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Chosen: Restoration
Chapter 20: Archives
By WrittinInStone
Obi-Wan blinked sluggishly in an ineffective attempt to clear the film that seemed to have covered his eyes.
Seven hours. Seven kriffing hours he had spent in the Jedi Archives poring over document after document, transcript after transcript. And what had he come up with? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Nothing about the Yangau, nothing about Twilight's Rain, and absolutely zilch on Anakin's illness.
Running his hands through his hair, the Jedi Master released a sound of frustration.
He had done everything he knew how and nothing seemed even slightly adequate.
Wearily, Obi-Wan began to gather the stack of books in front of him, prepared to put them back into their places. Reading the same manual over and over again would not change the words no matter how much he wished it. If that wasn't enough, it seemed as though years of reading from digital screens had taken its toll on the brain; looking over ancient paper documents seemed more exhausting than it should be.
As he stacked the books on the shelf, he frowned upon hearing a sudden rumble above his head. Seconds later, a whole row of manuscripts crashed onto him.
The Jedi Master sat there buried under the books for a long moment, trying with everything inside of him not to sigh in defeat. It was as though the Universe was taunting him! First the lack of information and now this.
Some Jedi Master, Obi-Wan thought gloomily, his mood darkening further. I can see the headlines now: Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated by ancient manuscripts.
Shaking his head, he began pushing the books off, trying desperately to throw off the despondency that was threatening to overwhelm him. He had been so sure that something here would help Anakin…
With a deep breathed heave, Obi-Wan pushed out of the pile and moved to survey the mess.
I'd better get this up before Librarian Nu comes by, he thought grimly, wiping the dust from his robes. If she sees this… He shuddered at the thought.
Picking up a book, he frowned as the corner of a half-buried, luminescent gold cover caught his eye.
As soon as his gaze settled on it, Obi-Wan felt a gentle shift in the Force. Eyes wide and with shaking fingers, he pulled the book from the pile. He ran his hand over the brittle cover, his heart thumping as he read the name of the book.
"Naves Di," the Master murmured. His gaze traveled lower on the book where the name was labeled in Standard, as was the common practice in the Jedi Archives. "Ships of the Gods." His brow crinkled in consternation as he flipped through the book. The whole thing was written in the first language; there was no more standard to be found in the entire text.
He went back to the beginning and began to page through slower. "This language looks… familiar," he mumbled absently. "I have not seen it since I was a padawan… It is a very ancient human language called… Laten?"
"Actually, Master Kenobi," a voice interrupted with carefully controlled ire. "That language would be Latin."
Obi-Wan whirled around to meet the severe gaze of Jocasta Nu.
"I trust you've found everything you need, Master Kenobi?" she asked icily, her eyes moving to lie on the pile of books behind him.
The Jedi Master gulped. There weren't many who could intimidate him, but the austere faced librarian was one of those people.
"Yes, I did," Obi-Wan responded sheepishly. "I am really sorry about the mess. I was going to clean it up but then I saw this book! It just might be what we've been looking for!" Obi-Wan paused, trying to quell his excitement. He was a Jedi Master! It was unbecoming to be so… enthused.
It worked in his favor. Librarian Nu's face softened and, releasing a deep sigh, she shooed him away. "Go on now, Master Kenobi. I'll get a padawan to help me clean up this mess. You just be sure to bring the book back in the same condition as it left." She eyed him sternly, nodding toward the book.
"Yes, ma'am," Obi-Wan replied gratefully, returning her nod. "Thank you very much."
She smiled slightly and after sending a nearby droid to fetch a padawan, turned around and began to pick up the books.
#*#*#*#*#
It only took Obi-Wan an hour to translate the book into standard using one of the many programs in the Jedi Archives.
It took much longer to read through it. The translation was not perfect; some of the sentences made little sense and the syntax of Latin made it extremely difficult to read.
But two hours later, it became worth it; Obi-Wan found the passage that he had been looking for.
The ships made from the olde ones were themselves magic and endowed withe much power. So powerful were the creators that forever were the ships bound to their makers. The ships themselves, almost living were they. Always do these vessels long to return home, and when given the chance, to their creators do they make their way.
Obi-Wan sat back stunned by what he had read.
"Living ships?" he said incredulously, staring at the passage in the book. "Twilight's Rain is alive? How is that even possible?"
Never in all his years had he ever heard of such a thing. Sure, many ships were equipped with artificial intelligence, but for them to actually live?
He reached into his pocket and fingered the data drive. Perhaps it was time to look at the recording again. There must be something that they were missing.
Obi-Wan rose and began to search for an isolated room. It only took looking into three before he found the ideal one. Entering quickly, he closed the door, using the Force to make sure that no one was around.
He was long overdue to review the recording. He had meant to do it for some time; there was something about the whole episode on Endor that had bothered him. General Grievous had said that the ship would help them, and perhaps he was right. But why hadn't they been able to find this information on Twilight's Rain? Shouldn't its records have told the recipients how to work it?
And now that he thought about it, everything about Endor had been suspicious. If this information was so important, why was it on the ship just waiting for the next Jedi to find it? He could not believe that anyone would be so careless as to leave such sensitive information in so easily accessible a place.
Obi-Wan shook his head, attempting to clear his mind as he booted up the workstation. Hopefully, another peek at the recording would answer some of these questions.
It only took a moment to input the data device into the console. Seconds later, the face of General Grievous appeared.
The Jedi Master leaned close as he watched the video, the light of the display playing off of his face.
As soon as General Greivous began speaking about the Yangau, Obi-Wan felt a chill from the Force moving up his spine. Frowning, he rewound the video and watched.
What? Obi-Wan thought absently, releasing a slow breath as the recording played once again.
This Reductor was made almost a millennium ago by a very superstitious people who believed strictly in science, but abhorred 'magic'. They had no knowledge of the Force, so they feared it and did everything in their power to destroy those who wielded its power. The name of the civilization was Yangau.
They have not been heard from in many, many years although their technology was stumbled upon by the accursed Republic. They used it to make a cruise ship of all things. By using their technology, the Republic unknowingly connected the ship to the Yangau. We must find the ship before Lord Sidious learns that we no longer have the cure. The ship will lead us to the Yangau, and the Yangau will lead us to the cure.
Obi-Wan stopped the video and sat back in the chair, the cyborg's words whirling around in his head.
What if only part of what Grievous said was true? What if the general had given just enough truth to fool a slight check by the Force, but not an extensive scan?
"That should have been the first thing we did," Obi-Wan said grimly, silently cursing their oversight.
He rewound the tape again, this time closing his eyes and listening to the words through the Force.
This Reductor was made almost a millennium ago by a very superstitious people who believed strictly in science, but abhorred 'magic'. They had no… Force…so they did everything in their power to destroy those who wielded its power… the Yangau.
They have not been heard from in many, many years…. The ship will lead us to the Yangau, and the Yangau will lead us to the cure.
Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan stared, unseeing.
"The Reductor was made by a very superstitious people…" Obi-Wan murmured into the thick silence of the room. "They had no Force powers, so they destroyed everyone who wielded it. Were the Yangau the ones who were destroyed or the ones…" He did not finish the thought as he felt the Force stir.
"The Yangau were the ones destroyed by whoever created the Reductor," Obi-Wan said, squeezing bridge of his nose, feeling confirmation through the Force. "That's why they haven't been heard from in so long; they've been wiped out." But did that mean that the Yangau were strong with the Force as a race?"
It was rare, but not unheard of. There was actually one such race that was famous for its Force affinity…
Carefully detaching the drive from the console, he put it in his pocket.
"There has to be something here," Obi-Wan said finally, after a long pause, shaking his head. "This cannot be it! I cannot give up. The Force would not have led me here if it were a dead end. There must be something here."
It was much too early to give up hope. There were things he could yet do. He could see if the ship was indeed sentient. If it were alive, then it may yet be able to find its creators. There were other questions that begged to be answered. If it was sentient and could find its makers, why hadn't it already done so?
I guess there's only one way to find out, Obi-Wan thought as he exited the room. Time to go to the ship.
#*#*#*#*#
For the fourth time since boarding Twilight's Rain, Obi-Wan Kenobi wondered just who in the hell the Yangau truly were.
It was amazing… almost beyond words.
Upon entering, he began an extensive search, leaving not one room unexplored. What he found blew him away; the ship was not what it appeared. For one, the impression that it was a cruise ship was a fallacy. Whoever had received the ship had made extensive modifications. The initial structure had been built on; the true ship was only a quarter of the size of the massive vessel.
A new command center had been built, the one coming with the ship being dismissed and the door leading to the true ship, unmarked, effectively hiding the genuine nature of the ship.
Obi-Wan had stumbled upon this knowledge entirely by accident; he knew it had to have been the Force that revealed the truth of the ship to him.
He was only on the second floor of the lower levels when the handle of the door glinted, catching his eye. His initial inclination was to ignore it; it was obviously a janitor's closet. But he had determined in himself to leave no door unopened, so with a sigh and a turn of the knob, he entered.
As soon as he breached the hallway and his foot sunk into the thickness of the carpet, he knew that he had found it.
The hallway was made of crystal and lime. It was so beautiful that for a moment, all the Jedi Master could do was stare. The crystals vibrated and glowed, seemingly alive. The atmosphere was heavy, so much so that it seemed blasphemous to speak.
It was like something out of a fairy tale. There were strange designs all over the wall that at a glance looked to be nothing more than decoration, but after close examination, he could see they were actually writings all over the walls in beautiful flowing scripts. Lights on the ceiling twinkled and lit the hallway with a warm green light, illuminating his path.
As Obi-Wan traveled the hall, he could not help but gape in awe. Why the hell would anyone cover up this… magnificence? Who had commissioned for it to be built over? They were yet more questions in a seemingly endless sea of them.
It's no wonder we didn't find any information about the Yangau or Twilight's Rain. Obi-Wan thought as his gaze soaked up every detail of the ship. We were not in Twilight's Rain at all.
He had walked for several meters before he realized that the lights were acting strange. Every time he walked in a direction different from the light, it would grow brighter, as though demanding he come back.
Almost as though it's leading me somewhere, Obi-Wan thought in sudden comprehension. Frowning, he followed without deviating from the path again.
It led him deep into the bowels of the ship. Though not nearly as massive without its additions, Twilight's Rain was quite sizeable and clearly designated for living use. Many of the rooms led to luxurious suites furnished with huge beds and cooking units.
At several points, it took everything within him to remain on the path the lights were taking him. He saw some things that made his jaw drop and other things he was dying to explore. Once again, the enthusiasm was quite unbecoming of a Jedi.
I'll have time for that later, Obi-Wan thought longingly as he passed yet another interesting looking toy. For now, Anakin's health is more important.
Then, finally, the lights shut off in front of a door. The strange writing covered the door as well, but instead of blending into the wall as the others did, this writing was bold and bright, illuminating the hall as the light had before.
So, this is it. The command center of the ship. With a deep breath, Obi-Wan stepped to the door, which immediately opened, and walked through.
It was like treading into a sacred place. The silence was dense, the heaviness of the atmosphere almost palpable. The room was made of the same strange crystal, but it seemed even more alive now than before.
The Jedi Master twirled around as a sudden thump caught his attention. A light in the center of the room had snapped on, highlighting a display in the middle of the room.
The podium was made of lime that looked to have large, green, pulsing veins running through it all the way to the base. On top of it was a cluster of the same, living, vibrating crystals. At the heart of the display was an empty space.
Obi-Wan frowned as he moved closer.
It was gone. Whatever had been there before was gone.
"I think I understand now. They stole something from you, didn't they?" Obi-Wan murmured softly to the ship, placing a gentle hand on one of the crystals in the cluster. "Whatever was here, they stole it from you and you kicked them out for it. When they left, you didn't allow them to come back in. That's why they built on top of you. You gave them no choice. They couldn't get in."
He moved toward the wall and placed a hand there. It was warm to the touch.
"Is that why you are so silent? Whatever they stole from you must enable your sentience and when you lost it, you began to fade," Obi-Wan paused, rubbing his chin in thought. "It was a slow process though," He began to reason. " Even now, I can tell that you're not completely gone, only extremely weak. But before you lost all your strength, you struck out. That's why there were so many disasters. You were angry. They had taken your life, so you wanted to punish them.
"That's why no one could find you. You never allowed them to open the door." Obi-Wan paused and stepped back and spoke to the room. "But you allowed me in. Is it because you know I will help you get back to your Makers?"
The light above the display burned so brightly that, for a moment, he thought it would explode. It remained thusly for a moment, before fading slowly, leaving the room illuminated by the same warm green light.
Obi-Wan grinned broadly as he rubbed the wall. He didn't know whether he was being silly or not by stroking a ship, but it was alive! It had trusted him enough to allow him into its halls. For some reason, its belief humbled him, made him feel connected to ship.
They had a lead. All they had to do was find the thief and whatever had been stolen.
And now they had more information. They could search the records of the real ship and possibly even find someone who had worked onboard.
There was still much to do, but now, there was hope.
"Thank you, my friend," Obi-Wan murmured. "I promise you, my companions and I will do whatever is necessary to return what was lost. You have my word."
He felt a slight tremble go through his hands before the wall was still once again.
With a nod he stepped away and began to make his way out of the ship. There was so much to tell Anakin and Padmé—and for the first time, Obi-Wan was eager to do so.
End of Chapter 20: Please review. More reviews mean quicker updates. =]
Chapter 21: Help: Anakin receives help from an unwelcome source.
Dear Reader:
Sorry it took a month to update, writing this chapter was quite difficult. Now couple that with Darth 'Real Life' (as some of my friends like to say), and yeah… it was hard to get to this.
But I've gotten to it now! I'll try to update much more regularly from now on. The semester is still hectic and insane, but a smidgen less so, so I'll have more time to write.
ALSO, I'm changing the title of this fic again, (SORRY!) but no worries, it won't be painful. I've finally etched out all the details. This story will have three parts, but it will all be posted under this one story. I will be changing the name of this story to simply "The Chosen Triology." That's all the updates for now! Thank you to everyone who's stuck by me!
Also, I've started a new fic called "The Sith & the Senator". So, if you liked this fic please check that one out. Please review if you like it, I only need 6 more reviews for Chapter 2 to post again! Let's make it happen!
Thank you! =]
WrittinInStone
**Updated December 13, 2011**