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Chapter 26
They didn't have to wait long for the night to come. When the sun hid behind the horizon, the entire canyon was covered in darkness, making it nearly impossible for the group of four to see anything beneath the edge of the cliff. It had its upsides, though. After examining the compound, Meetra noticed that the guards weren't equipped with the night-vision devices. Bao-Dur confirmed it as well. Also, the compound wasn't being as protected during the night as it was during the day. Not to mention the fact that the guards weren't taking their duties seriously, as every one of them was asleep, scattered around the camp. Apparently, Czerka was certain that no one would dare to attack them.
"We're free to go" Meetra whispered to the others. "The area is clear."
They've begun to descend from the clifftop, careful not to make a single sound. Every step was taken with caution and only after making sure that the rock wouldn't slide from under their feet. Meetra was leading the way, followed closely by Atton and Kreia. Bao-Dur and his small droid were at the end, closing their descent.
Meetra held her breath when the rock slid from under her feet. She felt her heart skip a beat for a split second and she froze in midair. She didn't dear to breathe as if she was afraid that the slightest sound would cause other rocks to slide down the cliff. When she heard that the falling has stopped, she moved her feet forward, searching for another spot where she could place her foot. She sighed with relief when this rock turned out to be much more stable than the previous one. Meetra turned around and urged others to follow her again.
It wasn't long before the group of four reached the canyon. After that one incident, nothing else happened, allowing them to descent without waking up the guards. They've stopped right at the bottom of the cliff, waiting in the shadows. Once again, Meetra made sure that the guards didn't know what was going on in the compound. Everyone was still fast asleep.
Despite the differences, Meetra couldn't help recalling the campaign on Dxun. On the moon of Onderon, she also led a squad of the Republic soldiers into an enemy camp, covered by night. This time, though, her squad was composed of three, totally different persons and a droid. But the adrenaline she felt remained the same; her heart beating so quickly she was afraid it would pump its way out of her chest; short, quick breaths and staying low on her legs.
Her target was a building that was the closest one to their position. After taking in a few breaths, she dashed forward, trying to close the distance between the cliff and the building. It didn't take her more than a few seconds to reach the shadow. Calming down her breath, she pressed herself against the building's wall as tightly as possible. Meetra looked around, checking if the area was clear. When she made sure of that, she urged the others to follow her, one by one. They all complied and joined her in the shadows, passing quickly from the cliff to the building. Atton, Kreia, and Bao-Dur followed her closely; they've also been tightly pressed against the wall, trying to hide themselves as much as possible.
Even though they've reached the landing pad rather quickly, Meetra thought that at least an hour has passed since they've descended from the cliffs. And the smallest sound was in her ears as loud as a Rancor's roar, though in truth, none of the guards woke up.
Bao-Dur was the first one to enter the landing pad, heading straight towards the single computer that was located there. Meetra and Kreia followed him, leaving Atton behind to check if there was any danger waiting for them. Meetra was reluctant to leave him behind when she saw his first instinct was to break the neck of the guard that was closest to the landing pad. Meetra stopped him in the last second possible by grabbing his hands and shaking his head. In her opinion, there was no reason to kill the guard if he was still asleep. Atton only rolled his eyes at her actions.
Meetra could have sworn that it wasn't the first time Bao-Dur broke into the Czerka compound. It took him only a few seconds to gain access to the shield network.
"There's probably an unsanctioned landing site somewhere on the planet. Still shielded, but not a restoration zone or other listed facility. That's why I need access to the shield network" Bao-Dur explained, still doing something at the console. "Here," he said after a few seconds. "A small anomaly in the shield network's power grid. I'm not surprised the TSF didn't spot this. It's subtle, more like an error or random flux than anything suspicious."
"Then why do you think it's this what we are looking for?" Meetra queried.
"The TSF doesn't know this planet as well as I do. I've participated in designing this shield network and I've calculated the area that it should cover and from what I see, it looks like power is being drawn to generate a shield over a small area in the polar region, but nothing should be down there" Bao-Dur said, scratching the back of his head. "We've examined the polar region and found nothing. Orbital cameras also didn't find anything. Just an empty mesa.
"We should investigate this" Kreia replied before Meetra could even think of any form of response. "I feel this is the best bet of finding the Ebon Hawk."
"How can we get to the polar region?" Meetra asked immediately. "Our shuttle's been shot down and it will take us weeks to travel there on foot" she reminded them.
"That's a little tougher" Bao-Dur replied, checking something in the console. "According to the computer, a shuttle is currently docked inside the research facility. At least, there was the last report, though that was months ago."
"So we don't know that the shuttle will still be there, or working?" Meetra concluded.
"We don't, but that's not going to stop me," Bao-Dur said; a determination could be heard in his voice. "I've spent too much time here and I intend to leave this place even I have to build a new ship myself. The Republic has already forgotten me so leaving won't be a problem."
"Have you found anything?" The three of them turned around to see Atton joining them on the landing pad. Meetra quickly noticed that he was holding a few guns in his hands and he had a belt with ammo hung loosely on his shoulder.
"You were supposed to cover us" Meetra reprimanded him. "And where did you get those weapons?"
"Don't worry, the guards won't be waking up for a few hours at least" Atton replied with a smug smile.
"What have you done to them?" Meetra queried, not sure if she indeed wanted to know the answer.
"Relax, sweetheart" Atton replied immediately, handing her one of the rifles he was carrying. He passed another two to Bao-Dur and Kreia. The old woman shook her head in denial. Atton wasn't even trying to argue with her. "One of the guards had a few syringes with soporifics. I've just made sure that they were going to sleep until the sunrise. And I've figured out that we would need some supplies so I've looted a couple of guards. I took the best I could find" he explained, still having the same smug smile on his face. Meetra had to admit that he looked kind of cute like that.
"Let's get going" Meetra ordered, though she still wasn't convinced by Atton's explanation.
"There's one other small problem" Bao-Dur added before they left the landing pad. Meetra rolled her eyes, knowing that she should have suspected it. "Recently, Czerka teams that were sent into the military facility have not been coming out."
"Then I think it's good I took those blasters" Atton commented; his smug grin was still gracing his lips. They all headed towards the far end of the compound where the entrance to the base was. Thanks to Bao-Dur's work, the doors were now opened. The four of them entered the old military base.
Thanks to Bao-Dur's knowledge about the base's layout, they were able to quickly make their way through the building. The Iridonian's artificial arm turned out to be an excellent tool against the numerous energetic shields that were blocking their path. It didn't take them long to find another shuttle and the launching codes, even though there were a lot of Czerka mercenaries and sentry droids. But just like the guards outside, they were also mostly asleep. They took down quietly the lone mercenaries who were patrolling the camp before they've managed to raise the alarm. Thanks to Atton's and Meetra's incredible instincts, the mercenaries were dead before they realized what was happening. Bao-Dur's computer skills also allowed them to disengage the sentry droids before they were spotted. It was as if the base was completely empty.
Their small group entered the shuttle and with Atton as a pilot, they've left the Czerka military base just as quickly as they've arrived. They headed north, to the polar region, hoping to find the Ebon Hawk.
"The anomaly in the shield network is coming from there" Bao-Dur informed them, pointing his finger at the space in front of them. Meetra did all she could to find anything extraordinary about this place, but she found nothing. Just as Bao-Dur said earlier – just an empty mesa. To top it off, a blizzard was blocking most of their view. She tried to reach out beyond what she saw, just as she did countless times on Dxun, hoping to see what was hidden from her sight, but it also proved to be pointless. She sensed nothing through the Force.
"There's nothing here" she commented, watching the place they were approaching. Despite them being in the middle of nowhere, this place was unnaturally flat what caused Meetra to be fully alert. But there were no signs of life whatsoever; only a raging snowstorm.
"You must reach out beyond what you see" Kreia replied, placing her right hand on Meetra's shoulders. Despite it being a comforting gesture, Meetra couldn't help shivering at the contact with the old woman. Her hand was cold as if she was dead.
"I've tried and I've found nothing" Meetra countered, shaking her head. Something felt unnatural about this place and she knew it deep in her heart, though she couldn't say what it was exactly. "This place is empty." There's nothing here but snow."
"Your senses are telling you that something is wrong here" Kreia replied calmly. "Listen to them. Close your eyes and reach out with the Force again. Just like you did on Peragus. Don't limit yourself only to the living beings, search for the machines that are hidden here."
Meetra did as she was told to do and closed her eyes. Once again, she had stretched outwards, far beyond their vessel, allowing the Force to flow freely through her. At first, she found nothing new – the same emptiness as before. But it didn't last long, though. After focusing only on the ledge in front of them, she noticed the buzzing of the electronic circuits, running below the rock and snow. She reached out further, deeper into the ground, trying to notice as much as she could.
"T3, he is there," she said after a moment. She opened her eyes, surprised that she managed to find the small droid, despite all the obstacles. "Land on that plateau" she ordered. Atton did what he was told to do without saying a single word.
When they've approached the plateau, Meetra noticed something else that seemed to be unnatural to her. Somewhere in the middle of the flat surface was located a small mound. Meetra ordered Atton to fly closer to the mound. Once again, the pilot wordlessly accepted the order.
The four of them left the shuttle, immediately being attacked by the snow and cold that were raging freely in this section of Telos IV. Meetra crossed her arms on her chest, rubbing herself to provide some warmth, even if only a little. Kreia corrected her hood that was threatening to fall on her back. Atton shivered in his jacket while Bao-Dur seemed to remain unaffected by the weather.
They've approached the mound, taking careful steps. Meetra reached out with the Force, trying to get a better understanding of their surroundings. Once again, she felt nothing. They've increased their pace, searching for anything unusual in the mound. Meetra's senses didn't fail her this time – there was a small door in the mound's side, similar to the one that led to Czerka military camp. Meetra was about to step inside if it wasn't for a silent scream produced by Bao-Dur. She turned around immediately, only to find herself facing a long staff; its end pointing directly at her, barely a few millimeters away from her face.
"Lay down your weapons and you shall not be harmed" a young woman in front of her spoke. Vapor escaped her mouth when she spoke. Meetra took a glance at Atton who was at a full battle-ready mode, gripping his blaster tightly while Bao-Dur was lying unconscious a few meters away from the doors. Kreia remained at peace. After glancing at her companions, she noticed that all of them had staffs pointed at their faces.
Looking into the azure eyes of the woman in front of her, Meetra tried to raise her blaster, though it was quickly knocked out from her hands by the staff in the woman's hands. The Exile had to admit she was surprised by the speed with which this stranger moved.
"I will not warn you again," she said with a serious tone, gripping her staff tighter. "Drop your weapons, or we shall take them from you."
"Do as they say" Kreia said without a trace of fear in her voice. "I sense we will come to no harm."
"Bao-Dur was already attacked" Meetra reminded her, still looking directly into the woman's eyes.
"He's unconscious, but he will live" Kreia replied with a tone that meant that there was no room to argue. The old woman raised her hands, or rather hand, showing that she wasn't going to try anything. Meetra, although reluctantly, mimicked her actions, raising her hands slowly. Atton dropped the gun and did the same, though Meetra noticed that he didn't allow himself to relax fully; the weapon hit the ground that was covered with a thick layer of snow with a soft thud. Even unarmed, he remained cautious; his body seemed to be locked in a battle stance, ready to leap into action in a blink of an eye. Meetra had to admit that she was impressed. He's not a coward as he sometimes seems to be, she deducted.
"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Meetra asked, refusing to show any sign of fear or discomfort, even though the cold was slowly becoming more and more difficult to bear.
"Our Mistress told us to expect you, Exile, and that we must wait for your arrival" the young woman in front of her replied, still holding her staff at Meetra's face. "She ordered us to bring you before her" she explained. After hearing her response, Meetra thought that she heard a small gasp coming from Kreia but it was so subtle that she chose to ignore it.
"Who is your Mistress?" she queried, still maintaining eye contact with the young woman. She fought the urge to wrap her hand around her arms. Years of war have taught her to never show any sign of weakness in front of her enemy. And as far as she was concerned, these women were her enemies.
"It's up to our Mistress if she chooses to reveal herself to you, Exile" she replied coldly. Or maybe it was just the temperature around them? Meetra didn't know. "Now come. She's awaiting you."
"We should listen to the handmaiden" Kreia informed her from behind her back. "I sense there is something here, something that you must see before our journey can continue."
"Fine" Meetra huffed, relaxing a bit. "Take us to your Mistress," she said, accenting the last word.
The young woman in front of her didn't reply with words. Instead, she ordered Meetra and her two companions to turn around and head towards the door in the mound. The group of three, followed by their attackers, walked through the door. Meetra managed to catch a glimpse of Bao-Dur's unconscious body being lifted from the ground before the metal doors were closed behind them and for a few seconds, Meetra couldn't see anything. After spending so much time in brightness, her eyes were forced to adjust to the darkness that was omnipresent in the area they were now in.
Meetra was sure that they were led into some sort of a cave, but these thoughts quickly vanished from her mind when she felt the significant difference in temperatures between the outside and the inside. It was much warmer in here than it was when they were standing in the snow – something she wouldn't expect from a cave. Also, the darkness quickly disappeared, replaced completely by a bright light of lamps, coming from the walls around them and the ceiling above. Once again, Meetra needed a moment for her eyes to adjust fully.
But that moment wasn't given to her. Right after the lights were turned on, she felt a hand grab her arm and she was roughly pulled by the young woman that attacked them. She couldn't tell which one it was though, because all of the handmaidens, as Kreia described them, were almost identical to each other. She turned her head around to see if her other companions were being treated as roughly as she was. But when she looked behind her, she saw no one. She tried to stop, but the woman that was dragging her was much stronger than her appearance would suggest.
"Where are my friends?" Meetra asked.
"Our Mistress has made it perfectly clear that she wishes to speak only to you, Exile" She received a response in the same cold tone. Meetra recognized that voice as the one that belonged to the woman she was facing directly outside the building. Unless they all sounded the same as well. She tried once again, this time stronger, to stop and she somehow succeeded at that. They came to a halt and the young woman turned towards her.
"Where are my friends?" Meetra asked again, demanding an honest answer.
"They are safe, they won't be harmed" the young woman replied, clearly annoyed by Meetra's behavior. She tried to resume their walk, but Meetra didn't allow it. It wasn't a response that satisfied her. "I promise you, they won't be harmed" the young woman repeated. "Now come, Mistress awaits you," she said and pulled Meetra by her arm even harder than previously. Still unsatisfied, Meetra agreed to comply and followed her, doing her best to keep up with the young handmaiden.
They walked through the narrow bridges that seemed to be spread over an endless abyss. When Meetra dared to look down from the edge, her head started spinning violently. She never would have thought that she could have a fear of heights. She shook her head and obediently followed the young woman, though she didn't have much of a choice at that.
The handmaiden led her through a circular room. For a few seconds, Meetra's breath was roughly taken away from her, as if someone punched her hard in the stomach. She nearly stopped dead in her tracks. The room was too similar to the Council chambers on Coruscant to be taken as a coincidence. Twelve chairs, lined up in a circle, around a tall obelisk. It is a Jedi Academy, she realized. Or at least it used to be, she corrected herself. She didn't feel the slightest trace of the Force in the woman in front of her. But the handmaiden didn't give her a chance to reflect on what she saw. Instead, she continued dragging her on, passing the circular room as if it was of no importance. Both of them went through other doors that opened themselves as they've approached, allowing them to go further. Meetra noticed another bridge, similar to the ones they've passed before.
"Mistress awaits you" the handmaiden instructed her, stopping right at the door. At that moment, she let go of Meetra's arm. The Jedi Exile rubbed her limb, feeling that a few bruises might show up at the spot where the handmaiden was gripping her tightly.
"Yes, I've already understood" Meetra muttered sarcastically. The handmaiden didn't reply and instead, she turned around and quickly left the circular room, vanishing somewhere in the building.
White hair, white robes, blue eyes, Jedi Academy in the middle of nowhere, Meetra numerated things she had noticed so far. She understood what she was supposed to do and left the circular room, entering the bridge. It was rising, leading yet to another circular room that was surrounded by walls and closed doors. She was hesitant about taking another step. The handmaiden dragged her through the whole building and left her there so apparently, that's where her Mistress wanted to meet her. And this… Mistress… whoever she is… Oh, for fuck's sake, you've got to be kidding me, she said to herself after she combined everything she saw so far. I swear, if SHE walks through that doors, I'm gonna…
As if in confirmation of her thoughts, the doors at the other side of the bridge were suddenly opened and a tall woman joined Meetra. She was dressed in a white, long robe, probably a little too big for her form. Her white hair was pulled back and arranged in a single bun, not revealing their actual length. Two strands of hair were falling freely at the sides of her face. A side part could be seen at the top of her head, just a centimeter or two away from the middle of her skull. The closer she was, the more Meetra saw. White eyebrows, kept in a perfect line, slightly curved at the ends. Ice-blue eyes that betrayed nothing of what was going on inside her head, and an almost deadly pale skin. She walked firmly, straightened out, with her head held high. Everything about her appearance was perfect. But Meetra couldn't name another person who would have angered her so much, in such a small time.
"I did not expect to see you again after the day of your sentencing" the woman spoke in an ice-cold tone, much harsher than the one her handmaidens used on regular basis.
If it was anyone else, Meetra would certainly feel embarrassed and overwhelmed by the beauty of the woman in front of her. But it wasn't the case. She took in a deep breath in order to calm her thoughts and closed her eyes just so a little roll she did with them would go unnoticed. After feeling that her emotions were somewhat in check, Meetra opened her eyes again. She put her best fake smile that she perfected during many conversations with the Jedi Council back in the Mandalorian Wars.
"Atris" she greeted her in turn, replying with the sweetest, fakest tone she could come up with.
"Why is it that everywhere we go I end up in a cell?" Atton complained after the handmaidens left the room. He, Kreia, and Bao-Dur, who remained unconscious, were locked up in force cages, similar to the one that used to be his prison back on Peragus. "I mean, why did they lock us up? What is this place?" he asked, looking at Kreia.
"It is a training ground. For Jedi" she replied calmly.
"What? This ice hole?"
"Yes, it bears the semblance of an academy… but where are all the students? Curious…" Kreia trailed off, looking around with her unseeing eyes.
"You've got to be joking" Atton replied, shaking his head. "What is a Jedi Academy doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"It is a place hidden from the Galaxy, like the academy on Dantooine" she explained. "But this place… oh, Atris… you have been clever" she said more to herself after a small gasp escaped her lips. Atton paled visibly at the mention of that name.
"Atris?" he asked as if he wanted to make sure if he had heard her correctly.
"It's none of your concern" she dismissed him.
"Well, the sooner we're out of here, the better. Two crazy Jedi are more than enough for me. No one told me we were going to be dumped in a nest of Jedi" he panicked. Add five to stack, it makes sixteen, he quickly began counting in his head.
"And what is it about this place that causes you such fear?" Kreia queried.
"What do you mean? We're in the middle of a bunch of Jedi" he explained as if it was something obvious. "You know how they are."
"No, I do not" she countered. "Not in the way you seem to" she added. Atton looked at her without understanding before a sharp pain erupted in his skull. He brought his hands to his temples as if he tried to remove whatever it was that caused him this agonizing pain. It didn't take him long to realize what was happening.
"What… what are you doing?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Get out of my head!" he commanded, though his command fell on deaf ears.
"Stop struggling" Kreia commanded with a soft tone. "Let me follow the current, deep… deeper… to its source."
"Stop!" he begged, practically screaming.
"Ah, with the fear… is mingled guilt" Kreia realized. "It squirms like a worm. And the why… ah, and there is its heart" she concluded, content with what she found. "You surprise me" she admitted honestly. "I could not feel it before… your feelings are a powerful shield, indeed. Even after Revan told me about your… past, I didn't quite believe it. I thought your actions were greatly exaggerated and that he simply wanted you gone… But you don't have to worry, Atton" she added, accenting his name. " If she is Jedi, she will forgive. And if she is not, she will not care" she calmed him.
"You can't tell her" he begged. "Please – I'm asking you. I don't want her to…"
"Think less of you?" Kreia asked, clearly amused. "I hardly think that's possible" she commented. "Still, there is no shame in what you ask. We all wage war with the past. And it leaves its scars. I will not speak of yours, Atton, but there is a price for such things."
"What price?" he managed to say after he felt Kreia retreating from his mind.
"There are those who wage war, and those who follow them" she explained, though as usual, it wasn't much of an explanation to Atton. "You are a crude thing, murderer, but you have your uses. You know how important this woman we travel with is – even one such as you can feel it. Revan ordered you to find her and he ordered me to retrain her. I give you a new order: you will serve her… protect her… until I release you."
"And if I refuse?" Atton asked, though he already made the decision in his mind.
"You will not" Kreia commanded. "If you do, then my silence will be broken. And then, Atton, you will be broken" she added calmly. Atton gulped loudly at that. "You fear the Jedi and rightly so. If Atris learns of your… choices, you will never leave this place. But whatever fear you hold of the Jedi, know that if you disobey me, that my punishment will make you beg for the death that has long hounded you. Wipe the fear from your mind. You will not find blind obedience a difficult Master… you chose it once, long ago. You will learn to embrace it again."
"I will not disobey you" he promised. Kreia saw the truth behind his words. "If you don't tell her" he added.
"I will not" she promised in return and a pact was formed between them. "You are a slippery one, your thoughts difficult for even one such as I to read. I suspect the self-loathing that squirms within you gives you a curious strength. Your spirit, as diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face… and whatever wreckage you leave behind you."
"You have no idea why I made those choices" Atton countered, trying to preserve some of his privacy.
"No, I do not" she admitted. "And I don't care. But I have wasted enough time with you" she added and waved her hand. Immediately, Atton felt his strength evaporating and it didn't take long before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Miraculously, he didn't hit the walls of the force cage. "Sleep, murderer – and be silent. I need no distractions. A critical moment approaches" Kreia added though the last sentence she said to herself. After Atton fell unconscious to the ground, she sat down and entered the meditation, studying everything that was happening around them.