A New Perspective
During the New Republic era, Jedi were sent across the galaxy to learn about the Separatist plans. Master Tai Lung took his padawan to the far reaches of the Outer rim on a quest to root out any Separatist forces. Master Tai Lung's primary target is Sith activity, though many on the Jedi council order him to focus on the Separatist forces lurking about. On his first mission near the outer rim, Jedi Padawan Po is eager to see what sights await him.
The ship came to a stop amid the stary inky canvas, passing a star on the right side. A panda draped in a brown robe and a white undergarment marveled at the planets and moons around. "Whoooaaa, this is so cool!"
"Don't let the sights distract you, Po. Remember, we're here on a mission," said the snow leopard piloting the smallish gray sunfish-like ship. But the panda's smile couldn't be hidden. His jade eyes gazed at the marvelous red and blue planets as icy gas giants silently floated around him.
"Have you been to this part of the outer rim before, Master?"
The snow leopard beside him frowned harder. "No. Most maps aren't well documented here. So be on your guard. This region is highly unknown."
Po stared at the snow leopard's pensive glare. "Master, why are you worried?"
"I'm concerned. But..." He released a breath. "Why don't you go meditate? I'll handle things up here."
"Are you sure you don't need help?"
"To be honest Po, unless the Purrgil come, I don't think we'll have much excitement. Now if my concerns were taken seriously by the Jedi council..." The snow leopard took a deep breath. "Never mind. Just my opinions getting the best of me. Go and meditate. I'll be right here."
"Yes, Master."
"And Po, no eating this time."
"Awww."
Tai Lung shook his head with a small smile as the panda left for the back room. Ducking his head, Po climbed down a narrow ladder and walked down a small electronic corridor filled with cabins and drawers. At the end stood a large mat for him to meditate on. Po sat cross-legged and sighed, trying to find some kind of peace.
By the third breath, he stopped and opened his eyes, frowning. He hadn't felt peace lately. At least, not around his master. His master's worry about the Sith during the Clone Wars weighed on the panda's mind.
GRRRRRR!
But not as much as his hunger. Po sighed again. His master said no eating. And honestly, Po wasn't really in the mood for rations right now. Sighing, he closed his eyes and focused.
Then something felt different. A pull. Or a push? He opened his eyes and saw only darkness. Then, in a flash, a figure appeared. Orbs covered in flames looked like eyes glaring right through his soul in the darkness, growling and crackling. A hand engulfed in fire stretched out and tried to grab his.
"AHHH!"
"Po! Get up here!"
"Y-Y-Y-Yes Master!" Po hurried up the ladder and saw a completely different planet in the cockpit window. It was green and partly obscured by wispy clouds. Po could make out canyons next to long stretches of grass. His master furiously pressed several buttons, pulling the ship to a stop.
"Did you feel that?"
"That presence?"
"Yes," Tai Lung said and pointed. "That planet isn't on any maps, and we're not that far into the outer rim's edges. Something powerful in the force is there."
"What do you think it is?"
"I'm almost certain it's a Sith but," The snow leopard covered his mouth in thought. "I don't know. This doesn't feel... right."
"So it is the dark side."
"No. Not right in a different sense. For something so dark it feels strangely... see through. I've felt the coldness of the dark side before. Anger, rage, hatred, fear. They all give a chilling presence. A disturbance in the Force. This feels like... it's not what I'd expect." Tai Lung shut his eyes. "And there's another presence there. A strong one."
"Wow, Master. I never thought I'd see someone study the force so... scientifically."
"I've been studying the ways of the Force for a while now," Tai Lung murmured. They stared at the floating green planet for a while before the snow leopard released his breath. "It's gone."
"Should we head back?" Po asked.
"Are you scared?"
"I've never fought a Sith before. The most I've fought was a couple of battle droids. And the superdroids chaffed my butt with their lasers."
Tai Lung smiled for a brief moment. "I don't think that will be necessary. Don't let your fear guide you. A Jedi must find stillness and balance. Contact the council on Coruscant and tell them we're investigating a strange, unmarked planet."
"Yes, Master." Po went to the communications room while Tai Lung steered the ship towards the planet. The Force was strong here and both of them could feel two strong pulls. Yet the dark presence he thought would be seductive and insidious felt... playful and energetic? Tai Lung shook his head. Something wasn't right here.
Po came back sooner than expected. "I've contacted the council."
"And?"
"They're... not pleased with us investigating, but... I told them that charting the planet would be good," Po nervously chuckled. Tai Lung frowned and sighed. "I'm sorry, Master. Did I-"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Po. I just wish I was a little more surprised by the Council's decision."
The ship flew through space and gently punched through white fluffy clouds, darting down like a screeching daytime comet.
The planet's lush green knolls held a small village nestled deep in a grass laden valley just five stone throws from a canyon. Shops and farmers worked daily to feed each other as the plants came into the season. At the end of the dirt road running right through the wooden village was a dark gloomy cave. Two waterfalls bordering its jagged mouth streamed into a pool. Flat stones that broke the water's surface made a pathway to the cave. After hopping across the stones, the darkness closed in around the cave's mouth. A path led deeper down, dimly lit by red torches. Deep in the cave's blackness sat a black-cloaked woman. Red markings trailed down her closed eyes and striped cheeks. Her robe hid her weapon hanging on her side. She breathed steadily. Hovering rocks and stones surrounded her. The flames from the torches would burn brighter from time to time before she took a calming breath.
Suddenly, something broke her focus. She opened her eyes to see a flower given to her by a weasel-like creature with tannish brown fur and a long fuzzy tail. The child presented the flower with a long smile.
The feline woman smiled back, lowering the rocks under her control, and picked up the flower. She lifted the child into her arms and onto her back. She zoomed out of the cave in the blink of an eye and jumped high above the hills. The child on her back laughed and giggled with delight as they jumped high over the plains. Fields and watery farm patches cleared under their feet. She touched the ground and skidded to a stop at the edge of a forest stretching across the large plain almost like a fence. The child climbed off of her back and waved her goodbye, racing back home. Waving back, the woman walked into the dense forest. With each step, she felt a presence grew stronger, though she could tell he was disguising himself a bit. She had an idea why.
Her feet finally broke through the nest of trees where a man sat cross-legged upon a boulder. Carefully stacked rocks stood all around him, but his eyes were closed. He wore light grayish flowing robes. The woman carefully breathed, walking quietly and softly towards the man. Each step was filled with a held breath. She made it about halfway towards him before a voice said, "I know you're there, Tigress."
The striped feline woman sighed, releasing all the air in her lungs. "How did you know?"
"Honestly, the presence of the child tipped me off. If it weren't for that, you would've gotten closer," The man said. He got up from his seat and jumped down from the boulder, standing in front of Tigress. He was a lion. His mane was tied in two spots to the side though his beard was fully formed. He was a bit taller and leaner than the tiger, though the tiger never figured out his age. "You felt their presence?" The lion asked.
"Yes Master Tarnak," Tigress replied.
"What do you think we should do?"
"What do I think? I... I don't know. I actually came to ask you about the vision I had."
The lion's eyebrow rose as he sat down in the grass, offering Tigress a spot beside him. "Now, tell me about this vision of yours."
"I saw a green flame in the darkness. It grew brighter and brighter until it took the form of... some kind of round creature." The tiger heard her master chuckling. "What so funny?"
"Nothing. Irony. Continue."
"I tried to reach out to it, but... when the presence came it pushed me away."
"Hmm. Intriguing," Tarnak rose to his feet as did his padawan. "Well then, I believe I have to meet these characters. I'll see who they are."
"Should I come with you, Master?"
"No," The lion frowned, "Unfortunately, I know who these people are."
"Are they the Jedi you spoke of?"
"Yes, and they will attack you on sight if we're not careful."
"Why would they attack me?"
Tarnak sighed. He stepped away a bit, staring at the grass. "Do you remember what I taught you about the Force?"
"Yes, that it is between us, through us, binds all living things together."
"Good, but do you remember why I left the Jedi council?"
Tigress took a moment to remember. "You said that their view of the Force was limited to what could be and not what is."
"That is what blinds them to the Sith and the dangers of the dark side," The lion sighed. "The Sith use the dark side of the Force, which is fueled by passion, to control and overpower their enemies. They claim to use the dark side for order, but it disrupts the stillness, peace, and balance of things. The Jedi claimed to use peace, balance, and stillness to work with the natural order of things. Their way is like a slowly growing mountain whereas the dark side is a raging fire." Tarnak took a deep breath. "But over countless interactions, I found that the Jedi and the Sith were both susceptible to emotions: Fear, anger, hatred. Sith feel the pull to the light, Jedi feel the pull to the dark. It was their emotions that was the issue."
"Both sides were concerned with emotions?"
"Yes. The dark side as well as the light. Both of them used the Force," Tarnak said. "But they never asked whether the Force was something to be used. The Force is a guide, not a tool. A teacher, not a weapon."
Tigress shook her head. "How does this pertain to me?"
"Because of your strong emotions and feelings, and because of your lightsaber, they may mistake you for Sith."
"Wouldn't they mistake you for Jedi?"
"Yes, and we can use that to our advantage. But there's more to that," Tarnak replied. "I've taught you how to balance your emotions instead of getting caught up in them or resisting them. You... tend to get angry, but you don't let it control you. You've learned to let them be. To observe them but not be carried away by them. That is a strength that can confuse them. Clothing, sabers, and feelings are central to their Jedi code."
"But it's still the Force."
"They don't teach that in their training. The Jedi claim to seek balance. But if that's so, you must balance the dark and the light. And that is why I left the council." The lion gave a sharp sigh. "Either way, that won't help us with the present threat."
"The Jedi don't feel like a threat."
"Not that. There's another ship behind them, traveling along this route. It will be here any minute."
Tigress's eyes widened. "You saw that far into the future?"
"No. I simply sense them much earlier than you did. In either case, we must be ready. Go and hide in the canyon. I'll call for you when I can."
"May the Force be with you," Both said and bowed. Tigress ran at top speed towards the east, past the village where the normal grassy plains suddenly died out into a sharp gaping red rock canyon. She followed a narrow-footed rocky path to a secret spot she was fond of in her meditations.
Tarnak rode a small speeder over to the sight. Darting past grassy areas, he could see the two animal-like creatures standing along the flat plains in the distance.
Tai Lung's ears and head rose, looking at the approaching creature. "Get ready, Po. We have company."
"They don't seem bad."
"Don't trust your eyes, but the Force, padawan."
"Yes, Master."
The lion parked the speeder a few yards away from their ship. "Master," Po whispered, "His robes look like-"
"Shhh."
Tarnak smiled with his arms spread wide. He bowed from the waist up. ""Welcome, travelers. My name is Tarnak. What brings you to our planet?"
"I am Tai Lung, and this is my padawan, Po."
"Padawan? You are Jedi?" The two of them nodded. Tarnak rose his chin a bit. "What are Jedi doing this far out on the Outer Rim?"
"Maybe you could tell us," Tai Lung countered carefully, spying the lion's weapon hidden amongst the robes. "It seems you know your way around the Force."
"Yes, yes. I am a... wielder of the force."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait. You said your name was Tarnak? Like... Master Tarnak?! The one who left the Jedi Order?"
"Po," Tai Lung sternly grunted.
"Hehe, no, no, no. It's okay. I'm comfortable talking about it. Please, let me take you to my village. Do you have speeders?"
"We do," Tai Lung said, pointing to the sleek needle-like hovercraft beside their ship.
"Very well. Follow me." Tarnak got onto his speeder, waiting of the others. Tai Lung pulled Po aside.
"Po, please watch what you say. We don't know if this man is dangerous or not."
"Master, I know I don't know everything, but something tells me he's not the presence we felt."
"And yet, he feels like he's hiding something."
"Do you have a bad feeling about this?" Po asked.
"No... that's what scares me," Tai Lung muttered. Jumping onto their craft, they sped across the plains towards the village where strange creatures resided. They resembled the lion's fur color, only skinnier, shorter, and more weasel-like. They greeted the panda and snow leopard with wide grins and bows. Po's eyes darted between Tarnak and the creatures, trying to figure out a mystery.
"Don't worry, they're not related to me. These are Jninks. Closely resembling lions," Tarnak explained. Tai Lung interrogated the locals, telling Po to stay where he was while he and Tarnak talk to them. One of the children ran up to Po, sniffing around his leg. The panda knelt to him, smiling.
"Hello? What's your name?"
"Jeebe," The boy smiled widely. "Are you guys like Ms. Tigress?"
Po tilted his head. "Who's Ms. Tigress?"
"She's a fighter. She has a weapon like yours," He pointed to the lightsaber. "Is yours red?"
The panda's eyes narrowed. "Red?"
"Yeah, Ms. Tigress's is red," Jeebe explained. Po looked over his shoulder and saw his master deep in conversation with the others.
"Can you tell me more about Ms. Tigress? Does she have dark robes?"
"Yeah. But she's really nice. She gives us rides on her back whenever she visits Master Tarnak."
"Sounds like a force user," Po murmured. But he never knew a Sith to be like this. He saw Tai Lung coming to him. "Any luck, Master?"
"They definitely know someone, but I have a suspicion that they're lying."
"Lying?"
Tai Lung crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. "Something about this is off. And something tells me that Master Tarnak knows." He looked over his shoulder, spotting the lion whispering to the Jninks.
"What do you think we should do?" Po asked.
"I'm working on that." The snow leopard saw the child nearby Po's foot. "Seems you've made a friend. Why don't you... 'play' with him? I'll see what I can learn from Master Tarnak." Po looked a little lost before he pieced together what his master was saying.
"Oh. OH! Are you sure?"
"I have a feeling he'll be greatly helpful," Tai Lung smiled. Po gave a serious nod as his master left.
"Is everything alright?" Jeebe asked, looking at the panda with a worried wide-eyed stare.
"Yes, yes. It's fine. Could you tell me where Ms. Tigress usually hangs out?"
The weasel-like creature pointed to the dark foreboding cave that stood at the other end of the village. "You mean the scary looking cave? Yeaaaahhh. Definitely the person we're looking for."
"Sometimes she goes to the canyon over there," The child pointed across the grassy plains. The panda swallowed hard. He could feel a presence there. He couldn't tell what kind. Often, the Jedi felt peace and tranquility, and Sith would produce a violent disruption to that peace and stillness.
But this felt... regulated. Controlled chaos. Po couldn't say.
"I can show you if you want," Jeebe said.
"Sure, why don't you?" Po smiled. The two started walking along the plains where the wind made waves along the blades of grass. The canyon wasn't far, about a hour's walk away. Po looked up at the partially clouded blue sky.
"Is something wrong?" Jeebe asked.
"Hm? No, just... I have a weird feeling."
"Is it a bad feeling?" Jeebe asked, shivering a bit. Po tilted his head as he squatted to the kid's level.
"Why are you so scared?"
"Whenever Ms. Tigress got a bad feeling, some monster or wild animal try to hurt us."
"Definitely a force user. And you said she protects you guys?" Jeebe nodded. Po scratched the back of his head. Several things weren't adding up. If this person was a Sith, then why did everything about her feel... warm and kind, and why was she protecting the people instead of controlling them?
At least, that's what he heard Sith do. "Insufficient knowledge can blind us as much as too much knowledge." That's what his master had said.
Still, they had to check this out. Following the kid to the end of the grassy plain, they came to a rusty rock chasm that cut straight down into a steep canyon. The clouds above grew a little darker, but Po could still see some of the sky through it. "She's around here somewhere." Jeebe said as he walked down the narrow path without a care. "Ms. Tigress!"
"Not so loudly! W...we don't want to disturb her," Po whispered.
"Don't worry, she's not scary."
"Everything about this woman sounds scary," Po muttered.
"You're not scared, are you?" Jeebe teased. The panda took a calming breath.
"I... I don't know... I just worry that... you might get hurt if Ms. Tigress sees you."
"Don't worry," Jeebe said as they approached the bottom of the canyon. "She wouldn't let me get hurt."
"And I still won't," Said a voice from a cave. Po immediately got in front of Jeebe, glaring into the dark cave across the small river.
"Hi Ms. Tigress!" Jeebe waved happily. But the angry amber eyes glared at Po. The panda could feel that palpable anger washing over him. Yet it felt like fire, not cold. "Did... did I do something wrong?"
"No, Jeebe. You didn't do anything wrong. And if this... panda has any dignity in him, he'll let you go back to Master Tarnak."
"Ahh, so he is hiding her," Po muttered under his breath. He looked down at Jeebe's worried face. "Jeebe, go home. It'll be alright. Ms... Tigress and I just need to have a little chat."
"Do as he says, Jeebe," Tigress said as calmly as she could.
The little creature nodded but said, "I... I have a bad feeling about this, Ms. Tigress."
The amber eyes sighed and stepped out of the darkness of the cave. Po's jade eyes widened and softened. Her dark cloak and outfit ruffled in the stirring breeze. A lightsaber of a unique cast caught his eye. It had small spikes around the end of its body and hilt. She took off her hood and smiled briefly at the Jnink. "I'll be fine, Jeebe. Go back to the village. I'll be there shortly."
"Listen to her, Jeebe," Po said. The Jnink timidly darted up the narrow canyon path and scurried away. Po found the tiger's angry stare hotly on his form. They walked along the fast-moving river, eying the other down with a hostile glare.
"I thought Jedi were more honorable than using a child to find someone."
"Children are more honest than most people. And I would never willingly put a child in danger."
"And yet you did."
"I... I guess you're right. I'm sorry about that," Po sighed. Suddenly, he felt the anger subside. The panda took a longer look at Tigress. The dark robes hid a black-red vest with similar pants. The red lines that trailed from her eyes down her face were both alluring and haunting, yet not corrupting. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Tigress stopped and sighed. She pulled out her lightsaber and ignited her blade. Po saw the glowing red hue. "Is this how you figure out if I'm a threat or not?"
Po tilted his head. "Are you a Sith?"
"No."
"Are you Jedi?"
"No."
"Then who are you?"
"A watcher of the Force."
Po continued to stare. "We don't have to fight."
"Then why do you act like you want to fight me?"
"I'm confused."
"And afraid," Tigress replied.
"I'm not afraid of you," Po answered sternly.
"But are you afraid? Center yourself, panda. Face your fear." Po's eyes widened. Why would the enemy tell him something like that? "Not what you expected from me?" Tigress said with a small smirk.
"Not something I've ever heard."
"There are different ways to view the Force."
"Is that why you've used the dark side?" Po asked.
"I have. But I spend most of my time observing the Force. Not using it in the same way you do."
"So you don't use the dark side."
"There is only the Force. The balance between light and dark. It's the intentions and actions of the users that define their alignment," Tigress explained.
"Whoa, I... hadn't thought about that," The panda said, taking a deep calming breath. Po shed his brown robes off and pulled his lightsaber out, igniting the blue beam of energy.
Tigress rose her eyebrow. "I sense fear."
"No, excitement," Po smirked, holding his saber straight up.
The corner of the tiger's lip quirked up a bit. "I figured Jedi didn't rush into battle."
"I'm not rushing into battle. Sounds like you just want to be left alone. Which means you're not trying to kill me. So I get to brush up on my skills in a good to honest lightsaber spar."
"I don't think your master would agree with this."
"Would your master tell you to fight me?"
"No." Tigress's stoic face stretched into a long grin as she stood in a wide-open stance."But I guess we both have weaknesses."
They jumped across the river and clashed their swords, sparking crackling bits of light that matched the intensity of their faces. The excited grin on Tigress face faced Po's intrigued smirk. The feline jumped back and blocked Po's offensive swing, rolling over to the left. She swung her foot under him, but Po wouldn't fall down.
A wave of his hand sent her flying back. She double-jumped to the surface of the rock wall and pushed herself towards him, clashing their sabers again. She gained momentum, smashing her strikes with damaging precision. Po gripped his lightsaber tightly. Each strike sent him sliding back to the rock wall. She ducked a swing from his saber and jumped over him, kicking him down on his face.
Spinning around, he saw the red blade in front of him. Panting, he gulped. His jade eyes saw the dark woman above him, glaring him down. "You use Form 3 well, but you're still relying too heavily on Form 1." She backed away from him, allowing him to get up.
"You... you use the way of the Vornskar. Form 7. I've only seen Master Mace Windu use that," Po panted.
"I guess that's a famous Jedi?"
"You don't know him?"
"I've only been to two planets. My home world, which was destroyed, and this one."
"How do you know the forms then?"
"Master Tarnak was part of the Jedi," Tigress smirked, holding her saber poised for the strike. Po took a breath and charged, surprising the tiger. She jumped over him, blocking his upward strike. His hand pushed her back. Her back crashed into a rock. She popped her eyes open and ducked his swing. Rolling out, she blocked another slice, only to have his saber knock her back.
She jumped back, going into a defensive stance. Po's attacks grew harder to predict as he clashed his sword at her sides. He thrust his sword forward. Tigress's blade hummed, and she smoothly parried it to the other side of her body, roundhouse kicking him back. Po stumbled back up. "You know Form 2, too? Wait, did I say that right?"
Tigress chuckled, greatly shocking the panda. "Is that such a surprise?"
"From someone who feels like she's part of the dark side? Yes."
The woman frowned. She sheathed her sword, taking Po again by surprise. "When I was young, my home world was destroyed by invaders who wanted to use us. I lost everything. Everyone. Unlike Jedi, I was taken in by Master Tarnak when I was probably 7. I carried that hatred of what happened to my parents ever since until I met him." She looked up at the darkening clouds above. "He not only taught me to control my fears and anger, but to accept them. Not to stifle them or give into them. Simply watch them. This is what it means to be a watcher of the force."
"Is that why you haven't used it while we've been fighting?" Po asked as they started to circle each other.
"Tell me Jedi? Do you use the Force? Or are you used by the Force?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm simply saying that there might be another way to look at the Force. Don't use it or mindlessly be used by it. But observe it. How can we know the Way of the Force if we simply use it for survival?"
Po had heard how Sith used mental games to target their opponent, but the feline had a point. He lowered his saber a bit. "Then... is everything I know about the Force wrong?"
Tigress's eyes sharply widened, "No. I'm not asking you to leave your order or upend your life." She said, slowly approaching the panda. "I'm just presenting a... certain point of view."
"Po!" A voice shouted from the air and flew over Po. Tigress ignited her saber and clash with a snow leopard. "Get away from her, Po! She's evil!"
"What?! No I-"
"Master Tai Lung!"
Tai Lung pushed Tigress back, sending her flying across the river. Picking herself up, she ducked left, missing the snow leopard's green blade. Tai Lung's wild attacks crashed against her red blade. She fumbled her way back, blocking each feral swing he made. He swung low. She jumped and backflipped onto a high boulder. "You won't tempt my padawan."
Her eyes narrowed. "Where is my master?"
"Your master fled when I told him about the dark presence. You two must be strong Sith to hide your presence," Tai Lung growled.
"You lie and blind yourself, Jedi," Tigress grunted back, splaying her arms wide open. "Feel for yourself. Do I feel threatening? The only reason why my presence is dark is because I feel my emotions."
"So you do use the dark side, do you not?"
"Can not the light side be used for evil as well? And the Dark side used for good?"
"The way of the Dark side is anger, hatred, fear," Tai Lung rallied back.
"And the way of the light is balance, control, peace. But doesn't balance mean there must be light and darkness? And whose control? What do you feel, Jedi? Fear? Or are you the one that's afraid?" Tai Lung's eyes glared at her but said nothing. She saw the clouds above darken until a distant rumble was heard. Tigress felt what Tarnak had sense earlier. "I need to find my master."
"You won't escape me," Tai Lung launched forward. Tigress took a calming breath.
Then, she saw something flash beside her. A little rip of glowing blue light floating in the air. As her saber clashed with Tai Lung's, she jumped towards the rip and disappeared.
"What...? Where did she go?" Tai Lung looked all around but couldn't find the darkly clothed woman anywhere. Po came running to his side. "Do you see where she went?"
"No. But Master, why did you attack her?"
"Po, she is a Sith. Couldn't you feel the dark side from her?"
"And yet you said it yourself. The presence wasn't like others. Maybe she's not Sith."
Tai Lung glared hard at his apprentice. He pointed at Po's chest. "Remember, the dark side is anger, hatred, and fear. It always has been and it always will be. Fear leads to anger, anger into hatred, and hatred to the Dark Side. No matter what we feel, she is a Sith. Remember that."
Po bowed his head. "Yes Master."
"We have to find them soon. Tarnak mentioned a fleet of Separatists coming this way. We should leave before they come."
"What about the people here?"
"Po, be mindful of your feelings," Tai Lung said, "Our mission is to find Separatists. They'll exploit this planet. It's better if we have reinforcements come."
The snow leopard passed Po, but the panda didn't move. He only looked at his master's back and said, "Then why do you and I both know that they're not going to do anything?" Tai Lung stopped.
A sudden crash of thunder erupted across the sky. Rain tumbled down as they picked up their cloaks from the ground. The Jedi Master looked over his shoulder at his apprentice. "Why are you defending this woman, Po?"
"I'm not, but you and I know this doesn't make sense. You told me to go with the way of the Force. To let it guide me. And I feel like this isn't what we think it is. I wasn't going to go to the dark side, Master. I just wanted to know why this woman was different."
"Because you're attracted to her?"
"I'm not attracted to her!" Po spluttered. "But it doesn't make sense. She's trained by a former Jedi Master, the kids love and adore her, she protects them and is probably going to protect them while we do nothing."
"Sometimes as a Jedi, we have to think of what is good for all," Tai Lung said.
"And how do we know what's good for all? It's like you said, the Jedi Council doesn't know what to focus on because of the war. I believe in the Force, Master. But the Jedi Council ISN'T the Force," Po said. "And if they can let Anakin Skywalker in then-"
"Alright, alright," Tai Lung sighed. He hated it when the panda used his favorite Jedi Knight to justify everything. "We'll report to the council and see from there."
Meanwhile, a lion sat in the dark cave near the village, meditating. The candles around him swayed slightly in the quiet. Then he opened his eyes. He looked around. No one.
But he felt someone. "Tigress?"
"WAAAAH!"
"DAHHHH!"
Tigress suddenly popped into reality, gasping harder. "What... where have you been? How did you do that?"
"I... I don't know," She said. "I saw this strip of light and jumped into it when the Jedi attacked me."
"Wait, they attacked you? Start from the beginning," Tarnak ordered. Tigress told him everything that happened between the panda and the snow leopard. Tarnak rubbed his chin. "Then we're in trouble. We might not have enough forces to combat these people."
"Master, we can't evacuate the entire planet in time."
"Don't worry, Tigress. I can tell the future will have a bright spot if we just lean a little to the left."
"A little to the left?" The tiger tilted her head.
"Jedi would often have disturbing visions like this, but rather than try to calm down and accept them as they are, the Jedi would often do everything in their power to stop whatever was going to happen or do nothing. And a man often finds his destiny on the way he takes to avoid it."
"So what do we do?" Tigress asked.
Tarnak sat down and closed his eyes. "Accept what may happen and be curious about what can happen. That way, we can see what other roads lie ahead."
Tigress nodded and sat down with her master as the storm raged on.
The crackling thunder couldn't mask Po and Tai Lung's frustration at the Council's reply. "Masters, you have to reconsider. We know that the Separatists are here. We can stop a catastrophe from starting," Tai Lung said.
"The Jedi order is already spread too thinly, even with the additions of the clones. And the amount of civilians there is relatively small."
Tai Lung glared at the hologram of Mace Windu. "When did civilian lives become a part of a game of gain and sacrifice?"
"We are at war, Master Tai Lung. I don't need to remind you of that. Return to Coruscant immediately. We will send scouts later to survey the damage." The hologram disappeared. Tai Lung slammed the control panel.
"We're at war and we suddenly forget the tenets of our order?" Tai Lung muttered.
"Master, maybe we can fight the Separatists off. At least we could maybe get some of the children from this village into the ship," Po suggested.
Tai Lung shook his head. "I don't think they'd trust us. They trust Tarnak and that Sith you fought more than us."
"Then what should we do?"
"I... I don't know." Tai Lung sighed, collapsing into his chair. "I don't know."
The frown on Po's face shocked the snow leopard. It glared at him, a bit disgusted with him. Po marched towards the exit door of the ship. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to fight with Tarnak and the tiger."
"Po, she's Sith."
"She's a Sith that's fighting against the Separatists. We don't have to trust her to save these people."
"How are we going to stand against an entire army?" Tai Lung shouted at him across the windy wet plains. Po turned back and smiled.
"With the Force. Just like you taught me, Master."
Tai Lung sighed with a defeated smile. "Alright, but after this, you're not allowed to do any more of your crazy 'Skywalker' plans."
"This isn't a Skywalker plan."
"It's crazy, suicidal, and a slim chance of working."
"So?"
Tai Lung shook his head. "Come on. We don't want to be late to the party." They sped off on their speeders. Po saw the dark cloud part slightly over the location of the village in the distance. It was a Separatist deployment ship. From the look, they could store about 500 battle droids of different kinds in there. Hoping they weren't too late, the panda and snow leopard sped along the plains.
Meanwhile, the Jninks huddled closely together in a circle, sitting as a squadron of droids surrounded them. A male Muun stepped out in royal expensive robes like all of the Separatist supporters. A pale skinny truly alien-like creature with a flatten down nose and ear holes squashed to the sides of his elongated head. "I would like to speak with the owner or leader of this tribe," He said in a polite yet nasally voice.
Two figures from the crowds stood up. The Muun rose a hairless eyebrow. "You two don't look like these creatures."
"We're... stand in's for the leader. The Village Elder died a few years ago. I am Tarnak, and this is my... helper, Tigress."
"Interesting," The skinny Separatist hummed, carefully walking around the small lot of terrified Jninks. "I'm sure you're wondering why we've-"
"You're here for the planet's resources. You know there's precious metals here as well as whatever it is your master wants," Tarnak finished.
"Ah, so you're well-versed then."
"I dabble. What do you plan to do?"
The Muun walked over to his original spot, folding his hands behind him. "I simply planned to make a diplomacy between your village, but seeing the relative size, I believe that won't be needed."
"What do you mean?" The lion grunted.
"Commander, please take your troops and destroy the village. Make it look like no one's been here in years."
"Roger Roger!"
BZZZZZZZZ!
"Uh Oh!" The commander's lob-off head tumbled to the ground from a green blade. The Muun's beady eyes shot wide.
"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," Tarnak grinned. Tigress drew her saber and threw it at the droids surrounding the Jninks, cutting them down in a single strike before it returned. "You've gotten better at that."
"I've trained as much as I could, Master," Tigress smirked, "Get into your houses and stay there until we're done here!"
"A red saber! But... but that means you're... you're SITH!" The Muun bowed and shivered to the ground. "Forgive me, I didn't realize that this planet was under your protection."
Tarnak and Tigress glanced at each other. Maybe they could use this to their advantage. "What a minute, a Sith who has a master with Jedi robes! You're impostors!"
"Grrrr! You couldn't have believed it a little longer?" Tigress grumbled.
"Fire!" The whole army of the droids fired at the two of them. The two warriors blocked the blasters aimed at them, taking down some droids in the hall of lasers. Tigress leapt across the first line and slashed her saber through three of them. Tarnak's Force pulled seven towards him to use a shields before knocking them back like dominos.
But then the Super droids stepped out. "These are tougher!" Tigress grunted, deftly blocking the machine's strong fire. She pulled through the force and crushed one of the droids. Then she pulled another and used its fire to take out of the others. Tarnak sped through and sliced off one mechanical arm after another like butter. But one shot him at the shoulder. Tarnak doubled back and cut off the legs of the remaining Super Droids. "Master!"
"I'm fine. Keep attacking." Just then Destroyer Droids rolled out and pulled out their super lasers. "Oh no, not these." Tarnak's green lightsaber went onto the defense, expertly using the droids' fire to knock out the rest. Thankfully, there were no droids surrounding him yet, but the Destroyer droids shields made it a problem. The lion had to play his cards carefully. Pushing with the force only destroyed some of the droids, but not the Destroyer Droids. Tarnak gritted his teeth.
Snapping his head around, Tarnak didn't see Tigress anywhere until "CEASE FIRE!" Shouted the Muun. The fire suddenly stopped. Tarnak turned and smiled. There Tigress was holding the Muun with her red saber close to his neck. The lion stepped towards them and smirked at the Muun. "I... I thought Jedi wouldn't stoop to taking people hostage!"
"Jedi aren't moral saints," Tarnak answered. "Besides, I never said we were Jedi or Sith."
"Leave this planet and don't come back," Tigress growled.
"Never, my master would kill me if he found out I failed."
"And I'll kill you if you harm even one of these people. Either way, you're dead," Tigress grunted.
"Even if you kill me, you're still outnumbered," The Muun smirked.
The two force users saw more droids marching out of the deployment ship. "Well, that's going to be inconvenient," Tarnak sighed.
"What should we do, Master?" Tigress asked.
"Let the Muun go. I've got an alternative," Tarnak muttered. The dark-cloaked woman did so, and the Muun stumbled over to the lion. "Get rid of your troops and you won't lose your life in the fray."
"That's your alternative?!"
"Let's think about this," Tarnak grinned. "What are the chances that your troops can aim at us and kill us before you get hit by a stray bolt?"
The beady eyes on the Muun narrowed. The metallic march of the droids scared the Jninks as they clutched their children in their homes, peeking out at the fight.
"I forgo that offer! And don't try to use your Jedi mind tricks on me. I'm immune to that."
Tarnak sighed, "Good to know." The Muun walked over to his troops while Tigress made her way to Tarnak.
"Now what?"
"I don't know."
CRASH! BOOOOOM!
The deployment ship suddenly burst into flames. The fire shot up into the sky in a pillar of smoke. All the droids turned back to see the damage. The Muun watched in shock. "What is happening!?"
"SKADOOSH!" The Muun turned right and saw a panda and snow leopard speeding from the right rear of them. Po and Tai Lung jumped off and struck down two of the droids on their landing. "Wahh! Whew! Stuck the landing."
"Try not to say Skadoosh again," Tai Lung grumbled, igniting his saber.
"More Jedi!" The Munn shouted. Tai Lung swiftly sliced through the smaller droids while Po focused on destroying the Super Droids with great prejudice.
"This is for my butt!" He declared with a vicious strike, cutting the droid in half down the center.
Tai Lung rolled his eyes. "He's my Padawan. He's my Padawan," He reminded himself.
Tarnak saw the Destroyer droids' shields were down and quickly used the confusion to stretch out his had. A bolt of intense blue electricity trickled out of his hands, zapping the droids into malfunction. One of the droids struck the Munn's arm and leg. He tumbled to the ground and cried in agony as the droids collapsed beside him.
Tigress looked at her master. "You've got to teach me that."
"It's really only useful on certain droids. Come on, let's help those two." Tarnak and Tigress quickly joined Po and Tai Lung in destroying the rest of the droids. Tigress's wild swings blazed through the smaller droids like air while Po's push and pulls knocked the droids onto their backs ready for her to slice through. Just as Tigress jumped onto one droid and punched her blade through, she glanced back at Po, smirking.
"You know, I never got your name."
"Ahh, I'm... Po."
"Tigress," She said before slashing through another droid. Po smiled widely before refocusing on the battle.
Finally, the metal carnage ceased. Tai Lung rushed into the deployment ship while the panda walked over to the other two felines.
"Are you two okay?" Po asked, exhausted.
"We are, thanks to you," Tigress smiled.
"Ahem," Tarnak cleared his throat after an awkward length of silence. "We do have to figure out why they're here."
"Right, right. I think my master's on his way to do that."
"Ah, the same one that nearly killed my apprentice? And I heard that you two were fighting. What happened? You didn't seem the... abrasive type," Tarnak questioned.
"Uhhh I uh... wanted to see how she fought," Po nervously chuckled. Tarnak shook his head with a smile while his apprentice hid a giggle. Slowly, the Jninks stepped out of their hiding places. Jeebe scurried to Tigress's leg, gently tapping her.
"Ms. Tigress. Is everything going to be okay?"
Tigress smiled, kneeling to the Jnink's height. "It's okay to be scared, Jeebe. But don't let your fear control your actions. Remember what I told you."
"Feel the fear. Face the fear. Do not control or be controlled," Jeebe breathed calmly. Tigress ruffled the child's head while the snow leopard stepped out of the ship.
"Seems like the Separatist leader is trying to get more intel on planets on the Outer Rim. And I'm sure there will be reinforcements."
"The Jninks can't defend against an entire army," Tigress said.
"And we can't stay here forever," Tai Lung muttered, "Not that we're needed anywhere else."
Tigress and Tarnak glanced at each other then stared at the snow leopard. "You have a lot of animosity to your own creed. Be careful of that," Tarnak warned.
"Hmm."
"So what do we do?" Po asked. Just then, Tai Lung heard a noise from his com-link. He pulled it out.
"Hello?"
"Master Tai Lung. I heard you needed some help and I had some friends to spare," Said a well-known voice. Po's face burst into excitement and he started bouncing around. Tarnak and Tigress never heard a panda emit such a high-pitched squeal. "Rex and his crew should be there to help out securing the planet. Hope that will be enough."
The four gazed up. Among the clouds came the sudden presence of a massive star cruiser with the emblem of the new Republic.
Tai Lung sighed, "It'll be enough. Thank you for the assistance... Anakin Skywalker."
"Eeeehh! Thank you, General Skywalker! Haha! I told you he was so cool!" Po giddily said.
"Try to curb your enthusiasm," Tai Lung groaned. He hoisted the Muun off the ground and bound him. "Of course, that leaves you and your apprentice, Master Tarnak."
"Actually, we'll have to go," Tarnak replied.
"What?" Po and Tigress both said.
"We're merely watchers of the Force, not participators. And this story that you're currently on the fringes of is involving us a great deal. Besides, I'm sure the council won't approve many of my beliefs," Tarnak smiled. "In either case, we need to go. There's no telling what they would do to Tigress and me. I'm sorry, Tigress."
"Can I go with you?" said Jeebe.
The tiger sighed and hugged Jeebe tightly. "I'm sorry, Jeebe. But you can't come with me. It would be too dangerous."
"But... but..." He began to cry. Tigress gently wiped his face.
"Don't worry, Jeebe. As long as the Force is always with you, I will always be with you." She ran her hand over his fuzzy face as tears drew down her face.
"We better say our goodbyes," Tarnak said somberly. He and Tigress went away to prepare for their trip while Tai Lung stared for a long time at the two felines.
"Master, is everything okay? You seem troubled."
"I've never seen a Force user so... open about their emotions. So... transparent," He paused. "Something tells me that we'll see them again someday."
"Really?"
"But by then, you'll probably be a master of your own."
"I couldn't compare to you, Master Tai Lung," Po smiled.
"I appreciate your modesty, Po," The snow leopard grinned though his eyes stayed on the distant felines. They hugged and received many gifts from the villagers. He could see Jeebe close by Tigress, trying to steal as many moments with her as he could. "When you're ready, I think it will be beneficial for you to learn from Master Tarnak. He will probably make you a better Jedi than I ever could be. His understanding of the Force is... much more profound than I thought."
"How can you tell?"
"If someone like this... Tigress can handle her emotions so fluidly, then I think you will be able to understand the Force more completely than I can. And you'll be able to bring balance to the Force."
Po blinked several times. He couldn't form the words. All the things his master said rushed through his mind with confusion and awe. He simply stared at his master as the lion and tiger came back with their stuff. "Did you want us to give you a ship?"
"No need. I think we'll snatch this ship," Tarnak said. "I know a place where we can find a pilot and find a different home."
"I'll order the commander not to hit you," Tai Lung playfully smirked.
"Much appreciated," Tarnak grinned.
"I'm... sorry about our first interaction, s- Tigress."
"It's okay," The tiger smiled, "I understand I don't really fit the... mold."
"That's okay," Po spoke up. "You fight awesomely! You have to teach me how you disappear like that, too!"
The tiger's smile widened. "We'll see. Hopefully our paths will cross again." She looked down at the Jnink who had clutched onto her leg for a while. Tigress knelt and hugged him one last time. "Good bye Jeebe."
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Tigress sighed, clutching him tightly.
"Will I ever see you again?"
"Hmm, hopefully. But if not."
Jeebe stepped back a bit, sniffling as he stood as straight as a boy soldier could. Tigress did the same and bowed. "May the Force be with you."
"Come on, our chapter here is ending," Tarnak said. Giving one last hug, Tigress left the little boy on the grassy plains as she and her master boarded the ship. Po sat down with Jeebe, throwing his arm around him. The two watched the ship hover into the air and disappear in the sky, gone forever.
"Come on, Po. We have work to do," Tai Lung said, shoving the Muun towards the approaching clone troops.
"Yeah," Po said dryly. The panda looked at the Jnink. "You want to help?"
"Can I?"
"Sure," Po smiled. Jeebe scurried onto Po's shoulder and smiled. His eyes stayed on the sky. "You'll see her again. I don't know when, but you'll see here again."
"I know," The kid said.
"How?"
"Because the Force is with her. She'll be okay."
"Heh, you're very smart, Jeebe. Very smart," Po said.
"And very strong with the Force," Tai Lung noticed, calling both Jeebe and Po's attention. "But we'll leave that for another time. We have a lot of work to do."
Meanwhile, Tarnak struggled with remembering how to fly the ship a bit before finally setting a course. "Well, that was interesting." He turned back and saw the darkly clothed Tiger staring at the increasingly small planet before the streams of hyperspace flashed before her eyes. Tarnak reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry we couldn't take Jeebe. I know you're attached to him."
"Is that bad?" Tigress asked in a shiver.
"As long as you don't kill me over it, I think we'll be fine."
"You shouldn't be so casual about that, Master," She sighed, staring at her feet. "It's also the panda. I can't help but wonder if I'll see him again. I... I sense something bad might happen."
"It will."
Tigress's head perked up. "How are you so sure? Will he... die?"
"Remember what I taught you about worry and emotions. They cloud you to see only the bad things and not the things that could come out of the bad. Steady yourself and accept that that might be a possibility."
Tigress nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm scared."
"I know."
"And... I sense a great disaster will come upon the Jedi." Her head turned to Tarnak. "Did you know about this?"
"I've known about it for a while. But it seems like the node is fixed" He shut his eyes. "But Po will be fine. I feel it."
"But I also feel... pain," Tigress replied.
"Sometimes in order for a person to grow, they must encounter pain," Tarnak said, focusing on the ship's speed. Tigress sighed longingly. "When you see the panda again, things will be different. But I think you two will help each other grow much stronger in the Force."
For some reason, the tiger felt a smile come to her lips. She stared on towards the bright light of swirling hyperspace colors as the ship sailed on to their new home.
Inspired by Star Wars by George Lucas