A Living Nightmare

  Chapter 26: Finding Fulcrum

  "You're reckless, little one. You never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan. But you might make it as mine.”

  Date: 5 BBY

  Location: The Scythe - Hyperspace

  "That's why that Bothan is still alive, and why the Empire hasn't rained hellfire down on that planet for putting that bounty on our heads," I sighed, shrugging. What the Empire didn't know, theoretically wouldn't hurt them. In time, it would if things went to plan. After some careful negotiating, the ever generous Arnev flew us back to the station and I explained what I could to Vos'la on the way back to her ship. A lopsided bet against me was not the way for the wealthy Bothan to go out, and thus we exchanged pertinent information for his life and eventual assistance down the line.

  A tense silence filled the air as I finished up my long-winded explanation to the two companions that weren't filled in just yet. Hal was still processing what I had told him—what his role would be, what HK's duty was, and where our new allies, Arnev and Vos’la Kaa, fit into my very tentative plan.

  It was simple: wait until the number of Inquisitors dwindled, until the rebellions became more brash, bolder, and widespread—then we take Galen and run.

  Arnev’s little hired hands would help dismantle the Fortress’ security systems. Vos’la was our exit strategy and extra insurance, a wildcard I could play in case of any unforeseen complications. HK-47 would be their link to the base’s internal systems, and the distraction we’d need to pull focus while Hal and I retrieved Galen.

  Then we’d take Vos’la’s ship and disappear, jumping—system to system—until we reached Felucia. There, we’d try to make peace with the locals and find Master Shaak Ti. Not only to train Galen, but me as well. If that failed, I'm sure there would be room for my help in the growing Rebel Alliance.

  Of course, I’d need Ahsoka’s help to pull the whole 'Starkiller Extraction' off. She had the connections to get Arnev the people he’d need for bolstering the security breaches. I briefly considered going directly to Bail Organa—and quickly dismissed the idea as soon as it came to mind. We didn’t need another scare like the one they had years ago. I decided against it, thinking about the whole Reva fiasco. That memory was likely still fresh in Leia’s adoptive parents’ minds.

  No, it would be best to work through middlemen and expendable fodder. I just needed the right moment—to finally do what I had been hoping to do for years.

  It didn’t feel that long ago that I was limping alongside Darth Vader, fighting off pain in the cold rain hammering across the Coruscant skyline. That urge to jump, to run. It came and went—comes and goes. That small glimpse of what could be, the glimmer of peace when I put aside what I had learned as an Inquisitor. There would be a time to let that go.

  "Vos'la Kaa is our glorified air-taxi driver then?" Hal finally asked, after pouring over the ideas in his head and breaking me from my thoughts.

  "I can get behind that. It's just..."

  I put both of my hands up in defense and leaned back a little with a laugh. "Risky, very risky, I know. And honestly, I have half a mind to wait for all of this rebel shit to blow over—consequences be damned."

  I wasn’t lying—not really. I could keep up the missions, stay in line, and keep an eye on Galen as the Emperor intended. I had let opportunities slip away before, and I wasn't about to let it happen again. I was not his to control, in spite of whatever that wrinkled prune may believe. He could guide me, push me, order me around. I wasn't so dumb as to believe Sheev had no sway, but when push came to shove, I would gladly push the old bag of sith spit down a set of very long, very sharp set of stairs.

  "Those consequences will end up with my girl blown to smithereens if you get caught, mister," chimed in our illustrious bounty hunter—her accented voice hazed with static from the holoprojector she was using to keep in communication with our ship. "I'm in, since I just got paid just a little extra."

  I nodded. "If there’s one thing the Empire is usually good at, it’s paying their contracted lowlifes," I teased, a hint of a smile forming on my face. "It's more than the agreed amount, but the extra cas—creds are compensation for helping us. I know we just met, so I just simply figured." I shrugged again, not feeling any sort of way about the large influx of credits going to the woman. It wasn't my Imperial Credits, and I had yet to receive a call from the Grand Inquisitor as to explain why there was such a pricey invoice labeled 'Deadly Date.'

  "I wouldn't sweat it, sweetie. I'll make the ol' girl look prettier when ya need 'er," she laughed. "Anyway, I need to git n' go. I'll be seeing ya'll boys later."

  The hologram winked out of existence, the underlying hum of static gone, letting the rush of silence fill the cockpit. Hal sat with his thoughts, holding his helmet with both hands, idly rotating it between his fingers occasionally as we waited to exit hyperspace. I knew he didn't like the idea of working with Vos'la, even if it was the hunter name only, but I for sure wasn't going to try and ask a more well-known hunter to help. I highly doubted someone like Cad Bane or Boba Fett would want to ruffle the feathers of their occasional employers. But we did have an assassin droid who had experience with infiltrating and extracting from hostile bases. A droid who was being unusually quiet.

  "HK?" I prodded, swiveling in the co-pilot seat to face the droid in his usual corner, plugged into the ship’s data port. Despite not being designed for the role of an astromech droid, his prideful nature—or programming rather—allowed HK to do his duties quite effectively. One of those duties being our little communication scrambler, doing his best to keep our transmissions encrypted and ensure the bugs on our ship weren't hearing or getting anything we spoke of. Before the droid came aboard, I would have to search out the devices with the Force and disable them manually, and after each return to the Fortress, new ones would be installed in different places. The old method at least helped me get a better grasp on my senses. Now we had a handy dandy droid for the time being.

  "Answer: A lackluster plan, Master. I would require a new body to perform the duties required of me. Such as the termination of the inferior stormtroopers that would undoubtedly swarm our position when you are caught." I let out a chuckle at his response.

  "Yeah, thanks. HK. Really helpful." I rolled my eyes and looked out to the front of the cockpit. I yearned to see the blue swirling of a hyperpsace tunnel, or the stars as they lingered above the planets. I could feel the energies, but to see... I let out a sigh and kicked my feet up on the console. I would have to refine the plan later, and get HK's real opinion when we got closer to finding an exit point.

  "How much longer till we reach Dantooine?", I asked Hal as I closed my eyes. Unsure if I wanted to try to take a short nap, or attempt to 'Jedi-tate' as I started to call it. Meditation with the dark side was different of course, so I would require a different term for connecting with the light side. Then again, meditation was a blanket term for a reason.

  "Give or take an hour." he replied, looking at the ships' readouts and displays from his seat. "That antsy to get there sir?" Again with the sir. I could feel the swirling cloud of emotions darkening his presence in the Force. Unusual, till we had arrived at Nigiri and it persisted even after he went back to the ship and now he had yet to really calm down. The action when being assaulted by a number of bounty hunters around the ship likely added to his intensity, something I didn't blame him for truth be told. Still...

  "I was just thinking the fresh air might do you some good." I said with a playful smile, nudging the helmet he was fidgeting with out of his grasp and into my hands. That brought his focus solely on me, for the most part. "You can't keep on like this. I need you at your best, Hal. I can feel your anger, your frustration."

  "You're one to talk." he tossed back, rising up from his chair. "You-" The man's words stopped at the same time that the air in his lungs refused to escape. I was not going to have the same conversation again. A cold calm washed over me as I pressured the stormtrooper in place, restricting his movement and breathing.

  "No. You do not dictate to me one more syllable, one more word. I value you as an ally, and a friend. Do not make me reduce you to a tool to use and throw away." I said, lightly pushing him back down to his pilot chair. "You are better than this. We are better than this, Hal. So whatever stupid shit you are feeling, stow it away. Just like I said on Nigiri, be a professional and grow up. Your family is gone, just like mine." I pointed at the holoterminal that had minutes ago held the small miniature visage of Vos'la Kaa. "And that woman is not to be the target for that anger. She may have killed the man you wanted revenge on, but guess what trooper? That killer, that man is dead too. There is nothing for you to hold onto anymore, it'' just eat you up inside until your more hollow than you were in the aftermath. Let it go."

  The grip around his windpipe loosened even though I kept him in place, I continued to speak. "I can sympathize with you, I do. I just don't have the time to entertain your behavior any further, not when we have more important things to worry about." The man's mood shifted somewhat, the subtle animosity in his presence waned as he sank back into the cushioned seat. "The mission comes first."

  I fully released my hold on Hal, and tossed his helmet back to him, the bucket thumping off his chestpiece. Startled for a second, he caught it a few inches before it hit the ground. He straightened up, and turned the helmet around, looking at the split reflection of himself in the visor's eyes. The whirlwind of raging emotions began to calm as the chains those emotions had on him broke bit by bit, memories flashing through his mind, flaring out to me through the Force as I gently touched his mind. The loss, the pain was there. The scars would stay, as they had always been there. The man would simply need to accept what happened to himself, and to let go of his fantasies for revenge that followed him through his life till now.

  My hand clasped on Hal's shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. "I have enough regret and angst for the both of us." I said with a small smile on my lips. "Just be the smart ass chauffer would you?"

  The man let out a deep sigh and snorted, a small chuckle escaping his mouth. "Sir, yes sir." A weight lifted off his shoulders when he placed the protective bucket onto the front dashboard of the ship.

  I nodded in reassurance and tapped him on the shoulder. Feeling there was nothing left to be spoken, I swiveled in place to head to my quarters. A few steps away, the cockpit door slip open, and Hal called out, stopping me at it's threshold.

  "Alonzo." he muttered, I could feel his hesitation. I didn't turn to face him. "Thanks. I uh.." he placed his hand on the back of his neck. "I needed that."

  "Despite where we started at, you're my friend, Hal. The only one I got. You have my back, I got yours. Don't sweat it." I had a little smile on my face after hearing that. Dark side options might not always be the best, but it looks like it worked out well this time. "I'll be meditating till we arrive."

  I let the door close shut behind me, the muffled words of HK-47 barely registering as I sped down the hallway. As always, the droid was bound to make some morbid or sarcastic remark. The assassin droid was correct in his statement earlier, in needing a new chassis. I wanted to get him one sooner than later, even if he was decently effective in the R2 unit, it was not what we needed. We tore through the goons on Omereth well enough with his help, yet needing to protect his rounded ass limited Hal and me if we were to get in a less controllable situation. I'll need to check for any droid shops or repair places when we make planet fall. Once we got some kind of operational 'body' for the droid to use, I wanted to find the happy little mechanic, Babu Frik and delicately request his services to transfer HK's personality protocols or whatever was required to the new chassis. Only issue was finding the little guy at this time in history, I had no clue where he would be or if he was even born yet. Sure, I had a good sense of most things when it came to this universe, but I still had gaps in my knowledge. HK-47 being around proved well enough that some things were far from normal.

  The door slid open, and I made my way over to the middle of the cramped space. I had half the mind to rest, to sleep for a little while and let my mind recuperate. I knew I would not have the luxury of proper sleep for a while if things were to continue as they had been. However, the persistent itch in the back of my mind drew my attention away from such thoughts and instead directed them elsewhere. I wanted to make another attempt at Jedi meditation, to draw on that swirling nucleus of energies that resided within. Another focused effort to draw on the Light Side. I felt the call to Dantooine before, so who knew what would happen on a second attempt this close to the planet.

  I knelt on the floor, hands on my thighs. Letting out a long breath, I let my breathing slow, letting my body rest before attempting to connect with the Force. I slipped into the flowing energies, past the physical, the electrical hum of the Scythe fading into the background as I fell into that focused permanence. Bit by bit I looked inward, searching for that spark within, brushing away the slippery thoughts which sought to draw me away. The Dark Side came easily, if I let it. A gnawing in my gut, a hunger to seep into the ever present anger again, to allow the fury and lust of battle to cloud my mind, make me something I wasn't. Something I didn't want to be. I shut it out, the echoing screams of the fallen ringing out till silence remained. A gentle, still silence in the Force that drew me deeper into itself.

  Tension left my muscles as I walked further into the meditation. Time seemed to slow, the silence turned to a low chime and the cold depths of despair I had once drowned myself in was replaced with a flowing breeze, light to the touch. In the calm, I let myself go. I let the Force flow, instead of trying to control it. It weaved a tapestry across the ship, strings and nodes that I followed from point to point. My consciousness brushed the walls, slipping past the hull and noticed Hal at the controls, his presence not having wavered in its' hue of a still simmering tinge of red. His emotions had lessened, his control of them having let him focus better than if I had let him continue as he was. And then I turned to the shifting ball of neutral energy and conduits of electricity that was HK, and there was nothing for me to sense. No brain to pick through. Not that I would ever want to be the one to dissect that droids brain. I chuckled, then refocused, letting my senses settle again.

  My thoughts drifted further, following the threads I knew extended beyond the ship. I reached for one of the larger, distant nodes—a warm echo in the void—and tried to pull at it gently. Dantooine. I fed the thought into the Force like bait into water, trying to coax some reaction. Old memories flickered to life in my mind. Tall grasses swaying under foreign skies, soft hills rolling endlessly beneath the pale light of a sun I had never felt. I remembered the music, that serene, soft music that always played when I stepped foot on the world through an old screen and Xbox controller. Getting turned around in the halls of the Enclave in KOTOR, and only to get poisoned to death by laigreks in KOTOR 2 in the sublevels. More memories flooded into my mind and nearly made me smile. The planet had always felt like a second home in some ways. A place that pretended to be simple, peaceful—but always seemed to hide something underneath. Despite its idyllic look, it was a chaotic world when viewed long enough, like anything else. I clung to the sensation, urging the Force to show me more.

  Nothing came.

  No vision. No pull. No gentle nudge like before.

  My jaw clenched, the brief calm in my chest curdling into disappointment. And then Hal's voice cracked through the ship’s intercom, gruff and dry.

  "We're here."

  I kept the surging curses from escaping into the open air with the breath I held, and just sighed as I stood up. I walked to the tactile intercom switch that was next to the only door, and pressed it. "Make for Khoonda, or at least what used to be called Khoonda. I'll be there shortly."

  Location: Dantooine - Khoonda Spaceport

  The landing procedures went as expected, and a little unexpected. During the Clone Wars, Dantooine was part of the Separatists—a little fun fact that I had forgotten about. Thus, after the war, the planet became Imperial-occupied, and with that came an Imperial presence that took over the wider scope of planetary operations. Which meant I had the unfortunate duty to meet with the current Imperial Administrator once I stepped foot onto the planet.

  After shutting down the engines and exiting the cockpit, Hal, as per the usual, gave me the short and sweet of what Dantooine was. Not much had changed in the three thousand years since the Jedi Civil War, nor the Great Galactic War with Malgus taking an interest in the place for a time. No, it had remained a peaceful farming world, providing food and some tactile goods for nearby systems. Over the years, the planet's level of importance to the wider galaxy dwindled when new hyperlanes opened up and more suitable worlds for agriculture were colonized. The planet still had its uses and long-running trade agreements to keep its far-flung communities that dotted its tranquil surface alive and well.

  And thus the three of us—myself, TK-421, and HK-47—strolled down the ship’s ramp. The stormtrooper captain kept his bucket on, but I had forgone it, wanting to feel the planet's warmth for myself. Immediately, I caught a whiff of oil and rust mixed with fresh, non-sterilized air. I inhaled and smiled as the mildly pleasant winds swept through the docking bay.

  The ambience of the creaking metal of the older docking bays beyond ours filled my senses. My ears perked up at the chirping of creatures flying high above and the sputtering of our ship’s hydraulic exhaust. I led us to the large doors that exited the docking bay. HK's dome swiveled to the left, then right and back again before centering.

  "Observation: This spaceport is severely lacking in ceremonial precision, Master. I detect no banners, no fanfare, no inferior meatbags throwing themselves at your feet."

  "Yeah, I noticed," I grumbled, pressing forward with my senses as we continued down an empty hallway. "Must be a slow day for the spaceport." It reminded me of home in a way—traveling from one larger airport in the city to one in the sticks. A more relaxed atmosphere that almost felt dismissive and unprofessional. Not to mention near empty at times if you lucked out.

  "I think our ship is the only one here," added Hal. "Looked that way to me, sir." I glanced back at him with a look, though the way he said it didn’t have its usual biting tone. Probably just keeping up appearances. Regardless of the planet, we’re still on Imperial soil.

  I let out a sigh, falling back a little to let Hal take the lead. "Just follow the signs until we find an exit or arrival processing. I’ll need to speak to the Administrator about how to give a proper welcome."

  The trooper nodded and followed suit with a simple "sir," taking point as the party lead for the time being.

  I pressed my senses further past what lay ahead and sought to learn just what was going on in the Khoonda Spaceport. It was a difficult thing to do, actively attuning my Force Sight beyond my immediate surroundings. It was as if you were looking with one eye with a magnifying glass, then with a telescope with the other. At times I would pause in my steps for a couple of seconds, then remember to move with the other two. But a place like this was perfect to push myself that little bit further into bringing my abilities to where they should be. There were lifeforms, but most were static and melancholic in a way as I skimmed the surface feelings of a few of them. No, not melancholic, I realized. They were bored, tired, and wanted to go home. I nearly laughed. It was a slow day.

  We took some more twisting turns and passed through security without a fuss. I had to place a hand on HK's dome to keep him from making any untoward remarks to the Patrol Troopers just doing their job. It was once we made it past the very pleasant troopers waving us out of the metal confines of the spaceport that we heard the fast shifting motors of a protocol droid trying to flag us down.

  A tinny, feminine voice echoed in the building.

  "Pardon me sirs, please wait!" Hal stopped in curiosity, and we turned to the droid as it came from a ways off.

  "What is it, droid? We have business here and don’t want whatever it is you’re selling," I said, letting my impatience seep through to my words.

  "Addendum: Unless it is overwhelming firepower, of course an exception can be made if my Master permits it," HK blurted out.

  "Oh goodness, no sirs. I am CB-23, here at Administrator Barala Naldris’ request. She humbly apologizes for not meeting you in person and would, as a humble servant of the glor—"

  Kriff, I forget how much I hate these droids. I put a hand up midway through its monologue of an apology. "Just take us to her office. I will deal with her impudence there."

  The droid shifted, as if offended by my interruption, then tilted itself in a small bow.

  "Of course, my lord," she said and took the lead, taking us out of the spaceport.

  "As we walk through the grounds, would you like a tour?"

  I laughed. "No, I am familiar enough with Dantooine, as is my round companion." I playfully patted the top of HK's dome.

  "May I remind you, Master, that it has been far too many years since I have had the utmost pleasure to hunt down any organic life here. The spaceport itself has grown much, and I would assume the settlement would follow course."

  "Why yes!" CB-23 interjected, "Khoonda itself has had an additional popu—"

  "I didn’t ask for your input, droid. Shut up, and let’s get this over with. I have a mission to complete and don’t want to waste more time here than I already am." As interesting as it would be to learn the little details of the growth of the place, I wanted to enjoy the planet while I was here. That meant not hearing a droid give fun facts on our way to deal with an incompetent leader.

  We continued on the duracrete path for thirty seconds, moving past a new walled defense around the area. Automated turrets marked the tall doorways, showing that the people learned from the attacks of the past. Or it could be something the Empire added during their occupation. Regardless, we trudged on, passing by aliens and humans as they moved about their daily duties. A few patrol troopers stood about, keeping an eye on the new arrivals into the settlement.

  One thing that did not change was how close in proximity the administrative building was to the spaceport. In less than a minute, we were ushered into the ancient halls. The smell caught me off-guard when we stepped in. It was musty, but not unpleasant. The floors were carpeted, and Imperial banners hung on the walls, contrasting with the reddish-orange interiors.

  An administrative assistant sat at the front desk, not looking up from their terminal, and droned out a greeting they had likely repeated ad nauseam.

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  "Welcome to Khoonda’s Administrative Center. If you would like to make an appointment, I am more than willing to assist you," came the monotone line from a male Twi’lek while his eyes bored a hole into the terminal screen, fingers clacking away at something more interesting.

  "Sir Bensin, we have esteemed guests," intoned the droid. The man shot up, looking away from his screen and to all of us.

  Ignoring the words vomiting from his mouth and the response from our little guide, I looked down at HK-47.

  "Layout still the same?" I asked him.

  "Why yes, Master. Two doors flank the meatbag and exit to a hallway. It is probable that the door to the old administrator’s offices will greet you on the other side. I am surprised they have not renovated this building. I am quite excited that they allow such easy access to their vital personnel."

  "Me too. I guess the two of you can stay here or explore. Check for any shops that sell a good droid chassis," I told the other two, almost jogging toward the door on the left.

  The door opened for me, and I ignored the Twi’lek yammering something about letting the Administrator know I was there. Of course she knows I’m here—she sent a damn droid instead of taking the two minutes to come see me herself.

  The second door opened for me, having stepped past the small hallway with empty, short benches meant for any waiting visitors. I could feel the alarm of the two guards at the door, one raising their hand to their helmet’s commlink while the other spoke.

  "Please wait a moment, uh, sir. Inquisitor," requested the patrol trooper to my right, putting a hand out to try and stop me from entering. I inhaled and reached out to the Force, pulling its energies inward before lashing out in a flash of movement. A single push and a slice was all that was needed.

  One trooper became a crumpled heap of plastic, with a mild set of bruises, and the other looked at the floor to see his hand there. I had a role to play—that of the impatient, reckless Inquisitor on a mission. As before, I ignored the noise as the one trooper fell to his knees in agony. I heard and felt the alarm of several others coming from different parts of the building. I pressed on, walking into the grand room where Administrator Barala Naldris was tirelessly working.

  I kept my saber ignited, and with a simple gesture of my hand, I sealed the door behind me.

  "Administrator, I was hoping to see you in person when I arrived. Instead, I get nothing but a droid spewing worthless apologies," I called out to the woman as I took measured steps further into the room. "I pray that you, being a far more complex organic, would think better than to waste my time more than you already have with your ineptitude." I stopped halfway to where her desk sat, waiting for an answer.

  "You're not exactly subtle, are you?" Barala Naldris finally spoke, lifting her gaze from a screen and rising slowly from her desk. Her tone was unimpressed, her demeanor calm but tinged with annoyance. "I assume all Inquisitors resort to maiming the staff before a conversation begins, or am I just special?"

  I raised a brow, keeping my saber lowered but active. "I was hoping to speak with Governor Kole. I assumed his office would be more... accommodating."

  "Governor Kole is offworld, handling a summit on Tarravus. I am in charge until his return. If you needed something, you could have spoken with his aides. That was the purpose of the droid."

  I tilted my head slightly. "A droid, sent in your place, Administrator?"

  "I knew how you would take it. Inquisitors have a reputation, and I assumed you wouldn’t appreciate the formality. So I sent something neutral to settle any preliminary questions. It wasn’t an insult, Inquisitor—just a precaution."

  I said nothing at first, letting her words hang in the air. She was confident, I’d give her that.

  "I'm not here for any rising rebellion, no farmers in need, and no kinrath quelling," I said calmly. "I'm here for a mission to the Enclave. It would be better for you to not stand in my way."

  Barala narrowed her eyes, then sighed as she returned to her desk, tapping through data on her terminal. "It’s off-limits. Has been since the Clone Wars. And unfortunately, I’m far too busy with current issues to expedite the paperwork for access."

  The pressure in my jaw ticked as I clenched my teeth. I reached out with the Force, dragging the ornate desk forward until it scraped violently across the floor. With a quick flick of my wrist, my saber hissed through it, the wood sparking and splitting in half.

  She jumped back with a gasp, stumbling into a chair behind her.

  "So you want me to clean up your messes? That’s what you’re saying? You withhold what I need because of administrative backlog while your guards stand ready to shoot at me?" I could feel them amassing outside the sealed door, panicked and weary.

  "You assaulted my security!"

  "After being insulted, delayed, and treated like a damn courier."

  Barala straightened, attempting to gather herself. "Then why are you really here? The Jedi that lived there are long dead."

  "I'm here because of what they left behind. Because there are things still buried in that dirt that matter." I stepped forward, feeling the storm in my chest settle into cold clarity. "I chase ghosts, Administrator. So you don’t become one."

  Her mouth parted slightly, unsure how to respond.

  "Now hand over the authorization. And Governor Kole will be pleased with the report I give him—on how accommodating and speedy you were in assisting an Inquisitor’s mission."

  A long pause. The air hung heavy between us.

  She finally nodded and turned to her console. "Fine. I’ll draft the clearance now."

  I deactivated my saber and clipped it onto the harness on my back.

  "Wise choice."

  When I exited the office a few minutes later, after she finished the simple task of drafting the clearance, I could sense the expected stir of tension beyond the sealed door. But instead of dozens of troopers and militia waiting on the other side, I only felt the steady presence of Hal—calm and focused—alongside two droids.

  Administrator Naldris had used her terminal to issue the stand-down order moments prior. I could almost respect that. Almost.

  CB-23 came waddling in with a metallic spring to her step. "Administrator, thank the stars you're unharmed! I was worried when the guards said the room was sealed."

  I ignored the dramatics and looked to Hal. With a small flick of my wrist, I held up a data disk between two fingers. "Enclave unlocked. What about the two of you?"

  Hal gave a nod, turning to take the lead. "All quiet. Not much activity out here."

  "Statement: The local vendors here lacked anything remotely suitable, Master. Not a single worthy chassis in the entire shoddy excuse for a settlement. My continued entrapment in this tin can is beginning to offend my subroutines."

  "We can work on that later then, in the meantime, let's get out of here before I cause more property damage." I said, quickening my pace ahead of Hal.

  "Wait, what do you mean more?!" Hal pressed, trying to keep up with my pace but with a small influx of Force energy, I was outside of the compound before the door shut behind him.

  Location: Dantooine- Ancient Jedi Enclave

  It had taken close to an hour for us to trek through the grasslands of Dantooine, trudging up the hillsides instead of cutting the journey into mere minutes with a speeder. I took the executive action to ignore HK's plight of having to roll through the tall grasses and take the time to feel the world for myself. Life was abundant, steadfast in its defiance against the old scars left on the surface. Even though the Sith had targeted only the Enclave, the surrounding zone got hit by stray blasts as well, leading to dips in the terrain and one rather large crater filled with a small nest of some local animal that was away from its home. Speaking of the creatures on Dantooine, it would seem the locals had managed to keep the Kinrath population to a minimum, with the three of us only running into a single one of the thin-legged, spider-like fauna.

  I kept my working senses attuned to the Force, brushing against the minds of the Kaath hounds that roamed freely or the domesticated creatures that were fenced within small homesteads we skipped over. I found it strange in a way, that the settlement was functionally the same but the distance between it and the Jedi Enclave was vastly different than in the old games. Logically, it made sense, and yet I secretly wished it wasn't so far away. The walk was nice, feeling the sun warm my skin as the wind wrapped the plains with a soft, gentle touch of cold. It felt to me that summer had ended for the planet, and it would cool down soon. Just a postulation and not my concern, as we neared the destination, my ears picking up the sound of a rushing river and then the subdued energies in the Force a few hundred meters past it.

  "Observation: The structure appears to be in prime condition! I will admit, the meatbags did an excellent job restoring the Enclave after such a devastating attack," HK broke the silence as we made our way over the bridge that connected the Khoonda Plains to the duracrete of the Restored Jedi Enclave. "Lamentation: Oh, if only I had witnessed the destruction of this place with my photoreceptors, it would be a wondrous joy to revisit the memory."

  At first, I thought it a little uncharacteristic for HK to give praise like that, but I wasn't disappointed when the droid got sad about missing the destruction. I shuddered at the thought of the orbital bombardment, my senses having touched the lingering wound in the Force that remained all these years later. The sudden death and destruction would pale in comparison to, say, Malachor V or the eventual destruction of Alderaan, but to have witnessed it—feeling the Force in the way I did—at the very least I would black out from the surge.

  I reeled my senses closer to my immediate surroundings, now even more careful. I doubted most Force users would be able to detect the lingering scars there. The wound was like a tiny vacuum. It dulled the color, the life around it. The potency had lessened over time—as all wounds heal—and the Force is no different. A creeping unease settled on me as I walked on the somewhat familiar path, turning to enter the main levels. I trusted HK-47 and Hal well enough to want to take them into the building with me. Yet that itch in the back of my mind pressed more to the forefront as I got to the wide blast door. That pull from the Force made it feel as if I had a magnet in my head, trying to break through my skull.

  I slipped the data disk into the terminal next to the door, and it beeped in acceptance before returning the item. The door’s security latches detached, and the metal plates retracted into the top and bottom of the corridor's opening.

  "HK, stay out here for me, please. Stand guard, see if you can't find any local channels to hack into for some useful information we can trade to Arnev while you are out here. I don't know how long I will be in here for," I told the droid, taking my first hesitant steps down into the Jedi Enclave.

  "Resignation: Very well, I shall remain here, bored and deprived of proper entertainment," the droid said with a sigh, activating the R2 unit's comm-scanner as Hal fell in lockstep with me. "Do hurry back, Master."

  "I won't be stuck in there for five thousand years, maybe only a few decades at best," I chuckled in an attempt to assure the droid of my return, the doors shutting behind us.

  "How long do you expect to be down here?" Hal asked, his voice echoing out into the silent corridor. I noticed the temperature drop when the doors shut, contradicting what I expected of the Enclave would be like. It seemed portions of the interior were temperature-controlled.

  I shrugged, putting my hands behind my head as we walked, allowing myself to relax just a bit. "I dunno. Maybe a few hours, depends on what I'm looking for, what's calling to me."

  Skepticism flashed through my companion’s head, then was swiftly dismissed. "Riiight, what's calling to you." It was his turn to shrug. "Whatever, crazy Force stuff is expected by now, I suppose."

  Laughing, I gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder as the door to the center of the Enclave slid up, letting the sun filter down on us through the canopy of leaves and winding branches of the two trees that were in the center dais of the courtyard. A smile—a genuine one—filled my face. I couldn't see it, but I sensed the old, blackened husk of the original tree that stood strong before the bombing. It was like visiting an old friend that you only knew through a dream. A weird, roundabout friendship, but a bond existed nonetheless. Two saplings had grown in the aftermath, now joined as one large twisting canopy that grew tall overhead. A sentimental thing, a symbolic representation of the resilience of the Jedi—if one were to look for meaning in some long-lived plant life.

  "It has been some time," I echoed words that were not my own. I felt Hal's curiosity trickle into his psyche, locked behind discipline. "It is… different."

  "You've been here before then?"

  "In dreams. Visions of this place long, long ago." I reached, placing a hand on one of the trees as I circled around the pathway. "Memories that are not my own." Memories of someone else who is long dead. It was a sobering thought—all this time spent here learning, training, strengthening myself. Built into a weapon to be poised at the Empire's enemies with little autonomy. The young man I was when I arrived here, that willful, elusive personality was gone, buried away with the memories of home. At the very least muted, as I let myself be submersed in the dark side.

  "Being here—it feels like coming home," I told Hal, looking to him with a smile. My Force Sight swept to where he stood.

  There was no one. I stood alone. An instinctive panic swept over me, as everything around me faded to black, my senses failing as the Force itself fled from my grasp. I called out for Hal, and recieved a silent reply from the void.

  "There is no emotion, there is peace," came the sage instruction that sounded at odds with the speaker's gruff, stern voice. Though a sage would push the description some would give to Jedi Master Vrook Lamar. His voice burst forth ahead of me. He stood before a selection of young students, children no older than ten. The Force shone brightly in them all, needing the proper guidance to channel such wondrous powers. A whisper too quiet for me to hear leapt from one pupil to another, creating a joined giggle between the two. "Boys! Calm yourselves," chided the old man, "or would you like to return to the archives?" The threat was made, and the two children heeded the Jedi Master.

  I too listened to his words, calming myself as the darkness enclosed itself around me, the unseen vision fading away into the void as dust on the sands of Tatooine. I moved forward, making my way through this place, echoes of my footsteps breaking the silence for a time until another vision shot forth.

  "Coruscant? They want you to go to Coruscant?" The speaker was perplexed, confused at the news. He sounded young, likely a Padawan.

  "No, they more like, uh, ordered me to," responded another boy, a friend of the other one I'd wager. The Force fled from my grasp as I tried to sense any emotions, or to pinch an inkling of thought from these visions as I would another life form. All I could do was listen, and notice the Force flowing through the both of them.

  "Of course they did. It's always the same no matter where we go," the Padawan gave a sardonic laugh. "Is Alak at least going with you? The Jedi Temple on Coruscant is a dangerous place from the rumors I heard."

  Alak? the name rang alarm bells in my head. The name of the man who would follow the footsteps of his master, lose a jaw and die on the Star Forge as a Dark Lord of the Sith, or to sum it up: the original meatbag. Which would mean the second padawan...

  The young Jedi Revan gave a good-natured chuckle. "If he wasn't coming, one of the Masters would be missing a few fingers," he stated with confidence. Even being so young, he had that confidence that his peers would so often mistake for arrogance.

  "You'd be banished in a heartbeat," was the quick response from the Padawan. He steered the conversation away from the subject after having brought it up. "That's good though! I'm glad you won't be alone." The genuine joy the Padawan felt for Revan wasn't held back in his voice. "Just don't be gone too long, this place is about to be a lot more boring."

  "We'll be back, don't you worry." I felt the voices grow dimmer, the anchor to the past lessening.

  "I'll hold you to that."

  Left alone again, the void did not fade. There was something for me to see, something that I had to find. Why else would I be led here? I already knew that Revan studied on Dantooine with Malak, that he would travel to other planets, learn from other Masters until the Mandalorian Wars broke out. Sure, it was intriguing to get a glimpse of what happened. It held no relevance.

  "What do you want from me?" The words pooled out into the void, a whisper of the Force laced into my voice. "Just show me what you—"

  Pain was my answer. Terrible pain that ripped into my skull, forcing me to my knees. Flesh boiled, my body slumped as the arm I used to prop myself up shattered. I screamed in the silence. The agony and damage were not permanent, leaving within the few seconds it happened. The Force didn't like being ordered around, it seemed.

  "You have done well, Padawan Shan," croaked another old, far older sage. One larger in wisdom than Vrook, but shorter in stature: Master Vandar. I could feel his sense of relief and pride in the woman he was addressing. Another Jedi near him spoke to Bastila Shan.

  "Your efforts are to be commended, Bastila. To survive what you did and bring the Dark Lord to us alive..." The one who spoke was a Jedi I wasn't familiar with. The voice was, but the name escaped me.

  "Thank you, Masters," uttered the oh-so-humble response of the Jedi's prized pupil of the time. "I will not lie in refuting the perilous nature of the task. I am just glad to return whole."

  "You did not return unscathed, however, nor did Darth Revan. The healers have done what they can these last few days, but his mind is shattered, broken," Vrook countered—ever quick to point at others. "Our plan has halted in its tracks due to your lack of care."

  "Lack of care?! I kept him alive. I forged a bond with the Dark Lord himself to keep him from fading entirely!" The outburst from Bastila was expected in a way, yet it caught the Jedi Masters who were there off guard. "Have I not sacrificed enough for this mission, Master Lamar?"

  The green-skinned Jedi made an attempt to placate the angered woman. "Master Vrook misspoke, young one," he said with the gentleness of a grandfather. "The bond you and Revan now share was created in haste, and inexperience played a role in his current state. If there is blame to be placed, it is to be on Darth Malak."

  "Now, we have a request, Padawan," the third Jedi continued, his name still not popping into my head.

  "Knight," the young woman corrected her Jedi elder. "I would like to formally make this my request to be brought to the rank of Jedi Knight." A laugh caught in my throat at her audacity and bravery.

  "Bastila! Now is not the time—" Vrook made another attempt to berate the woman, yet Vandar stepped in again to play the peacemaker.

  "Agreed. We will have this discussion later. Time is critical for us all if we are to repair Revan's mind, and we need your help, Bastila. We need your help to end the war once and for all."

  There is no emotion, there is peace. Her voice echoed, inhaling and then exhaling to calm herself. The spoiled Jedi said nothing as time pressed on for a few moments.

  "What must I do, Masters?"

  She held resolve, having helped thus far—but a hint of reluctance was there.

  The vision faded, and voices reached my ears. The Force shone in them like beacons to me, three illuminating silhouettes in the dark. I walked to them, and familiar words reached my ears. I had been here several times in the past.

  "To hear the Force over such pain. It is not possible. It was too much for any Jedi to endure." Master Kavar spoke those words with pity and sorrow to the one he addressed. It was the penultimate moment from the second KOTOR game. I was hearing them in a clarity I had not expected.

  "And it is a wonder you did not die there while thousands perished. All those you had fought with, and struggled with. You cut yourself off because you had to, if you were to survive. You had hints of it in the war on Dxun—Malachor was simply the final blow."

  "You were deafened," Vrook spoke. The man's stubbornness to survive even the destruction of the Order always brought a humored smile to my face. Then I heard her speak—words to stand against the Masters that misunderstood the walking wound they were judging.

  "At last, you could hear."

  Kavar spoke once again. "You were broken."

  "You were whole."

  A deep, soft voice spoke with a cool timbre. "You were blinded."

  "And at last, you saw," Kreia finished. And I did. My senses—all of my senses—returned as the world came crashing into view. Vines clung to broken walls, overgrowth and debris were scattered around the open-air chamber. The sound of the wind came, then I felt it. It was warmer, the air holding some moisture to it. Small bugs buzzed around the Masters, frozen in time. Light from the sun above us bathed the area in an orange glow, having nearly made its journey to the horizon.

  I was numb, shocked, when I looked from the Lost Masters to the person standing beside me. The walking wound in the Force—the Exile. My brother.

  That same scruff on his face, now a bit longer, trimmed. A tired look in his eyes, and brown hair far past his shoulders. He stood tall, defiant with a gaze of steel, dressed in a set of traditional Jedi robes, their colors muted from age. I could not feel his presence in the Force, though I know it wasn't due to the vision.

  "Lucian?"

  The name wasn't one I had spoken of in more than a decade. The last memories of when I screamed that name were like monuments to a dead dream—praying for him to come back, lashing out at the funeral. They had died. Both of them, along with my mother. My family had left me all alone.

  I reached for his shoulder, and I touched it. In a sliver of a second, our eyes met. Then he was gone, replaced by an empty void.

  "He's alive," I breathed out with a smile, though it faltered when my vision dimmed and vertigo slapped me in the face. My upper half flopped to the ground as the strength in my legs failed, bracing myself with the Force, hands outstretched. A small pulse put me back into the standing position.

  I was caught off guard by how that vision ended—what I just learned. Lucian was older than me by a full decade, and we were a little distant, with him being the eldest of the three siblings. A little twinkle of hope rooted itself in my mind, glad he was able to live, and as I would suspect: thrive.

  "Lucian is alive." I laughed into the void.

  And the void replied, with a voice I knew quite well. It wasn't Lucian, or a Jedi of old, nor a Sith Lord raving about the dark side. It drew my attention away from the past and to the present. The stiff curtain of black faded into mists of starlight and inky smoke. Moonlit brush, tall trees, and a familiar red, crescent-shaped shuttle greeted my eyes. A T-6 1974, and one that belonged to the woman I was looking for. My path went through the viridian plantlife and shifted through the bulkhead as the vision pulled me further in.

  "You're alive," the Togruta stated, keeping her surprise in check. "I heard rumors that there was an Inquisitor on your planet." Ahsoka Tano stood tall, her face shadowed in a weathered grey cloak that had seen much better days.

  Projected in the middle of the spacious room was a Bothan adorned with a lavish robe of shining silk and puffy shoulders. The alien looked as if he were masquerading as an old king from the 15th century, just without the list of long-deceased wives to his name. There were chains and rings with precious gems on him as well, making me glad I wasn't able to see him when we met. His head would have been sheared off his shoulders before he could have even uttered a syllable.

  "As you have said, Fulcrum. An Inquisitor has made great lengths in rooting us out. Far more efficiently than the other one with the droids. His abilities are... unique." Even through the vision and the transmission, the Bothan was tense, his words stalling and quivering. He took sharp breaths between his sentences and looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. "That is why I have risked communication."

  "Are you compromised? Are you safe?"

  "Your concern is misplaced. All is well outside of credits I spent on hunters and to assuage damages to infrastructure," spoke Arnev, folding his hands behind his back and standing proud. He held a mischievous glint in his eye as he continued, "The Fourteenth Brother, after our encounter, gifted me with some insightful information. It was only fair I show him the same courtesy. The man is a rather solemn chap, but quite well-meaning."

  If Ahsoka had hair, it would be standing on end. Rather, a lekku twitched instinctually, as she let Arnev speak to distract her from that growing pit in her stomach.

  "Jedi Master Tano, you will have guests on Ossus soon. Though he is indisposed at the moment, I enlightened his companions of your location. He has a proposition for you. I will say no more, as I believe it best to hear it from the man himself. This is no trap, no double-cross. I have been influenced in no other way than the dealings of information and some... mild mutual threats." His gums pulled back to reveal sharp teeth meant to shred prey—an attempt at a smile. "I will send over the schematics he shared in a moment. I do pray you find it in your heart to forgive me, Ahsoka." The Bothan tilted his head in a short bow, and the hologram transmission fizzled out.

  The former Jedi was like a statue, a million thoughts racing through her mind, and she spoke none of them. Her slender orange fingers pulled the hood back, now that she had no reason to hide her face. Confusion was written on it, clearly puzzled and showing a little smile of interest. Impressed by Arnev maybe? It would be anyone’s guess as she walked to the wall behind her—a series of screens with text, readouts, graphs, and a small control panel full of buttons and switches next to them.

  A little light on the switchboard blinked, having received the schematics Arnev promised. She pressed a few buttons, and the colorful screens went dark for a few seconds as the schematics were processed and decrypted. The Fortress Inquisitorius grew from a small corner of the screens to encompass them all, rotating in a rudimentary model of white lines and sharp edges.

  "Well, this should be good," the woman muttered to herself, the voice growing ever distant. Slivers of darkness crept into my vision and cemented themselves there. The temporary sight granted to me by the Force was gone. A cold wind and a sharp gasp of air pulled me back to reality, my hand still on the trunk of that tree. The bark felt rough and a little smooth as my fingers brushed off the surface.

  A rustle of movement caught my attention—fallen leaves crunching under boots and the hum of a lightsaber. Shifting my arm to grab mine in retaliation to the noise, my fingers found nothing. The harness was empty.

  Someone was brave today, I noted, hearing the wild swings and faux lightsaber noises that Hal made. He was like a big kid playing with a very, very dangerous toy. I wrapped the Force around me and tried to be as stealthy as possible, minimizing my presence until I was a foot away.

  One overhead swing stopped mid-air, making Hal's eyes snap to me.

  "Oh kriff, you're back!" The lightsaber nearly fell to the ground when he saw me standing there, the corners of my mouth struggling to keep the brewing laughter contained. The Force kept the unsupported red-bladed weapon in the air when he backed up a step. A flick of the wrist, and it was in my grasp again. I pointed it at him, wheezing a cackle at his antics.

  "This one's mine, Captain! If you want your own, go kill a Jedi yourself."

  "You know what, I just might do that," came the good-natured reply.

  "Ha! At the rate they're dropping dead or diving deeper in the little holes they dug... I’d say you’ll have a..." I tapped my chin to ponder the odds. "A generous, one-in-a-few-trillion chance."

  I could feel Hal rolling his eyes, refusing to laugh as he went to grab the gear he placed nearby.

  "By the way, we got a call. Arnev has the target location."

  "I know," I told him. "And before you ask, I got what I came here for too." The visions still played in my head. It was puzzling, but I did always like a good puzzle. It would haunt my thoughts, but just this once, I would try to trust the Force. Just a little bit.

  "Come on, trooper, let’s get out of here," I ordered Hal, clipping the rotary saber to my harness. We had a Jedi to meet.