Inside Medical Detention Cell #3, Jedi Temple; 44 ABY
It. Had. Been. Four. Days. Vestara had trouble being alone for a single night, but never expected to have to go longer. Cilghal had visited her a few hours after Ben had left and explained the Council's decision to confine Ben. Because of her. The Mon Calamari hadn't said it explicitly, but Vestara had lived nearly her entire life in a culture that was built as much on what wasn't said as what was.
After the first twenty-four hours, she'd surrendered to the impulse to abuse the furniture. A particularly well landed kick had actually dented the side of a table. The healer hadn't been happy about that. But what could she do? She needed to get out, get him out, and leave. Things weren't going like they were supposed to. Whatever Abeloth had done, changed the future, changed it after they had seen it in the Pool.
The cell door opened, but Vestara knew that it wouldn't be Ben. It was Tekli with her midday meal. Josat had originally brought them, but he didn't feel comfortable around the former Sith apprentice and her wrath. Thus, the little Chadra-Fan had taken it upon herself to fulfill her apprentice's burden. It was her furry form that entered.
Knowing the first thing Vestara would ask, what she would always asked whenever someone opened the door, Tekli preempted her. "I don't know how much longer until you can see Ben, Ms. Khai."
The petite girl shot a particularly nasty glare at the diminutive healer. "I can't stay here forever, you must tell Master Skywalker that this is only making things worse."
"The Grand Master is aware of your sentiments, Ms. Khai, but you must know what we cannot accede to your request."
She wasn't sure what about it had caused her to snap. Tekli had said it as gently as possible, while still giving a genuine answer, but Vestara lunged at the Jedi Knight. Her hand wrapped around the thick furred neck, melted and warped into a pale tentacle. Ruby jeweled eyes blazed and narrowed. Her cheeks cracked and split, one side along her scar, giving her a menacing harlequin sneer that was unnatural and far too wide for any human. Jagged teeth lined the upper and lower jaw, drenched in saliva. Tekli, well trained under pressure, hit the emergency call button without hesitation. The whole wing switched over to red warning lights and a siren could be heard through the mostly-soundproofed cell.
"What have you done?" Vestara roared, snake-like tongue darting out past the razor canines. Her other, normally shaped hand, fisted in anger as the grip on the healer's neck tightened.
"Distress switch," Tekli squeaked.
Oh how she wanted to snap the Jedi's neck, how easy for this betrayal. The feeler tensed momentarily and then slackened. Ben would not want that. Vestara hissed before tossing Tekli into one of the chairs in the corner.
The analytical part of her mind took in the changes, increased physical strength would be useful. Perhaps this cell hadn't been intended to hold anything but normally proportioned humanoids. The other half of her cried out upon seeing the horror she'd become. The Abeloth-like features truly made her look monstrous. Had she still been with the Lost Tribe, not even her strength in the Force and family name would get her to any position of power.
That feeling of depression morphed into fury. Rearing back, the whip-like appendage smashed against the mirror. A thin crack ran from the center down to the lower right corner. Apparently these cells were better designed than she'd wished. It didn't matter, enough force would get through anything. That was when the Chadra-Fan spoke up.
"You can't break it, Ms. Khai, it's designed to take a full-grown Ramoan."
It was probably not the best time to draw attention to oneself. Vestara rounded on the Knight, seemingly gaining height in the process. "You have a way to open the door," she ground out, "if a patient trapped you in here."
Tekli bobbed her head. "I already did, the distress switch locks everything down and notifies the medcenter and masters."
Even without the Force, Vestara could tell the Jedi was telling the truth. She howled in anger, a multi-pitched scream, and hit the mirror a second time. The fracture was bigger this time.
"Vestara, can you hear me?" A voice called through the intercom, "You need to stop."
Vestara tried to look through the ruined mirror, but could only see her splintered face reflected back to her. "I'm tired of listening, you all just ignore me!" She snarled.
"If you don't calm down, we're going to have to knock you out. You don't want us to do that, do you?"
Vestara strode over to Tekli and could hear it starting before she'd made it halfway across the room. Coma gas was being pumped in through the air vents. Knowing that time was now of the essence, Vestara jumped atop her bed and launched herself bodily at the mirror. It buckled and broke with a snap that sent shards exploding outward. Past the sill, she hurled into Cilghal, who had been standing directly behind it.
Reacting with split-second timing, despite the Force-free environment, The Mon Calamari rolled and had her lightsaber out in a flash. Emerald saber in hand, she rose to a guard position. "Don't do anything foolish, Vestara."
"Where's Ben, Master Cilghal?" Vestara asked in a sing-song voice and took a step forward.
"You need to calm down, child."
Vestara's tentacle arm wrapped around one of the larger chunks of reflective glass and sent it flying at the Jedi Master. Cilghal twisted away from the projectile, turning back just in time to see Vestara's retreating shape turn the corner.
Grand Master's Office, Jedi Temple; 44 ABY
The alarm came in just as he was finishing a call to Leia and Han. They were both concerned for Ben, the later still holding a hefty grudge against the Sith girl. The siren had been a suggestion by Tekli if they expected to capture any of the remnants of the Lost Tribe scattered across the galaxy, just in case one escaped. As he knew they had only one detainee, the alarm gave him a pretty good idea what was going on. Somehow, the girl had gotten out, most likely subduing Tekli in the process, as someone needed to have sounded the alert. It was, after all, time for her food. Luke had known that the girl's temper had gotten worse since they'd separated her and Ben, but to get the drop on the Jedi's adjunct healer would have taken skill. He sincerely hoped that Tekli hadn't been hurt.
He got to the upper seating pod in the main convocation chamber in time to see the end of the fight. A half dozen Knights and Padawans had surrounded Vestara. Somehow the girl, though 'girl' didn't quite fit the appearance anymore, had gotten a hold of a lightsaber. It's gilded shaft reflected the emerald blade brilliantly as it dipped and weaved in between the others. Vestara pin-wheeled backwards catching one of the Jedi around the ankle with her rope-like arm. Pulling sharply, the Twi'lek Knight fell back, knocked unconscious on the ground. The others fell back to protect her, but that gave Vestara a chance to bring her Force powers to bear. Lavender lightning crackled to life.
Luke hadn't seen Force Lightning of such concentration since his last fight with the Emperor. It pushed the Jedi defenders back. The assault broke off and a repulse wave knock them all off their feet.
Lightsaber now deactivated, Vestara ran past the stunned Jedi and slipped through the east entrance. Having been too high to be any help, Luke realized where she was heading and it was not good news. He only hoped he'd get there first.
Ben Skywalker's Quarters, Jedi Temple; 44 ABY
He was feeling drained, they'd run near-constant tests on him over the past four days. The tests themselves weren't that bad, none were invasive, but they all had failed to uncover anything substantive about his change. The problem, and he'd brought it on himself by agreeing to it, was his confinement. They had prevented him from seeing Vestara. Knowing how poorly she'd taken that first night alone, he could only imagine what state she was in now.
Ben, leaning over his wash basin, looked up into his own eyes. He still hadn't gotten used to them. They still made the others uncomfortable, too reminiscent of Abeloth. He wondered what the siren was for, as he couldn't sense anything. His room had been surrounded by Ysalamiri to forestall anything rash on his part. Drying his face with a plush towel, he went back to his dataport.
The sound had startled him, his door was knocked inward off its hinges. He spun quickly and immediately thought he was hallucinating. Standing in his doorway over his unconscious guard, looked to be an Abeloth-Vestara hybrid. Jerking back, Ben fell to the ground.
"It's me, Ben," she cooed, "I've come to get you out."
"Ves? Is that you?" Ben couldn't believe his eyes. He'd known the Pool showed them taking on Abeloth's traits, but he hadn't expected to see it so soon.
"Of course it's me," as much as a ear-to-ear grin could look hurt, hers did, "I don't know why I changed, I kind of expected to see you different when I came, actually."
The voice echoed, as if more than one being had spoken the words. Taking her outstretched tentacle, he pulled himself to his feet and looked around the wreckage that had formerly been his entranceway. "You couldn't knock?" He asked with a lopsided smile, levity his only way to ease the tension, "I might not have been decent, you know."
Vestara's eyes, now dark and hooded, rolled. "Ben. Abeloth. Future."
"My Dad once said he didn't like it when I could win an argument without verbs." Ben sniggered and he grabbed his lightsaber and cloak.
"Still don't."
They both turned, knowing the voice well. Standing just beyond the threshold to Ben's room was Luke. His lightsaber humming in his hand, the alarm had droned out his approach. Vestara twisted around, barring her needle-teeth, and coiled her tendril-arm protectively around Ben.
"Dad, please . . . "
"Ben, back away from her. Stand down, Vestara, and no one gets hurt." Luke said, lifting his blade. Even without the Force, a lightsaber was a potent weapon.
"No." It was firm, and Ben stepped directly between his father and girlfriend. "We've tried to get you to understand, but it's obviously not working."
"You know I can't do what you've asked of me, Ben."
Ben sighed and as one he and Vestara turned and ran to the window. "Then, I am sorry," he said, wrapping one arm around Vestara's waist, they angled their lightsabers to shatter the transparasteel. They dived headfirst out the newly created escape route. Vestara's tentacle curled and licked parapets and outcroppings as they fell along the sloped wall, helping to further slow the descent they were already using the Force to abridge now they were outside the Ysalamiri field.
Luke was at the window opening in a flash, but could do nothing in time to stop his son and Vestara. He watched them glide down. Unable to feel it, he knew the Force power to slow a fall from this height enough to survive was massive. He wasn't sure he could do it on his best day. All he could hope for now would be for one of the Masters to intercept them. Anyone less and they wouldn't stand a chance.
Jedi Temple Courtyard, Shedu Maad; 44 ABY
Octa Ramis and Seha Dorvald paced the perimeter of the Temple. Knowing what the warning siren meant, they were the Order's last defense should the Vestara girl make it past the others. The shattering window drew both their eyes, and they could see two distant figured falling out of one of the dormitory windows. What made them both pause, however was what the sensed in the Force. Like vortexes of energy, the two seemed to drawn in an unimaginable amount to slow their drop.
Octa didn't understand who the second person was until they were closer to the ground. She and Seha raced to their landing point. The Sith must have taken Ben hostage. "Hurry, we must stop them," she called, igniting her blade on the run.
The impact split the granite causeway with a multitude of spider-web cracks. The two teenagers winced in pain, and Ben faltered as if his ankle had been sprained. Octa and Seha came to a stop a few meters away and raised their sabers in a guard position. "Release Ben, and you won't get hurt."
"Stand aside, and you won't get hurt," Vestara said, raising her stolen blade. "We're leaving."
"I'm afraid," Ben grimaced in pain as he hesitantly put pressure on his ankle, "that she's right, Master Ramis, we are leaving."
"You leave us no choice," Seha said. "We must stop you."
All four moved at once, sabers of blue and green weaving baskets of light and death. Seha took the high attack, while Master Ramis hit low. Vestara pirouetted under Seha's soaring slash and met Octa's blade with vigor. Tentacle trailing behind, it hooked around the Jedi Knight's calf and forced her to tumble away from Ben's lightsaber upswing.
Octa used a targeted Force thrust to unbalance Ben, making him choose between a follow-up attack on Seha and risk putting pressure on his injured ankle or to backpedal, he chose the latter. She was prevented from a follow-up of her own when Vestara broke the lightsaber lock and sent a bolt of Force Lightning toward her. Catching the electricity on her blade, Octa called over to Seha. "You okay?"
Coming up from a summersault, Seha launched herself at Ben, still getting his balance back from the Force push. "Fine. Fast, aren't they?"
Ben blocked the vertical strike. "Right here, you know," he huffed.
"Indeed," Octa said. Vestara abandoned the lightning for a saber attack, and the Jedi Master flipped over her, robe just barely singed by Vestara's roundhouse as she sailed over and landed beside Seha. Together, they quickly forced Ben back. With another puff that sounded suspiciously like 'women,' he went into full defense.
Vestara launched another barrage of lightning at Master Ramis' back, only to have her side-step it and let Ben take the full brunt. She knew immediately what the trap had been, but couldn't undo what she'd done, only hope Ben could defend himself. He barely was able to force his and Seha's locked lightsabers in the path before the energy struck home, and ducked Ramis' next thrust. "Not nice," he murmured. She was about to jump back in the fight when she felt what Ben was about to do and instead chose to distract Ramis with a Force shove.
At the same time, Ben had focused on his own repulse, through this one more of a wave than a specific drive. Both Jedi were knocked back, Seha landed at Vestara's feet. The stolen lightsaber flicked and was at the Knight's throat before she could recover. Seha closed her eyes and prepared for the end. Instead, she felt Ben run up to them and grab Vestara's sword hand, pushing it back down. "No, we're not killing," he said in a firm undertone, "Besides, we need to get out of here before the others get out here."
Seha could see the conflict in Vestara's crimson eyes, as if she genuinely wanted to flick her wrist further in a decapitating arc, but Ben's words seemed to get through and she thumbed the deactivation switch. She titled her head towards him. "You're just lucky you're cute," She said and kicked Seha's lightsaber away.
As the two fugitive Force users fled, Seha slumped to the gravel walkway. Master Ramis had been knocked unconscious by Ben's last attack, so she alone didn't stand a chance against those two. Still, she thought, won't be heard to track them with Force signatures that strong. As if on cue, the dark and light pulses that marked Vestara and Ben winked out.
Author's Note: Well, you probably guessed something like this was coming when they locked Ben up. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but picture Vestara as having a mouth like one of the symbiotes from Spider-Man.
I did want to include Seha Dorvald in this story, I did like her being in both the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series, she seemed like a character who will go on to bigger and better things. Unfortunately, I really wasn't able to discern her current relationship with Octa Ramis. By the time of FOTJ, Seha is a Jedi Knight, but it had kind of been implied in the series that Ramis is still her master. I purposely worded the interactions so it can be read either way.