The Force's Shepherds

Chapter 81

Family Heirloom

"I like this cave." Cynthia chirped as Brady worked on putting a fire together.

This cave saved their lives again. And Cynthia felt eternally grateful for it. The group reached the mountains after a grueling five day march west out of Koto. It had rained the entire way. And the rain only intensified as they got closer to the green, mountain peaks.

The rainy season hit Chon'sin full force during their march. Rivers flooded. Which made traveling through the lowlands of Chon'sin perilous. Once they reached the forested hills at the foot of the mountains, the flooded land turned to mud. Thick, gooey mud. Cynthia could still feel a thick wad of it stuck in between her toes.

Cynthia huffed as more mud dripped from her boots. She would not have gotten so muddy if she had not walked beside her pegasus for so long. Her loyal steed carried both Say'ri and Prince Kage while their other horse carried their supplies and travel gear.

Part of me wishes I was meaner and demanded to ride my own pegasus. Cynthia thought.

"I don't like this cave." Luke grumbled as he slumped against one of the rocky walls and sank down to a seat.

Cynthia flopped down beside Luke and started unlacing her boots.

She rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't. You've got bad memories of this place." She wrenched one of her boots free and started shaking mud out of it, "You almost died here."

"Yeah, don't remind me." Luke snorted.

"Remind me." Noire commented as she stepped inside of the cave. She let her bow slide off of her left shoulder. Her brown hair matted against her scalp and forehead thanks to the torrential downpour, "I kind of enjoyed seeing you in agony."

Luke glared at Noire as she walked past him and over to Brady. The priest cursed as he struggled to spark the wet tinder. Noire knelt down beside him and snatched the flint from his hands.

"Let me do it." She grumpily remarked.

"Hmph," Brady folded his arms, "Like you could do bett-"

Bright, yellow and orange flames sparked as Noire struck the flint once. Brady blinked and glanced over at Noire. The brown haired archer smirked, tossed him the flint back, and took a seat beside the now roaring fire.

Brady flicked his eyes down at the flint.

"You cheated!" He cried.

"Did not." Noire replied as she held her hands close to the fire in an attempt to dry herself off.

"You used magic!"

Noire arched an eyebrow, "Brady, do you see a tome anywhere in my possession?"

"I-well- you-" Brady huffed, " Fine… you win."

Noire snickered, "Yes. Yes I do."

The archer sighed and rubbed her hands together. Naga, she felt cold. The rain chilled her to the bone. It did not help that she didn't really have a coat or a cloak to throw over her shoulders. She shivered and inched closer to the warm flames. As she squatted in front of the fire, Prince Kage walked over and took a seat beside her.

"Hi Noire." He chirped before letting out a big yawn.

Noire chuckled, "I think you mean, goodnight Noire."

"I'm not sleepy." He yawned again. One little hand rubbed his right eye.

Noire snickered and ruffled his hair with her hand, "Sure you're not."

She nodded over at Say'ri. The Chon'sin Princess let out a small sigh as she walked over to Kage.

"Come on." She picked up the sleepy prince, "I've got your mat all set up."

Say'ri moved over to her and Kage's sleeping mats. Noire's lips parted into a small smile as she watched Say'ri tuck the tired Prince beneath a blanket.

"Why can't you be that nice to me?"

Noire's smile ran away from her face. She glared over at Luke.

"Because, you're a traitorous asshole who refuses to return something that is mine."

Brady arched an eyebrow, "He stole from you too?" He glared over at Luke, "Have ya got no shame?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I never stole anything from any of you." Luke grumbled as he folded his arms over hsi chest.

Beside him, Cynthia shook more mud out of her boots. A thick glob of it hit the cave floor with a loud plop. A heavy sigh left her lips.

"It's going to be squishy still in the morning."

"You may not have stolen my father's lightsaber," Noire began. Beside her, Brady sucked in a sharp breath, "But you refuse to give it back to me."

"I told you," Luke stared hard at Noire, "I will give it back to you as soon as you are properly trained." He rested his arms on his knees as he sat against the cave wall, "And I am more than willing to teach you."

Noire scowled at him, "You really think I want to learn anything from you? The monster that betrayed us. Whose betrayal and cowardice led to the death of my father and the fall of Ylisstol to Grima."

"Please." Luke rolled his eyes, "You and I both know that as soon as Grima regained his full strength we would not win. Your father, Maul, Lucina, even Exalt Lissa, they all were fighting against the inevitable." Noire eyes blazed with anger as he spoke, "Like it or not, we were going to lose that war. And Kenobi was going to die in it."

Noire snapped an open palm in his direction. Luke's head snapped back as an invisble fist punched him hard in the jaw. Stars danced in his eyes as the back of his head cracked against the cave wall. Cynthia let out a loud gasp.

"Noire!"

"Quit defending him, Cynthia." Noire grumbled as she got to her feet and marched out of the cave.

"Where do ya think you're going!?" Brady hollered after her as he stayed near the fire. Noire did not acknowledge him as she marched out of the cave and back into the rainstorm, "I swear to Naga if you catch a cold I ain't healing ya!"

She walked too far away to hear him. Brady cursed under his breath.

"I'm gonna have to heal her." He clicked his tongue and reached for his bottle of sake, "Gods damn it all." He took a long swig from his bottle and let out a satisfied sigh as the burning liquid ran down his throat, "So," he glanced over at Luke and Cynthia, "You have her old man's weapon?"

Luke sighed, "I had no idea it was Kenobi's until Maul told me. By that point I had it for a number of years, and Maul had a firm grip on my mind."

Brady snorted, "Still wouldn't have stopped ya from giving it back."

"Tell that to Maul." Luke snarled.

"Both of you enough." Say'ri snapped, "We are all weary from the journey. We can discuss this with clearer heads in the morning."

Cynthia rose to her feet as Luke leaned back against the rocks beside him. Luke's yellow eyes followed her as she marched over to her pegasus and rummaged through their travel gear. She grabbed a cloak and threw it over her shoulders.

Luke sighed and got to his feet

"Cynthia…"

"Noire can't be out there alone." Cynthia muttered, "Brady obviously isn't following her."

"I don't wanna catch cold!"

Cynthia rolled her eyes, "Ever the gentleman." She drew in a deep breath, "Say'ri is staying near Kage. And if you go near Noire, she might kill you."

Luke snorted, "She could try."

Cynthia frowned at him. Luke let out a small sigh before he wrapped his arms around her back. He felt her arms snake around his waist as her vibrant eyes stared up at his own.

"You aren't gonna stop me." She breathed.

Luke bobbed his head, "I figured as much. Just don't wander too far. And be careful."

Cynthia smiled and craned her head so she could kiss him. In the background, Brady gagged.

"I will be."

Cynthia's arms fell from Luke's waist. She smiled again, threw the hood of her cloak up over her head, and marched out into the rainstorm outside of the cave. She dissapeared into the dark forest after a few steps. The rain falling took hard for anyone to see more than a few feet in front of them.

Luke reached out with the force and felt Cynthia's presence. Happy as always. A touch concerned. Mischievous. He chuckled. She always had that mischievousness inside of her. She got that streak from her Aunt Lissa. Those two were master schemers and pranksters.

"You know something." Brady spoke, cutting off Luke's concentration. Luke glanced over at the priest. Brady took a sip of his sake, "Seing you smile is one of the most disconcerting things I've ever seen."

Luke scowled at Brady, "Do you ever have any compliments?"

"Not for a dumbass like you." Brady snorted.

Luke arched an eyebrow, "Dumbass? I thought I was the asshole."

Brady nodded as he sipped his sake again, "Oh, you're definitely both."

Luke frowned, "How so?"

Brady started to chuckle, "Cynthia plays you like a damn fiddle."

Luke furrowed his brow. What could the priest possibly mean by that? He placed his hands on his hips. One hand brushed against the scabbard that held the sword Yen'fay gave him. The other brushed against his bare, leather belt and one of the two lightsabers he had.

Luke blinked. Only one lightsaber hung at his hip. He glanced down at his hip. Realization dawned on his face as Brady laughed some more.

"You wanna know the best part?" Brady chuckled.

Luke grit his teeth.

"You can't go anywhere. Cause I'm about to get piss drunk." Brady waved his sake over towards where Say'ri and Kage slept, "And they can't be left alone with me like that. So you can't go after her."

"I can do what I want." Luke growled as he threw his hood up over his head.

"Sure you can. But what would the good General have to say about you abandoing your younger self and your sister over a stupid sword?" Brady remarked as Luke reached the cave's mouth.

Luke froze.

Brady smirked as he flicked the cap to his bottle, "You ain't the only one capable of blackmail."

Luke's fist curled up by his sides.

"Relax, Luke." Brady finally sighed, "Take a seat by the fire. I'll even share a drink with you."

Luke turned around. He marched stiffly over to the fire and sat down beside Brady, absolutely furious.

Brady chuckled some more, "Get any redder in the face, and I might start thinking that I got ya blushing."

Luke's eyes blazed. Brady gulped.

"No need to get so offended. Naga, you've really got a stick up your butt nowadays, don't ya?"

Brady spread his legs out and leaned back on his elbows. He offered his sake. Luke declined. Brady shrugged.

"Suit yourself. This is good stuff." Brady smacked his lips together as an awkward silence hung in the air.

"She's gonna get it." Luke growled as he stared into the flames.

Brady arched an eyebrow, "Ya may wanna rephrase that."

Luke blinked.

"There are many different connotations of that phrase. One of which involves something Cynthia would really enjoy."

Luke threw a wild punch at Brady. The priest ducked out of the way. Small, amused laughs left the priest's lungs. Luke glared at him. In the blink of an eye, Luke reached out and swiped Brady's sake from his hand.

He held it out over the fire. Brady paled.

"Now hold on, let's not get hasty." Brady swallowed hard, "What I meant to say was, you ain't gonna hurt Cynthia."

Luke frowned, "I said nothing about hurting her. Yelling, probably."

He tossed the bottle back over to Brady. Brady bobbled the hot glass in his hands before letting it fall into the his robe covered lap. A long sigh left Brady's lips.

"Now I gotta wait for it to cool down." He huffed, "Well, since I gotta wait, why don't I play priest." He folded his hands, "You've got issues, Luke."

Luke rolled his eyes, "And you are drunk."

Brady snorted, "It takes more than that to get me drunk, you know that." Brady rested his head on his right hand, "So, from what I've seen in the past few months, you've got anger issues, lying issues, and all around, you're an asshole to the nth degree."

"Oh please, keep insulting me. See where that gets you." Luke grumbled.

"You ain't a pleasant person." Brady sighed, "And… I don't remember ya being that way. Were you and I always good friends? Hell no. I'll be the first to admit that. I personally found ya and your justice cabal damn irritating." He saw Luke irked by that comment. But Brady ignored the venomous glare he recieved. "But you were never such a prick before." He gave Luke a curious look, "So, what the hell happened during the three years you were alone with Maul?"

Pure hatred flashed over Luke's face. An all encompassing rage accompanied his question. It consumed the young Sith beside him. A chill swept through the cave and slammed into Brady's form. Crawling over his skin and down his spine. Luke's fists clenched in his lap. Despite the roaring fire, Brady felt cold. And for some strange reason, terrified.

Luke gave the fire an unblinking stare.

"Silence then?" Brady croaked as he recovered from the sudden onslaught that left him momentarily paralyzed, "Well, ya ain't gonna get over it that way."

"I'm," Luke struggled to contain his own fury, "well aware." He glanced over at Brady, "Why do you think I have been training with Yen'fay so much."

"Cause ya wish to form a brotherly connection with someone that ya never really knew?" Brady replied.

"Obviously. But," Luke clenched his jaw, "there is more to it than that."

Brady furrowed his brow. Luke struggled with something. It toyed with his mind constantly. Brady could see his yellow eyes flicking to and fro throughout the cave. As if he was constantly on alert. Constantly waiting for danger to appear. The very mention of Maul set him on edge.

"Luke," Brady sat a little taller, "What the hell happened during the three years you were away from us?"

Luke swallowed hard. He inhaled deep. Exhaled long and hard. His blazing eyes focused on the fire in front of him. His hands flexed into fists, then relaxed, then flexed again into tight balls of rage.

"Maul corrupted me." Luke finally answered, "He got his wish."

Brady sat mute beside Luke. He would not pressed the guy for details. But he would wait for him to continue talking. Once the first words spilled out, Luke would not stop.

"We arrived near these mountains." Luke explained, "Had no idea what year it was when we got here. All we knew was that the time portal Maul conjured succeeded in transporting us to a time before Grima and his horde stormed the planet. We reached a nearby village and asked for the date and location." Luke grimaced, "Maul was furious at the time. He did not want to arrive early. He wanted to arrive at the same time that Kenobi joined the Shepherds. His goal the entire time was to destroy him."

"Destroy him?" Brady asked.

Luke nodded, "Ben Kenobi and Maul were very old enemies. They fought each other long before Ben even joined the Shepherds. He won at that time. In the words of my… master, he destroyed Maul. Broke him. Maul clung to his hatred in order to survive. And when he survived, he made it his life's goal to get revenge on Kenobi."

"Grima got in the way of that during our timeline. Maul recognized that the Fell Dragon was the greater threat. And for a time, he decided to work with Kenobi. But he also realized what we all should of realized sooner." Luke glanced away from the fire and over at Brady, "We were never going to defeat Grima. We would all die and join his horde. Forever enslaved to that monster." Luke shook his head, "Maul would not have that. Not unless he got his revenge as well. The only way he could get that revenge was by taking everything away from Kenobi. So, he devised a plan to go back to the past and take everything he loved before Grima could." Luke pursed his lips, "He nearly suceeded."

"But, like I said, we arrived too early. So, we had to wait for Ben to join the Shepherds. And so, for three years, Maul and I trained." Luke's eyes glazed over momentarily. Brady could see a twinge of fear on his face as he recalled those horrible years, "The Dark side of the Force is pain." Luke breathed, "It is anger and hatred. The only way to power is to embrace those feelings. Embrace the pain and suffering inflicted upon you. Through that pain and the hatred it brings, you shall recieve power unimaginable."

Brady's eyes widened. That was Maul's teachings? That was his creed? Brady suppressed a shiver. It sounded barbaric. Animalistic and inhumane.

Luke glanced over at Brady. Some of the rage had died in his eyes. Replaced by a melancholy and fear that made the normally intimidating Sith seem more human.

"How do you think he inflicted the necessary amount of pain?"

Brady swallowed hard, "He tortured you?"

Luke gave him a small nod, "Mentally, physically," He clenched his jaw, "with the force and with brute strength." He scoffed. "That old monster had plenty of strength in him." Luke shook his head, "I had no way of fighting it. He broke me mentally. Shattered everything about myself. Destroyed everything I was and rebuilt me into something he wanted. A tool designed to bring about Kenobi's destruction." Luke swallowed hard. The fire spat some embers out at him. He hardly flinched, "And I let it happen."

Brady furrowed his brow. This explained a lot. It explained the drastic change in demeanor he saw in his former friend. Luke, in the future, had been like Cynthia, Morgan, and Owain. A prankster to the core. Always looking for trouble and mischief. Always had strong bonds with all of them. Even Brady himself, as much as he hated to admit it.

Maul tore that all down. Destroyed the kid Brady, Cynthia, and Noire grew up with. Molded a monster in his place. Brady could not help but be stunned at just how succesful Maul was. What kind of torture did he subject Luke to? Brady could hardly fathom it.

"Ya-," Brady cleared his throat. He grabbed the still warm sake bottle and held it out to Luke. Luke plucked it and opened the cap, "Ya shouldn't blame yourself."

Luke took a long drink from the bottle. He winced and let out a loud exhale as the sake ran burning trails down his throat.

"I chose that path." Luke reminded Brady, "I followed Maul willingly. I could have said no and stayed." Luke handed the bottle back to Brady, "But I was too tempted by the power he promised. I wanted that power. I wanted to be the most powerful being in existence. So that I could destroy Grima. Save the world." A bitterness took his voice, "Ben Kenobi denied me that chance. Maul offered me what I desired and I took it. In the end, all of the suffering I have been through and caused falls on my shoulders. There is no hiding or denying that fact."

Brady pressed his lips into a line, "Maybe. There sure is a lot of responsibility for this screw up on your shoulders. But… ya couldn't control what Maul did to ya. Hell, ya could not have known he was truly that monstrous. I mean, I knew he was bad news but…" Brady sighed, "I didn't think he was that insane. That evil."

"Neither did I." Luke nodded, "He fooled all of us."

"Thank Naga he's dead." Brady grunted as he took a drink of sake, "And now that he ain't around, ya got a chance to make things right. I guess I can tell ya have started doing." Brady exhaled, "And somehow, screwing Cynthia has helped."

"I'm about to punch you."

"Let me finish." Brady raised a hand, "Cynthia's got an effect on people. She always managed to cheer us all up, even in that hellish future we came from. You know that. We may have gotten annoyed with her. But that annoyance always came with a smile." Brady smiled, "She's got a good heart. And its rubbing off on ya. Then ya got Yen'fay giving you another chance. Teaching ya how to be a peaceful warrior and all that mumbo jumbo." Brady sipped his sake again, "My point is, you've surrounded yourself with the right people to fix things. But being an asshole will push them away." He nodded at the cave's opening. The rain had faded into a small drizzle, "Let Cynthia give Noire her old man's weapon. And when Cynthia gets back, don't be mad about it. It was never your weapon to keep anyways."

Luke let out a long breath. His jaw worked furiously for a moment behind his sealed lips. Brady felt surprised. His words had an effect on the guy.

Maybe I'm halfway decent at this sorta thing. Brady thought to himself.

Luke nodded, "Thanks, Brady."

"It's what I'm here for." Brady winced, "Now, I'm gonna grab a mat and try to get some shut eye. Wake me when its my watch."

Luke let out a small snort as Brady moved to grab his mat from their travel gear. Once he had the mat, Brady flopped down on it and dozed off. Luke shook his head.

"Damn drunk priest." Luke let out a heavy sigh as he stared into the flickering flames, "Why does he have to be right?"

…..

Noire huffed and rubbed her arms. The rain continued to pour down from the dark skies above her. Thankfully, it only rained. If there was thunder and lightning, she might have worried about her own safety in weather such as this. Instead, she just had to worry about staying as dry as possible.

Or getting dry when she finally calmed down.

The talisman around her neck shimmered as raindrops pelted against it. Noire could feel the enchantment on the small necklace rush through her viens and slam into her mind.

Boundless confidence! Terrible anger! Blood and Thunder! She wanted to annihilate Luke!

A small gasp left her lips as her fingers brushed against the talisman. She closed her eyes and focused on the rain.

"Confidence." She breathd, "Not rage." She gulped, "Father would not want you to be enraged."

Her father. The thought of him made her heart sink. What would she do when she saw him again? Would he be any different than the man she remembered? Or would he be the same? She trembled at the thought of speaking to him again. Not out of fear. Her own anxiety crippled her in this instance. She was never afraid of her father.

She knew he would eventually arrive in Valm. The war made that outcome a certainty. All of the Shepherds would converge on this continent in order to strike down the tyrant emperor, Walhart. That would be when she reuinted with both her father and her mother

Her heart ached. The fingers on her left hand brushed the gem on her talisman once again. They trembled as they barely touched the dark, frigid, stone covered in a sheen of raindrops. Her chest rose and fell in heavy, panicked breaths.

She would not be able to do it. What could she possibly say to them? She raked one hand through her hair as she stopped walking beneath a large tree. Less rain hit her beneath the thick branches and blanket of green leaves. Noire gulped and brushed some drenched, brown hair from her brow. Her hand wrapped around the black gem on her talisman.

"I miss you." She breathed.

"Noire!"

Noire sucked in a sharp breath. Someone followed her? The voice called out again. She relaxed as she recognized Cynthia's loud voice on the damp wind.

The Pegasus Knight emerged from some brush. Cloak soaked with rain water. Boots clogged with mud once again. Cynthia stamped her feet and rubbed her arms.

"Naga, there you are!" She cried, "You can't just go storming off like that, Noire. We gotta stick together."

Noire sighed, "I know. I know. I just-" She exhaled, "My temper was about to get the better of me back there. It was best for me to walk away from the situation before I did something I'd regret."

"Like punching Luke square in the jaw?" Cynthia smirked, "I wouldn't have blamed you. I've done it before too."

Noire rolled her eyes as Cynthia walked over to a gnarled tree root and took a seat. Not caring that her pants became damp thanks to the rain falling around them.

"That's because you are… different to him." Noire answered carefully.

"Yeah. He and I have fun. So?" Cynthia shrugged, "Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a good thwack every now and then. Once you get past this moodiness of his, you'll realize he is the same awkward guy we both knew back then."

Noire snorted as she took a seat beside Cynthia, "Back then is only a few months ago for me." She rubbed her hands together as she fought to stay warm, "How long have you been here anyways?"

Cynthia blinked, "Well, we all just got here. And I followed you out here to see if you were-"

"Oh you airhead." Noire hung her head, "I meant this timeline!"

"Ooooh." Cynthia replied, "I see." She hummed to herself, "Almost three years now." Cynthia let out a gasp, "That means I'm older than you now!"

Noire frowned, "No you're not."

"Technically I am. I'm nineteen, you're sixteen still."

"And I still look older than you." Noire deadpanned.

Cynthia hung her head, "Don't remind me."

A small snicker left Noire's lips. She rubbed Cynthia's shoulder.

"I can say I'm impressed though. You've survived on your own for a while now." Noire muttered, "I almost didn't make it three nights. You made it a full year before running into Luke."

Cynthia bit her lips, "Yeah." She shifted nervously in her seat, "I did a dumb in order to survive."

Noire arched an eyebrow.

"I accidentally confused a bandit gang for my father and the other Shepherds." Cynthia cringed

Noire blinked. She started snickering. That snicker turned into loud laughter. Laughter Cynthia joined in on.

Noire took a breath, snickered some more, then wiped a tear from her cheek. Or was it a raindrop? She couldn't tell.

"Yeah." She noded, "That'd be somethign you would do."

Cynthia chuckled, "You should have seen the look on his face when he found me with them." Cynthia sucked in a loud breath. Then wheezed out another laugh, "Luke was so mad."

"I bet." Noire shook her head, "Seems that's all he ever is. Mad or grumpy."

Cynthia took a few calming breaths.

"I mean," Cynthia exhaled, "Can you blame him? He's been here longer than any of us. Almost six years now. He practically grew up in a different timeline from us. Add in Maul and the horrible things he probably did," Cynthia shook her head, "You know, he still hasn't told me anything about that."

"About what?" Noire asked.

"What being apprenticed to Maul was like." Cynthia replied, "I've never really asked. But he's also never said anything about it." She pursed her lips. Her hands kneaded the moss covered root beneat her, "Something horrible must have happened for him to have changed so much."

Noire huffed, "Still does not give him an excuse to be an asshole. Maul's not around anymore." She folded her arms.

Cynthia sighed, "He's not that bad."

"Says you!" Noire snapped back, "Has he kept a treasured family heirloom from you? No. He has not." Noire rose to her feet, "My father searched for that blade for years. And he died before he could find it. And now, it is right in front of me. In his clutches." Noire pointed in the direction of the cave, "His traitorous hands hold my father's weapon. He likely used it against him at some point."

Cynthia cringed, "Yeah… about that-"

Noire blinked, "Oh you've gotta be kidding." She ran a hand over her eyes, "He tried to kill my father with his own weapon?"

"I never said that!" Cynthia exclaimed, "But… he did try to kill you dad."

"I'm gonna kill him." Noire breathed, "I'm gonna let my mom's side out. Brady is gonna piss himself."

"No need to get hasty!" Cynthia jumped from her seat and moved to block Noire's path, "The last thing we need is to start fighting each other. Besides, I have this."

Cynthia reached into her drenched cloak and withdrew a silver hilt. Noire blinked rain from her eyes as Cynthia held out her father's lightsaber to her. With trembling hands, Noire reached out and grasped the weapon.

Cynthia let it go. Noire gasped. Terrified she might accidentally drop the weapon. She blinked in surprise. It felt… surprisingly heavy for something so small. She needed to two hands in order to hold it steady in front of her eyes. Her blue eyes studied the hilt closely.

Yes, just like her father's sketch. Rudimentary in design. Utilitarian in purpose. Meant for warfare rather than for show. Practical in every sense of the word. It felt comfortable in her small hands. Easy to handle despite the weight it possessed.

Noire closed her eyes. She could feel this weapon in the force. Felt the triumphs it created. Sensed the pain it caused. Every emotion this weapon possessed washed over her mind. If she had not been prepared for it, it would have overwhelmed her.

"Hey, Noire." Cynthia muttered with some concern, "Are you okay?"

Noire gulped. She nodded back at Cynthia.

"Is this-"

"The one Yen'fay gave Luke, yeah." Cynthia blinked, "Well, not the older one. But the newer one. Which would actually be the older one since we are in the past. But technically it hasn't been used as much or hasn't seen as many years so-"

Noire snickered, "Don't stretch your brain too much there. You'll hurt yourself."

Cynthai sighed, "Yeah. This time travel thing has really screwed with everything."

Noire snickered some more, "It has." She brushed her thumbs along the black ridges near the center of the hilt, "How did you get it?"

Cynthia smirked, "I used my feminine wiles and sultry persuasion of course."

"You distracted him with either your lips or your boobs." Noire deadpanned, "I'm gonna guess both."

"Hey! I didn't go that far." Cynthia folded her arms defensively, "I kissed him and he did not even notice I took it."

Noire snorted, "How devious of you." She gulped, "He probably knows now though."

"I've got a plan for that." Cynthia replied, "So don't worry about it. That weapon belongs to you. It was your dad's. Luke and Yen'fay can disagree all they want. But you gotta have the weapon in order to learn how to use it. Right?"

Noire nodded, "Right." Noire let out another heavy breath.

She had it. Her father's lightsaber. The one thing she had to remember him by. An artifact she would treasure as much as her mother's ring and talisman. With loving care, Noire clipped the hilt onto her leather belt. It sat heavy against her hip. But it did not feel uncomfortable.

"It really means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Cynthia asked as the rainstorm slowed to a small drizzle above them.

Noire exhaled, "Yeah. I-" Noire swallowed hard, "I loved my father. You know that."

"Of course. Who wouldn't love their dad?"

Noire snorted and opened her mouth to reply. Cynthia quickly raised a hand.

"Don't answer that."

Noire snickered a little bit, "Very well." Noire rubbed her right arm with her left hand, "But, you also know that me and my father were not very close."

Cynthia blikned, "What!? You seemed plenty close to me."

Noire shook her head, "He was always closer with Lucina than with me." Noire sighed, "I guess that comes with taking her on as his apprentice. I mean, Lucina was the last hope for all of us. It's not wonder he poured so much time and energy into her." Noire bit her lip, "Listen to me. I sound like some needy child."

"Not at all." Cynthia replied, "It sounds like you've been meaning to talk about this for a while now."

Noire kicked at the dirt. Her left hand moved from her arm to her talisman.

"Maybe." She muttered, "Father was so distant. Even with mother. I think he tried to be there for me and her, in his own way. But with the war and having to make sure humanity didn't fall apart around us… leaves little time to take care of your own kid."

Cynthia frowned, "You sound upset."

Noire gulped. Her left index finger rubbed against the talisman.

"Maybe a little bit." Noire admitted, "I don't… I don't hate my father. I loved him with everything I had. He was my dad after all. He tried. In his own way, he tried. That is more than a lot of people from our future can say." Noire drew in a deep breath, "I like to think that if we would have defeated Grima in the future he would have taken some more time to be with mom and I. I like to think that he was so distant because he was fighting so hard for a future with me and mom. Fighting for peace so he could be close to us." Noire swallowed hard as she felt some tears starting to brim in her eyes, "And- and now I'll never know."

Cynthia surged forward and wrapped Noire in a large hug. Noire let the tears fall as she held on to Cynthia.

"I cried for a few days too when I first got here." Cynthia admitted as Noire sobbed into her shoulder, "Master Ben was like a dad to me too."

"I saw him fall, Cynthia." Noire sobbed, "I saw Grima strike him down."

Cynthia rubbed her back as she kept Noire close, "We all did."

Noire shuddered, "Did he know?" She blubbered some more, "Do you think he knew I loved him? Do you think he-"

"Of course he did." Cynthia pulled back from Noire and stared hard at the taller woman, "Why… why else would he do what he did? He gave his life so that we could have a chance at changing the future. I'd call that one big act of love."

Noire squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to reign herself back in. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. The drizzle faded to a sprinkled around them. Moonlight started to stream through the thin, dark clouds above them. A few shuddering breaths left Noire's lungs.

"You okay to go back now?" Cynthia asked, "Both of us are going to need to sit by the fire for a little bit. Otherwise, we'll catch cold."

Noire nodded, "Yeah." She whispered.

Her hand brushed against the lightsaber hilt again as they marched back towards the cave. Cynthia hissed as she slipped into a large puddle of mud.

"I just got them emptied out." She glanced back at Noire, "You owe me big time now!"

Noire let out a dry laugh, "Sure I do." One hand reached up to her talisman. The other down to her lightsaber.

She could see the flickering firelight of the cave coming closer. Inside, she heard Brady utter a curse. Something about the Sake still being too hot. Whatever that meant.

As both girls reached the entrance, Noire stopped.

"Cynthia."

"Yeah?"

Noire gulped, "Thank you."

Cynthia beamed back at her, "Don't mention it." She glanced into the cave. Luke stood against the far wall. Arms folded. Chin tucked to his chest and eyes closed. Waiting for both of them to return, "If you'll excuse me, I've got a boyfriend to pacify."

Noire snickered, "Don't do anything too overt. Prince Kage is nearby after all."

Cynthia cheeks reddened, "I-I know that!" She spun around and rushed back into the cave, "Ruin my plans why don't you." She muttered as Noire followed.

Noire blinked. Cynthia really planned on- Noire snickered some more and shook her head.

"Once an airhead. Always an airhead."

….

Luke did not recall when he closed his eyes to meditate. But he knew he needed to. It had been a few days since he drifted into the force. Traveling fast through the countryside, avoiding Valmese soldiers in the process, did not lend a lot of time to meditation.

This type of meditation was new for him. The way Maul taught him involved stoking his rage and fears into an ever burning fire. Reveling in those feelings. Using them as fuel for his powers. Honing those powers through meditation. He often found himself drifting towards that practice. And everytime he found himself tempted by the rage and fear, he snapped back to reality. A way to regain control of himself.

He was better than that now. He did not need rage, fear, or pain to be powerful. Yen'fay taught him that. His own failures taught him that. He meditated on those failures. Whereas before, to fuel his rage. Now, to learn. To understand why he failed. To grow.

He found this meditation to be much more relaxing. How meditation should be. An exercise to calm the mind. Jedi-esque in a way. Luke snorted to himself at that thought. If someone would have told him he would be following Jedi teachings one year ago, he would have laughed. Then he probably would have killed them. Back then, following a peaceful path would have been an insult.

In the background, he heard Brady mutter to himself before popping the lid on his bottle again. The Priest still unable to fall asleep. Luke blocked out his voice. His mind focused on the crackling fire. The whistling breeze that gently drifted into the dim cave. The feeling of the cold rock against his back. The dampness seeping through his robes and chilling his bones.

The darkness faded. Something surfaced in the force.

Voices. Sharp, yet muffled. As if they were speaking through a blanket.

"Move into the city."

"Go, go, go."

They sounded the same.

"Take out those mages!"

His brow furrowed. He could hear explosions. Death cries. Felt heat against his skin.

The heat rushed away. A chill replaced it.

Breathing. Rhythmic and unnatural. A whoosh in. Then a rasp out.

"I sense you."

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a deep voice thrummed through his mind. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. This did not feel right. He felt… terrified. The presence he sensed in his mind was overpowering. As dark as any shadow. Filled with rage and pain

For some reason, it felt familiar. And that unsettled Luke. No one filled him with dread such as this. Dread that made him shrink away and try to hide his own presence. Not even Maul elicited such a reaction. And he feared Maul.

But he was never terrified of Maul.

"Luke?"

His eyes flicked open. Cynthia cautiously approached him from the cave's entrance. The presence in his mind faded away as he exited his meditation.

Luke's yellow eyes flicked over to Noire as the archer followed Cynthia into the cave. He noticed the silver hilt clipped to her belt. Brady noticed it as well. The priest nodded at Noire then gave Luke a wary look.

Cynthia inched a little closer to him while Noire took a seat beside the fire.

"You." Luke narrowed his eyes at Cynthia. He folded his arms over his chest.

Cynthia cringed, "Yup. It's me."

He tapped his foot against the rocky floor. Cynthia gulped as his yellow eyes bored holes into her.

"You know something," Cynthia muttered, "When you get mad, you're pretty unsettling."

He frowned at her, "You gave it back."

Cynthia nodded, "I did."

His frown deepened.

"Before you say anything," Cynthia quickly cut in. She stared up into his yellow eyes. An unflinching, unafraid gaze, "you and I both know that weapon is not yours to keep. And you and Yen'fay had no right to tell her she could not have it. Sure, Noire has no clue how to use it. And she will probably mess up her first time trying."

"I can hear you." Noire called over with mild irritation. Brady chuckled beside her.

"But it's still her weapon. It was her dad's weapon. Who are we to tell her she can't have it." Cynthia took a deep breath, "So, yes, I gave it back to her. It was the right thing to do. And if you don't agree with that, fine. But if you get mad at me, I swear that there will be consequences."

Luke arched an eyebrow, "Like what?"

Cynthia smirked, "Oh," she folded her arms over her chest, "You know what."

Luke thought for a moment. Realization crossed his face.

"That's not fair." He said.

"Is too." Cynthia remarked.

"Do I look angry to you?" Luke asked her.

"You've got those yellow eyes. They always make you look angry." Cynthia countered.

Luke flinched a little bit.

"S-sorry." Cynthia stammered, "You're just… kinda moody nowadays. Compared to the old days at least. And well-"

"I'm… not angry now, Cynthia. I was at first." Luke admitted, "But, me and Brady had a bit of a frank discussion and well, he opened my eyes a bit more."

"He did?"

Cynthia glanced back at Brady. As she did so, Brady fell backwards. Head swimming with sake. Noire rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Cynthia jabbed her thumb back at the drunk priest.

"That guy opened your eyes?"

Luke let out a small chuckle, "He's actually kind of good at his job. Surprisingly enough." Cynthia flushed a little bit as Luke took one of her hands, "Cynthia, I aim to be a better person than what I was. You have done everything in your power to help. How could I get angry at you when you have done that?"

Cynthia's cheeks reddened even more.

"Well," She cleared her throat, "you've gotten better at the romantic talk over the past few months."

"Have I?" Luke chuckled as he rested his hands on her hips and brought her close.

"Hey, gross love birds!" Noire barked at them, startling the pair. One hand clutched her talisman as she spoke, "There is a child here! And I'm not interested in seeing that stuff."

Cynthia stuck her tongue out at Noire, "You're just jealous."

Noire huffed and returned her attention to the fire.

"No fun tonight then." Cynthia pouted.

Luke let out a laugh, "When we get to a village. We'll get our own room."

Cynthia rested her head against his chest, "Promise?"

"You both better make sure that room is far away from mine." Noire grumbled loudly.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Just like Kenobi. She always has to have the last word."

"Again I can hear you."

"Good!" Luke shot back as Cynthia chuckled, "And get some sleep already. I'll take first watch."

"You sure?" Cynthia asked him.

"Yes." Luke nodded, "You get some sleep as well. We have another day or two before we reach the nearest mountain village. Hopefully the rain lets up tomorrow."

"I doubt it." Cynthia sighed. She let a yawn escape her lips, "Wake me when you're raedy to go to sleep."

"I will."

Luke kissed her forehead. Cynthia smiled and pecked his cheek. With one more loud yawn, she shuffled over to their travel gear, grabbed her mat, and went to sleep. Noire also grabbed her own and fell into fitfull sleep.

Luke stayed over by the cave wall. He could see everything in front of him this way.

He was glad he took the first watch. It gave him time to think a little more. Though, he dared not meditate again tonight.

That voice still rang in his mind.

….

Darth Vader kept his eyes closed. Head bowed in silence inside of his meditation chamber. The pressurized air allowed him to remove that infernal helmet and mask from his head. Allowing his ghost pale skin to be touched by the air once again. Letting air flow into his lungs normally. Without the need for a machine to do it for him.

He hated this suit. His prison. Always with him. Never allowing him to be free. It chafed what little flesh he had left on his body. A constant itch ran along his torso, neck, and shoulders. One he could never scratch. It drove him to near insanity. The constant pain and discomfort served as a punishment and as a reminder.

He was in this suit because he failed. His master ordered him to wipe out the Jedi order. That included his old master, Obi Wan Kenobi.

His fist clenched at his sides. Kenobi defeated him instead. Left him to die in the fires of Mustafar. And die he nearly did. If not for his master, the Emperor, Vader would have did on that planet's scorched surface.

In a way, he wished he did. If he had, he would never have felt this constant pain. Never felt the ache in his chest whenever Anakin Skywalker's memories plagued his mind. Never would have to worry about a damn itch on his chest.

The Dark Side of the Force snarled around him. Vader inhaled. Relishing the feeling.

Meditation brought him some measure of quiet. Some peace. Not much, but a little was than nothing.

Yet he found no rest this time. His mind bounced dangerously between Skywalker's memories, and his last duel with Obi Wan Kenobi.

He could see the blue lightsabers flashing in his mind. The heat of Mustafar rushed over his pale flesh once again. The burning rage he held for his old master coursed through his veins.

He wished he could have been the one to end Kenobi's life. Unfortunately, a battlion of clones did the job for him. Kenobi died fleeing Senator Organa's ship. His escape pod obliterated by turbo lasers. Ever since then, Vader had to live with the fact that he did not have the pleasure of killing the man himself.

That enraged him. He wanted his revenge. And he would never have it.

He hated Kenobi. It was all his fault. His fault he was now cursed to live in this suit. His fault that he could no longer eat food normally. His fault that he lived a tortured existance. His fault he could not scratch the itch he felt crawling up his spine. Between his shoulder blades and up to his scarred neck.

It was his fault Padme turned against him.

Vader's fist curled up tighter.

His fault she died.

The Dark Side roared as he channeled that rage. Power surged through his body. A thrill shot through him as adrenaline pumped through his veins.

His mind focused. And he became aware of someone nearby.

Vader cracked his naked eyes open. Was an officer about to disturb him? Did Thrawn send someone to fetch him?

No. He sensed no one outside of his meditation chamber. Yet, there was someone here. A presence he did not recognize.

A conflicted presence. Adrift in the tide of the force. But not helpless. Certainly not weak. Torn between the light and the dark. It felt familiar.

Vader focused on it. His mind sought out the source. The presence was young. Filled with rage and pain. He felt regret as well. Deep feelings of guilt. Vader drew back a moment. Scared that maybe he was feeling himself.

Did he feel Skywalker?

No… that was not it. That would be impossible. Skywalker was dead. He destroyed him.

So who was this that felt so much like him? He narrowed his focus. Demanded that the force reveal to him the answer he seeked.

An image flashed in his mind. A boy with blonde hair and dark robes leaned against a cave wall. Eyes closed. Fire flickering nearby. Casting shadows that danced over the cave's uneven walls and ceiling.

A boy? That was who he sensed?

He saw the boy's forehead begin to sweat. Vader narrowed his gaze.

"I sense you." Vader said. His voice barely a whisper. Which was all he could muster outside of his suit.

The connection abruptly severed. Vader drew back into his seat. The Dark Side calmed around him.

The boy held power. A tremendous amount of it. But who was he? He was no Jedi. The darkness Vader felt in him made that clear.

Before he could continue his musings, a datapad near his seat beeped. Vader scowled. He tapped the datapad.

"Yes?" He whispered, his voice hoarse. But the datapad masked that.

"Lord Vader," Commander Eli Vanto said from the other end, "Admiral Thrawn requests your presence in his quarters."

"May I ask why?"

A small silence. He sensed severe nervousness from the Commander.

"He wants to talk to you about… immortality-"

Vader's eyes widened.

"G-General Skywalker."

The line cut. Vader sat stunned in his seat for a moment.

Rage burst through him. Blood pulsed in his ears. He clenched his jaw. His fists tightened on his armrests. He could hear metal groaning as the force clamped down around him.

The helmet sank down from its perch over his head. The damnable contraption hissed as it sealed around his pale head. The red tinted lenses he used to see out of the suit flashed to life. His meditation chamber hissed as pressure rushed out from the cracked open orb.

He marched out of his chamber. Nearly tore his door from its hinges.

Thrawn knew.

And chapter! I apologize for this taking so long you guys. Got hit by the old writer's block there for a while. Took me a bit to figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter. In the end, some interesting stuff happened. We got to see Noire get her father's lightsaber back (thank you impulsive Cynthia). We got an interesting talk between Brady and Luke/Kage. Revealing a little bit more of his time with Maul. And we get an bit of an update on Thrawn and Vader as they draw closer to their prey. Which was very fun to write.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day