Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.
In the workshop of Raith Sienar, Ben is confronted by all three Vagaari., possessing two battle droids and a holocron. One of them, Estosh, regards the unconscious Tahiri and Jag.
Estosh. A male and female demigod. These will do, if the others die. We do not need you, Ben Skywalker.
Ben. Oh, hey. You always need Ben Skywalker.
Bearsh. I have been in your mind, Ben. I helped you start the war.
Ben. [smile fades] That was you? You made me fire the quad laser cannons? You call that helping?
Bearsh. I know how you think. I know your limits. You are small and alone. You need friends to protect you. Without them, you are unable to withstand me. I vowed not to possess you again. But I can still kill you.
Bearsh and Estosh draw their swords and point them at Ben.
Ben. [aside] Now I can feel my fear make way for anger. This Vagaari shamed me, controlled me, and made me attack Bastion. He endangered my friends and botched our quest.
Ben glances at the holocrons, then considers his tool belt. Noticing a lab station with doors on either side, he forms a plan.
First: you don't know me. And second: Bye.
Ben hurries into the station, shutting the doors behind and uses his pyrokinesis to seal them tight.
Bearsh and Estosh advance toward the doors, knocking furiously.
Estosh. This is foolish. You only delay your death.
Ben. Delaying death is one of my favorite hobbies.
Ben scans around Sienar's inventions, including a diagram for a giant catapult and a large bronzium mirror. Also present is Kyp Durron's lightsaber; having never met Kyp, Ben does not realize this.
Ben's gaze falls on a disassembled holocron. Several power couplings are connected to a durasteel plate under the holocron. The Jedi can tell that liquefied Adegan crystal courses through the couplings.
One sphere to rule them all.
Recognizing this as an ancient power regulator, Ben realizes that he is standing in an Imperial control station.
Bearsh. Ben Skywalker. Open this gate or I will kill you.
Ben. A fair and generous offer. Just let me finish this. A last request, all right?
The Vagaari momentarily pause as Ben works quickly reassemble the holocron.
[aside] Why did the stupid Imps have to take apart such a beautiful machine? They killed Sienar, stole his stuff, then messed with a piece of equipment they could never understand. On the other hand, at least they had the sense to lock it away for two millennia so that I could retrieve it.
The Vagaari begin pounding on the door again.
[to the Vagaari] Who is it?
Bearsh. Skywalker.
Ben. Skywalker who? [aside] Eventually the Vagaari will realize they can't get in. Then, if Bearsh truly knew my mind, he will decide there are other ways to force my cooperation. I have to work faster.
After much trial and error, Ben at last reassembles the holocron. He has only just concluded his work when the Vagaari start pounding on the gate again.
Bearsh. Skywalker. Our third comrade will kill your friends.
Ben curses as he glances over at where Purpsh stands beside the unconscious Tahiri and Jag. He realizes he has little time to figure out the correct code sequence to activate the holocron.
Ben. Yeah, okay. You got me. Just . . . just a nanosecond.
Bearsh. No more nanoseconds. Open this gate now, or they die.
Purpsh begins sending electrical jolts through Tahiri and Jag.
Ben focuses on the holocron, trying figure out what the code would be.
Ben. [aside] The answer won't be pi. Sienar would never do the same thing twice. Besides, just by placing my hand on the holocron I can feel that the sequence has been generated randomly. It is something only Sienar would know. Supposedly, Sienar's last words had been: "Don't disturb my polyhedrons." No one knew what that meant, but I could apply it to this holocron. The lock is much too complicated. Maybe if I had a few years, I could decipher the markings and figure out the right combination. But I don't even have a few seconds. I'm out of time, out of luck . . . and my friends are going to die.
A voice appears in the back on Ben's mind.
Yun-Harla's Voice. A problem you cannot solve.
Ben. Yun-Harla . . . She told me to expect this moment.
Ben retrieves the Quay toy from his pocket.
I need the access code for this holocron.
As Ben shakes the Quay toy, a message from Yun-Harla appears on the surface of the sphere.
Yun-Harla. That's your request? Seriously? Your lucky numbers are: twelve, Zonama, Nom Anor, dorn, three, thesh, orenth. Wreck vengeance upon Abeloth, Ben Skywalker.
Ben begins turning the rings.
Bearsh. [growls] If friends do not matter to you, perhaps you need more incentive. Perhaps I should destroy these scrolls instead . . . priceless works by Raith Sienar.
With the code keyed in, the Great Holocron at last hums to life.
Ben subsequently begins manipulating the surrounding droids into action. A mouse droids moves toward the astromech possessed by Purpsh, cutting into its head. He attempts to activate another droid, but it explodes.
Ben. Oops. Sorry, Sienar.
Bearsh. What are you doing? Stop your foolishness and surrender.
Ben. Oh, yes, I surrender. I'm totally surrendering.
Ben's next attempt leads to the destruction of yet another holocron.
[aside] I feel bad about ruining all these ancient inventions. But this is life or death. Jag accused me of caring more for machines than beings. But if it comes down to saving old holocrons or my friends, there is no choice.
Ben activates another astromech droid, which displays a pair of jets which allow it to lift off the ground.
Bearsh. Enough. I will destroy the . . .
Bearsh turns in time to see the astromech taking off with the lost works of Raith Sienar.
What?! Kill the prisoners.
Unfortunately, the mouse droid has by this point finished dismantling the astromech droid Purpsh has been possessing. Around this same time, Jag and Tahiri begin to stir.
Bearsh scoffs and gestures to Estosh.
Come. We will destroy the demigods ourselves.
Ben. I don't think so, guys.
Using the Holocron, Ben manages to hijack the battle droid's system, causing to disarm.
[grins] You're in Ben World, now.
The battle droid containing Estosh turns and marches toward Bearsh.
What are you doing? We have to . . .
Estosh's battle droid begins pounding on the one containing Bearsh.
Stop that.
Estosh. I cannot.
Ben compels the Vagaari to drop their swords and begin slapping each other.
Bearsh. Skywalker. You will die for this.
Ben. Yeah. Who's possessing who now, buddy?
The battle droids tumble down the stairs, their joints starting to smoke. Ben begins to realize that the machines around the room are steadily overheating. A few droids and holocrons are beginning to pop.
Jag, Tahiri. Take cover.
Though still dazed, Jag grabs Tahiri and pulls her underneath the nearest table, shielding her with his body.
As Ben sends one final jolt into the holocrons syetem, every one of Sienar's inventions — including the ones containing the Vagaari — explode, sending components and wires flying everywhere.
Ben turns to Jag and Tahiri as they sit up, though exhibiting a few subtle yet noticeable aftereffects from Purpsh's torturing.
You're alive.
Tahiri. Er, what exactly happened?
Ben. Sienar came through. Just enough power left in those old machines for one final show. Once I had the access code, it was easy.
Ben pats the Great Holocron, which is smoking but otherwise okay.
Jag. The Vagaari. Are they gone?
Ben. [grins] My last command overloaded their kill switches — basically locked down all their circuits and melted their cores.
Jag. In Basic?
Ben. I trapped the Vagaari inside the wiring. Then I melted them. They won't be bothering anyone again.
Ben helps Tahiri and Jag to their feet.
Jag. You saved us.
Ben. Don't sound so surprised.
Ben glances around the workshop.
Too bad all this stuff got wrecked. But at least I salvaged the scrolls. If I can get them back to the Jedi Praxeum, maybe I can learn how to recreate Sienar's inventions.
Tahiri rubs the side of her head.
Tahiri. But I don't understand. Where is Kyp? That tunnel was supposed to lead us to Kyp.
Ben. [aside] She's right. Kyp obviously isn't here. This place is a dead end. So why . . . ?
It is then that Ben recalls seeing Kyp's lightsaber.
[to Tahiri] Oh, Tahiri. How exactly were you tracking Kyp? I mean, could you just sense him nearby because he was your brother?
Tahiri. [frowns] Not . . . not totally. Sometimes I can tell when he's close. But, like I said, Bastion is so confusing, so much interference because of all the tunnels and caves . . .
Ben. You tracked him with your metal-finding senses. His lightsaber?
Tahiri. [blinks] How did you know?
Ben. You'd better come here.
Ben leads Tahiri and Jag over to Kyp's lightsaber.
Tahiri. Oh. Oh, no. But that's impossible. Kyp's lightsaber was with him in the blorash jelly. Luke saw it in his dream.
Ben. Either the dream was wrong, or the Vong moved the lightsaber here as a decoy.
Jag. So this was a trap. We were lured here.
Tahiri. But why? Where's my brother?
Through the bronzium mirror, Abeloth materializes before Ben, Jag, and Tahiri.
Abeloth. Ah, my poor demigods. You had your choice.
With a chill, Ben realizes that now that in coming underground they are now in Abeloth's territory.
I offered salvation to all of you. You could have turned back. Now it is too late. You've come to the ancient worlds where I am strongest . . . where I will wake.
Ben draws a hydrospanner from his belt and slams it into Abeloth's face.
Ben. In case you haven't noticed, Abeloth, your little ambush failed. Your three Vagaari got melted in metal, and we're fine.
Abeloth. [laughs] Oh, my sweet Ben. You three have been separated from your friends. That was the whole point.
The doors to the workshop slam shut.
You are trapped in my embrace. Meanwhile, Mara Jade faces her death alone, terrified and crippled, at the hands of her mother's greatest enemy.
Within the mirror Abeloth displays a real-time image of Mara alone in the Dark Nest.
The others, Jacen Solo, Danni Quee, and my dear friend Luke Skywalker . . . they will perish within minutes.
The scene in the mirror switches to Luke, Jacen, and Danni drowning in water, the victims of Darth Zannah.
Their powers will betray them. They will die in their own elements. I almost hoped they would survive. They would have made a better sacrifice. But alas, Tahiri and Jagged, you will have to do. My minions will collect you shortly and bring you to the ancient place. Your blood will awaken me at last. Until then, I will allow you to watch your friends perish. Please . . . enjoy this last glimpse of your failed quest.
Ben gives in to his anger and through his pyrokinesis burns the mirror to a crisp. Exit Abeloth.
Ben. Sorry. She was getting annoying.
Jag. What do we do? We have to get out and help the others.
Ben scans the workshop carefully, when an idea then occurs to him.
Ben. I've got an idea. But it's going to take all three of us.
Exit all.