Tynoli, J't'p'tan - Core Worlds
Ahsoka POV...
If the Jedi and the Fallanassi share at least one thing in common, then it's the living spaces. They're quite bare of any intricate design of personal connections.
Of course, it could just be that this is simply a guest space being lent to Jarik and I, which it is, but the setting and attitude does make it rather similar to the Jedi Temple in its simplicity. It's not bad at all though, as living my whole life off of the bare minimum is something I'm quite used to doing. Of course, my quarters back on Coruscant was always filled with junk, since it was a shared room with Anakin.
I pause at the thought, feeling a pang of hurt at the reminder of what Anakin has now become. Despite everything I know and what Jarik has said, I still can't help but feel a little bit of guilt. If I had chosen to stay with the Jedi... things might have been different. I would've been there, with Anakin, when he made the choices he did.
I glance over at Jarik to see him―now back in his normal attire instead of his stolen death trooper armor―sorting through his small collection of things on a desk in our room. He doesn't seem to notice at first, another painful reminder that our bond is broken. It's only through the fact that he's with me, clearly alive and well, that I haven't succumbed to the constant pain. It isn't sharp, like an injury, but instead aches like a broken heart, only there's no heart at all. The space in my head normally filled by his presence is entirely empty.
While I'm lost in my thoughts a dull throbbing pain flares up in my abdomen and I hold a hand to it with a grimace. I sit down on the bed in response, the action suddenly revealing just how tired I am. Jarik takes notice this time and moves to sit beside me with a concerned expression.
"You feeling ok?" he asks me.
"I'm fine. Just a bit of a cramp," I reassure him, releasing a heavy sigh. "These last few days must have really taken a toll on me."
"I can imagine," he remarks with a light scoff. "Battling Inquisitors, then Maul, then Vader, then Palpatine. All in the span of an hour."
I muster a small smile.
"Don't forget the terentateks," I remind him.
"Right... and the magic," he adds dryly.
"It's... odd, in a way. This place," I say while looking towards the small window of our room, where a garden is sitting just outside. "The more we think we have everything all figured out, the more we realize that there's so much we don't know."
"It's like what you said to Mara and Ezra," Jarik says.
I shake my head with a skeptical look.
"I may have said it, but I still couldn't have imagined us ending up where we are now," I tell him.
Someone then knocks on our door then opens it before we have a chance to respond, and I hold in my breath when Cera appears in the doorway. She gives us a quick glance, face hard and unreadable.
"You'll be meeting with Wialu tomorrow at 0800," she states, turning to walk away. "Don't be late."
"Wait, Cera!" I call out quickly.
She pauses and looks back at me.
"What do you want?" she demands.
"I just... do you think we could talk?" I ask her.
"About what?" she asks.
I hesitate for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say first. I spare a quick glance at Jarik and he looks back with a reassuring gaze. I let out a heavy sigh and refocus on Cera.
"...It's been a long time since we last saw each other, and... I just want to catch up," I tell her, hoping she'll be willing to accept.
She raises a brow and crosses her arms with an irritable scowl on her face.
"Hmph. Surprised you even remembered," she scoffs.
I flinch back in response and avert my gaze. I don't get why she seems to be so upset with me now, but it really hurts. Jarik doesn't seem to take too kindly to her response either regards Cera with a brief look of annoyance.
"That's a little bit harsh, don't you think?" he says pointedly.
Cera replies with a mocking laugh.
"Yes, I'm sure a Jedi would know all about talking to family, wouldn't you?" she retorts heatedly.
I can't take it anymore.
"Cera... please," I plead with her anxiously.
She narrows her eyes and doesn't respond for a short while, but when she turns her head with a light scoff of irritation and re-enters the room I feel a bit of relief. For whatever reason though she seems to have something against him too. I'd feel a lot better having him with me while talking to Cera, but something tells me she wouldn't be very responsive if that's the case. I look at Jarik anxiously, fumbling with my words a little.
"Could you...?" I start to ask, my question implied.
He glances from Cera to me, as if assessing the situation, and then nods in confirmation.
"Of course," he says with a small, reassuring smile.
I smile back in gratitude as Jarik leaves me a small kiss on my head before heading over to the door. Before he steps out though he pauses beside Cera with a stern gaze.
"Whatever anger you're feeling, don't blame her for being a Jedi," he says.
Cera simply looks back at him with narrowed eyes, not responding to him, and then turns her attention back to me once he's gone.
"Well you two certainly seem close," she says impassivey.
"We are," I nod in reply.
"Glad to see you love him more than your own family," Cera ends up saying in response, her frown deepening.
I now frown back at her as well, hurt by the accusation and also annoyed now. Just what have I done to deserve this from her?!
"That's not fair," I say firmly.
"Neither is you getting to live the good life on Coruscant while we were left in the muck!" Cera snaps, scowling at me. "Did you ever even think about us once you were there?"
Is that really what this is all about?
"Cera―"
"You could've at least tried to visit!" she continues on before I could reply. "Or even a simple holo-call, that's would've been enough!"
"I wanted to, so badly at times, but I just couldn't!" I exclaim helplessly. "Surely you know that the Jedi didn't allow contact with families, so I wouldn't even have known how to call to begin with."
She shakes her head.
"Doesn't change the fact that you were all too happy to go prancing off with that Kel Dor when he showed up!" she says back with a glare.
I get to my feet with a growl of frustration.
"I was three years old! I...!" I cut myself off before I started yelling, and release a heavy sigh instead. The last thing I want is for us to have a shouting match. "I just... I've spent much of my life in one war after another, thinking I would never see you, or Mom and Dad, ever again because of it, no matter how badly I wanted to. But now that we finally have a chance to be together again, you're shutting me out."
With her arms still crossed Cera turns her head to look away from me, a deep frown etched onto her face, and I take a few steps closer to her.
"What changed, Cera?" I quietly ask her.
"Everything changed," she responds grimly. "You remember those pirates, don't you?"
I don't think I could forget. Before I was found by Master Plo Koon a group of pirates discovered I was Force-sensitive and wanted me for themselves. They nearly got me, an experience that was terrifying for me as a toddler back then, but fortunately their kidnapping attempt was foiled.
"Yes," I nod in remembrance. "But I moved past it."
"Well they didn't," she replies.
A chill runs down my spine, and she starts telling the story.
"Barely a week later they came back to take you by any means necessary. But you weren't there, of course. You were already at the Temple on Coruscant. And with their prize now gone, we became the outlet for their anger," Cera says with a dark look in her eyes. "They beat us, forced us to work, took some of us into slavery, did anything they could think of to make us pay. We thought the Jedi would come back to help us, but they never did. Why would they? They already had their precious Jedi youngling safe and sound."
She had uncrossed her arms while talking and now had her hands clenched into fists, trembling a little from how tightly she was doing so. I feel more and more appalled and saddened as Cera describes what happened to them. I even feel a small trace of guilt.
"Cera..." I murmur sadly, unsure of what to say.
"We were lucky. Mom, Dad, and I," she adds, shaking her head. "Before the pirates had their way with us, a pack of akuls happened to be strolling by and decided they were feeling hungry. We barely managed to get away from it all, though not before Mom lost her leg."
I release a quiet gasp of horror at the news of my mother receiving such a terrible injury, but thank the Force it seems they made it out of what could've been a worse situation.
But would any of that have happened if I wasn't Force-sensitive?
"Cera... I'm so sorry," I tell her softly, shaking my head. "I never would've wanted that to happen."
She grunts in acknowledgement but doesn't saying anything more. A chilling thought enters my mind about my parents: if Cera is here now, alone from the looks of things, then what happened to them? She said they all escaped, right?
"Are... are Mom and Dad still...?" I slowly ask, not wanting to entertain the possibility.
"Alive? Sure. Not that it's any better for them," she scoffs bitterly.
The flutter of hope in my chesrt at hearing they're both still alive stills at hearing what she had to say about it, and I give her a worried, uneasy look.
"What do you mean?" I hesitantly ask her.
"I thought your friend was supposed to be an expert at getting information?" Cera glares at me with contempt, and I refrain from responding. "If either of you actually cared then you'd know that the Empire has enslaved many of our people for a big project of theirs, including Mom and Dad. And before you ask, I don't know what it is, but I honestly don't care."
I feel another pang of bitterness and heartache at her statement, through which she's suggesting that I care about about secret Imperial projects than the wellbeing of my own parents.
"I... that's not the first thing I would've asked about, Cera," I say say a bit shakily, but firmly.
Cera doesn't answer for a long time but at my response she seems to glance at me, looking almost slightly apologetic at making the implication. It's quickly gone though and replaced with an impassive expression on her face.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm teaching a class in a few minutes," she says stiffly.
She then walks out of my room without looking back and I sit back down on the bed with my head held in my hands, feeling a mixture of frustration, sorrow, bitterness, and no small amount of disappointment.
Jarik POV...
Leaving Ahsoka to talk with Cera by herself is something I'm hesitant to do, since I know all too well what it is like to have a serious dispute amongst family. However, because of this I also know that it's best if Ahsoka can resolve it without my help, particularly since Cera doesn't seem to appreciate my presence very much.
With these thoughts in mind I resort to standing outside the building in the garden. It's relatively simple, with a bit of flora and a small pond in the middle, as well as a bench set before it, but it's pretty nonetheless. Beyond the garden is a view of a forest, a distant mountain range past that, all of it bathed in orange from the setting sun. It's a very peaceful location for sure, and oddly enough feels a little bit familiar in the sense of peace and calm it offers, almost mystical in a way. I go to sit down on the garden bench when I sense someone approaching, making her presence known quickly enough.
"So... you're the man that's got us all in a frenzy?" a sultry voice asks.
I turn to the right to see the source of the voice: a short woman with pinkish-red skin. Upon laying eyes on her the first thing that comes to my mind is how beautifully attractive she is. Her outfit is quite simple: a form fitting top and pair of shoulder-length sleeves colored a faded purple, smooth crimson-colored leggings and casual styled boots of the same color. However, the only thing her clothes seem to do is accentuate a luscious, curvy, hourglass figure that would have many men drooling with lust. Her hair is a deep red, reaching just past her shoulders in gentle waves, and her face is absent of any blemishes on her skin, appearing soft and alluring―her eyes in particular stand out due to their bright shade of pink, looking almost as if they're glowing.
The woman struts around the corner of the building and leans against it with a hand placed on her outstretched hip. She gazes at me with obvious interest and fascination, but also a surprising amount of desire too.
"Between you and me... I enjoy getting a little excited," she continues to say.
I raise my eyebrows at the sight of her, briefly caught off guard by the alluring woman.
"Good to know..." I say slowly, trying to stay reserved.
"Oh, playing hard to get, are we?" she asks with a sly grin on her face. "I like that."
She steps away from the wall and approaches me, each step causing her hips to sway in a very seductive manner. Despite being extremely short, no more than five feet tall at the most, the way she's walking makes her feel much taller. She stops only inches away from me and gently lays her hands on my arms while looking up at me with that super captivating gaze of hers, slowly running her hands up towards my neck.
"I can play too, if you want to have a little fun," she whispers, drawing closer for a kiss.
Before she can, however, I grab both of her wrists in a gentle, but firm, grip and move her away, narrowing my eyes only slightly: the sultry voice, the seductive manner in which she moves, the sensual gaze in her eyes... not to mention the way I was immediately enamored with her beauty at first sight, more so than I would care to admit. There are a few races in the galaxy that can produce pheromones, but one in particular is notorious for doing so.
"You're a Zeltron," I state in recognition.
She lifts an eyebrow at me before giggling, and I let go of her wrists as she steps away.
"Aww, what gave me away?" she asks with a soft voice.
The level of pure innocence she displays at me through her eyes puts Mara to absolute shame.
"Am I not pretty enough?" she adds with a pouty expression.
At that moment Xudi also appears and takes note of the situation with a displeased look in her eyes.
"Danyse!" she exclaims. "Just what do you think you are doing?"
Danyse's smile is replaced by a look of frustration, and she turns to look at her with a groan
"Ugh... is there a problem?" she asks.
"Having you trying to seduce our guests is certainly one," Xudi states firmly.
Danyse scoffs in reply.
"Well excuse me for trying to have some fun," she irritably retorts. "Come on, Xudi, I need this! We hardly ever get a man around here, much less one as handsome as him!"
I warily gaze at Danyse as she turns back towards me with a sly grin, as much flattered with her compliment as I am perturbed.
"You wouldn't mind having some fun, would you?" she asks me in a quiet, hopeful tone of voice.
I cross my arms and look down at her with the barest hint of a smirk, alightly amused by her behavior.
"I'm sure you're a rather charming partner, but I'm afraid that I'm already reserved for someone else," I tell her.
I notice Xudi raise an eyebrow at my response while Danyse frowns in clear disappointment.
"Hmph. Well, if you change your mind, be sure to let me know," she tells me with a suggestive wink.
"That's quite enough, Velaa," Xudi interrupts with a stern glare. "Out. Now."
Danyse rolls her eyes and makes a face at her, but begins walking away regardless.
"It may not have been my choice to be born a Zeltron, but I will not apologize for it!" Danyse says on the way out.
Xudi sighs in a bit of weary exasperation once she's gone and then turns her attention to me.
"I'm sorry about her, Jarik. She didn't try to force herself on you, did she?" she questions in concern.
"She didn't, no need to worry," I reassure her. "I've been on the receiving end of advances like that before. Though, I don't think I've ever encountered a Zeltron."
Xudi shakes her head with a light scoff in response.
"Yes, well, one thing you should know about Zeltron's is that they are active thrill-seekers with a strong lust for pleasure," she explains. "Danyse is no exception."
No kidding.
I'm sure Hayden Belhol would be happy to take up Danyse on her offer. Now that I think about that, however, Danyse being a Zeltron and a member of the Fallanassi is perplexing in and of itself. Because of their behavior and culture, like Xudi said, they typically don't fit into the lifestyle of a Force-adept. The only Jedi I've heard of to have been a Zeltron was Master Boton, whose name came up occasionally at meetings during the Clone Wars, though I don't know much about her.
In any case, difficult lifestyle for a Zeltron, much less with the Fallanassi of all things.
"And I'm guessing living on a planet where everyone is the same gender is a bit... frustrating, for her," I remark in amusement.
"That would be an understatement," she sighs in agreement, then regards me with a raised eyebrow. "Though I must ask, what did you mean by being 'reserved?'"
I think about it for a moment before deciding to respond.
"I'm married," I state simply.
Xudi widens her eyes in astonishment and remains in bemused silent for several seconds.
"...Married?" she asks.
I shrug my shoulders with a small smile on my face, not afraid of hiding it from my former Jedi teacher. Realization then dawns on her of who my partner is, and her befuddlement slowly turns to a deadpan.
"I believe there is much we need to discuss," she states.
"There certainly is," I say in agreement.
3rd person POV...
Xiffé stood in the middle of the courtyard, staring intensely at the wall. She breathes in, feeling the flow of oxygen moving through her lungs, and then exhales. She spreads her arms out and then slowly pulls them back toward herself, channeling a small amount of Eldritch magic through her body. Limited in her ability to channel the energy of the Multiverse she struggles just slightly but maintains the flow of magic, closing her eyes in an attempt to clear her head for meditation.
'...Verollians... rejoice, for your salvation...!'
She tenses her jaw while concentrating, voices and memories echoing in her head as she tries to clear it. Xiffé channels more magic through her to get past the block in her mind, but the voices wouldn't stop.
'...you have the honor... to bring true balance to this universe...'
Faint screaming echoes in her mind and she clenches her jaw harder now, eyes squeezed shut. The horrible bellow of the leviathans joins the screaming, and Xiffé's concentration wavers. Images of a besieged city on fire and enveloped in the shadow of a giant warship forces its way into her mind. That insufferable voice still keeps haunting her.
'...go in peace, and meet your maker.'
The ground is hidden underneath an ocean of countless deceased bodies. She was crying while the titanic being in golden armor strode across the corpses in complete disregard of her presence.
Xiffé opens her eyes with a gasp and releases her hold on her magic, collapsing to one knee. She breathes in heavily in an attempt to catch her breath whilst her tail twisted and curled around behind her in anxiety. Unable to cool herself off thanks to her biology she moves into the shade of the tree in the middle of the courtyard. An immense scowl of anger crosses over her face over having to deal with yet another reminder of her trauma, which continues to come back and haunt her regardless of Xudi's advice. After about a minute she slowly starts to calm down, releasing a heavy sigh.
"Xiffé!" a young, loud voice exclaims.
The Verollian sorceress stumbles forward with a surprised grunt when a young human girl excitedly jumps onto her back. Although still reeling from her memories she pushes her anger to the side out of fondness for the Fallanassi-in-training.
"Woah, take it easy kiddo," she quickly says.
"I'm just so happy to see you again! It feels like it's been forever!" the girl cheerfully replies.
With a little bit of work, Xiffé manages to untangle the enthusiastic girl from her.
"It's only been a few days, Nya," she reminds her.
"Exactly! You would not believe how boring it is to sit in a classroom reading a bunch of scrolls all day!" Nya says.
"Everybody has to learn, you know," Xiffé points out, giving her a look.
"They could at least make it interesting!" she groans. "I swear, if I have to hear another word about the natural law, midi-chlorians, or chi energy, I'm going to lose my mind."
Xiffé opens her mouth to respond to the short-haired red-head when Dante's barges into the courtyard and over to them, seemingly flustered about something.
"I swear I am losing my mind right now!" she exclaims.
Xiffé sighs.
"Did Sydali find out you were browsing the HoloNet again?" she sarcastically asks.
"What?" Danyse frowns, shaking her head. "No! Why wou- ugh, go kriff yourself, Xiffé."
Danyse blows her hair out of her face while leaning against the tree with her arms crossed, and Xiffé shakes her head in exasperation.
"What's wrong with the HoloNet?" Nya asks curiously.
"Nothing! Don't worry about it!" Xiffé quickly answers.
Nya gives her a weird look before looking at the frustrated Zeltron.
"Okay... so why are you upset, Danyse?" she asks.
Danyse scoffs.
"Because the most gorgeous man I have ever seen is here in Tynoli, and Xudi won't let me go anywhere near him!" she complains, glaring up at the canopy of the tree.
Xiffé rolls her eyes in response while Nya perks up in surprise and curiosity.
"Wait, there's a man here?" she asks with heightened interest. "What's he like?"
"Tall, handsome, fabulous hair..." Danyse responds, letting off a dreamy sigh of longing. "I'd kill to have a man like that all to myself."
Xiffé makes a face of disgust and glares up at the sky for a moment before responding.
"Hate to spoil your dreams, Danyse, but I think he's married," she says.
Danyse shrugs dismissively.
"So what?" she questions.
"Unlike Zeltrons, most of galactic society marry and have a relationship with only one person, not several," she reminds her. "Take my people for example: we mate for life."
Nya smiles with wondrous approval.
"That sounds romantic," she remarks.
Danyse was less than impressed.
"More like boring," she disagrees. "You'd get no excitement without any variety."
Xiffé glowers at Danyse before a thought comes to her mind, and she trades her frown for a small smirk of amusement.
"So... does that mean you regret turning down Jahn? Or Marruc? Or―" she taunts.
Danyse's frown deepens with every name until she finally interrupts her with a fierce scowl of frustration, though her cheeks turned a bit of a darker shade of pink than they already were.
"Don't even start with me, Xi!" she snaps, flustered.
Xiffé merely grins back in satisfaction at her point being made, also detecting her embarrassment by use of her head tendrils. Nya looks between the two of them with a cautious look on her face.
"Are those four really that bad?" she asks warily, and Danyse sighs.
"No... at least, they're not 'bad' people, per say, just very annoying," she explains.
"Yes, well, you whining about a lack of males to play with is also very annoying," Xiffé rebukes, raising a brow at her and crossing her arms. "When you decided to join the Fallanassi, you did realize we don't share our teachings with men, right?"
"There's a difference between that and not having a single male on the planet at all," Danyse retorts.
"Well, we are supposed to be 'secret,'" Nya sheepishly points out.
"That, and their lack of presence here removes any distractions," Xiffé adds firmly. "Compare the current state of the galaxy to our own society here, and you'll see why."
Danyse regards her with a bit of skepticism before looking away in disappointment and frustration.
"Hmph. They just don't get being a Zeltron," she quietly murmurs to herself.
Jarik POV...
After sitting down on the bench in front of the garden's pond I explained my marriage with Ahsoka to Xudi. She had a few questions, but overall I can't help but notice that she doesn't seem too surprised about it, nor does she seem to have any negative feelings the way most Jedi would've had.
"So you don't have any issues with it?" I finally ask.
"I have my reservations, Jarik, but I am hardly surprised given the unique relationship you and Ahsoka share," Xudi tells me. "I'm in no position to judge either way."
"Eh, not that I'd care if you didn't approve..." I remark, getting a dull glare. "...but I'm happy to know that you do. Thank you."
She sighs at my response but acknowledges it regardless, since my gratitude was genuine. She looks forward at the pond in front of us with a thoughtful gaze.
"It's barely been a day since the two of you have arrived, yet you've already managed to throw us all into quite the frenzy," she finally says.
"I don't know if that's a compliment or a grievance," I make a face in response.
"Merely an observation. We haven't had outsiders here in many years," she replies. "We don't trust easily, though for reasons you might not initially expect."
I spare a confused glance her way at that. At first I thought she was just referring to the fact that I'm a man in a place that apparently doesn't allow men, but that's probably what she said isn't the reason.
Then it hit me: she's referring to the Fallanassi choosing to remain isolated, taking no part in galactic activities despite all of their power.
"It's not a choice?" I ask in surprise.
"It is a choice, but one that we cannot afford to make," she replies and I furrow my brow at her, which she notices. "I sense that you are skeptical."
I shake my head with a quiet sigh of exasperation.
"I don't mean to be rude, but I honestly don't see how staying hidden away on this planet while the galaxy rages in turmoil is a good choice to make, especially since you have the power to actually make a huge difference," I point out.
I haven't seen much so far about what the full extent of their powers are, but from what I have seen I know they have the capability to rival even the Emperor! The ability to create weapons and shields out of nothing, and even teleport to an entirely different planet as easily as one would open a door... very little can top that. They could do so much good for everyone, yet they choose to do nothing.
"Not every battle is fought the same, and neither are the threats we face always clear," Xudi tells me. "I understand what you mean, and I can sympathize with it, but our duties greatly differ from that of the Jedi Order. The Fallanassi have existed for as long the Jedi and Sith have, doing what we must to ensure a safe future."
I look down at the pond while pondering her words, sort of understanding her point. It also reminds me of what I told Master Windu on Naboo, about how the galaxy didn't need the Jedi one bit. It's probably fair to extend that to the Fallanassi as well, despite their differences.
But to have been around all this time, always undetected?
"But how? You don't trust outsiders, and you don't allow men here, so how could the Fallanassi have continued on for so long?" I ask her.
"You certainly ask many questions, Jarik," she remarks.
I give her a look.
"You did always say for us to ask questions in the pursuit of knowledge," I remind her, and she chuckles in acknowledgement. "Now that I think about it... you were our teacher. A Jedi Master. Yet you were also a Fallanassi at the same time?"
"I was," Xudi nods.
"Then, how...?" I start to ask, before remembering her ability to create portals.
An unpleasant feeling sinks into my stomach at the possibility of what might've happened, what Xudi may have done. There's no way she wasn't at the Jedi Temple during Operation: Knightfall, because she never became a General in the war, so how is it that she still made it out while... while Vifi, Weron, and Kurhran didn't? Couldn't she just conjure a portal for them?
"Is this how you survived that night?" I carefully ask her, dreading her response. "When the Temple fell?"
Xudi lets out a heavy sigh filled with sadness and responsibility, and I immediately feel bad for even thinking of the possibility of her abandoning the others. Fallanassi or not, she still held a close bond with all of us.
"...Yes... though not without a terrible cost," she answers.
I watch her carefully before asking another pressing question on my mind, one that she's the only other person I can think of who would know.
"And was Vifi, with you?" I ask her.
Xudi hesitates, a pained look on her face, before nodding.
"She was, yes," she softly replies.
16 YEARS AGO...
"Master, what are we going to do?!" Vifi asks in a rare display of fear.
Xudi gazes down at her student with hesitance, unsure of how to respond. The clones have completely overrun the Jedi Temple, cutting off their access to the hangar bay and therefore a ship to escape in. Jedi were falling left and right, most of them Padawans or younglings who carry little to no battle experience: with the majority of Knight's and Masters's in their prime spread out across the galaxy fighting the war, there aren't many Jedi who can take charge or properly protect everyone else.
Though she's an exception.
For decades now she's kept her true nature hidden from everybody else at the Jedi Temple, even from Master Yoda, though she has a feeling he might have suspected something in one way or another whenever she's interacted with him. But if he did no, he never said anything. And Xudi never gave any more thought to it than necessary: she had a sacred duty to keep the Fallanassi's secrets safe, while looking for potential candidates among the Order she feels would join them if she asked.
Perhaps, for once, there's a choice to be made that is more important than even her sacred oaths have prohibited her from doing. She has already lost two of her pupils, and Force forbid what horrors the other three are facing. But for Vifi she can at least save her life, and help her to be free.
"Vifi, I need you to pay very close attention to me," Xudi says with a firm gaze. "When I tell you to run down this hallway, I need you to do so."
Vifi gapes at her.
"Wha—" she tries to ask.
"Don't hesitate, don't stop, just run," Xudi interrupts. "Tell me you understand?"
Vifi stares at her for a short while, bewildered and confused, but she nods her head with a look full of complete trust.
"I understand," she says.
Xudi nods in relief and then reaches into her belt pocket for her Sling Ring. She slips it onto her fingers and then gestures for Vifi to be ready, then raises her hands in front of her. Orange sparks suddenly appear in thin air a few feet in front of the pair, and Vifi widens her eyes.
Just then Xudi's senses flare out with a warning and she just barely jumps away from a blue lightsaber blade being swung directly at her. Vifi yelps in fright and tumbles to the ground with Xudi, the Jedi Master swiftly reaching for her own weapon and getting to her feet just in time to block a second strike. Blue clashes with green and sparks flash out from the contact to illuminate her attacker's face, and she gasps in shock.
"Skywalker?!" she whispers incredulously.
"Just what exactly were you trying to do?!" the fallen Jedi growls.
Anakin forces their blades aside and goes on the offensive with frightening power, and Xudi stumbles backward while desperately attempting to fend him off. She blocks two of his strikes, but he kicks her leg and the third cuts cleanly through her lightsaber. She collapses to one knee with a startled grunt and Anakin raises his blade to finish her off.
"Leave her alone!" Vifi yells.
Vifi leaps at Anakin with a strike of her own blue lightsaber, but he quickly angles his own to block it and then swings his blade down on her like a hammer, battering her to the ground. Incensed by the assault on her pupil Xudi conjures a pair of Eldritch shields and charges forward. Anakin widens his eyes in surprise when his lightsaber bounces off of one glowing orange shield, and Xudi then tackles him with the other, forcing him back. He grunts in pain as the shield starts to burn him and furiously throws a hand out for a Force push, but Xudi's shields resist it.
"What kind of kriffed up sorcery is this?!" he demands, eyes gleaming yellow. "Who are you really!?"
"Ahsoka and Jarik would be so disappointed in you, traitor," she hisses in response.
Anakin snarls with rage, but before he could respond Xudi switches out her shields for an Eldritch whip and swings it as hard as she could, sending him flying across the hallway on impact. Xudi doesn't waste a second and runs back over to Vifi, who was staring with wide eyes.
"Master, how di—" she starts to ask.
"Later, Vifi, come on!" she hastily replies.
Xudi grabs Vifi's hand and pulls her along at a dead sprint, forming a circle with the other hand. A spiral of glowing orange sparks creates a portal in front of the two, and they prepare to jump through. Just as the cross the portal, however, Vifi suddenly lets out a scream of fear at being suddenly yanked backward, dragging Xudi's arm with her as well. The Jedi Master cries out in surprise and panic, seeing Anakin approaching with a hand out and a scowl on his face.
"Master!" Vifi cries.
"I have you!" Xudi replies.
She grits her teeth in exertion and grips Vifi's arm with both hands, but Anakin narrows his eyes. To Xudi's horror Vifi is suddenly ripped from her hands with a scream, incidentally pulling her Sling Ring off in the process, and as she tried to reach out to her student, the portal closes.
PRESENT DAY...
Although she's keeping herself composed fairly well I can tell she looks haunted at whatever happened that resulted in Vifi being captured by the Empire and becoming an Inquisitor. Knowing she feels badly over it is making me doubt whether or not I should tell her about Vifi's fate, as it could just make her feel even worse.
I eventually decide to reveal a little bit, since she still does deserve to know. Withholding the truth about something like this didn't go well the first time, so I'm not going to make the same mistake twice.
"Ahsoka and I saw her again for the first time since the war, about... about a year ago," I tell her.
Xudi looks up at me in surprise, her eyes briefly widening and filling with hope.
"You did?!" she asks anxiously. "Is she...?"
I grimace slightly at being reminded about Vifi's fall and eventual death. Xudi notices and falters in the middle of her question, a sullen look of realization and sadness appearing on her face.
"She's gone, isn't she," she quietly says, her voice laced with guilt.
I solemnly nod my head in confirmation.
"You want to end this? FINISH HER!"
"I-I can't!"
Her brief moment of smug satisfaction at the boy's hesitation vanishes when a spinning, blood red, double-bladed lightsaber hurtles through the air. In an act of pure terror she cries out for people she thought she had severed ties with.
'HELP ME!'
There was a flash of red followed by searing pain, and then she saw no more.
Xudi stares aimlessly at the pond and heaves a grieving sigh.
"If I had done better, I could have saved her," she murmurs.
I hesitantly, but reassuringly place a hand on my former teacher's shoulder, a bit unfamiliar with being the one to comfort the closest person I had to a mother. She's a lot like Obi-Wan in the way that she feels responsible for what happened to us, just as he felt with Anakin.
"You can't blame yourself for what happened," I tell her gently. "I was there too, that night. None of us could have been prepared for it."
"Perhaps not, but my own responsibility to those under my care was tested, and I failed that test," she replies grimly. "I was so focused on keeping the Mystic Arts a secret that I acted too late to protect Vifi from the monster who took her."
I flinch in response to her statement, instantly realizing what happened. It makes perfect sense too, why Vifi would've ended up where she did. But to once again be reminded of the things he did that night... it hurts. Knowing that she fought Anakin, however, also means that she knows his identity now. She looks at me, and I already know the answer to my thoughts.
"So you know, then," I cautiously respond.
She nods, a hardened expression on her face.
"I do not know what could have compelled him to join with Darth Sidious, but it only solidified my belief in the hollowness of Jedi prophecy. The falsified belief in the Chosen One has led to the ruination of balance in the Force," she states with fierce conviction.
I take a moment before replying to ponder her view, a bit surprised by it. The Xudi I remembered was more lenient with the Jedi teachings than most, but she never showed any negative feelings about them. Whether she's always felt this way or not, I'm not sure, but hearing her say that has made me realize that I don't really know about where I stand with regards to the Chosen One. The Mortis God's strong belief that Anakin was the Chosen One should be confirmation enough, yet their beliefs over it quickly resulted in their destruction. It begs the question of who the Chosen One is really meant to be.
Does he bring balance through the destruction of the Sith, like the Jedi Order believed? Or does he bring balance in a literal sense: equalizing the level of power in the galaxy between the light and the dark? For millennia there have only been two Sith against thousands of Jedi, and now that difference is far more miniscule.
What does balance mean, to begin with?
"I've had a long time to think about this over the years," I tell her slowly, thinking about it for a moment longer before focusing on Anakin himself. "But as much as I'm angry about what Anakin did, I can't fully blame him for it either."
Xudi regards me with a doubtful expression, but acknowledges with a nod.
"I suppose you and Ahsoka would certainly have known him well enough," she remarks, narrowing her eyes. "But do you truly believe he is not at fault?"
"He is at fault," I confirm with a nod. "But so were the rest of us."
Xudi raises a questioning eyebrow at me and I continue.
"I didn't know him all that well until I became a Padawan, but something we both shared was our desire to have connections with other people, and not shutting out emotions," I tell her, releasing a regretful sigh. "Those of us that knew him best recognized that, yet we still did not do much to help him. And I don't think we could have anyways, at least not completely."
"Why do you say that?" Xudi questions.
"As a child, he grew up with no father. He loved his mother dearly, but someone who could be a father for him is something I think he secretly wanted, and needed," I explain, drawing on my own experience as a father to Mara. "A father could understand him, and teach him in ways that other people can't, such as learning how to live with the emotions he felt so strongly. And that is something that Palpatine used to his full advantage right from the beginning. He was the father Anakin never had."
Xudi regards me with a deeply thoughtful gaze for a short while.
"Do you speak from experience?" she finally asks, and I nod my head.
"Ahsoka and I adopted a girl, Mara, several years ago. She was a target of the Inquisitors," I tell her.
She lifts an eyebrow at me with the hint of a small smile on her face.
"You both have gone through so much, and yet still find the hope to fight on," she says proudly, before sighing once more. "I just wish the others were still around to see it."
Well, maybe I can lift her spirits somewhat.
"They aren't all gone, Xudi," I say in reassurance. "Rylla survived too."
Xudi widens her eyes in surprise.
"She did?" she asks.
I smile in response and she looks down with a smile of her own, a little bit of a weight seeming to lift off of her at the news.
"Rylla... how is she?" she asks earnestly.
"She's actually doing quite well these days," I say, scoffing lightly. "Believe it or not, she's made a name for herself as a bounty hunter."
"Of all the things to do..." Xudi mutters skeptically. "Certainly not the type I'm thinking of, I hope."
"Come on, do you even know her?" I ask teasingly in response.
Xudi chuckles knowingly at my comment. The cheerful and super friendly purple Twi'lek we all grew up with would be the last person in the clan to lose her more 'pacifist' outlook on life.
After a few moments of silence Xudi gets to her feet with a more reserved expression now.
"I'm afraid I must take my leave for now. I don't know what to expect from Wialu tomorrow, but..." she pauses in thought for a moment, then shakes her head with a sigh. "In any case, I wish you and Ahsoka the best of luck with it."
"Thank you," I reply.
"You have given me much to think about," she admits. "Perhaps you are right about your fallen friend, but I fear there is nothing left to do for him. If you and Ahsoka intend to continue with the role you currently hold in the fate of the galaxy, then you will have to make the hard decision one day. No other surviving Jedi hold the power to do what must be done."
With one final look of reservation about the topic she inclines her head in farewell and then heads off. However, I can't help but feel that the last thing she said isn't completely true.
"There is one..." I find myself saying.
LATER THAT NIGHT...
~...Darkness rises, and Light to meet it...~
A sky full of clouds shroud the barren rocky surface of the dark world below, allowing only a small amount of sunlight to peak through. The dim light is enough to illuminate the surface, however, which two Jedi Knights were using to scour the landscape in front of them.
"You feel it, don't you?"
"I do. This Darkness... it is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Be cautious."
The masked Knight spares a cautious look at his friend, almost as unsettled as he is by the dark forces around them. Up ahead they could see something obscured by mist: a giant pyramid standing at the edge of a canyon.
They ignite their lightsabers upon sensing they weren't alone.
~..Reveal yourself..~
*:*:*
I quickly sit up in bed with a shaky breath, reeling from the vision that went through my mind, the last thing being the image of a tall and sickly being with eyes as black as the void of space. Beyond familiar with experiencing Force visions by now I settle into a pattern of taking in a few deep breaths to calm myself down. As always, Ahsoka stirs in bed beside me and emerges from slumber herself, still reacting to me having a vision even when we aren't currently connected by our Force bond. She tiredly stretches her arms with a quiet groan before laying a hand on mine out of concern.
"Another vision?" she knowingly deduces.
"Yes. Not terrible though," I admit, glancing at her. "I think it was a memory from Revan. I recognized his voice."
"What did he say?" she asks.
"He and another Jedi were somewhere dark. They didn't like it," I recall, narrowing my eyes. "There was also a..."
I pause mid sentence and narrow my eyes, glancing to the side.
"Also a what?" Ahsoka asks me to continue.
"Listen," I tell her.
She frowns but does so, quickly picking up on the same sound as I am. Coming from the desk is a faint rattling sound of light metal on wood, and a dim blue glow illuminates part of the wall beside it. I slip out of bed and step onto the cold floor, twitching my feet slightly at the feeling. I walk up to the desk and notice the object in question causing the disturbance to be my holocron: it's pulsing with faint blue light, causing it to vibrate in its place on the desk.
"My holocron...?" I murmur in confusion.
"Maybe Revan is trying to tell you something," Ahsoka suggests.
Agreeing with her I reach out to grab it, and the moment my finger touches it it opens a small holographic image of Revan, garbed in the outfit he's most famous for wearing, mask included. He seems to be in the middle of teaching about something, which is quickly made clear.
"When a bond is made, those two individuals share an intimate connection. They understand each other. They feel each other. And to break such a bond... it cannot be done by choice. Either through death, or it being forcefully severed, a broken bond becomes a wound. It is empty, and remains empty."
As Revan spoke more I glanced back at Ahsoka in slight surprise, seeing similar feelings on her face, as well as a familiar pain. Revan's description of a broken bond is fairly accurate to what she and I have been feeling without our own. We listen closely as Revan continues.
"To repair such damage would require one to seek nourishment from a stronger source. A source equal to the Gods of Mortis. However, such knowledge can only be found in the Remnicore system where an old Force sage, Tor Valum, lives hidden in the shadows."
"Tor Valum?" Ahsoka repeats the name with a frown. "I don't think I know that name."
"I haven't either. Same thing for Remnicore too," I add in agreement. "Sounds like a Sith planet."
I make a face at the thought, frustrated at the implication.
"Great," I deadpan.
"I'd rather not have any more experiences on abandoned Sith-occupied worlds..." Ahsoka starts off with a groan, before looking seriously at me. "But if there's a chance that we could find a way to repair our bond...?"
I glance at her uneasily, sharing her desire to have the bond repaired but hesitant to go through the same thing again. Sith planets are not our friend.
"We'd have to learn more about this place first," I point out with an anxious sigh. "We can ask Wialu tomorrow."
Ahsoka nods in agreement, and I close down the holocron.
Author's Note: You would not believe how happy I am to get to this point. I've been waiting to reveal Tor Valum for over a year now lol.
Sorry for the super long wait time without much Shaniverse activity, I've mainly been easing off on things this past month. School ended a month ago, and I've been working at a job for the past few weeks now. I've also been grinding on Minecraft and Battlefront II lol. Not the best motivation for writing lately, but these stories are still constantly on my mind, that I can promise you! :)