta container.

"It's fine, don't worry, we'll get you patched up." I grab the bacta dispenser and inspect it closely, oh it's empty. I know I had some more around here, they'd been set out for me when I started. A glance around and oh Force they're all empty.

"Master Tavik, do you have any more bacta dispensers, I'm out?" He shakes his head, drat well Plo Koon then.

"What about you Master Koon, do you have any bacta to spare?" Plo Koon also shakes his head and I grimace, that's bad. A quick look around and I don't see anyone else rushing forward with bacta. We can't be out of bacta now! There's still so many wounded and my patient isn't going to last without bacta to her burn!

"Please." She rasps again and I can't stop the shaking as I turn my focus back to her. She's still just looking at me but the terror is overwhelming her now, her aura in the Force is flaring with terror and fear but it's also dimming steadily. She repeats herself and I don't know what to say, what do I say to her? I can't look away as the life slowly fades from her, I want to look away, I don't want to see this but my body won't listen to me.

Her eyes close, her lips are moving but no more words are coming out, she's dimming slowly but surely and in a moment of silence she dies.

I stand up from the new corpse, there's no point to patching up the wounded anymore, I don't know what to do anymore. Something's wrong, my hands are shaking, I try to still them and I can't. Her eyes close, life dims and I can't stop shaking.

There's a hand on my shoulder, I don't know who it is except I do but my brain won't focus on it, but its guiding me back into the mine, to a wall. I lean back against the cave wall, slumping down it until I'm sitting. A hand on my head, a sense of quiet.

I'm asleep before I realize what's happening.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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May 17, 2017

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Threadmarks Interlude I New

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Saphrith

May 20, 2017

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#36

So, this is my first Interlude. This got cut from part 7 because it went on a bit long and I thought the current ending of part 7 was better than this.

Consciousness returns to me slowly, a general sense of awakening and expanding senses. For a moment I'm confused, trying to figure out what's going on and where I am. Memory returns to me abruptly and I groan at the thought. Obi-Wan is standing over me, he looks concerned

'Please', the word echoes through my head again and I groan at the image. I don't want this right now. Breathe in, breathe out, keep going.

"Yes, Obi-Wan?" I say quietly, sitting up to better focus on him, and oh is that Quinlan Vos? The Kiffar padawan stands slightly behind Obi-Wan regarding me quietly. Obi-Wan smiles though I can tell there's an unease to it.

"Glad to see you survived while we were gone, I heard what happened during the distraction and I wanted to check on you." I don't really want to be reminded of what happened, but his concern is appreciated I guess.

"I'm fine Obi-Wan, just tired. It was a stressful battle." A snort from Vos that he doesn't even try to hide.

"That's the most bold-faced lie I've ever heard, good job." I give him a rude gesture and he laughs. I forgot he was a sarcastic bastard. Obi-Wan looks just a bit scandalized but if it comes down to it I'll lay blame on one of Tarkin's men for teaching me that gesture.

"Fine, I'm not okay, I look terrible but there's nothing I can do about it now so wait till we get back to the Temple before we argue this more." Vos shrugs and takes a seat to the left of me against the wall. Obi-Wan takes a seat to my right and for a moment there is quiet.

"So, who're you again?" I've never met Vos before and all said and done I'm not sure whether I'm better or worse off for having met him.

"Ah, Quinlan Vos, padawan to Jedi Master Tholme, a pleasure to meet you." I extend my hand and he reciprocates, shaking firmly.

"Viera Sarat, padawan to Jedi Master Zun Tavik." He nods, another stretch of silence then he speaks.

"So, I heard from some of the troopers you did some crazy stuff during the diversion, what's that about?" Vos turns to look at me and I shrug.

"I just tossed some grenades around, used the Force to guide them down." He frowns for some reason, what?

"How, thermal detonators aren't that big, you'd have to sense it, grab it and then direct its descent downwards." I shrug, not sure where's he going with this, it's just basics, right?

"How could I not? It's just the basics we learned as initiates when Master Yoda taught our lessons. All you gotta do is combine them." He always disguised his lessons as games, I did always like his lessons the best for that. Obi-Wan shakes his head in…disbelief?

"It's not that easy, Master Jinn has only just begun teaching me to sense things like that and I don't think I could focus enough to combine all of those different Force manipulations in the middle of a fight." Vos nods his agreement, is it really that odd?

"I was behind cover, what was there to worry about?" Vos rolls his eyes.

"Yeah because that just explains everything." Obi-Wan nods his assent and I take a moment to think about it. Is it really that odd? I'd always thought it was relatively simple, we learned all those things as children.

I shrug, not sure what to say.

"I don't know, I just did it. Try it yourself when we get back, I'm sure you can figure it out." Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and Vos just looks at me like I have two heads.

Distraction time!

"So, how'd you even get here Vos?" I know how he did but I need to pretend I don't. He shrugs and point back towards Tholme, who's talking with Tyvokka and Plo Koon. I remember him being a very solemn Jedi but a good one. He ended up surviving Order 66 if I remember right.

"Master Tholme and I were investigating the bacta crisis on Thyferra and hitched a ride on a bacta transport to the Core. It got hijacked and we hid while the pirates redirected it to Troiken. When we landed, we fought our way free and encountered Obi-Wan and Master Jinn." Wait, what?

"So, the transport you were on was hijacked by pirates and you decided not to fight them off?" What happened to the transport's crew? Did they get captured or killed? Vos shakes his head and shrugs.

"It was a droid crew so no need to worry about them and Master Tholme wanted to see where the pirates were going. Didn't even realize it was Stark's forces till we got here." Ah that explains it, not going to get into the subject of droid rights now. That's a bit complicated and a touchy subject I don't want to get into now.

After that no one really talks, it's a bit awkward, neither of us are familiar enough for easy conversation and this isn't really the place for it. Though one thing does come to mind.

"Hey Vos, Obi-Wan." They both turn to me.

"When this is over, I'll show you how I did that trick, then you'll see how easy it is." Vos snorts again and Obi-Wan chuckles. The dead woman's last word echoes in my head still, but its quieter now.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

May 20, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 8 New

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Saphrith

May 23, 2017

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#48

The next three days pass in a blur, the pirates haven't attacked us again, possibly out of fear and loss of numbers. Now with two additional Jedi, I'm pretty sure any attack on the mine would end poorly for them anyways.

Though, optimism aside our supplies of food, and ammunition are dwindling. Combined with no bacta, a concentrated assault on the mine would probably spell the end us. It's just a good thing for us that the pirates lack the discipline and morale to do just that.

Obi-Wan, Vos, and I have spent the interim meditating and sleeping. Vos is very blunt, to put it mildly, but I don't mind that too much, he's a good counter to Obi-Wan's more reserved nature. That said he's still a sarcastic bastard, he's just grown on me, like a fungus.

I haven't got the chance to talk to Tholme yet, I'm not even sure what I'd say to him if I did. I don't really remember much of his history except that he survives Order 66 and ends up falling in love with that one Jedi that's also a tree. T'ra Saa, I think that was her name.

Ranulph's been complicated as well, he's been talking with Tyvokka and some of his militia, I assume senior officers? But otherwise he's not been doing much. I haven't been able to approach him and gauge his mood, but since I haven't seen him call for us to surrender I assume we're good? Either way I'm more confident he'll survive the war and after that who knows what could happen.

Obi-Wan taps my shoulder quickly, shaking me out of my musings. He looks worried, more so than when he got back from escorting Valorum, I offer him a reassuring smile, hopefully.

"What's up Obi-Wan, has something happened?" he nods, not saying a word. That's odd, and actually a bit concerning, what could worry him like that? I stand up, no point continuing to meditate and glance around.

Okay, looks like a number of the remaining militia are congregating around the mine entrance, I can hear whispering but I can't really make out the words. They sound angry though, I can see Master Tavik and the other Jedi there as well.

"Alright, lead the way." I follow him closely, what have the pirates done, because they must have done something, not sure what else it could be.

I push my way through the assembled militia and immediately I feel so happy I can't see the way everyone else does.

The pirates have been busy removing the escape pods, depriving both us and them of potential cover but they've made way for impromptu stakes. I can see bodies on those stakes, a lot of bodies. They've been mutilated beyond recognition but the implication is clear. They're all members of the militia, a quick glance to my left and right and I can see the anger burning in the eyes of all of the militia members. If this was meant to break their morale it failed, more probably it's just there to taunt us or incite us into a suicidal charge.

Oh, movement! One of the pirates has moved from the siege lines and is approaching the middle of the field. He's got something in his hands, it's not a weapon I can tell that much, a voice amplifier maybe, the only thing that makes any sense for him to have outside of a weapon.

The pirate stops, and raises the device to his mouth, yep definitely a voice amplifier. Oh boy, this can only end well for all parties involved and I'm sure isn't them saying they surrender.

"Attention assholes, Jedi included!" Well fuck you too pal.

"The Senate has voted against sending aid to you on Troiken, no reinforcements are coming, surrender now and we promise you will be treated well." Well, me and the other Jedi will be treated well as hostages, the militia less so. The pirate continues and I notice one of the militia, Durame I think, raise her sniper rifle.

"You have twenty-four hours to surrender, if you do not we will attack and you will all die." That said he turns around and marches back towards the siege line.

Alright, look around, no one seems happy with the idea of surrender but when the food runs out it's probably going to look more appealing. Vos scoffs from somewhere behind me, when the hell did he get there?

"No one here seems keen on the idea, so I assume we'll have our last stand tomorrow. Good knowing you guys." I shrug, watching the activity around the siege line.

"Speak for yourself, we're going to win this somehow and survive ideally." Obi-Wan rolls his eyes, Vos is a bad influence, as he turns away from the grisly sight.

"And how will we do that, with little ammunition and being massively outnumbered." Oh, ye of little faith, I point towards Tyvokka and Plo Koon who are talking quickly to each other on the opposite end of the mine.

"I assume they have a plan, just a thought." Master Tavik, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tholme are already heading that way, I gesture to Obi-Wan and Vos and head over that way. Might as well go see what the plan is, even though I know what the plan is, I think.

Tyvokka growls softly as we approach, he and the other Jedi seem confident so that's a plus.

Padawans, good of you to join us. Master Koon has a plan and will need all our help to do it. Take a seat. The other Jedi are beginning to sit as well and I take the open seat next to Master Tavik, solidarity woo!

Plo Koon is the only one still standing and as he looks out over us I am reminded that he is also a member of the Baran Do Sages, the Force-using order from Dorin. When it comes time to go for my planned tour of the various Force organizations, he'll be one of my examples.

"The Senate has voted not to come to our aid, but they are not the only sources of help we have. My niece, Sha Koon, is an initiate in the Temple right now. If we all join in meditation, our combined presence in the Force will allow me to contact her and through her the Council." That honestly sounds like bullshit but I think telepathy is his strong suit?

How is this going to work exactly? It sounds like we're all going to be trying to just meditate and create a sort of mini Force Nexus that he can use to boost his telepathy. The Force can work like that? That's sorta ridiculous though, how come they never tried doing that to sense out Darth Sidious, or is it something situational and only useful in certain conditions? Something to ponder later I suppose.

"It's just like what we've been trained to do as initiates, trust Master Koon, he knows what he's doing." Master Jinn shifts into a meditative position and closes his eyes. Alright then, this is our plan, it's not a great plan but the fact that it's going to work makes it a little better I guess.

Alright so relax your focus, spread out your senses to the world around you. The Force is present, a relaxing warmth that begins in my chest and filters throughout my body. This is perhaps the greatest part of being able to use the Force. I swear when this whole Sith crisis is over, or I fail and end up having to wait for Luke, I'm going to spend the rest of my life in simple meditation.

I can feel the others beginning to meditate as well and their presence in the Force surrounds me. If I reach out I can poke each of them and follow the string of Force that binds all of them together. It's rather interesting really.

We're all meditating and I can feel things changing. It's strange, it almost feels like the Temple itself, that sense of being surrounded by the Light side of the Force. I almost feel like if I were to leave meditation I would find myself in the Temple itself.

Is this working? I can't tell, I'm not the one in contact with the Temple or Sha Koon so it's impossible to tell. How do I know when to stop, should I stop, this is nice? I'm sure that one of the other Jedi will alert me when it's time to stop.

Hang on, I wonder if I could try something. I narrow my sense and focus to Master Koon, his presence in the Force is bright and shiny, but there's tendrils reaching out to all of us, but especially to Tyvokka. However, there's one that goes seemingly nowhere and so I turn my attention to that one.

I don't really know what I'm doing here so I poke at it and it responds to me in ways I can't quite comprehend. Could I piggyback on that, I wonder? It's like a salmon swimming upriver, I am the salmon and Plo Koon is the river.

Sensation overwhelms me and the effort of focusing on my task is near impossible to overcome. But if there is one thing I have it is focus, and slowly I manage to wrest control of my own senses back and continue my journey.

Where am I now? There's this sense of weightlessness that I can't place but I feel like I'm somewhere important now. The Force is brimming with power around me and I can't place it. Okay, so am I in the Temple now? I can't really bring anything into focus, it's all just blurry but I feel like I've done something incredible.

The strain is quite impressive though, I'm not used to this and I don't have nearly the necessary skill to hold the connection for long, alright time to go back to Troiken. Oh, boy my head hurts now, that wasn't really what I expected and I probably shouldn't have tried that. It seems like everyone else is coming out of their trances, I was doing that longer than I thought. Slowly I come back to myself, feeling the dull pain throbbing in my skull

How long have we been doing this? I can see people moving around a bit and outside the sun seems to be descending? Is it nearly dusk already?

Plo Koon looks pleased, I think? I can't really read his facial expressions like a human but I assume something positive happened.

"It seems to have worked, I managed to get in contact with my niece and through her, Master Rancisis." Wasn't that the guy who knew how to do Battle Meditation?

"They are organizing a Jedi strike force to relieve us here, I have also been in contact with Director Stark via telepathy. He's seen the fruitlessness of this siege and is willing to defect in exchange for a pardon. I realize it's not ideal but he has information we need in order to escape this situation

Alright, how are we going to do this. As I stand there's a commotion from the back of the mine, what's going on? I can see militia congregating around the area, their weapons are drawn, that doesn't look good what the hell?

We've all got our lightsabers drawn but not activated as we approach the disturbance, seems like something came out of one of the old side tunnels? Did the pirates try to sneak in? No, we'd be hearing blasterfire if it were.

The militia clear a path for us but do not drop their guns, the intruder is an….alien? greyish skin four arms, long neck and short head. Ah, that's a Xexto, they're native to Troiken, wait I think I remember this.

Upon sight of us, the Xexto raises his hands in what I assume is relief as he points towards us.

"Ah! Jedi, yes good Jedi, please tell these men to not shoot. I have come to help you, I mean no harm!" he seems rather afraid and for good reason but I don't sense any duplicity in him. Neither do the other Jedi and they return their lightsabers to their belt. Plo Koon steps forward to address the Xexto.

"I believe you, what is your name? The Xexto nods and points back to the tunnel he came from.

"I am Billibango, I live here, around the mountain and I know these tunnels. There is a secret way, out of the mines, that only Billibango knows. It's big enough to fit all of you!" That is useful, good job man.

Plo Koon seems to consider this news, it's good news. I think retreating from the mines might be a strategy now. A quick glance between the others shows they see it too. This is our way out of this siege.

"Moxt Xexto hate both sides, they view them as the cause of our woes, but not I. I know Jedi are good, the Jedi are protectors, I had wished to be a Jedi once, myself." Wait, is he? No, he's force-sensitive but it's minor, he'd hardly be sensitive enough to do anything even an initiate could do, but maybe, I should talk to him later if I can.

Then we have our plan, we will need to split up to do it though. Plo Koon considers the scenario, we need to do something about the navicomputer virus plaguing our ships. Otherwise when the Jedi reinforcements arrive they'll be destroyed and picked apart. Plo Koon seems to have come to the same conclusion.

"Agreed, according to Stark the patch for the virus is in the Combine headquarters we escaped from originally. But we'll need to broadcast it from a ship in orbit, probably the Raptor itself." Which means three teams at least, one to get the patch, one to transmit it to our reinforcements and the third to stay here and help lead the militia out of the mines.

Who's doing what though? I'm honestly preferential to staying here with the militia, it'll let me keep an eye on Tarkin to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid at the last minute. I swear if he kills himself here I'm going to flip. Qui-Gon steps forward with Obi-Wan following.

"Obi-Wan and I can get the virus patch from the Combine headquarters. We've been there before, we're at least passingly familiar with the base." Alright, that's one group, I give Obi-Wan a thumbs up and he smiles.

"Vos and I can sneak onto the Raptor to transmit the patch to the Order." Tholme and Vos look ready to go, that's good, which leaves me for the job I wanted. Plo Koon turns towards me and Master Tavik.

"We'll be retreating with the main force from the mines. When the pirates attack, we will trap them in the mines. To do that we'll need precisely timed explosives. Work with the militia to ensure this gets done." Alright, and I know just who to go to for the explosives.

We're adjourned shortly after, most everything else to discuss was simply details of the assignment. Left to my own devices and with a goal in mind, time to find Sgt. Vance.

He smiles upon seeing me, but it's a tired smile, he's exhausted and not likely to last much longer. Well it's a good thing we're going to get out of here alive.

"Hey padawan, what can I do for you?" His voice is strained, aww hold on buddy I've got a plan.

"We've got a plan to get out of here, but we need more explosives, charges if you have them." He looks at me for a moment before contemplating.

"We might have some det charges we could use, gonna take some time to set them up though." I shrug and do not try to hide my delight at the thought of making things explode.

"Well then, let's get started." He nods and stands, and it's off we go to collect weapons of mass destruction. Of which we find plenty, no grenades because I used a lot of them, but plenty of primed charges.

"Alright, we're going to have to set these at specific points along the tunnel passage, specifically where the pirates won't see them in time." He takes out the charge and sets it down in front of me. It's cylindrical instead of square with three buttons on it.

"Alright, the two red buttons set the timer and the green button primes it." I raise my hand.

"Ah, Sergeant- "he interrupts me.

"In a moment, now I know we're using remote detonation but the signal will be shaky in the tunnel, so we'll need to set a timer just in case" I again raise my hand.

"Sergeant Vance, I feel that I should-"Again I am interrupted.

"In a moment, now we'll need to remember to set these charges against fault points if we can find them to maximize tunnel collapse. Leave finding those to me, I've been in mines before so I know what to look for." Patiently I wait for him to finish, not really wanting to be interrupted a third time. He looks at me and makes a 'go on' gesture.

"Alright padawan, what's your question." I lower my hand and point to the buttons.

"I'm colorblind." The look on his face, as the realization dawns on him is quite frankly priceless. He looks at the color-coded buttons, mulling over my words.

"Oh…well then." I can't help laughing at that, okay that was the type of reaction I had hoped for. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"Alright then, leave arming it to me I guess." I nod, still giggling uncontrollably. I love it. He growls something unpleasant under his breath but waves me off.

"Go get some rest, we've got till the morning to get some rest. I'll come find you then." I nod and pat him sympathetically on the back as he stands. He shakes his head, chuckles and heads off. I like him, I hope he survives.

Now then, I need to get some sleep and prepare for tomorrow.

My sleep that night was broken up by every sound within 100 feet of me. Always I would awaken with the sense that something was about to happen or that I'd slept too long. It's a stupid concern, Vance or Master Tavik would have awoken me if I had slept too long.

And still her death plagues my dreams, I don't know her name, the desire to know burns inside me but I know that if I ask, then it will only haunt me further. I must be strong, I must be focused. So, when I awoke an hour before dawn to find Obi-Wan, Vos, and their masters preparing to head out, I make sure to get a few final words in.

"Now, don't do anything too rash, if you get hurt because of your own recklessness then I swear I'll make you regret it." Obi-Wan smiles and Vos just rolls his eyes but Jinn and Tholme watch on silently, not really judging from what I can tell but watching nonetheless.

"We'll be fine, you're the one who'll be handling explosives, don't go blowing yourself up with all those charges." Obi-Wan bows and withdraws to Master Jinn. Vos shrugs and turns towards Master Tholme, waving as he departs.

"See you on the other side, Viera." They'll be fine, I know they will. They both depart with their Masters shortly afterwards and I am left to my own devices. Time to meditate.

Meditation is easy, even with my lingering drowsiness I can focus on my meditation without hardly trying. I need this, this comforting familiarity to chase away the jitters and prepare myself. Master Tavik taps me on the shoulder some amount of time later.

The rest of the militia are already awake and organizing, I can see a couple watching for a pirate assault while others prepare the wounded for transport through the tunnels, which is honestly going to be the hardest part of this retreat. Plo Koon and Tyvokka are talking with Ranulph and Jace, probably finalizing the plans for the retreat.

I can see Sgt. Vance approaching with the pack of explosives we'd gathered the night before. He waves at both of us and points to his pack.

"I've got the explosives right here Master Jedi, we'll need to set them as we retreat." Master Tavik nods and squeezes my shoulder briefly, I can sense calmness, reassurance and a firm determination from him, well as long as he's with me I'm confident this will work.

"Alright then, we'll be leaving shortly, be ready to go in ten." Sgt. Vance nods and goes back to his squad, Master Tavik turns to me and smiles.

"Alright padawan, this is it. I know this hasn't been a typical first mission but you've performed far better than I could have expected. You've done well, now we just have to do just a little more and we're through." I smile and nod in response, I like him, he's a good man.

"Of course, Master, I promise to do my best." Yes, let's get this over and done with. I'm ready to be out of here.

The moment is nice, and that's all the more reason that karma nips it in the bud. I can hear Jace calling everyone to get ready to move, time to go then. Sgt. Vance and the rest of the rearguard are waiting by the tunnel entrance as Billibango leads the other Jedi and militia through the tunnel path. Ranulph is…. going with Jace and Tyvokka, oh thank the Force he's not going to suicide himself. Excellent, he's not dead.

"Alright, padawan come along now." Master Tavik is waving me towards the tunnel, we're moving out now. Then he ducks into the tunnel, yay for being short, I don't have to duck to fit. It is rather cramped though.

I hate enclosed spaces, there's not much for me to do either! I can't place charges cause the buttons are colored and it's too risky to make a mistake. Both Master Tavik and I are just at the very rear of the pack to block blasters should the pirates catch up to us.

"Master Jedi, I need your lightsaber." Sgt. Vance is crouched next to an indent in the wall. There's a sort of crevice with a protruding edge that blocks off part of the interior of the crevice.

"Master Jedi, can you cut the edge of this rock? I need to fit a charge in there. It's the perfect spot for it." Master Tavik nods and ignites his saber, illuminating the tunnel even more with its bright glow, there's the sound of heat on rock and a solid thump as it hits the ground.

The retreat continues like that for some time, just silence broken by the occasional request for a specific lightsaber cut and then silence again. This is pretty anticlimactic, and I freeze the instant I say that, damn it karma!

Something's moving at the edge of my vision, coming towards us at a pretty steady rate, there's a glow too and chittering, what the hell.

I barely have time to scream as the challat eaters, the carnivorous insects prone to wander Troiken swarm towards us from the direction we just came. Where did they come…..from, shit. I remember now, originally Tyvokka died, which resulted in Vos wandering away from the group in grief, Obi-Wan following and the both of them encountering a swarm in a separate tunnel.

The other Jedi saved them and sealed up the tunnel with the Force, since Tyvokka never died here that didn't happen. And now they're after us with no convenient pirates to distract them. A panicked Force push slows the horde for mere moments but it gives me time to draw my saber. Not sure what good that'll do but I should do something. A hand grabs me by the shoulder and roughly yanks me back.

Master Tavik is in front of me now, hand extended towards the oncoming swarm and holding it back with the Force. It's like a barrier has been put up between him and the challat eaters that they keep bouncing off.

"Retreat quickly, go!" I guess lining the tunnel with explosives is a bust, time go fast. I hope everyone else is moving faster than we are. I move down the tunnel with the others, I can see Master Tavik retreating slowly, holding that barrier up from the carnivorous demons chasing us down.

Oh, boy is this turning out worse than I expected, wait why am I not helping him? I turn back towards him, I can see how the Force moves around him as he holds back the swarm. It's like a constant Force push, or maybe a geyser. Could I mimic him and do that?

Can't hurt to try, alright, extend your senses, arm out, hand facing the threat and push. The Force answers my call and pushes into Master Tavik's barrier. Not sure if that's working but it's not hurting so I don't care.

Okay, slow retreat, keep up the barrier, I don't want to die here and I especially don't want to be eaten alive by these bugs. Master Tavik hasn't yelled at me to go, maybe he's too busy holding the Challat Eater back, or maybe he just knows I won't listen to him.

How far is it until we reach the end? We've been going for at least an hour and a half before the challat eaters made their appearance and now we've been holding them back and retreating for probably thirty minutes.

There's a scream, from somewhere beyond the barrier, did one of ours get lost? Oh, that poor bastard, then numerous screams, the sound of blasterfire and a horrible crunching sound. Oh, my god, the pirates! Did they come after us, find an empty mine, go down a side tunnel and find the challat eaters?

That's nice and convenient, I'm not really concerned about the pirates, they have a clear retreat. We on the other hand need the reprieve. I can already see the number of challat eaters attacking us diminish. They're breaking themselves against a barrier they can't get around with more vulnerable food behind them. They're smart enough to realize they're not getting anywhere with this.

Within minutes they've trickled down to only a few attackers, then eventually none. There's a momentary pause as we wait for them to come back or redouble their assault but nothing happens. Master Tavik drops the barrier and I do too, why am I sweating? Master Tavik gives me a curt nod.

"Alright padawan, we've held them back, now move." No need to tell me twice, off we go!

Thankfully, the exit is only another twenty minutes away at as brisk a run as we can manage in the cramped corridor. Sgt. Vance is waiting, frantically gesturing for us to hurry.

"Come on, I'm blowing the charges, hurry up." We put on a burst of adrenaline, the exit is a small opening just large enough to fit us going single file but as soon as we're out I can feel the shaking from the detonated charges.

We're out, we're alive! I can't help but laugh at our luck and good fortune. Yes! I never want to see Troiken again.

There's something going on in the sky above us, brief flashes of something that I can barely see. Master Tavik looks up at the sky from beside me, a grin on his face.

"Looks like our friends have arrived, they're routing what's left of Stark's orbiting force. This war is as good as ours." Yeah it is, I take a seat and fall back to watch the flashes of light across the sky.

Finally, it's over.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

May 23, 2017

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Saphrith

May 24, 2017

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#52

So, Interlude seems to have won the vote and doesn't seem to be losing anytime soon. So here you go

"It's not that hard!" I don't understand how this is that hard. The breeze blowing through my hair is refreshing and I am once again so thankful for this vacation.

Well technically it's a training exercise but it's been more like a vacation, at least compared to Troiken. We've been on Raggoon VI for four days now and we've got another ten before we leave. The planet is a paradise, unspoiled by any industry and restricted for Jedi only.

There's forests, rolling plains, mountains and more with fruit trees and crops left to grow wild across the planet. Countless fish and fauna to eat, and oh how fun it was to go hunting and eat actual grilled meat! The Temple generally only ever served meat in stews or roasts with vegetables and other healthier foods. The chance to catch a nerf and grill an actual steak almost made me cry, also catching and grilling fish is amazing. If we weren't exercising so much I'd probably gain significant weight here.

Beyond that we've done nothing but run around, practice meditation, lifting objects, sensing the world around us. The occasional lightsaber practice, broken up with the occasional dip into the lake to swim and cool down. Which is conveniently where we are now.

Our campsite rests at the banks of a big lake, surrounded by forest on one side and a small cliff face on the other. After doing the obvious thing of jumping into the lake from the cliff, Obi-Wan and Vos asked me to show them how I did the trick with the grenades on Troiken.

To that end, we got Master Tavik and Master Jinn, Tholme was sent on a solo assignment for the duration of the trip, to set up a ring of stones to create a target zone on the opposite end of the lake from where we stood on the cliff. Then we gathered a number of rocks suitable for throwing and climbed up the cliff.

Once there I did my best to explain and show how I had combined three basic aspects of Control to do what I did, tossing a stone and using the Force to make it land in the circle on the opposite end of the lake. Then both Vos and Obi-Wan took their turn attempting it.

It didn't go well, both seem to be faltering at grasping the rock once in the air. That or they take too long to give it the extra boost it needs to hit the target. Vos's first attempt hit the bank of the lake, Obi-Wan's didn't even get that far.

Neither of them are happy with that and Vos is particularly sulky about it.

"It is that hard! How do you grab hold of the damn thing once it's in the air? I just, grab it? It's there, reaching out for it isn't that hard. Hell, it should be easier for them since they can physically see it, easier to visualize too I bet.

"Just sense it, focus your senses on the rock as it leaves your hand and when you push it, grab hold of it as well." Then you can nudge its decent towards the target you desire.

"We're not Miraluka! We don't have as easy a time sensing things like you do." Okay Vos, that's actually a good point I guess. I mean, it still doesn't sound as hard as it seems to be, but maybe that's my added years giving me an advantage. I sigh and heft another rock, tossing it to Vos.

"Alright Vos, come here to the edge with me and let me try to help you one more time." He steps up beside me and grips the rock tightly in his hand. Obi-Wan watches silently as I point out to the target.

"Alright, just focus on the rock for now, visualize it, feel it, whatever helps you. Throw it when you're ready." Vos grips the rock tightly, holding it in his hand and stares out at the target across the lake.

Then he throws, tossing the rock into the air.

"Alright! Give it a push, maintain that hold on it, don't lose your focus on it!" I can follow it's path in the air as it boosts towards the target. It's wobbling as Vos tries to hold onto it and guide its descent. He's doing better though, he might actually get close to it.

I can't hear the dull thud but I can sense its impact on the beach, inches from the target. Alright, go Vos! He's jumping up in joy, good for him, he's learning. He chuckles and gestures to Obi-Wan.

"You see that! I got so close, that was amazing!" Obi-Wan is grinning as well as he approaches.

"Yeah, I saw that, good job Vos, good job Viera." He says as he comes to rest on the edge of the cliff. Now what, just hone that skill I suppose.

Hm, that water is deep enough to be safe, we've jumped into it before. I turn to Vos with a disarming smile.

"Good job Vos, I think we ought to celebrate." He nods cheerfully before stopping, something in my tone seems to have made him suddenly nervous. He realizes my intention far too late to do anything.

"Viera, don't you da- "whatever he was about to say is cut off as a quick Force shove sends him over the cliff edge and towards the water. I'm not too worried, his reflexes have already kicked in and he's straightened his descent, splashing harmlessly into the water. I wave as he lands, he deserved that I think.

"Alright Obi-Wan, let's go I'm making steaks tonight." We got some edible mushrooms and onion-ish things to cook too, I'm pretty excited actually. Wait, why is Obi-Wan smiling.

A shove and I'm sent plummeting downwards, alright shift to land safely, Obi-Wan you're getting fed last or this. Despite that, I can't help but laugh before I splash down into the cool water.

May 29, 2017

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#64

My lightsaber flashes before me, swinging in neat, graceful motions. Master Tavik blocks easily, catching my blade with his on each stroke. The Force answers my call as I leap over him, blade arcing down from above. He steps out of the way and kicks his leg out as I land.

I'm not quite fast enough to dodge and I am very quickly knocked from my feet. Okay, ouch, I didn't expect to be anywhere near his level of skill but I had hoped I wouldn't be getting my ass kicked this bad. Unrealistic expectations I guess. Alright, stand back up, assume the Ataru stance and begin.

"Don't stay still padawan, Ataru is a very acrobatic form. If you're not moving then you're wasting your energy." Master Tavik raises his lightsaber in a guard stance as he says this and wait. Alright then, here I come.

I rush forward to attack again, lightsaber swinging low. Master Tavik brings his lightsaber down to dodge easily but I planned for this! I'm not that dumb, I draw back and leap up, switching to an overhead strike instead, ha ha! Or not, he's already adjusted and blocked but there is a small grin on his face.

"Good job, Viera, against a more skilled opponent there is an advantage to experimentality, now again!" I charge in again, swinging my blade left, he blocks again and we dance back and forth, me attacking from different angles and him blocking me without difficulty, but it's fun and informative.

Mastering forms is all about mastering cadences and getting used to fighting in a certain manner. Ataru is a form of acrobatics and agility, dodging around a single enemy to attack from different angles as fast as possible. It's tiring though, which is incidentally how Qui-Gon eventually got himself killed. His use of Ataru tired him out and made him sloppy against Maul, I need to do something about my stamina. I've got some ideas but not much chance to implement them.

And woah, Master Tavik just went on the attack, I raise my lightsaber to block and it's just barely in time, he doesn't let up and continues with a barrage of strikes, forcing me to backpedal as I attempt to gain enough ground to just think enough to plan.

He doesn't let me and in a few quick strikes he's disarmed me of my training saber and I've raised my hands in surrender. Another loss for me it seems, he nods and deactivates his training saber and with the Force picks up both of them and floats them over to the rack. I guess training is done for the day, he steps over to me and appraises me for a moment. From experience, I know he's looking for bruises or anything that might warrant sending me to the Healers quarters. After a minute he nods, seemingly satisfied and smiles.

"Alright, good work, you're still new to this but I'm impressed with how fast you're able to memorize the cadences I've taught you. But memorizing isn't enough, you spend too much time thinking, you have to let it be instinctual." He says with a bit of amusement, a joke I'm not privy too?

It reminds me of the concept of Mushin from my world, the idea that in certain situations one had to learn to not think and attain the art of no-mind. It was this philosophical idea that only when one let go of all their thoughts and simply acted, that their body would do the rest without them.

"In any case, padawan, I have a mission lined up for us tomorrow, so make sure to get some sleep tonight." He says as he grabs his robe from the bench and I do the same.

"Yes, Master, I'll be ready tomorrow morning." I say and with a bow our training for the day is dismissed.

There's not much to do right now so I begin wandering aimlessly through the Temple, Maks is getting ready for a mission soon and everyone else is currently on a mission so there' s little for me to actually do. I could go meditate in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, or spend some time researching in the library but even that can only occupy me for a while. I haven't heard anything on galactic news about Ranulph Tarkin aside from speculation on what effect the Stark Hyperspace War would have on his political presence. He hasn't released a statement or taken any interviews and I'm not sure why, at least not yet.

Though there was one thing of note to happen from Troiken, I got a chance to talk to the Xexto, Billibango, and point him in the direction of the Matukai on Karvoss II. He wasn't happy to hear he didn't have enough sensitivity to become a Jedi but telling him the Matukai could help fix that, he was more than eager to make plans to head that way. I wish him luck, maybe I'll see him again later.

The Temple isn't really a place for recreation, not much point for a monastic order like the Jedi totally are, but they do have several lounges around the Temple proper. Granted these lounges aren't much, an assortment of tables, chairs and a couch or two, alongside a little kitchenette that usually has a pot of tea or caf ready. They're generally just places to stop in for quick relaxation before moving on with your business. There's a holonet feed for news and other political news, something for those Jedi who want to stay informed of what's going on.

Hilariously enough without fail if you go into one of these lounges come evening it's not uncommon to see a couple older Jedi crowded around one of these feeds, watching news shows. Some things never change even in different universes.

Though as I approach my favorite lounge located below the Library, I stop at the sound of something distinctly odd. There's some sort of loud noise coming from the lounge. It sounds like shouting and something else I can't place. There's no warning of danger from the Force and I sincerely doubt we're under attack but I can't help but be cautious as I approach, what the hell is going on?

I step into the lounge and can't help but gawk, I'm not sure what to expect for this. Four Jedi Masters are assembled on the couch, I recognize Mace Windu and Yoda easily, they're not forgettable. The other two are harder to place but after a moment the names click.

Hello, Dooku and, Sifo-Dyas, Dooku's hair is longer than when seen in the movies but I can still recognize his facial features, his voice also gives him away, and Sifo-Dyas I don't really know its him but considering his friendship with Dooku I'm assuming. I'll found out for sure later.

They're watching something on the holo-feed, it looks like a sports feed. Wait, is that Smashball? From what I've heard it's like super rugby with all kind of sci-fi features like reduced gravity and semi-harmless traps. I didn't know Dooku was a fan, hell I didn't know Mace and Yoda were fans.

Hardcore fans by the looks of it, Dooku and Mace are at the very least. They seem to be rooting for opposite teams and I'm briefly reminded of when I was young, back in my real life, when my father and uncle would argue over football matches. Yoda seems to be content with alternating between egging them on and his own brand of commentary. Sifo-Dyas is just watching silently, not really getting anything specific from him.

Alright, that's an amusing sight, and one I don't want to interrupt. I continue my way to the kitchenette and yes, there's a fresh pot of hot water and some tea packets. Alright, grab myself a cup, pour in the hot water and add my little tea packet.

There's an empty table and chair to my right so I take a seat and relax. The game is still going on, Mace and Dooku still seem engrossed in the game, I was never much of a sports fan and I'm still not. The game seems to be almost pointlessly violent and if there's a strategy involved I can't see it, Dooku and Mace seem invested though. Yoda's just there to mess with them and Sifo-Dyas seems to be rather uncomfortable though.

A few minutes in and the tea is ready, It is such a good thing I like tea, cause outside of caf, water, or fruit juice, there's nothing else to drink here. I miss having a cold soda at the end of the day or more specifically alcohol. Just five more years and it's the legal drinking age for me, oh goodness I can't wait.

I wonder what kind of mission Master Tavik got from the Council, I sincerely hope it's not as crazy as Troiken was. Galidraan has already happened, while we were on Raggoon VI, so there's no other major event I can think of to happen. Maybe it'll be a smalltime criminal investigation on some planet I've never heard of, that'd be nice. It'll probably be something galaxy-threatening, I'm not that lucky.

There's movement, Sifo-Dyas has left the couch and is heading for the kitchenette. Hm, I had been hoping to talk to Dooku at some point about Galidraan. Palpatine hasn't corrupted him yet, but it's a near thing, I've wondered if it would be possible to prevent him from falling. Sifo-Dyas is not only my best shot at getting to Dooku but he's significant himself.

Alright, he's separated from the others and they seem plenty distracted, he doesn't seem to care for the game anyways. I stand up and head over towards him, he turns towards me and offers a polite smile. Alright cool, take advantage of that and draw him in. I bow respectfully as I approach.

"Ah, Master Sifo-Dyas, sir, a moment if I may?" He looks uncertain but having to wait for his tea to be ready, he doesn't really have much to do anyways. Despite that he collects himself quickly and smiles.

"Yes, padawan, how can I assist you?" he says politely, Yoda, Dooku, and Mace are still distracted by the game. Good, I don't want them to interrupt me.

"You were at Galidraan, weren't you?" That was unknown but unsurprising to find out, and by the way he stills it isn't something he likes to remember. Unsurprising, eleven Jedi died at Galidraan, many of them probably people he knew.

"That isn't something a padawan should be asking about, you're too young to start worrying about-"

"I was at Troiken, I know enough." He pauses briefly, there's something new in his gaze, I can't quite place it but at least he's not trying to dismiss me. Then he sighs and picks up his cup of tea, walking not to the couch but towards the table I'd been sitting at. I follow him quickly and take a seat beside him.

"So, you're Master Tavik's padawan, I heard about what happened there. You padawans should have never been put into such a position." I take a sip of my tea and shrug, there's no point to wishing otherwise, 'Please', might as well move forward.

"Maybe, the whole thing was one stressful situation after another, but I survived, I learned a lot. I just wanted to ask, what do you think about the role of the Jedi in the Republic?" Ah, he wasn't expecting that question, but it's good to get a feel for his thoughts on the matter.

"The role of the Jed in the Republic? Well, I suppose Mace Windu put it best, we fight for civilization, only civilization can create peace." A bit assumptive but not necessarily wrong I guess, it doesn't really answer the question I have though.

"But how? There aren't near enough Jedi to cover all of the Republic and the Galaxy has suffered for it, most of the Outer Rim has descended into anarchy and there's rampant corruption in the Senate. We can't be everywhere." He shrugs slightly though the look on his face says he doesn't disagree with what I'm saying.

"That's true, and certainly worrying, the Judicial Forces have proven slow and inefficient in the face of recent encounters. I've always worried that something bad might be coming for the Republic, but lately it seems the future is unclear." Oh Sifo-Dyas, have I a proposition for you, first the bait.

"The Judicial Forces aren't enough, they couldn't stop the Stark Combine, they haven't been able to clear out the pirates festering in the Landor system, and I'm confident they couldn't do anything against the Mandalorians at Galidraan. The Republic needs a military of its own, even a small one would do wonders for the pirate problem." He looks at me for a long moment, taking a sip of his tea.

"I can't say I disagree, it would take time to get such a military set up and that's even if the Senate could get a military creation act approved." And now the sell, or at least plant the seed and hope it takes fruit.

"When I was on Troiken, I got a chance to talk with Senator Ranulph Tarkin, you know him right? The militarist from Eriadu, his vigilante force was made up from an allied coalition of Outer Rim sectors and systems working together to create a defense force. He even called it the Republic Navy, it was supposed to be the foundation for a new military." I take another sip of my tea, man this is good tea, in the background Dooku and Mace are having a heated discussion about something.

"I've heard bad things about his personality, and after that disaster at Troiken I doubt he has much political capital left to him, I'd be surprised if he becomes a notable figure again." Yes, that is a concern of mine, but it's also an opportunity to manipulate him. Should I be concerned about manipulating him to my own end or is it okay if it's for a sincerely beneficial goal?

"True, but he has nowhere to go but up now and he's hopefully learned some important lessons from Troiken. I had an idea for improving his position, I passed it onto him while I was talking to him. I'm not sure if he'll go for it, though he doesn't really have many options left to him." Sifo-Dyas leans back as I outline the plan I'd laid out to Tarkin. Throughout it all Sifo-Dyas listened patiently, only interrupting briefly to ask for elaboration on certain points.

Then he started to laugh, softly for sure, but laughing nonetheless. Alright, that's a bit rude I think, was the idea that bad. Soon enough he calms down and shakes his head slowly.

"That's, that's a very detailed plan for sure but it's too reliant on specific events going exactly perfect. If he stumbles or fails at any point it could represent a significant setback to the whole plan. It's a good plan, don't get me wrong, working from the ground up would be much easier and more effective than going through the Senate. There's no guarantee that Ranulph uses your idea, then what?" I shrug, it's nothing I hadn't already thought of or considered, there's just very little I can do about it. Sifo-Dyas on the other hand, well he can do a lot more than me,

"That's true Master Dyas but as you said, with so much political capital gone what other choice does he have? He may not have many other options available to him, at least, that's the hope" Sifo-Dyas nods and takes another sip of his tea. For a moment, there is silence before Sifo-Dyas speaks again.

"So, it's not a bad plan, and it could work I suppose. I just don't see why you're telling me instead of your Master or someone on the Council." I sigh and swirl the remaining tea in my cup, oh if only telling the Council would work. As for Master Tavik, I don't know enough about him to determine whether he'd be agreeable to my viewpoint or not.

"You know why more than anyone else Master Dyas, Ranulph might or might not go through with the plan but even if he doesn't, he won't stop aiming for militarization. Wouldn't it be better if he had some assistance? It's not uncommon for Senators to have Jedi advisors assisting them in diplomatic matters." He ponders that for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm not really that diplomatically inclined, I wouldn't know the intricacies required to do the job effectively and that's if I even wanted to do it." Alright, fair enough but it wasn't' you I had in mind. Dooku at this point is a bit of a wildcard, Palpatine shouldn't have his claws fully into Dooku yet.

However, Dooku at this point is just about ready to go on his crusade against the corruption and other problems in the Republic right now. Palpatine used this as one of his methods to subvert Dooku and draw him to the Dark Side. If I could redirect his attention and energies, would that help? Could I save Dooku from the Dark Side?

"True Master Diyas, you aren't" I point towards Dooku, he's still engrossed in his game, he hardly seems to have noticed his friends' departure.

"He is though, and after Galidraan I imagine a remilitarized Republic might be very appealing to him. Certainly, a healthier way to deal with his frustration, rather than fuming and doing nothing productive about it." He opens his mouth to speak before pausing and looking towards his friend. There's a moment of consideration, he wants to deny my words but can't, then he sighs.

"Yes, he has been very critical of the Republic and Jedi since Galidraan, but that's a natural response, eleven Jedi died at Galidraan, many of them good friends. He's grieving, it will pass and he'll get over it." Even as he says it, I can sense that little spark of inner turmoil, it sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than me.

I'm probably not going to get anymore done with him though, it's generally best to plant the seeds of the idea and let Sifo-Dyas convince himself later. Just the fact that the idea has been presented to him could change things later, when Dooku shows no sign of stopping his criticisms of the Republic and Jedi. I finish off the last of my tea and sigh, that was refreshing and now the training is catching up to me.

"It has been a pleasure speaking to you Master Sifo-Dyas, thank you for the conversation." There's still time to do some meditation before bed, clear my mind a bit. Tomorrow I'll find out what Master Tavik has in mind for us.

Sifo-Dyas nods and smiles, extending out his hand and I grasp it, shaking firmly.

"A pleasure speaking to you Padawan, you've given me something to think about. Your Master should be proud, he has an awfully smart student." I chuckle, he has no idea and sadly would probably never believe me, still.

"It's because I'm actually an adult trapped in the body of a child, really annoying at times." Sifo-Dyas laughs as I depart and I can't help but smile, maybe things will work out, maybe they won't.

"We're going to Ossus?"

The next morning Master Tavik led me to the hangar where Maks and her Master were already waiting. Her Master, a human woman in her late thirties, Denia gives us a look that I could only describe as longsuffering and I can hear Master Tavik sigh.

"You waited till the last minute to tell her, Zun? You haven't changed at all." Denia says as she shakes her head and goes back to inspecting the supplies to be loaded on the ship. Maks smiles, as much as a Gran can, and rushes over to me.

"This is so exciting, we're going on a mission together! I didn't know you were coming or else I'd have told you about it yesterday. We're going on an archeological survey of one of the Order's most important sites" I smile and shrug, there's no way I could have predicted this, I look over to Master Tavik who is still looking in Master Denia's direction. He notices my gaze and chuckles.

"Well the, Hanna Institute of Antiquities is doing a survey and requested assistance from the Order. I found out from Master Denia and thought it might be good for us to go along too." I nod, really all I can think of to do to that.

Ossus, formerly the location of one of the most significant Jedi Academies in the galaxy until it was destroyed by a supernova thousands of years ago. It was left abandoned afterwards and the descendants of the surviving Jedi went undiscovered until Luke went there thousands of years later.

Ood Bnar though, a powerful Jedi Master, survived the explosion by turning into a tree. I'm…. not sure how that worked aside from it being an extension of his Neti biology. The point is, he's alive there and if I remember, hiding a trove of Jedi relics under his tree form. I'm not sure what the effect of finding and getting him back to the Order would be. I'm not even sure there would be a significant change with him back early, but he otherwise dies on Ossus shortly after he wakes up.

Waking up and living for a few decades before the Jedi purge, if that still happens, surely must be better than waking up and dying the same day. I offer Maks a smile and a nod.

"I'm sure it'll be an enlightening visit. I wonder if we'll find anything interesting." Maks beams back at me.

"Well of course, a lot of data was sent back to the Temple before the academy's destruction but they had a lot of older scrolls and tomes that could have survived in fragments and other forms. Even fragments of lightsabers and other items could tell us so much about the period. It's going to be so much fun!" I listen patiently, going through everything I remember of Ossus.

Yes, this is certainly going to be an interesting mission.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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May 29, 2017

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Saphrith

Jun 4, 2017

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#72

Ossus's surface was unimpressive from the ship and it's as unimpressive on the ground. Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most notable Jedi sites in the Galaxy, but there's next to no vegetation, there's no animals I can see and it's just the same scenery over and over again.

How the hell did the Ysanna survive here for three thousand years? What did they eat or drink, how'd they build their weapons?

That said our little party has set down on a cliffside overlooking the ruins of the Ossus Academy, I say ruins but according to Master Denia the ruins here are only a tenth of the size of the original academy.

And to that I say, wow, the ruins alone are pretty big and spread out, there are at least two or three dozen structures of various sizes around the site. Granted most of them are small or have missing walls or roofs but still, this is a tenth of the original? The original must have been nigh on a city.

Doctor Turnell, our liaison with the Hanna Institute, has said that since the radiation dissipated over a thousand years ago there have been twenty-five sponsored digs and they still haven't fully unearthed everything about the site.

Okay, but why though? Surely, it's more efficient to maintain a permanent dig site to uncover the ruins. If funding was an issue then why haven't they worked on any joint projects with other institutes or sought Senate funding.

Listening to Doctor Turnell speak has revealed some interesting history. I already know that the Barsenthor of the old Star Wars MMO from my world existed, but I wasn't aware she was buried on Chandrila in the crystal catacombs. I might like to go visit that tomb sometime later, it could be enlightening in many ways.

That…opens some possibilities, I need to look into that later. In the meantime, while Doctor Turnell, his assistants and our Masters set up the expensive and fragile equipment, we get to search the ruins for anything that might have been unearthed by erosion of any sort. Whatever had destroyed Ossus, whether it really was a supernova or just some Sith magic they called a supernova, didn't bury any of the ruins. Instead the wind storms and ash thrown up over millennia had buried a lot of the ruins. They'd been mostly excavated in the preceding digs but there was still sometimes stuff to be found

That said, an easy assignment, and one that gives me a perfect excuse to find Ood Bnar, wherever he is. As I step into one of the smaller structures it's hard not to take note of the way this place feels. I've noticed it since I stepped foot on the planet but this place is hollow. In my previous life, the memories are a bit shaky but I remember visiting Pompeii. It was part of a school trip, but the point is, knowing the great tragedy that occurred there I could almost feel like there was this silent weight on my shoulders This feeling that I was standing amongst the dead.

This entire planet is a graveyard, the Force is wounded here, I can still sense it but I almost don't want to. There's an echo that is lingering at the back of my mind, and if I focus, it screams at me. I don't like this place, I'll be all too happy to leave when the time comes.

Maks is behind me, looking around dutifully, we're looking for absolutely anything that could be pertinent. Fragments of flimsi, broken machine parts, crystals, anything. Supposedly one of the first digs managed to find a working ancient lightsaber and other such rare artifacts have been found.

"Oh, look Viera! There's something in the ground here." I turn my attention to her, she's crouched down over a patch of dirt where I can vaguely see something most certainly not dirt. It looks metallic, it can't be a lightsaber, can it?

Maks takes hold of the object, digging it out of the dirt and holding it up for the both of us to see. Okay, it's not a lightsaber but it does look like a part of one, hm I think I recognize it.

"Maks, is that an emitter matrix?" She inspects it closely, it looks like one and isn't that just the weirdest thing. Probably got buried when the supernova hit. I wonder if it was part of a constructed lightsaber or a random part lying about that got buried. Still, a good find. She takes out a datapad from her pack and takes a picture of the site, as well as making a note of the location.

"Looks like it, I'm sure Doctor Turnell will appreciate the find." I nod and step out of the structure, usually basking in the sun is one of the most refreshing things for me, not here. It's as if I can feel the sun's rays but there's no warmth to it, there's just….nothing.

Maks steps out after me, I assume nothing else was found, the Gran padawan looks at me for a moment before stepping up beside me. There's a nervousness in her body-language that worries me, is something wrong?

"Ah, Viera, are…are you alright?" Am I? I was under the assumption that I was, but maybe not.

"Yes, I believe so, why is there something wrong Maks?" There's another ruin that looks about as promising so I start walking towards it. After a minute Maks follows.

"It's just that, you've seemed so distracted lately. Master Tavik and Master Denia sent us out here to look around and you looked like you didn't hear a thing they said." Did I? I suppose I must seem distracted to other people. It can't be helped though, I've got so much on my mind.

Granted, this whole assignment is just to keep us busy while they set up delicate equipment for excavation. The fact that Maks found that emitter matrix was a lucky break for us. There's also something about this place that makes me feel uneasy.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just that there's so much to think about. This place, what happened here, everything else." I shrug, there's not much else to say on the matter. I do need to focus, maybe get myself a datapad or some flimsy and write down a more cohesive plan. English is not a language anyone speaks here, so I could be reasonably certain of no one reading it.

"I heard about what happened at Troiken, I can't imagine being in the same position, it seems unfortunate that there couldn't have been a less violent solution." Oh Maks, Gran are notably communally focused and even raised as a Jedi, she is the least violent out of all of us. It's unfortunate that she was born into an era about to be engulfed in war and destruction.

"That would be ideal, but what can you do with pirates and the like. Most of us made it out alive, and really it was only the lack of bacta that caused so many casualties." I'm ready for it this time and can avoid the memory of the dead woman. She's been popping up in odd places when I'm not paying attention to it.

There's nothing in the next structure, or the structure after that. I'm not surprised and neither is Maks really, again this is just something for us to do while the adults handle the expensive equipment. I'm fine with it, I prefer to just amble around aimlessly.

A gust of wind blows by and with it, a foreboding sense of unease that makes me shiver. Why am I shivering so much? Maks is fine, I can see her calm and steady, at least compared to me.

"Maks, how are you so calm, the Force is so hollow here it feels dead. I don't know how you stand it." There's something sticking out of the dirt and I crouch down to inspect it, grateful for any distraction from the oddness around me. Ah, it's just a piece of metal, nothing important really, probably a fragment of a building or a speeder or something like that.

"What feeling? I'm not getting anything. Everything is fine, what's wrong, what do you sense?" Really? I don't understand that, how can she not sense the death and decay here? I get that as a Miraluka my senses are inherently stronger but they can't be that much better, can they?

"It's this whole place, the tragedy that happened here still clings to everything from the air to the very ground we walk on. I can taste it, it's like that time we all dared each other to try a bowl of Master Yoda's special stew." Maks chuckles at the memory unpleasant as it is. It seems a rite of passage for every youngling to try it. It never ends well for anyone.

"You and Jang were stuck in the refresher for hours waiting for the convulsions to stop as I recall." I grimace, that was an unpleasant memory to say the least. We never thought to try that again.

"Yeah, you weren't looking so good either when it was all said and done, but you remember how the taste stayed with you for hours afterward, you couldn't eat or drink until it was gone it was so bad. It's the same for me, I'm not trying to sense anything but it lingers on my very being." She's silent for a moment, how depressing I must be, then a hand on my shoulder.

I offer her a small smile, her three eyestalks are slumped slightly, the Gran expression for sadness. Her mouth doesn't really move like a human on so frowning isn't much use to her. She's trying so hard to be comforting but she doesn't understand, she doesn't sense what I'm sensing.

I should probably talk to Master Tavik about this later, another Miralukan should understand what I'm going through.

"Thank you, Maks, I know. I'll be fine, I just need time to adjust to it all." I don't believe that for a moment, get Master Bnar back, get off this planet, never come back. Ossus? What's an Ossus, I've never heard of it. No, I'm quite content not going, thank you, have fun though.

Maks nods and hefts her pack higher on her shoulder. A good idea, we do have some more ground to cover, even if nothing's likely to come of it. I need the distraction, and so does Maks now that I think about it.

"So, while we search, why don't you tell me about the missions that you and Master Denia have been on." Maks takes the que for a subject change, whether she knows it or not, and happily begins to regale me of her own exciting adventures.

"Oh, well Master Denia and I went to the university of Agamar to attend a lecture on Jedi historiography during the New Sith Wars." Oh Maks, I would kill to attend that lecture, actually, brain make a note to ask Master Tavik to take us to one if the opportunity arises.

There's something here, there's a throbbing sensation in the back of my skull, we've been doing this for an hour and a half at the very least. There's an incline blocking our view of one of the larger ruins. I bet this is either Ood Bnar or a monster about to eat our face.

I'm not sure what would be better really.

Okay, this is very odd. The Force is a vortex here, swirling around almost like a torndo just beyond the incline. But the energy isn't moving past the incline. No wonder I didn't sense it until we got close, though that still doesn't explain why no other Jedi who has come here has sensed it. Hopefully Master Tavik can make an explanation that makes some sort of sense.

Though I suspect the answer to be something along the lines of, 'I have the cheat sheet to give me the answer', that doesn't make it much better though.

"Maks, do you sense that? You have to sense that, it's impossible that you can't." She frowns, or at least tries at it. Okay, yes! I'm not crazy.

"Yes, there is something, now that we're closer to the ruins I can sense it. It's odd, I didn't sense it before." I mean, Palpatine can hide his status as a Sith Lord from Jedi, would I be possible to draw in one's one presence in the Force to a localized area? It seems that some ingenious Force user has done so.

Like for example, a Neti Jedi Master whose true form is a tree and who went into hibernation to protect a trove of Jedi artifacts from Exar Kun.

"Alright, let's go back and get Master Tavik and Master Denia. They should see this as well." Maks nods and together we start the trek back to the camp. Okay, so how do I awaken Ood Bnar? I mean, in the comic he just sort of awakened when Luke and the others got near him. That explains exactly nada about how to go about doing it.

The presence of Jedi? No, it can't be that simple, there have been numerous Jedi who've come here to excavate the ruins over the past thousand years and none of them awakened him. So, how the hell am I going to do it? I have time to figure it out though, I just need to think.

Master Tavik and Master Denia are happy to see us, happier to take the emitter matrix we found and perplexed at our little encounter by the last ruin.

"It sounds like you have described a Force Nexus padawan, are you sure? I have been to Ossus three times and my Master before me went on an expedition. There has never been anything like what you described." Denia says, doubtfully.

Okay, that's interesting. This Nexus is a new thing? What could that mean, anything really, my knowledge of such things is minimal and much of the lore on Force Nexuses is stored in holocrons I haven't been able to access yet, pity.

"I don't know, Master Denia, my padawan and yours aren't really the type to play jokes. Perhaps they sensed something new." Master Tavik has my back, go team Miraluka. Denia s none too impressed by that.

The ay her presence in the Force twists, oh do they have a history together? Oh, this could be interesting to see play out. I sit back against the small stone slab that is my back rest and remain silent.

"Master Tavik, there have been dozens of Jedi led surveys on Ossus since the storms subsided and nothing like this has been reported." Maks is about to speak but I shush her quietly, no this isn't to be interrupted.

"That may be true, but this place hasn't been surveyed in eight years. Plenty of time for something to happen. Maybe it's a coalescence of Force energy leftover from the latent storms that rendered this planet inhospitable. It's still worth going to look at." Master Tavik is smiling too, oh he enjoys baiting her! I like this.

"Regardless, our priority here is to assist Doctor Turnell and his team in their excavation of the ruins, not to spend time studying what may well turn out to be nothing. We can look into this supposed Nexus after the excavation is done and if it turns out to be important then we will forward it to the Council." I wish I had popcorn, this argument isn't so amusing as to make ration cubes look edible.

"Oh, very well Denia, you are the Jedi in charge of this mission, we'll do it your way I suppose." The way his aura twitches I can tell his lie, granted he's not trying very hard to hide it from me. Denia's gaze is stern as she stares him before she sighs and leans back against her rock.

"Just try not to cause any trouble, I've never had any trouble on one of these excavations and I don't intend to have any now." Denia's gaze is firmly focused on Master Tavik, who is more amused than cowed.

"Is this about Arbooine? There was no way I could have predicted that the Sathari would take offense at the destruction caused by our bout with the pirates." Arbooine? I've never heard of that, or the Sathari. Master Denia is not amused and by the way her aura flares, it's not a happy memory.

"We spent six days on the run because of your carelessness. Six days, being hunted by the Sathari and the numerous predatory plants and animals that lived there." Maks hands me a cup of something, oh is that tea? Thank you Maks, you're so thoughtful. I turn to whisper to her, careful not to interrupt.

"This is awesome, what do you think their history is?" I take a sip of the tea, ooh it reminds me of chamomile, so relaxing. Maks shrugs and leans over to whisper back.

"I think they went on a lot of missions together when they were younger. I haven't heard about a mission to Arbooine but she told me he got them in trouble on Delantine when he accidentally insulted someone trying to speak their language." Ooh, I need to get that tale out of him at some point. Why haven't we had a mission as exciting as that, sounds like fun.

We sit there for a while, just listening to them talk and argue about one thing or another. It's clear they aren't really angry at each other, just arguing for the sake of it. This is nice, it's easy to forget the horror of this place or the dull throbbing emptiness in the back of my skull. I can hear Doctor Turnell talking with his assistants in the background, discussing best how to plan the survey and excavation.

It's so calm and quiet, it's hard not to drift off to sleep, I don't even notice when I fall asleep. My dreams are dreadfully silent, no nightmares, no dreaming of that woman, just blissful silence.

I'm almost disappointed when I wake, the lights are all out save for a small lantern, Master Tavik is beside me, leaning against a slab of rock. I don't even bother pretending to sleep, he knows I'm awake. I sit up, and oh my neck is sore. I should have gone to sleep in the tent we had set up.

"Couldn't sleep padawan? This place getting to you?" Straight to the point, nice, thank you Master Tavik. I shrug and stretch to ease my sore muscles.

"Yes, how do you handle this place? It's hollow, there's life here but it's so buried I can't sense it unless I put effort into it." Master Tavik leans back, gaze directed at the sky.

"It's something that you have to learn to live with as a Miraluka. Ossus is a wound in the Force, though an old one. What was done to this planet, the hundreds of Jedi who died here, their pain still screams into the Force, all Miraluka have to deal with extreme sensitivity to such things. I suspect anyplace like Ossus, or anywhere a great tragedy happened, you'll feel the same." That sucks, that really does. How many places in the galaxy are there that are going to make me feel dead inside to be around.

"So, how do you handle it, you're clearly more in control than I am?" He shrugs and sits up, turning his gaze towards me.

"You don't, not really, you learn to control your reaction, to suppress your discomfort behind your training but it will always haunt you. I've always found that meditation helps me push pas the discomfort." I smile and sit up, check my chrono, dawn is only an hour away. Not much point to going back to sleep.

"May I meditate with you, Master?" He returns my smile and nods. I shift to sit cross-legged and he does likewise. Together we slowly let go and drift off into the Force. Come the morning, I'll hopefully have a plan to awaken Ood Bnar.

Last edited: Jun 4, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jun 4, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 11 New

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Saphrith

Jun 9, 2017

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#78

The next morning after breakfast, thankfully not ration cubes, we made our way to the ruins. Doctor Turnell spent the trek talking about the history of previous digs. They've found only six intact lightsabers, the parts for dozens more and oddly enough a single Holocron that managed to survive. Beyond that, the dig is mostly a chance for new archaeologists to get some experience.

Which seems reasonable I guess, let the newbies get a chance to move beyond their schooling while not risking any artifacts considered too delicate to handle. I think the meditation might have helped, the hollowness is still there, I can still feel it, but I'm calmer, more at peace now. Master Tavik walks beside me, the picture of confidence and assurance.

"Alright, padawans I need you to set up the sensors at the spots marked on your map. Once you've done that, place the transmitter on the highest point you can find here. Remember, the transmitter needs to be within one hundred meters of the sensors for it to work." I bow to Master Denia and nod to Maks who follows me as we depart.

Maks has the map since it means little to me, apparently Miraluka require special maps or depictions to read and it's just not practical for most companies to make them, considering the Miraluka tendency to stay home in Alpheridies. The datapads for the Temple tend to be Miraluka-friendly though and most of the texts that used to be only on flimsi and other means have been translated to datapad for quite some time.

"So, when we place the sensors, want to go check out that Force Nexus? Straight to the point, it's not like it was that much of a secret anyways. I think even Master Denia was aware of my intention if the look she gave me was any indication.

"I-what, no! You heard Master Denia and Master Tavik, we're to wait until the end of the survey before we get involved." Maks looks affronted that I would go against the orders they clearly weren't that concerned with me disregarding in the first place.

"Oh, come on, you felt that! It has to be something important, who knows what we might find." Ood Bnar most likely but she doesn't know that.

"And what if it's something dangerous, or something pointless and we go against our Masters for nothing?" I shrug, as Maks points out one of the sensor locations and I place the first sensor. Apparently, they're for sensing metals and other materials. Something about the dirt here seems to block sensors beyond a certain point down. Erosion has over the centuries uncovered a lot of the ruins, so each new dig the sensors can record a little more.

I really don't understand why they don't just raise funds for a serious excavation. I get that they like using this dig as training but come on, it shouldn't be that hard to get enough charitable donations to completely uncover the ruins. I'm sure there are plenty of Senators who would make the donation if only to look good to their constituents.

We fall silent for a time afterwards; our task basically boils down to me following Maks around and placing the sensors where she tells me. It's not a very mentally taxing assignment, so I've had time to think about things.

What do I want to do when I hit Knighthood, there isn't much I can think of to reveal Palpatine to the Order, anything I did he'd probably sense coming and his power is so far beyond contest that I know better than to bother.

Granted, I might be able to come up with a plan later, but I'm unsure what would cause that. There isn't much I can do right now to aid in the rearmament of the Republic, I have to trust that Ranulph is determined enough to keep at it.

Speaking of, I haven't heard much about Ranulph lately, he's been spending more time in Eriadu according to Coruscant news but he hasn't said what he's doing there. So maybe he's thinking about my idea. I hope so at least. The effects of a Republic Military before the Clone War period or at the very least an infrastructure to create one aren't very clear.

Ordinarily it would just point to a stronger Republic rearmament at some point or another, but I know what's coming, or what's supposed to be coming. But any changes I make by no means guarantee that the Palpatine won't organize a war to bleed the Jedi. I need to think about that more. In the meantime, I have to have something to do during the interim.

What would it be like to travel? I wonder if I could be like the wandering Jedi such as Master Fay or Nico Diath and spend time away from the Temple and helping people on my own terms. I could maybe even try to spend some time with other Force traditions and learn what they can teach.

I don't want to leave the Order though, I know that for a fact, I like this life. Even with their flaws the Order is the life I want right now, I don't really care about restrictions on romantic relationships, that's never been my thing anyways. I am sort of upset about the taking infants for training but that can be worked on, right?

Maks taps a hand on my shoulder, wait what? Oh, have we finished placing the sensors? My ability to just space out is impressive sometimes, it really is. I turn to Maks who is holding out a small transmitter about the size of a potted plant.

"We need to find a place to set this up for the sensors. See anything suitable?" The ruins around us aren't really that tall it seems. One of them might serve, but I seem to remember that the place we totally aren't supposed to go is one of the larger ruins and on the other side of an incline. It might serve, no harm in checking right.

"Not yet, but if we-ah where are you going!" Maks rushes to catch up with me as I head off back in the direction of where I'm sure Ood Bnar is. I haven't even seen the ruin in its entirety yet, never got close enough but I really don't care that much. I just want to see what the hell is going on over there.

"Why do I bother, you're going to do it anyways." Good on you Maks, you're learning well. She's following me now as we both jog towards the larger ruin. As we approach the familiar sensation of the Force nexus bubbles up in the back of my mind.

It's stronger today, and I don't know why, but I preserve and crest the incline to get a good look at the full structure. It's tall enough to serve for a transmitter, that's for sure. It looks like it's still half-buried, the only opening I can see looks like it's a window of some kind.

The dirt around it is shifting too. It's not a massive shift, but the way little bits of dirt are falling off of the ruin itself and the way the ground seems to be sloping makes me think it's eroding. So, is Ood Bnar buried under the dirt? That would complicate things wouldn't it, I'm not sure how to get him out.

So, how to do this? I suppose just jump to the top of the ruin and place the transmitter I guess. Okay, the roof isn't that far up, gather the Force around me, jump and let the Force extend my leap. Okay, angle my descent to the roof and the Force softens my landing.

I always wondered how Jedi could jump so far and stick the landing without being hurt, but apparently, it's all the Force, thank you Force, I don't want broken legs. Alright, the transmitter is in my backpack and if I remember, these things are super simple to place.

Place the transmitter on the roof and press the power button. The transmitter is tied to the sensors placed around the site. It'll take the data from the sensors and convert it into a form that can be read by the datapads everyone has. The transmitter whirs to life and I check my datapad. Okay, the sensor data is starting to come in though I can't make heads or tails of it.

I stand up and turn to look at Maks, she's on the ground, didn't jump up with me and I wave to her.

"Transmitter's set up, we're good to go!" I shout down and I see her wave back to me.

"Alright Viera, now come on, we need to go back and meet up with Master Denia and Master Tavik." She yells back and I sigh, so straight-laced and rule following. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to find Ood Bnar. I know he's here, he has to be, there' s nowhere else for him to be.

The roof beneath me cracks and I tense, what? And then the roof gives out under me, fuck! I'm falling through and the impact on the ground hurts a lot. Okay, pain everywhere, I can feel all my extremities and nothing seems to be broken but I'm sore all over. Damned unstable infrastructure!

"Viera! Viera! Are you okay, answer me!" I can hear Maks shouting for me and I groan and try to sit up, the wind is knocked out of me though.

"I'm okay, I think, just sore. The roof came out from under me!" There's something shifting under me, what now!

Oh, right, eroding ground and I'm falling backwards? The dirt I'm sitting on is crumbling to what? Okay, get up, don't fall down the slowly growing hole. Ignore the pain, get to the window. I draw the Force to me and try to spring myself in a short leap to the window. Out the window I go and I hit the ground hard.

Okay, more pain but at least I'm not falling again, what even happened there anyways? I take a cautious step towards the window and look in. I can hear Maks coming up behind me. Okay inside, it seems like the dirt floor has eroded away, or rather the impact from me hitting it caused some of the packed dirt to come loose and flow down into whatever structure this is.

What's that? I can see stone at the bottom of the hole. It looks like whatever structure this is, the interior is pretty big and not completely filled by dirt. Okay, I reach into my pack and grab the rebreather given to every Jedi, can't be too careful.

"Viera! What happened, are you okay?" I give her a thumbs up and step back into the window, okay it looks like I can slide down the hole and into the chamber. I'm Lara Croft, how nice.

"I'm fine, I want to check this out, feel free to come along or go back to let Master Tavik know." And with that I'm already sliding down the hole before an argument can start. I'm sliding, this is pretty fun actually.

Alright, where am I?

The chamber I'm in is mostly stone of some sort, don't know what, it could be marble for all I know but it's big. And, oh my, it looks like that structure was one of many structures, or wait is this some kind of garden? There seems to be what looks like dead plants everywhere.

I start walking aimlessly into the structure, I can hear Maks sliding down and rushing up behind me, she stops to marvel at the buried garden

"What is this place, it was buried under all that dirt?" I shrug, I don't know what this place is, I can't really call it Ood Bnar's resting place, hopefully. I reach into my pack and grab the flashlight type device all Jedi are given for this mission. I don't really need it but Maks could use the extra light I suppose. Maks turns her own flashlight on and I think we'll be good for finding our way.

And where is the Best Tree hiding, how many trees are here? Answer, a lot of them now that I look closely. Many of them are rotted to the core and piles of bark, but some are dead and still standing. Okay, which one is the right one? Do I just knock on each of them and hope for an answer?

Knock knock, are you there Ood? It's me Viera.

There's a tugging sensation at the back of my mind, okay what? The Force is telling me something, or rather telling me I need to go somewhere. Alright, why not, I start walking in the direction I'm being tugged.

"Ah, where are you going?" Maks asks and I shrug, as if I know where I'm going, I never really do.

"No idea, the Force is telling me to go this way, I think, so why not follow." She follows after me as we walk through the dead garden. There are…..bones here and there, I wonder who from. A Jedi or one of Exar Kun's Massassi Warriors. Doesn't really matter really though I take care to step over or around them, the Council of First Knowledge will want whatever's left for analysis.

Okay, I think I can see where this is going, there's a tree further in that is still standing and looks noticeably not rotten. It's also where the vortex of Force energy saturating this place is coming from. Or rather, it's a conduit through which the Force is coming out of the planet through him and into the air around us then back into him and into the planet. It's like a mystical feedback loop, why though, I don't understand the purpose of it.

But this is Ood Bnar for sure. I reach out to the tree, just touching the 'wood' gently. AH! I yank my hand back, it was like getting the nastiest static shock ever. It's not electricity though, is it pure Force energy? He's so surrounded and permeated by the Force that it hurts to touch him. The moment I do, that energy tries to go into me and that is not at all a good feeling.

"What, what is this?" Maks whispers behind me, so she can sense it as well. How not, this thing is intense. Alright, I don't know how to wake him up, so do what we always do when we don't know the solution.

Meditate.

I take a seat and adopt a meditative pose, alright so breathe in and breathe out. Let all the anxieties and worries go, let them fade away like morning dew in the face of the sun's rays. The Force answers my call all too easily, flowing through me easily in the face of the Nexus around me.

Breathe in, and breathe out. The sun moves slowly but inexorably onwards on its path and I am drifting in it's wake, pulled by its gravity and warmed by its gaze. My skin is tingly and warm and the soothing sensation lulls me into a daze, I breathe in and stretch out my focus to Ood Bnar. The response is telling, there's something there! It's like tossing a rock into a pond, the ripples are spreading out through the Tree and the Force.

It's grasping and pulling, the Force drawing me in, I relax and allow myself to be drawn into it. And then all at once, everything changes around me.

"Oh, now who do we have here? What brings you here little one?" A new voice? It's not Maks, I reluctantly broaden my focus to my surroundings. The Garden is beautiful with verdant trees and plants and other things. The walls are of a brilliant, gleaming stone and on the roof a holoprojector displays a glorious artificial sky.

Ah man, not again, I feel so disturbed by how easy I slip into these lucid visions. I really hope this doesn't become a trend. Oh, and Ood Bnar is here too.

The wizened Neti Jedi Master is standing over me, a cane of some sort in his hand, his Jedi robes are simple and austere but he carries an aura of dignity and peace that give him a grandeur I envy. His face, such as it is, is in the form of a smile, as close as he can come to such a thing.

"Such a curious padawan, to find my resting place and interrupt an old Jedi's rest." Oh, I should probably speak to him, shouldn't I?

"Ah, Master Bnar! I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, I just wanted to wake you up, you've been here for thousands of years!" Ood Bnar chuckles, he's like an ent that way.

"You know of me? It seems my exploits have been remembered for quite some time. Though I never asked for such trappings. I am always content to serve the Force and galaxy at large." He takes a seat next to me on the ground and I shift uncomfortably, what do I do here?

"Well, when I went to Ilum to construct my lightsaber, I had a vision in the caves and it was of you, in the form of a tree here on Ossus, so when I found you here, what else was I to do?" He considers my words for a long moment.

"Is that so? Well if the Force guided you here, it must have been for a good reason. Tell me, do you know why I am a tree?" He says quietly, around us the room begins to shake.

"A supernova, or some Sith Magic, struck Ossus and you turned into a tree to survive it?" That's not quite the true story but I don't know that.

"Hm, close, my old student Exar Kun had fallen to the Dark Side and was raiding the Library for whatever artifacts he could acquire. I turned into the tree to protect them from his grasp, the fact that it allowed me to survive Ossus's destruction, but it was not without cost." Around us the scene shifts, Ossus is burning, great gouts of fire spreading across the land and the sky is a storm that blocks out the sky, lighting and other things I don't understand flashing across the sky.

There are Jedi, screaming in pain, their death wails are chilling as they burn or are struck down by lightning or falling debris. I guess, the Ysanna didn't survive in this timeline, that's a shame but them surviving on a dead world never did make a lot of sense, or any sense really.

"What cost, Master Bnar? You seem to be pretty alive right now?" This, might give me a clue on how to save him, hopefully, maybe.

"The Force saved me, but it taxed me heavily. I became comatose from exhaustion and only awoke nearly a thousand years ago. I have been using the Force within the planet and the surroundings to nourish myself since, but I am still too weak to return to my old form, if I were to become myself again I would die." Okay, that's not good, so I'm not going to save him, not now at least. But ah, there's an idea.

"The Jedi Temple on Coruscant has plenty of healers who could help you? I'm sure they could figure out a way to help you survive." He nods slowly, waving a hand as the scene begins to shift again.

"I'm sure they could, it will take time though and perhaps that is what the Force wished for you when it gave you that vision, to inform the Council of my plight. That isn't what you wanted though, is it?" I shake my head, no point denying it.

"Yes, I had hoped to save you now, a Jedi from thousands of years ago, there's so much you could teach, so much we could learn" I can't really think of a way for Ood Bnar to help stop what's coming beyond being an extra Jedi Master but who knows. It'd still be nice to have him back.

"I can see, admirable of you but I will not awaken fully, not yet. In the interim though, a benefit of being so thoroughly connected to the planet is that I know where a trove of intact Jedi artifacts is stored. In addition to the trove I am protecting beneath me, this I can do."

The scene has shifted now, to what I assume is Ossus right now, destroyed and desolate everything. But I can see the ruins in the distance, ah so that's where we are. Master Bnar starts walking away from the ruins and I follow him closely, we go for what seems a long roundabout path and to a large ridge. There's a crack in the side, barely big enough for both of us to slip through, but I manage it. And inside is a remarkably well-preserved library.

And by well-preserved, I mean that there is dirt everywhere, a collapsed roof and wall, but there are still containers and bookshelves standing, intact scrolls and tomes and more. Okay, this is nice, go me and go Master Bnar.

"I can shift myself enough to give you access to the artifacts beneath me but little else. I trust you to see to the library and reporting this to the Council." Master Bnar turns to face me, leaning on the rock around us and I bow respectfully.

"Of course, Master Bnar, I promise not to let you down, thank you for your gift." He nods solemnly and extends his wooden hand to poke me.

"Good, now awaken." And like that consciousness returns to me. I'm back in the ruins and Maks is shaking me. She looks worried, and oh, Master Denia and Master Tavik. When did you get here?

"Padawan, are you alright?" Master Tavik puts his hand on my shoulder as I try to stand. What's going on? How long was I out?

The confusion must show on my face because he sighs and shakes his head.

"You've been here for a full day Padawan, nothing we did could wake you, I was about ready to call the Council for help." He reaches into his pack and pulls out a bottle of some sort of liquid and a pack of ration cubes, I am hungry actually, even ration cubes will do I suppose.

I take the offered food and drink eagerly, so I was out for a day? Force Nexuses man, they'll surprise you. Now how to explain this to everyone, I take the opportunity of eating and drinking to come up with a good answer as to what I was doing.

"Well, I found out what my vision on Ilum was about." Throw out the biggest deflection first. Master Tavik's face softens, he's on my side predictably and Maks and Denia are looking a bit curious now.

"Is that so, and what have you discovered?" I open my mouth to explain but there's a creaking sound behind me, Ood Bnar's tree form is twisting and shifting ever so slightly, the roots are moving place, revealing a hollow space beneath them.

Ah, thank you Master Bnar, I reach into the now open hole and grasp the first thing I can get. It's a handle, no it's an ancient lightsaber, how sweet. I heft the saber and press the activation switch, pointing the end away from anyone else.

A snap-hiss and the blade comes to life before me. The thrum of the blade echoing in the ruin, so it still works, sweet. I clip it to my belt, because why not and I feel like that's appropriate before reaching back into the hole.

There's a lot more ancient lightsabers in there and I start handing them to Master Denia and Master Tavik. Maks is jotting down notes dutifully, good on her. And oh goodness gracious me, there's a Holocron in here. A single glorious square-shaped Holocron. I hand that off to Master Denia carefully and she takes it gently.

This time, as I stand, Master Tavik does not try to stop me, maybe he's just a little shocked and unsure of what to do. I offer him a smile.

"Master, do I have a story for you."

Last edited: Jun 11, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Threadmarks Interlude III New

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#89

His office was a mess, or as much of a mess as he ever let it be. His desk was a mess of datapads, reports, news articles and records of communiques from the last two weeks. The bottle of Corellian Whiskey had five empty siblings on the desk and floor around him. Idly he rubbed his chin, noting the unshaven stubble that had been growing there.

Ruined, he had been ruined, the disaster at Troiken had taken everything from him, once he was at the top of the Militarist faction, now his fellows had begun to challenge him in ways they'd never have dreamed of before. He had been subjected to ridicule and a witchhunt by the press ever since he had made his return to Coruscant.

Militarists saved by Jedi intervention. He was nothing more than a laughingstock, a 'crazed vigilante who needed to be brought to heel'. The humiliation burned away at him, the constant press of reporters asking him about his 'disastrous decisions' at Troiken and the lives he'd lost there. Fools, the lot of them! He had no way to predict Stark's foreknowledge of his attack and he'd immediately done what he could to evacuate his ships once defeat became inevitable.

Even back on Eriadu he'd found little support from his own family. Oh, they were subtle and their concern was well faked but he knew them well enough. Shayla and Willhuf had not ceased making their subtle hints that he should retire and let them take over the Tarkin name. He'd shut them down on that front easily enough.

But now he didn't know what to do, so he'd just opened the cellar set down by his grandfather and busied himself drinking himself into a stupor. He felt like having a drink now, he was still unfortunately sober.

A knock and then his door opened, Jace Dallin entering the room. Ranulph sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"What do you want, Jace, just leave me to drink." Jace had been continuously pestering him to get back into it, he still had a small core of his force left. Those who had just been scattered by the virus instead of destroyed. Jace had been busy organizing them as well as performing other matters.

"Senator Tarkin sir, I have something for you." Jace held out a datapad and reluctantly Ranulph took it, reading over it slowly.

"You contacted Rendili Stardrive?" There were negotiation details over ship production? He frowned, trying to remember before his mood soured further and he dropped the datapad onto his already cluttered desk.

"So, you've been conned by that Jedi girl too? I don't want anything to do with this Jace." That girl, he'd gotten her name, Viera Sarat. She'd humiliated him, offering up that 'suggestion' as if his own plan was feeble and he needed her help.

Now she'd gotten his own aide to fall for her schemes.

"I brought up the suggestion of modernized Hammerhead and Valor cruisers, the Aureks too. They're willing to offer us a deal for them. They're offering thirty percent off for nine Hammerheads and a Valor." Ranulph paused for a moment, that was a considerable deal, given what the probably price for those ships would be.

"And why would I want ten cruisers from Rendili? I was doing just fine before she came along and treated me like some damned fool boy in need of instruction." Jace's facial expression didn't change, he just stared at Ranulph.

"You were sir, and I still believe you can, but we've lost the support of the other Militarists after Troiken. We need something to win back their trust and build our support again. This is the best option." The truth burned at him, damn him, and damn her. All his political support was gone, his friends had abandoned him, only Jace was still loyal. Unperturbed by Ranulph's silence, Jace pressed on.

"The troops are still invested, I've run the idea by some of the senior commanders and they approve of the plan. I've sent out recruiters to a number of worlds looking for anyone willing to sign up and I've started some quiet inquiries into the pirate situation in Landor."

"Do I have another option at this point Jace?" It seemed like he'd lost everything, all his plans to rearm the Republic and bring safety and security to the Republic and Outer Rim were going up in flames, and all he had left to him was an optimistic plan from some padawan who he hardly knew if he could trust.

"Not much of one sir, but if this works you'll reestablish your credibility with the Militarists and we can work forward from there. We all still believe in your vision for the Republic, we're proud to be your soldiers, General." Jace snapped a quick salute and Ranulph had to laugh, Jace truly was the only man he could rely on. He considered the bottle in his hand for a long moment.

Did he have any other option, was it worth it to go on the word of a child? Even if she was a padawan. But the real question was if he was prepared to sink into obscurity and give up, let Shayla and Willhuf take over the family headship. Was it worth it to abandon his dream of a new Republic Military and a safe and prosperous Outer Rim?

No, it was no question at all, no one else wanted to save the Republic for anything other than their own ambition and greed. He certainly couldn't trust Aks Moe or Golfhan to guide the Militarists down a good path. He set the bottle of whiskey back onto his desk gently and picked up the datapad from Rendili to look it over more thoroughly.

The price tag was hefty, but he could pay for it. He'd need time to train up new crew and new troops but there was a core of experienced men he could use to train their fellows.

"Jace." He said after a moment to think, "Tell Rendili Stardrive we accept their offer, get me those inquiries into Landor, make sure those recruiters hit Shili and Iridonia, and one more thing. Get me a record of every Senatorial election on Ryloth in the last fifteen years, I need the name of every candidate who opposed Taa and their campaign." Jace saluted and made to leave before stopping as if he'd just remembered something.

He turned around and walked back towards Ranulph, handing over a second datapad.

"One more thing, sir. I received a message from a Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and Jedi Master Dooku for you. They asked to speak with you at your convenience." Ranulph took the datapad and frowned.

"He knew of Dooku by reputation, plenty of Senators did, his presence in the Senate was regular enough that he was a familiar face.

It couldn't hurt to hear him out.

He'd have to shave first though.

Last edited: Jun 9, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Jun 9, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 12 New

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Jun 15, 2017

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#117

"So, Viera, tell me how exactly this is supposed to work?" I've got the rest of the 'Padawan Pack', and hasn't that become a term every Knight and Master has come to know, in one of the larger Temple courtyards. It's been almost a year since Ossus and this is the first time we've all been together in a long time.

Master Tavik is busy with something or other, I'm not exactly sure, he just told me to go train or do something for the day. I imagine he probably meant for me to take a day off, and so I am.

"Alright, so I've got some a little sack filled with dirt and what we're going to do is play a little game. Everyone form a circle." Jang and Ilena take position to the left and right of me while the others finish the circle. Zey's looking much happier now than he was before, apparently spending time with Master Kon Ray has done wonders for him.

"How is this training?" Jai stretches out his burnt fingers, he had a nasty encounter on his last mission and burnt some of his fingers. This will make things difficult for him, only Pollitrix knows the full story and she has refused to tell us. That can only mean it's hilarious.

"Good question Jai, on Troiken I had the nifty idea of using the Force to throw grenades farther than normally possible. I tried to show Obi-Wan and Vos how to do it and it worked eventually." I heft the bag of sand a few times before using the Force to toss it towards Pol, who's taken position to Jai's left. She catches the bag and nods slowly.

"So, you want to show us how to do the same thing." Pol mirrors me and uses the Force to toss the bag back to me and I shake my head. I know they can do that, it'd be pointless to show them how to do something they could already do.

"No, I want to show you how to use the Force to throw it farther. Similar but different, everyone back up, make the circle bigger." They all comply and pretty soon we've created a sizable circle in the courtyard, each of us too far to simply through this bag of dirt to each other without assistance. Assistance the Force can give.

"Okay, the rules are simple, you can't throw it to anyone to your immediate left or right and you'll need to use the Force to extend its momentum." I have to yell a little so they hear me but I get the sense that they've got the gist of the rules.

I give the bag a quick heft and toss it to Jai, giving it a push midway and guiding it down towards him. Jai catches it easily enough but frowns, trying to decide who to throw it to and how to do it. After a moment, he takes it and throws it at Ilena. I can see him try to do as I did but he comes up a bit short and it lands a good five feet in front of her.

There's a moment of silence before he sighs and waves his hand, the bag slides forward to Ilena's foot. She takes the bag and considers a moment, seems she's not keen on a repeat of Jai's performance. Oh Jai, I could make an impotence joke here but I won't.

"Sorry Jai! Show them how it's done Ilena!" Jang yells encouraging words next to me and as Ilena tosses the bag to Zey I let myself zone out a little as I reflect.

After Ossus the Council dispatched a team of healers to the ruins to see to Ood Bnar, they brought with them the Healing Crystals of Fire and within a week Ood Bnar was brought to the Temple. Granted, I haven't seen the Jedi Master since then due to my own missions and the Council of First Knowledge practically kidnapping him.

Master Nu's face when presented with Ood Bnar's Holocron and being informed that he had survived on Ossus was the happiest I've ever seen her. I almost worried she might have a heart attack the poor woman. From what I've heard since, he's almost guaranteed the next seat on the Council of First Knowledge should he choose to accept and he's supposed to be giving a lecture to the Jedi educorps in a few months.

In other news related to our Ossus trip, they let me keep the ancient lightsaber I picked up and I have had to tentatively drop my objections to learning Niman since it's the basis for learning Jar'Kai. Though my training in that has been slow, turns out trying to use two lightsabers at once takes a lot of arm strength I don't have, yet. I'll get there eventually but for now it's just been the basics with Master Tavik.

In between training at the Temple, Master Tavik and I have been off on missions all the way from Port Haven and Ession to Abregado-Rae and Kuat. Thank the Force the craziness of the Stark War was just a one-time thing, for now. Most of these missions turned out to be relatively simple, bringing in criminals, acting as envoys for the Senate, local disputes and otherwise standing around and looking pretty for diplomatic and ceremonial functions on behalf of the Republic. The diplomatic functions are the best, all that free food. And hey, only one of those missions has required me to draw my lightsaber, and even then, just for intimidation.

In other, exciting news, Rendili has unveiled its new design. Ranulph use my idea, they're modernizing the Hammerhead and Valor cruisers! Now to see how that plays out, I can't really predict how this could affect anything until its put into practice. I've seen some news groups speculating on what he's been but with no concrete answers, he certainly hasn't been holding any press conferences.

The sack comes back towards me and I take a moment to catch it and send it on its way to Pollitrix. I faintly hear Jang shout something positive, I'm not exactly sure. The crowd in the courtyard seems to have increased as well. I can see more padawans, some knights and even a few masters. Is what we're doing really that interesting?

Slow week I guess.

The bag sails into the air again only to pause midway, huh? Jang looks adorably confused as to why her toss has stopped, I'm not holding it in the air, she's not holding it in the air and I don't think any of the others are either.

"hmmhmm, my little padawans playing a game, are we?" Master Yoda steps forward, walking into our circle, leaning on the cane I know he doesn't really need. He stops in the middle and leans on his cane, smiling at all of us. Oh, so that was why they were all watching, Yoda's showed up.

"A game, Yoda may play too I hope?" the sack floats down into his hands and he looks between us with clear amusement in his face. It's sad knowing that this joy will eventually fade during the war. Jang smiles, practically bouncing in place, still so full of energy that I worry she might explode.

"Of course, you can, Master Yoda, Viera's shown us how to play." Yoda turns his gaze towards me, he walks over to me and I find it amusing that even in the middle of puberty I'm significantly taller than him. Force, I hate going through puberty again, I already did this once damnit.

"This game, explain it, will you?" he says and raps his walking stick against the courtyard. I bow lightly in respect, honestly, it's just become a habit now and for the Grandmaster of the Order it's sort of required in my mind

"Of course, Master Yoda, it's a very simple game. There's no real goal but the idea is to toss the sack of dirt to another person in the circle by using the Force to extend its arc and guide its descent." It's not a necessarily complicated game though actually doing it seems to be harder for the others than for me.

Yoda nods and with barely a hint of effort the bag of dirt sails into his hand and he steps back, looking for a spot in the circle. Jang takes note and waves her hands wildly in his direction.

"Master Yoda! Over here, by me!" Yoda chuckles and ambles on over, waving his cane at her as he takes his place beside her. Jang chuckles and remains lightly bouncing in place. Amazingly, puberty has only given her more energy.

From there the game goes on, Yoda's throws are flawless in every way and show just how far I have to go before I'm even on the level of a Knight. Midway through though, Yoda gets his own ideas and the game rapidly begins to change.

It starts when Yoda stops the sack mid-flight and starts circling it in the air above us. Then it sails down towards Ilena who tries to catch it and fails miserably, the sack continues onwards flying around and resisting all attempts to catch it.

And attempt it we do, Jang breaks ranks first, running after the sack and trying at grabbing it, only for Yoda to elude her every strike. Ilena and Jai join in next and soon enough we're all chasing a sack of dirt around a courtyard as Yoda plucks it just out of reach. Yoda's verbal encouragement only egging everyone on as they try and fail to grab a sack of dirt.

"Grab it with the Force, we can't catch it otherwise!" Of course, Ilena, trying to wrest control of the sack from Yoda's grip is a perfect idea.

That goes not nearly as well as we'd have liked as grabbing it requires wresting it from Yoda's grip, which is difficult if not impossible. He relaxes his grip just enough to let one of us grab it before he takes it back with no warning.

Eventually it's Pollitrix who has the idea for all of us to work together to grab the sack and get it back. There is of course, nothing we can do to keep Yoda from grabbing it anyways and working together wouldn't change that but Yoda seems to relent and allow us to have our victory. And then it becomes all of us working together against Yoda for the sake of a sack of dirt. Silly but fun and relaxing in its own way.

The sun is setting by the time we're all too tired to keep going, I'm breathing heavily, laying on my back and just catching my breath. It's hard enough to run around chasing a small object, even more so when you're laughing at all your friends falling and failing in their attempt and I'm sadly stuck here for now.

Jang is nudging me, why can she still stand, trying to get me to stand up and I wave her off.

"I'm too tired, I'll catch up to you later Jang." She nods and rushes off to the others.

"We'll see you inside Viera, Poll's brewing tea for everyone!" Ooh, I love her tea, I don't know how she does it but she has a secret recipe or something. I can hear them all making their way inside, gosh I'm lazy, and for a blissful moment there is just the quiet and me catching my breath.

I'm trying to think of anything significant happening in the next few years and I'm coming up with nothing, we've got a few years before any of the significant events happen. And that's if they happen, I'm not sure if Ranulph can cause any significant change before Naboo, but who knows. I feel like I'm rapidly approaching the point where divergence makes my pre-knowledge inaccurate.

There's a rapping of wood on stone beside me and I turn my focus to Yoda who is standing above me, looking down. I wave a hand limply at him.

"Master Yoda, can I help you?" He hums thoughtfully and takes a cross-legged seat next to me, okay? I'm a little confused.

"Thank you, I did not, for rescuing Master Bnar. A knowledgeable and wise Master, his presence imparts wisdom long lost to the Order" Ah, so it's for that, is it? Ah well, I can't imagine not trying to rescue him, especially since I knew he was there.

"It's like I told you back in the Room of a Thousand Fountains before Troiken. I thought the vision I had on Ilum was of Ossus and a tree in what looked like a courtyard. When the time came, I just had to trust the Force to show me what needed to be done." I mean, I knew what to do as well, but when I did get there, the Force did seem to push and prod me in the direction of Bnar himself, I've gotten pretty lucky with that I think.

"Good it is, that trust the Force so easily you do. A lesson, every Jedi in time must learn. Still, know an important question every Jedi must always ask do you?" I don't, but I'm willing to listen. Yoda wisdom is best wisdom I imagine.

"No, Master Yoda, I do not. What question should I be asking?" Yoda smiles and pokes my forehead with his walking stick, ok that doesn't hurt but why did you do that?

"Always ask yourself, who am I? Do this and aid you in your trials it shall." Who am I? Okay, I'm Viera Sarat, what's the lesson here and why is it important. Yoda seems to understand my confusion because he laughs and peers down at me.

"Think Yoda foolish, do you? An easy answer you will not find. Viera Sarat, you may say, when asking that question but who is that? A label it is, but you are not a label." Oh, so it's going to be one of these then, alright I do want to see where he's going with this. Alright, who am I?

"Alright, then I'm a padawan of the Jedi Order and a Miraluka whose name is Viera Sarat." Again, he hums thoughtfully and shakes his head.

"Another label these are, exist did you not, before becoming a padawan? Cease to exist, would you, should you no longer be a padawan. Who are you, padawan?" Alright, consider the question who am I? Cast aside the labels and what's left?

I've experienced a great many things but am I the sum of my experiences? Back, where I came from before, I had been a firm atheist and that me would certainly have answered along the lines of yes. But here, there may or may not be gods but there is the Force. So no, I'm not the sum of my experiences, okay but if I strip away the things I label myself and the experiences I've had then what's left?

And then the answer becomes too obvious and I groan for not getting it immediately, I chuckle at my own ignorance and smile.

"Is the answer, me? I'm me, I can't really be anything else." Yoda smiles and stands up, a moment and I feel myself lifted up by the Force. My legs are still a bit sore and shaky but I can stand well enough to walk.

"Correct and your ally is the Force just as it is mine, luminous beings are we, not this crude flesh. Labels, our flesh, distractions they are. Let go you must, only free of these distractions can you see clearly the path you must take." Alright, so I think I understand the basic idea related to detachment. Granted, I don't understand as much as I feel I should to make it effective but it's a start. I remember that the Jedi philosophy is a mix of a lot of things, this sounds rather zen though.

And again, this is the thing with this place, the spiritual is real here so this actually means something practically for me. I need to remember that more often, but Master Tavik tends toward more practical things though.

"Thank you, Master Yoda, I promise I'll do what I can to remember that." Okay, my legs aren't screaming at me in pain so I think I'm good to walk. Master Yoda starts walking towards the Temple and I watch him go.

"Remember this lesson padawan, watching I am." I will, and man, he's watching me? I'm flattered, truly, that he thinks I'm worth watching. Alright, time to head inside, relax and have some tea.

The next morning, my datapad pings just as I finish dressing. Master Tavik has a mission, I'm needed to the hanger immediately. Alright, must be something urgent then. I grab my lightsabers and gear and take off for the hanger.

Master Tavik is waiting for me in the hanger, his own pack in hand and talking with some of the Temple technicians in front of a relatively plain Senate-class freighter. He waves me over and pockets a datapad from a nearby crate.

"Padawan, good morning, we've got a mission from the Council, the information came in last night and needs to be acted on immediately." He heads for the ramp and I follow, alright sounds like trouble again.

He's already priming the ship for launch, I take the co-pilots seat and begin running the system check to make sure we're ready to go. The Temple technicians probably did that already but Master Tavik did always say it was a good habit to get into.

"So, Master, what kind of mission is this? It must be something important if we're going to this much trouble to get going." He takes the pilots seat and the engines hum with power.

"We're going to Dioll, an Outer Rim planet. We just got some intelligence on a base on the planet run by the Karazak Slavers Cooperative. They just received a batch of prisoners, one of them is apparently a VIP though we don't know who. We don't know how long they'll stay there before being moved on. You and I are going to get in there and rescue them." Wow, fighting slavers, awesome.

"And the two of us are going to break into the base, deal with the slavers and rescue the prisoners all on our own?" The ship lifts off and we're already heading out into the Coruscant sky.

"The Judicial Forces have two Corellian Corvettes near system, when we land, we'll send them a signal and they'll jump in system to offer us aid." I nod and settle in, bringing up the data on Dioll.

Here we go.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jun 15, 2017

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Saphrith

Jun 19, 2017

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#142

The rock under my hand cracks off the wall and I muffle a curse, reaching for a new handhold. Dioll's rocky, fog-covered surface makes traveling difficult for most. With thick fog and sudden drops into deadly ravines and crevices no one in their right mind would travel on foot.

Unless you're a Miraluka who doesn't care about silly things like light or fog and can see perfectly regardless. I guess that would explain why Master Tavik and I were considered so crucial for this mission, we can sneak up on the slavers without having to worry.

We landed at Dioll spaceport, and wasn't that the most creative name for a capital city, about two hours ago. Master Tavik had disguises prepared for us alongside some other goodies and I am currently loving the hide jacket. All of those pockets are awesome. A pity I probably won't be able to keep this outfit past the mission.

We've covered at least thirty kilometers since, mostly by using Force assisted jumps to cover the most ground. But now that we're getting close to the base we've had to switch to a slow trek, and in this case climbing up a rocky cliff face.

"So, Master, I get how the fog will protect us from visuals but they have to have thermal or motion detectors right?" Master Tavik is above me and is moving deftly from one rock to the other. Alright, he knows what he's doing, so follow him I guess.

"Dioll has a number of predators that are close enough in size to us and the Diollans often send out hunting parties into these ravines as rites of initiation for their young warriors or for hunting. If they do pick us up it's likely they'll assume we're part of a Diollan hunting party.

Okay, and I guess that's probably why we have vibroblades on our backs. A thermal camera spotting a suspiciously sword-like heat signature might set off some flags for our slavers. I pull myself up and over the top of the rock formation and take a moment to catch my breath.

"So, we're going to just go in and fight our way through the facility and just hope the Judicial forces get here in time to support us before we die?" How are we going to do this? I mean, I've gotten pretty good at deflecting blasters but what if they have heavy repeaters or grenades.

Ooh, I hope they have grenades, I want more grenades to play with.

"We'll be bypassing a lot of them on our way in, we got a schematic of the base with our intel and apparently part of the facility is underground, the prisoners are kept there. We'll be going around the above-ground portion of the facility." How are we going to bypass it, I don't understand how that makes sense?

It would help if I had the schematic for this base to look at, but Master Tavik has the schematics and has not shown them to me. I'm a little annoyed about that but we do have to move fast and it's not that critical so whatever.

"The base is on the other side of this rock formation, there's a long ravine with another, giant formation where the base is located." That's, not an inconsiderate distance away, but okay sure. It's for a good cause so what does it matter.

"Right, and then when we get there we signal our reinforcements to come in?" I can see him nod and start climbing down the other side of the cliff face, ugh I hate heights.

"Correct, by the time we get in and find the prisoners, the corvettes should be in system and entering the atmosphere. They'll block the slavers from escaping and shuttle down reinforcements to us." I follow Master Tavik and start the long, slow descent. This is terrifying and I hate it, why couldn't we have just flown in closer and set down.

"Trust in the Force, padawan, it will guide you down." I sigh and breathe in and out, alright just don't look down and you'll be fine, right? Great start to the mission, falling to your doom. The climb is silent from there on as we descend as carefully as we can.

Rescuing slaves, this is what I've always felt the Jedi should be doing, alongside helping out with local matters we should be spending more time in the Outer Rim bringing down pirates and slavers. Random acts of kindness people.

And granted, the Jedi do that, we're doing it right now but I can't help but feel we should be doing it more. One of the problems of the Order that was widely obvious in the movies and books was that the Jedi were involved in politics, too involved with the Senate and enforcement. The lack of a military certainly didn't help but all relying on the Jedi did was let the Judicial forces become complacent and inefficient.

Why focus too much on training when the Jedi can solve any problem. Ranulph's own forces will do well to offset that, assuming he succeeds. Just have to make sure Sidious doesn't do anything to stop him, though I've no idea if I can even manage that.

How do I stop Sidious's political machinations? I've had time to think about it but the hell am I supposed to do? I'm just going to have to wait for an opportunity to reveal itself I suppose.

"Padawan, do you remember what I told you, after I first took you as my padawan learner? I asked you about your interest in the Luka Sene and other organizations?" I place a foot down experimentally and after finding a good foothold I lower myself down a little more. Do I remember? Vaguely yes, I also seem to remember an optimistic response.

"You mean the Matukai? Yeah, I remember that, what about it Master?" I can see him farther below me, moving deftly down the rock. He's rather good at this, I wonder why.

"Well, I've talked to the Council and they've agreed to debate letting the two of us go spend some time with them on Karvos II, should the Matukai themselves agree." Really! Awesome, that's the most amazing thing I've heard in the last six months.

I've been getting better at the Luka Sene techniques Master Tavik has been teaching me but out of all the myriad Force organizations out there, the Matukai benefits are probably the best on balance.

"That's awesome, so when can we expect a response from them?" I can see the ground getting closer, though the distance is a bit harder to judge. So, we just get down to the bottom of this ravine and trek to the base, no more climbing necessary I hope.

"No idea, they told me this a few weeks ago so it could be anytime now. Who knows, maybe when we get back from this they'll have an answer." Master Tavik lets go of the rock and kicks off, flipping and landing safely on the ground. Okay, is that a cue for me to do so, we're close enough that it's safe to do that, or?

Ah well, might as well follow suit. I brace myself and kick off the wall, allowing the Force to guide and slow my descent. I land and jog quickly to catch up to Master Tavik who's already started to the rock formation the pirates have chosen to build their base on.

"So, Master Tavik, why do we not know who the VIP we're supposed to be rescuing is? Wouldn't it be easier to find and rescue them if we know who we're rescuing?" I'm not sure what all the secrecy is about and by the way his brow tightens, neither is Master Tavik.

"ROCI is being secretive, not much we can do about it, though if I had to guess it's because the slavers caught someone whose importance they haven't realized yet and ROCI doesn't want it to leak to them before we can save the VIP." Ah, well that would make a little sense at least, though they still could have handed us a datapad with the relevant details before sending us off. Red-Tape nonsense if you ask me.

Master Tavik stops suddenly and I have to catch myself before I walk right into him, he draws his vibroblade and I do likewise, what's going on? I look around him and sigh, goddamnit.

Two predatory forms approach, feline in shape and I assume sharp claws and teeth. They're a clear hunting pair and the way they split to flank us is not a good sign. They're clearly intelligent hunters, or as intelligent as they can get.

"Well, this'll get us warmed up for the mission, right Master?" I turn to face the one on the left and Master Tavik turns to face the one on the right, okay so we give them a few cuts and they'll ideally run off.

"Don't lose focus, these things are deadly, keep your guard up and trust the Force." I nod, even though he can't really see it and watch my predator. The beast hisses at me as it circles and I mirror it. I don't want to give it a chance at Master Tavik's back.

Okay, come on, jump at me, the beast lunges forward but retreats the minute my blade swipes at it. I press forward and jab at it and it dances away from me. Okay, fine you want it that way? I reach out with the Force, the beast practically a beacon in this place and grab hold of it and like a chain I yank as hard as I can. The predator howls in confusion and I assume rage as it's unceremoniously tossed forward and I slip around it, giving it a good cut with my blade.

It hits the ground and howls in pain, standing on suddenly shaky feet. Okay, that was a little brutal if you ask me. Come on, it's not a mortal blow, just leave and I won't kill you. I really feel bad about this but you were trying to kill and eat me.

It snarls at me and I sigh, reaching out to grab it again and push it back into the mist, just, just please don't. Lions and tigers were my favorite animals back home, this isn't either but it's close enough that I feel bad hurting it. Okay, it's given up, awesome, as it slinks back into the mist I see the other one running from Master Tavik, bleeding lightly from a few cuts. I guess it didn't want to fight two of us.

I look back at Master Tavik and give him a thumbs up, we're good to go I guess. He wipes off the blood from his vibroblade and returns it to the holster on his back. I shrug and do the same, that was inconvenient.

"What now, Master? You said we were going to bypass the main entrance? He nods and points to the rock formation ahead of us.

"Look at that rock formation, focus your sight and look through the rock, tell me what you see." I frown and nod, okay. My sight can pass through rock easily enough if I focus. I have a feeling I know what I'm going to find but I'm still surprised.

"There's a freight elevator in there, going all the way down. The rest of their base is underground?" That's….novel I guess. I suppose the prisoners are kept down there just in case there's a break out, the slaves can be trapped underground until reinforcements pop in to recapture them.

"Yes, we'll cut through the rock and go down to the slave pens directly." Clever, I like it. Master Tavik pulls out his comlink and presses a button, I presume to signal our Judicial Forces reinforcements then he runs to the rock formation and I follow.

Who built all of this and why? I mean, this is the Outer Rim and I imagine slave labor was used but…why? It's so needlessly evil and tacky, but who ever expected slavers to not be needlessly tacky and evil?

Alright, where's the thinnest point, we're gonna need to find it if we want to cut through quickly. I run up and down the formation, looking for the optimal spot when Master Tavik calls out to me.

"Viera, over here!" I turn back towards him and jog in his direction, oh I see, that'll work well enough. The two of us ignite our lightsabers and in unison plunge them into the rock, the rock sparks and heats up as we slowly make the cut.

I doubt they have a camera pointed this far down and even if they do we'll ideally be done and inside before they realize what's going on. The circle is almost complete and I spare a quick glance back to make sure no other predators are getting any ideas.

"That's it, back up padawan!" I deactivate my saber and step back as Master Tavik uses the Force on the cut, the rock shakes and crumbles as the metal wall on the other side comes forward, revealing a hole in the side of the rock formation.

Master Tavik steps in slowly and I wait for him to get all the way in before I follow. I sigh as I poke my head in, more climbing, alright find your footing and let's get this over with. Somehow climbing down the elevator shaft is scarier than the rock formations with easy handholds.

There's too much of a risk talking so the descent down is mostly silent, in the meantime I focus my Force sight below me and woah, that is a lot of people down there. I can't see the entirety of the underground facility but in the hallways and rooms around us, there are a not insignificant number of people. Guards only though, I don't see any of the prisoners yet.

Master Tavik steps off onto the top of the elevator and opens the hatch, dropping inside. Alright then, I step off onto the top of the elevator and follow him. Now the two of us are in a simple elevator, and there are two guards on the opposite side of the door.

Now what? I turn to face Master Tavik and he offers me a sly smile, waving his hand slowly. I hear two thunks and when I turn back the guards are slumped in front of the door, oooh that's clever. I like it.

Master Tavik presses the door button and we quickly drag the unconscious guards into the elevator and strip them of their blasters. One of them has a flash grenade and I happily take it, it's not a thermal detonator but whatever.

"What now, Master?" I've got a hand on my lightsaber but drawing it now would give the game away. Granted, those two unconscious slavers will give the game away too but it'll certainly last longer than if we turn on our lightsabers.

"Now, we find the prisoners and get them out. We'll probably have to fight to do that though." An alarm starts blaring and he sighs.

"It was only a matter of time before that happened, at least we won't need to worry about secrecy now." Alright then, I ignite my lightsaber, just the one for now, a bit too crowded for two lightsabers. Doors all around us open and people scramble out, some half-dressed, and draw their blasters.

"Surrender and you'll receive the full benefit of the Republic judicial courts." Uh, Master Tavik? I don't think they 're going to accept that.

A stream of blasterfire is all the answer we get. Okay then, I start deflecting the shots from one direction and Master Tavik takes the shots from the other.

"Padawan! Follow me!" As if I would do anything else but it is aa good indication to move as I slowly back up to keep pace with Master Tavik as he advances down the hall.

The great thing about being a Miraluka is that my Force based sight does wonders for my reflexes, especially where blocking blaster bolts are concerned, wait don't I have a flash grenade? I do, just picked it up, now would be a perfect time to set it off. A moment of thought and the grenade is armed and a second later I use the Force to move it out of my pocket and let it fall to the ground.

It's not an explosive but letting it detonate too close to me is probably a bad idea. There's a loud pop and then screams of pain as the slavers are blinded, some firing wildly while others clutch at their faces. Ha-hah! Good thing I don't have any eyes. Sucks to be you assholes.

Master Tavik takes the opportunity and charges forward, lightsaber flashing as he cuts blasters apart and downs slavers with taps to their legs. I follow as quickly as I can and we're around the corner before their sight returns.

Unfortunately, there are plenty more slavers here, plus any reinforcements they decide to send down, but the others are rushing to what looks like an armory or trying to figure out where we are. And since we can see through the walls we can maneuver around them pretty quickly.

The slave pens are….. down the next corridor and to the right it seems. I can make out a number of forms in there, not sure how many exactly but we'll figure it out soon enough.

"Master, the prisoners are right ahead." I mean, he probably already knows but can't hurt to say it right? Master Tavik nods and turns around just as a couple slavers round the corner. Blasterfire fills the corridor and we both back up, reflecting shots back at our attackers who duck around the corner for cover.

"Padawan! Go rescue the prisoners, I'll keep them here." I nod and back around the corner before rushing to the slave pens. He'll be fine, disappointing if this is where it all ends really. When I get there, the door is locked. Seems a keycard is needed for the door.

Or a lightsaber, I grab my spare saber from my belt and ignite it, plunging both into the top of the door and slowly cutting through. I can hear Master Tavik behind me still, so no tragedy there. A lot of slavers on the other side though, hm problematic I think.

The door comes off its hinges and I push it inward, stepping through the brand-new hole and stepping inside.

The room is somewhat reminiscent of a gym auditorium in size with four or five large fenced in pens dotting the room. There's a computer terminal on one side attached to the wall and a table with what look like shock collars. Okay, creepy and depressing. The prisoners inside take notice of me and crowd around the pen walls. One of them, a female human, stretches her arm through the bars and waves at me.

"Master Jedi, over here! Hurry!" Alright miss exposition, hopefully, might as well start with you I guess. I jog over to her and look at the door controls, okay, how do I? Ah fuck it, just cut through everything.

"Hang back a moment, miss." I raise my lightsaber high and cut into the door, severing the bars and forcing open a hole. The woman comes through, followed by half a dozen people of varied species, mostly female. I'm not sure how to feel about that, there are still the other pens too.

"Thank you, Master Jedi, my name is Inyri Arden, Sector Ranger, and boy am I glad to see you." Oh, the Sector Rangers, glad to actually meet one. Underfunded and overworked as they are.

"A pleasure, Ranger Arden but I'm just a padawan. My Jedi Master, Zun Tavik, is a bit busy holding off the slavers." She nods and heads over for the computer terminal on the wall.

"Alright, the controls to the slave collars should be on this terminal. I'll work on shutting them down. You get the other prisoners." I shrug and head over to the other pens, cutting the doors down and ushering the people out. Humans, Wookiees, Zabraks, a lot of Twi'leks, but not much else. The last pen though, there's someone inside, unmoving.

Is that a Trandoshan? Who would take a Trandoshan as a slave? Labor I suppose but aren't Trandoshans usually the ones capturing slaves, or hunting Wookiees. He, and I can only assume it's a he, is lying down in remarkably human despair. So, alive certainly but not interested in moving.

"Hey, I'm here to rescue you, come on. We'll get the shock collar off you and get out of here." The Trandoshan shakes his/her head and groans loudly, hissing.

"Is no use, points are lost! Scorekeeper has abandoned me." Oh, right. I forgot about that, the Trandoshan goddess of the Hunt, getting captured meant eternal shame unless you killed the person who captured you.

"Listen, there's plenty of opportunities to get your points back, we can fight off the slavers and get out of here." The Trandoshan hisses loudly and growls at me.

"It was not these slavers who shamed me, no my own kin, my own hatchmates betrayed me to this shame." Okay, no honor among thieves, or hunters in this case, but sheesh. Alright, umm how do I get him or her to stand up and move?

"Well, you're not going to earn your points back lying about here are you? Let's get up, get that shock collar off and get out of here alright. Look, I have a blaster, you wanna shoot some slavers?" I really don't know how else to cheer this Trandoshan up enough to get them moving.

"Is small comfort, killing weak hunters." But the Trandoshan sits up nonetheless and I hold out the blaster I pilfered from the elevator guard. The Trandoshan takes the blaster and weighs it in his or her hand before standing up and bowing lightly to me.

"Forgive Ehruss, shame has blinded her to the truth. First these slavers then my traitorous kin. I would know your name, little Jedi." Okay, so it's a her and wow she's a good head and a half taller than me. I hate being short.

Still it'd be rude not to introduce myself as well, etiquette lessons were taught for a reason I suppose. I bow low before the Trandoshan, and isn't that something I never thought I'd do.

"Padawan Viera Sarat, at your service. A pleasure to meet you." The Trandoshan, Ehruss? Matches my bow and thumps her chest in some sort of greeting, I'm not familiar enough with Trandoshan culture to guess at what.

"Well met, Padawan Sarat, I am Ehruss formerly of clan Jchoss, now a lone huntress. I am indebted to you, for saving me." I shrug, no reason not to, right?

"It's fine, that's what Jedi do. Now come on, let's get out of here, shall we?" My new associate and I head back over to Inyri just as she breaks the computer encryptions.

"Alright, give me a moment and I'll have these shock collars deactivated." She says, hands dancing across the terminal. I can't see what she's doing so I turn my focus back to Master Tavik who is still deflecting blaster bolts in the hallway. There are more guards and bodies of guards in the hall but he has it under control, I think?

I can't really tell but it seems poor of me to not go and help. I look around before an idea hits me as I walk over to one of the walls to the right of the door.

"Hey, Ehruss, Ranger Inyri, how good are you with a blaster?" Alright, how am I going to do this? There's a room on the other side of this wall and by the looks of it, I can get around the slavers attacking Master Tavik.

"I'd be a poor Ranger if I couldn't shoot." That's Inyri down and Ehruss growls something in her own language I don't understand before speaking again in basic.

"My blaster is ready Grakhowsk." I don't understand what that means but sure, why not. I activate my lightsabers and begin making another hole, I'm sneaky, like a ninja. And now there's a hole that's leading into what looks like an office? I step inside, Ehruss and Inyri behind me and take a brief look around. A blaster rifle in a locked container, a quick tap of my lightsaber and it opens easily. Ehruss takes the blaster rifle and hefts it before handing Inyri the pistol. Okay, weapons sorted then. Another look around, open the drawers and cabinets and other containers. What's here?

Oh, are those coins? Sweet, I like coins, I used to collect them back home. That's quite a few coins, I grab and pocket a few for later.

"What use does a Jedi have for Aurodium coins?" I turn to Inyri and shrug, no use really but I want some sort of memento for my padawan years.

"None really, I'm just collecting a few, I'll probably put them on the shelf in my room back at the Temple. She shakes her head and moves to the office door. Ehruss pauses just long enough to walk over, open the drawer and take a handful. Okay, we're good to go then?

Out the door and down the hall, I almost want to whistle a tune, but considering I'm probably about to murder a lot of people I feel that would be in bad taste.

Also, they'll hear me coming and I can't have that. We need to actually ambush them for this to work like I'm hoping it would

We round the corner behind at least a dozen and a half slavers, there are more around the corner leading to where they're firing at Master Tavik but the way they panic indicates clearly they weren't expecting me here. I reach and push the slavers with the best reflexes back into the wall hard and they slump. Then the rest open fire.

I advance slowly, deflecting shots back at the slavers, ideally non-lethal shots to put them out of the fight but I try not to wince as a few miss their mark and hit more lethal spots. I should probably put more training into that.

Ehruss and Inyri are far less concerned about minimal casualties as they fire from behind me into the mass of slavers now boxed in between two Jedi, a Sector Ranger, and an angry Trandoshan. It's hardly a contest as I advance. Some of them just drop their weapons and cower on the spot, those I let be as I advance further towards Master Tavik.

Another minute and the last of the slavers are either dead, wounded or surrendered and I offer Master Tavik a jaunty wave. He deactivates his lightsaber and steps forward, looking back at my handiwork.

"Padawan, good work, cutting through and going around proved an excellent strategy. Care to introduce your friends?" Oh, right, I gesture behind me to each of them in turn.

"Ehruss, Inyri, this is my Jedi Master, Zun Tavik. Master Tavik, Ehruss and Inyri, Sector Ranger." Inyri nods and steps forward, offering a quick salute.

"Master Jedi, thank you for your timely arrival. I was captured on my most recent assignment, but I have intel that the Council and ROCI will want." Master Tavik shifts, paying more attention now and I listen as well, I knew she was the VIP!

I have a feeling our next mission will involve this tidbit of information. Inyri clears her throat and gestures to the slavers around us.

"The Karazak slavers guild as you may know is operated by an assortment of department heads who act as crime bosses, each controlling a portion of the groups assets and stalking grounds. Following a lead from Master Tyvokka, I managed to chance upon the current headquarters of one of the department heads, Tyro Vang. I was captured in a routine raid before I could give this information to the Council."

Okay then, bigtime slaver and criminal, and we know where he is now. Or at least, we will soon. But is he there now, or will he be there soon? That is the question of the day.

"I'm sure the Council will act upon this information, for now we'll need to make sure we give it to them. The Judicial Forces reinforcements should be landing any minute now, let's go make sure they can handle the slavers up top. I shrug and point in the direction of the elevator.

"If they haven't already, no one's come down the elevator yet so I imagine they might already be here." That was unusually competent of them, how odd. Master Tavik nods and starts toward the elevator.

"I'll see if that's the case, go back to the pens and get the prisoners ready for evac." I bow and head down the hall, Ehruss following close behind.

Another good days' work.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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203

Saphrith

Jun 19, 2017

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Threadmarks Interlude IV New

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Saphrith

Jun 20, 2017

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#149

"Status, Ensign?" Jace Dallin stood hands behind his back, watching the events unfolding before him on the Invincible's viewport.

Watching their victory.

He had been skeptical of naming their new flagship after the old one but General Tarkin had assured him that the moniker would instill fear in pirates once they'd earned some victories. And he had been so right, more often the pirates would run rather than even consider engaging the Invincible.

Granted with only 5 turbolasors and twenty quad laser batteries, the remodeled Valor-class cruiser wasn't as well armed as it could have been, but its hanger bays carried numerous fighters and shuttles with which to bring its impressive compliment of troops and fighter craft to the enemy.

Though even with Senator Tarkin's expanded recruitment efforts their fleet was under crewed, most notably in terms of fighter pilots and experienced ground troops. His reputation and the failure at Troiken still lingered.

But it was changing! He had seen it firsthand ever since they began their sweep of Landor, systematically engaged pirate group after pirate group. They'd been arrogant at first, the pirates all too eager to throw themselves at their foes, thinking them mere mercenaries or merchant marines to be crushed. They'd lost, all of them.

Word of their victories had spread and now the pirates were hesitant, striking out and darting back, unwilling to engage them directly. Traders and merchants had flocked to them for support and safety. Donations from grateful merchants and businessmen had done much to support the logistics of their fleet.

But far more important were the individuals who had come to join them, who'd heard that someone was finally cleaning up the Landor system and wanted to be a part of it.

"Enemy ships have suffered significant damage and are attempting a retreat. The station defenses have been destroyed and Lieutenant Vance is requesting permission to begin boarding actions." In the distance two turbostorm gunships dance across the edge of the battlefield, trading fire with Aurek Strikefighters while a very heavily, and illegally, modified Bratilia light freighter and DP20 frigate trade shots with the Vigilant and Judicator. The Hammerhead's two turbolaser cannons burning fire into the smaller ships while their smaller sets of dual turbolasers and laser cannons hit critical weak points along the hulls of their enemies.

He turned his attention back to the Ensign, a new recruit to be certain but one who had proven her worth and he had personally chosen for this position. Sarela'Vekarr's fingers danced across her terminal, blue skin seeming to glow in the light of her workstation. Her lekku tied back in as close to regulation as Jace expected he could get without hurting her. There had been doubts, Ranulph not the least of them. Jace knew Troiken had changed his perspective but it had not been a complete change. Jace knew the man was trying and getting better and better but the fact that he'd eventually consented once she'd proven her skill at the navigation and sensor display, proved that he wasn't the same man he was at Troiken.

"Good work Ensign Vekarr, signal the lieutenant to begin boarding actions, take as many alive as he can manage and see if he can get the pirates data terminals before they erase anything too important.

"Yes, Commander Dallin." Jace turned his attention away from the battle, it was as good as won and strode purposefully over to where General Tarkin stood, behind him Masters Dooku and Sifo-Dyas. Ranulph had been surprised to find Jedi who agreed with his fears for the Republic and they'd gotten along well in their shared purpose and goals. Both also served to temper some of the General's more impulsive tendencies.

"General Tarkin, Lieutenant Vance is beginning boarding actions against the station and the pirates remaining fleet are falling back." Ranulph's gaze didn't break from the viewport, in the distance a turbostorm gunship detonated under fire from the strikefighters.

"Excellent work Jace, order off a squadron of Aurek's to form a perimeter, we don't want any surprises to show up." Jace saluted and returned to his duties, leaving Ranulph, Dooku, and Sifo-Dyas to themselves.

"Another victory, we've just about cleared the system of pirates" Sifo-Dyas said quietly, looking towards Dooku.

"Yes, but it's still not enough to win back the support of the other militarists, we'll need their support if this is to be anything other than a well-organized Outer Rim militia. We need a bigger victory, something significant." Dooku stroked his chin, contemplating the thought. Sure, they'd shown up the Judicial Forces but that wasn't going to be enough to win the support they needed.

Relying on winning the Outer Rim support had been considered but there just wasn't enough infrastructure there, the institutions with which to build the new Republic military. They needed Core support and they needed it quickly.

"Ryloth will be our victory, we'll force the pirates and slavers into a true battle, and we'll crush them there." Ranulph said, after a moment.

"We don't have the numbers to defend Ryloth, not from the response we'll surely get. We need more forces than we have." Sifo-Dyas shook his head sadly. Ryloth needed their help but it was suicidal, they needed more fighters, more capital ships if they were to push back the inevitable onslaught.

"Master Sifo-Dyas I'm a rich man, but I'm not rich enough to afford more capital ships, and we don't have the pilots for more fighters, what choice do we have?" Dooku considered the question for a moment before stepping into the conversation.

"Perhaps we can help Ryloth, I have an old friend I haven't seen in a while. He may be able to offer us some aid." Ranulph raised an eyebrow but listened as Dooku pressed on.

"His name is Garm Bel Iblis, he was a member of CorSec before retiring and he has considerable influence on Corellia. I'm sure he could round up willing pilots and funds for our cause." Sifo-Dyas frowned, thinking over the new information.

"We'll still need more funds for capital ships, fighters and equipment for the troops, unless you can get us a few million credits it won't do much." Again, Dooku shook his head.

"I think I have a solution for that as well, it will take some negotiating but I think it doable." There was a hesitation in his voice that made Sifo-Dyas pause, his friend sounded concerned but for what he couldn't tell. Nevertheless, he'd ask about it and offer what support he could later.

Ranulph nodded, he wasn't pleased with the uncertainties to this plan but he knew well enough that he had few options at this point. He'd take what he could get. Dooku's counsel had been worthwhile before, if he thought he could get them support and funding then Ranulph would let him.

"Very well, Master Dooku I am in your debt. Master Sifo-Dyas, I need you to go to Ryloth and get in contact with Cham Syndulla, he's proven so far to be the best option to replace Taa as Senator for Ryloth. We'll need the influence he holds on Ryloth to coordinate and plan our defense." Sifo-Dyas and Dooku both bowed to excuse themselves and departed.

Ranulph remained, eyes locked on the remains of the battle before him. He was getting there, slowly but surely, and this time he would win. Then the rest of the Militarists would have to rally behind him and the Republic would have a military once again.

Last edited: Jun 20, 2017

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jun 20, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 14 New

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Saphrith

Jun 23, 2017

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#154

The wind whips over me and through my hair as we step out along one of the upper walkways of Terminus. We arrived just a few hours ago and set up in the safehouse Ranger Inyri provided for us. Now we're here to find a crime boss and bring him to justice.

Go us.

Terminus is not nearly as big as Coruscant but it is still a thriving port of call on the very edge of the known galaxy. There are ships I can't even begin to place here, and everywhere I turn species that I have no clue of what they are. And given the level of education I've received and the innumerous alien species who have members in the Order that I've met, I know a lot.

So, after securing the slavers compound on Dioll, Master Tavik, Ranger Inyri and I had a long chat with the Council via holocom, giving them our report and receiving our new orders from Master Tyvokka. Apparently after Troiken, Master Tyvokka took a closer interest in the various gangs and syndicates running loose out there.

This whole operation from Inyri's deployment to Terminus, to our mission on Dioll and to this here were instigated by his own efforts. So, this whole mission to Terminus isn't anything I could hope to predict, we've gone completely off the rails here.

Also, I've apparently picked up a life debt? I didn't know that Trandoshans even had life debts! But Ehruss has been quick to instruct me otherwise, she's now determined to follow me and keep me safe until the end of my days or hers.

Master Tavik, and Master Tyvokka were less enthused with my new companion. Granted, Tyvokka's lack of enthusiasm was understandable but the Council is 'deliberating' on how to handle this life debt thing. In the meantime, Ehruss has come with us to Terminus and already she's proven incredibly useful.

Republic credits aren't accepted on Terminus, which means the money requisitioned out to me and Master Tavik is completely useless here. We are quite frankly broke here.

Or we would be if Ehruss hadn't looted the rest of those Aurodium coins. Turns out they're worth quite a lot here and we've stocked up on some necessary supplies as well as some bribes for local information and the who's who of people to go to for whatever you need.

Granted as undercover Jedi, we're not really here for slaves, drugs, weapons, or other things of varying legality but they don't need to know that. No, we're here to find Tyro Vang and bring him to justice. While, likely killing a lot of other people. Inyri has a dozen other rangers personally selected for their loyalty and skill for this mission. This is going to be a full scale raid on the compound.

I think I'm starting to see a pattern in these big missions we go on. Not sure how I feel about that, or about how easily I've come to accept the deaths I end up causing. Stuff to think about later, when I have a free moment.

So, here we are, two Miraluka, a human, and a Trandoshan all step out onto one of the biggest shadowports in the galaxy, hunting a crime lord.

"So, what's the plan Master?" I haven't heard a lot of what we're going to do about the guy. I mean, we know where his headquarters is located, deep in the underbelly of the port itself. And we know he's supposed to be there sometime tomorrow if our timetable is right. But are we just going to storm the place with who knows how many guards there?

"The plan, padawan, is that we make sure we have all the information we need before we strike at Tyro's headquarters." Okay, that tells me nothing! I turn back to the walkway ahead of us, the crowds are thicker here and thankfully we're still dressed in our undercover clothes. I'd hate to imagine what would happen if we were here dressed as Jedi.

"More specifically, we need to get a good look at the headquarters, from a distance, and determine the best method to infiltrate the facility and capture Tyro." I nod slowly, that's better, we're going to do a little stakeout.

"No worth in these small prey, our hunts should be grander." Ehruss rumbles from behind me and I shrug lightly.

"It needs doing, if not us then who? Besides this guy is supposed to be some big shot crime boss, I'd be surprised if he doesn't have stellar security, at least compared to Dioll." That's a bit worrying but thankfully I've come prepared. The armory on Dioll had several flashbang grenades, and a few thermal detonators.

I 'confiscated' every one of them, for a good cause I swear.

"As you say, Grashkowh, I will follow." Okay, that's going to get really annoying sooner rather than later, good intentions aside.

"Ehruss, just call me Viera, it's easier for both of us that way." Also, I feel a bit guilty about someone basically pledging their life to me. I never really liked the whole Han Solo-Chewbacca relationship once I found that out. Oh, certainly Chewbacca deciding to stick with and help Han after Han saved him is one thing, the whole idea of a life debt is a bit sketchy for me though. Especially with the troubles coming, if she dies at the hands of Sidious or one of his goons trying to protect me then it's my fault.

"I understand…Viera, I will endeavor to do so in the future." I nod and offer a thumbs up in approval.

We merge into the crowds and it becomes a matter of ease to move through them, granted Ehruss helps a lot, even out here Trandoshans have an intimidating reputation. She walks up at the front with us and inevitably there is a path cleared ahead for us.

Vendors are hawking wares to the passerby and I find it odd how department store style shopping never seems to have become a thing here. It's all street vendors or small shops. Even the big companies only have small shops about the size of a fast food restaurant back home, just scattered all over the place.

If only it was designer purses and dresses they were selling here.

"Arms! Small, heavy, explosives and more!" I actually do want to check that out if I have the time.

"Personal protection, armor and more, don't neglect protecting yourself from your enemies, security forces and your fellows alike!"

"Spice! Fresh spice, Ryll and Glitterstim, Red Rage and Doom Desire! Cheap prices and bulk purchases on request!"

"Droids! The best droids on Terminus, battle droids, protocal and astromech, droids to serve every function!"

"Slaves, new slaves, Twi'lek, Wookiee, Human, and Sullustan, well trained and available!"

I shudder silently and avert my gaze from the slaver, I can't do anything about it right now and just looking at the slaves, their aura, their desires. The pain, despair, anger, all boiling and rolling together. It's enough to make me sick of my sight. Master Tavik's gaze is locked ahead of us, ah so he sees it too? Behind me Inyri scowls and grumbles to herself.

"There are too few of us Sector Rangers, we can barely cover the Core and Inner Rim, much less out here. We need more people and more funding to properly manage all of this." She's not wrong, how many lawless worlds here in the Rim would join the Republic if peace and security could be brought out to the Rim.

"The Council has Knights all over the Rim and there still aren't enough of us to cover the Outer Rim, not to mention the rest of the galaxy." Ten thousand Jedi are not near enough to cover more than a thousand sectors in the galaxy. We'd need a hundred thousand or more to come even close to managing it.

"Calm yourself, padawan, I can feel your disturbance in the Force. By capturing Tyro Vang, we'll discover further slavers across the galaxy. We can do the best for the galaxy by catching the bosses. Without direction or leadership, the underlings will quit or make mistakes in the mad scramble for power. Then we pick up the pieces." I nod and try to calm down, I need to be focused for the mission. I don't quite buy his explanation and I'm not sure if he does either.

But what other option do I have? Those aurodium coins we picked up on Dioll are worth a lot, but not enough to buy the freedom of every slave here and get them reliable transport home. Most of the people here are smugglers, pirates, or slavers of some sort. I wouldn't trust any of them to actually take the freed slaves home.

However, the Council's official stance on the matter sounds neat and tidy but thousands of years later and no dissolution of slavery shows it's not as effective as they'd like. The best way to get around slavery is to either get rid of the market for it or make it too difficult to find and capture new slaves. The first requires destroying the Hutts which is harder than it sounds, they've been independent for countless millennia for a reason.

I hate how complicated these things are living through them rather than reading about them. But that's been my life since I came here.

As we go down into the under levels of Terminus the crowds become sparser and the shops and goods seedier, if that was even possible. Beasts of varying species, braying monstrosities and mercenaries of various stripes. A few Mandalorians even, or at least wearing similar armor. Jango should be killing Tor Vizla around now, right?

I can see a shop offering cybernetics and other mechanical upgrades as well as some seriously cyberpunk type folk, I honestly loved that part of the MMO, it's just so sci-fi and ridiculous that it made me smile. It's a bit more sobering in person, but still kinda cool.

Tyro Vang's headquarters, isn't one building or base but rather a series of connected buildings on one of the under levels. I can see….I can't count how many guards in the various buildings and underground facilities but I can definitely see that there are more than on Dioll.

And they're probably better armed too, with Tyro coming in tomorrow with his personal detail, I can't imagine this being very easy at all. The four of us are not up for this I think. At least not without some preparation, and some help.

We have until tomorrow for that, stretching it a bit thin I'd say but I'm sure Master Tavik has a plan. I turn to find him examining the facility himself, a frown of concentration on his face.

"Got a plan, Master?" I ask and he shrugs, not saying anything for a moment.

"Looks like a few dozen guards at least, there's a ray shield of sorts over the main complex, powered by a generator inside the main facility in the underground section. Ranger Inyri, such a ray shield would have to be controlled by a terminal correct? And it would have to allow for transmissions to go in and out of the ray shield." She thinks about it for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, unless they wanted to lower the ray shield every time they needed to send a message out of the system. The ray shield would be a bit weaker than normal but still strong enough to repel most weaponry any potential attacker could bring to bear." Master Tavik nods and pockets his datapad.

"There's no way to hack into their system unless they use it first. Luckily for us, I imagine that Tyro will send a transmission to the base when he arrives in system. There's a relay station nearby. Tomorrow morning I'll go and see if I can't get in and weaken the ray shield just a bit for our infiltration." Okay, and if he doesn't send a transmission to announce his arrival?

"And if he doesn't do that?" Thank you, Inyri, for your words of wisdom and sense. Master Tavik shrugs and gives one last look to our target.

"Then we go with plan b, there are two ways to get into that facility, hacking in and weakening the shield is just the easiest." Okay, I imagine this has something to do with the Luka Sene techniques he's been trying to teach me. I've gotten better at them but I still can't sense them like he can.

He turns to me and Ehruss and I snap back to attention, did I miss something?

"Viera, Inyri's going to round up her men for tomorrow. I trust you and Ehruss to go and prepare yourselves for tomorrow?" I salute, sloppily, and grin. I can do preparation, he knows me too well.

"Yes, Master Tavik, I'll see you at the safehouse. Come on Ehruss, let's go shopping." Ehruss nods and joins me as I head off back to the upper levels.

I have a brilliant idea, I hope.

The salesman presents the selection for my perusal and I examine it gleefully.

"I have thermal detonators, flashbangs, frags and adhesive grenades for your selection. Sadly, no ion or sonic grenades but if you give me time I might get more in stock." I'm not going to be here that long but I pretend to agree to future shopping. My cover is that I'm a recruit to a mercenary group and I'm doing some personal shopping for the commander. Ehruss is with me to get herself a new blaster rifle and keep an eye on me.

It's worked so far as I watch her admire her brand-new blaster rifle. The A280 as told to me by the salesman is one of the best blaster rifles for burning through the enemy's armor. I'm not too familiar with the terminology he used but Ehruss was pleased with it and we had the money so why not.

"I'll take ten thermal detonators, six frags, two flashbangs and four adhesive grenades." He names a sum and I hand him the coin. I watch him marvel at it before he rushes back to get the change. Ehruss is here to make sure he doesn't try to shortchange me, she can be very intimidating when she tries to be.

Now what, I've got plenty of ordnance for myself and Ehruss, I need to pick up some armor for Ehruss, I don't really have any use for armor, too much damage to my mobility.

I begin crossing the street to the armor vendor, grenades safely in my bandoleer when a large Gamorrean barrels through and almost knocks me to the ground. I stumble and turn to the Gamorrean who's making vague pig noises in my general direction. I have no idea what he's saying.

"You bumped into me, sleemo, watch where you're going." The Gamorrean squeals and steps forward threateningly. I reach for the blaster pistol on my hip as Ehruss hisses and draws her new blaster rifle. People clear away from us, some reaching for their weapons.

"Your carcass will decorate the street." Ehruss hisses, and for a moment I'm convinced blood is going to be spilt, or burnt in this case. Then the Gamorrean squeals out something strained and broken. There's a sickening crack and its neck bends at an angle I know it's not supposed to before it slumps to the ground.

What the hell? I look around in a panic trying to find the source of that when I hear a woman's chuckle.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, did I frighten you?" The human female steps out of the assembled crowd, she's young, probably close to my age, and surprisingly slender. I can't see any weapons in her hand but I don't sense the Force, so how? Behind her an older Zabrak follows, silently watching the two of us and I repress a shiver.

His eyes are dead, in the cold-blooded killer sense, not the zombie sense to clarify. The young woman sighs and prods the dead Gamorrean with her boot.

"So sorry to interrupt, I imagine you could handle him on your own but I dread to think of that brute troubling a sweet young woman such as yourself." I'm not sure what to say to that beyond a smile and nod.

"Thank you, I could have handled him myself though, my name is Viera Sarat and the statuesque warrior behind me is Ehruss, what's your name?" I offer a hand to shake and she reciprocates in kind, odd her hand feels a bit weird but I can't' place why.

"Ysanne Leoet, and the old man behind me is my adopted father Ousan Astar." The Zabrak says nothing to me, and I don't look at him, there's something chilling about him and yet I can't sense anything off about either of them.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you Ysanne, I'm here shopping for my boss, he has a special love for grenades. So, he sent me out to buy him some." Small talk is good, considering I don't know what else to do. I can't sense anything wrong even though that man is setting off every danger sense I have. Ysanne smiles and points back to Ousan, the big Zabrak standing impatiently behind her.

"Ousan's a special contractor for some of the firms out here and I'm here on an apprenticeship, quite the interesting life, travelling all over the galaxy. But he's an impatient man and we do need to be off to our next job, a pleasure meeting you Viera, Ehruss." She steps back and waves, giving me a rather flirtatious wink that I couldn't return even if I wanted to.

"Very well, a pleasure Ysanne, safe travels to you." I watch them push back into the crowd and shiver, turning to Ehruss.

"Come on, let's go get you that armor, we're going to need it I fear." I shake my head and hurry ahead. I should probably tell Master Tavik about that, maybe he can tell me more.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jun 23, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 15 New

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Saphrith

Jun 26, 2017

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#167

The next morning, bright and early, the four of us left the quiet of the safehouse and made our way to the staging ground for Inyri and her support troops. I woke up early, anxiety over the mission costing me sleep, and meditated for the remainder.

Once we arrived, Master Tavik went on ahead to the relay station to try and hack into the compound's computer systems and I am left to await his signal to get started.

I told Master Tavik about my encounter with what I suspect was a pair of dark side adepts the previous day and he seemed to take the news seriously if a bit skeptically, the odds of running into Force users strong enough to give a Jedi trouble is rather rare. Unless you count the Blackguard, Night Sisters, Sorcerers of Tund, Seyugi Dervishes, or Prophets of the Dark Side, still rare though. It's a coincidence I don't like and I'm sure we'll see the two of them later, maybe even today.

Inyri looks quite different in her combat armor, she and our backup are all dressed up in durasteel combat armor, there's some paint on it but like always I can't really tell what color it is. I've considered getting armor for myself but there are a number of problems with it. With how often I'm in the thick of the fighting, only heavy armor would be useful for me in terms of protection. Unfortunately, that same armor would hinder my mobility and the effectiveness of my lightsaber. If I could get some Echani armor that would probably work, their armor is designed to work with the wearer's mobility. The problem is, that kind of armor is a bit of a niche market and outside of Eshan you'll have a hard time finding it, much less affording it.

Inyri's forces will be assaulting the compound on our command to draw off the guards while we get in and grab Tyro Vang. We'll probably have plenty of fighting to do eventually but for the first part we'll need to be sneaky.

Which means that Ehruss has to go with Inyri for this, and she is not happy to hear this. Not happy at all

"How can I protect you if we are separated. I must go with you." I do feel a bit bad, but I dread trying to imagine sneaking around with a Trandoshan behind us.

"I need you to help Inyri, she and her men will need your skill and firepower for the assault. Master Tavik and I need to go in quietly, and as awesome as you are, you're not very quiet Ehruss." That armor we bought her yesterday is not at all quiet. And the A280 blaster makes enough noise to break any cover we might have. Ehruss knows this, she's just not happy about it.

"Besides, I'll have Master Tavik with me. He's a Jedi Master, if he can't keep me safe then nothing short of an army could." Ehruss hisses something in her language that I don't understand but I'm starting to become familiar with her facial expressions.

"Look at it this way Ehruss, you and Inyri will be drawing off most of the guards while we grab Tyro Vang, you're protecting me by drawing off the bulk of their defenses." That.. doesn't seem to be convincing her but she's not really arguing the point.

"I do not like this, but I shall obey, I will defeat them quickly to rejoin you." I nod and after a moment give her a quick hug, I'm not sure it means the same thing in Trandoshan culture but it's a symbolic gesture. After a moment, I feel her arms around my shoulder and like that it's off, we'll meet up again later.

I hand her two frag grenades a thermal and some of my flashbangs. I have far too many of those flashbangs from what I picked up on Dioll, she could make use of some of them. Plus, until the game is up, using my grenades won't help us any. I have to remember, sneaky like a ninja.

My datapad pings as a message comes in. Oh, looks like it's time to go. Master Tavik and I already went over where we're going to meet up and what we're going to do, Tyro isn't dumb enough to not have watchers over his compound, all snipers. Any attack on the compound will get picked off if they don't take care of them first.

What's more is these snipers are well hidden in alcoves that are very difficult to get to unless you have a jetpack.

Or Force powers, Master Tavik spotted all of the snipers last night and before we go in, we're going to take them out. I pocket the datapad and bow to Inyri and Ehruss.

"I'm off now, may the Force be with you all." My lightsabers are hidden in my vest, the bandoleer is full of grenades and I am ready to go.

"Safe hunting to you." Thank you Ehruss.

"Good luck kid." Thank you, Inyri I guess.

And off I go.

I merge back into the flow of people and expand my senses outwards, Master Tavik is a blip on the edge of my perception, and I make my way towards him. This time, I avoid bumping into random people and starting a ruckus.

Instead of going down like yesterday, I take a ramp upwards, heading towards a service ramp and slipping inside quickly. The throng of people begins to dim and soon enough the way is mostly empty and those that are there are too busy to bother with me. Okay, now I'm at a balcony of sorts, overlooking the lower levels all the way down to where the headquarters is located. I nod to Master Tavik who is busy stretching when I arrive. He nods as I approach.

"Hello, Padawan. Ready to go?" He stands up and heads over to the railing and I follow him.

"Ready to go Master, what's the plan?" I look over the railing and down to the very narrow service walkway meters down, it seems to lead to another point farther below and from there I have no idea where we're going.

"Well, ready to do some more climbing? I bet those snipers aren't looking up, we'll drop down on them and take them down silently. I've already got a backdoor into his systems. I'll weaken the shield when we get there. I nod and he vaults over the railing, already beginning the climb down the ledge and I follow, vaulting over and finding my footing quickly. Down we go.

I used to be scared of heights, but after learning how to leap so high into the air and land gracefully, plus all this climbing, I'm happy to say I have mostly gotten over it. But still, this is quite the adventure, I am so glad I'm in better shape here and have a higher power that can strengthen and empower me.

"Alright, Viera, focus on the Force as you descend, let it guide your hands and feet. Trust in the Force and you will make it." Alright, I'm doing that, and it's not helping as much as I'd like it to. The things we do to catch people off guard.

"You know, my Jedi Master, was quite fond of climbing, did it all the time, if there was a route that required climbing you could guarantee she'd make us climb it." Oh, story time, I love story time. I also wouldn't mind hearing more about this person I have not met.

"Ommatea Terrak was her name, she was a good Jedi, kind, patient, and willing to listen. She and I went all over the galaxy, from the Core to the edge of Wild Space. She became one with the Force some time ago." We land on the walkway and slowly make our way down, it's narrow and clearly meant for a species smaller than us but we manage to balance it as we walk.

"She sounds like a good Jedi, I wish I could have met her." Again, we vault over the railing and begin our descent down, I feel like this is leading somewhere, not sure but maybe.

"You would have, I think, she had an easy nature, she got along with most everyone she met. We went to Kashyyyk once, to help the Wookiee's with a diplomatic dispute and you should have seen her when she saw them climbing the Wroshyrr Trees. She insisted we climbe from branch to branch, this isn't nearly as terrifying as that was." I suppress a shiver, I can't imagine, knowing how far down it is to ground level.

"Yeah, I suppose there's a point to the story?" I really didn't see it and as we descend just a bit more he laughs and shrugs slowly.

"There was no point padawan, just trying to ease your anxiety with conversation." Okay, fair enough, it worked a little I suppose? More conversation it is then.

"Master, what would you say is the purpose of the Jedi?" He perks up a bit but there is a question I would like answered here.

"Well, beyond the easy answer, I think our purpose is to fight the practitioners of the Dark Side whenever they appear, beyond that we do what we can to help the people of the galaxy wherever we can." Okay, not a bad reason I guess, but it doesn't quite answer what I'm wondering.

"So, do you think we're doing that now, the Jedi as a whole?" Foot down, lower yourself slowly and pretend that your heart is not pounding a mile a minute. He's silent for a few minutes as we continue our descent.

"We could be doing better, I guess, but we're not doing terrible. I'll admit that I've never liked the Jedi being too political, it's detrimental to our goals in the end to be favoring one polity over the other." I vaguely remember him not being happy about us going to Troiken at the Senate's request.

"Call it the rebel in me but I've always wondered what the galaxy would be like if the Jedi never left the old days, when we weren't so centralized and plenty of Jedi never stepped foot on Coruscant, going from system to system, planet to planet, going where the Force directed them and doing what they could individually in each system." Okay, plenty of downsides to that though, it would be stupidly easy to ambush isolated Jedi, a center of power for the Order would be somewhat necessary for the ultimate survival of the Order.

Still a mix of both could be useful I imagine? More wandering Jedi like Master Fay and Jon Antilles alongside other Jedi who operated out of the Temple on Coruscant. Or like the Altisian Jedi maybe? I really need to find out if they're as ridiculous as Traviss wrote them or if they're more reasonable?

I have an idea that'll probably be stupid in the long run, but oh the potential.

"Not a bad purpose, all things considered Master, though I would say there is a benefit to being visible politically. Our ambassador's and diplomats do serve an important function." We're not that far from our goal now, just a little bit more to go.

"True enough, but those of us who aren't more politically or diplomatically inclined ought to spend more time in the Rim than in the Core. But sadly, reality isn't so simple as that, too many complexities in life I fear." Fair enough, we're just about there. There's a small protrusion of metal bars and girders of some sort. I can see the sniper, a Weequay, hiding inside an alcove. That's either the best or worst job. Hah, I have a plan for him though.

Hello Adhesive grenade, float it in the air, then slowly back towards the alcove, he can't see it coming, no sign he recognizes his imminent doom. I activate the countdown and push the grenade into the alcove. There's a startled gasp as it goes off and man, he's just covered in foam. Alive, but not moving or calling anyone for the next few hours.

"Good Work padawan, there are two more, go left and get the second, I'll go right for the last and we'll meet midway." Okay then, go me I guess. Now, where do I? Ah, over there.

I begin moving to the left and Master Tavik goes right, the other sniper is a hundred meters away and I hate it, this is the scariest hundred meters ever.

I have another adhesive grenade though! A quick detonation and it's off to meet back up with Master Tavik, I'm sure the rest of this mission will go smoothly and with no difficulties whatsoever.

Master Tavik is already on the ground when I get to the meeting point, hidden behind one of the complex's smaller buildings and I quickly drop to meet him. There's a risk of discovery here but things are quickly going to start going to hell and it won't matter then.

"Alright, let's get ready to move then, Padawan." The buildings around us have a number of people in them, none of them reacting to us quite yet. Down below I can see even more people but it's harder to make them out. My sight is getting better at distinguishing people but it's not that good yet.

"Padawan, the man from yesterday, he was a Zabrak right?" I nod, already dreading what's about to happen.

"Well, he's down there, with the younger female. We're about to meet your new friends then." I sigh and wonder why I expected any different?

"Alright then, we'll get to say hi, I guess. I'm ready to go Master." He nods and together we slip around the building and head for the main complex, I can see the Ray shield, it's shimmering around the building but there's…dips in it, places where it's thinner. Master Tavik sees them too and we head for one while he takes out his datapad and begins inputting commands.

The shield dims even further and for a moment there's a gap in front of us.

"Go!" he yells and we both dart inside, there's a door nearby and with a wave of his hand it's open and we're through. Master Tavik has already opened his comlink to signal Ehruss and Inyri.

"We're in, go ahead with the distraction." I don't hear the reply but I see it, there's an explosion in the distance and suddenly everything's on high alert. Master Tavik and I both ignite our lightsabers as the complex springs to life.

Ah to see the looks on their faces as they rush out, only to spot two Jedi. Surprise, assholes, blaster fire erupts as we advance down the hall. One thermal detonator out of the bandoleer, let it fall to the ground and a nudge with the Force to send it rolling behind us, wait till it gets to the corner and activate it.

The guards running around the corner don't even open fire before the grenade goes off and kaboom. Master Tavik presses forward, and I follow, settling in beside him to cover. The guards ahead of us are smarter than the others and begin falling back around the corner. It looks like they're trying to link up with some of their fellows farther back?

"Padawan, a flashbang grenade would be very useful right about now." Oh, right, it would. Grab the flashbang from the bandoleer, activate it and watch as Master Tavik grabs it with the Force and flings it down the hall and around the corner.

And then it goes off and Master Tavik runs forward, around the corner his lightsaber flashing and I follow. Striking legs and arms, we're not killing any of them, but they are hurt. Except for those ones I detonated but let's ignore that for now. Take another adhesive grenade, set it off and let it drop among the wounded unconscious guards before we take off.

They'll be fine, maybe I don't know, but I didn't kill them, so I feel better about it. Tyro is probably down below, I don't see anyone important looking in the main complex and my two friends from yesterday are down-level so that's where we'll go I guess.

The elevator isn't there but that's fine we don't need it. The two of us plunge our sabers into the door and begin the process of cutting a hole, the other guards on this level are scrambling to organize and to decide whether to go after us or go outside so we have time. A Force push and we send the door tumbling down the elevator shaft, jumping through and heading down. Is that the elevator coming up to meet us? Oh yes it is, there are guards inside, panic!

We both land on the top of the rapidly ascending elevator and we don't even have to speak to know what to do. Our sabers plunge into the top of the elevator and begin cutting a hole, kicking the metal into the elevator and dropping in.

The guards around us level their blasters at us, aside from the one crushed under the metal roof and we both begin swinging, cutting weapons in half and cutting the guards. The elevator reaches the top with no door and I sigh, pressing the down button. Master Tavik chuckles and shakes his head beside me as the doors close and we begin descending.

I contemplate dropping an adhesive grenade in here but decide that would be bad. We do have to come back up here when we capture Tyro.

We reach the bottom and I can see the guards posted on the other side of the door, weapons drawn. Oh boy, the door opens and immediately we're blocking a hail of blaster fire. Flashbang time, open the bandoleer activate the flashbang and toss it into the middle of that mess. And again, the sound of people screaming in pain as they clutch at their eyes.

You know, when my enemies become mostly droids or armored people with flash-resistant visors I'm going to miss this simplicity. We both move forward, deflecting bolts back into arms and legs, striking out with lightsabers to down our enemies and progressing further onward into the complex.

There's a big open room farther down with only three people inside, two of them are my new friends. I bet the third is Tyro Vang, this is going to be climactic I bet.

Hah-hah two bit thugs can't stop a Jedi Master and the Jedi Grenadier. I take a deep breath as the last of the guards is taken down, okay, we're good. Inyri, Ehruss and the others are distracting the others and it's just the two dark siders stopping us from getting to Tyro. As we approach and open the door, I can see them close ranks around what I assume to be Tyro Vang, he's Devaronian, tall and one of his horns seems blunted whether from injury or something else I can't tell.

Ysanne and Ousan both have lightsabers in their hands, okay this is much worse than I thought. Dark side adepts would have been tough but manageable? I really hope they don't know how to use those lightsabers but I know they do. God damnit.

We seem to be in a machine shop of some sort? There's an upper walkway overlooking the rest of the floor and what seems to be a conveyer built where they're building something I don't understand… droids maybe? Or it could be more complex machinery I don't know for sure. There's a great big generator in the back

Ysanne waves and I sigh and wave back, why not, just roll with it.

"Tyro Vang, you are under arrest for sentient trafficking, drug trafficking, murder, bribery, embezzlement, and more. Please come peacefully and your subordinates may leave without harm." Master Tavik steps forward as Tyro steps back. Ousan steps forward to block him, the giant Zabrak raising his lightsaber in a guard.

"I can't allow that, Jedi. If you want Tyro then you'll have to go through us." I can see Ysanne shrug as she steps up to block me preemptively. I have to ask, I can't not.

"And you are? I don't think you're Sith but, who are you?" Ousan twitches at the name Sith but says nothing. Ysanne doesn't either, I guess they're not going to tell me?

"The two of you, kill them! I hired you to protect me, so do it. I'll triple your pay, give you whatever you want if you kill them." Tyro runs towards a back room, a safe room maybe or just somewhere out of the way who knows.

Master Tavik raises his lightsaber and I mirror him, this will be my first duel to the death, or not. I really don't want to kill either of them. I'd like to know what information they have.

"This is your last warning, step aside and no harm will come to you. You haven't committed any crimes that can be proven, there is no need to fight." Master Tavik moves to the left and Ousan follows him.

"There can be no recourse Jedi, I have always wanted to face your kind in battle, to avenge our losses before. Now I have the opportunity, for the Black Knights!" The Black Knights? Oh….boy this isn't going to be good.

They both charge forward and Master Tavik and I move to meet them. Here we go.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jun 26, 2017

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Saphrith

Jun 27, 2017

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#190

Our lightsabers clash together, the sound deafening in my ears. I can feel adrenaline rushing through my veins, movement becomes lighter, as if all the weight of my body is gone and everything is suddenly so much faster. Ysanne goes right and I mimic her, sweeping low to undercut her only for her to leap over me. Her own lightsaber slashes downwards and I roll forward to avoid it, gouges burned into the metal floor.

I'm on my feet and back into it again, she's already swinging her lightsaber to meet me. The clash is all there is, now that we're here, dueling I can see the tinges of darkness in her aura. It's like an ichor dripping from her, foul and dank. A blackness where the sun doesn't shine, but it's not…everywhere, is the best way to describe it. She's not fully committed to the dark path, I wonder, could I?

Such thoughts are pushed to the side as she slips her leg forward and let's my own strike overpower hers. I lean forward and she slips under me, wow she is flexible, and down I go, tumbling over her body. A quick roll to my feet and a desperate backpedal as she presses the attack.

Okay, jump to safety, I land on the conveyor belt and dodge to the side as she follows. Thankfully the conveyor isn't moving and our duel continues. I note that she isn't really going toe to toe with me, preferring to glide around me and use her flexibility to trip me up. I can't really press the attack too strongly then, or she'll kill me.

"Very good, Viera, so this is what a padawan can do?" The honest curiosity in her voice is tinged with excitement, lust for battle or something else? I can't place it.

I decide to try something new and disengage, stretching out with the Force, pushing her away from me, might as well try it.

She doesn't take it, sliding away from the push and pressing forward, again our blades lock. She's a good duelist but there's not a lot of strength to her blows, but she's fast enough to make up for it and keep me from pressing the advantage of my strength.

"Come on, Jedi! Isn't this what you're supposed to be fighting against? Why not attack me, why so silent?" She goads but I'm not keen on talking during battle, spars are one thing but right now I can't help but focus on the moment, the now. Everything is here, in this moment.

Alright, flashbang time. I reach into the bandoleer on my waist and she immediately attacks, but again I don't need two hands to block her blows, so as her attacks come I plant my feet and open my senses to the Force, and to her movements while my other hand reaches for a flashbang. I activate it, and toss it into the air above me.

But, she's smarter than that and jumps back, covering her eyes with her arm as the flashbang detonates and I surge forward to press the attack. She barely manages to block and for a moment I think I have her, then the flash is gone and her sight is back.

Flashbangs aren't going to be effective then, unless I can manage to take advantage of her brief blindness, but do I want to kill her or capture her?

Ousan is obviously her master, or teacher, or whatever rank he holds above her and it shows by how his aura has become a pit, an empty blackness that seems to suck all light into it. He and Master Tavik are currently going all out and wow, I have a way to go, lightning is being thrown around and their lightsabers are flashing so fast that I can barely see them. A way to go indeed.

"You could surrender, you technically haven't done anything the Republic can charge you for, and the Dark Side hasn't claimed you yet. There's still hope for you." I really, really don't want to kill her, I know I haven't been able to be consistent in my ability to spare my opponents but I still want to try, to make the effort. Her smile isn't cruel, nor sad, but there is an emotion behind it, glee, happiness? I can't tell.

"Not a chance, Jedi, the destructive power I wield is just a taste of what the Dark Side can give me, and I want to see its full potential. There's no power for me in the Jedi way." She begins to circle around me and I match her, breathe in and breathe out, use the moment to rest and center yourself.

"You could join us, Viera? I can see the darkness within you, the fear, the desire. You would do well as one of us, Master Ousan would accept you for sure and the three of us could overpower your Master easily enough." I sigh and let the Force flow through me, calm and centered. I know the fear she's talking about.

I've had to deal with it for years, I know the dangers coming, I've made friends and companions, people whose deaths I am aware of, and I want none of it to happen. The desire to see them alive and well, the fear for their safety, the fear of my own death. I know it's there and I want nothing of it. The Dark Side will give me no comfort, no escape from that, it will only feed it.

"Not a chance, I promise to defeat you as painlessly as possible, though you may surrender whenever you like." She scowls and we rush forward to meet each other in battle again. Okay, so plan, plan I need a plan. Jar'Kai maybe? I grab the second lightsaber from my vest and ignite it.

I've trained further in Jar'Kai and with her apparent aversion to striking heavy blows, I don't think she'll be able to take advantage of the sacrifice in strength. And now it begins, I strike out with both sabers. That seems to be working, she's backpedaling quickly and I take advantage, forcing her on the defensive.

I just need to force her into a trap and disarm her, with two lightsabers at her throat I imagine she'll be much more open to surrendering peacefully. Our blades clash and I press forward to take the advantage.

The force blares in my mind, a glare of power as she gathers the Force around her, pushing out and I can see it even as it slams into me, no chance to dodge. It lifts me off my feet and sends me sailing. There's an impact and then a searing pain in my back, oh I've hit the conveyer belt, pain lances through my body but I manage to roll out of the way just before Ysanne's strike lands home.

I lash out and force her to back up, taking the moment to stand, that hurt a lot. But I've been trained for this, the Force can suppress such pain, withdraw myself inward and become blind to the ails of my body. I'm really liking that technique now.

Oh, where has my bandoleer gone? It's over by the conveyor belt, the strap broke, probably when I hit the conveyor belt. Hm, I can do something with that, maybe, I'll have to figure it out later. Then she's on me again, how's Master Tavik doing?

They're still going at it over there, I can see great gouges cut into the floor, all over the place. Tyro is still cowering in the nearby backroom and I can't focus enough to see what's going on upstairs with Ehruss and the others.

"Focus, Jedi! I won't defeat you distracted." You won't defeat me at all, if I have anything to say about it, I catch her blade on my left, swing with my right and marvel as she flips and disengages me, coming to land behind me and ready to block even as I swing around to catch her. I thrust my sabers forward and she ducks under.

Okay, I think I have a plan, just need to position her just right. Steadying myself I begin to press forward again, swiping and blocking but also shifting to block her attempts to move in the direction of the door, I need her back to the conveyor belt. She wants to fight me, and she'll get it, as much as I hate to admit it, this is fun, there is a part of me that enjoys this rush of adrenaline.

The crack and hiss of lightsabers clashing together, the desperate strikes and pivots to avoid death. I feel alive in a way that's hard to explain, like a burst of sunlight shining down on me, invigorating my every blow and giving speed to my movement. She doesn't stand a chance, I've won the fight, it's just a matter of getting to there.

She's in front of the conveyor belt now, my bandoleer is behind her, maybe five meters away? I can see the thermal detonators inside, there's plenty of them. I don't exactly know how many I need for this to work and it's a simple matter to focus and activate them all. Then I engage, darting left and right to prevent her from slipping away and engaging her in lightsaber combat.

When the bandoleer detonates, the force of it is enough to send Ysanne off balance and I step into her guard, bringing my knee up to knock the wind out of her. She stumbles back and I batter at her, the exhilaration is intoxicating, I have her. One saber knocks her lightsaber high and the other sweeps out, a cry of pain and her left-hand drops, the lightsaber still clutched in it smoking.

Wait, what? All at once I come crashing back to myself, the pain in my back is still there, lancing through my body, sweat is beading on my forehead and I look down at the severed hand, even as she cries out in pain and rage. I didn't mean to do that, I wanted the lightsaber, not her hand. But I aimed for it nonetheless.

"Agh! You cut my hand off! You bitch!" Language, also sorry I didn't mean to but nonetheless I got the result I wanted, her defeated and alive.

"Sorry about that, I was aiming for your weapon. Surrender, and I'll see that you get medical treatment." That'll happen anyways but hey, incentives to give up. She tries to stand but I press one of my lightsabers closer and she settles back down.

I've won this, she isn't getting away. Barring some miracle she isn't escaping uncaptured.

"So, you were talking to me about the power of the Dark Side? I believe I have proved you wrong, Ysanne. It's not too late for you to take a better path." I can see her anger flare, she's mad, damn it, no. Reject the dark path, please? I don't want my first try at redeeming a Dark Side user to go this badly.

There's a great shearing sound and a familiar cry behind me, oh come on, no! I turn just enough to see the other end of the room.

Master Tavik is pinned down by what looks like debris of the upper walkway, it's pinned him below the waste. Ousan is standing over him, lightsaber raised and ready to strike. There's a surge in the Force, dark power coiled like a spring and suddenly I'm flying forward, sliding across the ground. As soon as I stand I look back and Ysanne is sprinting towards the door, she took her hand with her. I want to chase her, every instinct urges me to but I ignore them, turning to Master Tavik.

I'll let her escape any day if it means keeping him alive. Both lightsabers ignited I make my charge. Ousan blocks easily and presses the attack on me with a flurry of blows that has me backpedaling desperately.

I have no hope of winning, I'm just buying time, time for Master Tavik to unpin himself and come to join me. A blow sends one of my lightsabers sailing out of my hand and I'm admittedly glad for it, I take my remaining lightsaber with both hands and focus on the defense.

"So, Ysanne left me, she was always the cowardly sort. Too willing to run when faced with true danger. I shall punish her failure later, for now I'll slay you and your Master." I don't bother replying, I can't really, too much focus is on blocking.

He swings high and I block, barely keeping his blow from forcing my own lightsaber back into me, the heat from it burns at my face and I can feel the fear, come on Master, unpin yourself. My impromptu duel ends before it's really begun and in a single swipe he's batted my lightsaber away.

Then, there's pain, unimaginable pain, lighting pours into me, sparked from his hands as I scream. The force of it is suffused into me, coursing through me and I'm lifted off my feet and sent spiraling into the air, landing some feet away.

There's a lack of awareness then, I'm smoking, charred and burnt flesh, and oh how I hurt. I don't think the lightning hit me for that long but it was enough. I'm trying to find my feet, but every few seconds my limbs jolt and eventually I just have to settle in for lying there. Why am I not dead? It takes effort but I shift my attention to Ousan.

Oh, Master Tavik is back up and he is fighting fiercely, go him! Okay, breathe in, and breathe out. Focus on the Force, the twinges of pain are still there and it's tough but I can focus, I can manage that at least. The Sun, think of the sun, rays bathing me in warmth and light. Let the pain drift away, slowly, slowly.

Luminous beings are we, not this crude flesh. Just, stand up, slowly. There's a conveyor belt nearby, use it to find your footing and support you. The pain is receding, not that it's actually gone but I'm slowly managing to bring it back under control with the Force, where's my lightsaber? One is over there, the other is halfway across the room, I don't really trust my ability to call it to me right now, I'll just have to go for it myself.

I slowly easy myself around the conveyor belt, reaching for my saber and its grip is comforting enough to invigorate me slightly.

They're both still going at it and I sigh, walking slowly over to them. Lightsaber raised, as Master Tavik backs up beside me, Ousan is across from the two of us and now its two on one.

Well, one and a half versus one if I'm honest. I just want to be enough of a distraction to allow Master Tavik to kill him, I'd be satisfied with that.

Tyro has eased out of the backroom, seems he's much more confident in his victory now, has he come to gloat?

"This is the end for you, Jedi! My new guard is more than powerful enough to handle you. Do it Ousan! I'll see you well rewarded for killing them, money, slaves, power? I'll give you whatever you want." Ousan doesn't move but he shows no signs of not wanting to kill us. Master Tavik shakes his head.

"Kill us and more Jedi will come, and next time it'll be a team of Knights and Masters, this won't last. Eventually you'll fall. If you can beat us here." I'm fine with talking here, just give me more time to rest, please and thank you.

Ousan shrugs but there's something in his eyes, a cruel glee that breaks through the deadness. I'm a bit worried now, what is he planning.

"I know I can beat you here, Jedi, even if I fall, you won't succeed here." And then before either of us can react, he turns and in one stroke beheads Tyro Vang. Master Tavik and I both surge forward, pain momentarily forgotten as we engage him in combat.

It's pointless now, everything we did here was pointless, he's dead and the information he had dead with him. We don't have near enough time to search his data files if he even had anything incriminating in them.

Ousan matches us blow for blow, battering aside my strikes and blocking Master Tavik with ease. But it's still two on one and he has to deal with two attacks at the same time instead of one. He's slipping, slowly but surely and it's given me some hope, strength to keep attacking. I want him dead, he has to die. I don't care that Ysanne escaped but he has to die.

The pain in my chest is coming back, I can't keep this up, I strike low for his legs and he leaps over it, blocking Master Tavik's blade as he descends and for a moment I want to despair.

Then a lightsaber blade extends through his chest and his attack is halted. What! Who! How? Is that my other saber? It is my other lightsaber, go me, and go Master Tavik for sensing it and using it to kill the bad guy.

And like that, my adrenaline is gone and my knees give out, Master Tavik catches me as I drop. I'm out, thanks for playing everybody, I can't bring myself to even move. Props to Master Tavik though, he picks me up with little to no effort, even after all of this. But then again, he might just be using Curato Salva better than me and he's hurting just as much.

"Hang on padawan, we're getting out of here, just rest and let me do the rest." Okay, I can do that.

"The other one, she escaped." I mumble as he picks up his pace and heads for the elevator.

"Don't worry about it, she can be tracked down later, right now we're going to get up and get out of here." Then he opens his comlink and starts speaking into it but I don't hear the words, my energy is gone, it's all a buzz.

I try to mumble a reply, something, anything but I can't move my mouth, everything's drifting away and I feel weightless.

Then darkness and I gladly drift off into unconsciousness.

Jun 28, 2017

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#205

So 1 won by virtue of tying with 2 and winning the coin toss. Also, shout out to Inverted_helix for beta reading this and future interludes.

Dooku observed their handiwork from the bridge of the Invincible, Ranulph and Jace were busy commanding the ongoing battle that marked a significant point in this little endeavor. Half squadrons of turbostorm gunships flew across the viewport, chased by Aurek strikefighters, turbolasers tore apart the space around them as Ranulph's newly formed fleet engaged the pirate band they'd pinned between them and the planet.

It had been a good plan that they had come up with. When they first got in contact with Cham Syndulla, those six months ago he had explained in detail the pattern the pirates and slavers had established in their relationship with Ryloth. Some of the more enterprising slavers had done a census of the population in the various cities and villages of Ryloth to determine not only population size but generational demographics.

It was easier to determine when it was time to come collect their 'tribute' when the sons and daughters of Ryloth had become old enough to be worth something on the slave markets. That had never been the limit of their slaving but it was the bulk of it. The people of Ryloth had not been told that it was the reason for the census but they had figured out the pattern easily enough.

So, when Cham told them in the upcoming months there would be another 'collection', the opportunity was one they almost literally could not afford to miss. Cham would accept no less for the support of himself and his people.

He had asked for other things as well, much of Ryloth's economy relied on the production of Ryll on the black markets of the galaxy. Bringing Ryloth into the Republic more firmly and establishing a more permanent Republic presence on Ryloth would necessitate the end of the Ryll industry. The problem was that it would necessarily damn the Twi'lek people to poverty or shady underground business for years, potentially decades.

Cham would have none of that, if there was an alliance to be made, there would also need to be consideration for what came after his people were safe. Ranulph had been surprisingly agreeable and had made a considerable offer. Ranulph had gone to his cousin Fane, who had taken over his role on the executive board of Quintad Orbital Manufacturing. After negotiating between QOM and Rendili Stardrive, an agreement had been reached to slowly begin turning Ryloth into one of the Outer Rim's premier shipbuilding and military hardware manufacturing centers.

There had been tenuous negotiations between them over what to entice the companies to move to Ryloth but eventually they had all managed to agree to giving QOM and RSD monopolies on Ryloth's markets and the right to pay lower wages for twenty years in exchange for exclusively hiring Twi'leks. It wasn't a spectacular deal but compared to before, it was perfect for Cham.

Dooku himself had gone to Garm and his brother Doran, the current Count of Serenno to gain their aid. Garm had been the easiest to convince, they were still on good terms and the prospect of 'adventure' in the Outer Rim had excited him. He had promised to round up whatever volunteers he could manage.

His brother had been harder, unsurprising considering his duties as Count, but Dooku had personally gone to every major noble family and worked to convince them to support the endeavor, mostly it had been done by enticing them with the pageantry and nobility of sending their sons and daughters to the Anaxes or Carida academies and the promising officer positions they could earn for themselves.

In the end, the resources earned had paid dividends. He watched a pair of CR90 Corvettes shoot out across the battle line, the Arrow and Arbiter, Dooku didn't know where Garm had managed to find and crew those corvettes but they were proving valuable. More important were the Corellian pilots who had volunteered, filling their desperate need for fighter pilots.

Serenno's support had come in funding, a generous donation of credits had allowed them to purchase fighters, ships, blasters, uniforms and more that were needed.

But it was Ryloth itself that had provided the most support. Cham had not disappointed, he'd gone to his people, campaigned across the planet and rallied his support. And out they came, men and women, young and old had come by the thousands. Desperation drove them, Dooku could sense it in them. The fear and anger, the desire for a better life for them or their kin.

Whatever the reason, Ranulph didn't turn them away, they were crewing ships, piloting fighters, serving as infantry and medics. Ryloth was ready for war, the simmering anger had been let loose.

And so, they prepared and trained, waiting for the right moment. When the day came for the slavers return, they had laid their trap. Ranulph had hid his fleet behind one of Ryloth's moons and scattered squads of infantry across Ryloth to await them. When the slavers landed, they found themselves facing an armed populace, supported by experienced troopers. Repelling them had taken almost no effort, unprepared or such a level of resistance as they were.

It wasn't long before more came, better armed and ready for battle. They had launched several starfighter squadrons from the planet and after a fierce battle, repelled that attack as well, inflicting severe casualties. Then they came with a great force of modified freighters and gunships, small frigates and individual fighters.

Then, the trap was sprung and the ROSF attacked, fighters screamed across space to hit the pirates from behind, the fleet right behind them, turbolasers firing. The slaughter was proof enough of their success.

"Their flagship is moving toward us, focus fire, call the Sojourn and Ajax forward to support." Jace ordered and Dooku looked out the viewport to the only troubling part of this battle.

The Rendili dreadnaught advanced steadily towards them, answering their turbolasers with its own and matching them shot for shot. Where these pirates had managed to acquire one of these vessels he did not know but it was proving effective.

Privately, Dooku was betting on the Hutts, they had enough wealth and supplies to arm such a vessel. That ship could match the Invincible shot for shot and then some.

The Sojourn and Ajax, both Hammerhead cruisers, would give them much needed support but things were about to get strained.

Even as he said that, the ship rumbled ominously and Dooku reached for his lightsaber, what was that?

"Jace, what was that, it wasn't turbolaser fire." Ranulph shared his worries though the man was keeping his concern hidden. Jace turned to the communications console.

"Ensign, status report?" Ensign Vekarr's hands danced across the terminal, listening to the incoming reports through her comlink before shaking. Dooku didn't need to be a Jedi to sense the fear suddenly present.

"Sir, we've been boarded. Enemy pirates have appeared on Decks C through F. I'm getting scattered reports of Mandalorians among them." And now Dooku understood he fear well enough. Jace cursed, opening his own comlink.

"Master Sifo-Dyas, Lieutenant Vance, we have boarders, Mandalorians with them, assemble the security teams and repel them immediately, they can't be allowed to cause any damage." Sifo-Dyas could handle that, he would remain on the bridge just in case. But Mandalorians? Someone must have offered a considerable sum of money to get Mandalorians to work with pirates and slavers. Still, something worried him about this situation.

Another boom rocked the ship and this time he did ignite his lightsaber, the brilliant blue blade casting its glow across the bridge. That had been on this level, he turned to Jace and offered the man a quick nod.

"They won't get past me." Then he strode through the door and locked it behind him, waiting. He didn't have to wait long as four Mandalorians rounded the corner and stopped before him, the one in front seemed to be the leader if the arrogant way he carried himself was any indication.

Dooku would be all too glad to disabuse him of that confidence. Still, he stepped forward, right foot forward in traditional Makeshi stance, left hand behind his back and saber held up in front of him.

"I am Jedi Master Dooku, turn back at once or face the consequences of your actions. You won't be the first Mandalorians I have defeated, nor the last." The lead Mandalorian laughed, the metallic tint of his voice giving him a robotic tone.

"Yes, at Galidraan right? I saw your handiwork, you did me a favor there so I'll make your death quick. Master Dooku, know that Tor Vizla ended your life." Then the Mandalorian, Tor, took a metal hilt from his waist and ignited it. The thin black blade igniting before him and for a moment Dooku was stunned, a lightsaber?

"Surprised, Jedi? I imagine so, this lightsaber was forged by a Mandalorian Jedi millennia ago and was stolen by my ancestors from your Jedi Temple. Many Jedi have died on its blade, and now I'll add one more." Dooku smirked, this man thought to outduel him? Putting this Mandalorian in his place would be a treat.

"Very well then, Mandalorian. Once I defeat you, that blade will be returned to the Temple where it belongs." With a flourish, he pointed his lightsaber at Tor and beckoned him forwards. Tor dropped into an unfamiliar stance, brutish and barbaric before advancing.

"Die, Jedi!" And Dooku met Tor's blade with his own.

The battle was on.

Last edited: Jun 28, 2017

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#212

The Temple had changed much, in his absence, the Room of a Thousand Fountains had grown. The last time he had been here, thousands of years ago, it had been a small thing. From where he sat, in a grove of trees and flowers that surrounded him with life, Ood Bnar understood this now more than ever.

And wasn't that something he was quickly becoming used to, he had been asleep for thousands of years on Ossus, resting, recovering his strength. He had awoken to an unfamiliar galaxy.

And an unfamiliar Order. It was, a natural thing for doctrine to change over time but the lack of familiarity in the Order's manner of operation had confused him.

"Master Bnar, something troubling you, is there?" He stood and turned to face the venerable Grandmaster of the Order. Yoda had been an odd sight for him at first, his species did not tend to Force-sensitivity and to think there were two of them in the Order, both on the Council and one the Grandmaster was surprising indeed.

"Oh, Master Yoda, I was simply contemplating life and the Order." Yoda nodded and slowly walked forward, leaning on his walking stick. Yoda took a seat next to him and Ood Bnar sat back down as well.

For a moment, there were no words between them and the flowing water, the wind flowing through the trees and grass was the only noise around them. If he reached out with the Force, he could sense other Jedi meditating in the gardens or by the various fountains scattered about. If he expanded his senses further he could feel the broader Temple. His rescuer was still in the Halls of Healing, he would visit later. Further on he could sense the younglings going about their training.

"Master Yoda, forgive my doubt, but I do not see the point in taking infants for training. Surely the Order is not that strapped for members." Master Nu had explained much of the changes he had missed during their talks, but understanding of the reasoning had been lacking.

"A change, Ruusan necessitated it is, older students, too dangerous it was deemed to train."

"But, to take children so young, and the right being embedded into law, does it not create a disconnect between the Order and the galaxy we protect? No parent truly accepts losing their children in such a way, removing such connections risks distancing us from the rest of the Galaxy." Truth be told, he didn't really mind taking young children as padawans but infants seemed another matter, and to have it be an enforced law of the Republic. He saw no good in that.

"Dangerous it is, for those touched by the Force to be left untrained, left alone, a danger they may cause. The reemergence of the Black Knights indicative of this, it is. Older students, not ready they are, a Jedi's life is service, prepared for the dangers and responsibilities they are not, too fearful." Ood Bnar turned to face the diminutive Grandmaster and considered his response.

"Perhaps so, but if they are not allowed to form attachments to the galaxy around them, to live in harmony with it, then is their justice, their altruism done through duty or actual desire to do good? Non-attachment certainly has its value but so does attachment, there must be a balance between honoring the Force and its manifestations." He paused to collect his thoughts and Yoda patiently waited for him to continue.

"The Jedi of my day were free to travel the galaxy, form bonds and relationships with the people they met, understand and live in harmony with life around them. How can we understand the people we are supposed to help, connect with them if we seclude ourselves away in the Temple and force ourselves to not form bonds of friendship and love?" He didn't understand that, Nomi Sunrider and Naela had many friends, both Jedi and not, they had been powerful, loyal Jedi. Yoda shook his head and rapped his cane on the grass to emphasize his point.

"Distractions these are, drawing one's gaze away from the Force and towards a dark path. Ulic Qel-Droma, Exar Kun, Revan, and Malak? Taught in such a way they were, saw their darkness Master Jeth, Master Baas, and Master Zhar did not." Ood turned back to the trees in front of them, watching them sway in the breeze.

"You describe failings of the teachers not necessarily the teachings. I knew Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma personally, their fall was tragic but such things were not predictable." Yoda thumped his cane on the ground and snorted.

"Because of their attachments, they did not see. Blinded by attachment and pride of their students they were." Ood Bnar took a moment to center himself, that statement had more weight than he liked to admit, they had all trained Ulic or Exar Kun at some point, and if he was honest, he'd had his suspicions of both.

"And what has been wrought by the Order now? This peace has been built by the efforts of Jedi who believed similarly as I do? Could all this have been possible without the Jedi of my era? Too many of the Jedi today seem more droid than organic. They don't understand empathy, not truly, they seem to act more out of duty than empathy. They do not understand the people they aid and the people they aid do not understand them." He sighed.

"The Force is life itself, permeating everything and everyone. How can we truly understand the Force if we do not live, do not express ourselves in more than meditation? If we do not laugh, or cry, mourn loved ones and celebrate for those who still live. If we do not love and nurture families and friends, how can we do the same to those who need aid?" Yoda shook his head and Ood suppressed the flash of annoyance.

"Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, Revan and Malak, that is where such teachings lead, reckless and destructive too easily one becomes when one does not understand discipline and how to let go. Too afraid of the ones they love and care for dying, built upon such teachings our peace was, but maintained it this Order has and continue to maintain it we shall, no more do young Jedi suffer such tragedies and depart down the dark path. Peace there has been for a thousand years under our doctrine." Ood Bnar sighed, he didn't quite agree but could not deny it.

"I shall concede the point for now, but even you cannot deny the Order has become too involved in the politics of the Senate, certainly procedure and bureaucracy, are not what the Order is here for?" Yoda snorted, a rueful smile on his face.

"The forms and reports I fill out, enjoyable they are not. Miss, I, the days when oversight of the Order was limited, remember do I, the changes." Ood laughed softly and shook his head.

"If only we could find a means to balance these responsibilities." Yoda hooted and fell back to stare up at the artificial sky.

"Grandmaster, I would name, the one who could manage that." And then they both laughed and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and the momentary break. Ood would debate with him some more later.

He had to think.

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#223

"A toast, gentlemen, to the Republic." Valorum raised his glass of Chandrial wine and his fellows joined him, Senators all of them, friends and allies, new and old. This party of Kalpana's was as always, a good chance to catch up, discuss events and happenings in the galaxy.

"To the Republic! May it remain peaceful and prosperous for many generations to come." Another toast, and another as each Senator made their own toast. Formalities were quick and then it was onto discussion, gossip was rampant in the Capital and had been for the past week.

"Did you hear what happened at Ryloth." One Senator said, holding his glass of wine up for another sip and to his left, Horox chuckled. The Anx Senator took a slow sip of his brandy and sighed, setting his glass gently down before speaking.

"Indeed, there is hardly anyone who hasn't. Orn Free Taa is in a rage over not being consulted first. To hear him say it, Ranulph has insulted him by not obtaining his approval first." Another Senator, snorted disdainfully, leaning back in his seat.

"He's worried for his position and why shouldn't he be. That Cham Syndulla fellow is being called the Hero of Ryloth for his part in the whole endeavor. Ranulph's right below him in terms of popularity."

Valorum frowned, Tarkin, he'd hoped the man would have learned something from Troiken. All of those lives lost from his vigilante carelessness and he'd instead decided to put even more effort into it. The fact that he was having more success than before was irrelevant.

He'd given the pirates and criminals of the Outer Rim a bloody nose, but they were hardly defeated, they would retaliate and it would be bloody. He only hoped that the effects would be limited.

"I've heard that the Ojoster Sector has joined his movement, Dac as well. He's gained some ground in the Outer Rim. Not to mention Balamak, Bimmissaari and Trevi IV in the Mid Rim." Horox said slowly.

And it seemed like Ryloth was set to join him as well, or at least the populace. With the Senatorial election coming up soon and Orn Free Taa's position so tenuous it was entirely possible he could lose to this Cham Syndulla.

"But, this has proven the usefulness of an expanded presence in the Outer Rim. If we could get Ranulph and his militia to put themselves under the Judicial Forces, he could work freely in the Outer Rim." Horox sighed and shook his head.

"No chance of that, Ranulph won't settle for anything less than a restored Republic military. He's too stubborn to accept anything else and as long as he's technically operating within the law he's fine." Valorum sighed.

"Yes, but what happens when all those disparate bands of pirates and slavers decide to join forces and strike back? What happens when the Hutts take offense to their profits being impacted? We don't have the power to throw them back, not without consequence." The conversation was quickly becoming too much for him and he finished the last of his wine before standing.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I feel the urge to wander." He excused himself, the wine and talk of Tarkin had left him antsy and he'd decided he needed a walk.

The veranda of their banquet hall was more crowded than he'd have liked, but he'd managed to find himself a quiet spot where no one bothered him. He looked out over the Coruscant night, countless lights in the distance. The sound dampening field around the building cut off the speeders and advertisements that had come to mark Coruscant's nightlife. Now, in the relative quiet, with only the sound of sweet music echoing across the room. Valorum felt lonely, so used to the sound, the noise, the life around him.

"Senator Valorum, what brings you out here tonight." He turned to face the newcomer and offered a polite smile.

"Senator Palpatine, a pleasure, I just came here for some peace and quiet." Not so much peace now, though he immediately felt guilty. Palpatine was not the source of his ire and deserved none of it. Palpatine offered an easy smile, friendly and welcoming.

"I imagine so, forgive my presumption Senator but you seem uncomfortable. Ah, am I causing you trouble, forgive me I will leave if you wish." Valorum shook his head and waved him forward.

"No, it's fine, I'm just a little troubled by recent events." Palpatine stepped forward and leaned on the balcony beside him, staring out into the night.

"By recent events, you mean Senator Tarkin and the battle over Ryloth?" As always, he proved perceptive, or perhaps his antagonistic relationship with Tarkin was just that well known.

"Yes, damn the man, his gallivanting through the Outer Rim will only invite more bloodshed and reprisals from the pirates he is attacking. This is not the way to go about maintaining peace." Palpatine nodded sympathetically.

"Ranulph is acting out of his own convictions, but yes how long can this go before he invites dangerous reprisals from the more…. powerful factions of the criminal world? What violent wars could be waged over this." He was right and Valorum felt his anger flare, righteous indignation at the trouble Tarkin was inviting.

"He could end up at war with the Hutts if his efforts continue, and then what? He does not have the strength to face the Hutt Cartels and I do not believe for a second that the Hutts would spare the rest of the Republic from their wrath."

"I hear that he has opened talks with the representatives of Carida, Anaxes, and Agamar as well. It seems his victory at Ryloth has won back the respect of his faction." Valorum rolled his eyes, holding back his anger.

"Warmongers and armchair generals the lot of them, they have no understanding of the threat a full-scale war would have on the Republic." Palpatine sighed, looking pained at the thought.

"Yes, and it is unfortunate that innocents will suffer for their play war. If only something could be done to restrain their effects. But, divided as the Senate is, I fear no sanctions will be agreed too against Eriadu." And Palpatine was unfortunately correct, something had to be done.

"If I may, Senator Valorum, in my discussions with Magister Damask he related to me a story of a group of cloners on a faraway world who have mastered their art. I could, with some effort get the name of these cloners from him. The Judicial Forces are certainly understaffed for their job and I have no doubt that an army of clones would be beneficial for them. And if a war with the Cartels come, they could bolster the innocents of the Republic against the recklessness of Tarkin's militia." A clone army? Valorum could see Palpatine's point but that would only give credence to Tarkin's views.

"No, the answer to this is not more violence, more war. We need a peaceful solution, I just need something to bring Tarkin to the table." Palpatine nodded, sympathetically and leaned on the railing beside him.

"Forgive me, Valorum, I am still inexperienced at being a Senator. You are correct, peace is as always preferable to war. I simply fear for the future." Valorum smiled and nodded his agreement.

"Yes, I share your fears but we will find a way. Somehow, someway."

He would remember these cloners though, just in case.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

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#238

Finally, the last interlude and we can get back to the main plot.

She had not realized it when she had first arrived on Korriban, the significance of why she was there. When she had fled Tyro's compound, she had not really planned where she was going, only that she had to escape. Her hyperspace jump had been random coordinates, set in a panic. The Force had guided her here and for the longest time she had not known why.

It had been a place to lay low though, the planet was devoid of sentient life and since Ruusan, the Jedi had been content to let the planet fade from the memory of the galaxy at large. For a time, they had maintained an automated sensor station around the planet. But as the Outer Rim descended into lawlessness, pirates and smugglers who passed through Korriban on the way to other destinations destroyed the station.

The Jedi had rebuilt them, but had lacked both the resources and time to maintain a constant presence over Korriban and after repeated attempts, had simply given up maintaining a constant presence.

It had also given her time to reflect, on a lot of things. For the longest time, she'd traveled with Ousan across the galaxy after her induction into the Black Knights. She had learned everything from him, she'd had no family before him, she didn't remember how they'd died or even if they had. She had been so young when Ousan had found her, huddled under the rubble.

She Knelt upon the cold metal floor, his lightsaber hovering just above her shoulder, the heat dancing across her skin. That moment when she first felt the power of the Force. It was like awakening to the galaxy

'I, Ysanne Leoet, swear to uphold the mandate of the Black Knights. To oppose the Jedi where able, to honor the memory of the Sith, to seek power, to honor my Master, to instruct new initiates wisely, and should it be necessary, to die with honor and dignity in service to the cause.'

Then he had bid her rise, and it was the first time she'd seen him smile as he'd welcomed her to an order that had stood for almost two thousand years. And she had thanked him, promising to fulfill his expectations.

She remembered clearly leaving him there, on Terminus, and turning to run for her life. She had forsworn her vow to save her own skin. It was cowardice, defeated easily by a padawan when she could have taken advantage of the Jedi's distraction to kill her. She had instead fled for her life, abandoning her Master. A death sentence if any of her fellow Knights found out, there would be no safety with them anymore. She was alone, and in her loneliness emerged a hint of memory.

Vahl guide me, bathe me in your destructive power. Show me the path, that I may bring destruction upon my foes, venerate your gift, and spread your teachings.

It was a small thing, but alone on a ship, drowning in anger and self-loathing, the memory of her hand being severed haunting her dreams, a small comfort was better than no comfort at all. It became a mantra, and with each iteration she felt her sense of purpose return. And with that sense of purpose her anger began to focus.

She stared at the bandaged stump of her former hand, the pain had not gone away since her arrival. It had gotten stronger in fact, and with that pain came hatred. She hated the Jedi that did this to her and, with nothing else left, she began to hone that hatred.

However, as she did, a new sense emerged. A prick at the back of her mind, urging her onward, festering her hatred for the Jedi, quickly becoming the center of her focus. Then she began to meditate, the energy of Korriban suffused her with power and her senses expanded to the world around her.

Then, a revelation occurred. She wasn't sure what it meant but the sensation at the back of her mind became an impression. She grabbed a pack and some supplies from the cargo hold and set out.

Her landing site was some distance from the Valley of the Dark Lords, there was nothing there for her anymore and the canyon beyond it proved to have more cover for her ship. But as soon as she stepped off the ship, the Dark power around her seemed to become her guide, leading her onwards into a bend in the canyon and at the end, a cave system.

And in that cave system, lay a tomb. She didn't know whose tomb it was, not at first, but when she entered she found it dead but unpilfered. How this had happened she could not comprehend but the promise of dark power at the end drove her on.

Despite her elation, she found no relics, no texts of Sith knowledge, only empty halls and a single sealed door. Her lightsaber had no effect on it. She could not push or lift it open, and using the Force only made it shake.

A trove of power, she knew it had to be, and she couldn't even access it. All that time wasted, the power she wanted, needed, denied to her. It had tipped the cauldron of rage boiling within her. The Jedi, her hand, her weakness, her fear all boiled to a scream that shook the room around her.

But more importantly, it crumbled the door and she was inside. The chamber had been a repository: filled with ancient lightsabers and crude knives bathed in the power of darkness.

The most important treasure though—the one that had taken away her breath, swarmed her with dark power, and brought her to knees—was undoubtedly the Holocron. It was tall and pitch black, a triangular block of metal and knowledge unlike anything she had ever imagined.

All around her, the tomb glowed under the light of the hologram before her. She breathed in and basked in the power of the Dark Side around her, it was a fire under her skin, burning through her veins and coiling in her core.

And as she entered the chamber, it sprang to life and a woman rose out of the Holocron, a great spirit, full of power and harnessed rage. Ysanne found herself quaking at the raw power before her.

"Finally, someone at last has found my resting place, and yet I do not sense the Sith in you. What are you, child of darkness, only a Sith has right to my teachings." The command, and that was what it was, brought her back to the moment and she bowed before the hologram. She had no doubt that in this place of dark power, even dead and gone, this Sith had more than enough power to kill her.

"I am Ysanne Leoet, a member of the Black Knights." The spirit inclined her head curiously and the Dark Side swirled around them.

"I know not, who those are, it has been thousands of years since anyone has opened my tombs. You will tell me of what has happened. What is the state of the galaxy, do the Jedi still live?" She hurried to obey the Sith, recounting everything she knew of the galaxy and all the lore of the Black Knights that had been passed down before her.

This did not please the Sith spirit. The rage overwhelmed her, knocking her back into the wall and driving the air from her. She clutched at her throat, desperate for breath as she was floated up to face the spirit.

"You child, you will do. I have found myself in need of an apprentice, my teachings will endure, the Sith will endure. You will ensure this, or I will torment your spirit for all eternity. You will know no rest until my designs have been fulfilled." She was released and took in great gasps of air, hacking and clawing at the stone beneath her.

"I-I will do as you ask, Master, I-I want power. I want to be feared, I want, I want everything." The pain was receding, replaced by seething anger and desire. This, this was what she wanted, more than anything.

"Very good, apprentice. Rise and we shall begin your training immediately." Ysanne stood and as she faced the Sith spirit, she vowed that Viera Sarat would die by her hand, slowly and torturously. The Spirit seemed to sense her anger and dark purpose for the woman smiled.

"Then we will begin apprentice, you will be the instrument of my vengeance and in time you will be the new Marchioness of a reformed Black Legion."

Guess that Sith!

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#264

Ranulph waited patiently as the Jedi Master sat down at the other end of the table. It had been so long since he'd been on Coruscant. His own office was unfamiliar to him, paintings and holos of Eriadu dotted the room. His aide set down a tray of drinks, caf and tea, and he took a cup of caf.

Jedi Master Clee Rhara took a cup of tea, and with a short bow the aide left. He took a moment to observe the Jedi cautiously, an older woman, not too much younger than himself. Bright orange hair wasn't uncommon to see in the galaxy, but her eyes were likewise orange. Ranulph was tempted to ask if she was from a near-human species but decided against it.

"Master Clee Rhara, thank you for coming to this meeting. Master Dooku has spoken highly of you." Dooku had agreed to arrange the meeting but had said she might not come. He was glad she did. Master Rhara took a sip of her tea before replying.

"Yes, Dooku told me about the reason for this meeting. You want to fund the academy on Centax-2." Ranulph hadn't asked Dooku to tell her that, but he was hardly against it. This made things easier.

"Yes, the Senate will argue and debate till the galaxy ends before approving any funds to this academy of yours. The Militarists and I, see the benefit of a centralized academy for pilots." He sipped at his caf, dark and bitter, just the way he liked it.

"Yes, well I'm not interested in this academy becoming a military institution like the Anaxes and Carida Academies. The academy will be a place for civilian pilots to earn their licenses, attract job offers and better themselves, not be drafted into your militia." Her eyes burned into him, and he sighed.

"Believe me, Master Rhara, I sympathize and agree with you. I had this very same argument with my fellows. My only wish is to see the Republic and its citizens strengthened, however I may do that. I fully accept that this academy will cater to all kinds of pilots." He set his cup down and reached for the datapad in his pocket.

"I and the Militarists are simply going to make an offer of employment for any pilots who are interested in our classes as well as scholarships for any pilots who wish to serve with my militia for a number of years." The Jedi frowned, taking the offered datapad and skimming through it.

"So, you're not requiring the military work, just making it beneficial to do so. I can see where you're going with this. I can't see any reason not to accept this then. We'll need to find instructors. I'll help out, and I know some Jedi who would gladly help but we won't be enough." He'd already handled that, and he offered his best reassuring smile.

"I've already handled that, Garm Bel Iblis has a lot of swing on Corellia and has agreed to round up any civilian pilots interested in a teaching job. I've also got a list of my own pilots who would be on hand to teach the more military classes." He had planned extensively for this meeting, going over every single possibility.

"I'll bring this proposition to the rest of the Jedi Starfighter Corps but I'm confident they'll be interested in this proposal. I can't promise anything however." She stood up and offered a hand which he took. Her grip was firm, and he allowed himself a small smile.

"Of course, Master Rhara, I will eagerly await your answer." Clee Rhara bowed and moved to the door.

"May the Force be with you, Senator Tarkin."

Tarkin returned to his desk and settled back in it. He continued to sip his cup of caf as he went through reports from Jace and Garm. There was a chime at the door, and he pressed the button to signal entry. His aide stepped into the room and picked up the tray.

"Senator Tarkin, you have a visitor. One, Ars Veruna from Naboo. He says he has a proposition for you." Ranulph frowned, the elected King of Naboo?

"Let him in. I'll hear him out." The aide bowed and departed. It couldn't hurt to hear him out; he would take whatever support he could get.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Jul 4, 2017

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#254

I'm beginning to regret my desire to seek training with the Matukai, and accepting the Council's offer of coming here to train.

Muscles scream in pain as I maintain the handstand, I'm much more athletic than I was in my old life, necessity as much as anything else, but even still this is so difficult. Even more so to focus on my meditation. At first it was easy but eventually focusing became all but impossible. It doesn't help that this asshole next to me is just fine.

It's been an hour and he looks completely fine. What's more is that he must be in his fifties or sixties but Del Kimer looks at least twenty years younger. He's in perfect shape, and a bright spot in the Force. I don't know how to explain it better than that.

"Tiring Jedi? I'm not surprised, it's not what you're used to is it?" His voice is calm and level, no sign of fatigue at all. Beside me, Master Tavik is sweating. He's done better than me, but this is straining even him.

"Yes, just a little bit. We're no strangers to physical training but I've never thought to combine it with meditation." He says and I wonder why. Did no Jedi ever think to combine those two methods of training, or have the Matukai just found a super special way to do it?

Regardless, here we are, on Karvoss II, learning from the Matukai. A temperate world in the Core, Karvoss II is surprisingly sparse. A population of 600 million concentrated in several urban zones. It's also the headquarters of the Matukai order.

Granted there weren't more than two dozen people when we arrived there, several of them apprentices. How did it take that long for the Jedi to notice them and send a diplomatic party? Whatever, I'm just glad that they were willing to accept Jedi students, only two though. Master Tavik and I are technically here to form a stronger tie with the Matukai, but really, we're here to learn their techniques and bring them back to the Order.

I'm reasonably sure Del knows this but he doesn't seem to care that much. He's the current 'leader' of the Matukai and after a moment I remembered where I'd heard his name. That story of his encounter with Thame and Dooku was a lot funnier from his end than Qui-Gon's.

"How about you, padawan? Are you holding up?" I don't really trust myself to reply without falling over or letting my arms give out so I settle for breathing a little faster. Del chuckles and shakes his head, still fine.

"If you're tired, drop. There's no point to damaging your body out of desire to impress." Okay, I drop and let my tired muscles rest, oh yay! Master Tavik is still going and Del as before, is showing no signs of even tiring. I reach around for the special water bottle they gave us for the duration of our training but Ehruss grabs it first. She holds it over to me and I gladly take it. I don't know what's in the water exactly, but it's supposed to be good for soothing muscles and building them back up.

I drink half of the bottle in one go and achingly sit up to watch the two of them practice. I'd normally be a little worried about losing out on training but according to the Council we have a year before we're needed back, so there's plenty of time to learn.

Ehruss is standing beside me, weapon resting in her hands, she's taken her life debt very seriously. The Council decided in the end to allow her to follow me around but as I have been told, whatever legal problems she cause are mine. I'm fine with that, I've grown to like her company.

The Matukai headquarters is located on a strip of land about sixty miles from the nearest settlement. About forty miles to the north is a small mountain range that gets deep snow in the winter and thirty miles to the east is a gigantic lake. The Matukai compound is open with sets of interconnected housing blocs, dojos, a mess hall and infirmary. Despite that, there aren't a lot of people here.

Del said that some of their order spend most of their time out abroad in the galaxy but still the numbers he mentioned are tiny. If he's correct then there aren't more than sixty Matukai right now. Ridiculous is what it is, granted how many people know the Matukai exist, besides the Jedi?

That said, there seems to be a divide between the Matukai in terms of age. There are at least three Matukai I've seen here who look close to sixteen like me, a higher number in their twenties and the rest in the forties to sixties range. I don't understand why that is, but who knows maybe the Matukai off world balance it out.

On the other hand, though, Billibango came here! I know I told him about this place but I can't believe he made it. He's off travelling with his teacher right now, but if I'm lucky he'll pop back in later and I can say hi.

The time away from the Temple has given me to reflect on certain things. Which is good, because I've needed it.

I'm sixteen now, or at least the body I reside in is, I'm still not sure how to view myself right now. More and more my previous life seems to become distant. I've changed so much since coming here that the original me seems more and more a stranger. I'm technically forty years old, or my memories go that far back at least.

That leads me to another, depressing problem. Puberty sucks! I went through it once already and now it's in full swing again. Last year Master Che gathered the girls of my year together to instruct us in several techniques to use the Force to deal with maturity kicking in and for that I'm so grateful.

Seriously, I almost kissed her for all the benefit her lessons gave me. I'm getting taller though! I'm already more than five and a half feet tall, taller than my old life, yay. Of course, I've got another problem and being here has only made it worse

Water, water everywhere but none fit to drink! I am surrounded by men and women who are the pinnacle of athleticism, and I can only watch. Goddamn these hormones, If I have to continue avoiding staring at sweat-soaked, muscular bodies in form-fitting dress, I'll go insane! Granted, I'm not really that interested in pursuing a relationship for several reasons but this is an exercise of my patience and restraint.

It doesn't help that I asked Ehruss for advice on restraint, in a moment of weakness, and she has been remarkably unhelpful. I had to very quickly explain to Master Tavik why she was evaluating potential candidates for me. Even though he believed me when I told him it had been a misunderstanding, I still had to listen to him lecture on non-attachment.

Alright, I need to distract myself, back to training I go. I don't trust my arms to hold me up anymore, but I can still use my legs. Basic Matukai training is centered around the melding of physical and spiritual components. There's a lot of somatic rituals involved but one of their major training exercises is to adopt some physical position that is uncomfortable and focus on meditating through it.

I've got a lot of practice meditating but it's the uncomfortable position that's harder. I've been here three days and it's all been meditation so far. Alright, I lift one leg and place it against the other, holding it in place.

It's a bit of a balancing act, but that's easy for me. I couldn't hope to use the Ataru form if I didn't have good balance. Now, I turn my focus inwards, steadying my breathing to begin meditation. The Force is vibrant without me, sunlight warming me to my core, heat going up through the coils and veins of my very being.

An…idea has been taking shape within me, something that I only realized the true significance of now that I'm here. The Matukai do have the ability to strengthen one's connection to the Force. And the strength of such connections is important, because no matter how much Yoda stressed there is no try, you need a strong connection to the Force to be able to use it to the extent most Jedi and Sith do.

The Matukai usually get their members from people who weren't strong enough in the Force to attract Jedi attention and yet everyone I've sensed here has a good connection to the Force. They could do the flips, levitation and other Jedi stuff I do with training. And that gave me an exciting, and simultaneously terrifying thought.

Could I convince some of the Matukai to go to Alpheridies? There are, according to the last census, over a hundred million Miraluka living on Alpheridies. They're all Force sensitive but obviously not enough to be considered Jedi candidates.

But what if they could be? Would Matukai training be effective for the Miraluka as a society? I can't imagine why it wouldn't work on them, certainly it'd be generations before the expansive changes happened but just imagining millions of Miraluka strong in the Force is stunning.

The Miraluka as a society also have a natural shift towards the Light Side, apparently, it's something to do with our species ability to see with the Force and the collective, community-oriented culture. It's easy to spot a person being influenced by the Dark Side, unless they've learned to shield themselves, and work on fixing the issue, whatever it may be. So, I'm not too worried about countless Sith lords and other Dark Side adepts.

And if I could get Jedi training to them? I can't even imagine the effects Jedi numbering in the millions would have on the galaxy. There could be Jedi academies in every sector of the known galaxy, Jedi hunting down dark siders, acting as service corps assisting in every matter imaginable.

I just need to find a way to get the Matukai to go there, and get in contact with Master Altis and see if he's interested in the idea. Maybe see if I can find Master Aqinos and the Iron Knights. I think they went somewhere in the Rim, I'll need to see if there's any data on where he went.

"Ah, Master Kimer, may I ask a question?" He sighs and nods his head.

"Don't call me Master, I'm not a Jedi, but sure ask away kid."

"Why are there so few of you?" I'm really interested in knowing why they haven't gone to Alpheridies and become widespread enough to have enclaves on every planet.

"Because even though we can recruit from a wider pool than you Jedi doesn't mean there's a lot to go around. We find members where we can, and sometimes they come to us, but there just aren't a lot of Force sensitives that don't go to the Jedi." He sighs and I have to hold back my disbelief.

"You haven't thought to go to Alphredies? There's over a hundred million Miraluka there, all Force sensitive. You would never run out of members to train." How is it that the one Force using organization that can boost any Force sensitive never tried to work with the entirely Force-sensitive species?

By the look on his face and the shift in his aura, I imagine that he's just come to the same realization I did. He falls forward, his concentration broken and I sigh. I admit that with my meta knowledge that's an easier connection for me to make but really? Master Tavik seems to have come to the same realization.

"That's… I don't even know what to say to that padawan. It's an interesting idea, the thought of Alpheridies becoming a Force Nexus is a bit unnerving though." Ah, he does have a point. The presence of so many Force sensitives with such a strong connection to the Force would do odd things to the planet.

Granted, having a Light Side version of Korriban, though not so dead hopefully, has its appeal. The real problem is having the planet be a target for the Sith. Weighing the odds on that, I suppose. Maybe we could set up a system of Temple planting across the galaxy.

A Jedi Temple on every habitable planet sounds cool. Fuck you Sidious, Del starts laughing and I focus back on the present. No daydreaming, focus on the now.

"That's, hah, you know? I forgot that every Miraluka is Force-sensitive. They're either insular or nomadic." Alright, but now you know so what do you plan to do?

"And? Now that you know about this one step process to acquiring new potential members and or people to teach your techniques?" My body's alight with anticipation, it's hard to even comprehend the potential effects of this, for good or ill.

"I'll have to talk to the others about this, we're a pretty free-spirited group. If anyone's interested in the idea, I imagine they'll give it a go but I'm hardly going to make them." I shrug, fair enough, but the idea is there. Master Tavik seems amused.

"Huh, the Council will be debating that issue to the end of time, I imagine." He falls forward and gracefully flips to stand upright and Del does likewise.

"Why? You think they'll raise a fuss about it?" Oh, right, good point. Master Tavik shrugs and stretches his arms out idly.

"I can't say for sure, but probably not, the Academy on Alpheridies will be there to keep an eye on things but if you're even half as successful as you could be, it'll require some debate on how to go forward." Master Tavik says and I have to think a moment before I get what he's saying.

How would the Order's typical recruitment method work when a majority of the planet's population starts being born strong in the Force? There would have to be an allowance for the entire Miraluka species, so as to avoid depopulation. Granted, if we're lucky, that whole 'take children from their parents' provision will be gone by then.

I wonder if I could convince Ranulph, to try and end that? It'd be funny to see how Palpatine tries to work with that. It'd be a short-term loss for long term gain in the best outcome.

But this seems to be the end of training for the day, I put my leg down and groan softly at the soreness, that's going to hurt tomorrow. Del stretches, still not showing any sign of discomfort and I have to marvel at the level of stamina he possesses.

"Alright then, we'll pick up some more training tomorrow morning. You should get some rest, you'll need it." As if he needs to tell us, after today, sleep will be the sweetest relief. Master Tavik gives him a short bow and I mirror the action.

"We will, thank you Del." Master Tavik and I begin walking back to our room. Ehruss is right behind us, scanning the terrain for threats. I really need to find something for her to do for fun. Master Tavik sighs after a moment and speaks.

"I hope your idea works Padawan, it won't be a problem for my lifetime, or yours but more Force sensitives means more potential for them to fall to the Dark Side. I'll have to tell the Council about this so they can be prepared, but I won't mention your name. I'll spare you having to explain your reasoning before the Council." That's fair, there's plenty of things that could go wrong in the future, I'm just banking on the Miraluka's tendency to the Light helping.

"Thank you, Master, it's a toss of the dice I imagine but hey, if the Council knows about it in advance they can plan for it. Things will work out I imagine, they always do." He snorts and I resist laughing, things work out only after they go wrong.

Three weeks later and I'm feeling so much better and so much worse at the same time. Contradictions ahoy. Our training these three weeks has been mostly nonstop doing the same thing over and over. But I've been getting better at it, slightly. Ha hah, progress! Now it takes slightly longer for me to become exhausted to the point of dropping.

Del says we'll be moving on to martial arts introduction in about a week or two, and boy am I not ready to get my ass kicked repeatedly. On the other hand, when we go back to the Temple, I can finally beat Ilena at hand to hand. That is going to be exciting.

"My friend!" my cry is cut off as the air is squeezed out of me by four arms wrapped around me in what I'm sure is supposed to be a hug but is actually a slow method of torture.

Billibango doesn't seem to notice when I have to gasp for air after he releases me, or maybe he's ignoring it. I'm going to assume the former, just for his sake. I offer the Xexto man a smile and manage not to wince from the pain in my legs and arms.

"Good to see you again, Billibango. I know I told you about the Matukai but I didn't think you'd have made it here so quickly." He grins and nods enthusiastically.

"Indeed, after Troiken I made the trip here as fast as I could, Del Kimer allowed me to join and my teacher Xellon has been a dutiful instructor." He wanted to be a Jedi, right? I remember sending him this way because he wasn't nearly Force sensitive enough to make the attempt at the Almas Academy.

And boy has he changed, it's even more glaring looking at someone I knew before. He is strong in the Force now, not as sensitive as Master Tavik but he could easily be a Jedi with this level of sensitivity. So, the training works.

What is it going to do to me and Master Tavik then? I'm a bit concerned about that, would it be enough to put me on the radar of the Sith? I don't see why it would but the last thing I need is Sidious or Plagueis taking an interest in an up and coming Jedi padawan, for any reason.

"Del has also asked me to aid in your instruction my friend, I will be practicing the Matukai martial arts with you." Wait what? Me against the four armed, already trained martial arts guy? Oh, boy.

I am not prepared for this, but if it goes well, this could easily be the most productive training I ever get.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jul 4, 2017

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Saphrith

Jul 7, 2017

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It's been nearly six months since I arrived on Karvoss II, and the planet's winter has started to arrive. Snow isn't here yet but it will be soon; there's already a chill in the air, and there's fog with every breath. I didn't really bring any warmer clothes with me. No one here seems to have any.

The Matukai can adapt to just about any environment with the Force, whether that's raising or lowering their body temp or purging and immunizing themselves to poisons and illnesses. They also believe in a degree of sink or swim regarding their training. Del explained it as viewing the Force as a fire. When it's cold out, focus the Force on your body. Add wood to the fire, so to speak, and when it's cold do the opposite.

Well the Sun is a giant furnace technically? I'm already used to thinking of it that way, but applying it has proven more difficult than I'd like. I've could warm myself up a little but it's hard to focus on other things and be warm.

I duck low under a fist that would have knocked me senseless. I counter and throw a punch at my opponent only for him to gracefully slide away from it.

Goddamn Echani! My opponent smiles apologetically and roundhouses me to the chest before I can react. I stumble backwards, forced to block as he moves in. I've gotten faster and stronger since my training began, but he's still stronger and faster than me.

"Move your feet!" A sweeping kick to knock me down and I leap over it, angling backwards. I've learned the hard way not to try and jump over Tomas. He is faster than me and all too happy to punish me for it.

"Good, you didn't make the same mistake again. Don't leap over an opponent unless you have no other choice." I nod slowly, taking a moment to catch my breath.

I'm tired now, but only a little, and this spar has been going on for a straight hour. It's not a matter of physical conditioning, or rather it's not just physical conditioning. My physique has improved; I've noticed muscles building on my arms, legs, and my stomach. But that isn't nearly enough to justify this level of stamina.

As Del explained it, one can draw on the Force to increase one's strength, speed, and stamina. But where the Matukai and Jedi differ is that the Order has tended to see meditation and physical exercise as separate and distinct activities. The Matukai believe the opposite, that the two are intrinsically connected and have become complete masters of their body as a result. I can meditate for hours with no issue now, and it's only getting better.

Then we moved onto the martial arts. Billibango taught me what he could, forms and stances, methods of movement and the basics. But eventually it got to the point where neither of us were gaining anything from sparring against each other.

Enter Tomas, the Echani senior apprentice. He's seventeen but he's been here two years, and is entirely capable of kicking my ass up and down the training yard. I don't remember much about the Echani beyond some basics, I only played as a male exile once. But I remember very clearly their skill in unarmed and the whole communication through combat thing.

I step to the side of his fist and block the follow up punch only for him to grab hold of my wrist and pull me forward into a knee that nearly drives the wind from me. It takes some doing but I manage to get one foot into his guard and trip him.

My moment of victory is short lived as he recovers with a grace I'll probably never match, and his hand yanks on my own foot. Oh, there I go, flat on my back with his fist an inch from my face. I lost again, lasted twenty minutes longer, but still lost.

I can hear amused laughter from the sidelines and after a moment I chuckle as well. I imagine that I looked pretty amusing in the brief moment I thought I won. He offers me a hand and I take it, standing quickly. I'm a little out of breath but otherwise fine. Tomas claps me on the back, and while he doesn't smile, I can read his satisfaction in the way his aura shifts.

"Good work, Viera, you're getting better. You tend to lose focus midway through the spar though." I do tend to get lost in thought. I need to work on that, something to think about.

"I know, I'm working on it. One of these days, I will beat you though." I will, somehow. I want to beat him. It's a milestone for me here. He nods, completely serious.

"I imagine that will be the moment your training is completed then. I'm looking forward to that day." Ah, how nice of him. Behind us I can hear grass crunching as Cerone stands up.

"Remember the Etiquette rituals Tomas!" I sigh and reach out with the Force to pull his leg out from under him. Cerone recovers gracefully, the Cathar landing on his left hand and flipping back to a standing position.

Enter my second new friend, and an old friend of Tomas. The Echani sighs and steps back from me to a safe distance.

Apparently, the Echani have very specific etiquette rituals that are supposed to be observed between combatants. These rules are extra specific and strict when the two sparring are unrelated male and female. This includes standing a certain distance from each other when not sparring.

Cerone knows this and enjoys reminding his friend when he forgets. I don't really have any stake in this but if it bothers him then I'll abide by it.

"Nice try, but I'm more graceful than that." Cerone walks over towards us and I smirk.

"I know, Cats always land on their feet, right?" He growls something under his breath and I laugh. Cat jokes are true even in different universes. Billibango got called away for something in the Expansion region, Ehruss is out hunting, and Master Tavik is off training with Del Kimer and some of the other adults.

Leaving the three of us to our own training, which has so far amounted to meditation, sparring and occasionally eating poisonous berries to practice purging poisons. The Matukai apparently purposefully introduced a species of plant whose berries cause intense stomach pain but nothing else, so they could practice that part of their abilities.

"If you two are done, why don't we move to quarterstaffs?" Yes! I cheer silently, I can beat both of them with quarterstaffs. Melee is my jam.

"Heh, I guess it's fair, you beat her, it's only fair you let her beat you down." Tomas doesn't respond physically. I've noticed that he doesn't seem to make many facial expressions but you can tell his reaction by his eyes. He's about as annoyed as he ever gets.

"You and me first, Cerone. I'll teach you to watch your words." He laughs and goes for the quarterstaffs left by the tree. Our training area is an open field of grass with a few trees scattered about. The compound is about five miles to the east, to the north the terrain slopes until it hits the mountain.

I take the offered chance to rest and slide down to rest against the tree while Cerone and Tomas grab their weapons. There are two main purposes for this training, the first is preparation for the eventual forging of the Wan-shen, the Matukai primary weapon. The second is to practice hardening one's body for defense. These quarterstaffs are very durable and when used with the kind of strength a Matukai can produce, bruises and broken bones are entirely possible if you aren't careful.

I sigh and stretch my arms and legs as they begin. Neither of them is really talking, they're both so competitive with each other, especially with these. This is basically the only thing they're both on equal footing for, except against me.

The sound of wood on wood fills my ears as they engage in a flurry of blows, acrobatically dancing away from strikes when they don't just block, fast powerful blows that cause winces of pain when they connect. From the way their auras shift, they're both enjoying this perhaps a bit too much. Are they showing off or competing against each other, I can't tell, but I'm certainly enjoying watching them fight.

It reminds me of watching the older Jedi spar when I was an initiate, seeing all the fancy moves and tricks I didn't know yet, but knew I could maybe do one day. That sense of seeing what someone better at something than you could do, and knowing that if you trained hard enough, you could do it too.

I've noticed my connection to the Force becoming stronger as well, it wasn't something immediately noticeable but Master Tavik pointed out that I was brighter in his Force sight. A bit of meditation and I could feel it as well, it's like suddenly being able to hear or smell better in that my sensing is stronger. But it's hard to notice, I suppose if you're already strong in the Force it doesn't make much of a difference. Or at least, not much of a noticeable difference.

It's good to know that I could send Anakin here and not have him turn into a Force god or something like that. That presents a possibility for me when he eventually becomes someone I need to worry about. If I could get him here before he ever meets Palpatine, would he be safe? I'm not sure.

Also, wouldn't that negate Luke and Leia? Should I be worried about that, I'm starting to get to the point in my life here where I'm wondering about the ramification of preventing famous figures of the Star Wars mythos from being born and the impact that will cause. On the one hand if this all goes to shit, no Luke and Leia, but if everything ends up okay then it doesn't matter.

I feel bad about it though, even though I know objectively that it's for the best, and if there is some will to the universe that requires Luke and Leia to be born it will happen. Well if that is true, then I suspect the Republic will fall to Sidious no matter what. Fuck that then, I refuse to allow that to happen, Fate will not be my master.

Hm, the spar is getting a bit heated, I could add to it, but should I?

"Break a leg!" I shout and let them try to figure out whose side I'm on, go fight for my amusement! Tomas slams one end of his quarterstaff into Cerone's leg and he responds by slamming his own weapon into Tomas's chest. Ooh, that had to hurt.

I'm bored now. I've gotten so used to spending every hour of the day meditating or training that I feel listless and awkward when I don't have something productive to do. Man, I could never imagine feeling like this back home, granted this is a lot more fun than my old life was. I enjoy most of the things I do here. The conflict is fun and being able to serve a higher purpose as a Jedi is invigorating.

I grab my own quarterstaff and make my way over to them. They stop their spar and watch me curiously, I can see the discomfort in their aura. They are a bit annoyed that I'm interrupting their spar, but the smile on my face is just a little bit unnerving. I adopt a ready stance, holding my quarterstaff out.

"How do you boys, feel about a three-way spar?" They look at me and I chuckle softly when I realize my mistake. Woops, that wasn't the best choice of words. Ah, sometimes two auras are worth a priceless image.

"Let's just fight, alright?" After a moment, they nod and I wade into the middle, swinging at Tomas first, revenge for earlier! He blocks and lashes out with the other end. I step back and redirect his strike towards Cerone as he approaches.

The sound of battle stirs the adrenaline in me and I press forward, putting myself in between the two of them. They strike and I block, or dodge aside to let them strike each other. My own strikes hit legs, arms, and chests as our spar escalates.

I take a hit to the back of my left leg and it is only the Force applied resistance that keeps the pain from making my drop my weapon. I respond in kind to Cerone's thigh and he yowls. I take the moment and step back quickly, whirling around to strike him in the chest. He falls backwards and I press the attack on Tomas who retreats and gives ground to me. He's buying time for Cerone to recover and come back.

Can't let him do that, I feint an overhead strike and the minute he brings up his weapon to guard I reverse and slip into his guard, forcing his weapon from his hand and a kick knocks him back. Hah hah, now where's Cerone. I get the warning from the Force just before he tackles me, forcing me to the ground and my weapon from my hands.

Alright, so we're already devolving to a simple brawl? I brace my feet and hands against the ground and channel the Force to increase my strength as I kick upwards, flipping just enough so that he lands under me. His hands loosen just enough for me to slip out from his grip and as I stand, Tomas gets me in a headlock.

"Get off!" I elbow him roughly and struggle as he tries to maintain his grip. Cerone's back on his feet and tackles Tomas, freeing me to grapple with the two of them as our impromptu brawl begins to take form.

It's generally a free for all until one person gets too much headway and the others team up on them. After that things go back to normal and by the end of it, my whole body is sore and bruised again, but I don't regret a single bit of it.

I'm surprised by how much I missed this kind of socializing, it never happens in the Temple and all I have are vague memories of family vacations and my cousins wrestling on the muddy banks of a river I can't remember the name of.

By the end of it, night is approaching and with it the chill. The three of us all decide that freezing out here isn't anyone's idea of a good time and we all grab our weapons and begin the trek back to the compound. We're all laughing and regaling our highlights from the brawl as we go.

"So, half a year to go and you'll head back to that Temple of yours, Viera?" Cerone's got a split lip from where I headbutted him, but his natural healing will help him with that eventually. I nod, a year was all the Council gave us.

"Yeah, I'll go back to taking assignments from the Council and trying to become a Jedi Knight." I'm gonna miss this place, but it'll be good to see my other friends again, I feel like I can finally beat Ilena in hand to hand, man is that going to be satisfying.

"What about you two, what will you two when your training is done?" I don't know as much about these two as I'd like. We've discussed the bare basic of our lives outside Karvoss II. Tomas shrugs.

"I'm going to go back home and visit my family I guess. I have four older sisters to see pass their trials of adulthood. Then I guess I'll go for mine afterwards." Huh, four sisters, who'd have thought. Aren't the Echani rather matriarchal? A lot of societies here tend to be matriarchal, I wonder why. Cerone is quiet for a moment and the two of us give him a look. He sighs.

"I'll probably continue my travels. The Outer Rim is my home, I still want to see the galaxy." Hmm, worth a shot.

"You should go enlist with Tarkin's militia. They could use someone with your talent and there's plenty of places to go." I wonder if there's a way to integrate Force users into the Republic military? Cerone shakes his head and sighs.

"I'll think about it, but I'm not a soldier. I don't really care for organized armies, I like the freedom to go where I please and get involved in what I please. There're better fights that way." Fair enough, I can only imagine a drill sergeant yelling at him and getting tossed across the yard. But hey, I had to make the attempt.

"Have you ever considered not being a Jedi? You could stay here and be a Matukai if you liked, I'm going to miss not being able to see you once this is all said and done. I enjoy our spars." Aw, sweet of you Tomas. Hm, I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I had to leave the Order for any reason other than Palpatine taking over the galaxy and me having to go into hiding.

But it's certainly possible I get kicked out at some point for not towing certain party lines. I've already decided I don't care about taking multiple padawans or training Force-sensitives outside the Order. I imagine I can probably find a way to make it work, but it very well may not.

I've considered going to the Altisian Jedi if that happens, or perhaps starting my own group on Alpheridies, not sure how. I'd probably either wander around a bit or go join up with Tarkin myself. Or maybe, depending on when it happened, go find Anakin and keep him away from Palpatine's reach while teaching him.

"I have no idea, being a Jedi is all I know. I'm committed to sticking with it till the end. You know, you could be a Jedi yourself. Go apply at the Almas Academy in the Cularin system. They have a strict entrance requirement but I'm sure you could make it." He's got enough Force sensitivity to be a Jedi Master someday, he could make a good Jedi.

"I'll consider it, I have responsibilities to my family I have to fulfill, I won't leave them behind unless those responsibilities are fulfilled." That's fair.

The rest of the journey to the compound is mostly silent, interspersed with conversation about mundane topics. Master Tavik's already waiting for me and I recount my training to him. His day wasn't much different. We spend the next hour meditating and talking before retiring to prepare for the next day.

Alright, this is it for the Matukai for now, next update will be an interlude with Ranulph and then back to the Temple.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Jul 7, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 19 New

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Saphrith

Jul 9, 2017

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#266

Ah, it's good to be home. The Temple hanger is quiet at this time in the morning as the three of us arrived. We'll have to report to the Council first, or rather, Master Tavik will. I'm going to be hauling our stuff back to our quarters and then I'm free for the day.

I've got both our packs on my shoulder and I don't feel a thing. There are our clothes, datapads, and a disassembled wan-shen in those packs. It's not burdensome at all, this was the best training I've got so far. The number of things I can use what I've learned for is mind-numbing.

"Master Tavik, I'm heading off to our rooms, Ehruss will go with me. I'll see you later." He nods and the three of us part ways. Ehruss and I head towards our quarters and Master Tavik to the Council.

I still can't believe the shape I'm in. I never would have imagined being this fit in my old life, I like it. The Force enhanced stamina is nothing to slouch at either. I already know what I'm going to do with it, and it will be amazing.

"This Temple is brimming with life, so many smells." Ehruss says quietly; oh right, she never got to spend much time here before we went to Karvoss II. I shrug, turning down a corridor, past a pair of human Jedi who give Ehruss an odd look.

"I'm going to hit the training room once we've dropped off this stuff. You're free to follow me or go wander the Temple." She's probably one of the few non-Jedi to have such an extensive access to the Temple.

"I will follow you, Grashkowh." I shrug and continue on my way. She's free to do as she likes, and I enjoy her company. I don't see a reason to say no.

My room is as pristine and austere as I remember it. As I start unpacking my few possessions, I start reassembling the wan-shen stored away. At the end of my year, Del took me to the forge and instructed me on how to forge a wan-shen. The polearms not made of cortosis, but it's a pretty good metal regardless.

If I ever need to go undercover, it could be a good weapon to use I suppose. But hey, another souvenir, right? I wonder if that'll become a habit, I hope not.

That done, off to the training rooms! I want to test out my increased strength and speed on the sparring droids.

The Temple has a considerable number of remote droids, that can be programmed to use a variety of forms for practice. The droids are additionally modified for strength and speed settings to allow for species known for massive strength to get the best out of training.

I grab two training sabers from the locker and activate one of the droids from the console. Alright, I want the droid to use Shien, and I'll set the strength settings to Wookiee. The droid lights up as it'sactivated, and as I enter the ring it waits for a signal to begin. Ehruss takes a spot at the edge of the ring, far enough away to not be in danger.

I salute with my lightsaber and activate the blades. The droid responds to my lightsabers and the duel is on. I move in quickly and swipe at the droid with both sabers. Shien is not a subtle form, and the droid proves it batting at my lightsabers with significant power.

I'm not moved though; the Force strengthens me and our blades lock for a moment. The droid presses its considerable weight forwards and I hold my ground, it can't overpower me. That's telling, I bring one hand back and swing my saber low, towards the droids legs.

It pivots away and I press the attack, swinging one lightsaber high, and the other sideways to distract its guard. The clash of lightsaber on lightsaber rings in my ears, the droids training saber is twisted at an angle to catch both my blades.

Alright, coil the power in the legs and push forward, the motion forces the droid to stumble back under my onslaught. This is surprisingly easy, I hadn't been expecting this. Alright, how to work this then.

"Override code Aurek sixteen. Add adaptive combat protocols and activate Makashi programming." The droid whirrs silently and I stretch quickly to prepare myself.

"Override, shutdown code Aurek-one." Wait, who? I wasn't really paying attention to anything but the droid. I expand my senses outwards and turn to politely face whoever decided to interrupt my training.

"Oh, hello Master Bondara." The Twilek Battlemaster enters the training room as the droid returns to its station. Master Bondara steps into the ring and stretches silently, oh is this what's happening? I don't particularly mind training with him.

"I saw Zun in the hallways and thought to check up on my former student. I've heard of the Matukai and their teachings but I've never seen them first hand. Care to give your old teacher a demonstration." He ignites his training saber, and I adopt a guard stance. How am I going to do this then? He is a battlemaster, I've no illusions about my chances.

Alright, I rush forward and begin my attack, what I've begun to notice is that with my enhanced strength I can compensate for Jar'Kai's normal weaknesses. Overpowering one hand isn't going to work on me like it would someone else.

Master Bondar matches each of my strikes easily, a font of serenity in the Force. As I advance he retreats and deflects until in a single moment he reacts. His first strike bats aside my offhand and the next flurry of blows strike my lightsaber forcefully.

I take a step back to brace myself and swing to intercept his next strike, going low for his legs. He leaps over me and as I turn to strike his descending form, he blocks and our fight continues.

We match each other blow for blow and as I leap over him, the Force guiding my descent he presses the attack. I duck into a forward roll to dodge. and as soon as I'm back on my feet he attacks again. He's getting faster now, but not so fast that I can't keep up with him.

"Good, padawan, your strength and speed are pretty good. This old man still has some tricks in him though." Master Bondara smirks, and the battle takes a turn as his strikes change with each blow. Strong overhand strikes turning into quick jabs, elaborate acrobatics switching to defensive redirections.

Oh wow, is he switching between forms randomly? I'm seeing Ataru, Soresu, Shien, Nimen, and Makashi in his style. I've never actually seen someone combine different forms together. It's throwing me off and making it harder to predict his movements.

I guess this is why he's a Battlemaster, but this is my initiate years all over again. Here I think I've got an advantage, and he goes and shows me why he's still the best.

A feint and he's slipped behind me, blade flashing towards my legs. I hiss as the training saber grazes my legs, and dash forward to get some space. He follows relentlessly, and I'm forced on the defensive.

Alright, block the first strike with my main weapon, then the second with the offhand. Lash out with the free saber and he darts to the side, swinging for my exposed hand. My offhand blade comes up to bat his strike away, and I hold my ground as he slams into me roughly.

"You've got the strength, and you've got the speed. You need to press the attack, use those advantages." He disengages, and jumps back as I follow his advice, using the training Del taught, and striking as fast as possible.

Master Bondara meets my movements deftly, but I'm doing better now. He's blocking more slowly than before, and as I sweep low, he's unable to dodge in time. I'm rewarded by the sound of my training saber tapping his boots.

He's too self-disciplined to let such a minor pain show, but that was an amazing accomplishment for me. If nothing else, that's a win for me here. He smiles and raises his saber in salute.

"Excellent work padawan, now put away your offhand saber, let's practice with Ataru and Djem So." I don't actually know any Djem So, good chance as any to learn, right? I bow and walk over to the lockers to stash my second lightsaber.

When I return to the ring, Master Bondara is waiting for me. His blade is raised in what I assume is a Djem So position, It's certainly not Ataru. Since I don't know Djem So, I'll go with Ataru. Nimen won't help me, and Shii-Cho isn't going to be useful here.

"Going acrobat on me padawan? Well, we'll see how well that vaunted Matukai stamina fairs against an old man like me." That's a good question, one of Ataru's main weaknesses is how tiring it is. I've got enough stamina to last for hours, would that make Ataru more worthwhile?

The duel begins, and we go at each other again. The flash of lightsabers clashing, and the leaping and dancing around go on for hours. I know that because Ehruss left halfway and came back with lunch for the three of us.

She's awesome like that. When Master Bondara calls for lunch, it's a mark of progress that I'm still not that tired. Out of breath certainly, exhausted, no. Ehruss got us some kind of stew, oddly stringy, but it's got a flavor I like.

"You did good, padawan. Your form could use some work, but you certainly don't lack for speed or power now. Might I suggest learning Shien and Djem So. Both forms require a certain level of strength that you should be able to fulfill easily." I nod, sounds about right. He's the Battlemaster, if he tells me I'd do well with those two forms then I'm going to listen.

"Why not Ataru though, or Jar'Kai? I've got the strength to balance Jar'Kai's weakness, and my stamina proves that I can avoid the risks of Ataru." Yoda uses Ataru primarily, doesn't he? But then again, his size is a great advantage for him.

"Ataru's no good against multiple opponents, and even if your stamina is good enough to handle the strain, there's no reason to burn it faster unless you have no choice. You're right about

Jar'Kai though, but you're strong in the Force. Jar'Kai tends to interfere with that, use it when it's advantageous, but don't lose sight of your other skills." I shrug, that's fair I suppose.

"Thank you, Master Bondara. I'm thankful for the impromptu training." He laughs and pats me on the shoulder as we continue eating our stew.

"Well, the life of a Battlemaster is a busy one, and I wanted to see what my old student learned on her trip. I'll be certain to visit Master Tavik later and see what he's learned." Oh, I think I'll want to be there for that. We finish our food in relative quiet, and Master Bondara wishes me well before departing to fulfill his duties.

That leaves Ehruss and I alone in the training room. The stew is good, but now what? I could start running some drills again? There are holoprojectors that can walk you through various forms, I could practice Djem So or Shien.

"Watching you fight is enlightening. The Jedi method of movement is so precise, it is hard to follow at times." Ehruss says quietly, and I shrug.

"The Force helps a lot. It gives you little hints, telling you where to strike and when. Without that, a lot of Jedi saber forms would be unusable." Makashi is the sole exception, since it was based on regular fencing.

I don't really have any desire to do more training right now, but I do need something to do. I haven't been to the Room of a Thousand Fountains for a year. I'm curious if anything has changed.

"Come on Ehruss, let's go visit the most beautiful place in the Temple." She stands with me, and after a quick detour to the cafeteria, we're off to meditate.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains is as I remember it. It looks like some new bushes got planted by the bridge, but not much else seems to have changed. Ehruss is appropriately awed by the sight.

"This garden is well-tended; many plants reside here. I recognize some, but not others." I nod and start walking.

"Yeah, the Order sometimes receives gifts of flora from appreciative worlds. They get planted here in this room." Around us numerous fountains dot the garden, benches set up around them, and I can see a number of Jedi meditating or talking amongst themselves. Our destination is farther afield, and I lead Ehruss across the bridge and up the hill.

The meadow where Master Tavik and I meditate is empty, and with a relieved sigh, I fall onto my back and bathe in the warmth of the grass. If nothing else, this is my favorite spot in the galaxy. I can close my eyes and let the Force flow through me. I can feel the Jedi in the Temple around me; Ehruss is there as well. In light of my meditations, she has decided to observe the surrounding flora. She picks at the flowers and runs her hand across the trunks of trees. She turns to look at me, and I nod in acceptance. She wanders off into the room to explore; I can't expect her to follow me around all the time in here.

I don't sense any of my friends here right now, a pity. I want to show them what I've learned. I see no reason not to share it, especially with them. Padawan pack for life! There's another presence approaching me, who….ah I don't mind talking to him. As he approaches, I sit up and stretch slowly.

"Greetings Master Bnar. I'm happy to see you doing well." Ood Bnar bows in greeting and sits down beside me in the grass. The Neti Jedi Master and I haven't spent as much time in each other's company as I might have liked. First the Council of First Knowledge basically kidnapped him and monopolized his time, then it was mission after mission. The Matukai after that, and it's only now that I have a good chance to talk to the Master one on one.

"You have returned from the Matukai, I had thought to meet you in the Council Chamber but, your Master told me you had gone off to relax. It took some work, but I'm happy I managed to find you here." I shrug, wasn't much else for me to do.

"This is my favorite place in the Temple. Karvoss II had a lot of natural beauty, but it doesn't compare to this place. All of the flora here complements each other beautifully." I wish there were birds here, I understand it wouldn't be all that practical, but it would be straight out of Disney.

"I imagine so, in my time this Temple was merely a small meditative enclave. Ossus was our repository of knowledge, but we had no centralized location. The Jedi of my time were very nomadic, going from place to place as the Force willed it." That sounds very Knight-errant, I wonder what that would look like today. Ten thousand Jedi wandering across the galaxy, with no particular aim but where the Force pulled them.

"It sounds fascinating, I can't imagine the Order doing that today. We have too many responsibilities to just wander around as nomads." Ood Bnar seems to wilt slightly, and I feel a twinge of concern. The man is thousands of years out of time, in an Order that he doesn't remember anymore.

"Yes, much has changed since I went into hibernation. We have achieved peace, but I fear at what cost. I feel as if the Order has become too detached from the galaxy around us. How can we expect the citizens we serve to believe in us, secluded as we are in this tower?" I, I can't deny that I agree with him. Sure, I've managed to maintain attachments between my friends and my Master, but I worry about them becoming too focused on non-attachment.

"I agree, Master Bnar. I remember from my time with the Matukai, Del Kimer told us the story of Master Baas's attempt to bring the Matukai into the Order. I remember how he said, that Mendor Typhoon, the Matukai leader of the time, rejected his offer. He called Master Baas and the Jedi of the time elitist and inefficient. I don't fully agree with the inefficient part, but there is something to be said about the elitist part." It's part of the reason that anti-Jedi sentiment was so easy to foster in the galaxy. Too many people had perfectly good reasons to hate and distrust the Jedi after Ruusan.

Which reminds me, I had something I wanted to ask him. I remember a tale about Master Bnar that I wanted to get confirmed.

"Master Bnar, old tales of you said that you were able to detach yourself from what you learned. You delved into Sith teachings and could not be corrupted. I was wondering, how did you do that?" He knows the Dark Side's teachings intricately, and yet he's one of the purest Jedi I've met, on par with Yoda. I'd like to learn that ability, if I could.

Master Bnar hm's thoughtfully, remaining silent for a long moment. Then he stands, and after a moment of him staring at me, I do so as well.

"It is a rare ability, one that requires intense training and concentration. With your Master's permission, I will teach you only the simplest basics of this technique. If you prove yourself capable, I will teach you more." I smile and bow before Master Bnar.

"Thank you, Master Bnar. I promise not to let you down." Master Bnar smiles, and the Force seems to swirl around him.

"I am sure you will, padawan. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of."

"Padawan?" Master Tavik's voice drifts into the training room where I'm working. The hologram in front of me has been going through repetitions of Djem So and Shien. I've been copying it as best as I can, the forms are different from what I'm used to, but I've got nothing but time.

"I'm just doing some lightsaber training, Master. Master Bondara told me I should try to learn Shien and Djem So." I've done these repetitions so many times since I started this training. The Force has been sustaining me for so long.

"Padawan, how long have you been training?" There's a hint of concern in his voice, and I chuckle. The idea came to me last night.

"Since last night, I'm not really tired. I've been repeating these forms over and over." I wouldn't recommend doing this every night but once or twice a week? I could easily handle all night training sessions that long. I just have to make sure that I don't do anything too strenuous the next day if I can.

"I think you've done enough training, padawan. Come on, let's go get some breakfast and meditate for a bit." I cut off the training saber and nod, turning to face Master Tavik.

"Of course, Master. While we're doing that, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Master Bnar has offered me some special training." Master Tavik looks a bit curious, even as he guides me out of the training room. I'm fine, really. He doesn't need to be that concerned about my safety.

"Really now, you can tell me about it over breakfast."

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Jul 9, 2017

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Threadmarks Part 20 New

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Saphrith

Jul 12, 2017

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#269

39BBY Taris,

Taris's recovery from the Sith Bombardment was slow, and the planet never really became the ecumenopolis it had been before. It went from a population of 900 billion to 200 million. The planet's prosperity never really matched what it had once been; no wonder they joined up with Ranulph.

Rendili Stardrive has soared in prosperity with the ROSF's patronage, and their habit of opening shipyards all over has arrived at Taris. KDY to the best of my knowledge is busy scrambling for something to compete with, but all of their products are far too expensive for the Outer Rim.

Ranulph has done far more than I ever expected him to do with this expanded ROSF. The Outer Rim is massive, and by no means has he crippled criminal actions in the Outer Rim. What he has done is given it a serious wound; convoys are often protected by Hammerhead cruisers and squadrons of Aurek tactical strikefighters. Planets that had little to no protection from pirate raids before now have either system defense forces or forces close enough to respond quickly.

That just means the criminal underworld has been forced to act more subtly. Embezzlement, smuggling, and more are the name of the game now. This, of course, has opened Tarkin and his supporters to acts of terrorism and other violent reprisals.

Outlying settlements annihilated, assassination attempts, sabotage, all focused on ROSF supporters. And Ranulph, being Ranulph, is responding with expeditions into known pirate strongholds. He's encroaching close to Hutt Space, which worries me somewhat. We don't need a violent outbreak right now. Not much I can do about it right now, just hope for the best.

"Stop shoving me, this crate is cramped enough." I mumble an apology and try to give Jai some space. Poor Ehruss is sitting with her back to the container wall, her rifle propped up beside her. She hasn't said much since this mission started, granted none of us have.

We do need to conserve our oxygen. Oh yes, send the two padawans and Ehruss on their first solo mission in a crate. Well, a collection of crates to be fair, we've got packs of oxygen to last us, but we're not stretching it here. Thieves have been stealing ship parts from Taris shipyards, and thanks to a lucky break, we know the next shipment to be taken. Well, going by previous thefts, ROCI thinks this shipment will be the next one stolen.

So, instead of laying an ambush and trying to extract the location of the thieves' operation from the criminals, it was decided to let them steal the cargo. Plus a little extra in the form of us.

"This isn't exactly luxurious, Jai. None of us has any room to move." I'm fine with this though; I meditate for hours in much more uncomfortable circumstances. Ehruss growls something softly under her breath.

"Don't worry, Ehruss, just a bit longer, and then we'll have plenty of time to stretch and earn points." Her head tilts towards me, and there's a pleased hissing sound. I'm getting the hang of her language, but it's still a bit tricky.

"Remember, we're to set the beacon and start sabotaging the base as best as we can." Right, set the beacon for the authorities, and start preparing for their arrival. Where are we now, anyways? They grabbed the cargo, loaded it onto their ship and hauled ass out of Taris space. After the hyperspace jump, I have no idea where we are, but I imagine we'll be landing soon.

"They're getting active again, I don't know what's going on, but we should be ready to move." Jai and Ehruss both nod, and silence reigns as I keep watch. The crate begins to shake. We're descending into the atmosphere I guess. Good, I'm more than ready to get out of this cramped box. Whatever's out there can't be any worse than this.

"So, who do you think is behind this?" We've got a good hour before we set down, most likely. Why not talk a bit, I haven't gotten to spend much time with Jai.

"Just some thieving operation, they're stealing high-tech parts and selling them at Ord Radama for a profit." Maybe, prices for tech are high at Ord Radama, and it's close by, certainly a profit to be made, but the risks involved seem high.

Then again, with the way the Outer Rim is changing, maybe it's all they have left to them now. I guess it was too much to hope that they'd just suicidally fight to the death against the ROSF. Granted, there are still places where they operate unchecked, but that's beginning to change.

"It could be, but with the way things are changing, a lot of pirate groups are turning to more cloak and dagger business." Jai shrugs and unhooks the lightsaber from his belt, twirling it in his hand for a moment.

"The parts stolen could be made into bombs as well, could they not?" Ehruss chimes in. They could, couldn't they? Not necessarily the bombs themselves, but the detonators, circuitry, the devices needed to use them.

"If this is some thieves group, why do they need to steal so regularly? A good haul could hold them over for a bit, then they could turn their thieving to easier targets and come back later." The regularity implies either foolhardy greed or a need for these devices." More questions and no answers I like.

"I'm sure we'll have time to sift through the recovered intel later, focus on the moment." I shrug and fall into some last minute meditation. Jai does the same, and I can hear Ehruss repeating some sort of mantra.

The freighter lands in a large hanger; there are a number of buildings surrounding it. some sort of complex. The main complex is the only building with people in it, except for one smaller building off to the side with one person. One building seems to have a large freight elevator going down. I can't see what's at the bottom; it's too far.

Another underground base? I really don't want to do that again, but what the hell needs to be stored so far down that I can't see it. The crew of the freighter are… leaving? They're not even unloading the cargo.

"The thieves are leaving the freighter, can you set up the beacon?" Jai pulls the beacon from his robes and starts pressing buttons. The beacon whirs to life and… nothing. There's no ping on my datapad or anything. Jai frowns and begins fiddling around with the beacon. This, this isn't good.

"We're jammed, how? There's no reason for any interference." I know why, I grab my lightsaber and jam it against the side of the crate. I press the switch and my lightsaber activates, cutting straight through the side.

"What are you doing, we're supposed to be stealthy!" Jai backs away as far as he can, and I continue cutting a hole for us.

"The signal's being jammed remotely, they knew we were coming." That means a traitor somewhere along the line. I have no idea who, but if we're lucky we might find some clues here. Jai follows me as I cut a hole through the crate. We're in the hold of the freighter now, where are the thieves going?

"It looks like they're heading or the main facility, there's a lot of people in there." The last thief enters, and then there's some sort of shimmering effect. Ah, a shield of some kind? Alright, Master Tavik taught you how to do this, where's the generator for it? Inside the building, well that sucks.

"They have a shield over the main complex, the generator for it is inside the building. There's also someone in one of the side buildings. I don't know why they're there, but it's worth checking it out." Not much else to do at the moment anyways. The hatch for the freighter's cargo bay is unlocked and with a simple press it opens, and we're out into a whole lot of desert. I still don't know where we are. Force, if this is Tatooine I'm going to be pissed.

"The sands smell wrong, there is something here." Ehruss is sniffing at the air, well of course something's here. There's thieves in the nearby base. There's a blaring sound as some sort of speaker turns on.

"Greetings, Jedi to my little game! I had hoped for ROSF investigators to take the bait at Taris, but hearing that two Jedi would be coming? I couldn't pass that up, now do me a favor and make your deaths entertaining." The speaker cuts off, and I frown. Ehruss is here too jackass. Jai is not impressed.

"So, that confirms a traitor, but whoever this is isn't very bright if they expect us to die so quickly. And from what? There's nothing out here dangerous, we could just steal the freighter and leave." We could do that, but there's no guarantee these people don't have an armed ship in space to blow us out of the sky if we try. Save that for if we get desperate.

"Yeah well, let's go check that side building first, look for any clues." Jai nods and we jog over to our destination, hands at our weapons. Something about this isn't right; why aren't we being attacked? Why are they just hanging out in one building? There's a grinding sound somewhere in the distance, but I can't place it.

Jai steps up the door controls, and frowns as the door doesn't open. He pulls out his datapad and starts keying in commands. Why not just use our lightsabers?

"You know, we could use our lightsabers and have this done in seconds?" I ask, and he shrugs. Ehruss takes up a defensive position while clutching her A280 rifle.

"We could, but the thing with thieves and the like, is that they have a tendency to trap their doors, especially locked ones. If there's a data terminal in there and they're smart then they'll have coded it in a specific way. If the door controls suddenly cut out, the data terminal wipes its memory." Then why not go in through a wall, though granted we don't want the person inside knowing the moment we're about to enter.

Who is this guy anyways, he looks male and humanoid. I'm not sure of anything else, he doesn't look armed but there could be traps set or something. Why not let Jai have some practice at his security work.

The door pings and opens as Jai cheers. Alright, open sesame, we're in. And inside is… a cell and one guy on the other end. He stares at the three of us for a moment before grinning and sticking his hand through the cell.

"Hey! Jedi, great timing. Open the cell door quick, I've been in here for days and my mind's already going stir-crazy!" There's a table and desk next to a locker with some weapons, but otherwise this room is empty. He doesn't seem to be lying, and there's a desperation to his aura in the Force. I shrug and walk over to his cell as Jai follows behind me.

"You really trust this guy?" he says and I shrug again. I really don't have any reason to trust him, but I don't have any reason not to either. Alright, I'm just going to use my lightsaber, fuck this lock. It takes only a moment to open the door, and he scrambles out.

"Ah, thanks beautiful, you here to bring down Smitonn? Count me in, I'm just itching to blast that slimy Hutt filth." Wait, Hutt? The man heads over to the locker and opens it, fiddling around with the blasters inside.

"Wait, there's a Hutt here?" There was no indication that a Hutt would be here. The man looks at us for a moment.

"You...didn't know? This is Er'Kit, everyone knows this is his stomping grounds." Everyone but us it seems. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. This just got more complicated.

"Well, fine come along if you want. Everyone seems to be in the main complex right now, and it's shielded. They're jamming our signal as well." He smirks and places two blaster pistols onto his belt.

"Well then, I think I can help you with that. There's a data terminal in the building across the complex that can help with that. I saw it when they were interrogating me there." He sticks out his hand, and I shake it.

"Aran Shol, freelance pilot at your service, well if I had a ship anymore. Damn pirates wrecked it." So, a smuggler then? I'm betting he's a smuggler. Well, he's given us his name. Might as well reciprocate.

"A pleasure Aran, I'm Viera Sarat, my compatriots are Jai Maruuk and Ehruss." He nods and heads for the door. Jai looks at me, and I shrug.

"He's awfully eager to help," Jai mutters. He is indeed.

"To be fair, he's been imprisoned by a Hutt. I'm sure he's ready to get even." We step outside, and I ignore Jai's muttered 'that's the reason, sure'. He's already heading for another building across the complex, and we move to follow him. At least at this distance, if he turns on us he's too far away to do much damage. There's something I've been wanting to ask him.

"So...Politrix huh?" I smirk when Jai freezes. Hah, so I was right, I remembered that little tidbit of his history, and watching him him interact with Politrix more or less proved it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I laugh softly and feel him tense. Oh, he's so guilty.

"It's fine, there's nothing wrong with it. I certainly won't tell anyone, but you should go for it Jai. I know she likes you." I'm guessing, but she's been on pretty good terms with Jai for a while. I imagine if they gave it a shot, it would work out.

"That's not the point, you know attachments are forbidden!" Oh, speaking of that.

"Attachments, not celibacy." I respond, and he sputters at the implication. Finding that out was a bit of a shock. I didn't realize that, but hey it's funny.

"But seriously, you'll be fine. You just need to be confident in yourself." And with that, we're just about in hearing range of Aran. Time to end that conversation, but just maybe he'll do it. And hopefully not be caught and kicked out of the Order, but if he does then I'll follow him.

"Alright, so it's just in here." And the door is locked, Jai sighs and starts working on the door controls again. We're not in a rush so I'm not going to bother him about it. Instead, Aran, Ehruss, and I just sort of watch the complex. There's been no movement, and no sign that they will move. What are they waiting for?

Also, what the hell is that grinding noise.

"So uh, what brings two Jedi to the Outer Rim." Aran says quietly, and I glance over at him. He's fidgeting a bit, a bit young now that I look at him.

"We're both padawans, this is our first solo mission. Turns out there's a traitor somewhere along the line, and this Smitonn knew we were coming. Ehruss owes me a life debt, and that's why she's here." I point to Ehruss who hisses something and hefts her blaster.

Oh, that's what the grinding noise is. It's the freight elevator coming up. I wonder what's on it. Aran shrugs and pulls out one of his blasters, twirling it in his hand.

"Ah, nice. It's good that they're letting you Jedi out of that gigantic Temple of yours. The Outer Rim's been a much safer place these past few years. There are Jedi coming out more and more now, it's pretty great." Oh really? That's kinda cool, I like that. I don't know who decided to start assigning more missions out here but good on them.

The elevator is coming closer to the surface, and I'm finally getting a glimpse of what's inside. Okay, nothing yet… what is that? The elevator comes up more, and I finally know true fear. The gnawing in my gut is back, and I jerk over to the door where Jai is working.

"Jai, get that door open now, I mean it." The elevator is getting closer and with it, our deaths. Jai waves me away, distracted by the lock.

"Calm down, this lock is harder than the other one. I'm working on it." That's not an acceptable answer! I shake him again, Ehruss has raised her blaster to a defensive position, and Aran's got his blasters out. Those won't be helpful here!

"Jai, lightsabers, we don't have time anymore." The freight elevator reaches the top and the door begins to open. Fuck this, I ignite one of my sabers and plunge it into the door. Jai jerks away and glares up at me.

"What are you doing, we need the data on this terminal." I don't bother replying, not ready to die yet. There's a roar that interrupts the both of us, and I can already hear Ehruss open fire.

"Jai, Krayt dragon!" I point, and the Krayt Dragon emerging from the freight elevator finds us. Oh, he looks hungry.

Another roar and he charges us.

Check out my story, Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI if you feel like it.

And if you like my story, please check out the two recursive fanfics set in the same universe.

Unintended Consequences [Star Wars SI]

Gold Variation [Star Wars SI]

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Saphrith

Jul 12, 2017

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Saphrith

Jul 13, 2017

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#271

39BBY Er'Kit

The door falls inward and everyone rushes inside. Aran and Jai go in first, and I follow behind them. Ehruss fires a few more shots and follows me in. The inside of the building is sparse. Desks and lockers with nothing useful inside. No grenades or anything I can use to even the odds.

"I take back everything I said before. I regret you rescuing me. That's a Krayt dragon, how in the hell are we supposed to kill that!" How indeed? I don't think their hides are impenetrable to lightsabers, but I don't know if we have the stamina for death of a thousand cuts. Ehruss hisses in what sounds like pleasure.

"A shot through the sinus cavity can kill them if done right." Wait, really? Excellent, we can work with that. The wall caves inwards, and the whole structure shakes as the Krayt rams head first into the building we're in. The wall is still there, but holy shit that dent in it. We can't take another one of those.

"Alright, Ehruss get set up for that shot, Aron help her out. Jai, you and me will distract it." Ehruss grabs her rifle while Jai gives me a look.

"Distract it? How are we going to distract it?" I answer him by rushing out the door and leaping up and back. I land gracefully on the roof and stare down the Krayt. Okay it's big enough that it could get at me from here, but I know what to do. The Krayt eyes me, and I run to the edge of the roof and leap. The nearest building is close enough to land on, and I roll on the roof. Did it follow me?

A roar gives me all the answer I need. The Krayt isn't the smartest predator, and visible prey is better than hidden prey. It wants me bad. I can see Jai heading out behind it; a swipe of his saber singes the beast's tail. Jai leaps away towards another roof as the Krayt turns to face the new threat.

The tail swings at me, and I have to duck under it to avoid being sent flying as it rounds on Jai. Jai runs for the other building, and the beast pursues.

I've practiced throwing my lightsaber before, but it's never been something I ever thought I'd use. Alright, give the saber a toss, guide it with the Force and you're good. My saber slides across the Krayt's back, and it's roar is filled with pain, but it's not doing a lot of worthwhile damage. I call my lightsaber back and think quickly, how to get it off of Jai?

There's a crate nearby, I can use that maybe? I reach out with the Force and lift the crate up, a bit of direction and it sails in the direction of the Krayt's tail. A thunk and the Krayt halts in place. Another saber throw towards its tail and it seems to weigh its options. The prey in front of it or whatever was hitting it from behind.

Thankfully it's an animal, and animals are beings of instinct. Instinct can be manipulated, and in a situation where it's being harmed, it'll always go for the physical threat. The Krayt Dragon turns towards me, and I wonder why I did that?

It's not at all damaged from that. If this thing had a health bar it'd be at ninety-nine percent and with our luck regenerating that one percent of damage back. I can see the cuts in its hide, there's no sign of any damage underneath it. Nice to see how little the lightsaber matters against something that big.

On the upside, now the Krayt is distracted between me and Jai. Whoever it goes for gets to play keep away while the other distracts. Not a really winning strategy, but our best bet considering the situation.

The Krayt turns its attention back to me, and rushes forwards. Alright, let him get close, and prepare to jump to safety. Instead of attacking though, the beast plunges headfirst into the structure, and nearly knocks me flat from the impact. The hell is it doing?

The Krayt, head still inside the structure begins to shake back and forth, rattling the building, and causing the walls and roof to buckle. Oh, man he's smarter than he looks. I have to jump for safety. There's no structure close enough for me to jump to besides the one Ehruss and Aron are in. Speaking of them, Ehruss runs out of the building, crouching by the crushed wall and taking aim with her rifle.

I hit the dirt just as the Dragon pulls its head from the ruined building and lunges for me. Force enhanced speed, don't fail me now. I sprint away, and it pursues relentlessly. A crate hits it in the head, and from the corner of my perception I notice Jai, hands stretched out. Good on you man.

The Dragon roars and turns to look for the source of the attack, a thrown lightsaber slams into its skull, and rattles it, forcing its attention on Jai. I take the opportunity and charge back in, Leerrroooyyyy! The Force projects my leap up and over, landing on the beast's back. I grab the second lightsaber from my belt and plunge both of my lightsabers into its back. Hah ha, the beast roars in pain, but it's weakened, and distracted!

The Krayt Dragon shakes and bucks, ah crap. The problem with lightsabers is that since they cut so easily, I can't use them as a grip. My lightsabers slip and slide through the hide of the Krayt as I get flung around on this things back. The Krayt turns to slam its back into the shielded main complex, and I have to jump from its back for safety.

Oh, incoming limb! Ah, shit! The limb slams into me, and there goes my sense of the world around me. There's sand and pain all over, oh boy what's happening. I can dimly see Jai cut at the Krayt's tail, good job Jai.

Alright, the Force is my ally. I draw in the Force around me and disconnect my body's pain from my senses. It's...easier that way, but I'm going to be feeling that later. The Dragon isn't focusing on me right now, that's probably the only reason I haven't been crushed or eaten. But the world is spinning around me, there's hands on my shoulder, lifting me up.

Oh, hey Aron, thanks buddy. I owe you one for that. He drags me over to the side of the nearby building. Jai's dodging and retreating from the Krayt, but he can't keep that up forever, and it's not proving effective anyways.

"Ehruss told me to tell you that she can't get a shot at its nose. You need to get it facing her and keep it still." How!? The Krayt has so far proven easy to direct, but keeping it still is going to be just about impossible.

Unless.

Alright, I need to get the beast pointed in Ehruss's direction so she can get the shot. I also need to keep it still. Krayt dragons aren't sentient, can I control it somehow? Alright, reach out. The sun touches everything in some form or another. This Krayt dragon is no different, the Force travels through it.

Find that mind. It's slippery, but I can sense it. The predatory instinct, a hunger and desire for violence. Smitonn didn't do a good job of feeding it, probably to ensure it always attacked his victims. It hardly hates us, it's just hungry.

If it this were Tatooine I'd try to drive it off, and let it go. But it's dangerous to leave it to wander this planet, especially if there are any innocents living here. This thing has to die for a lot of people's safety. Doesn't mean I'll enjoy it.

Its simple mind means it's easy to manipulate. A suggestion, a simple mirage, and the Krayt flails about, looking around wildly. Krayt Dragons tend to have problems with two-dimensional images. It sees our shadows, and thinks there are more of us all over the , it doesn't know what to attack.

"Ehruss, get your shot, Jai help me out here!" Jai doesn't really need direction, he can sense what I'm doing. He adds his own mind to mine, and we begin. The Krayt backs up slightly, assaulted by visions and misdirections that confuse it into inaction.

It's mind naturally fights such alterations, and even as we work, I can feel it fighting back, trying to determine the real from false. I don't think we can drive it off, and convincing it to just ignore us is likewise out of the question. But it's still now, unmoving and quite vulnerable. I don't know how long it'll take Ehruss to get her shot, but I hope she does it soon.

A pity, I hate to have to kill it. The sound of a blaster bolt rings out, and impacts the Krayt in the snout. There's no roar, or cry of pain, the Dragon slumps lifeless, and we both let out a sigh. Alright, that's done with.

I slump back against the metal building; it's burning hot, but I don't care. I'm so happy the Krayt Dragon is dead. I raise my hands in triumph as Ehruss and Jai approach. Ehruss seems very pleased with herself, judging by the way she hisses.

"Is good kill, many points for us." I give her a thumbs up and a nod.

"Good job Ehruss, excellent shot." Ehruss takes a step closer and kneels down next to me.

"Are you okay Grashkowh?" I shrug, the pain is coming back, but I feel like thankfully nothing's broken. That limb was big, but there wasn't a lot of force behind it. The whole Matukai protecting yourself from damage thing really pays off in these moments.

"I think so, just hurts a lot. We're not done yet, those people in the main complex are acting up." I can see them running around in there, armed and dangerous.

Curiously, I don't see a Hutt in there. I guess Smitonn isn't dumb enough to be here personally, but he certainly left plenty of people to man the base.

"Hey, I got a plan to deal with them. It's a bit crazy, but how strong do you think that shield covering the complex is?" Jai stops to think, staring at the main complex curiously. He eventually shrugs.

"I couldn't say, certainly not strong enough to stop any serious firepower." I look over at the freighter we came in on. It's an Action VI, over a hundred meters.

"Could it stop the freighter?" He blinks and looks back at the freighter, then at me before shaking his head.

"Even for you, Viera, that's an insane plan. There has to be a better way to do this." Aran and Ehruss listen quietly. They probably don't know what we're planning.

"Like, fighting all of the people inside, after battling a Krayt Dragon? Let's call their bluff." I stand up and limp over to within sight of the main complex. There's no reaction from the complex, but that's fine, they'll be talking shortly.

"Hey! I'm ready to accept your surrender!" I'm met by silence, a long silence. I begin to wonder if they can even hear me. Then the speaker crackles to life.

"Fuck off Jedi, you can't get in here, your signal is being jammed and the ignition on the freighter is locked down. You'll die of the elements before you trouble us." Okay, so that answers the question of whether or not we could use that ship.

Which is good actually, because my plan for that ship means it won't be usable anyways. Size matters not, I reach out for the transport and focus. The pain melts away, the complex itself melts away, and even I melt away. Everything is the Force, and how it interacts with the freighter. There's no effect at first, but I refuse to accept it won't move. Slowly it begins to shake, the Force pulses around me like a wave. The tide goes in, and then it comes out, the freighter begins to wobble some more. It's getting there.

Then Jai joins in, and the ship actually lifts off the ground. I can hear something in the background, whether it's Aron, Ehruss, or the man from the speaker, I don't know. Focus on the ship, just maintain focus, hold it steady and slowly come back to the world around you. Just a little bit, just enough to notice things.

"How about now, drop the shield, the signal jamming, and then disarm yourselves or I slam that transport into the building and kill you all." Silence from the criminals before the speaker turns back on.

"You're Jedi, Jedi don't indiscriminately kill." He doesn't sound confident. Granted, he's right but he doesn't know that I won't.

"Well, you're right, we don't have any other options. And hey, once you're all dead I can make up any story I want. You sent a Krayt Dragon at us, we're allowed to defend ourselves." I'm not actually sure I could focus enough to do the things I'm threatening right now. The pain is back and throbbing. I want to just get some bacta and sleep for a week.

"The real question is, are you willing to risk your life on it?" Please don't be. There's no response, I can see people running around in there, presumably talking amongst themselves. Then the speaker comes back to life.

"Alright, we'll surrender Jedi. We're dropping the signal jamming….just don't throw the freighter at us." Score one for cowardly self-preservation. I sigh in relief and together we set the freighter back down. Jai's already got the beacon out and is working to activate it. The beacon springs to life, and he gives me a nod.

"The beacon's active, they'll be here in a few hours at the most." I nod and stand up, breathing in and out to center myself.

"Alright, let's get them disarmed and ready for transport. Aron, you willing to help out? I'm sure there's a reward in it somewhere." He shrugs and fiddles with his blaster pistols.

"Not much else to do, and I won't turn down a reward." Alright, the four of us are going to disarm about…..forty people. Go us.

"Alright then, let's get started."