The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 115
The Son of Skywalker
"I need more bandages!" Lissa shouted across the newly constructed medical tent.
She quickly wiped her bloody hands on the front of her already stained yellow dress before rushing towards a stack of vulnaries beside the cot her wounded patient lay in. The soldier groaned as his wound continued to grow worse. Lissa ran a comforting hand over the poor man's forehead then whipped her head around again.
"Bandages!" She shouted again, uncorking a vulnary and pouring it over the enormous slash that ran from the soldier's armpit to his hip.
"Coming!" Sakura barked back, arms laden with cloth.
She skidded to a stop beside Lissa. The Princess yanked several heavy strips of cloth from her arms and quickly started placing them over the soldier's wound. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the man's face start to lose color and his eyes waver out of focus.
"No, no, no!" Lissa exclaimed, "Maribelle!"
"I'm coming darling." Maribelle shouldered her way past Sakura. The Duchess of Themis took one look at the soldier and closed her eyes, "Lissa…"
"We can still save him." Lissa breathed moving towards their dwindling supply of powerful elixirs.
"Lissa…"
"Where is Libra when I need him!?" Lissa cried uncorking the elixir.
Maribelle's hand snapped out and caught the princess by the wrist, stopping her from dumping the purple liquid all over the soldier's body.
"He's already gone." Maribelle muttered.
Lissa swallowed hard. She glanced at the man's face. His eyes were vacant. The blood stopped flowing from the wound as his heart stopped beating. A defeated sigh left Lissa's lips as she set the elixir down on the ground beside the dead soldier.
"Sakura." Lissa mumbled.
"Yeah?" The young girl replied, face pale as she looked at yet another dead body today.
"Make sure Laurent records his name and where he was from." Lissa ordered, voice quiet as she tried to keep herself from crying, "How many does that make it now, Maribelle?"
"We are now at three hundred wounded that we were unable to save." The Duchess sighed, "We don't have enough healers or supplies to do our jobs anymore."
Lissa nodded a little bit. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, spreading tears, grime, and blood over her the sides of her face. She gulped and tucked her chin to her chest.
The number of wounded continued to grow, and with it the number of corpses. Just from seeing the wounds, Lissa knew the battle had been savage. Burns abounded throughout their ranks. Any soldiers with minor burns were told to wait, or walk it off. The vulnaries and elixirs needed to be used on the critically wounded. Those with arrow wounds, ax wounds, stab wounds, the usual aftermath of a battle. Lissa felt like she was sort of used to those sights already. After Charlet, it was hard to feel ill looking at a bloody wound.
But the burns, the true burns that made the skin look charred, it made her stomach flip. She found herself unable to work on those poor soldiers. Libra had to step in and relieve her from working on the more devastating wounds because she froze up. He sent her to try and help the ones with more traditional wounds. But even then, she found herself unable to maintain the calm composure and presence a healer needed to have.
She was terrified. So many already dead and wounded. So few made it down the mountain in one piece. She had yet to see most of the Shepherds. Chrom had not come by, which meant he was either fine or dead. Her chest tightened at the thought of Chrom lying dead on the rocky, hot surface of Demon's Ingle.
No, that didn't happen.
If it did, someone would have told her. At the very least, Frederick would have rushed to her and informed her if anything terrible happened. Unless he was dead too, in which case-
She bowed her head, lip trembling as she tried to keep herself from breaking down into tears.
"Er uh-" Sakura reached out and placed an awkward hand on Lissa's shoulder, "It's gonna be okay, Exa- I mean- Lady Lissa."
Lissa let out a soft laugh at Sakura's slip up, "I'm not crowned yet. Hopefully I never will be." She exhaled and wiped at her eyes again. After she regained her composure she glanced over to the medical tent entry.
Luke stood there, grim faced. Lissa paled as he carefully stepped into the tent. His yellow eyes darted between the bedrolls lining the tent walls, glancing at the wounded men around him. The young man did not even flinch at the sight of bloody, dying men and women. But there was a strange look in his eyes. Melancholy rested on his face that bode ill for someone in the tent.
Lissa gulped as her heart stopped beating in her chest. Luke stopped in front of Sakura.
"Sakura…" Luke exhaled.
Sakura swallowed hard, "W-what?"
Luke grimaced. Some tears misted in his eyes, "It was Say'ri."
Lissa's eyes widened. She only briefly talked with the Chon'sin Princess. Both women were far too caught in their own duties to really get to know each other. Lissa had to work long hours with the healers, since she had grown remarkably in that field thanks to Libra's tutelage. Say'ri was busy conducting the war alongside Chrom, the Khans, Ben, and briefly, Robin. Lissa recalled Chrom speaking highly of Say'ri whenever Lissa actually had a moment's rest away from the medical tents.
Sakura stared hard at Luke, "What do you mean-"
"She's gone, Sakura." Luke breathed, "Say'ri's gone."
Lissa's face turned ashen while Sakura hardly moved a muscle. The Princess did not see a visible reaction. Not a single tear, not a single shiver or shake. The girl just stared at Luke stone faced.
Luke's throat bobbed.
"Do you-"
She shoved her way past Luke and marched out of the medical tent. Luke spun around.
"Sakura!" He called. He started to go after her only for Lissa to reach out and grab him by his arm, "Let go of me."
"Leave her be." Lissa sighed, "Everyone deals with grief differently. While you and I would seek comfort with others, she probably just wants to be alone."
"That's not healthy." Luke muttered.
"Probably not, but that's not our decision to make." Lissa exhaled, body shuddering as she reeled from Luke's information, "Is um… who else?" She asked, voice filled with fear.
Luke grimaced, "Robin."
Lissa's eyes widened as horror filled her. Maribelle dropped the vulnary she was carrying, the glass bottle shattering at her feet.
"You cannot be serious!" Maribelle gasped.
Lissa struggled to catch her breath as she sagged back against the tent wall and slid down it. She sat down in the grass inside of the tent, too dumbstruck to say anything.
"Robin's dead?" Lissa whispered, voice quivering as tears threatened to rush down her cheeks.
Luke closed his eyes and nodded.
"Naga, no." Maribelle breathed, her usual mask of noble manners gone, replaced with shock and sorrow. She bowed her head and shook her head, "What of-"
"The battle, as far as I know, is over." Luke informed them, "I spoke to my brother and…" Luke gulped, "And he did not say a word to me. But one of his captains told me none of their men were in a mood to fight anymore tonight. I'm sure we'll hear something in the morning." He took a deep breath, "On the bright side, they let Lucina go."
Lissa let out a relieved sigh, which felt odd given the ache in her heart from hearing about the death of a good friend. It made her feel guilty. Robin had been practically family to her, Chrom, Sumia, and her niece back in Ylisstol. He lived with them in the palace. Was there since… since the very beginning of this insane adventure. She could still recall first meeting the tactician near Southtown, finding him unconscious in the middle of an empty field. There was no way she could have known what he would become, but now that she knew his fate, a part of her regretted waking him up. Maybe if he never joined them, he would have never died.
"Don't start thinking like that." Luke said quietly, startling Lissa. He eyed her, "If you left him alone in that field, you would have never been friends with him. Which would be worse?"
Lissa blinked. Did Luke just read her mind? If she was not so exhausted and grief-stricken right now, she would have been mildly disturbed.
"I think losing a friend like this might be worse." Lissa admitted, sniffling as she fought back tears.
Luke grimaced, "So is never knowing them at all." He huffed, "Look, I'm not good at this wisdom thing, that's Kenobi's specialty. Speaking of which, I need to find him and ask some questions. But… I think he would tell you to mourn Robin, but don't regret being friends with him. It might hurt now, but you will look back and smile at the memories you all made together."
Lissa looked at Luke with some surprise. She did not know the young man very well, but after everything that had happened during the Plegian War, she did not have a glowing opinion of him. She viewed him as barely an ally, similar to how Chrom viewed him. His involvement in Emmeryn's death still lingered in her mind, making her reluctant to even speak to Luke, let alone be friends with him. Despite those bad feelings, she gave him a thankful nod. At least he was trying to make amends, in his own strange way.
She sniffled and got to her feet.
"Maribelle, c'mon, we've got more work to do."
Maribelle uttered a shuddering breath. The Duchess wiped a tear from her right eye and nodded, "Yes, work. These men will not heal themselves." She raised her chin to Luke, "Thank you for informing us."
"Yes," Lissa muttered, "Thank you." She turned to go help another wounded man, but paused and glanced back at Luke, "Luke… stay close to Cynthia please. I- I can tell she's not used to this sort of thing and I do worry about her."
Luke nodded, "I will." He moved to love but hesitated, "Er… Miss Lissa?"
"Yes?"
"If you get the chance, I think you should talk to Owain. Given what has happened for… for some of us future kids, it might be a good idea."
Without another word, Luke exited the tent and began his search for Ben. Lissa stared after him, puzzled. Why would he want her to talk to Owain?
Some of the future kids have lost parents now. Laurent lost Miriel. Sakura lost Say'ri. Nowi's child lost-" Lissa's eyes widened into saucers. Any thoughts of sorrow and grief ran away from her mind as shock filled her.
"Owain's mine?"
Sakura marched to her tent as fast as her feet could carry her. There was not a lot of activity in the hastily set up camp, which made navigating through the masses of soldiers easy. Most of the Ylissean men and women sat around tiny campfires, far away stares in their eyes. Many had not cleaned off their armor, clothes, or faces. Ash, soot, and gore still covered many of them as they muttered quietly among themselves, taking long looks across no man's land towards the Valmese camp mere meters away from them. So many blank faces in the wake of perhaps the most savage battle the army had ever seen.
Sakura tore her eyes away from the soldiers and moved even faster towards her tent. She needed to be alone right now. Needed to be with her own thoughts and nothing else. Her mother was…
She bit her tongue and clenched her teeth. Anger welled up inside of her as she recalled memories of her mother, Princess Say'ri. Every fiber of her being despised what her mother was in the future. And yet, despite that hatred, she felt pain in her heart upon learning she was dead in this timeline. It was a feeling that left her confused. A feeling she had to sort out, and not let others see. Especially Inigo.
The bastard will probably poke fun at me if he sees me cry. She thought as she sucked in a breath and fought off tears.
She reached for her tent then froze as she heard a beast snarl nearby. Her eyes glanced to her left. The dark eyes of Cherche's Wyvern, Minerva, glared back at her. The massive lizards teeth were bared as one of its eyes stared at Sakura. Its scaly head, easily as big as her, snaked low to the ground as the beast crept towards her. Sakura took a deep breath and did her best to remain calm as the massive lizard growled at her.
"I know I'm at the edge of camp but I'm not the enemy." She muttered to Minerva.
The lizard was not convinced. It snarled again, flashing its razor sharp teeth at her. It's claws dug deep ditched in the soft earth as it stalked closer to Sakura. So close in fact, that Sakura could feel its hot breath kissing her face.
Her breathing quickened as she stood face to face with the Wyvern. A beast that could, if it wanted to, kill her with one powerful chomp from its jaws. She witnessed it happen before, both now and in the future. A friend of hers rode this very same Wyvern into battle in the future. Not many Risen could stand against the deadly beast.
Apparently not many men can either. She thought.
"Minvery-kins, no!" A sharp voice snapped, making the Wyvern shrink away from Sakura.
Cherche stepped around a small tent that sat behind the massive beast. The Wyvern rider had removed her armor and instead wore a loose, black robe over her athletic frame. Her pink hair hung loose over shoulders as she stepped gracefully through the tall grass, one hand running along Minerva's black scales. She came to a stop in front of Minerva and wagged a finger at her.
"Allies are not for eating." She scolded. Sakura's eyebrow rose when she heard the Wyvern utter the equivalent of a sassy scoff back at Cherche. Cherche frowned, "You know better." She turned to Sakura, "I'm sorry about that, she's rather agitated given everything that has happened today."
Sakura swallowed hard, "I don't blame her." She pursed her lips and bowed slightly, "If you'll excuse me."
"Are you alright, Sakura?" Cherche quickly asked before the girl could retreat into her tent.
Sakura sagged in front of her tent. Her head hung as she struggled to keep a mask of stoic strength on her face. A mask she learned from her father in the future, but had never managed to perfect. Hell, it hardly ever worked. Most of the time she wore her emotions on her sleeve so that everyone knew exactly how she felt about a given topic. But when it came to her mother, other than the obvious disdain she held for the woman, not many in the Shepherds knew how she actually felt. Hell, she did not really know how she felt, not anymore at least.
"I'm…" She felt a tear drip down her cheek as she faced away from Cherche, "I'm fine."
Cherche furrowed her brow, "You don't sound fine, right Minerva?"
The Wyvern snorted then laid its head down on the ground. Cherche gave her loyal mount a soft smile as she sat down and rested against the beast's scaly neck.
"Come sit down, Sakura." Cherche said, "Tell me what is bothering you."
Sakura spun around, "It doesn't matter alright!" She snapped.
Minvera growled, forcing Sakura to snap her mouth shut and take a careful step back. Cherche tapped Minerva's snout.
"Be nice." Cherche scolded, "She's obviously having a rough night. Am I right?"
Sakura swallowed hard, "It was a hard battle. A-a lot of people died. I'm… I'm not used to it."
Cherche nodded, "Was this your first major battle? From what I know about you kids, the future was a dangerous place."
Sakura pursed her lips and nodded, "My father never let me near the front. Not once my mother and Exalt Lissa passed. He specifically made me a royal guard so that I had to stay near the throne. Even made me give up on perfecting my riding skills, which he had been teaching me." Sakura snorted, "Joke's on him though, I still got good at it."
Cherche chuckled quietly, "He must've been proud of you."
Sakura swallowed hard, "Like to think he was. I… I loved my father. He was everything I wanted to be. Strong, proud, honorable, but not ridiculous about that honor, unlike mother."
Cherche furrowed her brow. The Rosanne maiden took a long look at Sakura. A small gasp slipped from her lips.
"You're Say'ri's daughter." She breathed.
Sakura inhaled, "Unfortunately." She exhaled, teeth grit as she struggled with both anger and tears.
Cherche gave Sakura a sympathetic look. She quickly got to her feet and moved to hug her, only for Sakura to quickly bat her arms away.
"I'm not looking for any comfort or sympathy." Sakura said harshly, "That… that damnable woman is dead. Good riddance." She swallowed hard, "M-maybe that means I-" She paled, "I won't be born in this timeline."
"Sakura…"
A shaky breath escaped Sakura's lips, "Naga, I'm not going to be born. I'm-" She patted her body down, "A-am I going to disappear now? No, if that were the case, it would have happened already. But…but…" She stared wide eyed at Cherche, "My father is never going to fall in love with my mother. They're never going to have me. I'm- I'm not going to exist for them. Not anymore."
"Nonsense." Cherche replied, tone soft as she tried to comfort a suddenly shaken Sakura, "You are here now. And… Say'ri may be gone." For the first time tonight, Sakura uttered a heavy gasp that betrayed the sorrow building in her heart, "But your father is still here, whoever he is."
"Sir Frederick." Sakura muttered, lip quivering as she was on the verge of tears.
Cherche blinked, "Oh. Well then," Cherche cleared her throat, "I never took him to be the kind of man to actually-"
"Settle down with anyone and put work second in his life?" Sakura said with a wry laugh. She wiped at a tear dripping down her cheek, "Yeah, I don't think anyone did in the future. I know Exalt Lissa was always surprised by it." She sniffled, "It always surprised me that my mother of all people managed to make him that way. She was-" She grit her teeth, "Cold, heartless woman. Cared more about the damn world than about her own family." She stomped her foot and cursed, "I hate that woman!" Tears started running down her cheeks, "So why do I feel so much pain right now!?"
Cherche quickly wrapped her arms around Sakura, catching the girl before she could crumble to the ground. They both sank to their knees as Sakura sobbed into Cherche's shoulder.
"Why? Why am I feeling like this!?" Sakura cried loudly.
Cherche ran a hand through the girl's brown hair, "Because deep down, you know she is your mother, and you still cared about her." Sakura shook in her arms Cherche gently held her, "It is okay, Sakura. You can cry for her. There is no shame in that."
"But I h-h-hated her." Sakura sobbed, "She never gave me the time of day. Honor this! Respect that! Didn't give any to her own damn daughter!" She shook again, "Then I come back in time, and she-she actually tries. And I turned her away. I dismissed her, and now-now I can never-"
"Shh…" Cherche breathed, "Just cry, Sakura."
Minvera snorted behind her. The large Wyvern shifted closer and curled it's dark body around the pair as Sakura sobbed.
Tiki managed to find the most secluded, sheltered corner of the army camp. A little hill, barely tall enough to hide her as she sat on the far side of it. But the long grass hid the rest of her as she sat in the darkness, chin tucked and legs curled up in front of her. She had stopped crying hours ago and now simply sat beneath the moonless sky, every ounce of sadness spent and replaced with weariness. Yet, every time she thought of him, of Robin, her heart ached again and she found herself on the verge of renewed tears.
She hadn't felt this way in over a millennium. Not since the terrible day when her first love passed away, old and frail. Even then, she at least saw it coming. She at least knew that Marth had lived a long, fulfilling life filled with joy. His accomplishments were known hundreds of years after his passing. A legendary figure remembered for all time, and cherished by her forever as well.
But Robin… the first man to make her heart race in her chest in so long, he would not be remembered. He would be at best a footnote in history. His life taken from him far too soon. An abrupt, violent end that a good man like him did not deserve. An end she tried everything in her power to prevent. An end that she did not see coming.
Tiki thought that if Robin were to meet his end soon, it would be due to her having to kill him. Grima resided inside of him. The Fell Dragon, as long as Robin lived, lived as well, and was a threat to the world. She feared the day that she would have to unleash and attempt to kill Robin. A responsibility she knew her mother had implied she must take on when they last spoke. At that time, she rejected such a thing. After all, who was she to determine if a good man like Robin should die for something he had no control over. Killing him would have been her absolute last resort. Something she never wanted to do. More than anything else, she wanted to get to know him more. Wanted to speak to him about everything under the sun. Experience the world that she now barely knew with him by her side. Marvel at the wonders neither of them were familiar with.
She was not a foolish girl anymore. Had not been for a very long time. She was intelligent enough to know what these feelings in her heart were. Robin, with his great selflessness, boundless courage, and meek charm, swept her off of her feet the moment they met. He was so much like Mar Mar in personality that she found it uncanny.
But he was gone now. Robin sacrificed his life to hold off the deadlords long enough for her and Ben to escape the wrath of Demon's Ingle. Tiki hardly flinched when she felt the earth rumble once more as the mountain spewed more ash and smoke into the air. It hadn't stopped erupting since they all escaped the deadly lava and ash near the peak. But the violence in the eruptions slowly subsided with each rumble. Every rumble served to remind her that Robin was gone, consumed by fire and ash. Grima went with him, but that was little consolation in her mind.
He would have never allowed Grima to take control. She thought to herself, He would have died… first…
A sickening thought entered her mind. Did she cause this? Did she lead Robin to his death by telling him the truth? In his sacrifice, did he make absolutely certain that Grima would never rise again? He did not believe her when she told him what she witnessed in his mind, but Robin was a logical person. Despite their brief time together, Tiki got the sense that he knew she was not a liar. That she would not purposefully mislead him in any way. Why would she make up such a tale about Grima being inside of him anyways if it wasn't true?
Gods I killed him. Tiki covered her mouth as fresh tears entered her eyes, He believed me after all.
"Tiki?"
She sucked in a sharp breath, green eyes widening as she heard Ben Kenobi walking nearby, searching for her. She did not move a muscle as she took a few shaky breaths. Did she want him to find her? Honestly she did not want anyone to see her like this. But after witnessing his prowess on the battlefield, and knowing his skill with the Force, she knew that he already located her. He was just giving her the opportunity to either invite him over, or tell him to go away.
I've grieved alone many times before. She thought, Perhaps I shouldn't this time.
"H-here." She muttered, not certain if she was loud enough for the Jedi Master to hear her.
She heard him move closer to her. Her ears twitched as she sensed him step beside her and sink down to a seat next to her. The Jedi Master stayed quiet for a moment as he stared out at the dark horizon with her. Both of their gazes lingering over the plains at the feet of the Kiba Mountains.
"We're so far from home." Tiki muttered, breaking the silence. She swallowed hard, bowing her head, "Robin died so far from home."
Ben nodded, "He did. But, he would not have had it any other way." He gave her a sympathetic look, "Now it is up to us to not waste the chance he has given us."
A weak sound escaped Tiki's lungs, "You'd think after thousands of years, after seeing humans of all shapes, sizes, station, and creed, live and die, I'd be used to it." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, "You'd think one man's death would not leave me so shaken. Yet… Robin he was-"
"Different." Ben finished for her.
Tiki nodded, "Yes. He was different. I-" She took a deep breath, trying to calm down as she sat in the grass, "I had feelings for him. It may seem quite juvenile admit given we hardly knew each other, but I knew there was something about him. Something that drew me to him."
Ben smirked a little bit, "He probably felt the same way. I don't think I've ever seen him more red in the face than when you were around him."
Tiki chuckled between shaky breaths, "You and him were close?"
Ben nodded, "He was the first friend I made on this world."
Tiki blinked, "This world?" She raised her head, "You are from the stars."
No wonder your aura feels so strange.
Ben nodded again, "And Robin did not care. Of course, he did not know for years. Even if he knew right away, I don't think he would have cared." He laughed to himself, "That tactician could make friends with a tree if he wanted to." He swallowed hard, "I'm going to miss him."
"Me too." Tiki admitted, glancing up at the few stars that twinkled in the sky above them, "Ben."
"Hm?"
Tiki swallowed hard, "I'm scared I may have driven him to-"
"No." Ben cut her off sharply, "Never."
"I told him a terrible truth." Tiki continued, forcing Ben to stop his protest, "He didn't believe me at first, but I fear that in his final moments, he accepted it. And that may have given him the motivation to sacrifice himself instead of escaping with us."
Ben furrowed his brow, both worried and confused.
"What terrible truth?"
Tiki gave Ben a grave look, "Robin came to me seeking help. You know what I'm speaking of."
"His force powers."
"They were not his own." Tiki stated, catching Ben off guard, "Most of that raw power was not his own. There were… two other beings within his mind. Locked away by powerful magic the likes of which I have not seen in centuries. But the seals in place were cracking due to the raw power of the beasts it was holding back."
Ben was quiet for a moment.
"What were they?" He asked, voice hushed.
Tiki took a shaky breath, "The Fell Dragon was within him."
Ben's eyes widened, "What?"
"I could hardly believe it myself, but it is true. Grima was using Robin as a vessel. A way for him to eventually return to life."
Ben ran a hand over his beard, stunned beyond words.
"There was another in him though. One that was actually somehow more sinister than just the Fell Dragon. The Fell Dragon alone, while worrying, is manageable." Tiki explained, "If nothing else, I could have stepped in and… and done what needed to be done. But with this other creature inside of Robin, I'm not sure I could have done it."
"What was it?"
Tiki shook her head, "I'm not sure. I had to have it all explained to me by my moth-" She caught herself, "By Naga in a vision. She explained that this second entity was someone called the Son."
"What!?" Ben suddenly cried, jumping to his feet, "The Son? Are you certain?"
Tiki gave Ben a strange look, "Do you know of this creature?"
Ben's looked very worried now, "I-I do. Myself, Anakin, and his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, encountered him and his family on a world called Mortis several years ago."
"Mortis, that was the location of the vision." Tiki explained, "Naga said that it was partially her home at one point. It did not make much sense to me, she could not have lived there at any point because I would have known about it." Tiki furrowed her brow, "If you have encountered the brother before, does that mean you defeated him before?"
Ben shook his head, "No. I lost quite badly actually, My former apprentice, Anakin, was the only one that managed to stand against him. If I recall correctly, we defeated the Son using a special dagger. The dagger was lost when we left Mortis though. I thought that to be the end of him, but I guess I was wrong." Ben paced a few steps, "If he survived that death, I worry he may have survived Robin's."
"I fear that as well." Tiki nodded, "But he will be especially weak, and not keen to reveal himself. Which could work to our advantage for a time. After all, we have the Valmese to defeat still. And from what I understand, there are children amongst us from the future who claim that Grima is resurrected." Tiki thought for a moment, "I suppose that future has been averted for now. Robin's death means Grima cannot rise." Her green eyes saddened, "I still wish there had been another way."
"So do I." Ben admitted with a nod, "Robin sacrificed his life. In doing so, he, whether knowing it or not, averted Lucina's terrible future, and at the same time, saved our lives. I'm not going to let that sacrifice be in vain. We will defeat the Conqueror. I will make certain of it."
"So will I." Tiki nodded, wiping away a stray tear, "We'll win this war for Robin."
A new aura approached both her and Ben. A darker one that made her bristle for a moment. It took Tiki a moment to recognize the aura belonged to the young man named Luke. The boy swiftly moved towards Ben but paused when he noticed Tiki sitting nearby. He shifted back and forth, nervous.
"We need to talk." Luke told Ben.
Ben grimaced, "Yes… we do, don't we?" He glanced over at Tiki, "If you-"
"I'm not going anywhere." Tiki said firmly. She gave Luke a wary look, "His aura is dark. Graying by the moment, but it is still dark. I fear that if you say the wrong thing, he may try to harm you." Her fangs flashed behind her lips, making Luke pale a little bit, "I'll remain to make sure he doesn't try anything."
"He won't." Ben reassured her, "And even if he did, I can handle him."
Luke snorted, "Sure you can." He took a seat in the grass, a ways away from Tiki "I seem to recall knocking you on your ass back in Plegia."
Ben uttered a wray laugh, "You had a Wyvern and I had a rapier, I'd say that was hardly a fair fight."
"Not my fault." Luke shrugged. He took a deep breath as Ben took a seat across from him. A cool wind swept down from the mountains, making him shiver in his dark robes, "Alright, just going to be blunt I guess." He cleared his throat, "What the hell do you know about my father?"
Tiki blinked, "Oh?" Her eyes darted back and forth between the two men, "It's going to be that kind of conversation."
Both Ben and Luke looked over at her as she remained seated.
"I'm still not going anywhere." Tiki told them, "Mostly because I'm kind of interested now."
Luke groaned, "Of course you are."
Ben sighed, "Tiki."
"Yes, Ben?"
"Please swear on your life that you will not tell another soul what we are about to discuss right now. Not unless Luke or myself say it is okay."
Luke arched an eyebrow, "Why all the secrecy?"
"You're about to learn why, but first-" Ben looked back to Tiki.
TIki frowned, "You know there is a saying: A secret between three people is only a secret if two of them are dead, right?"
Ben blinked, unsure of how to respond. Luke's jaw fell open a little bit as he regarded the powerful Manakete with renewed apprehension. Tiki smirked a little at Luke's nervous reaction.
"Don't worry, I'm not hungry right now."
Luke swallowed, "After what I saw earlier today, I'm not interested in pissing you off." he told TIki before returning his attention to Ben, "I think we can trust her."
"That's the first wise thing I've ever heard you say."
"Shut up." Luke snapped.
Tiki scowled at Luke, causing him to shift nervously in his seat.
"I apologize." He muttered.
Ben chuckled, "Oh yes, you may stay Lady Tiki. I think I'm going to enjoy having you around now." He took a deep breath, "Alright, Luke, what do you want to know?"
Luke narrowed his gaze, "First question: who is my father?"
"I already told you." Ben sighed, "Your father was Anakin Skywalker, my former apprentice. A knight in the Jedi Order."
"And you killed him." Luke snarled.
Sadness and regret crossed Ben's face, "I did."
"Why?" Luke asked, "Other than he wiped out your pathetic order?"
Tiki glared at Luke again, making the boy dip his head a little bit.
"I mean," Luke quickly corrected, "If he was your apprentice, then you two had to have been close. How could you have killed him?"
Ben uttered a heavy sigh, "It was… not easy. Probably the hardest thing I ever had to do, both literally and metaphorically." He folded his hands in his lap, "Your father was like a brother to me. But… the monster I killed on Mustafar was not him, not anymore at least." He met Luke's puzzled gaze, "Your father fell to the Dark Side. Became twisted and was manipulated by a Dark Lord of the Sith named Sidious."
Luke frowned, "I've heard of him. Maul talked about him once or twice."
"He was Maul's master at one point." Ben stated, "But that is beside the point. When your father fell, everything he had ever been ceased to be. The man I knew, the boy I raised as my padawan learner, died the moment Sidious sank his claws into him." Ben sighed and brushed his fingers against his chin, "I didn't want to believe it at first but… but when he…"
"When he what?" Luke asked.
"When he nearly killed your mother I knew he was gone. I knew I had to stop him."
Luke drew back, shocked. Through the force, Tiki felt his aura fluctuate.
"My mother?" Luke breathed, "What did you-"
"Her name was Padme Amidala." Ben said, "I only found out about her relationship with your father at the very end of their lives." He uttered a wry laugh to himself, "Honestly, I should have noticed earlier. I suspected they held feelings for each other, but I never thought Anakin would be stupid enough to act upon them."
Tiki furrowed her brow, "Stupid enough?"
"I was about to say the same thing." Luke muttered, brow furrowed as he took in everything Ben was telling him.
"Yes, stupid enough." Ben pursed his lips, "The Jedi Order, the Jedi Code, forbides attachments of any kind. It especially forbides romantic relationships. Those attachments were viewed as swift paths to fall to the dark side."
"Love causes the fall?" Tiki frowned, "I'm sorry but I fail to see the sense in that?"
"What would you do if you could save Robin's life right now?" Ben asked her.
Tiki pressed her lips into a thin line as her heart ached. She knew the answer to that question. She'd likely do anything to bring Robin back, even terrible things that she otherwise would never do.
"That's quite a cynical belief for the Jedi." Luke noted.
"In hindsight yes, it was." Ben admitted, "But in your father's case, it did lead to his downfall. I don't think I'll ever understand his full reasons for doing what he did. But I have a feeling he feared for your mother's life. He had always been prone to traumatic visions and premonitions. It is certainly possible he saw a vision of your mother in some sort of danger and that is what caused him to seek out power that he otherwise could not, and should not, have looked for."
"How powerful was he?" Luke asked.
Ben glanced at Luke, "He had the potential to become the most powerful Jedi ever. After all, most of the Jedi in the Temple, myself included, viewed him as the Chosen One."
Tiki let out an irritated sigh, "A prophecy, of course there is one." She huffed as both Ben and Luke gave her puzzled glances, "Nothing good ever happens when a prophecy is involved. At least that is my own personal experience."
"I'm starting to agree with you." Ben admitted. He turned back to Luke, "According to the prophecy, your father was destined to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force."
"A vague prophecy too. Double trouble." Tiki hummed disapprovingly.
Ben cringed, "Yeah well… given the state of the Force, both then and now, we needed some sort of hope to look to." He laughed to himself, "And at first, Anakin fulfilled that prophecy. He was everything we needed him to be. An incredible Jedi Knight, both powerful and wise. I can't tell you how many battles we won because of him, or how many times he saved my life in one impossible situation or another." Ben laughed a little louder, "But that business on Cato Nemoidia did not count."
"Cato Nemoidia?" Luke asked, confused.
"Another story, for another time." Ben replied, "Your father was everything we needed him to be and then some. He was a great master for his own padawan." He smiled a little bit, "He was also the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior." He nodded at Luke, "Judging by how you flew that Wyvern back in Plegia, I'd say you have inherited some of his flying skills." Ben smiled wistfully. A faraway look rested in his eyes as he remembered another time, "And he was a good friend."
Luke gulped a little bit. Before he could ask another question, Tiki raised her voice again.
"Anakin piloted stars?"
A loud laugh slipped from Ben's lips, "He probably thought he could. No, a starpilot flies a starship or a starfighter. Think a…" Ben pursed his lips, "A metal machine that flies like a pegasus or a Wyvern in the sky, only in outer space instead. It's difficult to explain in terms you both would know. Yes, no one was better at flying than your father, Luke. He always managed to give me a damn heart attack whenever he was flying the ship."
Luke flashed a wry smirk, "Sounds like my kind of flyer."
"With how reckless you flew in the Plegian war, you are not wrong." Ben nodded. He pursed his lips and glanced down at the lightsaber hilt at his hip, "That reminds me, you and I need to trade."
Luke frowned, "Trade?" He glanced at the lightsaber on his own hip, "Why would I want to trade?"
"For one, that is my lightsaber." Ben remarked, "I built it after I lost my second blade at the first Battle of Geonosis. For two," Ben unclipped the hilt from his hip and held it tenderly in his hands, "This… this was your father's." He held it out towards Luke, "He would have wanted you to have it when you were old enough. And I'd say right now, you are old enough."
Luke stared stunned at the hilt in Ben's outstretched hand. One of his hands absently unclipped the blade at his hip. He tossed it over to Ben, who easily caught it with his free hand.
The young Sith gulped and reached out to his father's weapon. As soon as his fingers brushed against the hilt, images flooded his mind. Battles, enormous in scale and devastation, raced through his thoughts. Creatures and aliens that likes of which he could not even begin to imagine danced in his head. Feelings of triumph, joy, thrill, sorrow, and rage filled him as his fingers wrapped around the hilt and slowly took it from Ben's hand.
He stared at the hilt with awe. It felt right to hold it. As if the weapon was meant for him to possess.
Tiki jumped back a little bit when he activated the blade, letting the azure blade hiss to life in his hands. He looked up at the glowing blue blade with a reverence he had never felt before.
"This has to be what it was like for Luci when she inherited Falchion." He muttered out loud.
Ben smirked a little bit, "Perhaps." He clipped his old blade to his hip, "It is yours now."
Luke glanced at the Jedi Master across from him. He swallowed hard, the emotions of the entire day washing over him. He still felt intense grief due to Say'ri's death. Once he got back to his and Cynthia's tent, he knew he would cry for her even more. But he also felt a strange feeling of relief in knowing who he really was. For so long he did know who he was or who he was supposed to be. Was he one supposed to one day serve as a dynast under Say'ri in Chon'sin, before Grima turned it into a wasteland in the future? Was he supposed to be a great knight, serving as a protector for the future Exalt Lucina in the future? Or was he supposed to follow Maul's path and become a being of unrivaled power, destined to rule over those weaker than him?
Then there was the path he had been on recently. A wanderer's road, meandering from place to place, time to time, like a stray leaf on the wind. Without any direction or true purpose, beyond wanting to protect those he loved. But now, he knew his path. His father was a great a powerful Jedi. Ben told him earlier that Anakin Skywalker would never have wanted him to fall to the darkside.
"Even grayer." Tiki said with a slight smile.
Luke glanced over at her. A small smile graced his lips as his thumb shut the lightsaber off, leaving them all in the starlight once again.
"Ben?"
"Yes, Luke?"
Luke gave him a curious look, "What happened after my father's death?"
Ben grimaced, causing Luke's smile to run away.
"After your father died, your mother had you. She died in childbirth, leaving you to me and Grandmaster Yoda. We were the only ones left from the old Order, and one of the few your mother trusted in the end. Both Master Yoda and I agreed that I would swiftly spirit you away to your father's home planet of Tatooine, where you still had some family. There you would have been far from Sidious's eyes and reach. While you were raised by Anakin's relatives, I would have gone into exile and kept watch over you from afar."
Luke nodded slowly, "What changed?"
Ben pursed his lips, "The Empire found us first. We managed to get into an escape pod when they attacked the ship we were hiding on, but they…" He trailed off, "They shot us down. We should have died right there and then. But we did not. I still don't know how that is possible." Ben returned his gaze to Luke, "In the end, I woke up outside of Southtown in Ylisse, and you-"
"Woke up kicking and screaming in the middle of a battlefield in Valm." Luke replied. He thought for a moment, "So, the entire reason you went to Valm a year ago wasn't just to search for Lucina, was it?"
Tiki's ears twitched, "You were in Valm a year ago?"
"Briefly." Ben replied before clearing his throat again, "You are correct Luke. Finding Lucina was not the only reason I journeyed to Valm." Ben took a deep breath, "I was looking for you. And… I found you."
"With Say'ri." Luke breathed.
Ben nodded, "I considered taking you from her. Raising you myself at that point but," Ben shook his head, "You looked happy. And my original mission was to simply watch over you, not raise you. I believed that the best course I could take was to let you grow up free from the troubles of the rest of the galaxy. I'm still trying to figure out if that was the right choice or not."
"We won't know till this is all over." Luke breathed clipping his father's lightsaber to his hip, "But, thank you, Ben. You… I think you did the right thing." He uttered a shaky breath, "My father, a Jedi Knight." He laughed to himself and rose to his feet. Before he turned away he glanced at a still sitting Ben, "Kenobi?"
"Yes?"
"If I-"
"I would be more than happy to teach you, Luke." Ben smiled a little bit, "I planned on doing so at some point anyways."
Luke shook his head as he smiled to himself, "I've waited over ten years to hear you say that." He chuckled under his breath, "It's about damn time. Um… let's finish this war first though."
"Agreed." Ben nodded, "That gives me some motivation to win faster."
"Do you think we can still win?" Luke asked.
Ben's eyes sparkled as he looked at Luke, "Give me a day with Yen'fay and we will have a larger army than yesterday. They didn't call me the Negotiator during the Clone Wars for nothing."
Tiki smiled a little bit, "There is hope for us after all." She nodded, "Neither Robin or Say'ri's deaths will be in vain. I know it." She rose to her feet, trying to rub the tear stains from her face as she stood up, "I think it is time I retired for the night."
Luke nodded, "Yeah, Cynthia is probably worried sick."
"Why?" Ben asked as the trio started walking back to the center of camp.
"She thinks I was on my way to try and kill you."
"Do you think we should play it as if you did try?" Ben remarked with a mischievous glance.
"That's evil." Luke smiled wide as they got closer to Cynthia's tent. One of his hands brushed against the new, old lightsaber against his hip. "And something the Justice Cabal would absolutely pull off." He cleared his throat and, with an exaggerated roar, uttered a phrase that caused Cynthia, Chrom, Frederick, every single Shepherd present, to come charging out of their tent, weapons drawn.
"PREPARE TO DIE KENOBI!"
"Hm…" Ragana raised an eyebrow as she lounged in a chair in her personal quarters, legs kicked up over one of the armrests. Her eyes studied the holotable between her and Commander Cody. He had just introduced her to a strange strategy game called Dejarik. Needless to say, she was enjoying herself tremendously. It was a challenging game. One that pressed her to be creative in how she played against the old clone.
She already knew she had an aptitude for the cerebral art of strategy. Everytime she went onto the holonet to study military tactics, she found herself lost in the histories and examples presented to her. Hours would pass without her knowing it as she learned about the exploits of great generals and admirals. Especially the generals and admirals of the Clone Wars. Thanks to her special clearance, she was allowed to study the actual tactics of the Republic's Jedi Generals. Most were incompetant fools, the lessons she gleaned taught her more about what not to do than what to do. But there were a few rare exceptions: specifically Jedi Generals Kenobi, Skywalker, and Pong Krell.
The first one, Kenobi; she was enthralled with his exceptional amounts of success despite bad odds. Defeat was a rarity for him, and a high casualty rate even rarer. But he was also very by the book in his approach to battle. Traditional in his tactics. A great example of old tricks being perfected and executed extremely well.
The second one, General Skywalker, was a far more interesting study. The amount of suicide missions he managed to not only survive, but thrive in, was awe inspiring. Victory after victory littered his dossier. The creativity and daring he displayed in battle blew her mind more than once. Who in their right mind would think of using walkers to walk on an asteroid in order to ambush an enemy frigate? It was so crazy and it somehow worked!?
Finally, Pong Krell, a perfect example of ruthless efficiency and effectiveness. His casualty rates were catastrophic, for both his own forces and the enemy. But she could not argue with his results. He was a study on what to avoid as a commander, in her mind. Ragana did not want to be a ruthless tyrant over her men. The Inquisitors were that, and she loathed those fools. She wanted to be a leader, beloved by her men. A soldier who loved their commander would do far more in battle than a soldier who hated their commander. As if to prove her point, she read last night that Krell was murdered by his own men at the Battle of Umbara. Even though he was almost always victorious, his methods betrayed him in the end. A fate she was keen to avoid.
"It's your move, my lady." Cody muttered as he finished making a move on the dejarik table.
Ragana sat up in her chair and studied the holograms on the holotable. Her brow furrowed. Cody was playing this game quite safe compared to before. Likely luring her into a trap of some sort that he would spring once she overextended herself. Yes, that was what he was doing. She could already see it playing out.
She tapped a few buttons and moved one of her pieces to a defensive position, guarding her right flank. Cody raised his brow.
"Different for you." The old clone muttered, "What are you playing at?"
"You tell me, Commander." Ragana drawled once again lounging back in her seat, "I'm curious about what exactly you are doing as well."
Cody snorted, "Wouldn't be a game if you figured out your opponent just by asking them what was going through their head."
Ragana shrugged, "I'm not so sure about that. I've been reading up about the Jedi Generals. One in particular was well known for getting the enemy to tell him what they intended to do." Cody grimaced a little, causing her to smirk, "I believe you worked with him regularly."
Cody nodded, "General Kenobi was not called the Negotiator for nothing. That man could talk circles around the most intelligent of beings."
"You admire him a great deal." Ragana noted.
"Admired." Cody corrected, "That title of negotiator did not save him when the end came."
Ragana nodded, "What happened to him?"
Cody exhaled, visibly upset now with the line of questioning. Ragana quickly raised her hand.
"Nevermind Commander." She said quickly, much to the Clone's relief, "If I had known that question would cause you distress I would not have asked it."
Cody regarded her curiously, "You're a strange protege of the Emperor's, did you know that?"
"If by strange you mean not like those inquisitors, I will take that as a compliment." Ragana commented. She shifted in her seat, "I aim to lead, Cody. Not command, not boss, and certainly not dictate. Nothing will be accomplished that way. Nothing significant at least."
"Your master would disagree with you."
Ragana worked her jaw back and forth, "Maybe… but, the student can have a small philosophical disagreement with the master."
"Wars have been started for less."
Ragana's eyes widened, silencing the commander, "You think I would try to dethrone the Emperor?"
Cody shrugged, "Isn't the student supposed to surpass the master at some point?" He tapped his fingers on the dejarik table, "Besides, I was not referring to the Emperor when it came to starting a war."
Ragana furrowed her brow as she thought for a moment. A laugh sputtered from her lips.
"You mean this Lord Vader I've heard so much about." Ragana rose from her seat and sauntered over to a small kitchenette in her quarters, where a kettle of tea was brewing. She poured two cups and spun back around to face Cody, "Where is this guy anyways? For someone with such an imposing reputation, he is very… absent, don't you think?"
"That's a recent development." Cody muttered, "I've only ever interacted with the man a few times. And you are correct, he is very imposing… and vengeful. He won't take kindly to learning about you."
Ragana's eyes sparkled as she handed Cody a mug of tea, "He'll have to come and get me then. I won't just bow down to someone I have no respect for as of yet." She sipped her own tea as she sat down in her chair once again, "I do respect his skills thought. I've studied up on him through the holonet."
"I was not aware you had the clearance for that."
Ragana gave Cody a mischievous look, "I don't. Vader is one of the only things my Master is trying to hide from me. Not exactly sure why, but what does it matter? Soon we will meet, of that I am certain. Then well… we'll see who is really the Emperor's apprent-"
Her words got caught in her throat as pain lanced through her head, shooting from her forehead to the nape of her neck. The hairs on her arms stood on end as the Dark Side of the Force rippled through the air around her. She sensed something strange. The Dark Side was not snarling, or roaring, it was screaming. As if it was in actual physical pain.
The sudden sharp pain became lightning hot, forcing her to fall from her chair and onto the floor. Her cup of tea shattered against the durasteel floor as she hit the ground.
"Ragana!" Cody exclaimed, moving quickly to her side.
She barely noticed he was there. Somehow the world around her was fluctuating. One moment she saw her quarters and Cody kneeling beside her, trying to make sure she was okay. The next her entire vision rippled, and she saw a strange place.
A dark environment, void of light save for ghostly white lines running along shadowy, invisible catwalks. Circular portals lined the catwalk she laid on. Every fiber of her being wanted to rise to her feet, but she found herself unable to move at all. It felt like a heavy weight rested on her, forcing her into the ground. She grit her teeth and tried to will the force into her body, to give her the strength necessary to get to her feet.
The force did not heed her call. Instead it rushed away from her. The Dark Side followed the pain filled call of someone else. She raised her head just enough to see a young human male standing down the catwalk. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of a black and gold coat over his shoulders. The coat had many tears, burns, and frays in it. The man meanwhile appeared unconscious even though he stood with his eyes open. There was an impossible stillness to him as he stood in front of a circular window with a dense swamp on the other side.
She recognized him. There was a tug in her heart. A longing that made her want to run to him and throw her arms around his him. It took her a moment to identify why she felt this way.
"Father…" She breathed, hardly recognizing him due to the torn coat, ash covered skin, and pale complexion.
The world shuddered as a shadow sprouted out from him and shoved him forward through the window. The window rippled as his body disappeared into it, as if he slipped into a portal.
"No!" Morgan screamed as she fought with everything she had to get to her feet and go after him, "Don't go! I need answers!"
The shadow spun towards her. Inside of its inky blackness, she heard something laugh at her. Then it followed her father into the portal. Once it was gone, the lights on the dark catwalks crisscrossing the dark void winked out.
"Ragana!"
The feeling of Cody shaking her shoulder brought her back to reality. She gasped and sat upright with a start. The door to her quarters opened as she sat up. A pair of medics rushed in, equipment in tow.
Ragana uttered a few ragged gasps. Sweat covered her brow. Every limb felt cold and numb. She gave Cody a glare when she noticed the medics.
"I'm fine." She snarled.
"You fainted."
"I said I am fine."
She furrowed her brow as she stayed seated. She waved for the medics to leave, which they did without question. She saw her father again, but not like she usually did. Usually she saw him in dreams, within fragments of memories that plagued her nights. But this was not a dream, this was something else. A vision of some sort. One she could not wrap her mind around.
"We are returning to Coruscant." She breathed, shakily rising to her feet.
Cody reached out to help her but she shoved his hand away.
"I need to speak to my Master."
She exhaled leaning up against her chair then looking down at the shattered remains of her teacup. A curse slipped from her lips.
"Now I have to make more tea."
And chapter! Luke has finally learned the truth! 115 chapters in and he discovers the truth. Damn it still blows my mind that this story has gone on for that long, holy crap. This was an extremely interesting chapter to write, very character heavy instead of plot heavy. Something I enjoyed quite a bit. But this war needs to come to a close soon, and we are nearly there. Walhart's army approaches. What will our heroes do about it? We will find out soon.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!
Come hang out at the Treehouse! Discord code is: 9XG3U7a