It was odd. The Republic had received a distress signal a few days ago, the signal and code, however, had not been used in over 3000 years, not since... not since the times of his memories. With the concern of the Separatists having sent the signal as a trap, the 501st had been sent to where the signal originated with a small fleet. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Vex were heading to the location in a small Jedi shuttle, having been sent after returning from a reconnaissance mission, separate from the rest of the 501st.
"Rex? Rex, do you read me? We are at the rendezvous point. Where are you?" Anakin asks, a hologram of the Captain manifesting atop the console.
"Sir, we are at the rendezvous point, but there's no sign of you on our scanners." Rex reports in confusion. As he spoke, a soft voice began to sing, the faint melody soothing, yet also foreboding.
"Oh, come on." Anakin groans in frustration. He had hoped this would be a simple mission so that the four could at least take a slight rest from the war, the previous battles having had a rather heavy effect on their psyche.
"That's impossible." Ahsoka states, her face contorting in thought.
"Something's wrong." Obi-Wan notes ominously.
"We... -ble... -find-y…" The connection fizzles out and dies, with every other electronic system following shortly after, sending the four into darkness.
"You know, I am starting to think the Galaxy has a vendetta against us." Vex sighs. After every situation the four had been through, such a thing was seeming to be more of a reality than a joke. After a few moments, power returns throughout the shuttle, the darkness receding from the light.
"There, see? Nothing to be concerned about at all." Anakin assures, his voice seemingly devoid of concern.
"If that were true, Anakin. We wouldn't be moving towards that." Vex states in warning, gesturing to the planet sized monolith standing in front of them, growing closer as the ship drifts toward it. The console beeps for a moment, the warning of engine failure appearing on screen.
"Everyone strap in. We seem to be going for a ride." Anakin warns. At his word, they ensure they are secured in their seats, bracing in anticipation of a crash landing that would normally follow.
The monolith splits in half along the horizontal axis, both parts spinning in tandem as pure light emits from the gap. As the ship continues to move closer and closer, the light continues to spread. Before long, the light fades, with darkness replacing it, as each of them fall unconscious, both Vex and Anakin the last to fall under the spell, sending them to slumber with the others.
As his senses return, Vex opens his eyes, blinking away at the blinding light of day. Around him, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka begin to stir and awake as well.
"I must have blacked out." Anakin groans, rubbing his forehead gently.
"We all did." Vex admits, standing from the chair and stretching his limbs, joints cracking in satisfaction.
"Where are we?" Ahsoka asks, still audibly and visibly groggy.
"I don't know. But the atmosphere is breathable." Vex answers after a quick check of the ship scans. Taking the initiative, he lowers the ramp and walks outside, eyeing the surrounding area and taking note of a small cave just beyond the ships position. The others soon join him outside, each of them taking their own time to admire the place.
"Are you the one?" A feminine voice calls out, her soft voice almost a melody.
"What the…" Anakin wonders aloud, turning around suddenly in an attempt to find the source of the voice. Vex, however, could feel her. Not in the way A Jedi could sense someone's presence, but as though she was a being of unimaginable power, one that dwarfed his when he was a dragon, if he was feeling correctly.
"What?" Ahsoka questions.
"Did you hear that?" Anakin asks in return, his own question having Ahsoka and Obi-Wan look around, but they had the same answer.
"I didn't hear anything." Obi-Wan answers, with Ahsoka simply shaking her head.
"Are you the one?" The voice asks again, but this time, a feminine figure stood nearby, with all of them turning to face her. A faint tug in Vex's mind notices a familiarity to the figure, her pale green and cream robes billowing in a non-existent breeze. He feels as though he's seen her before. Not in person, but in an image or mural.
"Hello…" Obi-Wan trails off, his curiosity piqued as he rubs his beard in thought.
"Who are you?" Anakin asks heatedly, his emotions flaring.
"I am the Daughter. Are you the One?" She answers, only to repeat her question once more.
"Uh, the One what?" Anakin asks in sudden confusion.
"I will take you to him." She states, ignoring the question.
"Him who?" Anakin then asks, yet his question is ignored.
"Did you bring us here?" Obi-Wan asks his own question, yet with the same result of being ignored.
"Only He can help you. There is little time. Follow me." The Daughter continues. "We must have shelter by nightfall." As she begins to walk ahead, Anakin turns to face us.
"And we thought the planet was strange." He murmurs just loud enough for us to hear, before they all begin to follow. As they walk behind the Daughter, the plant life around them ages through the seasons, with Anakin and Obi-Wan making a conversation of the fact. Around the area, Vex notices roots of darkness seeping along, following him, their movements twitchy, almost like his daughter was concerned and ready to leap into action at a moment's notice.
As they continue along the surface ravine, a faint tremor has both Anakin and Vex glancing above, their instincts and senses already on high alert, before both dive to keep the others out of harm's way, with Anakin pushing the Daughter forward as Vex forced Ahsoka and Obi-Wan backwards, as rubble crashes down upon the very position they had all been standing.
"Thanks." Ahsoka squeezes his shoulder as she speaks, reaffirming her thanks, while Obi-Wan brushes himself off as he stands up, opening a channel to Anakin.
"Anakin, are you there? Are you alright?" He asks in concern.
"I'm fine. But our friend here has RUN OFF!" Anakin yells, his voice carrying over from beyond the rubble. "Go back to the ship and try sending another distress signal. I'll follow her and try to find a way off this rock." The link is cut, and Obi-Wan is left with irritation and concern about him.
"We need to go. Have faith in Anakin, as he has faith in us." Vex states gently, placing a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. With a sigh, he leads the journey back. The light begins to fall, the day turning to sunset, by the time they reach the clearing, only to find it empty, their ship missing and no marks left to even give the idea it had been there before.
"It was here. No question." Ahsoka states in confusion and irritation.
"Did you lose something?" A voice asks. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan ignite their sabers reflexively, while Vex simply turns to face the figure whom spoke, darkness emanated from him, yet not a threat as of the moment.
"Who are they?" Aryn asks her master, a mural before them inside the temple.
"Force gods, I guess would be the best term. The last of the Celestials from the beginning of the galaxy and universe." Ven Zallow answers her calmly. "They are also known as the Mortis gods, as they live on an isolated planet called Mortis." He chuckles. "It's funny. We have this information on them, yet in theory, we have no idea where Mortis is, or if these gods even exist. Though I'll admit I believe they are out there, not many others do. The only ones I know to worship them, are the Witches and Brothers of Dathomir."
"You didn't do as you were asked." The Son, one of the three Mortis gods, known in Dathomiri legends as the Fanged God, states in irritation.
"Well, that is the least of my concerns. But I do know where we are now." Vex admits, before a grin adorns his face. "Not to mention, we can't keep in contact with your sister when the path to her is blocked, thanks to a prank or scuffle you have with her." One of the things known was that the Brother and Sister were rivals of a sort, what would be deadly pranks for normal people played against one another, though mostly from the Brother.
"My sister said to wait!" The Son exclaims in frustration.
"Yes, well, we would like our ship back, if you don't mind." Obi-Wan states, half politely.
"Not, yet." The Son retorts, before looking directly at Obi-Wan. "Is it true he is the Chosen One?" He asks. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka move barely a millimeter, before the Son calls their sabers to his hand, deactivating mid air.
"You are Sith." Ahsoka snarls, earning a dark chuckle in response.
"Yes. And no." He states cryptically.
"No, you aren't a Sith. Just the Darkness. A Shadow. But, even Shadows have their strengths." Vex affirms, garnering a genuine laugh from the Son.
"Someone has done their research." The Son affirms with glee.
"Knowledge is Power. You should know this." He retorts, his grin widening. At this, the Son laughs once more, though more demonically, as his form fades into smoke and disappears.
"I like you. For that, I'll give you a tip. I suggest you find shelter. The nights here are quite deadly." His voice echoes as lightning strikes the ground where he once stood. His warning spurns the three to run towards the nearby cave, taking shelter as the lightning seems to follow them. As they enter the safety of the cave. Obi-Wan turns and glares at Vex.
"What were you talking about?" He asks in irritation.
"Which part?" Vex asks with a sigh, massaging his temples.
"All of it!" Obi-Wan exclaims, as he turns away from him, and storms through the cave, pacing in agitation.
"It's not worth being upset about, Obi-Wan." He states softly. "What I know won't get Anakin back to us any faster." He sits down, sighing audibly, before explaining what he knew, or well, remembered of the Mortis gods to both of them. Once informed, he tells them to get some rest, stating that they need the time to properly absorb the information. Ahsoka listens to his advice, lying down as comfortably as she could, considering the stone floor. Vex grabs Obi-Wan's robes from him, before the Jedi Master wanders through the cave system, gently wrapping Ahsoka in the fabric, as a wolf howls into the night, catching Vex's attention. There had been no sign of animal life before that howl. The wolf howls again and Vex finds himself making his way out of the cave. A fork of lightning tries to strike him almost immediately, but a root of darkness shields him, disintegrating from the power. He continues to follow the howling, as roots continue to protect him. The lightning eventually stops, as a massive wolf emerges from the grass, a patch returning to life as it appears.
"Is that?" Aryn asks, awe and shock on her features as a huge white wolf emerges from the grasses that reach their chests.
"A Loth Wolf, yes." Ven Zallow affirms, placing his hand and rubbing the fur of the wolf. "These majestic creatures are native to this planet only. Unlike the Loth Cats and Loth Rats which can live on other worlds, the Loth Wolves can only live here on Lothal. Part of that reason is their connection to the planet. They are more attuned to the Force than most creatures, thus they are often portrayed as creatures who embody the Will of the Force."
"I guess you guys can traverse planets... though I'm not sure this place counts as a normal one." Vex notes, lightning striking around them, but ignoring them both. "Why are you here?" He asks softly.
"You." The Wolf responds, it's voice dry and rough, but carrying the word easily. A faint mist surrounds the two, covering the view of their surroundings, as they stare at each other. The mist begins to fade, as a massive courtyard takes over their surroundings, the grass and dirt they were once within long gone. Beside the Wolf, the Father and Anakin are standing, the confusion evident in Anakin, while the assurance, the confidence, in the Father is paramount. Vex finds his senses somewhat scrambled, unable to really feel Anakin, let alone Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, who were in the grasp of both Daughter and Son, on their way over.
"Welcome." The Father's voice, echoing with millions behind it, greets Vex. He turns his head to the figure of the Father, Anakin by his side.
"I suppose I should have expected this." Vex sighs. The Wolf before him whines, its ears drooping.
"A simple precaution. I cannot allow the possibility of you interfering in what is about to occur." The Father admits, gesturing to the two beasts that begin to land. The beast of light holds Obi-Wan in its grasp, while the beast of darkness holds Ahsoka. The revelation angers Vex, as well as Anakin.
"You son of a bitch." Vex snarls, his emotions flaring, but the gentle nudge of the Loth Wolf brings him back, assuring him that things will be fine, even if every part of him screams to intervene.
"I will not play your games!" Anakin cries out in retaliation.
"Oh, but I think you will. I have ordered my children to kill your friends. The question is: Which one will you save? Your Master, or your Apprentice?" The Father questions. "You must now release the guilt and free yourself by choosing. After you complete this test, I will allow you to leave this place." Anakin's hands clench, his anger and pain radiating off him, yet also his love for both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. The wolf whines again, stepping away from Anakin, as the Force swirls around him in waves. The Wolf feared its death, believing Anakin would lash out at him.
"They're too strong for us to break free, Anakin! Save Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan calls to him, trying to save the hope of the future, as Anakin continues to struggle internally, both the Light and the Dark swirling around him.
"Anakin." Vex calls to him. "This planet is a Nexus of Power. Call upon it, use it. Save them." Vex explains. Anakin stiffens in response, before relaxing, the Force swirling around him in anticipation, before he brings it within, both the Light and Dark, his eyes becoming a galaxy of colours and stars. The planet of Mortis begins to vibrate, floating rocks cracking apart with power, plant life dying, and being reborn over and over from the surge energy. It's Anakin's voice, one filled with generations of other Chosen Ones, and even Celestial Beings echoing behind him, that sends shivers down Vex's spine, the pure power that radiates almost sending him to his knees, as though forcing him to kneel to a King.
"YOU WILL LET THEM GO!" He roars, both beasts shaking in retaliation, attempting to ignore his order as he releases the built-up power. "DOWN! ON YOUR KNEES!" As much as they tried to fight it, they could not, both following his orders, releasing both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka from their grasps, as they return to their humanoid forms. They bow, bodies shaking in protest. The Loth-Wolf is also bowing, a faint whine in his throat.
"And now you see who you truly are. Only a Chosen One can tame both my children." The Father states knowingly.
"I have taken your test. Now fulfil your promise and let us go." Anakin replies in well placed anger. Two of the closest people in his life had been moments away from death, all because this being wanted proof of his power and status. Vex rushes to Ahsoka, embracing her in worry. They then look to Anakin and the Father.
"Ah, but first you must understand the truth. Now all of you, leave us." The Father orders, with the Son and Daughter immediately following his words. Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Vex, however, defy him, their own want for answers demanding they stay. "I said leave us." The Father orders again. Obi-Wan sighs, before gesturing to both Ahsoka and Vex, telling them to follow. Both Ahsoka and Vex spare one last glance at Anakin, who nods at them to leave, a small smile promising his return. They wait outside the Monastery for almost half an hour before Anakin exits. He slams the doors closed, storming out in frustration.
"We're leaving. The ship has been returned to where we left it." His words, and how he simply walks past, unable to face the three of them, has everyone concerned.
"I'm just afraid that there will be more to come." Vex mutters to himself. He notes, however, that the Loth Wolf had gone, likely returned to Lothal. "I'm sure we'll meet again someday, under more pleasant circumstances."