“Now that was a rush!” shouted Alha as she burst onto the bridge.
“Agreed! did you see that last shot before we jumped?!” cried Alhoy who came in from the other side. They were both positively giddy.
“You did well. Though, Alha, spray and pray is not always the way to go. Sure it makes it hard for our enemies to maneuver but it also stops you from aiming properly.” I said, admonishing her. “2V break out the good stuff, the bottle of that aged Kaasian Brew,” I requested of the droid.
“The spirits we took from Baras’s fortress, sir?”
“That’s the one,” I replied. I felt good about accomplishing our first mission, but for some reason, I just wasn’t as happy as my companions. It’s not that I was upset…there was just an odd feeling.
I followed 2V out of the cockpit at first hoping to ask the two Jedi masters if they wanted to share a drink, though upon entering the main hold I knew that would be a mistake. The younglings were worse for wear. Some had been battered around in the maneuvers and sported bruises here and there. More importantly, the atmosphere in the hold was the opposite of our victorious celebrations in the cockpit. Most of the kids were huddled together around Master Sinube, many of them were crying.
Where my companions and I had just won an important engagement and probably helped to save the Jedi’s future, the kids in the hold had just witnessed and probably felt almost all the Jedi in the galaxy die. Their home was taken by force and their place in the Republic was lost. Their entire surrogate family had perished in one big blip. This was the greatest loss they ever faced.
I walked over to the pantry and pulled out some of the rations. They weren’t the best comfort food, how could grey bricks of nutrition be, but the kids might feel better with it in their stomachs.
“Sinube, when you’re ready come to the cockpit, we should discuss our next moves,” I said after handing out the bricks. The weary old man nodded, before going back to patting the backs of crying children.
Nu was tending to Shaak Ti in the med-bay when I popped in to tell her about the meeting. The Togruta was holding steady, though I doubted that being thrown into a ship and jostled around for the past few hours did any good for her wounds.
Back in the cockpit, my two companions were still riding that high when 2V brought the blood-red drink with three glasses. The three of us raised our cups to a job well done and sipped the alcohol. It was surprisingly smooth. Technically, Zaros had drank quite a bit of the stuff, but I didn't know what to expect.
I held up my red glass after a few sips. “Legend has it that each bottle is baptized in the blood of a fallen jedi…” I said wistfully. Both Alha and Alhoy shivered before setting down their glasses.
“Is that…why it has that weird aftertaste?,” Alhoy complained.
“What aftertaste? This is some of the most expensive stuff you can find, even more so since the empire fell,” I explain.
“Ugh the more I drink, the more it reminds me of blood…” said Alha feigning sickness…or maybe not feigning it.
We shared a few drinks like that for a time before Nu and Sinube finally joined us. I offered them a drink, just not of the Kaasian Brew. Something told me they might take offense to it. In a weird way, it kind of seemed like cannibalism to me if they were to drink it. Sinube declined, but Nu was more than willing to sip on something. 2V obliged the woman with some other spirits.
“Our first stop is Alderaan, we need a safe place to fuel up,” I said after everyone had settled in.
“Why Alderaan? We should make our way to the outer rim,” argued Nu. “We need to be on a planet no one will look to.”
“Bail Organa, among others, are already organizing a resistance…an alliance of rebels,” I replied.
“Bail? Bail was Palpatine’s staunch ally throughout the war, a veritable lap dog! It’s far more likely this is a trap,” She persisted.
“Listen, you don’t really have a say where we go, I was just planning on keeping you informed. And I can guarantee that Bail will never support Palpatine again,” I replied. “More importantly, haven’t either of you received word from Yoda?”
“Earlier in the day, before the attack we received a concerning transmission, though all he said was to stay vigilant for a possible galaxy-wide threat…well at least we know what he was talking about now,” Sinube said. “Just as we were leaving Coruscant we received the tail end of a transmission but lost the signal once we jumped,” he further explained.
“Do you have a way to contact him?” I asked the two Jedi.
“We have the same channels he used,” Nu explains.
“Try to get in touch, if we don’t catch him, that eccentric bastard will go hide on a swamp and leave you all to your fates,” I explain.
“Master Yoda is the most dedicated Jedi in the galaxy…” Sinube began. “But we don’t know where he is, and we can’t broadcast ourselves blindly whilst on the run.”
“Get in touch with Polis Massa. Obi-Wan will be there eventually, Yoda will as well.” I reply. “So all in favor of Alderaan?” I ask after turning towards my companions.
“I’d love to go,” said Alha while Alhoy nodded vigorously.
Then I turned back to the two Jedi Masters and said, “Looks like a unanimous decision.”
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“I’ll admit it, you were right about the view,” said Alha. She and I were relaxing on one of the many balconies adorning the Royal towers of Aldera. The capital city of Aldera was a futurist’s wet dream. The main structures of the city were massive towers plated with chrome reminiscent of a Naboo liner. There wasn’t a hard angle in sight. It stood at the edge of a tall cliff upon a verdant and temperate mountain. It was an impossible settlement of futuristic civilization among the untamed wilderness; a testament to the riches and technology of Alderaan.
I leaned against the railing and rubbed my hands against my newly gained onderon silk robes. The stuff was positively luxurious. There was a reason all the richest people in the galaxy like Padme and Dooku wore the stuff. Died glossy black, draped loosely across my body, and secured with wraps; it certainly gave me an air of mystery and sorcerous power. Who knew I’d have to move into a different universe before I understood fine fabrics.
“You’re way too proud of that,” Alhoy said as he joined us on the balcony.
“I agree. Maybe you should branch out to different colors as well,” Alha said.
“The universal rule of the Sith is that you are only allowed certain colors: Black, Red, Silver…maybe purple and sometimes gold. And as long as you’re on my payroll, those will be your choices too.”
They both let out a mild groan, though I really couldn’t see the problem. We looked like a real team of dark siders in our impenetrably black robes. Alha’s silks were wrapped tightly around her almost like a bodysuit. Alhoy went with a looser design, though his silk top left the front of his chest almost completely bare.
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I handed my disgruntled…friends, yep they’re friends, a pair of crystalline Alderaanian glasses before raising my own in a toast. We clink and drink before I turn around to look down on the courtyard. Far below, many of the Jedi younglings could be seen running about playing some game. Some laughter and shouts echoed up to our position. We stayed like that for a while, just relaxing and basking in the peace of Alderaan. Maybe we should just hang out here for a while.
That sentiment lasted all of a few hours. After we ate dinner that night, I began to feel restless. In bed, I tossed and turned unable to find sleep despite the exertions from the last few days. In the real world, the amount of galivanting I just did would have put me down for a few days.
Once I did close my eyes, I found myself back on Coruscant, back in the Jedi Council chambers. Nobody was around. Anakin was cutting through the doors. I jammed them open and moved to force-push him back into the hallway, smirking at the trick.
Anakin didn't budge. He pushed back. Soon we’re in an all-out battle of wills. I slid back once again. I tried to deflect his force to the side; the blast annihilated the windows.
He laughed and sent a powerful blast of force at me. I summoned my own to fight against it, but it was completely overwhelmed and sent hurtling through the opened window. I free-fell down the side of the tower. No one was there to catch me and I was forced to reach out with the force and pull myself to the side of the tower. I ignited my blade and stabbed it into the stone to slow my fall.
I slid to a stop halfway down. A figure rocketed past me at blinding speed. Suddenly I was ripped from the tower and sent flying towards the courtyard. The figure hit the ground with a terrible thud, and I was slung across the ground and sent rolling.
I struggled to my feet just in time to sense dark energy coming at me once again. I looked up and saw Anakin flying at me. There was no confusion on his face anymore no doubt, just anger. He came down at me with another powerful overhead slash. I reached up with my blade to defend.
My guard was broken, and the searing blade hurtled towards me. “The empire’s wrath, undefeated no more,” Vader’s deep, mechanical voice taunted me just as the blade connected.
I awoke in a cold sweat and instinctively reached out my hand towards my blade. It came to me in a comforting snap and lit up the dark room with the blood red glow. I pulled on a simple robe, leaving my armor behind. Out the sliding glass doors; I strode onto the balcony before hopping off the side. I plummeted down to the courtyard below before channeling the force to slow my fall. By the time I touched down, I landed with the same force as a normal step.
The Fury was parked in the royal hangars. Well, it was a hangar owned by the Royal family, though it was more like a finely carved cave in the cliffside below the city. It was a place only known to a select few in order to keep our now infamous ship out of prying eyes. We were offered these fine accommodations by the Queen when she saw the kind of cargo we were smuggling onto her planet. It was after hours so the hangar was completely darkened with only some moonlight coming in from the cliff opening. I sat down on the floor of the hangar underneath the cockpit and crossed my legs.
Save for a few isolated attempts here and there, I never meditated in my previous life. I spent hours training my avatar though and sat through plenty of lore dumps and mystical cutscenes. So I tried my best to follow along what I remembered. My subconscious and muscle memories also helped in this situation. Just like everything else with this body, the feelings required to use the force came naturally.
My blade floated out of my hand and stopped a few feet from my face and then ignited. It's blood red light illuminated the dark hangar while it floated perfectly still.
Then I slowly enveloped the ship with the force; commanded it to do so; dominated it into its place. The ship creaked and groaned. I poured more of my will into the effort, forced it to bend around the ship. Finally, after an exhausting amount of forced control, it lifted a few inches off the ground.
By this point, sweat droplets dripped off my body but never landed on the ground. They glided along until they left my skin but were immediately caught up in the pull. Soon many droplets were floating around me.
From there it was a simple game of mental torture. Keep the ship in the air for as long as possible. Control and subdue the force. Bend it to your own devices for as long as poss-
“Training! I was worried you were running away!” cried Alha with amusement. Sweat droplets splattered across the ground and the ship fell back onto its landing pegs with a crash.
“Agh!” I growled in anger and reached out with my open hand towards the sound. I wrapped the force around her body and when I closed my hand into a fist, it constricted, locking her arms to her sides and her legs together. With a pull of my wrist, she was sent hurtling towards me before suddenly stopping a foot away from my still levitating lightsaber.
“Zaros!” she yelled. Her voice cracked with fear.
I opened my eyes at the emotion and saw her face illuminated by the red light of my saber. Her genuine fear at the possibility of being bisected brought back my mental control.
I released my grip on the force completely. The saber shut off and clattered to the ground, while Alha fell onto her stomach.
“I…I’m sorry!” I said as I rushed to help her up. “I’ve been on edge, something hasn’t agreed with me all day…I’m not trying to make excuses, I just lost control…” I explained.
Our eyes met when I pulled her up to her feet. The fear was still there, but also envy. “I get it; I shouldn’t have interrupted you while training your magics.” She replied. “It’s an incredible power, when you dueled that Jedi at the temple, it was like two gods clashing amongst the heavens,” she added.
“Most fights aren’t that…climactic,” I reply. “Hell, with enough blasters, many force users become just another target.”
“Yes, but…” She began to say almost shyly.
“You’re going to ask me to teach you?”
“No no, I wouldn’t presume, but is there a way to learn?”
“I have no clue, I’ve never taught anyone…not even myself,” I reply. “I don’t sense much of the force from you…though George once said that anyone could use it.”
I thought for a moment then answered, “What the hell, it won’t kill you. Don’t get your hopes up though. You’ll never be like the man I fought at the tower. A few thousand years’ worth of prophecy resulted in his powers.”
“Oh thank you! Can you give me a lightsaber too?” she asked
“No.” I answered in a stern voice. “Lightsabers aren’t just some fancy swords, they’re like a tool; a conduit that aids in using the force,” I explained.
I restored my lightsaber to its previous floating position and then it ignited.
“For Jedi, they must journey to one of the sacred planets that harbor Kyber Crystals. Once they make it to one of these planets, they are given a trial. Should they overcome it, they are matched with their fated crystal. It’s symbolic of how a Jedi must submit to the will of the force,” I explain.
“So for me to get a lightsaber, I have to dig around in a cave for some crystals?”
“I wouldn’t train you as a Jedi. A Sith must take their first lightsaber. I plundered mine from the tomb of Naga Sadow. Most kill Jedi or other Sith for theirs. It signifies your willingness to defy the will of the force, to shape destiny,” I reply.
I rummaged through my pants pocket before finding one of the ancient imperial credits I can’t seem to get rid of and tossed it to her. “You’re like thirty steps too far ahead anyway. If you can’t dominate this worthless credit, then you can’t wield a lightsaber.”
“Dominate?”
“Yep, the force flows through everything in the universe. Jedi request its help and the Will of the force grants them power. Sith take control of the force, shift it into unnatural positions to fit our wants. We dominate it,” I explain.
“So, if I want it enough, I can force this junk metal to float?” she asked. When she explained it like that, a lightbulb went off in my head.
“If you can’t even accomplish a feat like this then you will never be a Sith,” I said in a condescending tone. “You have until I complete my mediations tonight,” I added on at the end.
“Wait what? But you still haven’t told me what to do!”
“Must I repeat myself?” I asked. Without waiting for her response, I mockingly said. "You. Reach. Out. With. Your. Will. And. Dominate. The. Force. If you disturb my meditations again for the rest of the night, I will consider this test a failure.”
With that, I closed my eyes and began my meditations anew.
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A single ray of sun peeked through the mountainside and shone across my face. By this point, my entire body was shaking from the effort of holding the force at bay for hours. Using the force in this way, was like damning a river. The force wanted to snap back, move into its natural flow. The longer you held it, the greater the buildup. More than a few times, the strain was almost too much and caused me to momentarily drop the ship, only to catch it with renewed will. The heat of the sunlight signaled an end to my ordeal. With a crash, the ship fell to the ground and my saber fell into my outstretched hand.
I opened my eyes and turned my stiff neck to look at Alha. Her eyes went wide when she realized the night had ended.
“No. No, I almost had it, I swear. I just need more time!” she yelled as she got to her feet.
“I almost laughed, but I’m too tired,” I replied.
“The determination to try all night, the desperation to accomplish your task, the anger at failure, you felt all of that throughout the night, correct?” I asked.
She nodded, "But I can do it! I'm sur-" she started to say before I waved her off.
“No one learns to use the force in a single night. You’re weaker than most, you started later than most. You’re at a general disadvantage, so if you were to pursue this path, it must be with reckless abandon and absolute determination," I explain. "Your first test was to tough it out all night through failure."
"You!" she said in anger, though her smile quickly shined through.
"Oh, I almost forgot. If you try to take one of my sabers from the ship, I am honor-bound to kill you."