Siri smiled as Kastor and Allara finally pulled back from their fierce embrace, both wiping away their tears. All around the rest of the Jedi, Mandalorians, and Antarian Rangers were starting to move off, now that there was no threat. As much as Siri suspected many of them wanted to meet this woman, they knew it wasn't the time.
Allara glanced around, looking at the various Jedi, Antarian Rangers, and Mandalorians, and she frowned slightly. Siri suspected she was starting to wonder how long she'd been sealed away, since in her time the Mandalorians had no formal or informal alliance with the Jedi, and the Antarian Rangers hadn't even existed yet. It didn't help that she would not recognize any other Jedi.
"There's - there's a lot that needs to be explained," Kastor said, hesitantly, gazing at his daughter. "It's going to come as a monumental shock, but know that we're in this together . . . in nearly identical situations."
Allara swallowed nervously and nodded slowly. She took a deep breath and calmed herself slightly.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Mace interjected, and Siri was surprised to see that he did seem sorry, "but the mission isn't over. There is still much to be done, both on this planet, and elsewhere."
"Yes," Obi-Wan said regretfully. "Siri and our Padawans need to go after Zan Arbor and Teda, and hope that they'll lead us to Omega."
Allara frowned in confusion at the unfamiliar names.
"Are you prepared for departure?" Mace asked.
"We'll need your ship," Obi-Wan said, "unless Kastor can loan us the Ebon Hawk or one of his komr'ks."
"You have the Ebon Hawk?" Allara asked in shock.
"Refurbished and everything," Kastor said with a smile before it faded he turned to Obi-Wan and Mace. "With the Sith revealing themselves, you might need some help stopping whatever plot Zan Arbor and Omega are working on. The Darasuum is yours so that Mace can keep his ship. The Ebon Hawk can take Allara back to the Temple so that she can get rehabilitated."
"No," Allara said, quickly. "Clearly circumstances are not what I expected, but I'm still a Jedi. If there is some threat out there, especially one involving the Sith, then I should go along. Dad, you and this team can help fill me in while we're on the journey."
Kastor, Siri, and Obi-Wan all exchanged concerned looks.
"I'm not sure that's the best idea, Allara," Kastor said softly.
"Well, you just said we were in this together," Allara said, crossing her arms, a slight smirk appearing on her face. "You just said that we are in nearly identical circumstances, which means that you might be one of the only people that can truly help me acclimate, so if you have a job to do, then it only makes sense that I should come with you as well. Might as well hit the ground running."
Kastor groaned. "You are your mother's daughter."
"Yeah, she said you never won arguments against her either," Allara agreed with a grin. "However, she always said my stubbornness came from you."
"Yeah, I believe that," Obi-Wan, Siri, Fay, Adi, and Taria all muttered within seconds of each other, and Kastor scowled petulantly at them, getting grins in return.
Siri saw Allara's eyes wandering to each of them, seemingly studying them all with interest.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Mace said with a frown.
"That's been the general trend with most of our plans recently," Siri said dryly with a sigh, and Kastor chuckled, but sent her a thankful look.
"Kastor's guidance and experience would be appreciated," Obi-Wan admitted, and Siri knew he was thinking of the problems that had occurred on Romin.
Mace continued to frown, but finally nodded his approval.
"I still don't believe this is a great idea, but there's too much that needs done and perhaps Master Shan can keep her father and you lot in line where the rest of us have failed," Mace said, a hint of humor in his tone. "The rest of us will stabilize this situation and then Knights Draydon and Akial, and Master Gallia will brief those at the Temple of the encounter on Chandrila."
"Chandrila?" Allara asked, with a frown.
"It's where we recovered you," Kastor said. "I'll explain once we get under way . . . there's a lot to talk about before we get there."
Allara nodded in understanding.
"May the Force be with you all," Mace said, and they all returned the phrase to him before he turned to move off towards his ship, with Talon and Akial following, both of which waved or nodded their goodbyes to Kastor.
Adi moved up to them.
"I'm afraid this is where we part ways," she said simply, but Siri could feel her slight sadness at that.
"Enjoy your time at the temple, mom," Siri said, hugging her old master, and Adi chuckled lightly.
"Watch yourself and the others, Siri," Adi said quietly, and Siri nodded.
"Don't worry, my friend," Kastor said, moving forward and claiming a hug from Adi as well. "I'll watch over the kids."
"Hmm, I suspect they'll watch over you," Adi remarked, and Kastor grinned.
"Obi-Wan, try to survive Siri's antics," Adi said dryly.
Obi-Wan smiled at her. "I will do my best, Adi, but you know how she is."
Adi chuckled again before she finally turned to Allara.
"I'm sorry that I won't get to know you properly right now, but eventually your father will get over his wanderlust and return you to the Temple, and then I look forward to getting to know you. Enjoy getting to know Kastor . . . and please watch out for him and yourself. He gets himself into trouble far too often, something I suspect you share with him."
Allara smiled wide and nodded.
"I look forward to that day, Adi," Allara said, and Adi smiled before she went to join Mace.
Siri and Obi-Wan exchanged hugs with Garen and Bant, and Bant hugged Kastor before they both exchanged words with Allara, also expressing interest in getting to know her when they next met before they followed Adi.
That just left Kastor, Allara, Siri, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ferus, Taria, Fay, Rhys, Asuna, and Koba still around them.
"Allara, I'll show you to your room and we can talk," Kastor said, "but some quick introductions. This is Master Fay, Knight Siri Tachi, Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Knight Taria Damsin. Next to Siri is her Padawan, Ferus Olin, and next to Obi-Wan is his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. The pilot with the devious expression is Rhys Dallows, an Antarian Ranger assigned to me and my right hand. When I'm in trouble, it's usually his fault."
Rhys snorted at that, shaking his head in disagreement.
"Lastly are the two scary Mandalorians, though this ship is full of them. Asuna Lok keeps Rhys in line and is the captain of this ship. Koba is our weapons specialist and usually fills in the part of my enforcer for undercover operations."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Allara said, with a respectful bow. "I'm sure we will get to know each other well during this mission and after."
"Alright everyone," Kastor said. "I'll get Allara situated, and we'll reconvene in a couple hours."
Siri along with everyone else gave him their nods of agreement, but Obi-Wan and she both moved up to Kastor as soon as everyone else started to separate.
"We figured you might want both of these," Obi-Wan said, pulling out Elena Shan's holocron, and Siri pulled out Revan's.
Kastor looked at Elena's and nodded slowly before he took both.
"Thank you," Kastor said.
"Of course," they both replied, and Siri noticed Allara watching the two of them with interest.
Siri smiled at the Jedi, a bit nervous about meeting her. She wanted to meet Kastor's biological daughter, of course, but she wondered what Allara would think of Kastor's own bonds with her, with Rhys, with Fay, and with Obi-Wan and Taria. Allara was not some child who needed to be shielded, but she was still a woman who'd grown up with bonds to her family but had never met her father because he had been presumed dead. She would now learn that she was almost three and a half thousand years in the future, and that all her friends and the family she had had, in the form of her mother, her aunt, and her cousin, were gone. Like Kastor, she would have to adjust to that, and unlike Kastor, she would have to adjust to having one person from her past, the father she likely always wanted to know, but he was still someone who did move on and found a new family. She was a Jedi, and that would help with keeping things professional regardless of opinions, but she knew it would break Kastor's heart if his daughter wanted to avoid him because she didn't approve of his new relationship with Fay or his pseudo adoptive kids like her, Rhys, and even Obi-Wan and Taria.
She just had to hope that everything would be okay and that she'd just found a new friend and "sibling" to help tease Kastor with.
Siri watched as Kastor and Allara walked off, and then she focused back on the rest of the group.
"I hope Allara adapts well, both to her new circumstances and to her father's new life," Rhys said. "It'll kill Kas if she doesn't."
"She will," Fay said confidently. "She's got the strength of both her parents, and Kastor will fight to bring her into his life and keep her there."
"We'll let Kastor get Allara situated," Obi-Wan said. "Our focus should be on Zan Arbor, Teda, and hopefully Omega."
"Would be nice to finally lock up or punch the ticket on that piece of bantha fodder," Asuna said.
"Well, let's get the tracker up to the command deck so we can get the Darasuum underway then," Obi-Wan said. "I suspect we've got a long journey ahead of us."
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor was enjoying the silence and comfort from just being in Allara's present as they made their way to the living quarters. Kastor was going to set her up in the room next to his. It used to belong to Fay, but had long since been transitioned for visiting Jedi teams, since she now slept in his room.
"What type of ship is this?" Allara asked.
"A modified Arquitens Heavy Frigate," Kastor said, and Allara frowned slightly.
"Never heard of that one," she said. "Also, when did we make a truce with Mandalore?"
Kastor sighed.
"Not during your or my time, my daughter," he said quietly, as he guided her into his quarters.
"Very Jedi," she said, with a slight smile, but he could sense that his words had alarmed her.
"This and my cabin on the Ebon Hawk are home," he said with a shrug, but he returned the smile. "I'm not at the Temple all that often, but I do have a nice room there as well."
His quarters were rather decent sized, but that had been part of Asuna, Rhys, and Des's plans. His room was technically designed for two, but instead he had a bigger bed, and space for a desk, a small heater to make tea or caf, and a small table with two chairs. They had figured that for single crew members, they could either bunk two to a room if needed, or if there were couples, the couple would share and have a bit more for their off time. He had to admit that their foresight had paid off immensely.
Allara settled into one of the chairs while Kastor brewed some tea for them. She looked around, smiling slightly. He guessed quarters like this were familiar to her and helped to provide some type of grounding. It was only a couple moments before he was giving her a cup, which she gratefully took and quickly took a sip, seeming to savor the slightly sweet tea.
"So, is this where we address the krayt dragon in the room?" Allara asked.
"Just like your mother," Kastor said with a soft smile. "Always ready to get to the point."
Kastor sighed.
"You've been in stasis for a long time, Allara . . . a really long time. Just as I was. Obi-Wan, his master, Siri, and Adi, who was Siri's master, found me about ten years ago now. At that time . . . it had been 3,600 years since I'd gone into stasis."
Kastor felt the Force swirl and Allara's hands trembled, and he looked at the shock flit across her face, and his sorrow met hers. He reached over and gently grabbed her hands.
"T-that long," she gasped out, and Kastor nodded sadly.
"I found out by accidentally grabbing onto Obi-Wan and Siri and it put me into a coma for days while my mind processed what had happened, but even then I couldn't comprehend how long I'd been out until the High Council told me."
"So . . . mom's gone . . . Aunt Satele . . . Theron . . . gone."
"Yes, they are," Kastor agreed, before he set out Elena's holocron. "However, your mother was too brilliant to be forgotten."
He activated the holocron and Elena appeared and Allara drank in the sight of her mother.
"Kastor?" Elena said, before she focused on Allara and the holocron's avatar took a pause. "My beautiful daughter . . . you live."
"Mom . . . I'm so sorry," Allara said, a bit tearfully.
"No, I'm just happy to see you alive, and to know that you can know your wonderful father and that he can look after you now," Elena said, emotion coloring her voice.
"We recovered her in an oubliette on Chandrila," Kastor said.
"At her memorial?" Elena asked, seeming slightly agitated.
"Yes. We ran into some old friends that somehow also were preserved into this new era, and we interrupted them as they were trying to take the casket."
"Who?" Elena and Allara both asked.
"Malgus and Nox," Kastor said.
"E chu ta!" Allara said, standing up forcefully. "How the hell did those two end up here?"
"I have no concrete facts for either," Kastor said with a shrug. "We found intelligence that suggested Nox disappeared while looking for the mask of Nihilus, and he was wearing it when we ran into him. My theory would be that the mask put him in some sort of stasis and sustained him, but I have no proof. Malgus . . . I have no idea where Malgus came from. Omega was looking for a group of carbonite frozen Sith . . . perhaps Malgus was there."
Kastor looked at Allara.
"There's that name again. Omega," Allara said.
"A very dangerous foe, and one we'll talk about," Kastor agreed, "but first, I was hoping to hear what happened to you before I start bringing you up to date."
Allara scowled.
"Malgus got the better of me, but he didn't want me dead . . . or at least he didn't before he had a chance to turn me. He had me imprisoned temporarily, but thanks to mom and aunt Satele," Allara smiled at Elena, "Malgus's territory was being pushed and around that time, he was also being hunted by those of the old Sith Empire who didn't see him as the new emperor and those of the Eternal Empire, so he had to keep moving me, and he also didn't have the time to deal with me."
Allara frowned.
"I was getting close to escaping . . . I'd had three failed attempts already. So, he decided he needed to contain me until he could deal with me. He put me in that casket, and well I don't know anything after that."
"I would bet that he infiltrated Chandrila and hid you under your memorial because he knew nobody would look there, and it also served to fuel his ego for infiltrating one of our worlds . . . and the world you once repelled him from," Kastor said. "An added benefit was that when Jedi felt like they sensed your presence at the memorial, they just assumed it was the Force providing some comfort . . . not your actual presence."
"He's smart . . . a bastard, but smart," Allara said with a huff.
Kastor and Elena both chuckled.
"You still have a mouth on you, Lara," Elena said fondly. "Satele and I missed that . . . your colorful commentary when facing terrible odds."
"Well, I'm sorry I let that bastard get the better of me," Allara grumbled.
"He's gotten the better of many Jedi, love," Kastor said. "Nearly got the better of me the same day I found you. Adi saved my life."
"Besides, if he didn't, you'd have never met your father," Elena said, "and I always wanted you to meet your father."
"I did too . . . but I didn't want to leave you alone to do it, mom," Allara said quietly.
"Oh, honey, I wasn't alone," Elena said. "I still had Satele and occasionally Theron . . . and it was only a few years after that when I gave my life so others could get away."
Allara looked at her mother sadly and Elena shrugged.
"I had thirty-two wonderful years with you, love, and I was already in my forties when I had you," Elena said. "I wasn't getting any younger, and you know I was never one to sit quietly at the Temple and fade into retirement. My time was going to come, one way or another. I went out protecting the innocent, and I wouldn't regret that, even if you had still been with me, just as I know you didn't regret facing Malgus to let others get away, even though he bested you. Now, it's time for you to get to know your father and those that have become very dear to him since he was faced with similar situations, and while I may not be alive, I am still here to provide guidance and to listen to you if you need me . . . or at least I will be once I'm done helping Obi-Wan. I feel I should return to him for a bit more time."
Allara grinned and chuckled a bit wobbly.
"So, even as a holocron you have pet projects. This Obi-Wan must be pretty special."
Elena chuckled.
"He's my second pet project. I already taught everything I could to Siri, and yes, both of them are very special and both are very special to Kastor, though I'll let him discuss that with you. Them and a few others."
"I think I got a good look at most of who you were talking about," Allara said softly. "Siri Tachi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Fay, Taria Damsin, Rhys Dallows, Asuna Lok, Adi Gallia, and I would also hazard a guess, Anakin Skywalker and Ferus Olin, if dad is anything like what you said he was like."
Elena chuckled.
"He has a few other good friends, but you did get the core ones."
"You like them all, mom?" Allara asked.
"Very much so," Elena said.
"Then, I'm sure I'll love them."
"You will," Elena said confidently, "but for now, I should let you catch up together . . . and I'm sure your father has Satele's holocron and Revan's to also speak to you."
"You have Aunt Satele's holocron and Revan's?" Allara exclaimed in delight.
"I do," Kastor said. "I'm sure your aunt would love to talk to you, and our ancestor will be quite eager to meet you . . . or the avatar will be happy to meet you since you met the real Revan in person, something we share in common."
"Yes, I would love to speak to them both," Allara said, "but first I'd like to hear about your life since you were found."
Kastor nodded with a smile.
"I'll tell you everything, and then I want to hear about your life. The archives told me much, but I want to know you and hear your stories in person."
**The Will of the Force**
Siri and Obi-Wan were sitting down in the dining hall for dinner, enjoying some light conversation, but mostly just enjoying some alone time together after their rather disastrous mission.
Their attention was grabbed when Allara walked into the room, looking around with interest. She noticed them and nodded before she moved over to grab some food and a drink before she made her way over to them.
"May I join you?" she asked politely.
"Of course," Obi-Wan said, gesturing for her to take a seat, and she shot him a light smile.
She took a seat and her gaze went to Siri first, and Siri felt her guard rise slightly, though she wasn't sure why. Allara's smile faded.
"So, you're the one who plays at being my sister," she said impassively.
Siri's eyes widened in surprise and she felt Obi-Wan's surprise match hers, though with his was a level of irritation directed at Kastor's daughter, and a hint of protectiveness towards Siri.
"What do you mean?" Siri asked.
"You went undercover, and you've kept calling him dad ever since as a joke," Allara said, and Siri felt taken aback, not having foreseen this type of interaction with Allara.
While there was a little truth in Allara's words, since Siri had often called him dad in a teasing manner, she'd always considered it more than just teasing, and she knew he felt the same way. Part of her was feeling a bit disheartened that Kastor's actual daughter seemed to be dismissive of her . . . but the rest of her wasn't ready to give up her bond to Kastor without a fight.
Her eyes narrowed.
"My bond to Kastor isn't a joke," Siri said stonily. "He's been my mentor, my friend, my guardian, my savior, and he is the closest thing to a father I have ever had. He is the reason for most of the best things in my life and I love him very much."
Allara eyed her and then smiled warmly.
"Sorry, sister," Allara said. "I never got to know my dad, so I wanted to see if you truly valued that bond, and clearly you do. My mom also spoke very highly of you, so I just wanted to see if you had some bite."
Siri gazed at her and started laughing as Obi-Wan sighed.
"You're as insane as your father."
"Our father," Allara said, smiling wide. "I always wanted siblings, but mom was way too picky with guys . . . and stubborn. Now, it's time for me to interrogate Kenobi here."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan said dryly.
"Yes, I have to figure out if you're good enough for my new sister, of course," Allara said, mock pompously.
Siri snorted as Obi-Wan grinned.
"If your father told you any stories about Siri here, then you know I'm the saint and you should pity me."
Allara grinned as Siri's jaw dropped in mock offense.
"That is actually the conclusion that I reached, though dad did mention that you both were being punished by your Padawans for all your faults . . . mainly to do with your attempts at undercover work."
Siri and Obi-Wan both chuckled at that.
"I told you that Kas would never forgive us for when we went undercover as 'king and queen' to that school let alone this latest mission," Siri said.
"And you were right, love," Obi-Wan agreed, and Allara smiled.
"Dad was telling me about some of the changes he's helped bring about to the Order, and I can only say we're four thousand years past when it should have happened," Allara said. "Still, I'm happy to see that he managed to help some like you . . . and of course I'm frankly flabbergasted at how he managed to bring the Order and the Mandalorian people together."
"You should have seen him actually doing it," Siri said in agreement. "He spearheaded the whole mission . . . except for -"
"Concord Dawn," Allara finished, looking curious. "I have yet to really spend time with Fay, but I'm curious. I talked with mom after my long talk with dad and she had ringing endorsements and dad had only great things to say about her, but of course he would. What do you two think of her?"
Obi-Wan and Siri both mulled over their responses.
"As a Jedi, she's incredible. She's a legend, but more than that, she's wise, powerful, and kind," Siri said.
"But beyond that, she is really good for Kas," Obi-Wan continued. "She helped him in ways that the rest of us couldn't and didn't even realize he needed help."
"She grounds him and makes him happy," Siri finished.
Allara smiled softly. "Almost word for word what mom said. I look forward to getting to know her."
"Did you have anyone back in your time?" Obi-Wan asked, a bit hesitant.
"Not really," Allara said with a shrug. "Possibilities, but nobody who was just that person for me. Not like mom and dad were for each other . . . not like you two, from what I hear. Our Order wasn't exactly pro relationships either, though as a Shan they almost seemed to just accept I would have one."
Allara pushed her food around with her fork a bit aimlessly.
"Like dad, many of my friends had fallen in the war, though I did still have a few, and I had mom, aunt Satele, and my cousin, Theron, so I certainly lost people by being put in suspended animation, but I don't really think I lost that."
Allara shrugged and smiled again.
"That doesn't really matter. What does is adjusting to my new circumstances and now getting to know my dad and my new extended family. So, I'd love to hear about some of your early adventures."
"Oh you're looking for the dirt right from the beginning," Siri said, grinning.
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor was frowning in thought, thinking how to address everything he'd just heard. Siri and Obi-Wan were looking at him in resignation, knowing they were about to get a scolding. Anakin looked assured, which Kastor wasn't surprised to see, and Ferus still looked unhappy with everything that had gone down. Taria, Fay, and Allara were standing in the back of the room, observing. It was a proper debriefing in a way, so it made sense for them to be there, and besides, he figured Taria could use the lesson as well, and Allara needed the information. Fay would step in and offer her own opinions if she felt it was needed.
"Alright," Kastor said. "Let's start near the top. Where did the mission first take a wrong turn?"
"When we agreed to help Joylin," Ferus said.
"No," Kastor said with a shake of his head and Ferus frowned.
"But everything that went wrong sprung from that decision."
"Perhaps," Kastor acknowledged, "but I don't see how you could have made a different decision, nor do I think you made the wrong decision. Based on the short time frame available and your brief interaction with Zan Arbor, short of kidnapping her and hoping to escape, you had no other options. What would you have done differently, Ferus?"
Ferus looked unhappy, but finally he shrugged.
"I don't know what we could have done differently, other than perhaps waiting for Zan Arbor to leave Romin or waiting for the Council to approve the coup through the Senate."
"Now that we know Zan Arbor is working with Omega, do you think waiting for Zan Arbor to leave was the correct choice?" Kastor asked.
"No," Ferus said quietly. "I also know that Master Windu was only able to push the approval through because it was already happening."
"And the Jedi had to use a lot of our political favor to get it approved, and even now, our enemies are gathering the evidence to use this against us," Kastor said. "Trust me when I say our involvement in this coup is not over."
"I understand, Master."
"Now, do you think Teda's government should have remained in place?" Kastor asked, and Ferus grimaced.
"No," he said firmly.
"That revolt was going to happen. As bloody as it was, your intervention, while messy, helped save lives. You prevented death in the resistance and death among the citizens caught in the crossfire by helping to disable Teda's droids, and you saved lives during the revolt by opening up your villa and providing protection to those who sought refuge."
"I understand, Master," Ferus said, with a terse nod, but Siri relaxed slightly at Kastor's words.
"So, that wasn't where you went wrong," Kastor said. "Where was it?"
"When we continued to use the Slam covers despite knowing that the Slams were on the planet," Obi-Wan said.
"Well, it was extremely risky," Kastor admitted, "but was worth the risk. It was likely your only way to prevent the executions by Joylin, and now knowing that Zan Arbor had already made a deal with Joylin, the chances are high that she would have escaped eventually and without your knowledge."
"If you hadn't stopped the executions, it is likely that the Senate would have been forced to intervene in the fledgling government, and Teda might have found his way back to power," Fay said.
"Your mistake was giving up your lightsabers," Kastor said.
"If we hadn't, the Slams would have died," Obi-Wan said.
"I know," Kastor said, "but because of that decision the inevitable fight occurred at the prison and many of the prisoners, many of whom probably weren't criminals, were put in danger and quite a few died."
"I know," Obi-Wan said quietly.
"The Slams were escaped prisoners, and yes, they did not deserve to die, but they had to know what would happen to you four when they revealed you. If they didn't think Teda would kill you, then they are fools, and fools couldn't have accomplished what they have accomplished."
"We should have taken control of Zan Arbor and Teda in their safehouse," Siri said.
"It would have prevented that final battle," Kastor agreed. "I'm asking a lot because I'm asking you to think more strategically which could include making calls that will result in loss of life, but with the Sith making their move on Chandrila and the Separatist crisis growing, it's better that you learn these lessons now, rather than later when you might be on the battlefield."
Kastor sighed. "You did what you thought was right, and that is all anyone can ever ask of you, but you thought you were in control, and relied on your abilities. You gave up your lightsabers knowing you could get them back, but you didn't predict where that path led, and I wouldn't have expected you to be able to predict where that path would have led. However, in the future I want you to think about the risks you're taking, especially if those risks are largely based on your abilities."
"I understand," Obi-Wan said softly.
"But in the end, we did the right thing," Anakin said, still sounding assured.
"Anakin, sometimes sureness is not what you should strive for," Obi-Wan said wearily. "A little confusion in your mind can be a good thing. Did we do the right thing? Perhaps, but did we make mistakes along the way? Yes. We did the best we could, but that doesn't change the mistakes we made and being completely assured in everything you do at every moment is not necessarily a good thing."
Anakin frowned at the rebuke, but Kastor was happy to see that he was at least hearing Obi-Wan's words.
"We've all made mistakes and we'll all continue to do so," Kastor said. "Just, in the future, consider the risks more, and how it could affect others."
**The Will of the Force**
Kastor leapt forward, his standard blade meeting Obi-Wan's, and he struck at Obi-Wan's side with his Shoto, but Obi-Wan swiftly spun out of the way. Kastor kept up his offensive, slashing, stabbing, cutting, and relentlessly striking at Obi-Wan, using an aggressive Jar'kai variant of Form V, but Obi-Wan's defense was incredible, and Kastor was struggling to find much of any opening.
Obi-Wan had been good, bordering great before Revan's tutelage, but now his mastery of Form III was complete. However, Form III did have some downsides, and Kastor needed to force Obi-Wan out of his primary form.
Kastor let his darker emotions rise up and he switched to Form VII, using the Force to fuel his attacks. Obi-Wan kept up with him, but with Kastor's speed increasing, Obi-Wan couldn't strike back much, if at all. While Soresu was the defensive form, it did rely on having the time to find an opponent's mistake and strike at that weakness, or being able to wear your opponent down, either physically or in the Force. Kastor wasn't going to let that happen.
It was time to see just how much mastery Obi-Wan had achieved with his blade.
Obi-Wan leapt over him, the Force enhancing his somersault over, and then he started changing to the swift, athletic strikes favored by Form IV: Ataru. Kastor kept his smile internal, as he was forced to shift back on his offensive and start defending again.
They continued to trade blows when Obi-Wan started shifting his style again, favoring the heavier, stronger strikes of Form V, which pushed Kastor off balance with how he'd been countering Form IV, and then Obi-Wan used some quick jabs, and elegant thrusts that demonstrated some ability with Form II and pushed Kastor further off balance and he was forced to disengage and jump away.
Obi-Wan chose not to pursue, taking a pause, catching his breath, and getting recentered in a ready position. It was the style he'd favored ever since Qui-Gon's death. The slightly brash Padawan who would have leapt to pursue the fight and keep Kastor off balance was long gone. The question was whether Obi-Wan would still pursue, if he felt it was the right choice, or whether he was grounded into his defensive approach.
The Force swirled and Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. He moved forward and Kastor grinned as Obi-Wan leapt at him like he had as a Padawan, Form IV dominating his posture.
'I don't need to worry about trying to balance Obi-Wan between his offensive past and his defensive present,' Kastor thought with a grin. 'Siri's doing it for me.'
'He's good,' Allara's voice popped into his head. 'Extremely good with a blade . . . and you're no slouch either.'
Kastor chuckled in his mind as his response to her.
They kept up their strikes, each of them switching styles multiple times as the fight went on, and Kastor was proud to note that Obi-Wan had clearly mastered or at least was extremely competent in five of the lightsaber forms. He witnessed Obi-Wan fluidly using Shii-Cho, Soresu, Ataru, Djem So, Niman, and clearly had learned from Siri how to incorporate some Makashi, though he didn't seem to use it much. Kastor figured that was probably his weakest form (of those he knew). The only one he hadn't witnessed was Juyo.
"That's enough," Kastor said, leaping back once again. "Now, it's time to test Siri out."
Siri moved forward slowly, her purple blade igniting, keeping it in a low-ready stance. Kastor put his Shoto blade away and took a balanced high-ready stance. Siri grinned and then moved forward swiftly, using the precise jabs, cuts, and disarming techniques of Makashi, and Kastor was forced to back off from her assault before he switched to Form V and started slashing and battering away her dance-like moves with powerful strikes.
But then she used the momentum from one of his strikes to spin and then used the Force to acrobatically jump over him, slashing at his head twice, which he barely managed to avoid. She pushed forward showing the same swift and aggressive strikes he'd seen from Obi-Wan's Form IV, but she was lighter and a bit quicker, keeping Kastor on his heels.
Kastor switched to Soresu and soon just like with Obi-Wan they were constantly rotating forms to counter each other's movements, and he was proud to see that she had mastery or at least high competence with four of the lightsaber forms.
Finally, she amped it up in an attempt to beat him and he felt her disposition change as she brought out her darker emotions and started striking at him relentlessly with sharp slashes, vicious cuts, and fierce stabs. He quickly transitioned to Form VII himself, though he chose to use the Vaapad variant to feed on her darkness and they continued to exchange fierce blows, neither giving ground to the other.
He felt some concern when he felt her start losing her grip on the balance needed to keep Juyo working as a Jedi, her darker emotions starting to take over, but then he felt Obi-Wan's presence in the Force and Siri's emotions stabilized and she kept cool control of Form VII.
Kastor smiled inside, and he felt Allara's own approval through his mind, and he quickly jumped back, disengaging. Siri was ready to pursue when he raised his hand, ending the fight.
"Both of you have become exemplary duelists and, with a blade, will stand up to nearly any Sith," Kastor said, before sighing. "However, we need to change your mindset to prepare you to fight Sith from my era, and perhaps even to fight the Banite Sith of this era."
Kastor half-smiled. "First though, let's see if you can figure it out yourselves," he said, grinning slyly. "Allara, how would you like to spar with Anakin?"
Allara grinned. "I would love to," she responded brightly.
Anakin too looked eager for the challenge.
Allara took Kastor's place as he moved over to where Siri, Obi-Wan, Ferus, Taria, and Fay were on the side watching. She pulled out the blade she'd made from parts that Kastor kept on the Ebon Hawk, and the spare crystals he had on hand. It wasn't perfect. The lead crystal wasn't bonded to her, but it would work for now, until she had time to make a trip to Ilum or one of the other planets that had crystal caves on them.
She ignited the lightsaber, and it was a brilliant emerald green. Anakin ignited his blue saber, and stood in his aggressive Form V stance. Allara smiled and shifted to a Form III stance.
Kastor smiled.
Anakin rushed forward and Allara met his blade with her own, quickly parrying Anakin's heavy strikes, and she let Anakin push her, but she seemed to be controlling the fight despite being on the defensive.
They continued to exchange blows before Allara seemed content with Anakin's skills and then she started demonstrating exactly what Kastor wanted the younger generation of Jedi to learn.
Allara leaped over Anakin's head, landing a bit behind him, but when he turned to re-engage her, she reached out her hand and blasted Anakin across the room. He hit the wall, harder than Allara likely intended, but Anakin had only barely managed to use the Force to partially soften his blow. Allara then seized Anakin with the Force and his eyes widened. The Force started to swell as Anakin tried to use brute force to overpower Allara, but even with all his strength, he just didn't have the technique to beat her.
Allara released him and Anakin looked even more determined to match her, to show his skills—just as Kastor knew he would want to do. Allara grinned, almost teasingly and Anakin rushed forward. She jumped over him and lashed out with the Force again, but this time he was ready, and he raised a barrier, which made Kastor proud. He was the one who'd taught him to do that.
Anakin lashed out with the Force himself, but Allara absorbed his attack and then created a whirlwind which started to pick Anakin up before he used a raw explosion of power to cancel the move. Allara gave him a nod of approval.
"That's enough," Kastor said, and Anakin grimaced as Allara nodded in agreement.
"Alright, what's the verdict, my young Jedi?" Kastor asked, turning to Siri, Obi-Wan, and Taria, doing his best impression of Rei Soffron, a legendary instructor at the Temple.
"We need to be prepared for our enemies to attack us with the Force," Obi-Wan said mildly, and Siri snorted.
"Right on the nose, love," Siri said, and Kastor chuckled.
"Yes, not exactly subtle," Kastor agreed, "but you need to prepare for the possibility. All of you are quite gifted with your lightsabers and I would advise that you use that to your benefit to defeat your opponents, but you should all work to master using the Force and ensure your defenses are ready for Force based attacks."
"Now, let's keep this going," Kastor continued. "Ferus, you're up against Taria and then it will be time for some pairs . . ."