A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, RL and all the usual excuses.
Much love to my betas. Without further ado, here's a meaty one for you.
Chapter 8: The Rivendell Nexus - finale
They'd been in Rivendell for almost a week now mostly waiting for the mid-summer's eve moon so that Elrond could decipher the moon runes hidden on the Erebor map. The dwarves had started to get restless pretty quickly and had resorted to daily sparring and combat tactic practices often doing it with curious elves.
Dwalin's ego had grown considerably as did his reputation as an excellent fighter, Fili and Kili not far behind. This brought considerable annoyance to present elves, particularly the sons of Elrond. Linshara herself joined them on occasion which increased to frequently once she'd come to terms with her lightsaber being damaged beyond repair. It had taken her a few days and no small amount of coaxing by Fili and Kili to join realised that she DID need the practice with the elvish blade.
When she'd first learned of the fact that her copper coloured light saber was no more, she felt as if s part of her was missing. As a Jedi was emotionally attached to their saber it took a toll on her. However after a few days she'd began having dreams of her elvish blade glowing with an inner energy, something very akin to the Force itself. Talking it through with Gandalf and Elrond she realized that it may very well have been a sign from the Force.
It took her a great deal of meditation to realize what exactly she was being shown. In ancient times, in her universe, before lightsabers were invented, predecessors of the Jedi crafted and imbued with Force actual blades. Elrond told her of the strength of elvish blades, her being thousands of years old from the ancient hidden city of Gondolin. Could she imbue her blade with the Force and wield it instead of a lightsaber?
There was only one way to find out. She decided to use that opportunity to show and tell the dwarves the truth of her origin. A display that wasn't combat related, she reasoned may have a better effect than her tearing down a tree with a force wave and force throwing it aside.
So she'd called them down to the elven forges one evening, as it was a place of familiarity and relative comfort for them. She sat crosslegged on one of the larger anvils, dressed in her travelling outfit again, her blonde locks pulled back in a bun, her blade across her lap.
Though her eyes were closed she could feel their presences as they approached, their emotions all too easy to read. They really did wear them on their sleeves. Then there was Bilbo who was curious more than cautious or concerned.
"Linshara." Thorin's voice broke through her calm.
Slowly opening her eyes she smiled at the assembled dwarves. Balin smiled kindly, Kili and Fili for a change looked serious as did Thorin and Dwalin. Bilbo waved a little and smiled back in earnest. Bofur threw her a wink and waggled his eyebrows which caused her to chuckle.
"Hello everyone, thank you for coming." She said finally as she motioned for them to get more comfortable.
Most did, Thorin rigidly and stubbornly remained standing as did Dwalin. Bilbo sat closest to her while Fili, Kili and Bofur mostly sat and leaned on various anvils, chairs and items across from her.
"What is this about?" Gruffly, Thorin asked.
He was concerned and coiled like a spring, ready to jump to arms, she could feel it.
"I've called you here to tell you...the truth about my origin. Elrond and Gandalf advised that I do before we continue the journey." Linshara began.
She stayed calm, watching as Gloin immediately jumped to his feet along with Nori and Dori. Bifur muttered his displeasure in Khuzdul and even Bombur looked angry. She could feel Bilbo, Ori and Kili were genuinely surprised rather than angry. Fili's eyes almost bored into her but his thoughts were quite guarded as were Thorin's, Dwalin and Balin's. Oin as usual heard what he wanted to hear while Dori openly wondered how she could lie to them.
Surprisingly it was Thorin who yelled for silence. "Explain yourself." He demanded in a tone that brooked no argument.
Linshara nodded calmly, "my name is Linshara Thannis. I am a Jedi Sage and I carry the rank of Master within the Jedi Order."
Dwalin frowned at her, "what is this Jedi Order?"
"It is an order of Force wielders dedicated to peace, diplomacy, protection of the good, the innocent, the unable. We served the largest organization of good aligned races and worlds known on record. The Force is a phenomenon which surrounds every living being. Some of us are capable of wielding it. You saw some of its effect back with the Trolls." Linshara continued.
They were full of questions, she could tell.
"What do you mean worlds? Which worlds?" Kili asked.
"In the plane of existence I arrived from many races travel the stars." She took a moment to answer. Putting something so complicated into simplified terms wasn't easy.
"So...which world are you from?" Fili asked, his expression one of deep thought. He was intrigued but also cautious.
"My world is Chandrila. Quite a beautiful world, like this one, almost." She replied, "and yes, humans are sometimes short as I am."
"Are there dwarves there?" Ori couldn't help himself.
Linshara looked over at the young dwarf, smiling. "Not as a race, no. Well not that I know was discovered in any case."
Bilbo then spoke up, cautiously. "Linshara, you said served, past tense... what happened to change that?"
Their attention refocused on her then and she felt exposed and surprisingly vulnerable. So she took a deep breath and started to explain the circumstances that lead to the downfall of the Jedi and the Galactic Republic. She spoke of the emergence of the Sith, who they were, what happened on Naboo, the subsequent Clone Wars and her deployment to Rakata Prime.
"Tha' must 'ave been painful, ter feel yer comrades pass away..." Oin seemed to actually be hearing what she'd said.
She nodded slowly, "more their missing presence in the Force."
"So what happened at this Rakata place?" Nori asked.
"As Lord Elrond confirmed, the troops under our command turned on all of us. I was herded off into a large circular room for what I expected to be my execution." Linshara continued, her right hand squeezing and releasing the grip of her blade subconsciously.
"As it happened, I was to be presented to a Sith Lord whose presence I'd failed to detect. A tall, red skinned fellow with yellow eyes." Suddenly she stopped and blinked.
"Linshara?"
She didn't hear Balin's gentle question as the image of the yellow eyes appeared in her mind again. The same eyes, his eyes. Did that mean the Sith was here though? More than likely, everything else she'd seen so far was Middle-Earth related.
She felt Bilbo's hand on her forearm.
Blinking the vision away, she replied, "sorry, just a memory." Hoping her lie would pass she continued.
"He identified himself as Darth Kallus Ruun of the Sith Empire. For all intents and purposes, my evil counterpart." Linshara sighed, "we fought, using our Force more than our light blades. It was during that battle that a contraption was damaged which created this...planar rift. Kallus hit me with a lightning barrage which sent me flying into this rift." She spoke calmly though not without some strain.
"The next thing I remember is seeing Gandalf as I woke up."
"Were you followed?" Dwalin asked immediately.
Linshara shook her head, "I don't know. It is possible, but I haven't seen nor felt him yet."
"So how long since you arrived to the meeting at Bag End?" Bilbo asked.
"Roughly a week. It took me a bit to heal from my injuries and decide with Gandalf what to do. Hence the apprentice story." She replied, feeling grateful that they were at least willing to hear her out before passing judgement.
"Ye must 'ave been bernt badly." Oin commented in his thick brogue.
Linshara nodded, "I was...but with the Force I heal rather quickly."
"Can you heal others?" Thorin began to pace, his fingers stroking his beard.
"To an extent. I am not a healer, I am a scholar." Linshara's eyes glanced over each of them.
They seemed a little less on edge.
"Your combat technique is commendable, for a scholar." Dwalin spoke up.
"I...held back from using my Force attacks against you. They would have likely killed you." Linshara admitted with an apologetic shrug.
Fili intervened before Dwalin could take offence and retaliate, he knew his mentor well enough.
"You will show us the full spread, of course." He said, his face still serious.
"Aye, pletnty o' pointy eared whelps around as targe' practice!" Gloin chuckled.
Slowly she nodded, "I can show you a little right now if you will. My light blade was broken beyond repair in my transition and as such I need to imbue this blade with similar power." She raised her blade slightly.
They all nodded. Before she could continue Ori raised a hand, "miss. You have not spoken of returning to your world...do you not wish to try to find a way? You are helping us with our quest yet you have one of your own of equal importance, returning home."
Thorin muttered something along the lines of 'her further participation remains to be decided'. Which, in truth she could understand. She had kept the truth from them and he was wary of her. She would be wary too.
"I can't go back. There is no way." Her reply was soft.
"You don't know the chain of events and needed effects to make another rift." Fili commented.
"Mhm. So I am staying here permanently. I am still a Jedi. So I will help you if you'll have me? Besides if the Sith is here and you come across him...you will need my help." All eyes now turned to Thorin.
"I must take counsel. I will tell you my decision in the morning. Balin, Dwalin, come. The rest of you can do as you will." Thorin beckoned and the sons of Fundin followed.
Gloin, Nori, Bombur, Bifur and Bofur departed soon after to make dinner and just generally not be there. Or perhaps they wanted to discuss what they'd learned privately.
Oin lingered for a moment, "I would love ter discuss yer healing method with ye later, lass."
She was not surprised at the request, "I'll find you later then."
With a crooked smile and a nod the older dwarf ambled away. She was left with four pairs of curious eyes. Ori had his little book out and appeared to be drawing.
"Why do you need to imbue the blade then?" Kili took the initiative as usual. "And how would you do it?"
"I'm not quite sure to be honest," she admitted.
The youngest members of Thorin's company seemed the most willing to trust her. Or at least were open to the possibility.
"So how do you know you should?" Bilbo asked as he shifted a little to see better.
"A conclusion the Force guided me to. That and fear that the Sith followed me here and has a working light blade. A blade imbued with the force is the only thing that can counter a light blade." Thannis explained as she shifted a little to get her blood flow going again.
She left the part of kortosis being able to do the same out.
Placing her palms on her knees she closed her eyes and bowed her head. She focused her mind solely on the blade in her lap tuning everything and everyone else out. An image began to form in her mind. The blade began to glow with a copper hue, etchings began to form along the blade's edge resembling lightning.
She herself felt as if the Force was coursing through her and as if she was floating. Energy flowing through her she lifted her hands and in her mind the blade lifted with it, moving so that it now stood vertically and spinning on its axis. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see the blade doing exactly the same as in her mind. Only she saw everything through a white-ish sheen.
A bead of sweat trickled down her temple as the blade glowed brightly, the lightning etchings moreso than the rest of it. Her palms seemed to be glowing too so she palmed the hilt with both hands and gasped.
There was an overwhelming sense of completion as she held the blade. The missing limb returned, the energy flowing through her and the blade completing the broken link.
Slowly her vision began to clear and the white sheen was gone. As her other senses returned she realized she was drenched in sweat and her hair was matted to her head. None of it mattered though, she had her blade back.
She grinned to herself as she looked at the blade in her hands.
"Ehem..." there was a cough.
"Mahal's beard lass, you are worse than Fili when he maintains his blade!" Kili chuckled earning a glare from his brother and sniggers from the others.
"A blade is an extension of the wielder, a part of them." Linshara chuckled.
Fili recovered from his brother's tease quickly. "You were glowing, all of you. Even your eyes."
"You even floated a little away from the anvil." Ori added.
Bilbo looked awed, "it was quite beautiful to see. I'm still under the influence."
Kili nodded, "so...what else can you do?"
He really was the younger, ever curious child. Fili elbowed him and muttered something in Khuzdul to him.
"Perhaps if I show you tomorrow? I am rather tired." Linshara wiped her matted hair away from her forehead.
She looked down to her blade again somewhat losing herself to the feel of it. A few moments later she realized she only felt one presence. She looked up and caught the blue eyes of the golden prince.
"You intrigue me, Master Linshara Thannis." He spoke boldly. "Would you walk with me and tell me more?"
His offer was soft yet with that same commanding tone Thorin had used, though not nearly as forceful. Nodding slowly she gingerly got off the anvil.
~Oh that's right...blood forgot how to flow~ she frowned as she shook her legs a bit as she stood.
She felt a thick palm on her lower back and the other on her elbow. Fili had attempted to steady her.
"Legs fell asleep?" He smiled warmly.
"Yeah...not really used to sitting on anvils." She smiled back as she picked her blade up and sheathed it then joined him.
"So...with all that you have heard," she began as they started to walk. "Do you believe me?"
He walked beside her, arms clasped behind his back. "I believe in your good intention, yes, you have proven it thus far. Everything you've told us, though? It is hard to fathom. It is not every day one hears such a story. It will take time for it all to settle."
She could understand that. It WOULD be a lot to grasp for someone who's only seen magic a few times in his life, even if that many. So, why did she feel it important he believed her? She couldn't reconcile the thought with herself. Perhaps because his mind was guarded and to forcibly invade it to read him would be a dark thing to do. Perhaps because she was fond of him, as much as she wanted to escape the idea, with her ingrained 'no attachment' mantra the Jedi had drilled into her over the years.
"What is it like? To wield such ability?" He asked, glancing at her as they walked.
Linshara thought for a minute at the question. Such questions came very rarely.
"It is exhilarating and at the same time a little frightening, to know you are capable of so much. Opportunities open for you you never thought you'd have, you can do things you thought impossible. But it's also a great responsibility. Yes, on principle, you ARE superior to a lot of people. Following that path leads to dark things. You need to constantly keep in your mind that just because someone cannot use the Force, doesn't mean they are lesser than you, and one must constantly keep their abilities and emotions in check." She replied finally.
"Well, a lot of what people do is driven by the undercurrent of emotion, isn't it?" She countered as she glanced over at him. ~He really is a fine specimen of man...dwarf...male~
He nodded, "true, one must take a measured approach, know when to allow emotion and when reason to guide them."
"You speak from experience."
Fili nodded, "I am second in line for the throne of Erebor. I've been…" he almost sighed, "groomed to be king almost my entire life."
This intrigued her. He seemed almost in difficulty over the thought. "Yet, you...don't want to?"
"Being on this journey has made me reevaluate my priorities in life. On one hand, being king would give me opportunities unimaginable...should we defeat the dragon, of course. On the other, it would mean shifting my devotion from my brother, mother and uncle to the Kingdom. It would mean a lot of the time being unable to help as directly as I would want but delegate it." He replied tossing a braid over his shoulder.
"You wish to take a more hands on role?" Linshara offered, beginning to understand.
Fili nodded, "it is as if you read my mind. Can you do it?"
Linshara chuckled, "I COULD, however it is a dark act I would not do unless I had no other choice. What you and the others project, it is all too easy not to pick up on...your emotions I mean. Though you, Thorin and Dwalin guard your thoughts quite well. That and I understand the feeling of wanting to help directly."
Fili nodded, "you are a wise Lady. How is it you do not have a husband?"
Linshara chuckled in amusement as she glanced at him. "Kili told you."
"He...may have." Fili smirked.
"It is not the Jedi way to have such relationships as most lead down a dark path. Jealousy, anger, hate, most of all though, attachment." Linshara explained. "We...indulge on occasion, but stay away from attachments. Precious few in our history have worked in a way that didn't end up in either or both partners falling to the Dark Side."
Fili nodded, "they didn't apply the measured approach, did they?"
He really was insightful. "No, they did not, I'm afraid."
He seemed pensive for a moment before spoke again. "May I see your blade?"
Nodding, she unsheathed it and handed it to him. "I don't think it'll respond to you the same way it would to me. The force aspect only really responds to the Jedi that wields it."
"The blade is an extension of the wielder." He repeated her earlier words as he tested the blade out. "I have to admit the elves DO craft some fine blades."
Linshara smiled at his antics. He took all the proper stances and swung the blade, initiating in some mock combat as she watched. She shook her head amusedly as she walked slowly after him.
"Do you always do that when you get your hands on a new weapon?"
He grinned at her, "most of the time. Kili is a lot worse than I though."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Linshara?"
"Hmm?"
"Have you been told of...dragon sickness?"
His question sobered her up. "Balin mentioned it, yes. Thorin's grandfather and father suffered from it."
"Should I not be able to sway Thorin, should he fall prey to it as they did...would you help me do it?" His expression spoke of a young nephew worried for his uncle, rather than a prince worried for a king.
"I will…" Linshara nodded solemnly. "Let us hope it will not."
"Aye...though we must be on guard regardless...it is an evil thing." Fili sighed.
They walked for some time before deciding to go back to the others. Since it was midsummer's eve, Thorin would be with Elrond and having the map read so there would no doubt be news soon of what they'd found, Thorin's judgement and when they'd be leaving.