The Story of forgotten Jedi Owen Sun
Chapter 29: Letting Her Go
It had been a month since Owen Sun had returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, since being debriefed by the council Owen had not spoken to anyone. In fact at Milla's funeral ceremony he never said a word, he just watched as her body burned on the altar feeling that part of him had died along with her, since her funeral Owen hadn't left his meditation chamber. So many things had happened on the assignment, he had loved another, he had been tainted by the dark side, and in turn had lost his love. Owen touched emotions a Jedi was never meant to feel and now his world was collapsing all around him, truthfully Owen didn't know how he felt and his future with the order was uncertain.
Meanwhile in the round Jedi Council chambers.
"If it is true than we need to find out what he is up to" stated Master Rancisis.
"Owen said that Dooku was running the operation, no doubt the Colicoids were supplying the Separatists with droidekas but Dooku's involvement is a surprise, he is indeed up to something" agreed Windu.
The rest of the council looked to Master Yoda. "Umm troubling times I feel are ahead, disturbing is this news, the cloud of the dark side I sense" stated the cryptic Yoda.
"Speaking of the dark side we still haven't decided on what to do with Jedi Knight Sun" stated Windu.
Owen had told them everything except the true extent of his and Milla's relationship, with her now dead it seemed pointless to tell them.
"If he has tasted the dark side he is a threat to our order, if Owen continues to advance as a Jedi these dark feelings could return and have disastrous results for him and us" implied Mundi.
"Not to mention his unstable emotions, they have been off balance since his return" added Poof.
"Yes, he was quite attached to her wasn't he" stated Shaak Ti.
"They were very close, yes" grudgingly replied Master Gallia.
"Umm" agreed Yoda knowing the truth about them.
"Well the question is, what do we do with him now?" wondered Windu.
There was utter silence, then. "Before we do anything I think we should wait and see his progress, he may yet find his way back to us" stated Koon.
"He is one of our best Knights, surely we can give him the chance" added Rancisis.
"Umm, agree I do, bright future does Knight Sun have" stated Yoda.
The other council members nodded in agreement. "Very well, we shall wait then" stated Windu.
"Has he spoken to anyone since he was debriefed?" asked Gallia.
Windu hung his head in disappointment. "No he hasn't, he's been in his meditation chamber since Milla's funeral ceremony"
"Those tainted by the dark side often seek isolation at first" cautioned Mundi.
"Hmm much pain I sense in him, feelings of loss wrap his heart, but sense the dark side I do not" informed Yoda.
"For now he is still a member of our order and we will do whatever we can to help him back to the light" stated Windu.
Meanwhile in Owens meditation chamber.
Owen had been in the same position for several days, sitting with his legs crossed on the floor, his hands draped across his knees and his head bowed to his chest with his eyes shut, such was the way most Jedi meditated. For now the force was sustaining him as he had not ate or drank anything in weeks.
Owen had shut everyone out trying to put himself back together in his mind both emotionally and spiritually, but every time he tried or thought he was almost there Milla's beautiful face sprang up in his thoughts again and he would feel heart wrenching pain and would have to start all over again. When that happened his memories came flooding back to him and he would play her death over and over again in his mind, second guessing himself thinking maybe he could of done something to prevent it and the agonizing pain he felt when he remembered the night they spent together, knowing that he would never love or see her again tore his heart out.
These are the things that would bombard his heart making it harder and harder each time to put it behind him, Owen had been taught his whole life to suppress and not indulge in such emotions, now that he had he didn't know how to control them and they were taking over his life, quite simply he couldn't let her go. The force only knew if Owen Sun would find his way back.
Suddenly the call button in Owens meditation chamber rang.
He opened his eyes and brought himself over to the control panel, he then pressed in on the call button. "Yes" he said.
"Hello old friend, its Obi-Wan I've been sent to give you a message" he informed.
There was a long pause, finally getting up his strength he pushed in on the call button again. "What is the message?" Owen asked.
"I would much rather give it to you in person, if it's alright with you" replied Obi-Wan.
Owen was about to tell him to go but just as his mouth opened he stopped himself. "If I'm going to get past this I've got to take the first step" thought Owen.
"Okay, I'm coming out" answered Owen after a long period.
The door swooshed open and after a brief stare Obi-Wan gave him the message. "It is Master Yoda, he wishes to speak with you privately" he informed.
Owen slowly nodded his head. "Alright" he replied.
As Owen walked passed him Obi-Wan noticing his torrid state spoke up. "What is happening to you Owen, you're a mess, I can't even feel you through the force anymore" he stated.
Owen never gave a response as silence lingered in the air, he simply turned and headed for Master Yoda's chambers. As he watched Owen walk off Obi-Wan rubbed his rough beard thinking the worst had happened to his good friend.
He had arrived at the highest point of the Temple in the turbo-lift as the door slid open and he walked into Yoda's chambers. "You wished to see me Master Yoda" said Owen.
"Umm yes, come and sit down you must" greeted Yoda.
"Realize something I have, for your ears alone it is" stated Yoda.
"But first made clear something must be" said Yoda.
"What is it?" asked Owen.
Yoda struggled to find a way to tell him. "Umm" he struggled.
"I know Owen" stated Yoda.
"What?" replied Owen.
"About you and Jedi Knight Talarus I do" revealed Yoda.
"Master I don't un…" Yoda put up his small hand cutting him off.
"Search your feelings, the answer you will find" explained the wise Yoda.
Owen closed his eyes briefly to focus, after a moment he opened his eyes and prepared to defend himself. "Master I…" Yoda cut him off again with his tiny raised hand.
"Alright it is Owen, loved each other you both did, umm understand I do" stated Yoda.
"You do, but I have broken my oath and disgraced the order" questioned Owen.
"Although broken your oath you have and violated our principles you did it is something no one could prevent" explained Yoda.
"Loved you deeply did Milla, even as a child, despite our efforts to shield her from such feelings she returned and loved you she still did, umm strong her love was" stated Yoda.
"Prevent it the council could not, put you together again I believe the force did, such a thing cannot be punished" stated Owen.
"Do the others know?" asked Owen.
"No, only I, and remain that way it shall" answered Yoda.
Owen began replaying the event in his head again. "She died because of me" he stated.
"I should have told the council about us before hand, you would have made her stay and none of this would of happened" continued Owen emotionally.
"Then dead you would be, if stayed she had then Milla would now be grieving and at large the Colicoids would still be" stated Yoda.
"Picked her the forces will has, not you, your destiny yet lies ahead of you" informed the wise Yoda.
"If I would of reacted sooner then I could of saved her…I killed her Master…I killed her" stated Owen emotionally.
"No Owen, Dooku killed her, tried to save her you did, but the force has made its choice" replied Yoda.
Owen wiped the tears cropped in his eyes. "So that was what you wanted to tell me" he wondered.
"No" Yoda replied slowly.
"Realize I do your importance to the order, broken you are now, and resolved this issue must be" stated Yoda.
"Searched heavily through the force, and believe found what your looking for I have" informed Yoda.
Yoda then reached into his robe and handed a datapad to him, Owen glanced at it and recognized the location. "This is Ragoon 6" stated Owen.
"Marked the location I have, go there and find what you're looking for you will" ordered Master Yoda.
"What of the other members of the council, have they agreed to this?" questioned Owen.
"Know of this they will not, go you must" stated Yoda.
Owen sprang up and just as he was about to leave he looked back. "Thank you Master Yoda"
Yoda nodded his head forward and smiled. "Umm"
Owen made his way through the Jedi Temple being careful not to run into any council members, he got to the hanger bay and hopped into his Jedi Starfighter. Owen quickly took off and left Coruscant, in orbit he punched the hyperspace coordinates into the navigational computer and with a sudden burst took off into deep space.
A few hours later…
With a sudden jerk Owens Starfighter exited hyperspace and the green planet of Ragoon 6 lay before him, he then turned on his new sensor disrupters that were still fitted to his ship. Owen knew there was a Jedi training site on the surface and he didn't want anyone to know he was there, he brought his Starfighter into the atmosphere and dipped down through the clouds.
He then flicked on his tracking signal which was fitted to his datapad, Owen followed the yellow dot that was indicated on his monitor in front of him. Getting himself right under the signal Owen brought his ship in closer to the surface but he then noticed the lush forest below. "I've got to find a better spot" he said to himself.
Owen eventually found an opening to land his ship on the edge of the forest, he brought his Starfighter down and got out of his cockpit. Stepping on the surface of the planet Owen noticed it was getting dark as the sky was a dark blue, normally this would be no problem but he knew one thing about the planet, its vicious beast called Mallra's hunted mostly at night and according to his datapad he was still four clicks from the location. "I've got to hurry" Owen thought as he activated his ships security system.
He used his force speed and jetted through the lush forest using his datapad as his guide, Owen encountered no resistance on his way and after several minutes had arrived at the location on his datapad. He glanced one last time at his datapad. "This is it" he thought.
In front of him was a misty cave, he then slowly made his way towards it, suddenly from above stopping him dead in his tracks a crack of thunder and lightening banged in the sky. CRACK!
A few seconds after it started to rain heavily, Owen put up his hood on his robe and continued forward. As he got closer surprisingly two unusually large mallra's emerged from the cave, they growled at him keying Owen to draw his yellow lightsaber. Suddenly from behind and on all sides of him several normal mallra beats came from the forest, they had surrounded him. Owen was a skilled Jedi Knight no doubt and had been in similar situations before but this many mallra's would be a match for even Master Yoda. As the unending rain drops flickered off his lightsaber the pack of mallra's attacked all at once as they lunged towards him, Owen force jumped high in the air landing in a tree.
From there he surveyed his surroundings plotting his next course of action, the mallra's clawed desperately at the tree as Owen realized what he was going to do, Owen then swiftly tossed his lightsaber through the air and extended his hand. Using his mind Owen controlled the saber and guided it through the air and back to the ground, moving it across the surface the sabers lightening quick action caught the mallra's off guard as it sawed through several of them. Many of the beats backed off and ran back into the forest but the two unusually large mallra's that emerged from the cave stayed and kept trying to outmaneuver it, odd coming from simple carnivorous beats like mallra's.
They were successful in their task so Owen brought his saber back to him and jumped to the ground, as the vicious beats came towards him Owen noticed their sickly yellow eyes. As the large mallra jumped for him he turned and sliced the beast in half as it missed him, he then panned around preparing himself for the final beat but to his surprise it was gone. Owen didn't like it as he trusted his Jedi senses to guide him as he cautiously walked towards the cave, with his back to the entrance of the cave Owen figured the mallra had been scared off as he put away his lightsaber, but just as he turned his back to go into the cave the mallra leapt from behind digging its sharp claws into his back. With its huge teeth it then ripped into Owens neck. "AHHHHH!" screamed out Owen in pain.
Sensing his deadly situation Owen rolled to his back and elbowed the heavy beast off of him, he then went to grab his saber from his belt but to his utter shock it wasn't there. "Oh great" he thought as the large beast came after him again.
He then leapt up high and back into the nearby tree, the unusually large mallra wasn't going anywhere as it paced by the entrance of the cave down below almost as if it was protecting it. "This isn't normal animal behavior" thought Owen.
But he had to get into the cave so he knew the beast was going to have to go lightsaber or not, Owen then remembered a force technique that Master Windu was teaching him before his last assignment. "It's risky, but I'll have to try it" he thought.
Owen jumped back down from the tree and met the mallra beast head on again, as it ran towards him with its huge teeth Owen stretched out his arm and froze the beast in its tracks, he was totally amazed. "I did it" stated Owen.
The mallra beast was frozen in a sparkling purple stasis as Owen looked on astonished that it had actually worked, but he then remembered the perilous situation and went to grab his lightsaber. Using his force sense Owen found it in some bushes near the cave, he got himself right back over and in front of the mallra. As Owen went to decapitate it the beast emerged from the temporary stasis and landed right on top of him, he had lost his saber again as the large mallra used its weight to keep him pinned. He fended off the large teeth of the mallra on the muddy ground as the beast was trying to bite Owens head right off as it then opened its large jaw. As Owen starred into the demon like yellow eyes of the beast he threw his Jedi training out the window and his human survival nature took over, Owen grabbed the large jaw of the heavy beast and with a sudden jolt snapped the tenacious mallra's neck. With a whimper the beast fell dead onto Owens torso, after catching his breath he tossed the heavy mallra off him, Owen picked up his saber and glanced at the unrelenting beast. "Why didn't he run away like the others?" he pondered.
Healing his many cuts and bruises from the ordeal Owen then headed inside the misty cave.
The fog from the cave was thick as Owen made his way deeper inside, finally after minutes of walking he came to the end of the cave. Before him lay a small rippling pool of water with several clear crystals surrounding it, suddenly rattling him to his core a voice spoke out. "Owen" the voice said clearly as it echoed through the cave.
Owen turned from the pool of water igniting his lightsaber. "Who said that, come out" ordered Owen in a panic.
"Owen it's me" said the blissful voice.
"I don't know who you are" replied Owen.
"Listen to my voice" stated the mysterious voice.
Owens eyes went as wide as saucers and his heart skipped a beat. "No, it can't be" he said in disbelief as he put away his saber.
"Then turn around and see it for yourself" said the peaceful voice.
Owen turned around and was astonished. "Milla"
Milla's Jedi spirit hovered on the pool of water. "Yes Owen, it's me"
"How can this be, it's impossible" stated Owen.
"Nothing is impossible with the force Owen" she replied.
Owen then put his arm forward. "Can I touch you?"
"No you cannot, my body is dead and gone, this is merely my spirit" she stated.
There was a brief pause as Owen glared at the women he loved. "You're so beautiful" stated Owen.
Milla's spirit smiled. "I trust Master Yoda's instructions helped you find this place"
"Yes, although I was nearly killed by a few overgrown mallra's" replied Owen.
"Ah, you mean my guardians, I'm sorry they attacked you, they were only protecting this place" she informed.
"Milla, why are you here?" asked Owen.
"I have chosen this resting place for my spirit because I spent most of my life here, this is where I trained to become a Jedi, it will always be a part of me" she informed.
"But we don't have much time Owen, I must tell you something" she explained.
"The reason I've called you hear is to solve this issue that has plagued your heart" she informed.
"I can't go on without you Milla, every time I close my eyes I see your face, I can't stop thinking about you, I don't want to lose you again" Owen stated as he got closer to her spirit.
"You will never lose me Owen, I will always be right here with you" Milla said as she put her fingers to his chest.
Owen then started to break down. "It's my fault…you'd still be alive if it wasn't for me"
"Owen you must understand, its no ones fault, the force has made its choice and we must accept it" she stated.
"You should be glad you were spared" she added.
"Sometimes I wish I hadn't" replied Owen fighting back his emotion.
"Owen you don't mean that, the force has great plans for you" Milla said.
"We cannot change the past Owen, but we can try to change the present to shape the future" she wisely stated.
"But you must move on and let me go, for the sake of the galaxy, the Jedi, and yourself, your too valuable to the order" she stated.
Tears began to come from Owens eyes. "What if I can't?" he muffled under his tears.
"You will…I know you will" she replied confidently.
"I must go now, remember my words, I love you Owen" she stated.
"Let me touch you before you go, please" pleaded an emotional Owen.
"I will try" she answered.
Milla then slowly brought her hand towards his, their two hands then connected as they gently locked them together. "I will miss you" she stated.
"Goodbye" she said.
"Goodbye" replied Owen.
Milla's hand then slowly faded away as her Jedi spirit disappeared, after a moment Owen collected himself from his emotional state and spoke up. "I will always love you" he stated.
Owen Sun then turned his back and started to leave but suddenly over the echo of the cave she gave Owen her last words. "Until we meet again my love"
Before he left Owen kissed his hand and placed it on a crystal next to the pool of water, he then nodded. "Until we meet again"