Chapter 6
Trial of the Truth
Okay, guys. You know the drill by now. On to the reviews.
SaurusRock625: I'm going to assume that means you aprove.
1049: Glad you enjoyed it.
Gamelover41592: Glad you're continuing to enjoy.
ssnoah4: Thrawn will show up. But there won't really be a need for Lincoln to sacrafice.
Ultra Revanite: I do plan of having that happen.
corpuzevan4: Thank you.
AnimeGoji91: Of course he'll show up.
And now, dear readers... Let's kick it up!
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Within the halls of a dark Imperial complex, the Inquisitor was walking alone before coming to a door and opened it to see a woman in mostly all black with a black helmet that completely hid her face, black gloved that were red at the palms, and a Lightsaber that was much like the Inquisitors own only with points on opposite ends of the guard and strange symbols all around it.
"Is there a problem, Grand Inquisitor?" The young woman asked.
"There are reports of a Jedi on Kashyyyk. You are being dispatched to investigate, Seventh Sister." The Grand Inquisitor informed.
"Not that I don't enjoy having a little play time. But why aren't you dealing with this?" The Seventh Sister asked.
"Because this particular Jedi is one of those on Third brother's personal list." The Grand Inquisitor Explained, making thing's clear to his underling.
"Ah. So I'm being sent less for the hunt and more for support." The Seventh Sister noted before standing up and beckoning for two black ID-9 probe Droids to dock on her shoulders. "Oh well. Any chance to get some exercise is fine with me." She said as she exited her quarters and went to the docking bay of the compound where she entered a TIE Fighter model with the solar panels made to be in a long thin diamond shape and fold together called a 'TIE Slicer' before leaving the planet's atmosphere and making a Hyperspace jump to her destination.
(With Lincoln)
The white haired Jedi was sitting in the center of the Rogue Shadow's cargo hold and meditated as the core of Bastila Shaan's Holocron floated in front of him while the edge pieces spun around him.
Ever since he had obtained it, Lincoln had spent hours going over the knowledge in the ancient device, discovering information on long dead warriors, new Force powers, some one of which he could have sworn he had seen before and most importantly, this was not the only ancient Holocron. This was one of three Holocrons that while holding great knowledge and wisdom in their own rite, also acted as keys to a much greater prize. When all three of the Holocrons were brought together, they would reveal the location and open the door to something known as 'the Rite of Prodigal'. The Holocron didn't say what the rite was, only that it called to him through the Holocron and he needed to find it before the Inquisitor or someone worse did. As such, he had been using the clues left within Bastilla's Holocron and the maps on board both the Rogue Shadow and the Ghost to ascertain the locations of the other two key Holocrons.
As Lincoln meditates, he began to have visions of a lush green world, the sounds of Lightsabers clashing and the sound of distinct roaring language he had heard once before. When he first joined the Specters.
(On Hondo's ship)
Hondo's partner was meditating as her three Lightsabers floated around her. Suddely, she began to shake as she saw faced of friends long dead and days long gone before she had a vision of the same planet and sound that Lincoln did, only she also saw the face of that the roar was coming from.
"He's alive!" The young Tholothian woman exclaimed in a shocked whisper as her sabers fell to the floor and Hondo ran in to her.
"Katooni! What is wrong?" As he knelt down next to her.
The Tholothian then picked up her Lightsabers and clipped them back inside her coat before turning to Hondo and saying "We need to get to Kashyyyk."
(Back with Lincoln)
"Are you sure you don't need us to come with you? Kashyyyk isn't exactly the most safe of worlds." Hera asked after Lincoln had informed her and Kanan about his vision.
"It shouldn't be a problem between the Shadow's specs and cloaking device." Sabine reasoned.
"Alright. But you just go there, get the Holocron and come back. Don't take any risks with how many Imperials are there." Kanan said, gaining a nod from Lincoln.
"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." Lincoln replied to his master before he walked on to the Rogue Shadow and in to the cockpit where Sabine was waiting.
"You sure just the two of us should be going?" Sabine asked Lincoln as he sat down.
"This has to be a black op. The less of us that go, the better." Lincoln replied as he and Sabine both began to type in the coordinates to get to Kashyyyk.
"Okay. I trust you." Sabine said before the Shadow jumped to Hyperspace.
Some time later, the Rogue Shadow arrived above the atmosphere above Kashyyyk and cloaked before going down.
"Alright. Let's dock on to one of the trees then cut the engines." Lincoln instructed before the Shadow clamped on to one of the side of a tree. "Keep her cloaked and be ready to come and get me. I sense that there might be some trouble." He said as he got up only for Sabine to grab on to his hand.
"Be careful out there." Sabine said before getting a reassuring peck on on the lips in response before Lincoln walked to the ramp of the Shadow and jumped out.
(On the jungle floor)
Lincoln landed with little issue on the ground beneath the trees. "Okay. Where are you?" He asked in a whisper before he put his hand to the ground in an attempt to sense out where the Holocron was. Just then he sensed two people who were strong in the Force one was a fair distance away from his position and the other... "You can come out. I'm not an Inquisitor and I can sense you aren't either." He said before a shape came out of the tree tops and revealed itself to be a Wookie wearing a vest and carrying a wooden Lightsaber hilt.
"Graaah?" The Wookie asked.
"My name is Lincoln Loud. I'm the Padawan of Kaleb Dume.
"Graah? Gwaah. Graah?" The Wookie asked before Lincoln shook his head sadly.
"No. She died during the purge." Lincoln said, gaining a saddened look from the Wookie. "How long have you been here?" Lincoln asked.
"Graaah graah waah." The Wookie explained.
"I'm sorry you couldn't get to that other Jedi in time. But I can get you out of here and away from that Inquisitor as soon as I find what I'm looking for." Lincoln offered.
"Gwaaah. Grraaww." The Wookie said before the two of them sensed something.
"Well, Gunji We'd better hurry. Because I can feel something coming this way." Lincoln said before the two of them began to run.
(Meanwhile)
The Seventh Sister arrived at within the skies of Kashyyyk before landing on a small platform next to a TIE Striker that was next to a young man who black armor which concealed his face and three Lightsabers on his hips.
"So, one of your old friends is here, Third Brother?" Seventh Sister asked as she approached her fellow Inquisitor.
"Yes. I can feel him. You can have your fun. But the finishing blow and Lightsaber are mine." Third Brother replied before gaining a nod from Seventh Sister. The two then began walking before the Third Brother briefly stopped before looking up.
"What is it?" Seventh Sister asked.
"I thought I sensed... Never mind. Let's go." Third Brother said before he turned and continued to walk as Katooni watched them from behind a wall before leaning against it.
"Those... Were their sabers." Katooni said with a tear rolling down her face before it shifted from sorrow to anger before letting out a growl and beginning to climb down the trees.
(With Lincoln)
Our hero ran along the jungle floor along with his Wookie companion for several minutes, allowing the Force to guide him to his destination. Suddenly, Gunji came to a halt as he looked up.
"Gwaa!" Gunji called out before Lincoln called his Lightsaber to his hand and sparked it up to block the suddenly downward strike from a red bladed Lightsaber that ended up being held by a Dowutin who was wearing a helmet with a heavily cracked red visor and had a red cybernetic right leg and no right hand at all.
"An Inquisitor." Lincoln said through gritted teeth as he called upon the Force to increase his strength enough to push back the strike from the Dowutin.
"Another Jedi, huh?" The Inquisitor asked before grinning. "Good. This will more than make up for me failing." She said as she activated the other blade of her Lightsaber before rushing at Lincoln once more only for Gunji to ignite his own green bladed Lightsaber and block the the strike from the Inquisitor. Lincoln then flipped over the two before going for a strike which was then blocked by the Inquisitor's rear blade before he got a metal foot to the gut and went flying before being caught by someone jumping down from the trees to Katooni.
"Are you okay?" Katooni asked before Lincoln nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine." He replied before Katooni stood up and switched her main Lightsaber and the smaller hilted one one as both of the sapphire blades of both came forth.
"A third Jedi? Looks like Life Day came early!" The Inquisitor said before Gunji and Katooni both charged at her and struck at her only for her to block both hits. However, she found herself so focused on blocking the other two that she didn't think about Lincoln who sent Sixer to short out her leg. This allowed Katooni the opportunity to deliver a strong Force push to the back of the Dowutin before Guji reached out and and hand as a grouping of vine pulled the Inquisitor in to the trees before wrapping her up completely.
"I doubt that will hold her long. Let's move." Lincoln said as he and the other two Jedi began running.
After the three had ran far enough away. They stopped to take a breath before Gunji began howling in joy before lifting Katooni in to a bearhug.
"Haha. It's good to see you too, Gunji!" Katooni joyfully exclaimed as she returned the hug and did her best to hold back from crying. She then looked over to Lincoln and nodded. "Thank you for protecting my friend, Lincoln." She said, gaining a raised brow from the youngest Jedi.
"How do you know who I am?" Lincoln asked.
"You've been helping my partner, Hondo out for a while." Katooni said before Gunji looked at her.
"Gwaah?" Gunji asked.
"What? He was the only person I could trust not to turn me in when the purge happened." Katooni defended. "But that doesn't matter right now. We need get out of here before that Inquisitor meets up with the other two I saw up when I was up top." She said.
"Alright. You two go. I have to stay and get the artifact I came here for to make sure that the Inquisitors can't get to it." Lincoln said.
"Graaw!" Gunji exclaimed, gaining a nod from Katooni.
"He's right. We can't just leave you to fight three Inquisitors on your own. If what you're looking for is really that important, we'll come with you to get it and then we'll get out of here." Katooni said as Lincoln took a moment to think before nodding in agreement.
"Okay, you have a point. Let's get moving." Lincoln said before pulling out his com. "Spector 6 to Spector 5. I've run in to a few complications down here. I'll need a Third Hallow pickup. Wait for my signal." He instructed.
"Got it, Spector 6. I'll be ready." Sabine confirmed from her end before Lincoln turned to Katooni.
"You'd better tell Hondo to get ready for an escape." Lincoln said gaining a nod from the older Jedi before she did as instructed and the group began to run further in to the woods.
(Meanwhile)
The Dowutin Inquisitor continued on her hunt for the three Jedi before she suddenly felt something behind her and turned to see the Third Brother and Seventh Sister jump down.
"Ninth Sister. You've looked better." Seventh Sister said with a slight chuckle, gaining a growl from the Dowutin.
"Back off, Seventh Sister. Those Jedi are mine!" Ninth sister exclaimed.
"No. The Wookie and the Tholodian are mine. You two can take the spare together." Third Brother Said with finality, knowing that Ninth Sister was in neither position nor the condition to argue with him.
"Okay. Fine. Let's just get moving." Ninth Sister said as the three of them continued on their chase for the three Jedi.
(Meanwhile)
Lincoln's group continued on their way to their destination, moving around every obstacle with in their path with ease until they came to a small cave with was covered by a series of thick vines.
"This is it." Lincoln said, sensing what he sought was inside. He then reached out with the Force as the vines began to move before he had Sixer move off of his back and in to a safe position. "Keep them covered." He said before entering the cave, the vines moving back in to position as he did.
As Lincoln entered the cave, Gunji and Katooni both sense something behind them and turned to see the three Inquisitors approaching them and ignited their Lightsabers. Katooni then looked in shock at finaly noticing the mostly grey hilt the white hilt with black vertical grip lines, and the saver with a gold emitter and pommel and a black grip near the bottom.
"Those sabers." Katooni whispered before a suspicion hit her. "It can't be. I thought you died when that bridge fell." She said with tears beginning to fall down her face.
"I did exactly what you did, Katooni." Third brother said before his helmet folded away to reveal the face of a black haired Human with a scar over his right eye, which had clearly been replaced with a cybernetic one.
"Gwaaa growl waah?" Gunji asked in a deep rage, feeling betrayed at seeing the man before them in the armor of an Inquisitor.
"If it helps, Gunji. They didn't suffer too much and I'll make sure you don't either." Third brother said, igniting the now crimson blades of his Lightsabers.
"Don't do us any favors, Petro." Katooni said as she pulled out her silver Lightsaber. "You won't get any from us." She said as she and Gunji rushed at the three Inquisitors.
(With Lincoln)
The white haired Jedi walked through the blackness of thew cave before coming to a crossroads. On one path, flames and chaos. A road those who are comfortable facing adversity. On the other, ice, cold and rigid. A path for the disciplined.
Lincoln took a moment to close his eyes and feel the Force around him before he sensed something. The solution to the puzzle revealed itself to be surprisingly simple as Lincoln held his hand out and let a push come out of his hand as the wall between the two paths shattered, revealing the true path was hidden between the two extreme ones, allowing Lincoln to walk to the back chamber and to a podium to grab the emerald Holocron in the center.
Lincoln then turned around before he ran to the cave entrance to see Gunji and Katooni engaged in battle with Petro as the Seventh and Ninth sister began to rush at them. He then leapt forward and blocked a strike from Seventh Sister before sending out a focused Force Push in to Ninth Sister's ribs.
"Not bad for a Padawan." Seventh Sister said before smirking beneath her mask. "But not good enough." She said in a saber lock with Lincoln before an ID-9 unit positioned itself behind him.
"You sure about that?" Lincoln asked before the ID-9 was hit from behind by a cryo laser from Sixer on its left flank. Lincoln then continued the two female Dark Side users before leading the two of them on to a root which stood over a small pond. Seventh Sister then tried to jump over Lincoln only for him to use a strong Force Push to slam her in to a tree before he used some vines to tie her down before Ninth sister tried to slam down at him before he slid under her, causing he to slice one side of the root before he cut another, causing her to fall in to the pond below.
"Why you little." Ninth Sister said before she got up to attack Lincoln again only to see sparks of cyan electricity coming off Lincoln's hand before he shot a torrent of lightning out of his hand and in combination with the water, caused her a death by electrocution.
Over on the other side of the fight, Petro continued his fight with Gunji and Katooni before he managed to kick the Wookie in the chest before he managed to get the Tholodian turned around. He then went to strike her with the mostly white hilted Lightsaber only for Lincoln to come out of nowhere and block the hit.
Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes widened as he had a brief vision of a white 1 in a red field upon his Lightsaber making contact with Petro's. He was quickly able to recover, hit Petro with hit to the gut a Force Push, and push him back before he pulled out his com.
"Spector 5! Now!" Lincoln called before the Shadow decloaked and lowered the ramp before the three Jedi jumped up as the ship flew off. Lincoln took a brief moment before looking to Katooni and Gunji to see a look of sadness and betrayal on their faces. He decided not to press it, both out of respect and because of an issue he was having.
(Some time later.)
Sabine was sitting down with Kanan, Hera, and Zeb while telling them what happened.
"It's a good thing you guys were there. I'd hate to think what would have happened to them if you weren't." Hera said.
"Plus, the kid actually managed to take down one of the Inquisitors." Zeb pointed out, feeling genuinely impressed with the mentioned act.
"Speaking of which, where is Lincoln." Kanan asked.
"He's in his room. Something shook him up during the fight. I'm giving him a bit of space for now." Sabine explained, hoping that everything was okay with her boyfriend.
(In the Rogue Shadow)
Lincoln was lying down alone, thinking about the vision he had just had and the thoughts that kept flooding through his mind because of them. Why had he seen that? How was she connected. Was she in danger? Each of these question had made one thing clear. The time was fast approaching when he would have to return to Earth.
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Well, there you go, guys I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next time, the Inquisitors begin to make moves as Lincoln finds a certain object which tells him it is time to go home.