AN: I suppose I should apologize on these late updates, huh? Guys, I'm really sorry these chapters are taking seemingly forever to upload. I just want to make sure this story is the best I can make it, and I wish that took less time than it does. However, fellow author Kamen Rider Raika has consistently been an amazing help in writing and editing these chapters. I know I've mentioned him before and have thanked him countless times in private, but seriously, I wouldn't know where I would be with this story if it weren't for him. I urge you to check his stuff out on this very site whenever you are able.
Anyways, now that I've gotten all those gushy feelings out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! In the mean time, chapter 15, and maybe some other stories, will be out in the near future...
-SubtleSaber
Glynda rolled her eyes at the obnoxiously loud display Atlas was putting on. They arrive earlier than expected and don't even have the courtesy to be polite about it? Those screaming fighters could give someone a heart attack! But she did have to admit the new designs were elegant. Despite her and Ozpin being on the roof of the academy, there was relatively little wind as Ironwood's tri-winged shuttle made its descent. No air blast like a helicopter or gunship, just a simple and gentle landing.
The loading ramp underneath the cockpit lowered with a hiss, revealing the tall muscular white uniformed figure of James Ironwood. Ozpin smiled at the sight of his old friend, but it quickly faded when he saw the other people behind him come into view. A young brown haired woman followed close behind Ironwood, her polite smile almost masking the overly ambitious look in her blue eyes. Both Glynda and Ozpin made stern faces when they spotted two white armored men accompany the woman on either side.
"Ozpin! So good to see you, old friend. I take it you're doing well?"
"Only as well as yourself, James." Ozpin nodded humbly. "This is quite a show you're putting on." He looked back up at the soaring fleet overhead.
"Those? Yes, I know it's a bit much. It wasn't my decision to flaunt them so early like this. That was up to the new leaders."
"I see. Well, I think it's best we head inside. It can get chilly this high up on the r-"
The door leading from the roof to the main academy building flung open, nearly sending them off their hinges. The familiar blue hair and dark skin of Kebiin rushed out the door, small pebbles and other particles rising and floating wherever he stepped. His eyes weren't their usual soft amber, but appeared to be a violent yellow, nearly giving the appearance of a faint glow. The whites of his eyes had reddened slightly, but that was because of the tears he had wiped away. The air around him grew colder as he neared the others, his body shaking with rage and fear.
"Mr. Ceibur! What do you think you're-"
"Usenye!" He pushed his hand forward, preventing Glynda from moving closer to the boy and nearly knocking her off of her feet.
"Kebiin, what's wrong!?" Ozpin tried to approach him as well, but the boy only threw up his other hand, repelling him as he did Glynda. Kebiin was about to shout something when his eyes caught the two white armored troops in front of him, and he turned pale. He clutched at his shirt, breathing heavily and rapidly as sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Stormtroopers… TIE fighters… Please, please, this can't be happening…"
Ozpin felt the aetherial pressure on his body cease. He dropped his cane, running to the boy that was now crying on his knees. "Kebiin, what happened? We can't help you if you don't tell us."
"I won't let them take Remnant away from me… I have to protect my home, I have to honor my clan!"
"Kebiin, that was in the past. You're with us now, here at Beacon. You have your team, you have-"
"The Empire is going to want to take you away from me, too! Val kyrayc an be ner aliit. Ni Kelir draar duumir ibac at banar tug'yc…"
Ozpin felt his body push away again as Kebiin slowly stood up, glaring at the young woman accompnying Ironwood.
"You… You don't have a Semblance. You feel like you're from…" Kebiin paused as his eyes widened. "...home."
"Kayana, what is he talking about?" James' muscles tightened, preparing for an incoming attack. The troopers next to them raised their rifles, precisely aiming right at Kebiin.
"Sir, I don't know!" She said, obviously nervous. "Professor, is this one of your students? He obviously needs some sort of care! We need to get him help."
"Usenye, gar hut'uun! Don't insult me, I know what you are!"
"Ozpin, I'm sorry, but this is for his own good!"
"James, wait!"
Ironwood motioned to draw a weapon, but he and the two troopers froze, their outlines appearing to haze as they attempted to move. He gritted his teeth, trying to break free of whatever held him in place, but it was a futile effort. This boy… was he restraining everyone on the roof? How could a mere child be that powerful?
Kebiin slowly paced to Kayana, who tried scrambling back into the shuttle. But before she could make it, the door sealed closed. "I know what you are…" He repeated. "I know what you've done. You took my family and home away, and I will never let that happen again!" Still maintaining his grip on everyone else on the roof with his enraged mind, he held out his arm, cupping his hand and tensing his fingers. Kayana felt her neck squeeze from the inside as a powerful low rumble overtook the scene. At this point, Kayana knew who she had found.
Kebiin focused every bit of rage and sorrow into the pain he wanted to inflict on this woman. He could sense it, the lack of Aura and a lingering speck of the Force that was present in all things from home. This woman, the stormtroopers, the ships, they had all arrived to take away what he had come to love yet again. His hand cramped as he let the Force run through it and into the woman's windpipe, conjuring up the memories of his smoldering home and carbon scorched family. His mind floated into visions of the same things happening to Beacon and his team. He pictured the smoking ruins of the academy as it was bombarded by TIE fighters, his friends being lined up into execution lines.
Then, he saw a flash of a masked Kaleesh, standing behind a woman who was kneeling and sobbing. Kebiin nearly forgot to breath when he saw that image. The Inquisitor, ready to murder his mother. Only, when the woman looked up, it wasn't his mother. It was Ruby, but not at the same time… it was also Weiss, and Blake, and Yang, all of them rendered powerless before the Jedi hunter. He saw all of them in his mother, their faces distorted yet all recognizable. In this moment of shock, he involuntarily released his grip on the Imperial woman.
As soon as the power of the Force ceased, Kebiin saw a bright ring of blue engulf him at the sound of a familiar quick energetic blast. One of the stormtroopers had tried stunning him. A fraction of the power he just experienced still flickered within him, keeping him on his feet as the blast overloaded his nervous system. However, the blinding shot was enough to disorient him. He saw the white armored figure point their blaster again, and he raised his hand in retaliation, ready to send them flying off of the roof in his dizzy state. However, his mind wasn't clear enough to muster the strength he needed. In another flash of blue, he was down on the ground, completely limp. He was still conscious and semi-aware of his surroundings, but he was physically useless.
"Get away from him!" He heard Ozpin's voice yell. Kebiin had never heard the professor like this before. He always knew him as calm and collected, but this… this was real anger. The stormtrooper instinctively raised their blasters at the professor, but it was swatted out of their grasp by a quick smack from Ozpin's cane. In an incredible burst of speed, he kicked the trooper back, coming between them and Kebiin's curled body. "You will not touch him!"
"Ozpin! He attacked Kayana! How do you expect to explain this!?" Ironwood shouted.
"He was scared and afraid, this isn't-"
"No, it is his fault!" Ironwood rushed over to the collapsed Kayana, who after a few quick shakes, opened her eyes and rolled over onto her side, clutching at her chest and sputtering as she regained her breath. "She needs medical attention!"
"Don't worry, we can help her." Ozpin tried to regain his cool. "The academy has enough supplies for her, we just need to get her to to medical center."
"Fine." Ironwood said through gritted teeth. "So long as that boy isn't anywhere near her."
Ozpin narrowed his eyes but nodded in agreement. "Glynda, get Kebiin to the hospital and stay with him until I say otherwise."
"But sir!" She protested. "We have no idea what he's been shot with! He needs to get to the school's med center immediately!"
"I understand that." Ozpins said regrettably. "But right now, Kayana is the one that needs the facilities here. I'll talk to you, Kebiin, and his team about it soon. Just get him out of here."
Glynda shot a cold stare at the trooper who had fired. Disarmed, they backed up nervously with their hands raised slightly in the air. Glynda ran back to Kebiin, scooping his limp body bridal-style. She unclipped her small cape, draping it over Kebiin's body like a miniature blanket. As she carried him away in her arms, Kebiin called upon the Force one more time to leave one final shout of defiance.
"Professor Ozpin! You can't trust anything they say! Those ships and stormtroopers aren't from Remnant, they're-"
"Silence!" Ozpin shouted without looking back at him. Kebiin shocked in surprise from the outburst. "I understand. Now, go."
Glynda turned Kebiin back to the door, holding him closer as he began to tear up yet again. With all of their attention diverted at the boy, no one noticed the faint grin on Kayana's face.
Rowand lost track of how long he had been fighting. Cinder was nowhere in sight, and the lack of any Grimm bodies made it difficult to tell how many he had even killed. However, it was noticeably darker than when this fight had begun. Individually, the Grimm hardly posed a threat to him. His lightsaber cut through them easily and without resistance. But they all came at once, forcing him to leap and make quick strikes for a time that felt endless. Even with the aid of the Force, he could feel his body tiring. He was drenched in sweat, and it didn't help that he was fully armored and robed in a humid swamp. Along with this, he was growing increasingly frustrated. For the entire fight, he had fallen back on the Niman fighting style, trying to empty his mind of emotion to prevent the Grimm from feeding off his usual dark power. But as things dragged on, the idea of falling back to his dark side teachings looked more appealing.
"Why do you restrict yourself?" A woman's voice echoed in Rowand's head. The words gave him pause long enough for an Ursa to knock his lightsaber out of his hand and pin him to the ground.
"You utilize the ways that have failed you. Accept what you are, not what you were."
To Rowand's surprise, the Grimm wasn't trying to kill him. It simply kept him on the ground with its massive paws and claws.
"Where are you!?" Rowand shouted. "Show yourself!"
"I am all round you. You've fought and killed me many times in just the past few hours. I can sense what you are, fledgling Bogan."
Bogan? Rowand knew that term. It was an ancient word used to refer to the dark side, before the Jedi and Sith diverged from one another.
"Prove your worth, and then I will show myself."
The Ursa on Rowand's back began to bear its fangs, ready to bite. Rowand instantly let out a Force repulse, sending the creature flying away. He jumped back onto his feet, searching for his lightsaber, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked around, anticipating another wave of Grimm. But there was only the one Ursa that had pinned him, ready to strike. All the others has disappeared, leaving him alone and disarmed against the dark beast.
"Reach and take what you desire…"
The Ursa lunged, but Rowand stood his ground. He felt an overwhelming command seize his body, but he felt completely in control. He grasped the Ursa mid-air with the Force, and let his darker emotions take over. He felt the Grimm try to feed of of his anger, but he refused to let it do so. Instead, he began to turn the Grimm's strength into his own. Utilizing a power the likes of which he had never felt before, the Ursa began to fade into dust-like particles which floated into his hand and coursed through his body. Hunger overtook all of Rowand's senses, and in a few moments, the Ursa was gone. Rowand released his grip, his mind racing and his body burning. But as the momentary pain subsided, he stood back up, feeling his connection to the Force strengthened more than ever.
"But how… How did I…"
"Very good. You have taken your first steps into a larger world."
The ground beneath Rowand began to drag him into the dirt, sucking him underground. He tried to use his strengthened connection to the Force to break himself free, but he just kept sinking. Soon, he was beyond neck-deep in swamp soil, his helmet the only thing preventing him from suffocating.
"Don't struggle. You will find what you need soon enough."
It didn't matter that Rowand was still struggling for freedom. The ground continued to drag him down, and his whole body now gone from the surface.
Ruby marched angrily down Beacon's halls, her face contorting into several different frustrated, if awkward, expressions. Why on earth did she have to apologize to that Atlas lady? Kebiin simply doesn't hurt people just because he could. He had to have had a reason for what he did. Even if what he did was… scary. It was difficult to see the recording of what happened that day. Him holding out his hand, everyone freezing, and that woman being lifted off of her feet, unable to breathe… But the worst was Kebiin's look. His posture, his face, his eyes… It was unnatural. The intensity, the fury, the pure wrath, it didn't match the Kebiin Ceibur she knew.
She arrived to the door leading to the woman's med room. The door was slightly cracked open, likely by an exiting nurse. Ruby was about to sigh and open the door until she heard the woman speaking.
"-you found him and didn't tell any of us!?"
"He's strong… can barely talk… been out of comission for a few days."
That raspy voice belonged to the Atlas lady, no doubt about that. But the first one was slightly distorted, almost as if it was coming from some sort of speaker. Ruby tilted her silvery eye into the small crack into the door. She saw the brown haired woman still in her bed and white gown, but in her hand was a small blue hologram of a slender black hooded female figure.
"Admiral, if that child has been detained by the local authorities, then this is our chance… MY chance…"
"What do you mean by that? Where is-" The lady coughed before she could finish.
"The other inquisitors?" The hologram said. "Xaelos is scouting the system in search of any possible relics. He won't be on-world for a while. And Rowand…" She paused. "...has gone missing. He went on a mission with his native friend and hasn't come back. I was planning to visit his last known coordinates when you called."
"No longer important…" The woman croaked out. "Take the Jedi during the next prison transfer, and do your duty to the Empire."
"Jedi?" The hologram snorted. "You give the boy too much credit, admiral. He is a mutt, and thus will be dealt with like one."
"Good. Now, get here as soon as possible. I leave the-" Kayana coughed again.
"Leave the details to me? Splendid. I'm on my way."
Ruby turned from the crack in the door as soon as the conversation ended. She leaned up against the wall, her eyes wide with worry. She had no idea what a 'Jedi' or 'inquisitor' was, but she was sure of one thing. Kebiin was in danger, and she had to do something. Completely disregarding that she was supposed to speak with Kayana, she ran down the hall, her mind racing through ways to keep her friend safe.
Shame and defeat were the worst possible things a Mandalorian could feel. And those emotions had been far too prominent in Kebiin's life as of late. Only now, it was mixed with fear. Dreading and unbearable fear. While he lay trapped in his new hospital room yet again, the Empire patrolled the streets of Vale, parading their superior technology to the people. The citizens were in awe of Atlas' new toys, but Kebiin knew what they were used for. The howling of the TIE fighters that the people were so impressed by had a completely different meaning for Kebiin. The white armored stormtroopers guarding outside his door didn't represent progress or order, they were the very symbol of oppression and suffering back home. And now, injured, beaten, and stuck in bed, Kebiin couldn't do a damned thing about it.
Even though his 'unwarranted attack' on the Imperial officer had him under arrest, professor Goodwitch told him that Ozpin was at least able to soften the punishment. If 'Atlas' had its way, he would be sent back to their homeland for a one-sided trial. But with his headmaster looking out for him, he was able to stay in a Vale hospital room with a functioning TV. But that hardly helped him take his mind off of recent events due to the news. If they weren't showing an Atlas parade or interview, it was about him on Beacon's roof top.
All sorts of footage was taken that day. How long has it been now? Only a week? But it was way more than enough time for the story to become over bloated. Cameras on aircraft and people's personal scrolls on the ground captured the moment in undeniable recordings. Kebiin nearly knocking the rooftop door on its' hinges, him choking the Imperial has he held the others down with his mind, and him getting shot in bright flashes of blue light. Afterwards, headlines read how Kebiin was 'crazed' and 'dangerous'. They even had the gall to call that short stormtrooper a hero for subduing him.
Some had even questioned Ozpin's role as Headmaster on more than one occasion. But if the media kept digging deeper on this story, what would they find? Of course, he doubted the Empire would let them uncover the full truth about them, but what about Kebiin himself? It was completely normal for foreigners to go to other schools, but Kebiin wasn't sure if he was even a formal citizen of Vale, or anywhere for that matter. He didn't register or anything like that when he first came to Remnant. Ozpin had been covering for him this whole time. How would it look if the Headmaster of Beacon let in a completely mysterious and exceptionally powerful boy into his academy without so much as an actual background check?
Kebiin perked up from his sollum state when he sensed a few familiar presences outside his door. Three, in fact. He heard them speaking with the two stormtroopers outside his door, and after some arguing, they begrudgingly decided to open the door.
In a flurry of color, Kebiin felt three simultaneous hugs from his teammates as the door behind them closed shut.
"KEBIIIIIN!" Ruby shouted as she pounced on him. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to you? They didn't let us talk to you for a week, and even when we just now got permission, they still-"
"Let's give him some room to breathe, sis." Yang said, despite still hugging him around the head.
"Yeah… that stun shot really packs a punch…"
"Why do you have to be so reckless?" Weiss sniffed as she wiped away a few tears. "First you nearly got killed the other week, and you rush on ahead into danger like that…"
"Huh?" Kebiin hadn't ever seen Weiss cry so quickly like that before.
"Yeah, you really scared us!" Ruby was tearing up now. "We already came so close to losing you before…"
Kebiin couldn't help but feel guilty at the sight of those girls crying. They along with Penny saved his life. He didn't consider how traumatic that event must've been for them, too. Holding their friend bloody and unmoving had to leave an impact on them. He knew he would've changed a bit had he held one of them in his arms that night instead.
"You're right…" Kebiin admitted. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did. You guys saved my life, and here I go trying to throw it away…"
"Awe man, you people are going to make even me cry at this rate." Yang playfully wiped an imaginary tear from under her lavender eye. "Some badass Huntsmen and Huntresses we are, amiright?"
"Elek, vi cuyir te jatne." Kebiin agreed, smiling.
"Kiddo, I have no idea what you just said, but I'm just going to assume it was 'Yes Yang, you are the greatest! And the cutest, too."
The three of them giggled a bit, momentarily distracting Kebiin from why he was here in the first place. And simply thinking of that made him remember. "So… Atlas." Kebiin's eyes went dull again. "Have they done anything? Said anything?"
"We actually wanted to talk to you about that." Ruby said.
"About why I did what I did?" Kebiin turned from his friends, averting their gaze. Did he look like a monster to them in the footage? What was everyone at school talking about now after his stunt? "I'm sorry, I couldn't control-"
"No that's not it." Weiss interrupted him.
"Huh?"
"Ruby told us about something she saw." Yang said. "I think you're gonna want to hear it."
Kebiin looked at his leader, wondering what was going on.
"To cut to the chase, we're going to bust you out of here."
"W-what!? Do you know how much trouble you could get in for that? How are you going to manage that, anyways?"
"First, yes, I do know how much trouble we could get in. But that doesn't matter. Second, We're still working on a plan. But on that 'how', I imagine we'll just have to do it very, very carefully."
Kebiin sat up straight, looking Ruby right into her silver eyes. "Ruby. You don't joke around with these people after what I did. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Do you even know who and what you're dealing with?"
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I have an idea." Ruby clenched her arm, nervous about her next choice of words. "That Kayana lady was talking to another woman on this tiny hologram. She called her an inquisitor, and called you a 'Jedi'. What does that mean?"
Kebiin's blood froze. He momentarily forgot how speak, how to move, and how to even breath. Before, He thought he was defending his new home from the Empire as an invasion. They would've destroyed Remnant and his team like the naturally did to everything else. But now, they would be after him specifically. Not because of any legal reasons or assault, but because they had identified him as a Jedi. And they had the perfect weapon to dispose of him with.
"Kebiin, I want you to answer us. Please." Ruby had to shake him to regain his attention. "You freaked out when you saw the ships and soldiers. Did they have anything to do with your family?"
Kebiin's mind was racing again. The same state of mind whenever he had to come up with a lie. Is that what he should do again? Lie? Was it really best to tell them everything now? The people he had told so far believed him, and he could explain where Atlas got their new tech. But if they knew, and the Empire found out they knew, yet more family would be taken away from him. That was something he was never going to allow ever again. So for the time being, he had to keep doing what he had been this whole time on Remnant. Tell half-truths.
"...yes." Kebiin admitted. "Those ships, weapons, armor… inquisitors… they were all there when they killed my family."
A silence hung in the room for a moment. How were the others supposed to respond? The hadn't been able to get this much out of him before. Weiss decided to break the quiet first.
"Then… was it Atlas who did it?"
"I don't know." Kebiin replied.
"It doesn't matter." Yang said. "What matters right now is that they and this 'inquisitor' had something to do with it, and that they now want to hurt Kebiin. I could care less about the details at the moment, we can figure that out later. Right now, we need to find a way to get Kebiin to safety.
"Yang…" Kebiin smiled at her graciously. "Thanks."
"No problem, kid." She said. "We protect our own."
"Agreed." Weiss and Ruby nodded.
"Hey!" A voice came from the other side of the door, followed by several banging noises. "Visiting time is over!"
"Honorless bucket-heads…" Kebiin said through gritted teeth. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all gave their final hugs to Kebiin before leaving, promising to get him out as soon as possible. Kebiin thanked them, and sighed as the exited the room.
Before the door opened, Ruby turned over her shoulder to ask one last question. "Hey, you never told us what a Jedi was…"
"I'll… tell you later." Kebiin told her. Ruby nodded as she exited out. Now all they had to do was come up with a plan.
James Ironwood walked into his protege's room at the sound of her usual nationalistic humming. She was no longer hooked up to any equipment, and her voice had been returning to normal after what the doctors revealed was some sort of 'internal strangulation.' She was sitting up straight in her bed, twiddling her thumbs with the hints of a grin across the corners of her mouth. The kind of look someone made when they received good news. She turned her head to face her mentor at the sound of the creaking door.
"Mr. Ironwood!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're okay, I thought that student might've tried to hurt you, too."
"And I didn't expect you to be sounding so eager after your little ordeal." James chuckled. The girl always did radiate positivity. "Thank you for thinking about me, but you need to be sure to look out for yourself, too. Be sure to take things easy, alright?"
"Of course, Mr. Ironwood." She saluted. "Is there any word on why that boy attacked us?"
James propped up a chair and sighed before speaking. "I spoke with Professor Ozpin about it. He was a little reluctant to give us any information on that student, but I understand that to a degree."
"You understand that?" Kayana raised an eyebrow. "But he attacked us in broad daylight without provocation! Surely someone as smart as the acclaimed Professor Ozpin wouldn't side against the victims in this case?"
"I tried to get him to understand that too, but protecting his own students is his highest priority, just like it is mine."
"But I still have trouble comprehending the mindset." Kayana said. "Siding with the perpetrator of an obvious crime."
"You don't have to agree with it, but it's still good to understand it." James said. "Seems you've still got quite a bit to learn."
"But that's why I've got you, general." Kayana smiled.
There was a brief moment of silence between the two as James decided on what he was going to say next. Of course, he had to look out for his student, but something was still bothering him about the day of the attack.
"Kayana, do you have any sort of connection with that boy? Do you know him by any chance?"
She shook her head. "I know his name is Kebiin Ceibur from what the doctors told me, but I've never seen him before in my life."
"Is that so?" He sat up a little straighter. "He claimed that he knew who you were during the attack. That you 'took away his family and home.' What does that mean?"
Kayana could only shake her head again. "Sir, I have no idea. It's possible he might've mistaken me for someone else, and it would be tragic if he did indeed lose family in the past, but I wouldn't know of it. I've lived in Atlas my whole life and I've never committed any crimes, let alone murder. I'm just as clueless about this whole thing as anyone else."
James nodded, but even though he received a straight-forward answer, the words and actions of this boy were all too genuine. He had seen similar fear and anger before in people who had lost loved ones to Grimm, and his reaction was all too real. Despite having faith in his protege, he would have to look into this further. "Understood" he told her. "Since Mr. Ceibur is recovering, he's going to be transferred to a more secure facility later today. A lot of news channels have been asking about interviewing you, as well. Is that something you'd want to do?"
"Well… sort of, actually." She said. "I wanted to see if I could talk to Mr. Ceibur myself."
"Really?" James said disbelievingly. "I didn't expect you'd want that so soon."
"I want answers like everyone else." Kayana said determinedly.
"But he could try to harm you again." James protested.
"Even if he can freeze us, stunning him worked the last time. If things go south, we'll just have some troops ready to shoot if necessary."
"I don't know…" James stood up, scratching the side of his head. "Considering what happened last time…"
"Sir, please." Kayana gripped her sheets tightly as she looked in his eyes. "I have to know why. I'll have it under control."
James was about to protest, but he knew the girl well enough to see that she wasn't going to give up. He sighed, giving in to her request. "Fine." He said. "If it's important to you, I'll allow it. But I want those two troopers with you while you talk to him. They seem pretty capable."
"Thank you sir!" She said graciously, saluting from her bed again.
James left the room, feeling nervous about his decision. He knew that if under heavy surveillance, they could keep Kayana safe from Ceibur, but he didn't know how unstable the boy might be. Would he try anything this time? And there was the matter with what he said to Kayana. She said she had nothing to do with the boy at all, but part of him felt admittedly doubtful. He needed to figure out his next course of action.
Kayana and James arrived to the door of Kebiin Ceibur's hospital room and greeted by the two guards standing by his door. Kayana smiled at both of them, and turned her head to the shorter one.
"Aren't you the one who stunned that boy and saved my life?"
"Y-yes ma'am." She said a little nervously. Kayana couldn't even tell there was a girl underneath that white armor. She sounded pretty young, meaning that she was one of the training cadets they had brought from their home galaxy.
"What's your service ID?"
"DN-3017, ma'am."
"I still don't understand why you insist on these numbers for them, Kayana." James said.
"It's for their own, protection sir." Kayana said, despite knowing the truth. "Elite military police shouldn't expose their lives to the public. Someone may come after them or their families. This way, they remain anonymous."
James nodded but was still a little unsure of the idea.
"DN-3017, would you and your fellow trooper care to accompany me while I speak with Mr. Ceibur? I want this to be sort of private, but you've saved my life before. Can I trust you again with that?"
"Of course, ma'am." The other trooper said.
"Very good. James, you're still okay if you wait out here?"
James sighed, obviously uneasy about this whole thing. "You said you would have it under control, and I trust you and the military police."
"Thank you." Kayana nodded and opened the door, the two stormtroopers following close.
Kebiin sensed them even before they opened the door. Rage fumed within him as she stepped into the room, her troopers closing the door behind them. It was sickening to be stuck in a room with Imperials. Those droids of human beings called stormtroopers and their cowardly commanders brought fear and dishonor to the galaxy, corrupting everything they touched. He would've finished the job he started when he first choked Kayana, but he remembered his words to his team. He didn't want to make them afraid for him again. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he allowed them to walk up to his bed.
"Kebiin Ceibur." The woman said snobbishly. "Raised as an orphan on the streets, surviving off of the charity of local gangs, escaped your life of filth by enrolling in a school of lowly monster hunters." She scoffed at him, giving him a smile that radiated superiority. "That may be fitting for a Mandalorian, but not a Jedi, don't you think?"
"I thought you would at least have the decency to lie about your identity, Imperial." Kebiin glared at her. "I know what you are, hut'uun ures ijaat."
"I know you do, Jetiise adiik." Kebiin's eyes widened at the sound of his own language.
"I am not a child!"
"The fact that you never faced the verd'goten begs to differ." Kayana sneered. "You never had the chance to face that barbarous rite of passage, did you? And now that you're here, you never will. You will always be a child to your own culture."
"How do you even know that? Those words are only spoken by Mandalorians."
"You're right, child of clan Ceibur." Kayana curled the corner of her mouth into a smile. "Your clan has been removed from the homeworld for far too long. The Empire has made us whole again. Now there is no more Deathwatch, no more grabs for the title of Mandalore. Now we fly under the flag of unity."
Kebiin nearly forgot how to move or speak when he heard what Kayana had just said. How could she be Mandalorian? She was an Imperial, embodying everything he despised, but she was born to a culture of honor, just like him. Or at least, she should have been. Was their homeworld really that different from where he was born? Did she even have a real clan? Or even traditional warrior training?
...was there a reason his clan decided to live away from Mandalore?
"You're lying…" Kebiin murmured. "Not a single one of us would ever join them!" Kebiin raised his voice as he felt anger overtake him. "You sold your honor to the enemy! You're a traitor to your family! How dare you call yourself Mandalorian!"
Kayana simple waved her finger, making little 'tsk, tsk' noises with her mouth. "Now, now, adiik. You better behave or else bad things might happen." Kebiin looked up to see the stormtroopers raising their blasters at him. One of them had their weapons set to kill, but the shorter one still had theirs on stun. Was that the same one that shot him before?
Realizing what would happen if he got out of hand again, Kebiin exhaled slowly and tried to let his body relax. Even so, his anger burned like a furnace in his chest. "Why are you even here? Just to gloat?"
"Partially, yes." Kayana shrugged nonchalantly. "But I also wanted to remind you what could happen if you spoke a word about us to anyone."
"What could you possibly to do me that you Imperials already haven't?"
"A great many things, young warrior." Kayana said cooly. "But torture aside, I doubt we have to do anything new to you to make you suffer. I know the basics of how your mind works, Kebiin. We prize family above all else, right? Yours were taken away, and then you were brought to a school to join a team. You're both a child and a Mandalorian. I don't have to investigate anything to know you would come to view them as family. It's basic psychology given your heritage."
Kebiin felt himself go completely pale. His pupils dilated as his eyes widened, sweat now dripping from his forehead. He knew it. They wanted to take his family away again.
"If you want to protect them, you will stay silent and cooperate. You know what will happen if you don't."
Kebiin didn't even hear Kayana's words. All he heard was the screams, blaster fire, and TIEs soaring overhead as his village was set ablaze. He was weak and without honor, unable to protect those he loved or seek vengeance against those who took their lives. But now, he had the chance to do that. He and Revan both knew he was exceptionally powerful. He would drive the Empire off of Remnant himself if he had to. He could do it if he let himself be powerful.
"I will never let you hurt anyone ever again."
"Hmm?" Kayana was in the middle of some speech when Kebiin interrupted her. Kebiin bent the Force to his will, crushing the blaster of the stormtrooper that was aiming to kill, and sent him flying across the room and into the door, breaking it off of its' hinges and colliding with the general standing outside. They both lay on the ground unconscious.
The second shorter stormtrooper was shaking as they fired a ringed stun shot at him, but Kebiin raised his hand right before they pulled the trigger, allowing him enough time to stop the blast just as it exited the barrel. Concentrating with everything he had, Kebiin sent the blue ring flying into the stormtrooper, who instantly fell to the floor. Their helmet rolled off of their head, revealing a young girl with short hair. Now he knew what the person who shot him looked like.
"You fool!" Kayana yelled at him. "An Inquisitor is on their way as we spe-" Kebiin levitated the stormtrooper girl's blaster into his hand, and stunned the Imperial commander. She fell to the ground, unconscious and completely limp.
Kebiin's initial burst of anger and power faded for a brief moment. His head cleared, and he realized what he had just done. He hadn't killed anyone, but knowing the Empire, this was more than enough reason for them to kill him. He had to disregard whatever plan Ruby had come up with the sneak him out. Now, he would have to break out himself. He lept out of his hospital bed, slung Kayana over his shoulder, and proceeded out the door with the blaster in hand. He wouldn't be able to turn back now.
"Okay Weiss, you sure you know how to fly this thing?" Ruby said as they boarded the small airship normally used for missions.
"Erm… yes." Weiss said as she fiddled around in the pilot's seat. "I had a little practice back home since Father could afford this sort of thing."
"Well, hopefully it'll be good enough."
"Good enough?" Weiss scoffed. "I'm a capable pilot! Just… out of practice."
"Hey, could we make this quick?" Yang said as she boarded. "Stealing this thing is gonna get us in huge trouble, so I'd rather be out and do this fast enough that we don't get caught and in trouble."
"Do you want me to crash this thing in our haste?" Weiss said as she put on some headphones and a mic.
"I thought you said you were a good pilot?" Ruby said.
"I said I was a capable one!" Weiss shouted back. "Okay, let's do this." Weiss flipped a few switched, and the engines began to kick up. The doors to the school's hanger opened, and the airship rocked back and forth a little too roughly for Ruby's liking. But as soon as they were out the doors, Weiss finally stabilized the craft with her overly tense fingers. "I can do this… I can do this…"
"So, we all know how this is going to work?" Yang said.
"Yup!" Ruby responded. "Kebiin's room is near the top floor, so we'll hover just above the roof and enter that way. I'll speed in, grab Kebiin while no one's looking, and Weiss will fly us away to safety."
"Yeah, easy as saving time in a bottle…" Yang murmured. "So, what was my part in that plan again?"
"Emotional support." Ruby said a little too plainly.
"Right… like that'll help if we're being chased."
"No, but those two long-range shotguns on your wrists will!" Weiss shouted from the cockpit. "If those things can shoot a giant bird out of the air, I'm sure it'll work just fine with ships if worst comes to worst."
"Let's just hope it doesn't…"
The three of them arrived to the hospital, and Weiss began lowering their altitude to be level with the roof. Ruby was just about to step down and speed through the roof door when it flung open, revealing a terrified Kebiin holding a gun and… Kayana? The moment he saw the three of them on the airship, his face contorted in several expressions of confusion and disbelief.
"You stole an airship!?" He shouted.
"It was the best we could think of!" Ruby said. "Now, c'mon, we can complain later!"
Kebiin rolled his eyes and lept on, setting down Kayana and he closed the door to the rest of the building with his mind.
"We good to go!?" Weiss shouted from her seat.
"Take it away, snowflake!"
"Yes, si- Hey, what did you just call me!?"
"Just fly!"
Weiss mumbled to herself with a pout face as she jerked on the control stick, lifting them into the air and taking them away from the building.
Yang looked over at Ruby nervously when she saw the unconscious Kayana laying across the floor. Ruby simply shrugged but they both shared the same worried expression. Kebiin was slumped against the metal wall, still holding the gun and covering his eyes with his forearm.
"Umm… how did you get out?" Ruby finally asked.
"I used her as a hostage." Kebiin pointed to the young woman on the floor.
"You what!?" Yang stared at him with her mouth open.
"What's going on back there?" Weiss tilted her head back to the cabin.
"Eyes on the sky, Weiss!"
"Dear lord, is that who I think it is!?"
"Weiss, I'll let you know everything once we've landed, alright?" Kebiin said impatiently. Weiss gulped but did as told.
"What happened back there?" Yang tried to place a hand on Kebiin's shoulder, but he shrugged her off.
"I'm so stupid…" He muttered. "They're going to be coming after you too, now…"
"What do you mean, what happened?"
"She threatened to take you away, just like mom and dad…" Kebiin pointed to Kayana. "I got so angry, I just… I wasn't going to let it happen."
"She's not… dead, is she?" Ruby asked.
"No, no… just stunned." Keiin looked down at his blaster. "Just like the rest of the upper floor of the hospital."
"You fought your way through all the security?" Yang said, allowing a sliver of her voice to sound impressed.
"Are they going to chase you?"
"After a while, yeah." Kebiin sighed. "I'm so sorry, I never should've dragged you into this."
"No, don't be sorry." Ruby assured him. "We're a family. We take care of each other."
"Family?" Kebiin dropped his blaster and gave his leader a big hug. "Vor entye, Ruby. Thank you…"
A little surprised by the sudden hug, Ruby hugged him back. When Kebiin broke the embrace, he stared back at Kayana, his mind racing on what the future would hold.
"There are questions I have to ask her. You need to drop me off somewhere secluded and go back to Beacon as soon as possible. If they see you with me, you'll all get arrested. I don't want that for any of you."
"No, we're staying with you until you're safe." Yang said. "If we just leave you in the middle of nowhere, you're by no means safe."
"Yang, this isn't up for discussion!" Kebiin shouted at her. "I've already had a family taken away from me! Do you think I'm going to let that happen again?"
Yang opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent once she didn't find the words. How could you argue against something like that?
"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Ruby said.
"I'm picking something up on the scanners." Weiss said a little nervously. "It looks like-"
The entire ship shook violently as a flash of green light collided with their wing, followed by a loud and eerie howl.
"We're going down!" Weiss screamed. "I can't control it!"
Kebiin managed to get a look at the ground below, which they were quickly plummeting to. He recognized the lazy patterns of the streets and run-down grey buildings.
"It's the old ghetto where I used to live!" Kebiin told his team. "I'm going to try to soften our crash, but brace for impact! I think I might know a place where we can hide!"
"Hey, all I care about is that we don't explode!"
"Right, I've got it covered!"
Everyone screamed as they plummeted to the ground, the air whipping their hair and faces as the held onto seats and hooks. Kayana's eyes fluttered open, but burst wide once she realized she was in a crashing ship.
"Meg narir!? What the hell did you do!?" She screamed at Kebiin as she grabbed Yang's leg for dear life. Kebiin tuned her out, and stretched his arm, waiting for the right time.
"Uhh… the ground is getting a lot bigger!"
"Just another second…"
"Kebiin!?"
"Got it!" Kebiin reached out, grabbing the ship with the Force just before it hit the ground, giving them enough height to safely jump out onto the ground and low enough to confuse the TIE's tracking. Weiss was the first to leap out into the dirty, empty ghetto streets.
"Oh ground, how I've missed you…"
Everyone else exited the craft, and Kebiin followed soon after. Yang kept a grip on Kayana's arm to keep her from escaping, but instead of looking like someone who just got kidnapped, she was eyeing Yang head to toe as if she were checking her out.
"Say, how old are you?"
"Oh, shut up." Yang rolled her eyes.
'Some official Imperial' Kebiin thought as he let go of the ship. Before he turned away, he noticed the little fire that had grown where the TIE had shot them. Small red particles of Dust were seeping out, slowly trickling down to the fire.
"Move! It's gonna blow!" Kebiin used the Force to push everyone away from the ship, and quickly used the Force himself to dash away from the booming fireball that was their transport.
"So much about keeping this low key…"
"You said you knew a place to hide?"
"I might." Kebiin looked around, recognizing the broken windows of the buildings and the empty streets. "This way." Kebiin ran into a small space between two collapsing apartment complexes. The others followed closely, allowing him to lead the way as a group of shaggy looking civilians gathered around to see what was with all the commotion.
Kebiin ran through the cramped spaces and alley ways of the ghetto, ignoring the familiar putrid stench and constant dampness of the streets. He would occasionally look back at his teammates to make sure they were still behind him. Given the situation, most of them didn't complain about the cleanliness of the place, other than Weiss who would occasionally gag or shiver whenever she came across something exceptionally gross. But considering that they had been running long enough to see the sun setting, saying that they were complaining in any way was discrediting. Kayana wasn't putting up much of a fight either, recognizing that Yang could easily kneecap her if she wanted to. Either that, or she had too much faith in her Empire to rescue her.
After a few minutes of running and avoiding TIE scans, Kebiin finally found the place he was looking for. From the outside, it was just a dirty door barely visible from the main street. The building it was connected to was run down like most buildings in the area, but this place had been safe for a brief period of time when Kebiin was just a kid.
"In here!" Kebiin quickly used the Force to dismantle the lock on the solid door, holding it open for everyone else before he quickly shut the door behind him. The sun made its final dip down the sky as the searchlights on the TIEs above switched on.
Everyone, even Kayana, immediately slumped down either against the peeling walls or the dusty chairs and sofas. Yang got up first to examine the place, instantly recognizing the design of the long island table and the shelves of bottles behind it.
"Is this a bar?"
"Of course you're the first one to figure that out, considering it's all covered in dust." Weiss panted.
"Hey, I've been enough bars to know what one looks like! It's nothing to be ashamed of! Even if it is old and full of dirt..."
Kebiin walked around the room a bit, running his hand along the old tables and trinkets decorating the place. "Yeah." Kebiin said, his voice heavy with nostalgia. "The owner of this place was nice enough to let me stay on some nights when I first cra- I mean when I was on my own."
"You mean like… you would crash here?" Ruby said.
"Yeah, yeah… that's what I meant…" Kebiin said, making sure not to look at his leader when saying that. "The owner was tough enough to keep some of the gangs from fighting while drinking here. But a fight broke out one day and I guess he got caught in the crossfire. I wasn't around for it. No one really came back after that. He kept the peace so with him gone, it was just too dangerous to use this as a hang out."
"Why didn't you stay here then?" Ruby asked. "If no one else came by?"
"It just didn't feel right. Dishonorable, I suppose..." Kebiin shot a quick look at Kayana, who was simply sitting in a chair across from Yang, who was still keeping a very observant eye on her. "... which is more than I can say for her."
"Oh, me?" Kayana laughed. "Manda'yaim cuyir jate'shya jii. Nayc or'atu pirimmur par ijaat."
Kebiin's team went completely silent when they heard Kebiin's language coming from someone else's mouth. A million ideas and questions must've been going through their heads, but Kebiin didn't care.
"How dare you! 'No more use for honor', you're nothing but a traitor! Aruetii! Hut'uun! Osi'yaim!"
"Ouch, that hurt…" Kayana softly gasped and she fluttered her hand over her heart. "Who are you to judge me, ad'ika? Your little lost tribe has been gone from our affairs for decades. Besides, you're only a 'mutt', ge'sol jetiise."
"Kebiin, who the hell is she?" Yang said as she stood up, slamming the dusty table to stop Kayana's snickering.
The sudden kick up of dust caused Kebiin's eyes to water. He shielded his face, coughing into his sleeve. After the air had cleared, Kebiin raised both his hands and gave a slight push with the Force around the corners of the building. All the dust and dirt that had accumulated over the years quickly expelled into another room, leaving the main bar clean and easy to breath in.
"Woah." Ruby said as she looked at the now neat and tidy room. "That was cool." Even in these tense situations, she still had the emotional room to be impressed. Typical Ruby.
After Kebiin's little display, he pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning forward and resting his forehead against his palm.
"She's not Atlas, I can tell you that."
"How?" Weiss asked. "I recognize her now! You're Kayana, General Ironwood's personal protege and head of the science division!"
"You're right, Ms. Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Kayana nodded at Weiss.
"Don't you dare talk to her!" Kebiin spat at Kayana. "You sold yourself to a foreign power, trading the pride and honor of our people in exchange for what? Subjugation? Humiliation?"
"Pretty big words for a child." Kayana snorted. "I'm impressed."
"Don't mock me!"
"And I personally didn't 'sell our people out.' It was the will of Mandalore's people that we gave up our independance. Only a quick read in the history books or a conversation with your parents or grandparents will tell you why we are better off this way." Kayana looked around the room and at the team, crossing her legs comfortably and placing a finger against the corner of her lips. "Does that answer any of your questions by any chance? Mr. Ceibur and I are of the same heritage. Did you tell them what you are in full detail? And I do mean full detail."
"We may have the same roots, but you and I are nothing alike! I carry the pride of my clan, while you renounced yours!"
"Boy, have you even been to Mandalore? If you knew the strife of your own people, you would've welcomed the Empire with open arms."
"I would never!"
"Your clan ran away from the problems of our people rather than stay and make things better! I'd say I am more of a loyalist than your cowardly 'family' ever could be."
"That's not true…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A flash of yellow light and burst of intense heat filled the room, silencing both Kebiin and Kayana. Yang was standing up, her fist right against Kayana's cheek, threatening to shoot her with an infuriated look in her now crimson eyes. "I don't know who you are, or how you and Kebiin came from the same place. Right now, I just want you to shut the hell up, and for you to give us a strait answer after we got ourselves into this damned mess!" She pointed first at Kayana, then at Kebiin.
"Do you plan to tell them everything, Ke-" Yang cut off Kayana's words with a hard backhand across her cheek.
"I told you to shut up, didn't I?"
Kayana grimaced, but didn't bother to feel her reddened cheek. She was too spiteful to show that the smack had hurt.
The rest of the team looked back to Kebiin, he was hanging his head low in a sign of defeat. Did he have to tell them? Right here and now, under these circumstances? Part of him planned to keep this secret from his whole team, make them believe that he was just a normal boy. But then he remembered those moments he shared with Blake. It felt great to get such a burden off of his chest, but Blake disappeared virtually right after. Would the rest of his friends disappear too if he told them?
"Guys, I…" Kebiin knew the words he wanted to get out, but he was having plenty of trouble actually saying them. "I'm… I'm not what you think I am. Kayana isn't what you think she is. Atlas isn't what you think it is."
"Well… then maybe start with just you?" Ruby suggested innocently. Kebiin didn't even smile at Ruby's usual youthful tone. All he could muster was a pathetic whimper of a laugh.
"I know you won't believe me, but I want you to know that a liar like me wouldn't tell a story like this unless it was true."
"A liar? Kebiin, what are you talking about?" Ruby tried to approach him with a concerned look, but he flinched away.
"I'm not what you think I am… Kayana and I, we're from-"
The doors of the bar exploded in a cloud of dust and shrapnel. A faint howling could be heard from the now gaping hole in the wall. Kebiin was knocked against the wall, covered in debris. After the ringing in his ears ended, he quickly scrambled to his feet. Using the Force to brush away the stone and steel covering him, he shouted for his teammates.
"Ruby!"
"Right here…" Her voice groaned from among the dust cloud.
"Don't worry sis, I've got you!" Yang was already on her feet, lifting a table off of her sister. The most damage she seemed to have sustained was a few scrapes and scratches. "Rubes, how you feelin'?"
"I think I might've broken somethi- OW!" Yang was pulling her sister up by her left arm, which was an obvious mistake. Instead of its usually seemingly thin but solid build, it felt somewhat squishy and looked out of place. Yang felt against Ruby's arm as she winced in pain, feeling for where it had been broken.
"Ugh… how bad?" Ruby asked, still dazed.
"Not bad…" Yang sighed in relief. "Once you're back at Beacon, they can patch you up no pro-"
"Hey… where's Weiss?" Ruby scanned the room for their teammate. Kebiin did the same, extending his senses with the Force while he was at it to tell if she was under any rubble. He instantly found Kayana's unconscious but alive body, but Weiss…"
"She's hurt!" Kebiin struggled to lift a massive piece of wall off of the ground, slowly levitating it away with the Force. Underneath was Weiss' now dirtied frame. He could sense that she was still alive, but he ran over to see the severity of her injuries. "Weiss! C'mon Weiss, talk to me!" Kebiin pleaded as he patted her face. She groaned loudly as her eyes fluttered.
"Kebiin? What… what happened?"
Kebiin scanned her body, quickly finding the thin metal rod that had imbedded itself into her abdomen.
"Oh wow… my stomach hurts a lot…" She motioned her hand to check the source of the pain, but Kebiin quickly took it into his own hand instead.
"Weiss, you're gonna be okay, you hear me?" Kebiin squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You're going to be fine."
The moment was interrupted when a faint beeping finally became noticeable after all of the chaos. A small red light was blinking on Kayana's wrist under her sleeve. An emergency locater.
"You… you brought them here again!" Kebiin yelled at the unconscious woman. "I swear, once I'm through with you, you won't even-" Kebiin's words were halted by a strained cough coming from Weiss. Specks of blood stained the concrete Weiss was facing. Realizing that this wasn't the place for revenge, justice, or anything of the like, he had to swallow his pride. Ruby was injured and Weiss could die. He needed to get them out.
Kebiin carried Weiss over to the main bar where Ruby and Yang were standing and gently put her down. "I know we can't do much, but do everything you can to keep her alive." Kebiin looked back over to Ruby. "How's the arm?"
"It sucks…" Ruby moaned "... but Weiss matters more. I'll be fine."
"So any ideas on how to get out of this one?"
Kebiin glanced back over at Kayana's locater. If he remembered correctly, that particular model should be able to access open communication channels despite being just an emergency location device. Both Atlas and Vale would likely be looking to capture him more than his teammates. He had to get them to safety, and they couldn't be safe while on the run.
"Yang, I'm sorry. Tell them that I threatened you, mind-controlled you, or something else against your will."
"Kebiin? What are you talking about?"
Kebiin quickly found the E-11 blaster he had brought with him from the hospital and levitated it into his hand. He wriggled Kayana's device off of her wrist, and began broadcasting to any nearby radio channels.
"Attention Atlas and Vale forces!" He began. "I have four female hostages. Three Beacon students and an Atlas officer. If you still want them alive, you will cease any further attacks from the air!" Kebiin paused, waiting for a response. He had to assume that the Vale police would now be involved in this, and that the TIE that shot at them was following orders from the Imperials, not the police. The cops would be more concerned with their lives, and would have to force Atlas not to make any deadly moves just yet. At least, that's what he hoped for.
"This is the Vale Police Department. We demand that you release the hostages and surrender yourself at once!"
"Looks like they got the message."
"Kebiin, what are you doing!?" Yang hissed over to him. "We're here to help you, not-"
"No, Yang." Kebiin let go of the comm button momentarily to make sure no one on the other end would hear. "I forced you to help break me out. That's the story you and the others are going to tell."
"But-"
Kebiin reactivated the comm functions, listening in on the new transmission. "But sir!" Someone protested. "They helped him escape! In the name of Atlas, I can't-"
"Didn't you hear him? This is a hostage situation now! We can work out the details after this is over! Now, order your units not to make any more attacks from the air!"
"...Yes sir."
Good. Now they had to keep his team alive.
"What are your demands?" The policeman finally asked.
"I might be willing to let the students go." Kebiin said as menacingly as he could. "But if you try to come after me, Kayana dies."
"How dare you!" The Atlas voice hissed.
"Fine!" The cop said. "Will you let her go afterwards?"
"I might." This time, what Kebiin said was true. But either way, once he left with Kayana, they would make measures to subdue him and free her. They wouldn't just let him make off with an Atlas official.
Another transmission began coming from the communicator, but Kebiin threw it onto the floor, crushing it beneath his boot. He need to get out of here, fast. They would send in a team to get his friends, where they would be treated for their wounds and hopefully be forgiven of any crimes now that they were 'hostages.' Kebiin hauled Kayana, who was now beginning to wake up, off the floor. He pulled her by the arm out what used to be the door, training the blaster right against her head.
"Kebiin, wait!" He heard Ruby shriek from behind. "Please don't leave us! We're family, we have to stick together! Please don't go like… like…" Ruby was tearing up too much to continue.
"Like Blake?" Kebiin gave her a faint smile of reassurance. "I swore to myself that I'd never let my family be hurt ever again. If I stay with you after what I've done, you won't ever be safe. I don't want it to be that way."
"I don't care!" She screamed. Yang was having to hold her back now. "You have to be with us! We need to stick together! Why are you being so selfish!?"
"I'm leaving for your sakes, Ruby." Kebiin was doing his best to hold back his tears. "I'm glad I could be with all of you… Aliit ori'shya tal'din."
Ruby was silent now. She remembered that phrase from when he first joined what would become team RWBBY. 'Family is more than bloodline.' She didn't know how to respond, simply letting her tears roll down her cheek. Kebiin gave one more glance at Yang, who nodded understandingly.
"Stay safe." Yang said as her own tears began developing. "Remember, we love you!"
Kebiin gave one last smile at them before running out into the night time streets, pulling the waking Kayana behind him. Soon after he disappeared into the ghetto, several police cars and an ambulance pulled up at what used to be the door to the bar. Ruby and Yang wiped away their tears, remembering that they now had to pretend to fear the boy they thought of as their brother.
When Rowand opened his eyes, he was laying across a cold black stone floor. There was virtually no light, prompting him to switch on the night vision in his helmet. But when he went to do so, he realized that it had been removed. Great. Now both his saber and helmet were missing. He stood up, trying to reach out with the Force to sense anything in the dark.
"Tell me, what do you see?" It was the voice of the woman again.
"It's her…" Rowand murmured. "I can't see anything." He replied, deciding to play along.
"Precisely. Nothing. Now, turn around and tell me what you see next."
"Turn around? It's completely black. What am I supposed to see?" Turning as he asked the question, his heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized the scene behind him was entirely different. Before him a sprawling meadow, with a large but short and humble building out in the distance. He turned around again to see if the blackness was still behind him, but it wasn't. He was in an entirely different scene. When he looked back around to where he was 'supposed to look', he was inside the building he saw from afar. The walls were made of neatly cut reddish brown wood, and the ceiling was ever so slightly domed. Around him, children gathered around a large cherry blossom tree beneath an opening in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to flow in. Each of the children were wearing lightly colored robes, all of them laughing and giggling as they levitated various objects in the air. Rowand felt something bump against his leg, only to look down and see a familiar blue-haired child.
"You're always so clumsy, Rowand!" A little girl laughed.
"Shut up, Azrilin!" The boy yelled, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, sir! I-I didn't mean to bump into you like that…"
Rowand began to shake. What was this? What was this woman trying to show him?
"Sorry mister, my brother is kind of a screw-up." The little girl joked.
"No I'm not!" The boy protested. "You're the one who's always screwing up in training!"
"I am not! You totally are!"
"No, YOU are!" The two were about to get into a heated shouting match when they were interrupted by the sounds of Rowand's sobs. He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to keep the tears away. The two children immediately stopped their argument, perplexed that a grown man was crying. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Instead, Rowand fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around both children and hugging them close.
"Please, don't yell at each other…" He whimpered. "You're siblings, you have to count on one another. You're all you've got… Be nice, understand?"
"Sir?"
"I'm sorry…" Rowand openly cried. "I'm so sorry, both of you… I'm so, so sorry…" Rowand's tears were interrupted at the sound of a lightsaber ignition, causing him to look up out of instinct. He was holding the crimson blade, impaling an adult figure that was holding a deactivating lightsaber in their hand. The now lifeless body slumped down, and Rowand was standing before it.
"That was the last one." His sister's adult voice said.
"Azrilin?"
"That was the last Jedi in the area. Xaelos wants us back at Coruscant." His sister, now a young adult, was standing above several bodies of their own, each with smoldering marks where her blade had struck them down. Her eyes were dull and their lids heavy, devoid of the eagerness of the child Rowand saw a second earlier. She was clad in slightly damaged black armor, the Imperial insignia clear and bright on her shoulder pauldron.
"Rowand? You alright? You look like you were just crying."
Rowand's saber deactivated as he raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears, but when he opened his eyes again, everything was back to complete blackness.
"What did you see?"
"Why did you show me that!?" Rowand shouted into the darkness. "Cinder said you were powerful and wise! Those memories hold no meaning for me!"
"You're wrong. Your past is what creates what you are. Even the act of trying to bury it will influence your present self. So tell me, what did you see?"
Rowand swallowed before responding. "The child I was… and the weapon I am now."
"And if that was your past and present self, what do you see now?"
"Nothing. It's too dark."
"Exactly. Nothing. The future is always in motion. Uncertain and unwritten. What do you want for your future?"
Rowand clenched his fist and closed his eyes. He could almost see the blue-haired child that bumped into him a few moments ago. The little weakling that was him. "Power." He responded. "I want power."
"Why? You apologized to yourself and your sister. Do you regret what the two of you would become? That path led you to power, yet you would seek more?"
"The power I have isn't enough! I am proud of neither self! My past was weak and naive, and my current self isn't strong enough to break his chains! He loves those naive children too much!"
"Is that such a terrible thing? Love isn't something you should have to rid yourself of. If you truly love those children, you will become strong for them. Use your power to accept the destruction of your past self, not ignore it. Can you promise me that you will try that much?"
"No." Rowand said assertively. "I won't try, I will simply do it."
The darkness around Rowand peeled away like a tearing curtain, revealing an environment completely alien to him. The sky and earth were all various shades of maroon, and the reflected light of Remnant's shattered moon glistened against dark purple crystals growing on the ground. The scene spread for miles, nothing but maroon stone for soil and crystals for grass. He looked up and saw a tall white haired woman standing on a ledge, who turned to look at him with a smile. Her eyes were completely black save for her glowing red irises, which were surrounded by dark veins that resembled cracks in stone. She was clad in a black and red cloaked dress, and her skin was even paler than her hair. She reached her hand out, and Rowand took it.
"It has been a long time since I found someone with powers like myself..." She said almost warmly. From behind her cloak, she took out Rowand's ringed lightsaber, and placed it in his hand. "I am Salem, the last ancient master of the Universe's Will on Remnant."
Rowand took the hilt of his weapon back into his hand, looking up at the dark lady. "I am Rowand, inquisitor of the Galactic Empire and disciple of the dark side of the Force."
Salem nodded and smiled again. "I see. It seems we have much to learn from one another."