Authors Note:
All Star Wars references are the exclusive property of George Lucas. I do not own them, I'm just borrowing them for a little while so please don't sue.
This story is an AU.
Dramatis Personae
(In order of appearance)
Cestus Rau; Male Human Jedi
Yoda; Male, Species Unknown; Jedi Master
Mace Windu; Male Human Jedi Master
Plo Koon; Male Kel Dor Jedi Master
Ki Adi Mundi; Male Cerean Jedi Master
Qui Gon Jinn; Male Human Jedi Master
Obi Wan Kenobi; Male Human Padawan/Jedi/Master
Nejaa Halcyon; Male Human Corellian Jedi Master
Tala Norbri; Human Female Padawan/Jedi
Anakin Skywalker; Male Human Padawan/Jedi
Count Dooku; Male Human Jedi Master/Sithlord
Palpatine; Male Human; Supreme Chancellor/Emperor/Sithlord
Darth Vader; Male Human Sithlord
To be an Outcast
By
jediryu
Jedi Cestus, human male, perhaps 5'10" tall, reddish-brown hair, and eyes of hazel, entered the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for what he believed would be the last time with an ambiguous mix of trepidation and lightheartedness. His earliest memories were of the Temple and the various Jedi and Masters that had been his friends, companions, and teachers.
Upon becoming one of the youngest men ever promoted to full Jedi Knight status in nearly one hundred standard years, he accessed his records to find that he had been born on Mon Calamari, the youngest of three children born to Antay and Shaela Rau, a pair of minor functionaries employed by the Republic Embassy there.
His curiosity satisfied, he ended his records search and began his life as a Jedi Knight, never again looking back into his own past. That simple act earned him the first disciplinary action taken against him. As he started towards the nearest lift to take him to the Council Chambers high atop the spire of the Temple, he remembered the first time he had been called before the Council: He stood in the center of the Council Chamber with only those members who had been his specific teachers: Yoda, Mace Windu, Plo Koon and Ki Adi Mundi; his former master, Qui Gon Jinn, by his side. Yoda spoke first: "Know you why you are here Jedi Cestus?" "No Master Yoda, I don't." Mace Windu spoke next: "You are here because you used your new status as Knight selfishly. A Jedi has no family but the Force and his fellow Jedi. You accessed the names of your birth parents. Why did you do that Jedi Cestus?"
"I'm sorry Masters. I only wanted to know where I came from. I did not have then nor do I have now any intention of seeking them out for any kind of acknowledgement nor do I plan on claiming their name. But recently, I had a dream that somehow, my true name, Cestus Rau would be important. I honestly believe the Force told me this. Maybe, at some point in the future, the Force will make it clearer to me, but I felt it important now, to do this."
The oldest human on the Jedi Council spoke again: "That may be, but the issue here is that you used your status to access the database. If, on the other hand, at some point in the future on a mission for the Jedi, you had come across this information on your own, we would not be having this conversation. A Jedi shall not know possession or attachment. The Code expressly forbids it."
As Mace concluded his statement, Qui Gon took the opportunity to come to the defense of his former Padawan: "I believe this to be a simple case of misdirected energy. What harm can it cause for this young man to simply know where he came from? Your own birth family has tried numerous times to contact you Master Windu and yet you do not answer them nor do you stand before the Council for disciplinary action over said contact."
The dark skinned man's complexion deepened marginally at mention of the letters that still came to him once a standard year on his lifeday. Qui Gon continued with: "If he says the Force has told him it will somehow be important to simply know his full name, who are we to argue with it. All of us here know that he is unusually strong in some of his skills."
"Refer you to his ability of visions of the future perhaps?" Yoda said. Qui Gon replied: "I do Master Yoda. Do you still remember his vision of the death of Master Sifo- Dyas? What of his visions of a great darkness coming?" Ki Adi Mundi spoke: "We do indeed remember Master Qui Gon, but we have departed from the subject at hand. Jedi Cestus did access information he had no need to know. I suggest we restrict his access privileges for one standard year and refrain from sending him offplanet without supervision on missions at the same time."
Silent until now Plo Koon said: "I agree with Master Mundi. I will watch over Jedi Cestus for that standard year if there are no objections." In turn, each master agreed with Koon. Qui Gon said: "I respectfully do not agree with you. I was his Master. If the seeking of knowledge for the sake of knowledge is wrong then the blame is mine and mine alone, not his. I will see to his restriction."
Mace Windu had recovered his poise by this time and said: "Master Qui Gon, you are expected in the Padawan selection chamber. We have a new crop of Younglings needing Masters. That is where you are needed for now. You are both dismissed. May the Force be with you both."
Outside the main Chamber, Qui Gon took Cestus aside and said: "My final lesson to you Jedi Cestus will be this: keep that curiosity. Continue to seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge. The Living Force will be your guide . . . always. Farewell."
As he walked through the corridors of the only place he knew of as home, memories continued to come to him: "Are you absolutely certain you want to use two lightsabers Jedi Cestus? "Yes Master Koon, I am. I have two hands and time on them due to my restriction to Coruscant. I may as well learn to use them effectively." "Very well Jedi Cestus, I will first evaluate your ability. Master Qui Gon Jinn was adamant about your growing skills with a lightsaber. Use mine as your second until I decide one way or another."
Cestus smiled and said: "With due respect Master Koon, I already took the liberty of building a second one." Taking the second saber out of the folds of his robe, Cestus ignited both green bladed sabers and held the left horizontally across his waist and the right horizontally across his chest and said: "Shall we begin Master Koon?"
Unconsciously touching both sabers at his belt, one with each hand, Cestus thought to himself: "I trained constantly for that year of restriction with Master Koon. When my restriction was lifted and I began fulfilling missions for the Council, I still practiced, every day, until I was deemed a master of two-saber fighting." More memories followed: Mace Windu came to him unexpectedly and escorted him to the Council Chamber atop the spire and upon taking him inside to the rest of the Council took his seat and said: "Jedi Cestus, for ten years, you have acquitted yourself well. Your missions, but for a few exceptions, have been successful, unorthodox perhaps, but successful nonetheless, and your abilities in the Force only continue to grow. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate you on becoming one of the youngest men to ever be promoted to Master in over one hundred and fifty standard years."
From where Cestus knelt in the Council Chamber, he looked up into the eyes of the Council members and said: "Thank you Masters. I will endeavor to be a credit to the Order and justify the faith you have shown in me today. I have but one request to make if I may?"
"Your mind, you are free to speak Master Cestus." Yoda said. Cestus said: "I ask that I be given one standard year before being assigned a Padawan. I must accustom myself to this new status before I make another mistake like I did upon my becoming a full Knight. Please understand that having learned from the past, I have no wish to repeat it."
A new light of respect glinted in the eyes of many of the Masters as Mace Windu said: "You have already demonstrated the lesson you learned by asking this and your request is granted. Travel where you will for one standard year Master Cestus, and return to us." "Thank you all very much Masters." Cestus said.
Travel he did. Listening only to the Force for guidance resulted in the occasional meeting up with Qui Gon Jinn and assisting him, and meeting Qui Gon's newest Padawan at the time, Obi Wan Kenobi.During onesuch meeting would be the first time Obi-Wan ever saw two lightsabers being used at the same time.
Cestus encountered his former Master and his former Master's Padawan on Corellia as well as encountering a Corellian Jedi Master named Nejaa Halcyon. The group met near Treasure Ship row in an empty warehouse and discussed their options. They were there to prevent an alliance between a newly established Hutt syndicate and an older and far more dangerous one named Black Sun. While on his travels, Cestus had encountered several references to Black Sun and had also had a Force Vision warning of incredible danger if the two syndicates merged resources.
The three Masters had almost settled on a course of action when each of their danger senses flared to life, including young Kenobi's. Cestus immediately stepped back and decided to follow the lead of the two senior Masters present. Qui Gon and Nejaa decided to try and lead the attackers away. "Cestus, stay here and watch over my Padawan please. Halcyon and I will lead them away."
In a voice just beginning to change Obi-Wan said: "But Master I want to go with you. I can hold off criminal thugs too." Qui Gon said with a smile: "You're good against remotes but good enough against the living you aren't just yet. Stay with Master Cestus and obey him as you would me." "Yes Master," said a dejected Padawan.
Qui Gon motioned with his hand to Cestus who stepped over and listened as Qui Gon said in his ear: "There are many attackers waiting for us. If anything happens to me, I want you to finish Obi-Wan's training. Will you do that for me please?" Cestus concealed his surprise in the Force and said just as quietly: "I could never replace you Master and though I don't believe myself ready for a Padawan just yet, I will do as you ask." Smiling again, Qui Gon said: "You are ready Cestus and thank you."
The two elder Masters left and Cestus walked over to Obi-Wan and said: "Never fear Padawan Kenobi. Your Master was once mine as you well know, he'll be fine." Obi-Wan's voice cracked a little when he tried to speak at first so he cleared his throat and said: "I know Master Cestus but still I want to help him." "I know you do, but he only wants to protect you is all." Obi-Wan spoke again and said: "Master, I've wanted to ask you but why do you have two lightsabers? I'm learning with one and it's very difficult at times. How do you do it?"
Before he could answer, Cestus's danger sense flared stronger than ever as the skylights above his head were broken in and several attackers of different species came rappelling in on liquid lines. Cestus shoved the Padawan into the shelter of some empty crates drew both sabers, turned, ignited both weapons and proceeded to show the young Padawan.
When it was over, bodies and parts of bodies were strewn about and Cestus had the last one pinned to the ground with both sabers in a scissor lock over the attacker's neck. "Who sent you and how did you know where to find us?" The last one stared up defiantly and said: "The Black Sun never sets!" With that, he bit down on something and then stared up with dead eyes as a white froth poured forth out of his mouth and a sick, gurgling sound could be heard. Cestus took his sabers away from the dead man's neck and stepped back as the body began to spasm and writhe.
Deactivating his weapons but keeping one in hand as a precaution and the other on its hook on his belt, Cestus made his way back to where Obi-Wan hid. The Padawan had gotten sick from the carnage he had to witness as Cestus knelt beside him and handed him a cloth from an inner pocket of his robes. After a few minutes, he said: "I'm sorry you had to see that Padawan Kenobi. The ability to fight with two sabers is difficult to master and even harder to fight against, though it can be done. Judging from your reaction, I would say that this if your first exposure to a hard fight. Am I correct?"
Obi-Wan had finished cleaning himself up and said: "Yes Master Cestus. Master Qui Gon has rarely had to fight in the time I've been with him. He's always going on about the Living Force being your ally in battle. Does the Living Force enable you to fight like that?"
Unexpectedly, Cestus had a vision of an adult Obi-Wan fighting a Zabrak with a double bladed saber staff and holding his own, an adult Obi-Wan fighting in an arena deflecting blaster bolts without breaking a sweat, an adult Obi-Wan facing some kind of cyborg, and lastly an adult Obi-Wan fighting a tall slender man with long brown hair, eyes, one of them carrying a vertical scar just over and just under it, that seemed to change color between ice blue and yellow-red with the both of them surrounded by liquid fire on all sides.
He said: "It does at that Padawan Kenobi, it does at that. Never forget the Living Force." Cestus felt a calming presence in the Force and knew Qui Gon Jinn and Nejaa Halcyon to be safe and on the way back to them and told Obi-Wan as much.
Five minutes later, the two elder Masters came in, Halcyon said: "Unfortunately our mission is a failure. The two syndicates already joined forces before we got here. It's time for us to leave now before more attackers come."
Obi-Wan went to his master's side and started firing off a hundred questions. Cestus walked over to his former master and said: "I'm sorry, but I seem to have started something for your Padawan, Master." Qui Gon just laughed lightly and said: "Not to worry my friend, and just call me Qui Gon from now on. I'm no longer your Master, but your friend and equal." Cestus smiled and said: "Yes Mas—er I mean Qui Gon."