JEDI TEMPLE, OSSUS
His dreams were filled with her face.
They always began the same way. He was back in the realm beyond shadows, walking alone on the edge of the Lake of Apparitions. But instead of seeing the shadow of Abeloth hiding in the gloom beyond, he saw her. Half of her was in the light, the other in the fog. She would look at him, gesture for him to come. He would listen, walking slowly through the shallow waters of the lake. But when he reached her, she would step fully into the fog, against his shouts for her to stay. Sometimes she would reply before disappearing, speaking in a mix of Basic and Keshiri. But he could never figure out what she was saying, and the dream would end all the same.
Tonight was no different, but this time he was awoken before she could fully disappear into the fog.
"Ben!" a voice called from outside his room.
Ben Skywalker slowly rose from his slumber, wiping at his eyes as he rose from his bed. "Come in," he slurred.
The door opened to reveal his father, dressed in traditional brown Jedi robes. "Glad to see you awake, we were starting to get worried," Luke Skywalker said, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.
"I'm not a kid anymore, you know," Ben replied.
Luke smiled. "I know, but that doesn't mean I don't get to have my fun." When Ben didn't reply, Luke's playful expression faded. "You dreamed about her again, didn't you?"
Ben showed a slow nod. "They're becoming more frequent."
Luke said nothing.
"I don't understand why. I haven't seen her in five years, hell I haven't spoken friendly with her in six. And now all the sudden she's in my dreams, seeming to beg for me to come and find her."
"Do you think it's actually her? Not just your memories flaring up again?"
Ben shook his head. "How am I supposed to know? It's probably her, since I don't see why I'd be having such cryptic dreams if it wasn't, but it's anyone's guess."
"We could have Cilghal monitor your brain waves while you sleep. That might give us more insight into what's actually going on," Luke posed.
"No, I don't need science to figure this out. The more times I have the dream, the closer I get to keeping her out of the fog. Eventually, I'm bound to stop her long enough to get some answers."
"Assuming it's actually her."
"Yeah, assuming that." Ben yawned, ruffling his shaggy brown hair. "So why'd you wake me, again?"
"Tahiri was asking for you, said you promised her a sparring match," Luke said, his tone lightening.
"Oh, right, I did promise her that. Tell her I'll meet her in the sparring arena in thirty minutes."
"Will do," Luke said, closing the door to Ben's room.
Ben's quarters were modest; a bed, desk, closet, and a private refresher. He stood up from his bed, heading straight for the refresher. Inside, he took a quick shower in the sanistream, before combing his hair and dressing in tan Jedi garbs. Leaving the refresher, he grabbed his lightsaber off of his nightstand and clipped it to his belt, before moving to the door. It opened, and he stepped out into the hall.
Ben was surprised by how empty it was as he walked towards the dining hall. He passed by only a few Jedi on his way, and none of those he saw were familiar to him. When he reached the dining hall, he grabbed a breakfast platter from the kitchen, before heading off for the sparring arena.
The arena was just a short walk from the dining hall, along with the other training rooms. The Ossus temple had been greatly expanded over the past five years, as it changed from only being the Academy to being the main home of the Order. After the Jedi's withdrawal from Coruscant at the height of the Abeloth conflict, they had made their home on Shedu Maad within the Hapes Cluster. However, rising tensions within the Hapes Consortium had threatened to draw the Jedi into conflict, so the council had elected to move everything to Ossus. While the base on Shedu Maad still remained in case of emergency, the Order's operations were now conducted entirely on Ossus.
Ben wondered whether the order would ever return to their vacant temple on Coruscant, although that prospect appeared less and less likely with time. While the council had heavily debated the topic in the first two years after leaving, they had come to the conclusion that it was best for the order to remain separate from the Galactic Alliance. While there were a few on the council who privately still supported reunification, Ben's father had been able to sway the rest to his side. Ben doubted Luke would change his mind, barring something very unusual occurring.
Of course, rejoining the Alliance would also require the senate's approval, which also seemed unlikely. Although Wynn Dorvan remained privately friendly with the Jedi, the senate was now full of individuals who would prefer to see the Jedi remain far from Alliance affairs. It was only natural, Ben supposed, given the series of crises that had been tied to the Jedi. Abeloth had only been the final straw.
He reached the doors of the sparring arena and walked inside. There were multiple Jedi inside, including one group of younglings practicing basic lightsaber skills with Master Tionne. Ben walked past them towards the other end of the arena, where a woman with long blonde hair was practicing with a YVH droid. The droid was one of many that were used by the Jedi for dueling training, and was of a model specifically created by Tendrando Arms for that purpose.
The woman saw Ben approach and disengaged from the duel, giving the droid its shut off command. Deactivating her lightsaber, she walked towards him, a smile on her face. "Look who finally showed up," said Tahiri Veila.
"Nice to see you too," Ben said.
"I heard that Master Skywalker had to practically drag you out of bed."
Ben chuckled. "Drag me? That's hyperbole. I'm twenty-four now, Tahiri, I managed to get myself up just fine."
She laughed. "I know, but it's still fun to tease you." She started back towards the sparring floor, and Ben quickly moved to follow. They had developed a close friendship over the past few years, built off of the moment when Ben turned Tahiri back to the light at the end of the Second Civil War. Despite being thirteen years apart in age, they had still managed to form a tight bond with each other.
When they reached the center of the sparring arena, they split apart, standing five meters from each other. Tahiri smirked, grabbing her lightsaber off her belt. "I've been practicing," she said, igniting its blue blade.
Ben chuckled. "Well for my sake I hope that thing is in training mode." He used the force to pull his saber into his right hand and heard the familiar snap hiss as he turned it on. Blue energy crackled from its ignition, as Ben began to slowly pace around the white-painted circle on the floor. Tahiri followed suit, and they began to stalk each other about the circle, waiting for the other to make a move.
Ben held his lightsaber in front of him in the stance of Form Five. Tahiri matched him with her lightsaber above her head, taking the classic defensive pose of Form Three. This told Ben exactly what he needed to know. He would have to make the first move in this duel.
He twirled his lightsaber twice before using force speed to close the gap with Tahiri in the blink of an eye. Their lightsabers clashed in front of her face, and the duel was on. After pushing her saber away, Ben engaged in a flurry of quick attacks that were designed to push Tahiri back. She defended them well, but struggled to maintain her ground against Ben's onslaught. He swiped his saber at her feet, forcing her to lower her upper guard to block his attack. He took advantage of this, using his offhand to elbow her chest, allowing him to force her back further.
But Tahiri was not going to go down so easily. She parried two of his strikes at her head, allowing her to force her saber in for a strike at his chest. Ben blocked it with ease, but his momentum was broken. He was not on the defensive for long, however, as he caught her saber on the side of his chest as she attempted to strike it. "You have been getting better," he quipped, holding her in a saber lock.
She smirked. "You've seen nothing yet." She twirled her lightsaber, disengaging from the saber lock, before front flipping over his head. Surprised at this move, Ben was caught off guard by a quick flurry of one-handed attacks. She switched to form two! This was a development.
Ben quickly changed into a more defensive stance, with the aim of countering Tahiri's quick strikes. While Tahiri's speed was difficult to counter at first, Ben slowly began to regain his footing. Their lightsabers twirled and danced around, before Ben managed to parry an aggressive strike at his head, leaving Tahiri open to attack.
Now it was Ben's turn, as he went on the offensive. Blue blades clashed as he began to press forward, using his strength to force Tahiri back into a two-handed form. While she had improved greatly since their last sparring session, Ben was still the superior duelist. Despite being thirteen years younger, his field experience was far greater than hers, combined with the fact that his father was the most powerful Jedi of all time.
Ben eventually backed Tahiri into the arena wall, where she was finally forced to stand her ground. Her lightsaber raised above her head, she struck for Ben's chest in a last ditch effort to win the duel. While Ben countered easily, the move reminded him greatly of someone he had hoped to not think about during the duel… Ves-
Tahiri reacted to Ben's loss of focus by hitting the right side of his torso with her saber. Ben instantly reacted to the sting of the training blade, wrinkling his face in light pain. Out of breath, Tahiri deactivated her lightsaber, the duel over. "Next time you may want to keep your focus."
Ben grimaced, shaking his head. "Yeah, I don't know what came over me."
Tahiri put her hand on his shoulder. "I do. You dreamed about Vestara."
Ben's expression was sheepish. "I'm that readable, huh."
Tahiri chuckled. "I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I could sense what was on your mind the moment you walked into the arena."
They began to walk towards the arena gate, as Ben shook his head in frustration. "I don't know why she's there, Tahiri. After the ordeal with the Qrephs I tried to block her from my memories, and for a time I did so successfully. Sure I thought of her occasionally, usually with anger, but those thoughts faded with time. Then, all of the sudden, there she is, in my dreams, beckoning for me to find her." He threw his hands up in exasperation as they sat down on a bench outside the arena, "It doesn't make sense."
"Maybe that's exactly what she wants," Tahiri posed.
Ben shook his head. "Why the kriff would Vestara want me to find her? She knows as well as anyone that she is the last person I would want to help."
Tahiri looked at him questionably. "Is that even true anymore? A few years ago, sure, but now? After all this time?"
"I don't know, Tahiri. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. The truth is that my relationship with Vestara is complicated, and I don't even know my true feelings towards her. All I know is that I was betrayed, and a younger version of myself hated her for it. Now, I don't know."
"You've grown up, that's important. My younger self was a far cry from the person I am today. Look around, many in the temple still don't accept me as being a true Knight. They see what I did and distrust me for it, however many years ago that may have been. But I've moved on from it, and l have become a better person because of it." She locked her gaze on Ben's eyes, "I trust you will figure out what these dreams are telling you."
Ben showed a small smile. "Yeah, I hope so." He stood, moving towards the arena door. "Thanks, by the way."
She smiled. "Anytime, Ben."
CAPITOL ROTUNDA, CORELLIAN CAPITOL BUILDING, CORELLIA
Wynn Dorvan stepped through the rotunda doors to glorious fanfare. The Alliance anthem blared on the speakers that hung overhead, and a large hologram of the Alliance crest was projected in the center of the room. The rows of people, all dressed formally, were all standing, applauding Dorvan as he began to stride down the main walkway. Some were more cheerful than others, Dorvan noticed, but that did not dissuade him. With Nek Bwua'tu by his side, and a quartet of guards behind him, he smiled and waved as he moved toward the center of the rotunda. He glanced up, noticing the dozens of holocams and recording devices that were all aimed at him. Six years ago he hated being in the spotlight. Now he tolerated it.
They reached the center of the room, where a large, two-tiered, round table extended around a holotable. Two parties were already present at the table, being the delegations from the Confederation and the Imperial Remnant. Denjax Teppler sat in the front of the Confederate group, being flanked by Turr Phennir and a dark skinned man Dorvan did not recognize. Five more political figures sat behind him, but Dorvan figured none would prove important in the conference. He then looked to the Imperial delegation. Head of State Vitor Reige sat in the forefront of it. Reige was a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of an Imperial admiral, with dark hair and a thin mustache. Like many others, Dorvan thought that he looked like a younger Gilad Pellaeon. To Reige's right sat Grand Moff Ephin Saretti, an older man with short gray hair and a clean shaven face. On his left was a man Dorvan was very familiar with. It was Jagged Fel, former Imperial Head of State and chief advisor to Reige. Jag looked young for a man in his forties, and bore a handsome, scarred face with dark hair that had a speck of white near the front. Like Reige, he was dressed in an officer's uniform, although this one was dark gray and had an insignia that Dorvan could only assume connected back to his roots in the Chiss Ascendency.
The Alliance's place on the table was already occupied by multiple politicians that Dorvan had brought with him to Corellia. They were seated behind the main table, where there were two empty seats that were meant for Dorvan and Bwua'tu. He hurried towards them, with Bwua'tu behind him. The four guards moved to their place behind the Alliance delegation, where they stood with their blasters crossed across their chests. As Dorvan sat down, the Alliance anthem finally came to an end, and the hologram of the Alliance crest shrunk away. The lights in the room dimmed, and a spotlight from high above was pointed directly at the table of delegates. Dorvan initially flinched due to the light's high intensity, but quickly got used to it.
Teppler, who had so far been watching Dorvan, stood up from his seat. "Welcome, all!" he announced. "To the seventh annual Unification Summit! We are honored to host the honorable delegates from the major galactic powers, and look forward to a productive conference." He smiled at Dorvan. "Now, if I may introduce our honorable leaders; from the Galactic Alliance: Chief of State Wynn Dorvan!"
Applause erupted from the crowd, as Dorvan stood from his seat smiling and waving. A moment later the applause receded, and Dorvan sat back down.
"And with Dorvan is Alliance Supreme Commander and Admiral Nek Bwua'tu!"
Bwua'tu, not one to enjoy the spotlight, did not stand, instead opting to only show a small smile.
"Also here today are the leaders of the great Imperial Remnant!" Teppler continued, now looking at the Imperials. "Head of State Vitor Reige!"
Reige briefly stood, smiling.
"Grand Moff Ephin Saretti!"
Saretti showed a small wave.
"And Jagged Fel!"
Jag made a face Dorvan had seen before, one of annoyance at the fanfare.
"Thank you to all those who accompanied these great galactic leaders to our capital, and we hope that everybody enjoys their time here. Now in the meantime, I will turn over the responsibility of leading the conference to the honorable Senator Franz Durrk of Tralus."
Durrk, a short man with a freckled face, emerged from the crowd. He moved to the open seat at the head of the table, where a lone microphone sat behind a computer. When he got settled into the seat, he spoke into the microphone. "Thank you, Chief Teppler. I do not take this job lightly, and I will make sure to remain non-partisan during any debate, despite my position as a member of the Corellian Senate." Durrk would continue on for ten minutes, spouting his beliefs on how important it was for the factions to be peaceful with one another, as well as his desire for everything to remain civil. Finally, with Dorvan struggling to remain at attention, Durrk would open the conference up to them with the first topic.
"Peace," he started, "is something that we all strive for. And so far, during these nine years of co-existence, there have been no major conflicts. However, the threat of war always exists, and the people at this table owe it to the citizens of the galaxy to keep that threat minimal. So, I ask all of you; how do you plan to keep the galaxy in a state of peace?"
Dorvan, already forming an answer in his head, looked to Teppler and Reige. Although he knew he could form a strong response, he hoped that one of them would take the initiative and begin the dialogue. Fortunately, one of them would.
"The Empire is committed to maintaining strong relationships with our neighbors in the Galactic Alliance and the Confederation," Vitor Reige stated.
Dorvan immediately noticed that Reige had referred to the Remnant as the 'Empire'. It was something that most Imperials did, but it still sparked some uneasiness within him.
"Under the past leadership of Gilad Pellaeon and Jagged Fel," Reige continued, "we made great strides in improving the relationship between the Empire and the Alliance. And since the end of the Second Civil War, we have taken steps to ensure that our relationship with the Confederation is productive and friendly. I can assure the citizens of the galaxy that the Empire will not seek out conflict, even despite our past." This final statement drew light applause from the crowd, causing Reige to smile.
"The Confederation," said Teppler, who was still looking at Reige, "will also make every effort not to start conflict. I am thankful to Head of State Reige for his assurances that the Imperial Remnant will not pursue any form of conflict, and I can assure the people of the galaxy that the Confederation will do the same. Assuming there is no existential threat to the citizens of the Confederation, will we not move to de-stabilize relations between ourselves and either the Galactic Alliance or the Imperial Remnant."
As Dorvan expected, Teppler's declaration drew much louder applause. As Teppler now looked to him, he knew that it was now his turn to make a similar declaration. "The Galactic Alliance will not pursue any unjust conflict, nor will it seek to harm relations with the other galactic powers," Dorvan said. It was short and to the point, as he didn't feel there was a need to drag it out like Reige and Teppler had done. Dorvan's comments drew the lightest applause, which was also what he expected. Many on Corellia still held a grudge against the Alliance over the events of the Second Civil War, despite the Confederation's official policies.
"I thank you all for your reassurances," Durrk said from his podium. "However, we were given similar assurances by Cal Omas and Aidel Saxan ten years ago, and yet the galaxy would fall into war soon after-"
"Objection!" Dorvan called from his seat.
Durrk abruptly stopped, surprised at the interruption.
Dorvan himself was surprised that he had interrupted so forcefully, but moved on with what he was going to say. "I would just like to remind both the speaker and the citizens of the galaxy that the Second Civil War began due to the actions of Jacen Solo, a Sith Lord who was deliberately manipulating the conflict to work in his favor. I know that many in the Confederation still harbor a grudge against the Alliance for the assassination of Dur Gejjen, despite the fact that that was used as a catalyst for Jacen Solo to take over the Galactic Alliance and escalate the conflict. Furthermore, there is no reason to think that the galaxy will once be thrust into war once again, especially given the fact that the Jedi are no longer officially attached to the Galactic Alliance."
"And yet it was only six years ago that the Alliance almost came under the control of an alien force goddess, which threatened to not only destroy the Alliance but also the entire galaxy," Turr Phennir commented.
Dorvan gritted his teeth. He had known this topic would come up. It always did at these summits. "Abeloth," he sneered, "was not something anybody saw coming, nor did we have any way to know she had taken control until it was too late. As I have reiterated countless times, the Alliance has taken steps to ensure that nothing like that can ever happen again, the largest of which was the removal of the Jedi from Coruscant."
"Hasn't the removal of the Jedi only brought more questions for us to address? There have been numerous reports of Jedi getting involved in planetary affairs without the consent of societal leaders, and they always pull the same excuse. It's 'for the good of the galaxy'," Phennir retorted. "Is this not the fault of the Alliance government for allowing the Jedi to walk free?"
Bwua'tu then stepped to Dorvan's defense. "May I remind you, General Phennir, that the Jedi were removed from Coruscant via a senate vote, which was called due to the immense public pressure in the aftermath of the Liberation of Coruscant. If you are so worried about Jedi action in the galaxy, why didn't you invite them to this conference? Surely, if their actions are as dangerous as you say, they should've been called here to explain themselves. After all, the Jedi Order remains a force within the galaxy, despite the fact that they have no allegiance to any galactic government."
"If an invitation was sent, I doubt Grand Master Skywalker would've accepted it," said Jagged Fel. "He has been quite adamant on not getting involved with galactic politics."
Dorvan was not surprised to see Jag join the conversation. He likely knew much about Jedi affairs, given the fact that his wife was a member of the Jedi Council.
"In any case," said Bwua'tu, showing a small smile to Jag, "blaming the Alliance for any recent Jedi actions, or for Abeloth's ascension to Chief of State, is completely unwarranted. What if we blamed the Confederation for the actions of Centerpoint Party radicals? Or the Imperial Remnant for the Lecersen Conspiracy? Neither accusation would be justified, just like the idea that the Alliance is responsible for the Jedi."
"The difference is that the Alliance government had a direct role in exiling the Jedi, while neither the Imperial Remnant or Confederation government's have sanctioned your examples," Phennir spat back.
Reige cleared his throat. "To be fair, there were many within the Empire who worked with Lecersen."
Phennir shook his head. "Point being, the Alliance bears some responsibility for what happened six years ago, and it is important that that is not forgotten."
"Well, I guess the Confederation bears some responsibility for what happened ten years ago, and it is important that that is not forgotten," Bwua'tu countered.
"Gentlemen please!" Durrk shouted. "There is no reason to be hostile towards one another. Remember, we are here to discuss how to better improve the relationship between governments, not to argue over whose fault it is for the events of the past."
"Thank you, Senator Durrk," said Teppler, who had so far remained silent during the debate. "It is important for us to recognize that despite our differences, we all still share the same goal." He glanced at Phennir, who sat stone faced, glaring at Bwua'tu. "It doesn't matter who's fault certain things may have been, it only matters that we find a way to move forward."
Dorvan smiled. "Thank you, Chief Teppler," he said. "I think we can all agree on what you said."
"Indeed," Reige agreed.
The day's proceedings would continue on for another few hours, with Durrk posing questions to the galactic leaders and allowing them to speak on the topics. It was a redundant routine, as outside of a few topics, most were glossed over quickly with short statements from each Chief of State. While Bwua'tu and Phennir would once again go at it over the topic of military development and alliances, the conference remained level-headed. By the time Senator Durrk called the day's proceedings to a close, Dorvan was exhausted and ready to return to his quarters. On the way out, he found himself walking next to Jagged Fel, who appeared just as exhausted as Dorvan.
"How're you holding up these days?" Jag asked.
Dorvan shrugged. "I'm doing alright. About as alright as I can be while holding the most powerful office in the galaxy."
Jag chucked briefly. "Fair enough."
"How about you?"
"Pretty good, I think today may have been one of the hardest days I've had in a while. Being Head of State Reige's chief advisor has proven to be a pretty easy job."
"Much easier than being Head of State, I would imagine."
"Oh yes. Much more time to be with the people I care about. While I may have more to do than I had during my two years of civilian life after Abeloth's death, it's far better than when I was Head of State."
"So I take it Jaina is doing well, then?"
Jag seemed surprised that Dorvan had asked, as if he assumed that Dorvan was still in contact with the Jedi. "She's doing well," he said quickly. "You know, the usual," he made air quotes with his fingers, "Jedi business."
Dorvan laughed. "Oh yes, Jedi business. I must say that it has been nice to not have to deal with that nearly as much as I used to. The Daala years were… turbulent."
"Do you still remain in contact with them?"
"Officially, no. Unofficially, yes. Grand Master Skywalker and I have a… mutual understanding. Let's just say that we speak on a semi-regular basis," Dorvan said. While he normally would not share such information with somebody from a different government, Jag was someone who he had known for a long time, and also held partial allegiance to the Jedi.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody about this," Jag remarked, seeming to sense Dorvan's hesitancy. He smiled. "Besides, I already knew part of what you said."
"Jaina."
"Jaina." They laughed, as Jag turned to rejoin the Imperial delegation. "I'll see you at dinner tonight," he said.
"Oh yeah, see you then," Dorvan called back, remembering that Teppler was hosting them for a formal dinner. He rejoined Bwua'tu and his staff, and began the walk to the speeder station where they would catch their escort back to their quarters. Dorvan only had a few hours until he and Bwua'tu would be expected back at the Capitol for dinner, and he planned to make the most of it.