Part 2

It is a dark time in the galaxy. One year has passed since the Empire declared its dominance over the stars, casting shadows of fear and oppression across countless worlds.

In the midst of turmoil, Edric Kane, a young warrior once a Jedi, has forged an unexpected alliance with Max Daxer, a skilled bounty hunter. Together, they navigate the treacherous underworld, taking on missions that pit them against the galaxy's most dangerous foes.

Their partnership is tested when a ghost from Edric's past emerges who brings urgent news—a dark secret of Edric's family legacy that has been protected for generations is threatened by the Empire and its Inquisitors.

With the fate of their family and a powerful legacy hanging in the balance, Edric must embark on a perilous journey to uncover the secrets and outmaneuver the Empire's relentless grip with the help of his companions…

Chapter 10 - Brother

Edric's lightsaber hummed in sync with the low thrum of the Beast's engines, the yellow blade casting a faint glow against the dark metal walls of his makeshift training room. He grasped the leather-bound hilt tighter, his fingers tingling with the itch for a proper opponent. As a former Padawan turned bounty hunter, sparring alone with Shien and Djem So forms in the confines of the ship felt like a poor substitute for real lightsaber combat, even though the Beast offered ample space for it. He exhaled, steadying himself, muscles tensing as he prepared to launch into a series of offensive moves.

The speakers overhead crackled, and Max's gruff voice broke the stillness just as he moved a muscle.

"Get your big ass to the cockpit, kid. We're about to drop out of hyperspace."

Edric let out a frustrated sigh, deactivating his lightsaber with a familiar snap-hiss. He slipped it into the hidden compartment behind his DL–44 blaster's holster. He would never draw it in public unless it was a matter of life and death, but having it within arm's reach gave him a sense of security.

He made his way to the cockpit, his boots clanging against the metal floor. It had been over a year since Max Daxer, a bounty hunter, had offered him a way off Coruscant on the night of Order 66. Though they hadn't seen eye-to-eye at first, Edric had come to respect Max's seasoned experience. Cynical and disillusioned, Max had little faith left in the galaxy or its people, yet beneath his gruff exterior lay a somewhat good heart—though he'd deny it with his last breath. He was willing to teach Edric the survival skills he needed. In rare moments of openness, revealed more of his own past, like the fact that in a past life he once worked for Republic Intelligence as a spy. They rarely delved into each other's histories, both understanding that those were closed chapters best left undisturbed. Despite this unspoken boundary, the two had forged a genuine friendship, grounded in mutual respect and shared scars. In many ways, Edric now saw Max as his mentor, a new kind of master—nothing like Kael Asher, nor remotely a Jedi. But neither was Edric.

"Always the worst timing, old man," Edric grumbled as he entered the cockpit, dropping into the co-pilot's chair that creaked under him.

Max didn't even look up from the controls, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Hey, don't let me stop you from swinging that glowstick around. I'll make sure to have snacks ready when the Imps show up to blast you to pieces."

Edric rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'll be sure to save a few for you. Wouldn't want you to miss all the excitement."

Max chuckled. "Just trying to keep you grounded, kid. You know, in one piece."

A small smile played at the corners of Edric's mouth. "How about we just get this job done without me becoming target practice?"

Max's eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief. "Now where's the fun in that?"

"Speaking of fun, how sure are you about this? I'd rather not stumble into another pirate ambush."

Max shot him a sideways glance. "Gruss is trying to lay low. He might have a couple of goons watching his back, but he's not looking to draw attention. He'll be in the industrial sector where the smugglers are. Needs to keep things quiet." He raised an eyebrow at Edric. "Or are you disappointed you won't get to rough up some thugs this time?"

Edric's chest tightened at Max's words. He remembered the times when his anger had gotten the better of him, when he'd let that Darkness inside boil over and take control. It got harder and harder to suppress that strange hunger and it crept up without much warning. He avoided using the Force other than meditating, not just because it was dangerous with the Empire still looking for Jedi and Force sensitives, but also because he was worried about the pull of the Dark Side.

"No," Edric replied curtly, turning his gaze to the viewscreen. Max cleared his throat and muttered, "A'ight," under his breath.

The swirling blue of hyperspace faded away, giving way to the gleaming clouds of Bespin. The gas giant shimmered in hues of gold, its cloud layers drifting as if slow-moving, painted waves. The Beast's hull rattled as they began their descent, forcing Edric to grab a nearby handhold to steady himself in his crash couch, even with the seat belt strapped tight.

"This bucket's going to be the death of us," he grumbled.

Max chuckled as the turbulence eased and the ship leveled out. "This bucket's saved both our asses more times than you can count," he shot back.

As they pierced a cloud, the nearby star's light shone through the cockpit. Cloud City's spires emerged from the billowing vapor, slicing through the mist like oversized knives. The floating metropolis seemed to hover in a sea of gold and white. Despite the planet's beauty, a slight unease prickled at the edges of Edric's mind, a whisper he couldn't quite hear. Not again, he thought, but the feeling came as quick as it went and the Force was still again.

A hail from Bespin's traffic control crackled over the comm, assigning them a designated landing platform. Max immediately requested an override, choosing a platform closer to where Gruss was expected to be. The Devaronian was a slaver, precisely the kind of scum Edric and Max preferred to capture. As bounty hunters, they operated on the fringes of the law, but they had an unspoken pact of honor. They would only take jobs that helped clean up the galaxy's filth, even if just a little. The fact that these contracts often came with a hefty payday didn't hurt—credits they gladly spent on their own entertainment in cantinas or on keeping the Beast spaceworthy.

Edric's eyes roamed over Cloud City as Max guided the ship down to their landing platform. Sunlight glinted off the polished metal surfaces, making the city shimmer as though it were cloaked in a golden halo. It was beautiful, Edric admitted to himself.

As the Beast touched down with a gentle thud, Edric and Max began flipping switches, powering down the systems. They stood up in unison, the hum of the engines fading into silence.

"Alright," Max said with a smirk, "let's nab this son of a bantha and then blow our credits at the nearest casino."

Edric rolled his eyes. "Slow down, Max. We still have to catch him first. Payday comes later."

Max shrugged, his smirk never fading. "You're no fun, kid."

Edric sighed as Max walked out of the cockpit. "And you're a maniac," he muttered under his breath.

They disembarked from the ship onto a surprisingly quiet, breezy street. The sun was sinking into the horizon, its dying light stretching the shadows of the tall buildings around them. Edric sensed a faint ripple in the Force that seemed almost familiar. And as if someone was watching. He glanced toward a distant balcony, half-expecting to see a figure there, but it was empty.

"You good?" Max called from the bottom of the ramp, noticing Edric's hesitation.

Edric kept his eyes on the rooftops as he descended. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he said, scanning the surroundings.

Max chuckled. "Well, shocker. Next, you're going to tell me the Force works in mysterious ways."

"I think someone is watching us," Edric added.

"Let them come."

Edric chose to ignore Max for the moment, given the bounty hunter's cheerful mood not entirely matching his own, but kept his senses alert.

They made their way to the nearest transport, which would take them to the underbelly of the floating city—the industrial sector. The short trip reminded Edric of descending into Coruscant's Underworld, where sunlight faded into shadows and eternal darkness reigned, broken only by the harsh glow of neon signs and flickering lamps. Bespin was, after all, a mining colony, and the tibanna gas extracted from the gas giant was its lifeblood. The gleaming city above was just literally the tip of the iceberg, the real Cloud City lay beneath, where a labyrinth of machinery, processing plants, and transport hubs kept the valuable gas flowing. Valuable also meant the vultures were not far away either.

"Do you even know where we're headed?" Edric asked as they walked along one of the many catwalks that crisscrossed through the tangle of pipes snaking around them like a metallic jungle.

"I've got a pretty good idea, not far now," Max replied, glancing back at him. "Gruss is meeting some smugglers, and they've got a service dock around here. Supposed to be for droids only, according to the paperwork. A friend of mine slipped me the location."

Edric raised an eyebrow. "Another favor called in?"

"You could say that," As they left the footway for an alley and rounded a corner, he suddenly stopped and held up a hand, signaling Edric to halt before he walked into him.

"Here we are," Max whispered, gesturing ahead with a tilt of his chin.

Just a few meters away, a robed figure was conversing with two Weequays in pilot gear, standing in front of a blast door. Edric noted the bumps under the figure's hood, suggesting pointed horns. A Devaronian, he thought.

Max's eyes were scanning the surroundings, taking in every detail. Over the time they had worked together, Edric had seen how Max could build a plan in a heartbeat, analyzing every angle with lightning speed.

"So, what's the play?" Edric whispered.

"Follow my lead," Max said casually, stepping out from their hiding spot and striding toward the trio. Their footsteps echoed off the metal walls loud enough that caught Gruss's attention. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the two strangers approaching.

"Gruss!" Max called out, his tone almost playful as he rested a hand on his blaster. "Time's up."

The Weequays glanced at Gruss, then back at Max and Edric, apparently not knowing if they were friends of foes. Gruss's own eyes went wide, pupils dilating with shock and fear as recognition set in. His mouth opened in a silent gasp, and before anyone could react, he spun on his heel and bolted, his robes whipping around him like a panicked shadow. Edric heard Max sigh beside him.

"Why do they always run?" Max muttered with a hint of exasperation. He gave Edric a nudge. "Alright, kid, your turn."

Edric shot a sidelong glance at Max before shaking his head and taking off in a sprint, leaving the older bounty hunter and the two Weequays behind. Why was he always the one who had to run?

Up ahead, he saw Gruss vault over a railing and drop onto a catwalk below the street. Edric followed suit, leaping down and landing with a loud clank on the metallic walkway. Adrenaline surged through him, the thrill of the chase igniting his senses and awakening his muscles. Beads of sweat began to form on his temples, quickly swept away by the chill fingers of the trade wind. Although Edric wasn't the fastest runner with his size, he was still closing the gap on Gruss, who kept stumbling every few steps as he glanced nervously over his shoulder. Edric could already hear the slaver's frantic gasps for breath as he fled, desperate for his freedom.

Gruss scrambled up a staircase that led to another alley and quickly turned a corner. Edric followed, just in time to see Gruss skidding to a halt. Max stood in front of him, blaster drawn, aimed squarely at Gruss's not exactly handsome face.

"Shortcuts," Max said with a wink, keeping his eyes and weapon trained on the slaver. Even though Edric had been the Jedi in a different life, Max often seemed like the one with the real magic up his sleeve.

Except something wasn't right. But the warning from the Force came too late, Edric could only notice a blue light in his peripheral vision before everything went black…

Edric awoke to the sensation of cold metal pressing against his back. He slowly opened his eyes, vision still swimming in blurriness. He blinked rapidly, trying to bring the world into focus. At first, he could only make out spots of different colors and indistinct shapes. Gradually, his sight sharpened, revealing two figures in the dim light: one slumped against the wall, the other pacing back and forth. He recognized the cramped quarters of the Beast. Gruss was in front of him, bound and unconscious, leaning awkwardly against the wall. It was then that Edric realized his own hands were tied behind his back, locking him in a similar predicament. He glanced to his side and saw Max, just beginning to stir, similarly restrained. Memories came flooding back of the chase and the abrupt end of it.

The pacing figure stopped and looked over at him, meeting Edric's gaze. There was something oddly familiar about him, like Edric saw him before, but couldn't quite place him. He was a large man, built similarly Edric, with a thick beard and dark, wavy hair that framed his face. His brown eyes were deep and piercing, mirroring the color of his hair. He looked older, with lines etched around his eyes, as if life had carved them there over the years.

"Hello, little brother," he finally said to Edric.

For a moment, the air seemed to thin, making it hard to breathe. The recognition was a punch in his gut. That face—it was one from his visions that had lingered in the recesses of his mind. It felt like reaching the end of a story, only to find the final pages missing, leaving him with more questions than answers. He never knew his family, most Jedi never even remembered their faces or voices. Edric only knew the idea of what family meant as having brothers and sisters in the Jedi Order. And later a grumpy uncle when it came to Max.

"Brother?" Max's voice came from beside him, still thick with grogginess from being stunned earlier, yet similarly surprised.

Edric opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. He wasn't sure how to respond. While he shouldn't trust anyone just for words alone, even in the Force he could notice the man's presence, a thread of connection between them that Edric had only ever felt in his visions. The resemblance between them was undeniable too, but it only deepened his confusion on who he was.

"My name is Edwin Kane," the man said.

"I'm Edric," the former Padawan finally managed to say with a nod.

"I know."

Edric frowned, his mind racing to make sense of it all, but he was at a loss. Questions flooded his thoughts, surfacing one after another in a relentless tide, yet he couldn't find a place to begin.

"Well, I hate to interrupt this touching family reunion," Max grumbled, "but since you're apparently kriffing brothers now, could someone untie me on my own damn ship?"

Edwin ignored Max's remark, his gaze fixed solely on Edric. "So, this is what's become of you," he said, his tone laced with both bitterness and curiosity. "Running around the galaxy playing bounty hunter." He spat the last word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Edwin squatted down to be on the same level as Edric. Their eyes met and a snapshot of a distant memory blinked in Edric. He had seen these eyes before, younger, looking down on him.

Max's grunt pulled Edric back to reality. "Enough with the Jedi banthashit," the bounty hunter growled. "Just tell us what the kriff you want."

Edwin glanced at Max, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips, before returning his gaze to Edric. "Oh, I was never a Jedi," he said. "That honor belonged to Edric here."

"If you're really my brother, why tie us up?" Edric finally asked. He had dozens and dozens of questions he wanted to ask, but he resisted blurting them out all at once.

"Just a precaution. And patience, Edric," Edwin said, his tone calm and almost condescending. "We have a lot to discuss." Edric could hear Max muttering curses under his breath. Edric was doing the same in thought.

"Our father sent me to find you," Edwin continued. "I didn't want to come, and to be honest, I'm still not sure I should have. While you've been off playing Jedi and bounty hunter, with some questionable people—," Edwin paused for a beat to give a sideways glance at Max, "—the rest of us have been doing our duty, upholding our legacy."

"What legacy?" Edric snapped, unable to keep his control. "I didn't even know you existed until now!" His ribs ached as he struggled to keep his emotions in check, the fires of anger and confusion burning inside him. What did Edwin mean by legacy? Why find him now, after all this time? A pressure built up in his chest and he took a deep breath to ground himself. He reached for his inner sanctuary, but the peaceful fields of tall grass he usually found were now churning, the gentle breeze replaced by the fury of a raging thunderstorm. As if seeing the same, Edwin put a hand on Edric's shoulder. His touch felt like a soothing balm, radiating a pleasant warmth that spread through Edric's body, slowing his racing heartbeat and calming his breath.

"You know, the Jedi and Sith aren't the only ones who can use the Force," Edwin said softly as he straightened up. Edric understood immediately—his brother knew how to use the Force, and in a spectacular fashion no less. He had heard stories about Jedi being able to control others' emotions when he was a Padawan, but he had only ever heard of it through second-hand accounts.

"I'm not fond of who you've become, but our father believes we need to make sure if anything happens to us, we still have someone who can carry on," Edwin continued.

"Could you get to the kriffing point sometime today?" Max chimed in again. Edwin seemed to have pretended the bounty hunter wasn't even there.

"Our family has been the guardian of a unique and powerful holocron, containing knowledge that could be catastrophic in the wrong hands," Edwin explained. "And no, holocrons aren't exclusive to your beloved Jedi and Sith either. For generations, the Kanes have protected the secret of its location. The family was much larger once," he added, pausing briefly, as if to honor their memory. "Our parents believed you might be on a different path, but it seems the Force has a twisted sense of humor, bringing you back into the fold."

"A holocron?" Edric's mind reeled, trying to process what he was hearing. It was all too much, too fast. And yet, it matched the dreams that had haunted him since Tarnos. Had the Force been warning him all along? If so, what did the other visions mean—those with the distorted image of his former master? He didn't want to go down that road just yet.

"You said it's a unique holocron," Edric said slowly, as images from his dreams surfaced with startling clarity. "Is it shaped like a pyramid, with red glow at the corners?"

Edwin's eyebrow shot up, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Yes, that's exactly it. But how could you possibly know that?"

Edric hesitated for a moment, then said, "I think I've seen it. In my dreams."

Edwin studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Seems the Force has been trying to tell you something, after all," he said, then paused, gathering his thoughts. "Our mother knew the danger that came with guarding the holocron and wished for you to have a different life, free from this burden. Before she died, she asked our father to give you to the Jedi, to keep you away from all of it and give you a chance to forge your own path."

Edric's heart tightened at the mention of his mother, a woman he had never known. A longing stirred within him to remember her face, or even a fragment of a memory. Perhaps, he thought, it was buried deep within his subconscious, waiting to be uncovered through meditation. Edwin seemed momentarily lost in thought, his eyes glistening as he swallowed hard, pushing down his own emotions.

"Anyway," Edwin said, shaking himself out of his reverie. "A few weeks ago, we realized someone was tracking us. Turns out, the Empire—or at least an Inquisitor—caught wind of the holocron or us, hard to say. They have been on our trail for a while now. Dad thought it would be safer if we split up. He asked me to find you, but I haven't heard from him in over a week. He's not the type to go off the grid without a word. Plus, he has the key to where the holocron is hidden."

"How did you find me?" Edric asked, crossing off from the infinite list of his questions.

"I've been tracking you for weeks," Edwin replied. "I had to call in a lot of favors, follow every rumor, and even hack into a few Imperial networks. It wasn't easy. But now that I've found you, we can't afford to waste any time. The Imperials are closing in, and if they get their hands on the holocron..." He let the sentence trail off, the unspoken consequences hanging heavily in the air.

Edwin's voice dropped, his tone more urgent. "I need your help to find him."