Moments in real time felt like days to them. Their minds—their spirits—witnessed the divided realm and all it had to offer. Decades of the past which taught them the origin of their enemy, from a young boy desperate to escape slavery, to the dark lord eager to kill the next Jedi. There were so many ways the past could have gone, such as Anakin refusing the Dark Side, or killing his master on Mustafar, but every possibility led to the Empire.
They were even shown the future, nearly a century of it in fact. They once again saw the young Luke finding his destiny and family in unlikely places, reuniting with loved ones and reconciling just before an end was met, only to one day become a man buried in guilt over a rash mistake. Decades of battle, hardship, and war—a long timeline to finally find peace.
It was here that the timeline must be set into motion.
"Your master has fallen," Vader said proudly, "Now you are next to fall by my blade."
Avlis truly felt remorse for Bando's loss, but he had seen this moment play out. Bando fully intended to sacrifice himself; there was no outcome where he did not. The first time he had seen it was heart breaking, but by the fifteenth, he began to understand why he had done it, and accepted it soon after.
Mara barely knew the man, but had come to forgive him. She had seen the moment in time where he killed Garm. At first, it had angered her, but she soon realized the position he was in after seeing his past, and his upbringings as a Jedi. It was what he trained for, and Garm himself knew the risks he was taking.
Even this moment they had seen many possibilities for, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. Just one wrong move could shift them onto the wrong path.
How Bando spent five years in there was still a mystery.
"Mara Dane," Vader addressed, "You have betrayed the Empire, and therefore must be destroyed along with your new accomplice."
Mara pressed her lips together, turning to mutter at Avlis "I really thought he was gonna say sidekick."
"I was betting on partner, or ally," Avlis replied, "Leave it to chance, I guess …"
Helene had gotten back onto her feet and drew her saber, ready to face the girl she once called friend. Even though she had seen this play out a few different ways, that didn't make it hurt any less for Mara. This was still her friend and she didn't want to fight her.
"Vader is mine," Avlis said, "I have some issues to work out."
"Me too," Mara agreed, "I'll take Helene. Meet back here after for the last preparation."
"Be careful, and don't die."
"You too; You still gotta teach me that Jedi mind trick."
"I'm not doing that."
"Yes, you are."
The two warriors stepped apart and drew both of their sabers for a duel wielding stance. The sabers they possessed which still held color began to vibrate in their hands. A grey energy had manifested and found its way into the hilts, charging the blades with a new power. The shining blue and red lights were gone, leaving only a new white blade in their places— their kyber crystals purified with divine energy.
Avlis's anger had overtaken him first as he rushed at Vader with one blade forward and one in support. He charged in with a flurry of strikes from both weapons, forcing Vader on the defensive as he backed up, leading Avlis out of the room.
Mara approached Helene with her blades, keeping them down for the moment, "Don't make me fight you," She begged, "Please."
"You lost the right to beg," Helene snarled, "One of us dies today."
Mara couldn't bring herself to make the first move, so Helene had taken the chance and charged her. Mara was able to easily block the attacks one weapon at a time and keep her off balance. She remained on the defensive as Helene released all her rage at her. While Helene was merciless and fast, Mara kept her footwork tight and focused, a trait she did not used to display in their training.
Mara jumped back and landed on her toes before using the Force to launch herself forward. The collision had pinned Helene to the nearest wall, their sabers pushing against one another. The Inquisitor tried using the Dark Side to push back with little success.
Eventually, she had chosen to quickly duck and slide under Mara and slice at her back, only for Mara to jump over and behind her, using the Force to push her back into the wall. Helene pushed off the wall with the back of her foot and continued her relentless assault on Mara.
…
The fight with Vader had led Avlis outside, where many Troopers had spotted them dueling. They were tempted to start firing but worried about hitting Vader instead of their intended target. Torn between decisions, the squad general told them to hold fire.
The warrior's blades collided, creating sparks that died against the stone ground. It was here, up close to the boy, that Vader recognized the eyes of this angry child.
"I remember you," Vader realized, "Yes …you're the boy from Coruscant. You were in that room with the other younglings; you're the child I failed to kill, the one who gave into the Dark Side," He closed his eyes inside his helmet for a moment, feeling the boys emotions, "I can sense the anger in you, it is strong with the Dark Side—strong with hatred."
"It is," Avlis admitted, "I am strong with the Dark Side, but I'm also strong with the Light as well."
Avlis pushed Vader off him and jumped back a few yards, putting distance between them. They had both tried using the Force on one another, creating a feedback field which pushed everything around them away. The field even knocked over many of the storm troopers watching from the bottom of the steps. They remained locked together in a field of power, trying to get the upper hand on the other.
"You know what's fun about me?" Avlis asked rhetorically, "I can use both the Light and Dark sides of the Force, respectively. That means I get the best of BOTH worlds!"
In an unexpected move, Avlis crunched his fingers together as though they were claws. From his fingertips, bolts of lightning fueled by how own hatred had blasted out and struck Vader, sending him flying off of the steps and flying over to the next set of buildings, crashing into a wall before quickly recovering. Vader had never seen a Jedi use Force-Lightning before; this boy was not like the others he had fought.
Vader quickly performed a super jump that brought him to the roof of a small temple just across from Avlis. The boy used a Force jump of his own to leap over to the same roof, covering a great distance in just a single bound. He landed a few yards away from his enemy, keeping his defenses up.
"Your power is most impressive," Vader said, clenching his free fist to him, "You WILL relinquish this power to the Empire, or you will die."
"You kill me either way," he said, knowing this for a fact, "Besides, I'm not done with you yet. You killed all of my friends without even hesitating, all so you could save the woman you love, but you weren't even able to do THAT."
"Enough!" Vader shouted, true rage escaping his helmet, "I grow tired of your mind games!"
"This isn't a game, not to me," he clenched his sabers, "I've harbored so much anger for you these last three years, and you're about to get it all back!"
…
Helene kept her assault on Mara, who all but refused to fight back. All she could think of were the memories they had together, even the bad ones, memories she wished she could make more of. There were few outcomes where they didn't fight, and Helene had already sealed this conflict in time. Even though she blocked her former friends strikes, every single one hurt her worse than she could imagine.
Finally, one of Helene's attacks had grazed Mara's shoulder. She quickly forced pushed Helene away to create some distance as she tended to the wound, which thankfully wasn't too deep.
"I'm going to kill you for what you've done," Helene stated, "You betrayed me and everything we stood for!"
That rage Mara was so familiar with had returned, igniting the fires in her chest. She retracted her sabers and retreated them to her belt. Her enemy wanted to use this to strike her down, before Mara had lifted her hands into the air to call upon the Force.
With a powerful thrust, Mara force-pushed Helene through the wall, breaking through it as the stone crumbled around her. Helene tumbled down the hill which the temple had rested on, only stopping after she had hit a stone statue. They were close to the edge of the island now, where a long drop had awaited.
Mara jumped through the hole in the wall with her sabers drawn as she slid down the hill. Helene had gotten up just in time to block her oncoming attack and continue their back and forth. Mara was on the offensive now, and her enemy found her movements to be too quick for her. Helene was forced to back up and remain on the defense, unable to break the pattern her opponent now used.
Her attacks became too much, and the Inquisitor finally lost her balance as they came close to the edge of the floating island. Her feet had tripped over themselves, causing her to stumble back. Her body fell backwards and tumbled over the edge falling toward the ground below. There was nothing she could do as she watched the island become farther and farther away.
And then, she stopped.
Helene's body floated in the air as an invisible grip held her in place. Above her, she could see Mara holding out her hand and reaching with the Force, preventing her former friends fall. Her eyes were closed as she calmly lifted her up toward the island, placing her down on her back to let her recover. When Helene felt the invisible grip release her, her entire body weight attached itself to the ground instinctively.
"I don't want to fight you, Helene," Mara stated desperately, "You're my best friend! If you keep fighting me, this will only end one way."
"Is that a threat?!" Helene scolded.
"It's a fact! I've seen it! I don't want to hurt you!"
"You've ALREADY hurt me!" She cried, "We always had each others backs in the Empire, no matter what! We protected each other! Now, here you are, a traitorous Jedi!"
"I'm no Jedi," Mara claimed, "I'm something else, something that represents true balance in the Force."
"Stop it! Stop acting all high and mighty! It makes me SICK!"
Mara had seen so many ways this fight could end, and most of them ended horribly. She had been trying so hard to prevent one of those futures from happening, but Helene had been carving her fate in stone with the angrier she got. She had only one chance to save her now, if she would put aside her rage long enough to listen to her say "I'm sorry."
"…Excuse me?" Helene questioned.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you like this; I never wanted to betray our friendship. You have always meant so much to me, more than you could possibly know. I have seen things you wouldn't believe, Helene. I've seen so many possible futures and I want to make them reality. I want to be more than just a servant of violence, or a keeper of peace. I want to seek a better future for everyone, not just those on one side or the other of the Force. I'm not a Jedi, nor am I an inquisitor. I'm a seeker of the divide."
She wanted to listen, more than anything, but her anger toward Mara was too much for her to bury even when she tried. One side of her wanted to forgive, and the other just wanted revenge. The conflicting feelings only made her angrier as she cried such terrible tears.
"I can't …forgive you …" Helene said, "This is my life! It was OUR life! And you destroyed it!" She stood up, readying her saber, "I won't let you get away with that!"
Mara had tried, but her fate was sealed.
Helene charged forward in an attempt to strike Mara, who had leapt over her quickly. With one saber drawn and a heavy heart in her chest, Mara had stabbed her blade behind her, unable to bare looking as it ran straight through her friend.
…
Vader had never experienced fighting someone who could keep up with him, not since he had fought his old master three years ago. This young boy, who was not yet a fully realized Jedi, was able to keep him on the defensive. Whatever power he had discovered in this temple was far more valuable than he had first expected.
Avlis's jump strike had thrown Vader off balance for the first time, making himself vulnerable to a force-push that knocked him off his feet. He quickly recovered with a roll before another strike could be brought down on him. Their blades pushed against one another as their strengths fought for dominance.
High in the air, an Imperial TIE-Fighter started flying around the island with their sights set on Vader and Avlis. The two combatants had pushed away from one another, leaving the boy open for attack. A laser bolt fired from the TIE-fighter and flew down toward the temple, heading for Avlis, who turned around quickly to see it coming.
He put one saber away and reached out with the Force, stopping the bolt mid air in a cage of power. One flick of his fingers sent the bolt flying back and striking the TIE-Fighters wing, sending it crashing down onto the island in a fiery explosion.
With that same hand, Avlis slammed his palm onto the ground and erupted a shock wave through the stone. The floor beneath them cracked open and sent them both falling down into the temple, debris falling all around them.
Vader had managed to land on his feet and use the Dark Side to stop the debris from hitting him, only for Avlis to start firing pieces of stone at him with the Force. Their sabers withdrawn, the two began trading in rock and stone that circled around them. The tension between them became so great that the walls crumbled before them, joining in the circle of Force and stone. It was a struggle match now, with only one victor.
All Avlis could imagine was the look on Anakins face when he had killed his friends; the children he had trained with for most of his life up to that point. He had been content with killing them, just so he could save one woman's life. It was bad enough to kill the Jedi, but to slaughter children was a line crossed he could not allow to go unpunished.
That anger and hatred fueled his power as he ignited the stones with electricity before tossing them at Vader.
Vader continued to block and push the stones away before it finally caught up with him, and a lone piece of electrified debris finally struck his chest, where the circuit board for his breathing unit was placed. He was weakened; his lungs unable to gather enough air as he dropped the stones around him.
Avlis picked him up with the Force and slammed him back into the ground. He did this over and over, tossing him around the piles of stone and debris, watching as the horrible man suffered by the hands of a fallen Jedi. When he laid on the ground defenseless, Avlis electrified him with a continuous stream of unlimited power. The dark lord screamed through his breathing machine as it malfunctioned and broke.
The young boy could feel it from him; he could finally feel his fear.
The lightning stopped suddenly as Avlis retreated his attacks. He put his saber away and allowed his hands to fall free against his sides, watching as Vader struggled to stand up. He hated to admit it, but Avlis liked how strong he felt compared to Vader. He wished he could have been this strong when Anakin had first come to kill him, but the past cannot be changed.
Vader had never been so overpowered before, especially not by some child. With the power that rests within him, this boy could actually give a challenge to the Emperor himself, if that power were harnessed. It had been so long since he felt true fear for another person, let alone a Jedi, former at that.
"I waited a long time to do that," Avlis said as he towered over the dark lord, "That was for everyone you killed."
"Your power is …exceptional," Vader confessed, "Well then …go on. Finish what you had started; strike me down!"
"…No," he knelt down to him, "I want you to bathe in this fear you feel. I will not be the most powerful foe you face. There is another down the line who will show you fear worse than what you feel now. Take this as proof that your mighty Empire and everything it stands for will fall. It's not my destiny to bring you down, as much as it pains me not to kill you. No …you still have a destiny to fulfill, Anakin."
Using the man's true name was like an insult. The boy was taunting him now, but he was too wounded to truly fight back. He'd rather die here and now than be forced to live with this fear he feels; fear for another, and for an uncertain future. His rule was meant to last forever, no one was ever supposed to defeat him. Yet, here he was, down and defeated, and the boy won't even grant him the honor of death.
As Avlis began walking away, Vader spoke out once more "You will regret letting me live. I will come back stronger and more powerful than you could ever know. The galaxy will learn to fear us like they never have, and you will find agony in your mistake!"
Avlis could only smile as he walked away, knowing that he had done it. The future was now sealed with that one declaration of revenge.
…
Helene fell backwards into Mara's arms, who held her with eyes full of tears as she put her saber down. The Inquisitor struggled to keep breath in her lungs, her vision becoming cloudy. She always thought if she were to die, it would be in battle just like this, or on one of Vader's bad days. Perhaps she should be grateful that this is how it ends; defeated by a friend, rather than an enemy.
"I'm sorry," Mara cried, "You never would have stopped if I didn't …this was the only way, Helene."
Helene tried to speak, but her throat slowly began closing on itself despite how much she fought it, "It's OK," She choked, "It's OK, Mara …I'm sorry too …I never wanted to fight you, but you …you left me …"
"I never wanted to," She admitted, "I wanted to keep you by my side, always. You've always been the most important person to me."
"…You're my best friend, Mara."
Mara nearly choked on her own tears, "And you're mine."
It didn't matter how many times Mara saw this moment play out, it still hurt more than anything.
"Hold me close," Helene asked. Mara obliged and brought her head closer to her on, resting their cheeks against one another. Her tears fell on her fallen friend as heartbreak overtook her. This was the only way she could have stopped her, or she would have gotten away and joined with Vader to defeat Avlis. Any outcome where she lived and everything worked out was locked away the moment Helene gave into revenge.
"I'll see you again …" Mara promised, "One day …in the Force …I'll see you again and we'll be together …"
"…Don't be late," Helene smiled, "I'll be waiting for you …Mara …"
Helene choked once more, throwing Mara into a panic. She watched as her friend drew her last breath of this world with a smile on her face. Her eyes were left open as they lost their life, her energy drifting from her body and into the universe where it truly belonged. Mara could only cry out in agony for the terrible deed she had performed.
Her greatest friend had become her greatest mistake.
…
Avlis made his way back to the main temple, avoiding the oncoming fire from the troopers positioned below. He used the Force to create a field that kept them at bay as he entered the stone building. With Vader defeated, he would soon give the order for a retreat and leave the island. Avlis wished he could have been the one to end him, but he knew that if he did, he would only create a future of ruin and devastation.
Right on time, the troopers began to retreat from their posts and escape onto the cargo ships, with Vader following behind them limping. Both he and Avlis locked their gaze on each other as the cargo ship began flying off. The dark lord swore to himself they would meet again, and next time, he would destroy him once and for all. Though Avlis could see many futures, this was still an uncertainty.
As another set of troopers passed, he could see they were carrying the body of Mara's former friend. It saddened him, knowing she likely made the tough choice for the sake of the future, a choice Avlis might have never been able to make.
Though the last of the cargo ships had taken off, the remaining TIE-Fighters in the air began firing down on the island with increased intensity, forcing him to retreat further into the temple. The building shook as rubble fell from the ceiling. Avlis struggled to crawl over to the fountain where they had agreed to meet. There was only one step left before the last preparation could take place.
Outside the temple, Mara ran through the field and avoided getting shot as best she could. It wasn't until she had just reached the bottom of the steps that she realized they had forgotten something. Looking over to the Arrowhead, she remembered that Troy had still been waiting for them.
"Troy!" she shouted to the ship, "Get out of there!"
An incoming TIE-Fighter had locked it's sights onto the Arrowhead and prepared to fire. Before it could, however, Mara reached out into the Force and grabbed the TIE-Fighter in a tight grip. It's wings and cockpit began to implode on themselves, catching fire and spinning out through the air before crashing into another ship. She stepped forward with a large clap of her hands to release a final wave of energy that knocked the rest of them out of the sky, crashing into the streets below.
Troy lowered the doors to the ship and exited in a panic, practically flying into Mara's arms out of fear, "What's happening?!" He asked.
"I'll explain later!" She promised.
She carried the frightened droid into the temple and shut the doors tight, "They'll be coming back!" Mara said as she approached Avlis at the fountain, "We only have a few minutes before they strike again! Did you beat Vader?"
"It's done," he said, "The seeds of fear have been planted."
"Then we only have one more thing to do, don't we?"
They had endless hours to plan this out in the realm of the Divide, where time meant nothing. Defeating Vader and Helene was only half of the plan, now it was time for the grand escape.
Placing Troy down, the two warriors placed their hands in the water of the fountain, calling upon the power of the Divide.
The pillar of light erupted once again from the water and reached for the sky above. A force field was created around the floating island, cutting off any and all who tried to get past it. It became a magnetic field that pushed everyone away, floating higher into the air as it's energy became stronger. The strength of the Force within it was like a lasting stench.
Vader watched from the cargo ships open door as the large and powerful temple of the Divide suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a gust of wind.
"Sir," A trooper said, "They've vanished."
"I know," Vader said, breathing deeply through his broken ventilator, "But we will find them again, and we will destroy them for their treachery."
He looked back to the body of Helene, who laid dead on the floor, surrounded by troopers. Such a waste of talent and raw power, Vader thought. There was so much more she was capable of doing, and she should have had the chance to do it.
She should have that chance.
…
…
…
Light years away on a distant world, a Jedi youngling sat in a beautiful forest clearing. Eedor, a Force-sensitive of the Rodien species, had just planted a seed into the ground before him. He sat with his legs crossed and took a deep breath. He had been practicing this for days, wanting to get it perfect before his master had returned from his trip. He tried to fight off his eagerness and focus, but as a child, this was an impossible feat.
Eedor reached out with his hand and summoned the Force into his finger tips. He felt the energy travel off his skin and onto the pile of dirt, where the seed had been placed inside. Water from all around him drew itself into the seed like a magnet. The boy felt a sense of peace and balance as life was given form before his eyes. The flower had quickly emerged from the ground and blossomed beautifully in the sun, opening it's petals as if to embrace the light of day.
"I did it!" Shouted Eedor, before remembering no one was around to admire his accomplishment.
The wind suddenly began to pick up as the tree's shook vigorously. The flower he had made nearly bent over completely and started to lose it's petals. Thunder and lightning filled the sky, nearly striking the structure where the rest of the younglings hid. With a flash of light, a large temple appeared atop a floating island. It's massive size blocked out the sun and became the source of the lightning. Eedor ran as far away as he could, just as the island began to drop out of the air.
It crashed into the ground and made a powerful shock wave that most certainly woke everyone in the abandoned Jedi temple. Eedor had fallen from the crash and nearly hit his head, had he not covered it on his way down like he was trained. The boy struggled to pull out his lightsaber and point it upwards at anyone who came his way. Was this it? Had the Empire finally found them? Were they going to die?
The boy waited until the dust had settled before finally standing up, just as he saw the other younglings making their way over to see what had happened. Everyone stayed behind Eedor as he was the only one brave enough to draw his lightsaber.
The temple had landed right in front of them, crushing a few trees in the process. There was some sort of starship shaped like an arrow that was parked in the front, but it had fallen on it's side, likely due to the crash. When the doors at the highest temple opened, Eedor raised his saber higher and prepared for a fight. What came instead was only relief.
Standing there were two warriors and a droid. He didn't recognize the girl, but he knew the boy as his friend and guardian, Avlis Bismur.
"It's Avlis!" Eedor shouted as he withdrew his saber, "He's home!"
Eedor and the other younglings rushed across the island and met with Avlis and the others at the bottom of the steps. Eedor had leapt into Avlis's arms, receiving a strong hug in return. It felt like so long since the warrior had last seen the younglings he had sworn to protect. Returning home was a blessing, despite all he had seen and done.
The younglings were asking them so many questions, like who the girl was, and where they got the droid. "Settle down!" Avlis commanded, "I'll tell you everything."
"Where's Master Bando?" Asked one youngling.
The look on Avlis's face was heartbreak, but he knew this was coming, "Master Bando …he is one with the Force now."
They all knew what that meant, even if he had tried to sugar coat it. Some wanted to cry, and others wanted to scream in anger, but they were taught that those feelings were always bad. They couldn't let themselves feel such things, not even over someone like Bando. This was just the Jedi way.
"It's OK," Said Mara, "It's OK to be sad about it."
"No, it's not!" Said a youngling, "Master Bando taught us-"
"Bando was wrong," Avlis cut in, "Listen to me, all of you. There is so much more to the Force than any of you realize. There is power and balance than you have yet to discover. Bando wanted us to teach you these ways; the way of the Divide."
A youngling raised her hand, "What's the Divide?"
"Come inside," he gestured to the doors, "And we can teach you."
A curious concept, it most certainly was. They had never heard of something like he was describing, at least not from the masters who originally taught them. They were children, and their curiosity overtook them as they rushed up the steps to explore the temple.
Eedor was the only youngling to stay behind and stare at Avlis, "Is master Bando really gone?" he asked with a heart full of sorrow.
"No," He bent down and put a hand on his shoulder, "He is with you, in the Force. He will always watch after us, and keep us safe. I promise."
With one final hug, Eedor rushed up the steps to join his friends.
Finally having a moment of peace, Avlis turned to Mara with a smile of sympathy, "Are you doing ok?" he asked.
"I don't know …" She answered, "I …I killed Helene, Avlis. I never wanted to hurt her, you know? There was a chance—a timeline—where she surrendered and even joined us. But I couldn't make it happen; I couldn't save her no matter what I had done …"
Whether she had asked for it, Avlis brought her in and held her tightly against himself, letting the Force within them both connect like it had before. This wasn't a journey that either of them asked for, but here they were, stronger and wiser now for it.
Their destiny still had yet to come full circle. Though they had ensured the downfall of the Empire, they knew there were threats beyond them that must be faced. To be ready, there had to be more than just them alone who could use the Divide. They needed to train the younglings, to make them seekers.
"We can't change the past," Avlis said, "We can only make a better future."
He had become a good friend to her in such a short time, and she appreciated his kindness and acceptance of her. Whatever future they may face, she was glad she could face it with him.
"Masters!" They heard Troy call out, "The children are trying to use me as a toy-ow!"
The warriors laughed, knowing the future had finally begun to look bright.
As they climbed the steps of the temple, they looked upon this beautiful world and knew this was to be their home, where their destiny would begin and grow into something extraordinary. With a smile, they closed the doors of the temple, knowing the future would be in good hands.
THE END