Important announcement at the end of the chapter*
Millennium Falcon Outer Rim
The planet below them was a desert by all appearances. It had taken a couple of day's travel to reach this location even with the .5 hyperdrive. Anakin had gotten more quite and secluded during this portion of the trip, which had Ben worried.
"I liked the look of the last place we were at more," Obi-Wan quipped.
"Wait until you meet the wildlife," Ben muttered. He landed the ship on a plateau near a depression filled with rocks.
"Alright everyone, before we open the door, a few ground rules. Leave your weapons on board, except for Vestara and Master Kenobi.," Ben said.
"What if we're attacked?" Anakin asked.
"Yeah, about that. Everyone, this planet is home to an indigenous very threatening-looking spider. The fact of the of the matter is that they are harmless if you do not provoke them, hence why we are leaving our weapons. We are here to meet someone who we hope will to help balance Anakin."
"We should be out fighting the Sith not running around the Rim," Anakin muttered.
"Yeah, I also would recommend we keep our thoughts to ourselves. This person is a decent person, but the last guy who made him mad got run off the planet with a Force storm," Vestara said.
"A Force storm?" Kenobi said. "That's a darkside method only known in legend."
"Yeah, well, let's not find out. Just don't make him mad and we should be alright," Ben said.
"Who is this person? Is he a darksider?" Anakin asked.
"A rather interesting individual, and, no, he is not a darksider. In fact, he doesn't much care for them. I would suggest to you his knowledge of Force abilities is greater than that of Jocasta Nu. I would pay to see him and Yoda talk. Thankfully, for all his power, he really doesn't much care about anything in the greater galaxy. I would trust him with a Sith holocron. He would find its content interesting, but- beyond academic interest- of little use. He is incorruptible, because he has no personal ambition. So don't expect him to fight for us. In fact, don't ask. We go for knowledge and assistance, not strength in arms," Ben said.
"Padme, it might be best if you stay in the ship for the moment, along with the rest of the non-Force sensitives," Vestara said.
The Jedi went down the ramp and walked towards a depression.
"Why are me and you disarmed, Master Solo?" Anakin asked.
"Because I'm afraid of spiders and it's better to not overly panic and activate a lightsaber around them. You are similarly disarmed to avoid any unnecessary confrontation," Ben said
Anakin was about to reply when the rocks in front of them began to move. To his shock, he realized the rocks were a creature and not actually rocks.
The Creature stared at them for a second and said, "You have disturbed my slumber with a great imbalance, not to mention the presence of two people who shouldn't be here. What do you call yourselves, and what," he said, looking at Ben and Vestara, "are two Jedi of the Galactic Alliance doing here?"
"Abeloth," Ben said.
"Ahh, I see. So you come for help to maintain balance," the Bendu said.
"Indeed, which is why we brought him," Ben said. "My name is Ben and this is my wife, Vestara Khai."
"Should I assume your presence means you have exhausted all other attempts to keep the dark at bay?" The Bendu asked.
"Yes, we lost most of our colleagues and allies. We no longer have the strength to fight her or her minions openly," Vestara said.
"In your journey against the destroyer of worlds, you will have my assistance than. Forgive my earlier assumptions," the Bendu said.
Vestara and Ben both bowed.
"Now then, as to your friends," the Bendu said, looking at them.
Kenobi stepped up. "I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is my former apprentice and Jedi knight, Anakin Skywalker, and his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. May I ask who we have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"Master Kenobi, Jedi knight, the Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and the Bogan, the light and the dark. I am the Bendu, the one in the middle. Your friends the Knights of the Galactic alliance will tell you that to train a Force wielder to use both is a dangerous exercise and an excuse to use the dark. They are correct. Only three individuals have ever managed the balance. One of these you met on the Mortis monolith. The second was both a Jedi knight and Sith lord in the ancient Republic. I am the third. The one you met on Mortis put the galaxy in peril in his efforts to maintain said balance and the Knight burned the galaxy to achieve it. Neither, as you may imagine, are inspirations to follow."
"How do you manage it?" Kenobi asked.
"A tool cannot make one evil. It is what one does with it that makes one evil. Forbidden knowledge or even the power to help others can lead one down the dark path," the Bendu replied. "But the balance that the Jedi of the Galactic Alliance seeks to bring to the one among you is not found through power; this they know."
"Excuse me, but were you talking about me here? What is it that everyone wants?" Anakin asked.
"Ahh, for those here there would be different goals and objectives. For your former teacher it is to see you happy and not bound by the chains of the past. The same as it is for your own student, whom you yourself wish the same happiness on. The knights of the Galactic Alliance hope that by you achieving your balance, you will have a better future than the one they foresee so you can be with your family and be happy, and in turn help them better face the onslaught they see to come," the Bendu said.
Anakin looked somewhat shocked at this remark.
The Bendu sighed. "Will you leave me with Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, for a talk?"
Ben and Vestara nodded and headed back for the Falcon. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, who nodded, and they did the same.
The Bendu looked at him. "How long has the Sith Lord been trying to poison your relationships with the people who care about you?"
Anakin looked down. "I came to the point where it seemed everyone only wanted me for my power. I thought the Sith Lord was a friend and was my only confidant."
"Were these his words or what you have perceived to be the truth after he was discovered for what he was?" the Bendu asked.
"The Jedi only took me in because of a stupid prophecy. It was a long time before me and Kenobi had a decent relationship because I believed he only took me on because had promised Qui Gon."
"Does he believe it?"
"I don't know I think he wants to too much. The Mortis inhabitants certainly did and they wanted my power," Anakin said.
"Hmm, one of the many differences between the Jedi and Sith are that the Jedi truly want their own students to exceed them. To fulfill this prophecy would be a great honor for you. As to your belief that it's not true, the Jedi of the Galactic alliance certainly would agree with you. I assure you, they have never even heard of it. However, did your master encourage you to stay on Mortis to fulfill some prophecy?"
"No," Anakin said, "he wanted us off quickly. I do not question the fact that Master Obi-Wan wants and has always only wanted the best for me."
"So, of the many chains that bind you one of them is this prophecy which some believe you will fulfill? The burden of which you do not seek?" the Bendu asked.
"Yes, they believe it because we know nothing about my father," Anakin said.
"I see. Then perhaps it is time we fix that and relieve you of your burden," the Bendu said.
"How would we do that? It's not like we can un-write the prophecy," Anakin said.
"That is for you to figure out on your journey," the Bendu said. "Your journey to balance will be long, but perhaps the person that will gain the most from this is yourself. Unwrap yourself from the chains of your past and your burden, and then you will be at peace and the find the balance your teacher has so desperately tried to help you find."
At that moment Ben reappeared next to Anakin.
"Ahh, good you heard my call. Take Anakin Skywalker, Jedi knight, to the island where balance is found above the sea," The Bendu said. "That is the next stage of your journey."
Ben looked at the Bendu. "You want me to take him there?"
"Indeed, it is the path to enlightenment," the Bendu said. "Farewell on your Journey, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight. Farewell, Knight of the Galactic Alliance."
With that, the audience ended, and the two Jedi returned to the falcon.
"That was strange," Anakin said.
"Indeed. So is where we are going," Ben said
"Where is this island?" Anakin asked
"Deep in the unknown regions, quite on the other side of the Galaxy," Ben said.
They came up the ramp as Vestara met them. "So, no Force lightning. I'm assuming everything went OK."
"Yes, and we have the location of our next stop," Ben said
The Millennium Falcon rose into the air and headed off into space on its next mission.
Jedi Safehouse, Outer Rim
Master Hett was once again thankful his father was not a conventional Jedi. Being raised as a Tusken Raider, he had a bit of a paranoid streak, including but not limited to, placing safehouses around the galaxy. This one was one of the more comfortable ones, on a relatively secluded planet off the beaten path with a nice view of water. Having lived on Tatooine himself before he had been found and trained by Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, he appreciated his father's love of water. He had felt his old master die after Order 66 had been issued, apparently being unable to escape before his troops had cut him down. Thankfully as he reached out into the Force, he could still feel the light of many of his brothers and sisters. Surprisingly, he felt the light of a couple of new people he didn't recognize, but that was OK. The Grandmaster's warning had apparently been enough to get many to safety and for now that was the important thing. Master Depa Billaba and her padawan, Caleb Dume, were with him. It hadn't taken much of a disguise to pose as a married couple with their child. He had only started wearing Jedi robes since the beginning of the clone war anyway, preferring his native Tatooine garb, so that wasn't much of a loss.
Despite the feeling of darkness within the Force, the remaining light gave him hope. Now was the time to wait before striking back. He sensed it would be a rather long wait, though. He came out of the meditative state. Master Billaba sat across from him, watching him with some anxiety.
"I cannot make out the individuals who survived, but I know that many still live. The grandmaster's warning seems to have been in the nick of time."
"That is good," Master Billaba answered. "This tragedy has not happened since the Jedi civil war."
"Yes, the infamous Jedi purge," Hett said grimly.
"Ironically, the purge was a topic of discussion amongst the high council only about two weeks ago," Depa said.
"Really? Anything specific that brought it on?" Hett asked.
"A few Jedi from the unknown regions seeking help against a great darkness requested the help of Master Kenobi and Skywalker, " Depa said. "They departed with them."
Master Hett looked thoughtful. "Then they almost certainly are among the survivors. Do you know why these Jedi were in the unknown region?"
"From what I understood, they are part of a Jedi order established after the Jedi Purge. Like the Correlians, they allow marriage in there ranks," Depa replied.
"Interesting. I wonder if they could perhaps grant refuge for our members," Hett mused.
Depa shook her head no. "Apparently, the travel is so treacherous only a few people can travel at any given time and taking conventional routes would take 80 years."
"That's unfortunate," Hett said. "Still, that's at least 4 Jedi that should be beyond danger. Have you been able to sense your master?"
Depa nodded in the negative again.
"Disappointing, but he was probably one of the last to leave the Temple, so that leaves three members of the high council that we can safely say survived: you, Master Kenobi, and Yoda," Hett said.
"Four, Master Fisto had taken the younglings on a field trip off Coruscant. The last council meeting we had he was not on planet," Depa said.
"How many younglings?" Hett asked.
"All of them, Master Yoda never really said why and he didn't ask the Council's permission before asking Kit to take them off Coruscant. But given that the war seemed all but over, I didn't really think anything of it at the time," Depa said.
Hett looked at her thoughtfully with a slow smile forming on his face. "That is indeed good news that the younglings are safe. It seems the Grandmaster had a premonition that something was going to happen and prepared for the eventuality."
"I wonder why he didn't inform the council, though," Depa said.
"Probably to avoid panic and keep from tipping off the Sith," Hett muttered. "Since the Sith Lord is almost certainly our beloved new Emperor, even if a strike team had succeeded, the chips were likely to go off anyway. I thought I sensed a battle last night in the Force. I suspect Yoda went after Palpatine, though he must have not been the victor."
"Do you know if he is in danger?" Depa inquired.
"No, I do not sense Master Yoda is in any danger, He must have escaped after the battle," Hett said.
"You know, I always wondered why I got appointed to the Council and you didn't," Depa said.
Hett snorted. "Depa, could you really see me sitting in one of those chairs, worried about everyone's business? I told Mace years ago if I ever got appointed, I'd fake my death and run for the Rim."
Depa looked out the window. "To go from active warfare to waiting is going to be a difficult transition, I fear."
"One that will be necessary, or some may find themselves dead if they push to action to quickly. The Emperor certainly knows his plans have failed to a degree and his fear will push him to hunt us down quickly. I hope in his haste and fear he slips and makes a tactical mistake," Hett said. "For now we train young Caleb, as well as others we find but keep a low profile. When the time comes to remove the Sith, we will be ready."
Jedi Training Vessel, Hyperspace
Master Fisto was disturbed to say the least. Somehow, he had gotten left (stuck) with the most important job in the galaxy: taking care of and protecting the younglings. He was now wishing the Grandmaster had simply been trying to arrange a padawanship. The more he thought about it, especially with the notes he had found on his datapad, the more certain he was that Yoda had this all planned out. He kind of felt he could have been warned- "Hey Kit, the order is about to fall. I'm leaving the responsibility and the safety of the Order's future completely in your hands." On second thought he knew that would never have happened. He wasn't concerned about the care of the children. The Creche Masters had that well taken care of. No, it was his responsibility and burden to try to find safe refuge for the younglings. That was not a task he relished because even though he had long been responsible for his troops and the Order, he had never had so many lives dependent on him not messing up.
At that moment Initiate Katooni knocked on his door. "Master Fisto, are you OK?."
Kit gave his best smile. "As best as can be, we are rather fortunate all things considered. I believe many survived. No, I am trying to find us a safe place to go to."
Katoonie nodded. "Its just like when we were by ourselves trying to save Ahsoka from Hondo."
Kit smiled. "Very like that indeed. Out by ourselves in the Outer Rim with others that need help and unable to call for backup. I just wish we only had Hondo's crew to be concerned about. But we will get through this together."
Katoonie nodded. "That's how most of us feel, especially the ones that were caught by Hondo. Too bad Hondo couldn't help us. He seemed to like us quite well."
"Yes, unfortunately, we can't trust his crew not to sell us out. Though," he said, cocking his head,"that gives me an idea. I have an old contact in the fringe who might know where to lay low for a while."
Katoonie smiled and went skipping out the door. Fisto watched her go. Perhaps the old master had picked his next apprentice after all.
Authors Note please read in full
Ok we are now free of the overall plot of ROTS so we can now explore the galaxy in a completely new adventure as we are no longer have any major galactic wide events around the corner from canon. The death star is just a bulk of metal the clone wars have ended off screen probably via a bomb or sidious doing something to the Separatist when I first posted I had a list of things I told everyone to be watching out for in the rules. We are approaching a 2 chapter arc that will explore the chosen one prophecy and anakins origins we will not be using the commonly accepted version in Fandom in fact this will all be original to this story but can be made canon by fans/readers if they like the changes. I have attempted to make the prophecy more in line with the pre phantom menace EU where Luke had no idea of his family and no one had heard the prophecy. I promise to be respectful to the Skywalker family and not do a Last Jedi I will not do anything to diminish the skywalker families importance to the galaxy. I will say the Sith are involved in Anakin's origins but not in the way surmised by the Sith in the Darth Plagueis book. I ask my long term readers to trust me with a cliffhanger it's two chapters with a separation in the center because it was the obvious place to end the chapter. I will say the two people who have read my story already greatly enjoyed what i had done one of whom was Amina from the courtesy trefflin writing group and my Beta FaithandG. If readers are not interested in having changes to the Skywalker line the story will pick up in two weeks on a seperate arc though there will be a Yoda flashback arc where that will be important later.
Thanks Ben
Ps if you've ever wondered why my notes have more spelling or gramatical errors it's because I upload via mobile on my cell and these notes are written when I upload and not when I had written the story with some exceptions.