Hey, everyone! A lot of crazy osik's really gone down in the recent weeks since I last spoke with you. If you've been reading my Jedi Odyssey Rewrite, you know what I'm talking about. To avoid risking angering the powers that be, I'm not going to repeat it on this story, but I advise everyone to pray hard and be the best, and most honest and honorable person that they can be to help turn things around. So, I've been working hard on my Jedi Odyssey Rewrite, and figured that it was time to work a little on the AU for Squasher and JSailer. I hope you're ready, as I've got some big plans coming up soon for the story, especially once we reach the Chiss-NR Summit. But first, I have to get to that point, and the impending Battle of Honoghr and Invasion of Ossus. Well, with all that out of the way, I'd better get to work, as this chapter won't write itself.
Four Hours Later, On Helona 3rd, 0010 Hours
On Lothal
Within the Erudite Plains
Inside the Jedi Temple's Foyer
"Man, this place is like a great kriffing maze!" Chelli groaned. No matter what direction the team tried, the temple would redirect them back to the main entrance.
"Language, dear." Micah gently scolded her. "But she is correct about the maze part, gentlemen. If there's anything buried inside this temple, clearly the Jedi didn't want just anyone to find it."
"That won't do us any good if we can't get inside the temple's lower levels. Maybe the place is smarter than we thought and caught our two Jedi's attempts to cheat the system." Jaing speculated.
"Everyone, quiet." Eeth silenced them, noting Vega and Adegan's unusual silence as they approached a stone pillar near the northern tunnel.
"What are they doing?" Chelli whispered.
"Letting the Force guide them to the answer." Eeth answered.
The duo could feel something ancient call out to them, not necessarily Light or Dark, but somewhere in between as they pressed a concealed tile on the wall, and a rumbling began from underneath the temple.
"Oh, those two better not have triggered some sort of trap!" Jaing groaned as underground stairway formed next to him, "Oh. Never mind."
"Who wants to bet that whatever the ancient Jedi hid down here is what we're looking for?" Adegan rhetorically asked, no one answering before Chelli, a little excited as she asked the more appropriate question,
"So, who wants to go down there first? Can I-?"
"No!" Everyone shut down that suggestion hard and fast.
Meanwhile, In Hyperspace
Aboard the Second Chance
Eight Hours From the Adega System
"I really messed up for both of us, Dear." Tau lamented as the couple failed in trying to fall asleep. "The New Republic's censured us, Ventis has lost faith in us, and Connor's in terrible danger, all because of my spontaneity."
"That's not true, Tau, and you know it." Ahsoka reminded him. "Everyone on this ship knows that Connor was going to try this whether you approved it or not. All we could do was prepare him as best as we could. It was only sheer luck that the inquisitor found Connor first. Besides, would we have done any differently if it was our children?"
"No. If you were in Ashla's place…" he sighed and shook his head, "but the rest of High Command doesn't see it that way."
"Don't think about them right now. They'll come around eventually, we just have play the game for now. All we can do now is help Ventis and his family in any way we can and help Connor escape when the time comes."
"And try to secure a communications network for Sarcev to give us updates on the Empire's plans on Tython." Tau added.
"Exactly," she yawned, "now, stop worrying and get some sleep. We'll need to move fast once we hit Ossus."
"Yeah. I know."
One Hour Later
Aboard the Gauntlet's Command Center
109 Hours From the Tython System
"What exactly am I doing in the same ship as this half-breed Jedi? And why is he given free reign of your personal destroyer?" Rawk insolently demanded the Sith clone as he pulled off the last of his bacta patches.
"This half-breed as you put it, Vos, bested you in combat, and is under Lord Bahl'al's personal protection for his Dark Side Elite program. You should consider yourself fortunate that you still breathe after your catastrophe on Ord Cestus, or that Bahl'al has given you a chance to redeem yourself."
"I'm not going to train him!" Rawk hissed, "He is an enemy of the Empire, don't you see-aghk!"
His words were silenced as an invisible hand took him by the throat and began to squeeze, his feet dangling off the floor. As his ears rang, his mind swam and his brain pounded from the air being dragged out of him, he heard Vader hiss, "That was not a request, Inquisitor."
Vader released him, the Kifar spluttering to the floor in a desperate heap as the air crackled with the ozone of a crimson blade, "It has been ordered by the Emperor that Bahl'al take whatever measures necessary to expand the Order. You will obey his orders, or-"
He seized him again, smashing him against the bulkhead as he drew his saber against his throat, "You will die."
Rawk's eyes radiated pure, unadulterated fear as he gazed into the blade burning at his throat and nodded very slowly in the one measure to save his miserable life. With that, he was released, and Vader made his way to the bridge.
Keying in the Bellicose's private holo frequency, Vader did not have to wait long as the image of the armored Sith Lord came into focus.
"I assume there has been a new development with your special guest, Lord Vader?" Bahl'al tersely deduced.
"Not quite, Bahl'al. It would seem that a former Hand of our emperor has decided to hitchhike along for the journey to Tython." Vader began.
"Quest."
One Hour Later
Aboard the Glory
Twenty-Four Hours From the Honoghr System
"Report, Captain." Demetrius ordered his XO.
"We're ahead of schedule, Sir. The minor modifications to our previous two jumps allowed us to shave exactly four hours off our arrival time. We'll be arriving in precisely one day. And all our forces are reporting full battle readiness, with all squads training in the combat simulators. They'll be ready for whatever the New Republic tries to throw at us."
"Good. Get me an encrypted channel to Batch. I don't want to run any risks of the enemy discovering our plans."
"Yes, Sir."
As soon as the image of Martio appeared, Demetrius sternly told him, "As you no doubt know, Batch, we'll be arriving at the target in exactly twenty-four hours, and it won't be long afterwards before the Jedi try to stop us."
"The Jedi, yes. But the New Republic is not our primary concern this time. My scouts report that the Teutonic Sector is comprising the enemy reinforcements and is evacuating a significant portion of the planet's population. Clearly, someone high-ranking in the Empire is leaking intelligence to our enemies."
"We'll worry about that later. Right now, it might be more prudent to tell me something about those secret weapons you've created, just so my people don't get caught in the crossfire when the battle begins. And how in the blazes did you get scouts into the Honoghr System with all the enemy activity?! Your focus is on cloaking…" He stopped himself as he figured out one of the weapons that his peer developed.
He smirked. "You crazy sly devil. You finally figured it out, didn't you?"
"Indeed, I did. I admit that it's not a perfect solution, but thanks to a few of our empire's Force acolytes, we have a sufficient workaround for the flaws in the iridium version. And the Stygium model's undergone many refinements over the last two years, so they'll work much better in guerilla tactics."
"Well done. I assume that's not the last of the surprises you have in store for the Jedi, yes?"
"Far from it, my friend. I'll order Colonel Loring and Commander Nuress to share with you all the relevant information from their orders. I'd share with you everything, but the Emperor himself commanded me mission to the utmost secrecy." Martio apologized.
"Then you are taking a terrible risk sharing this with me, yes?" Demetrius worriedly asked his friend.
"Yes, I am. But you are correct in stating that it would be prudent of us both to preserve the lives of our men from any unnecessary confusion or disarray. Plus, the Emperor did not say you could not figure out the weapons on your own, especially with the massive influx of Jedi and their thralls entering the war." Martio clarified.
"Thank you. I won't forget this." Demetrius swore.
"I'll hold you to that someday."
Meanwhile, On Lothal
Within the Jedi Temple's Catacombs
"How odd." Vega told Adegan. "This temple seems to have been designed to keep something or someone from getting out, if the traps we've seen are any indication. Seems rather like the Draay II fortress that Master Utrila and Death Watch fought over for the Gauntlet of Kressh the Younger."
"And yet they were designed so only a Jedi could solve them, which means that we're on the right track." Vega noted, "The probes you deployed are still transmitting, right?"
"Indeed, all but two of them were destroyed by a series of defenses, located around what looked like a library in the deepest part of the Temple. In fact, I noticed an ancient T7 series astromech droid there. We'll soon have…"
The Shard stopped dead in his tracks as a horrible sight came to view. Three humans, an adult male and female, and a teenage girl, were frozen in self-generating stasis fields. They all carried sabers, and the woman radiated a powerful connection to the Dark Side. The very air turned frigid in her presence as her amber eyes almost seemed to look at him.
"Who the hell is she and what is she doing with two Jedi?" Vega asked, his hand going to his own weapon.
"I'm not sure, but she looks familiar," Adegan replied, "I'm checking Tau's databanks."
"In the meantime…" Vega commed his team, "Vega here, I need everyone on my location, ASAP. I've located survivors, all locked in stasis fields. Two Jedi, one Sith. Over."
Adegan added, "Records show similarities to figures from Vitiate's time period. Still investigating, over."
"Acknowledged. We'll arrive at your position in no more than ten minutes." Jaing answered, "just keep an eye on them but don't touch anything. Out."
"Roger. Okay, Adegan," Vega began, "who are they?"
"Facial records show matches for Davin Hawkes, the so-called Hero of Tython; his Sith wife, the Lady Lana Beniko; and their daughter, Kira Marr Hawkes."
"Say what now?"
"That's what my database reports, Vega. I am 95% sure it is them."
"Well, what were they doing here, and what caught them in this field?" Vega gestured, still swearing the three of them were looking at him, "Can you contact the ship for frequency codes?"
"Negative, something in this Temple is blocking the signal."
"Great," Vega groaned, "it almost seems like this place is a prison, and it's trying to prevent us from getting to the bottom of it."
"That would explain how and why this Temple seems to geographically alter itself. Perhaps we could make our way to the surface and contact High Command?"
"Maybe, but I'm worried that if we leave, we might not find them again."
Before the Adegan Shard could argue the point, Jaing's voice echoed out, "Vega, you down here!?"
"Yeah, over here!" he waved them over, and a minute later the rest of the team circled the trapped Jedi and Sith.
"How exactly did the Hawkes family get trapped here?" Micah asked after a moment, "There's no record of them plotting a journey to this world in any source I've found."
"And none in ours," Eeth concurred, "though with its history of being tampered with, that doesn't surprise me. Though it does explain why they went missing."
"Yeah, but why were they here? What were they looking for?" Jaing asked, "And more importantly, should we leave them here?"
"You can't just leave them here!" Micah protested, but Jaing held up his hands.
"Relax, professor. It's why I asked."
"I agree with my dad," Chili added, "regardless of who they are, we can't just leave them like this."
"Unfortunately, we might have to," Adegan replied, "I have finished my scan of the device holding them: it's nothing I've ever seen, and I have no idea how it works. The only thing I can tell you is that it seems to be powered by the Force itself."
"Well, that settles it," Jaing nodded, "we'll leave a tracer here and make our way back to the surface to call for help-"
Adegan's sensors suddenly began to go off, and he soon projected an image of the probe's telemetry onto a wall. Before them, there was a grainy picture of what looked like an arch and a strange pool of dark water.
"What the Hell is that?" Jaing pointed.
"I don't know," Adegan answered, "my sensors say it's made of an unknown energy. It's nothing like I've ever seen."
Eeth brought his hand to his chin, "Some kind of veil?"
"All attempts to pierce it have failed. It is an hour ahead of us."
"Well, that settles it," Jaing said, "Vega, you and Adegan will head down there and take a look. Just a look. I don't need you getting sucked into Manda-Knows-Where just because you stuck your hand in it. We'll head up top and contact High Command."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Micah asked, but Vega shook his head.
"It's fine, Micah. We're already close, and I'm not spending a few hours climbing out just to come back down here just because we have to anyway. We're here, so I'll take a look. Adegan, you ready?"
Adegan took a moment to think about this, eventually conceding. "I'm not sure I agree with your line of thought, but I am."
"Good. Let's get going."
One Hour Later
Within the Deepest Level of the Temple's Catacombs
It took the two Jedi an hour to reach their destination, climbing up, around and through multiple treacherous sheer hills and passageways erected from millennia of erosion. By the end of it, Vega noticed strangely that the air tasted purer, as though there was a direct line for the surface.
That of course, was impossible. They were too far down. Those suspicions doubled however, when they rounded the corner and came across an archway that strangely had a mirror in place.
"Is this it?" he asked Adegan, who nodded. "I thought you said it was a veil?"
"It is to my sensors."
"Well, it looks like a mirror to me. Perhaps I can see it differently than you can. Hey, can you do me a favor? Run a sensor on air quality around here."
"I already have. There is a current of fresh air passing through the energy field."
Vega narrowed his eyes before licking his finger and holding it up. Sure enough, there was a slight breeze coming from the mirror in front of him. "What does that mean?"
Adegan turned his head to him, "Maybe it's a gateway?"
Vega furrowed his brows, "Like the Kwa Infinity gates?"
"Perhaps, but the energy is of a significantly different chemical makeup."
Vega hummed in thought, "Adegan, is the atmosphere on the other side sustainable?"
"My sensors can't penetrate the barrier but based on the air flow coming in, it seems like a breathable atmosphere. I detect no toxins or abnormalities. Curious."
"What?"
"The air is purer than even terrestrial samples. I detect only a chemical structure of hydrogen and oxygen. Nothing else."
Vega nodded, "Well, better safe than sorry, let's suit up."
Adegan nodded, firmly planting his feet as the back of his chassis opened to reveal the hollow interior. Vega stepped in and the back closed behind him, feeling a cold frost envelop his neck as the neural interface connected to his brain. Once this was established, the suit effectively became like a second skin.
Vega unconsciously mused it was much like the primitive power suits of older times. Though beyond his technological edge, his natural connection to the Force and the bond he shared with the sentient crystal lifeform that used the droid as this body made him a deadly package on the battlefield. A one of a kind only package, though.
"We'll start slow, stick a hand in. You'll use your sensors to tell us what's on the other side and we will decide what to do from there." Vega said.
"Sounds like a plan. Are you ready?"
Vega nodded and stepped up to the mirror, taking a moment to study his reflection. He took a few calming breaths and stretched out his hand, the Mirror seeming to turn to ice even crackle as if it had been flash frozen. However, Vega's armored hand met no resistance as it pushed through.
"That's… weird. What's on the other side, buddy?"
"A breathable atmosphere with zero percent moisture vapor, no organic or inorganic elements beyond just air molecules, and the temperature is 40 Degrees Standard."
Vega blinked in surprise, "That's not freezing. It's a bit chilly, but not freezing. This mirror, it's not made of ice is it? Or any kind nitrogen-based substance?"
"Negative on both queries. It is energy, though it's manner of entrance suggests otherwise. I also do not detect the presence of the Dark Side or Light here."
"I know. I felt neither, too. This is something else. Let's go in and take a look."
"Jaing said not to put our hand through."
"Yeah, well I say we're here and we get to make a judgement call. But, let's leave another probe and program it to head out if we don't come out in the next twelve hours."
"A sound tactical move."
"You spend way too much time with those Atlas guys, Adegan." Vega deadpanned.
"We are in hostile, uncharted territory in the midst of the Empire's domain. I find an Atlas approach to be recommended for the situation."
"So basically, just common sense?" Vega asked rhetorically as he pulled his hand out and reached into the case for another probe.
"They seem to have it in staves compared to everyone else on Remnant. They were the most armed nation on the planet before our arrival, and at least they do not rely on questionably dressed children to fight their battles for them."
Vega chuckled, "I'm not going to get into this argument with you, but Vale and Vacuo did kick their ass in the great war. Also, are you making a statement about my girlfriend?"
"That was Mantle, and negative. Though I must say that Ruby dresses like a lady of the ni-"
"Finish that statement and die."
"What? She dresses like a Vampire?"
"Okay, that's one of the things that can mean, but not in that context."
"I shall leave it at that then, since your mood seems to be so sour."
"Sour?!" Vega snorted, "Is the damn probe ready?"
"Affirmative."
"Alright then, let's go," and he stepped through the barrier. The sight beyond made him forget the argument he was just having with the Shard.
"What is this place?" Adegan asked.
It was as if they had stepped into the void of space. Around them painted on the endless black void were stars. Yet, they were not floating and Adegan's sensors confirmed there was an atmosphere. Vega looked down, noticing that he was standing on a translucent pathway, bordered in white. Ahead, with the shifting lights, he saw that path sprawl in every possible direction, even ones that should not have been possible. The way they curved up and down at steep angles made it seem one would fall trying to walk them.
"It appears the architectural pattern of these pathways is reminiscent of a three-dimensional model of constellation chart." Adegan said, the tone one of wonder not lost on Vega, "And I detect the same energy composition as the door behind us."
That made Vega turn, presented with a closed archway of misty fog. On the arch itself, strange iconography he'd never seen before dazzled with neon splendor. Beyond the fog, he could see where they'd come from.
"T-to what end?" Vega asked breathlessly.
"I do not know." Adegan said, "But as you said, 'Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.'"
Vega nodded absently, "I'm- uh… let's place a beacon, so we don't get lost."
"That would be highly advisable. My sensors have yet to find the full extent of this… place. And my sensors can go for up to four miles."
"Okay then, we're definitely not in Dantooine anymore," he then noticed ahead on a raised pathway was another archway, "let's head up there and see where it leads."
The duo made the trek along the pathway, the process taking minutes as they realized the perspective had been wrong. Instead of just being above them, it stretched out for half a mile. As they got closer, Adegan began to pick up specifics. "It is a door similar to the one we came in from."
Meanwhile, Within the Varon System
Aboard Varon Orbital Command
"I shouldn't even be surprised from this kind of discovery." Wullf wearily shook his head after Jaing and the others provided a layout of the temple and its three ancient prisoners. "Are there any other prisoners in the temple, or anything else of note?"
"A downed T7 astromech droid that we might be able to repair, and hopefully get some answers about this mystery. And a mysterious portal that Vega and Adegan were going to check out." Micah answered.
"Please tell me those two maniacs haven't entered it yet?" Kal groaned.
"I'm afraid they just did. I can't sense them through the Force at all." Eeth worried. "I would advise you to get a team here immediately to rescue the Hawkes family, and to help us fully decipher the temple's secrets."
Two Hours Later
Within the World Betewen Worlds
As they finally came upon it, Vega studied the archway and noticed the slightly different Iconography on it from the one he came through. He used a memory recall ability, remembering what the original symbols had looked like. It seemed like the same language, but different words altogether. "What are these symbols?"
"Unknown."
"Okay, if you had to guess?"
"They look like marks to tell which door is which, almost like numbers on a hotel room."
Vega hummed in thought, "Who could have built this place? And what are these doors?"
"I do not have an answer to either question."
"Wait," Vega peered closer, noticing similar fog to the previous door. He peered this, seeing guards adorned in gray armor and white robes. On their hilts were lightsabers, reminding Vega of the Jedi Temple Guards. A pang of sorrow hit him as he remembered many of them had given their lives in the defense of the temple during Operation: Knightfall.
That was followed by confusion. Why were they here? Why was he seeing them through this mist? Vega leaned against the archway, his finger brushing over one of the symbols and the image changed to show a training room. He saw a grizzled man standing in a dojo, surrounded by students all dressed in training gear.
"Initiates, it's time for instruction," he said in a gravelly voice, "we will begin with physical preparation. Remember, in order to be a part of not just the Jedi Order, but the Lothian Brotherhood, one must reach the pinnacle of perfection with the mind, body and spirit. The path to this is with pain. Who shall be the first to cry out?"
"Lothian brotherhood?" Vega asked, "As in Lothal? These guys weren't there?"
"I have noticed something else," Adegan said, "the structure of that hall mirrors that one we passed through roughly four hours ago."
"Adegan… what are you saying?" Vega asked.
"I'm saying-"
"My apologies, initiates, it seems we have some guests in the Portal." the elderly Jedi said.
Vega and Adegan froze on the spot. The man turned and grinned right at them. "We can hear you, y'know. Go ahead, don't be shy. Step into the light."
Vega, with some trepidation, stepped through the portal and right in front of the instructor. The initiates all stared at the young man with both distrust and interest. The Initiate Master however seemed unphased. "Uh, hello, I am Vega Ryal, Jedi Knight."
The elder Jedi nodded, "I am Initiate Master Talus of the Lothian Chapter of the Jedi Order. What reality do you come from, Knight Ryal?"
"R-reality?"
Talus let out a laugh that sounded like a bark, "You mean to tell me you came through the World Between Worlds without knowing what it was?"
"It appears we did." Adegan answered.
"Initiate Master, what is this?" one of the students asked.
Talus smirked, "Listen well Initiates, what you see before you is a rare event. A Jedi traveling between the World Between Worlds, the place the brotherhood watches over to prevent another hostile incursion or to help lost souls like our brother here."
"I'm sorry, I'm really still confused on what's going on here," Vega sighed, "hours ago, this place was in ruins. Now it's not. And you're here.
"Then allow me to elucidate you, little brother. You have traveled to a different reality, and it seems very different from your own. Here, the Jedi maintain a permanent presence on Lothal to watch the doorway."
"Another reality… like where Tau came from?" Vega mused.
Talus craned his head, "So you are aware of dimensional travel?"
"Well yes, but I didn't think the temple on Lothal would hold such a… marvelous secret."
There was a sudden commotion as footfalls echoed down the far stairwell. Men in robes marched in with weapons drawn, but not ignited. Talus sighed, "Alright, which of you upstarts squawked?"
Before anyone could answer, one of the figures asked brazenly, "Master Talus, what's going on here? I was told there was an intruder?"
"Just a visitor, Master Maan. And an actual peaceful one."
"That remains to be seen, Talus. I shall see this pup myself first."
Vega's eyes went wide when the man pulled off his hood. Vega had never met the Sith Assassin known as Maul, but like every other youngling, they'd all heard the stories, seen the pictorials and even trained with his likened holographic module designed by Anakin Skywalker. There was no mistaking the man's wild demeanor, like some feral feline about to pounce.
Well that, and the man's bloody-toned skin and devilish Zabrak horns. It lacked the black inked Sith tattoos and his eyes, the amber irises, but physically there was hardly a difference.
"You feel like you've seen specter, boy," the Zabrak said, a challenge to his voice, "speak up, what's got you jumpy?"
Vega quelled his nervousness, "Sorry, it's just that in my reality, you are the Sith Assassin."
Master Maan looked like someone had slapped him and he boisterously laughed, "What nonsense is that? Me? One of those drag wearing, revenge obsessed amateur buffoons? I'm almost insulted, boy."
Talus chuckled, "We've seen stranger things, Marak," he extended his hand over, "Master Marak Maan, Knight Vega Ryal."
"He's awfully young to be a Knight," Marak replied, circling the young man, "but I sense he is strong, a wildness to him. Like a beast caged in him."
"It sounds more like you're describing yourself," Vega replied. Marak bared his fangs in a toothy grin.
"More like I'm describing the both of us, boy. You've got an edge to you Master Windu beat out of me. Maybe you need a similar grinding down."
"Oh for pity's sake, Marak, leave him alone," a woman's voice called, taking the form of a cornflower Twi'lek wearing a white head wrap, "you barely known him for a minute and you're already looking for a fight."
"Stop ruining my fun, Eldra!" Marak protested mockingly as he took the woman in his arms, "Just looking to teach the boys a few impartial lessons!"
"Translation: looking for a fight. Why don't we call up Zarak and Farak? You can sort your bloodlust on your brothers."
"It's not a bloodlust, woman! Just an itch, an urge. A good fight is so rare in this blasted cold war."
Vega suddenly recognized the Twi'lek, "You're Eldra Kaitis, aren't you?"
She raised an eyebrow, "You know me?"
"It's… complicated. Where I come from, you went missing long before I joined the order. You were kind of like a warning bedtime story. 'Don't wander off, or you'll end up like Eldra Kaitis.'"
Marak bared his fangs, "And your Order never found her? How could your Order abandon-"
"Marak," Eldra interrupted.
"...sorry. Just a little personal, is all."
Talus decided to step in, "Perhaps we can talk with our guest at the evening's meal and share stories about our different realities."
"That sounds like a marvelous idea." Eldra agreed, pulling on her husband's arm, "Marak? There are things you need to attend to?"
"Fine," the Zabrak grumbled as he pointed a finger at Vega, "be here tonight. I have questions that need answering."
"You and me both, pal," Vega replied, earning him a wry grin as Eldra pulled him away.
"Well, he was charming," Adegan chuckled.
Talus shrugged it off with a barking laugh, "Blame Windu, his master. Boy was already fierce and competitive when we plucked him and his brothers off Iridonia, but that Korun dialed him up. Can't go a day without wanting a fight. And as you saw, his wife's the only one who can leash him.
"Good old, Windu." Vega chuckled, "Great fighter, not so great commander."
"You too, huh? How bad?"
"Well," Vega uncomfortably rubbed the back of his helmed head, "he took a force of 215 Jedi to rescue two of our own and a Senator. Only 38 came out of that arena alive and it started a war."
Talus paled at the casualty roster and shook his head, "I get the feeling he was never punished for his tactical stupidity, eh? Well, if I'd been there, my boot be going up where the sun never shines."
"...did you actually do that to your Windu?"
Talus toothily grinned, "I wish," he then gestured to his students, "we were about to conduct a combat drill. Take a seat and watch."
"Yes sir," he replied as he did as he was bidden, the others looking at him curiously before Talus voice snapped them back to attention.
"Did I give you permission to ogle, you filthy womp rats?"
"No, Initiate Master!"
"No, I did not," he began to pace the hall, his steely eyes boring into his students, "each of you came to our temple of your own volition, did you not?"
"Yes, Initiate Master!"
"Each of you came to our temple alone, did you not?"
"Yes, initiate master."
"Yet when you are born, you are not alone. You have a mother and a father to protect you, to keep you safe, Why?"
He waited for an answer, but Vega could tell he wasn't expecting one, "Because when a man stands alone, he is vulnerable to a physical or spiritual attack."
Talus' eyes shifted to an older, gruffer man who bore the look of experience. Yet, he radiated guilt like the man was in a lineup, his eyes drooping to the floor.
Talus nodded and looked on, "When he stands with his brothers, committed to his purpose, he is no longer alone. He is now a part of an impenetrable force, and that my brothers, is our key advantage against the Sith."
"How so, Initiate master?" one of the students asked.
Talus continued his pacing, "The Sith are inherently selfish by nature. It is almost impossible for them to trust each other, and so they are vulnerable, prone to kill each other just as much as they are to fight us. That is why they fail. They lack the bonds that tie us Jedi together as family and comrades."
He stopped and barked, "Fall into teams of three."
They quickly did as they were bid, Vega watching the man Talus had eyed earlier. He got a better look this time; the man bore a full beard and a shaved head that hid subtle scars beneath the prom. What caught his eye however was the man's eyes themselves. Vega shuttered at the sight of them. It was like looking in a mirror.
A sound emitted on the far side of the room and a wall opened with the grinding of stone. From the shadows stepped a white carapace HK Assassin Droid, either a 47 or 74 model.
"A 47 model," Adegan answered, and the droid suddenly turned his head towards them. In an oddly cheerful voice unbecoming of its grim exterior, it addressed them.
"Observation: Ah, another of my kind shackled to the whims of a meatbag. How are you, my fellow superior brethren?"
"I am not of your kind, Droid," Adegan answered, "though I may inhabit this mechanical body, I am more in common with my companion here. Besides, I am crystaline in structure."
"Rebuttal: A pity," the droid replied, his tone sounding disappointing, "fascinating, but a pity. I may have to kill you someday, crystal-thing."
"You will dare not do such a thing, droid!" Talus growled, "Unless you want me to unscrew your head and drop it down into the trash compactor again?"
"Statement: I prefer death to that, Meatbag. Though it is not much further than serving as a punching bag to your second-rate Initiates."
That earned a glare from the Initiatives, all of them one fuse from dogpiling the droid into scrap. Talus smirked at that.
"Good. Take that rage and hone it. Contrary to what you might've heard, we Jedi do not put aside such things. Anger is a powerful weapon when controlled, sharpened for precision."
"But the Sith use fear and anger," an Initiate pointed out, "and that leads to the Dark Side."
"Incorrect!" Talus snapped, "Fear and anger are things born of all living beings, not of the shadow of the Darkness. A Sith is little more than an animal, allowing his rage to drive him mad! We Jedi use it as a weapon, but we do not allow it to control us. We control it through our discipline of will and mind."
"Statement: these boys do not appear to have either. I project 67% probability they will die in their first battle," the droid's head craned over to the bearded man, "Correction: 60% chance of death."
"Well that's not bad." one of the initiates said.
"That's 7 out of 12 of us, dummy!" another snapped, elbowing him in the ribs.
"Eh, don't listen to him, Jedi are great at beating the odds." Vega said from the sidelines, "I could tell you stories."
"Later." Talus bade Vega politely, if somewhat forcefully, "now, this is the favored model of assassin droid used by the Sith. Even three thousand years old, this series has killed many of our brethren, and you will learn how to defeat it."
"Statement: Unlikely. Proud addendum: those were some of my progenitors' fondest kills."
Another set of glares, and Talus barked, "First team, charge him and take him down."
Immediately, the Initiates jumped the droid. Vega knew right from the get go how this would go and he was proven right in less than thirty second. Like a gaggle of children in a playground brawl, the Initiates threw themselves at the droid in an uncoordinated fashion. With some simple maneuvering, the HK model was able to engage them one on one and soon pummeled each into embarrassing submission.
As the three of them lay on the floor, battered, bleeding and bruised, Talus shook his head in annoyance. "What did they do wrong?" he asked the assembly.
"Answer-"
"I wasn't asking you, you bucket of bolts!" Talus shot the droid down, "What did they do wrong?"
When no one answered, Vega decided to do it for them. "They attacked that droid like a bunch of idiots."
"Hey!" one of them shouted.
"Sorry, but it's true. You let the droid goad you and instead of using your numbers to, I dunno, maybe surround it? You just threw yourselves at it practically one at a time. It's like watching one of those Corellian martial arts movies and you were the goons."
"Well said." Talus nodded, "Landrit, Roan, and Visat, can you do any better?"
"Yes, Initiate Master!" They sounded off.
"Then let's put your enthusiasm to the test."
One Hour Later, In Tau's Reality
Aboard the Second Chance
80 Minutes From the Adega System
"Let me recap this madness, Minister; Vega and his team not only discovered three historical legends frozen in time for over thirty-six centuries, but some kind of portal, and he and Adegan went through it, and you only just told us this three hours after you learnt this?!" Tau incredulously summed up to Mon.
"I fail to see how it would have impacted your Ossus mission, Jedi Palpatine, other than distract you and risk diverting you from our upcoming summit." Mon coldly reminded the Jedi Knight. "Besides, you kept crucial secrets from High Command when Connor went off on his suicidal mission, so it is only fair that you face the consequences of your actions."
Biting back the urge to remind Mon that he previously asked High Command to help prepare for Connor's insertion, and call her out on her pacifistic aversion to risking people's lives in a war, Tau calmly promised Mon, "Minister, I did what I thought was right to help a future parent and fellow Jedi, and I will own up to it when I return, that I vow."
"But we cannot let that distract us from working together when we arrive at the Chiss Ascendancy. It is absolutely vital that we present an image of unity for the Aristocras in order to be taken seriously, so if we have a disagreement, then we will have to do it in private. And we cannot contradict each other, which means we need to prepare our strategy ahead of time."
"On that, we agree, Jedi Palpatine. I will draft a series of-"
"Minister, with all due respect, the diplomacy strategies we learnt from the Old Republic aren't going to cut it with the Chiss. If you want the Ascendancy to ally with us, you need to include Tau as an equal partner, and take him seriously. And that means you need to balance all of your strengths and shortcomings to prepare for the inevitable intrigue and assassination attempts the Chiss factions will try on you." Ahsoka interrupted the Chandrilian.
"And we'll need to approach from a position of strength in order for the Chiss to take us seriously, so I strongly advise you and High Command that we bring along a sizeable fleet in order to deter pirates and any other enemy forces from ambushing us." Tau continued.
Appraising the Jedi Knight, Mon sighed before nodding, "You make a compelling argument, Tau. I will give you full say on our diplomatic strategy and bring your request to Chief Organa. I apologize for my arrogance, I let my anger could my judgement, and it could have compromised the entire summit if you did not call out my misjudgment."
"Even the best of us make our fair share of mistakes, Minister. The important thing is to learn from them in order to avoid repeating them." Tau gracefully acknowledged.
"I know. I will let you go to finish preparing for your mission and take your suggestion to Chief Organa. May the Force be with you all, and please be sure to give my regards to your Padawan on his captured son."
"We'll do just that." Ahsoka promised just before she ended the holocall.
Well, I think that this is a good place to end the chapter! So, a whole lot happened in this chapter, especially the introduction of the World Between Worlds, with a few major improvements that Squasher, JSailer and I came up with. It's going to be a major game changer for the Lothal Sector, especially once the New Republic learns the temple's full potential and its ramifications. And the reintroduction of the Hawkes family from Fulcrum-1115's discontinued SWTOR story is another personal touch we came up with, one that will be invaluable for the Jedi in the coming chapters. That is, if they can be released from their stasis prison. So, how are you all doing on this warm night of Monday, November 16, 2020? I'm doing well, as I bought a new book by Paul Kengor today, and did some homework and classwork, with more to do tomorrow. Oh, and I learnt that Star Wars Insider is publishing hardback editions of the magazine's short stories, divided into Legends and Canon editions, and I'm gonna buy up the Legends editions. Well, I guess that's it for this chapter. I'd better get it to my friends for their revisions. I hope to get it within a week, but with their own busy schedules, it'll be hard to say for certain. Have a blessed night, everyone, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
