Ahch-To
Adrielle and Reena were transfixed at the sight before them. Islands scattered across a vast ocean—some of them barren, others adorned with the ruins of what must have been ancient Jedi sites.
"There," Orrickos said, his eyes still closed, as he pointed to a large island, much larger than all the others.
"The Force is exceptionally strong there," Uriel agreed, opening his eyes.
"I think I can land us over there," Reena said as she brought the ship around.
The Mermaid touched down on a fairly expansive stretch of flat land, along the edge of the island.
"You coming, Master?" Uriel asked as he threw his cloak on.
"No," Orrickos replied, "Something tells me this is for you and your, um… ward, to face on your own."
Uriel threw a quick glare at him; he still hadn't quite gotten over his master referring to Adrielle as his "Padawan" as a way to convince the Council of the Ilum expedition. Of course, that was the least of the issues to come from that meeting, but that would be for another day.
"Alright," Uriel said, "Let's go, Lunan. Reena, make sure the old man doesn't croak before we get back."
"We'll be fine," Reena assured him, "I already got the sabacc deck ready."
"Though even if it were my time, I can think of many less pleasant things to look at in my final moments than fair Shy'reena," Orrickos said with a twinkle in his eye, which drew an eyeroll from both Uriel and Reena, before he turned serious again. "Just be careful down there, you two. There's a chance the Force may have something in store for you both during your search for the Harbinger. You may find yourselves tested in unexpected ways. Be ready for anything in there."
"We will, Master," Uriel answered.
"May the Force be with you."
The two of them disembarked and made their way toward the center of the island. They'd traversed for close to five minutes when they were both stopped in their tracks at what lay before them.
"That's a lot of stairs," Adrielle said, trying her best to keep the despair out of her voice.
Uriel cursed. "You gotta be kidding me." He sighed. "Well, nowhere to go but up."
The Devourer
The comm's chime forced Judecca's eyes opened. The annoyance that reflexively came to her vanished almost as quickly when she guessed who it must have been on the other end.
She approached the holoterminal and took the call. The image of an Imperial soldier flickered into existence. He gave a bow before standing at attention again.
"Speak," Judecca commanded.
"I received the information you ordered, my lord" the soldier reported, "There was indeed an individual by the name of Adrielle Lunan logged onto the spaceport departure records on the day we made planetfall."
"And?"
"The logs say she departed on the vessel Drowning Mermaid. Civilian transponder."
Judecca's heart seemed to stop momentarily.
The Drowning Mermaid.
A name she was all too familiar with.
The Drowning Mermaid.
Which could only mean Shy'reena, and which in turn could only mean…
"And…" she continued in a subdued voice, "Did they have a destination logged?"
The soldier shook his head. "No, my lord, there was no destination logged. Only that they—"
Judecca cut the transmission and looked down. Her breathing quickened, as her hand clenched into a fist, which trembled, before she shot it out with a roar toward a glass on her desk.
The glass shattered where it stood.
"Oh I know," she seethed, "I know exactly where they've taken her…"
She strode out of her chambers and made her way to the bridge.
"Get me in contact with Lord Setrak on the Vitriol. I'm temporarily handing command over all operations on Obroa-skai to her."
"Yes my lord," the comms officer acknowledged. He made the call.
Moments later, the image of Darth Setrak appeared on the bridge.
"Lord Judecca," Setrak greeted, cordially bowing her head, "Is there something you need from us?"
"As a matter of fact I do," Judecca replied, "I need you to take temporary command of all operations here on Obroa-skai."
A silence permeated the bridge. Setrak too was struck speechless for a few seconds before recovering.
"This is somewhat short notice, don't you think?" she asked, "You couldn't have informed this of me in advance?"
"Something's come up. I'll have all relevant intel and information on current operations relayed to you. It won't be long, don't worry. And…" Judecca looked around her to make sure all eyes were on her when she added the next part: "If it assuage your fear, this will all be unofficial. Meaning any failures on your part will be attributed to the Devourer, and all here will face the consequences even on pain of death before exposing your role." The wave of panic, followed by resignation, washed over her quickly, as she continued, "Of course, that won't save you from my punishment afterward. Are we clear?"
Setrak nodded. "Crystal."
"Good. Expect the relevant intel within the hour. Until I contact you again, you are in command now, Lord Setrak."
Setrak bowed once more before the hologram faded.
Judecca turned back to the comms officer. "Now get me in touch with Lords Gorn of the Lamia and Vyr of the Gravehound. I'm officially relieving them of their duties temporarily."
More confusion; this time the comms officer couldn't help himself. "My lord?"
"They're coming with me." Judecca turned to astronav. "Set hyperspace coordinates and send them to the Lamia and Gravehound."
"My lord!" the comms officer interjected once more, "Forgive my questioning, but is Lord Phagos aware of—"
His words—and breath—caught in his throat, as he brought his hands to grasp at his neck futilely.
"No, you will not be forgiven," Judecca said as she held her fist out, "You will listen, and you will obey."
The comms officer nodded frantically, then let in a deep breath as Judecca released her hold. She turned back to astronav. "I assume you have no objections?"
"No, my lord," the nav officer replied quickly, "We'll input coordinates and relay to Lords Gorn and Vyr immediately. What's the location?"
Judecca turned forward once more, looking out the viewport.
"We're going to Dantooine."
The Vanicus
"Captain!" one of the officers called out, "We're picking up movement from the Sith fleet. It…" He looked closer just to make sure he wasn't misreading anything before continuing. "Sir it looks like the Devourer is shifting direction, facing away from the planet."
"Bring up display!" Richter ordered. A holomap of the planet and all ship positions came into view.
"Also," the officer continued, "It looks like the Lamia and Gravehound seem to forming on their position."
Karmus looked at his captain. "I don't get it. What're they planning?"
"Tell me," Richter said, "Doesn't it kind of look to you like they're preparing to leave?"
"Why would their flagship up and leave mid-campaign?"
"I don't know." Richter put a hand to his chin. "But I don't like it." He looked at Karmus. "Deploy a wing of scout fighters. See if they can tap into them, their comms, navigation systems, anything."
"Sir," Karmus began, "That kind of operation… There's almost a guarantee they'll be made in the process. And it could make for just the opening they'd need to initiate a skirmish."
"I know…" Richter said solemnly, "And if it were any other ship I wouldn't take the risk. But it's the Devourer. I'm not taking any chances with Phagos."
Karmus nodded. "Yes sir. I'll give the command."
Ahch-To
"Stop here."
Uriel got down on one knee, placing the palm of one hand on the ground and closing his eyes.
Adrielle stood silent, watching him.
Uriel sighed "Well?" he said, his eyes still closed, "Would you like an invitation?"
Adrielle followed suit. Her hand on the ground and eyes closed, she had no idea what she was looking or feeling for. She could undoubtedly feel strong pulsations both around, above and under her, but making sense of them was a whole other matter.
"You sense it?" Uriel asked.
Adrielle paused, considering bluffing before thinking better of it. "I sense things, but I don't know what to make of it."
"Because you're just grabbing at the Force all random like a toddler. Narrow your focus. Where are we?"
Was this a trick question? "We're on… Ahch…To?"
"And what is Ahch-To?"
"… A Jedi world?"
"So logically, what's something one would normally never expect to feel while on a Jedi world?"
"… Chaos?"
Close enough. "The dark side," Uriel answered, "This place has been abandoned for centuries, but the Force presence is understandably strong. But dig further down. Try and find it."
Adrielle tried extending her senses downward. As she did, she could feel a sense of what she could only believe was anxiety, but she wasn't sure if it was real or just her own mind tricking her.
"Below us," Uriel declared, opening his eyes and looking at her. "The dark side is unusually present down there. If you were going to hide an artifact inherently strong with the Force, especially from those who have the ability to perceive beyond their physical senses, wouldn't you hide it in a place strong in the opposite energy, as a way of neutralizing its presence?"
Adrielle opened her eyes and looked at him for a couple seconds.
"… Am I supposed to answer that?"
Uriel rolled his eyes. "Just follow me," he ordered, suddenly getting up and walking off the path. Adrielle quickly followed suit.
They continued their trek. At one point Adrielle briefly glanced behind her and noticing that the area behind them was higher up. She hadn't even noticed that the ground sloped downward. The slope was so slight and subtle she didn't feel any change in her pace, had never even realized that she was descending.
Finally, they came to the opening of a cave. Uriel unhooked his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it before continuing in. The adjoining cavern was massive—far more than the outside had suggested.
"Wait!" Adrielle said suddenly as she wrapped her arms around her.
"What?" Uriel looked back.
"I… I don't want to go in there." Her breathing had quickened.
"We have to."
"This place… the cold… the emptiness… It's almost like dying but without the sleep."
"Stop being a coward," Uriel scolded, "The dark side only has as much power as you allow it to have. Control your fear."
"No, I can't." She turned to run out, but Uriel grabbed her by the wrist.
"Listen to me!" Uriel said, forcefully turning her to face him. "You have the first Harbinger in you. Whatever's in there protecting the other one, I have to believe it'll only reveal its secrets to you. Now you have my word that I will stay close and guard you as best I can, but it has to be you! You don't have a choice in this, not anymore. Do you understand?"
Adrielle looked at him, as she struggled to calm her breathing. Finally, she nodded.
"Good." Uriel turned back around. "Just stay within the light of my blade, and you'll be fine."
They progressed further into the cave, Uriel's blade lighting the way. Eventually, though, as they continued, they noticed something interesting: For the first time since they'd first entered, it seemed to be getting brighter. Almost as if with every step, the illumination provided by the lightsaber was enhanced.
"Hold!" Uriel ordered; they both stopped. At this point the darkness of the cave was all but extinguished, as the blue light from his blade saturated the cavern. But directly ahead of them, he could vaguely make something out. He stretched out his sword arm, pointing it directly ahead of him to light the area before them.
They were met with a young woman hiding behind a man holding a beam of light, standing a few meters in front of them.
It took a fraction of a second for him to register it. "A mirror," he breathed.
Adrielle glanced over his shoulder to see. Indeed, their reflections were gazing right back at them. This must have been the reason the light of Uriel's blade had been enhanced.
Uriel moved his lightsaber around to get a better view of the rest of the area in front of him, only to realize that the entirety of the wall before them was a mirror, with no sign of any gap, or doorway, or means of getting past or through. Which could only mean…
"This is the trial," he concluded, as he looked at Adrielle. "This is where you come in."
Adrielle looked him in confusion. "But, what am I supposed to do?"
"How the hell should I know?" Uriel answered, "It's not like I've been here before. I'm guessing the trial will reveal itself to you. Just, you know, go up there. Look into the mirror. Maybe it'll show you some clue or secret to finding the Harbinger." Uriel raised his lightsaber. "Anything happens or something jumps out at you, I'll be ready to intercept. I'll be behind you. Stop being afraid."
Adrielle looked at him for a moment, before nodding. Turning to face the mirror, she approached, watching her reflection walk toward her as she closed the distance. Stopping a few feet from the mirror, she stared into her reflection's eyes, as it simply stared back.
"Anything?" Uriel asked.
Adrielle looked back and shook her head. "It's… just a mirror."
"There has to be something to it." Uriel went up to the mirror, standing right behind Adrielle and looking in the mirror at both his and Adrielle's reflections. He raised his lightsaber to the mirror to have a better look at their reflections—his brown boots, white robes, black cloak, and black hair; her brown boots, beige pants, turquoise top, and black hair—
WHAT?
Uriel jerked his head toward Adrielle, as she looked at him with a curious expression on her face, draped by blonde hair whose green dye was now only visible if one looked closely.
"What is it?" she asked.
Uriel looked back at the mirror. Now the black-haired girl's clothes were replaced by Jedi robes. He stretched out his lightsaber even more and took several more steps forward to get a better look at the girl's reflection that was now standing behind his. He let out a gasp of shock and joy as soon as the light fully illuminated her face.
"Janiah!"
He took a couple more steps before stopping himself.
No. It couldn't be Janiah. He knew rationally it was impossible. He briefly looked down, ashamed and disgusted at his gullibility, before looking back up.
Just in time to see the girl's reflection ignite a crimson-blade and raise it toward his own reflection.
"NO!"
He turned to block the red blade and stared into the young woman's hate-filled eyes.
"Judecca…" Uriel growled as he pushed his former apprentice off him and went on the attack. As he rained blow upon blow, he could sense her focus rapidly coming apart.
"This is all, Judecca? Disappointing!" he taunted as he pushed her back further, "You're even worse than your Padawan days!"
Finally he got his opening, striking her saber with such force that it went flying, before using the Force to send her flying and landing hard on her back. With a roar he leapt and came down upon her, his blade falling upon her.
"URIEL NO!"
The blade stopped inches from her. Uriel looked down to see Adrielle's tear-stricken face, hyperventilating and overcome with terror.
Uriel's eyes widened, as he stepped away from her. "No… it… I…" What the hell had he just done? What the hell had he been about to do? He turned and fled further into the cave.
"URIEL!" Adrielle cried out as she saw the blue light go further in. She caught her breath, stood on shaky legs and made her way to her fallen electroblade, picking it up with a trembling hand. Reactivating it, she began walking cautiously toward the blue glow of Uriel's lightaber, her weapon positioned in front of her, watching close for any sudden movements of the light.
She found him sitting on the ground, his back against the mirror, knees up with his head buried in them, his lightsaber held loosely in his hand.
She approached him lightly, and placed a hand on his shoulder. His head jerked up, causing her to flinch and step back, and he looked at her, before looking back at the mirror; there was only his and Adrielle's reflections.
"I'm…" Uriel began as he dropped his lightsaber, darkness once more giving way as the blade went out. "I'm sorry, I—" He stopped himself, having lost the words. "KRIFFING IDIOT!" He pounded the ground hard, savoring the pain now throbbing in his hand. He hung his head again. Adrielle sat next to him, discreetly taking his lightsaber and putting it on her other side so that she was between him and it.
"Janiah…" she began, not even sure if she should, "She… she was your first student, right? You lost her… but not because she died… because she…" She stopped herself there.
After a moment's silence, Uriel looked up at her.
"…Yeah." He looked up and around the now darkened cave. "Damn this place. Whatever it is, it's not worth it." He shakily got to his feet. "We can cave it in, have the Republic orbital bomb it to hell, make sure no one ever finds it… Maybe hopefully the Harbinger will go up in flames with it." He looked down at Adrielle and extended a hand. Looking up, she took his lightsaber and held it up to him.
He took her by the wrist to help her to her feet, and spit on the ground before turning in the direction of the cave exit. "Let's go."
They made it a few steps before a blue light engulfed the cavern.
Uriel and Adrielle looked back. There in the mirror, Uriel's reflection was holding up his lightsaber.
"The hell…" Uriel said as he approached the mirror once more, his lightsaber still inert in his hand. He looked at his reflection, who nodded in acknowledgement. It reached into its robe, and took out a jet black object shaped like a three-pronged star, with the blue end shining more brightly than the red and violet tips. It brandished it before putting it back in its cloak.
Uriel reached into his own cloak and to his astonishment, felt the prick of tip of an object. He withdrew it and looked down upon it, gazing at the bright blue tip.
"The Harbinger," he whispered.
Just then, the blue end shone blindingly, causing Uriel and Adrielle to grunt in pain.
The Devourer
"My lord!" One of the officers ran over to Judecca's prone form. He knelt down to check her pulse.
"Touch me, and lose that hand," Judecca warned as she sat up.
She'd felt it as soon as they'd dropped out of hyperspace near Dantooine's orbit: what seemed like an explosion in the Force. Reaching out, she could sense that Lords Gorn and Vyr on the accompanying ships had been affected. But Judecca felt something else within that flash; something no one else would've been able to detect.
Uriel… That was you, wasn't it?
She cursed under her breath. She'd taken the Devourer, along with two other ships, out of Obroa-skai, in vain; Adrielle Lunan, the insolent civilian who'd taken the Harbinger, wasn't down there. And what's more, Uriel of all people had seemingly just helped her to find a second one. This whole journey had been for nothing.
No, she decided, Not for nothing. I won't waste this opportunity to see Dantooine burn!
"Proceed with the attack!" she commanded, getting to her feet. Then, bringing her mind back to that moment, she closed her eyes and, using the intimate connection that they'd once shared as an anchor—one of the few vestiges from a time of her life she'd rather pretend was just a bad dream—she tried to pinpoint his location.
Got you!
She sensed a world that she'd never been on, in a region of the galaxy she didn't even know existed. But it was more than enough.
Jumping to her feet, she made her way to her chambers. Inside, she went to the holocomm and made the call.
The image of Viah Thavid came into view.
"I have a lead for you," Judecca said, "I know where your target is."
