Part 6 – Tython Part 1
Arriving above Tython, there was a sense of calmness between Anakin and Bruce.
"There she is," Anakin said, "The birthplace of our order."
The planet was still green and blue like Earth, but Bruce knew that he couldn't mention that.
"Glorious," Bruce said, "Now can you please let me in on the plan?"
"Yes," Anakin said as he pulled up a map on the Navi-Computer, "We're going to set down here in the…"
"The Gnarls," Bruce said.
"Yes," Anakin said as he then traced his finger along the screen to the temple, "And then we're going to trek over to the temple."
"Then," Bruce asked.
"Then R2 will scan the archives," Anakin said, "See what there is. You will set out for the Ruins of Kaleth. Search for parts of your saber."
"And a crystal," Bruce asked.
"Once you've collected your saber parts, you return to me," Anakin said, "When you get back we'll head off to the Forge together."
"Why not just head straight to the forge," Bruce asked.
"Because I have no idea what will wait for us when we arrive," Anakin said, "If the Forge is surrounded you'll need a lightsaber, not just a sword."
"Sounds simple enough," Bruce said.
"It's anything but," Anakin said, "The Flesh Raiders will be a threat. The Twi'lek pilgrims have moved to the southernmost continent. The Flesh Raiders have essentially taken over the area around the temple."
"What about the temple itself," Bruce asked.
"We're entering the atmosphere," Anakin said as the shuttle started to shake, "The temple was sealed against intruders. Luckily the masters of the old temple sealed the entrance with a special code that R2 downloaded prior to leaving."
"Great," Bruce said, "Now we can get into a nearly four-thousand-year-old structure that hasn't been used in five centuries."
"We have the power of the Force behind us," Anakin said, "We can't fail."
"Landing site right ahead," Bruce said.
"Setting down," Anakin said as he slowly guided the shuttle to the ground.
"Nice and smooth," Bruce said as the shuttle touched down, "Well done, Master."
"Thanks," Anakin said, "Now, let's get to it."
As the three exited the shuttle, Bruce and Anakin instantly knew that they were being watched.
Bruce had the sword holstered at his belt, and R2 was right behind the two of them.
"All seems quiet," Anakin said.
"But isn't that the downside of it all," Bruce asked, "We can't hear them, so we don't know where they are."
"Exactly," Anakin said, "What can you sense?"
Bruce focused as they were walking, "They're following us," Bruce said as he kept walking, "They're in the trees."
"Good work," Anakin said, "Just keep an eye out. They'll wait until we're separated to attack."
The Temple training grounds had seen better days, weather and time had eroded some of the walkways.
The door controls were a little dusty, but R2's access rod was still able to access the control panel with ease.
A few beeps and whistles came from R2 as he turned around to face the two of them, "Does that mean we're in," Bruce asked.
"Yep," Anakin said as the temple doors opened.
As the two of them walked in, the feeling of the conflicting sides of the Force slammed into the two of them like a tidal wave.
"Many Jedi have been through here," Anakin said.
"And many Jedi that walked the path of darkness," Bruce said, "There is much confusion among the Force here."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Anakin said, "I think we just found our basecamp."
"Yep," Bruce said.
R2 followed them inside and used the access panel next to the door to close the door before following them into the atrium.
The enormous Holocron in the center of the room was still floating, the two smaller ones that would usually be floating around it were gently sitting on top.
"Not bad," Bruce said, "A little dusting, a fresh coat of paint, I could see myself training students here."
"You just made Padawan, and you're thinking about becoming a Master," Anakin said, "You are an ambitious one. Reminds me of someone else your age."
"You mean Ahsoka," Bruce asked as the ascended the ramp to the second floor.
Anakin stopped halfway up the stairs, and looked at Bruce, "That's a subject I really don't want to talk about," he said, "Her leaving is… it's a bad memory."
"Don't worry," Bruce said, "You don't want to talk about it, we don't have to."
"Thanks," Anakin said as they walked up to the council chambers entrance.
R2 opened the door to see that the roof had fallen right on top of the table, after clearing the rubble, the only damage the table really had was a large hole in the center
"This is where we set up base camp," Bruce asked.
"Yep," Anakin said as he and Bruce dropped their backpacks, and rolled out their futons on the floor.
"What do we do now," Bruce asked as he sat on the edge of the table.
"We're going to the archives," Anakin said, "We need to see if we can locate a good place to find saber parts."
As the three of them walked into the archives, half of them were mostly untouched while others were still glowing.
Bruce started looking through the archives on his datapad while R2 started searching for any references to lost parts.
As Bruce was studying the lessons of Satele Shan and her ancestors Revan and Bastila, Anakin looked over the map of the valley they were in.
While Anakin was looking over was R2 was downloading, he looked back to see Bruce meditating, his entire body was emitting a glowing golden aura.
"What are you doing," Anakin asked as he walked over to sit in front of Bruce who didn't even acknowledge him, "Bruce," he shook Bruce as hard as he could, the aura died away, and Bruce seized his master's arms, and looked straight into Anakin's eyes, "Master," he said.
"Are you ok," Anakin said, "What were you doing?"
"I was studying the contents of the holocrons," Bruce said as he walked over to a small datapad on the floor behind him, and handed it to Anakin, "I was studying the last Barsen'thor's shielding technique he learned during the resurgence of Lord Vivicar's dark plague," he then started walking around the room, "As I was reading the Barsen'thor's teachings, I realized that the shielding technique he or she mastered was almost impeccably similar to my own unique power. I thought if I reached over I might be able to locate the Barsen'thor's Force Spirit to learn about it."
"And," Anakin asked as he looked at his Padawan.
"I could only detect a voice," Bruce said, "It's been so long since anyone's talked to the spirit that it's lost its form. I couldn't tell if the voice was male or female, but it did teach me how to harness the force within me and transfer it. It might be very similar to what you experienced."
"Did you get a name from the Force Spirit," Anakin asked.
"I almost did," Bruce said as he leaned across the table toward his master, "But somebody woke me up."
"I was worried about you," Anakin said, "I've never seen a meditation technique like that."
"Understandable," Bruce said, "If I walked in, and saw you like that I'd be worried as well."
"What did you learn," Anakin asked.
"The technique comes from inside one's self," Bruce said, "The technique itself exceeds the creation of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant by thousands of years, and requires physical strength. That's the shielding technique of course. Apparently, my ability requires mental strength. It would stand to reason that the more I use, the more and more exhausted I become."
"Sounds reasonable," Anakin said, "But where does that leave us?"
"I don't know," Bruce said, "Yet, but I will. Right now all we can do is continue on our original mission."
"To craft you a lightsaber," Anakin said.
"Yes," Bruce said, "Any leads?"
"R2 seems to have found records that Jedi Padawans buried saber parts around the Ruins of Kaleth and there are some crystals downstairs," Anakin said.
"What are we waiting for," Bruce asked.
"It's up to you," Anakin said, "Only you can decide what kind of color your lightsaber will carry. This is your first mission. It's up to you."
Bruce walked down to the first floor, and into what he deduced (by his time playing Star Wars the Old Republic) that it might have been Jedi Master Orgus Din's quarters.
The first room was mainly droid parts, but the door to the second room was very different.
Bruce walked up, and as he placed his hand against the door, the door shook and split open in the center.
Bruce jumped back, drew his sword, and held it toward the door as a mysterious light inside allowed Bruce to make out Master Din's Force Spirit.
Bruce walked up to him, and Master Orgus looked up at Bruce, "I knew you'd come," he said, "My strength has failed me."
"Orgus Din," Bruce asked.
"You know me," Master Orgus asked.
"This isn't the first time we've met," Bruce said as he knelt in front of him, "Just, not directly."
"The Force holds many mysteries," Master Orgus said, "I have no doubt you are telling the truth young Padawan. Tell me, what's your name?"
"Bruce," he said, "Bruce Kirkwood."
"Bruce," Master Orgus said, "That's a name I haven't heard in many generations. You master is here as well?"
"Upstairs," Bruce said, "I made a request with the head of the Council to come here and construct my lightsaber."
"At the Forge," Master Orgus said, "You follow the same path that many Padawans before you did. But with you… I sense something… more. I have not felt the kind of Force Power I sense in you since my own Padawan. Your master is lucky to have you as a student."
"Thank you, Master Orgus," Bruce said, "He has many things to teach me, but I suspect that maybe I have a few things to teach him as well."
Master Orgus chuckled a little, "We really have met before," he said, "You have the same quip as my last Padawan. I can't help you as I could back then, but I think I can give you an edge over the Sith," he then turned towards a small Cortosis chest against the right wall.
As the chest slowly opened, a completely flawless, glowing coopery-yellow crystal ascended from the chest, and levitated in front of Bruce, "Amazing," Bruce said.
"This crystal was left behind when Tython was abandoned for Coruscant," Master Orgus said, "It's been sitting in here with me for over a thousand years," the crystal then levitated into Bruce's hands, "Now it seems it's found its home."
"I will protect this with my life," Bruce said, "Thank you."
"Think nothing of it," Master Orgus said as he stood up with Bruce, and put a hand on his shoulder, "Now go young Padawan, and make sure you close the door on the way out."
Bruce turned around, and as he walked to the exit, and turned around to close it, he saw Master Orgus waving goodbye before the door closed, and he went back to sitting on the floor.
Bruce gripped the crystal tight in his hand and walked back up to the second floor where his Master was preparing dinner.
"There you are," Anakin said as he looked up at Bruce, "You've been gone a while."
"Sorry," Bruce said as he held up his crystal, "Just being careful."
"May I," Anakin asked as he held his hand out to Bruce who placed the crystal in his hand, "A copper crystal? That's rare."
"I didn't know that," Bruce said, "What's for dinner?"
"Republic Rations," Anakin said as he tossed Bruce a nutrition bar.
"Tomorrow we set out for Kaleth," Bruce asked.
"Yep," Anakin said, as he handed Bruce his crystal, "From what I can tell, you are going to have one magnificent lightsaber."
"All thanks to your training," Bruce said, "And your guidance."
"Indeed," Anakin said, "You've been doing well. Maybe we need to discuss sending you on combat missions."
"With the clones," Bruce asked.
"Yes," Anakin said, "The war's still going on."
"Maybe we'll find a place for me," Bruce said.
"Indeed," Anakin said, "One more Jedi could tip the scale."
The nutrition bar was almost completely flavorless and crunchy, almost like eating edible chalk.
The water was pretty decent and had a very refreshing quality, but the same could not be said about their futons which were about as comfortable as sleeping on a solid granite floor with nothing more than a blanket and a pillow.
Coruscant…
"It's a shame Anakin's not back," Obi-Wan said as he walked the halls of the temple with Masters Windu and Yoda, "I would have enjoyed meeting his new Padawan."
"You'll meet him when they return from Tython," Master Windu said, "Right now we have to decide what to do with Grievous's parts."
"His parts are just droid modifications," Obi-Wan said, "Without his organs, they're basically useless."
"Agree with you, I do," Yoda said as he hovered in his small chair next to them, "But what to do with the remainder, the question is."
"We could repurpose them," Obi-Wan said, "Use them to help the future generation create their lightsabers."
"An interesting idea," Master Windu said, "Meanwhile we should cremate the current body."
"Show respect," Obi-Wan said, "He was a difficult enemy."
"Indeed," Master Yoda said, "Indeed. Now, onto more immediate concerns. Without a pupil, you are, Master Kenobi. Time to take on a new student, it is."
"Who is to be my new student," Obi-Wan asked.
"That's for you to decide," Master Windu said as they approached the training grounds to see the Apprentices and Padawans training in the courtyards below them, "You have many to chose from. You might want to begin your evaluations."
Do you have any suggestions on what Obi-Wan's new student should be? Post a review with what you thought of the chapter with your character's race, gender, and backstory, and I'll choose one to introduce in the story.