The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 43
The First Step
Captain Thrawn was unconventional by every definition of the word. Especially when that word was applied to the Galactic Imperial Navy. On the surface, he was not that striking. His grey officer's uniform was always pristine. No loose threads in the seams. Pressed and cleaned to a perfect finish. The lines crisp and straight. The colored badges that indicated rank all symmetrical on his left breast. The model look of an officer.
If only he was human, he would have been made an Admiral by now.
The Chiss officer was not a fool. He knew how the other officers in the Imperial Navy thought of him. He was an alien. From his closely cropped black hair, pupil-less red eyes, to royal blue skin. Not a single aspect of him was human. In his mind, that was a good thing. He admired the human race for their creativity. But he was always perplexed by their illogical and irrational thought patterns.
Most of the other Chiss in the Ascendancy thought of the humans almost like rabid parasites. But Thrawn was not foolish like the leaders of his old home. The human race were not parasites. Sure, by most traditional metrics, they were an invasive species. You would be hard pressed not to find a human on any world in the known galaxy. Their population had spread dramatically. But that was not due to a parasitic nature. Rather, in Thrawn's estimation, it was due to a raw determination and stunning amount of cunning that few galactic societies were capable of.
And he saw that determination and cunning in The Emperor. But the Emperor also exhibited inhuman characteristics that gave pause to Thrawn. There was a coldness to the Emperor's cunning. A startling efficiency and logic that made the Chiss's blood go cold in his veins. The Emperor was not a man to be crossed. Not someone to be trifled with or challenged.
To coin the old human saying; if you can't beat them, join them.
"Captain."
Thrawn glanced to his right. His young aide, a human officer named commander Eli Vanto, strode towards him.
"The engraving is almost complete." The commander said with a small smile, "She will undoubtedly be your ship."
Thrawn let a small smirk cross his lips as he looked up at the underbelly of his ship, the Chimaera. Engraved on the underbelly was a personal touch Thrawn wanted to have. A great Chimaera beast etched into the metal. When he arrived in battle, everyone, friend and foe would know. And they would know that they were defeated.
Commander Vanto drew a data pad, "The ship is magnificent sir. It has the most up to date turbo-lasers. A large enough hanger bay to accommodate multiple squadrons of Tie Fighters and Bombers with room to spare for three or four Lambda shuttles. The cargo bays have enough room to hold two years worth of provisions, making the need for port not an issue for a long time. Shielding technology is state of the art, for the Navy." Vanto let out a happy sigh, "It is a naval officer's dream come true."
Thrawn did not say a word. He simply kept walking beneath his new home. Red eyes darting up every so often to glance at the magnificent work. Most Imperial vessels were not that special. But there was a certain pride one took when a ship became their own. Thrawn folded his hands behind his back.
"Is she ready to disembark?" Thrawn asked.
"The engraving needs to settle for an hour or two." Vanto replied, "Then she is ready for takeoff. The crew are already all aboard and acclimating to their stations."
Thrawn nodded. He was very pleased. His crew were already doing their due diligence. Which meant the Emperor made sure to outfit his ship with the brightest minds and the most hardworking of soldiers. That would certainly rub the other Imperial officers in the navy the wrong way, but frankly he did not care. Let them think what they will of him. Thrawn would outshine them all.
"Do we have our first assignment?" He asked Vanto as he made his way towards the shuttle that would take him aboard his ship.
They both stepped onto the shuttle as Vanto scrolled through pages on the data pad. There was a perplexed expression on the man's face as they rose through the air up into the Chimaera's main hangar bay.
His silence was actually beginning to concern Thrawn as they stepped off the shuttle and onto the Chimaera. All around Thrawn, stormtroopers were going about their tasks. Their white armor polished so clean he could see his own reflection in it as he walked by them. Officers in black uniforms were barking orders at enlisted men as they finished final preparations for takeoff. Everyone aboard his ship seemed frantic.
Why are we preparing for take off?
"I'm sorry, Captain." Vanto breathed, "But every time I try to bring up our mission report, it kicks me out. I don't have the clearance."
Thrawn raised an eyebrow, "Strange." he muttered.
Someone ordered take off on his ship. But that did not explain the frantic nature of his crew. They all seemed nervous. Afraid even. Was there an admiral aboard his ship? Thrawn turned and made straight away for the bridge.
"I just tried your clearance sir." Vanto said as he attempted to keep pace with Captain, "No luck still."
The mystery grows.
And the mystery was solved as he entered the bridge. Both Vanto and Thrawn stopped in their tracks. He heard Vanto suck in a sharp breath at who they saw standing in front of the Chimaera's expansive stood a head taller than anyone else on the bridge. Exuding a power and authority that no one, except the Emperor himself, could produce. Thrawn actually found himself growing a touch hesitant as he looked upon the back of Darth Vader. Nevertheless, he swallowed his own apprehension and stepped into the bridge.
"You have finally arrived, Captain." Vader's voice boomed over the bridge.
"I was under the impression that take off would not occur until I received an assignment." Thrawn's calm, even voice replied.
"Your impression was wrong. And you have received an assignment." Vader kept his gaze focused out on the shipyard, "One not meant for imperial channels."
Thrawn remained expressionless. But in his mind, he was surprised. The Emperor must have taken an extreme interest in him if he was being given a secret mission. A mission so secretive that not even major admirals could know about it.
"Perhaps we should take this discussion somewhere more private then?" Thrawn asked.
"Yes. We shall go to my quarters."
Your quarters!?
Now Thrawn was very surprised. Was Vader now his commanding officer? He recalled the stormtroopers he saw in the hangar bay. They moved like absolute professionals. Not like the usual conscripts the Imperial navy now had. That meant that these were not new soldiers. These were veterans. Hardened by the crucible of war.
They were Vader's Fist, the 501st.
Not only is Lord Vader on my ship, but his soldiers man it. The door to Vader's personal quarters hissed closed behind them. Eli Vanto wisely remained outside. The young officer knew when to give Thrawn space. And this was definitely one of those moments, What exactly is going on?
"You are apprehensive, Captain?" Vader thundered, "Perhaps, fearful?"
Thrawn straightened, "Not fearful, Lord Vader. More curious."
"You were not aware that I and the 501st would be a part of your crew?"
Thrawn shook his head, "I was not."
"Good. It shall stay that way when it comes to the admirals in the fleet." Vader replied as he moved over to a data pad on a nearby table. He grabbed the data pad and handed it to Thrawn, "Our mission is on there."
Thrawn blinked, "Our?"
"Yes, our." Vader replied, "The Emperor wishes for us to work together in this endeavor."
Thrawn pressed his lips together. He entered his clearance and the data pad came to life in his hands. His brow furrowed in confusion.
"A search and discovery mission? What could we be looking for that requires such high levels of clearance?" He handed the data pad back to Vader.
"A planet." Vader replied.
"Specifics?" Thrawn pressed.
Vader towered over him, "An inhabited planet."
Thrawn grimaced, "Well, that narrows the possibilities down to several thousand. Do we have a general location?"
Vader did not answer.
"So we are looking for an unknown planet in a region spanning the entire galaxy?" Thrawn took a breath, "The Emperor certainly likes to make missions entertaining."
"You do not think this too much for you?"
Thrawn shook his head, "No puzzle is unsolvable, Lord Vader. Given enough time, the answer will be found. I assume the Emperor has a very expressed interest in this planet. One that is rather personal given the secrecy surrounding this mission."
Vader walked past Thrawn and into a room that branched off of the living space. Inside of the other room was a large, black spherical structure. It was open. Cracked in half like an egg. Inside was a simple seat and multiple screens from which a person could gather information. Thrawn's analytical mind raced as he took in the dimensions of the structure.
It was a pod of some sort. One that could have its air pressure regulated from the inside.
Vader took a seat inside of the pod.
"Look up the report regarding the planet known as Mortis." Vader ordered, "From there, go to Lothal. That is where our search will begin."
Lothal? Searching for an unknown planet in the mid-rim? Thrawn was now confused. Most planets in the mid-rim were already mapped and accounted for. Inhabited by multiple civilizations even.
"Do I have the clearance to look up the Mortis Report?" Thrawn asked.
This was a tantalizing puzzle. One he was anxious to start solving. But he needed the first piece in order to start placing everything else together.
No, he had the first piece already. The importance of this mission was an enormous part of this puzzle. The Emperor himself wished for this to remain secret. He had assigned Lord Vader and his personal legion to the mission. Had given command of the ship flying them to an alien Captain. One that was rising quickly in the naval ranks and was not held in high regard due to his alien nature and intellect. But was held in high esteem by the Emperor for those very same reasons.
This was something personal to the Emperor. Something he wanted done by the best minds in the Empire. And trusted only to his most loyal of servants. Thrawn was the mind. Vader the loyalty; as well as the fist that would crush Thrawn if he failed.
Vader did not reply as the pod sealed closed. Thrawn furrowed his brow but did not press the enigmatic figure with anymore questions. The Chiss officer turned on his heel and made his way back to the door, where Eli Vanto was waiting.
"Sir, what is the nature of our mission?" Vanto asked.
Thrawn eyed the young officer. He was very nervous. His complexion looked sickly. That was understandable. Lord Vader was an intimidating figure to behold. His reputation among the navy was well known. He did not tolerate incompetence or failure. Officers that displayed those traits were not just removed. They were eliminated by the Emperor's attack dog personally. Vanto understood the danger that he and Thrawn were now exposed to. He was very observant that way. It was why Thrawn appreciated him as an aide.
"I want everything regarding the planet known as Mortis brought to me at once." Thrawn ordered as he made his way back towards the bridge.
"M-Mortis?" Vanto asked, "I don't believe I've ever heard of such a place. Do I have the clearance for that?"
"You should." Thrawn answered.
Vanto appeared skeptical. He punched in his codes to the data pad and drew back in surprise.
"I-I have top clearance now!?"
Thrawn's lips curled into a small smirk. Lord Vader worked quickly.
"Well, Commander?"
Vanto gaped at the screen a moment longer before stammering back, "I-I will have all information on Mortis relayed to you immediately, sir."
Thrawn nodded, "Good." The door to the bridge opened, "In the meantime, inform the rest of the crew of our destination."
"That being?"
"Lothal."
Vanto raised his brow, "Lothal? That is a backwater world to say the least. Why there?"
Thrawn stood in front of the viewport. The Chimaera's engines thundered to life for the first time. He watched as the skyline of Coruscant started to shrink beneath him.
"The next piece to the puzzle is on Lothal, Commander." Thrawn answered as the ship lumbered out into orbit, "I intend to find it. When we jump to lightspeed, assemble a task force of our best men to descend down to the surface with Lord Vader. I have no doubt that he will want to lead this part of the mission, personally."
Vanto saluted and marched away to carry out the Captain's orders. Thrawn took a breath. His first mission as the commander of his own ship, and it was a secret one. How fitting.
"Enter hyperspace." He ordered.
The stars in front of him became large beams of light. The hyperdrive generator roared to life. And the Chimeara shot off into the stars.
….
Ben frowned beneath his hood as he sat hunched over beneath the thick branches of an oak tree. His hood was soaking wet. As was his cloak. Pretty much every article of clothing on his body and in his small traveling pack were soaking wet. It had rained for three straight days. A violent thunderstorm that had severely hampered his progress and forced the group to take shelter far more often than they had time for.
When he, Robin, Gaius, Tharja, and Panne all set out from Ylisstol, they did not have a single destination in mind. Finding Luke was going to be a monumental task. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Except that needle also happens to have a cloaking device on it.
Ben's frown deepened. During the times where they were forced to set up camp and take shelter, he threw himself into the Force. He hoped that by delving deep into the waters of the living force, he would be able to pick up Luke's force signature. He was the son of Anakin Skywalker. That alone gave the boy enough of a predisposition to the Force to make him very prominent if one looked hard enough.
Despite all of his meditations and searching through the Force's currents, Luke remained hidden from his sight. And it was beginning to grate on Ben's nerves. The weather also did not help his sour mood. Robin had suggested traveling South first in order to avoid the winter months of Regna Ferox in the north. Besides, Ben first met the Shepherds in South Town. He said that his search started not far from there (which was not exactly a lie). Robin's logic was that Ben should retrace his steps and figure out exactly where he lost Luke at. Then proceed with the search from there. Track the baby and the potential kidnapper's movements from the spot where it all began.
Unfortunately, I cannot just return to outer space. Ben thought.
Under normal circumstances, Robin's logic made sense. That was how many search and rescue missions were conducted. Figure out where the missing person disappeared at and expand the search from there. But this was not an ordinary missing person. This was Luke Skywalker, the last hope for the Jedi Order and the Galaxy at large. Ben had a feeling that finding the boy would not be easy. But he still had to try.
He recoiled as a massive drop of water plopped down on his head from the branches above him.
"Lovely weather." Gaius mumbled as he basked beneath the creaking branches of the Oak Tree.
"We should have stayed in Southtown another day." Panne grumbled as she attempted to shake the water from her fur, "I will smell like a wet dog for the next few days now."
"Could be a snowstorm." Robin reminded both of them as he wrapped his arms tight around his body.
"Or a sandstorm." Gaius pointed out, "You Ylisseans have no idea how lucky you all have it. Do you know what I would have given to have water just fall from the sky like this while I lived in Plegia?"
"Rain is normal weather, Gaius." Panne sighed.
"Not in that dustbin of a country I once called home." Gaius looked over at Tharja, who somehow remained fairly dry. Ben would not have been surprised if she cast some sort of hex that helped her with that. But she still looked just as miserable as everyone else, "Right Sunshine?"
"Call me Sunshine again and see what I do to you." Tharja threatened through gnashed teeth.
Gaius paled, "Geez, I say it out of love." He folded his hands behind his head and sighed, "No need to get all offended." He let out a long breath, "So… I just saw lightning above us."
"Uh huh." Robin nodded as Ben groaned beside him, "We won't be going any further today." He unslung his traveling pack and began to unroll the tent he had with him, "Time to set up camp."
Ben shook his head but said nothing. He reluctantly undid his own pack and began to set up his small tent as well.
It is as if the Force is doing everything in its power to keep me from fulfilling my mission. He thought glumly as he struggled with the wooden tent poles.
With a frustrated snarl, he shoved the tent pole against the fabric of his tent. The heavy cloth tore in two. Ben's fist balled up tight around the heavy fabric.
"You okay, Benny?" Gaius asked as the thief set his tent up beside Panne's.
"Do I look okay?" Ben hissed.
Gaius frowned, "You look like you need some rest."
"I cannot rest! We are so far behind schedule right now." Ben cried.
Robin poked his head out from his completed tent, "I was not aware we were on a schedule."
"Of course we are!" Ben exclaimed, "Every day that passes is another day lost. Another day for the trail to Luke to grow colder." He held up his ruined tent and tossed it to the side, "Brilliant. I'm a damn genius."
"If you need a dry tent, me and Robin can share a tent." Tharja suggested. Her cheeks turned a slight pink at the thought, "You could use Robin's tent then."
Robin replied with an awkward laugh then withdrew back into his own tent. Tharja blinked then sighed.
"Or you could share with me, Ben." Tharja sighed despondently, "I don't mind."
"Oooh," Gaius cooed from his tent, "Benny and Sunshine sitting in a tent-"
Ben grit his teeth and flicked his wrist. Gaius let out a startled cry as his tent collapsed on top of him. Just barely in the realm of his own hearing, Ben heard Panne chuckling to herself as Gaius flailed beneath the remains of his tent.
"Ben!" Tharja snapped.
"Yes?" Ben replied, exhausted.
"Are you joining me or not?" She asked before disappearing into her tent.
Ben sighed and hung his head. A loud crack of thunder erupted across the sky. The rain began to pour down even harder than before. He glanced up at the black skies above him and shook his head.
Why? Why must this be so difficult? He glanced down at Tharja's tent, I suppose I must. It would do not good if I caught cold.
He tightened his dripping cloak around his cold, soaked body and trudged through the sopping soil into Tharja's tent.
The tents they took with them were not like the tents at the army encampments during the war. These tents were traveling tents. Normally meant for just one person. Lightweight and easy to set up. And in Ben's case, easy to break. Thankfully, Tharja's was just big enough for two people to fit comfortably. It was a tight squeeze. Ben had to twist over her as he claimed the damper side. It would be rude to make a lady sleep in the wet and cold. Even if that lady was a crazy, ex-Grimleal dark mage who would not hesitate to hex Ben up to his eyeballs.
"Do not worry." Tharja muttered as she turned over on her side. Away from Ben, "As long as you don't touch me, I will not hex you." She glanced over her shoulder at him, "If you do, I have a very creative hex in mind. One that will involves your hands and a lot of blood."
Ben sighed, "Trust me, I have no desire to provoke your wrath."
With that last word, Ben fell on his side and shut his eyes. In truth, he was very tired. And within minutes, sleep claimed him.
….
It had been a few nights since he had a nightmare. In fact, they were growing less frequent the longer he stayed on this planet. But every now and then, a nightmare did plague his sleep. And they were always so vivid. He swore he was back on Mustafar. Breathing the ash filled air. His lungs choking from the toxins that floated around its glowing surface. But he could not focus on his burning lungs, or his heated skin. Not if he was to survive the most terrifying, savage duel he had ever fought.
Every movement played again in his mind. Every swing, lunge, dash, and jump. Every grunt of pain, heart leap of triumph, and pit of sorrow. He lived it all as two blue lightsabers clashed in an ever growing violent storm. Then the dream came to that fateful bank along the molten river of lava.
Anakin jumped. Obi Wan reacted. His limbs fell to the black sand again.
"I HATE YOU!"
Obi Wan's heart hammered in his chest as those words echoed.
"I HATE YOU!"
There was another sound. The trickling and cracking of the molten rock around him dulled. Breaking through the harsh winds of Mustafar's molten surface, was a deep, rumbling rasp. It thrummed in his ears. A sharp inhale. A lingering exhale. Robotic yet human. Over and over again. In. Out.
"I HATE YOU!"
Anakin's voice was twisted. Morphed into something unrecognizable. It skipped between the rasping beats. And hammered against Obi Wan's mind like a deep roar.
Inhale. Exhale.
"Don't make me kill you."
Inhale. Exhale.
"If you're not with me, then you are my enemy."
Inhale. Exhale.
A mixture of voices hit his mind. Two he recognized. One was Anakin's. The youthful, aggressive tone filled with worry and despair. The second was Marth's. Her quiet yet commanding voice filled with fear and panic. The last was one he did not recognize. It was deep. Overpowering and intimidating. And it burned through his mind. Leaving an impression he would never forget.
"MASTER!"
….
"ANAKIN!" Ben screamed as he jolted awake.
His forehead smacked against the tent pole above his head. He let out a loud howl before scrambling out of the tent. His bare feet pounded against the soft, damp soil of the forest floor as he sprinted off away from the camp.
In the distance Robin and Gaius called his name as they emerged from their tents, groggy and half asleep. Trying to figure out what was wrong. But he did not hear them. All he could hear were the voices. Voices and the volcanic wind of Mustafar.
He kept running until it felt like his legs were slowing down. They felt cold and wet. He looked down and finally noticed he was not on the molten world anymore. He was waist deep in water. It was the river his small group had been following as they moved south through the Halidom.
The panic slowly left his eyes. And it was replaced by sorrow. He let out a choked cry before sinking to his knees in the clay and water. The river trickled by him. Flowing over his shoulders. Unchanging and unending. Not caring that he now sat in its path.
"I knew it was a bad nightmare."
Ben raised his eyes and glanced back at the river bank behind him. Tharja lounged against a tree trunk. Her spell book was open. She had been reading.
"I just didn't think it was bad enough to send you screaming through the night."
Ben swallowed. His throat was as dry as sandpaper. He shook his head and did his best to catch his breath.
"Who is Anakin?" Tharja asked as Ben began to pull himself out of the water.
Ben eyed her suspiciously. He did not answer. Instead, he slumped down on the wet grass beside her.
"I did not mean to wake you." He muttered.
"You did not answer my question." Tharja countered, "And does it look like I care if you woke me or not. It is not like you did it on purpose. If you had done it on purpose, you never would have awoken from your nightmare."
Ben wiped sweat from his face with his dripping hands. Succeeding in drying off neither. He took another deep breath and rested his elbows on his knees.
"So?" Tharja asked.
Ben let out an irritated sound.
"It is not for you to know." He finally answered.
He got ready to get back to his feet. But a sharp pain erupted from his left forearm. He let out a hiss and looked down to see a cut had opened up. A small bead of blood began trickling over his skin before dropping down onto the grass. He glanced over at Tharja and saw her wielding a small, sharp knife. One with his blood on it.
"What do you think you're-"
"The first step to healing is confronting what is causing you pain." Tharja said, "The Ylissean healers like to bury the pain. Dull it until it goes away on its own. But they confront the pain in their own way. What we in the Grimleal did was embrace the pain until we grew used to it. That way, we would never notice it again. It became a part of us. And in the end, it fueled us. Whether that pain was mental or physical, it would become part of us. And then it would fade away. Because it no longer held power over us." She eyed Ben, "Do you want to confront your pain? Or bury it?"
A drop of Ben's blood fell from her knife onto an open page in her spell book. A purple glow swept over the many runes that littered the page. Ben eyed it with increasing apprehension.
"What you are doing now obviously isn't working." Tharja noted.
"And what do you think I am doing?"
"Ignoring the pain. Letting it fester like an untreated wound." Tharja answered, her voice sharp as a whip, "You refuse to confront the wound and instead pretend it is not there. Continue doing so, and the wound will infect the rest of your mind. And it will destroy you."
Ben snorted, "I didn't think the Grimleal, of all people, cared about healing."
"We care about strength and power." Tharja replied, "And one cannot be strong or powerful without being healthy. It may have been an overlooked aspect under Validar and Aversa's leadership, but it was one that wise dark mages payed attention to." She drew in a deep breath, "Why do you think I am so meticulous about what I eat?"
"I thought you were just picky."
Tharja narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was desperately trying to change the subject.
"Choose Ben." She lowered her gaze at him, "Rot? Or heal?"
Ben eyed the glowing pages of Tharja's tome once again.
"I will warn you. Confronting the pain my way will hurt." Tharja said, "It will tear open old wounds and force you to feel every emotion of the pain all over again. But it will give you the chance to harden yourself. To eventually laugh in the face of that pain."
Ben gulped. He took a deep breath. And against his better judgement, he nodded.
A string of words left Tharja's lips. A spell of some sort. She spoke so low and fast that Ben could not keep up with what she was saying. The purple glow turned into a mist that surrounded both of them. The mist circled like a predator. Sweeping low over their heads then drawing close to both of their faces.
"What exactly are you doing?" Ben asked.
Before he could get an answer from Tharja, the mist shot into Ben's and Tharja's foreheads. Their heads snapped back and Ben's sight left him.
….
Ben opened his eyes. There was a bright, fluorescent light over his head. It was not cold or blinding. It held a warmness to it. Meant to make the space around him feel comfortable. A silvery metallic ceiling sat above his vision. Beneath his body was a slick, black, dura-steel floor. He groaned as he sat up. And what he saw snatched the breath from his body.
It was Amidala's royal yacht. More specifically, the engine room. The hyperdrive generator sat nearby. It's compartments torn open by a young padawan learner that was cursing under his breath. He recognized that young man fiddling with wires innumerable and drive cores that refused to function. He could recall why. The drive cores were overheated and burnt out. They had received external damage from a blast that rocked the J-type 327 Nubian.
Ben heard a small groan beside him. His eyes flicked to his side. Tharja was beginning to push herself up off of the black floor. She narrowed her eyes as she looked around what was an incredibly foreign space to her.
"Where-"
"The yacht belonging to Queen Padme Amidala of Naboo." Ben answered Tharja.
Tharja's eyes flicked around the engine room, "I thought yachts were boats."
Ben uttered a small snort, "This particular boat flies."
Tharja's eyes widened. She shoved herself off of the floor and wheeled around. That was when she saw the young padawan, Obi Wan Kenobi, fidgeting with the hyperdrive.
"Well… this isn't an old memory at least." She muttered.
"Memory?" Ben got to his feet, "Are you telling me you cast a spell that-"
"It's a very advanced type of scrying." Tharja cut him off, "One that I had never tried before."
"And you just used it on me!?"
"You were the perfect test subject." Tharja replied nonchalantly as she studied her surroundings.
"And not Robin!?"
Tharja rolled her eyes, "The subject has to actually remember the memories in order for it to work." She took a breath, "I meant to go directly to the memory that was causing you pain. Apparently I am not precise enough to accomplish that yet. I went to a recent memory instead that does not cause your nightmares."
"This is not a recent memory." Ben said as he strode around his old self.
The Padawan did not notice them. Apparently, while they could see him, he could not see them. Ben could understand that aspect of this strange spell. This was just a memory. He was just seeing it through a different perspective than his own now. A new lense with which to look at his past.
"What do you mean?" Tharja asked, "You look the same, minus the beard. And your hair is a bit shorter and is-" She forced back a small laugh, "Is that a rat tail?"
"It is a Padawan braid and…" Ben sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "And a rat tail."
Tharja snickered under her breath, "Your sense of fashion is much better now with the Shepherds than wherever this is."
"If I am remembering correctly," Ben began, "We are on the planet Tatooine."
Tharja froze as she walked around the room, "Planet?"
Ben sighed, "Yes, planet. This event takes place about thirteen years ago, I think?"
Tharja folded her arms over her chest, "What are you saying, Obi Wan Kenobi?"
She said his name like a taunt. Ben could understand why. She was now in his mind, in a memory he claimed was over a decade old and taking place on an entirely different planet than her own. Her aggression was a defense mechanism for her own fear.
"I am from another planet." Ben finally admitted.
Tharja eyed him carefully, "Are you-"
"I am human."
"And you are-"
"Not just twenty years old no." Ben continued, "Don't ask me how I look this young. I don't even know the answer to that. I don't even know how I wound up on your planet."
Tharja swallowed, "If I was not sitting in an actual memory of yours, I would not believe you."
Ben snorted, "I hardly believe it." He squatted down beside his old self as he cursed. Sparks spat at his hands as the hyperdrive generator still refused cooperate, "I never thought I'd see that face again."
"You see it everyday in the mirror." Tharja deadpanned.
Ben glanced over at her but did not reply. The dark mage was not wrong.
Tharja spun on her heal and raised her fist when the wall beside her split in half. Ben jumped up beside her and grabbed her wrist.
"Relax, its' just a door."
"Doors don't slide like that." She hissed.
"These ones do."
"Obi Wan."
Ben froze as he watched Qui Gon Jinn stride into the engine room. The Jedi Master looked just as he remembered him. For this particular mission, Qui Gon had ditched the typical robes of a Jedi in favor of a less conspicuous poncho. He still wore his hair long and his lightsaber was hidden beneath the poncho.
"The hyperdrive generator is gone, Master. We will need a new one."
"That'll complicate things." Qui Gon sighed.
"So that older man is your master?" Tharja asked.
Ben gulped, "Was." He corrected.
"Be wary, I sense something off about this place." Qui Gon warned his young padawan learner.
"I have felt too. What do you think it is?"
Ben could remember the feeling. It was the very first time he ever experience the cold that accompanied the Dark Side of the Force. The first warning sign of a Sith's presence. Their first warning sign that Maul was on the prowl.
In that moment, Ben wished he could break free of this memory's restrictions so he could warn Qui Gon. Tell him that the Sith had returned. That their leader was the Senator from Naboo and that Maul was about to ambush him and young Anakin Skywalker in the desert. That if he even ran into a boy named Anakin, he should probably keep walking.
A sharp pain shot through his heart. Did he really just think that? Anakin was like a brother to him. Why would he never want to meet the boy?
Because that boy became the greatest Jedi Killer in galactic history and you want to prevent that with every fiber of your being.
"I'm not sure, Obi Wan." Qui Gon answered his apprentice, "But be wary. I have a feeling we will run into trouble today."
"Not today." Ben breathed as Tharja watched beside him, "Not unless Jar Jar caused trouble I am unaware of. But you will face trouble soon."
"And what trouble would that be?" Tharja asked him.
Ben swallowed hard, "Maul." He saw Tharja's face pale, "When we run into him here, on Tatooine, it will be the first time a Jedi fights a Sith Lord in over a thousand years." Ben pressed his lips into a thin line, "Qui Gon barely survived our first encounter with him."
Tharja took a deep breath.
"I now understand why we are seeing this memory." Tharja said, "You are reliving the last days of your Master's life. Doing so causes you great pain."
Ben let out a shuddering breath. She was not wrong in saying that. He wished he could have been there to help Qui Gon fight Maul on Tatooine. Maybe their combined strength then would have been enough to slay the monster before he became a blight on the galaxy. Thereby preventing his Master's death and allowing him to train Anakin instead of an unprepared, newly knighted Jedi. Maybe then, with Qui Gon's brilliant guidance, Anakin would not have fallen. And the Jedi would still be alive.
He shook his head. No, he could not get drawn into the what ifs of life. If he did, then he would go insane.
"This isn't the memory." Ben breathed.
"No, it's not." Tharja agreed, "If it was, you would be reacting the same as if you were having a nightmare." She closed her eyes and tensed up. "We… we need to go. I can only maintain this connection for so long."
Ben nodded in understanding. He began to feel lightheaded. The dark purple mist clouded his vision once again. The memory disappeared.
….
The firelight flickered beyond Kage's closed eyes. It crackled in his ears. Soothing snaps and pops that were relaxing to listen to as it burned. The warmth it provided washed over his body like a comforting blanket.
He had stayed at the inn in Chon'Sin's capital for a few nights. But in end, he could not stand the curious glances and disdain filled glares. So he left the inn, left the confines of the city walls, and decided to set up camp in the bamboo woods just beyond the city. He kept a fire burning at all times. Warding off any unwelcome creatures that wanted to try and test him.
Right now, he was deep in meditation. The Dark Side of the Force swirled around him like a small hurricane. It's cold fingers gripped his thoughts and mind. Replaying thoughts he never wanted to witness again. But he had to see them again. Had to relive the worst memory of his young life. The anger it provided, the pain and the hatred it granted him gave him power.
The Dark Side of the Force was fueled by those emotions. Fueled by personal pain, both mental and physical. His old master made sure to force him endure both. And those trials made him strong. His body was not a physical behemoth like most strong men. But he was now lean. Each muscle corded and hard. His mind was as sharp as a steel trap. Impenetrable by anyone. And his command of the Force grew by the day. By all measures, he was a marvelous Sith apprentice. Incapable of being corrupted by the light.
And somehow, she managed to do it.
Her death shot through his mind like a bolt of lighting. The sound of Maul's lightsaber piercing her stomach rang like a sick song in his thoughts. He could smell the flesh burning still. And as the memory of it all replayed over and over again, the Dark Side of the Force grew more frenzied.
His breathing grew shallow. All around him, stones began to rise in the air. The bamboo trees around him began to bend and groan. There was no wind. Just the sound of his own breathing, and the snap of bamboo as it shattered around him.
Her eyes were wide when Maul ran her through. The shock and pain was all too evident to see. He wanted to believe that in her last moments, she was at peace. But he knew better. She was fighting to live even as the breath left her body. She had always been a fighter.
Unlike her damn coward of a Master.
"RAAAAARGH!" Kage roared.
Wood splintered through the air around him. Rocks shattered into dust. Their remains drifted around his body before settling down and disappearing into the dirt. His chest heaved in and out as he struggled to regain control.
He closed his eyes and took one more deep breath.
A scream pierced the wind. His yellow eyes shot open. And he raced after the sound.
And chapter! We meet Thrawn for the first time in this story. Vader is ready to conduct his mission. Ben is struggling through his trauma, apparently with Tharja's help now. And Kage is about to get some major individual character development. Ooooh I'm so excited! Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!