Star Wars Book One: Force
Chapter 5: Vows
Escape trajectory from Planet Kurlik, Avanosh System, Outer Rim
The freighters powerful engines drove it through the rapidly diminishing atmosphere, powering towards the infinite void of space. In the cockpit, Lin struggled with the controls, never having to put the ship through the kind of stress it was currently experiencing. Not long after clearing the spaceport, scanners had picked up a squadron of TIE fighters on an intercept trajectory. Lin had ordered Mako and Bolin into the guns on the ventral and dorsal sides of the main flight deck, and even now she could hear the screech of the heavy lasers as they spat sapphire bolts into the enemy formation.
"Got one! I got one!" Bolin whooped, his target currently an expanding ball of burning gas and debris.
"Nice shot bro, keep it up!" Mako encouraged, just as the ship shook from another hit, emerald green lasers slamming into the deflector shields.
Lin was not in such good spirits.
"Do you have any idea where we're going?" she demanded from Tenzin, who had just joined them in the cockpit.
"Anywhere that's not here would do right now!"
Lin whirled on him, her frustration boiling over, "That doesn't help!"
Asami, who had taken the role as Lin's co-pilot, joined the argument. "Do you know anywhere that's off the beaten track? Some backwater somewhere far, far away from the Empire?"
Lin turned her attention back to piloting their way into deep space, fighting with the controls to outmanoeuvre the Imperial fighters.
"There's one place I know about. I've never been there but it's as isolated as you can get."
Tenzin put his hand on Lin's shoulder. "That sounds perfect."
Suddenly the scanner warbled an alarm. Two new signatures had just showed up on the screen. Big signatures. Lin visibly paled.
"Kriff! We've got two Star Destroyers closing in!"
Frantically, she input the coordinates of their destination into the ships navicomputer. Another alarm went off, signalling that the rear deflector shield was nearing collapse.
"On my mark Asami." Lin ordered, reaching for the hyperdrive control. Asami mirrored her, her hand gripping the lever.
Lin tugged on the flight controls with her free hand, aligning the freighter with its destination. All the while, the Star Destroyers advanced towards them.
"Lin those Star Destroyers are almost in range to use their tractor beams!" Tenzin said, his voice strained with worry.
"Almost there…" Lin muttered distantly.
"We have to wait Tenzin." Asami began to explain. "A blind hyperspace jump is one of the worst things you could possibly do."
Tenzin glance back at the scanner. It showed fifteen seconds until the capital ships were in range.
The navicomputer beeped, ready to throw the ship into hyperspace at a moment's notice.
"Now Asami!" Lin yelled triumphantly.
Pulling back on the control, the two women engaged the freighters hyperdrive. With a high pitched whine, the system spooled up to full power, the stars before them distorting into streaks of pure white brilliance before, with a jolt of acceleration, giving way to the murky blue maelstrom of hyperspace.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Tenzin took a seat at the tertiary control station, just behind the main pilot's station, running a hand over his shaved head. That had been too close. Looking up, he saw that Lin was still hard at work, monitoring for any sign of pursuit, while Asami had basically collapsed into her chair, clearly not used to the stress of evading an Imperial interdiction.
"Asami, go and rest. There's a rec room down the corridor, second door on the right." Lin said, not looking away from her task. "Tenzin and I have to talk."
Asami looked between her and Tenzin, then without a word she stood and left the cockpit. It was just the two adults now.
"So what is this place you spoke of? Where is it?" Tenzin inquired.
"It's a dust ball of a world in the Arkanis sector, a long way from here. Tatooine I think it's called."
Rec Room, En Route to Arkanis Sector
Asami threw herself down into the booth closest to the door, leaning back into the fine upholstery with an explosive sigh. She'd grown up around ships, becoming a damn good pilot and engineer in the process, but nothing could have prepared her for a real fight. She thought back on the events of the last couple of days. She had gone from the heiress of one of the largest companies in known space, one of the most important military contractors in the Empire, to a 'collaborator'. The Empire really like their labels.
Not that Asami really cared. She had always held great concern for the role her father's company had in the suffering of the untold trillions under Imperial rule. The TIE series fighters they produced had become a symbol of oppression and the unimaginable tyranny of the Emperor. In truth, she was glad to be rid of it all. In a strange way, being on the run from the Empire had brought her a great sense of liberty, a chance to live life by her own rules, not the old traditions she had been expected to follow back on Kurlik.
Deep in thought, Asami failed to realise she was not alone in the room.
Korra was sat at a dejarik table in the far right corner, her arms folded, resting on the table, her head bowed. It all seemed so surreal to her. Had she really thrown that man, an Inquisitor Tenzin had called him, across the room? She was still coming to terms with the very idea if the Force, and then she manages to tap into it in sheer desperation. It scared her. Not the Force itself, but the implications of her connection to it. She had no idea if she could control her power, if she was able to restrain herself.
She was scared of losing control and hurting the people she cared about.
They were all that she had. Ever since the Empire took her parents from her she had almost always been with Mako and Bolin. They had taken her in when they had nothing themselves, and she had grown to love them as if they were her family. The thought of harming them in any way was terrifying. Right there she made a vow. No matter what happens, wherever their path may take them, Korra would do all that she could to master her abilities, and use the Force to protect her friends.
She started at the sound of Asami's voice.
"You ok Korra?" she began, sitting down opposite her. "You look like something's really bothering you."
Korra smiled. She had only known her for a day and she could already tell that she and Asami were going to become good friends.
"I'm ok, thanks for asking." She said. "Just thinking about all this Force business."
"I know what you mean." Asami sighed. "All my life I was raised around technology and only heard stories about the old Jedi. I never thought they actually existed until Tenzin showed up. It's like finding out your favourite fairy tale actually happened."
"It's not that." Korra said her gaze dropping to the table. "Back in the docking bay I think I did something. That Inquisitor was about to kill Tenzin and I just reacted. I…. I think I threw him across the bay with the Force."
"That is precisely what you did Korra."
Korra and Asami both turned at the sound of Tenzin's voice. Standing in the doorway, he had a hard look on his face, his gaze directed at Korra.
"You tapped into the Force in your desperation. Your connection is more powerful than I originally thought."
He made his way to the table, standing between the two women. His expression softened.
"It would seem that I underestimated you. I now believe that we should begin your training as soon as possible."
Korra jumped to her feet, her face the image of determination.
"When do we start?"
Tenzin was a little taken aback. He wasn't expecting such enthusiasm from someone who had just performed an act they, until recently, though impossible.
"As soon as we can gather the necessary equipment, and secure an area large enough to perform the required exercises."
Korra nodded, eager to begin. Tenzin could sense her fear however, and he could sympathise. He had felt the same when his master had revealed the nature of the Force to him, all those years ago.
"I'll talk to Lin and see if we can use the cargo hold. There should be enough space there for our needs."
Tenzin turned and walked out the door. Korra sighed, her shoulders slumping. Sitting back down at the dejarik table, she put her head in her hands.
"You'll get a handle on this Korra." Asami began, putting her hand on her shoulder. "You seem like the strong type."
Korra smiled. It felt good to know someone had so much faith in her. Even if it was someone she had only just met.
"How about a game to take your mind off things?" she continued. "Have you ever played dejarik before?"
Cockpit, En route to Arkanis Sector
Tenzin once again entered the cockpit, intent on obtaining Lin's permission to begin the long process of shaping Korra into a guardian of the Light Side. As he walked through the door, Lin turned in her seat to face him, a smirk decorating her features.
"You can forget about those Star Destroyers, they didn't even get a lock on us before we jumped."
Tenzin allowed himself a moment to rejoice. Against all odds, they had escaped the clutches of the Empire. It felt good to outsmart and outmanoeuvre such a monolithic foe.
"That is excellent news. I'm glad you're in such a good mood. I have a favour to ask."
At that Lin's smirk faltered.
"I wish to use the ship's cargo hold to train Korra. It is the only place on board that has the space and equipment needed to properly instruct her in the ways of the force."
"Sure."
Tenzin blinked. That had been much easier than her had expected.
"Sure?"
"Yeah why not?" Lin replied. "I've seen you in action, I know what the Force is. Just don't tear open a bulkhead."
With that she turned back to the console, monitoring their progress towards their destination.
Tenzin simply shrugged and turned to leave. Before he could open the door however, Lin spoke up again.
"What do you plan on doing once we reach Tatooine?"
Tenzin paused. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Until now he had been focused on escaping the Empire.
He turned around, his gaze meeting Lin's.
"I honestly don't know Lin. I suppose we will have to go into hiding for a while. I will occupy myself with training Korra, but I have no idea what to do with the others."
Lin leaned back in her seat. "I guess I'll need to lay low as well. The Empire will have me labelled as a collaborator like the rest of you."
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this Lin." Tenzin said. "It was not my intention."
Lin just waved him off. "Don't worry about it. This is more exciting than a few trade runs anyway."
Tenzin nodded, happy that things were so civil between the two of them.
"So how've you been since we last met?" Lin asked, changing the subject.
Star Destroyer Equaliser, Orbiting Planet Kurlik
Amon stalked down the corridor, marching towards his quarters. He was in no mood for interruptions. More than once he had sent an officer running with a withering glare, the threat of imminent death always guaranteed when in his presence. The Jedi's presence had been unexpected, unprecedented even. How he had managed to hide from him Amon had no idea. The thought unnerved him. If Tenzin could teach that ability to his new padawan, his job would become much more difficult.
And Lord Vader does not tolerate failure.
He arrived at his quarters. Taking position in front of the holoterminal, he braced himself for his master's reaction to his failure. With a low whine, Lord Vader's image once again materialised over the emitter.
"Lord Amon. I sense that you have much to report."
His head bowed, Amon supressed a shiver at the tone of the Sith Lord.
"Unfortunately, my lord, the girl was able to escape my grasp with the assistance of a Jedi Knight."
"I am well aware of the situation. My spies have already passed their findings to me."
Amon braced himself. He waited to feel his throat tighten from Lord Vader's will. He waited to feel his wrath invade his mind and reduce him to a quivering mass on the floor, his mind broken and his body beyond his control.
What happened next shocked him.
"Your objective has now changed. You are now to hunt down these rebels, wherever they may run, and eliminate them. Now that the girl is in the company of a trained Jedi, she will not turn to the Dark Side willingly. She must be destroyed. This is my master's command."
Amon was dumbstruck. Not only had Lord Vader brushed off his failure, an act that was completely unheard of, he had entrusted him with the will of the Emperor himself. Why? He had failed to deliver the girl to him, and now she was most likely being trained as a Jedi. She could become one of the greatest threats to the Empire, and all because he had let her slip through his grasp.
"The Jedi was an unforeseen complication." Lord Vader began. "You cannot be faulted for failing to sense his presence. Despite your power, you still have not fully grasped the true power of the Dark Side. I am giving you this chance for redemption because I believe that you may yet master your abilities."
Amon relaxed, the promise of his demise passing from his thoughts. Raising his head to look directly at the hologram, he made his vow.
"The will of the Emperor will be done my lord. I shall not fail you again."