Star Wars: Rebels: Truth in Legends
Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.
A/N: Well, I'm back. I know I announced this revision to my Rebels series months ago, and those of you who have been reading since the beginning were no doubt expecting something sooner, but unfortunately between writer's block and a tumultuous shift in both my personal and professional life, things didn't work out quite the way I was anticipating. Still, I believe I've charted out a course for the remainder of this series that will manifest here in time. I expect to have new updates about every couple months or so, but I won't make any promises. Things are still hectic behind my computer screen, but I know updates *will* come and this series *will* be completed, on that you have my word. I enjoy doing this, and your feedback means the world to me.
So, with that out of the way, let's begin again. Chapter 1 of the new Book 5 awaits.
Chapter 1: Amongst the Ancients
A little over three weeks had passed since Ezra and Sabine successfully smoothed things over with the Mandalorian Clans. While the young Jedi was grateful he and his now-fiancé had one less problem to deal with, the visions he had been receiving through his dreams had only increased in frequency since their return to the Rebel Fleet.
He tried to work past them, knowing his obligations to the Rebellion remained, along with his newer commitment to run sparring drills with the curious fellow Jedi-in-training known to most as Commander Skywalker, but after a few days his sleep and as a result productivity were being affected to enough degree for Sabine to insist he take a day off. She had been by his side when he woke late at night following most of the visions, and knew better than most how serious this was becoming.
At her insistence, he finally sought out Kanan, and a day later he found himself with the latter on the Phantom II bound for an unknown destination, which he got his first look at when the modified Shethipede-class shuttle dropped out of hyperspace.
"You think you can tell me more about this planet we're going to? It didn't show up on any of the fleet's astrogation charts," the younger of the two Jedi stated pointedly, looking out over the unfamiliar, temperate world before them.
"This planet is called Tython, and it was where the Jedi Order was founded many millennia ago," his master explained, prompting the former to stare at their destination once more, wide-eyed.
"How come I haven't heard of this place before?"
"It wasn't exactly something that needed to be brought up. It fell from prominence when the Jedi Order moved its headquarters to Corsucant during the early age of the Old Republic, and the Order abandoned it completely at the start of the Clone Wars," Kanan elaborated further. Ezra nodded, accepting that answer, but there was still the matter of the present.
"So why are we going here, now?"
By now the shuttle had entered the atmosphere, its autopilot bringing it to the specific set of coordinates Kanan had locked in.
"You asked for help with your visions, which I still can't make sense of, frankly," the latter admitted, pausing for a moment in thought before continuing as his apprentice waited patiently, "But Hera and I did some digging around, and we found one location that seems to resemble one of the places you described seeing: an old Jedi enclave down below. We should be arriving there in a couple minutes."
"You know, when I asked for help, I didn't expect you'd be willing to take me halfway across the galaxy," Ezra couldn't help but chuckle slightly, prompting the older Jedi to return the gesture.
"It wasn't all me, kid. Hera spent a good amount of time making the case to Rebel Command to let us use the fuel we'd need to get here and back."
Hearing that prompted Ezra to smile in gratitude. He would have preferred to handle this without inconveniencing them, but he still felt truly blessed to have his surrogate parents watching out for him.
It wasn't long after that when the enclave Kanan spoke of came into view, and Ezra immediately took note of how its appearance deferred from the Jedi temple on Lothal, the other dilapidated Jedi enclave on Dantooine he'd visited once before, and the holograms he'd seen of the ruined great temple on Coruscant.
When constructed following the Sacking of Coruscant at the end of the First Galactic War, the academy that later became another one of the Order's enclaves was built in a style of architecture that incorporated elements of both the iconic bastions of Alderaan and the B'omarr monasteries scattered throughout the galaxy. The complex consisted of three equidistant cupolas surrounding a large one in the center. There were also two open-air hangar bays featured in the design. A large promenade extended from the steps at the front doors ran horizontal to the structure itself. This had served as the hub of the outdoor training grounds.
The complex, impressive as it was, had clearly seen better days, owing to its decades of abandonment. The surrounding forest had overgrown much of the aforementioned promenade, and many of the once elegant windows on the upper three levels of the main building were broken. Parts of the roof had fallen in on the two cupolas closest to the front entrance, and dense hanging moss covered much of the exterior walls throughout.
Still, it didn't take long for Ezra to recognize this certainly did appear to resemble one of the locations he'd seen in his visions. It was almost eerie, seeing it in person.
"This enclave isn't where the Jedi Order was founded," Ezra deduced accurately, which Kanan confirmed a moment later.
"Not quite, no. There are ancient Jedi ruins that are far older scattered throughout the planet surface," as he explained, the shuttle came to rest in a small clearing about a quarter mile or so from their destination.
"So what else do you know about this place?"
"Honestly, pretty much everything I've told you so far. I'd only heard about this world in passing during my own training. I know my master trained here at this enclave for a time when she was a padawan."
Ezra nodded again, and then followed Kanan out and down the boarding ramp once the back of the shuttle opened. The two Jedi set foot on the forest floor, and immediately felt the power of this sacred place flow around them. It felt meditative and calming, as well as familiar, not unlike the other locations sacred to the Jedi of old they'd visited over the last few years. The younger of the duo decided that was a good sign.
The hike to the grounds of the abandoned enclave took several minutes, and they had to brush through some dense foliage a couple times. Still, the general atmosphere of the wilderness wasn't restrictive. To Ezra it was intriguing and mystifying if anything. He knew from experience this is where the bulk of the Force energy across the planet came from, its deep wilderness, rather than the ruined structures scattered about within it.
"You really think we'll find answers in there?" he asked his master once the enclave came into view again.
"It's as good a place as any to search," the last padawan reasoned, and then added, "Trust in the Force."
"Is that what you told Hera when you brought that old assassin droid with you back from Nar Shaddaa?" Ezra teased, remembering how the Twi'lek and mother of her and Kanan's child nearly had a conniption when she saw the deactivated killer droid her husband had acquired without her knowledge.
Frankly, Ezra didn't understand what the big deal was. Chopper probably had a higher body count, all things considered.
"No," Kanan immediately corrected, "I told her that I must trust in the Force."
"And did that make her feel better?" was the next question from the young Jedi.
"Let's just say I haven't been sent to meet with our less-than-legitimate suppliers since," Kanan sheepishly admitted, and Ezra couldn't help but chuckle again.
So far it hadn't even proved to be a worthwhile venture. The droid, designated HK-47 went into a total systems shutdown upon scanning the Rebel technicians assigned to it and they hadn't been able to reactivate it since.
It wasn't long after when the pair of Jedi crossed the overgrown promenade and ascended the stairs. Upon arriving at the main entrance to the ruins they made their way inside, the doors long since stuck open. The entrance chamber, while certainly impressive in scale, was unsurprisingly in a similar state to the exterior of the structure. Twin curved ramps that ascended to the upper level and met at the top lined the circular walls opposite of the doorway, while access to the rest of the main floor lay just beyond. A large, cylindrical mount for what clearly had been a massive object sat dead center in the room, ringed with a small decorative retaining wall. Fragments of stucco from the walls as well as part of the ceiling had given way from years of neglect, cluttering the floor with layers of dust from exposed drywall as well as chunks of debris. More hanging vines were extending down through the opening in the ceiling, which provided some natural illumination in the otherwise dim interior.
"Sooo... any idea where we should go? We could probably spend hours in here," Ezra inquired and commented as he looked up and around, taking in the unfamiliar ruin.
"My first thought was we should check the archives, but they were deactivated and purged when the order abandoned the enclave, to keep their information out of the wrong hands," Kanan elaborated, then sighed forlornly, "Lot of good it did. The Empire no doubt got their hands on it when they gained access to the main archives at the great temple on Coruscant."
"Maybe another important spot, like a place for meeting or meditation or something?" the padawan suggested, earning a nod from his master.
"Yes, that's what I thought as well. Like the council chamber. It's on the second floor, according to the old records I found."
"Then lead the way, Spectre 2," Ezra encouraged, prompting Kanan to chuckle slightly upon hearing his old codename.
As they ascended one of the ramps, the younger of the two Jedi recalled the events of the night that led him to this moment...
It was just before dawn on Xandu III, an arid, sparsely-populated mining world in the Subterrel Sector of the Outer Rim. It was here where the Starbird had come to rest after changing course one system over to avoid an Imperial patrol en-route back to the fleet. In the ship's main cabin, Ezra had fallen asleep some hours earlier comfortably on his back with Sabine doing the same contentedly snuggled on his left side. The Jedi and his Mandalorian fiancé were both clad in light sleepwear, a thin sheet draped over them as their ship's artificial atmospheric filters pumped through a steady supply of cool summer night air.
With his brow furrowed and his forehead shining with fresh perspiration, it would have been fairly obvious to an outside observer that Ezra was decidedly not receiving good night's rest at that moment. He shifted slightly and somewhat uncomfortably while mumbling subconciously under his breath, his faint movements almost enough to wake Sabine, who shifted closer into him in her sleep. She was awakened abruptly a moment later when her betrothed shot his eyes open and jolted upright while taking in a deep gasp. Reflexively, she leapt from their bed and assumed a fighting stance, facing the direction of the door, only to then realize they were still alone once she collected her bearings.
"Uh... heh... sorry, Sabine," Ezra apologized groggily and clearly embarrassed once he found his voice, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "It was just-"
"Another nightmare, or one of your 'visions,'" she astutely guessed from experience, eyeing him in concern as she dropped her fists and returned to sit beside him on the mattress.
"I may have to move to the couch for a few nights if this keeps up," he half-joked, chuckling slightly as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his cybernetic left hand. She could tell by the way he was looking at her that he was seriously considering it, however. She gave a sympathetic smile in response before replying.
"I knew what I was getting into when I decided to share a bed with a Jedi. You're not getting rid of me that easily," she teased, moving closer to lay back down beside and facing him, prompting him to do the same and curl his right organic arm around her affectionately.
He sighed and looked down in thought, and she waited patiently for him to formulate his thoughts.
"I don't know why this keeps happening, but it's been going on ever since we returned from Mandalore. At first it was just a couple of times over a couple of weeks, but now it's..."
"Every night," she finished for him, meeting his deep blue eyes with her amber gaze.
"...Yeah," he acknowledged meekly. This was the third night in a row.
The young Mandalorian closed the distance between them and placed her lips upon his in a brief kiss, wishing she knew how to help him. While she knew more about the Force than many of her people, having spent the last several years in the company of two Jedi, she also understood from that same experience this was something beyond her ability. Luckily, she knew who they could turn to for help, and knew he did, too. He just needed some nudging in that direction.
"You really should go to Kanan and get his insight on this. You know he'd be willing to help. You're still his student, after all."
The young Jedi sighed again. He knew she was right, and he had been putting this off. Still, he felt it necessary to explain his hesitancy.
"Of course Kanan would help, but I don't want to have to keep going to him for help. He's a father, now, and understandably occupied with that since Hera is busy with her duties as a general. Besides, I feel like I should be able to solve this on my own..."
"Ezra..." Sabine chastised. Now it was her turn to sigh, "I know you're considerate and stubborn, but sometimes it's okay to be selfish when you're in need of help, and while I know you've been giving extra time to meditation, whatever's going on with you is getting worse, not better. I don't know, maybe this isn't something you're meant to solve on your own?" She paused for a second to gauge his reaction before laughing once. "How's that? Did I sound like a Jedi for a moment there?"
He responded with another chuckle. He smiled at her, which she couldn't help but reciprocate.
"You're right, Sabine," he admitted, "I'll ask Kanan when we get back to the fleet."
"Good. Now we still have a couple more hours before we're clear to leave. So if you don't mind, I think I'm going back to sleep," she told him as she rolled her body over and snuggled into him again, resting her head on his shoulder and kissing his cheek, her breath fanning his neck as her form came to rest against his. She hooked a leg over his while his arms looped around her.
"No, I don't mind at all," he told her cheekily, earning a knowing smirk from her as she closed her eyes in contentment.
As Ezra arrived at the upper level of the ruined enclave, he couldn't help but smile like a dope momentarily.
Meanwhile, up and out past orbit over the planet below, a lone VT-49 Decimator Imperial transport dropped out of hyperspace. Within a couple of short minutes the starship had entered the atmosphere and stilled at the edge of the forest near a lake several feet off the ground near the head of a slightly overgrown trail. The boarding doors and ramp opened and extended respectively. A familiar group of figures, a Force-user clad in black and chrome armor accompanied by a squad of Storm Commandoes leapt down from the edge of the ramp to the dirt below.
"See to your objectives, but remember the Jedi are mine," recently-promoted Grand Inquisitor Starkiller instructed the men of Reaper Squad, who followed behind him.
"Yes sir!" Captain Nostromo replied, and then addressed his unit, "Okay men, fan out and cover the approach. We'll meet up and proceed inside immediately after our superior, here."
"Aye, captain!" his XO, a Lieutenant Donvarion stated in further acknowledgement.
As the ground team set about their task, the ramp and doors on the transport retracted and sealed shut as the starship returned to the skies to enter a holding pattern. In the cockpit, the two pilot droids at the controls worked to that effect, and the one on the left turned to address the ISB agent who was present to supervise the operation.
"The scan of the target destination you requested is underway, sir. It will be complete in approximately thirty six seconds."
"Very good," he spoke with a noticeable Eriaduan accent, similar to a rather infamous fellow Imperial from his homeworld, the late Grand Moff Tarkin. He was a caucasian male with charcoal-colored eyes, moderately-tanned skin and trimmed black hair with a faint trace of face stubble. He eyed the data readout on the console between the flight controls closely, his focus shifting only for a moment when he glanced up at the ruined enclave warily.
The access corridor to the council chamber was lined with more traditional if spartan masonry in the form of simple stone columns. It was also fairly narrow, with just enough space for two individuals to walk side-by-side or pass each other in either direction. Once they arrived at the large double doors that sealed the way into the chamber, Ezra immediately recognized how to get inside.
"Together?" he suggested, and Kanan nodded.
The two Jedi reached out and unlatched the large tumblers inside the ancient doors and slowly pried them open. Suddenly, as they creaked apart, a familiar and unwelcome sense swept through the both of them.
The Dark Side.
Sure enough, upon turning around and leaving the doors only partially open mid-way, they found Starkiller had arrived. He had just crossed through the entryway into the corridor and was walking towards them in a slow but steady stride. There was no need for him to rush; he had his prey cornered. Defensively, his Jedi targets both drew and activated their lightsabers.
"Another inquisitor? We haven't seen one of you guys in awhile," Ezra mused aloud while raising his saber, the blade pointed straight at the new arrival. The young Grand Inquisitor let out a brief, humorless chuckle in response.
"Truthfully, I was hoping we'd have a little more time before you arrived," Kanan stated while shifting into a Form Three stance with his own saber.
"Sorry to disappoint, but duty calls," Starkiller remarked drolly as he drew and activated both blades on his dual saber while never breaking his stride, closing in steadily on the two Jedi.
"I got your back," the padawan from Lothal told his master from where he stood behind him.
"It's my front I'm worried about," the latter quipped in response.
It was but a second later when their eager foe was upon them, utilizing the Sha'jen lightsaber form in an attempt to quickly disarm the older of the two Jedi. Kanan countered by drawing on his own knowledge of Niman, falling back into a defensive stance that allowed his blade to absorb the whirlwind of strikes with relative ease. Ezra stepped forward and used his free hand to protect a Force push outward, but the young Jedi felt his eyes go wide in alarm when the young Inquisitor leapt into the air to avoid it, catapulting over Kanan and hurling his saber at the former resident of Lothal in a spinning throw.
Ezra had barely enough time to dodge the spinning double saber, and then Starkiller, returning to his feet, recalled his weapon to him to parry a blow from Kanan as the last padawan shifted to an offensive stance.
"Ezra, go! Get to the council chamber!" the latter called out to his apprentice.
"But, Kanan, I-" Ezra immediately protested, only to be cut off. He knew their time to seek answers was limited, but the notion of leaving his master to fight this battle alone didn't feel right.
"If you don't try this now, then our trip here is wasted! You have your own path, and I have mine. Now go!"
The younger of the two Jedi nodded and then took off toward the end of the hallway and the doors which were open just enough for one to slip through. The familiar sounds of lightsaber combat continuing behind him practically rang in his ears, doubt taking hold within him every step he took. Starkiller didn't miss that, and smirked to himself bemusedly. Kanan didn't need to see to pick up on his enemy's mirth.
"I'm your opponent, Inquisitor, so keep your focus on me," he warned, standing his ground resolutely during what would be a limited pause in their fight.
"Once I go through you, he's next," Starkiller stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
"I won't let that happen," the Jedi blocking his way countered.
"I'm not giving you a choice," the young Inquisitor retorted, raising his double blade to resume the attack.
"We always have a choice," Kanan corrected, and then added, "It's not too late for you to rethink yours."
Starkiller then stopped for the briefest of moments, clearly not expecting to hear those words. He hardened his resolve and dismissed the notion.
"My path was determined years ago."
With that declaration, the Dark Side practitioner unleashed a blast of Force lightning that left his Jedi foe no choice but to stagger backwards while raising his blade defensively to block the crackling bolts of electricity threatening to overtake him. The former quickly closed the distance between them and swooped the leg, knocking the latter onto his back with a startled grunt as the lightning subsided, his blue-bladed lightsaber falling from his grip and deactivating in the process.
Starkiller leapt around and raised his own blade to strike while Kanan was down, but what would likely have been a downward decapitation was met by the lightsaber of the faithful student who returned at just the right moment.
"A master and an apprentice..." the young Inquisitor silently mused to himself, unsurprised at Ezra's return.
"Ezra?" Kanan asked as he recollected himself and retrieved his weapon telekinetically. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't grateful, even if his orders were disobeyed.
"Sorry, but I'm not going to leave you hanging, even if it means this trip was all for nothing," the young man in questioned affirmed, never breaking his blade-lock with their enemy all the while.
Simultaneously, down on the ground level of the ruins, Captain Nostromo was alone, waiting in position behind cover in the form a large section of debris just beyond the main entrance chamber. He was crouched down with his blaster rifle raised and the spotlight built into his helmet scanning the perimeter in front of him. He used his free hand to activate the comm unit also in his helmet, and requested an update from his unit.
"All troopers report in. What's the status update on your objectives?"
"Charges set on the north entrance. Currently falling back to your position, sir," Lieutenant Donvarion relayed.
"Affirmative, charges set on the south entrance. Falling back now," the corporal added.
"All set at the hangars on the upper level. Also falling back," the private chimed in.
Once all four sets of explosive charges were primed, their linked timers were set to automatically activate and begin counting down, giving each man just three minutes to clear the blast zone.
It wasn't long after when the explosives detonated all at once, mere seconds after Reaper Squad formed up at their CO's position. What seemed like a success at first quickly became alarming as the severity of the blasts went beyond the scope of what was detailed in their mission briefing. Not only were the exit points from the ruins sealed, but large sections of the decaying building around them and throughout the blast zones collapsed inward, sending billowing plumes of smoke and dust into the air. The entire structure rattled and shook violently, causing the Storm Commandos to briefly stumble as they struggled to maintain their footing.
"What the hell?!" the corporal exclaimed, obviously confused and alarmed.
"No, this is way too much kick for duranium charges," Donvarion realized, "That's what Agent Cyrus told us we were carrying."
"The codes containing the inventory and handling instructions had been filed off the cannisters," Nostromo remembered, "Now we know why."
In locations closer to the blast zones, the detonations that rattled the decaying building caused more pieces of it to break loose and fall off, including bits of the ceiling directly above the duelists in the corridor to the council chamber. The pair of Jedi and the young Inquisitor had no choice but to break their saber lock and leap backwards to avoid a particularly large chunk of stucco that hit and broke through the floor between them not a second later. Dust fell from the walls as the cracks in them began to widen ominously.
"Agent Cyrus... you bastard!" Starkiller cursed under his breath, quickly recognizing who was responsible. There was no way Reaper Squad would go rogue like this. He was further separated from his quarry by a collapsing column immediately after.
Sure enough, just outside and above the academy ruins, the VT-49 the Imperials had arrived in had left its holding vector and was hovering in a point-blank firing range of the structure below. The droids at the controls had followed the instructions of the agent seated comfortably behind them.
"Remind me, how many missiles do we have?" the latter inquired.
"Approximately twenty, ten per launcher, sir," the droid in the pilot's chair answered promptly."
"Use them all," was all Cyrus said in reply. It wasn't a request. Still, well aware of the parameters of the mission thanks to an upload from command, the droids hesitated.
"But, sir, from here we can confirm that the Grand Inquisitor and Reaper Squad are still inside," the droid in the co-pilot's chair protested.
"I do not repeat orders," the agent warned threateningly as he narrowed eyes.
The ensuing barrage began to level the entire complex. Reaper Squad was the first to successfully evacuate, the four elite troopers having been closest to the main entrance, the only viable escape route left. Captain Nostromo led his men across the overgrown promenade and back toward to the treeline, the heat of the explosions at their backs as each missile fired hit home, more than a few a little to close for comfort.
"Karking son of a murglak! That glory hound's gonna get us all killed!" Donvarion clamored through grit teeth under his helmet, his voice just barely audible over the rapid succession of explosions.
"We're not out of the target trajectory yet! Keep pace, triple time!" Nostromo warned, his eyes focused squarely on the cover of the wilderness.
Soon after, through the smoke and fire, Starkiller emerged from the chaos, his cloak now torn and ragged and his armor caked in dust and soot. He used his substantial connection to the Force to propel himself away from the flames and through the air to a safe enough distance, his own helmet concealing his murderous glare directed at the ship and agent above.
Meanwhile, still inside the rapidly-crumbling ruins, both Kanan and Ezra had just returned to the ground level through the hole that formed in the floor above them. The way they had come on the upper level was now completely blocked by falling debris and fire. Their new location wasn't any safer. Smoke was quickly filling what sections of the enclave hadn't yet fallen down, adding a new danger to their increasingly dire predicament.
The younger of the two Jedi coughed violently as he took a breath and fell to his hands and knees.
"Kanan..." he wheezed, his worry evident in his voice. He sounded like a first year padawan again, unsure and afraid.
Looping an arm around the young man's shoulders and pulling him back to his feet, the elder of the two Jedi urged them on, himself entering a fit of coughing.
"I know it hurts, but we have to keep moving," he reminded his apprentice once he could speak again. He shifted his focus over to a sealed set of doors further down the hall to their left that led to the sublevels of the enclave, perhaps the closest thing they had to respite at this moment. Taking charge, he steadily hobbled the two of them over to the doors, which were locked shut with a voiceprint identifier according to the unresponsive wall panel. All the while, the building continued to shake violently as more missiles detonated on impact an increasingly short distance away.
Fighting through the painful sensation of smoke and dust entering his lungs, Kanan set his apprentice down and reactivated his lightsaber, using it to carve a large enough hole in the metal doors for them to crawl through. Ezra was able to pull himself back to his feet while attempting to shield his eyes from the toxic air with his sleeve.
Once his task was done, the master helped the apprentice climb into the stairway that led to the sublevel. It was at that exact moment when one of the missiles detonated close enough to cause a jet of flame to surge down the corridor directly at them, immediately superheating the toxic air and threatening to incinerate them.
When he lowered his sleeve, Ezra saw Kanan holding back the torrent of flame with both hands through the Force, both feet planted firmly on the dust and soot-strewn floor. Amazement quickly shifted to horror as the reality of the situation set in.
"Kanan! Step through, quickly!" he exclaimed, also reaching out with both hands to try and take some of the burden off.
Immediately after, yet another missile detonated close by, its own explosion expanding from further down the corridor in the opposite direction of the flames they were holding off.
Realizing he was out of time, Kanan Jarrus, Caleb Dume didn't hesitate nor uttered a word as he shifted himself around to instead Force push his apprentice down the stairs and as far away from the blast zones as possible. The flames that surged from both ends of the corridor overtook him the second he did so.
"KANAN!" Ezra let loose in a caterwauling cry, horrified at the sight playing out in front of him. He didn't even register the pain that came when his back hit the stone floor at the bottom of the stairs. His vision and the imminent threat of being burned alive was obscured not a moment later as the entire ground level above him caved in.
At this time, out and above in the cockpit of the Imperial vessel, both the two droids at the controls and Agent Cyrus looked on as the last of the payload was spent. In a few short minutes, the once idyllic Jedi Temple of Tython that had stood for over three thousand and five hundred years had been reduced to a massive pile of smoldering stone rubble and metal slag. Fires raged about within the collapsed ruins, smoke was billowing high into the sky above, and a large dust cloud permeated the site as well.
"Shall we circle around to pick up the Grand Inquisitor and Reaper Squad, sir?" the droid in the pilot's seat inquired.
"No. They'll be securing the site before a search time arrives to begin sifting through the wreckage come nightfall. I'll go ahead and call it in. We have two bodies to find," Cyrus stated triumphantly, a satisfied smirk taking shape on his face.
It was with a strained groan and a weak cough that Kanan finally opened his physically blinded eyes once again, and slowly shifted into a seated position as he gathered his bearings. He had been half-expecting to find himself transported to what some called the nether world of the Force, which was the afterlife for all intents and purposes. But after taking a deep breath and moving into a meditative posture, he realized that while he definitely wasn't on Tython anymore, he didn't quite believe he was dead, either. He also realized he wasn't alone. He felt a presence close by, someone very strong with the Force. Were they a friend? An ally?
That remained to be seen, for the moment, pun not intended. Still, he didn't believe he'd arrived at this place entirely by his own doing.
This place, whatever and wherever it was, certainly didn't have the look or feel of any place Kanan had been to before, read in any of the ancient texts, nor seen in any holovids, nor any of his own Force visions. It looked like a starry night sky all around, but with no traces of sun or moonlight. In addition, there were numerous white lines along that seemed to form various pathways and what appeared to be portals or gateways of some kind, the latter rimmed with intricate runes and hieroglyphs. When he listened carefully, the last padawan of the fallen Jedi Order heard distant and muffled voices. Some sounded familiar and others were completely foreign to him.
The lone individual he had sensed stood just a few feet away from him, observing him in silence, waiting patiently for him to come to terms with this strange and unexpected turn of events. They were clad from head to toe in a suit of armor that gave off a sinister appearance, chrome and black in color. It's impressively ornate design was accentuated by a long crimson cloak with a high collar, and his face was concealed beneath an ancient Sith Lord's mask-helmet that was clearly older than the rest of his regalia, but also sinister in appearance and fairly resemblant of a hollowed-out skull. He was also armed with a dual-bladed lightsaber, more unique and carefully crafted than those wielded by the inquisitors, currently deactivated and clasped on his right under his cloak.
Despite the clearly unsettling appearance of this man, Kanan didn't sense any malicious intentions or malevolent thoughts from him. He also felt oddly familiar, albeit vaguely.
The Jedi decided to hear this person out before plunging into another duel, at least for the moment. He had other priorities that took precedence, namely his as-of-yet-unaccounted-for student.
"Now that you sense I'm not a threat, perhaps we can have words?" the man inquired evenly. His voice was calm and neutral, and also soft yet firm. Scholarly would probably be the best way to describe it.
"Maybe later. Right now, I don't have time to talk. I need to get back to my apprentice," Kanan explained, his obvious concern apparent.
"Your padawan will survive, and escape those who sought to take your lives. Of that much, I can assure you," came the immediate reply. It was spoken assuredly and with full confidence, strangely comforting, or at least just enough to put the Jedi as ease, for now.
Kanan still didn't know why, but he felt like he could trust this stranger, as if the Force was with them, despite his nagging suspicions. That said, and of course, he wanted to know more.
"Okay. Who are you, and what is this place?" he pressed the matter at hand with a pair of his own questions.
"I'm the one who just saved your life, and as for the specifics of our current whereabouts, I believe showing you may be a more prudent course of action," the rather mysterious individual offered, outstretching his hand to pull the Jedi to their feet. Kanan didn't take it, not immediately.
"I'm going to need more than that if I'm to trust you," he retorted, understandably cautious despite what he could sense.
"I'm not asking you to trust me," the former clarified, "But I've come here to ensure your survival and meet face-to-face at long last, Kanan Jarrus... Caleb Dume. The path back to the physical galaxy isn't far. I assure you everything will become clear soon. I'm asking you to walk with me the rest of the way."
Despite the reservations that remained, and there were plenty, plus the somewhat unsettling fact that this person knew his birthname, Kanan chose to do as he had for a long time and trust in the Force. He accepted the hand offered to him.
A/N: Seems our two Jedi have divergent paths from this point onward. It is suffice to say that what goes on in this story will set the stage for the remainder of the series. Preliminary work on Chapter 2 has begun, and I will provide reports on its progress here. I hope this was enough to pique your interest for the time being. And yes, that was the Jedi temple from SWTOR for those who may be familiar with that game.
As always, I sincerely thank my returning readers for your continued support, and for newer ones, welcome. I also owe another thanks to my longtime and dutiful beta reader Wikked Grin. He remains a good friend and fellow writer.
Be safe and well, everyone. :)