Christmas is almost upon us! So, here's another chapter that I enjoyed writing a lot more than I thought I would. I mean, I knew I'd enjoy it but I think it turned out a lot better.

Outer Rim Territories

15BBY

Imperial shuttles weren't as cosy or as cold as Ruv would've liked. He told himself that it didn't matter – that he was lucky to just be off that sea-soaked prison tower. Heading off into space, the hope of possibility ahead of him… it didn't help him feel warmer, though.

The shuttle Ruv was in was but one of several, all communicating on a single channel over where to fly to. After all, they were all escaped prisoners – enemies of the Empire. Traitors. That ruled out most of the galaxy…

"We should stick to the Outer Rim…" the blonde, bearded man said, emerging from the cockpit. He was clad in his simple tan robes, though he wore the pauldrons, gauntlet and breastplate of a stormtrooper. He clapped his brown eyes on Ruv and pressed a button, closing the door to the cockpit and reaching behind his waist before producing the curved hilt of Ruv's lightsaber. "Glad to see you made it out in one piece," he said, offering the weapon. Ruv took it with a slight bow of his head.

"Thank you," was all Ruv managed. "I thought I was going to die in there… or worse, I…"

"Right place, right time," the stranger said, "that's all. No thanks required." He watched Ruv clip the lightsaber onto his belt. "A practitioner of Makashi?"

Ruv looked back to the man, frowning. "Yes."

"I never did get the hang of that…" He murmured, walking past Ruv and making his way to the holopad, pressing a few buttons until a map of the sector flickered into view. "Never really seemed important, droids don't use lightsabers – well… most of them…"

"Droids?" Ruv frowned. Then it hit him. "You fought in the Clone Wars?" The man turned back to face Ruv as if it was obvious. "When did you leave the Order?"

"Well, strictly speaking, I didn't…" he said, glancing back to the holopad. "The Purge happened before I could tell anyone."

"The purge?" Ruv approached the man, beaming. "I thought I was the only one-"

"No. I can assure you of that…" He spoke curtly and crisply. There was little joy in his voice – not like Ruv's at all. "The Jedi didn't fully die out."

"Well, where are they?" He asked. "Tython? I did think they might relocate-"

"Not as many as you think," the man said, clearing his throat. "Most Jedi died that day."

Ruv nodded, looking at the flickering blue stars on the holomap. Millions of them in the galaxy, and the size of Ruv as opposed to them… it truly did make him feel insignificant. Especially when he realized the Empire ruled all of it. Well, more or less.

He straightened up, reminding himself he was in the presence of a Jedi Knight. "I'm Ruv Arcave," he introduced himself with a hand, "I was the apprentice of To-Gollo Naub."

The man didn't even look at Ruv. He simply walked around the map, pressing buttons and twisting dials on the holopad. "Ving Ximara," he said finally.

Ruv's emerald eyes almost popped out of his head. He immediately straightened up, trying not to smile too much. "I heard a lot about-" He caught himself – he probably sounded… annoying. He cleared his throat. "I'm honoured to meet you," he said. "I've never met a war hero before-"

"I'm not," Ving replied, "according to the Empire, I'm more of a terrorist these days…"

"Why, what have you been doing?"

Ving looked to Ruv. "Apart from that stunt on Zeffo?" Ruv immediately felt foolish, but Ving continued, crossing his arms. "Arms factories, command bases, an ISB officer's home, a scrapyard on Bracca…" he stroked his beard, staring up in thought before finding Ruv again. "Clearly I'm not doing enough…"

"Sorry, I've not…" Ruv paused as men passed through the room with crates of rifles and stromtrooper armour. "I've not really been… listening to stuff lately."

"Lying low…" Ving nodded. "Smart."

"Yeah, that's what… But you've been out there! Attacking bases, rescuing people – actually fighting the Empire."

"More harrying them than fighting them…" Ving muttered.

"Are you working with other Jedi?" Ruv asked. "We could try to rebuild the Order-"

"No, that's…" Ving shook his head. "That wouldn't solve anything."

Ruv frowned. "But… I mean, you just freed a prison full of soldiers – if we got all the Jedi together-"

"I'm not a Jedi," Ving interrupted the boy, "remember?"

"Well then- why bother? If you're not fighting to overthrow the Empire-"

"Of course I'm not overthrowing them," Ving scoffed.

"Then what's the point? What's your… end goal?"

"I don't have one."

Ruv rubbed his brow. "So you're fighting the Empire just… because?"

Ving turned his body to face Ruv. "The Empire is wrong. There's so much darkness about them… but that doesn't mean the Jedi were right either. They were arrogant, scared and foolish old men."

"They were- the Jedi are noble peacekeepers-"

"They instilled fear, punished humanity and rewarded blind obedience," Ving rolled his eyes, seemingly bored of the conversation. "But that doesn't mean I support the Empire." Ruv gritted his teeth. "You still haven't said why you're fighting them."

"Yes, I did. Do I need to say it again?"

"No- I…" Ruv took a breath to calm himself. "If you don't have a purpose… why bother?"

"The Force is balance," Ving said. "They are the scales, I am just weighing them."

"What does that mean?"

Ving stroked his beard as he looked up in thought. "The Empire wants to rule everything. The Jedi sought to indoctrinate us all. Dark and light, good and evil… the Force is all these things. But all sides of it must be balanced. The Jedi, the Empire – everything."

Ruv stood there, looking at the man. He'd heard so many stories about him growing up – how he'd fought in the first ever battle of the Clone Wars on Geonosis. With a force of ten clone troopers, he'd actually managed to destroy a Federation dreadnought. That man – that legend was standing in front of Ruv, telling him the Jedi he fought alongside were nothing but brainwashed zealots.

"How did you come to know this?"
"My Master taught me."

"So you were brainwashed into believing your Master's views?" He asked. Ving smiled slightly, looking back to Ruv.

"I suppose." He stood back from the map and picked up a datacard, sliding it into the slot and zooming in on one planet.

"Does anyone else fight the Empire?" Ruv asked.

"Oh, there's a few dozen resistances throughout the galaxy," Ving said. "All localized to planets, though."

"So, there's not any real threat to them?" He asked, walking around to Ving's side.

Ving smiled at Ruv. "Not yet."

Ruv stared at the planets. Onderon. Manaan. Telos. Zeffo – he couldn't remember the last time he stayed somewhere for longer than a week. Always on the move, living out of the bag on his back. That was what life had become for him. An endless escape. Always on the move.

He took a breath, thinking about the nights he'd woken up in sweats. The constant glancing over his shoulders. The endless list of names he'd used, the counterfeit identifications, the panic and dread whenever he heard a starfighter soar overhead…

"I'm done running," Ruv said firmly. He turned to face Ving. "It won't fix anything."

Ving crossed his arms again, narrowing his eyes as he examined Ruv. "And what will?"

Ruv licked his lips and looked at the map. "Where's the nearest resistance?"

Ving clicked a few buttons and the map shifted to a system of planets. He pointed to the central one. "There – Hoth, in the Javin system," he said.

"Going to throw in your lot with a handful of ice farmers?" Ving asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They'll join with us," Ruv said.

"Us?"

"All of us," Ruv looked around the shuttle. "It's the only shot we have at surviving."

"Fighting the Empire isn't much of a shot," Ving chuckled.

"But it's still a shot."

He stared at Ruv for a moment. "I meant what I said," he stated firmly. "I'm not a Jedi, I'm not out to rebuild the Order."

"It's not about that," Ruv said. "The Empire wants us all dead. I don't need to be a Jedi to fight them – you're not."

Ving rubbed his chin in thought before looking Ruv up and down. "You're not much help…" he said slowly. "Not without some training, anyway."

"Training?" Ruv asked.

"In listening to the Force. Understanding it. Surrendering yourself and allowing it to guide you. Like a… well, not a Jedi, but a rogue Jedi."

"Like a renegade," Ruv said.

Ving smiled. "Exactly – like a renegade." There was a beep and Ving removed the card, handing it to Ruv. "There's our route. Go give it to our pilots," he kept hold of the card when Ruv grabbed it. "Apprentice."

That's it for now, guys. I'll update soon with another Mera chapter, back with Ziv and Awin. I will say – 5 more chapters until this instalment is done.