Chapter 6 – Trickster
D100/1 ABY
On an unknown world beyond the nine realms were Loki and Rayleigh. The two gods had gotten wind of a possible tip via Heimdall and were closing in on their target – a prison complex.
"Loki… please contain your excitement.", Rayleigh told his nephew.
"I'm sorry. It's just my first time meeting him.", Loki replied as the two Archangels scouted the prison. Stealth and speed were necessary for this mission as the prison had powerful magical wards placed throughout it. These wards were meant for angels though and not archangels. Despite this, the two of them were being careful.
Crouching behind a rock, "Nephew… we are here to rescue him. Keep that in mind.", the God of Destruction spoke. With this the two scouted and determined the security to be very tight.
"How often have we walked into a trap… willingly?", Loki asked.
"It won't be a trap for much longer.", Rayleigh answered, his eyes glowing purple.
"I thought we were being subtle.", Loki commented.
Rayleigh raised his right hand, his palm facing towards the prison installation. "Hakai.", he whispered and every foul thing inside the prison screamed momentarily before turning into small purplish blots, disappearing into the air.
On Pantorra, Fenrir and Tarre were currently cleaning up the mess caused by the fight between Fenrir and the soul eater inside Chuchi's house, while Chuchi and her daughter were at the hospital, with Ahsoka.
"I don't know how to thank you all for this.", Chuchi said, while hugging her daughter as they both sat on her bed.
"Technically you only have to thank Fenrir and Tarre. The rest of us didn't do anything.", Ahsoka said with a smile.
"Oh, I will.", Chuchi said. She then checked on Olia to see that the girl was fast asleep. Laying her on the bed, Chuchi got up and sat at her bedside. "Inside… that place… I saw Master Viszla.", she said.
"Yes, it was a part of their plan.", Ahsoka said.
"He was without the mask.", Chuchi said.
"Oh… he wasn't always like that.", Ahsoka said.
"Ahsoka… he had eyes… normal eyes.", Chuchi said.
Ahsoka was silent at this, partially shocked. "What happened exactly?", she then asked.
Chuchi gave her a complete account of what happened in the nest, and ended it with, "Did the Jedi ever face something like this?"
"I can't be sure.", Ahsoka answered, "…There never were any records about this in the Jedi temple."
"What are your plans for the future? Will you help rebuild the Jedi Order.", Chuchi asked after a while.
"No. I have a different path now. Maybe the Republic could do without the Jedi Order.", Ahsoka answered.
"Really!?", Chuchi asked.
"Without the order… but not without the Jedi.", Ahsoka said.
"Why?", Chuchi asked.
"During the clone wars… the Jedi were shackled to both the Senate and the Order itself. Most of them… forgot the true purpose of the order. It led to a lot of moral ambiguity and corruption, within the ranks of the Jedi.", Ahsoka answered.
"But there was a lot of good as well.", Chuchi said.
"Yes, but at the cost of overwhelming evil.", Ahsoka said. Behind them the door opened and entered Tarre Viszla.
"How are you both?", he asked Chuchi.
"Much better now. Olia is sleeping… peacefully, which is a pleasant surprise.", Chuchi said.
"I recommend you both take a medicine which induces a dreamless sleep… atleast for a while.", Tarre suggested.
"I was thinking the same.", Chuchi said looking at Tarre, "I will ask the doctor for such a medicine."
"Fenrir and I have repaired most of the damage done to your house… but it's probably for the best that you move to a different place.", Tarre further suggested.
"I promised Olia as such.", Chuchi said, "But, what damage are you talking about?"
"The thing possessed my body and fought Fenrir.", Tarre replied casually.
"Oh.", the two women said slightly shocked, but said nothing about it.
"I would like to thank you…", Chuchi began.
"There is no need for thanks. It was our duty to help you.", Tarre interrupted her.
"Nevertheless… we owe you both.", Chuchi said.
Tarre shook his head slightly, "You don't owe us anything Chairwoman."
"I disagree.", Chuchi said, "Where is Master Fenrir?", she asked.
"Master…", Tarre said with a grimace, while Ahsoka smiled slightly. "He's gone back to his ship… said he needed to check on his ward.", Tarre answered.
"I didn't know he had a ward.", Chuchi said.
"Her name is Ava. She is a few years older to Olia.", Ahsoka said.
"Oh, where are her parents?", Chuchi asked.
"Her mother was a Jedi knight, who survived the purge, but was killed by the Empire. We don't know anything about her father.", Ahsoka said.
"Oh… where did he find her?", Chuchi asked.
"Ahsoka found her actually, brought her along to the Republic.", Tarre answered, "Later Fenrir helped her track down her mother's lightsaber and offered to train her. Ava agreed to this."
Back on the unknown planet with Rayleigh and Loki. Infront of them used to be a prison structure, which was completely destroyed by Rayleigh. The two of them walked forwards and discovered a large box with enochian markings all over it. Loki stepped towards it and decided to rip the lid off the box – no tricks or anything. As the id came off its hinges, the Archangel duo saw a man inside the box, bound in chains with his mouth sewn shut, and his face covered in wounds. He was wearing a very dirty rag that barely covered his body. It looked like he had been tortured for quite a while. The man looked up at them, fear in his eyes. But at the sight of Loki and Rayleigh, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Loki came forward, removed the chains and lifted the man. Carrying him outside, Loki gently sat the man down on the floor with him and placed two fingers on his forehead, healing his wounds and undoing the sewing on his mouth. At the same time, Loki conjured proper clothes which replaced the dirty rag on the man's body. Lastly, he produced two vials of from his pocket and handed them to the man, who sat in silence.
Rayleigh and Loki had crouched down to look at the man. "We would like to take you to Asgard – Lord Gabriel."
The man – Gabriel showed no signs of registering what they said, but did not protest in any way when Loki and Rayleigh gently lifted him off the ground. Looking at the sky Loki yelled, "Heimdall, whenever you're ready."
A second later, the rainbow bridge appeared and transported the three Archangels to Asgard.
Back on Pantorra, inside the quinjet. Fenrir had just steeped in to find Satine Kryze keeping Ava company. Sira had gone back with Kanan and Hera to the Ghost.
"How's everything?", Fenrir asked.
"Meh.", Ava said.
"Are you a goat?", Fenrir asked.
"No!", Ava said, while Satine slightly smiled.
"Ok, what have you been up to?", Fenrir asked, to which Ava said nothing and avoided his gaze.
"You were sleeping the whole time, weren't you?", Fenrir said with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe.", Ava said avoiding his gaze.
"No problem.", Fenrir said.
"Really!", Ava said surprised.
"Yes. But you will be doing only wrist exercises for the next month.", Fenrir said.
"But…", Ava started, "Not fair."
"You were the sleeping for the whole day.", Fenrir said with a smile.
