Ok, finally, here's the next chapter. It's kind of long. In fact, it's too long. But I hate to say it, the rest of the chapters may not be this long, so don't be too disappointed if they're not. I'll try to make them a good length and get lots of stuff in them though. This also ends kind of abruptly because I'm tired and didn't want to make it any longer than it is lol. But I think it's ok. Anyway, enjoy.
(Italics in these> indicate transmissions and regular italics indicate thoughts, dreams or flashbacks)
Chapter 3 – The Old Wizard
Bors handled aggressive negotiations well yesterday,> Gawain reported through the hologram in Arthur and Lance's room. The small transmitter sat on top of Arthur's sleepcouch while he, Lance, Dag and Lucan stood in front of it, watching the blue figures of the other four Jedi on nearby Ventooine.
Arthur sighed, "Keep in mind that this is not an exercise in lightsabre technique. We are here to keep the peace, not to start a war."
We don't want to get too bored though, do we?> Bors laughed.
Lance rolled his eyes as Arthur sighed again. "Bors.." Arthur started, "We all know you find peace boring, but these people don't. The Council was very clear in their brief of our mission."
Bors rubbed his shaved head in the hologram, Yes Arthur..>
We did make contact with the leaders on Ventooine,> Tristan said after a moment, But the Republic guards scared them off so we didn't get to talk long.>
"We must be patient," Dag added after a moment.
Arthur nodded in agreement, "We haven't yet talked to the leaders here, they have proven elusive, but likely soon. I will give a report to the Council. We will talk again later."
Arthur walked down one of the many pathways in the Temple gardens, passing by the exotic and beautiful flowers and plants that grew there. Many Jedi meditated here, feeling at one with the Force amidst the life, nature and peace. He knew that this was a place that his Master would go in the evenings and now that he had finished the studying he had done for that day, he went to seek Peris to meditate with his teacher and the man he viewed as a father.
Standing still for a moment, he closed his eyes and concentrated. There was a bright shining light, warm and comforting and beautiful. This was his Master's presence.
Master, where are you?>
He could hear Peris' friendly laugh across their Force bond. Use your feelings, Artorius, come find me. You are near.>
Arthur smiled. Yes Master, I'm coming.>
As he continued down the path, he saw many of his friends and teachers. Dag and Bors splashed around in the lake that was used for swimming while Tristan climbed in a near by tree – typical Tristan – while Gawain was sleeping in the shade. He wanted to go over to them, but Peris had asked him to join him in the garden earlier, so perhaps when their meditation was done. Dag noticed him walk by and waved. Arthur smiled and nodded back.
He rounded the corner and saw the familiar horned headed humanoid, Master Eeth Koth, floating as he sought to listen to the Force. If Lance's Master was here that must mean Lance was near by too, but he didn't see his friend.
Another Master passed him on the path and nodded with a kind smile, a little bit like Peris, only more so. Arthur smiled also and bowed in respect, "Master Qui-Gon." He always liked Master Jinn, though many of the other Jedi found him a bit radical. But Qui-Gon was a man very strong with the living Force, and Arthur had a great deal of respect for him.
"Arthur," Qui-Gon replied kindly as he passed by. Shortly following him was his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan was older than Arthur, and he wasn't as familiar as the others, but they still knew each other. The two Padawans smiled and waved as they walked.
Finally, Arthur came to one of the far reaches of the gardens when he followed the bright signal of his Master. Peris was kneeling with his eyes closed, and his hands quietly placed on his legs. He was a very strong man, physically, but the image of him here at the gardens didn't seem out of place as it normally would if a largely built man were to settle down and meditate. There was no awkwardness. Arthur sat down next to him.
Peris didn't open his eyes at first, but he did smile gently. He reached one hand out and placed it on his Padawan's shoulder in a signal to join him in meditation. Arthur smiled also and got onto his knees, taking a deep breath before also closing his eyes and feeling the Force all around him.
"Padawan?"
Arthur stood still, staring at the form in front of him. Everything looked the same, Peris' shaved head and the small beard and moustache only around his mouth. His Jedi robe even – nothing was different. But Arthur looked into the man's dark eyes and shivered. There was something cold there, something that had not been before. He took a step back.
"Arthur?" Peris questioned again, almost as if he was curious why his Padawan did not come to him.
But the lightsabre hilt in his hand gave it away. The body of the man they had been sent to protect with a wound that was not from a blaster rifle gave it away. Yes there was something cold, something very cold. And dark.
"Artorius," Peris said finally , an unnatural growl surfacing in his throat. Something flashed in his eyes, making them turn reddish-yellow for only a second. "Come, my apprentice."
Arthur shook his head, "No." He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he reached for his lightsabre. "You killed him. We were supposed to protect him."
With a sigh, Peris seemed to soften again, "You do not know what passed here, Padawan." But it only lingered for a moment. Arthur nearly jumped when his Master ignited his lightsabre. What ever he had seen flash across Peris' face returned. "But you will not be able to tell anyone what has happened. He betrayed me…as did you."
A look of horror and pain surfaced in Arthur's eyes. "Why are you doing this!" he shouted, bringing his blue sabre up to block the same colour as Peris'.
Peris laughed. Every wall was torn down around the young Padawan, everything that made him feel safe and loved was no longer there. The Master lunged at his student, just as he would have if they were in the Temple practicing. But this was not practice. And how could Arthur possibly fight the man who had raised him as his own son, and knew every move before he even made it.
Slowly he drew on the Force and let it flow through him as he had been taught. Arthur knew he had to stay calm and center on the Force. But Peris' anger and passion was what fueled him. He was stronger than the younger man remembered.
The fight seemed to be a stalemate, but Arthur was quickly loosing his focus while he inwardly battled with the betrayal of his Master. Peris used it to his advantage brutally. He brought the hilt of his sabre up to hit Arthur in the face, scraping a long gash across his cheek with the force of it. The blow knocked him off balance, spinning him around. Peris raked his sabre across his Padawan's back, cutting deeply but not enough to kill him right away. He would die slowly, while Peris would not be there to watch him. Somewhere deep inside, he could not bring himself to kill Arthur face-to-face.
There was hesitation. Arthur dropped to his knees in pain with his back burning along with the other singes and marks of combat over his body. Peris brought his sabre to Arthur's neck and the younger man closed his eyes, waiting for the imminent death. He hesitated again. Too many times of being a father to this boy caused him to wait.
With a last grip and a burst of Force-guided energy, Arthur pulled out from under the sabre, with blood dripping down his face, and moved to attack Peris again. Tears of pain, both kinds of pain, clouded his vision. Anger welled up inside.
But Peris' hatred was more than Arthur's anger and he snarled, ducking out of the attack and swiping his lightsabre down to catch his apprentice's leg just above the knee. The limb flew off and Arthur fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Peris turned around to see his former student on the ground trembling with tears running down his face. A small conscience voice told him to pick the younger man up and hold him in his arms one last time as he had done when Arthur was a child. But he pushed the voice back, never letting it resurface again.
Peris Brond turned his back and left the battle damaged room. He knew Arthur would be dead soon, no one would find him there in time, there were only two other Jedi in this system and they were on another planet and wouldn't be able to reach him. Now, Peris would disappear and fade into the darkness.
Arthur closed his eyes as he watched his former Master leave. His heart was shattered and physical pain was overpowered by everything else. But he concentrated on the Force and felt for another presence. He saw a ship coming to their planet. Arthur opened his eyes and whispered to the still air, letting the Force carry his message. "Master Qui-Gon…help…"
Arthur sat up suddenly in bed, the first time he had been violently awoken by his nightmares in a long time. Raising a shaking hand, he shivered as he ran his fingers through his hair. His face was damp with sweat.
"Are you all right?" Lance asked sleepily from the other sleepcouch in the room.
With a sigh, Arthur nodded and got up. "I'm fine, go back to sleep."
"Where are you going?"
"For a walk," he said, pulling on his outer tunic and boots before grabbing his cloak and lightsabre. "I'm fine, Lance. Go back to sleep."
Lance yawned and rubbed his eyes before rolling over and going back to sleep. This had carried on the entire month they were on Centaris, every night Arthur woke from a nightmare. Every time, he hadn't let Lance help him. The younger Knight wasn't about to give up on his friend and Arthur had been the only one who hadn't given up on him after he came back to the Temple after being a slave. He had nightmares too, he knew what it was like. But Arthur had to let him help him, he wouldn't force the man.
The night was cooler than it had been when they first came and Arthur was grateful for his cloak. He stood up again on top of the stone wall, looking into the forest. Something was watching him back, he could feel it.
"Who are you?" Arthur whispered into the still night air.
A sudden breeze passed by him carrying a reply. Come, Artorius, come see me.
Slowly, he walked down from the wall and quietly moved passed the guards until he was out of the gate and onto the damp field. It may be dark, but there was still light from the bright moon just above him. Arthur entered the woods calmly. He listened, but there was no sound. And he saw nothing either. He walked further.
A form appeared before him and he stopped, but made no move towards his weapon. There was no hostility here. The old man was wearing a long cloak and carried a staff. His face and arms and what Arthur could see of his body were painted blue and there was a circle on his forehead. The old man walked closer. "Artorius Castus," he said as if greeting an old friend.
"How do you know me?" Arthur asked. He could not sense a strong feeling of the Force here.
The old man smiled, "You are my nephew, of course I know you."
Arthur blinked in surprised. He had never known what planet he was from, nor if he even had any relatives. "I was born here?" he asked softly.
"Yes, this was your mother's home. Come with me, we will talk. I am Merlin," he said, beginning to walk deeper into the forest. "I know that you have come to negotiate. We will talk with you and your friends, but not with the Republic, they will shoot us on sight despite what Commander Germanius has told you. They have yet to ever keep their word."
A little hesitantly at first, Arthur followed Merlin. He knew that now he had the chance, he should do his best to negotiate and stick to business, but it was hard when many question burned in his mind and could not be cleared yet.
Merlin smiled and looked at the slightly taller man. "You wish to know of your parents?" he asked.
"How did you know that?"
"I can tell many things. You rely on the Force, I have other means," said the old wizard. He paused for a moment and sighed. "Before we arrive at the village, I will tell you of your parents. Uther Castus was a Jedi Knight, the same as you. When our people controlled three planets in this system, there was a great civil war between us and your father along with another Jedi had been sent to help us bring peace," Merlin explained, "Your father fell in love with my sister, Igraine. But as you know, this love is not allowed in the Jedi Order. I spoke with Uther and told him that if he were to love my sister enough to marry her, than he should be named King and he would unite us again, as we are the ruling family. We needed a strong King and your father was not only strong but peaceful. He would unite us. He left the Jedi Order and married my sister and was crowned King Uther Castus Pendragon and his wife, Queen Igrain Castus Pendragon."
Arthur paused for a moment and looked at Merlin silently. "Where are they now?"
"They were killed," Merlin said softly, looking down at the ground, "It was after we had lived in peace for many years. Then there was war again and the Republic saw an advantage and came here and Ventooine since we no longer controlled three planets and our hold on our homes here was weak. We have no King. I lead these people, but they need a true King, not a wizard simply to guide them. But you, Arthur, are of that line. If you so choose, you may take the path your father chose."