p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-top: 0px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Atollon. There was not much to see on this planet aside from the pinecone-like trees, the wilderness, the caverns, the convors, and of course, the spiders. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Phoenix Squadron had established a base there about six months ago. After Ahsoka's death on Malachor, Noelle had promised herself (and Ahsoka) that she would find Maul, that she would get to the bottom of this, but Noelle had discovered nothing since then. She was completely lost. She had no leads on Maul. He had been able to disappear as quickly as he had appeared. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The Rebellion was also desperate and begging for her help since Kanan had all but abandoned them. Noelle couldn't ignore their pleas, especially since they had lost both Kanan em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"and/em Ahsoka. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle was frustrated, and felt that she was wasting her time with the Rebellion, even though she knew it wasn't true. The problem was, the longer it took her to find Maul, the more anxious she became. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She was so lost and all alone. She no longer had any of her mentors. Gandalf, Obi-wan, Yoda, Ahsoka… She didn't know who she could even trust to help her. She trusted em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em crew, but Kanan had practically disappeared from the action, and Ezra… Ezra was taking Kanan's disappearance and Ahsoka's death em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"hard./em Noelle tried her best to be there for him, but she was always so distracted, and she knew he could sense it. She couldn't be there for him. Not like she wanted to be. This was part of the reason she knew she could never have a student of her own, because she would fail them being burdened down by her own struggles. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"But Ezra also was not her Padawan— he was Kanan's. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sighing, Noelle stabbed her sensor beacon into the dirt of the clearing she was hanging around in. The sensor beacons kept the spiders from attacking./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She vowed she would em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"never/em take on a student as long as she lived. The responsibility was more than she would ever be able to bear, and if something ever happened to said pupil, she would never forgive herself. It was bad enough she couldn't protect her own friends and family. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Come to think of it, did she even wantem style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;" children/em if that was ever possible?/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle shook her head and moved forward into the wilderness, unsure of where she was even going and what she was doing here, wandering aimlessly in her own disturbed mind. She tread down some "stairs" into an open clearing. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"How was she ever supposed to find Maul and get to the bottom of this? It wasn't just his foresight that frightened her, it was em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"herself/em. The things em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"she/em had seen and felt over the past several years. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"What she had witnessed in Galadriel's Mirror was what had disturbed her the most. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She had seen the end of the world. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The images flashed before her eyes. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The clap of thunder; the darkness; the pain; and inevitable loss of life; the desolation; the em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"grief.../em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle inhaled sharply and blinked back her tears. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Suddenly, she heard something em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"move/em, something em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"loud/em. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She whipped out her —Ahsoka's— lightsabers. The giant tree behind her was em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"moving! /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What in the Force—" she whispered. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Clouds of dusty dirt billowed up into her already watery eyes. Coughing, she staggered backwards as the "tree" lifted its head. It was no tree, it was an enormous and powerful creature. Its face resembled that of a moose and its eyes were glowing a pale white. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"His voice was deep and ancient. "Hello there."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What are you?" Noelle's shaky, awestruck voice got out. She was more or less amazed rather than afraid of this creature. It was strong in the Force, but not evil. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What are em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"you?/em Hmm?" the creature asked. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle wasn't expecting that. "I'm a... human being," she replied with a frown. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"are/em quite perceptive," said the creature with a chuckle. "Your presence and your Life Force are like a violent thunderstorm on this quiet world— more violent than your friend, the Jedi Knight." /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"Kanan./em Noelle realized he was referring to him. But something else about this creature startled her as familiar, but she couldn't quite place what just yet./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I know you from somewhere." The words came rolling off her tongue before she even knew what she was saying. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Ah. Do you now? Yet I still do not know who you are. What do you call yourself?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"That had Noelle speechless. She had nothing. No formal title. She wasn't a Jedi, a Padawan, nor a commander. She didn't know who she was. She only had her name. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""My name is Noelle Smith."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Hmm, a curious name. But who are you really?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle gave a short, sarcastic laugh as she turned away momentarily. "I don't know the answer to that one, Sir. I have no idea who I am, what I'mem style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;" supposed/em to be or do. I only know what I em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"need/em to do."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""And what might that be?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I need to save the world."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""There are many worlds in this vast universe, Noelle Smith, former Jedi Knight. Which one do you need to save?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle turned back around to face this ginormous creature of the Force, but stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't exactly stopped to consider that. "I don't know, Sir. I assumed em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"mine/em, but now I'm not so sure. I need answers, and I have none."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You may call me the Bendu," the creature said suddenly. "I am the One in the Middle. The Jedi wield the Ashla, and the Sith the Bogan, but I am the Bendu."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle nodded slowly. "Ok, Bendu."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu lifted his large head. A convor (Noelle could have sworn it was the same one on Malachor) was perched on top of one of his antlers. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Now," Bendu began, as if they were getting down to business. "You, Noelle Smith, former Jedi Knight who now has no title, you have to save the world?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle clenched her teeth. She knew how ridiculous that sounded aloud. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I've seen it, Bendu," she whispered. "The End of a world— I think it was my world. I need to do something. I know I'm not God. I'm not in control of everything that happens in this universe, but if there is something, em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"anything/em I can do to try, I have to. After a lot of thought, I believe I was chosen to do this. Gandalf always said he saw something in me, that I was meant to do something important, and maybe this is it. I've already given up everything for this. My family, my home, my friends, people I love. What more do I have left if not to see this through to the end?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu was silent. He gazed at her with his pale, glowing eyes for quite some time, analyzing this broken warrior of a girl who seemed so much smaller than she truly was. Bendu could sense inside her that she didn't quite trust the Force as much as she used to. Her faith in It had been shaken. Something was holding her back from It. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You are so certain of your path then?" Bendu's voice actually shook slightly. Only if you were paying close attention would you notice. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I am," said Noelle. "I just don't know how to get there."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu sighed. "There is only the Force."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle shook her head. "I wield the Force, Bendu, just like a Jedi, but I don't know what It truly em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"is/em. The Jedi kept secrets from me and the whole Order on the true nature of the Force. I heard little of it, but not enough."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu hummed for a long moment. "I cannot help you on your quest to save the world, but I can help you to understand the Force."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I'm not searching for understanding. I'm searching for knowledge." /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Knowledge?" Bendu raised his eyebrows. "Ask yourself, Noelle Smith, why do you seek such knowledge? Knowledge comes with a price."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle crossed her arms. "You think the wrong knowledge will change me?" /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu gave her a long look. "Knowledge cannot make one good or evil. The temptation of power, forbidden knowledge, even the desire to do good can lead some down that path. But only you can change yourself. I am asking you: where will having this knowledge lead you in the future? Why, precisely, do you want to attain this?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle played with her hands and kicked a small rock out of her way. Finally she gazed back up at the Bendu. "So that others aren't deceived like I was deceived. To do good."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu closed his eyes. "I cannot stop you from attaining knowledge Noelle Smith. But be warned, you will be tempted. The urge will be strong. Take great care, former Jedi Knight."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"As Noelle began walking away, it suddenly struck her where she knew Bendu from. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The voice in her dream. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She whipped back around to say something, but Bendu was gone./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"~~~~~/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle made her way back to em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em. It was parked in the normal spot, with Chopper lurking about outside as if he were a guard dog, Sabine shining her pistols and Zeb complaining about being hungry— as usual. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What's wrong with you?" Zeb frowned as Noelle sullenly trodded past him. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She sighed. "Is Kanan around?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sabine stopped cleaning her guns. "How do you know that?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Know what?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""That Kanan is back…"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle smirked slightly and shrugged. "Just had a feeling. Is he in there?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Zeb nodded. "In his room."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Good, thanks."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The Jedi was on his knees in the middle of the floor of his room in the very back chamber of em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em. Noelle couldn't see if his eyes were closed or not, as he wore a dark green visor over his eyes to hide the scar left by Maul's lightsaber, but he was certainly meditating. She saw him stir as she approached the doorway./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I'm sorry, Kanan. I didn't mean to disturb you."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""No, please. Come in."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle nodded in acknowledgement and entered the room. "Do you still have your Jedi Holocron?" She got straight to the point. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I do," Kanan answered hesitantly. "Why?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle uneasily wrapped her arms around herself. "Have you ever bothered to explore how much information is inside of that thing?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Kanan rose from his kneeling position on the ground and opened a drawer in his nightstand. There was literally next to nothing else in it aside from the Holocron. The Jedi owned very few possessions. Kanan clutched it tightly and lowered his head slightly as if the Holocron meant so much to him. He must have been able to sense Noelle's bewilderment. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""This Holocron belonged to my master. She gave it to me before…" he trailed off then handed it to Noelle, much to her surprise. "Here, why don't you open it. Find what you're looking for."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Hesitantly, Noelle took it, still watching the Jedi. "Are you sure it's ok?" /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Yes," said Kanan. "Just because you aren't a Jedi doesn't mean you don't deserve to use it."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sitting cross-legged in the middle of Kanan's room, she closed her eyes and allowed the Force to flow through her. The Holocron floated through into the air and she could feel the beams of blue light that signified it was open hitting her closed eyes. What was she looking for? /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Then she unexpectedly heard a voice. One she never expected to hear again. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""This is Master Obi-wan Kenobi…"/em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle's eyes shot open. Surely enough standing before her, projected by the light of the Holocron, was her old master. She swallowed. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple, that time has passed, and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere, and in time a new hope will emerge."/em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle opened her eyes once more, as the tinge of a smile played on Obi-wan's lips. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""May the Force be with you."/em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Phoenix Squadron had established a base there about six months ago. After Ahsoka's death on Malachor, Noelle had promised herself (and Ahsoka) that she would find Maul, that she would get to the bottom of this, but Noelle had discovered nothing since then. She was completely lost. She had no leads on Maul. He had been able to disappear as quickly as he had appeared. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The Rebellion was also desperate and begging for her help since Kanan had all but abandoned them. Noelle couldn't ignore their pleas, especially since they had lost both Kanan em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"and/em Ahsoka. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle was frustrated, and felt that she was wasting her time with the Rebellion, even though she knew it wasn't true. The problem was, the longer it took her to find Maul, the more anxious she became. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She was so lost and all alone. She no longer had any of her mentors. Gandalf, Obi-wan, Yoda, Ahsoka… She didn't know who she could even trust to help her. She trusted em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em crew, but Kanan had practically disappeared from the action, and Ezra… Ezra was taking Kanan's disappearance and Ahsoka's death em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"hard./em Noelle tried her best to be there for him, but she was always so distracted, and she knew he could sense it. She couldn't be there for him. Not like she wanted to be. This was part of the reason she knew she could never have a student of her own, because she would fail them being burdened down by her own struggles. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"But Ezra also was not her Padawan— he was Kanan's. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sighing, Noelle stabbed her sensor beacon into the dirt of the clearing she was hanging around in. The sensor beacons kept the spiders from attacking./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She vowed she would em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"never/em take on a student as long as she lived. The responsibility was more than she would ever be able to bear, and if something ever happened to said pupil, she would never forgive herself. It was bad enough she couldn't protect her own friends and family. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Come to think of it, did she even wantem style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;" children/em if that was ever possible?/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle shook her head and moved forward into the wilderness, unsure of where she was even going and what she was doing here, wandering aimlessly in her own disturbed mind. She tread down some "stairs" into an open clearing. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"How was she ever supposed to find Maul and get to the bottom of this? It wasn't just his foresight that frightened her, it was em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"herself/em. The things em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"she/em had seen and felt over the past several years. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"What she had witnessed in Galadriel's Mirror was what had disturbed her the most. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She had seen the end of the world. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The images flashed before her eyes. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The clap of thunder; the darkness; the pain; and inevitable loss of life; the desolation; the em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"grief.../em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle inhaled sharply and blinked back her tears. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Suddenly, she heard something em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"move/em, something em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"loud/em. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She whipped out her —Ahsoka's— lightsabers. The giant tree behind her was em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"moving! /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What in the Force—" she whispered. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Clouds of dusty dirt billowed up into her already watery eyes. Coughing, she staggered backwards as the "tree" lifted its head. It was no tree, it was an enormous and powerful creature. Its face resembled that of a moose and its eyes were glowing a pale white. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"His voice was deep and ancient. "Hello there."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What are you?" Noelle's shaky, awestruck voice got out. She was more or less amazed rather than afraid of this creature. It was strong in the Force, but not evil. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What are em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"you?/em Hmm?" the creature asked. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle wasn't expecting that. "I'm a... human being," she replied with a frown. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"are/em quite perceptive," said the creature with a chuckle. "Your presence and your Life Force are like a violent thunderstorm on this quiet world— more violent than your friend, the Jedi Knight." /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"Kanan./em Noelle realized he was referring to him. But something else about this creature startled her as familiar, but she couldn't quite place what just yet./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I know you from somewhere." The words came rolling off her tongue before she even knew what she was saying. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Ah. Do you now? Yet I still do not know who you are. What do you call yourself?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"That had Noelle speechless. She had nothing. No formal title. She wasn't a Jedi, a Padawan, nor a commander. She didn't know who she was. She only had her name. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""My name is Noelle Smith."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Hmm, a curious name. But who are you really?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle gave a short, sarcastic laugh as she turned away momentarily. "I don't know the answer to that one, Sir. I have no idea who I am, what I'mem style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;" supposed/em to be or do. I only know what I em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"need/em to do."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""And what might that be?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I need to save the world."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""There are many worlds in this vast universe, Noelle Smith, former Jedi Knight. Which one do you need to save?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle turned back around to face this ginormous creature of the Force, but stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't exactly stopped to consider that. "I don't know, Sir. I assumed em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"mine/em, but now I'm not so sure. I need answers, and I have none."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You may call me the Bendu," the creature said suddenly. "I am the One in the Middle. The Jedi wield the Ashla, and the Sith the Bogan, but I am the Bendu."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle nodded slowly. "Ok, Bendu."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu lifted his large head. A convor (Noelle could have sworn it was the same one on Malachor) was perched on top of one of his antlers. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Now," Bendu began, as if they were getting down to business. "You, Noelle Smith, former Jedi Knight who now has no title, you have to save the world?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle clenched her teeth. She knew how ridiculous that sounded aloud. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I've seen it, Bendu," she whispered. "The End of a world— I think it was my world. I need to do something. I know I'm not God. I'm not in control of everything that happens in this universe, but if there is something, em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"anything/em I can do to try, I have to. After a lot of thought, I believe I was chosen to do this. Gandalf always said he saw something in me, that I was meant to do something important, and maybe this is it. I've already given up everything for this. My family, my home, my friends, people I love. What more do I have left if not to see this through to the end?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu was silent. He gazed at her with his pale, glowing eyes for quite some time, analyzing this broken warrior of a girl who seemed so much smaller than she truly was. Bendu could sense inside her that she didn't quite trust the Force as much as she used to. Her faith in It had been shaken. Something was holding her back from It. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""You are so certain of your path then?" Bendu's voice actually shook slightly. Only if you were paying close attention would you notice. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I am," said Noelle. "I just don't know how to get there."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu sighed. "There is only the Force."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle shook her head. "I wield the Force, Bendu, just like a Jedi, but I don't know what It truly em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"is/em. The Jedi kept secrets from me and the whole Order on the true nature of the Force. I heard little of it, but not enough."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu hummed for a long moment. "I cannot help you on your quest to save the world, but I can help you to understand the Force."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I'm not searching for understanding. I'm searching for knowledge." /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Knowledge?" Bendu raised his eyebrows. "Ask yourself, Noelle Smith, why do you seek such knowledge? Knowledge comes with a price."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle crossed her arms. "You think the wrong knowledge will change me?" /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu gave her a long look. "Knowledge cannot make one good or evil. The temptation of power, forbidden knowledge, even the desire to do good can lead some down that path. But only you can change yourself. I am asking you: where will having this knowledge lead you in the future? Why, precisely, do you want to attain this?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle played with her hands and kicked a small rock out of her way. Finally she gazed back up at the Bendu. "So that others aren't deceived like I was deceived. To do good."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Bendu closed his eyes. "I cannot stop you from attaining knowledge Noelle Smith. But be warned, you will be tempted. The urge will be strong. Take great care, former Jedi Knight."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"As Noelle began walking away, it suddenly struck her where she knew Bendu from. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The voice in her dream. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She whipped back around to say something, but Bendu was gone./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"~~~~~/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle made her way back to em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em. It was parked in the normal spot, with Chopper lurking about outside as if he were a guard dog, Sabine shining her pistols and Zeb complaining about being hungry— as usual. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""What's wrong with you?" Zeb frowned as Noelle sullenly trodded past him. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"She sighed. "Is Kanan around?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sabine stopped cleaning her guns. "How do you know that?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Know what?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""That Kanan is back…"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle smirked slightly and shrugged. "Just had a feeling. Is he in there?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Zeb nodded. "In his room."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Good, thanks."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"The Jedi was on his knees in the middle of the floor of his room in the very back chamber of em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The Ghost/em. Noelle couldn't see if his eyes were closed or not, as he wore a dark green visor over his eyes to hide the scar left by Maul's lightsaber, but he was certainly meditating. She saw him stir as she approached the doorway./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I'm sorry, Kanan. I didn't mean to disturb you."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""No, please. Come in."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle nodded in acknowledgement and entered the room. "Do you still have your Jedi Holocron?" She got straight to the point. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""I do," Kanan answered hesitantly. "Why?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle uneasily wrapped her arms around herself. "Have you ever bothered to explore how much information is inside of that thing?"/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Kanan rose from his kneeling position on the ground and opened a drawer in his nightstand. There was literally next to nothing else in it aside from the Holocron. The Jedi owned very few possessions. Kanan clutched it tightly and lowered his head slightly as if the Holocron meant so much to him. He must have been able to sense Noelle's bewilderment. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""This Holocron belonged to my master. She gave it to me before…" he trailed off then handed it to Noelle, much to her surprise. "Here, why don't you open it. Find what you're looking for."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Hesitantly, Noelle took it, still watching the Jedi. "Are you sure it's ok?" /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;""Yes," said Kanan. "Just because you aren't a Jedi doesn't mean you don't deserve to use it."/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Sitting cross-legged in the middle of Kanan's room, she closed her eyes and allowed the Force to flow through her. The Holocron floated through into the air and she could feel the beams of blue light that signified it was open hitting her closed eyes. What was she looking for? /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Then she unexpectedly heard a voice. One she never expected to hear again. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""This is Master Obi-wan Kenobi…"/em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle's eyes shot open. Surely enough standing before her, projected by the light of the Holocron, was her old master. She swallowed. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple, that time has passed, and our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere, and in time a new hope will emerge."/em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"Noelle opened her eyes once more, as the tinge of a smile played on Obi-wan's lips. /p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; caret-color: #222222; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;""May the Force be with you."/em/p