The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 57
Port Ferox
Ben shoved the door to the inn open. Wind howled behind him. Large blasts of snow shot past his body. It rained down from the dark sky in massive sheets of white. He shivered as he rubbed his arms and held the door open. Thank the Force there was an inn near the docks in Port Ferox. Ben dreaded the thought of having to go searching for shelter in this maze of a city.
The inn appeared crowded. Most of the tables in the common room were occupied. A few chairs sat around a stone fireplace. All of them empty as most patrons were busy socializing with friends. Sharing a drink, a laugh, maybe a meal too. The innkeeper was busy behind the bar counter. Preparing drinks and making small talk with some of his customers. A barmaid rushed to and fro with mugs of ale, both full and empty. A lively little place.
It also looked well kept. The amount of coin it brought in from sailors drinking there probably paid for the upkeep all on its own. There were no broken floor boards or cracked beams above Ben's head. The mugs used for mead looked very clean. The floor was free of debris and filth. It was not only a lively establishment, it was a lovely one too.
The warmth of a roaring fire in the common room blasted Ben as he stepped inside. Just as he took another step into the warm inn, Tharja surged past him and raced for the roaring fire in the common room. The poor dark mage felt frozen. Snow clung to the edges of her dark bangs and the fringes of her cape. Her teeth chattered even after she reached the fire and settled down beside it.
"I think she's had enough of snow." Gaius chuckled as he brushed past Ben.
The thief shook some snow from his head and removed his traveling pack from his shoulders.
"I'll get us a room."
"I can do it." Anna said weakly as she was helped inside by her sister.
The wound in her arm had been healing slowly. But at least it was healing. Both Tharja and Laurent kept a very close eye on it while they were traveling to Port Ferox.
"You are going to rest in a chair while Gaius gets a room." Anna's sister replied as she helped her sister over to a chair near Tharja.
"But I can negotiate a better price." Anna whined. But she failed to convince her sister to let her go.
Laurent, Panne, and Donnel all silently entered the inn. Each one weary from the long road North. Robin entered last. The tactician yanked the heavy wooden door shut behind him. He shivered and shook some layers of snow from his coat.
"That's one hell of a storm." Robin muttered.
"No kidding." Ben remarked, "Between the sandstorms in Plegia and the blizzards here in Regna Ferox, it is a miracle we even got here."
"Took us long enough too." Robin sighed as he made his way over to a booth that Tharja and both Anna's took over. Laurent, Donnel, and Panne all pulled up chairs beside them.
The tactician was not wrong. Anna estimated the journey would take several weeks at first. But the hostile weather turned several weeks into nearly two months of slow travel through endless sand dunes and ice covered plains. The many storms that hammered the western coasts of both Plegia and Regna Ferox forced them all to hunker down and seek shelter many times. Sometimes, they had to stop for days at a time and wait for a sandstorm or ice storm to pass by. Ben felt beyond grateful that they all now had a warm inn to take shelter in. Tents did not do well when it came to blocking out the elements.
Robin sank into a seat beside Anna. Ben slipped beside Tharja. Gaius eventually made his way over to them. He carried four large mugs of ale in his hands. Behind him, one of the inn's serving girls followed with five more mugs. Gaius set his mugs down and sat down next to Robin.
"Ale anyone?" He said before snatching a mug and taking a long gulp from it.
The serving girl set the last few mugs down and told the group that some stew and bread would be brought over. Ben gave her his thanks. Hot stew and warm bread sounded amazing right now. Especially after having to travel for over a week in the middle of an unrelenting blizzard.
Tharja shivered beside him, "The cold has sunk into my bones."
Ben chuckled, "Too bad the first sandstorm ate my cloak."
"That thing was surprisingly warm for how light it was." Tharja pouted, "I miss it."
Ben smirked at her then sipped on his own ale. Gaius glanced back and forth between Ben and Tharja. He noticed the dark mage give Ben a small, smirk before turning her attention to her spell book. A broad, mischievous grin crossed the thief's lips.
"What?" Ben asked the smug looking man.
"So when did you two start liking each other?" Gaius asked with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.
Ben choked on his ale. As he coughed, Tharja glared at the thief.
"Another word and I will invert your rib cage."
The thief paled and quickly pressed his lips to his mug. Laurent gave a dry chuckled beside him.
"Technically that won't do much other than cause extreme pain." He hummed, "And maybe widen out your torso a little bit. And your organs would be less protected."
"No need to go into the gritty details, Specs." Gaius gulped, "I know a threat when I hear one." He leaned back in his seat. One foot tapping nervously on the floor. Tharja's glare did not let up. The thief sighed, "I'll take the runny nose hex."
Tharja hummed to herself, "Tempting. But for now, I will just stick with the threat."
Donnel's eyes widened, "Miss Tharja being merciful? The cold really has addled her."
The Dark Mage slumped in her seat and wrapped her arms around her body, "You have no idea."
The barmaid returned to their table within a few minutes. A tray of hot stew and bread on her shoulder. She carefully set each bowl down in front of the weary group of travelers. Ben could feel his mouth watering as he looked down at the bowl in front of him. Force, the Feroxi could cook! He snatched a slice of warm bread and dipped it into the broth. A quick bite, and he felt warm and happy.
"Other than Bubbles, I don't think I've ever seen someone enjoy food as much as you, Benny." Gaius chuckled, "It's like you've never eaten this kind of stuff before."
Ben arched an eyebrow, "If you grew up among monks you would have learned to appreciate delicious cuisine when you could. The taste of food is not a priority usually."
Tharja let out a sigh, "You can say that again. It was the same at the Temple. Bland and more bland." She picked at her food, "Ruined my appetite for all time."
"Candy can reinvigorate that." Gaius chirped.
"No thanks." Tharja replied, "I prefer to not grow fat."
Gaius arched an eyebrow, "Is she calling me fat?"
"If she manages to invert your rib cage you would be." Laurent noted.
Gaius shuddered while Panne and the others uttered quiet chuckles. Robin leaned back in his seat, enjoying the warm fire and the low din of conversation around him.
As the group munched on their warm food and enjoyed the cold ale, the door to the already crowded inn burst open. A rabble of weary and hungry sailors sauntered in. At the lead was an imposing Feroxi captain with a large sack of coin on his hip. Ben saw Gaius's eyes wander over to the coins the man carried.
"Don't even think about it." Ben warned Gaius before sipping his ale.
"I wasn't thinking." Gaius replied, "Just looking."
"That is part of the problem." Ben replied.
The sailors and their captain settled into the booth beside their own. They were a rowdy bunch. As the group of sailors drank and ate, they sang bawdy songs that always kept them entertained on the seas. In between the drunken singing, they recounted tales of voyages they took. But one tale in particular caught both Ben and Robin's attention.
"This last voyage though, eh lads?" The large, Feroxi captain chuckled, "Didn't expect to go over to Valm that fast."
"Made record time and made the little lady happy, eh Captain?" One of his sailors chortled while drinking his beer.
"That lass ain't no lady, you idiot." Another sailor with a gruff voice snorted, "She be a warrior, that one. Ain't you see that sword on her hip? Ain't never seen anything like that one before." He gulped down some ale, "And she obviously been in a fight. Ain't lose an arm cooking in a kitchen."
Ben and Robin's eyes widened.
"My ma once lost a thumb in the kitchen." One sailor remarked.
"Nobody asked you, Len."
Robin nodded over to Ben. The pair rose from their seats.
"Um?" Gaius gave them both a confused look, "What are you two up to?"
Ben smirked, "We are about to charter a ship."
Anna's mouth fell open, "You aren't thinking of looking where I think you are, are you?"
"We only go to the best places." Robin laughed back as he followed Ben over to the sailor's booth.
Both Ben and Robin stopped at the booth. A few of the sailors noticed, but paid them no mind. Their main focus was on their food and drink. A long voyage on the high seas made one long for the comforts of cold ale and hot food. The Captain did notice the two Shepherds. His cheeks were already flush from alcohol. He uttered a quiet belch then gave both Robin and Ben a warm smile.
"How can I help you lads?" He asked, "You looking for work? Ya lot look able bodied enough. We're making good coin at the moment. Ain't that right boys?"
A chorus of hoots and cheers sounded from around the table. Ben and Robin shared the warm reception.
"Actually, we could not help but overhear the conversation you all were having." Ben remarked, "Talking about women is oh so entertaining."
The captain smacked a hand on the table, "Damn right! Lads make some room for em. These two shall drink with us."
Both Ben and Robin joined their table.
"So? You hear what me first mate said about our latest lovely passenger eh?"
"Yes." Ben nodded before gesturing to Robin, "My friend overheard and wanted to hear more. It has been oh so long since he… you know…"
Robin's cheeks flushed bright red. He flashed Ben a furious glance while the captain guffawed at his apparent misfortune.
"Know all to well." The Captain grinned, "Seas get lonely. Any girl, even one as cold as this one looked, be a good looking one when you're sailing."
"What did she look like?" Robin spat out.
Both Ben and the Captain fell into raucous laughter. Further embarrassing the poor tactician.
"He really is desperate, ain't he?" The Captain uttered a silent burp, "She be one of the stranger ones really. Blue hair. Steely gaze. One arm."
"Flat as a board." One sailor remarked.
"I thought I saw a bump or two." A man next to him remarked, "Personally, I like my women that way."
"Both ya bury your faces in your mead before you make bigger fools of yourselves." The Captain barked at them, "These gentlemen are curious about the young lass. And that curiosity ain't limited to the more entertaining kind. Ya both wouldn't asking about her specifically if ya weren't looking for her." He guzzled down the last few drops of his beer and hollered for a fresh mug, "So, what is she to ya? A lost lover?"
"No!" Robin cried.
"Unfortunately yes." Ben nodded at Robin. He thoroughly enjoyed seeing how flustered the tactician was, "He's too afraid to admit it."
"Ah, she left ya out in the cold then eh? Can't accept the fact that she left ya. So ya gotta go chasing her. She must of really stole your heart, lad."
"Oh, she really did." Ben chuckled.
Robin kicked him beneath the table. Ben quickly kicked back, landing a solid blow on his shin. The tactician screwed his eyes shut and kept his mouth closed. Doing everything in his power to not howl in pain.
"Where did you take her to? My friend wants to try and win her heart back. But the only way he can do that-"
"Is if ya know where she went." The barmaid passed by and handed the Captain a fresh drink, "Well, just got back from that little voyage. We sailed for Charlet. Little port city on the Valm coast. Nice place before the Conquest. Now, things be a little rough. Stayed a few weeks in order to gather up enough shipments to make a profit on the journey back home."
"How much to make the crossing?"
The captain sputtered on some ale, "Sorry?" He picked at his ear, "Don't think I heard ya proper."
"How much would it cost to charter your ship and cross over to Valm?" Ben asked the Captain.
The Captain leaned back in his seat, "Now, lads, that is not a cheap thing you be asking for. For one, my own boys are tired. They want a little shore leave. And-"
Over the Captain's shoulder, Ben saw Anna roll her eyes. The merchant fiddled with a small pouch at her hip. She smirked and tossed the pouch over the back of her chair and into the lap of the Captain. A small smile crossed Ben's face as the Captain jumped then looked down to see a large pile of glittering, gold coins sitting inside of the leather pouch.
"I trust that will cover passage for eight?" The merchant said with a sweet smile.
The Captain gaped at the coins in his lap. He gingerly picked one out of the small pouch and bit down on it. When the coin did not bend, he laughed and flicked it up in the air. As he caught the coin, he winked back at Anna.
"Ya got yourself a ship, lass!"
The rooms Gaius managed to acquire for the evening were cozy little spaces. They sat across the hall from each other. The girls all filtered into their room for the evening. Ben noticed Tharja quickly rush for the bunk closest to the fire while both Annas hopped into the same little bunk space together. Panne let out a loud yawn and closed the door behind them. With a small chuckle, Ben followed Robin into the guys room.
As they entered their room, Robin glared at Ben.
"I'm not in love with Marth!" Robin hissed.
Ben began to snicker.
"It is a purely professional relationship!" Robin hissed again.
"The blush on your cheeks makes that argument very convincing." Ben laughed as he marched into the room.
The tactician stomped his foot, uttered a frustrated huff, then followed Ben. He was not in love with Marth! That was final! Did he admire her for her strength and determination? Absolutely. Did he care for her as a friend and comrade? Yes. That was why he was worried about her. His feelings about her did not venture beyond that.
The tactician became distracted from his fuming thoughts as he got a look at their quaint little room. Bunk beds made out of soft wool and linen lined the stone walls. Fur rugs lay across the dark floorboards. Both rooms had a small fireplace for when the weather turned especially cold. One window sat in the stone walls. Frost lined the glass panes, which kept any moonlight from streaming into the small room.
Gaius scrambled up one bed and settled into the top bunk. He tossed and turned for a moment.
"Wool is always so scratchy." He grumbled.
"Better wool than snow." Robin snorted as he slipped his pack from his shoulders and placed it next to one of the bunks.
Ben sat down in the bunk beside Robin's. The swordsman let out a relaxed sigh as he kicked his boots off. Across the room, Laurent managed to start a small fire. Once he was satisfied, the young scholar sat down beside the flickering flames and began to read. To no one's surprise, Donnel had already flopped into one bunk and fallen asleep.
"Morning people." Gaius shook his head as heard Donnel snore, "I'm telling you, they miss out on a lot of fun."
Ben shook his head, "The early bird gets the worm, Gaius. Donnel was raised a farmer. Farmers tend to rise early in order to take care of the land." He leaned back on his bed, "Meanwhile, your choice of profession requires darkness."
"Not anymore." Gaius snorted, "Whiskers won't let me get my hands near anything. Thieving is not allowed around her."
"Good. You are becoming a productive and responsible member of society." Robin remarked with a laugh.
"Gods help me if that ever happens." Gaius rolled over to look down at both Robin and Ben, "That kind of life is way too boring."
"You seem to be enjoying it just fine." Ben pointed out.
"Traveling with you is the furthest thing from boring." Gaius replied, "In the span of nine months I have been shot at by I don't know how many arrows, done battle against plenty of bandits, and traveled all over Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox. I have been frozen, baked, and frozen again. And nearly buried alive in a sandstorm. Oh, and the cherry on top? I've had to run for my life from undead, bloodthirsty monsters. Yup. Totally boring."
"Fair point." Ben conceded with a dry laugh, "At least we manage to keep you entertained."
Gaius hummed in agreement. He rolled over on his bunk. Ready to go to sleep.
Below him, Robin reached into his pack and pulled out his folded up chess board.
"Speaking of entertain." Robin unfolded the board, "Ben?"
"I am always ready for a good game of chess." Ben said as he sat up and watched Robin set the pieces on the board.
"You are always ready to beat me at chess." Robin corrected.
Ben chuckled, "You will win eventually."
They began their silent match. And within a few minutes, Robin already appeared frustrated. His hand raked through his hair as he struggled to react to Ben's cunning strategies. Finally, after a few more moves, he admitted defeat.
"I thought that new strategy would work!" Robin said, bemoaning yet another loss.
"It nearly did." Ben replied, "You had me confused for the first few moves."
"But then you just did your mind reading bit and put me on the defensive." Robin replied with a slight wave of his hand, "Damn. I need to not give my intentions away so easily."
"It'll come with time and experience." Ben said as he leaned back on his elbows. Robin carefully reset the chess board.
"So." Robin breathed, "Are you ready to cross over to Valm?"
Ben nodded, "Of course. Making a journey like that does not bother me. I'm more surprised that the others want to tag along."
"Why does that surprise you?"
Ben shrugged, "It is halfway around the world. I was surprised when all of you decided to travel all over Archanea with me. But I doubted we would ever have to go beyond this continent during our search."
"You thought some of us would call it a day, so to speak?" Robin said as he finished setting up their second game.
Ben gave him a reluctant nod.
"Well, I'd say you have to give us a little more credit than that." Robin replied, "We all have come this far. And now that we actually have a lead on something, it means the end could be in sight. Why not see it through?" Robin moved his first pawn, "Besides, I told you I'd help you find Luke. And I'm not giving up on that commitment."
Ben smiled, "Well… thank you."
"You're welcome, Benny." Gaius mumbled as he tried to fall asleep.
Robin uttered a quiet chuckle, "What he said."
Ben played his first move and watched as Robin immediately moved his knight out into the field.
"Aggressive this time?" Ben remarked.
"I've found that I last the longest when I have you reacting instead of attacking."
"A good offense is the best defense." Ben summarized, "Well, be careful not to get too aggressive." He moved his bishop to the center of the board, "You will find there are always more aggressive players than yourself."
Robin already looked flustered. The tactician frowned and drummed his fingers against his knee. He rested his head in his other hand and studied the board. They went back and forth for a few more moves before Robin uttered a defeated sigh.
"I already know where this game is going." He grumbled, "I'll make a few more flailing moves. Delay the inevitable. Then you will move that damn rook and win."
Ben nodded, "You know my strategy."
"Well, it's obvious right now. But you manage to change it mid-game all the time. It is what makes you so difficult to beat. I can't pin down what you are going to do next."
"You are focusing on the pieces instead of the player." Ben replied.
Robin gave him a puzzled look. Ben sighed.
"Notice that when I beat you, and you ask for an explanation as to how I beat you, I always answer that-"
"That you read my intentions. I know. But I don't know how to do that."
"Is that so?" Ben replied, "I think you are selling yourself a little short. I seem to recall a rather spontaneous, unpredictable, and creative tactician when on the battlefield. That requires focusing on the mindset of your opponent instead of the individual pieces on the battlefield."
Robin furrowed his brow, "You're saying that I… I…" He shook his head and let out a frustrated groan, "I don't get it."
"No one does when they first start to learn."
Robin's eyes shot wide open. This was a lesson. He instantly straightened himself and cleared his throat.
"Ok. Explain, oh wise Master Ben."
Ben chuckled, "Well, you are force sensitive, Robin. That allows you to sense the currents of the force. It also allows you to understand the ebb and flow of it through people and their actions. In a way, it allows you to notice the flow of battle and be able to adjust accordingly. You call it instinct. I call it listening to the Force." Ben took a breath, "The force often speaks through instinct."
Robin nodded, "And how does that apply to chess?"
Ben raised a hand, "I won't tell you how. Instead, you are going to see how. Well, not necessarily see." Ben reached into his travel pack and pulled out a small strip of cloth. He tossed it over to Robin, "Tie that over your eyes."
Robin gave Ben a puzzled look. As Ben reset the chess board, Robin wrapped the heavy cloth over his eyes. He frowned as he heard Ben set down the last chess piece.
"You don't expect me to play like this, right?"
"I fully expect you to play like that." Ben smirked.
Robin's mouth fell open, "But- But how am I supposed to make my moves if I can't even see the pieces."
"Hm… well," Ben uttered a quiet chuckle, "you will just have to trust your instincts."
Robin frowned, "My instincts are lot more accurate when I can see."
"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them." Ben said quickly.
Robin furrowed his brow. Don't trust his eyes? One of the most important factors in defeating an opponent on the battlefield, or in the game of chess, was to see what they were doing. Notice their moves, their strategy, and place a counter against it. Without his sight, he would be unable to see what Ben was doing. Unable to know what strategy he had in place.
He heard Ben move his first pawn.
"Your turn." Ben chirped.
Robin uttered a long, heavy sigh. He stretched out his hand and fumbled his way towards the chess board. He smiled as he grabbed a piece.
"That is a bishop." Ben said with a small laugh.
Robin drew his hand back and frowned, "You're doing this just to get a laugh."
"No, I'm not." Ben sounded a little more serious, "You doubt your own abilities, Robin. Part of the problem is you think your instincts will fail you. Your instincts are a direct link to the living force. Let them guide you. They will not lead you astray."
Robin pressed his lips together. He still did not understand what the point of this exercise was. But he would play along for now. He reached out again, this time carefully running his hand along his pieces until he felt the smooth, round head of a pawn. He took a deep breath and moved it forward.
Ben did not correct him on anything. Which meant he somehow managed to move the pawn forward exactly one space.
I guess I'm a little lucky.
He heard another one of Ben's pieces scrape against the wooden chess board. Robin frowned. That piece sounded heavier.
"What did you move?"
There was silence for a moment. Was Ben going to answer him? Did he make a mover or not? No, he did. Robin heard it.
"I'm not saying." Ben replied.
Robin uttered a frustrated sigh, "Can you at least give me something to work with?"
"I did. You just need to concentrate."
He did? Ben gave him something to work with? What exactly? All he had done so far was blind Robin and move two pieces. The tactician took a deep breath. He had to think about this one. Obviously, Ben expected him to know exactly which piece he moved.
My eyes can deceive me.
Robin furrowed his brow. The piece he heard was heavier. Which meant it was certainly not a pawn. If it was a pawn, then it would not have scraped so loudly against the wooden board. Robin drummed his fingers on his thigh. The piece scrapped, not tapped. Which meant it moved more than one space. That ruled out the rooks because they would not have the space to move at this point. It also ruled out the knights because they would have to hop over the pawns. Which left the bishops and the queen.
Robin took a deep breath. In his gut, he felt like Ben had moved the queen. Which meant he was going for an aggressive approach. Even more so than the last game. If he recalled the chess board setup correctly, that meant Ben had moved one of his center pawns forward first.
How far did he move his queen?
Robin reached out and plucked another pawn on his side. He carefully raised it, then set it down again.
No correction. He moved another piece correctly while blindfolded. Robin's lips tightened as his mind raced. Once was lucky. Twice might be muscle memory. So what about three times?
Another piece moved. A small tap this time. Ben moved another pawn.
Which means his queen is not in a position to attack, or else he could lose it. But it is also not in a perilous position either.
The board started to form in his mind. And for a split second, through the blindfold, he thought he could see it. The pieces along with the black and wide field spread out in front of him. He saw the queen hugging the wall to his right. Ben's two center pawns thrusted forward into action. Robin's own pawns in their spots. And what baffled Robin the most about what he saw was that they were the exact pawns he wanted to move.
If he moved his bishop he could threaten Ben's queen and force it to retreat. So, he did just that. Robin heard an impossibly quiet, sharp sigh leave Ben's lips. The queen pulled back.
That blew up one plan he had in mind.
A small smile crossed Robin's lips. He reached out to where he thought he saw his knight. He felt the horse head between his fingertips. With much more confidence than before, he made his move.
With each play, the board appeared clearer in his mind. Each move Ben made, he could see. Ben's next move he countered easily with a rook. He moved a pawn. Robin moved a pawn to match it. All of this amazed Robin. How on earth was he doing this? How could he see what Ben was doing.
Suddenly, Ben called his name.
"Alright Robin. You can remove your blindfold."
Robin's face twisted into a confused expression. Slowly, he lifted the blindfold from his eyes. When he looked down at the board, he saw that only one of Ben's pieces had moved. His first pawn. The one Robin knew he moved. The one that kept his queen from moving diagonal across the board. On his own side, Robin had moved each of his own pieces exactly in the way he wanted to. The tactician looked up at Ben, perplexed and more than a little annoyed.
Ben saw his irritation and smiled a little.
"You would have won." Ben remarked.
"How? You didn't even make a move."
Ben rubbed his chin. He was obviously considering something. He kept staring hard at Robin before staring back down at the game board. Apparently, the tactician had done something that gave Ben some pause.
"You are right. I did not." Ben leaned forward, "But you countered every single move I thought about making."
Robin thought about it for a moment. Realization dawned on the tactician's face. His eyes widened.
"You-you mean-"
Ben nodded, "Every move you saw me make was going to be my next move. And before I could even move that piece, you countered. You saw what was coming and you reacted on instinct. I never even got past my first move."
Robin's mouth slowly fell open. He stared down at the chess board, amazed.
"But that shouldn't be possible."
"Anything is possible with the force." Ben stretched his arms high over his head. A loud yawn left his lips, "Alright, I think it is time for bed. We have to be up at first light tomorrow in order to board the ship."
"R-right." Robin could not help but stare at the incomplete game.
His mind raced. The force allowed him to see every move Ben was going to make? It left the tactician at a loss for words. Reluctantly, he gathered up the pieces and closed the board.
As he settled into his bunk, he noticed Ben giving him a curious glance every few moments.
"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.
Ben shook his head, "No, just…" Ben paused a moment, "Most Jedi when they go through that kind of exercise see the move the opponent has made. You saw the move I was going to make. That exercise is meant to get you to rely on the force instead of your own sense of sight. Sight is the easiest sense to manipulate after all. I thought that you and I would play a game and you would see the moves I made and react with your gut instinct. Instead, you saw the moves I wanted to make and countered based on that same instinct. The last person I trained with that gift was-" Ben fell quiet, "It was Anakin. He was a natural at anticipating what the enemy planned to do. It helped make him so powerful." The swordsman cleared his throat, "Get some rest, Robin."
Robin nodded and let his head fall back into his pillows. As sleep gripped him and his eyes began to close, his mind continued to race. Was he really that gifted with the Force? This strange power that he had never heard of until he met Ben. His spell book did not even mention it. If he was that much of a natural, why did he have no notes on it? Why did he not experiment before he lost his memory?
Those questions plagued his mind, even as he drifted off into a deep sleep.
Thrawn grit his teeth as alarms whirred all around the bridge. The Chimaera shuddered. Officers and crew barked all around him. Shouting out different readings they saw on their screens. On one side, he heard some crewman shouting out that the shields were down to fifty percent. A major problem considering the Chimaera had just wandered into an uncharted asteroid field.
The Deep Core already proved to be perilous. Fraught with danger both known and unknown. Thrawn looked up at the map he had projected on a small part of the bridge's viewport. The Rakatan Empire had been thorough when they mapped the Deep Core so many millennia ago. But this asteroid field was not recorded on the map. Neither was the scorching hot nebula the ship had to circumvent earlier. Thrawn had a feeling that the only reliable markings on the map were the locations of, at the time, young stars and their many planets. Some of the older stars were likely long gone along with the rest of their solar systems.
The Chimaera groaned and shuddered again.
"Admiral!" Commander Vanto called from the station where the bridge monitored the shields, "Shields are down fifty percent!"
As the Commander said this, the doors to the bridge hissed open. Darth Vader calmly entered. The asteroid field unable to raise any sort of panic from the man turned machine. Thrawn glanced over at Vader, nodded at him, then turned to Commander Vanto.
"Convert all power to the shields and our turbo lasers. Have all batteries fire at any approaching asteroid big enough to cause damage. In the meantime, I want calculations about the size of the asteroid field. I want to know how long it will hinder us and if we need to pull back."
Commander Vanto nodded and relayed the admiral's orders.
Vader's harsh breathing rang in Thrawn's ear. The Admiral took a deep breath and returned his attention to the asteroid field outside of the bridge.
"Well, the map could use some updating." Thrawn noted.
Vader said nothing. Thrawn glanced up at the hulking man. He did not even acknowledge Thrawn's comment. If Thrawn could see his face, he would wonder if the man had wandered into a daydream. He stood rigid on the bridge.
A sudden wave of cold rushed through Thrawn and raced throughout the bridge. Thrawn suppressed shiver as he felt cold fingers run over him. The men around him sensed it too. Their panicked shouts died away as the cold shot through their bodies. Each man's face turned pale as their eyes fell on the still figure of Darth Vader.
The cold faded as quickly as it came. Thrawn gave Vader a curious glance. He knew that feeling had been generated by the dark lord. But why?
"Continue through the asteroid field." Vader ordered, "We are nearing its end."
Thrawn did not ask how he knew that. Vader would never give him the answer. Beside, Thrawn already suspected that the Force had something to do with Vader's apparent omniscience on this mission. The Dark Lord turned on his heel and strode back whence he came. Likely to sit in that pressure sphere of his. The one place on this entire ship where he could remove that ghastly helmet and not die.
Green flashes of light winked through Thrawn's vision. Turbo lasers shout out into the asteroid field. Pulverizing the various lumps of floating rock and ice that threatened to harm the Chimaera. Creating a path for the large Star Destroyer to fly through. That would make navigating the asteroid field much easier. Vader's orders were clear. Push onwards. There would be no turning back.
"Commander." Thrawn called over to his aide, "Are we mapping our course?"
"Yes sir. We are still marking our way so that other ships may follow if needed." Vanto replied.
Thrawn nodded. Good. If Vader was wrong, a search and rescue mission could be mounted without much effort. Thrawn doubted the Emperor would allow his most effective servant, Vader, to be stranded out in the hostile Deep Core.
The Chiss narrowed his eyes at the projected map. His studious gaze carefully took in each detail. They entered the Deep Core a few dozen light years from the closest known system. If they were still following their original path, then the mythical world of Tython should be appearing soon.
"Sir!" Vanto called. His voice filled with relief and excitement, "The asteroid field is breaking. Our scanners detect a planet coming into view."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes. As the asteroid field thinned out a bright sun lit up the bridge. A blue spec grew in front of the Chimaera. The closer the ship drew to the small planet, the more Thrawn could see of it.
The surface was covered in storms. Green land likely teeming with life rested where the storms were not. Floating around the small planet were two moons. One incredibly bright. The other, shrouded in shadow.
"Sir? Is this planet on our map?"
Thrawn's lips parted into a small smile.
"Behold, Commander Vanto," Thrawn nodded at the planet and her two moons, Ashla and Bogan, "the mythical Jedi world of Tython."
Vanto's eyes widened, "That-that means the map is accurate. To a certain extent."
Thrawn nodded, "Indeed." He folded his hands behind his back, "Begin scanning for lifeforms and potential civilizations on the surface. If there is nothing, we will move on."
He already had a feeling there would be nothing. But the scans were standard procedure. If nothing else, they would reveal how viable it was to set up any colonies on the surface.
According to legend, this planet was abandoned tens of thousands of years ago as the ancient Jedi ventured further out into the stars. It still held a special, religious significant to the now extinct group. But as time passed, it faded from the spotlight. No longer the center of their strange religion.
The orange and yellow glow of the system's sun bathed the bridge in warm light. Thrawn nodded to himself. The Chimaera would remain in orbit for a few days while any damage from the asteroid field was repaired. They would also take this time to gather their bearings and figure out just where Vader wanted to go next.
The search was far from over. This was a mild victory in Thrawn's eyes. But the Deep Core held many mysteries and secrets long ago forgotten. Tython had been found once again. Who knows what else lay in this dangerous section of the galaxy.
The Chiss smiled to himself. This mission continued to excite him.
And chapter! Again, a slower chapter. Set up more than anything else. We have Ben and friends about to pursue both Kage and Marth over to Valm. Robin got his first lesson from Ben about the Force. I wanted to sort of replicate the lesson Ben gave Luke in A New Hope when they were on the Millenium Falcon. But I also wanted to put my own little spin on it. I hope it turned out well. Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!