UP SHAK NEBULA By Kondoru
Standard Disclaimers.
Thanks to JP for Betaing.
Part Five. Bedtime Stories for the Force Sensitive (Part Two).
"The Holocrons here will be Rakata." Luke was itching to get his hands upon one of the arcane devices. Yoda had made no mention of them. But Yoda could be very evasive, as Luke had learned during his stay on Dagobah. He had been very reluctant to teach Luke, and only Bens fast talking had gotten them anywhere.
(Where was the old Jedi?)
Yoda was very much of an enigma. Luke did not even know what kind the old Jedi master was, or where he came from. His father knew little more.
Darth Vader nodded. "Yes, but the Rakata would speak Basic. They were more willing to learn the slaves language than teach them their own. Apart from the difficulty of dealing with a Rakata Gatekeeper, we would have no trouble learning from one of their holocrons."
"If we wanted to." Luke said grimly.
"I for one want to see what is on a Holocron." Darth Vader said firmly. "These devices were not used frivolously. If it's on a Holocron its worth looking at."
"Is there any danger in opening a Dark Side Holocron?" Asked Leia curiously. She was very taken with the idea of Holocrons. Leia had indeed heard of such devices, but previously had dismissed them as legends. Now Darth Vader had informed them they were real…
Darth Vader looked doubtful. "As far as I know…only one. The Gatekeeper programme is made to assess the Force sensitivity and ability of a seeker. This is so they are not exposed to ideas and techniques that they don't have the skill or fortitude to learn." He paused significantly. "A Dark side Gatekeeper might encourage an untried initiate to attempt something risky, actively dangerous."
"We will be careful in dealing with such entities" Luke said.
"Which is why I don't want you opening a Holocron without my supervision." Darth Vader said. "I am nobody's fool."
"I didn't know you cared that much." Leia said with a wry grimace.
"I care a lot!"
"You cared enough about me to hold me while Tarkin made me watch Alderaan being blown up." She said quietly.
Darth Vader curled in on himself. "I never endorsed the Death Star, and I am truly sorry I did not take action. I am a soulless monster. And after Obi-wan left me to burn on Mustaphar…I no longer cared much more than that." He sighed. "Who created Darth Vader? Well, it was the most virtuous, stiff necked and perfect of Jedi. Obi-wan Kenobi…"
Luke crouched down by his father's side. "Is love wrong?"
Darth Vader shook his head sadly. "To a Jedi…Yes."
They were all silent for nearly half an hour.
"Let's not argue about that." Darth Vader finally said wearily. "I told you I would tell you about Lehon and its history…" He looked grim. "I think you might have gathered by now that there are things far more frightening than some silly ideological spats." He looked very old and sad. "The second group to deny the Rakata were the proto Jedi, of a world called Typhon. Its somewhere in the Core. Like Lehon Typhon is a naturally Force sensitive world…So the Rakata wanted it. Oh, they wanted it so badly. But the Jedi were fierce warriors."
"Of peace." Added Luke.
"Yes, of peace. The proto Jedi banded together and saw the Rakata off. They even managed to rescue some of the Rakatan slaves. This is where they got lightsabre technology from." He sighed. "At least, their intentions were good. But the slaves were like Jabbas Rancor."
"Don't tell me about Jabbas Rancor." Growled Luke.
"I hope one day you meet a properly tamed Rancor."
"Oh, I hope not!" Luke had decided he had enough of such beasts.
"No, Rancor are semi sentients, they do respond to kindness…The Dathormiri live alongside Rancor, and They feel no differently to a Rancor in their village than a Tusken to a Bantha." Darth Vader said blandly. "Jabba ill-treated his Rancor…Monsters are easily created…And maybe the greatest monster is you…" He looked around himself. "The Rakatan slaves had been treated so badly in their lives they could not be risked in normal society…They were imprisoned." Darth Vader looked sad. "I don't know if any were ever properly re-educated. The proto Jedi decided early on that someone who used the Dark Side was unsavable and so had to be permanently isolated."
"But you turned away from the Dark side, didn't you, Dad?" Luke prompted.
"I don't know." Darth Vader admitted. "I like being able to express my emotions…I have got over the Fear Anger and Hatred bit of the Dark side…I'm not sure about the Regret." He was thoughtful. "So, you see, we are both the Rakatas worst enemy." All three exiles laughed.
"Why aren't the Rakata a dominant power today?" Asked Luke.
Darth Vader gestured in triumph. "Some callous party devised a disease that only affected the Rakata."
Leia knew. "The Jedi" she rubbed her hands in denial. "The Jedi did that."
Her father shook his head. "We have no proof. Could be the Kwa, or the Gree, or the Celestials, or even the Rakata themselves." He took a long breath. "You are right, the Jedi are pretty high on the list of suspects…Or the Sith." He grunted. "Maybe we should salve our consciences and blame the Sith…We Sith are a good scapegoat, eh?"
His children did not laugh at that.
"The disease did not affect the Rakata…Only the Midi-chlorians that the Rakata were host to. It killed them."
Luke gasped at the enormity. "So they could no longer touch the Force?"
"Yes. The Rakata, for whom the Force was the difference between a lord and a slave…Well, the Universe can be a just place. They were punished just where it hurt the most."
"Yow."
"No longer able to use their technology or to control their slaves the Infinite Empire collapsed overnight."
"I imagine so."
"To this day the Rakata mourn the Force. They say it feels like a black hole where their hearts should be."
"You speak of the Rakata as if they still exist."
"Yes they do."
"Where are the Rakata if not on Lehon?" Leia looked about her. "You told me there are none here. Why would they abandon the planet of their birth?"
"The Rakata live here in Wildspace." He paused. "We call it Wildspace but actually it's pretty well mapped. There is a zone not many light years from Lehon. Called the Rakatan Archipelago. Don't pay them a visit though they are still very xenophobic…And hungry." Darth Vader gave a mirthless laugh. His children joined in. "Love of Power was the nemesis of the Rakata." He wriggled to a new comfortable position. "And the Power of Love is my bane."
The Twins laughed and settled down to sleep.
"I think I can get into contact with the settlement here." Darth Vader said a couple of nights later.
"We couldn't fix your suits comm." Luke had tried and failed several weeks before.
"I have been watching the sky…There are satellites here." He told them. "Not many but I saw several last night.
"So you need a way to signal them?" Leia asked.
"Yes. We have had the fire under cover all this time." Darth Vader explained. "Tonight we light a big bonfire on the beach where it can be seen from space. In a place like this, a sudden concentrated energy source like a fire will be noted."
The twin nodded at this.
"The storm was a couple of days back…We have a lost ship…Someone may look for the crew…Possibly other sailors are lost. On a maritime planet like Lehon people will search."
What Darth Vader did not tell them was he thought exploring by sea was safer than land here.
"If they detect a fire by satellite then someone will come and investigate."
Luke got up, he was cheery. "By my sight the sun is two hours from setting. I can make a big fire easily enough."
"Can I come and watch?" Darth Vader said. "I'm tired of this cave."
It was near midnight.
The Twins were still active, laughing merrily, throwing sticks onto the big fire they had lit near sundown. It had been a fun evening. Darth Vader watched them from his litter, a slight smile on his burned lips. It was good to enjoy the stars after so long on his couch in the cave.
"Why didn't we think of this earlier?" Leia said.
"Too busy having fun!" Luke replied tartly.
Sure enough, the fire was noticed.
But not by the locals.
Just how reliable is Darth Vaders story, readers?