Ben confronts Boba Fett . . . . and is captured . . . and unable to use the
Force . . . .
****************************************************************************
**********
The Past Returns
Chapter Eighteen
-Confrontation -
One year passed and Ben had managed to elude Boba Fett for the time being, but he didn't know how long his luck would last.
Ben stepped out of the transport shuttle onto the planet Soria. He would have to try to hide here for the time being. Ben looked around. This place feels so familiar. Had he been here before? Ben headed to one of the apartment complexes and rented an apartment. He took his key and walked up several flights of stairs and opened the door to the place where he would be staying. It was two rooms, with a bed, a small refresher, and a small kitchen. Ben walked over to the bed and laid down for some much needed rest.
* * *
Xedon sat in his quarters, tapping his fingers on his desk. The door swished open and one of his subordinates walked in. "Yes?" Xedon said tiredly, looking up at him. "More news of failure to capture him?"
"No, sir. Good news. The bounty hunter Boba Fett has located his position on the planet Soria. He will have him soon."
"We shall see. You may go." Xedon looked at one of his holographic images on the wall of a lava pit. It shifted as if real lava and it was the only thing that could relax him. Faintly, he heard the door swish closed as the subordinate left. When will I have this man that has managed to elude even Boba Fett? This is going on far too long.
* * *
The next day, Ben toured the city, taking in all the beautiful sights. Soria was covered entirely in dense, humid forests except for where the capital Senia was. The buildings in the capital were made of stone and were all very low, sprawling buildings with large windows.
He was walking down a dark passage between two buildings when he suddenly stopped. The figure he saw made his blood run cold. Why hadn't he been able to sense him? The figure wore a Mandalorian helmet and armor. A rocket launcher was strapped to his back and gauntlets were around his wrists. He had a belt full of weapons and held a blaster pointing straight at Ben. A slender fur-covered creature with needlelike claws was hanging over his shoulders. An ysalamiri. Ysalamiri were reptilian creatures of the planet Myrkr. Generally docile, they had a trait that made them of considerable interest to Jedi and other Force-wielders: They projected a sort of energy that repelled the Force, kept its energies at bay. An ysalamiri's projections canceled the effects of the Force out to a distance of ten meters.
How had he captured an ysalamiri? That would explain why Ben hadn't sensed the man's approach. Ben's eyes went wide, his breathing cut short. He swallowed hard. He couldn't use the Force. How was he going to escape?
"Don't move, Jedi," Boba Fett said coldly. Ben stood frozen, staring at the infamous bounty hunter. "I don't have all day. Let's go."
"I'm not going anywhere," Ben said, trying to steady his voice.
"Oh, really." The visored gaze fixed on Ben, giving him the chills. "You've managed to elude me thus far, but it ends now."
With that, Boba Fett started firing at Ben. Ben whipped out his lightsaber and deflected most of the shots, feeling blind without the Force. Fett lunged at Ben, who almost dodged him. Fett grabbed Ben's ankle and Ben went sprawling. His lightsaber deactivated and clattered out of his hand. It rolled to a stop by a large pile of crates. Ben and Fett started fighting, hand to hand. Ben threw a kick that would have knocked Fett out of commission but Fett flipped out of the way. He pulled out another blaster and started firing at Ben. Ben rolled to dodge the line of fire and ran for his lightsaber.
He stumbled, falling to his knees, and reached out with the Force, temporarily forgetting that he couldn't use it. His lightsaber didn't move and so Ben jumped up and planted his feet as Fett came rushing towards him. Ben flipped backwards, landing on a large crate. He jumped over Fett's head and landed near the entrance to the alley.
Ben started to run when he felt a shot sting him in the back of his right leg. His leg buckled beneath him and he collapsed. He grimaced as Fett walked over to him and pointed the blaster in front of Ben's face. "I'm not known for my patience or for small talk. You've managed to accumulate quite a bounty for you and I intend to receive those credits. Let's go." Ben looked up at Fett, his face full of pain, not saying anything.
Fett put stun-cuffs on Ben's wrists and hauled him up with one hand. He shoved Ben forward, who looked down. He had to think of something, Ben thought as he limped along. They walked through an unused portion of the city to the landing pad where Slave II, was docked. The ramp lowered and Boba Fett shoved Ben on board.
The small compartment was lined with metal cages. Fett unlocked one and shoved Ben roughly into it. Ben fell onto his knees, his injured leg buckling. Fett shut the door and locked it. The visored gaze stared coldly down at Ben. "Don't think about using any of your Force tricks. They won't work." Fett walked over to the ladder that lead to the cockpit and climbed up, disappearing from sight. Ben felt a slight shudder as the ship took off and Ben leaned against the bars of the cage. How had he gotten himself into this one? He closed his eyes. He would need to be well-rested for whatever lay ahead. Soon he was dreaming . . . . .
Ben stood by the gates that were at the entrance of the abandoned sector. They were fastened shut but, using the Force, he broke the lock and shoved the gates open. Ben looked around at the desolate area, full of waste and fumes rising from exhaust vents in the ground. Ben stayed away from those and instead, headed towards an open area, surrounded by decrepit buildings. Everything is brown and dead around here. Disgusting what a species will do to their own cities. Ben walked over to stand in the shadow cast by one of the slightly larger buildings and waited.
As the two Jedi approached, he stepped out from the shadows to block them. He threw off his black cape and drew out his lightsaber. He was clothed entirely in black and his black hair was cut very short, making him look young. His green eyes though, glittered with malice and evil. Dark scars lined his face, a jagged one on the left side and another, smaller jagged scar ran across the bridge of his nose.
"Ben," the older Jedi said. "Why am I not surprised."
"Master?" the Padawan asked.
Keeping his eyes on Ben, the Master answered her. "This is Master Kenobi's younger brother, Ben Kenobi, otherwise known as the dark Jedi who murdered millions of beings. He's the man we ran into on Ilu, remember?"
The Padawan nodded, her twin head tails tight with tension. "He's the one that killed Master Kenobi's wife and son, and Master Tahl's apprentice, Chanee."
"Yes, Neelah. That is correct."
"How very nice for you to already know who I am. Saves me from giving introductions," Ben said harshly. Neelah looked towards Ben, the speaker. "Might as well give up now, Jedi, because you're not leaving this place alive. I made the mistake of not killing you on Ilu when I had the chance. My Master believes that if I face you and kill you, it will make me even more powerful." Ben sneered. "Foolish Jedi."
The Master unclipped his lightsaber, bringing it out in front of him. "Neelah, go now," he whispered, but Neelah didn't move. She stood frozen staring at Ben. "Neelah!" Neelah blinked and looked at her Master. "Go!" Neelah ran towards an opening between two buildings and Ben moved to intercept her. "Oh, no you don't."
The Master leapt in front of Ben, igniting his lightsaber. Ben stopped, turning to face him. He smiled evilly. With one hand, he sent a Force blast at Neelah, knocking her into a already crumbling wall. Several large pieces of the building crashed down around her. Ben ignited both ends of his lightsaber.
"So, you want to test your skills on me? Fine, go ahead and do your best." Ben said. He sneered. "But it won't even come close to mine." Dark energy rose in Ben and he whipped his lightsaber towards the Jedi, spinning with it, becoming a blur of energy. The Jedi blocked the attacks and fought back.
Ben blocked all the Jedi's attacks with ease. He raised an eyebrow. "This is your best? Surely you can do better." He brought one end of his lightsaber flying at the Jedi and then simultaneously flipped the other end, cutting through the Jedi's pants and singeing his leg. The Jedi stepped back, putting a hand on his leg, gritting his teeth in pain. Then he leapt at Ben, his lightsaber flying towards Ben.
Ben blocked and countered, leaping up and lashing out with his left foot, hitting the Jedi in the chest. The Jedi staggered back, breathing hard. They had been dueling for what seemed like hours, but Ben still wasn't tired. He stood, watching the Jedi catch his breath. "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to get tired out so easily." The Jedi didn't say anything.
As Ben watched the Jedi, a sudden realization washed over him. This Jedi, he was Damon's best friend, the one that had taken Ben's spot. He had heard of this man through his sources. His name was Ulian. Ben glanced at the heap of rubble where Ulian's apprentice laid. And that must be Neelah. Ben looked back at Ulian, new hatred rising inside of him. His eyes flashed with anger and he brought his lightsaber up, walking towards Ulian. "You took my best friend from me. You will pay for that," Ben said, gritting his teeth. He leapt at Ulian, slashing downwards. Ulian just managed to block the attack. "You made Damon despise me and not want to have anything to do with me! I hate you both! I should have never brought Damon with me! Then he wouldn't have met you!" Ben sped up his attacks, bearing down on the Jedi with all his anger.
Then he sent a huge tidal wave of dark energy that engulfed Ulian, making him stagger back.
Ben saw his chance and he lashed out with his right foot, hitting Ulian under the chin. Ben spun and stabbed back with his lightsaber, going through Ulian. He pulled out his lightsaber and spun, facing Ulian. He grinned and laughed. "Poor, foolish Jedi. Trying to be noble. Well, now you're dead." He watched as Ulian, his hands over his stomach, dropped to his knees and fell face first onto the ground. Ben took a step closer, still smiling . . . . . .
Ben sat up abruptly, sweating, and breathing hard. Where had that come from? It had seemed so real. Was that his father? How could he have had that clear of a dream if that had happened to his father. His father had killed Jedi ruthlessly. It was horrible. Ben took out his journal and a pen and began writing.
Journal Entry 27:
"I just woke up from having the strangest dream. It had seemed so real, as if I had really experienced it. I watched as my father killed a Jedi Master with ease. The dark energy that had risen in my father, could that happen to me? Or yet, could that get me out of here? Of all the timing, I was on Soria and Boba Fett caught me. I'm in one of his holding cages for hard merchandise right now. I don't know what I'm going to do. He has a ysalamiri and I can't access the Force. The strange part is, I feel a power inside of me but it's dark and evil. There's a voice in my head that says to use it, that it can help me escape, but I don't know how that's possible. Should I succumb to it? I can't be captured; I'd be killed for sure. I still can't shake that dream though. I'm so confused. I don't know who I really am anymore."
Ben put his journal and pen away, leaning back. Should he use that dark energy that had seemed to take form deep inside of him? But where had it come from? If his father had had that dark energy, how had Ben gotten it? A memory flashed before his eyes. . . . .
Ben sat in deep mediation inside the focal point of the temple. The dark energy pulsed around him, filling the air. Slowly Ben brought the dark energy into himself, filling his body with the dark energy. He wanted to fill his body with as much dark energy as he could, for it would bring him more power and increase his speed and reflexes. The rest of the power that he could not bring into himself would go into the container. Ben smiled slightly. He could feel the flickering of energy at his fingertips. The dark side had brought him everything he could dream of but, thought Ben as his smile faded, he still felt empty inside. When he had killed the Jedi Master, who he had later found out was Damon's wife, and when he had killed Tarc, that emptiness had vanished, but only for an instant. But Ben wasn't going to dwell on that. His dreams had come true. He had become very powerful and he had done it without Damon watching and criticizing his every move. Damon had abandoned him when he had needed him the most. Anger filled Ben as he thought back to when Damon had not even visited him once while he was sick. I hate him. And he will pay for the pain that I he caused me. . . . . .
Ben opened his eyes, taking deep breaths. Had his father hated Damon so much that he would kill just to see Damon hurt? Had his father been so evil and heartless? Ben looked down at the floor of the cage. But one thing remained true, that Ben wasn't going to be able to get out of this one very easily. He couldn't use the Force and he didn't know what else could save him from whoever wanted him dead. A realization hit him. That dark energy that my father had used, it wasn't the Force. It was something much older, and much more evil. What if he could harness it and use it to escape? He would have to mediate deeply and when they got to wherever he was going, that would be his chance. But could he control the power? He knew it was deep inside of him and he was afraid that if he unleashed it, he wouldn't be able to control his actions and he might, in turn, become as evil as his father had become, but it was his only chance. Ben settled himself on the floor of the cage and closed his eyes. He took slow, deep breaths, and reached down inside of him.
* * *
Luke sat in his meditation chambers at Leia's apartment. He had just recently come back from the Outer Rim and he had needed to relax. Meditation helped him sort out everything going through his mind. Suddenly a tidal wave of dark energy hit him and he opened his eyes. Where had that come from? It was so powerful and so . . . evil. Luke's eyes widened. Ben! What was he doing?
* * *
Damon sat in the transport shuttle, his eyes closed, trying to sleep. It wasn't too noisy, and so he had figured this would be a good time to rest. He had been planet hopping, trying to get information on the disappearance of his brother, but so far, all attempts had failed. One thing he had discovered that made him very uncomfortable was that the bounty hunter Boba Fett was after his brother or any of his descendants, which would include the young man that he had met on Eriadu. If Boba Fett gets to him first, Ben would be lost to Damon, and then what would he do? He knew that he had to find Ben quick before the bounty hunter caught him, for all his plans rested on it.
Suddenly a tidal wave of dark energy engulfed him and Damon sat up abruptly, his eyes open. He swallowed hard, his heart beating fast. He had only sensed that energy once before, from his brother when he had killed Ulian. His eyes widened in realization. It couldn't be his brother, for his brother had to be dead, but if it wasn't him . . . . Ben! What was he doing? If he got a hold of that dark energy that had consumed Damon's brother, then Ben would be lost! Why in the blazes was he risking it?
* * *
Ben opened his eyes, his green eyes glittering maliciously. He smirked. He had done it. He had harnessed the power and now he would be free. He sat back, relaxing. Now all he had to do was wait and let the dark energy fill him so that he could escape. Once he had escaped, he would let the dark energy recede and he would be able to continue on with his Jedi training.
* * *
A few hours later, the ship jolted as it came out of hyperspace. Suddenly, it was completely still and Ben knew that they had landed. Ben looked over at the ladder to see Boba Fett climbing down, the ysalamiri around his neck. He walked over to Ben and, holding a blaster pointed at Ben, he unlocked the cage. Boba Fett grabbed him, hauling him to his feet. "Let's move Jedi," Boba Fett said and he led him out of the ship and onto the landing pad.
Ben looked around at the darkness that surrounded him. They seemed to be in a cave of some sorts. The only light was from the open hatchway of Slave II, and a door that was opening straight ahead. They walked halfway and stopped as a man, dressed all in black with a fiery red cape walked up to them, surrounded by his guards. "Your merchandise." Fett shoved Ben forward and two guards grabbed him roughly.
"Very good. About time," the man in black said. "You will get your bounty. I will transfer it now." The man nodded to a tall guard and the guard took out a transfer unit. The guard punched in something and then held it towards Boba Fett, showing him that the correct bounty had been placed in his account. "Thank you. We will take care of him now."
That's what you think. Ben thought, smirking. The Mandalorian helmet nodded and Boba Fett walked back to his ship, the hatchway closing. The man walked over to stand in front of Ben. "So, I finally have you. I've waited quite a long while to finally get a hold of you," the man said.
"Who are you?" Ben asked.
"The last person you'll ever see." Don't count on that, Ben thought as the guards led him away. "Take him down to the lower level."
Chapter Eighteen
-Confrontation -
One year passed and Ben had managed to elude Boba Fett for the time being, but he didn't know how long his luck would last.
Ben stepped out of the transport shuttle onto the planet Soria. He would have to try to hide here for the time being. Ben looked around. This place feels so familiar. Had he been here before? Ben headed to one of the apartment complexes and rented an apartment. He took his key and walked up several flights of stairs and opened the door to the place where he would be staying. It was two rooms, with a bed, a small refresher, and a small kitchen. Ben walked over to the bed and laid down for some much needed rest.
* * *
Xedon sat in his quarters, tapping his fingers on his desk. The door swished open and one of his subordinates walked in. "Yes?" Xedon said tiredly, looking up at him. "More news of failure to capture him?"
"No, sir. Good news. The bounty hunter Boba Fett has located his position on the planet Soria. He will have him soon."
"We shall see. You may go." Xedon looked at one of his holographic images on the wall of a lava pit. It shifted as if real lava and it was the only thing that could relax him. Faintly, he heard the door swish closed as the subordinate left. When will I have this man that has managed to elude even Boba Fett? This is going on far too long.
* * *
The next day, Ben toured the city, taking in all the beautiful sights. Soria was covered entirely in dense, humid forests except for where the capital Senia was. The buildings in the capital were made of stone and were all very low, sprawling buildings with large windows.
He was walking down a dark passage between two buildings when he suddenly stopped. The figure he saw made his blood run cold. Why hadn't he been able to sense him? The figure wore a Mandalorian helmet and armor. A rocket launcher was strapped to his back and gauntlets were around his wrists. He had a belt full of weapons and held a blaster pointing straight at Ben. A slender fur-covered creature with needlelike claws was hanging over his shoulders. An ysalamiri. Ysalamiri were reptilian creatures of the planet Myrkr. Generally docile, they had a trait that made them of considerable interest to Jedi and other Force-wielders: They projected a sort of energy that repelled the Force, kept its energies at bay. An ysalamiri's projections canceled the effects of the Force out to a distance of ten meters.
How had he captured an ysalamiri? That would explain why Ben hadn't sensed the man's approach. Ben's eyes went wide, his breathing cut short. He swallowed hard. He couldn't use the Force. How was he going to escape?
"Don't move, Jedi," Boba Fett said coldly. Ben stood frozen, staring at the infamous bounty hunter. "I don't have all day. Let's go."
"I'm not going anywhere," Ben said, trying to steady his voice.
"Oh, really." The visored gaze fixed on Ben, giving him the chills. "You've managed to elude me thus far, but it ends now."
With that, Boba Fett started firing at Ben. Ben whipped out his lightsaber and deflected most of the shots, feeling blind without the Force. Fett lunged at Ben, who almost dodged him. Fett grabbed Ben's ankle and Ben went sprawling. His lightsaber deactivated and clattered out of his hand. It rolled to a stop by a large pile of crates. Ben and Fett started fighting, hand to hand. Ben threw a kick that would have knocked Fett out of commission but Fett flipped out of the way. He pulled out another blaster and started firing at Ben. Ben rolled to dodge the line of fire and ran for his lightsaber.
He stumbled, falling to his knees, and reached out with the Force, temporarily forgetting that he couldn't use it. His lightsaber didn't move and so Ben jumped up and planted his feet as Fett came rushing towards him. Ben flipped backwards, landing on a large crate. He jumped over Fett's head and landed near the entrance to the alley.
Ben started to run when he felt a shot sting him in the back of his right leg. His leg buckled beneath him and he collapsed. He grimaced as Fett walked over to him and pointed the blaster in front of Ben's face. "I'm not known for my patience or for small talk. You've managed to accumulate quite a bounty for you and I intend to receive those credits. Let's go." Ben looked up at Fett, his face full of pain, not saying anything.
Fett put stun-cuffs on Ben's wrists and hauled him up with one hand. He shoved Ben forward, who looked down. He had to think of something, Ben thought as he limped along. They walked through an unused portion of the city to the landing pad where Slave II, was docked. The ramp lowered and Boba Fett shoved Ben on board.
The small compartment was lined with metal cages. Fett unlocked one and shoved Ben roughly into it. Ben fell onto his knees, his injured leg buckling. Fett shut the door and locked it. The visored gaze stared coldly down at Ben. "Don't think about using any of your Force tricks. They won't work." Fett walked over to the ladder that lead to the cockpit and climbed up, disappearing from sight. Ben felt a slight shudder as the ship took off and Ben leaned against the bars of the cage. How had he gotten himself into this one? He closed his eyes. He would need to be well-rested for whatever lay ahead. Soon he was dreaming . . . . .
Ben stood by the gates that were at the entrance of the abandoned sector. They were fastened shut but, using the Force, he broke the lock and shoved the gates open. Ben looked around at the desolate area, full of waste and fumes rising from exhaust vents in the ground. Ben stayed away from those and instead, headed towards an open area, surrounded by decrepit buildings. Everything is brown and dead around here. Disgusting what a species will do to their own cities. Ben walked over to stand in the shadow cast by one of the slightly larger buildings and waited.
As the two Jedi approached, he stepped out from the shadows to block them. He threw off his black cape and drew out his lightsaber. He was clothed entirely in black and his black hair was cut very short, making him look young. His green eyes though, glittered with malice and evil. Dark scars lined his face, a jagged one on the left side and another, smaller jagged scar ran across the bridge of his nose.
"Ben," the older Jedi said. "Why am I not surprised."
"Master?" the Padawan asked.
Keeping his eyes on Ben, the Master answered her. "This is Master Kenobi's younger brother, Ben Kenobi, otherwise known as the dark Jedi who murdered millions of beings. He's the man we ran into on Ilu, remember?"
The Padawan nodded, her twin head tails tight with tension. "He's the one that killed Master Kenobi's wife and son, and Master Tahl's apprentice, Chanee."
"Yes, Neelah. That is correct."
"How very nice for you to already know who I am. Saves me from giving introductions," Ben said harshly. Neelah looked towards Ben, the speaker. "Might as well give up now, Jedi, because you're not leaving this place alive. I made the mistake of not killing you on Ilu when I had the chance. My Master believes that if I face you and kill you, it will make me even more powerful." Ben sneered. "Foolish Jedi."
The Master unclipped his lightsaber, bringing it out in front of him. "Neelah, go now," he whispered, but Neelah didn't move. She stood frozen staring at Ben. "Neelah!" Neelah blinked and looked at her Master. "Go!" Neelah ran towards an opening between two buildings and Ben moved to intercept her. "Oh, no you don't."
The Master leapt in front of Ben, igniting his lightsaber. Ben stopped, turning to face him. He smiled evilly. With one hand, he sent a Force blast at Neelah, knocking her into a already crumbling wall. Several large pieces of the building crashed down around her. Ben ignited both ends of his lightsaber.
"So, you want to test your skills on me? Fine, go ahead and do your best." Ben said. He sneered. "But it won't even come close to mine." Dark energy rose in Ben and he whipped his lightsaber towards the Jedi, spinning with it, becoming a blur of energy. The Jedi blocked the attacks and fought back.
Ben blocked all the Jedi's attacks with ease. He raised an eyebrow. "This is your best? Surely you can do better." He brought one end of his lightsaber flying at the Jedi and then simultaneously flipped the other end, cutting through the Jedi's pants and singeing his leg. The Jedi stepped back, putting a hand on his leg, gritting his teeth in pain. Then he leapt at Ben, his lightsaber flying towards Ben.
Ben blocked and countered, leaping up and lashing out with his left foot, hitting the Jedi in the chest. The Jedi staggered back, breathing hard. They had been dueling for what seemed like hours, but Ben still wasn't tired. He stood, watching the Jedi catch his breath. "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to get tired out so easily." The Jedi didn't say anything.
As Ben watched the Jedi, a sudden realization washed over him. This Jedi, he was Damon's best friend, the one that had taken Ben's spot. He had heard of this man through his sources. His name was Ulian. Ben glanced at the heap of rubble where Ulian's apprentice laid. And that must be Neelah. Ben looked back at Ulian, new hatred rising inside of him. His eyes flashed with anger and he brought his lightsaber up, walking towards Ulian. "You took my best friend from me. You will pay for that," Ben said, gritting his teeth. He leapt at Ulian, slashing downwards. Ulian just managed to block the attack. "You made Damon despise me and not want to have anything to do with me! I hate you both! I should have never brought Damon with me! Then he wouldn't have met you!" Ben sped up his attacks, bearing down on the Jedi with all his anger.
Then he sent a huge tidal wave of dark energy that engulfed Ulian, making him stagger back.
Ben saw his chance and he lashed out with his right foot, hitting Ulian under the chin. Ben spun and stabbed back with his lightsaber, going through Ulian. He pulled out his lightsaber and spun, facing Ulian. He grinned and laughed. "Poor, foolish Jedi. Trying to be noble. Well, now you're dead." He watched as Ulian, his hands over his stomach, dropped to his knees and fell face first onto the ground. Ben took a step closer, still smiling . . . . . .
Ben sat up abruptly, sweating, and breathing hard. Where had that come from? It had seemed so real. Was that his father? How could he have had that clear of a dream if that had happened to his father. His father had killed Jedi ruthlessly. It was horrible. Ben took out his journal and a pen and began writing.
Journal Entry 27:
"I just woke up from having the strangest dream. It had seemed so real, as if I had really experienced it. I watched as my father killed a Jedi Master with ease. The dark energy that had risen in my father, could that happen to me? Or yet, could that get me out of here? Of all the timing, I was on Soria and Boba Fett caught me. I'm in one of his holding cages for hard merchandise right now. I don't know what I'm going to do. He has a ysalamiri and I can't access the Force. The strange part is, I feel a power inside of me but it's dark and evil. There's a voice in my head that says to use it, that it can help me escape, but I don't know how that's possible. Should I succumb to it? I can't be captured; I'd be killed for sure. I still can't shake that dream though. I'm so confused. I don't know who I really am anymore."
Ben put his journal and pen away, leaning back. Should he use that dark energy that had seemed to take form deep inside of him? But where had it come from? If his father had had that dark energy, how had Ben gotten it? A memory flashed before his eyes. . . . .
Ben sat in deep mediation inside the focal point of the temple. The dark energy pulsed around him, filling the air. Slowly Ben brought the dark energy into himself, filling his body with the dark energy. He wanted to fill his body with as much dark energy as he could, for it would bring him more power and increase his speed and reflexes. The rest of the power that he could not bring into himself would go into the container. Ben smiled slightly. He could feel the flickering of energy at his fingertips. The dark side had brought him everything he could dream of but, thought Ben as his smile faded, he still felt empty inside. When he had killed the Jedi Master, who he had later found out was Damon's wife, and when he had killed Tarc, that emptiness had vanished, but only for an instant. But Ben wasn't going to dwell on that. His dreams had come true. He had become very powerful and he had done it without Damon watching and criticizing his every move. Damon had abandoned him when he had needed him the most. Anger filled Ben as he thought back to when Damon had not even visited him once while he was sick. I hate him. And he will pay for the pain that I he caused me. . . . . .
Ben opened his eyes, taking deep breaths. Had his father hated Damon so much that he would kill just to see Damon hurt? Had his father been so evil and heartless? Ben looked down at the floor of the cage. But one thing remained true, that Ben wasn't going to be able to get out of this one very easily. He couldn't use the Force and he didn't know what else could save him from whoever wanted him dead. A realization hit him. That dark energy that my father had used, it wasn't the Force. It was something much older, and much more evil. What if he could harness it and use it to escape? He would have to mediate deeply and when they got to wherever he was going, that would be his chance. But could he control the power? He knew it was deep inside of him and he was afraid that if he unleashed it, he wouldn't be able to control his actions and he might, in turn, become as evil as his father had become, but it was his only chance. Ben settled himself on the floor of the cage and closed his eyes. He took slow, deep breaths, and reached down inside of him.
* * *
Luke sat in his meditation chambers at Leia's apartment. He had just recently come back from the Outer Rim and he had needed to relax. Meditation helped him sort out everything going through his mind. Suddenly a tidal wave of dark energy hit him and he opened his eyes. Where had that come from? It was so powerful and so . . . evil. Luke's eyes widened. Ben! What was he doing?
* * *
Damon sat in the transport shuttle, his eyes closed, trying to sleep. It wasn't too noisy, and so he had figured this would be a good time to rest. He had been planet hopping, trying to get information on the disappearance of his brother, but so far, all attempts had failed. One thing he had discovered that made him very uncomfortable was that the bounty hunter Boba Fett was after his brother or any of his descendants, which would include the young man that he had met on Eriadu. If Boba Fett gets to him first, Ben would be lost to Damon, and then what would he do? He knew that he had to find Ben quick before the bounty hunter caught him, for all his plans rested on it.
Suddenly a tidal wave of dark energy engulfed him and Damon sat up abruptly, his eyes open. He swallowed hard, his heart beating fast. He had only sensed that energy once before, from his brother when he had killed Ulian. His eyes widened in realization. It couldn't be his brother, for his brother had to be dead, but if it wasn't him . . . . Ben! What was he doing? If he got a hold of that dark energy that had consumed Damon's brother, then Ben would be lost! Why in the blazes was he risking it?
* * *
Ben opened his eyes, his green eyes glittering maliciously. He smirked. He had done it. He had harnessed the power and now he would be free. He sat back, relaxing. Now all he had to do was wait and let the dark energy fill him so that he could escape. Once he had escaped, he would let the dark energy recede and he would be able to continue on with his Jedi training.
* * *
A few hours later, the ship jolted as it came out of hyperspace. Suddenly, it was completely still and Ben knew that they had landed. Ben looked over at the ladder to see Boba Fett climbing down, the ysalamiri around his neck. He walked over to Ben and, holding a blaster pointed at Ben, he unlocked the cage. Boba Fett grabbed him, hauling him to his feet. "Let's move Jedi," Boba Fett said and he led him out of the ship and onto the landing pad.
Ben looked around at the darkness that surrounded him. They seemed to be in a cave of some sorts. The only light was from the open hatchway of Slave II, and a door that was opening straight ahead. They walked halfway and stopped as a man, dressed all in black with a fiery red cape walked up to them, surrounded by his guards. "Your merchandise." Fett shoved Ben forward and two guards grabbed him roughly.
"Very good. About time," the man in black said. "You will get your bounty. I will transfer it now." The man nodded to a tall guard and the guard took out a transfer unit. The guard punched in something and then held it towards Boba Fett, showing him that the correct bounty had been placed in his account. "Thank you. We will take care of him now."
That's what you think. Ben thought, smirking. The Mandalorian helmet nodded and Boba Fett walked back to his ship, the hatchway closing. The man walked over to stand in front of Ben. "So, I finally have you. I've waited quite a long while to finally get a hold of you," the man said.
"Who are you?" Ben asked.
"The last person you'll ever see." Don't count on that, Ben thought as the guards led him away. "Take him down to the lower level."