Chapter 5: New Factors

Everything was falling apart.

For a moment, Viren had dared to hope, but now the box was gone and the girl out of his reach.

Or perhaps not.

It had taken far more rushing than Viren would have preferred, but he had tracked Hazel's location.

His findings, however, were not good.

From the shining military base, out in the middle of an endless expanse of green hills, poured such a Force presence that Viren knew without a doubt what lived inside.

Or, more correctly, who.

It was not what he had expected to find as their residence, but that was no doubt what the place served as.

And that was where Hazel was being kept.

Perhaps he could hone in on her mind, somehow make contact with her. Maybe together they could orchestrate her escape.

He was closing in, nearly there, just a step away...

Then she vanished.

o0o

The first thing Hazel saw was fire.

Her senses startled into overdrive, Hazel spun around and took in her surroundings. They couldn't have been any more different from Arebeddon. She stood on an island of charred rock, surrounded by gurgling lava, which ran in a stream and over a...lavafall? Then a cloaked figure, who had been practically invisible to Hazel, took a step towards her. Hazel's hand flew to her belt, only for her to realize with a curse that her lightsaber was still with the kriffing Fosh.

"Who are you?!" she demanded to know, readying herself to blast this guy into the lava if need be.

"I am your protector, your guardian if you will," the man said simply. His voice was quite low, and sounded strange...not quite like a human's, or maybe it was just Hazel's imagination. The man's face was completely hidden under his voluminous hood, so it was impossible to tell exactly what he was.

Hazel eyed him skeptically. "You must be a complete failure at your job then. I've been in all sorts of dangerous situations and you weren't around, so don't try to mystify me with such crazy talk."

"You May not have seen me, no, but that doesn't not mean I wasn't present, or involved in events," the so-called guardian replied.

"I didn't see, hear, smell, or in any other way sense you, so there is no way you can tell me you have actually done anything."

"Your lack of awareness of me does not prove that I have not been active in your life, even as I cannot prove that I have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Hazel.

"Nothing is certain, especially when you're talking about the Force. It is foolhardy to deny anything that is told to you without even considering its possibility. For instance, there are a great many things I could say about your life, which in my saying them would show you that I have, in the least, been watching. However, this is not the place. I will take you to my home and over a meal perhaps convince you of the truth of what I say."

"Don't count on it," said Hazel. "But anyways, how do you plan to get off this island? There aren't any shores within jumping distance and I see no vehicle. So unless you can fly, it looks like we're stranded here."

The cloaked man simply raised his arms, and the lava before them sizzled before forming into hard rock, in a path towards what appeared to be some sort of building.

"You would be surprised at how much the Force can do when one is properly in tune with it," he said before leading the way.

Hazel frowned. This guy did with seemingly no effort what she could only have dreamed of. Even with all her experimentation of what her powers could do, such control over the elements had always eluded her. It was more than a little off-putting seeing her own vast accomplishments put to shame so easily.

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Hazel, staring down at the seething liquid that bubbled just a little to either side of her.

"Completely. I have used this method many times over the decades I have spent here and never once has it failed me."

"Fine," Hazel growled as she slowly stepped forward. She could feel the heat oozing forth from the lava below and she couldn't help but imagine what would happen if a foot landed in it. Keeping her eyes set downwards, Hazel proceeded, carefully guiding each footstep to stay as close to the middle of the narrow bridge as she could.

During that slow journey, Hazel was able to think about recent events with a little more clarity. The box was still clenched in her left hand, thankfully. Guardian hadn't asked about it, which was also good. Then again, apparently he had been stalking Hazel, so he probably already knew just as much as she did about it. Perhaps he had answers to what it might be or how to open it. However, Hazel was going to make sure she could trust this guy before giving him any information. Just because he said he was driven to protect her, didn't mean that was true. People lied all the time, and while Hazel could normally tell when they were, this guy's obvious Force powers, combined with his totally hidden face, could easily have prevented Hazel from picking up on that.

"You are wise to be guarded about your secrets," the cloaked man said. "Even now there are those who have ill intent for you and for the crystal whose mysteries can only be solved by the device which you hold."

"Hold up. How did you know about all that? And how the Fosh did you know what I was thinking about?"

"Knowing things is a skill of mine. And you are not as difficult to read as you think you are."

"Kriff, you're as bad as that Viren guy. But anyways, who has ill intent for me? Viren? Uncle Jacien?"

"Unfortunately even my knowledge has a limit. But beware, even though I am unable to know how this person is, there is someone who seeks you harm. Someone who is even now using you to fulfill his plans. You must be watchful, and to trust no one."

"Yet you ask me to trust you," noted Hazel. "A little hypocritical if you ask me."

"I never told you to do that. I only give you the facts and let you decide what decision to make based on them," the guardian said in his deep, even voice as they neared the small, square building, which Hazel guessed was his house.

"Either that or you have made up a set of complete lies to make yourself seem more credible."

"I cannot deny the possibility. However, perhaps this show of faith will allow you to have more faith in me," he said as he reached a ledge and turned around. Then his arms raised to his hood and pulled it back to reveal a shining black mask. One that, even though Hazel cared very little about history, she recognized all too easily.

It was the face of Darth Vader.

A/N: Talicor, I hope you enjoy this portrayal of Guardian! Everyone else, you can find more of Guardian if you like in Talicor's stories Guardian and Echoes.

Oh! And the Fosh, Aelynn is also Talicor's. She can be found in various fics, including Tali's Sheep in Wolf's Clothing and Salt in the Wounds of Time.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave any feedback you have.