Race to Sojourn.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
I awoke with a start and sat up instantly.
"Anakin!"
I looked around the room and found myself in the Temple Med Bay. Seeing no one at the moment, I hurried and climbed out of bed, feeling oddly refreshed and ready to go. I ditched the hospital gown for a new set of robes which rested on a shelf next to the bed. I was in a hurry adjusting and straightening them out as I went. It wasn't until I went to pull the sleeve down around my left arm and caught sight of the bacta glove. The fight with Maul reemerging in my mind.
I was a fucking idiot. Jawin' while my life was on the line. I could have ended the fight earlier. At least I think so. Hindsight was 20/20, but even someone with poor vision could see taunting a Sith was counterproductive. They thrived on emotion. I paid for that stupid mistake. Hopefully I will keep my mouth shut next time, but I doubted it.
I started to peel the glove back, getting a better look. It did indeed look like the arm was still there. It still had that bright translucent hue. I could even see the meat inside the stump. That was trippy. I could also see the muscles pull out and contract inward inside the stump when I moved the fingers and wrist. I prodded the translucent part. It was to my surprise, tangible. I even pinched the "skin". It hurt like a real arm. It was like the arm was replaced by a new one. One that just happened to be the Pepsi Clear version. I don't think I would be ripping people's hearts out with it, Fenris of Dragon Age II style. I looked at the stump again. It was kind of gruesome in a way. At least my sleeves will cover it up the top part for the time being. Perhaps I would have to start wearing a glove?
I tore the bacta glove off. They were one time use anyway.
"I see you have awoken." I turned to see Master Poof standing in the doorway.
"Master Poof!" I said as I hurried over, being broken from my observation. "Where is Anakin and Qui-gon?!"
"They left for Naboo a couple days ago." My heart sank, knowing even if I did set out. It was too late to get there in time. They were most likely just arriving on Naboo. Damask would have Anakin by the time I got there. Qui-gon and Kenobi, I didn't hold out much hope of surviving the encounter.
"We need to send them a message." I said.
"The Trade Federation is still blocking signals. What is so urgent?"
"I think another Sith is going to attack them. I had a vision before I passed out." I warned.
Poof's face grew serious. "Visions are not always clear and your fear for Anakin and Qui-gon along with your body's shock might have had you seeing what you wanted to see." I was going to argue the point, but he continued. "Or your precarious state allowed you to sense the future more clearly. The conditions for such things are often down to the individual."
"It felt real. I believe they are in danger."
"I believe you. There is nothing to be done other than hope Qui-gon and Obi-wan are up to the task." Poof said.
"But Anakin…"
"Anakin is in good hands. You yourself agreed to let Qui-gon train him. Trust your own judgment. Release your attachment to the child and move on." He said.
I nodded, listening but not hearing. Already planning my next move.
"Now that you have calmed down. I heard you were the first Jedi to take out a Sith Lord in close to a thousand years." Poof said, pulling me from my thoughts on Naboo. They were still there, but I had to deal with the here and now. I knew if I put up too much of a fuss, they might take extra steps to keep me from going after Anakin.
"I would have been mincemeat were it not for your training in bladework." I said. It's true, I did use a lot of what he taught me in that fight.
He chuckled. "I suppose so," He said in mock pride. His long spineless neck bent down to look at my arm. I suddenly felt my own neck start to cramp at the motion. I could never get used to that and I'd known him for years. But I lifted the arm up, pulling the sleeve back so he could get the full picture.
"What do we have here?" I could sense him reaching out to the Force to enhance his vision. "Hmm, interesting." He said. "Gren I assume you saw much of this. What is your approximation?"
Gren entered the room behind Poof. He had a disappointed expression on his face whenever he was in my presence. Not surprising.
"That the midichlorians are holding a physical form despite the lack of matter." He said tiredly.
"Yes, yes, but they do so by conducting a current of energy between them. That energy flows back into her body almost to replenish itself and flows back." His head twisted up. "May I" he asked.
"Go ahead." I said resigning myself being a test subject of sorts.
Poof poked the arm. "You felt that yes?"
"Yup, like it was still the old arm." I admitted.
"That is amazing." he put a hand to his chin. "How did you do this?"
I recounted the fight between Maul and myself. I may have left out the part where I was mouthing off. Poof and Gren seemed to think for a moment.
"It smacks of sacrilege, and selfishness." Gren said like he was certain I was in some sort of wrong. Perhaps I was?
"She wasn't thinking of herself, she was worried for her fellows and the boy she found." Poof countered. "While I don't really condone it, myself, it was an act of desperation in the heat of the moment."
"A real Jedi would have surrendered themselves to fate." Gren said.
"A real Jedi would do what they have to cut the aberration of the Dark Side from the Force once and for all." I countered, starting to not like being talked around and wanted to defend my actions. "If the Midichlorians were yet to fade, does that not mean they were still part of me? I took nothing from the Force that had already been given."
Poof nodded, "Well put. Your arm wasn't found at the scene, I assume it might have been transferred into energy and been reconstituted along with the midichlorians when you called them back. You were using tutaminus after all."
I stalled. I hadn't considered that element. Tutaminus is truly the most underrated of all the abilities granted by the Force. If that theory proved true anyway. I looked at Gren who seemed to not entirely agree, but reluctantly was entertaining the idea that it was within the bounds of possibility.
"I will admit, I thought it would have gone away by now." I said.
"They must be close enough to the whole in order to maintain their form. The constant stream of your body's energy is most likely tethering them as well" Poof considered.
"Then does that mean I will run out of energy at some point?" I asked.
"It shouldn't," Gren said. He seemed to think for a moment as I sensed him scanning my aura in the Force. "It does not seem to be. I sense no wounds in the Force or your aura draining. It is more of a conduit for energy to flow through and back."
"Well if it is not being harmful, I don't see the harm in having a new arm." I said. Gren gave me an annoyed look. Poof chuckled.
"I will notify the council. We will call on you momentarily." Poof said as he left the room to comm the Council briefly.
I would end up appearing before the council. I kept gardening looks from the other Jedi as I walked past. Word had spread apparently of my battle with the unknown Sith. I was the talk about the temple I guess. Many of those looks zeroed in on my arm. I started to feel a bit self conscious. Maybe I should wear a long glove to cover it up. If this was going to become a thing.
Regardless, the conversation in the medbay was a good microcosm of the meeting with the council. I tried not to tip my hand about my plans to go after Anakin. I had to try even if I died doing it. I had a good idea of where Plagueis would take Anakin and what he planned to do to him. There was one item in particular that would prove useful when I did. I still felt underprepared to handle such a fight. I had really hoped Plagueis would die by Sidious's hands.
Plo-koon did speak up, "Poof mentioned your vision of another dark robed figure who would attack Qui-gon and Obi-wan."
"Yes," I said without a shred of doubt. "While I don't doubt the abilities of Master Qui-gon and Padawan Kenobi, I sense that I was not fighting a full fledged Sith Lord. I believe I was fighting an apprentice."
"It would explain why you were able to overcome the assailant." Windu said. I wanted to glare, but took the mild insult even if it held a modicum of truth. He was no doubt testing me anyway. I wasn't planning on facing Plagueis directly if I could help it. I had an idea, but I pushed such thoughts deep for now.
"Perhaps," was all I said.
Yoda spoke up. "Much to discuss, we have, of this revelation. Dismissed you are." I bowed and left the room.
I didn't wait and made a beeline. The sooner I acted, the better. I made my way toward the archives. Then I stopped and reached out with my senses. I looked for the synthetic crystals of Darth Maul's Lightsaber through the force. While not natural, the crystals gave off no real difference in their Force aura to the untrained eye. I felt them. They were in the archives but not quite in the vault. Good, I just had to get past Master Jocasta.
I entered the archives heading for the Head Librarians office.
"Going somewhere." I turned to the aged Librarian standing not far from me.
"I was just coming to see you." I said hoping this would work. "The Council wanted me to bring the blade of the Sith I had slain to their Chambers. I made a show of pointing with my left arm. I think it worked. She was good at ferreting out lies of initiates and Padawans, but the arm drew her attention and distracted her just enough for the lie to seem to have some weight.
"It is in my office. I will retrieve it for you." She said.
I waited patiently while she returned. She held the weapon out carefully.
"A beautiful piece. Simplistic elegance, yet plagued with darkness." She remarked.
"I am well aware." I said, grasping the blade. My new arm seemed to twitch as if in remembrance of the blade's bite. I bowed, "Thank you, Master." She bowed back. I departed the chambers, taking care to leave at the exit in the most direct path of the Council Chambers. As soon as I was out of range of the Archives I diverted toward the ship hanger, clipping the double saber to my belt. I needed a ship. I had considered a fighter, but those held a lot more scrutiny than a shuttle would.
So I found a T-6 and got on the shuttle. I made my way to the cockpit. I released the clamps after a brief exchange with flight control. I plotted the course for the place he would most likely take Anakin for the Essence Transference Ritual. Sojourn. After all, it hadn't been blown up in this timeline. I knew its location in the Carrion Sector. Something I had mapped out ages ago, just in case.
There was still a window in which the Sith Lord had to prepare it as he didn't intend to run into Anakin on Coruscant or perhaps at all. In fact if I was lucky I would get there first. Of course I didn't have the benefit of "knowing the backroads" one could say. Would just have to hope I got there first.
I sent a message to Myles Fett too, hoping he would leave a little something at a dead drop for me to pick up on the way if he was able. I wired an advance payment for a bit of motivation. Just as I finished plotting a course. I sensed a presence behind me. I turned to see Plo-koon standing in the doorway to the cockpit.
"So where are we going?" he asked.
"How did you know?" I asked instead of answering. I kicked myself for my single minded focus, again.
"You were being too quiet at the meeting." He said as he sat in the Co-pilot's chair. I nodded my head in acknowledgment. Of course.
"Now where is our destination?" he asked again.
So I told Plo what I dared. Had nothing else to do as the ship barreled on toward the dead drop. I also sensed Plo would have turned the ship around if I didn't tell him something that resembled the truth. I just hope Myles got my message.
A/N: I decided to keep the Force Arm. Mostly because I found it funny that I came up with the idea while I hopped up on cold medicine. So I decided to let it be. I promise not to write while in such a state in the future. I also hope the arm's explanation is satisfactory.