Please don't forget to follow, favorite, and leave a review. Your support is invaluable and greatly motivates me in my writing, publishing, and overall work on this fic. Have a fantastic day!
Chapter 7 - Edited
"So... this is all that remains?" Sokka's voice echoed along the beach, the heavy dark clouds releasing small rain ripples that dampened the sand. Ben and the others looked at Sokka, the young warrior still clutching the peculiar water tribe blade he had found.
They had landed Appa in another forest clearing, hoping to find something near the nearest city. Leaving the bison by himself, they ventured downhill, where Sokka stumbled upon the remnants of some battle between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe.
Ben understood the significance without needing any explanation. He could glean it from their conversations, the way they spoke about the war and its impact. Sokka may be a warrior, but he was still too young to join his father and the other men of his village in the dangerous warzone. War was no place for a child, a lesson Benjamin had learned through his own painful experiences.
His hand instinctively reached into his jacket pocket, but Katara was nearby. She would surely smack the tobacco from his mouth and ruin another one of his fresh smokes. He had convinced Aang and the others to lend him some money for new clothes and supplies.
His left hand trailed the pouch attached to his belt, its leathery texture prickling his fingers as he returned his attention to their conversation. "Look... there's a boat from Dad's fleet," Sokka pointed out, directing their attention towards a rugged vessel.
Ben and the rest followed him, examining the boat. Made from wood and perhaps pieces of whale, it was relatively small. 'No wonder the Fire Nation is winning... they have massive iron battleships while the Water Tribe relies on wooden fishing boats.'
"Hey, Sokka," Ben called out to the boy, his eyes filled with sorrow as he sensed the sadness emanating from him. Katara seemed sad as well, but it was a different kind of sadness. "Let's make camp for tonight, alright?" he suggested.
They began to prepare along the beach, their gazes still heavy. The sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, giving way to the white glow of the moon. Four individuals sat quietly around a rugged campfire, their eyes fixed on the bright orange flames or the embers reaching for the sky.
During this time, the siblings began to open up to Benjamin. They shared stories of their home in the Water Tribe, of their grandmother and their family, and the loss of their mother. They explained more about Water Tribe culture to Benjamin, who in turn lied that he was born in the Earth Kingdom.
They didn't pry much into Benjamin's background, opting instead to tell him that when he was ready, he could share it with them. However, he had no intention of revealing his past to them. He was already disgusted with himself for losing control and acting out towards Katara.
He couldn't reveal the truth to them, not about where he came from, nor about his role as a Sith Marauder and former grand executor of Revan's Sith Empire. They wouldn't understand, and they might even think he was crazy. But he had to protect them, just as they had saved his life.
"Sokka, do you miss your father?" Ben's voice cut through the crackling of the campfire. His eyes were drawn to the star-filled sky, and the trio turned their attention to him.
"Um... yeah, why do you ask?" Sokka replied, his eyes widening in curiosity.
"Ben can feel emotions," Katara chimed in with a small grin, recalling a recent incident. "A Jedi trait," Aang added with a nod, causing Sokka to smile softly.
"I can still remember him leaving. He had to go off and fight in the war, like all the men had to," Sokka said, his voice tinged with longing.
"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if my father had taken me with him. If he thought I was ready or born earlier. Would I have been able to help the tribe or my father then?" Sokka mused aloud.
"No... you'd probably die," Ben said matter-of-factly. The trio's eyes widened at the bluntness of his words. "War is hell... and you haven't fought in any real battles yet. Even now that you're a teenager, you're still green. It's for the best that you stayed here."
Sokka grimaced at the frank response, but Ben wasn't paying attention to the reaction. His gaze remained fixed on the star-filled sky as he removed his bandolier from his thigh, resting his head on the animal skin bedroll.
"Benji, do you have anyone else?" Sokka whispered, the campfire's flame flickering lower. The others were settling down on their bedrolls.
"No... Jedi aren't allowed to have families or loved ones. We give ourselves to the force," Ben replied with a shrug.
"That's..." Aang began to respond, but Katara quickly interjected, steering the conversation away from the melancholy. They needed to lighten the mood somehow.
"What's the force like, Ben?" Katara asked, trying to change the subject.
Ben shrugged again. "I can't remember... sometimes when I use it, it feels like a whisper, an echo. All I can remember is cutting myself off from it."
He could feel their emotions, the disappointment emanating from them due to his honest answer. "Fine," he muttered, still avoiding their gaze. "I guess... it's like feeling the warmth of the sun without the glare. Knowing that there is truly life in the galaxy, and you are not truly alone."
But the thought brought a flood of memories to Benjamin's mind. His outstretched palm became the canvas for his contemplation. "If things were different, would I have not taken your hand... Kreia? If things were different... would I still have followed you, Meetra, to the ends of the galaxy? Would I have still committed those great sins that haunt me to this very day?"
He shook his head softly, closing his eyes, feeling the waves of exhaustion and sleeplessness wash over him. The noise of conversation gently faded, and his eyelids grew heavier. Sleep was a rare visitor for him, as the horrors of his nightmares and the demons of the night would constantly torment his troubled mind.
Memories resurfaced—the Mandalorian bombs reducing Serab cities to glass sculptures, the feeling of his dual blades cleaving through the Mandalorians on Dxun, and the weight of pressing that button because Meetra was too much of a coward to end the war.
The death of the Force that would end everything—the bomb that turned Malachor V into a graveyard, with corpses and wrecked ships scattered like morbid ornaments.
A true death in the Force...
Suddenly, Ben jolted up, swiping the sweat-soaked hair from his brow. His eyes scanned the sleeping forms of the trio, their breaths steady as the cold, salty breeze of the ocean tried to rejuvenate him.
His gaze settled on Katara's sleeping form. He fished out a cigarette, intending to light it up, but the match fell into the sand. He didn't have time for this, and he didn't want to risk waking up Katara.
He noticed the outline in the middle of the beach, his fingers trying to grasp it, but it slipped away like water. "What the hell?" he muttered, his trembling left hand betraying him. He forced himself to calm down, but his hand refused to listen.
With shaking hands, he found a pen and paper in one of his pouches, his good hand struggling to write a message. 'I'm fine... went to town to get supplies.'
He stood up, the smoke filling his lungs not enough to drown out the memories. He needed a drink, something to numb his troubled mind. Cutting through the dense brush of the forest, his pouch weighed heavily on his thigh, and he felt the weight of exhaustion dragging him down.
Aang sat on Appa, his mind troubled as he held Benji's note in his hands. The handwriting was atrocious, a jumble of uppercases gone wrong and periods that looked more like commas. It seemed as if Benji had written it in a hurry, as if he was being chased by something, and Aang couldn't shake the feeling of unease it gave him.
His thoughts drifted back to Bato's visit during the night. The old warrior had come, and they all gathered in his hut. Bato had shared stories about Sokka's and Katara's father—a great warrior and leader. Aang's heart swelled with pride for his friends and their heritage, but he couldn't forget Benji's haunting words about Sokka's potential fate in the war.
Worry gnawed at Aang's stomach. They were supposed to continue their journey to the air temple to find more airbenders, but waiting for Benji felt like an eternity. The weight of uncertainty and fear bore down on him, tears threatening to escape from his eyes.
Carefully tucking the note into his robe, hidden from prying eyes, Aang tried to collect his thoughts. He knew he had to be strong for his friends, but the weight of their quest and Benji's mysterious absence was becoming overwhelming.
As he sat on Appa's back, gazing into the distance, Aang couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Benji. His mind conjured up a hundred different scenarios—each one more troubling than the last. He wished he could sense his friend's presence through the bond they shared, but the connection was unusually weak, clouded by something he couldn't comprehend.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a man on a strange beast approached. His presence disrupted Aang's musings, and he focused his attention on the newcomer.
"I am looking for Bato of the Water Tribe," the man announced, his voice firm.
"I know, Bato," Aang whispered, his eyes fixed on the man, trying to read any clues about his intentions.
The man tossed Aang a parchment, which he caught deftly. Before Aang could react or inquire further, the stranger swiftly rode away, leaving tracks in the soft sand. But with a wave of Aang's staff, the air responded, sweeping and smoothing the sand, erasing all traces of the meeting. The note vanished safely into his robe, concealed from prying eyes.
Aang's mind raced with questions. Who was this stranger, and what did he want with Bato? And why was he looking for him now, of all times?
As the sun continued its ascent, casting a golden hue over the horizon, Aang couldn't shake the unease that clung to him. He knew he had to share the news with Sokka and Katara, but the timing was sensitive. Their hearts were already heavy with worry for their father, and Aang feared that this new development would only add to their burden.
Feeling torn between his duty as the Avatar and his concern for his friends, Aang took a deep breath. He needed to find a way to be there for Sokka and Katara, to support them through this uncertain time, while also staying true to his calling as the last Airbender and the one destined to bring balance to the world. With the note safely hidden away, he made his way back to his friends, knowing that they would face whatever lay ahead together.
At the bar, a crowd surrounded the poker table, eyes darting between the players and chips dancing to the hum of music. Ben sat at the edge of the table, sipping gin with a shit-eating grin on his face. The smell of alcohol filled the air as he scanned the crowd, feeling the stares piercing him.
Ben didn't mind the attention; he had made his way to the bar after leaving the campsite and found himself in a high-stakes poker game. The pouch that was once modest had now doubled in size. The power of the Force was a remarkable advantage, allowing him to read the base impulses of those around him.
As the sun cracked over the horizon, Ben felt a sharp shriek from the light, his night of drinking and smoking taking its toll. The Force might have its limitations on him, but he could still use it to sense the base emotions swirling in the crowd.
The dealer deftly collected Ben's chips, the clinking of coins echoing through the tense atmosphere. Benjamin couldn't help but smile, his eyes fixated on the numerous coins being poured into a separate pouch. Envy rolled through the crowd as the late drinkers finally departed, the long poker game nearing its close.
His fingers traced uncertainly along the bar stool, his gaze unsteady as slurred words escaped his lips. The calm and composed aura he had maintained during the game began to waver. "A drink... or two," he slurred, raising four fingers in a conflicting request. The bartender shook his head in dismay, but Benjamin's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"Oh, a drink... Bill would have scolded me for drinking and smoking like this," he whispered to himself, trying to drown out the demons that haunted him.
A feminine voice interrupted his inner turmoil. He turned to his right, his eyes glossing over the figure that stood there. Her voice had a small bite to it, a ray of coldness that sent shivers down his spine. Something felt off about her, and Benjamin's discomfort grew.
The air seemed to crackle with an electric charge, though the room itself wasn't cold. He should have been able to sense her presence through the Force, but these last few days had been harder on him, blurring his ability to perceive.
Paranoia crept in as he tried to discern her true intentions. He forced a smile, trying to appear unbothered, but the unease lingered. Her appearance was striking, dressed in a large black cloak that draped gracefully over her. Every detail seemed meticulously crafted, and even her braid held an air of perfection.
Despite her beauty, Benjamin couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unnatural about her presence. Some stuck-up Jedi back at the Order exuded vanity, but this felt different, and it made him uneasy.
"Friend, I guess. The old man and I were close..." Ben's ears perked up as he heard the sliding of a drink toward him. His hand instinctively reached out to grasp it. "I guess he was one of the closest things to a father I've ever known," he continued, attempting to regain composure.
The girl nodded, and Benjamin took a sip, trying to conceal his discomfort. His brow started to bead with sweat, and his fingers felt clammy against the drink. The Force and his instincts screamed at him to run away as fast as he could. But he maintained his facade, even as his poker face wavered.
"What's your name?" he smirked at the girl, trying to hide his unease. She seemed to be around his age, and her smile matched his own as she raised her gloved hand.
"Kiara. I'm a Fire Nation warrior," she whispered, leaning in closer. "But keep it to ourselves... the Fire Nation isn't welcome in places like this."
Ben nodded as he absorbed the girl's information. 'This is weird, what is a Fire Nation warrior doing out here? She doesn't feel like a typical soldier,' he thought, trying to make sense of the situation. The term "warrior" held some significance for him, perhaps because he was used to hearing soldiers refer to themselves differently on the colony.
"Though, I must say that the poker game was something else. It really was... entertaining. Nothing like the things in the Fire Nation," she whispered, her words dripping with praise. Ben couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
For a moment, the atmosphere between them seemed to shift. He found himself drawn to her beauty, and her words warmed him. "Oh, come on... stop buttering me up. With your looks, maybe I should be the one complimenting you," he responded with a grin.
Her chuckle should have been endearing, but it only served to unsettle him. There was something off about her, something he couldn't quite place. "Though, I could feel it in the crowd, you know. The way you tracked them along, made them follow your lead or rather... your commands," she continued, her hand caressing her chin in a way that felt almost too calculated.
Ben's grip on the cup tightened, and his eyes widened. How could she have known? 'No, that's impossible. The Jedi are all dead and gone. I am the last of them. There is no way anyone else could know the truth.'
"It was almost like you were able to read their minds, almost predict the cards they would pull. But that would be insane to accuse someone of, wouldn't it? How could someone know when something is going to happen?" she said, probing him.
His breath grew shallow, and his mind raced. She was trying to get him to slip up, to reveal his secrets. 'What does she want... it almost seems like she...'
In an instant, he saw it. A vision coursing through him, the Force flooding his body. Kiara was going to grab the cup and slam it against his face, shattering the glass and cutting him. His instincts kicked in, and he acted with precision. He slapped the cup away just in time, hearing the glass shatter and the music come to a halt.
The air grew still, tension hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Ben's heart pounded, and his eyes darted to the fragmented glass and the brown stain it left on the wall.
He turned towards the girl, his eyes widening as he saw it—a smile. Her lips curved into a smirk, and her hand rested where the cup would have been. Without hesitation, he broke away from the chair and snatched his pouch from the dealer, making his way onto the fresh streets of the city.
The wooden buildings loomed with a certain elegance, a stark contrast to the primitive huts he had seen elsewhere. Some houses were made of brick or stone, casting long shadows along the streets. Morning had arrived, and the bustle of people filled the air. Parents dropped off their children at school, and workers headed out to their daily grind. Ben pushed through the crowd, some giving him curious glances or offering a passing comment.
But the stench of alcohol and smoke that clung to him drove them away. Seeking refuge, Ben ducked into an alleyway, making sure he had lost the girl. Resting his head against the cool brick wall, he surveyed the grimy ground before him. The exertion had taken its toll, and bile flooded his mouth as he collapsed to his knees. He spat out a wad of green vomit and wiped his mouth, his eyes darting down the street. Gathering himself, he dusted off his clothes and melted back into the crowd.
This time, he felt calmer, but the wretched smell lingered. He was an unsightly sight—barely sixteen, the odor of cigarettes and the sulfurous taint of gin radiated from him.
'Damn it... what am I even worried about?' he thought, running his fingers through his hair. As he walked, the lack of smokes and drinks cleared his head, allowing him to think more clearly.
He pondered the vision and the strange encounter with the girl. Force visions weren't perfect, but why would she want to hurt him? She was odd, but not insane.
Ben struggled with the familiar feeling she had stirred within him—a cold, suffocating blanket, choking the life out of him. "The dark side..." he murmured under his breath.
There were times when minor Force-sensitives, those who could barely feel the Force, developed a small affinity towards the dark side. But he pushed that thought aside as he stopped in front of a small building—a library.
"A library?" he whispered, his gaze scanning the structure. Figures moved around inside, and an idea sparked in his mind. Maybe he could find something, some knowledge that would help him understand what was happening.
Sokka's boomerang sliced through the thick expanse of brush, and Katara followed closely behind. However, with each step she took, a hint of hesitation lingered in her movement. Sokka shot her a sharp glare. "Is there a problem?"
Katara shook her head, her uncertainty apparent. Sokka clenched his jaw, forging ahead, his boomerang hacking efficiently through any vines or branches obstructing their path. "You're worried about Aang, aren't you?" he pressed.
"Yes, I am," Katara admitted. She studied her brother, and as he paused in the tree line, she approached him. "I know how much you want to see Dad, but is this right?"
"Right? Aang lied to us about where Dad is, Katara. He betrayed our trust!" Sokka's frustration boiled over, and he slammed his boomerang into the ground. "It was wrong. He could've just told us... but I don't understand why."
From deeper within the forest, they heard rustling. Sokka reached for his boomerang, and Katara took her bending stance. However, their tense postures relaxed as Ben emerged from the woods, covered in tree sap and leaves sticking to his hair.
"Sup!" Ben said anxiously, trying to shake off the sap and leaves. Sokka and Katara both took a step back, immediately plugging their noses due to the stench.
"Uh, that's disgusting, Benjamin... When was the last time you took a shower?" Katara gagged, taking out her water flask. Before Ben could react, she unleashed a high-pressure stream of water, drenching him and washing away the unpleasant odor.
With a thud, Ben fell to the forest floor, shaking his head to get rid of the water droplets. He locked eyes with the siblings, noticing their packed bags and their intent to leave. "Hey, where are you guys going?"
The trio sat down, and Sokka and Katara shared the story of what had happened with Aang—how he had revealed the location of their father. They now felt compelled to leave.
Ben let out a heavy sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. The situation had become complicated, and although he usually wouldn't get involved, the things he had learned in that library had changed things.
"I understand that you want to see your father again, and I sympathize with that. But we can't leave Aang just yet," Ben interjected as their tales came to an end.
Sokka scowled, sucking his teeth. "What do you mean? Katara and I practically carried Aang all the way here. Aren't you a Jedi? Aang said you were some sort of peacekeeper or something. We've done our part, now it's your turn to deal with it."
"Sokka, you're being insensitive... I'm sorry about that, Benji," Katara said, shaking her head. Her emotions were tangled, torn between the fun they'd had and the close calls they'd faced. She had a gut feeling that their journey was only going to get tougher as the situation worsened.
"It's fine, Katara. Though, Sokka... you can't leave." Ben raised his hand to halt Sokka from speaking. "I'm not a Force user anymore; I can hardly tap into my abilities like I used to. I'm not even a licensed Jedi knight; I'm still just a former Padawan. I'm not ready, mentally or emotionally, to shoulder the burden of this journey," he spat out, his frustration evident. Sokka held his tongue, absorbing the words.
"Secondly, Aang is your friend, and I understand that you guys are hurt by this betrayal. I get what it's like to have things hidden from you and the pain it causes. But Aang was probably just scared and afraid of losing you two. He's already alone..."
Katara recalled Ben's openness with her, how he had shared his experiences of being lied about and misunderstood by the masters at his academy. The cold wind tousled her hair as she looked at her brother.
"It's your responsibility to do this... you started this journey, didn't you?" Sokka lifted his head at the last part of the sentence. Ben had a point, but Sokka's feelings of hurt and betrayal still lingered. "Don't lecture us about responsibility. I know you're running from something!" Sokka stood up, and Katara grabbed his hand to try and calm him before things escalated. "You stole that medical alcohol from us and got drunk, then left us in the middle of the night with a note we could hardly read. You're running from responsibility just like the rest of us, so don't act all high and mighty."
Ben's feet thudded on the ground as Sokka took a step back, the outburst ringing in both their ears. "What the fuck do you know about responsibility, Sokka! He's your friend, and he needs your help... stop acting like it's so hard to protect the Avatar. It's your duty!"
Ben's hand flew to his mouth as the words resonated. Memories of his conversation with Meetra days ago surfaced, and he realized he was being a hypocrite. He preached about protecting Aang being Sokka and Katara's responsibility when he was willing to abandon them on the second day they met.
They were all just teenagers, way out of their league in what they were trying to accomplish. Sokka's outburst came from feeling betrayed by someone he trusted about something deeply important.
Did Ben truly have the right to judge Sokka when he himself had been running away for years?
Ben let out a sigh as he returned to sitting on the floor. "I'm sorry, Sokka," he said, his voice softened.
Sokka eased up, sitting back down as well. Both men stared at the ground, and Katara's mouth began to open to speak. "You mentioned that Aang was truly alone. What does that mean?"
Ben took a deep breath before responding, avoiding eye contact. "Aang is truly the last of the airbenders..."
"Duh, we already knew that. The next stop was to find the remaining survivors," Sokka interjected. But Ben shook his head.
"No, there are no survivors. The fire lord made it his mission to exterminate them."
"What?" Katara's voice almost shouted in disbelief. "But... Aang told us there might have been sur..."
Ben shook his head, cutting the girl off, and raised his gaze to meet their eyes. "Listen, I get that Aang is trying to be hopeful, but the airbenders have vanished for over a hundred years. They're all gone, victims of genocide." His lips curled into a snarl as he spoke. "The Jedi, and any knowledge of the Sith, are gone too... all destroyed. The Fire Nation has won."
Getting back on his feet, Ben began to walk away, but he stopped and turned back toward Sokka and Katara. "Guys, I know what Aang did was wrong, but please try to forgive him. He's all alone now, the last of his kind. He needs a friend."
However, Sokka's voice interrupted him, "Aang isn't alone... and neither are you. Please, don't forget that, Benjamin."
Leaving the library once more, there was something different about Ben. He adjusted the fire nation blade slung across his shoulder, the gleaming silver catching the sunlight. It had cost him a good amount of money, but it felt right in his hands.
As he stepped out onto the street, the reality of his situation hit him again. He was truly alone in this world, just like Aang. They were both the last of their kind, their people extinct. There was no going back home, no one to fight for, no cause to commit himself to. It was all over.
Ben watched a group of fire nation soldiers march down the street, their armor shining brightly. The crowd's disdainful glares followed them, but Ben's own heart felt heavy with defeat.
"What's the point of fighting anymore? The Fire Nation has won," he thought to himself.
"Hey... Benjamin."
Ben turned his head to see her black braid first, and then her face—her smile plastered across it. Her gray eyes glinted like the silver fountains in the Coruscant library, but there was an emptiness to them that gave him pause.
"Come with me," she whispered into his ear, leaning in close. Ben hesitated, but her fingers wrapped around his hand, pulling him away. They ended up in an alleyway—a confined and dim space where the stone bricks told the story of a modest city. There, they locked eyes.
"Do you know why we're talking... why a noble woman of the Fire Nation is gracing you with my presence?" Her words held power, her voice commanding and dominant. Ben didn't want her to control the conversation, but he played it as if he didn't understand. Most likely, she was after the Avatar, which would explain the presence of numerous soldiers around.
"No, I don't really..." he replied cautiously.
She smirked, crossing her arms. "You're able to read people's minds, just like you did in the poker game."
Ben's eyes widened in alarm. 'How did she know... that's impossible. How the hell did she figure out I could use the Force like that?' he thought, running his hand through his long hair.
"No, I can just read people. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it," he replied, trying to dismiss her revelation.
She ignored his explanation, pressing on with the conversation. "You can predict events before they happen, your cards perfectly lined up. You knew when to fold and when to play your hand, that's why you never lost... only losing on purpose so the others would stay in the game for you to steal more of their money."
Ben shook his head again, his fingers tensing into fists. He didn't know what to do. This girl had him completely figured out, and it should have been impossible. The Fire Nation had wiped out all records of the Force and any mention of the Jedi. "That's not true. It's impossible to tell the future. I'm not a..."
"I was going to slam that bottle against your face. But you reacted like it was going to happen... you knew it was going to happen. You felt my killing intent, and the echo of the Force radiating from me."
"The Force..." Ben's fingers went to his mouth, realizing Kiara didn't know about his past or his connection to the Force. He had to be careful. He couldn't reveal that he had once been a Jedi and cut himself off from the Force. He needed to find a way out of this situation. "Tell me about this destiny."
"I'm glad you're willing to hear the truth about the Force. It's an ancient power that flows through everything. The Fire Nation acolytes harnessed this power."
"For such a strong ability, even rumored to rival the Avatar, I've never heard of it," Ben said, pretending to be ignorant.
Kiara smirked, continuing her lecture. As Ben listened, he realized that she liked to hear herself talk.
"Ah, yes, the Fire Nation. After wiping out the airbenders, they erased all knowledge of the Force. But the Fire Nation is the only nation that truly harnesses the power of the Force. And when this war comes to its climax... me and the other Force users will stand by the Fire Lord's side to put an end to it."
She thrust her arms down, the movement slicing through the air like two swords. "I am Kiara, a dark Jedi, a Sith. I was recruited into the Sith academy in the Fire Nation when other acolytes sensed my potential, just like I sensed yours. But your power is something else... your skill with the Force, I can feel it radiate within you. Even the darkness inside is comparable to the..."
She took a deep breath, coughing as she cleared her voice. Her hand wrapped around herself as if to steady her resolve. "I shall not reveal more until I am certain of your choice... if you choose to walk the path of the Sith, to become as powerful as I have become."
Ben already knew his answer, but now was the time to appropriately decline her advance. "I'm sorry, but I don't wish to walk that path. I've taken an oath against using such abilities again. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find someone else," he replied firmly.
"Why would you abandon the blessings of the Force?" She asked, appearing genuinely concerned.
"I made a promise to myself. To never go that way again..."
A stillness settled in the air, as if Kiara was considering whether to strike down Ben or trying to comprehend why someone as powerful as him would turn away from it.
"Well, guess it can't be helped. I'll still be here tomorrow, so if you change your mind, just let me know," she spoke casually, waving as she turned to head out the other end of the alleyway.
As she turned away, Ben noticed something attached to her side, a faint cylindrical object catching the gleam of the sun. "A lightsaber... but how?"
"Wait... what did you say?" She turned back towards Ben, her grey eyes narrowing, the killing intent palpable. "You know what my weapon is called? You weren't integrated into the academy, the only academy in the Fire Nation is in the capital and other major cities, and I've visited them all. I've never seen you there, unless you were a..."
Ben felt it through the Force, the killing intent striking him head-on like a fierce wave of heat. He heard the click of the lightsaber blade as the sparks flew when his sword broke free from its scabbard. The two figures clashed, and Ben broke free from the sword lock.
"A Jedi!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the alleyway.
She lashed out with both hands, and Ben felt the wind carry him off his feet. He landed hard on the cold dirt street, the pain searing through his left shoulder, causing him to see stars.
"My turn, Jedi!"
She gripped the blade of her lightsaber, the red blade whirring as it sliced cleanly through the dirt. Ben braced himself, pushing up from the floor just in time. "If she was only a second quicker... I would have been dead," he thought.
Using the Force, Ben caught the sword in his good hand, unable to bear the weight on his injured one. The pain shot through him whenever it came into contact with his shoulder joint, making his eyes water as he gritted his teeth at Kiara. He studied the blade in awe, surprised that it could hold its own against a lightsaber. Perhaps the metals in this world were stronger, even possibly infused with cortosis.
Cortosis was well-known throughout the galaxy, used in various things like massive hulls in capital ships and swords that could repel lightsabers. Ben's eyes never left Kiara's form as she smiled, assuming a guarding stance. "Strange, she's utilizing Makashi... I was expecting something else," he thought. Makashi was a lightsaber-on-lightsaber combat form used when two lightsaber wielders faced off. It had been common during the Jedi Civil War, but what puzzled Ben was why Kiara, who possessed a lightsaber, was utilizing a stance for lighter combat, when he had a common sword.
Ben tightened his grip on the blade. Kiara was smart, considering the worst possible scenario. The last Jedi had likely died years ago, making the Jedi era a mere legend passed down through generations to this new generation of Sith.
She might never have fought a real force user before, so Ben nodded, feeling the tension of the Force surging within him. He locked his gaze onto Kiara, making her believe he was a Jedi knight wielding another lightsaber, using the sword to avoid detection by the Fire Nation.
Ben knew he couldn't defeat her, not with his lightsaber skills and Force abilities blocked by his vow to never use them again. Her Force barrier would hold against his pushes and pulls, and his blaster wouldn't pierce her defense before overheating.
"Come on, Jedi. Let us begin... give me the glory of killing the first Jedi in nearly a hundred years!" Kiara taunted.
Ben smirked, his mouth opening. "Trust me, I will!" he shouted, his loud voice echoing as the crowd formed a tighter circle to watch the two duelists.
Ben swiftly turned around, his legs pounding along the dirt road as he broke through the watching crowd. Kiara gnashed her teeth in frustration at the cowardly Jedi. "Pathetic!" she shouted, her Force-enhanced legs propelling her forward as she began to run.
Force speed, a core Force ability. Ben needed it now, despite the worsening pain in his shoulder. He focused on that elusive breeze, letting the Force guide his legs as he sprinted, nearly tripping and falling in his haste to avoid the encroaching crowd and the earthbending guards trying to stop him.
Breaking through their defenses, Ben lifted himself three meters into the air, leaping over the men. His feet kicked up dirt, and he rolled to avoid the gathering crowd drawn by the commotion. He turned around, eyes widening and mouth agape, as he saw Kiara hot on his heels. She leaped into the air, landing right in front of the earthbending guardsman. "Run away!" Ben yelled at the guard. The guardsman and the crowd turned toward him, puzzled. "She's a dark Jedi, you won't win!"
"What's this kid...?"
"We're earthbenders, kid. Relax. We were getting real sick of the Fire Nation loitering around this town anyway," another guardsman replied.
Kiara's crimson blade hung limply at her side, her smile now replaced by annoyance and disappointment. She didn't let the first guardsman speak, swiftly cutting him down before he could react. In the blink of an eye, he collapsed, lifeless.
"No!" Ben shouted, paralyzed by pain and exhaustion. He could hardly move.
The second earthbending guardsman sent out a blast of earthbending rocks toward Kiara. The rocks cut through the air, but Kiara merely parted two fingers, and they stopped in midair, debris falling off them. "What the hell, but she's a Fire Nation sol—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the rocks flew back to him, beyond his control. He couldn't protect himself; he was sent hurtling down the road, flipping and twisting as the rocks pounded through his form. The resounding thud echoed through the street as the boulders crushed his skull and tore his arm from its socket. His body flew half a dozen times before coming to a lifeless rest, unrecognizable.
Kiara's cold steel eyes returned to Benjamin, who was still fixated on the newly formed corpses. The whole exchange had lasted less than five minutes. The crowd erupted in unparalleled fear and hysteria, screams reverberating through the city, drowning out the echoing of the pounding footsteps that followed. Kiara's gaze returned to Ben as she spat out, looking around at the now-empty streets.
The messy-haired boy was nowhere to be seen, and the crowd that had formed quickly dissipated as the strong smell of blood tickled Kiara's nostrils. Her lips parted, her eyes fixated on a broken window where blood seeped through, and her smile twisted into something vile and disturbing.
Meanwhile, Ben hid behind a large crate, trying to conceal himself as best he could. His jacket was torn, and he used the cloth fragments to bandage his head, stemming the flow of blood that threatened to blind his right eye. Despite the pain and difficulty opening it, Ben could still see through the eye, thanks to the tears that washed away the blood.
Kiara was different; she was a skilled combatant, adept with both the Force and her lightsaber. But there was something more to her that Ben couldn't quite place. She didn't seem like a typical dark Jedi; she exhibited traits of a guardian or consular, possibly even a sentinel, striking a balance between both.
Yet, she showed no qualms about taking innocent lives. For a moment, Ben's mind wandered, contemplating whether he should embrace his former self, the dark side of the Force that he had tried so hard to suppress. But a voice within him, a memory he desperately clung to, reminded him of the monster he used to be. He quickly rejected the notion, unwilling to let the darkness consume him again.
As he gazed out the window, the afternoon sun slowly descending on the horizon, he thought about his companions. Katara with her unique hair, her motherly and bossy demeanor that kept the group together. Sokka, the fool with a big heart who would make a great leader. And Aang, the legendary Avatar, destined to restore balance to the world.
Ben knew he was never truly one of them, but it felt good to be welcomed by Sokka and Katara. Yet, he couldn't bear to be a burden on them any longer. He believed they would be alright without him, and he couldn't help but feel tired of carrying the weight of his past. In his mind, he felt like a mere stumbling block in their journey, something that meant nothing in the grand scheme of their goals.
With the moon beginning to rise on the horizon, Ben made his decision. His mind was made up; he would free himself from the burdens of his past and the pain of his present. He wouldn't be a burden to them any longer.
Ben's eyes began to slowly close, the pain starting to dull as his gaze faltered. His sword slipped and clattered along the floor, and his head slumped forward. He wondered if this was the reason he was here, to die, to serve as a mere distraction for Kiara. Perhaps that was for the best in the end; he had never expected to grow old and die peacefully in his sleep.
Sleep seemed like a tempting escape, a way to let the pain fade away. He didn't care if Kiara came with her lightsaber and took his life while he slept. He no longer cared about the fire lord or the other corrupted Sith. After all, it had been a long life, and all he wanted was some rest.
But something stirred inside him, not the Force, not the self-loathing, nor his commitment to the Jedi and the Galaxy. It was something else, a flame igniting deep within his gut.
"Just like that time in the colony," he muttered, teeth grinding together like a machine. "It feels stronger now, maybe because…" His face lit up like sparks from a match.
"Not... yet," he declared, his teeth clenching as tears welled up once more. He felt the tension of the Force along his injured arm, using it to realign the dislocated joint. The pain surged through him like liquid nitrogen on bread, making him retch and vomit.
He wasn't ready to die, not here, not yet. He still wanted to learn more about the three people he was tasked to protect. He didn't want to meet his end in this dingy warehouse.
With the Force flooding through him, he gripped the sword handle with both hands and swung horizontally. Kiara was taken aback, gripping her lightsaber with both hands as their weapons clashed in a flurry of sparks.
Breaking the saber lock, Ben held the blade with both hands, trying to figure out his next move. Kiara seemed to understand, dropping out of her Makashi form into a defensive Soresu stance.
"So, you're smarter than you look," Ben thought, impressed by her adaptability. "You probably know I don't have a lightsaber anymore and now I'm using brute strength against you."
Both duelists roared, charging at each other with fierce determination. Ben's head twisted up towards the roof, catching a glimpse of a large white blip soaring over the horizon.
Seizing the opportunity, Kiara jutted out her blade with a steady poke, attempting to penetrate his defenses. In a swift move, Ben lifted his sword, causing their blades to clash. With skillful precision, he redirected Kiara's shimmering red blade towards the sky. Her eyes widened, realizing the error of her mistake, leaving herself vulnerable.
A murderer—efficiently slaughtering two earthbending guardsmen—Kiara had no qualms eliminating those who stood in her way. To Ben, she was nothing but a monstrous dark Jedi, and he tightened his grip on the blade, contemplating...
"Do you really have the right to take another life, False Jedi?" The voice murmured in Ben's ears.
Hesitation rippled through his core as Kiara gripped the lightsaber blade with both hands and struck above him, using her momentum and weight to slash downward. Ben's defenses crumbled, and he rolled to avoid her next flurry of attacks. He was now a sweating mess, struggling to catch his breath.
"Pathetic, is this truly the last of the Jedi," Kiara taunted, clicking her teeth. She hoped her words would distract Benjamin from his pain and exhaustion. "A drunken fool... a coward who couldn't take a life. You could have been so much more, but you chose to cast it all away. Even when you could have taken my life, you spared me, or was it just the hesitation of a coward?"
Suddenly, Appa's mighty roar breached the warehouse, shaking its very foundation. Ben's eyes locked on Appa as the trio emerged. Kiara noticed the reinforcements too.
"I see, you're protecting someone," she observed. "Rumors said there was a fourth member following the Avatar with strange abilities. But I shall simply kill the last Jedi and the Avatar."
"No!" Ben snarled, his eyes fixed on Kiara's grey orbs. "I won't let you touch them!"
Despite the pain and chaos, Ben's feet pounded onto the floor, his back slouched as blood leaked from his lips onto the cold wooden surface. His bandage was torn off due to the intensity of the duel, and the blood was now irritating his eye. Kiara moved slowly forward, seemingly relishing Benjamin's agony.
But then, a shiver ran through her. A cold breeze cut through her, and her legs forced her to halt. Every hair on her body stood on end as an inexplicable shudder coursed through her being. She was no longer so sure, no longer so proud.
Her eyes widened as Ben lifted his head. "I won't let you touch them!" The boy screamed, his closed fist suddenly opening, unleashing violent strands of purple lightning that engulfed his form. Kiara's eyes locked onto his, now filled with determination and a force she couldn't comprehend.
Ben's once golden and worn eyes were gone, replaced by a sulfuric and disgusting orange, outlined in red, jutting out like veins. Kiara had only seen such eyes once before—the woman who had given her the mission.
Those eyes—the eyes of the true Sith. Not like her or the other dark Jedi recruited at an early age and trained at the academy in the Fire Nation capital. No, these were the eyes of the true Sith Lords.
Ben's howl erupted from his core, his hands lashing out, but Kiara was already too late. The blast of unrefined force lightning surged from Benjamin's palms, filling the warehouse with the smell of burning air.
The lightning spread out in tendrils, cutting through the air, soaring around her, even coming straight at her in massive arches of violet. The room crackled and hissed, Benjamin's orange eyes the only visible thing amidst the onslaught of lightning.
Kiara tried to raise her blade to catch the torrent of lightning, but it was far too strong, jutting out from every corner of the room. Her lightsaber couldn't protect her, and even her force barrier was struggling to hold against the massive arcs.
She had never been particularly skilled in force lightning, only witnessing the lords of the Sith use it. But she had never seen any other members of her academy or even the lords possess such strength with the ability. It was hard to believe, but this boy, this drunken fool, may even exceed the might of the masters.
The lightning pounded along her light blue force barrier, and she deactivated her blade to focus on holding off the enveloping arcs. The warehouse shook and the air hissed with electricity. The lightning refracted, damaging cabinets and denting crates.
Fear gripped her heart as she heard Ben's manic laughter amid the chaotic storm. "Come on, show me... Jedi Killer!" His laughter echoed, and the intensity of the blast only increased. The air grew harder to breathe, the heat of the barrier rising to uncomfortable levels.
Kiara closed her eyes, unable to stare at the lightning without her retinas getting slightly burnt. But Ben's orange eyes filled with deeper insanity, harnessing the dark side with an ability she knew she couldn't hold against. The fear that had eluded her for so long now haunted her, and the true power of the boy before her was unveiled.
"What's the matter, Kiara!" he taunted, feigning mock sincerity with his voice. "Is your pitiful skill of the Force of no use against a true warrior of the dark side?"
As those words pierced the air, her force barrier cracked. Her scream filled the space, echoing dreadfully, reaching even the ears of the fleeing crowd who shielded themselves from the harrowing shriek. Aang, at the reins of Appa, directed them downward, knowing they were closing in on Benjamin.
Each step Ben took was like walking on hot coals, but he didn't falter. The pain in his head and arm fueled his hatred toward Kiara for her ruthless slaughter of innocent people, his anger at the Sith, and the fire nation, propelling him forward.
His eyes glowed with a sulfurous chemical orange, encircled by a red outline. One eye remained clear, while the other was stained crimson from the wound above. For the first time since he cut himself off from the Force and abandoned his role in Revan's Sith Empire, he felt... powerful!
Peering down at Kiara, trembling on the floor, her muscles still twitching from the lingering effects of the lightning, Ben spat out, "I know you can hear me." His gaze bore into the girl. "Tell me... where is your master, apprentice?"
But she offered no response, her body going limp as the last of the lightning dissipated, leaving her unconscious. Ben grunted as he eyed her dark Jedi lightsaber. Extending his right hand, he used the Force to pull the sparking blade toward him. Exposed cables and a small fire in the emitter matrix indicated the blade's damaged state. Nevertheless, Ben found it intriguing. It closely resembled the lightsabers from his universe. Perhaps the Jedi and Sith here had perfected the art of lightsaber building.
"Yet, that raises a question," he pondered. "If they can create lightsaber blades, why does this world still struggle, lagging behind the industrial age?"
Gripping the fallen Jedi's lightsaber, he pressed the red power button, igniting the blade. The fiery crimson glow seared his hands, his knuckles turning white from the grip. The power crystal within radiated hatred—a weapon truly worthy of a dark side warrior like him. He took a deep breath, raising the blade overhead, ready to strike her down.
"No... Ben!"
He turned around. Appa had burst through the skylight, shattering the glass like falling snowflakes. Ben lowered the still-ignited crimson blade with his right hand.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka disembarked, but an icy blast of fear swept over them, freezing them in place.
Sokka sensed that there was something off about Ben, even when he witnessed the boy's power before. But this time, the sheer rage and hate emanating from Benjamin left him unnerved. Benjamin's intense gaze remained fixed on the girl with the shimmering red blade, and Sokka couldn't shake the feeling that they should keep their distance.
"What?" Benjamin's voice cut through the air like a sharp blade. Katara tried to reach out to him, but Sokka placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?" Katara protested, pointing at Benjamin. "He needs our help."
Sokka shook his head. "No, we're not getting involved. There's something seriously wrong with Benjamin, can't you feel it? I don't want to get any closer right now."
"Yes, I can feel it. Don't be ridiculous... he'd never hurt us. He saved us, Sokka!" Katara argued with her brother, but unbeknownst to them, Aang approached Benjamin.
"Benjamin, what are you planning to do now?" Aang's voice rose, yet Benjamin refused to turn and meet the avatar's gaze.
Silence enveloped the scene, broken only by the whizzing and faint hum of the crimson lightsaber blade. Finally, Benjamin opened his mouth. "I'm going to kill her... and I'm going to use the dark side to slaughter the Fire Nation. I'll kill the Sith, the Fire Nation, and anything that stands in my way." He slightly tilted his head to the right, revealing the change in his eye to Aang. "I already have a lightsaber... my weapon."
"A weapon? That's funny. I remember you calling it a tool, not a weapon. Red doesn't suit you anyway," Aang smirked, playfully trying to ease the tension and make Benjamin laugh. He knew something was wrong with his friend, but he wanted to help. "Also, I need to train first to deal with the Fire Lord. Let's just take a break for a little while and deactivate your lightsaber."
"No," Benjamin replied bluntly.
"Why do you want to kill her?" Aang asked, gripping his staff firmly. He wouldn't let Benjamin make this terrible mistake. He was his friend, and Aang knew he would regret it later... if he survived. Benjamin was in a dark place, and Aang wanted to help him find his way back.
"She murdered two people," Benjamin spat out, twirling the lightsaber blade to get a better grip. "She's nothing more than a wild animal. If I don't take her down now, she'll just become a problem later."
"The monks taught us that it's easy to take a life, but sparing one is even harder," Aang said, his hand resting on Benjamin's shoulder. "You're not in a good place now, Ben. I can feel it in your spirit. It's warped, and the darkness inside will consume you if you don't seek control."
"I feel more in control than I've ever felt in years!" Benjamin pushed the airbender away, causing Katara and Sokka to gasp at the sight of his darkened eyes, a clear sign of his connection to the dark side. "I was such a fool... cutting myself off from the Force, not using the dark side. I am powerful!"
"It's perverting you, don't you see it... Benjamin!" Katara brushed her brother's grip off her and joined Aang's side as she continued speaking. "Don't you get it, Ben? This isn't you speaking, you're in a dark place right now!"
"It's all my fault... if I just accepted the dark side and the Force. I would've been able to save them all, I would've been able to save Bill and the rest. But I was too much of a coward!" He screamed out, his words blunt and gnarled like a rabid mutt.
"Ben, you speak of Bill. The old man who told me to save you... from that colony, right?" Aang spoke up. "Ben, do you know what he told me right before we left?"
Benjamin didn't turn around, his eyes fixated once again on the floor, the lightsaber blade still ignited. "He told me to watch after you... that you were an amazing kid. That even with all the drinking, smoking, and nightmares... he mentioned before that you were broken."
Ben gritted his teeth, only to lock eyes with Aang. "Though he mentioned that because you've been through hell, someone like you can help others not walk that path, that you can become a hero."
Ben looked up as the sentence concluded. The sulfuric orange of his eyes returned to the normal gold as tears began to fall down his face. Even after all that... even after just being a pest, Bill saved him and wanted the best for him.
In the end... he nearly desecrated his memory and fell to the dark side. "Oh god! What have I done... I nearly... I nearly fell!"
Ben fell to his knees. His arms lost any will as the pain shot through him like a roller coaster. Tears fell like a fierce rainstorm as his palms collided with the floor. Then he felt three figures draped over him.
"It's okay, I know it must've been rough." Sokka's voice graced his ear, the boy wrapping his arms in a tighter hug. "But you're not alone anymore. This journey is for the four of us. We'll get through it."
Katara and Aang followed, and the four embraced. Ben wiped his eyes as Katara's mouth opened. "What are we going to do with her, the girl?"
Ben shook his head as the others began to walk away. The Fire Nation soldiers would be on them soon. They had to leave. "Nothing, we leave her here... she won't forget what happened. Hopefully, that will stop her from attacking us in the future."
The lightsaber deactivated—or rather shut down, the proper word for it. The shimmering red blade collapsed on itself, already damaged due to the barrage of force lightning.
But Ben didn't just drop the blade yet. The boy opened it carefully. He plucked through it until he found what he was looking for. The Red Kyber Crystal shone under the white moonlight.
"Ben, come on!" Aang screamed as Katara and Sokka climbed aboard. Ben stuck the kyber crystal blade into his pocket and began to climb onto Appa.
Ben took one last glance along the destroyed warehouse. Guilt soured through his very core. He had been an inch away from falling to the dark side, and without their help, he would have succumbed completely. He couldn't keep walking down this path anymore...
As Appa lifted up, and they began to fly off into the night sky, Ben started to grasp something. Staring into the large yellow moon, he began to understand... that a choice would come soon.
Would he continue on as a drunken fool... or would he once again embrace the Path of the Jedi Knight? The moonlight whispered its secrets, and Ben knew the answer lay within himself, a battle between light and darkness that would define his very soul.