A/N 1: Okay, wow, it's been a while, I know. My life, for the past three months, has been a roller coaster, and I've had struggles on many fronts, one of them being unable to sit down and write to my heart's content.

Anyway, now that I've put all of that behind me, I'm sure I can manage more frequent uploads. The next ones will NOT take this long, I guarantee.

Special mention to ThunderSphinx for the amount of interest you've displayed, alongside concern. It's truly appreciated. Keep reading and reviewing, my friend

Also, beta cookies to Anand891996. Thanks, mate :D

Replies to reviews:

ob1292: I'm not giving the Sith any extra powers. All of these, and much more powerful abilities have been utilized in Legends/EU.

Guest: Dude. The ENTIRETY of the 3rd and 4th Chapters have been dedicated to specifying why Anakin's rank was upgraded to Supreme Commander from Jedi General. I don't understand how you missed that. Please re-read those chapters. It's all right there. Also, there's a difference between 'Commander' and 'Supreme Commander'.

Edit (13/1/2018)

Guest: Hutts are hermaphrodites. They reproduce asexually, and can 'change' their gender at will. Please check your facts before stating things like 'You screwed up'.

As always, please review and let me know what you like/dislike and if there's anything you'd like to read about in my story. PM with your queries. I'd love to answer them.

May The Force Be With You. Always.

Chapter 8

(Tython, Jedi Temple Training Grounds)

Commander Rex stuffed the Datapad containing the Mission details into his pack as he walked down the steps at the entrance of the Jedi Temple. Slinging the pack over his back, he surveyed the squad of Troopers assembled in front of him, stacking up on weaponry and performing final checks. They had been briefed with the mission details an hour ago, and everyone knew their part well.

This was going to be the first ever direct confrontation after the Jedi resettled on Tython.

Discontent and anger amongst the Flesh Raiders had been on the rise ever since the Jedi started reclaiming lands belonging to them a few months ago, but they had been wary enough to never attack directly, being well aware of what the Jedi were capable off. Still, the number of skirmishes was on the rise as the more and more land was being scouted and reclaimed, prompting the native species into action. Now, they had brought a bulk of their force to the Jedi Forge and almost slaughtered the entire Trooper squad stationed outside it, forcing the Jedi to plan a strike mission in order to retake one of the most holy lands to the Order.

Hence, the Tython's Gauntlet was to retake the Forge by force at the break of dawn. A team of Jedi were also following as backup if needed, but, given the training the Clones had been put through, it was deemed not necessary to send a Jedi with the forward assault squad.

Holstering his blaster pistols after checking their barrels, Rex turned to the squad.

"Alright, men, we fly out in five minutes. The transport will drop us right at the entrance to the Forge, as we believe the Flesh Raiders don't have any anti-air weaponry. Expect heavy fire as soon as we land, and be wary. These monsters look like dumb brutes, but they have enough ability to lay traps and squeeze a trigger faster than they can think. Helmets on, and set your frequency channel to 3."

The troopers responded with an affirmative and there were multiple clicks as the helmets slotted into space. They slung their equipment across their backs and jogged to the two LAAT/i transports waiting some distance away, engines on the ready.

Ten minutes of flying later, Rex hailed the squad over the comlink and summarized the mission details.

"…Finally, Delta and Omega squads are on Assault and melee. Switch on my command. Keep your channels open at all times. Got it?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Alright, men, time to show these brutes who they're messing with."

There were no sounds of an imminent battle of any kind as the transport landed in front of the Forge's entrance. The troopers disembarked immediately and took up position to return fire as planned, but, to their amazement, the clearing, all the way up to the staircase leading up to the Jedi Forge chamber, was empty. There were signs of inhabitants, but it looked like they had cleared out.

"What, did we catch them by surprise, or did they beat a retreat when they found out we were coming?"

"Not sure, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Shall we do a scan for life forms, Sir?"

"No, that's pointless here. Apparently the Force flows so thickly here, it distorts scans. You'll just end up seeing life forms everywhere. Still, keep your guard up and move forward. Team 2, you stay here and provide cover if necessary", Rex said.

"Cover? From what?"

"I'm not sure, but there's something off. I can't quite put my finger on it. Forward squad, move out!"

The troopers immediately sprang into action. Squad 2 took up sniper position at the entrance, while Squad 1 ran out into the clearing, triggers on the ready, in a tight circle. Rex himself led from the front, keeping his eyes open for any movement, while moving towards the Forge itself.

It happened when they were halfway to the clearing. That's when it hit Rex, and that's exactly when all hell broke loose.

"The ground… There was supposed to be grass here! It's too barren and uneven", he said, realization hitting him. "It's a trap! Scan the ground for heat–"

Before he could complete the sentence, figures rose out of the ground in all directions. The Flesh Raiders, given their tough skin and animalistic nature, could bury beneath grounds and hide inside for long periods, and they had used this ability of theirs to the fullest extent, burying a bulk of their forces.

"Oh, Shit."

"Open fire!"

"Watch your backs!"

"There's too many of them! To the- *Ack*"

"Shit, we've got three troopers down!"

If not for his recent training at the hands of the Jedi and the years of experience under Anakin Skywalker's unconventional form of leadership that granted him the ability to think on his feet, Rex would've been unable to stop this massacre.

Hence, without losing his cool, he yelled directions to the troops all the while dodging and returning fire.

"Troopers on the outside, get low and spread out! Use the holes dug up by them for cover! Squad 2, take out as many of them as you can and clear us a path back to you. Delta, Omega, switch to melee and force them back!"

Within the span of a minute, the situation that was ideally a slaughter, evened out. The Flesh Raiders still had huge numbers, but the clones outweighed them massively in skill.

"We might actually be able to pull through. No one seems to be panicking and these things are easy targets because of how slow they are", Rex thought, rolling away from the line of fire of a blaster. He came up on one knee, turned and shot the brute right through his head, not even wasting a second before moving on to the next target.

If it was one thing he had learnt under Commander Skywalker, it was that never test your luck. The instant he thought it was going to work out, the Flesh Raiders sprung their next surprise.

Rex heard the distinct thrum of a lightsaber being activated and rotated on the spot to locate the source of the noise, thinking the Jedi backup had arrived. He however, felt his hackles rise as he saw a massive seven foot tall Raider stand with a saber in one hand and lift a trooper into the air and smash him into a tree using the Force.

"Bloody hell… That thing is a Force wielder!"

"Sir, this is Boss! Niner and I will hold him off. Rest of you, retreat! There's a path clear to the entrance now!"

"No! That's suicide!", Rex shouted.

"Commander, that thing will slaughter us if we stay out here. It's the only way!"

Rex knew they were right and nodded to them. He watched as the duo ran up to the Force-wielding Flesh Raider and engaged it in melee combat. Between their enhanced clone commando abilities and training, alongside their experiences together, they proved skillful enough to make the beast have to focus its attention on them, halting its advance. It even grunted in pain when Boss found an opening and slammed his vibroblade into the beast's chest.

Covering the clones who were falling back, Rex retreated as fast as he could, knowing that there were still too many Raiders for them to take out. Making Squad 2 cover his retreat, he turned and ran to the entrance, all the while shooting at any Flesh Raiders trying to get a shot at the two clone commandos fighting the lightsaber-wielding beast.

He was almost at the entrance when it happened. Bleeding in two locations, the beast roared furiously and slammed Niner with a Force blast in the chest at point blank range. The said clone flew fifteen meters backward and slammed into the ground, unconscious before he came to a rest. Without having a teammate, Boss was suddenly overwhelmed. Having the pressure of two opponents taken away, the beast now far outclassed the remaining clone in terms of strength and let loose a powerful smash with the saber. Boss stumbled as he caught the blow on his blade. Without a moment of hesitation, the Flesh Raider kicked out and sent his sprawling, his weapon clattering out of his hand.

Sensing victory, the beast reared its head and bellowed, standing tall above the prone clone struggling to get to his feet.

"NO!"

A moment later, the beast swung its lightsaber at Boss's neck.

Before the saber could connect, however, Boss flew backwards, as if on a zip line and landed near where Niner was still unconscious, and the saber plunged into the earth. All sounds of battle ceased in amazement as a figure seemed to almost fall out of the sky right between the saber-wielding Flesh raider and the two clones.

"Jedi…", the beast spat.

"Hey Ugly! Strictly ability-wise, why don't you pick on someone your own size?", the figure said, igniting a gray lightsaber.

"Commander Skywalker…"

"Rex, get Boss and Niner out of here. I'll handle this one and then lead the assault. Squad 2, stay where you are and provide cover. All of you remaining clones, back me up and charge! FOR THE REPUBLIC!"

The clones roared in approval and ran out, blasting everything that stood in their path as they took up spots wherever they could find cover. Anakin's command usually bolstered the spirit of every troop under his command, primarily because of his Force-enhanced charisma and also due to his effective tactics. His powerful presence served as a morale booster for his troops.

Anakin himself strode towards the saber-wielding Flesh Raider, casually batting any bolts fired his way back at their respective owners. The beast roared and charged, swinging the saber in a two-handed grip from above its head, looking to cleave the Jedi in half. Anakin effortlessly side-stepped and swung his saber upwards, cutting the beast's hands right off, before following it up with a Force-enhanced punch that sent the Flesh Raider sprawling. The beast's saber skittered a few meters away and shut off when it fell out of its grip.

"That was a lousy display. Can't see what all the fuss was about", Anakin stated blandly, before slamming the beast's head with a Force blast, knocking it out. With that handled, he straightened up, surveying the scene around him.

There were still a large number of Raiders around, shooting at the Clones near the entrance, but they seemed to be making a last ditch effort. The Clones were making a stand on their own, not losing numbers anymore, and advancing slowly.

Seeing their "ultimate weapon" go down at the hands of the Jedi, about a dozen or so Flesh Raiders around him snarled, dropping their blasters and pulling out training sabers and vibroblades, and rushed him from all directions.

Having observed Delta and Omega fight them from a distance, he realized these natives had barely any technique and just relied on their brute strength to try and bludgeon their opponent. His observation proved true, as they just blindly rushed him, hoping to get a hit in amidst all the commotion.

Fighting a Jedi Knight or Master in melee combat was usually the most stupid and suicidal idea in the Galaxy. Owing to their enhanced senses and abilities, along with battle precognition, they were almost unbeatable, unless someone got lucky or was a Force-user. Neither of which these particular Raiders were.

Anakin sheathed his saber, and noted the distances between him and the oncoming opponents. He wanted to get this battle over quickly and with as less loss of life as possible, and having witnessed the low morale of the enemy, he realized their wills would break if another show of power was made. He preferred to not kill anyone, forget all of them.

Raising his right hand, he concentrated the Force in his fist, almost to the point of rupture, and then slammed it downwards. The ball collided with the earth and exploded, sending a wave of force outwards with him as the epicenter. The wave neatly slammed into every single onrushing Flesh Raider and threw them twenty feet backwards, knocking them out.

The explosion and the wave caught everyone's attention, and the shooting ceased as everyone took in the scene. The remaining few Flesh Raiders immediately backed up and fled as fast as they could, seeing a bulk of their forces effortlessly ragdolled by a single opponent.

"Let them go. They're beaten, and they know it. It was a last ditch effort and even though it cost us good men, I'm sure this will be the last time. They'd dare not go up against us anymore.", Anakin said, signaling the clones to stand down.

"Damn it. We lost a lot of good soldiers today. Those beasts don't deserve to live for what they did."

"I understand, Rex. Still, hunting a species to extinction is not the solution. I'm confident they will not interfere with our activities anymore."

"I understand, Sir."

"Anyway, how are Boss and Niner?"

"Niner's still unconscious and is suffering from a few broken ribs, a shattered collarbone and trauma due to a head injury. He needs medical care, and I've already signaled for his extraction. Boss has a mild concussion, but he's okay, and is with the remaining Commando squads."

"Alright. How many men did we lose?"

"Too many. Eight casualties from Squad 1, and two from Squad 2. If not for you, Commander, I fear it would've been way more."

"It was a mistake on the part of the Jedi in charge of this operation to not send Jedi alongside your team. I hurried over as soon as I was informed that you had departed without one."

"Yeah, never hurts to have an almost unbeatable being on your side.", Rex said.

Anakin cracked half a smile and turned to the unconscious Flesh Raiders. A few of them were stirring, but none had gotten up.

"Rex, with me. We need to restrain that Force sensitive Flesh Raider. There's something off about it. This species is not supposed to be able to wield the Force, at all."

Pistols in hand, Rex walked alongside Anakin to where the comatose Raider lay. Anakin lifted it up using the Force after slapping on binders on what was left of it's forearms, while Rex picked up the fallen lightsaber gingerly.

"Alright, I've got my own speeder that I rode on my way here. I need to take this one to the Temple. You get all your men out of here and get them checked up for injuries. You all need your rest."

"Copy that, Sir. I'll report for debriefing in four hours and send you a report."

"Take care, Rex ol' boy.", Anakin said as he made his way to his speeder parked some distance downhill from the entrance, all the while towing the floating body.

After dumping the Flesh Raider unceremoniously into the BARC speeder's side car, he hit the ignition and sped off towards the Temple, brows furrowed in thought.

It was a matter of consternation, as Flesh Raiders were not supposed to be able to wield the Force, as far as he had read about them. The SCARS had never encountered a single Force wielding being apart from the Jedi on Tython either. The way the Force flowed through the Flesh Raider also felt off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it didn't seem natural, the way the beast had wielded the Force.

Anakin felt there was more to it than met the eye.

"Another Council meeting, then. This is important, and a little more knowledge might light our way if we jointly investigate it."

He switched his wrist communicator on and hailed Obi-Wan.

"Anakin? How did the mission go?"

"It was much more serious than we anticipated, Master. I have some rather disturbing news. Please call the Council into session an hour from now."

"That serious?", he paused. Not waiting for a reply, he continued "Alright. Are you okay, though? And the clones?"

"I'm alright. We lost quite a few troopers, but the majority made it through."

"Damn it, that wasn't supposed to happen. Alright, get back to the Temple. I will see you within the hour. Obi-Wan out."

The sun rose steadily into the sky as Anakin opened the throttle on his speeder, gunning it in the direction of the Temple. This was going to be a long day, he could feel it.

(Concordia, Mandalore's moon; Outer-Rim Territories)

Lord Maul entered the frequency of the locator beacon at the camp of the Death Watch faction under his command into his Navicomputer as his Starship entered the atmosphere above Concordia, Mandalore's only moon. The trip through hyperspace had been largely uneventful and had seemed to stretch on forever. He had felt a slight tremor in the Force during one of his spars with a training dummy on the ship, but had attributed it to be nothing. He had to be focused on the task at hand, and could not afford to let his Master down.

The triangulated coordinates showed up and Maul locked the Auto-pilot on, moving to the cargo hold where he had left his chestplate and lightsaber. Donning his armor, he clipped his saber to his waist and waited by the exit ramp for the ship to land. The Death Watch had a policy of shooting down any craft that flew too close to their camp, as the moon was uninhabited and hence, was mostly not an accidental flyby. Still, he was not bothered as they were well aware of his personal ship, and wouldn't dare to open fire.

The ship shuddered to a halt and the ramp lowered with a hydraulic hiss. Maul walked down the ramp, arms clasped at the back, to see a dozen or so Death Watch troopers, fully armed to the teeth with their guns trained on him. The instant they recognized him, the one in the front wearing Mandalorian Super Commando armor raised a fist and holstered his pistols, the others following suit.

"Lord Maul, welcome back to Concordia. I'm pleased to inform you that we have good news to report about the situation on Mandalore."

"That is of no concern anymore. Pack up here and take your troops to the coordinates I send you. I need you mobilized within the day."

"What? But we have finally -"

His sentence was abruptly cut off as Maul thrust out his arm and grabbed the Commando in a Force choke. He rose into the air, clawing at his throat and kicking his legs wildly, unable to breathe.

Seething, Maul looked the Mandalorian in the eye (or, at least where he thought his eyes were, through the visor) as he brought him close to his face and said, "I did not ask you for your opinion. It was an order. Shut up and follow it, or I'll relieve you of your command. Permanently."

Maul dropped the man like a sack of bantha dung and turned to face the remaining soldiers.

"All of you are being summoned to train and be a part of a new army, one to rival the Grand Army of the Republic. An army belonging to the new Sith Empire. You all serve the Sith now, and there is no issue of more importance than wiping the Republic and the Jedi off the face of this Galaxy. I want all of you off this planet by nightfall. Anyone tries to escape, well, I will hunt you down, personally."

There were barely any complaints as the various Death Watch commandos bobbed their heads in acknowledgment and sped off towards their various camp quarters.

If there was one thing the Mandalorians respected, it was might. Having won his battle against Pre Vizsla, he had gained respect of all those who had witnessed his duel and acknowledged his command. If not for that upstart Bo Katan, he would've had the entire Death Watch power under his command, but she had escaped with a lot of soldiers, and even rescued that Jedi scum Kenobi from right under his nose.

She was going to pay for it. One day.

For now, he had to head to his next destination: Mustafar, the fortress that acted as the Headquarters of the Black Sun. Within the next few days, he would have the bulk of his original Shadow Syndicate mobilized and united under one banner again. That of the Sith Empire.

(The Dark Council Chamber, Sith Academy; Korriban)

Vitiate, now posing as Darth Sidious, sat on his throne in the Dark Council chamber, deep in meditation. Before losing his physical body all those thousands of years ago, he had a massive network of spies, talismans and artifacts throughout the Galaxy that helped him maintain power and destroy the enemy in a way they would never expect. All of his former allies, and enemies, were dead, so he would have to rebuild his network once again. He was immortal, yes, but his Empire was not. This time, he would make it so, by wiping the Republic out. Time was something he had, and hence, he was going to do this at a pace that would ensure his victory and leave no gaps. The Jedi would get what was coming to them, and that boy born of the Force, Skywalker, would be his vessel. A power that immense had to be turned, or it would become problematic eventually.

Still, he had to check up on his remaining artifacts and talismans to see how many were still operable. As long as his spirit was alive, he knew they would still be working as he was connected to them through the Force, unless someone had somehow destroyed them.

He bolstered his mental probes and sent them spanning throughout the Galaxy, searching for the tell-tale signatures of his artifacts. He found a majority of them to be missing, as he had expected. It had been a few thousand years after all. Still, a lot of the major ones were still active, and pulsated when he bolstered their strength through the Force.

He was compiling the various locations mentally when he suddenly paused.

"Interesting… There's an artifact on a planet I had never expected it be on. It has even experienced continued usage. I wonder..."

He focused his attention on to that one particular artifact and brought it's memories forth.

When he bound an artifact to him through a Dark ritual, he imbibed it with his own Force signature, which collected the events as they transpired in the Force around it. These 'collections' could be perceived as memories and viewed by the person to whom the artifact was bound. As they had no moving parts and were virtually undetectable, they made for the best "spies", unwavering in their loyalty and completely efficient.

The only drawback they had was that they could be easily detected by a Force user.

Which was exactly why he was unable to surmise as how this particular artifact in question had ended up on the planet it was on, and how exactly it had managed to stay hidden for so long.

It was when he actually reviewed the recent memories did he realize what exactly he had stumbled upon. It was also unbelievable that at this very moment, it was in the hands of his quarry, they very person he had absolutely no idea as to how to get close to.

Well, this artifact would definitely prove useful. If nothing else, it would let him at least analyze the strength of his enemy. It had been just a few days since he had assumed power, and things were already falling into place. Vitiate smiled to himself.

(Jedi Temple entrance, Tython)

Anakin paused and his brows furrowed again. There it was again, the weird pulsation emanating from the downed Flesh Raider. He had first felt it during the ride back to the Temple and had disregarded it as a figment of his imagination, and it had happened twice more in regular intervals, deepening his worries.

This time however, he was sure he had felt it, like a ripple in the Force. The damn thing was supposed to be unconscious! Given how the pulsations were periodic, it eerily reminded him of a beacon of sorts. If so, what was it signaling, and to whom?

Thoughts churned in his head, ideas forming as he floated the beast into the Jedi Council chambers. Noticing the other Masters already present, he briefly bowed and then levitated the body onto the table in the centre of the room. Plo Koon and Kit Fisto straightened up at that, but no one said anything, silently signaling him to continue.

He gave a brief report of battle statistics, and paused, to emphasize his next statement.

"The reason I had to intervene, Masters, was not because of the tactics of the Flesh Raiders or anything of the sort. It was, in fact, this particular beast. As you can see, it is much larger than the typical Flesh Raider, which singled it out as the leader, but again, that's not just why. The matter of consternation, in fact, is the weapon it wielded.", he said, producing the lightsaber the beast had dropped after battle from his belt.

"Also, it is a Force-wielder."

There were audible gasps at that, as it their collective knowledge knew that to be factually impossibe.

"Another matter that concerns me is, as no doubt you all must have already felt it, the weird pulsations that seem to keep emanating from this thing, even though it is not in a conscious state. I feel something else is at work here, and that the beast did not get the ability to wield the Force due to evolution."

"Master Koon, an adept at interrogation and Force powers of the mind, you are. Suggest that you give the beast a once-through, I do.", Yoda said without pause, stroking his chin slowly.

Plo Koon simply rose from his chair and walked around the table, giving the body a once over. Then, he came to a rest at where the head of the beast lay, and raised an arm downward turn palm towards the head, lifting the body into the air with the Force.

Silence reigned for a few minutes as Master Koon, eyes closed in meditation, enveloped the beast in the Force and extended his senses, while the others watched on tersely.

Finally, sighing, he lowered the body back on to the table and bent over it, digging his long, nailed fingers under it's breastplate. He undid the latches and pulled the covering off, dropping the plate to one side, as Anakin and Obi-Wan rose to take a look.

"It is as I suspected.", Plo Koon said, pointing at a large purple colored crystal embedded into the beast's chest, right below it's sternum. "It has a Sith Talisman embedded into it."

"Disturbing, this news is, and most unfortunate. Tell us more about this Talisman, can you, Master Koon?"

"Yes. As far as I can see, this particular Talisman has been inside this beast for a long time, probably since its birth, leading to enhanced physical growth and the ability to wield the Force. The power, is hence not its own, but derived from this trinket. Talismans like these are usually made through rituals which involve blood and sacrifice. I'm not sure about what exactly the process involves, and neither can I guess as to the point of these trinkets, but it's definitely nothing good. I'm sure all of you can sense the 'Evil' intent it seems to broadcast."

"Yes, I've noticed the talisman feels malicious in the Force. I'm guessing it can't be sensed by someone who's not Force sensitive?" Obi-Wan ventured.

"That is correct, Master Kenobi. To a normal being, it would just appear as any other relic."

"Master Koon, if I may, I have an idea about the purpose of this relic. I would like to observe it through the Force, under your presence." Anakin said, seemingly lost in thought.

"What do you have in mind, Master Skywalker?"

"Firstly, the evil intent of this talisman was almost indistinguishable from that of the beast's during the time it was conscious. It was during my ride back to the Temple, when I first felt the pulsation, that I could distinguish the talisman's Force signature distinctly. It's almost as if….. I really hope I'm wrong about this, but it's almost as if it has a consciousness of it's own. I would like to ascertain that, and for that, I have a plan, but I need the help of someone well versed in the Mind arts."

Silence reigned in the Council chamber at the revelation. The Jedi has just begun restructuring the Order after the entire mishap on Coruscant, and it felt like they were being thrust into yet another compromising situation. This was the beginning of something big, and they could all feel it.

"Let us take the beast to my chamber, Master Skywalker. There, we shall try and find out all we can about this trinket."

About half an hour later, Skywalker was seated at the head of the beast's body, that lay on the carpeted floor of Plo Koon's chamber in the Jedi Temple. Master Koon himself stood behind Anakin, cross-armed.

"What you are proposing is dangerous, Skywalker. It takes a lot of practice and time to be able to attempt what you are going to."

"We don't have time, Master. If there's one thing I believe in, it's that things happen for a reason. It isn't co-incidence that led us to this talisman. Still, the risks are why I asked you along. Also, you will find me less susceptible to any form of Force-induced trauma."

"The Force does work in mysterious ways, I agree. Okay, I will try my best to guide you from here. You know what you have to do?"

"Well, I have a hunch.", he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Anakin drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Here goes nothing."

He reached out with the Force towards the beast and the talisman, making it flow outwards from him in a gentle wave. His Force 'wave' seemed to almost glide over the beast's body, as directed by him. When it reached the talisman, he made it flow in and around it, trying to separate the chaotic aura around it from that of the Flesh Raider. One by one, he undid the various ways the trinket had latched on to the beast's Force signature. Some places, he realized, it was too intertwined, and he had to sever the connection.

It took him a few minutes, but he felt he had finally separated the two of them completely, at least in the Force. The talisman now had a very distinct signature, one that could attribute to the anomalies in the Flesh Raider, given how it had been pretty much embedded into the latter's chest.

Anakin also realized that he had been right earlier on. Every time he had severed a connection between the Talisman and its host, he had felt a discernible jolt emanate from the talisman itself, almost like it was reacting in pain to the way he cut the connection.

Well, he had to find out more, and there was only one way about it. Slowly, he probed the Talisman through the Force.

(Dark Council Chamber, Sith Academy; Korriban)

"Interesting.", Sidious said to himself, "The boy is much stronger than I had expected. That fool Sidious had really underestimated him. And sadly for them, so are the Jedi. They have no idea what he will become capable of. He will truly make a powerful host. This is the strength I need to achieve immortality."

(Plo Koon's Meditation Chamber, Jedi Temple, Tython)

The talisman had formidable defenses in the form of a Force shield, quite similar to the way minds of beings were shielded to prevent a Force-sensitive from reading thoughts.

Anakin was, hence, unable to gather much from it by just probing it from the surface. Instead, he drew back a bit, concentrated his Force-probe into the shape of a blade and slammed it downwards. The 'shell' around the Trinket cracked on impact.

He drew back and tried to perceive the crack, seeing that it rapidly healed itself back to its original form once the offensive pressure was removed. He realized it would be extremely hard for him to smash through the shield given how thick it seemed, and hence decided on a slightly improvised alternative. Mustering more strength into the blade-shaped Force-probe, he slammed it back down on the same location. This time, however, the shield broke in that one region, leaving a small gap.

In an instant, he changed his probe to the same wave form he had utilized before, and slipped through the defenses.

Such a blunt way of forcing into a person's mind would have rendered the victim comatose and senseless. A person could lose his sanity if he were to be probed in the same way, but as this was just a talisman, Anakin did not have to be subtle about it. Mind tricks were only problematic when there were minds involved, which was not the case here.

The downside to it was that he had to maintain the crack in the shield open to be able to return his consciousness to his own mind. A living being would be unable to close the crack once he was inside, primarily because the instant he was in, he would be the one in control of their mind, and also because the pain one experienced when their mental shields were torn down were too great to be able to think rationally, let alone push anyone out of their heads. Unfortunately, as this was a non-living object, they could heal fast, as he had observed before. They drew on the living Force that flowed through them, while living beings drew on their own connection to the Force. The stronger the living being was, the faster it could heal it's shields, till the time they ruptured.

This was exactly the reason why he had asked for Plo Koon's assistance. The Master immediately prevented the shield from healing itself by imposing his will upon it. He just had to keep the crack open till Anakin could find out everything about the talisman and pull his consciousness back to himself.

Anakin's conscious form swam forward, feeling his way through the murky Force presence.

An instant later, the entire surrounding solidified into an almost realistic scene.

Anakin, or at least an astral projection of himself stood inside the entrance of a cave that led deeper into the earth. He turned around and saw just a blinding white light, one that did not recede to reveal any surroundings even when he stepped towards it.

"What is this?", he wondered aloud, mostly to himself. He really wasn't expecting an answer to that, and almost jumped in shock when a disembodied voice floated back to him, seemingly out of nowhere.

"This is your quest, Young One. The answers you seek lie ahead. You must complete it, alone. Do so, and you will find what you are looking for. The path ahead will not be easy, and you must look deeper, if you are to find your way out. Your Master cannot help you; no one can. Fail the quest, and you will die, and not just in here."

He looked around for the source, and finding none, he yelled out at random. "Okay, why exactly is there dying involved? I was just reading thoughts, more or less. Can I just get back to that?"

His question went unanswered, so he ventured again. "What must I do, O Mysterious One?"

"You must look deeper, and you will find what you are looking for.", the answer came.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for!"

"Look deeper…", the voice said once again, and faded into silence, and Anakin realized he wasn't going to be getting anymore answers.

"Great, I'm being sent on a quest, which I absolutely have no idea as to what it is, by a voice that enjoys speaking in riddles. I should've let Obi-Wan do this. Those two would've become best pals, I'm sure."