Training and Truth

"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

Bunkroom of the Vagabond

Feldt looked excitedly at Allelujah, who had led her and Setsuna into the bunkroom, clearing out the center of the room so all three of them could stretch and train. Allelujah looked at the two younger force users and nodded at them, "Well, I feel ready to train you both. I'll warn you I'm not much more than an apprentice myself, at least in terms of formal training."

Setsuna just responded evenly, "That's better than both of us. Any formal training would be better than nothing." Setsuna would never tell anyone, but his control over the force was always strained, and he hoped he could ease the intense amount of energy it took.

Feldt rested a hand on his arm, which Allelujah just smiled at, "Anything you can teach us will be appreciated. And we can help you, if you want any." She blushed, but looked at him expectedly.

Allelujah took a breath and pursed his lips as he tried to come up with some sort of plan. He didn't know what his master did, but it seemed so effortless compared to the mess that he currently was. He scanned them as what ability or lesson to teach them, reaching out to look through the force. They both seemed eager, and were practically leaking their thoughts and feelings. 'That's it!'

He gave them an easy look, "Well one thing you both lucked out on either not being aware of your powers, or being a species innately connected to the force. You are both barely hiding your force presence. We are lucky we haven't run into the Inquisition." He realized how he sounded and sighed, "I didn't mean to come off hard, but being able to hide your force presence will be your best friend."

The Miraluka nodded, and Setsuna quirked his head, "So how do we do that?"

Allelujah got in a meditation pose, sitting cross-legged, gesturing to the pair to do the same. They followed his instructions, getting in the same pose. He began to center himself, speaking to them shakily, "I want you two to try to block me from affecting your mind. Put up your strongest defenses. I promise I won't probe and will stop once I broke through."

The force-sensitive couple nodded and closed their eyes, straining as they could feel someone poking at them through the force, trying to find a way through. Allelujah could feel two walls blocking him, clearly boosted by their bond, but as he closed his own eyes, he put more and more pressure on them, bending their defenses.

Feldt and Setsuna strained as they could feel Allelujah intruding against their walls, trying to push him back. It felt wrong and they both groaned, but several seconds later, the trained Jedi broke their defenses, reading their worry and surface thoughts, showing worry for the other, along with a sense of failure coming from Feldt.

He retreated from them, letting out a breath, "I'm sorry I did it that way, but I had to see what your skill level was, and how much you had to learn. If it means anything, my master was worse. He probably dug deeper than that, but he always said a Jedi needed to be ready to resist interrogation."

Allelujah chuckled, "My master always said the Jedi were a bit inflexible, and taught me that every jedi manifests their powers differently, to some degree. I want you two to not create walls, but how you imagine the best way to defend yourself would be. If it is walls, then do that."

Feldt looked at him worriedly, "Does that mean Setsuna will have trouble connecting with me, and vice versa?" Setsuna gave her a comforting look, and sent a pulse of affection to her. She blushed as he did that, realizing she was being paranoid.

Allelujah smiled at Feldt, seeing her so worried about her boyfriend. He shook his head, "No. Force bonds can be blocked if you want, but you can also make exceptions for certain people. I assume your mind will do it naturally anyways."

Feldt and Setsuna looked inwardly, reaching out and focusing. Feldt let her mind act instinctually, a spider-like web surrounding her as she projected her inward, putting up the barrier. Setsuna meanwhile created an endless fog, blocking the way to bypass the walls. A wall lay in the fog, but finding it was the task.

Allelujah breathed deep, and began to probe at the two. Focusing on Feldt, he was immediately entangled as he tried to push through, cutting through a metaphorical web, straining against the protection of her mind. It's clear that she was still new to this, but it was taking him longer as he pushed in. But with strain, he pushed past it, reaching her surface thoughts, able to sense her strain.

Feldt, having been resisting him, was sweating again, but as she felt Allelujah retreat, she looked at her lap, a smile forming on her face. Sure she had a lot to learn, but the fact it took him longer showed that she was picking up the basic idea.

Setsuna then felt the pressure on his mind, Allelujah pushing through the fog, using a bit of blunt force to push through it. Setsuna face strained as he resisted, Allelujah pushing slowly but gradually, reaching the wall as he pushed through, leaving the pair both breathing hard. Feldt and Setsuna looked up at him, and he looked at them, impressed, "That was good. You seem to pick up on that fast. You'll need to work on fortifying your will, but the inquisition is our worst enemy, so I would practice that as much as possible."

Both Feldt and Setsuna nodded, and took a minute to recover. Feldt was the first to speak, "But how did you hide your force presence from me? And from the Empire?"

Allelujah gave her an even look, "That was I was planning on showing you guys. Though Feldt, you rely on the force to see, right?" Feldt nodded, and he pursed his lips, "Then you will have a trickier time with this than Setsuna."

The Miraluka tilted her head in confusion, "Why?"

The Jedi let out a low hum, "Because hiding your force presence requires suppressing your own force abilities. Temporarily, but it also means you aren't detected by other force users. So, if you rely on it, you have to be able to keep it to a level you can control it."

Setsuna squeezed her shoulder, "You can do it. If anyone has the control for that, it's you." Feldt blushed and smiled at him, nodding. A rogue thought wondered what that would feel like, but she shut that down before it could spread.

"Alright. Let's start this."

Setsuna looked at Allelujah, "So how does this work?"

Allelujah closed his eyes, and began to speak, "Imagine a floating glass ball. An empty dome. Now fill it with the force like a gas, keeping it from escaping. Almost hide from your abilities, keep them contained."

The pair followed his words, picturing the image in their heads. Both pumped their powers in that ball, feeling the power sapped from them. Feldt's sight was fading, panicking a little. She began to breath a bit hard, and she pumped more and more, forgetting Allelujah's words. Allelujah could feel her pulling so hard, and spoke out, "Feldt, relax. Maintain control. These are your powers. Don't let them rule you, your fear rule you."

He barely resisted doing the Jedi mantra about the dark side, but she nodded, still shaking as the loss of perception got to her more than expected. Setsuna, meanwhile, just relaxed. His natural instincts and skills relating to stealth partially kicked in. He imagined hiding like a ghost, of hiding himself. He could also feel his power and perception lower, but he knew what it was like to be left with nothing left. To have no power.

Allelujah could feel a nostalgic smile form on his face, "My master would have loved to have a student like you." 'I was never as cynical or as much of a hunter as him. Though I suspect he would have had issues with Setsuna's impulsive streak.' Allelujah laughed as he could still detect Setsuna, though it was much more muted. Setsuna shrugged, not knowing what to say or how to react, but went back to focusing on suppressing his force presence.

Allelujah looked at the two again, speaking in a warm tone, "You two can stop. We can train this more later." Feldt and Setsuna let out a sigh of relief, and Setsuna gave Feldt a supportive smile as he and her broke the containment. The air around them burst with energy, and a few small objects blew over in the room. Allelujah blushed, "Oh right, that happens." He scratched the back of his neck, "You need to release it a bit more gradually or the force reacts a bit explosively."

The Miraluka spoke casually, "Thanks for helping us."

Setsuna grunted lightly, "I agree with her."

Allelujah shook his head lightly, "Don't thank me yet. You two are probably going to be tired by the end of the day, not to mention over these next couple days."

"That's fine." Setsuna's tone was even, "What about other force powers, like using it to move and shove objects?"

The Jedi just smiled, "What do you think was next?" He was about to start, but then Feldt spoke up, a hint of nerves in her tone.

"I do have one question." Allelujah gestured for her to continue, and she cleared her throat, trying to calm her nerves. Setsuna could sense it and kissed her scalp, Feldt immediately calming down as she couldn't help but smile, "When Setsuna was on danger against Ali, I sent…energy to him somehow. Just enough to save his life. Have you ever seen that before?"

Allelujah searched through his memories. He was never a particularly good scholar, but it did remind him a little of something his master had mentioned, "There was a power called battle meditation, but that was more affecting the morale of allies and enemies. But to be able to send power to someone, even temporarily…"

He paused for a second, before continuing, "Every Jedi has a unique connection to the force. That's what I was taught. So this might be unique to you. You seem to be a natural with finding force bonds. I can't promise I can help you, but I can at least try to guide you."

Feldt just smiled happily, "Thank you. But we're ready for anything else you can help on."

Allelujah just smiled, "Now manipulating objects takes more power than one expects…"

Bridge of the Vagabond

Lyle looked at Anew, who was working with Christina at the communication console on modifying or verifying their fake imperial IDs would work properly. She had already inspected their stormtrooper armor, and said it would work well enough. Anew actually seemed to understand Christina, unlike him half the time, so the Corellian would let them work in peace. There was a strange thump from the bunk room, but he also knew the force users on the ship were in there, so whatever they were doing wasn't worth disturbing.

Footsteps echoed from the stairs as Tieria emerged, giving Lyle a casual look before sitting next to him, glancing over at the two women working. His eyes went back to Lyle, speaking bluntly, though there was a nervousness to his tone, "So, you slept with Anew."

Lyle just rolled his eyes, "Yes, but you don't have to worry about me. I won't let it compromise the mission." He looked over at Anew, who was eagerly talking to Christina about something.

Tieria just harumphed, "Good. I wouldn't want you to get distracted. Otherwise I would have to report your actions."

Lyle just smirked, "You're telling me my…relationship with her isn't going on your report? The force is with me it seems." Tieria scowled at him, but his expression softened quickly, a guilty look crossing it. Lyle's smirk dropped as he spoke, "I get the feeling you didn't check up on me to chastise me about Anew."

Tieria just nodded, "No. There is something you should have known a while ago, but I was too afraid to confront it or talk to you about."

"You? Afraid? Sounds abnormal."

Tieria just ignored the comment and gestured for them to find a private space. Lyle nodded and he brought the pair to his room, closing the door as he sat down at the desk in his room, Tieria sitting on the edge of the bed. He spoke in a quiet tone, "When I first saw you, I swore I saw a ghost."

Lyle tilted his head slightly. He wasn't exactly well known, and he didn't have one of those faces, so the fact Tieria seemed to recognize him surprised him. His mind ran for a few seconds before catching onto to him, "Wait, you met someone who looked like me?"

Tieria nodded, "Yes. The hair was a bit more wild, but I never forget a face." A hint of loss echoed in his voice, "Your brother was the one who saved me, who made me realize I was worth something."

Lyle's eyes widened and voice filled with confusion, "You met my brother?! Where?!" Lyle noticed Tieria's deep frown and tear running down his cheek quickly told the story without a word, "…He's dead, isn't he?"

Tieria wiped away the tear, shaking off the growing pit in his stomach, "Yes. He was with me for a few weeks before everything went crazy, and I got my freedom."

"So how did you meet?"

Tieria took a deep breath, "Well, I was imprisoned by Ribbons, and got a new cellmate…"

Deep in Ribbons's Fortress, several years ago

Tieria, basically in rags, looked at the cell door, hearing screams and cries for mercy echo through the halls. He shivered, trying to repress the memories of his torture at the sounds. He rested against the wall as she sat on the bed, dull pain a constant through his body. Scars covered his body, most surface level, but some went deep.

A voice echoed through the door, muffled and slightly static-y from the helmet, "Keep away from the door. You have a new friend." The metallic door opened and two stormtroopers threw a shaggy and brown-haired man into the room, a sound of pain coming from the man as he hit the ground. The door swiftly closing behind him, the guards moving off as Tieria looked at the man on the floor with suspicion.

The brunette pushed himself off of the ground, clearly struggling as he took deep breaths. He looked over at Tieria, a surprising smile on his face, "Some help would have been nice, but at least I have a roommate." The man chuckled, and Tieria scowled.

"Who are you?" The purple-haired man's voice was harsh, turning to his side as he kept his distance from the man. The tall man was handsome and fit, wearing a pair of darker pants and a green shirt. His blue eyes had a light and fight in them, something Tieria hadn't seen in a long time.

His fellow prisoner just responded casually, "Neil Dylandy. I think I may have pissed off the boss here, but at least I'm not dead. Who are you?"

"Tieria Erde."

Neil raised an eyebrow, "Not a talkative man, I see. What are you in here for?" Tieria didn't respond, but Neil just laughed, "Don't worry about it. I get the feeling we will be here for a while, so I'll get to you yet." Tieria looked away from him, but Neil just got up, moving to the other bed as he took in the empty cell. There was only a sink, two beds and a toilet, the metallic cell having no other features.

Neil laid back on the lumpy and hard bed, trying to get comfortable, "It seems no one here wants us to be comfortable. Maybe we should complain." He winked at Tieria, who blushed slightly as he turned away. He wanted to hate this man, yet he couldn't hold the indifference he normally held. There was something magnetic about this man.

A few days passed as Tieria got used to his new roommate. They had a few basic conversations, Tieria learning the man had tried to attack the base before getting caught, though not before doing some damage. Tieria still didn't trust him, but just having someone willing to joke around and try to maintain a good mood lightened up the cell.

Lyle's Room

Lyle let out a sigh, "That sounds like my brother. Always willing to crack a joke. He must have annoyed you with that."

Tieria let out a regretful sigh, "Yeah, it did. In hindsight, I should have been more open, but I was so…closed off back then. Too scared."

Lyle walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, no one would blame you for that. You had been locked up for force knows how long." Tieria just nodded, relaxing slightly.

He took a minute, then continued, "I didn't realize what he meant to me till a few days in…"

Ribbons's Fortress

So after a few days of nothing but food getting dropped off, Neil was dragged from the cell, Tieria forced to watch him get dragged away. Neil just went along with it, trying to banter with the guards as the door closed. His heart dropped, knowing what was likely happening. The prisoner could only hope he wasn't broken by the inquisitor.

Tieria looked at the empty bed in the room, a deep melancholy filling him. Despite not opening up yet, Neil was growing more and more important to him. It had been so long since he had ever met someone who treated him with respect. Like a person. Tieria closed his eyes, silently praying for anything to save Neil. He didn't deserve to be here, and Ribbons deserved to die for all he had done.

Tieria stewed in his thoughts until an hour later, when the door opened and Neil was thrown back into the cell, his back and arms covered in small cuts and marks. Tieria let out a gasp and rushed over, picking him up and supporting him as he brought him to the bed.

Neil coughed harshly as he looked at Tieria, trying to chuckle as he let out a grunt of pain. Tieria's eyes widened, and put a finger to his lips, "Don't laugh. It will hurt more."

Neil nodded, and rasped, "That's the kind of intro I wanted on the first day. If I knew torture would get that, I would have volunteered earlier."

Tieria glared, "Don't even joke about that." He looked over Neil's wounds, seeing none were too serious, "What did he do to you? What did he want?"

"You know, asking about where other rebels are. Where I found out where this place was. How I broke in. Standard questions." He coughed again, some blood splattering on his hand. He leaned heavily against the wall, needing the support.

Tieria calmed himself, though seeing Neil still able to joke after that bolstered his spirit, wondering how he could hold out. Tieria stood up and dampened a rag, getting it wet as he tried to help with the wounds, "Did you tell him anything?"

"No. Though that green-haired freak is shorter than I expected. I thought he would be scarier." Tieria scowled at the visage of Ribbons Neil mentioned. Neil looked at Tieria, "What does he have against you?"

Tieria sighed, "I have no idea. All I know is he calls me a failure and that I don't deserve to exist. He's always there when he brings me in for torturing."

Neil smiled at him, "Well his words mean nothing. You are alive and deserve to live." His eyes then filled with determination, "I'll get us out of here. Then I will bring you to people who will support you. Maybe even get revenge on Ribbons."

Tieria shook his head, "No one has ever escaped here, and those who try die or get worse treatment."

Neil gave him a shaky smile, "Then we'll be the first."

Tieria shook his head, "You get some rest. You'll need it." Neil just nodded and laid down, resting his head on a pillow as he grunted in pain. Tieria watched him fall asleep, conflict running through him. 'He's being delusional. There's no way we can get out of here.' But unbeknownst to him, a spark of hope grew in his heart, a slight smile coming to his face looking at Neil.

Lyle's Room

The Corellian chuckled as Tieria took a breath, "That sounds like the old Neil."

"The old Neil?"

Lyle nodded, "Yeah. Ever since we were kids, he always liked to protect people. Could never stand bullies. But he also had a bit of an anger issue. Took a few fights a bit too far. I took some flak when were younger, but when he became the perfect twin as we got older, I stopped. He did get better with his anger after our parents got him some therapy. But then he changed once our family died."

Tieria stayed silent, letting Lyle continue. He soaked in the words, wanting to know everything he could about the man who saved him. Lyle smiled at the old memories, "Neil always complained about the Republic, but with the rise of the Empire, he started complaining more. He and I were adults by the rise, but my sister was in college on the mid-rim. A number of students had planned a protest about rights around the time my parents were visiting, and my sister was a part of it. My parents supported her…and Neil…"

Lyle choked slightly, before getting control. Tieria looked up at him with worry, "Lyle?"

The Corellian shook his head, "Just old memories." He took a deep breath as he continued, "That protest turned into a massacre, justified that it was 'terrorists' and 'separatists' leading them. Both my brother and I were working elsewhere. And when I met him next, that anger he had done so much to contain had begun to come out. We joined a local militia group, began to resist the empire."

Lyle then chuckled bitterly, "To keep a long story short, our operations grew and grew, more rebel militias connecting, and eventually was even contacted by the wider rebellion we serve now. And during all this, Neil began to get worse. At first we focused on saving people, but he wanted more and more to hurt the empire, even if people suffered in the process. Eventually, we reached a crossroads after we found out there was an Inquisition prison nearby."

Tieria was a little bit desperate as he responded, "But he seemed so easy going. Always joking around."

"He was always like that. He knew how to hide it, but when it came down to the operations we were a part of, he was ruthless to those he hated. I admit I had no idea what he had planned for the prison, but I don't think saving all the prisoners on his mind if he could do more damage by sacrificing them."

Tieria was disquieted by the thought, and Lyle could see Tieria was having to combine this new information with his existing image. Lyle frowned, sitting back down, "So how did you get free, and what happened to him?"

Ribbons's Prison

It had been a few weeks since Neil had shown up, and Tieria had come to see him as a friend. Neil had never lost hope, even after a few more torture sessions. Thankfully for both of them, Ribbons and his men had found a new target, so they were feeling stronger than ever. They felt bad for the woman who had earned his ire, but if they wanted to escape, they would need that strength.

Both of them were resting quietly when alarms began to blare, and their cell door swung open violently. Tieria looked at Neil, who seemed just as confused as him, "What the hell is going on?"

Neil, without a second thought, moved to the door, and looked around. Outside was complete chaos, their fellow prisoners running amok, the sounds of boots and footsteps creating a cacophony of noise. The Corellian gestured to Tieria to join him, "If we want to leave, this is the best chance we are going to get."

Tieria nodded, and the pair joined the prisoners as they moved through the block they were in. As they neared the entrance, a male Togrutan coming out of what looked like an armory tossed both of them blaster pistols and pointed to the exit of the block, "Come on! We are headed to the hanger!"

Wordlessly the pair followed him, along with a large number of other prisoners. Guards tried to stop the mass escape, but they were either overwhelmed by sheer numbers or blaster fire, only able to get a few prisoners. Tieria was internally panicking a bit, but seeing Neil keep his cool, Tieria tried to not make his fumbling with his pistol obvious.

Neil joined some of the fighting, squads of stormtroopers only slowing down the relative horde of prisoners. More guns fell into the hands of the prisoners, and after a while, they could hear calls for reinforcements over the speaker system and the sounds of a lightsaber coming from behind everyone.

The prisoners reached the hangers, and everyone rushed towards the shuttles and other hyperdrive capable craft. The Togrutan that helped them earlier was guiding men to a Lambda-class shuttle, looking at the pair. Neil took point getting onto the ramp as Tieria followed up behind him. The shuttle was clearly overstuffed, but no one cared. Neil began to laugh, "Well, that was a hell of an escape."

Tieria laughed, seeing two men starting up the launch process, "What happens next?"

Neil clapped him on the shoulder, "Next? We get you in a comfy bed. And then we teach you how to use a gun." Tieria blushed. For the past couple weeks, he felt more like a person than ever had before, and Neil had only encouraged it.

They ramp was slowly closing when they heard a rapid series of bootsteps approaching the hanger. Blaster fire echoed in the halls and then the hanger as those that didn't or couldn't get to a craft were gunned down, and in a split second, Tieria could see a stormtrooper take aim at the inside of their shuttle, The bolt headed towards him. He was frozen in fear, but in a split second, Neil was in front of him, shoving Tieria back as he cried out in pain, falling forward.

The ramp closed and the shuttle took off, but Tieria was too caught up in worry and fear. There was an ugly burn where the blaster hit Neil's back, and Tieira cradled him in his lap, "No. No. Not now. Please don't die! Someone get the medical supplies!"

Neil chuckled bitterly, "Ugh." He coughed, "Well my brother was right. This place was going to be the death of me." He tried to laugh, but he could only cough in pain.

"Don't joke like that! You are going to be fine!" Tears hit Neil's face as Tieria shook with anger and fear.

The Corellian shook his head, "No, it's my time. At least I got to die… a hero. Not like the… asshole I was." Neil put a hand on Tieria's face, stroking his cheek, "Become a good man. Don't fall into… anger like me. And tell my brother I'm…" His hand dropped as his breathing stopped, his eyes closing.

Tieria shook him, "Wake up! Wake up!" But no more response came from the man. Sobs erupted from Tieria as one of the other prisoners brought over bacta, but could see it was too late. Someone put a hand on Tieria's shoulder, but he was too upset to even care. The man who had saved him was dead, saving his life.

Tieria didn't know how much time passed in the shuttle, but he held Neil the entire time. He closed his eyes as he rested his forehead on Neil's, speaking in a whisper, "I'm never going to let anyone I care about die. Even if it costs me my life. I swear it to you."

Lyle's Room

A few tears ran down Lyle's face. He knew his brother died, but didn't know it was for something as selfless as that. 'Always had to be the hero. Fuck, why did you have to die there!?' Lyle took a breath as Tieria collected himself, "And then you can guess the rest. I never got the final part of his words to you, but I think he wanted to apologize."

Lyle just took a deep breath, a bitter smile on his face, "Probably a colorful one, but he was always like that."

Tieria clenched his fists, "It's my fault. If I hadn't been in that spot, he wouldn't be dead. He would be here to help, to talk to you. It's all my-"

Lyle moved and sat down next to Tieria, "Hey, don't get like that. My brother was a stubborn asshole. He chose to save. He chose to be your friend. Don't insult his choice to sacrifice himself." Lyle pressed a finger over Tieria's heart, "Live with his lessons."

Tieria smiled, and Lyle laughed. The purple-haired man couldn't help but feel the weight leave his shoulders, Neil's words echoing in his head. For so many years he tried to stay detached from everyone, but in hindsight that seemed to spit in the face of those words. 'If I didn't care, then I wouldn't have my heart broken again. But this is my team. I won't let them die like Neil did.'

Lyle just grinned, "My brother was a complex man, but he believed in you, in the rebellion, even when I had doubts. How about both of us try to honor him?"

Tieria nodded. He would still need to work out this new image of the man who had so drastically changed his life. To see or hear another side of him was something he didn't know he needed to hear. Lyle offered a hand, and Tieria accepted. Lyle quirked his head, "So does that make us friends then?"

Tieria fake glared for a second, before smiling, "Maybe." Lyle just rolled his eyes and squeezed, Tieria sighing, "But I do want to hear more stories about him. Whatever you want to tell me."

"Oh, do I have stories for you…"

Author Note

And we come to the end of this chapter! We finally hear Tieria's story, and the web goes more complex as Ribbons seems to have affected most of our characters in some way. Character moments are always fun, and we have more to go! I'll see you guys next time, and please review and comment!