Specters of the Force
Storm above Ithor! A carpet bombing led by General Krenin has left the planet Ithor, homeworld of the peaceful Ithorian race, badly damaged! Fortunately, the Rebel Alliance was able to scare them off before they could do anything worse. To help rebuild the devastated villages, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, long with Admiral Ackbar, have arrived to oversee the start of the restoration.
Meanwhile, the Sith Lord Darth Vader has travelled to the desert world of Tatooine for mysterious reasons that could alter the turn of the war forever…
Ithor
Luke and Ahsoka helped unload crates from a CR90 corvette. Ahsoka looked around at the damaged village and the Ithorians inhabiting it.
"Just look at this place" said Ahsoka "It reminds me of what the Empire did to my people; why would they do this to them?"
"To prove a point to the Rebellion" said Luke "They don't care who gets hurt, just as long as they do it"
Meanwhile
Han, Chewbacca, and Corea unloaded crates of supplies off of the Millennium Falcon.
"Here we are; unloading food and medical supplies for the Hammerheads" said Han.
"You weren't so flustered back on Shili" said Corea.
"Meaning?" said Han.
"Meaning that you have a soft spot for these kinds of people" replied Corea "The ones who are looked down and spat upon. Can't say I blame you; the things entire civilizations go through because of these Imperial scum is enough to make my blood boil"
"I still don't know what you're talking about" said Han.
"I'm just saying that you could've just passed through that town, but you didn't" said Corea "You helped those people out and they're better because of it"
"It was connected to the mission" said Han "I was only—"
"Following your duty?" smirked Corea.
"Well…I wouldn't exactly say that" replied Han "More so…eh, forget it. Point is, I can take them or leave them" It was then that he felt a small tug on his leg. He looked down to see a small Ithorian child looking up at him. "What are you looking at?" The Ithorian child turned his head from side to side in confusion with no reply. "What do you want?" The Ithorian child still didn't reply.
"I don't think he understands you" said Corea "It's their homeworld, perhaps they only know their own language"
"Right, right" said Han "Are you fluent in Ithorese?"
"Sorry, can't help you there" replied Corea.
"Chewie?" said Han. Chewbacca just shrugged his shoulders. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Chewbacca growled in response. "Really, ever thought that at least one of us should be fluent in Non-Basic languages?" Chewbacca growled in response. "Alright, alright; keep your fur on, sheesh! The one time I wanted 3PO present" He looked down at the Ithorian child again. "Is it food you want?" The Ithorian child blinked twice. Han raised an eyebrow. "Guess that means "yes"" He pulled open a crate and picked a small fruit out of it. "You want this?" He handed it to the Ithorian child. "Here, take it" After a moment's hesitation, the Ithorian child grabbed the fruit and began eating. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to the whole "double-mouth" thing" He turned back to the crates to continue unloading.
"Uh, I hope you have more food in that crate" said Corea. Han turned around to see lots of Ithorian children gathering around him.
"Okay; that was a one-off, it doesn't mean you're all going to get some" said Han. The Ithorian children didn't reply. "Oh, right. Okay then…" He reached into the crate and pulled out more fruit. "Who wants—" An Ithorian children grabbed onto his arm. "Woah!" All the Ithorian children began to swarm all over him. "Eh; settle down, settle down! I'm sure there's enough for all of you; just give me some space, okay!" Chewbacca giggled. "Hilarious, isn't it? Remind me to laugh at you when you get into one of these situations"
"I think they like you" said Corea.
"A little too much" said Han "Geez, it's like that time I fell into that swarm of womp rats"
"You know; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day you're going to make the best dad ever" smirked Corea.
"Oh yeah; well, that's never going to happen" said Han.
Meanwhile
"This is absolutely horrible" said C-3PO "Poor Ithorians; I mean, it's not their fault that the Empire has had its shortcomings recently" R2 beeped. "Of course I know what true suffering feels like; all the things I've been at the mercy at…ehhh, I'm surprised I'm still in one piece" R2 turned around and started moving off. "Where are you going?" R2 didn't reply. "R2, where are you going?" R2 beeped in response. "Seeing if Master Luke needs help? Well, you're not going anywhere without me. Wait up!" R2 beeped. "And why do you keep going on about some relief mission to the planet Aleen? We've never even been to the system"
Meanwhile
Ackbar walked up Luke and Ahsoka.
"This all reminds me of what the Empire did to my people years back" said Ackbar "The memory still haunts me to this day" At that moment, a rebel trooper walked up to him.
"Admiral, we've received a transmission from the planet's council" said the rebel trooper "They want to know of the progress"
"Bring them up" said Ackbar.
"Yes sir" replied the rebel trooper. He placed the hologram projector on the ground and brought up a hologram of an Ithorian councilman.
"Greetings; I am Admiral Gial Ackbar of the Rebel Alliance, we are at your service" said Ackbar. The Ithorian councilman replied something in Ithorese. Ackbar turned to the rebel trooper. "Are there any translators present?"
"Not at the moment, I'm afraid" replied the rebel trooper "But we could—" At that moment, R2 entered and beeped.
"Master Luke, R2 was so eager to see you" said C-3PO who followed behind "I'm not sure why exactly, but—"
"3PO, just the droid I was wanted to see" said Luke "Question: can you speak Ithorese?"
"Why yes" replied C-3PO "After all, I am fluent in over six million forms of communication—"
"Good, because we need you to translate for us" said Luke. C-3PO turned to the hologram of the Ithorian councilman and said something in Ithorese. The Ithorian councilman replied in Ithorese.
"He is Councilman Hyuw of the planet's elected council and he hopes that the damage the Empire cause won't affect the planet permanently" said C-3PO
"Tell him that we're doing everything we can for his people" said Ackbar. C-3PO translated it to Ithorese. Hyuw responded in Ithorese.
"Councilman Hyuw says that when his people are strong again they will be able to restore the planet from the devastation of the bombings" said C-3PO.
"Tell him—" said Ackbar. Luke began to zone out of what they were saying when he felt a strange feeling around him. He turned to see a small grove area which appeared to be comprised of dying plants. He walked towards it and entered with Ahsoka noticing his movement.
"Skyguy?" said Ahsoka. Luke walked through the grove until he reached a small clearing at the center and found the source of the strange feeling. An Umbaran man wearing black robes sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and he appeared to be meditating. Luke froze where he stood at the sight of him. The Umbaran slowly opened his eyes, looked up, and grinned.
"You think you know the Force?" said the Umbaran "You haven't even touched upon the notion of the dark side" Suddenly, black mist swirled around the clearing; and by the time it had cleared, he had vanished. Luke felt like he should gasp but found that he just couldn't.
"Skyguy?" said a voice "You okay?" Luke turned to see Ahsoka standing there. "You look like you've seen a ghost"
"Something like that" said Luke. Ahsoka looked around them.
"There's something off about this place" said Ahsoka "All the plants are dying"
"It's like something out of a nightmare" said Luke.
The next morning
Luke lay asleep in a tent when he felt someone give him a slight nudge.
"Hey Skyguy, wake up" said a voice. Luke opened his eyes to see Ahsoka standing before him and immediately pulled the planet over him.
"Hey, I'm not—" said Luke.
"Decent?" said Ahsoka "Better get some clothes on then, we're heading off"
"But what about the relief mission?" asked Luke.
"Apparently Byph and Councilman Bendon are coming" replied Ahsoka "Since they're both Ithorians, it's better if they handle it" After Ahsoka had left the tent, Luke got himself dressed and walked out of his tent and towards the Nu-class attack shuttle that Ahsoka stood outside of. As he walked over, he looked back on the grove from before and noticed that the plants were now healthy and green.
Meanwhile on Tatooine
Vader's TIE Advanced x1 came out of hyperspace above the desert planet and slowly descended down to land. Vader stepped out slowly and looked out over the landscape. He began remembering the deafening calls of Tusken Raiders from long ago, but he ignored them and walked forward.
"Remember this from long ago, Anakin?" said a voice. Vader stopped in his tracks when the ghostly form of Qui-Gon Jinn materialized in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" said Vader
"I made a promise long ago to train you as a Jedi, a promise that fate cut away from me" said Qui-Gon "Please, Anakin; it's not too late to turn back"
"That name means nothing to me" said Vader whilst walking past Qui-Gon.
"Anakin; heed my warning, what you're trying to do will not bring you peace" said Qui-Gon.
"I do not search for peace" said Vader.
Meanwhile on Home One
As Home One zoomed through hyperspace, Han, Chewbacca, and Corea walked down the corridor towards the mess hall.
"I don't about you, but I'm ready for a quiet night in" said Han.
"We're in space, we don't exactly have a night and day" said Corea.
"Eh, you know what I mean" said Han. As he walked up to the door to the mess hall door, it opened to reveal Latts Razzi standing there.
"Well, look who turned up" said Latts.
"Latts, what are you doing here?" said Han.
"Same reason as you, I'm hitching a ride back to Corellia" said Latts "Before you ask, we can discuss things over a drink. C'mon in, they're on me" Han, Chewbacca, and Corea entered the mess hall.
Meanwhile
Luke was in a room that had been fashioned into a gym. He hung upside-down from a pair of rings and pulled himself up and down.
"I thought I'd find you here, Skyguy" said Ahsoka as she entered.
"Couldn't find anything else to do…so I decided to come here" said Luke.
"I still can't believe Ackbar had a gym built on the ship" said Ahsoka.
"I requested it myself" said Luke. He leapt off and landed on a matt. "Shortly after I joined; I figured that since I was going to be a Jedi, I may as well have the physique for it" Only just realizing that Luke was wearing a singlet that showed off his muscles, Ahsoka covered the bottom of her face to hide the color that materialized on it.
"I suppose that makes sense" said Ahsoka.
Meanwhile
"Admiral, you may want to see this" said a Mon Calamari officer. Ackbar walked over to him.
"What is it?" asked Ackbar.
"Something is wrong with the hyperdrive" replied the Mon Calamari officer "For some reason; we're slowing down and coming out of hyperspace before we've even reached the destination"
"This makes no sense" said Ackbar "Have you contacted engineering?"
"I have, and they've found nothing wrong" replied the Mon Calamari officer. Ackbar stroked his chin.
"Alert everyone aboard" said Ackbar "Tell them to come to the bridge immediately" Suddenly, the ship came out of hyperspace abruptly.
Meanwhile
The force of the halt was so abrupt that Luke rammed into Ahsoka head first and the two collapsed onto the ground.
Meanwhile
As Ackbar got himself up, he noticed that all the lights had gone off. He got out a small torch from his belt and turned it on.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Ackbar.
"We're alive, so that's one thing" said the Mon Calamari officer.
"What's happened to the lights?" asked Ackbar. The Mon Calamari officer sat himself up on his seat to check his panel but found that it was inactive.
"It seems that all power is off" replied the Mon Calamari officer "We can't inform the rest of the ship"
"Then we'll just have to search for everyone and bring them back here" said Ackbar "Be on alert, this could be a trap by the Imperials"
Meanwhile
"AHHHHHH!" screamed C-3PO who had fallen over "We're dying! We're dying! We're dead! We're dead!" A light shone in his face as R2 rolled up to him and beeped. "How can I relax after this? That jolt was so sudden, and where's all the power gone?" R2 beeped. "Stay here? And wait for something horrible to turn up? No; we have to find Master Luke before something finds us. AH!" A bright light from down the hallway shone on him. "Please; don't hurt us! Whoever you are, we're not who you're looking for"
"Good to see you're still yourself, 3PO" said a voice.
"Wait; I know that voice" said C-3PO "Captain Solo?" Han stepped forward with a torch in his hand and with Chewbacca, Corea, and Latts standing behind him. "How did you find us?"
"We could hear you if you were halfway across the galaxy" replied Han "Chewie, help him up" Chewbacca walked over to C-3PO and pulled him up.
"Where is Master Luke?" asked C-3PO.
"I think I know which room he's in" replied Han "This way; I have a rough idea on the ship's layout"
Meanwhile
Luke got himself up and found himself lying on top of Ahsoka. The two found themselves feeling rather rigid and couldn't move even an inch. Suddenly, a bright light shone on both them. The two looked over to see Han holding his torch at them with a slight smirk across his face.
"Well…leave you alone for a few minutes without any lighting and look we're you've gotten" smirked Han.
"It's not what you think" said Luke while pulling himself off of Ahsoka.
"Sure, anything you say" said Han.
"What happened?" asked Ahsoka.
"Ship's stopped and all power's gone" replied Han "Don't know what's wrong, but the Admiral might know; so we're heading to the bridge. C'mon, you lovebirds; let's get goin'" Luke and Ahsoka sighed simultaneously as they got themselves up and followed Han out into the hallway, with Luke grabbing his jacket and pulling it on.
"Admiral, do you read me?" said Ahsoka into her comlink. There was no reply. "Admiral?"
"Already tried that, didn't work" said Han "Not even our comlinks are working"
"Life support must be working though" said Luke.
"As far as we can tell, yes" said Han "But I wouldn't place all my eggs in that basket. From what I can recall, the bridge is down this way. Remember to stick together; if any of us gets lost, you can be lost for a long time. Follow me"
"Oh dear!" said C-3PO.
Meanwhile
Vader walked up a sand dune where at the top it overlooked a large Tusken Raider enclave. He walked down the sand dune towards the enclave, ignoring the banthas that began surrounding him slowly. A large massiff lay asleep and snoring outside the enclave when its nose began to twitch at an unfamiliar scent. The large reptile shot up and began barking loudly at the approaching Vader and thus alerting its masters. At first, all that could be identified with the Tusken Raiders were their shrill calls and screams from inside the enclave; but then, countless Tusken Raiders came rushing out wielding their gaffi sticks and screaming their distinguishable cry. Vader ignited his lightsaber and held it in an aggressive manner towards them.
"Stand down!" said a voice. As the Tusken Raiders lowered their gaffi sticks, a figure wrapped in sandy-brown rags from head to toe approached Vader. "Dark Lord, I never thought I'd find you here on all of Tatooine"
"I have come for a reason" said Vader.
"Yes, you have" said the figure "Inside" He and the Tusken Raiders walked back towards the enclave with Vader following them. The massiff growled at Vader at first, until he approached him causing him to whimper down.
Meanwhile
"From what I recall, it's just up ahead" said Han as they reached the elevator to the bridge.
"One problem: without power, the elevator won't work" said Corea. Han looked back and forth between the elevator and the rest of them.
"We'll just have to get it" said Han "Hey Luke; do you think your lightsaber can cut through it?"
"It can cut through pretty much anything" replied Luke "Certainly worth a try" He walked up to the elevator doors, ignited his lightsaber, and began to cut through it.
"And once we're through, what then?" asked Latts.
"We'll figure something out" said Han.
"That's it?" said Corea "Figure something out? Han, we have to think this through before leaping into it"
"You're beginning to sound like Leia" said Han.
"You mean common sense, right?" said Corea "We're just going to find ourselves in an even bigger jam than before until eventually we reach something we can't get out of" Suddenly, as Luke opened up the elevator doors, black mist poured out of it and surrounded them like a cloak.
"What the heck is that?" said Han.
"It's all around us" said Ahsoka.
"What is?" asked C-3PO.
"Guys…we have to…stick together" said Luke. There was no reply from anyone. "Guys?" As the mist began to clear, Luke found himself in a large featureless room with no one else in sight. "This is strange" He walked from around the walls of the room in search of a way to get out but couldn't find any. Suddenly, the room slowly began to shift around him and take the form of a large hanger bay. He found himself standing just outside the Millennium Falcon where blue and red lights flashed behind him. He turned around to see Vader dueling with a hooded figure who wielded a blue lightsaber. As the two came to stand still with their blades locked, the figure peered to the side and Luke immediately recognized his face as that of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke immediately began to remember the fateful day on the Death Star; and before he could even react, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and lifted his lightsaber up, allowing Vader to slice through him. He immediately vanished; the only things remaining were his cloak and his lightsaber. "NO!" Vader briefly checked the cloak. He then turned his attention back towards Luke who ignited his lightsaber within an instant. However; there was something else different this time…Obi-Wan hadn't said anything afterwards. Vader raised his lightsaber and threw it at Luke; and the two lightsabers hit, creating a blinding light that covered everything.
Meanwhile
Ahsoka got herself up and found herself in a large chamber. After a moment's hesitation, she realized that she was in the middle of the ruined Jedi Temple. The temple seemed mainly black except for the red sky in the background.
"No; not this again" said Ahsoka.
"Oh, it is much different this time" said a familiar voice. Ahsoka turned around to see a sight she had never expected to find; Asajj Ventress stood before her with both her lightsabers drawn and ignited.
"Ventress!" said Ahsoka "What are you doing here?!"
"Perhaps that's a question you should ask yourself" said Ventress. She leapt towards Ahsoka who attempted to ignite her lightsaber and defend herself, only to find that they were missing from her belt.
"Shoot!" said Ahsoka. She leapt to the side as Ventress shot at her.
Meanwhile
Han pulled himself up. He found himself against two marble walls which appeared to form a passageway.
"Okay; now this is just strange" said Han "I always seem to end up on the wrong planet at the wrong time" He walked down the passageway, unaware that the whole area was a large labyrinth made entirely of marble and that appeared to have no end.
Meanwhile
The figure brought Vader into his quarters, away from the other Tusken Raiders.
"I was surprised to learn that you had taught them how to understand Basic" said Vader.
"I may have learnt how to understand their language, but it is still hard to reproduce" said the figure. He removed the rags around his face, revealing himself to be an elderly Korun Human man with greyish hair that extended to his facial hair. "I know that you have come here for a reason; you would not come to this planet unless absolutely necessary"
"I am in search of a Jedi Master" said Vader "Perhaps you have heard of him—Master Yoda"
"And why would you need my help?" asked the man "Isn't the army the Empire has constructed big enough to take on one single Jedi, even one as powerful as the Grand Master?"
"Mur Vadde, I know that you have explored the Force in ways that the Jedi couldn't even dream of" said Vader "Master Yoda has cloaked himself beyond even the Emperor's eyes for more than twenty years. Out of all the survivors of Order 66, he was perhaps the most elusive, even more so than Obi-Wan Kenobi. I have tried many things in the past but they have not worked"
"And you have come seeking my help to find another way" said Vadde "You are fortunate that I have chosen to take a neutral stance on the Jedi-Sith conflict. If I believed in the Jedi Code, I would have every last one of the Sand People tear you apart"
"Tuskens are nothing than animals" said Vader "They'd be too easy to kill"
"They're smarter than you give them credit for" said Vadde "For your sake, it would be better to remember that"
"It is because of that neutral stance that you're even alive at all" said Vader "If you had no value to me, I would have bombed this whole enclave years ago. Now show me the power to find what I am looking for"
Meanwhile
Luke found himself now in a dystopic landscape. He looked around. Vader was nowhere to be seen. Keeping his lightsaber active, he walked forward cautiously and looked around for any sign of anyone. It was then that he noticed what appeared to be a body lying up ahead. He rushed over to check it out; and when he turned it onto its side, he got a great shock of who it was.
"Leia!" said Luke. Leia lay lifeless on the ground. "No!" He looked up and saw that the dead bodies of other people surrounded him. "NO!" The bodies of Han, Chewbacca, Corea, Kota, Rachi Sitra, K'Kruhk, Maris Brood, and Ackbar lay around him, all of whom appeared to have stabbed by a lightsaber.
"Luke…" said a withered voice. Luke turned to see a badly injured Ahsoka crawling towards him.
"Ahsoka!" exclaimed Luke. He rushed over to her. "Are you alright?"
"I…I'm hurt…" coughed Ahsoka.
"What happened?" asked Luke.
"It was horrible…" replied Ahsoka "He was unprepared…he came in and…he killed everyone…"
"Who did?" asked Luke.
"Luke…I'll always…" said Ahsoka shortly before a red blade came through her neck. Standing just above her was Vader.
"Vader…this…this can't be real!" said Luke.
"And who are you to judge, boy?" said Vader "I am what you fear most, aren't I?" Suddenly, the image of the Umbaran on Ithor flickered over Vader in an instant. Luke pointed his lightsaber towards him. "Do you really wish to engage me in combat? I know you're too fearful to even stand a chance"
"Maybe we'll put it to the test?" said Luke.
"Tell me: is it worse to take vengeance, or to have vengeance taken from you?" said Vader "You never get to truly feel the satisfaction of making those who did you wrong pay" Suddenly, he turned into a swarm of bats and flew away, swarming around Luke in the process.
Meanwhile
"You've grown even softer in my absence" said Ventress.
"You're not really here, Ventress" said Ahsoka "Whatever it is, it isn't actually you"
"Really?" said Ventress. She force-pushed Ahsoka into a pillar. "That is amusing" Ahsoka leapt back onto her feet and leapt up onto a ledge, only for Ventress to leap after her and block her off.
"What are you really?" said Ahsoka.
"I am your nightmare incarnated" replied Ventress "All of the things you cannot comprehend, the fear that lurks at the back of your mind, every regret you have ever had…" Suddenly, her head turned completely around like an owl. Black hair poured over the back of her head; and as it parted, it revealed a yellow face with black markings and a pair of yellow eyes.
"Barriss!" said Ahsoka. Barriss laughed evilly and kicked her off of the ledge. As she got herself up, Barriss leapt down after her.
"I was right about the Jedi the whole time" said Barriss "They were but a shell of their former self, a shelf that had become filled with lies and poison. What the Emperor and Vader did was basically merciful"
"And you're any better?" said Ahsoka "Look at yourself; you've a mockery of everything you once were. You were once a Jedi Knight, a healer, a hero; now you're a killer without any morals. Master Unduli would be disgusted by what you've become"
"If anything it was the Jedi who did this did to me" said Barriss "And I am much more than a killer. I am a dark lady…" Her cloak began to wrap around her until she was completely. Suddenly, the cloak was blasted back, turning into a tattered cape. What stood before Ahsoka now seemed to be a Human woman who was dressed in a grey outfit with black markings. Much of her head was hidden behind a large cloth-like wrap that formed and upside triangle; all that was visible of her face was her large green eyes, the left one of which had a large scar over it. In her hand she held a lightsaber hilt, but it multiple extensions that resembled mechanical tentacles coiled up on it, making it look like a whip.
"Who are you?" asked Ahsoka. The dark lady didn't reply, but instead ignited her lightwhip, her extensions blazing a bright shade of yellow. She lunged at Ahsoka and knocked her off her feet. As Ahsoka lay on the ground, she found a lightsaber lying in front of her. She grabbed a hold of it and ignited its blue blade, using it to deflect the attacks of the dark lady.
Meanwhile
As Han walked further through the labyrinth when he heard a familiar jetpack noise. Suddenly, Boba Fett flew down from the sky and landed in front of him.
"Look what I've found" said Fett.
"What are you doing here, Fett?" said Han.
"Collecting a bounty, that's what" said Fett. He pulled out his blaster rifle and shot at Han. Han dodged to the side, pulled out his blaster, and began shooting at Fett, getting a blaster bolt in the arm in the process.
"This just isn't my day, is it?" said Han to himself "Where's Chewie when you need him?" He then looked over at a hole in the ground that had just appeared. "Now that's convenient" He rolled to the side and went down the hole. The bottom of the hole was dark and featureless. "Well; all things consider, another great escape"
"Really?" said a voice. Han turned to his left to see Cad Bane standing next to him with his blaster aimed at him.
"I've got you now" said Aurra Sing who stood to Han's right.
"It's just one of those days, isn't it?" said Han.
Meanwhile
Ackbar and a group of Mon Calamari officers scaled down the elevator shaft using cables.
"Almost there" said Ackbar "Mind the drop" The Mon Calamari officer who was nearest to the bottom scaled down and landed on the ground. He walked over to the entrance for the floor.
"The entrance has been opened" said the Mon Calamari officer.
"What do you mean?" asked Ackbar.
"Something's melted it through" replied the Mon Calamari "Like a fusioncutter"
"Or a lightsaber" said Ackbar.
"Whatever it is, at least it's a sign of—" said the Mon Calamari officer.
"Oh thank the maker!" exclaimed a voice. C-3PO and R2 came rushing to the entrance. "Finally someone to help us"
"What are you two doing down there?" asked Ackbar.
"We were travelling with Captain Solo and the others" replied C-3PO "We were trying to get to the bridge; but when we got to the elevator, everyone went crazy for reason. They kept babbling on and started shooting the walls and such. At least we got out of the way in time" R2 beeped. "We're hardly any help to Master Luke if we're in pieces"
"Where are they now?" asked Ackbar.
"They went off out the hallways and we lost track of where they were going" replied C-3PO "I don't what's happening, but I have a bad feeling about—"
"Wha-What!" exclaimed the Mon Calamari officer "What's happening?!"
"Major, are you alright?" asked Ackbar. The Mon Calamari officer didn't reply. "Major, are you alright?"
"No!" exclaimed the Mon Calamari officer "Stay back! Stay back!" He got out his blaster and pointed it in the direction of C-3PO and R2.
"Oh my!" exclaimed C-3PO.
"I'm warning you to stay back!" said the Mon Calamari officer. He fired a shot between C-3PO and R2.
"OH!" exclaimed C-3PO. Ackbar sighed.
"I think we have no other choice" said Ackbar. He pulled out his blaster, set it to stun, and shot the Mon Calamari officer. "No one else set foot on the ground. Whatever affected the others affected him. R2-D2, can you help him up; we'll examine him back at the bridge" R2 beeped positively.
Meanwhile
"There are techniques within the Force that allow you to find other individuals, no matter where they are in the galaxy" said Vadde "You do not even need to know where they already are, you just need to be familiar enough with their presence"
"I spent the first years of my life within the Jedi Order, I am familiar with the presence of Master Yoda" said Vader.
"But he has already evaded the Empire for all these years" said Vadde "He may be a greater challenge. If you really want to enhance your skill with it, you'll need an amplifier" He got out a satchel, pulled out a small purple crystal, and handed it to Vader. "This Force crystal will amplify your connection to the Force. Practice with it until you deem yourself ready. Track someone who is easier to find"
"I have practiced such techniques before" replied Vader "I was able to get a brief sight"
"Use your full concentration" said Vadde "Fully focus on one's presence. When you find them, you need to defeat them; or you will not know where they are" Vader was silent after that, meditating with full concentration. He focused on the presence of someone whom he had become familiar with, someone to use as a test.
"The boy…" said Vader.
Meanwhile
Luke sat on the ground, holding the dead body of Ahsoka and could barely breathe. His eyes were closed tight and were sobbing uncontrollably.
"How could this happen?" said Luke to himself "How could I let this happen?"
"You didn't" said a voice "It is all an illusion" Luke looked up to see Obi-Wan approaching him.
"Ben…" said Luke "Ben, what's happening?"
"You've become entrapped within an illusion" replied Obi-Wan "What you are seeing is your worst nightmares brought to life, in a manner of speaking"
"How?" asked Luke.
"The Force is capable of such things" replied Obi-Wan "Someone is causing this, someone on the ship"
"How can I get out?" asked Luke.
"Unless whoever is causing this is brought out of concentration, you're only hope is to get of the vicinity" replied Obi-Wan "But since you have no idea where you're physical body is going, that may prove to be very difficult" Suddenly, the whole environment around them began to crack like glass and shatter, leaving behind a starry sky background. Vader materialized in front of him.
"I found you at last, boy" said Vader.
"You're not really here, Vader" said Luke "You're just an illusion" Suddenly, Vader force-gripped him and threw him across the landscape.
"I am far from an illusion, boy" said Vader. He ignited his lightsaber and Luke followed suit.
Meanwhile
The Mon Calamari major awoke. He looked down and found himself strapped to a chair.
"Wh-What happened?" asked the Mon Calamari major. A Mon Calamari officer walked over to him and waved his hand over his face.
"He seems to be alright, admiral" said the Mon Calamari officer. Ackbar walked over to the first Mon Calamari major.
"Tell me, major; what happened down there?" asked Ackbar "You started shooting at something"
"Didn't any of you see it?" asked the Mon Calamari major "The Karkarodon was attacking us. I had to do something"
"There was no Karkarodon" said Ackbar.
"But it appeared as soon as the black mist cleared" said the Mon Calamari major.
"Black mist?" said Ackbar "I didn't see that either" R2 started beeping. "What is he saying?"
"R2 says that the others kept going on about something surrounded them" replied C-3PO "He thinks that they're could be a connection"
"And you didn't see any black mist?" asked Ackbar.
"No sir" replied C-3PO.
"Whatever it is, it doesn't affect droids" said Ackbar "And you can't see it until you are in its vicinity"
"Should we use the environmental suits?" asked a Mon Calamari officer.
"We have no idea whether it's a chemical or something else entirely" said Ackbar "All we know is that it doesn't affect droids. C-3PO, R2-D2, I need you two to go and get the others back. Takes this blaster; don't worry, it's set to stun" Ackbar threw his blaster at R2 who caught it and beeped.
"Oh dear!" said C-3PO.
Meanwhile
Ahsoka desperately tried to drive the dark lady back, but the lightwhip made it extremely difficult. As the battle continued, Ahsoka found herself in a corner. As the dark lady swirled up her lightwhip and ready to strike her down, Ahsoka closed her eyes and readied her lightsaber. However, nothing happened. As Ahsoka opened her eyes, she found that the dark lady was frozen.
"What in the—" said Ahsoka. At that moment, a blinding light came down from the sky. As it descended down, it took the form of a young woman in a large white dress and long green hair. He skin was so light colored that it was almost glowing.
"Hello Ahsoka" said the woman.
"Daughter?" said Ahsoka.
Meanwhile
Han ran through the labyrinth. Suddenly, Bossk appeared in his path.
"Going somewhere?" said Bossk. Han turned around to find himself facing 4-LOM and Zuckuss.
"We have you now, Solo" said Zuckuss. IG-88 leapt up on top of a wall and pointed his blaster towards Han.
"Escape is inevitable" said IG-88. Embo slid down on his hat, stopped, placed his hat back on his head, and pointed his bowcaster towards Han. Dengar walked up to him and pointed his blaster at him. He was followed by Fett, Bane, and Sing.
"Don't move!" said Fett.
"Do I really have a choice?" asked Han whilst putting his hands behind his head.
"The runt isn't here to save you this time" said Bossk.
"Looks like this is the end of poor little Han Solo" smirked Sing "And we're here to see it?"
"End of Han Solo?" said Han "End of Han Solo? Are you kidding me? This ain't a dream of mine"
"And who are you to make that decision?" said Fett. Han smirked.
"You don't know me at all" said Han. Suddenly, the ground cracked open and a giant Chewbacca burst out roaring, with Han triumphantly standing on his shoulder. "That's more like it!" With a deafening roar and a furious swipe, the giant Chewbacca swatted all of the bounty hunters away.
Back to reality
Han woke up aboard the bridge.
"Good; you're awake, Captain Solo" said C-3PO. Han looked over and saw Chewbacca, Corea, and Latts standing in the bridge.
"Remind me of what happened" said Han.
"Something's fallen upon the floor you and the others were on" replied Ackbar "It brought you into a nightmare that you couldn't get out of. Fortunately we found you before any serious harm was done" Han looked around.
"Where's Luke and Ahsoka?" asked Han.
"They're next on the list" replied Ackbar "And perhaps the most dangerous"
Meanwhile
Luke dueled with Vader intensely; but for some reason, it seemed to be even harder than usual. Vader pushed him back and sent him rolling away on his back.
"Pathetic" said Vader "Is this the best Obi-Wan has to offer. I had hoped you would've learned more by now, boy"
"At least I didn't shame him like you did" said Luke.
"From where I'm standing, it seems like you're no different" said Vader. Luke charged at him only to get force-pushed back. "All too easy"
Meanwhile
"How are you here?" asked Ahsoka "You're…You're…"
"I sacrificed my life to bring yours back" replied the Daughter "Because of this, my spirit resides in you. I have tried to make contact in the past, to no avail"
"Then what are you doing here now?" asked Ahsoka.
"I have come with a warning" replied the Daughter "I have sensed a dark power rising. The great conflict over the past few years has only strengthened the dark side and all who align with it; the living…and even the dead"
"What is this dark power?" asked Ahsoka.
"I do not truly know" replied the Daughter "I spent so long on Mortis that I cannot identify it. All I know is that it comes from long before your time and that it has the capacity to destroy the whole galaxy. Be on your guard, Ahsoka; if it returns, all may be lost"
"I will" replied Ahsoka. Her attention was then drawn towards the dark lady, who was still frozen. "And who is that?"
"Something you should never have seen" said the Daughter.
"Why?" asked Ahsoka.
"It is not something you should worry about now" replied the Daughter "When you focus too much on the past and the future, you may never realize where you are in the present"
Back to reality
Ahsoka woke up.
"That's another down" said Han.
"Where's Luke?" asked Ahsoka "Where is he?"
"Don't worry, R2's going to get him" replied Han.
"I should go to" said Ahsoka whilst getting herself up.
"I'm afraid not" said Ackbar whilst gently putting her down "We'll explain everything; but for the moment, you have to trust R2-D2 on this" Ahsoka had a concerned look on her face.
Meanwhile
Vader force-pushed Luke back again and again until he finally couldn't get up again. Vader walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up.
"So much for being a new hope" said Vader. Suddenly, Obi-Wan swooped in with his lightsaber ignited and cut Vader off from Luke and the two began to duel. "Even in death you still plague me"
"Using such a technique was clever, but hard to accomplish" said Obi-Wan "Are you really willing to use up all your strength just to find him?"
"He is but a test" said Vader.
"I will not allow you to do this to him ever again" said Obi-Wan.
"That is not what matters" said Vader. Luke ignited his lightsaber and prepared to join when Obi-Wan looked back at him.
"Run, Luke!" said Obi-Wan "Run!" Realizing what he was saying, Luke retreated. As he did this, Vader stopped fighting and stepped back.
"Goodbye, my old friend" said Vader. He vanished into thin air. As Luke ran faster and faster away, a blinding light suddenly appeared in front of him, causing him to stop.
Back to reality
Luke instantly woke up and sprang up.
"Luke!" said Ahsoka. She ran over to hug him. "Thank the Force, you're okay" She looked at him with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah" replied Luke.
"That's good" said Han "Except for the fact that we're still stuck in deep space with no power and no way to contact the rest of the Alliance" Suddenly, the lights turned back on.
"What's going on?" asked Ackbar. A Mon Calamari officer looked over at a control panel.
"All power's online again" said the Mon Calamari officer "And there appears to be no ill effects"
"Now that's convenient" said Han.
"How did that happen?" said Ackbar.
"I think I have an idea" said Luke. He stood up, ignited his lightsaber, and pointed it at the Umbaran who now stood in the room.
"By the Force!" exclaimed Ackbar.
"You did this, didn't you?" said Luke.
"That is correct" said the Umbaran "I created the illusion field in which you became trapped within your nightmares"
"Who are you?" asked Luke.
"My name is Venefic" replied the Umbaran.
"And why did you do this?" asked Luke "After what I've experienced, I'm guessing Vader had a hand in this"
"I do not serve Vader or any Sith, I walk my own path" replied Venefic "I am a Dark Jedi"
"Dark Jedi?" said Luke.
"I do not confine myself to the trappings of the Sith, nor do I not follow their code; I am not destined for their fate" said Venefic.
"Why did you do this?" asked Luke.
"A test" replied Venefic "I wanted to see how well the illusion casting would work. Congratulations, you've help it pass"
"Whatever you're planning, you're coming with us" said Ackbar.
"No" replied Venefic "You've all served your purpose and now I shall go back to my plans. Pray we do not meet again" He turned into black mist and disappeared.
"That was weird" said Han.
"He's gone!" said Corea.
"And would seem that this war may have more sides to it than we first thought" said Ackbar.
Meanwhile in an unknown location
Venefic walked through ancient hallways and into a fire-lit chamber. Around him stood countless figures dressed in red cloaks and hoods, which made their faces barely visible.
"It is done" said Venefic "Now even the Jedi cannot stand a chance against my power"
Author's note: The word "Venefic" is a variation of the word "Veneficus" which is Latin for "Warlock".
Hellman76: Glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far, thank you.
Martin: I'm planning on the Galen Marek story this season and Luke and Ahsoka will visit Naboo a bit later in the series.