Shoutouts: Dearest readers, I'd like to shoutout some of "The Frozen Force's" earliest reviewers! Today, we raise our lightsabers to FanfictionReader29, Lilianne Lei, Legosforever01, oMeGa1904, and Darth Sith'ari!
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Long Live Imagination,
~ Michael
Chapter: 83 Legend of a Thousand Moons (Part II)
"Born from courage, acceptance is the key to moving forward. Not for others, but for yourself."
A perilous new quest! In an effort to track down the nefarious Revenant Cult, Jedi Master Sumar and her Padawan Tori Vica travelled to the planet Iego. With a bounty hunter serving as their guide, the Jedi searched for clues regarding cult activity in the sector. During a high-flying battle, the group was rescued by a mysterious warrior. Now Master Sumar faces a blast from her past as the young man reveals himself to be Kor Mabel: her lost apprentice...
"Hello master." Those words...those two, simple words were enough to warp Meliz Sumar back to her younger years. When she looked upon Kor Mabel, she didn't see a scruffy swashbuckler in windswept garbs. She saw the eager and charismatic boy she'd raised since he was a youngling. His bright eyes hadn't lost their spark as he continued to gaze back at her.
Meliz still didn't want to believe what she was seeing. She even considered if the transport had crashed and actually killed her. "Is-" the master stuttered. "Is it really you?"
Kor softly smiled and nodded to her. "I'm here, master. You're here."
Meliz squinted suspiciously as Kor worriedly raised a brow. Tori watched in bewilderment as her master suddenly flailed her arms. As if the two were synchronized beings, Kor proceeded to mirror her motions as they sang a silly rhyme.
"Wookie arms, Wookie arms, lots of fur...Now I'm a tooka cat hear me purr!" Meliz could hardly finish the rhyme as she leapt for joy.
She ran her frantic hands through her afro and unleashed a giddy squeal. "By the Force!" she rejoiced as tears fled her eyes. "It is you!" Tori flinched as Meliz nearly tackled her old apprentice to the ground. "Kor! My Kor!" They held each other in an endearing embrace and she hoisted him off of his feet. "I thought I'd lost you!" she yelped and spun him around.
"I thought I was lost too for some time," Kor grunted in her tight squeeze.
Tori's smile faltered as the hug never seemed to end. Still, she remained supportive and lightly clapped from the sidelines. Embo grew bored of the Jedi reunion and trudged off on his own.
"But how?" Meliz asked while setting Kor down. "How is this possible? You fell into deep space!"
"Oh I fell," Kor concurred with a nervous chuckle. "Through what felt like a realm beyond time and space." He stepped back and peered up at Iego's troubled skies. Kor sighed as he recalled the events of that fateful day. "I'd just finished making the repairs when I was blown into space. No Force pull could save me as I spiraled out of control...floating deeper and deeper into the void. Thousands of moons stretched across a seemingly endless nebula-" Kor huffed. "It was as beautiful as it was terrifying. Darkness took me as I floated through bleak isolation. Not a sound reached me beyond my own breaths. And as the nebula's pulsing waves claimed me, I caught a glimpse of something beyond it all. This bright...light of sorts, crept in betwixt the darkness. It was brighter than any star I'd ever seen and would be my last sight for quite some time."
As Kor told his tale, a similar light emanated from his ship. The group turned to see a luminous being like no other as it descended from the ramp. Shrouded only by a humble hood, this glowing entity was a sight to behold. It was as if the being was comprised of pure energy as a golden aura emanated from his pale skin. Six shimmering wings lay folded behind his back as he surveyed those before him. His eyes were like iridescent sapphires, just as many deep space pilots had described. While few knew the Diathim by their true name, those lucky enough to see them had heard the stories.
"Kor," Meliz uttered while observing the unique being. "Is that-"
Her old apprentice smiled and nodded. "I'd like you to meet Chaeli...Angel of Milius Prime."
"An Angel?" Tori whispered. "They're real?"
"As real as it gets, Pantoran." Kor nodded. "They're also the only reason that I'm even alive." He smiled softly as a new memory came upon him. "I awakened, basked in a light more soothing than any other. It was so calming as I observed the luminous group standing around me."
"We had been searching the fringes of space for our own kind," Chaeli explained. When he spoke, his gentle voice seemed to echo from all around the barren plain. "Instead, we caught a glimpse of this boy...trapped in the nebula. So we took him to our sanctuary."
"Only my recovery was not as brief as I had believed," Kor sighed. "For me, it felt like I'd merely blinked from the day I'd lost you. When in reality, I'd been in a coma for over a year."
"We believe his stasis had been caused by the mysterious fluctuations of energy in this nebula," Chaeli explained. "My people still work to understand its powers to this day."
"So you were healed back on Milius Prime?" Meliz inquired. "But I thought the Separatists sacked that planet?"
Kor hung his head and looked to Chaeli. "They did," her old student lamented. "The Diathim have been exiled from their world ever since. Under their care, I learned that a chosen few had finally found a new place to call home. But so many of Diathim still remain scattered across the stars, unaware of this new potential homeworld. Angels like Chaeli here scour the furthest reaches in search of others to bring home." The doors to the crashed transport opened and revealed a crowd of glowing, Diathim refugees. Kor flashed a blissful grin and took Meliz's hands in his. "Master, we have to help them. The light that each and every one of these Diathim possesses is beyond anything we could ever understand. They deserve to have their own world away from the chaos of this terrible galaxy."
"Always eager to lend a helping hand." Meliz sighed and shook her head. "You haven't changed a bit, Kor." Her smile faltered as another thought crossed her mind. "But why didn't you contact me? Didn't you miss me after all this time?"
Kor bit his lip and sulked. He was about to answer when a sudden clamor caught everyone's attention. Tori's head snapped toward the sound quickest and she dashed over to investigate.
Embo slammed a Revenant survivor to the ground. "Sinning filth!" the bruised human coughed as Embo tightened his grip. "I'll never talk!"
"Qwee yez il Palu Un?" the Kyuzo interrogated.
"I'll never tell you!"
"Ly Palu Un!" Embo reiterated. He stomped on the cultist's stomach and aimed his bowcaster pointblank at the man's face. "Qwee yez?"
The cultist winced and wheezed as the energized weapon heated his face. Only under the threat of certain death did his faith in his leader crumble. "Okay!" he panicked. "I'll talk! I'll kriffing talk! Just please don't shoot!"
Embo's glowing eyes narrowed as he relinquished his weapon. He dragged the cultist up by his tunic's collar. "Payrleez," Embo demanded.
The cultist gulped and spoke in a hushed, timid tone. "The Pale One is-"
Tori rounded the wreckage just in time to see Embo holding up the cultist. Battered and bruised, he whispered a piece of information to Embo. Tori approached just as the bounty hunter copied information onto a private datapad.
"What's going on?" Tori asked. Upon hearing her voice, Embo hurriedly stashed his datapad away and threw the cultist to the floor.
"Jay tro vee un seurvyvan." Embo decreed as Meliz and Kor arrived.
"He says he's found a survivor," Meliz translated.
"That much is clear," Tori whispered to herself while keeping an eye on Embo. She wondered what might've been on his datapad, but her thoughts concluded as Kor spoke up.
"Nice work big guy," he admired and loomed over the cultist. "Now we can find out what he knows."
Their target threw his hands up in surrender. "I'll say whatever you want," he uttered. "Just please don't let him touch me again!"
Embo scoffed until Kor continued. "Why did you attack this vessel?" the Jedi asked.
"We were under orders to," the cultist replied. "She told us to exterminate the false gods."
"Who is she?" Meliz asked.
The cultist's breaths slowed as he looked upon his captors. "We call her the Judge. For she has been chosen to deem all others unworthy beneath the Pale One. To exterminate the prophets...or in this case the symbols who dare oppose him. She-"
In that instant, a scarlet beam pulsed through the cultist's chest. The Jedi turned to see Embo angrily aiming his bowcaster as the man fell dead. "Ly sow vay ez fay ti."
Meliz frustratedly shook her head. "Even if his actions were savage, he was an unarmed prisoner. There was no need to end him!"
"There goes our shot at learning more on this 'Judge'." Kor grieved. "Unless-" He knelt beside the cultist's sizzling body and rummaged through his pockets. As Kor did so, Embo noticed Tori eyeing him suspiciously. Rather than avert his gaze, the Kyuzo simply leered back at her. Their intense 'stare-off' was only broken by an "Aha!" from Kor. He plucked a holocomm from the cultist's belt and pattered on its keypad. "If luck is on our side-" he began "-this device could reveal a clue."
"Here," Meliz suggested and leaned over his shoulder. "Try a cross splice. Remember that?"
"How could I forget?" Kor chuckled. "You practically invented that technique, master." As the duo laughed while dissecting the device, Tori couldn't help but feel unsettled. As if the situation with Embo wasn't odd enough, she now felt like she'd been ousted...even replaced with Kor's arrival. She shook away such deprecating thoughts by offering assistance.
"Hey!" Tori cheerfully proposed. "What if you check the holocomm's processor? Maybe you can see any calls placed in it."
Meliz winced at the Pantoran's remark. "We could," she said and tried to set her down gently. "But...the cross splice will actually cover that as well."
"Good suggestion though-" Kor paused. "Miss...um...I don't know if I got your name."
"Tori," the Pantoran murmured.
Realizing introductions hadn't been properly made, Meliz straightened her posture and said, "Kor...Tori is my-" She pursed her lips as if she was about to utter the unspeakable. "My-" While Tori understood her master's hesitation, it still didn't make her feel any better.
As he caught on to her statement, Kor placed a calming hand on Meliz's shoulder. "It's alright," he said. "It looks like we both moved on." Before Meliz could offer a rebuttal, Kor completed his cross splice. "Works like a charm," he quietly quipped. At his command, the device projected a pinkish orb with a daunting fissure running across it.
"Any idea what that is?" Meliz inquired.
"No," Kor answered. "But I know someone who might." He carried the device out of the wreckage while thinking on the cultist's words. "He said the Judge is exterminating false gods. For generations, the galaxy has often looked to the Diathim as a race of superior beings. But they are no different than we are and deserve to be left in peace. If they're being targeted for what they stand for, we must put a stop to it."
Once they returned to the Angels, Kor held the projected planet up to Chaeli. His luminous eyes observed its distinct features until he came to a conclusion. "This is Rawnde," the Angel decreed. "Another one of Iego's thousand moons."
"Accoding to our splice-" Kor began. "-whoever orchestrated this attack against your people has placed several holocalls to this moon. If we follow this projected route, we may be able to intercept this so-called Judge."
"We should regroup first and get these refugees to the sanctuary," Chaeli suggested. "We only have one working ship, and we'd be taking a great risk in traveling there with them."
Kor sighed. "I can't help but feel like we'd be taking an even greater risk by letting the Judge roam free any longer."
"We go," a younger Angel spoke up. The group turned to her as this luminous entity spoke up. "The Diathim are bonded beyond the spaces of our worlds, for our lives are not our own. What happens to one of us links us all. We fall and rise together." She lifted her wings in response as the other Angels mirrored her gesture.
"Then it's decided," Kor said. "We make for Rawnde."
As Kor's bright ship rocketed across the nebula, Tori took a moment to find Meliz. "Master," she whispered sharply. The Pantoran glanced over her shoulder to make sure Embo was nowhere near them. "Master!"
"Tori!" Meliz rejoiced from a bench in the hold. "You're just in time," she chuckled and merrily patted her old student's back. "Kor and I were just reminiscing on old times."
"I see," Tori mumbled.
"When he was just a youngling-" Meliz began. "Padawan Mabel here thought it would be a brilliant idea to try an advanced obstacle course. One that even some knights couldn't do! I warned him, but nothing would stop his persistent self."
"Now don't get me wrong," Kor snickered. "I fell square on my face, but Master Meliz and I laughed about it for a good week!"
"That's...great," Tori murmured and fidgeted with her pale purple braid. "Master," she intoned before they could revel in another story. "Can I please speak to you?"
"Of course," Meliz answered. While she leaned in to listen, she didn't leave the bench.
"Okay then," Tori groused, now forced to talk to her and Kor. "I think Embo's hiding something," she whispered. Meliz's brows furrowed as Tori carried on. "He's a ruthless bounty hunter who's probably done way worse than that sniveling cultist. I don't think he killed him out of disgust, but out of duty. He was silencing him. I saw him stashing a datapad and-"
"Tori, right?" Kor said, making sure to get her name correct. "You'd be surprised at how many bounty hunters possess an honor code. We all draw the line somewhere and what these cultists are doing is-" He shook his head. "Sickening."
"But the datapad-"
Meliz peered across the hold and noticed Embo leaning on a wall. "We'll keep an eye on him," she assured. "But as of right now, he's done nothing but help us."
The Pantoran sulked until Kor said, "So Tori...tell me about yourself. How'd you get my master's attention in your trials?"
Tori gulped. There was something about the way he said 'my master's' that threw her off. Perhaps her own doubts were weighing down on her as she struggled to find the words. When she took too long to answer, Meliz spoke up for her. "I first met Tori when she was in need of some new lightsabers," she said. "In your absence, I took up sabersmithing and started crafting all sorts of wonders."
Kor's eyes teemed with curiosity as he glanced at one of Tori's unique hilts. "May I?" he inquired.
Though hesitant at first, the Pantoran unclipped one of her guard shotos. She picked the one lacking its comet keychain and cautiously handed it to Kor. He marveled over its polished design and grinned at Meliz. Suddenly, Kor rose from the bench with an eager grin and activated the blade. He gasped at its vibrant, pulsing blue plasma and proceeded to twirl it. Tori's body stiffened with each flourish of her lightsaber. Kor expertly spun her blade, utilizing techniques she'd barely mastered or never even known. As if the sight wasn't daunting enough, Tori's heart sank when she looked at her master. Meliz was absolutely awestruck and toted a grin from ear to ear. She might've supported Tori, but she'd never looked at her the way she looked at Kor. The spark in her eyes...the blissful chuckle escaping her lips...It was enough to have Tori biting back a gasp.
While Meliz celebrated Kor's display, Tori wanted to disappear. She felt a disgusting, rising anger within her. One of which she hadn't felt since the days of the Corellian Cup. Tori never wanted to feel what Krell had tried teaching her to embrace, but it seemed so easy. The sensation of abandonment and replacement gripped at her with each passing moment. Her breaths quickened as Kor concluded his flourish and Meliz applauded.
"Astounding," Meliz lauded. "It's as if we were back in the temple. You're still a natural."
"Being a natural would only get me so far," Kor replied. "I needed the best teacher in the galaxy," he said and winked. After deactivating the lightsaber, he went to give it back to Tori. "Thanks for that," he said.
Rather than reaccept her second saber, Tori just forced a smile. "Why don't you keep it?" she blurted. "You're better with it anyway."
Kor tilted his head confusedly while Meliz quickly sensed Tori's anxiety. "Padawan?" the master queried.
"In fact-" Tori muttered. "I'm just gonna go...um...make myself useful or something."
"Wait, Tori!" Meliz beckoned, but the Pantoran had already stormed off.
The master sighed as Kor said, "I'm sorry." He handed Tori's lightsaber to her instead. "I never meant to cause a rift between you two. I also don't blame you for moving on." Meliz looked to him with curious eyes. "I assumed you would by the time I'd awakened from my coma. I couldn't just expect the galaxy to stop for me."
"Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you, Kor." Meliz assured. "But when I saw Tori...some part of me was called to help her."
"It's who we are," Kor concurred. "Helpers. Why else would I be out on this crusade to save the Diathim?"
Meliz simpered as she struggled to formulate a response. "I-...I should find Tori," she said.
"Absolutely," Kor obliged. His leniency and understanding warmed Meliz's heart as she traversed the corridors.
"Tori?" the master called. "Are you down here? Tor-" Meliz paused and observed a familiar pair of boots dangling from an upper storage shelf. "There you are," she sighed in relief and climbed up to her.
Tori sat back amidst the shadows and examined her remaining lightsaber hilt. She held it up to her face and watched the comet keychain dangle. "I remember when you gave this to me," Tori said. "You said there were dozens just like it, but that each of them had a purpose." Tori clasped the keychain and glanced over at Meliz. "Did you mean any of that?"
"Every word of it," the master intoned and sat beside her. "There has never been, nor will there ever be another Tori Vica."
"But she'll never-" Tori bit her lip. "I'll never be...as good as him, will I?"
"This is about Kor," Meliz confirmed. "Tori, Kor is my student...but so are you. And none of this would ever become a competition in my eyes."
"But how could it not be?" Tori lamented. "What have I done to even be worthy, master? Kor went on humanitarian missions with you. He's leading a crusade to save an entire race. I wasted away under Krell, failing over and over again. If anything, all I've done is hold you back."
"That is enough," Meliz suddenly asserted. She rotated to firmly grip Tori by the shoulders and said. "Now you listen to me and you listen well. Don't you sell yourself short for a second, young one." There was a ferocity in Meliz's stare as she continued. "You are Tori Vica," she affirmed. "You have survived Separatist attacks and abuses from a mentor that no one should have to endure. Your parents are alive because of your efforts against the nefarious General Grievous. As are countless attendees of the Miss Coruscant Pageant! And don't even get me started about the senators you protected. Even now, you rise against the Revenant. Tori, you are more than you say you are and no one can take those achievements away. You helped me keep believing, and now we are in the company of someone whom I never thought I'd see again." Meliz stretched out a hand and clasped the keychain before Tori's eyes. "You are more this comet today than you have ever been." As Meliz loosened her grip, she handed Tori back her second lightsaber. "And you've earned every right to carry this."
Tori took a deep breath and acknowledged the return of her weapon. "Thanks master," she said and ran her fingers along its hilt. Proximity chimes rang out, alerting those aboard that they'd reached Rawnde.
"Looks like that's our cue," Meliz jested and Tori nodded. The duo made their way to the cockpit as Kor observed monitors with Chaeli.
Her other apprentice twirled a circular switch on the dashboard and triggered a holoprojection. "A surface scan from this angle shows a compound on the moon's western hemisphere," Kor said. He slid a finger across the hologram and the daunting land formation beside it. "This colossal fissure could be problematic, so we should land further away and make the trek foot."
"Agreed," Meliz said. "Kor, you and I can scout ahead to investigate the compound. Then we can report our findings."
"Just like old times," he quipped.
"I can come too," Tori insisted.
"Someone has to stay," was all Meliz could say before Tori grew restless.
"But I'm more than just the...the shipkeeper," the Pantoran grumbled. "Don't you trust me to-"
"Padawan," Meliz intoned. "I'm asking you to stay because I trust you. I know that you are strong enough to watch over not the ship, but every Angel aboard it."
"Gee mo ku pide moye," Embo griped from behind them.
"I'm sure you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, bounty hunter." Meliz replied. "So you and Tori can look after each other." Embo glared at Tori, which initially unsettled her until he nodded subtly.
As the ship landed on the hazardous moon, Tori started internally scolding herself. Seriously? she thought. Could you only think of yourself? Your master knows what she's doing and she needs your help here. Tori glanced at the Diathim refugees and took a deep breath. Realizing that the Angels were counting on her to keep them safe, she hardened her resolve and put aside all doubt. To solidify her dutiful commitment, Tori spoke up as Meliz departed. "Master," she affirmed. "May the Force be with you."
"And with you, Tori." Meliz replied while Kor nodded. Together, the duo dashed off the ramp and began a perilous trek across Rawnde's jagged surface. Their boots kicked up powdery terrain as they followed the cross-spliced coordinates. Thunder boomed overhead, yet no storm followed. The bizarre, darkened skies shrouded Kor and Meliz. Their swift silhouettes darted across the expansive terrain as they used the mountains to screen their movements. An engine's whir had them halting as they ascended a nearby cliffside.
"There," Kor alerted as they dropped to observe. A walled off compound had been established alongside the ravine. Masked and hooded individuals patrolled its outskirts with heavy assault blasters.
"It's the Revenant alright," Meliz confirmed. "The insurgents who attacked Senator Amidala's delegation were in similar attire."
"What's our plan of attack?" Kor asked. "Are we feeling a-" He proceeded to utilize a series of unique, yet dated hand gestures. His signaling concluded as he flicked his ear.
"No no," Meliz denied. "Too many guards for that. But what about a-" She rolled her index fingers and exaggerated a head tilt.
"Classic!" Kor lauded. "Just like our mission to Yavin IV."
"I'm just glad you remember," Meliz teased as the duo got into position. Together, they rolled down a dusty incline and split off at ground level. Keeping to the patchy shadows above them, they stealthily approached the compound. By the time the first cultist caught wind of a possible intruder, Kor's arm was already pulling him into a sleeper hold. He'd nearly finished taking him down when another gunman stepped over to investigate. He was about to raise his gun when an unseen force propelled the weapon even higher. Its barrel clanged against his face and knocked him out. Meliz emerged from the shadows with a raised hand.
"Not bad," Kor whispered while dragging his foe into the shadows. "A little rusty. But not bad."
Meliz rolled her eyes at him and proceeded to the wall. "Together now," she whispered as they Force-jumped to its edge. Meliz and Kor nimbly snatched the wall's edges and shimmied their way across to an unguarded access point. They waited for a cloud to drift overhead and then ascended under its cover. The Jedi slid down into the compound's central ground until a bizarre sparking sounded. Their bodies stiffened as a pale energy field swirled around them.
"What the?" Kor uttered.
Meliz squinted and observed something else amidst the darkness. A series of narrow emitters jutted from the back end of the wall and projected their dreadful entrapment. "Ray shields," Meliz deduced. Their trap's ominous buzzing was accompanied only by a series of prominent cackles.
Spotlights shined down on them as Revenant cultists gathered around. "Well well," a voice jested. "Look what I've caught in my web." Kor and Meliz watched as a woman stepped into view. She had enough influence to part an entire sea of cultists and have them bowing their heads in respect. Robes as white as snow swayed in the blustery winds. Her skin was such a sickly white, that it almost looked like it was part of her attire. Her hair cascaded in light brown tresses, only to curl upwards like hands desperate for salvation. Her eyes were as dark as the mysterious clouds above her and twice as ominous. The kind to pass dictation over all in the name of her cult...and earn her the title of Judge. "Jedi heretics," she hissed. Wires fizzled when she clenched her fists, revealing that both of her hands were cybernetic. "Just as the Pale One predicted. Just as I predicted. For we are one in the same."
"Please tell me you don't actually believe in all of that," Kor groaned only to jump to his point. "Your terrorism against the Diathim has come to an end."
The Judge humored him with a faint smile. "Our duty only concludes when the last false god has been purged," she answered. "But a lost soul such as yourself could never understand...Guardian." Kor raised a perplexed brow. "Oh yes," the Judge assured. "We've heard a great deal about you, Angel Guardian. The Jedi who's chosen to ally himself with these miserable creatures." Her steel digits clacked as she gestured to a reinforced cage behind her. Despite its ominous construction, the cage's bars were set aglow by the luminous Diathim trapped inside. The horrid sight made Kor want to hopelessly charge at the ray shield. "It hasn't been easy," the Judge confessed. "Restraining myself from atoning this falsified filth. But I needed them for bait, knowing they'd draw in the 'great protector' himself. Although, this second sinner is a bonus."
Kor angrily stepped in front of his master. "You won't dare to even touch her!" he growled protectively. "You'll have to-"
"Kill you?" the Judge interjected. "That's the idea. But let's make sure we've rounded up all of your friends first." Kor and Meliz's eyes widened as the Judge chuckled. "Cross splices can work both ways, you fools. We've been tracking you from the moment you hacked into one of our devices." She strutted up to the trap and slowly leaned in. "It's only a matter of time before the rest of my people find your ship and exterminate your pathetic refugees. Thank you for bringing them to us." Enraged by the Judge's words, Kor lunged at her. Meliz tried to hold him back, but he still angrily slammed a fist against the ray shield and winced in response. He dropped to his knees and clutched his stinging knuckles. Meliz wrapped her arms around him and tenderly rubbed his back. Rejoicing in their despair, the Judge chuckled and walked away. A chime came to her comlink and she swiftly answered.
"We've found the ship," a cultist said.
A devilish smirk crept across the Judge's thin lips. "Destroy it," she commanded. "Atone all aboard."
Tori nervously paced across Kor's flight deck. "I feel like we should've heard back from them by now," she mumbled. Her gaze listed towards an adolescent Angel, whose curious eyes remained fixated on her. Determined not to make the youth worry, Tori forced a smile. "I'm sure it's fine," she assured the Angel. "Everything's perfectly f-" In that instant, the ship's hull endured a heavy laser barrage. Many Angels lost their footing as Tori stumbled back. "Now what?" she groaned.
Embo rounded the corridor and flourished his bowcaster. "Nowz soo mizen dyfycolto," he warned.
"I'm gonna pretend I know what that means," Tori griped while unclipping her lightsabers. "Nothing good I presume."
"Light those sinners up!" a cultist decreed as he and his brethren opened fire. Their heavy blaster bolts sprayed across the ship's underbelly and sent mist spewing outward. He threw up a fist when the ventral hatch seemingly collapsed. "Hold!" he commanded. The cultists let their weapons cool down as the ramp clanged in silence. Their stomachs dropped when a pair of revolving, blue lightsabers ignited through the smoke. Tori disembarked and boldly assumed a Form III stance. "Slaughter her!" the cultist demanded as his group fired again.
Utilizing Soresu, Tori spun her sabers to block laserfire from all sides. Once she'd gotten herself into a rhythm, she sent several blasts back into her attackers. Gunmen dropped while others tried to flank Tori from the opposite end. Their efforts were short-lived as Embo sprung from the ramp. He flung his hat and sent it clanging into multiple foes.
The group's leader snarled as his fellow cultists fell. Determined to take Tori down, he waited for her to turn and then flung a flash grenade. The ensuing blast was as deafening as it was blinding. Even as Embo continued to battle cultists, Tori fought to maintain her vision. The grenade's effects kept her disoriented as the cult commander closed in. With squinted and reddened eyes, Tori wildly swung her saber at incoming silhouettes. Everything looked like a figure to her, for the flashbang had struck her in extremely close proximity. The commander dodged her blind strike and forced her into a headlock.
Embo finished dropkicking a foe when the group's commander called to him. "Kyuzo!" the cultist barked. Embo immediately spun with his bowcaster at the ready. His yellow eyes narrowed as he observed the hostage situation. The cultist aimed a pistol at] Tori's head and said, "Drop the sabers...Now!" Still working through her disorientation, the Pantoran frustratedly obliged. Her guard shotos plummeted to the ground as the cultist focused on Embo. "Now you!" he scolded. "Lower your bowcaster, or she dies." Embo didn't waver and only steadied his weapon. Tori's eyesight and hearing fully returned as she looked at the bounty hunter. "You don't want to test the Revenant," he growled and pressed the pistol against her temple. Sweat trickled from his brow as Embo refused to yield. "You've got to the count of three to drop your weapon!"
"Please tell me you've got him," Tori uttered in her captor's grasp.
"Ja lei," Embo calmly answered.
Impatient and on edge, the cultist looked as though he'd fire. "One-" he counted.
The cultist couldn't even blink before Embo pulled his own trigger. A steaming, scarlet blast zipped from his bowcaster and struck the foe directly in his head. "Du," Embo quipped and concluded the man's count.
Tori caught her breath and called her sabers back to her with the Force. "Thanks," she sighed as they stood over the defeated cult members. "Damn...Nice shot." Embo didn't utter a word and instead boarded the ship. "Right then," Tori huffed. "Well it's safe to say that something happened to the others now," she groaned.
Kor's chilling, blank stare left Meliz with an unsettling feeling. He just knelt against the ground, astonished and shaking his head. "I-...I'm sorry," he whispered while rubbing his reddened knuckles. "I never meant to put anyone in more danger. I just thought we could put a stop to this right here and now."
Meliz smiled sympathetically. "You've always been persistent, Kor, and I don't think that'll ever change. It's one of the qualities that I admire most about you." He slightly glanced up at her as she squeezed his shoulder. "But even in your most hopeless circumstances, you can't lose sight of what's most important." The master brought herself closer and affirmed, "You are alive. Despite every odd that's been pitted against you, you're still here taking another breath. And so long as there is life, there is hope. Seeing you still here is enough to keep me going, so don't quit on me just yet."
He softly smiled back at her until the Judge's growl caught their attention. "Pakroto," she called into her comlink. "Respond. Pakroto! Come in!"
"Looks like Tori might've given the Revenant a run for their credits," Kor teased. The thought combined with Meliz's words was enough to spark hope within him. His eyes darted to all corners beyond the ray shield. "There must be some kinda way outta here," said the Padawan to the master.
Meliz raised a brow as she observed the ray shield's multiple projectors. "Those prongs," she whispered. "If we concentrate enough of our Force power, we could cause them to short-circuit."
"Worth a shot," Kor quipped. "I'm with you, master." Meliz joined Kor on his knees. Together, they took slow and steady breaths as several gunmen peered over. Bonded through the living Force and their shared bond, the Jedi concentrated on the mechanism above them. Its ensuing rattle prompted several cultists to look up.
"Ma'am," one of them fretted.
"Not now," the Judge scoffed and tried recontacting her team.
The projectors trembled and squeaked as bolts started to unscrew. Wiring crackled and a component unit pulsed. "Ma'am!" the same cultist panicked.
"What?" the Judge finally snapped. Her dark eyes widened as she turned to see the projectors short-circuiting. Static bursts ignited and the component unit exploded. As the ray shield container malfunctioned, it sent a scorching discharge spiraling outward. This blast of energy struck any nearby cultist and knocked them off of their feet.
The Judge staggered back and furiously gritted her teeth as a pair of blue lightsabers ignited. "By the might of the Jedi Order," Kor said and flourished his blade.
"By the will of the Force," Meliz added and took up a defensive stance.
"This is your end!" Kor declared.
Captive Angels cheered as the surviving cultists charged. Meliz and Kor instantly went on the defensive, batting away bolts as a synchronized unit. It was as if the two were performing a deadly dance. They weaved between laserfire before lunging forward. Master and apprentice traded off saber swings, each taking down a foe with expert precision. But despite their noble efforts, more cultists were forming up on the compound's walls. The Judge toted a toothy grin and prepared to witness a slaughter. Her smile hurriedly faded as a peculiar roar echoed among the clouds. Unlike the thunder, this explosive reverberation heralded Kor's ship.
With Embo at the controls, the ship soared dangerously low and knocked cultists off of the walls. Once overhead, Embo lowered the ramp so Tori could leap into action. The Pantoran was truly a sight to behold as a glowing assortment of Diathim fighters descended behind her. The Angels' wings gleamed beside her as they soared into battle. Wielding weapons scavenged from defeated cultists, they quickly turned the tide of battle and scattered the Judge's forces.
As chaos continued to erupt, the Judge made her way to the Angel cages. "You only delay the inevitable," she panted and unclipped a thermal detonator. The Diathim inside gasped and panicked as she primed the grenade. "I'll atone them myself!" Its ominous ticking filled the air as she flung it towards the cage.
"No!" Kor shouted, unable to reach the grenade from his side of the battle. To both his and the Judge's shock, Tori leapt down and Force-pushed the grenade away just in time. The explosive orb spiraled into the sky before igniting overhead. Meliz beamed with pride as Tori nodded to them.
"You think you've saved them?" the Judge growled. "This is just the beginning! None of you will survive what's to come!" Suddenly, she flicked both mechanical wrists forward and ejected a pair of vibro-knives. With an animalistic screech, she charged Tori head on. While Tori had the upper hand with longer blades, the knives benefitted the Judge's agility. Tori's foe weaved beneath her lightsabers and lunged for her chest. If it wasn't for Tori's quick slide, the Judge would've swiftly impaled her heart.
"Come on, Jedi!" the Judge hissed. "Is that all you have?"
Tori had underestimated her opponent with such small melee weapons. She set her guard shotos to spin rapidly, but the Judge exploited her maneuver. She rolled beneath Tori's swings and slashed across her left bicep. Smoke sizzled from her singed flesh as several blood droplets trickled against the ground. In Tori's moment of weakness, the Judge kicked one of the lightsabers out of her hand.
Forced on the defensive with one lightsaber, Tori endured a surprising barrage of wild attacks from the Judge. Her frantic knife jabs were hardly visible in the dark and had Tori's heart racing. For in those moments...the scenario was all too familiar.
In the final duel of the Corellian Cup, Tori had been cornered by Anna with only one lightsaber left.
"Vica's defense is faltering," one of the announcers had commented.
Tori's knees began to wobble as the Judge slashed downward. The mighty strike forced a clash between their blades and Tori caught a glimpse of the battle around her. Time seemed to slow as all became a blur. Exhaustion was setting in, but something was different this time. When Anna had dueled her on Corellia, she'd looked to Master Krell for guidance. But by that point, he'd crushed her morale by abandoning her mid-fight. She still remembered watching his towering silhouette exiting the stands.
"Tori!" a voice called, snapping her out of such a memory. For there stood Master Meliz, battling alongside Kor and the Angels. "Don't give up!" she shouted with all of the valiance in her heart. "Get her, Tori! Show her what you can do!"
"Come on, Tori!" Kor added alongside Meliz.
And in those moments, their mere words of encouragement were enough to ignite an almighty flame. This burning strength incinerated any remaining memories of Krell and had Tori's nostrils flaring. The Pantoran's forearms flexed as she boldly and proudly pushed upward. The Judge's angered visage turned to worry as Tori slowly overpowered her. There was a never-before-seen intensity in the Pantoran's golden glare, one of which struck fear in the Judge's eyes. With a mighty swing of her lightsaber, Tori smacked one of the Judge's knives away. Their blades locked twice more before Tori rolled forward and delivered a fearsome flourish.
Plasma hissed and the Judge gasped as Tori swung her saber upward. The cultist's remaining knife clanged to the floor before her hateful body joined it. The Judge glared at her twitching, cybernetic hands. "He...promised me salvation," she croaked. "Said I could change the galaxy."
"Who is the Pale One?" Tori asked.
Before the Judge could answer, she succumbed to her saber wound and exhaled for the last time. Tori stood over her fallen foe, victorious and reinvigorated. She never needed some Corellian Cup trophy to prove her worth...for she knew who she was.
The Judge's demise sparked a variety of reactions from her underlings. While some devout cultists fought to the death, others dropped their weapons and fled in all directions. Their sporadic responses had Meliz squinting with intrigue. "What do you see?" Kor inquired.
"I see an assortment of rabble," the master concluded. "Insurgents of various backgrounds who aren't necessarily sure what it is that they've signed up for." Meliz's gaze shifted to the Angels as their kin freed them. "I see a people who have been given a second chance at life...and a young Jedi rising to meet her trials." He and Meliz watched as a confident Tori guided Diathim out of imprisonment and regrouped with the others.
As the Angels rejoiced, Chaeli raised his glowing palms for all to see. "Let us give thanks to the Jedi," he declared. "The guardians of these thousand moons!" At Chaeli's command the Jedi watched as he and his fellow Angels extended their wings. With blissful smiles and hopeful hearts, their wings shimmered like bright stars in the night.
Caring little for such fanfare, Embo kept his head down and searched for a Revenant ship to steal. As Tori observed the bright spectacle beside her fellow Jedi, she felt her heart swell with pride. If she cared to imagine brilliant adventures when she felt aimless in the temple, this would be one of them.
"The sanctuary awaits," Chaeli told Kor. "I think we've all been away from home long enough, wouldn't you say?"
Meliz's smile faltered at the Angel's words, for she knew Kor's mission wasn't finished. "There are so many Diathim still lost throughout the stars," her old apprentice said. "They need help, master...Our help." Tori and Meliz exchanged curious looks as Kor continued. "There is a world beyond Iego's nebula. A better world unlike anything you've ever seen. I almost didn't believe it was real when I first woke up." When Kor spoke of such a place, he did so with wide-eyed wonder. "There is something spiritually strong within this new Diathim homeworld and it's worth fighting for. Worth saving every last Angel to get them there." He energetically extended his hands to both Tori and Meliz. "Come with me," he urged. "I know it's all so sudden and I'm asking a lot of you...but surely you can see how special these beings are! We can be their guardians together."
"And our sanctuary shall always be open to you," Chaeli assured.
While Tori was ready to gently decline Kor's offer, she sensed an uneasiness in Meliz. She also didn't have to be a Force empath like her master to see the struggle written all over her face. Kor watched with concerned, innocent eyes as the often concise master swallowed hard. "Padawan," she murmured. "Kor," she clarified. Meliz's eyes darted between him and Tori as if a rift had formed between them all. She stood at a crossroads and bit back multiple, potential statements. When her lips finally parted, Tori's words would arrive first.
"Master," the Pantoran said with true and utter conviction. It was that intonement that had Meliz gasping as she looked at Tori. "Go."
"Wh-...what?" Meliz stammered.
Tori smiled softly. "Don't you see? You've been telling me to trust in the Force and to seek comfort in it. Yet now, here it is calling for you to trust it. The Force guided you back to Kor. It brought you two together again and he's going to a place that you can follow. On the way to Iego, we talked about the politics of it all. How the Republic has been picking and choosing sides in this grandiose conflict. But out here, to save this race of Angels from destruction is a truly noble cause. Take this blessing from the Force, Master Sumar. I'll-" Tori took a deep breath and maintained her firm composure. "I'll understand."
Meliz anxiously bit her lip and shook her head. "This wouldn't be fair to you," she choked. "After everything with Krell...all you've been through. I promised myself that I'd take care of you. That I wouldn't let-"
"You have taken care of me," Tori assured. "And I will carry every strengthening memory we've shared for the rest of my life. You taught me how to stand tall, master. Not only for others, but for myself." She took a deep breath and thought back to one of their first conversations. "When you took me to see my parents, you were willing to let me leave the Order for them. You said it was 'time for me to start believing in myself.' That I got to decide what happened next and that there was nothing wrong with that."
Meliz hung her head for a moment before anxiously snapping. "Come with us," she pleaded and solidified her choice. "Leave the rest of the galaxy behind and see this new realm, Tori. The three of us can become guardians to these angels!" she cheered and took Tori's hands. Kor nodded in support until the Pantoran sighed.
"I'm sorry, master." Tori said with a kindly smile. "But I can't take this journey with you. Not just for the Jedi Order, but for my family back home. Mom...Dad-" Tori chuckled just thinking about their eccentric selves. Her brows furrowed as she came across a prominent realization. "This journey with Kor is your destiny. I still need to discover mine."
"And I know you will," Meliz whispered and caressed her student's blue cheek. "Tori Vica...Goddess' Gift...the strongest of us all."
Tori had to bite her tongue to hold back tears and instead flung herself into Meliz's arms. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said and squeezed her mentor tight.
Meliz cradled Tori's head against her palm and rested against her. Tears streamed down the master's cheeks as she whispered, "As will I, dear Padawan." She placed a noble, almost motherly kiss on Tori's forehead as they parted from their embrace.
"Thank you for everything," Tori said, still trying to keep herself together. "For showing me that there will always be a chance to help those in need." Noticing that Meliz still looked nervous about her decision to stay, Tori declared, "I'll be alright! I had you as a mentor!" She coaxed a smile out of Meliz and made her way to one of the Revenant ships. Embo had just finished tapping into its systems when Tori scaled its ramp. "Room for one more?" she quipped and he reluctantly nodded.
As Meliz waved goodbye, she suddenly heard something jingle against her belt. Raising a curious brow, she glanced down to see a particular trinket dangling from a utility clip. During their embrace, Tori had stealthily clipped her comet keychain to Meliz's belt. Tears returned to the master's eyes as she longingly clasped the little comet.
As their ship hovered over the compound, Tori leaned against the ramp and waved a final goodbye to her companions. Meliz's words echoed within as the ramp sealed beneath her.
"I don't know what your destiny is. But I believe that every day you spend walking the path of Light gives you a chance to discover it. In the end, you'll have a choice to make just as we all will. The kind of choice that will determine who you truly are. In those moments, perhaps your destiny will make a little more sense. And you'll be able to look back on all of it and say 'This, I have done'."
"This I have done," Tori said to herself as the hatch sealed and the ship rocketed off. Only when she was alone did she permit herself to truly feel her farewell. For while she'd spent time learning from Meliz, Tori still didn't often open up to just anyone. As she stood in the darkness of the ship's hull, she finally permitted her tears to flow. Heavy sniffles echoed down the corridor as she leaned against the nearest wall. Tori cupped a hand over her mouth as happiness for Meliz clashed with grief for her own loss. Tears drenched her cheeks as Tori cleansed her heart of all pain. The liberation of Krell's torment...the farewell of the greatest master she believed she'd ever know...All of it came swirling around into a mess of emotions as she let herself cry in the shadows. And yet despite her sobs, Tori smiled. She grinned because she was still standing after all she had been through. No matter what her journey had in store next, she was ready to take a stand and help those in need.
The distinct whir of traveling through hyperspace was typically relaxing. However, Embo was about to lose his temper if Tori didn't silence her handheld device. Every ding from her Tualingo software had him frustratedly clenching the ship's controls. Tori tapped at her device and kept playing the language learner. A brightly-colored convore flew onto her screen and said, "Learning Huttese! Lesson: 2!" Tori reclined in the backseat and groaned over a frustrating assignment. "Translate the following phrase!" the convore instructed.
"Cheesba hataw yuna puna?" Tori read out loud. "What the heck does that mean?"
"Translate the following phrase!" the convore cheered.
"Yeah, I heard you the first time." Tori huffed and tried to figure it out. "Cheesba...what is that? Cheese?"
"Translate the following phrase!" the convore cheered.
By the Force, Tori thought. I'm gonna murder this animated owl thing.
"Stumped?" the convore jested. "Try using our Huttese dictionary!"
"Now you tell me," Tori mumbled and glanced at the game's toolbar. She was about to tap on it when another glow caught her eye. The sudden light emanated from a satchel next to Embo's seat. Tori quietly leaned over and glimpsed a datapad tucked inside. It was the same device she'd seen Embo stashing during his sketchy interrogation with the cultist. Huttese notifications kept popping up across its screen as Tori wondered what information was present.
"Try using our Huttese diction-"
Shut up! Tori practically screamed in her head. Suddenly, a pulse-pounding idea sparked within. Her eyes darted up to Embo, who was still casually maintaining their ship's course. The fact that he was still at the controls in hyperspace told her that they'd be dropping out soon. He's hiding something on that datapad, she thought. If I'm quick enough, I might be able to find out what it is. Here goes nothing.
While keeping an eye on Embo, she discretely lifted a hand towards his bag. Her heart sank with each nervous tug of the Force as she cautiously removed the datapad. She held her breath until the thin device slid out and landed in her palm. Relief took her as Embo didn't react. You can do this, she told herself while sliding out of the seat. Just go use the refresher, translate the datapad, and put it back. I can-
"Ay reeme etri." Embo spoke coldly and Tori froze. She slowly turned as he rose to meet her.
"I'm sorry?" she inquired while tucking the datapad in her belt behind her.
"Ay reeme etri," Embo said again, this time much more sternly.
Sweat trickled from Tori's temple as she slowly backed out of the cockpit. "I-I wish I understood your language. I'm sorry I just-" Her fumbling back caused something to clatter behind her. While she feared it was the datapad, she'd accidentally dropped her Tualingo game. Embo picked it up as Tori nervously laughed it off. "Sorry about that. I've been trying to learn Huttese and-"
"Language settings!" the convore cheered as Embo typed through the options. "Text to speech!" Tori's blood ran cold as the cheery mascot's voice proved ominous for her situation. "Enter your desired phrase!" Embo typed his statement and held it up for Tori. The bounty hunter's haunting face combined with Tualingo's cheery voice made for a truly disturbing encounter. "You're dealing with things you don't understand, Jedi," the jolly translator spoke for Embo. "Now give me back the datapad or I'm going to kill you." Tori gasped until the app kept talking. "For just five credits a month, you can recieve-"
Embo crushed the device in his palm and threw it to the ground. His point still standing, he extended a hand to Tori and urged her to give him his datapad. The young Pantoran's heart raced as the Kyuzo stared her down. Tori knew she'd have to make choices, she just didn't think she'd have to be making them so soon. If she dropped her suspicions and surrendered the datapad, she'd have to trust that a hunter like Embo wouldn't kill her anyway. And if she refused...she'd be signing her death warrant. Thinking on all she'd been through, Tori made her choice.
"No," she dared to refuse and sparked up her lightsabers. "I know there's another reason Jabba sent you to Iego with us and I won't bow to your threats. The datapad stays with me," she affirmed, no matter how daunting her opponent appeared.
Accepting her decision, Embo's eyes narrowed on her. He'd offered her a chance to live and she'd foolishly rejected it. It didn't matter if she was an adolescent to him. In this killer's eyes, he believed only one person was getting off the ship alive.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading today's chapter! As always, I appreciate your love and support so very much. We've got ourselves an intense showdown in the works! Tune in next week for an action-packed installment of monumental proportions!
Long Live Imagination and May the Force be with You!
~ Michael