Hey everyone! Chapter 17 coming in hot! Thank you for your patience, I hope you'll find it was worth it.
I'll just jump straight into the two comments I received and let you get on with the story:
-RKF22: You ask and I deliver ;) Here's another chapter, hope you like it.
-Guest: probably.
All right! Here's chapter 17. Hope you enjoy!
Please comment, favorite and follow if you enjoy. It always means a lot to me.
Mara was annoyed. The days had turned into weeks, which turned into months and they still had not found Kenobi, Skywalker or the Rebel fleet. Mara had essentially relinquished her command of the mission to Thrawn and Tarkin, but even their leadership had not yielded a single promising lead.
Everyone on-board the Executor was high strung. Mara had not heard from the Emperor in months. She knew all too well their mission would only end once they completed it. Otherwise, it would go on indefinitely. Returning to the Emperor empty-handed was akin to a death wish.
To her greatest surprise, the only one on the entire ship who was not seething with frustration was Vader. For a reason Mara could not fathom, he simply was not annoyed by this, so far, unsuccessful mission. A man whose reputation was of having the shortest temper in the galaxy and the lowest tolerance for failure after the Emperor, was the one who was handling this defeat with the most composure… Mara could not understand how.
She was currently training in the large exercise room of the Executor, while the Sith Lord impassively meditated several feet away. This had been their routine for some time now. They wordlessly met in the exercise room at the same time every day and stayed there for several hours, each working separately and without exchanging a word.
Mara unleashed a flurry of swings with her lightsaber, cutting down four training droids whose disassembled bodies clattered to the floor. The others fired their blasters but she dodged and deflected them back with expert precision. The droids were using live blaster rounds of course; as Emperor's hand, it would be unthinkable to use anything else.
A few seconds later, the remaining droids were dealt with and a loud blast went off to indicate that Mara had finished the exercise. She was panting hard and gratefully accepted the towel and water bottle brought to her by a maintenance droid.
Meanwhile, Vader was sat on the floor, legs crossed, meditating. Mara sensed no anger or pain emanating from him, but that did not mean she sensed peace and serenity instead. It was a strange emotional limbo she could not quite describe.
Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She called out:
"Hey, Vader! What are you up to?"
He did not respond. Not even a flinch to indicate he'd heard her. Mara moved a bit closer, kneeling down in front of him. She waved her hand in front of the lenses of his helmet.
"Hello! Anybody home?"
Still nothing. Mara reached out and was about to knock on the polished surface of his helmet when Vader's booming voice stopped her:
"I would advise you to reconsider what you are about to do."
Mara quickly got back to her feet, quickly disguising her embarrassment with a carefree smirk. Vader also rose to his feet, towering over her by a substantial margin. She was one meter sixty, he was two meters tall.
"What is it?"
Mara wanted to say it was nothing but her credibility was already too damaged, she did not want to make it worse by interrupting Vader's exercise for no reason.
"I was wondering what you were up to?" Mara asked nonchalantly.
"That is none of your concern." Vader replied evenly.
Mara picked up the warning in his tone. He was saying: "do not pry any more or there will be hell to pay". However, she would not and did not want to back down. She had already let Thrawn and Tarkin walk all over her, if she could not keep the one man who was directly under her command in line, then she was truly as powerless as everyone thought.
"Easy with the attitude, Vader," she shot back, glaring at him. "I outrank you and the Emperor has placed you under my personal supervision."
The silence lasted for several seconds. The only sound was the regular breaths of Vader's respirator. There was no change in his Force signature, and that was exactly what worried Mara. He was like a wall, and she had no idea what monster was hiding behind it.
Eventually, Vader replied with a disinterested tone:
"You cower and cry in front of Thrawn and Tarkin, and believe the power the Emperor gave you over me is indicative of your actual strength? You are weak, girl. Unworthy of an Emperor's hand."
Vader turned away from Mara, his cape billowing empathically behind him. He started to leave the exercise room but stopped when he heard the distinct screech of a lightsaber being turned on.
He turned around. Mara had her magenta lightsaber pointed directly at him, her green eyes marred with swirls of yellow.
"I AM worthy of being the Emperor's hand," Mara's voice was low but deathly intense. Her Force signature slowly began gaining strength as she gave in to her anger. "I will show you my power and you will learn to respect and fear it."
Mara did not see, but she could sense the scorn spreading on Vader's face. Something was changing in his Force signature; the wall was starting to crumble away. He removed his lightsaber from his belt and held it deftly in his hand.
"Is that a challenge?" Vader's voice was like a coiled up string.
"It is an order!" Mara spat out. "Come and fight me!"
As soon as Vader ignited his crimson lightsaber, the blank wall exploded into pieces, revealing the horrors hidden behind it. Mara was unable to move; it was like her feet had been welded to the ground. This presence was absolutely terrifying. It assaulted her mind; she saw Vader as a mutating shape stained in red and black. She could barely hold on to her sword or stay standing.
What was this…? This raw, unrestrained power felt like it did not belong from this world. She could feel the pressure from the Force around her, compressing down on her, restricting her breathing. Mara had to focus all her energy to keep her body from being crushed.
Meanwhile, Vader kept getting closer and closer. Step by step, he bore down upon her, like the Devil himself coming to reap her soul. Mara struggled and struggled but it was no use. She could not escape. She was not strong enough. She was weak….
The red lightsaber rose high up above her head; pausing like a guillotine.
I'm going to die…
The blade came down—
"COMMANDER JADE REQUESTED ON THE BRIDGE! COMMANDER JADE REQUESTED ON THE BRIDGE!"
The blade stopped. Just inches away from her neck.
The monster crept back behind the wall and everything returned to normal. As if the last minutes were just a bad dream. But Mara knew better. She had seen the monster and that was all she could ever see.
Vader left the exercise room without another word, leaving Mara alone. Ten minutes passed before she was able to make her way to the bridge.
Han drew in a deep breath as he waited in front of the doors to the bridge. He had been standing there for several seconds, rehearsing what he was going to say. Normally he would have just entered without thinking twice about it, but he now felt unable to start a conversation with that woman without first reflecting on what he was going to say.
Leia had a frightening power over him which annoyed Han greatly. He tried to avoid having to confront her about any subject since it almost always degenerated into an argument. They seemed to systematically find a way to be on completely opposite sides of any discussion. They had not been sent on a mission together in six months; the amount of time since Luke and Obi-Wan had left the Rebel Alliance.
They had received regular encrypted communications from them to let everyone know they were safe. However, it had been decided that they should not send a response to them to minimize the risk of their communications being tracked.
Han could see that their departure had had an effect on Leia. She had fully immersed herself in her leadership role in the Rebel Alliance and rarely took any time for herself. Han tried to tell himself that he didn't care and that it was her business how she spent her time but the nagging feeling at the back of his mind refused to go away.
The discussion he was about to have with her would be a test. He had to set things straight, both for him and for her. He could no longer deal with all these mixed signals. That quick kiss felt like a distant memory; Han couldn't help but see it as a mistake.
Steeling his nerves and drawing a calm breath, Han moved towards the blast doors which opened to reveal the immaculate white bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser.
Han had been up here several times but the place always managed to leave him staring for several seconds. However, his attention was immediately drawn away from the bridge's impressive architecture, to the heated argument that was taking place at the front of it.
As Han got closer he recognized Leia's voice, as well as Crix Madine's. Han had never liked Crix. It was one thing that he was a formal Imperial who had defected, but Han also found his attitude and personality extremely abrasive. He had serious little blue eyes that always seemed to be searching for signs of treachery or deceit. He spoke in a clipped, direct fashion that forced you to listen closely to what he said, and he seemed to be borderline paranoid at times.
"I can't believe you said that!" Leia shouted in exasperation. "We had their trust, we were about to sign an alliance pact. What were you thinking?!"
"With all due respect, your highness," Crix shot back with a pointed glare. "The Gryz are a primitive and violent species. Their allegiance to us would have only lasted until the Empire showed them how much stronger they are than us."
"I was in charge of these talks!" Leia shot back, her anger barely contained. "You had no place interrupting them to insult our guests and treat them like primitive animals."
"Your highness," Crix tried to strike a more conciliatory tone. "I do not doubt the Gryz's sentience, nor their abilities in battle. However, they are a warrior culture; still tied to fighting with clubs and spears. It is too big a gamble for too little a reward."
Leia said nothing for several seconds. Han watched as her tense muscles and the lines on her face slowly eased away like she was letting all her worries evaporate into thin air.
With newfound patience, she addressed Crix:
"Let's just get back to the fleet. I'll leave you to explain this debacle to the High Command. I'm sure Admiral Ackbar will be happy he let us borrow one of his cruisers for a fruitless mission."
Crix ignored Leia's jab. He saluted meekly and left the bridge without another word. Han waited for a few seconds after he had left before addressing Leia:
"Princess. I'd like a word."
Leia quickly looked over her shoulder and a subtle expression of relief washed over her face. She handed a datapad back to one of her aids before approaching Han with a small smile.
"Fancy seeing you up here," she said humorously. "You never come on the bridge if you can avoid it."
"Yeah, well I can't really avoid this anymore," Han did not want to be so blunt but he felt it was the only way he would finally settle his feelings once and for all. "I came to tell you I'm leaving.
Leia's smiling face transformed into utter confusion and disbelief.
"What?"
"I can't keep sitting on these unpaid debts," Han continued quickly. "I have the credits to pay back Jabba and I've helped you Rebels more than enough already."
"What are you talking about 'you Rebels'?" Leia asked incredulously, her confusion slowly replaced by frustration. "You're as much a Rebel as anyone on this ship. You've helped us make a REAL difference in this war. You can't walk away from it now."
"I can, and I have to," Han fired back, his tone rising slightly. "It doesn't matter who wins this war, my debts will still be there. I want to make sure I can retire without a bounty on my head."
"So you'll abandon all of your friends to save your own skin?" Leia's tone was unabashedly accusatory. "We ALL have bounties on our heads, we ALL risk our lives day after day. How can you be such a selfish coward!"
As soon as she said those words, Leia immediately wished she could take them back. The look in Han's eyes told her she'd crossed the line. The smuggler stiffened up. His voice was layered with anger and hurt:
"You know NOTHING about me. I have sacrificed so much to get where I am, and I would have sacrificed it all again but… you were just stringing me along weren't you?"
Leia's anger seemed to evaporate to be replaced by confusion. The way Han had spoken with such genuine regret and pain had taken her off guard. She reached out to touch his forearm—
"BLAM!"
A sudden explosion rocked the entire bridge, throwing everyone off their feet. The force of the blast sent Leia flying into Han who both crashed into a wall. They quickly disentangled from each other; Han rushed up to the observation windows while Leia ran up to the Mon Calamari who captained their ship.
"What's happening?"
"The Empire has found us! They took out the hyperdrive!"
Another explosion rippled through the entire ship. Red lights and warning sirens started echoing all over the bridge.
"Main engines are down, sir! Shields are dropping!" a technician yelled.
"More enemy ships coming out of hyperspace!" another shouted.
"Princess, you should come see this." Han urgently called to Leia.
She approached the observation windows and saw four Star Destroyers and an Executor-class Star Dreadnought surrounding them. The ships continued to pummel the Rebel cruiser with cannon fire, sending shockwaves across the entire vessel.
"Sound the evacuation order!" Leia yelled at the Mon Calamari captain. "Make sure all sensitive information is destroyed and abandon ship."
"Come on, we need to get you out of here," Han spoke urgently. He raised up his comlink and spoke into it: "Chewie, get the Faulcon ready. We're leaving now."
"I can't leave," Leia protested angrily. "I need to make sure everyone escapes safely."
"I don't give a damn, princess," Han replied unequivocally. "I'm making sure YOU escape safely."
Rahm Kota had had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach just seconds before the first explosion. He was busy training the padawans and Jedi Knights alongside Galen Marek. He was teaching considerably fewer students than before. Some had been returned to their parents if they were still alive, while others who had no interest in staying with the Rebel Alliance had simply left. This had left his class with seven Jedi apprentices.
They had all learned to mask their Force presences, so Rahm had started teaching them basic Force techniques as well as lightsaber combat. It was during this latter exercise that the explosion occurred.
As everyone around them ran to their battle stations, Rahm quickly told Galen to get the students to the Rogue Shadow and take off as soon as possible.
"What about Kiko?!" one of the students asked. "She left to use the refresher."
Damn, Rahm thought. There isn't time.
"Galen, get the students to safety and take off," he told the young man. "I'll get Kiko and find a ship."
Galen paused for a moment before nodding wordlessly as if a silent agreement had passed between them. He led the students towards the Rogue Shadow which Juno was already preparing for take-off. The Millennium Faulcon which was stationed right next to it was doing the same.
Rahm ran as fast as he could towards Kiko's Force signature. He could sense the presence of soldiers passing by him, going to defend the ship, as Imperial boarding parties started infiltrating the Mon Calamari cruiser.
Rahm eventually found Kiko fighting alongside a squad of his commandos, to repel Stormtroopers who were boarding their ship. She was deflecting laser bolts, standing in the middle of the corridor, whilst the commandos fired at the Imperials on either side of her.
Stupid girl. We don't have time for this.
Rahm concentrated on the Force, let it flow through every fiber of his body. He jumped over Kiko's head and followed it up with a concentrated Force wave that propagated down the tight corridors and sent all the Stormtroopers flying several meters back.
"Everyone evacuate! Now!" he shouted, directing everyone back towards the hangar. "Get to an escape pod or a ship."
"Master, we can fight them," Kiko tried to protest as Rahm dragged her away from the Imperials. "We can beat them."
"I don't care about beating them," Rahm shouted as he dragged her towards the hangar, where he could sense a dark presence was closing in. "I want you to live."
Rahm, the commandos and Kiko arrived into the hangar to a terrifying sight. Through all the entrances, Stormtroopers were swarming in. The Rebel soldiers were being pushed back towards the center of the hangar with almost nothing to use for cover.
The only ship that was still in the hangar was the Millennium Faulcon. Rahm saw three people, whom he recognized as Han Solo, princess Leia Organa, and general Crix Madine, emerge from a blast door and make a run for the ship while being chased by more Stormtroopers. Rahm could not believe the level of coordination in this attack, every single one of their escape routes was cut off.
For a brief second, Rahm caught Han's eye from across the hangar. The latter looked at him in sheer fear and desperation, to which the old Jedi merely shook his head and mouthed the word: GO.
Rahm turned back to Kiko, who was still holding her ignited lightsaber in her hand.
"You wanted a fight, let's give them a fight."
He ignited his green saber and started cutting down the nearest Stormtroopers, while Kiko deflected incoming blaster bolts to protect the Rebel soldiers. It looked like they were holding their ground and might be able to gain the upper hand; until a monster joined the fight.
His black silhouette and red lightsaber were infamous among soldiers of the Rebel Alliance. Those who had seen them and escaped with their lives were few. As soon as he came into the hangar, everyone knew this would be their final stand.
Vader mercilessly moved forward like a Rankor, decimating everyone in his path. He picked up soldiers and flung them through the air into his lightsaber, others, he crushed their necks with the Force instantly. He blocked blaster bolts with his saber, even some with his hand. Nothing and no one could stop him; Rahm knew it.
There was no way out. The Millennium Faulcon had managed to leave the hangar safely; there were no more ships they could use to escape. This was it.
"Kiko! Back to back!" Rahm called out.
The young Jedi heeded her master's orders. They were now moving in synch, deflecting blaster bolts as the soldiers around them were shot down, one by one.
"Master, you have a plan, right?" Kiko asked, trying to keep the worry and fear out of her voice. "You can beat that thing with the helmet, right?"
Rahm took a deep breath, clearing his mind for what he needed to do next. He extinguished his lightsaber, closed his eyes and spoke slowly:
"I have a plan, Kiko. It will keep you safe, and I will never forgive myself for it, but I cannot accept the alternative."
"What are you— "
Kiko's response was cut off by a lightsaber that pierced right through her heart; a green lightsaber. She died instantly. Rahm caught her as she fell, cradling her in his arms.
"You are a Jedi. You are one with the Force, and the Force will guide you."
Mara had to give Thrawn and Tarkin credit; this had been a masterfully executed attack. The Rebel cruiser had been encircled and boarded in less than a minute. Their decision to have all troops converge on the hangar to catch anyone trying to escape had not been entirely successful since some ships had managed to outmaneuver the Imperial ships, but most had been caught in the tractor beams of the waiting Star Destroyers.
As she followed, Thrawn and Tarkin through the smoking remains of the Rebel ship, she reveled in the unrivaled might the Empire had just displayed. The corridors were littered with the corpses of Rebel soldiers and Stormtroopers, some showing signs of having fought in hand to hand combat.
It's a shame they can't realize when they are beaten.
As they approached the hangar, Mara peered into one of the many sleeping quarters. It had been riddled with blaster fire, the back wall was completely charred and scorched. On the bed lay a half-naked Twi'lek woman cradling a small child, no older than a few months. They were both dead; mutilated by blaster bolts.
Mara drank in the scene with vague detachment, as if this simply made sense in the grand war the Empire was waging against the Rebels. Even women and children were targets. That was the cost of war.
Mara moved out of the room and made her way to the hangar, which presented the same scene as earlier. Bodies were being piled up in a corner; there did not appear to be any prisoners. Actually, that was not entirely true, there WAS one Rebel left.
An old man was kneeling on the floor, in what Mara recognized as a meditative pose. The body of a young woman lay beside him. There were two lightsabers placed in front of him.
Mara smiled devilishly and approached the old man, who was surrounded by Stormtroopers, all with their weapons trained on him. She noticed Vader standing to the side, covered in blood, but did not spare him another thought. She had no interest remembering about him.
One of the Stormtroopers approached Tarkin and Thrawn to deliver a report on the situation:
"The last of the Rebels are being routed out as we speak. We cannot yet determine how many escaped or if there is any significant intel onboard."
"I would not count on it, captain," Thrawn said dismissively, as he admired the different races of the slaughtered Rebel soldiers. He had always pitied the fact the Empire did not allow a homogeny concerning the species of its troops. "According to the transmission we intercepted, princess Leia was onboard this ship. She would not be so careless as to let valuable information fall into our hands."
"What is the story with that one?" Tarkin changed the subject, gesturing towards Rahm.
"He just laid down his weapons and has been sitting there ever since, sir," the Stormtrooper explained. "Before that, we saw him kill a Force wielding girl. We're not sure why, sir."
This last piece of information stirred Mara's curiosity. What had pushed this old Jedi to do such a thing? Thrawn, however, already knew the answer:
"It would seem that in order to spare this girl the tortures and manipulations of the Inquisitorius, he decided to end her life. How interesting… It certainly is not typical Jedi behavior."
Mara would not have phrased it quite that way, but she shared the sentiment. She too wanted to know more about this old Jedi; understand what made him tick.
She stood a couple of feet away from the old man, who kept his gaze fixed to the ground.
"Do you wish to surrender, Jedi?" she asked menacingly.
"I simply wanted to know where this inconsistency had come from," Rahm replied with a smirk. "I sensed all kinds of dark presences, but I could not find you. I was curious."
Mara did not like what he was insinuating.
"Where is Kenobi and the Rebel fleet?"
"Out of your reach," Rahm answered. "Any important people you could have captured have escaped safely, and those who could have been valuable to you are now dead. Your Emperor will not be pleased."
"SILENCE!" Mara's anger erupted like a volcano. She ignited her lightsaber and pointed it at Rahm's face. "Tell me what you know!"
"I know that there is much conflict within you. I know that you feel you a call from something bigger than you or your Emperor. You are afraid… I know someone who was like you. Someone who was corrupted by darkness but who still managed to find the light."
Rahm finally lifted his head, turning his blind eyes towards Vader, who stared back impassively. The old Jedi then stared unflinchingly at Mara and the blade she kept hovering over his head.
"Strike me down, and I will always be with you."
That sentence actually piqued Vader's interest. He stopped whipping the blood off his hands to cross them over his chest. He stood perfectly still, waiting to see what Mara did next.
"Do not patronize me, Jedi," Mara ground out, her body tense with anger. "I will torture you until you are close to death; until you beg for me to stop. I WILL find Kenobi and his insignificant apprentice."
Rahm smiled back. A genuine, destabilizing smile, followed by these simple words:
"Don't be afraid, Mara."
Those words were like a switch in Mara's mind. She gripped Rahm's shoulder with her left hand and drove her lightsaber straight through his heart. She pulled his face up to hers to stare straight into his eyes as the life drained out of them.
The smile on his lips never left his face. His eyes closed and his head tilted forward to rest against Mara's forehead. She felt the contact for several seconds before Rahm's face disappeared, as did the rest of his body. His entire body evaporated into the living Force, leaving behind his Jedi robes and two ownerless lightsabers.
"Master!"
Luke and Obi-Wan had been busy sparring when suddenly the latter dropped his lightsaber and held his head in pain. Luke caught his master as the latter stumbled slightly. He helped him over to a nearby rock as Obi-Wan stared in the distance with haggard eyes.
They had changed a lot over the past couple of months. Physically, they both looked stronger, with more defined muscles and many more defined callouses on their hands. Luke's hair had been cut short and his arms were covered in small cuts and scars. Obi-Wan's grey-white hair had grown to shoulder length, which he now kept in a braid behind his head. His beard was trimmed short but still had enough length for Obi-Wan to reflectively pass his hand through.
As Obi-Wan's heartrate progressively returned to normal, Luke was suddenly hit by a strange wave of nausea. He felt a piercing headache creep up on him, growing in intensity, before completely disappearing after a couple of seconds.
"You've sensed it too," Obi-Wan muttered. "There was a strong disturbance in the Force. Something terrible has happened."
Luke's eyes immediately widened as he understood what his master was implying. He'd gotten into the habit of referring to Obi-Wan as "master". The latter kept telling him it was not necessary but Luke had insisted; it had felt important to cement their bond and mark the return of the Jedi by calling Obi-Wan "master" and in turn, having Luke be called "padawan". While they often used these titles to address each other, it also happened that they call each other by name; whatever felt more natural in context.
"Something must have happened with the Rebel Alliance," Luke's tone sped up and rose in pitch as a wave of panic swept over him. "Han, Leia, everyone; they're in danger."
"Calm yourself, padawan," Obi-Wan rebuked firmly, rising up to his feet. "We don't know anything for now. Let's not cede to speculation and paranoia. Remember, patience, calm your senses, and meditate. Feel their presence through the Force."
Luke's initial bout of panic quickly simmered down. He nodded apologetically and kneeled down on the sand to meditate. Obi-Wan did the same, sitting right in front of him.
For several seconds, they said nothing. They both eased their breathings, communing with their surroundings; the sand beneath their feet, the twin suns beating down upon them, the howl of distant sand winds, the occasional squeal of a Womp rat…
"Now: concentrate. Feel their presence," Obi-Wan urged, as they both reached out into the Force to find the source of this disturbance. "What does it tell you?"
"I can sense Leia clearly," Luke answered slowly. "She seems… worried, but she's safe. Han is with her, Chewie as well. They're all alive."
"Good. Now, what has Leia worried?" Obi-Wan inquired further. "Trace back what happened."
Luke's brow furrowed in concentration as he delved deeper into his mediation.
"Their ship was attacked; they were boarded by the Empire… There was a battle. Many died… There was a familiar presence… Vader! He was there. But there were others with him… presences I can't quite place… Wait… there was a familiar presence… Rahm! He is still here but his Force presence is strange somehow… like he isn't entirely with us…"
"That's because I'm not." a gruff male voice spoke next to them.
Luke and Obi-Wan opened their eyes. They turned towards the voice and immediately recognized Rahm Kota, except he was glowing blue and transparent. Obi-Wan nodded his head and let out a low sigh as he and Luke stood up.
"Oh don't be so grim, Kenobi," Rahm chided with a grin. "At least I can see again."
"What happened?" Luke asked Rahm, complete disbelief in his eyes.
"They came out of nowhere. We didn't stand a chance," Rahm spoke with measured intensity. "I know that Galen and the rest of the padawans escaped safely. So did the princess. They'll be safely back with the fleet soon enough. They were looking for both of you."
Luke nodded slowly, still trying to understand what Rahm was. His Force presence was not that of a living person, but it also was not absent like a deceased one.
"Rahm, are you dead?" Luke asked bluntly.
"Yeah." he replied with equal directness.
"I thought all life was returned to the Living Force when it died?"
Obi-Wan cleared his throat softly, not satisfied he had to skip ahead in Luke's training like this, though it could not be helped at this stage.
"That is true, padawan. However, there is a way to retain one's individuality after death. Very few know it to be possible. In fact, it was only discovered shortly before the destruction of the Jedi Order. Only myself, Rahm, Qui-Gon, and master Yoda know of it."
"But this is incredible!" Luke said excitedly. "If all Jedi were to learn this technique, the Empire would no longer stand a chance."
"Easy there, kid," Rahm interrupted. "This is an incredible ability but it isn't all-powerful. I am essentially in a limbo between the Living Force and the world of the living. Meaning that I'm at risk of disappearing if I draw too much upon the Force. We also can't appear in places with a strong Dark Side presence, nor can we physically interact with your world, only through the Force."
"Not to mention that the power of this ability also lies in its anonymity," Obi-Wan continued. "For now, only the Jedi know how to manifest their consciousness after death, but could you imagine if the Emperor knew of such an ability?"
Luke did not say anything. The responsibility and weight of such an ability was beginning to dawn on him.
"I can only intervene in limited ways," Rahm said. "It may sound defeatist of me to say this but if ever all living Jedi were to be exterminated, it would fall upon US to find and train the next generation. I can't put myself at risk and jeopardizing the survival of the Jedi."
"We understand, Rahm," Obi-Wan said. Luke nodded as well. "What will you do now?"
"I'll visit Galen once he's back with the fleet," Rahm said, letting out a humorous sigh. "He'll need help, becoming the master of all those padawans…"
Obi-Wan notices how Rahm's voice faltered and his Force presence was tinged by remorse for an instant before returning to normal.
"What are you both going to do?" Rahm quickly said to cover up his pause.
"Luke is progressing well through his training," Obi-Wan said with a smile and a pat on Luke's shoulder. "I believe we are ready to leave Tattooine, especially if the Empire is looking for us."
"Where are we going?" Luke inquired.
"To your mother's homeworld: Naboo."
There we go! What did everyone think?
We're rearing up on Episode V soon… excited to write the departures from the canonical progression.
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