Chapter 4
Trial of Strength
Okay, guys. The love for this one is starting to pick up. So let's keep going. But first let's check out the reviews.
SaurusRock625: Yeah. That bugged me too. But it's a good way of showing the brutality of the Empire.
Engineer1869: That all depend on her Master. And I think I picked a good one.
OmegaDelta: I have a plan for her. That is not it.
1049: Thanks.
Emirhan Marngoz: I do entend to start the next chapter for that soon.
ssnoah4: He is a full blood Loud.
Ultra Revanite: Well, wait no longer.
And now, my friends... Let's kick it up!
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
Lucy walked alone through a park in Royal Woods, now wearing a long hooded coat over her regular outfit to fight back the chills of the Michigan winter.
Her dreams of her brother had not ceased since the one she had of the black armored warrior and the Dragon attacking Lincoln. Though her other dreams had been far less distressing and showing Lincoln standing tall with his clothes in tatters holding a curved dark grey hilt that had black leather on four points meant for his fingers and one point in the back meant for his palm, a black switch on the left side and a leather strip flowing from the bottom next to a ring as he walked away from the Dragon from Lucy's first nightmare. Another showed Lincoln clad in a black suit and a brown leather jacket standing on top of a black ship with a large long hexagonal point on the right and two slightly smaller versions on the left. The final Dream was of Lucy herself standing with her brother and looking in to her own hand to see a black hilt with white lines, Bat wing design going around the back and partially over the lines, a silver button, four spike around the circumference of the top, and a ring at the bottom.
"What does it all mean?" Lucy asked herself for probably the hundredth time when suddenly, she felt a strange sensation on the back of her neck and turned around to see white Bat that seemed to be looking past her raven hair and in to her violet eyes.
Lucy couldn't tell why. But something was compelling her to follow the Bat. She began running as fast as she could to keep up with the small creature and ran at a sprinting speed for well beyond the limits she knew herself to have before she eventually found herself arriving at the entrance to a cave and she could feel as if something was pulling her inside. This feeling gave her comfort, almost as if following it, would heal the pain she had been feeling from the loss of her brother. Lucy decided to trust this feeling and enter the cave.
(With Lincoln)
The young Jedi sat down on the ramp of Ghost looking up at the twin moons of the desert planet of Tatooine as the rest of the Ghost crew got some much needed rest. Due to Hera's contacts, the crew was more than aware that for whatever reason, the Empire rarely if ever traveled to this world. Making the port of Anchorhead the ideal place for them to lye low while trying to calculate their next move. As Lincoln continued to look up at the moons, his mind still firmly on his need for more knowledge and power, he suddenly felt the call of the Force and looked down to see a white Bat. Lincoln instantly knew what this was. In his studies of what Jedi lore was on the Holocron, he had heard of the Force manifesting spirits before Jedi that often took the shape of an animal from their homeland to guide them in times of need. He then stood up to follow the spirit only for it to point its wing at his blaster and shake its head. Understanding the meaning Lincoln unclipped his weapon belt and walked it back inside before leaving a message for Kanan and the others and leaving the ship.
As Lincoln reached the bottom of the ramp, he heard a familiar beeping and turned around to see Sixer.
"Sorry, pal. I gotta do this one on my own." Lincoln said as Sixer lowered in sadness before Lincoln patted him. "Don't worry, Sixer. I should be back by tomorrow." Lincoln said as he began following the Bat.
The path the the Bat led, Lincoln to jump through the rooftops of the port city before coming to the wall of it and climbing up exposed pipes and wires before jumping down to the open desert of the planet.
Upon landing, Lincoln found the bat circling around a wild Dewback, a green reptilian creature native to Tatooine that were used as mounts by those who made the desert world their home. Lincoln then walked to the beast and jumped on its back as the Bat began flying through the desert with Lincoln close behind on the Dewback.
(Back on the Ghost)
Kanan walked in to the galley of the Ghost, to find and note left by Lincoln telling him about what he saw and that he would be back soon. Just then, Hera walked in to find him holding the note and Lincoln's weapon belt sitting on the table.
"What's going on?" Hera asked as she walked up to Kanan.
"Lincoln had a vision and he went out on his own last night." Kanan explained as he handed the note to the Twi'lek.
"We have to go after him." Hera said as she picked up her com and prepared to wake up Sabine and Zeb.
"No. He has to do this alone." Kanan said as Hera turned back to him in shock.
"On his own? Kanan, he's a teenage boy with no weapons on a desert planet where one of the main professions is hunting down hordes of marauders!" Hera exclaimed in worry for her charge.
"Hera, Lincoln may be unarmed but he has the Force on his side and it is stronger with him than most of the Knights I knew in my training. I have faith that he'll be fine." Kanan said, sensing no comfort in the woman from his words. "Fine. If he's not back by suns down, we'll go looking for him." He said, gaining a nod from Hera.
"Fine. We go looking the second the suns go down." Hera said firmly.
"Of coarse." Kanan said before Hera walked out of the galley.
(Back with Lincoln)
Lincoln rode through the night on the back of the Dewback while following the white Bat while calling upon the Force to keep away the issues of the cold of the desert night, the scorching heat of the twin suns, or the need to rest his body. Suddenly and without warning, the Dewback stopped and lowered down while the Bat kept flying. Though at a slower pace so Lincoln would be able to catch up.
"I guess this is where your part in the trip ends." Lincoln said to the Dewback before patting it on the nose and turning to runn after the Bat.
Lincoln continued to run for a solid hour on the trail of the Force spirit until he finally came to end of his journey as the Bat came to land on the top of a large cave.
"There is something I have to find in there?" Lincoln asked, gaining a nod from the Bat. "I sense something. Something that I can't reach. Something I have to fight." He reasoned as the Bat nodded once more. "I'm ready." He said as he walked in to the cave and walked for what seemed like a mile until he finally saw what he was being led to. A Holocron that glowed gold and sat on a pedestal.
"Here begins the trial of strength. Show you may face your foes with unwavering courage to gain my knowledge." The voice of a woman said to Lincoln. "You may leave now if you do not feel yourself ready." She said only for Lincoln to shake his head.
"I'm not afraid of your test. If this will allow the power to protect everyone, I will face whatever I must." Lincoln said as he readied himself.
"Very well. Then let the trial begin." The woman's voice said before Lincoln saw two eyes open from behind the pedestal and the ground began to shake as the creature they belonged to began to come forwar."
"I have a bad feeling about this." Lincoln said, taking a step back as his foe stepped in to the light of the Holocron to reveal the face of a giant reptile, known to the natives of Tatooine as a Krayt Dragon. "Oh, that's not good." Lincoln said as the Dragon slammed it's front leg down on his position only for him to roll out of the way.
As soon as Lincoln got back on to his feet, he called out to the Force and pulled a large bolder up before throwing it at the Krayt Dragon only for the beast to catch it in its mouth before stabbing down at Lincoln with its claws. Lincoln then jumped on to the back of the Krayt Dragon's claw, so transfixed on his battle, he didn't notice a certain figure beginning to appear in the cave. Lincoln ran up the Krayt Dragon's arm, calling on the Force to boost his strength and speed so that when he punched the beast in the face, it was actually knocked in to the wall of the. He then preformed a superhero landing, while panting from her exertion. Then it happened, something caught the corner of his eye and he turned to see...
"Lucy?" He asked in shock at the sight of his black clad sister.
"L-Lincoln." Lucy said with a smile as tears flowed from behind her long bangs. Suddenly, the Krayt Dragon burst forward and grabbed Lincoln in it's teeth chomping on to his right side as Lincoln cried out in pain, calling on all his strength to hold back the teeth of the beast and to simply stay conscious.
Suddenly, Lincoln heard something through his cries of pain. He then looked down at Lucy who was frantically calling out to him and then, he felt his power return, greater than ever and his pain begin to numb, as if Lucy herself was feeding power to him.
Lincoln then let out a loud battle cry as a blast of concussive energy erupted from his body in a sphere, breaking the Krayt Dragon's jaw as it dropped him. Lincoln then stood up, the left side of his shirt and jacket in complete tatters as his arm hung limp and dripping blood. He then called forth on the Force once more and with another cry, pushed back the Krayt Dragon until it was under a stalactite which he then closed his eyes and pulled down, impaling and killing the mighty beast.
The burst of energy left the young Jedi's body as he fell to his knees.
"Lincoln!" Lucy called as she ran she ran to help her brother, only for her hand pass through him as she reached for him. "What?" She asked.
"You're not really here, Lucy and I'm not where you are." Lincoln was able to surmise.
"Very, perceptive, Lincoln Loud." A voice said before the two siblings looked to see a ghostly figure in Jedi robes that Lincoln was able to recognize thanks to Kanan's Holocron having a list of notible Jedi Knights and Masters from before the fall of the order.
"Qui Gon Jinn?" Lincoln asked. "But I don't understand. You died at the battle of Naboo." Lincoln said.
"Yes. But I learned how to maifest myself after death." Qui Gon explained to Lincoln.
"But why are you here?" Lincoln asked before the ghostly Jedi Master pointed towards Lucy.
"I am here to aid her." Qui Gon said as he took notice of Lincoln's arm and called upon the power of being one with the Force to heal the wounds in his arm.
Lincoln then stood up, feeling completely reenergized. "So, Lucy can feel the Force." Lincoln said with little surprise. In truth, from the moment he learned of the Force, he had suspicions that it had touched some of his sisters in some ways.
"Jedi? Force? What are talking about?" Lucy asked as Lincoln turned back to her.
"Lucy. This is going to be hard to believe. But I'm not on Earth right now." Lincoln began before giving her an abridged version of what had been happening to him since running away.
"So, you're some kind of mystical knight?" Lucy asked in amazement.
"I'm just learner. But I will become a Knight." Lincoln said to his sister as more of a promise than anything else. "Lucy. The path I've chosen to take is hard and dangerous. But I know you have the strength of spirit to walk it too." Lincoln said, knowing that if the Force was calling to her to be a Jedi, it was her choice to make.
"But... How can you trust me to be a... Jedi after what we did?" She asked, her guilt still eating away at her.
"Lucy. I'm not angry anymore. Especially not with you." Lincoln said as he knelt in front of his little sister.
"But all that bad luck crap and everything else we did to that just made you suffer." Lucy said, preparing to list off every time she or any of their sisters had seemingly punished Lincoln for existence.
"Lucy. I won't say there's not any anger left. But... It doesn't matter. Everything that happened led me to where I am and now I'm part of something bigger than I ever could have imagined." Lincoln said, radiating a strength and confidence that Lucy ha never seen from her brother before.
"Do you really think I can be like that too?" She asked, gaining a kind nod from the young Jedi. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll become a Jedi." She said.
"Then I'll be on my way to pick you up." Lincoln said.
"No." Qui Gon said as the two Louds turned to him. "The time of your reunion will come. But only when you find for Lucy what she aided you in obtaining." He said before pointing to the carcass of the fallen Krayt Dragon where he saw a glow. Lincoln reached out his hand and pulled with the Force to hold in his hand a spherical gem.
"This can power my Lightsaber, can't it?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes. Lucy's crystal will be of a different sort. When the Force guides you to it, that will be your time to come back together." Qui Gon said.
"So, we won't see each other until he finds some kind of crystal?" Lucy asked.
"No. The two of you share a powerful bond through the Force. Simply focus on one another and you should be able to speak to each other from even the greatest distances." Qui Gon explained.
"Okay." Lincoln said before turning back to Lucy. "I have to go now." He said as he called the golden Holocron to his hand.
"Okay. Be careful out there." Lucy said.
"I will. May the Force be with you." Lincoln said as Lucy and Qui Gon disappeared from his vision and he left the cave to find the Dewback running for him. He then hopped on the Dewback and began riding through the desert once more. As he did so, he was watched by an old man.
"Master, is that him?" The old man asked.
"Yes, Obi Wan. The time has come. Go to the farm begin training the boy." Qui Gon instructed.
"And what of the girl?" Obi Wan asked.
"Not to worry. I already have an old friend who shall aid her." Qui Gon said, gaining a nod from his fromer apprentice before fading away.
(Back at Anchorhead.)
"Beep bwoop beep." Sixer said to Sabine as the approached the gate of the port.
"I don't care what Kanan said. I'm going after Lincoln now. It's been too long." Sabine said as she reached the door.
"Where's your pass?" The door guard asked.
"Right here." She asked as she pointed her blaster to his face before he opened the door. Sabine then walked out of the doorway to see Lincoln riding towards her.
"Hey." Lincoln said as he jumped off the Dewback.
"What the hell happened?" Sabine asked in reference to Lincoln's destroyed clothes and the blood which still covered his right side.
"I got in a bit of a fight." Lincoln said before Sabine noticed what was in his hand.
"Lincoln. Did you fight a Krayt Dragon?" Sabine asked in shock.
"Yeah it was pretty tough too." Lincoln said while rubbing the back his head.
'He beat a Krayt Dragon. With no weapons. That. Is so hot.' Sabine thought. "I'd like to hear all about that." She said.
"I'll tell you all about it when we get back to the ship. Then I'm gonna need a meal, a shower, and about twenty hours of sleep." Lincoln joked as he and Sabine made their way back to the Ghost. Once there he told the the crew about most of what happened, deciding to keep the part about Lucy and Qui Gon to himself.
After talking it over, Kanan had decided that since the gold Holocron had called to just Lincoln, he should be the one to open it alone. Though Lincoln had resolved not to open it until after he had completed his Lightsaber. Speaking of which.
(One week later)
The Ghost crew sans Lincoln were sitting in the galley waiting for Lincoln.
"It's been a whole week. What kind of Lightsaber could he possibly build with the junk we have around here?" Zeb asked.
"Well, I collected a few things over the years." Kanan said.
"I gave him the materials for his comfort grip and Chop dontated a power cell.
"And I gave him a bit of a Mandalorian touch for his saber." Sabine said as she held up half of one of the bescar bars, gaining 'wow' look from everyone else. Just then Lincoln came in, now weaing in a black flight suit, a brown jacket, a pair of steel toed boots, and black fingerless gloves, holding his Lightsaber which had a strip of leather from his old jacket.
"I thought I'd let you take a look at it first." Lincoln said before handing the saber to Kanan.
"You've done well in the construction. Go for it." Kanan said as he handed Lincoln back his Lightsaber. The white haired Jedi then held his weapon high and activated it with a screech to reveal a viridian blade as pride filled his eyes.
A short time later, Lincoln was sitting in the gunner seat of the Ghost while holding the Holocron and focused on the Force before the ancient device sparked to life before revealing a brown clad woman with a long Lightsaber hilt on her hip and her brown hair done in twin ponytails. The woman then spoke, revealing hers was the voice in the cave as she said "My name is Bastila Shan."
SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW
And there you go guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now, before anyone asks, Lincoln's new gear is Galen Marek's from the Imperial Kashyyyk in Force Unleased. Next time, will most likely just be continued adventures for Lincoln as Lucy trains with Qui Gon. Until then and as always... Keep on keeping on.