71- Revelations between Worlds and Ages.
Lothal
Very deep in the caverns…it was the very same moment when Optimus Prime was near the doors of death, but accompanied by Smokescreen and the Loth-wolfs.
"Who…stands…before me?"
"What? It's me, Optimus: Smokescreen. You sense that, guys?" He asked to the wolves, but lowered their heads.
"Who…beckons…?" Optimus asked again as his optics began to blink.
The reason Optimus was saying that was because inside his mind he was walking through the darkness towards a light.
"Come, Optimus." A familiar voice said.
"It is truly you?" Optimus asked as he recognized the figure of a familiar cybertronian. "Alpha Trion."
"I stand before you, my student. As such, it would seem that it is your time." The ancient Prime confirmed, but Optimus lowered his head, because of something that someone told him. "Why do you hesitate?"
At the moment Alpha Trion asked that, Optimus was thinking about that motive: time before, when Smokescreen went to recover the Forge of Solus Prime, Optimus's status was getting worse, something the wolves noticed. Then, the white one, the alpha, sat on his knees and the others followed his lead and all of them got around him while their eyes started to glow, like if they were trying to share their life force with him in order to keep him alive. Suddenly, in the moment Optimus opened his eyes again, he found himself not in the cave, but in an unknown place: some kind of web of paths in middle of what resembled the space, and next to some of those paths there were some kind of doors or windows.
"Where I am? What is this place?" Optimus asked.
"Looks like this is your first time here." A voice said.
When he turned to see where that voice came from, he saw a creature about his same size similar to a giant ape, standing before him.
"Are you the guardian of this place?" Optimus asked.
"Not close. I am also a stranger here, but I came because someone is in need of help. You."
"Me? Who are you? Are you some kind of Force-wielding being?"
"That's correct."
"From which side?"
"No one."
"You are neutral between good and evil?"
"Indeed. Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan: the light and the darkness. I'm the one in the middle: the Bendu."
"Bendu? I think I remember Ahsoka told about someone or something she encountered long ago which identify itself with that name."
"Ah, indeed. That one was me. But I have never meet anyone of your kind since millions of years ago. And I must admit I feel lucky to meet a Prime again."
"You met the ancient Primes? The Thirteen?"
"As you call them, indeed. Me and one of them talked a few times, that one who called himself the Warrior of Light." Bendu told as they both started to walk on the main road.
"Prima, the leader of the Thirteen."
"We talked some great tales, about the battle against the one you call Unicron, or the horrible deceive from the one called Megatronus Prime, or as you call him now, The Fallen? Or the great tales of the Knights of Iacon, one of my favorites. Among others."
"One question, Bendu: if this is not your home, what exactly is this place?"
"A very ancient place, as ancient as the same universe. It has multiple names, like the Vergence Scatter, the Netherworld of Unbeing, The Chain Worlds Theorem, but you can call it simply…the World Between Worlds."
"What exactly is its function?"
"It's related with the Force: a mystical plane within the Force that serves as a collection of doors and pathways existing between time and space, linking all moments in time together. Including versions of ages, alternative timelines or possible alternative futures of the galaxy's history."
"By the Allspark. I never thought something like this could exist."
"Oh sure? What about this realm of the Allspark of yours? Just because someone can't see these existential planes doesn't mean they don't exist. And now I ask you: why are you here?"
"I'm afraid I have reached near the doors of death, very close to be one with the Allspark. And right in our darkest hour. I did what I had to do to protect Naboo and the other worlds of this galaxy from Megatron's hunger for power. He wanted to use the power of the Omega Lock to cyberform the entire galaxy, instead of returning life to Cybertron. But even with that, he now possesses a greater power, one which could allow him to submit the inhabitants of this galaxy to his twisted will. No one knows what kind of plans he will have for them, or for my friends."
"Well, for what you have told me I will say to you what I believe why are you here. If you really were at the death's doors, I believe someone or something has brought you here to keep you alive. It seems you are far too valuable to let you go in afterlife on this particular moment. And it has lot of sense, you have some much to do, Optimus Prime."
"As a Force being, you surely have seen what Megatron is capable of. Why is the reason you don't use your power to do something to stop him?"
"I'm afraid because it is my nature. As the being of the neutral side of the Force, I cannot choose sides. I have lived millions of years, I have seen civilizations rise and fall, and I will continue existing after millions of years more. But I'm also there to try to help the ones who lost their way or feel themselves to have failed. I give them advises and trials in order to rise themselves again and continue their quests. There are many ways to help a cause, if you know the proper way. And I can tell your rival Megatron is not different from many other evil ones who had tried to rise and conquer everything than meets the eye. And even in a place you know very well." Bendu explained as they stopped in front of one door, which started to glow until it showed an image, like a window.
Optimus recognized the place the window was showing. "Wait. This is…Cybetron? You surely know our planet is far beyond your galaxy."
"That's right. But even being that far, Cybertron left its mark on the galaxy, as you surely know too. That's the reason this place knows about its existence too. But this affliction is special: it's like seen everything what your god, Primus, witnessed. His very memories."
Optimus could see events previous even for when he was born: when Unicron was defeated and banished into space; when life started to spread across Cybertron; when The Fallen betrayed his siblings and founded the very first Decepticons; the sanctuary of the Knights of Iacon; when the Quintessons tried to invade Cybertron, leaded by their leaders, the 5 Judges and their monarchs: Alpha Quintesson (their king) and Quintessa (their queen); but also when they were defeated and expelled; the Golden Age, seeing himself in the Hall of Records as Orion Pax; when Megatron met The Fallen and became his apprentice; when The Fallen was defeated and banished to another dimension; and when Megatron became leader of the Decepticons; even when Orion journeyed to the core and obtained the Matrix of Leadership, becoming Optimus Prime.
"Is this the reason why I was brought here?" Optimus asked.
"No. Is just the first step. There is a more important reason of why you have been brought here. Keep advancing, Prime. My job here is done. But remember this, Optimus: as you know so well, the past can sometimes provide very useful lessons for the future. Because that's what the past is: already lived and written, not like the future, which web can change with whatever happens in the present."
Optimus nodded. "Thank you, Bendu."
Optimus continued walking on the main road, seeing the stars and doors of his surroundings, while the Bendu already disappeared. After a while walking, Optimus started to wonder what kind of wisdom he was supposed to find there then.
"There must be something here that I suppose to find. Perhaps one of this…windows of time and space could give a clue." He said looking at the closest door.
"That one is not going to show anything. Is the wrong one." Another voice, a sweet and female one said.
"Who else is here to guide me in the next step?"
"Me, Optimus."
Optimus turned and saw next to him a familiar figure: a tall young woman, as beautiful as any other, with white skin like emitting its own light and very long green hair and shiny green eyes.
"I'm glad to see you again."
"The Daughter? I thought you perished on Mortis alongside your family." Optimus recognized.
"Yes, but not at all. It's something similar to what I told Sky when he traveled to Cybertron."
"You were also on Cybertron?"
She nodded. "When Unicron fell, I sensed the only taint of Primus in danger, and also a descendent of one of the few Jedi that arrived on Mortis long ago was on a quest to ensure your return, looking for Vector Sigma in unknown territory."
"I know, Sky told me. And for that I'm grateful. You and your family know about this place?"
"Some about. In the planet you are currently hidden now, there is a hidden old Jedi temple that hides a passage to this world, one known by our kind. But my father ensured that my brother and I would not use it as a mean to escape Mortis."
"And for good reason. However, it is good to see you again since the time we met at your home. I suppose you are here in order to show me something that I'm not aware."
"Indeed. Something to give you strength or more motives to not give up living and fighting. Each of these doors reflect important moments of past and present lived on the galaxy. Some ones about fights between the light side and the dark side. When the light returned to shine because of hope, or when darkness ascended and marked tragic moments. But the most important lesson that concerns you here is to know that sometimes the fate of many depends on one only person."
"And that means me?"
"Yes. I know that for you, the fate of your people and your world is more important than anyone of you, including yourself. But…there are exceptions, like when you and your Autobots managed to change the course of this galaxy forever."
Optimus followed the Daughter until the road divided in three paths: one to the right, other to the left and other to the center.
"The path divides in three. What does that mean?"
"Much. Long before, this path was not divided in three roads. Millions of years ago, there was only one, and later it divided in two. But in one important moment, it became three, and this is not a simple path. The path where we stand represents the main timeline of the galaxy, and each path is one of the many alternative timelines in which it could become. Giving rise to their respective alternative futures."
"The result of a combination of specific events, that changed the lives of countless people."
"The three are similar and different at the same time." The Daughter said as they walked to the path of the left (the Canon Timeline). "If you Autobots never involved in the Clone Wars, this would have been the galaxy's future. More lives would have been lost because of the war, and when the responsible behind the war would have been discovered, it would be too late. The Dark Lord of the Sith would have succeed in his master plan, turning the Republic in his Galactic Empire, eradicating most of the Jedi, forcing their fellow soldiers against them without a chance to resist. And for many years, the galaxy would suffer the twisted rule of the Empire. And it would have passed many years until the rebels rise to fight the emperor and his order. Even Skywalker, the Chosen One, would have been doomed to become one of the most feared Sith Lords that the galaxy has never witnessed. But despite that, he would achieve his destiny at destroying the emperor, returning to light and completing the prophecy, thanks to the unruled spirit of his son."
As they approached, the window showed them a different future: the execution of Order 66, Sidious finishing Mace Windu, the fall of the Jedi Temple, the battle between Obi Wan and Anakin on Mustafar, Darth Vader's rising, Alderaan's destruction, the battle of Hoth, the great battle of Endor, the duel between Luke and Vader and the death of the emperor at the hands of Anakin.
"By the Allspark. Is that…"
"Yes, that is Luke. But the harm would have already be done, and the darkness would not stop with the fall of the empire, it would follow with the rise from its ashes as the First Order, in a time when there would not yet be Jedi to defend it."
Next, the window showed the Starkiller Base firing its superweapon, the Resistance' fleet chased by the First Order's, Kylo Ren bowing to the Supreme Leader Snoke on the throne room, the battle between Ren and a young Jedi girl near the remains of the Second Death Star and the great battle of Exegol.
"But…fortunately, this future cannot happen anymore. It is only here to remember us how bad things can get if we took the wrong choices or do nothing to change them in time."
"What about the one of the right?"
"It has a similar one." She said as they approached its corresponding window.
It showed some images: Mon Mothma declaring the foundation of the New Republic, the battle of Coruscant, an image showing a reborn emperor getting out of a pod, an image of the Darksaber superweapon, Luke Skywalker as leader of the New Jedi Order, the rise of the New Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the fall of Coruscant and many years later in the future (the Legacy era), the last Skywalker (the Expanded Universe/Legends Timeline).
"So, it is a similar future."
"That's why your arrival to the galaxy was so important." The Daughter as they looked to a window near to the start of the road of the center. "The actions of your team had important changes during the war for good."
The window showed familiar scenes for Optimus Prime: the time they arrived to the galaxy for the first time; when Cliffjumper and Arcee sneaked inside the Malevolence and sabotaged the main weapon before it could strike against the Republic squadron that it was going to intercept it; when Bumblebee traveled to the Rishi moon to assist the clone rookies stationed there helping them against the commando droids; when during the battle of Ryloth, Arcee, Bulkhead and Cliffjumper assisted the troops on ground while Optimus and Bumblebee used captured droid starfighters to attack the blockade's weak points; when they prevented Cade Bane to kidnap Jedi master Ropal and the crystal he was protecting; when Arcee and Bee infiltrated Sidious' secret hideout in Mustafar and managed to access his com-link; when Arcee helped senator Amidala to discover Clovis involvement with the separatists and captured him; Team Prime battling by their own at the second battle of Geonosis; when Ratchet managed to synthetize the Zillo Beast's scales molecular composition before delivering it secretly to the Republic scientists as the other Autobots used a transport to take the creature to a new home; when the Autobots prevented the bounty hunters to take hostages on Vanqor by taking to a safe place the surviving clones before the Jedi went to investigate; when Team Prime assisted defending Kamino against the separatist incursion and discovering about Protocol 66, without the kaminoans knowing about them; when Bumblebee found the secret holodiary which Ziro the Hutt hid on Teth; when Optimus managed to take and hide Mina Bonteri on their base from the traitorous attack of Dooku's assassins; when they assisted secretly the Republic squad to escape the Citadel; when Arcee decided to assist Ahsoka and the other padawans hunted by the trandoshans; when Bulkhead assisted the 501st legion in the invasion of Umbara and helped them to discover master Krell's treason; when Team Prime rescued all the slaves of Zygerria by taking them out in transports with the ground bridge; when Bumblebee and Cliffjumper helped Ahsoka and Lux escape the Death Watch from Carlac and all their hostages; when Optimus went to defend the Nightsisters against the droid army; when the Autobots helped to defend Onderon from the separatist occupation alongside Ahsoka and Lux; when Bee decided to help the D-Squad and clone commando Gregor at Ponds Ora; Cliffjumper taking Duchess Satine to a safe place before joining the defenders of Mandalore against Maul's forces, allowing them to capture the former Sith lord; when the Autobots showed themselves for the first time to some senators and the Jedi council with an hologram of the Death Star project, followed by a scene of them on Coruscant, blocking the escape ways of the senate building as clone troopers and some Jedi like master Yoda, Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker trapped Sidious inside the senate chamber, making him to push everyone aside, except Skywalker, who managed to hold his ground, making him to strike with lightning, but Anakin used his lightsaber and Obi Wan's to block Sidious attack, advancing at him until he was close enough to return him the lightning, making him to fall to the chamber' floor as he disintegrated. The next image showed Optimus traveling deep inside the Jedi temple, until he found the hidden Sith shrine, and used the power of the matrix to eliminate its power, returning the true vision and potential to the Jedi. But the best image was the last one, which showed all the Autobots, now not in disguise but in robot form, fighting alongside the clone troopers in Utapau in the last battle of the war.
"As you know, you changed the lives of many people for better, and the fate of the galaxy to a better and bright future. The friends you made are the proof of that."
"I understand we Autobots set the course of the galaxy to a better way."
"That's the reason why this third road appeared."
"But there are no other windows besides this one."
"That's right. Because this timeline is yet to be secured. And they will only appear when the Autobot-Decepticon war on the galaxy comes to an end, your duty is not over yet. You always have been destined to stop Megatron. Your long history makes it very clear. That means you cannot accept this as your end. You must believe always that you can keep on. You have given this example to everyone around you, both Autobots and native people."
"Even if I can repair myself with the forge, we are no sure if another way to restore Cybertron is guaranteed. Our home cannot remain like this forever." Optimus expressed, but when he looked where the Daughter was, she was no more.
"You don't know that." A new female voice said.
Optimus looked behind him and down and saw a young female human, with long and free hair, dressed in some white Jedi outfit.
Optimus kneeled to her height. "Are you the third one here to guide me on this world?"
"Yes. The Bendu represented the past, and the Daughter was present during your time, I come from the future."
"From which one?"
"Two different ones. In this timeline, I'm still non-existent, but if you and your allies keep fighting the Decepticons, I will become part of the family of some of your friends."
"I think I saw you before in the other timeline. You are the one who was fighting against the evil rule of the called First Order."
"That's right, but my history dates back to the Clone Wars. What respect to Palpatine, not all the members of his family agreed with his rule, including his son."
"You are related with Darth Sidious?" Optimus asked in disbelief.
"More than you realized." She said with a sad tone. "For his son, knowing who and what his father was made him feel the greatest shame in the galaxy, to the point for him and his wife to escape the farthest they could from that life. Hiding, running away, in order to try a new life far away from the worst person and his forces. They reached a moment when, in order to protect their daughter, they had to abandon her, because she had what he luckily lacked: the potential of his bloodline. They were even willing to pay that price with their lives, and that's how happened. But that was the start of the path the girl would follow in order to make things right: she discovered the power which lied inside of her. When the Force called her, wanting her to follow the path of the Jedi, to prepare herself enough before facing her worst enemy, her grandfather. But she had a lot of help: her masters, the Skywalker twins, and the same as Vader returned to light, she managed to make his grandson to do the same, and that leaded to Sidious' true destruction in that timeline. At the end, she became the last member of the Skywalker. Quite ironic, no? Since the very beginning, no matter which was her origin, she always had the heart and spirit of a true Skywalker."
"And where is Palpatine's son now?"
"In a safe place. He's no longer tied to his dark past, when the Chosen One fulfilled his duty, he was free to choose the life he wanted. But the girl from the tale is long yet to be born, in years in fact. But if Megatron success in submitting the galaxy, she and other future important guardians, great future members of the Jedi Order will never have the opportunity to take their places. That's why you must still live, Optimus Prime. To prevent another dark future to devour the galaxy's hope, and only you can light this darkest hour. Your Autobots need you, your friends need you, your family needs you, to lead them to the very end."
"Honor…to the end. After this mysterious journey, I finally see the truth of your words: Megatron is in no position to destroy the future of those who had finally found peace after fighting so much evil, the ones who have right to live. Megatron is unable to coexist with anyone or anything, he just seeks domination and control over anything, and that he cannot control, he destroys it. For as long as he stays here, this galaxy will not be in peace. And only I know how to stop his plans." Optimus proclaimed.
"That's why we all need you to return and keep fighting. Promise, Optimus, promise that you will not give up even if you are near to be gone."
"I'll keep my promise."
"Then you can go now. They wait for you. Just follow the main road, it will take you back to Lothal."
Optimus started his way back, but stopped and looked back at her.
"Young lady, you still didn't tell me your name."
She smiled. "I am…Rey Skywalker. May the Force be with you."
"Till all are one, future Skywalker."
And that was all that Optimus remembered, the reason why he doubted joining with his mentor.
"Take my hand, Optimus, and join me. Join with the Allspark."
Optimus thought about the choice before he walked closer to Alpha Trion and reached his arm out. He paused and looked at his former mentor in the optics. But he paused again, remembering the promise he made in the World Between Worlds.
"Optimus! No!" Smokescreen begged.
And finally, Optimus's optics powered off, the same as all his body. The wolves started howled as a sign of sadness. Then his chest opened revealing the Matrix of Leadership shining inside his body.
"This isn't how the story's supposed to end." Smokescreen said before looking at the forge. "Quick, help me to make him grab it!"
The wolves used their jaws to help Smokescreen in moving the Forge of Solus Prime. They dragged the forge and placed it on Optimus's hand. It reacted to the power of the matrix and unleashed an unknown wave of energy and a bright light that surrounded Optimus and pushed back Smokescreen and made the wolves run away. Once the light was fading, Smokescreen saw a silhouette standing in front of him: it was Optimus, completely healed and with his improved body. He activated his jet-pack, taking flight and took a look to his surroundings, admiring the native sunrise.
"I promise." He said to himself, before focusing on his new mission. "Let's roll."
And started to make his way for the hidden Jedi temple, the same as Smokescreen did, who followed him by land.
Just like Optimus Prime learned on his mysterious and mystical journey through the World Between Worlds, the Skywalker family became one of the most important guardian lineages among the Jedi Order across the next years and ages. Sometime later, after the departure of the Autobots back to Cybertron and Unicron's defeat, our group of friends met with Chewie again and young Lando Calrissian and welcomed them on the group. Since that, they used their new main ship, the Millennium Falcon, to travel across the entire galaxy, wondering what they could found and what new adventures they could live. Also, they learned how to use on their own way the cybertronian technology, in case for being prepared for future threats from cybertronian origin or similar. Since then, after very long time, the group of friends, the ones who battled alongside the Autobots against the Decepticons time ago, grew up and continued staying together and protecting the galaxy's peacefully order alongside their families, their other friends and allies. Leia married Han Solo and had four children: Ben Solo, the older one, the twins Jacen and Jaina Solo, and the younger son Anakin Solo, who was named after his grandfather. Luke married Mara Jade, named then Mara Jade Skywalker and had a son, Ben Skywalker, who was named after Obi Wan "Ben" Kenobi in honor of one of Luke's mentors and old friend of his father. Sometime after the Skywalker twins became Jedi masters and parents as well, they discovered the existence of Palpatine's legacy and found his granddaughter: Rey, but she cut her ties with her origins very long ago, just like her parents did, and wanted to leave that behind. Besides that, both Luke and Leia felt the essence, the heart and the soul of a true Skywalker inside her and took her as another of their apprentices, alongside their offspring, and Luke welcomed her like a daughter inside the family, and very grateful she took the surname of the family with her with great honor. In that way, Rey Skywalker became a Jedi master too, married Ben Solo and had a daughter, Kira Skywalker. On that same way, the Jedi guardians continued passing generation to generation through the years: Jacen Solo married with Tenel Ka Djo and had a daughter, Allana Solo; Jaina Solo married with Jagged Fel; Anakin Solo married with Tahiri Veila; and Ben Skywalker married with Vestara Khai, and that followed again through generations by all their own distant descendants too, like Ania Solo, Nat Skywalker who married Droo Rawk and adopted her children too, Kol Skywalker who married Morrigan Corde and had a son, Cade Skywalker, all them alongside their friends, families and allies determined on their shared duty, and it would always be like that, just like it began since the very beginning, very long ago. but also always knowing that they had special friends outside the galaxy, from a planet called…Cybertron, like in the stories that their parents and predecessors told them looking at the stars, also transmitted over generations, knowing that if some threat, remaining or new, would come to their galaxy, they could count with them, like their very first ancestors did long ago. And sometimes, between those generations, all of them received visits from these…freedom fighters, some ones, old friends of theirs and others as new ones. Meanwhile, they would continue ensuring the peace and order of the galaxy into prosperous times, as the most powerful and greater dynasty of Jedi that ever existed: The Skywalkers. The eternal allies of the Autobots, and the Dynasty of the Primes.
The End.