AN: Hey, everyone, it's me, Shadow750. This is my second fanfic I will be posting, and it will probably be my longest one, so I will work my hardest to not only make this story the best I want it to be for me and you guys, but to stay true to the source material. I know this is fanfiction and you can essentially do whatever you want here, but I pride myself in staying as close to canon as possible.
Also, this story first came to mind when I was watching Fellowship of the Ring, so that's where I got the crystal idea from. I also got a lot of inspiration from the anime Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, so you will probably see several similarities between them.
Just know, this is my story, and I will only write my own ideas. I would greatly appreciate it for you all to call me out on plagiarism if it seems that way. And critiques, reviews, and advice will be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters.
Warning: There will be a frequent amount of cursing (such as the f-word) throughout this fic. If you are disturbed by that, then please don't read this.
Now that that's all out of the way, let the story begin!
"Get back here, you damned thief!"
Rafe easily maneuvered through the dark crowded streets of level 1313 in the Underworld of Coruscant. His short and thin frame allowed him to navigate through the forgotten dungeon, which was filled with shattered conduits, fungus on the walls, and criminal gangs, one of which he was running from now.
"What's the matter?! Can't hear me from down there? I said get back here!" the leader of the gang called after Rafe again.
Rafe looked behind him, narrowing his sharp, grey eyes when he only saw the leader; the tall Trandoshin. Where'd the other four go? He stopped when he ran out of an alley, looking around for his other pursuers. Before he could make any assumptions, two more smugglers ran at him from the left, causing him to backtrack into another deserted alley. Damn it all…
Yuki sharply opened her eyes, letting out a frightened gasp as her entire body lurched off of the seat she was meditating on and onto the smooth, polished floor of the meditation chambers. She took a few deep breaths, trying not to think about the vision she just had. She'd never seen—no—felt anything so dark and emotional before. The amount of anger and disdain for life itself was almost too much for her to bear.
Clear your mind, and let the living Force guide you.
She replayed her Master's words in her mind over and over again until her breathing steadied. Taking a deep inhale of breath, Yuki closed her eyes, and was now aware of everything around her. She saw the tall, red and silver seat she was sitting in front of. She saw the neatly polished floor she was sitting on. She saw the dark skies of Coruscant, even though the windows were covered, making the meditation chambers pitch black.
She felt as if she were one with the force. Nothing ever made her feel calmer or more focused.
Still, her mind seemed to dwell on the dark vision she just had. It felt so real to her, but she didn't know why she even had such a vision. Maybe it's just the will of the Force…
Yuki shook the thought away. She never understood what the will of the Force was, so she wasn't going to use it as an excuse to dismiss the vision she just had.
Master will know what to do. He always does…
"Master Arakan!" Yuki ran over to the tall, dark-robed Jedi in front of her.
He halted midstep, and turned his head slightly. All Yuki could see was the grim look in his green eye, the rest of his face was covered by the dark brown hood of his robe.
"Yuki."
"I need to tell you something," Yuki said, taking a step closer to her Master.
"And what is it you need to tell me?" Arakan asked bluntly.
"I had a vision."
Arakan's only visible eye widened slightly. He turned to fully face Yuki. "About?"
"I think it was here on Coruscant," Yuki said, narrowing her eyes as she recollected her thoughts. "It was so dark, literally. There was not a ray of sun in that place. Everyone was so… so…" She couldn't finish her sentence, unable to find the right words.
"Miserable," Arakan said numbly, looking out of the window. He walked over to said window, and Yuki followed him. "You see that large opening that goes deep under the city?"
Yuki followed his gaze, and saw a large, circular portal that looked like it went far under the city. "Yeah." She looked back up at her Master, who kept his gaze on the portal. "What about it?"
"That's the place you saw."
"What is it?"
"The Underworld of Coruscant," Arakan said bitterly.
"The… Underworld of Coruscant…" Yuki repeated. She looked back to the portal. "But, Coruscant is essentially the Capital of the galaxy. It's the heart of the Republic, the Jedi, so how can such a place like the Underworld exist on such a pristine and important planet?"
"Nobody cares."
Yuki looked up at the dark-robed Jedi, surprised. She always thought Coruscant was the most important planet. She always thought the Jedi and the Republic did everything in their power to make the galaxy peaceful. But here she was, standing above a dark and miserable city, right in the heart of the galaxy's pride and power.
"Why doesn't anybody care?" she asked.
"Because those who have power only seek more power," Arakan said. "They only see those who are beneath them as a nuisance. They can't get anything from them, so they forget about them, and let them rot and kill and steal."
His voice deepened to a dark growl, somewhat startling Yuki. It was rare when her Master showed emotion.
He sighed, then finally looked down at Yuki. "Close your eyes."
She was a little confused by her Master's command, but did so anyway. She felt Arakan put his calloused hand on her head, burying her bluish-black hair in her eyes. He took a deep breath, then let it out after a couple of seconds. Yuki felt him release his hand, and she opened her eyes.
"Stay here," she heard her Master say. When she looked up, he was already walking away.
"Wait! Master!" She ran after him. "Where are you going? Shouldn't we tell the Council about this?"
"I do believe I just told you to stay here, so why are you following me?" Arakan asked, but his tone didn't give off any indication that he was annoyed. He seemed to be curious.
"I'm coming with you," Yuki declared.
Arakan removed his hood, revealing his brown hair that was tied in a half ponytail, although a few strands of hair covered the corners of his eyes. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with Yuki. "Little one, I need you to stay here. The Underworld is a very dangerous place. We're not dealing with Separatists. Down there, you have to do the unthinkable to survive."
Yuki swallowed. "You mean…" She lowered her head, at a loss for words.
"Yes," Arakan said softly.
Yuki nodded once, understanding what her Master was talking about. She couldn't even imagine going down to such a horrible place.
"Stay here. I won't be long." Arakan stood up, then turned around and made his leave.
Yuki swung her blue lightsaber in a low, horizontal arc, then gracefully glided her feet across the floor in the training room, avoiding a blaster bolt, and finally turned around and protected her flank by bringing her lightsaber up to her forehead, redirecting another blaster bolt. She recentred herself, keeping her right foot in front of her left, and her lightsaber was held in front of her chest. She swung the blue blade in a downward diagonal arc, then jumped when a blaster bolt fired at her. She twisted her entire body horizontally, and the bolt flew under her, hitting the ground, leaving a black scorch mark upon impact. While she was still in the air, another blaster bolt fired in her direction. She took her lightsaber in her left hand and swung it in an upward, diagonal arc, deflecting the bolt back onto the Marksman-H training remote, nullifying it. She landed silently on the floor, exhaling a breath of exhaustion as she stood straight.
"Impressive."
Yuki looked up, somewhat startled by Anakin's sudden appearance. When did he get here? I didn't even sense him. "Master Skywalker," she said, bowing respectfully.
Anakin bowed in return, then chuckled. "There's no need to be so courteous. You're…" He looked off to the side, clearly trying to remember her name.
"Yuki."
Anakin looked at her, his blue eyes lighting up. "You're Master Arakan's apprentice!"
Yuki nodded. "You know my Master?"
"Only by name, really. In all honesty, that man is a complete mystery. Not much is known about him. The only thing I really know about him is he is very skilled as a Jedi, and he doesn't take orders." Anakin chuckled. "Kind of reminds me of myself. You should be proud to be his apprentice."
Yuki smiled. "I am very proud." She then frowned, remembering when her Master left on his own to investigate something that could be very important without telling anyone.
"Is something wrong?" Anakin asked, sounding concerned.
Yuki looked up at him. "No… It's nothing…"
Anakin's eyes glanced at the destroyed training droid. "That was some impressive training you were just doing. Very graceful and agile."
Yuki looked away, embarrassed by the compliment. "Thanks…" she whispered.
"Although I am curious," Anakin said, walking towards her, "why did you choose to dodge the blaster bolts instead of just blocking them? It's dangerous to expose yourself like that."
"I'm aware of that, but Master Arakan told me to never become too dependant on one style of training," Yuki explained.
"I see… Is that why you were practicing on your primary lightsaber form, Makashi, and then switching to the more defensive style, Soresu, and Ataru to block and evade blaster fire?"
Yuki was surprised by how quickly Anakin was able to deduce her fighting style just from watching her train for a few minutes. "Yes. I know it's very unlikely to encounter a Sith, but when it comes to lightsaber combat, I don't actually want to hurt anyone. I'd prefer to avoid it altogether. That's why I wanted to study Makashi, so that I could focus on light, precise moves that are meant to disarm opponents."
"And you also study Soresu to make up for Makashi's lack of defense, and Ataru for its wild and acrobatic maneuvers, which is great for someone of your size," Anakin deduced.
Yuki's mouth hung open. She was completely speechless.
Anakin let out a light chuckle. "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with your unique fighting style. You'll be sure to catch others off guard. I lost an arm to a Makashi user." He held up his mechanical hand, which was covered by a black glove. "He wasn't very strong physically, but his moves were perfectly calculated and precise, and that's what made him dangerous."
"Are you telling me to give up on Makashi as a base, and to focus on something… more conventional?" Yuki asked, a little disappointed.
Anakin held his hands out in front of him. "No, no, no! Not at all. I just think…" He looked off to the side for a second, then back to Yuki, smirking. "You know what? Maybe it's better if I show you instead of explaining." He grabbed the lightsaber that was hanging on the left side of his Jedi utility belt and activated it. A blue blade ignited from the top of the hilt.
Yuki was hesitant. She didn't have a problem dueling a well-trained Jedi Knight like Anakin, but she didn't want to humiliate herself in front of him. She knew how well-known and respected he was, by both Jedi and Clones. The Hero With No Fear wanted to duel her, a mere Padawan to an almost nonexistent Master; someone who was better known as a myth within the Temple.
"It's alright," Anakin reassured her, smiling. "There's no need to be scared."
Yuki glanced at his blue lightsaber, then closed her eyes, feeling the living force around her. She allowed it to guide her actions, and she activated her own blue lightsaber.
Anakin grinned. He was surely confident that she wouldn't be a challenge. His next words proved Yuki's speculation. "Now, let's see what you've learned."
Yuki slowly circled in a clockwise direction, while Anakin just stayed where he was, grinning arrogantly. She noticed that he held his lightsaber lazily at his right side, so she decided to strike at his left side by swinging her blade in a back-handed, horizontal arc, which Anakin easily blocked by bringing his blade up to his torso.
"Too predictable," he said. "Don't look at where you're going to swing your blade. Always keep your eye on your opponents."
She nodded, understanding what Anakin was trying to teach her. She knew that opponents could read what you were going to do next just by looking at your eyes.
Taking a deep breath, she lunged at Anakin, and swung her lightsaber in a downward arc at Anakin's lightsaber, all the while keeping her eyes on him. That seemed to have worked, because Anakin flicked Yuki's lightsaber away with a graceful spin of his lightsaber, then held it in a two-handed grip.
"Much better." He smirked, confusing Yuki. "But…" He lunged at her with blinding speed, she had to rely on the Force just to see him. "That's not enough to beat me!" He held his lightsaber in an overhand position, then swung down.
I can't block this. She instinctively somersaulted to her right, causing Anakin to swing his lightsaber at the floor. She took the opportunity to kick his exposed leg, but he caught himself with his free hand. He then turned around, holding his lightsaber in front of his face, just in time to block Yuki's blade.
"I thought you weren't trying to hurt anyone?" Anakin asked mockingly.
"I'm not!" Yuki said defensively, spinning her blade away from Anakin's.
"Well, your offense is pretty good." He held his blade in a two-handed grip on his right side. "But let's see how good your defense is."
Yuki instinctively took the Soresu blade stance, holding her blade in one hand at the side of her face, and her other hand pointing out in front of her.
"You can read your opponents," Anakin complimented. "That's good. But…" He lunged at Yuki. "That's not enough to win!"
Anakin swung his lightsaber at lightning speed in all directions. Yuki had to keep her eyes open just to see where his blade was. His strikes were surprisingly powerful, yet predictable, but that didn't make it any easier.
He lifted his blade above his head.
Now's my chance. She jumped at Anakin and thrust her blade at his hands as he swung down. He leaned out of the way and brought his blade to his side to block Yuki's next attack, but instead of blocking, he brought his blade up, then swung down onto her blade. His strike was so powerful Yuki's blade flew out of her hands and clattered onto the floor. Yuki looked up at him, completely shocked and defenseless.
"That's the problem with your style of lightsaber combat," Anakin explained. "You lack strength. It doesn't matter how skilled an opponent is. If they're physically stronger than you, chances are they will overpower you."
"That's why I study Soresu and Ataru," Yuki said. "So that I can defend and outmaneuver stronger opponents."
Anakin used the Force to pull her lightsaber to his hand, and he handed it to her. "Then use your speed to disarm your opponents as quickly as possible. Your lightsaber is your life. Don't let anyone take it from you."
Yuki nodded, then clipped her lightsaber to her belt. "Thank you for training with me."
"Anytime," Anakin said, grinning. "By the way, you don't happen to know where your Master is, would you?"
Yuki remembered what Arakan left to do before she started training. She looked down, trying to hide the guilt she was feeling. She didn't want to lie to Anakin, but she didn't want her Master to get in any more trouble. That's right! Master Arakan is down in the Underworld and the Council has no idea. His disappearance shouldn't be that noticeable. But… for the both of us to go missing… What should I do?
"Is everything alright?" Anakin asked, breaking Yuki out of her thoughts.
"Yeah… I just remembered… There's something I need to take care of."
Before Anakin could question her further, Yuki walked out of the training room.
Arakan walked through the light streets of Coruscant, trying to navigate his way to the large, circular portal that led to the Underworld. He came across a speeder bike, which was parked next to what looked like an abandoned factory. He managed to start it up, then flew to the large portal that led to the Underworld.
Just as he thought, the Underworld was a miserable place. All he saw as he flew down the dark levels were walls littered with fungus and graffiti, dim flashing neon lights, and criminals.
Arakan made his way down to level 1313. It was a dark place, as if it didn't even exist. With the way everyone looked as they walked around the dimly lit streets, it could be seen as a dungeon.
This better be worth my time. He pushed his annoyance aside and decided to focus on finding who he was looking for. He closed his eyes, feeling the Force flow through him, allowing him to see beyond what the eye could see. He didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, which annoyed him even more.
"Get back here, you damned thief!"
Arakan heard the shout from a far distance. He guided the force to his eyes, helping him navigate his way to the direction of the shout. He managed to find a group of four smugglers, and a short kid, who was running from them. That's who I'm after? A little kid?
He suddenly whipped his head in a completely different direction, sensing that someone familiar was close by. He didn't even bother sensing who it was, he just ran in their direction.
Yuki, what the hell were you thinking?
Rafe eventually navigated his way out of the dark alleys and into the main streets filled with several species. They were all mostly prostitutes, drug dealers, and gang members.
Retched little pigs. He knew that he was no different, though. He knew that they were all just doing what they have to to survive yet another day in the hellhole they were forced to call home.
He remembered for as long as he could how he was forced to survive on his own. He had to scrounge around for scraps, sometimes going days without having anything to eat or drink. He remembered how often he could get kicked around, and how he forced himself to fight back, to kill off all sense of fear, pain, and eventually, emotion. He knew how dangerous a place the Underworld was. And if you showed any sign of compassion, people would use it (or you) to their advantage.
Rafe yet again had to witness the cruelty of the Underworld as he walked by the markets, shops, clubs, and bars. He glanced to his left, where he saw a group of three thugs harassing a human girl. She looked to be around his age. He pulled the hood of his dark blue cloak up, concealing his face, and continued walking. He kept his head lowered to the ground, trying to ignore everything around him.
He heard the girl whimper, and noticed that the three thugs started to grope at her. Just keep walking, he told himself. What they do to that girl shouldn't concern me. I need to survive, and I can't do that if I worry about others. But, as if some unseeable force was controlling him, he walked over to them. Damn you, integrity. He approached the thugs, purposefully bumping into them.
The three thugs took their attention away from the girl and glared at Rafe.
"Hey!" one of them yelled, sounding annoyed.
"Watch where you're going!" the one on his right shouted.
"You should be mindful of where you keep your filthy hands," Rafe rebuked.
"Fuck off, little brat!" The thug shoved Rafe away from them, but Rafe grabbed the thug's wrist and twisted it. He released his hold when he heard the sound of bones breaking, then threw the thug at his two shocked companions.
"Follow me!" he told the girl, but she didn't move. She looked too frightened to move. He reached a hand out to grab her sleeve, looking into her eyes, silently asking for confirmation. She looked at Rafe's hand and nodded. Rafe grabbed her sleeve and took off into the streets.
They ran through the streets blending in with the crowds to avoid detection. Rafe knew that running through the Underworld meant you were being chased, which would draw everyone's attention, so he tried to move as fast as he could.
They broke away from the main street and into the dark alleys, stopping at an abandoned building, which had several cracks and holes.
Rafe looked around to see if anyone was close by. He looked back at the girl once he saw that they were safe. "Stay here," he told her. He turned around to leave, but stopped, keeping his eye on the girl. She was short like him, not even standing over five feet. Her clothes were ripped and dirty, but that didn't surprise him. He knew everyone in the Underworld wasn't fortunate to have decent clothes to wear. Despite her petite figure, which looked surprisingly well-developed in strength and maturity, her face, more specifically her blue eyes, exuded nothing but innocence. He couldn't help but scoff at her, making her look at him curiously. How did she survive in this rotten Underworld for so long?
"Where did that kid go?"
Rafe widened his eyes when he heard the question asked amongst a group of people. The same group that was chasing after him, he presumed. "Please stay put," he pleaded with the girl. She nodded, and he turned around to leave, but stopped when he heard her say something.
"Yuki."
It wasn't the name, or the fact that she actually said something that surprised him. What surprised him was the tone of her voice. Her voice was soft, delicate, and innocent, yet there was a small hint of maturity and pain. He kept his eye on her for a few more seconds, then ran off after giving her a nod. He didn't think it would be wise to give her his name since he was wanted by literally everyone in the Underworld. He snuck a glance out to the crowded streets outside the dark alleys, and it seemed that just about everyone was looking around for something. Sighing, he turned around and went back for Yuki.
"If you follow me, I can get you out of here," he assured her.
She just looked up at him, then nodded.
He grabbed her sleeve and ran back into the crowded streets. Everyone's eyes turned to them.
Fuck…
Rafe and Yuki ran through the dark streets, occasionally looking back to see groups of smugglers and thieves chasing after them.
"They're still after us," Yuki alerted.
"No shit," Rafe said. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a large crowd surrounding wooden crates. "Hide!"
Yuki followed him into a dark alley. Their pursuers stopped running, questioning where they went.
Rafe held onto Yuki as they remained hidden on a rooftop. "You see those wooden crates over there?"
Yuki followed his gaze, nodding. "Yeah."
"Those are filled with valuable merchandise," Rafe explained. "Not many people can afford to get their hands on such valuable items."
"Are you going to steal from them?" Yuki asked.
"No… I'm going to make sure they steal from them."
Yuki looked confused. "Why would you want thieves and criminals to steal? What benefit would you get out of it?"
"It'll provide us with a distraction," Rafe said. "They'll be too distracted with the goods they can get their hands on, giving us the opportunity to escape."
Yuki looked unsure. It's like she wanted to go through with Rafe's plan, but didn't want to take such a big risk.
"Do you want to get out of here, or not?" Rafe asked, getting frustrated.
"I do," Yuki whispered.
"Then do exactly what I tell you."
She nodded obediently, as if she's only answered to others her entire life, making Rafe feel disgusted with himself. He pushed his feelings aside. He only had her best interests in mind.
"Let's go."
They climbed down the roof and ran for the wooden crates. Rafe slid under it and kicked his leg upward. Everything went flying into the air, shocking the merchants.
"What the hell?!"
"It's that thief again!"
"Hey, get back here!"
Before any of the merchants could run after them, smugglers, criminals, and anyone in the vicinity ran for the goods.
Yuki caught up to Rafe, smiling. "Your plan seemed to work."
"It's only effective if we get out of here." Rafe looked back to make sure that they weren't being tailed. He frowned when he saw a dark-cloaked figure running after them, and they were catching up fast.
"We're being tailed!" Yuki said, looking back at their pursuer.
"I'm aware of that. We just need to make it to the subway, then we can get to a shop or a hangar that has something flyable." Rafe looked back again, and saw how fast and agile the cloaked figure was.
"I don't think that's an ordinary criminal."
"No, they're not," Rafe said. "They seem to be well trained, and they knew where to find us and chose the perfect opportunity to make their move…"
"So, who are they?" Yuki asked, sounding nervous.
"I'm about to find out. Just keep running!" He turned around and ran towards the cloaked figure. When he approached them, they just ran right past him, but Rafe was able to get a glimpse of their dark robes and the silver hilt attached to his belt. Dank Farrik… He quickly spun around and kicked his leg out, tripping the cloaked figure. He then darted back to Yuki.
"Are you okay?" she asked as Rafe caught up to her.
"The Jedi are after us," he told her.
Her eyes widened. "The Jedi?!"
"Yeah. I saw the fancy robes they wear and his lightsaber."
Yuki looked like she was about to have a panic attack. "What do we do?"
"See that elevator up there?" Rafe asked, pointing to a blue elevator to his right.
Yuki followed his gaze. "Yeah."
"That will take you to the upper levels. I can't guarantee you'll get out of this hellhole, but you'll be safer."
Sweat dripped down Yuki's forehead.
"Hey!" Rafe yelled, alerting Yuki. "I need you to stay calm. If you panic, you'll die. Just keep your head down, and don't trust anyone. I'll take care of the Jedi."
Yuki nodded, although hesitantly, and ran for the elevator.
Now then, let me see how good the Jedi really are! Rafe jumped onto a stack of crates before moving up and onto a railing, through a crawl space, running in the dark path, and jumping out of a hole in the wall.
The Jedi ran out of an alley before him, surprising him, and he quickly flipped up and over the building across from him. He glanced back to see the Jedi land on the roof of the building he came out of before looking forward, running through the cover of a wooden structure.
Suddenly, it collapsed over him as the Jedi attacked. What the hell?!
The Jedi forced Rafe in a downward arc and sent him into a cart stacked high with empty crates. He skidded on his feet as the fallen crates broke around him.
Rafe slid on his back. He brought his hands up, springing himself and flipping back to his feet. Hand shooting behind his back, he flicked out his knife, grabbing it as it spun and swiped it at the Jedi.
The Jedi snapped his head back to dodge, grabbing his lightsaber. He made a surprised sound as the next attack sent his lightsaber flying. He pulled his lightsaber back to him telekinetically, and Rafe gripped his knife with both hands, charging.
Before either could attack, Yuki came down from above, grabbing Rafe's wrist, preventing him from attacking.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rafe asked accusingly.
"I'm protecting my Master," she replied simply.
"Your… Master…?" Rafe was confused, but then he put two and two together. "You were with that bastard this whole time! You were just putting on an act to get close to me!"
"It wasn't an act. I'm grateful for everything you've done to protect me."
"Bantha crap!" Rafe snuck his hand behind his boot, grabbed his other knife, and swiped at Yuki. He stopped suddenly, and saw the Jedi holding his hand out. "What's this about?"
The Jedi forced his knife out of his hand, pulling it to him. He examined it. "To think someone would attack a Jedi with a knife…" He looked at Rafe disapprovingly. "You're a damned idiot, boy."
Rafe just glared at him.
"Yuki, step away from him."
Yuki did as her Master instructed.
The Jedi stepped closer to Rafe and lowered his hand. Rafe was suddenly forced onto his knees. "I'll ask a few questions." The Jedi grabbed the black chain around Rafe's neck and yanked it off of him. In his hand was a colorless crystal. He held it up to Rafe. "Where did you get this?"
Rafe didn't say anything.
"You're pretty skilled in combat. Who taught you all that?"
Again, Rafe kept silent.
The Jedi walked closer to Rafe. "You work alone, right?" Rafe didn't say a word, head bowed, hair covering his face. "Were you trained by the Jedi?"
Rafe glared at him.
The Jedi's eyes narrowed. "You have the look of someone who plans on escaping…" He pushed Rafe into a wall, then back onto the ground. He grabbed the back of his head, slamming his face down into a dirty puddle.
Yuki gasped. "Master!"
"Still think you can escape, boy?" the Jedi asked testily.
Rafe continued to glare at him.
"I'll ask one more time. Where did you get this crystal?"
"What does it matter to you?" Rafe finally spoke.
"Do you even know what this crystal is?"
"Something worth more money than anyone in this hellhole can count." Rafe eyed the crystal, fighting the urge to grab it.
The Jedi scoffed. "Idiot. This is a Kyber Crystal. It's what makes a lightsaber functional."
"You already have a lightsaber, so what do you want with it?" Rafe asked.
The Jedi looked at the crystal for a few seconds, then suddenly dropped it, looking horrified.
"Master?" Yuki asked, sounding concerned.
The Jedi slowly looked at Rafe, who was still glaring at him. "How long have you had this crystal for?"
"About a year," Rafe said.
The Jedi knelt in the puddle. "My name is Arakan. And yours is?"
Rafe caught it immediately. He thought the Jedi was just looking down on him. But he knelt in the same dirty puddle, reaching his level and talking to him as an equal. Does he really mean to state he doesn't think he's above me, or is he just being clever? "Rafe."
"Rafe," Arakan said. "Let's make a deal."
"A deal?" What's his endgame?
"I will let your crimes go unpunished. In return, lend me your strength. Join the Jedi Order and become my apprentice."
Rafe was surprised. What would the Jedi want with a thief like him? "And if I refuse?"
"You'll be off to prison." Arakan stood and walked away. Considering your crimes, you won't be treated nicely." He stopped and turned to Rafe. "Choose whichever you prefer."
Of course it was an act. The clever bastard's giving me no choice. "Fine." Rafe spat, shaking the water from his hair, and glared furiously. "I'll join the Jedi Order."
To be continued
AN: And that's chapter one. I would like to clarify that this story is generally focused on characters I created in the Star Wars galaxy. Since it takes place in the Clone Wars, I can assure you that you will see some familiar faces, such as Anakin. And if you don't like Rafe, the protagonist, that's fine. I wrote him in a way that's not meant to be likable. But that's what character development is for, right?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. I had a blast writing it, and I can't wait to write more! Leave a review and let me know what your thoughts are.
Until the next chapter!