The Balance

"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

Bridge of the Vagabond

Lyle brought the ship down into the atmosphere of a small, forested moon. The planet was off the main hyperspace lanes, and the Empire would have a hard time finding them. He looked over at Christina, who was already hard at work on her console. Haro was next to her, plugged into the console. Her face was scrunched in concentration. Anew, hand resting against the wall, looked between the two rebels, wondering what the Zeltron was thinking.

Lyle turned his head and spoke to his long-time data analyst, "So, what are we in for? Anything useful here?"

Christina, looked down at the data onscreen, sighed in annoyance, "I mean the map is useful, but all these symbols mean nothing to me. None of these programs that I have can decipher the language. And I'm pretty sure it's not whatever that Sith language was." Another negative result came up, and Christina grit her teeth. 'I'm still happy to have this data, but why is the only useable thing that damn map?'

The Corellian shrugged and coughed, "So can you do anything with that map?"

Anew added to it by speaking up, "Some of those planets were marked by those symbols, so maybe we can at least see if there is a pattern."

Christina pursed her lips as she looked at the outdated star map. 'It's definitely lacking a lot of systems we know.' She looked over at Haro, "So how long do you think it will to breakdown the data and correlate them with our current star charts?" Haro beeped and quietly whirred as it looked at the data, beeping back. Christina nodded, looking back at Lyle, "It's going to take a few days at a minimum. This data comes from a very foreign system, and we have to adapt to that. I've put it on a closed loop so it doesn't affect any of the other systems. Don't know what bugs it might have, but you can never be too careful."

Anew nodded, "Good choice."

Christina just smirked, "Only a rank amateur would ever do that. I learned that lesson the hard way." Lyle and Anew looked at her, curiosity in their eyes. The Zeltron let out a sigh and blushed, looking away, "I was hacking an imperial server and it turned out they had a virus countermeasure that fried the hard drive I was using. The only good thing was the fact we didn't lose too much good data. Got yelled at good."

Lyle laughed while Anew put a hand over her mouth, hiding hers. Being able to finally relax after all that tension was good for everyone, and Lyle had never seen Christina look this frustrated at any data she had gotten. 'I suppose an ancient star chart has different issues than just decrypting some imperial intelligence.'

Anew looked at the data once again, its metaphorical weight still weighing on her, "Do you need my help?"

Christina shook her head, "No. It's just a waiting game right now. Once the data is usable, I will certainly call you and we can go from there. But right now, I'm going to get some rest." He pat Haro's head, "You keep at it, buddy."

Haro beeped happily as the Zeltron walked past Christina and made her way back to the bunk room. The two remaining people looked between each other, feeling the ship coming to a landing, the small impact of hitting the ground barely felt. Lyle stood up from the pilot chair, looking at the data then back to Anew, repeating the cycle a few times.

Anew quickly caught onto that, and looked him in the eye, crossing her arms across her chest, "What are you thinking there, flyboy?"

Lyle pursed his lips as a heavy breath left him, "Once that data is analyzed, we are going to have to take you to our headquarters." Lyle's eyes went to her lips before moving back to her eyes.

Anew smirked and laughed, "So what you are saying is you are going to miss me?" Lyle didn't answer, but that told Anew all she needed to know about what was going on in his head. While maintaining her smirk, internally that realization was hitting her. 'These aren't bad people. But how will the rest of the rebellion see me?' The consequences of defecting were hitting her, and Lyle had certainly been fun in bed. She could only hope to see him after they dropped her off.

Lyle shrugged, though he couldn't hide the fact that Anew was growing on him. She was skilled, empathetic and could think on her feet. On top of being the best partner he had in a long while. He chuckled, "Just a bit. Who else would shackle me to the bed and have their way with me?" Anew blushed and Lyle laughed, "I did have one question."

"Go ahead."

"Why did you defect from the empire? Everyone has a story." The question had been bouncing around his head for a while, but the intel she had given them took priority. 'But now that we are free for a few days, now's the perfect time.' Anew's hand rested in the center of her chest, her previous playfulness fading as his question filled her mind.

She looked down at the ground, her memories flowing back into her. A past she at once wish she hadn't dug up yet couldn't take back when it really came down to it. Her mouth was stretched with a heavy frown, shaky breaths leaving her, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Lyle may not have been force sensitive like some of his crew members, but even he could see this weighed heavily on the red-eyed woman. He simply nodded and she moved to sit down, closing her eyes. A minute passed as she collected herself, Lyle sitting down across from her. She breathed in and out, finally speaking, "The reason I left Ribbons is because my brother, Revive, was killed and wasn't even told. We always had our difficulties, him a bit more cold-hearted than me, but I still loved him."

Lyle's heart clenched at that. 'Even if I have mostly accepted it, it never goes away fully.' He nodded for her to continue. Her voice was quiet, and vulnerability leaked into it, "Him and I served Ribbons, gathering intel, often going undercover to quietly confirm things. We were never agents that arrested or went after targets directly. It was too dangerous to go after Jedi or force users on their own, which Setsuna and Allelujah have shown in droves." Seeing the two fight had shown just how outclassed she would have been in a straight up fight.

Lyle gave her a curious look, "If you've gone undercover before, how did you keep from getting identified?"

"Wigs, eye contacts, makeup. All sorts of ways to not look like you. Sometimes my brother even pretended to be a woman. He was pretty feminine looking." A bitter chuckle left her, "He always complained about that, even when it was the best option."

Lyle couldn't help but be a little suspicious, seeing that her skillset was partially built around disguises and blending in. But he swallowed that, knowing she was opening up and she had just partially caused the destruction of her former master's operation. A small smile crossed his face, "If it was anything like me and my brother, I bet you never let him forget those disguises."

Anew chuckled, and tilted her head looking at him, "You have a brother?"

"A brother, and even a sister. Though had more than have. The Empire made sure of that." Anew's eyes widened hearing that, and she scrambled to respond.

"I'm sorry-"

Lyle shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I've mostly accepted it. Drives me to keep fighting. Please continue your story. This is about you, not me."

Anew bit her lip, but she could see in his eyes that he wasn't lying. It was an old scar, in comparison to her fresh one. She wrapped her arms around herself, "Around a year ago, my brother Revive was sent out on his own. It was a routine mission, or so I thought. But weeks then turned to months, and he hadn't shown up again. I asked Ribbons repeatedly, but he just said it was a long-term mission. I believed him and didn't question him."

A tear started to slide down her face as she took a shuddering breath, "But then nothing came of it. No operations based around his intel. He had disappeared and no one talked about him anymore. Regene went about her usual thing, putting me in operations. I asked her and she repeated the same thing. I was sitting in the dark for so long till I managed to catch something on a terminal that hadn't been logged out."

"The screen read that Agent Revive had been terminated, and recovery was impossible." Her nails dug into her shoulders, "He had been dead the whole time and Ribbons didn't even tell me." More tears streamed down her face; the scar was still very much fresh in her mind. Anew leaned her face down, too caught up in her trauma to speak. Lyle moved next to her and wrapped his arm around her, the imperial agent not fighting him. She pressed her face into his side, and he caressed her side.

He knew exactly what this feeling was. This was watching the news and seeing his parents and sisters name among the dead. The tears his brother and him shared. His brother going out and getting himself killed because of the twisted wound the Empire left in both of them. Anew had practically moved herself onto his lap as she curled onto him. She didn't really cry, but she couldn't speak, too many regrets and the weight of Revive's loss hitting her again. A minute passed before she could let her strong emotions fade. She swallowed heavily and gave him a smile. She took a deep breath and tried to smile, "Thanks."

Lyle kissed her, which she happily responded to, "No problem." He didn't do anything to move her, happy to be holding her, "I don't know about Tieria or the rest of command, but none of the others will have judged you harshly for your past. Half of our pilots are defectors from the Imperial Academy. And I'm sorry about your brother."

"He was an asshole, but he was still related to me. I know he and I did bad things, but he deserved to have his death treated with respect." Anew smiled and kissed his lips, "Thanks. I don't think I ever got the chance to truly grieve for him under Ribbons's thumb."

Lyle gestured to his room, "Why don't we talk in there? Get some privacy."

"Are you…?"

Lyle shook his head, "Only if you want to. I just wanted to ask about any stories you have about your operations or your brother."

Anew blushed before getting off his lap, walking towards his room, "And here I thought you were the pervert. But a talk would be nice."

Woods outside the Vagabond

Setsuna and Feldt sat near a rock in the clearing where the ship was parked. The woods were nice and noisy, the sounds of animals radiating from the green. No one was sure what animals were around, but the sounds of nature at least confirmed they were safe. The green forest went on for miles, the sun of this system high in the air. Feldt leaned against the rock, looking at Setsuna, who sat cross-legged on the grass, his new sword and the crystal he had found months ago.

His eyes were glued to the two objects, looking between them. He didn't know exactly what it was, but something about the blade felt empty. There was a hole in its identity. And something resonated at the blue-hued crystal, emanating a dull glow through the force. Feldt could sense a tenuous pulling being done by the blade, a frayed web trying to connect. She walked over to the crystal, kneeling down and picking it up.

Setsuna made no move to stop her, and Feldt looked at all the facets of the crystal, "Are you sure this is what the blade is missing?"

The Kiffar hummed under his breath, "The force is telling me this is correct. The blade told me a story in my mind, but it was so fragmented I couldn't tell what it was. But one image was clear." He looked down at the holding clamps at the bottom of the hilt, "The blade I saw had a crystal attached to the bottom."

Feldt just nodded, being in the dark. For all her skills understanding connections, she had not been able to see what Setsuna had seen in the blade, even when she reached out her senses. For what she could tell it was a blade. No technology like a lightsaber. Just a simple blade, though the metal was very advanced, especially being in such good condition for being down there for so long. She put the crystal down, putting a hand on Setsuna's shoulder, "Are you sure you don't want to Allelujah to be here? We can wait for him."

Setsuna shook his head, "No. He's busy with that holocron of his. We don't need to distract him. And I have you to help me in case I push myself too hard. You do need to practice your ability to send energy to me, right?"

Feldt nodded, a warm smile filling her face as she could innately feel the trust through his words and their connection. She sat down next to him, giving him a bit of space, but close enough she could hold him and touch him. She didn't know if physical touch could help, but it would be worth a shot. With a nod, she smiled, "Ready when you are."

With a breath, Setsuna closed his eyes. He focused on the two objects in front of him, lifting them off of the ground. With ease, he moved the crystal to the holder at the base, the blue crystal taking its spot. The clamps sealed, and Setsuna could immediately feel a discordant sensation flowing through both objects. It was like two different wavelengths trying to find a rhythm and he grit his teeth as he tried to focus on the two tones.

His will pushed against two opposing forces as the force flowed through the objects. Neither object was bending, and he could instinctually feel that neither would if nothing forced them. Sweat poured down his brow as he was put to the hardest task he had ever done with the force. A new bond was being formed, and he had to be the blacksmith, hammering out the kinks and issues to bring this weapon to its full power.

Not helping were more images of the vision he saw before. Bloody battle was waged, a scarred and old Iktotchi swinging the blade at an alliance of multiple races, the symbols of the infinite empire embroidered onto their armor or clothing, or even on their flesh. Behind them and amidst them were tall aliens, their skin lizard-like, head tall with eye stalks coming out of the side of them. They wore armor and robes, utilizing the force to fight against these sword wielding aliens and humans.

The images moved too fast for him to get a clear picture, but it was very clear that it was a desperate battle. But he was being drained as he forced his will on these two objects, trying to bond them properly. Both resisted, but began to mold, a bond forming as the force radiated from him and the weapon. Feldt looked at Setsuna worried, his eyes and face scrunched in concentration. Grunts of exertions left him as she could feel the strength of the force coming from the blade. She could see Setsuna struggling, but his will remained strong, pushing against whatever these blades were doing. 'I believe you can do it.'

She moved and put a hand on his shoulder, sending him emotional support to help him through. His mental struggle echoed through her, and she needed in her soul to do something. Anything. Setsuna took deep breaths as the wall he was facing began to shrink back against the pressure he was pushing against the sword and crystal. The tone radiating from the bond began to harmonize, the harsh grating disappearing.

The force said he was doing the right thing, and with a gentle push, contrasting with the contest of wills he was dealing with before, there was an invisible song as the bond between sword and crystal solidified, becoming one. Setsuna had one last image of the battle flash through his mind, the Iktotchi warrior praying to the force, his last look at the rest of his warriors retreating beyond his sight, and a large group of warriors approaching him. He raised his blade one last time, taking a practiced and defensive stance, no fear in his eyes.

The vision ends, and Setsuna opens his eyes to see the blade floating in the air, a shimmering, blue glow around the blade. The crystal hummed, not like a lightsaber, but a low, almost inaudible sound. Feldt's senses were drawn to the blade, pure force radiating from it. Setsuna reached out with a shaking hand, grabbing the bright weapon. Power coursed through him, and the weapon sung out to his soul. This weapon belonged to him like no other weapon before. It was an extension to himself, a bond attached to the very blade itself.

He took a few steps away, taking a few practice swings. It wasn't any lighter, but each swing flowed from him like water, feeling like a part of his arm. Feldt looked on with wonder as Setsuna gracefully took a few more swings. It was a similar sensation to watching a lightsaber. The hum wasn't as obvious as the sounds of a lightsaber, but the glow was pure force, in contrast to the technology of a lightsaber.

Feldt could see the string connecting him to the blade, "I think…that the blade is yours." Setsuna nodded solemnly at it and aimed a slice at the top of the rock, slicing clean through it. He hummed under his breath, taking another swing at the rock, slicing it in half vertically. Setsuna looked at Feldt, concern across his face.

"How do I turn this off?"

Feldt, having been so caught up in the moment, couldn't help but laugh. Setsuna frowned, and she walked over and kissed him on the cheek. She looked at the blade and studied the connection, "Maybe focus on turning it off? Like the mechanical way lightsabers do."

Setsuna pursed his lips and concentrated, trying to dispel the aura. After a few seconds of tugging on the connection, it finally turned off. Setsuna studied the blade, looking at the bronze-colored metal. His eyes moved down to the ratty leather, and he just nodded affirmatively, "Well at least I have a new weapon."

Conference Room of the Vagabond

Allelujah studied the holocron as it sat on the table. It looked weathered and in this better lighting he could see that some of the lights were a bit dull. 'So, it's clear this thing had taken a beating. But what would this infinite empire save this for?' A hum emanated from the Jedi, and he could feel that it had a similar unlocking method. For all the advancing of technology, somethings never changed. He paced around the table, a hand under his chin.

Annoyance buzzed in the back of his head, "Are you going to gawk at that all day or are you going to do something about it?" Hallelujah rested against the wall, crossing his arms. The yellow-eyed version of him just tilted his head, tching as Allelujah walked around the table again. The dark apparition just sighed, "You know just looking at it won't get you your answers."

Allelujah hated how his darker side was right, and finally moved a few chairs aside, clearing a space so he could meditate on the object. Putting it a few feet from him, the force flowed through him as he activated the mechanism to turn on the holocron, the stone and metallic object splitting apart to create a projector. Out of the sphere created by the holocron, bathing the room in yellow light, an Iktotchi man formed. He was tall and gaunt, face leathery and scarred. His eyes were brown, and one of his horns had the end of it sliced off. His robes were plain, with simple browns highlighted by yellow and tans.

The intense eyes focused on Allelujah, and at his side was the same blade that he had seen Setsuna with, only it looked cleaner and the hilt more ornate, metal links covering it, with a yellow crystal in the hilt. The man said nothing as he studied Allelujah, before speaking in a controlled manner, "My name is Master Aeol'ia Schen'burg, master archivist on Typhon of the Je'daii. I am here to teach you the philosophy and lessons about the Je'daii order, seeing as you were granted access to this knowledge."

Allelujah looked at him confused, "Je'daii? Is that an old name for the Jedi order?" He wished he had studied the ancient history of the order, as he was curious about it. 'One thousand generations and all that.'

"I have never heard of the Jedi, but we are not that." If the man was annoyed, he showed no signs, "It appears that one as old as you has not been taught the methods of the Je'daii. Do you wish me to explain about our order?" Allelujah nodded, knowing that holocrons could respond to questions, but only if it related to their topic of interest. Otherwise, they waited for the proper response.

Aeol'ia waited, and contemplated, "We are the balance of the force. The dark side and light side are balanced. Both sides can be destructive to one and tear apart our order."

'Balance? The dark and the light being equal?' The Jedi had always taught to embrace the light, and shy away from the darkness. And yet Allelujah's soul was tainted with it, broken partially by the torture done to him, "What do you mean tear apart your order?"

"Our order has a growing issue of alleigances. People are getting drawn to both sides, disrupting the unity that our philosophy and teachers bring. I have warned fellow elders of this, but they seem to be blind to the true issue. A stranger has come into our midst, who I fear will bring an end to our order. But that is beyond the scope of this holocron. Do you wish to learn?"

Allelujah nodded, curiosity running through his mind, but aware of the fact that this holocron might not have that info, and the man spoke evenly, "Our oath is central to our beliefs." He cleared his throat and his voice deepened.

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no fear, there is power.
I am the heart of the force.
I am the revealing fire of light.
I am the mystery of the dark.
In balance with chaos and harmony.
Immortal in the force."

Allelujah looked at the man, the words mulling over in his head. He was always taught that indulging in base urges drew you away from the light, that one had to raise themselves the selfish concerns of the self. Service to the greater good was encouraged. And yet he grew feelings for Marie. Yet he had to lie and scavenge and run when the Jedi were destroyed. But besides Hallelujah, he didn't feel inherently conflicted with the light about that.

He wanted to save his team, to keep them safe. To find Marie and connect with her. Reality had definitely changed his perspective on the Jedi code, but this man was saying there was a way to balance one's self? The Jedi looked at the man, a question leaving his mouth, "Is there a way for one to fix their connection to the force? After part of it had been broken?"

"Broken how?"

"I can sense it, and it's there, but it has been tainted in the dark. Done to me by those who have fallen to the dark side."

The man looked at him contemplatively, a hand under his chin. With a low hum, Aeol'ia spoke again, "To come to terms with one's soul and the connection to the force, you must understand what the darkness, as one must understand the light. There are force techniques to heal yourself, but understanding is key."

Allelujah looked at Hallelujah, who scoffed at the words, disappearing. The Jedi tilted his head, "Why must I understand it?"

The Je'daii master tutted, almost seeming disappointed, "Because to heal yourself, you must accept a part of yourself. The part of yourself that you can't deal with, that sits in the dark." Allelujah looked inward, looking at the metaphorical broken mirror, where the dark void of the dark side lay. He reached out to touch it, it calling to him, but he retreated.

The hologram looked at him, "I can sense much conflict in you. Fear is natural, but mastering it gains power and understanding."

Allelujah took a few seconds to take a breath, and he looked up at the tall man, "Can you at least teach me how one would do it? I can confront my inner self later. I need to understand how?"

The master looked at him, almost staring into his soul. Time stretched on, seconds feeling like minutes as the experienced master gave him an unreadable look. Sweat dripped down his face, not expecting an ancient force user to judge him. Each breath seemed infinitely louder, driving the worry in Allelujah's mind, and with a quiet and low voice, Aeol'ia spoke, "Very well. But be aware that failing to do it properly may damage or sunder your soul."

Allelujah nodded, readying himself for a potentially long lesson.

Author Note

The crew gets a chance to relax after that stressful mission, but is their adventure over yet? You'll see next time as this chapter is done! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter and the references, and I'll see you guys' next time!