A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

LuciferBael · Jul 21, 2024

SkinnyP said:
Why? That sounds like a backtrack. You first told he can't, and now you are telling me he doesn't want to. The argument that he has become a battle junky that holds back to enjoy the fight makes sense, but the mc has literally never described himself as enjoying a life and death struggle. He's enjoyed the triumph after a great feat, but never enjoyed the process.

I can see how there could be a potential disconnect between the writing team's intention and what the reader is seeing though. Anyway, my confusion isn't worth a long debate. No story is perfect, and I have no right to complain about a free work that you and the rest of the team have spent a great deal of time and effort into. A New Player in the Force is a top tier fan-fiction.

If you want to have a more in depth discussion feel free to join the discord

USSExplorer · Aug 13, 2024

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released to those on the story's Discord, and who those support my writing anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago.

If doing either interests you, you'll find links at the bottom of the chapter.

3.05 Father and Son
... ...

"Cautionary: I believe my master was quite clear about what you could and couldn't touch, meatbag."

The meatbag in question, Hondo Onaka, took a few cautious steps back, his hands raised in a gesture of compliance. "Yes, yes. I recall his words perfectly, droid. I was merely... curious, yes, curious, about what this is." His tone and body language conveyed submission, but the fluidity with which Hondo moved hinted at something more than the image of a simple smuggler and pirate. On several occasions, he had displayed an unexpected grace or control that belied his outward persona. I had never pressed him about it, content to let him keep his secrets as I kept mine, but I suspected some form of combat training. Perhaps not the refined techniques of Teräs Käsi, the Jedi, or the Mando'ade, but certainly something of significance.

It might well explain how he managed to hold his own against Force users in the media I remembered from before my rebirth. There were significant issues I had with the arc that introduced him—how he had so effortlessly captured Dooku, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. Even without his lightsaber, I knew Dooku could have overwhelmed Hondo and his gang with minimal effort. Yet, that was another timeline, and I had learned enough in this new life not to assume that everything I knew from before applied here—or to underestimate anyone I encountered.

"Mockery: Ah yes, this is all just a simple misunderstanding, and I have failed to anticipate your actions and behaviour." I bit back a chuckle at HK's response as I continued to observe the interaction via a security camera in the central area of the ship.

"Exactly!" Hondo replied, spreading his arms wide.

I couldn't help but shake my head at the behaviour. It might be nearly a decade before he set up with his gang on Florrum and exploited the opportunities the Clone Wars brought, but the quick tongue and disarming manner were already part of his repertoire. Still, the odds that after the debacle with Miraj's contact, the one who was now helping me locate Anakin was Hondo fucking Onaka wasn't lost on me.

Whether it was an act of the Force, TPTB, or simply random chance, that had made Hondo one of the few to slip away from that cantina before I lost control, I didn't know. Nor, honestly, did I care. All that mattered was these contacts he told me about who knew the location of several Trandoshan hunting parties in this and nearby sectors of the Outer Rim.

"How much longer are we going to tolerate this pirate?"

I turned from the display, taking in Simvyl's irritated expression. Ever since Hondo had set foot on Raven, the Cathar had disliked his presence. After five days, it had reached the point that unless Hondo was in his assigned cabin – with HK standing guard outside it – then Simvyl would either be in the cockpit, training area blowing off steam, or in his cabin. I wasn't sure what it was about Hondo – or Weequay in particular- that Simvyl didn't like, but it was clear he disliked the pirate, and it wasn't just a reaction to his injuries and foul mood at losing Anakin on his watch.

Simvyl's wounds had healed, though he had deliberately removed the patches before the scars could fully mend. I hadn't questioned his reasons, but I suspected it was his way of reminding himself of his failure to protect Anakin. I had already assured him that I didn't hold him responsible for Anakin's abduction—once I had mastered my rage enough to refrain from lashing out at everything around me. I understood that he had done all he could in the face of overwhelming odds. Still, Simvyl had vowed that when we found the lizards, he would show them the exact measure of mercy they deserved—none at all.

"At least until we meet his contact," I replied slowly, turning my gaze back to the monitor. Hondo was moving away from the area HK had just warned him about—a small door leading to where we stored most of our munitions. It had been five days—one galactic week—since Anakin's abduction, and two since the disastrous meeting with Miraj's contact. In the time I wasn't in the cockpit, I spent hours meditating on my actions, struggling to control the fury that churned within me. Unlike before, I had neither an outlet for my emotions—be it Bo or battle—nor could I simply suppress the rage and find my centre. Though I regretted killing the Devaronian before he could give me the information I needed, I felt no remorse for his death, nor for the deaths of nearly everyone else in that cantina. Slavers, killers, thugs—they deserved nothing less than execution for their crimes. It wouldn't provide lasting relief, but I hoped that the deaths of so many in the planet's underworld might offer the general populace a brief respite.

I watched as Hondo left the central area, Raven shifting the display to show the Weequay moving down the corridor, seemingly toward his cabin. Hondo had been clearly warned that if his contact proved useless, or that if he tried to acquire anything on Raven that didn't belong to him, then his screams as he died would be heard from Coruscant to Nal Hutta. He'd gulped at my warning, taking it seriously, though it seemed that after a day and a half on Raven he might be needing a reminder.

The issue I was facing was if I would kill him if his contact proved useless. While nothing important now, he had the potential to be of use to me as the galaxy teetered closer to all-out war. I had no interest in taking control of even a fraction of the galactic underworld – honestly, I was more inclined to wipe out what I could – but I understood that it existed since before the Republic had been formed twenty-five thousand years ago, and would continue to do so, no matter what the future brought. Having a few contacts in that sphere that I could call on directly would not be the worst thing.

"I doubt he's going to be of much use," Simvyl responded as I continued to watch as Hondo moved through Raven, HK a few steps behind, his hands on his blaster while his optical receptors watched the Weequay carefully. The droid had orders to not kill the Weequay at the first attempt each day, merely offering a warning. As that had been done, the next warning would carry him readying his blaster and the third a wounding shot. Hondo knew this but still seemed intent on pushing his boundaries.

"Probably not, but I sense the Force at work in having him meet us." Simvyl rolled his eyes at my comment, which was understandable. That sort of wishy-washy phrase wasn't one I used often, or placed my stock in and generally disliked. Still, I couldn't ignore the idea that someone or something had ensured I encountered Hondo, nor was I going to act like it might not have future uses.

Of course, I had no intention of revealing to Hondo that I was a Jedi, nor would I ever remove my helmet in his presence. Though I wasn't widely known, my face had been all over the Holonet earlier this year due to the events on Naboo and my association with the planet and Chancellor Palpatine. And let's not forget my strong connection with Chancellor Damask as well.
The thought of both Banite Sith Lords being Co-Chancellors terrified me. Yet, I had come to terms with the fact that, for the time being, there was little I could do to thwart their plans—certainly not more than I had already managed.

Maul was off the board, Dooku wasn't going to become Tyrannus – the quest for him wasn't completed, but I felt it insanely unlikely he'd become the Sith's puppet – and the Mandalorians, one of the few warrior cultures in the galaxy that would be inclined to move against the Republic weren't led by the di'kut New Mandalorians.

However, all of that mattered little if I lost Anakin. While I didn't trust a Force vision to be a perfect indication of what might happen – my beskar-coated forearm a clear example of that – I accepted that for the Banite Sith to be defeated, Anakin and I had to work together.

But more than that, I'd made him a promise, to train him to defend and protect himself and those he holds dear, and even if I had to burn a world to save him, I wasn't going to break that promise.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
He scurried forward, climbing over the remains of what appeared to be an X-31 speeder that lay against the current mound of junk he was making his way around. While it would be useful to climb to the top, given who was hunting him, he knew he couldn't do so. That would only leave him exposed to any Trandoshan with a blaster rifle.

That fate had befallen one of the fourteen other children that the aliens had captured along with him before they'd arrived on this world. Anakin didn't know where this world was, only that, after nearly a day of scrambling around the various mountains of debris – something he was basing on the planet's sun slowly sinking over the horizon when it'd been rising when they'd landed – that it was one of countless such worlds, and often they were only known by an Aurenumerial code.

He'd been on the Trandoshan's vessel for some time, though the exact time was hard to pin down as when he'd awoken the lizards had some of his armour. The vambraces, which contained a handful of non-lethal ordinance, and his helmet, which had access to the armour's HUD, were gone. The rest of the armour was left; the lead Trandoshan had said that it would make him a more worthy kill during the hunt. While he, and the other children that had been captured, had been given food, it was worse than even what he'd had while a slave on Tatooine, and if not for the fact the Trandoshans intended to hunt them instead of selling them, Anakin feared he'd have lashed out and tried to escape.

After the lead Trandoshan had left, the air turning blue with the string of insults Anakin sent his way, he'd considered how to escape the cage he found himself in. Even without the advanced systems of his armour available to him, Anakin felt he could crack the lock. However, he ignored that idea, and the voices at the back of his mind that suggested he use the Force to escape. He'd also pushed down the bonfire of rage that demanded that he strike out against the lizards, that he didn't allow anyone to ever again cage and enslave him.

Without knowing where he was, how big the ship he was on, and how many and where the other Trandoshans – there were always more than one of the ugly lizards around – were, he'd decided against it. The longer they didn't know he was a Jedi – or at least one in training – the longer he'd have some tricks to help him when it came time to escape. Kriff, once the lead Trandoshan had informed him and the other children that they'd be heading to the hunting grounds, he'd managed to squirrel away a few devices that the Trandoshans had left lying around the bay and slipped them inside his armour.

He still had those tools, and with the amount of debris around them, he felt that, if he could find the time and the right pieces, he could use some of what was here to at least slow down the lizards. Cam was coming for him, and Anakin swore to himself and the Force that he'd survive until Cam arrived, and he'd do whatever he could to help the others survive as well.

Thinking of Cam made Anakin glance skyward. While there were lightyears between them, Anakin knew Cam was searching for him. It would take time to reach here, but Anakin knew Cam would arrive at some point; all Anakin had to do was stay alive until then, and keep as many of his new friends alive as he could.

With little to do while in his cage, he'd spoken with the other children captured by the Trandoshans. There'd been twelve when he'd first awoken, with two more added before they reached the world the hunt was taking place on. They came from various places and species, but all were around his age or at least his height. Some species grew faster than humans, and some matured faster, but no one in the cages was older than thirteen cycles.

Once they'd reached the planet they'd been roughly hauled off the ship and tossed out of the ramp. While lying on the ground, cleaning the dirt from his clothes and remaining armour, the lead Trandoshan had spoken. The alien had given them an hour to run before the hunt would begin.

While some kids had stood around, unsure of what to do, Anakin knew the Trandoshan was serious and tried to convince the others to run. Most had, but two – a Human boy and a Togruta girl – hadn't. The pair had collapsed to their knees and began begging the Trandoshans to take them home. Anakin had wanted to convince them that they were wasting their breath, but he knew the longer he stayed near the ship, the greater the odds were that he'd die before Cam could arrive.

What seemed like an hour later, two blaster shots rang out over the world. Several in the group had started crying as they realised the two who'd stayed behind had been killed, something Anakin knew had happened as the faint spikes of fear and disbelief they'd echoed into the Force had blinked out with echoes of the blasters firing.

The voices from within that suggested drawing on the Force and striking back against the aliens had grown stronger in that moment, but Anakin hadn't listened to them. Instead, after vowing to himself to keep as many of them alive as he could, he'd convinced everyone to keep moving. Of course, as he wasn't the oldest, a pair of Twi'lek boys had argued they should be in charge and weren't going to follow him. They and three others had headed off in a different direction, even after Anakin had tried to explain that they were better off staying together. There'd been sounds of blasters firing since that split, and Anakin had felt three more children die through the Force, but so far those who'd stayed with him were fine.

One boy, the oldest among them, had broken off by himself, feeling he'd do better alone and wanted nothing to do with Mandalorians. Anakin wasn't happy about that, but he'd accepted the boy's choice. Anakin was reasonably sure Kesh was still alive, but he couldn't be certain as Kesh had been the last child captured, and he'd barely spoken with the dark-skinned boy before they'd arrived on this world.

With the sun slowly setting, Anakin knew the world was going to get cold. Well, colder as even when the sun had been directly overhead it hadn't been that warm. He could use the Force, thanks to the training with Instructor Kefe, to warm himself, but the five who'd decided to follow him couldn't. Also, while they needed to keep ahead of the Trandoshans, they couldn't move at night. Not unless this world has a moon to provide light. Until they were sure it was safe to move at night, it was better to find somewhere to settle down for a few hours.

Anakin was surprised that the lessons he'd learnt while a slave for Watto were coming back, but as they moved through the debris, he'd seen various little bits of tech that, if he'd had time, he'd have enjoyed examining. Perhaps, when they moved out later, he could see what he could salvage as if the junk here was like what Watto had kept in his yard, then some of it might be useful against the Trandoshans.

They'd only searched one piece of junk, that of a downed cargo transport. It hadn't been a large vessel, but the logo on a nearby cargo container had suggested the vessel might have food onboard. They'd lucked out when Plirs, a Weequay, had found a left-over crate half-full of rations designed to last forever. The food hadn't tasted great, but it was the first meal they'd had since being released, and what they'd not eaten had been squirrelled away in their pockets. Anakin knew, again drawing on his memories of being enslaved, that it wouldn't last long – perhaps three days if they were careful – but it was at least something.

As he reached the side of the hill he was clambering over, Anakin gazed at the nearby mounds, seeking a place to shelter. As much as he didn't want to admit it to anyone, he was enjoying this. Not the being hunted by kriffing aliens – though he was beginning to understand why Cam hated Trandoshans so fiercely – part, but the fact he was being forced to fend for himself. Well, for himself and others.

The life-and-death stakes of the situation were thrilling him, fuelling his excitement as he pushed himself to the limit. The array of technology around him, which might have piqued his interest on another day, only added to his sense of exhilaration. His companions might think him crazy for finding any enjoyment in this predicament, but Anakin didn't care. Not everyone shared his and Cam's perspective. Some couldn't find pleasure in such a dire place while being hunted. Perhaps that was why Cam was both Jedi and Mandalorian and why Anakin aspired to be both as well.

He forced his thoughts away from Cam, focusing instead on their surroundings as the Togruta female, Eshie, joined him. "There," he said, gesturing toward a downed light freighter, half-buried two mounds away. "We'll rest there."

"Why there?" Eshie asked. Anakin turned to her, momentarily distracted by her purple skin, reminiscent of Baalta Iradel's. He quickly reminded himself not to dwell on the Lokella—or more specifically, his sister Lia. She was safe with Ferox, and once Cam rescued him, Anakin planned to check in with Ferox to see how they were doing.

Ferox might have intended to marry his mother, but Anakin couldn't envision him as a father. According to Mandalorian tradition, Cam was his adoptive father, though Anakin hadn't fully embraced that role. Cam felt more like a big brother or cousin than a father. Anakin knew this wasn't the Jedi's ideal, but he didn't care. Family and friends were crucial to him, even those he'd only recently met, like Eshie and her companions.

Cam had made it clear that, except for Master Dooku, Anakin was not to reveal their relationship to any Jedi. He found the Jedi's prohibition against having family and friends to be foolish, but he understood that he had no power to change it. Moreover, Cam had emphasised that if the Jedi Council discovered their connection, they would try to separate them. That was the primary reason Anakin had agreed to keep their adoption a secret from the Order.

"It's big enough and there's a few ways in and out. Plus, as it's half-buried, we should be able to hide there if the Trandoshans get too close," He replied to Eshie. While he was being honest, Anakin was also holding back. If the Trandoshans were using beasts to track their scent – he'd heard a few howls from something on the voyage here to suspect that was the case – then they might be found in the ship. However, Anakin had felt something in the Force, which he felt, if he was understanding things correctly, meant it was suggesting the downed freighter would be a safe, if temporary, shelter.

While he'd only had some teaching in how to use, draw upon, and understand the Force, Anakin had realised that it had always been there. The feeling of when or not, to do something, or go somewhere had been the Force guiding his actions. He wasn't sure he liked the idea that it was controlling him, but so far it hadn't guided him anywhere he'd not wanted to go, though he did often wonder if he'd not gone with Cam to the Lokella if his mother would still be alive.

Thoughts like that, as Master Dooku had remained him several times after his mother died, were dangerous. The past couldn't, no matter how we might wish otherwise, be changed. Master Dooku was clear that one had to learn to accept what had happened and grow from it, though Anakin did wonder why, whenever he said that or something similar, he and Miss Vosa always seemed drawn to each other within the Force.

Once he was off this world, and if he was feeling brave enough, he'd ask Master Dooku about it. Until then, he'd place it, and his thoughts on Lia, the Force and almost everything else to one side. He needed to remain focused on this world, and those relying on him, so that when Cam came – and he knew he would – they were alive and well.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I sighed deeply, my breath steadying as I settled into the shadowed embrace of my room, lost in contemplation. The Force whispered through the darkness, a living current weaving its way through all that surrounded me. I sensed its rhythm in the very fabric of existence, a dance of energy that pulsed through the organic and the mechanical alike. Within Raven's form, I felt the ancient currents of power intertwining between her living tissues and her metallic veins. Her presence in the Force resonated with familiarity, a reflection of the bond forged between myself, Fay, and the seedpartners of Sekot.

In the cockpit, Simvyl was watching the controls, his emotions slowly returning to normal as he accepted that what happened wasn't his fault. In the cabin assigned to him while outside I knew HK was standing guard. Fenrir was at my door, his presence naturally cloaked to allow him to sneak up upon a target, though due to our bond, I always knew where he was.

Yet for all that, my focus today, as it had been in each session I'd had since Anakin was taken, and after speaking with Adas, was directed inward.

I felt the Force raging within me, a tempest of light and shadow clashing against the calm teachings of the Jedi, which guided me to surrender to its will. The storm of rage, ever-present and unyielding, surged from the echoes of the Bando Gora and the Vong, mingling with the flames of past indignations. In a life unshaped by the Force, controlling such fury was simpler, with the voices of desire and the raw impulses of my nature untempered by the vast potential of the Force. Now, with the Interface withdrawn by my choice, I had to confront those inner demons alone.

Drawing a deep breath, I turned my focus inward, embracing the war that raged within me. I would no longer cower from the darkness or suppress it with futile efforts. Guided by Adas' wisdom, I sought not to accept these primal urges but to transcend them, to command my actions and chart my destiny free from the fears and doubts festering in my soul.

I had long known that the path of the Jedi was not my true course. The Order, entangled with a corrupt Republic, had descended into the mire of its own decay, where the highest echelons were driven by self-interest, favouring their own and their allies over the common good. While countless dedicated souls laboured for the Republic across the galaxy, those in power—whether rulers of worlds, sectors, or senators—were consumed by their own agendas. This corruption, a reflection of issues from my former life, now seemed vast and incomprehensible, magnified beyond anything I had imagined before my rebirth.

A shift occurred within me; the Force rose like a serpent, intertwining with my darker inclinations, demanding I heed its twisted desires. This merging of the Force with my repressed urges was no longer to be cast aside as I had before.

I directed my focus inward, setting aside all other thoughts to confront this threat. I was in control, not the distorted desires of the Force shaped by my base needs. I would not be a puppet to these urges; I would master them. My fate was mine to determine, my path mine to walk. I was…

[BEEP]

My eyes shot open, distracted as I attempted to sink into a deep meditation by the sound of the intercom going off. I sighed as I shifted on my bed, annoyed that I'd not been able to keep attempting to meditate on Adas' words and the ideals he'd suggested.

The Jedi path was one I'd known for some time wasn't going to work for me. at least not how it was taught at the Temple currently. I simply couldn't do as the Council and others continued to insist I do; releasing my emotions into the Force wasn't possible because of Eidetic Memory. That power meant that my feelings for everything I'd ever experienced – good or bad – returned whenever I relived a memory. Those memories were both those I'd experienced in this life, and from what had come before, and many of them were impossible to ever accept and live with.

Perhaps there was some older method, something more than just the more simplistic but complicated Code that I'd taught to Serra. However, I'd yet to find any hint of something that might apply properly to me. Or to Anakin, as I knew the base Code of the Jedi would never work for him. Both the current form and its older variant, while having some use, weren't something I could commit to, and not just because of the issues brought on by the Interface.

The seemingly blind obedience that most Jedi held toward the Force made perfect sense for them. they were born with the connection, and almost to a sentient, raised in the Temple to accept that. Like Anakin, I wasn't raised by the Order, and with a lifetime of memories, experiences, and opinions predating my connection to the Force – filtered as it had been by the Interface – giving myself over to it completely simply wasn't something I found I could do for any significant length of time.

The path followed by the Sith, or the Banite Sith since the order of Sidious and Plagueis was something entirely different from the Sith of Adas' time, in both species and belief, wasn't one I could see myself following either. While there were parts of their Code that held appeal, much like with the Jedi Code, it wouldn't work for me.

I wasn't, like every Sith that had followed Darth Bane, willing to work from the shadows. I preferred, as much as it might place me at risk, to be in the thick of the action. A trait that I knew Anakin would develop with time even if I'd not taken him as my Padawan. That was why I was slowly trying to draw upon Adas' words to meditate and centre myself.

According to Adas, the thing I feared the most was losing control; be that to the anger and rage within me or the Force. He explained that the challenge that I faced was one every Force user encountered. That of taking control of their destiny and not being a tool for the Force or our baser instincts and emotions. To recover my direction, and my sense of purpose, I had to look deep within myself and face what lay within.

The fear that I would lose myself to my anger, along with the concerns of giving myself over to the Force entirely and the power that my connection with the Force granted me, were things I had to confront. That I had to accept were there and then overcome. I knew that if I failed in gaining control then all the potential I held with the Force, for using it to prevent the rise of the Empire and the rule of the Banite Sith, would be for nought.

The main issue was that after a half dozen sessions of meditating – or more accurately, attempting to – I was struggling to find my centre and overcome my fears. I was making some progress as the voices saying I should rip the knowledge I needed from Hondo's mind, that I should flay every lizard I encountered until Anakin was back at my side, were quieter, but they were still there.

Another concern was that I was treading a path Adas had envisioned for me, one that might inadvertently lead me to become his spiritual successor. Adas had been an immensely powerful figure, uniting the Sith species under his dominion and expelling the Rakata—a feat rarely accomplished during their reign over the galaxy. However, I feared that if I was not cautious, my journey to defeat the Banite Sith and prevent the rise of their Empire might inadvertently birth something even more catastrophic, something worse.

Sliding from my bed, I took slow, deep breaths, pushing thoughts of what my future might hold, and centred myself on the present. "Yes?" I said, using the Force to activate the room's intercom as I stood and moved toward the table where most of my armour rested.

"Got an incoming transmission from Mandalore," Simvyl replied from the cockpit. While Raven was capable of flying by herself while in hyperspace, the Cathar and I felt better if one of us was present. It also stopped our passenger from asking questions about who was monitoring the flight, or attempting to sneak into the cockpit, though with HK an ever-present shadow, Hondo was – for him – behaving himself.

"Patch it to my armour," I said as I slipped the first vambrace on. While I had weaponry built into my arm, I was still wearing the vambrace over it. While that did limit which of the extras within the arm I could use, the vambrace held a wider selection of tools. With Maul captured, I'd altered the loadout to carry a more lethal ordinance, though the non-lethal selections were stored in several secured containers in my room. There would come a day when I'd have to interact with Jedi, and since they still felt I was one of them, using such ordinance in the vambraces would remove some of their concerns about my choice to wear armour. Plus, there may well be times when I wanted a target captured and not removed, though hopefully by the time that was the case, I'd have regained most, if not all, of my Force powers; along with learning a few new ones along the way.

The vambrace beeped as the signal was routed to it, and a moment later a familiar face appeared. "Alor Adonai," I said upon seeing one of the two dukes who'd allied their Houses with my Clan appear. While I'd never voiced it, I was confused why neither he nor Torrhen Ordo had moved to become Mand'alor. They were the two most powerful figures among the Clans and could try for the title, though I was glad they didn't.

As Mando'ade myself, anyone becoming Mand'alor would place me in the position of choosing between officially staying or not following the Mand'alor and being labelled dar'manda: a traitor to our people. If the choice had to be made, I knew which way I would go, and I suspected Anakin would be fine with it, but an issue would arise with Serra.

Like me, she was Mando'ade, but as a Jedi Padawan, she had less freedom to make that choice. I still hadn't spoken to her directly, as even when I called her after leaving Instructor Kefe, I'd been told my call would be routed to Master Windu. Not wanting that to happen, I'd spoken with Darihd, and for a brief moment, with Sifo-Dyas.

Windu was still controlling Serra's contacts within the Order, though Darihd, Sia-Lan and a handful of others had spoken with her. The Togruta had informed me that she was doing better and seemed to be starting to accept Master Drallig's death as the will of the Force, which was a relief. However, that Windu was preventing me from speaking to her directly was only feeding into my anger regarding Anakin's capture.

Serra meant far more to me than Windu, and I felt I had the right to check up on her and know how she was doing, as while I didn't regret Drallig's death – not when it meant Serra survived – I felt I should try and let her know I was here if she wanted to talk. I suspected that Windu was keeping me distant from her as he felt – correctly – that the connection we shared had played a part in Drallig's death, and had no choice but to accept it. Going to the Temple, particularly with how unbalanced I currently was, would only result in me being either confined to a cell or sent to one of the prisons the Jedi maintained for those the High Council felt had fallen to the Dark Side.

"Alor Cameron," Adonai said with a tired smile, "how fares the search for your ad?" Adonai was one of those I had reached out to when Anakin was taken. I had asked him to keep the matter from Bo, knowing that she would drop everything to join me. While her eagerness was understandable, it could easily be interpreted as an affront from her—and by extension, House Kryze—toward Clan Shan. Anakin's abduction was an internal Clan issue; unless I explicitly requested assistance from other Clan leaders, any outside interference could spark a diplomatic incident.

I had considered asking Adonai and Torrhen for help, but doing so would feel like conceding defeat, both as an Alor and a father. Moreover, I sensed that while Anakin was under stress, he was not in immediate danger. Though neither Adonai nor Torrhen would judge me harshly, the broader discontent against a Jedi being Mando'ade could be weaponized to undermine my position—and potentially the dukes as well. I was convinced that building a formidable Mando'ade force was essential to confronting the power of the GAR and CIS, and I was unwilling to risk that ambition with unnecessary political fallout. However, if Hondo's contact proved ineffective, I might have no choice but to face the consequences and seek their assistance.

"I'm following what I hope will be a productive lead."

"That is good. Neither I nor Alor Torrhen have heard word from those loyal to us of Trandoshans working in your region of the Outer Rim. At least not a group that is actively targeting children for hunts." His distaste for the lizard's behaviour was clear to hear and see.

"I had expected as much, but you have my thanks for reaching out." Adonai nodded, accepting the thanks.

A glance at the chronometer on the vambrace told me there was still about an hour before we'd be exiting hyperspace. Since I knew I'd not have any further success with meditating on my internal issues, I figured I'd see if I could learn fresh intel regarding the Mandalorian sector. "How are things going closer to home?"

"For the most part, things are going well," Adonai replied. He paused and glanced down and a few seconds later my vambrace reported an incoming file. "As I knew you might be interested in an update on the state of our people, I had Pre prepare a data package for you." As he spoke, a small smile came to his face, as if he'd expected me to show interest in the state of affairs in the sector and among the Mando'ade.

"Please pass him my thanks." I knew Pre disliked, if not downright hated me, so him having to provide this would've rankled, as would me thanking him for it. "And thank you again for the attempt to locate those who've taken my ad and earned my wrath."

Adonai nodded. "Oya!"

… …

… …
The swirling energies of hyperspace peeled back, placing us in a minor system that was known only by a simple code. According to Hondo's contact, the only habitable world in the system, which had been turned into a scrap world several centuries ago, was used by a handful of Trandoshan groups for blooding their younglings.

As the hum of the hyperdrive faded into silence and Raven's course shifted toward the system's radiant star, I closed my eyes and extended my senses into the ethereal currents of the Force. Even as I trod carefully, mindful of the awe-inspiring web that wove together every mote of stardust and celestial fire, I sought the truth of Anakin's presence.

A moment later, I opened my eyes and spoke softly, "He's here." Though the precise location eluded me, for I was not yet ready to plunge fully into the Force's boundless depths before achieving my own balance, I felt with certainty that we were in the right system.

Simvyl grunted, surprised that Hondo's contact had come through. Said Weequay was in his cabin with HK outside to ensure the pirate didn't try anything stupid. When we'd met the contact, Hondo had suggested that it would be wiser if he remained with the contact – a Quarren who was missing some of its facial tentacles – but hadn't complained too loudly when I'd made clear that wasn't happening as I didn't trust him.

HK would deploy with us when we located the Trandoshan vessel, while R2 remained behind, guarding Hondo in his cabin. Thanks to an upgrade Anakin had installed before his abduction, the astromech was equipped with a device akin to a cattle prod, with orders to render the Weequay a quivering mess should he dare to step outside his room while we were away. I had considered leaving a more intimidating presence behind, but I wanted to bring the full force of my command to bear on this mission.

Though originally designed as an assassin droid, HK's new frame had transformed him into a formidable war droid. Fenrir, perhaps sensing the disturbance in our pack caused by Anakin's capture and the absence of a vital member, had been restless since the event. I could sense his longing to tear into Trandoshan flesh, though I hoped he avoided any ill effects from whatever unsavoury locations those beasts might have frequented.

Simvyl would also accompany us. Despite my initial thoughts of leaving him behind, his unyielding resolve since Anakin's capture, combined with his blunt insistence on joining us, left no room for doubt. He had a personal vendetta against the Trandoshans, and I was not about to deny him the chance for retribution. His belief that Anakin's capture was his failure—a sentiment confirmed by Observe even after I absolved him of guilt—fuelled his desire for atonement. Furthermore, his presence would ensure we fought as a cohesive unit, something we hadn't done since HK's reassembly.

How the battle on the scrap world would go, I didn't yet know, but one order of battle had been made clear. I wanted as many lizards as possible taken alive. Researching their beliefs had revealed that if they were captured, then all the points they'd earned with the Scorekeeper were wiped clean. To be killed without any points, and thus face their god a failure as a hunter, was the single greatest fear the species had, and, depending on how and when the lizard lost their points, their entire clutch could be outcast from the culture.

Before each of those filthy beasts met their end, I wanted them to grasp the full weight of their transgression. They would understand the depth of their error in taking my son, in daring to challenge my family. I wanted them to be consumed by fear, to tremble before the wrath of their so-called god—however hollow that deity might be—before they drew their last breath. The only uncertainty gnawing at me was whether I would deliver their final judgement myself or bestow that honour upon HK or Simvyl.

I knew many, including the Jedi, would condemn my resolve to execute prisoners, but I cared little for their opinions. This was not merely an act of vengeance; it was a necessity. Keeping the lizards alive would burden governments with managing them, resources that could be better spent elsewhere. And if their punishment were lenient—which I had little doubt it would be—then we would be allowing a potential threat to re-emerge. I had no fear of these reptiles, not unless their entire race united against me, but letting a potential danger fester was a grave mistake, especially with far greater threats looming on the horizon.

The Banite Sith already had, without the Jedi even realising it, taken control of the Republic. All that remained, at least in the minds of Sidious and Plagueis, was bringing about the destruction of the Jedi, the shattering of the Republic, and the rise of the Empire Darth Bane had begun the planning for nearly a millennium ago.

Perhaps the Jedi could change enough to see the threat, perhaps, if I'd fully committed to their ways, they'd stand a chance. However, I'd known for a long time my path wasn't with the Order, and with Anakin as my Padawan, neither was his. All I could hope was that, when the time came for the truth of Sidious and Plagueis to be revealed, the Order as a whole would be able to at least help Anakin and me defeat the threat the Banite Sith posed.

Raven was surging toward the only habitable planet in the system, hope rising from her as she understood Anakin was close. Beneath that, merging with my desires, was a need to find those who'd taken Anakin from us and make them pay. I couldn't help but smile at sensing that. Raven was changing in ways I'd never considered possible, and if I'd not taken Natural Selection, inadvertently strengthening our bond, she might not have done so.

She wasn't sentient, not even as Fenrir was, nor was she growing bigger or stronger, but the spark of natural intelligence, of evolution, was there. My thinking had always influenced her, but since the change in my connection to the Force, that influence had grown, though not in a way that might destroy what made her unique.

My thoughts drifted to the seething tempest that resided within me. As I grappled with my meditation, seeking to embrace the shadows of the power I harboured and the path it might carve, I could discern a glimmer of progress. The voices that once roared for the annihilation of every Trandoshan in the galaxy for Anakin's suffering were no longer as deafening. Nor did the whispers urging me to seize whatever I desired echo with the same intensity. They lingered still, a chorus of temptation, but I had learned to subdue them, to impose my will upon their discord. This, I hoped, signified that Adas' teachings were beginning to take root, offering the hope that Raven might remain untainted by the demons within.
Yet, the true measure of my meditation's efficacy would reveal itself in a few hours, when the first walking lizard steak crossed my vision.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
He smiled as an explosion reached his ears. Those with him panicked, caught unprepared for the sound, but when Anakin waved them to stay low they did so, and a moment later the shockwave of the explosion rushed past them. Where they were, about three mounds of debris away from where the make-shift bomb had ignited and below the crest of the mound, meant they barely felt the ripples in the air, but they still had to be cautious of the dust that was ripped upward by the shockwave.

As the concussive wave passed, and the dust began to settle, he sensed the excitement of the others. "Shh!" He hissed while keeping his voice low before any of them could shout in celebration that his trap had worked. While it was unlikely that the sound would reach the Trandoshans, any beasts that remained with them, or whatever tech they were using to hunt Anakin and his friends, he wasn't willing to make things easier on them by allowing the other kids to give away their location, not after the first time a trap of his had worked.

Before he could still the rising clamour, Plirs had called out in delight, and Anakin's sharp reprimand followed swiftly. However, their tension was abruptly cut short by the distant growl of approaching hounds. In a frantic scramble, they attempted to flee, but Eshie had slipped down a mound, becoming ensnared beneath shifting debris. Anakin rushed to her aid, his mind already reaching out with the Force to free her from the rubble. Yet just as he prepared to act, the first lizard came into sight.

It was only through the rigorous training with Cam, Master Dooku, and Instructor Kefe that Anakin managed to evade the incoming bolts. His hasty retreat led him and the others to the far side of the mound. Amidst the chaos, Eshie's desperate cries pierced the air, calling for his help. But Anakin understood the harsh truth—rescuing her would endanger everyone else. The others, displeased with the decision to leave her behind, blamed him for failing to uphold his vow of protection. Despite their discontent, they followed him still, their trust wavering but unbroken.

The pain of experiencing Eshie's death through the Force, and his fury at himself for failing her, and the lizards for hunting them had dominated his thoughts ever since, and he'd struggled to get a good rest whenever they stopped. Knowing that he'd see her panicked face, and relive her final screams if he closed his eyes, Anakin had thrown himself into creating more traps, with the one that had just detonated being the fifth trap since that first one, around three days ago. While not all of the traps had gone off, they had slowed the Trandoshans, and those that had gone off had wounded or killed several of the creatures hunting them.

The first trap had been a lucky find as Snaxiu, a Rodian, had spotted a downed fighter. There had been a moment of hope that they could get it flying, but once Anakin examined the Cloakshape fighter, he knew it was unsalvageable. Still, whoever had sent it to this junk world hadn't stripped it for everything of value, as the reactor core still contained some fuel.

Anakin had started the engines and disabled the overrides, knowing it would lead to the fighter exploding, and they'd scrambled away, leaving it for the Trandoshans to find. While Anakin didn't think it had killed any of them, the number of beasts had decreased ever since, and that had helped as not only were the lizards more cautious from then on, but they kept their beast on leashes. Anakin had discovered that when, as they moved through one particularly large mound of debris, he'd seen a pair of beasts all but dragging their lizard handlers forward.

The second and third traps were less flashy, and more a case of him and the other kids moving debris around to create pits and unstable piles. The first of those simple traps hadn't seemingly done anything, but the second one had. Or at least the unstable powercell Lena, a human girl, had discovered and given to Anakin, had detonated.

The fourth trap had been something slightly more complicated, using a tripwire and makeshift grenade. It had detonated but Anakin hadn't sensed anyone in pain or suffering from the explosion, so he assumed it had failed. The fifth, having just detonated, had been successful, and Anakin smiled as he sensed the life of at least one Trandoshan fade into the Force.

Anakin had felt the pain of the Trandoshans whenever a trap had worked, even felt some passing away through the Force, and while he knew he shouldn't – as it was not the Jedi way – he had enjoyed causing those hunting him and his remaining friend's pain. To let them experience some of the suffering he and the other kids were enduring because of the lizards. Anakin knew Cam wouldn't scold him for taking pleasure in the Trandoshan's pain. Cam, while he tried to keep the feelings hidden from him, hated the race with a passion. Until recently Anakin hadn't understood why Cam had despised the race, but after nearly two weeks under their care – on their ship and now being hunted on this junkworld – he was beginning to agree that Trandoshans were nothing but trouble. Even more so than he'd believed before they'd captured him.

The other side to it was that Anakin, through Cam, was a Mandalorian, and as he had said, no warrior should go down without a fight. While he knew that he couldn't win, that eventually he and those with him would run out of time, tricks, and space, Anakin intended to make sure that the lizards paid in blood. And then, when Cam arrived – as Anakin knew he would – those that remained would understand the mistake they had of capturing and hunting children. Just as Decca would one day die at Anakin's hands for killing his mother.

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, bringing forth the last happy memory he had of her, drawing hope from it. He missed her dearly, but even if he didn't like that she was gone, he'd accepted her death. It was the natural state of the galaxy. Something Cam, Bo, and Master Dooku had explained, though each used vastly different words to say that. His mother lived on through him and Lia, and Anakin had sworn on his first night on this world that he'd see his sister again.

"Come on," he said sharply to the other kids with him, knowing they couldn't linger here, nor could he let himself be distracted by thinking too long on his mother, Lia, or Cam. That, as Cam and Bo had preached, only led to you missing something important in the here and now, leaving you exposed to danger, and Anakin had enough of that already.

As the trio of kids still with him started moving as well, Anakin paused, sensing a shift in the Force. Looking upward, he smiled as a familiar presence reached out to him. Cam was near, perhaps even in the system. Anakin wished he knew how to communicate with Cam through the Force, but that wasn't something he'd yet displayed the ability to do. Instead, he closed his eyes and, as best he could, broadcast into the Force. Cam should be able to sense it and focus on his location.

Once his eyes opened, Anakin felt himself fill with renewed hope. Soon, very soon, he'd be reunited with his father, and then the Trandoshans would pay for their mistakes. All Anakin had to do until then was ensure that he, and his new friends, remained alive and free.

The latest trap had only been maybe an hour behind them, so they didn't have much distance between themselves and the lizards, but Anakin knew that he'd do everything he could to ensure those beasts couldn't capture them.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I watched carefully, tracking the movements of the Trandoshans outside their vessel. The vessel was the same one that had taken Anakin from me, as the damaged sublight engine and scorch marks along the hull were easily visible to the HUD. Through the Battlenet I was receiving feed from HK and Simvyl who were approaching the vessel from the other side so that we'd catch those outside, and any exiting the ramp, in a crossfire. That said, I didn't plan on gunning them all down from a distance.

As the HUD traced the movements of the Trandoshans outside, a deep well of fury began to churn within me. Though the ease I was able to do so was recent, I wrestled it down, channelling that primal rage into purpose rather than succumbing to the baser demands of the Force. I harboured no illusions; the Trandoshans were destined to suffer, to die, but their demise would come only after they grasped the depth of their transgression and surrendered every fragment of knowledge they possessed.

Anakin's presence was a distant echo, lingering hundreds of kilometres to the southwest, but his armour was here, or at least most of it. The moment we breached the atmosphere, my Battlenet had linked to his, and I would not leave it to the whims of these wretched beings.

"Steady," I commanded, placing a firm hand on Fenrir's head as he approached with a low growl. His yearning for combat, for the taste of enemy flesh, was palpable, and though I would not deny him his desire, I ensured he remained still until the moment was right.

Time was scarce. I sensed a dozen souls near Anakin, most of whom were little more than targets eagerly awaited to be erased from existence. Yet, some were not. I could not afford to let this vessel or its occupants linger as a threat or offer any chance of escape before I reunited with my ad. Such risks were intolerable.

The idea to simply attack them from Raven, letting her missiles obliterate the vessel and remaining crew had been considered but discarded. That wasn't guaranteed to take the ship out instantly, and it was probable that any who survived the first volley of missiles would alert the others, and that was if they didn't have some open channel to the vessel in place as I would do in their situation.

Using the Force to Teleport closer, or even from orbit as I'd done on Mandalore at the start of the civil war was also discarded. I hadn't even started remastering that ability, though it was one I would regain before the time came to leave the Jedi. It might have limitations for combat use, but the ability to traverse vast distances – or at least what I could see or sense nearby – in an instant wasn't something to cast aside and forget. Something, I had to admit, I'd done far too often in the years leading up to taking Natural Selection and freeing my connection to the Force from the Interface.

A growl, one worthy of the tuk'ata at my side, slipped from my lips, though none heard it because of my sealed armour. A new lizard had emerged from the ship, and moved to place a head – that of a young Togruta with purple skin – on a pike, placing it beside ten others. Those were their trophies, the victims of the lizard's deranged and unworthy beliefs. The children had died horribly and painfully – the expressions on each head made that clear – and while they deserved a proper burial, which they would get, those who had inflicted such terror on them before killing them deserved death.

A signal in the Battlenet told me HK and Simvyl had their targets, the pair knowing that they weren't to go for outright kill shots. I wanted the Trandoshans alive and in chains before they died. I wanted them to understand their folly before I ripped what I needed from them and their ship.

The moment the vessel was secure, Raven would arrive. While we raced to Anakin, R2 and Hondo would remain behind, the droid to access the vessel's core, and the Weequay because I wasn't leaving him alone on Raven.

That came after though, now it was time to hunt those who deserved a painful death.

"Oya!" The command echoed through the Battlenet, a primal cry that shattered the silence of impending conflict. I summoned the fury that roared within me, channelling it into a relentless force that surged forth like a storm unleashed. My will carved through the chaos, casting a shadow over the battlefield, imbuing the very universe with a stark, unyielding claim: this world was mine.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)

He halted abruptly, the Force twisting and churning around them. It wasn't just a disturbance near them but a shadow sweeping across the very planet.

"What's wrong?" Plirs's voice was a sharp whisper, betraying his alarm as Anakin fixed his gaze eastward, toward where the Trandoshan ship lay hidden. Anakin's response was silence, his focus turned inward, reaching into the depths of the Force.

The shift in the Force was unmistakable—it was Cam's presence, but it pulsed with a weight and gravity unlike anything Anakin had felt before. The familiar essence of his father was there, but now it radiated an oppressive power, a storm so fierce it threatened to overwhelm everything in its proximity. Beneath this tempest, there was an eerie silence, a void that swallowed all else.

When Cam had tried to save him on the station, Anakin had felt the raw might of his father's power—unleashed like a sandstorm, ruthless and all-consuming, a force capable of eradicating everything it touched.

Now, however, this power was different. It was immense, its presence nearly all-encompassing, yet it was concentrated, almost refined. At the eye of this relentless storm, there was an unsettling emptiness, as if Cam's connection to the Force had been devour-

"Wh-what's happening?!"

Anakin pulled his thoughts back to his surroundings and looked down at Lena. She'd been the one to speak and was now looking pale, as were Plirs and Snaxiu or at least as pale as they could for their species.

"What's wrong?" He asked, wondering if they could sense whatever it was Cam was doing within the Force. He'd not felt any of them had a strong connection to the Force, but perhaps Cam's actions were affecting more than just those who could touch the Force.

"I…" she paused, shivering as if they were on some frozen wasteland instead of in the middle of a temperature junk field. "I don't know. I feel cold."

"Me too," Plirs added to which Snaxiu nodded.

"It's C… my father," Anakin said, changing his answer mid-sentence into something the others might understand. "He can use the Force though he's far better at it than I am."

"H-he's here?" Snaxiu asked, surprised that help was coming in his voice.

"Yes. We just have to keep moving," Anakin replied, wishing they'd start moving again. Yes, He'd been the one who'd stopped first, but that had been a mistake. The Trandoshans were close behind, but at least they didn't have the last two beasts to help them track him and his friends.

Turning, not wanting them to remain still any longer, he resumed moving, his mind turning back to how he'd taken out the beasts. It'd happened earlier today, and the lizards controlling the hounds had flanked them, cutting them off from a way they wanted to go by climbing over a large mound of debris. Knowing they couldn't escape the beasts before they rushed down at them, not with the lizards readying their blasters, Anakin had panicked, which was when the Force had responded.

The voices deep inside him had made clear that he wasn't meant to die here; that he was destined for greater things alongside Cam. They told him to act, to keep himself safe. Not fully understanding how he knew what to do, or that it would work, He'd thrust out his arms, willing the Force to help him.

It had done so as the mound the beasts and lizards had been standing on shuddered. The group had stumbled, unsure of their footing and then fell back, going over the crest of the mount; back to where they'd come from. Anakin hadn't stopped there though, and remembering the lessons on using the Force to push objects, and put every ounce of desire he could into ensuring the Trandoshans didn't get up quickly, or that the beasts they'd brought with them didn't rush after them in the chaos that was unfolding.

The Force had responded, and the mound those hunting him and his friends had been one shifted. He'd not seen what had happened on the other side to cause it, but one moment the mound had been there, and the next it moved backwards, flattening out and burying those on the other side.

He'd managed to get the others moving, not wanting them to remain where they were and be attacked by the main group of Trandoshans hunting them. Though as they'd scrambled away, the trio had asked what had happened. Wanting the matter handled, or at least them to stop talking so loudly while they were being tracked, he'd told them he could use the Force. That he was both Mandalorian and Jedi.

They'd struggled to believe him, but as he'd kept moving quickly to stay ahead of the lizards, and they'd not wanted to fall behind it had quietened any questions they might have.

"Is he a Jedi?" Lena asked as they moved around one mound, not going over the peak and thus exposing themselves to fire if any Trandoshan saw them break the skyline.

"Yes," Anakin replied, feeling a smile come to his face. "He's a really powerful Jedi and a respected warrior."

"You're just saying that because he's your dad."

Anakin ignored Plirs. The Weequay was right that Anakin was going over the top, but Cam was powerful. And one day, he'd be just as powerful, if not more so. That day wouldn't come if he died before Cam could reach them, which meant focusing, as Master Dooku would put it, on the present and what was, and not on the future and what might be.

After ensuring his friends were behind him, Anakin cast a final glance back to where he knew Cam was. The change in Cam was incredible, and Anakin would be lying if it didn't frighten him a little, but he understood that he, by being kidnapped by the Trandoshans, was the source of that change. Because of that, he found renewed courage to keep pushing forward. It would only be a few hours at most until Cam reached them, and then they'd finally be free of this Hutt-spawn of a world.

… …

… …
(Cam's POV)
I leaned back, moving before the vibroblade swinging toward me had even gained much momentum. A slight shift in stance and my hand thrust out, grasping the blade.

The beast holding the weapon grunted, surprised that I'd stopped the attack so easily growing when I twisted my arm to the side, my beskar limb and the mechanics within granting me the strength to shatter his weapon.

Using the movement of one arm, I stepped forward with my other foot. The lizard grunted as my beskad thrust into its gut. A twist of the hilt and as I withdrew the blade, the tip severed the creature's spine.

It fell to the ground, the strings of its legs cut, along with an arm as I flicked my blade down, severing the muscles at the shoulder. The limb hung pathetically, offering no help as the beast fell to the ground upon the destroyed arm.

As I turned, seeking my next victim, a scream filled the air. Looking toward the sound I saw Fenrir's maw rattle to one side, most of another lizard's leg removed by his bite.

The beast threw a punch at the tuk'ata, driving Fenrir away for a moment. Before it could attack again, a bolt slammed into the shoulder, sending it tumbling to the ground. "Fenrir!" I called out as the tuk'ata spat out the chuck in his mouth, anger at the punch and a desire for vengeance flooding from him into the Force. "Alive!"

Fenrir shook, his snarling maw closing, and the wounded and down lizard felt it was safe. A false hope, which was proven when Fenrir pounced. The claws on his front paws easily embedded themselves in the lizard's chest and drove it backwards awkwardly.

Another scream from the lizard filled the air even as the HUD alerted me to a nearing Trandoshan from the ship. A blaster rang out, and the lizard – in the middle of its charge – fell forward.

The lizard fell, a bolt from HK catching both legs as the knees of the lizard Fenrir had pounced on cracked under the combined mass.

I smiled at the chaos, Simvyl pulling his vibroblade from the back of the final unwounded target. A minute had passed since we'd attacked, and the battle was over. Though calling it a battle would be an insult to our skill. This was a culling; one I was enjoying.

"Wh…" the lizard at my feet struggled to speak over the pain that bled into the Force more freely than its blood onto the dirt of this scrapheap of a planet. "What do you want?"

I looked down at the prey, savouring the fear I saw in the beast's eyes even as its remaining good hand clutched desperately to stem the blood flowing from its stomach. "That is a very long list," I replied, using the tip of my beskad to lift the creature's chin, forcing it to lift its head while I spoke to it. "All that concerns you is that you tell me where my son is before you die."

The creature's face twisted, hatred flowing freely from it as it understood it was going to die. "Don't know," it got out with pained breaths. "Wouldn't tell you if I did."

My free hand, the one coated in beskar, stretched out and I closed my fingers. The beast began gasping; the Force restricting its throat. "I was hoping you might say that." I smiled under my helmet, enjoying the look of panic that dominated the beast's eyes as it struggled to understand what I was doing.

While it continued to thrash against the lack of air entering its lungs, I secured my beskad against my lower back and then reached into a pouch on my belt. Around me, HK emerged into the clearing, his blaster singing out still, targeting the limbs of any lizard that still worked. Simvyl had secured his first walking handbag while Fenrir continued to pin his prey to the ground.

"Wh-wh-at ar…" The lizard stopped as my hand removed itself from the pouch and revealed restraining cuffs. The panic in the lizard's eyes turned to delicious fear as I pulled out restraining cuffs, and it began thrashing wildly. Or as wildly as it could with its legs and one arm immobile. "No! You c-an-t!" It bellowed; terror swarming its tone as I moved toward it.

"I can and am," I said as I moved closer, the fingers on my replacement limb closing slowly, cutting off the air to the beast's lungs. It was harder to focus the Force through the replacement, but since all I was doing was ensuring this pathetic creature couldn't attempt any pitiful escape, there was no issue.

Kneeling I slammed the cuff onto the flailing, useless arm. The other arm came up, in an abysmal attempt at an attack. My beskar hand moved, catching the fist. "That was unwise," I said slowly, increasing the pressure on the limb. Because of the mechanics inside, the limb was capable of deforming durasteel.

"Arrgh!" the beast screamed. With bones far more brittle than durasteel, they shattered and cracked loudly as I crushed the hand.

Once sure the offending limb was destroyed, I attached the other cuff to the wrist. "Consider yourself lucky that I don't have longer to entertain myself," I said with a vicious smile. As I stood, my flesh and blood hand moved around, exposing the palm to the beast's head. "And that what is to come won't last anywhere near as long as it should."

The beast's lips parted, poised to utter a question or a curse, but all that emerged was a guttural, pained groan. For a fleeting moment, the Force seemed to wrestle against my will, but soon I bent it to my purpose, shattering my way into the beast's mind. Though the ship promised valuable intel, I knew that the most crucial secrets lay hidden within the crew's thoughts. This would inflict agony on the creature before me, and after the suffering they had wrought, pain was the least they deserved before they were dispatched to confront their god.

… …

… …
(Anakin's POV)
"Kriff!"

The curse flowed easily from Anakin as he looked around in panic, seeing if there was any path they could take that would get them out of the dead-end they'd stumbled into. The Trandoshans were right on their tail, following along the faint path that led between two mounds of debris into the small enclosure Anakin and his friends had found themselves herded over.

When they'd rounded the corner, he slid to a stop, understanding what the Trandoshans had been doing, and cursed himself for falling into their trap. He understood now, far too late, that the Force had tried to warn him, but in his haste to ensure he and his friends stayed clear of those hunting them, he'd ignored it and rushed down the small path instead of attempting to traverse either pile of trash that sat at the side of the path. Because of his mistake, they were now trapped.

The path ended before a circle of debris, each mound far too high and unstable for them to climb over before the lizards emerged down the path. They might also be waiting for him to lead his friends over the peaks, and likely had rifles trained on the area, ready to either kill any who tried to escape or drive them back to the ground, leaving them easy pickings from the group just behind.

"What do we do?" Lena's panicked voice matched the fear he could sense from Plirs and Snaxiu.

Anakin didn't reply instead he had an idea. Closing his eyes, he dove inward, finding the Force within himself. At the same time, he sensed where the Trandoshans were, sensing that a group of six were coming down the path. Understanding that there were no beasts with them, nor did it seem as if any were moving to either side, Anakin lifted his hands.

"Got y…"

Whatever the lead Trandoshan was about to say was cut off as the Force did as Anakin wished. Opening his eyes, he saw that the ground between him and the aliens had exploded toward them; debris of various sizes and shapes hurtling toward the alien, taking it off its feet.

"Hurry!" Anakin shouted, turning to his friends. The trio were looking on in shock at what had just happened, their minds unable to understand what he'd done. They might know he was a Jedi, but they'd never seen it displayed like that. Nor had Anakin ever used it like that, but with no choice, and the whispers saying if he didn't do something his friends would die, and he'd never see Cam, Lia, or anyone else ever again, Anakin had acted.

A push on Plirs had the group moving, though before they could begin climbing the junk hill blocking their escape, blaster fire entered the area. Lena screamed, all but dropping to the ground, and after pushing Plirs toward Snaxiu, trusting the Force saying they'd be safe, Anakin moved to Lena.

Grabbing her arms, and ignoring her groans, he pulled her toward what looked like an overturned speeder. As they darted behind the cover, bolts slammed into it, causing Lena to let out a panicked scream. "What do we do?" She asked again, her voice barely reaching his ears even though he was sure she'd shouted the words.

Anakin looked around, trying to find something that he could use even as he desperately tried to ignore the flood of terror surging from Lena, as it and similar sensations from Plirs and Snaxiu started to overwhelm his connection to the Force. Seeing there was nothing nearby to use, he reached into his pocket, pulling out whatever pieces of junk he'd gathered and not yet used.

As he placed them on the ground, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. The training, first with Master Dooku, and then with Instructor Kefe, had taught him to focus only on what mattered and push aside everything else. Lena's voice, the sound of bolts slamming into their cover, and everything else around him faded away. All that remained was the sound of his slowed, calm breathing and the junk in front of him.

His hands moved over the pile, guided without conscious thought as they moved pieces around, melding them together. Time became irrelevant as he worked, the junk slowly changing, forming something that he knew would be of use.

Once the creation was finished the moment of clarity passed, and he picked up what he'd made. He knew it was a bomb, though one that would likely explode if shaken badly. Given their location, that wasn't a major worry, and he turned to Lena, offering a wide, and he hoped reassuring, smile. "Trust me!" He called out, not sure she'd hear him of the chaos of bolts slamming into everything around them.

Without waiting for a reply, he seized the freshly crafted bomb and edged toward the lip of the overturned speeder they sheltered behind. "I can do this," he murmured to himself, his voice barely a breath. Closing his eyes, he summoned the Force, channelling its raw power to sharpen his senses, quicken his reflexes, and clear his mind. Master Dooku, Cam, and Instructor Kefe had each imparted their wisdom in their own way, but the essence remained the same.

He felt the Force surge through him, bending to his will, fortifying his body for the task ahead. When he opened his eyes, Lena's screams pierced the air—twisted and distorted, deeper and more chilling than they should have been. A blaster bolt whizzed past their cover, its energy rippling in slow motion as it narrowly missed.

A grim smile flickered across his face, a sign that he was in tune with what needed to be done. Trusting in himself and the Force, he emerged from cover. The arm clutching the bomb drew back, primed to launch his creation at the lizards. Amidst the chaos, he glimpsed Plirs and Snaxiu huddled behind the wreckage of what appeared to be a Z-80 fighter. He couldn't afford to fail them; he demanded the Force's aid with unyielding resolve.

His gaze turned toward the source of the blaster fire, but before he saw them, he knew where they were. The Force was helping him as he wanted, marking out a threat before he knew where it was.

His arm came around, the Force enhancing the muscles in the limb, and the bomb sailed away, arcing toward the centre of the Trandoshan position. He pulled back once his creation was airborne, not wanting to be exposed to the explosion. As he pressed his back against the speeder, and pulled Lena back, Anakin felt the Force shifting.

His smile widened as a cold, almost oppressive aura rushed toward them. Cam was nearby. It wouldn't be long before…

His eyes widened as the Force warned him of danger and without thinking, he pulled Lena down. A moment later, as his mouth tasted the dirt of the planet, his device exploded. The speeder they'd been using for cover was lifted off the ground; the damage taken by the bolts having weakened it enough that when the shockwave struck it, it shattered.

Lena shrieked and Anakin knew she'd been hurt by some of the debris from the speeder. Anakin had felt some of it strike his back, but the armour there had done its job, and nothing felt broken or bleeding. Still, the cloud of dust driven over them by the explosions forced his face into the dirt again, and as it faded he started coughing, trying desperately to clear his mouth and lungs before the Trandoshans recovered.

He pushed himself upward, the Force warning him of a new, more violent danger, yet before he could turn to see what was approaching or check on Lena, something grabbed his back, and he was hauled up. A second later he was soaring through the air and crashed to the ground. The air was driven from his lungs as his back bore the brunt of the landing, and he bounced away, ending up on his side.

Before he could move or think, something slammed into his chest. The armour took the brunt of the blow, but whatever air was still in his lungs was driven out and he started coughing even as another blow struck him. A third and fourth blow came in, all striking his chest though the last blow was a touch lower, the armour only taking some of the strike.

"Oof!" he gasped out, feeling something inside him crack, though he had no time to think on it as someone grabbed his armour and he was hauled upward.

With his legs dangling, he found himself staring at the enraged expression of one of the lizards. "You little schutta!" It snarled; razors-sharp teeth clashing against each other it spoke. "You killed my brother!"

Before Anakin could react, he was slammed to the ground. "Ugh!" he grunted as he hit the dirt, his leg twisting painfully but mercifully not breaking. The air around him grew cold and suffocating, each breath a struggle as he fought to regain his footing and brace for the next assault.

"You're nothing more than prey! Stop pretending otherwise!" The beast roared, stepping toward him as it pulled a long, curved blade from its belt. Anakin scrambled back, trying to get away from the creature, but it was faster, and its foot came out; the toe of the boot striking him in his knee, causing him to slump to the ground again. "This hunt is about to end!"

Anakin looked around the Trandoshan and panicked as he saw his friends being dragged together. All three were screaming in fear, though Plirs was at least trying to escape while the other two seemed broken.

He pulled himself to his knees, his chest hurting with each breath even as the Force willed, demanded, he stand. The voices in his mind grew louder, telling him that if he didn't do something, they'd all die soon. He closed his eyes, commanding the Force to help him. He felt it move around him, readying itself for his command.

"There is but one upside to the chaos you've caused," the Trandoshan that had attacked him snarled as it moved closer. "You will be worth more to the Scorekeeper."

Anakin lifted an arm, wanting to strike at the lizard, but his action was too slow, too weak. The beast grasped him by the hair and lifted him painfully upward. Anakin's legs swung out, trying desperately to kick the creature even as he watched the other beasts circle his friends.

"NO!" He shouted as a lizard moved close to Plirs, a blood-stained blade in-hand. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" The creature holding him laughed, and he was tossed down, landing face-first because he'd been trying to kick the creature as it let him go.

"The hunt is over. You will be presented to the Scorekeeper." Anakin looked over at the new speaker even as the one who'd been attacking and tormenting him stalked closer. That was the same one who'd spoken to him after his capture and was the elder of the group. What Anakin saw now though was the similarities between the leader and the one who was reaching down to grab him. "The Mandalorian is a worthy first kill, my child," the leader spoke as the one approaching him stopped. "Prove your worth by ending its mewing."

The younger lizard turned to the elder and lowered its head. "Yes, father." It then turned back to him, letting Anakin see that the blade in its hand wasn't a vibroblade. It was simpler, meaning any cut from it, like those from Cam's beskad, wouldn't do as much damage, allowing a target to stay alive longer.

As the Trandoshans advanced, blades raised to slaughter his comrades, Anakin's gaze met theirs. They looked to him for salvation, but uncertainty gnawed at him.

The whispers crescendoed in his mind, a haunting symphony of dread.

'Was he going to let his friends die like his mother?'

'Was he going to let these beasts kill him, and fail Cam?'

'Was he going to leave Lia alone in the galaxy, at the mercy of Decca and other Hutts?'

He closed his eyes, but not to try and force away the voices. He heard them and knew what they offered; what they wanted. The Force was his to command, and he wouldn't let himself and his friends die here. The Trandoshans needed to die; they needed to suffer for what they'd done.

Opening his eyes, he rose to his knees, defiant. The Trandoshan advancing on him faltered, its gaze caught by the steely resolve in Anakin's eyes. It bared its teeth, smirking at his resistance. "Good. You underst—"

The creature's taunt was cut off as Anakin thrust his hands forward. Driven by fury and the terror of failure, he unleashed his wrath.

The Trandoshan was yanked from the ground, hurtling into the air. The other lizards recoiled in shock; some were thrown back as Anakin's target flew further. The beast flailed desperately, its blade slipping from its grasp until it was driven into debris with a savage impact. Metal pierced its chest, pinning it against the wreckage.

Anakin slumped, tired after what he'd done, but a smile came to his face as everyone processed what'd happened.

"NOO!" The scream of the elder Trandoshan caught Anakin's attention, forcing him to forget the enjoyment he'd had in winning. The elder had sunk to its knees, its eyes wide as it looked at the impaled offspring.

Anakin looked at his hands, shocked and proud of what he'd done. He'd saved himself and his friends. Now they just needed to…

"YOU!" The snarled shout of the elder lizard snapped Anakin's train of thought. "YOU KILLED HIM!" It added as it leapt to its feet. Anakin started drawing on the Force again, knowing he had to kill this one as well, and then all the other beasts. But he was tired, downright exhausted. Whatever energy he'd had left was gone after using the Force to attack.

The elder lizard stalked toward him, slowing only to grasp the young beast's blade. "I'll KILL YO…"

The air around Anakin grew suffocatingly dense, the very atmosphere pressing down with a weight that threatened to tear the planet asunder. As the elder Trandoshan staggered, its hands clawing at its throat, Anakin's lips curled into a cold smile. He knew the source of this malevolent pressure—he knew who was at work here.

"You."

The word was a blade, slicing through the veil of fear and doubt. Anakin felt a profound clarity—he was shielded, and the struggle was over. His father had arrived, and the price for their crimes was about to be exacted.

"Will."

The second utterance sent the Trandoshan crumpling to its knees, blood oozing from frantic claw marks. The creature's own madness became its undoing. The other Trandoshans stood paralyzed, their fear of Cam's presence rendering them motionless. Anakin cared not for their terror; his thoughts were only of retribution for Lena, Plirs, and Snaxiu, whose frozen tears mirrored the encroaching storm.

"Not."

With this command, a towering figure emerged, a silhouette of menace. Cam's armour drank in the light, casting a dark halo around him, with only the blood-red visor piercing through the gloom. All eyes turned to this harbinger of doom, except for Anakin's, who felt only a fierce joy and relief. The nightmare would soon end, and they would leave this accursed world behind.

"Touch."

At this word, Cam's fingers closed into a fist. The Force twisted and obeyed, and the elder Trandoshan's convulsions grew more desperate. Cam's other hand revealed a blood-stained beskad, carving a trail of death in the dirt.

"My."

The final command roused the remaining Trandoshans from their stupor. Anakin opened his mouth to shout a warning, but before the lizards could react, bolts exploded through the air. Three of them fell; their legs shattered. The remaining pair was swallowed by a colossal shadow.

"Son."

As Cam spoke the final word, Fenrir descended. The beast's maw gaped wide, engulfing one Trandoshan's torso. A powerful hind leg swept the other lizard aside. As Fenrir's jaws closed around a Trandoshan's arm, two bolts struck the stumbling creature, severing a leg and a hand in a brutal symphony of violence.

The Trandoshan Fenrir had bitten screamed, which turned into a call of terror as the tuk'ata pulled back its head, ripping the lizard's arm clean off. Blood squirted and gushed from the wound, though while Anakin could sense some revulsion and fear coming from his friends, his attention remained on Cam.

He pushed himself to his feet as Cam moved closer, but didn't rush to greet him. Anakin understood that Cam wasn't finished. He couldn't see Cam's eyes, but Anakin knew the gaze was focused on the kneeling Trandoshan, who was still frantically clawing at its neck, trying anything it could to regain its ability to breathe.

Normally, Anakin wouldn't want to watch this. He knew what Cam was doing would be seen as wrong by many, including his mother, but after a week of struggling to stay alive on this world because of that alien, Anakin didn't care. It deserved to suffer before it died. It needed to feel as Eshie and the others had before they were murdered.

Yet, as Cam reached the kneeling alien, Anakin wondered why Cam hadn't already snapped the Trandoshan's neck and ended things.

…
(Cam's POV)
I looked down at the disgusting creature before me, the urge to reduce it to atoms far weaker than I'd feared it might've been. Until landing on this world, I'd not been sure if Adas' meditation techniques were working, but as I looked down at the face of the one I knew was responsible for Anakin's kidnapping, along with those of the other three children – and those children these feral animals had killed – I understood it had. The voices were still there, but now only offered suggestions, not ideas that I felt I had to obey. That was a good thing for me, as I didn't want to lose control and miss out on ensuring the lizard understood the depths of its folly by targeting Anakin. For the Trandoshan, those here with it, and the ones I'd already killed today, it was far from a good outcome.

This creature didn't deserve the quick and painful death the whispers were suggesting I grant it. No, it needed to suffer; its pain and terror needed to last until its mind and body became unable to endure my rage. The others here would also suffer, as those back at their ship had, except now there was no need to rush, no need to push too hard too quickly. I could enjoy what was to come.

I lowered my arm, releasing the beast from the Force's grasp. The hand slipped to my belt, resting comfortably on the hilt of my shoto. While not my main blade, the crystal inside was attuned to me and I could almost sense it wishing to be ignited to help me educate the things before me.

"Wa…" The beast failed pathetically to get a sound out. My fingers began tensing around the hilt of my lightsaber. "What. Are. You?"

I smiled, enjoying each pained breath the thing took trying to put its fear into words.

"Stupid, you are," I said mocking as I knelt in front of the beast. The head tilted to one side, exposing the neck. The urge to flick my blade out and remove the offending thing passed through my thoughts harmlessly. It would die, but not soon and not cleanly. It was unworthy of such a death.

My beskad rose, its tip pointing at Anakin. "I am his father," I declared, the blade drifting beneath the beast's chin, forcing it to lift its head away from the lethal point. "You, and those who follow you, made a fatal error by laying a hand upon him."

The Force warned me of a threat, and the beskad flicked downward. The beast grunted in pain; its resilience evident as I severed three of its fingers before it could reach for the blaster at its hip. "Unwise," I muttered, even as a grim satisfaction welled up inside me. The beast could endure pain, which meant it wouldn't easily succumb to what awaited it. I relished the thought of its forthcoming death. "You will die, as will every one of your minions. Your place in the galaxy is no better than that of a womp rat."

The snarl that had twisted its face, which only heightened my anticipation, faltered. "Womp rat?"

"Indeed," I replied, my voice tinged with amusement as I savoured its confusion. "Though perhaps that's an insult to womp rats." The snarl returned, now edged with a flicker of intelligence, though it remained blind to the gravity of its situation. As long as it clung to the hope of rescue, believing that the ones I had already sent to their gods might come to its aid, its despair would only deepen. The more it hoped, the greater my satisfaction would be when it finally realized that death was all that awaited it.

My beskad flicked out again, slicing through the flesh of the beast's arm. It grunted, showing further, encouraging resilience. "The womp rat understands its place in the universe. You, and these other overgrown lizards, don't. Though I'm more than happy to educate you," I stood as I continued, wanting to be outside the beast's range before I finished. "Just as I did with those on your ship."

The Trandoshan blinked, and I watched in amusement as it processed my words. A growl rose from its throat as it prepared to attack me, and I lifted my hand. The Force bent joyously to my demands as I closed my first. The unmistakable sound of bones shattering was followed by a groan of pain as the untouched arm abruptly buckled.

I chuckled deeply, savouring the pain this thing was feeling, and sensing the first embers of fear forming inside it. Moving forward again, the beskad flicked out. "Soon you'll rejoin your friends," I spat out the word as my blade sliced clean through the animal's limb, cutting the flesh to the bone, and disabling the other arm, "When you greet your god as nothing but a broken, destroyed, and pointless waste."

"Statement:" I turned to HK as he spoke, the HUD having reported he'd emerged into the clearing sooner than I'd expected. "All targets are secure and the astromech reports the last of their vessel's datafiles have been downloaded."

I nodded at the report even as I watched Simvyl step toward a Trandoshan missing both legs. The beast panicked, threatening wildly when it saw the restraining cuffs in the Cathar's hand. Before it could be any threat, Simvyl casually shot it in both shoulders. The bolts weren't enough to remove the limbs, but it rendered them as useless as the beast's missing legs.

"You can't do this!"

I turned back to the elder Trandoshan, aware of the rising fear coming from Anakin's friends even as he looked on patiently. "Oh, but I can," I said to the pitiful defeated creature that lay before me. "And I will. The only remaining question is just how long it takes you to meet your god," I added, not even trying to hold back my fury and disdain for him and his species.

With my piece said, I sheathed my beskad. I'd barely managed that before a euphoric explosion of delight and relief overwhelmed the darkness I was projecting into the Force. As Anakin leapt into my arms, I braced, and caught him easily even as I sunk to a knee, ensuring his feet returned to the ground.

"I knew you'd come," He said as he pressed his head into the nook of my armour. The HUD reported on his condition, but I didn't need that to know he was tired, hungry, and in need of a good, long rest.

"Always for you An'ika," I replied, feeling the rage I'd been focusing on the Trandoshans lift in an instant. Anakin, my son, was safe, and those who'd captured him were nothing but bodies waiting to be destroyed. I felt him sob and patted his back. "It's okay. I'm here."

I held him there, letting him release all the pent-up emotions he'd been carrying for nearly two weeks pour out. "I knew you'd come," he said as I felt his fear of dying, or never seeing me, Lia, or others, or gaining revenge, fade away. A few weeks ago, I'd have been pleased with that, seeing it as a sign he was committing to the Jedi training of accepting what was and not dwelling on his emotions. However, I knew now that it wasn't the path for either of us. That would mean a change in his training, but that, along with a hundred other things, could wait until later.

As I felt him calm, the worst of his emotional turmoil easing, I pulled him back slightly. One hand came from his back, planning to remove my helmet, but before the hand could slip around his body, his hands were already there, and I tilted my head to grant him easier access. A moment later, the hiss of the seal breaking could be heard, and I let him pull my helmet off.

I blinked, adjusting to the unfiltered light of this shithole of a world's sun. Once I recovered, I looked at Anakin and ran a hand through his hair while smiling. "I'm not leaving, An'ika," I said, once more using his Mando'a nickname. "And I'm proud of you."

His head tilted to one side, and I chuckled at his confusion; enjoying the first non-stressed moment I'd had in weeks. "You survived here, without weapons or much training for over a week," I said, giving his hair a ruffle. For what was possibly the first time ever, he didn't scowl at the action. "Plus, you kept others alive," I added, looking past him to the trio of kids cowering together, keeping their distance from me, Fenrir, and the others. "Though perhaps you could introduce us?" As I asked that, I offered the trio a smile and wave, the Weequay being the only one to return the gesture.

I understood why they'd be scared of me. I'd not entered this area gently, and been aggressive toward the Trandoshans, but I didn't regret it. Those beasts needed to understand their place which sure as osik wasn't anywhere near the top of the food chain.

"Oh, right." Anakin turned, looking at his friends though he kept a hand on my armour as if scared I might disappear. "Lena, Snaxiu, Plirs, this is my father, Cameron Shan. Dad, these are my friends."

"Hello there," I said, offering them another wave and widening my smile. "I'm sorry if I scared you with my arrival."

"I-it's ok," Plirs replied slowly. The other two looked at me with wide eyes, taking in my face and armour. From all three the terror was slowly receding, and I understood why they were reluctant to trust me. after so long constantly on the run from the lizards, they were slow to trust anyone not in their group. "Th-thank you."

"There's no need to thank me," I said, keeping my smile wide and voice soft. "I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to find you."

"Yeah, how did you?" Anakin asked as he turned back to me.

I chuckled and shook my head. "A story for another time. First, I want to get all of you onto Raven, and then we'll see about contacting your families."

The trio of kids all looked at me as if I'd grown another head, making clear that they'd all but given up hope of going home. That spiked my anger, though before it could rise and push past the gentle appearance I was projecting, I smashed it down. I'd draw on that fury soon enough once Anakin and his friends were out of sight. They didn't need to see what was coming.

A roar filled the air, and the trio ducked down, huddling together. "That's my ship," I said, using the hand not still resting against Anakin to point upward just as Raven slid into view. "She's not the biggest, but there's sonic showers, fresh food, clean bunks, and provided you're okay with wearing some of Anakin's stuff, fresh clothing."

The trio looked at each other and then at Anakin, making clear he'd assumed command of the group. That made me proud as while I'd not started any training on command, he'd shown initiative in trying to keep his friends safe. I didn't need to ask to know that some of the heads of the murdered children had been with this group when they died, and I'd have to talk with Anakin about losing someone under his command. It was a tricky thing to deal with for someone who formed bonds as easily as he and I did, but overall, I felt he'd done an excellent job in ensuring they survived this long.

"It's fine," Anakin said reassuringly. "Raven's amazing! She's really fast and…" Anakin paused and looked around before turning back to me. "I didn't know R2 could fly her."

I laughed as I realised Anakin didn't know about Raven's evolution. "She's flying by herself now, at least so long as the flight path is simple." Anakin's eyes widened in shock, which drew another bout of laughter from me. "When you were captured she knew I couldn't waste time getting back to her, so it came to me. We still weren't fast enough to stop those beasts from getting away, but it seems you're responsible for her latest growth."

"Wizard!"

While chuckling once again, I ruffled his hair. "Aye, it is." I stood, easily lifting Anakin with one arm. The armour added a decent amount of weight, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle without help. "Fenrir!" I called. The tuk'ata lifted its head, blood from the limb it was chewing on – the lizard it'd come from secured by Simvyl and along with the others under the watchful gaze of HK. "Drop that! You don't know where it's been!" Fenrir shook his head, not wanting to give up his toy. "Get over here." The tuk'ata snorted but did as I asked and after spitting the remains of the arm out and then, with blood flowing over his maw, sauntered over to us.

"Hey boy," Anakin said, lowering the hand not wrapped around me to the tuk'ata. Fenrir leaned into the touch, happy to enjoy Anakin's scratches again.

"Fenrir," he looked up at me, though didn't move away from Anakin's hand, "I need you to escort Anakin and his friends to Raven." I sensed a spark of fear and looked at my son's friends. The trio had pulled back, no doubt concerned by the fearsome impression Fenrir projected with blood matted into his jaw and front paws.

"It's ok, Fenrir's a giant softy. Aren't you?" Fenrir snorted, not liking being called soft, but he made no move away from Anakin's attention, which helped to prove the boy's point.

Without breaking that contact, I moved closer and gently lowered Anakin onto Fenrir's back. The tuk'ata enjoyed carrying around younger children at times, though I'd seen many adults in the Lokella and elsewhere look on in shock and fear at watching the giant beast – his head was at my shoulder if he held it up – walk around like a trained pony.

The trio watched my actions, and how Fenrir accepted Anakin's presence on his back, before sharing a look. As a group, they slowly moved toward the beast, their eyes struggling to see past his blood-soaked mouth. Once they were closer, Lena attentively stretched out a hand. Fenrir stayed still, aware of their fear, and when the hand touched his neck he leaned as softly as he could into the touch.

A short, barking laugh slipped from her lips, only to be stopped when her free hand raced up to cover her mouth. When neither Fenrir nor Anakin reacted to her behaviour, she relaxed and began moving her fingers. Fenrir growled quietly, letting her know he enjoyed the touch. A moment or two later, the two boys added their hands near Lena's and Fenrir beamed with pleasure at the attention.

I couldn't help but laugh at what I was seeing. Fenrir was bred for war, yet all it took to turn him into the galaxy's biggest softy were children in need of protection who wanted to scratch him. "Go on," I said to my friend, giving him a gentle pat on his hip. He turned, giving me a side-eye suggesting he didn't want to move if it meant missing out on scratches. "I'm sure once they've washed and eaten, they'll be happy to keep petting you."

"Yes!" Lena agreed happily, placing her head against Fenrir's neck. "I'll pet you whenever you want until I'm back with my parents," she added.

Fenrir snorted at that and started moving, the kids heading with him. Lena didn't know what she'd just committed herself to, but after what she and the others had endured on this world, I didn't think she'd mind having to spend every waking hour pampering the tuk'ata.

Simvyl offered them a smile as they passed, moving out of the area we were in and toward where Raven was landing. As the group slipped from view, I slid my helmet back on. The rage I'd been keeping constrained hungered for release, and with those I didn't want seeing what I had planned gone, I knew the rage and I would be satisfied before we left this waste of a planet.

A glance inside the helmet sent a command through the HUD. Simvyl turned, heading off with the children as while I knew Fenrir would keep them safe, I wasn't going to risk losing Anakin again. The Cathar did as ordered, happy to make up for any perceived failing when Anakin had been kidnapped as I turned toward the group of lizards.

All were kneeling, wounds bleeding along with wherever they'd lost a limb. Impressively, they all looked aggressive, as if challenging me even though I'd captured them. whatever points for their god that they'd gained throughout their disgusting lives were gone. Under their bravado, I could sense their fear. My words earlier about sending them to the Scorekeeper pointless having the desired effect.

"Now," I said as I slowly moved toward them, bearing down on their leader, "Before your miserable excuse for lives are extinguished, I'd like to know everything you do. I'm told there are other groups like yours prowling this region of the Rim targeting children for your sick sport. I want to know where they are."

"Kriff you Mandalorian!" The leader snapped back. "I'm not telling you anything!"

"I had hoped you'd say that," I said as I moved closer, I lifted my organic hand, showing him my palm. "I find I enjoy this far more when you resist."

The mind of this beast, and those I'd already shredded for intel along with the others here, wasn't a place I wished to enter. It was beneath me. However, it was effective and caused the lizard's incredible pain. Or it did before their mind shattered under my assault.

Already I had enough intelligence that any halfway decent Republic security officer could use, let alone the Mando'ade I planned on hiring to wipe out this rabble. Not just for other hunting parties and the planets they used, but also the locations of a dozen pirate and black-market ports. While I could clean them out myself, I didn't have the time or interest in dealing with such minor matters.

"Now," I said, my voice deepening as I focused every ounce of my rage toward the lizard, demanding the Force assist me in what was to come. "This might hurt a bit, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it."

… …

… …
"A-are you sure it's safe?"

I stood back slightly, letting Anakin deal with Lena as she looked from the two Zeltrons speaking to her to my son. Unlike Plirs and Snaxiu, when we'd gone to the world Lena had been abducted from, we'd not found any remaining family. Instead, we'd come across a dozen ruined buildings. Everyone there had been killed and the building looted and burnt. I wasn't sure if that had taken place during or before the massacre, but regardless of how it had happened, it meant Lena had nowhere to go.

After cleaning up the mess, giving any remains that we found a burial, and then letting Lena see if there was anything for her to salvage and then grieve for her family and friends, we'd left. It had been a long few days since then with Anakin and Fenrir doing their best to help cheer her up. For a while I regretted having killed every lizard before we'd left, as while I knew it wouldn't bring back her family or ease the suffering she, Plirs, and Snaxiu had gone through and would need help recovering from, it would've given them some closure to execute at least one of those responsible for their pain.

Regarding what to do with Lena, I'd quickly dismissed the idea of heading to a nearby Republic world and dropping her off with local child services. Those were always underfunded and lost track of kids so much it was such a disgrace that the Senate and the planet's government chose to ignore the matter. Nor was the idea of adopting her into Clan Shan viable. I had very specific plans for Anakin's training, and Lena lacked anything like the Force potential to make it worthwhile for her to endure the same training. I had considered asking Adonai or Torrhen to adopt her, but I wasn't sure she was ready now – or if she ever would be – to become a warrior. Thus, in the end, I'd reached out to the Lokella, and their council had dispatched a CR70 Corvette to meet me at the orbital station we were now on.

"Yeah. I lived there for a few years before Cam adopted me and began my training," Anakin explained to Lena while wearing as comforting a smile as he could manage. Her hands were resting on Fenrir, the tuk'ata still serving as her comfort blanket as she came to terms with everything that had happened.

"I know this is hard, sweetie, but you won't be the only youngling among our people." That response came from Surmi, as she stood with her twin sister Syshe. The Zeltron pair had chosen to head the group sent to collect Lena, though after last night I suspected the pair had ulterior motives for taking the assignment, not that I was complaining.

"All of us have suffered pain," added Syshe to support her sister's words. "We were once slaves of a Hutt before the Lokella freed us. And now look," she gestured behind her to where their shuttle rested on the other side of the bay from Raven. "We've got command of a ship with which we use to free others from suffering."

"You'll make lots of friends and no one will force you to talk about what's happened. Not if you don't want to." Surmi added the pair was comfortable finishing each other's thoughts when speaking. A skill that extended to other, more pleasurable endeavours. "Maybe one day, if you want to, you could command a starship as well."

"O-okay," Lena said slowly, accepting the Lokella's offer to take her in. I was pleased to hear she'd be going, and my smile grew when she turned to Anakin. "You'll stay in touch?"

"Yes." He coughed gently. "I mean, I'll do so when I can. Cam wants me to continue my training and I'm not sure how long that will take, or where we'll go. But I promise that when I can, I'll call. And not just you but my sister Lia as well."

Lena smiled widely at Anakin, and I could tell the pair would remain friends. Perhaps, in five or six years, it might even become something more, but the future wasn't certain. Not least because of my choices. She turned to the twins and nodded. "Okay. I'll go with you."

The twins shared a look and then approached Lena with matching smiles. "Good," Syshe said before they turned to gesture to a Togruta male who was standing outside their shuttle. "Head to Felxi and he'll get you settled aboard the shuttle. Before we go we'd like to speak with Cam first."

"Anakin, why don't you help Lena with her stuff?" I suggested, sensing the spiking desire from the Zeltrons, and having a hint that he'd not want to be around when they flirted with me. Something they'd been doing heavily since they'd arrived yesterday morning.

Anakin looked between me and the Zeltron twins, both of whom were giving me wide, encouraging smiles. "Yeah, um, I…" He paused and shook his head, clearing some of the redness in his cheeks. "Okay."

I watched him walk off, taking Lena to Raven. Her stuff was already loaded on a hoversled, but getting the pair away gave me the time alone with the twins that I suspected they wanted.

"He's cute when he's flustered."

I turned to Syshe and grinned. "I can call him back if you'd like."

"Oh no," Surmi replied as she and her sister moved toward me. "We much prefer the older model," she added as he reached my left side; Syshe taking the right. They each took one arm, pulling it against their body. "It's powerful, experienced, and has remarkable staying power."

I chuckled as I turned my hands around so my fingers could brush against each girl's exposed midsection. "I do my best," I said as my fingers pinched their skin. "Though as much as I'd enjoy a repeat of last night…"

"So would we."

"… I need to return to my travels and training my son."

The Zeltrons smiled. "It's okay," Syshe said as they moved closer.

"We understand," Surmi added before they each kissed one of my cheeks. "Though we look forward to when we might next partake in the pleasures of the flesh."

"Perhaps you might ask your Jedi and Mandalorian friends to join us."

I chuckled, enjoying the rush of mental images that thought created. Bo would be more than happy to experience what the Zeltrons could do. Force, I was still in awe of several of the tricks they'd used against me last night. Serra, however, was another matter, and not just because of her recovering from the death of Drallig and being taken on by Windu.

"We can but hope," I said before offering first Syshe and then Surmi a tender kiss. That was the reverse order of the last act we'd shared last night – well, technically this morning given how long we'd been enjoying ourselves – and I made sure to never favour one sister over the other. Something they seemed to appreciate.

"Until next time M'tael," Surmi said as Syshe slipped a hand down and pinched my arse.

I watched the pair as they moved toward their shuttle, escorting Lena and Anakin as they pushed the hoversled toward the craft. Once they reached it, Anakin shared a few final words with Lena, followed by a hug and then turned around and walked back to us.

Taking that as my cue, I turned as well and moved toward Raven. Simvyl was leaning casually against one of her landing gears, though the way his eyes scanned the bay, and a hand rested near a blaster made clear he was anything but unalert to potential danger. While I had forgiven him for what had happened, he still hadn't and was now taking his duties very seriously. Too seriously perhaps, and I wondered if I'd need to drag him to a pleasure house – one where the females weren't slaves – so he could unwind a little.

"How do you do it?" He asked once I was at the base of the ramp.

"Hmm?" I replied as I looked back and then guided Anakin into the ship.

Simvyl looked past me, toward the now departing shuttle and sighed. "A girl on every planet."

"Technically we're not on a planet," I shot back with a smirk.

"You know what I mean."

"Aye, and my answer is… Jedi secret." He rolled his eyes and, understanding I wasn't going to explain, he turned and moved up the ramp after Anakin.

Taking a moment, I turned back and watched the shuttle as it left the bay. Outside the Lokella's CR-70 waited which would take my latest companions back to their people. Truthfully, Syshe and Surmi weren't important to me, unlike Bo and Serra, and when they'd first offered their bed I'd rejected it. I'd only just moved to a more intimate stage with Serra and didn't want to risk that.

Things between me and her were up in the air, and while I hoped that we'd recover what we once had, I wasn't going to sit around and pine after it. I cared deeply for her, but not enough that I'd try and force her to return to my side, or mope around waiting for her to do so. She had the right to choose her path irrespective of mine.

Thinking on Serra and our situation my thoughts turned to the path I was taking my first steps along and Maul. Regarding Maul, I knew one day Serra would learn of my choice to keep the Zabrak alive. How she reacted to that would determine if our paths remained joined or if that was the end of what we shared. I hoped for the former but understood that the latter was possible. Probable even if Windu's teaching before she was knighted sunk in deep enough. However, if I had the chance to do things differently after the battle of Naboo, I wouldn't.

Maul represented a potentially vast reservoir of intelligence—not only about Sidious' schemes but also about the inner workings of the Banite Sith and their broader objectives. He might even be – unlikely though it was – someone whom I could recruit to my cause. At the very least, he could help fill in the countless gaps in my understanding of the Sith's motives, goals, and strategies for eradicating the Jedi.

I was aware that the Clones were pivotal to this plan—at least in the timeline I had witnessed. Yet, there had to be more to their scheme than merely employing them and issuing an Executive Order to annihilate the Order and neutralise them as a threat to the Banite agenda.

Still, I knew it would be some time before I faced Maul again. At least until I felt my skill and power had returned to the point that it had been when I'd managed to capture the Sith Assassin. I had the time to get there. or at least felt I did as it would take Sidious and Plagueis time to consolidate their hold over the upper echelons of the Republic and cultivate a replacement for Dooku.

That alone was perhaps a greater help to granting me the time I needed to train myself and Anakin, but I knew it wouldn't stop the plan indefinitely. That was why, at least before Anakin's kidnapping, I'd spent almost every evening going over the decrypted records from the Scimitar. Maul was smart enough to wipe the astrogation computer regularly, meaning I couldn't determine where he'd travelled before coming to Naboo – though I suspected he'd been on Coruscant as in the other timeline.

The problem was that only about ten per cent of the Scimitar's data had been decrypted, with most of that being the basically empty flight log and data-recorder of when he'd refilled the fuel tanks. If I was only looking at a single planet, then it would be reasonably easy to use that data to determine likely locations that the vessel – and thus Maul – had travelled to. However, with almost an entire galaxy to work with, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack as big as Coruscant, Corellia, and a dozen other Core worlds combined. HK and R2 were working to crack the encryption on the rest of the Scimitar's files, but they didn't expect to have any success for at least half a year, and that was their most optimistic projection.

Once up Raven's ramp, I moved through her corridors. The ramp was closing before I'd even stepped off it – Raven once more anticipating my needs – and moved toward the cockpit. Our destination wouldn't be Kro Var, as I'd been intending before Anakin's kidnapping, but Eshan.

While we would still be heading at some point to the Shapers, as I wanted to learn what they did with the Force while controlling elemental powers, I felt a more combat-oriented focus would appeal to Anakin after recent events. Plus, it would put my mind at ease to know he knew more ways to defend himself and others.

I could've chosen to go Mandalore and enrol Anakin in the Institute there that Serra and I had joined, however I wanted to broaden my horizons as well. Like Mandalorians, the Echani were regarded as one of the best warrior cultures in the galaxy. The difference was in composition – while a decent majority of Mando'ade were Human, not all were – and the fact the two groups disliked each other intently to the point the Echani had often allied against the Mando'ade in previous wars simply to test themselves against them.

Because of those issues, Anakin and I would be removing most of our armour while there. Some would remain, and even if there were questions about me having armour made of beskar, the fact I could publicly show I was a Jedi – thanks for that belonged to Palpatine who'd ensured I was front and centre when the liberation of Naboo had been a major news cycle – would counter most of those issues. Plus, as the two people hadn't been at war for centuries, and the issues between them were more of attempts to prove which culture was better than any major ideological issue, we shouldn't face too many problems.

It would take us at least a few days to reach Eshan, and during that time I'd speak with Anakin about his ordeal. While we'd had some conversations about it, those had often involved the other kids. Now it was just again, I wondered if he might open up a little about how he'd felt, and what he'd done that he'd not wanted to mention around the other kids. The obvious one was that, just before I arrived to save him and his friends, I'd sensed him drawing on his desire to protect others and make the Force do what he wished.

He needed to know that I wasn't angry about it, nor would I hold it against him. We both just had to be careful of how he handled that experience. He was young and unable to handle his emotions to anywhere near the degree I could, so it would take training to ensure he didn't become unstable in the way I felt Obi-Wan had ignored and then Sidious had exploited in the other timeline.

I wasn't worried about others sensing his mistake with the Dark Side. When I'd gone for him on Tatooine, I'd have struggled to sense him if I'd not been looking for him. While whatever protections he'd naturally developed were weaker because he'd begun his training with the Force, it was still incredibly impressive. To the point that I planned to ask him how he did it. While my defences were decent, any help in improving them wasn't something I was going to ignore.

Plus, while I had little intention of doing it soon, I knew I'd have to return to the Temple and interact with Palpatine and Damask. If I could harness how Anakin kept his Force presence hidden, I could ensure that neither group learnt of the changes I'd undergone or would undergo, when we next met. Otherwise, the moment I set foot on Coruscant, I'd have both groups out to capture, imprison, or kill me.

That would, to be blunt, put a major dent in my plans for the next few decades.

… …

… …
A/N: All's well that ends well. Unless you're a Trandoshan/slaver in which case you got what you deserved.
...
This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
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May the Force be with you. Always.

Moran · Aug 13, 2024

I assume Cam paid Hondo a huge amount for his services.
As they part ways, Hondo says,"I look forward to the possibility of us doing business together again." While not entertaining the idea, Cam replies, "I hope you're less annoying by then."

USSExplorer · Aug 14, 2024

Moran said:
I assume Cam paid Hondo a huge amount for his services.
As they part ways, Hondo says,"I look forward to the possibility of us doing business together again." While not entertaining the idea, Cam replies, "I hope you're less annoying by then."

Pretty much, and now it means Hondo will act around Cam as he did around Obi-Wan in TCW.

TheFallenJedi66 · Aug 14, 2024

I love Hondo. Shame we didn't see him much or did much with him

Pax Humana · Aug 14, 2024

Slavers dying is definitely ending things well. The torture is, well, bad for Cam but the slavers earned it by torturing others first.

USSExplorer · Wednesday at 1:15 PM

A/N: Thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logical errors.

This chapter was released to those on the story's Discord, and who those support my writing anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago.

If doing either interests you, you'll find links at the bottom of the chapter.

Also: May you rest in peace, James Earl Jones.

3.06 Masters and Fathers
… …

Time drifted in the dim corridors of the Raven like the slow, inexorable turning of the galaxy itself. My steps were measured, and deliberate, each footfall a meditation of intent. Barely thirty minutes had passed since we'd left the station where Lena had been delivered into the hands of the Lokella. But the weight in my chest had grown heavier, more insistent. With the ship now threading through hyperspace toward Eshan, I could no longer defer what had to be done.

I needed to speak with Anakin.

In the days following his rescue, I'd busied myself with the duties that allowed me to avoid this conversation. Returning the children to their families—those that had any left—kept my mind occupied, hands steady. Lena was another matter. Her family was gone, her future handed to strangers. I'd done the best I could for her. But for Anakin? That was a different question.

The emotions I felt from him on the junk world remained at the forefront of my mind. I could feel the storm inside him, roiling beneath the surface. Fear, rage, desperation. They had surged like a broken dam, unleashed at the lizards that had threatened his life, and his friends' lives. And though I would never fault him for using the Force to defend those he loved – how could I, when I had wielded it for far less noble reasons? – what he had done, the decisions he had made in that dark, metal graveyard, needed to be examined. Understood. Controlled.

I reached his quarters. Outside, Fenrir lay sprawled in the half-light, the tuk'ata's gleaming eyes watching me, ever vigilant. The creature had barely left Anakin's side since we'd pulled him from that hellish place. I knelt beside the beast, scratching behind one of his ears, the familiar rumble of contentment vibrating beneath my fingers.

"Hey, boy," I murmured, feeling the tension of the coming talk press heavier against my mind. "I'm going to be in there for a while. Just… keep watch."

Fenrir gave me a slow blink, his head settling back onto his paws, ever patient.

As Fenrir stood and moved enough that I could reach Anakin's door, I used the Force to press the buzzer. A moment later the door slid open, and I entered his cabin. It wasn't as large as mine, though it was close and had formerly been Fay's quarters on Raven. A bed that could, in theory, just about hold two people was at one end, while a small desk/table with a chair was next to it. A fresher was sealed away in the wall along with various drawers and cabinets, though most of those were empty as Anakin didn't have a large number of worldly possessions.

He lifted his head as he sat cross-legged on the bed as I approached. His face was drawn and the sense of despondency I'd been feeling from him ever since we'd passed Lena over to the Lokella only grew stronger now I was inside the same room. "I won't ask if you're well," I said as I moved toward the chair at the desk, "what you endured would change anyone, as would what you did to defend yourself and your friends. However, before we talk I want to make one thing abundantly clear." I sat in the chair and gave him my full undivided attention. His head perked up when I didn't immediately continue, though once he focused fully on me, I spoke again. "I'm proud of what you did and why you did it."

"Why?" He asked softly, his voice lacking much of its regular emotion. "I failed."

"How did you fail?" I countered, keeping my tone gentle and my posture as relaxed as I could without surrendering my position as the adult in the room. He needed to see that my actions and emotions matched my words, and that, whatever he said or felt, I was here for him.

He shifted on the bed, pulling his legs up and then dragging his knees toward his face. "They died because of me," he said as his arms wrapped around his legs, holding them tight for protection.

I gave him a small, sad smile and shook my head. "No, Anakin, they didn't. They died because of the Trandoshans."

I knew this would be coming, knew how personally, even as a boy of not quite ten, he took everything bad that happened around him. How he felt a need to feel responsible for everything that had gone wrong. It was both part of his mentality and how Shmi had raised him, however, in this situation, it was a dangerous and incorrect road to head down.

"I…" He paused and I thought I saw him gulp. "I wasn't fast enough. Wasn't strong enough." His head dropped so his forehead rested against his knees. "Kesh, Eshie, the others…"

As his voice trailed off, and understanding what he was feeling, I shifted from the chair and moved to sit beside him on the bed. I moved slowly, not wanting to scare or confuse him, even as the first sniffles reached my ears. Once beside him, I extended an arm and placed it over his shoulders.

I wasn't going to pull him close, as that might be overstepping things, but as soon as my arm came to rest, he leaned toward me. My other arm came around, pulling him in tight even as his chest crashed against my chest. The sniffles quickly turned to sobs and wails, and as I let him grieve and release the worst of his emotions, I gently drew circles on his back with the palm of one hand, hopefully reassuring him.

Knowing he had to work through this, I stayed quiet though as I did so, I closed my eyes and focused inward. His emotions had been like a solar flare in the Force ever since we'd left the station after handing over Lena, but with him now next to me, it was more akin to a supernova. I knew that I couldn't allow myself to be overwhelmed by his emotions, otherwise, the message I needed him to hear might get lost.

I wasn't closing myself off from the Force, as he would sense that and feel, in some way, that it was his fault, which was the last thing I wanted. Instead, I brought forth memories of happier, innocent times I'd spent with him, Bo, Serra, Dooku, Fay, and others. I hoped that by doing so, not only would it help me not drown in the explosion of emotion that was rushing from Anakin, but that he'd sense I wasn't angry, and was here for him.

I might have only adopted him less than half a year ago, and known him for a few more before that, but by adopting him, I'd made a vow – to myself, him, and the Force – that I'd do everything I could to protect him. I knew that such a vow had the potential to be dangerous, even without the Force able to influence and bend to my will, but it was the right thing to do. I had already lost control once. Already let my desperation lead me to the brink of ruin when I was searching for him. But if it came down to it, I knew—I knew—that I would burn worlds to ash, shatter stars, and tear the very fabric of the galaxy apart, if it meant keeping him safe from the horrors that sought to claim him.

Because he wasn't just Anakin Skywalker. He was my son. And that meant more than the Force, more than the galaxy, more than anything.

Time had little meaning as he cried and I continued to sit there, silently offering support, but eventually, his cries grew quieter. Eventually, I felt him shifting, and feeling him press against my arms, I loosened my grip. He lifted his head, letting me see the red eyes and cheeks and wet face. My robes would be wet as well, but that was a trivial issue, and I lifted one hand, brushing back bangs of hair that had stuck to his forehead as he cried into my chest.

"Why?" His voice was low, and rough, as if the question had clawed its way up from deep inside him. I could see it in his eyes, the pain, and the confusion. The loss. I reached out, brushing the hair back from his face, a small gesture of comfort. But his eyes, they burned. There was more than just pain there. Rage flickered in the Force, simmering beneath the surface, waiting for release.

"Why did they do this? Why did my friends have to die?" The words came slower now, each one weighed down with grief, but the anger was growing, feeding on the sorrow, threatening to consume it entirely.

I held his gaze, feeling the storm of emotions building inside him. I couldn't let myself get swept into it. "The Trandoshans," I began, my voice steady, though I could feel the anger rising hot in my throat. "They did what they did because of their god. The Scorekeeper, they call her."

I kept my disgust buried, as much as I could, but even now, I could sense the revulsion twisting my tone. "Their entire existence revolves around earning her favour. They believe that every kill they make, every life they take, earns them points—points that bring them closer to her grace. And while they could hunt beasts for those points, it's the sentient lives, the people, that grant them the most."

I could feel his anger sharpen at that, a knife edge in the Force, and I didn't blame him. There was no justifying it. No words could make sense of it. "That's why they feared dying so much when we captured them. For a Trandoshan, to die in captivity is to lose everything. Their points, their honour, and their connection to their god. It all resets to zero."

I let that hang in the air for a moment, watching as the understanding settled into his mind, but the rage still flickered. "That's why I made sure to take as many of them alive as I could. To break them, not just in body, but in spirit. To strip them of everything they believed mattered."

"Because their god would be angry?"

"Aye, exactly." I gave him a small smile as I continued. "Being sent to the Scorekeeper pointless is not just an insult to them, but to the clan they come from."

"I'm glad they're dead." Anakin's words came out almost violently, but as soon as they left his mouth he blinked as if scared at what he'd said. Yet before I could respond, the shock vanished, replaced by the rage he felt toward them.

"As am I," I said softly, keeping my emotions regarding the species in check. While his showing anger toward them was understandable, I didn't want him to lose himself in that rage. He wasn't ready for what it would bring, nor how to handle the danger that would place him in. "By law, I should've turned them over to the nearest Republic security force. However, outside of a handful of situations, I retain doubts about the effectiveness and efficiency of the Republic in enforcing its laws. Add in that the Trandoshans have been members of the Republic for millennia, yet the Republic, knowing full well about Trandoshan culture and customs, has never once attempted to reign them in." I paused, taking a moment to calm myself as I felt my intense dislike toward the species rising and didn't want that influencing Anakin, or making him think that hunting Trandoshans was something I'd encourage. "That, along with other failings of the Republic, is a topic for another discussion. One that we can have once you are older and more attuned to how the galaxy truly works against how it should work." He would know some of that having been a slave, and then growing up in a commune of former slaves, but he only had a very narrow understanding of the way the galaxy worked, or should work. "For now, and to repeat myself. What happened to you and your friends, nor the actions you took, are not your fault."

"But!" I placed a finger to his mouth, cutting off his response.

"No buts, An'ika," I said. "I've reviewed the interaction you had with the first Trandoshan before you were taken." I took a longer breath than normal, settling the spike of anger I felt whenever I considered the species of walking handbags. Anakin knew I disliked them, but I couldn't risk my anger merging and enhancing his toward the species. It was up to him how he judged them, not me. "While you were, to be nice about it, short in your comments to the beast, you were far nicer than I would've been." A flicker of a smile flashed over his face, and I suspected he knew exactly how I'd have handled that rude lizard. "The group that came at you from behind never heard your words, nor did they intervene in the discussion before attacking. That, beyond anything else, places the entirety of the blame, and what came after, at their feet."

"However," I continued, changing tack slightly to shift Anakin's focus, "while you are without blame, I am not. Not because I let you wander the station. Simvyl is a capable warrior and more than able to handle most issues that might arise. Getting flanked and attacked by heavily armed aggressors was not something anyone could've seen coming. No, my blame lies in, when trying to reach you to save you, I lost control of my anger; letting it cloud my decision-making and granting them the time they needed to escape."

"That wasn't your fault!" Anakin shot back after pushing my finger, which was still over his mouth, out of the way. "If not for that, then I'd not have been able to try and save my friends!"

"Yeah, that's true," I agreed with a smirk, "and it was because of my failure on the station that you were in the position to help those newly made friends." Anakin blinked as if seeing he'd walked into the trap I'd laid out with my words. Hopefully, it would also help him understand that he was truly without blame for what had happened. "Without you there, would any of them have survived? For those that didn't make it, would they have lasted longer if you'd not been there?"

Anakin blinked again, my words driving home the point. "No," he said quietly, taking his time, I hoped, to process what I was saying. "But they should never have been taken to begin with."

"No, they shouldn't," I agreed with a shake of my head. I wasn't trying to shift blame for events to the Republic, but given that outside of the Core worlds, and maybe The Colonies, the Republic generally gave zero fucks about the rest of the galaxy, it wasn't hard to develop an opinion on it. Now, the Republic had tried before to regulate space beyond the Inner Rim, but not since before the New Sith Wars. "However, as I said a few moments ago, the flaws and failures of the Republic are a matter for another time. For now, let's stay focused on recent events, and the actions you took."

"O-okay."

I offered a reassuring smile and placed one hand on a shoulder. "Anakin, as I've already said, I don't blame you. Nor am I angry with what you did, or why. I'm proud of you. Not only did you survive something that many would not, but you worked as hard as you could to save others. Yes, Lena's family wasn't there to take her back, but she along with Plirs and Snaxiu survived their kidnapping because of you."

"B-but the others… E-Eshie, Ke-Kesh…"

I squeezed his shoulder. "We cannot, no matter how hard we try, save everyone, Anakin. Death, as much as it hurts, is part of the cycle of life." I paused and looked away. There was a topic I wanted to bring up to help him, but I couldn't make it seem like I'd planned to do so otherwise the lesson might not be understood and taken in. "I learnt this when I was a little younger than you." Anakin frowned in confusion. "Do you remember when I told you how I was raised by my grandfather, at least until I discovered I could wield the Force and the Sith came for me?" He nodded after a pause, vaguely remembering the talk. That was a relief as when I'd told him of my grandfather before, Anakin hadn't been aware of how to sense subtle shifts in the Force, and I'd had the Interface to help regulate my emotional reactions permeating into the Force. "In the moment when they came, I knew I had to run, to hide, and if forced to, as much as I might not have understood it, to fight. That said, the ideas only became prevalent when I heard my grandfather – his final words being to run – die. The moment he died, I was equal parts furious and frightened." I offered him a small, wry smile at that, as it was exactly how he would've felt when he was released for the Trandoshans to hunt him and the others. "I drew upon that, used it to help me escape, though I barely did so; only surviving because of a mistake of the Sith apprentice." The look on the Sith's face, as I killed her with a lightsaber summoned from my Inventory, was one I'd never forget, even without Eidetic Memory to ensure it. "As you know, after that, due to damage to the hyperdrive of the ship I was on, I ended up at the Jedi Temple." Minus a slight detour to Dromond Kaas. "The reason I'm bringing this up again is not because of that story, but of what happened during my first mission as a Padawan." Anakin was listening intently, my speech/story distracting him as I'd hoped it would. "I was sent undercover to try and locate, and if possible, stop a kidnapping and extortion ring that was taking place on Coruscant, not far from the Senate building and the Jedi Temple."

"But how?" Anakin asked with a creased brow. "Coruscant is the safest place in the galaxy."

I chuckled at the innocence in his tone. "Coruscant is the Shining Jewel of the Core, the centre of civilization, and the heart of freedom and democracy. Or at least that's what the Holonet loves to claim," I added with a shake of my head. "The beauty, the ideals, everything that people say about Coruscant and its grandeur, is only skin-deep. Go a few sectors from the Senate or Jedi Temple, or drop down a handful of levels, and you'll see the truth. What might once have been a pristine gem is now nothing but a cracked counterfeit. At a distance, it looks real, but the closer you get, the more carefully you examine it, the more apparent it is that it's anything but what it claims to be." I chuckled again. "Of course, as I already said, the failings and flaws of the Republic, and by extension Coruscant, is a topic for another time," I remembered well the flaws and failings of the systems of government and laws from my former life, but what Coruscant, what the Republic had become, dwarfed them all. Not just by the obvious metric of size, but by how far the Republic, with its twisted, corrupted heart, had fallen from the ideals it claimed to embody.

"Returning to my story," I continued, noting that Anakin was focused entirely on me, and not concerning himself with his self-believed failings. "I, along with two other, and older, Padawans, were placed undercover with roles that should, in theory, draw the attention of the kidnappers. I was assigned as the distant, long-lost nephew of a Senator and spent months living with him and his staff waiting for something to happen." Anakin was leaning forward, being drawn into my story, which was what I'd hoped for. "Which it finally did, much to my embarrassment.

"I'd sensed myself being approached, felt the inkling of danger gathering and thought I could handle it," I grunted in amusement. "Of course, I failed, and when I awoke I found myself, much as you did, inside a cage. There the kidnappers confronted me, telling me that if my uncle didn't pay the ransom, then I would be sold into slavery." Anakin's face twisted, his opinions on slavers clear for anyone to see. "Like you, I didn't reveal I could use the force right away, preferring to keep it up my sleeve so that I could use it later. I did so once I was left alone, and once sure there was no one nearby, I escaped my cage."

"How?"

"I Phased through the bars. One day, I will teach you how to do that," I added quickly, not wanting him to consider trying it for himself. Certainly not until I rediscovered how to do it myself. "However, you aren't yet ready for that lesson." He huffed, much to my amusement, as I returned to my story. "Once free, I began scouting the ship I was on. It didn't take long for me to discover that my fellow Padawans had been captured before me, and to realise that my captors did more than just kidnap and sell people. They did things that…" I paused and pinched the bridge of my nose. "That they deserved to die for."

"Why didn't you know they'd been caught? The other Padawans, I mean."

"That is a very good question, and one I put to the Jedi Council once the mission was over. Their answer, while making some sense, wasn't one I agreed with. Then or now. I still believe that their not alerting me to the capture of the other Padawans placed me in greater danger than informing me of the change would've done. Of course, knowing what had happened, might have altered how I'd behaved, preventing me from being captured, and thus being in a position to free the others." Anakin frowned, and while he didn't seem to fully be grasping my point, I hoped he was getting some of it. To be sure, I added a little extra. "Sometimes, as much as we might dislike it, it is necessary for those in command of a plan to not provide full details to those they command."

"Like when you freed Naboo?"

I blinked, not expecting that pivot. "Yes, though that was a very different situation," I quickly replied. "The commanders of the various battles, be it those on the plains, targeting Theed and other cities, or in orbit above, know the overall plan of battle. The way their elements all linked together, and how, however, were only known to a handful." Anakin gave a nod of understanding. "Returning to my story, after discovering my fellow Padawans aboard the ship, learning their condition, and the status of the other children taken, I turned my focus to the slavers. All were taken out, and only a few were able to be turned over to Republic security forces once we reached a safe world."

I might not like Jon Savos, but what he went through I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I could still see his face, still hear the pained, terrified wails he'd emitted when I'd discovered him strapped to a table. My anger at the time had been easier to control, due to Player's Mind, but my reaction to the discovery, and my choice to take out every slaver on the vessel without concern of their condition was not something I regretted.

What I had to be careful of, as with each memory that I'd touched on today, was that Anakin didn't pick up on my feelings; or more accurately, didn't think they were because of him. That was why, when I finished telling him the tale, I took a few moments, ensuing I took deep, slow breaths to calm my nerves.

"What happened after?"

"Along with my fellow Padawans, I returned to Coruscant and was greeted by our Masters." I paused, memories of how nervous Bultar had been about seeing Master Giiett again coming to the fore. "One of my fellow Padawans had been nervous about seeing her Master again, worried he might punish her for getting captured. Instead, he simply stated that even when we do everything perfectly, bad things can happen."

"But I didn't do everything right," Anakin cut in, seeing the message I was trying to pass along. "I couldn't get everyone to come with me."

"Yes, but even if you had, can you be sure that everyone would've survived?" I countered with a small smile. "All we can ever do is the best we can. Most of the time that won't be enough, but as long as we try, that is all anyone can ever ask of you. We're not droids, after all. We all have needs, intentions, and drives. Sometimes these align with others, but at other times they don't.

"Often, that isn't an issue. However, in critical or tense situations, such as your kidnapping, the fact everyone is unique with their own desires and wants, can cause issues." I lifted my hand from his shoulder and ruffled his hair. "You did all that you could to convince them to follow you. They chose not to, as is their right. That means their fate, their deaths, aren't on you. It lies only with those who placed them in that situation in the first place."

"I hate them."

I blinked, trying to hide my reaction to Anakin's comment. Not so much for the comment itself, as I despised the Trandoshans as well, but for the eruption of rage mixed with certainty that radiated from him within the Force. The lights in the room flickered, suggesting Raven sensed Anakin's fury as well, which meant Fenrir probably had as well. While he lacked the depth of connection to them that I held, Anakin was close with both and we were all, in our odd little way, family.

"That is understandable," I said careful of my tone and how I reacted to his outburst in the Force. "What you went through was beyond terrifying. If you had come out the other side, acting and saying that nothing had changed, then I would be truly worried for you, I'd be deeply concerned. Yet, while being angry, upset, or enraged over anything is an entirely natural reaction because we not only can sense the Force and draw upon it but because our connections to it are, potentially, stronger than any other in the galaxy, we have to be extremely wary of allowing our emotions to rule us. Our feelings and desires can easily bleed into the Force, altering it in ways we might not understand or be able to predict, which can easily alter and unbalance us."

"Is that why Jedi aren't meant to seek vengeance?"

"Yes, exactly. Vengeance is the act of seeking revenge for an injustice. Now, I'm not saying that justice, peace, and the rule of law aren't worth fighting for. What I'm talking about, and I admit it is a lesson I'm still learning, is knowing how to temper our need for revenge with our demands for justice. How to find that point where, if we go further, we no longer are interested in upholding the rule of law, but in sating out thirst for retribution." I sighed and shook my head, letting down some of my guard so he could sense some of how I felt about protecting those important to me. "Like you, I'm an emotional person. I want to do everything I can to help others, especially those I consider friends or family." That drew a flicker of a smile from him. "However, I know that if I get lost in my need to protect others, to seek justice for wrongs, I can lose myself. Something that, when I was captured by the Bando Gora, almost cost me my life in my battle with Komari Vosa. Since then, I've spent considerable time trying to learn how to temper my emotions so that, in the heat of conflict, I am the master of my fate, and not them or the Force."

"Bo said that Mandalorians use vengeance to help them through their darkest hours."

I sighed again and shook my head, making a note to discover what else she had taught Anakin, and how to best punish her for actions. "Bo isn't wrong. However, while we are Mando'ade, the strong connection we have with the Force, and to each other and others, means that we have to hold ourselves to higher ideals than most other Mando'ade. If not all other sentients."

"So I shouldn't seek vengeance? Shouldn't I want to kill others for hurting my friends and family?" There was an edge to his tone, one that made clear his dislike of what he thought I was saying. At the same time, I sensed his thoughts shifting toward his mother and the promise I'd made to train him so that he could kill Decca the Hutt for ordering the attack that killed Shmi.

"As I said, seeking vengeance isn't the same as wanting justice," I replied, gently squeezing his upper arm. "Your mother deserves justice, and when the time comes, when you are ready to do so, I will stand beside you when we strike at the Hutt responsible. However, just because we seek to kill that Hutt, doesn't mean we should widen our need for justice to every other Hutt in existence, or every sentient that Decca hired for the assault. That would be seeking retribution beyond the need for justice and, given the number of beings we'd have to kill to get to every Hutt, would mean the death of a substantial percentage of the galaxy.

"Like you, I have an intense dislike…" I paused and shook my head. "No, that's the wrong word. Like you, I hate the Trandoshans and despise the Hutts and what they stand for. However, I know that those feelings are irrational even if they are a part of me. Because of that, and the fact I can wield the Force, I'm left with three possible paths down which to travel.

"I can, as the Jedi insist we should let go of all my anger. Or I could, as the Sith are claimed to preach, give into it, and hope it never betrays me. Or, and I admit this is very much a theory at the moment, I could use those feelings, however irrational or not they might be, to empower me; to help me shape my path and prepare for whatever threats – be that Trandoshans, Hutts or others – that await me in the future."

I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, gathering my thoughts. That last path was the one Adas was preaching, and it was the one I'd stepped onto to retain control of my emotions when I saved Anakin. In that moment, it had been the right path, but I feared that it wasn't one that I should head down. Or that if I did, I would become no better than the ancient Sith King, or the Banite Sith Lords, in my need for power and control.

"I have tried, ever since first learning I could wield the Force, to do as the Jedi insist it should. I've tried, sometimes desperately, to release my feelings – good and bad – into the Force and move forward with my life. To give my fate over to the Force." I chuckled as images of everyone that had ever mattered to me flashed through my thoughts. "For better or worse, that path didn't work for me. Nor, if I'm being honest, do I expect it to work for you. However, over the coming years you need to attempt following it; to see if I'm wrong and that you can be the good Jedi others would wish you to be."

I was all but certain that Anakin, like me, would never be able to follow the Jedi path of letting go of his emotions or letting events play out without attempting to alter them to protect those he cared about. That was the flaw that Sidious exploited over a decade to turn him into Vader. However, this Anakin wasn't that one, and I at least had to attempt to see if the Jedi path might work for him. To do otherwise would be a failure on my part as both his Master and father.

"What about the other ways?"

"Those paths… are ones that, clearly, the Jedi – and others – wouldn't agree with," I answered carefully, mindful of my words. "For now, for your training, we'll focus on trying you on the path of the Jedi. It is the one you have the most exposure to, both from myself and from Master Dooku. The other paths… we can discuss them in a few years if you feel unable to be a Jedi."

I wasn't going to hide those paths from him, nor deny him the chance to at least learn about them. However, I was reluctant to discuss them currently. Not least as I was still determining what exactly the third path, the one offered by Adas, truly demanded from those who took it. So far, from what little I'd adapted of Adas' teachings into my thinking, it felt like the correct path, but I wasn't going to dive headlong down it. Not when such a thing carried the risk of me becoming a Sith.

Adas wasn't a Sith in the sense that Sidious and Plagueis were. He was an older, perhaps even truer, style of Sith. One born of the species and not those that came later having been expelled from the Jedi. However, like the Banite Sith, the path Adas had walked, and that I knew he wanted me to walk, was one many would consider dark if not outright evil.

I knew there was darkness inside me, and not just because Eidetic Memory prevented me from letting go of my feelings. I had always been capable of doing dangerous things, something that had carried over from my former life. The issue that I was facing, and needed to reconcile myself with, was that, when taking out the Trandoshans that had kidnapped Anakin, I'd enjoyed what I'd done. As much as it concerned me, I'd revelled in the terror I'd induced in them once they understood I would send them to their god as failures, and enjoyed watching as the spark of pitiful intelligence they possessed was extinguished by my hand. That was something I needed time to process, to resolve so that I didn't go forth in this life seeking out those moments merely to find a, for lack of a better term, contact high.

"Wh…" Anakin's stuttered start to a sentence drew my thoughts back to him. "What if the Jedi path doesn't work for me like it doesn't for you?" His head had dropped down to rest on his knees again, seeking solace in the position. "What if… what if I do what I did again and enjoy it?"

I gave his arm another squeeze and shifted closer, placing my free hand on his other arm. "Then, if that day comes, we'll work on finding a path for you that does work. One that won't see you getting lost in the enjoyment of such acts, that won't see you surrender your humanity, your individuality, in some need for further enjoyment."

This topic would be returned to in a few years, regardless of whether Anakin could follow the Jedi path or not. All I could hope was that by then, either he had committed to the Jedi, or I knew the path I wished to follow and felt safe in seeing if he was capable and interested in following me along it. I won't force him to follow, he was his own person. I might be his Master and father, but that gave me no right to determine his fate. All I could do was ensure that, when he made his choice, I was capable of supporting it and helping him grow into the man he was always meant to become.

I knew that if I wasn't careful if he attempted to follow me now down the path I was considering currently, then all I'd be doing was creating a monster. One that would be a threat to not just me, but everyone else. That path was one I knew would see everything I'd done, everything I was trying to do, to alter the future of the galaxy, fail miserably. The visions I'd shared with him weren't certain futures, but there had been enough in them, and others since, that made clear that, if we were to prevent the Banite Sith from ruling over the galaxy, from bringing forth whatever darkness they sought to unleash, we had to stand together. Otherwise, we and everything we cared for and loved, would be destroyed.

… …

… …
There was the now-familiar whimper of disappointment from Raven as we exited hyperspace. It wasn't any sound the ship generated, but a sensation in the Force that reminded me of a child's wail of regret. However, it was soon replaced as she felt the light from a new star, once more enjoying the fresh experience.

Ahead of us, deeper into the system, lay the homeworld of the Echani, Eshan. That planet was one of six they controlled that formed because they were generally ruled by a matriarchy, the Six sisters. The only planet not controlled by the Matriarchal Council was Thyrsus, which was male-dominated and the planet from which the Sun Guard originated.

I'd encountered those whenever I'd met with Magister Damask as he employed them as guards. I was curious if he still used them now, or if, like Palpatine, he relied on the Senate Guard for his protection now that the pair were Co-Chancellors of the Republic.

The Echani and the Sun Guard were regarded, along with the Mandalorians, as some of the galaxy's greatest warrior societies and preeminent combat specialists. While the Mandalorians and Sun Guard favoured heavier armour and power, the Echani preferred light-fitting clothing; fast, fluid combat and personal shielding devices. The difference in style was one reason I'd chosen them as a group to visit as, while he would mature in time, for the next few years, Anakin would always be surrendering mass, power, and reach in any battle he entered. The Echani combat style – which bore the name of species – would suit him better, and even once matured, would be adaptable into whatever style of combat – with and without a lightsaber – he focused upon.

Both groups had fought regularly against the Mandalorians, often allying with the Republic during times when they had crusaded and invaded Republic space. That meant there was some remaining animosity between the various groups, but nothing that should cause us any issues with finding an Instructor to teach us. Still, to be on the safe side, to make it easier to find someone willing to teach us, and as Echani – the combat style – relied on light to no armour, we'd be spending our time here in Jedi robes. That meant Anakin would have to grow out a Padawan braid, but I'd already promised him that if when our time here ended and he disliked it, he could remove it.

That had come up in the various talks we'd had since I'd first spoken with him about his actions against the Trandoshans and on the path that he'd been training toward for the next few years. The initial conversation had gone on longer than I'd expected, touching on matters I'd not planned to bring up with him, but that was fine. The same was true of subsequent chats, though those were generally as Anakin had wanted to know about my life before we'd met, specifically my time as a Jedi Initiate.

When he learnt I'd been born on a Core world, even if it were a relatively unimportant one, he'd wondered why I'd not been discovered by the Jedi much earlier. I'd explained that my mother had hidden my potential from the Order and explained that she'd done so because she felt my father was a Sith, and had left me with my grandfather to grow in safety. At least until I displayed Force Potential that my grandfather couldn't hide.

To help him learn more about my past, I'd given him free access to my mother's holocron. There was nothing on there that would pose a danger to him, as Ressa had used it primarily as a journal for me to discover once I was ready. I'd not mentioned where I'd found it, nor had Anakin yet asked, as the Vault was something I wasn't bringing up until I felt he was ready. The cave had held a good number of surprises, not just my mother's holocron and HK's head. The beskar there, or at least the half that belonged to my clan, would be used for his armour once Anakin was older and had completed his verd'goten, which he was still adamant about completing.

The data files that were with Alor Torrhen, however, were something that outside of him, Lady Asta, and me, none were privy to. The files there, while millennia out of date, held designs that were believed lost to the galaxy. I suspected House Ordo was working on modernising them, but so far I'd yet to hear anything from either of the House leaders regarding that.

Those files, along with the fact my mother had believed my father was a Sith, could be used against me by members of the Jedi Order as proof that I was a threat to them. However, the only way they might learn of either was if someone spoke to them about it, and as the circle of knowledge for either was small and trustworthy, I wasn't concerned about that fact. Haran, the only reason I had to return to the Temple at any point, outside my promise to one day show it to Anakin, was my friends within it.

There, one name, one face, dominated my thoughts. Thanks to Tedra, Darihd, and Aayla, I knew Serra was out of seclusion. However, when I'd attempted to contact her directly, the Temple's communication centre informed me that if I wished to speak with Serra I had to contact Master Windu first. Given that I was still working on getting a handle on the changes brought on by Natural Selection, I'd decided against speaking with one of the Order's most senior and powerful members. Even over the Holonet, there was a chance he might sense something was different and insist I return to Coruscant.

To get around that issue, I had to rely on the aforementioned friends to relay messages to Serra. They couldn't outright reveal her replies over the Holonet since, given all calls to and from the Temple were recorded, someone might review the conversation, but they had been clear that she was getting better, and that she was happy to hear I was still thinking of her. Eventually, I knew I'd have to speak with her face to face, but for now, the indirect communication would have to do. Plus, the longer I held off on that meeting, the more time I had to consider how to broach the fact I'd captured and not killed Maul.

The last report I'd gotten from Torrhen was that the Zabrak was still heavily sedated and isolated in the prison. His sustenance, along with vital functions, were controlled by machines that monitored everything about him to ensure he remained in an induced coma while keeping him as isolated from the Force as possible. I knew that couldn't be kept up indefinitely, but it would have to do until I felt I was ready to face him again.

Regarding Darihd, I'd learnt from him that Sia-Lan was actively bad-mouthing me to other Padawans. At least whenever the Knights and Masters weren't aware. She still blamed me for what had happened with Drallig and Serra, and even though it wasn't her business – beyond the fact she was meant to be a friend to Serra and me – she had chosen to ensure that as many Padawans as possible knew her side of the story, not caring what Serra or I felt about the matter.

I'd discovered that Darihd and Master Sifo-Dyas were soon to depart on a mission to Felucia. From what little he'd told me, it was to handle some form of trade dispute, but I could feel the shifts in the Force as he spoke. I felt it was time for Sifo-Dyas to be removed by the Sith to hide their involvement in the Clone Army being created by the Kaminoans. As I couldn't outright warn him of a threat– since I didn't know from whom or where it would appear – I'd instead hinted that I'd felt the Force moving, suggesting that the pair would be in danger.

It was frustrating that I couldn't divert myself to help Sifo-Dyas and Darihd to ensure they remained alive, however, I'd accepted this was likely to be the case around the invasion of Naboo. The Clone Army was needed by the Sith, and if I inserted myself into the matter now, I'd end up squarely in their targets as a threat and while I would have been willing to risk my own life Anakin was still too vulnerable. As such, I'd accepted that I'd be losing a friend because of my folly of taking the Changing Fate quest for Sifo-Dyas, though that didn't mean that, when the time came, whoever had been chosen to replace Dooku wouldn't feel my wrath.

As much as it might anger people if they learnt of my choices, and the reasons why, Anakin was far more important than Master Sifo-Dyas and Darihd. This growth, his evolution into the warrior he was meant to be meant more in the grand scheme of whatever plan the Force had activated by creating him. As was, as much as I might not want to admit it, I. The Force had accepted my presence into its plan -whatever that was – for seeking balance, but I was reasonably sure how I might go about it was far from how it had hoped for Anakin to bring the balance it sought.

A gentle nudge from Raven drew my attention just before the communication console beeped for attention. "Thank you," I said to the empty cockpit. Simvyl was resting while Anakin was training with HK, R2 and Fenrir, no doubt, was lazing around in the main area.

Accepting the call, a small hologram of a young-looking female appeared. "Salutations and greetings. On behalf of the Matriarchal Council of the Six Sisters, I welcome you and your crew to the Eshan system. However, as your vessel isn't a scheduled arrival, nor one that our databanks have a record of, I must ask as to who you are and why you have travelled to Eshan."

I chuckled at the polite but firm introduction the Echani had given. Most of the time, whenever I neared a planet, the responses had been – at least in the case of a new location – blunt, and that was putting it nicely. Here I'd been greeted warmly, but it was still clear that I was unknown to the locals. The other thing was that we'd exited hyperspace well back of Eshan, close to the innermost gas giant of the system. There were ships and stations around it and its various moons, but our arrival point, as was common of most hyperspace exits, was far from any intra-system commuter traffic.

"Hello there," I felt my smile grow when I once more used that line, "I'm Jedi Knight Cameron Shan aboard my personal vessel, Jade Raven." The woman's eyes widened at the reveal of me being a Jedi, and unless it was a trick of the emitters, a fraction more as I stated my name. "Along with my Padawan and my co-pilot, I was hoping to spend some time, perhaps up to half a standard year, on Eshan studying the way of the Echani."

The woman blinked a few times as if she was taking time to process what I'd said. "Thank you for the information. For now, remain outside the orbit of the fifth planet of our system. Someone will contact you shortly with further information." The hologram faded away as the channel closed. I assumed they needed to run my arrival up the flagpole simply because I was a Jedi. As far as I knew, there were no issues between the Echani and the Jedi, but I'd only encountered … Echani Jedi in my time in the Order, and I wasn't exactly keeping up with current Jedi business, so perhaps there was something I was missing about the situation.

We continued moving forward, deeper into the system, and it only took about ten minutes at a leisurely cruise to reach the orbit of the fifth planet. That was on the far side of the sun, but knowing we weren't meant to go further, I had Raven slow, and we hovered in place, watching as other ships – which much have been regular transports – moved to and from the inner system.

"They're taking their sweet time," Simvyl commented as the chronometer in the cockpit showed it had been twenty minutes since we'd been welcomed to the system.

"Observation: I suspect they are trying to confirm your identity, Master, and then once they have, they'll be determining where we should head. While meatbags, the Echani are capable combatants with decent, for organics, security measures."

I chuckled at HK's comment, which for him, was about as complimentary as he could get with most sentients. He might be firm in his belief that droids were superior to 'meatbags' but he respected cultures and individuals that understood warfare. That wouldn't, as he'd just proven, stop him from burying insults in with his praise, nor me from enjoying every time he made such a comment.

The communication console beeped a few moments after HK's remark, and opening the channel we were greeted by another Echani. This one appeared older, and given the increased number of badges, pips, and markings on their uniform, this one was far senior to the earlier Echani. "Greeting Master Jedi," she began, lowering her head slightly as she spoke, "I am Arch-Justicar Ren Dalka; senior commander for Eshan orbital security." My brow rose, wondering what I'd done to warrant being greeted by the head of this branch of their military. "On behalf of the Matriarchal Council, and Eshan High Command, I am honoured to welcome one such as yourself to our planet. From the report that crossed my desk, I'm led to believe you and those with you wish to study our ways?"

"Yes. I have more than a passing interest in the various warrior cultures of the galaxy and had hoped, alongside my Padawan and pilot, that I could study at least the basics of your martial art."

"That is more than agreeable," Dalka replied with a faint smile. "Perhaps we might even learn something from you." Well, that explained why I was getting the high-roller treatment. "However, before I suggest a particular Academy for you and those with you to study at, perhaps we might speak in person on this and other matters?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Dalka's smile widened. "Excellent. My adjunct is transmitting a flightplan to you," the communication console beeper to signal the arrival of the file. "Please don't deviate from this path, and I look forward to judging you in person once you arrive at my location."

The channel closed abruptly, though given how busy this Arch-Justicar must be, it was understandable she'd only have a minute or two to speak over an open comm.

"Course entering into Raven's computer," Simvyl reported and as I dove deeper into the system, I noted the path would take us toward the northern pole of the third planet, which according to the Holonet was Eshan proper. That station seemed to be one of eight that hovered over the planet. Each of those, which seemed to have a permanent orbit over their location, was impressively large, twice if not thrice the size of Mtael's Gift. In other places around the planet, Raven's scanners detected over a hundred orbital defence platforms. All in all, it was an impressive defensive screen, though lacking compared to what I'd seen over most Core World planets.

I suspected that the Arch-Justice would determine which Academy was best for us by sparring with me. The Echani placed immense importance on the idea that you only saw someone's true face when you sparred with them. I just hoped I didn't embarrass myself by taking on a career officer such as the Arch-Justicar.

… …

… …
I watched as impassively as I could from a balcony that overlooked and encircled the Sparring Square down below. There Anakin, wearing the standard training clothing of this Academy of tight-fitting but thin shorts and t-shirt, was stepping forward. He would be going again against one of the other students in his Creche. That was the term the Echani used for groups of students of similar skill – and in the younger groups, age – of trainees who were studying with them.

Just like with my Creche and the one Simvyl was in at another Academy a few hours' flight away, the majority of Anakin's Creche was composed of Echani. However, while I was able to hold my own, at least against those from other planets, Anakin had been struggling since the first day. He was improving, and after three months at the Academy, that was easy to determine, but it was slow going. Thankfully, he wasn't put off by the challenge, instead, much as I did, he was enjoying it; almost losing himself in the spars he partook in.

This academy had been Arch Justicar Dalka's recommendation after I sparred against her—and lost. Badly. I hadn't drawn on the Force, fighting her on her terms, with nothing but skill and muscle memory to guide me. She took me apart though not without effort. After the match, she'd spoken at length—well, as much time as she was willing to spare—about my previous combat training and what I hoped to gain by studying under an Echani Master.

The Echani martial art itself was vast, with sub-branches and specialized forms, but amusingly, the Interface categorized it all under one umbrella: Echani. No subtleties, no nuance. Just Echani. Yet, in three months, I'd seen significant progress, thanks to the Interface's assistance and my ability to pull from other combat arts I'd already studied. The Interface had generated a training quest specifically for mastering Echani, though I managed to tweak the system, bending it to my will. Rather than requiring new quests with each milestone, I streamlined it—one continuous quest, with all targets and ranks embedded within.

The rewards for lower ranks, like reaching Adept:1, which I'd achieved by the start of the second month, were modest—small amounts of XP. But once I crossed into the higher tiers, from Professional:50 onward, the rewards scaled exponentially. Maybe I was missing out on some extra XP by consolidating the quests, but the efficiency of this method aligned better with my long-term focus.

The Academy's Battlemaster praised my progress, calling it remarkable, even when accounting for my prior combat experience. Yet, she made it clear that it would be months—perhaps even half a year—before I'd be ready to move on to one of the sub-forms. It was a hard truth to swallow, both understandable and frustrating. I knew it took time to build a foundation in any martial art before branching into specialized disciplines. But I also knew I wouldn't be spending another six months on Eshan.

At best, three or four months more. As valuable as this training was, we couldn't afford the time to stay here indefinitely. Not when I'd budgeted only two to three years for us to learn from different cultures across the galaxy. We were approaching a year since the invasion of Naboo. Time was running out, and there was still so much left to do.

Anakin and his opponent, a local girl in his Creche, bowed to each other and then assumed their positions. The girl was from one of the other planets in the Six Sisters and was considered the best in Anakin's Creche, though not in the year group the Creche sat in. A gong sounded, signalling the beginning of the spar, and I watched as the pair slowly moved around the Square. The girl wore a confident smile, which made sense as Anakin had yet to come close to landing a blow, never mind defeating her. However, Anakin didn't react to it.

I could sense a spike in his annoyance at her behaviour, and at having to surrender the initiative when she thrust out her hands in a flurry of quick attacks, but at least he wasn't losing himself in that annoyance. Nor, as he avoided the flurry, was he drawing too heavily on the Force, at least to bend it to his needs, as he moved forward to counter. He had a decent base in Beskar'pel as Bo and I had shown him the foundations, along with some elements of Teräs Käsi, but he was focusing on only using the Echani forms taught to him by his instructors.

What he was doing, which was what I'd instructed him to do before we'd entered the Academy, was drawing on the lessons with Instructor Kefe of the Matukai, and using the Force to increase his abilities slightly and slowly. Faster reactions, quicker movements, and greater processing of the world around us were key factors that Kefe had us focus on while only drawing upon a sliver of the Force that we could access.

While anyone with even a weak connection could do that, since Anakin and I had incredible potential with the Force, the fact we could do that, and still maintain a massive reserve of ability with the Force without risking exhaustion was a boon I really wanted him to focus on. I knew that, so long as he kept following the path I'd created for us, he'd grow into a powerful warrior. I just needed to be sure that he was the one who remained in control at all times.

The Echani girl swept out her leg, forcing Anakin to move back. As he did so, she moved the leg back in, yet she kept the momentum of the attack, twisting with it. There was a moment where Anakin could've attacked her while she had turned away from him, but an arm came out, sweeping forward of her turn as protection.

The leg that had started the move came around again, this time sliding out further as the girl leaned into the attack. Anakin leapt back, letting the flowing, graceful attack miss. That was a mistake I'd seen him make repetitively during our first month, as he didn't understand that Echani relied on moves that flowed into each other, creating something akin, at least at the highest levels, to an almost rhythmic dance.

Anakin feinted to attack, but instead pulled it back as the Echani slid forward. He was being cautious to avoid falling for any trap the girl might be laying. Another sign he was improving as he wasn't rushing into the fore without thinking and was learning from previous spars with the Echani. The girl's attack missed, and Anakin countered, moving into the space she had left. His action was wise, but there was the faint hint of delay before he moved; something the girl used.

As her arm came around, knocking away Anakin's palm strike before it could land, I realised Anakin was still hesitating. It was less obvious than when he'd started, but it was clear he was reluctant to fully trust the Force, to let it guide him in the spar. I'd talked with him about that, and I knew it was because of what happened with the Trandoshans, but while it was getting less prevalent, it was still there, and a gentle click from my right meant my latest friend, Giulia, had spotted the issue as well.

"He still hesitates," she said quietly, not wanting her voice to carry beyond us. Not least as the Master overseeing the spar, and the one that was with us and our Creche up on the balcony, would force her into remedial training for disrupting the flow of a spar. "He is still haunted by whatever troubles his thoughts?"

"More by the emotions connected to them," I replied, not turning to face her. Giulia was much like the girl Anakin was fighting, the best in her and my Creche. Given her training since childhood and her lineage as the grandniece of Arch Justicar Dalka, her skill was no surprise. What was surprising was how she'd taken an interest in me since my arrival at the Academy.

I wasn't sure whether her interest stemmed from my status as a Jedi, my semi-fame due to Naboo, my connections to the Mando'ade, or some mix of all three and other factors. Whatever the reason, she'd been a frequent presence in my vicinity since my first week. Because of my skills and background, she'd tried to ensure we were each other's primary sparring partners.

What I hadn't fully grasped at the time was how deeply an Echani invests their soul and passion into their fighting. When engaging in a no-holds-barred battle, it could be more than just a spar—it became a dance, a way to lose oneself in the intensity of the combat. As I grew more accustomed to enjoying combat through Natural Selection, much of that enthusiasm carried over into my sparring with her. By the end of the second week and after our tenth nearly unrestrained match, Giulia had entered my room one night and made it clear she wasn't leaving until I allowed her to stay. That was when I learned the truth.

"Understandable. However, the issue continues to hold him back when he fights," Giulia said, her voice soft as she shuffled around. I felt her leg brush against mine, her hand resting near me on the railing. "It distracts him from the battle, costing him any chance of victory."

I ignored her proximity, keeping my focus on Anakin. After nearly three months, I was accustomed to her presence and attention, though I remained vigilant not to let it distract me from observing my son.

"I'm well aware of that, and it was one of the reasons why I had us come to Eshan for training." As I spoke, Anakin seemed to relax, and I felt the Force subtly shift around him. He wasn't delving deeply into the Force, but I could sense him letting it suggest how he should move, how he should counter his opponent's actions before they were even taken.

It was that ability, along with my greater real combat experience, that allowed me to quickly rise to third best in my Creche, and fifth best in our ability level. I knew I'd not catch Giulia before my time on Eshan was over, but I hoped to crack the top three rankings before that day came.

"Yes, but it continues to plague him," She added, her hand moving closer, and her fingers sliding over the back of my hand. "Until he learns to trust his emotions, to flow with them, he will struggle." She turned, drawing her sight toward me. "A failing, I am pleased to say, you don't possess," she added, her other hand coming around and resting gently against my chest.

I knew what she was doing, trying to draw my attention from Anakin and toward her. She loved pushing the boundaries of what the Masters and Instructors of the Academy would allow. Normally, I'd be fine with that, however, she was trying to stop me from watching Anakin, which was why I leaned my head away from her to again have a clear sight of my son. "If you ever wish to see what I am capable of again, then I would advise you not to distract me from watching my Padawan."

"Ooh," she cooed, her hand pushing against my chest. "How protective, as a father should be."

"A Padawan is not the same as a son," I reminded her even as Anakin was driven back. His opponent's strikes were coming in fast now, and while Anakin was able to protect himself, each assault was forcing him to concede ground, something he was fast running out of.

That was often how his spars ended nowadays, at least when he didn't overcommit or fall for a trap his opponent set for him. The first week or so of spars for him had all been lost because of that last reason, and while it still happened from time to time, that was more because the opponent was doing something Anakin wasn't prepared for instead of his emotions getting the better of him. Two more attacks came in before one of Anakin's feet slipped from the Square, and the gong sounded again, signalling the end of the spar.

Giulia's smile widened at the sound. "It seems the spar is over," she said, slipping across to block most of my view of the Sparring Square. "And with that, so is his class and the ring. Since it is now free, perhaps you might be interested in stepping inside once more?"

I opened my mouth, readying a response, only for it to die as I hissed instead. Before I could respond, Giulia had slipped a hand low and grasped somewhere she really shouldn't in public. Given how we were standing no one should see us, she'd get away with it, but the action had caught me off-guard.

This girl, who I didn't intend to keep in contact with once I left Eshan, was exceptionally good at distractions. Which, since I was highly focused on my and Anakin's training, might be why she'd sought me out. The idea of driving a Jedi to distraction must hold some appeal, as it was a trait she shared with Bo. I wouldn't deny that the thought of the two together had crossed my mind from time to time, but I wasn't dwelling on it as the odds of ever seeing it happen were slim. Instead, I was enjoying my time with Giulia, as it helped pass the evenings when I couldn't see Anakin, kept me occupied, and however slowly, helped me improve a group of skills I'd barely used since Naboo.

"That depends," I replied, not bothering to push her hand away. "What are your terms?"

I stepped closer, looking over her shoulder at the Square below. Anakin was moving off with the girl he'd just sparred with, the pair joining the rest of their Creche to head to their next lesson. That would be a meditation session as I knew Anakin's schedule like the back of my hand.

"The same as usual," she replied, blowing as best she could, on my ear. She then slipped under my arm, the hand tracing a path around my waist.

I let her go, keeping my eyes on Anakin. My son had settled into his Creche well, and I was relieved that he was far too young to be aware of what a full, unrestrained spar meant to the Echani. I knew that talk was coming at some point, and that he was probably dreading it more than me, but the longer I could put it off the better I'd feel.

Turning, I followed after Giulia, my eyes fixed on her shoulders no matter how much she swayed her hips. Around us, the other members of our Creche watched. Some male and female, glared at either of us, not liking we were enjoying each other's company. A few, again of both genders, seemed interested, but I wasn't sharing her with another male, no matter how much they might desire her. So long as I was here, she belonged to me, and I supposed, I did to her.

… …

… …
While Raven raced through the undulating eddies of hyperspace, taking us from Eshan, my mind wandered to how the last few months had gone. While the training there, along with the companion I'd found, had been intense, they had been worth it.

Five months had passed since we'd first entered the system, and at the end of that time, along with some help from the Interface, I was now rated as Master:1 for Echani. Truthfully, I'd finished the time on the planet at Professional: 21, but the use of spare Skill Points had helped boost that to the start of the Master tier. I could've spent the remaining Skill Points to raise it even higher, but I felt safer keeping them in reserve. Levels were harder to gain the higher up I went, and having spare Skill Points for future training quests, or others that tracked a skill, was worth keeping.

The training quest linked to learning Echani had finished with us leaving the system, but it wasn't the only one that came due while we were on the planet. Cash in Hand had finished when I'd turned eighteen, and with that, along with the sixth of my current level I got for my birthday – which wouldn't continue now I was eighteen – and the training quest had taken me to, and then a decent amount beyond Level 31. There was no extra reward for reaching Level 31, but Level 32 would bring about another Perk Point, and unless there was something massively impressive added to the list, I was leaning toward taking Stat Limit Boost to raise my physical stats to a combined maximum of 75. If I understood things correctly, that would take me to, or possibly just beyond, the accepted peak stats for a Human – possibly even most of the various sub-species that had evolved or been altered over the last twenty-thousand-plus years – in the galaxy. While it was relatively simple to boost my abilities with the Force, a higher starting point was never something to be ignored.

A downside that had occurred not long after my birthday was that, as I'd been expecting for some time, the Changing Fate [Sifo Dyas] quest had failed. I'd known the news was coming, and been bracing for it, yet when it hit, I'd needed to take a day away from the Academy to recentre myself. My bond with Darihd wasn't that impressive, at least compared to a handful of others, but he had been a friend, and losing him hurt more than I'd expected. That had to be a downside to not having the Interface filter my Force connection, but one that I accepted.

I'd miss Darihd and Sifo-Dyas – though not as much as Dooku would once he learnt of his associate's passing – but I'd known since Naboo this was going to happen. That said, the way my emotions turned in on themselves when I learnt Darihd had died, had been a surprise. It also had me concerned that if I didn't get a better grip on channelling and controlling my emotions, I'd be in a far worse state whenever anything happened to Serra, Bo, or – Force-forbid – Anakin.

The other penalty for failing the quest linked to Sifo-Dyas was minor, as I knew I was already in Sidious' crosshairs. However, I had to work from the position now that, before my friend and his Master had died, they'd revealed something of the Coalition. That group had fallen by the wayside a good bit since it had been formed, but it was a useful group within the Jedi that shared many, if not all, of my concerns about the coming darkness the Banite Sith were bringing forth. All that changed now was that the Banite Sith would be aware of me being aware of their presence in the galaxy, if not who and where they were. Still, it meant that whenever I next encountered the Sith Lords cum Co-Chancellors of the Republic, I'd have been even more mindful of my words and actions without letting on that I was doing so.

The one upside to Sifo-Dyas dying was seeing Changing Fate [Dooku] complete. Apparently his not being responsible for Sifo-Dyas' death was the spark the Interface was waiting for. It wasn't an objective of the quest, but it did make the end of that quest. That meant that Dooku was no longer bound to become Darth Tyrannus, and that, in theory, I could be more open about my plans for the future with him.

Now, we were both still Jedi, though neither of us were exactly loyal to nor trusting of the High Council, but we retained the inclination toward doing what was right. The change was in how we saw that. I knew he was having deep reservations about remaining with the Order, but now I felt I could be honest in my feelings regarding that as well. Perhaps he might even be willing to detail what his plans were there, including the hints he'd given on occasion about taking certain objects – what I assumed were holocrons – from the Jedi Archives before he left.

What the two quests finishing also confirmed, though I had no proof of it, was that a replacement for Dooku as Tyrannus had been found. While that was good in freeing Dooku from that path, I now had no idea who the new Sith Lord – or probably more accurately, Sith patsy – was, nor what they would do or how dangerous they were.

The doors to the cockpit opened, and I turned to see Anakin enter. "Hey," he said slowly, clearly nervous about something.

"What is it?" I asked back, gesturing toward the free co-pilot's seat.

He moved to the seat and sat, and only once comfortable, did he speak again. "I was wondering," he began quietly, "why are we heading to the Lokella?"

"What? You don't want to see your sister, Ferox, Lena, and your other friends?" I asked back, curious as to how this conversation was going to go. I knew it was coming ever since I'd told him we'd be heading to Mtael's Gift before continuing to the Shapers of Kro Var – the next group I wished for us to train with – after a side trip I had to make, but I hadn't expected it to come less than an hour after we'd entered hyperspace. It seemed Anakin was more alert to what was not being said than I'd given him credit for.

"I do, but there's more to this isn't there?" His question made clear he was aware that I was keeping something from him. "It's got to do with that call you got last week, doesn't it?"

I chuckled and shook my head, taking the moment to gather my thoughts for the conversation I'd not expected this soon. "When did you get so smart?" I shot back, one hand moving out to ruffle his hair. Anakin frowned at that, possibly thinking I was going to avoid his question altogether. "But yes, it has to do with the call. That came from Chancellor Damask." The call had been about the galactic premiere of Fellowship of the Ring, and while I couldn't not attend when the Co-Chancellors knew I was the 'creator', I didn't want Anakin with me. I smirked as Anakin's frown vanished as his eyebrows rose halfway to his hairline. "What? You didn't think I'd be in contact with him, but only Chancellor Palpatine?"

"No!" He shot out, only to blink as if caught out by the abruptness of his response. "I mean," he continued as one hand moved to scratch the back of his neck as I pulled my hand from his hair. "It makes sense, I guess, that you'd know him as well. I just don't see what that has to do with the Lokella, Not unless they're in danger."

"They're not, don't worry," I said cutting off that line of thought before it became an issue. "The reason we're going there is that I had a long-standing invitation come due with the Chancellor and I have to return to Coruscant because of it." I could see and sense his excitement rising as I mentioned the Republic capital. "Ah!" I added, cutting him off before he could begin. "I know I promised to take you there, and I will keep my word. However, it is better, and safer, for both of us if this isn't the time you visit."

"But why?" he half-whined. "I'm your Padawan and son, and should go everywhere with you."

"Because, among other reasons, of the second thing you've just said," I replied with a warm, and hopefully, fatherly, smile. "If the Jedi ever learnt that I'd adopted you, especially via Mando'ade traditions, at best, they'd demand that I no longer train you."

"I won't tell them."

I smiled, impressed by how earnest his statement was, both in voice and in the Force. "I believe you; I truly do. However, you wouldn't have to say or do anything for the Council to discover the truth." I leaned forward, closing the distance between us and placing my mechanical hand on his shoulder. "You're not skilled enough to hide your thoughts and desires from Jedi Masters, never mind those on the Council. Nor anyone else that might be interested in you being my Padawan."

Anakin's face twisted, as he thought on my words. A moment later, his eyes widened. "The Sith!" he blurted out, seeing part of the bigger picture.

"Yes. At least in part," I said as I removed my hand from his shoulder. "The one I fought, and barely defeated, on Naboo was powerful. However, I believe, and the Council agrees, that the Zabrak was but the apprentice and not the master. Which means that, wherever this Sith Lord is hiding, I have drawn his attention. The last thing I want to do is have him discover your existence, and choose to focus on you as well. At least not before you're ready."

I leaned back and sighed before continuing. "For a long time, perhaps ever since I arrived in this time, I've sensed a darkness in the universe. One that is malevolent, twisted, and growing stronger with each passing day. Now, while I was a Padawan, I didn't understand what the shifting of the Force meant, nor how to react to it. It was only when Masters Dooku, Fay, and others told me what they thought it meant, and what they could sense, that I understood it was a sign that the Sith weren't as gone as the Jedi liked to believe and that they were growing stronger in secret."

"Now, I don't know if these Sith are the same as those defeated a thousand years ago, a splinter of that group, or of the nearly countless other factions of Sith that have arisen over the millennia. What I do know is that they are active and growing stronger, and because of that, I'm wary of spending time on Coruscant. Can you think of why that might be?"

The idea of turning this into a teaching moment had been there ever since I'd known this talk was going to happen. I knew telling him the full truth wasn't possible, but if I could use this time to have him start understanding some of my concerns with the Jedi Council and Senate, then it would be useful for him later in life. I didn't want to scare him, to have him looking over his shoulder for threats that might not be there, or worry that the Banite Sith would seek to control and shape one or both of us because of our potential, but I also knew I couldn't avoid the topic entirely. I'd just expected this to take place a little closer to Mtael's Gift.

While he was there, Dooku could oversee his training for the short time I'd be away, and then when I returned, I could, if he so wished, go into greater detail regarding my concerns with the state of the galaxy, and what the future might bring forth. He might be young for learning even part of the truth, but I wasn't going to hide things from him. That was, I suspected, something Obi-Wan had done in the other timeline, which Sidious had exploited to turn Anakin against his friend and Master, and by extension the Jedi and Republic. I needed to work on making sure such cracks in my bond with Anakin never appeared so that when the time came, we wouldn't be driven apart.

There was some of the Changing Fate quest for Anakin in my thinking, along with him now being my son, but the greatest part of my logic came from the Force, or more accurately, the visions it had granted me and Anakin. Those were clear in that if we were to survive the oncoming darkness, we had to do so together. If I did otherwise, if I failed, then not only would I be letting myself and Anakin down, but I'd be betraying Shmi as well. She might be gone, but Anakin was her child, and she'd want the best for him.

"You think the Sith are on Coruscant?!" Anakin blurted out, shock and surprise evident in his voice.

I smiled and shook my head in response. "No. At least not directly. However, I, Masters Dooku and Fay, and others, suspect that, as these Sith move in the shadows, keeping themselves hidden from the Order, they have a way to monitor the Senate. And through that, the Order."

"Almost every Council meeting at the Temple, and much of the more public locations as well, are recorded, and the Senators and those working for them in the Senate can access those recordings with relative ease. Because of this, if the Sith wanted to monitor the Jedi, then gaining influence and control of certain people in the Senate would be the easiest method to do so."

"But wouldn't the Jedi realise this and stop it?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" I replied with a question of my own. "However, the Jedi Council has, at least in my eyes, grown lax in its monitoring of any threat the Sith might pose. Much of that has to do with the Ruusan Reformation, and how it placed the Order needing Senate approval to act. Add in that with no Sith to counter, the Jedi turned inward and only engaged with the Republic via the Senate, especially the Chancellor's office, then their mistake was an easy one to have happened, but still a problem I have to consider."

"Do you think one of the Chancellors is a Sith?"

"Force, I hope not!" I replied with a loud chuckle, hiding how close to the truth Anakin had come. "The idea that one of them might be a Sith is, concerning, even if not technically illegal. But no, I don't think either is a Sith, but I wonder if perhaps someone in their close circle is, or works for a Sith Lord."

"Why don't you tell the Jedi Council about that?" His question was asked earnestly, but there was a faint hint of doubt in his voice. That might well be due to some of the distrust toward the Council that I and Dooku maintained, or perhaps it was a sign he was beginning to question everything he was told. While I'd prefer the latter, even if it would make raising him harder, that doubt might be another sign that he regarded me far better than he did the Order.

"Until about two years ago, I was like you; a lowly Padawan. While my Masters believed as I do, the Council wasn't going to take our word for it. Not without proof."

"But the Zabrak you killed on Naboo is proof!" Anakin shot back. "They have to see the danger now!"

"They accept that the Sith were not as dead and buried as they had once stated, but beyond the fact the Zabrak used the Dark Side – something confirmed by Serra and Master Jinn – and killed Master Drallig, that is the extent to what they will confirm believing. The suggestion that the Sith have any influence in the Senate wasn't one they were willing to discuss when I spoke to them on Naboo."

"But they have to do something!"

"What would you suggest?"

"Send out every Jedi to hunt down the Sith!"

"Why?"

"Because the Sith are evil!"

"Only the Sith deal in absolutes," I replied with a chuckle, "or at least that's what the Jedi proclaim." I waved my hand, pushing the comment away. "To the Sith, I'm certain they consider the Jedi evil, if not weak and stupid for not using the Force to shape the galaxy. Because the Republic stands with the Order and has always done so when the Sith have grown strong enough to declare open war, the Sith would surely consider it evil as well.

"Another issue is that, while the Jedi are meant to root out and destroy the Sith, they cannot hold Republic office. Rather amusingly, there is nothing in the law that says a Sith couldn't, nor to make following the teaching of the Sith, regardless of which branch those teachings are from, illegal." That little fact had amused Adas greatly when I'd explained history from the New Sith Wars until now. "Also consider that while all Force users are under the purview of the Jedi, according to Republic law, the Republic is, bar along the major hyperspace lanes, all but a distant power in the Outer Rim.

"Returning to your idea of sending out all the Jedi to hunt down the Sith," I continued, changing tack as he processed what I'd just revealed to him, "consider that there are, at a rough estimate, perhaps ten thousand Jedi of Padawan rank or higher. Now, how many of those of Padawan rank do you think could defeat me in a spar?"

"None." I chuckled at the faith Anakin had in me. "Well, maybe one or two."

"Okay, now consider that I barely beat the apprentice. Against the Master, I'd be a dead man walking. The same would be the case for most if not all, Knights. Meaning none but a Jedi Master, and one focused on combat, would stand a chance against a Sith Lord." Anakin gulped, getting the seriousness of my point. "Thus, sending out groups of lower-ranked Jedi to search for a Sith Lord would only end in their deaths. The only way to take the Sith Lord down would be a group of Jedi Masters. Thus, given the number of Jedi versus the number of sentients in the Republic, to say nothing of those outside of it, then the chances of the Jedi discovering the Sith Lord unless they want to be found, is close enough to be treated as zero."

In theory, by collectively meditating in the Force, the Council should be able to find the Banite Sith. However, the pair had done something when or before I had arrived in this era to dampen the Jedi's ability to peer into the Force and locate and find events happening elsewhere. That was allowing them to move even easier than they already were while further limiting the Jedi's ability to find them.

This, for lack of a better term, Dark Side shroud, hadn't been something that I'd understood before losing the Interface's filtering of the Force. Or more accurately I'd not understood what was going on. I couldn't claim to do so now, but thanks to Natural Selection and conversations with Adas, I had a clearer picture of what the shroud was. Adas, since he wasn't alive, couldn't be certain, but he felt I should if I allowed my desires and wants to shape my thoughts, be able to either pierce the shroud or possibly even use it to enhance my ability to sense others over distance. However, I was reluctant to do so on the chance one or both Banite Sith sensed me doing so.

Perhaps, in a few years, once I was more comfortable with the path I would be walking, and accepted my choices – whatever they might be – I could do so. I certainly would need the insight once war broke out across the galaxy. Until then, however, I would be cautious whenever I searched within the Force.

"They can't just do nothing! The Jedi have to try!" Anakin protested, his annoyance at what I was saying flooding into the Force. At the same time, I felt that hint of doubt grow stronger, confirming it was linked to the Jedi and their failings. Interestingly, I hadn't planned for this conversation to head to this topic, at least not during the first time the matter came up, but considering what we'd already touched on, and what I planned to bring up, it made sense my words were causing him to lose ever more faith in the Jedi and Republic.

"They do, but as I said, because of the Reformation, they are restrained as to how they can search for the Sith. At least without the approval of the Senate or Chancellors. If as I, and others such as Master Dooku, suspect that the Sith have influence with one or both of those entities, then it would explain the Jedi's lack of drive. It also feeds into a theory I have that the Sith were directing the Trade Federation to invade Naboo. I can't be certain of that, however, as Viceroy Gunray died before he could reach Coruscant. Yet, the fact he was murdered before he reached the Republic capital suggests the Sith moved to silence him and protect their interests." I'd been the one, through HK, to remove Gunray, but suggesting that the Sith had been responsible was an easy way to accredit blame to a believable party, and it was something I'd mentioned to Master Shaak Ti when I'd last spoken to her.

I went silent after that, letting Anakin ponder what I'd said. While there were other things I wished to cover, either today or later before we reached Mtael's Gift, I wasn't going to push him toward those until he'd had time to digest what I'd said so far. It was unlikely that he'd suggest anything that I hadn't already thought of, but Anakin was insightful and smart, and sometimes the innocence of youth allowed one to see something an older, more jaded mind might miss.

"That's why you helped the Lokella, isn't it? And why you became a Mandalorian." I smirked at his thoughts going there, at least to the point he was willing to voice them. "You were making friends for fighting the Sith."

I shrugged as I replied, pushing aside the concern that the Banite Sith had realised my intentions as Anakin had. "For the Lokella, it was a stroke of luck, or the Force guiding me if you wish to believe that that led me and Master Dooku to intervene there. As you know, a transport we were travelling aboard was attacked by slavers. Sensing something about it, we decided to follow the breadcrumbs back to their source. In the process of ending the operation, we created a colony of freed slaves who now work to pass along that freedom to others."

"But I'm right about Bo and the Mandalorians."

"Partly. I didn't go to Mandalore seeking allies, nor to find a lover." Anakin's forehead creased there, showing he was thankfully still too young to understand the enjoyment a lover could bring. "I was twelve at the time. However, as I learnt more about the danger threatening the Republic, I did my best to grow those initial friendships further, going so far as to secure alliances with two of the most powerful Houses of Mando'ade culture." I chuckled, finding amusement in how I'd first used those alliances. "Something that, while not the original purpose for them, the Naboo and Gungans are grateful for." Along with a certain queen and at least one of her handmaidens. "The issue there though, is that now the Senate, Jedi, and the Sith through their spying, are aware of my connections to both groups and that the Mando'ade are not as broken and uncoordinated as they might've believed." The reveal of the Ne'tra Tal'ade, which I'd known bugger all about was a nuisance, but it would serve to worry others. Maybe even force the Sith to alter their plans in a way that might, perhaps, delay them bringing about the destruction of the Jedi and Republic.

One thing I was overplaying, simply because I wanted to avoid going into detail, was how much support I had among the Mando'ade. Dukes Adonai and Torrhen supported me, as did many of the clans who followed them, but that support was far from universal. I'd had to pay everyone that came to fight for Naboo, and while it hadn't cost anywhere near as much as I'd feared – due to the reward I'd been given for organizing the liberation force – and the losses would soon be recouped by the holomovies, it had spread my name further among my fellow Mando'ade. That, I suspected, was going to be useful in the decade to come.

"Bo said you should become Mand'alor." I coughed hard, caught out by the shift in topic and choking on nothing. My hand slipped from Anakin's arm as I leaned forward, trying to recover.

"Wh-when did she say that?" I asked between coughs.

"During the celebration on Naboo. When I stayed with her." I shook my head as I recovered from the surprise, making a mental note to punish Bo for placing such ideas in Anakin's head. That said if I wasn't careful then knowing Bo, she'd enjoy being punished. "She thinks you'd be a good leader to her… for our people."

"That is a discussion for another time," I replied slowly, not outright dismissing the idea, as even if I felt it unlikely to happen, it was one I'd had before, "after I've spoken to Bo about putting ideas into your head." I knew that while Bo might like the idea, there were many other Mando'ade, perhaps a majority even, who'd never accept a former Jedi as their leader. And that was without counting those like Pre Vizsla who sought the title of Mand'alor for themselves, challenging me if I tried to take the role. "For now, let's stay on topics at least linked to why I don't want you to come with me to Coruscant this time."

Anakin nodded and I gave him time to think on my earlier words. "I think I understand," he said carefully as I swore I saw the gears in his head turning. "You don't want the Jedi, Chancellors, or anyone else, knowing that you've adopted and are training me in the Force and Mandalorian traditions. If they learnt of it, then the Sith might, and they'd send someone after us, which would be dangerous for us and others."

"That's the gist of it, yes," I replied with a smile. "I don't fear the Chancellors knowing of you per se," which was a lie, "but that by them learning of you, and your potential with the Force being greater than any Jedi ever, would leak to the Sith. In their shoes, I'd move planets to capture you so they could either remove a threat or bend you to their desires and use your power to destroy the galaxy." I held up my mechanical hand, cutting off before he interrupted. "Yes, I know you'd fight to not let that happen, but I have, thanks to the Bando Gora, an inkling of the pain they would inflict to break you. I wouldn't wish that suffering on anyone, not my worst enemy, and certainly not my ad. However, as things stand, neither of us is even close to the point where we could survive an encounter with a Sith Lord, never mind trying to defeat one. Nor do we have the support and allies that would be able to do so for us."

Anakin gave a single nod; his face having drained of some colour while I'd touched on the dangers we faced if his existence became common knowledge to certain people. Seeing that, I leaned forward and squeezed his upper arm. "I'm not saying this to scare you, An'ika. I just believe that you need to be aware of the truth behind my reasons. Or at least as much as I feel you are ready to hear." One day I'd bring him in on everything, but it would be a good five years or so before I felt he'd be ready for that.

"I… I know," he said quietly even as he made sure to meet my gaze. "I just… I didn't think that this… that the vision we shared…"

I smirked, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Yeah, I know. That vision was different from any I've had before or since. Though I should say that I don't get many visions," I added with what I hoped was a comforting smirk. I did get visions and had seen a few since taking Natural Selection, but none had been as vivid or detailed as the one he was speaking about had been. "That one was unusually strong and intense, but no vision is a certain to coming to pass. I learnt that the hard way on Naboo."

Serra had visions of me dying if I fought Maul alone, which was why she'd come. I'd worked to not have that happen because of my visions of seeing Drallig dye at Maul's hands and Serra potentially mortally wounded. I'd not managed to keep her away, and because of that Drallig had arrived. In my arrogance, I'd thought sending them to another part of Theed, somewhere I'd not expected Maul to be, would keep them safe. Yet, that had only resulted in them meeting him, and my vision coming true which was a mistake I'd not be making again. The counter to that, and why I was reluctant to believe every vision was certain, was Serra's vision, which didn't come true.

I had touched on the topic briefly with Dooku when I'd been hopping between Naboo and Mtael's Gift, but I wanted to go into the topic of visions, and their potentially conflicting nature, before I headed to Coruscant. Outside of Fay, there was no one I knew who should know more about Force visions and that I trusted to listen honestly to my concerns.

Fay was, of course, unavailable as she was still somewhere in the Deep Core seeking out Typhon. I knew she was alive, as even with my ability to sense others in the Force not what it once was – at least for the time being – I could feel her at the edges of my mind if I focused on her. However, that was all I knew, and I just had to hope that Satele Shan's holocron was leading her as intended to the spiritual homeworld of the Jedi.

"Why does the Force show us such things?"

I blinked, surprised at the insightful question. "That's a great question, however, I cannot provide anything close to a good answer for it. Master Dooku might be able to shed some light on the matter, but I suspect even he and Master Fay would struggle to give a definite answer. The Force is something beyond our ability to understand. It's as alien to us as must seem to a blade of grass or grain of sand. Yet it is because of the Force that we, along with others with strong connections to it, can use it to influence ourselves, others, and even events happening around us." I paused as I saw my wording was veering more toward Sith thinking than that of the Jedi. I'd promised him that he could try following the Jedi teaching first, so I had to alter what I was saying because of that. "The Force is there to help and guide us if we so wish, and empower us if a need to do so arises. It is not, however, something we can ever hope to understand. You understand that it seeks balance," he nodded, "and it works through those of us with strong connections to achieve this. Or at least that is my, admittedly limited, opinion on it."

"It wants to end evil?"

I chuckled. "Possibly," I began, reminded of how I'd first viewed the Force, Jedi, and Sith back when I was far younger, less jaded, and long before I'd been reborn in this galaxy. "It is certainly what many Jedi believe at any rate. I, however, am beginning to think that isn't the case. If it were, then every Force sect outside of the Jedi would either be brought under the full control of the Order or, in the case of the Sith and other Dark Side sects, sought out and destroyed with the support of the Force. This, however, never occurs, nor do the Jedi seek to reign in the other Force sects, such as the Matukai, that exist in the galaxy. Some of those sects use what the Jedi consider the Light Side while others use the Dark Side. Some, such as the Witches of Dathomir, have subgroups that use the two sides while all being regarded as the same overall sect."

Anakin nodded as I spoke, taking in my words as the conversation once more drifted. We had talked about the Force before, and what it allowed us to do, but this was getting into a more serious, possibly even philosophical, discussion. Anakin was, as always, interested in trying to understand the Force, but there was only so much I could teach him given my understanding of it being limited and twisted by my ideals.

"If the Force doesn't want to remove evil, then what does it mean to say it wants balance?"

"That's another good question," I said with a smile. "I wish I could give you a clear, definite answer, but I can't. Nor I suspect, could any Force user no matter what they believe or sect they're a part of. I can, however, offer an analogy that I think fits well for understanding what the Force might be trying to achieve." He nodded and I pulled back, settling properly into my seat. "The Force is a, pardon the pun, force of nature even if it is not fully part of nature. Like nature, be that in flora or fauna, it seeks balance within its ecosystem, but again, like nature, when one element, one area, grows dominant, then everything falls out of alignment."

"If a predatorial species grows too numerous, then the prey dwindles, affecting the entire food chain. If a foreign plant is introduced to an ecosystem and then starts starving local plants of nutrients, then the system falls out of balance. What I'm beginning to suspect is that the Force behaves in the same way, with those who can access it like the animals and planets within the system."

A hand moved toward one of the consoles, and the lights in the cockpit grew bright; almost painfully so. "Don't cover your eyes," I said, knowing he was doing that even as I struggled to see him. "Look around. Tell me what you see?"

"Light!"

"Is that all there is? Look carefully."

I closed my eyes partially, dimming the room. In blurred images, I saw Anakin lift an arm to shield his eyes even as his head moved around. "There's shadows. Not as many as before, but they're still there. and darker."

"Exactly." I touched the console again, lowering the light back to normal levels. "The brighter the light becomes, the smaller but darker the shadows it generates." Another press at the console and the lights turned off leaving us, minus Raven's running lights that blinked and flowed along her skin and the swirls of hyperspace, in darkness. Another press and the viewport darkened as well. "If the light is removed, even totally, the darkness seems to consume everything. Yet, once we adjust to the darkness, we can still see. Light still exists in such a place, even if it's hard to see; much like with shadows in the brightest room." With another few taps the room once more returned to its normal level of brightness. "This, at least to me, is what balance in the Force is about. Neither side of the Force can be allowed to dominate, a least not for too long. If they do, then it creates an imbalance that the Force will seek to correct. As for how it does that," I shrugged, "I don't know, and that is another topic for another day. Not because you're too young," which he was, but it wasn't the biggest issue, "but because I haven't got much more than a wild inkling of how to go about it." Anakin smirked at my reasoning, which was accurate. "Again though, we've strayed off topic slightly. However, I think this, and the rest of our talk have helped explain my reasoning for you to remain with the Lokella when I head to Coruscant."

"Yes," he said slowly with a weak nod. "I mean, I still think it would be fine for me to go now, but I think I understand why you're scared." Not the words I'd have used, but close enough. "and as you'll only be there a short time, it should be okay." I smiled, glad to see he was willing to accept my order on the matter. "But, when you go, can you get me something?"

"Such as?"

"I… I don't know."

At his sheepish reply, I laughed and leaned forward, ruffling his hair. "Well, you've got until I depart for Coruscant to decide." I pulled my hand back and as he worked to flatten his hair, turned back to the controls.

It was going to take a few days to reach the Lokella system, and by then I expected him to know what he wanted. That, however, was a minor matter, and I was glad that, in the end, he understood and accepted my reasoning for him not coming with me. Minor bribe aside. There were other reasons, the obvious one being not revealing the Chosen One to the Jedi and Sith, but those were matters he didn't need to know currently.

What I could now turn my attention to, at least in part, was facing Dooku once I reached Mtael's Gift. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face another powerful Force user, but if I were to face the Banite Sith Lords I had to test my resolve and barriers. Because he knew me as well as anyone, and I didn't think he'd be as concerned as Fay or others would be about my Dark Side taint, Dooku was the ideal person to test my defences. Anakin could no longer sense that within me, not unless I let it out, but Dooku should be able to find and help me fix the gaps in my mental protection. At least enough that, when I faced the Co-Chancellors-cum-Sith-Lords, I'd not give away the truth of what I was capable of, or that the barrier holding me back was gone.

… …

… …

"Ferox!"

The excited cry came from Anakin as we stepped down from Raven onto the deck of Mtael's Gift and he saw the old Corellian. Several of the Lokella working in the bay turned at Anakin's call, but most returned to their work, unconcerned or uninterested in his behaviour. A few, those that I suspected had already been watching Raven, offered nods that were a hair from being a bow to me. Those were likely the older members of the Lokella and while I wished they'd move past the almost idol worship they held toward me; I knew there was nothing I could do to demand they stop.

As my feet touched the deck, I turned to those following behind. "You're free to wander Fenrir, but behave yourself," I said to the giant beast. The tuk'ata whined as if insulted by the suggestion he would misbehave. "Don't give me that," I shot back with a smile, "we both know you enjoy causing chaos almost as much as you enjoy a hunt. Haran, if you behave, then I'll speak with the Lokella and Dooku about allowing you to head down to Gaia for some fun.

There were beasts on the planet, and almost all ran free as the settlement there was centred around the phrik mines. That meant Fenrir had when I allowed it, almost free reign to head into the forest and jungles of the planet to hunt and establish dominance over the local fauna. So far, he'd not encountered anything that could challenge him, but I knew that might not last. Still, I wasn't going to deny him his fun.

That had him walk forward happily; head held high as he surveyed the bay. "HK," I said to the droid as he and R2 brought up the rear of our party. "Don't start anything, not even by inciting others to attack first."

"Indignation: I would never do such a thing, Master. Addendum: At least not toward your allies." That made me smirk and drew a series of excited beeps and whistles from R2.

"That means everyone on this station," I stated so he didn't try anything with any visitors. While the system was isolated, I'd seen a few freighters moving to and from the station and since they weren't Lokella owned, that suggested they'd begun trading with others. Hopefully, it was only a small amount of phrik as I didn't want the wrong groups – mega corporations or pirates – thinking about attacking the system to take control of the mines. However, I wasn't going to stop the Lokella from trading, though I might suggest a few groups to avoid. "R2, the same warning goes for you." The astromech beeped in indignation and rocked from side to side. "No playing innocent. You're getting as bad as HK for trickery. Thankfully, you're minus almost all of his weaponry."

Thanks to Anakin and HK, R2 had been upgraded to be able to defend himself. He only carried a pair of concealed – and at HK's insistence, jammed from scanners – holdout blasters, but it meant he wasn't as defenceless as he had been. Anakin and HK had other plans for upgrading R2, but those had been on hold for a while as I didn't want to turn the astromech into a rolling death machine. One such droid like that was enough for now.

"I'll have the technicians refuel and service Raven," Simvyl said, drawing my attention to him, "so we'll be ready to depart when you want."

"Thanks," I said, giving him a nod before turning and heading to one side of the bay. As had happened before, I could sense Dooku was above me on the gantry that overlooked the bay. While I was grateful that I'd not have to head down to the planet to locate him, the fact I felt Vosa was nearby wasn't something I was happy about. Before taking Natural Selection I felt I was almost ready to face her again, but since then I'd been reluctant to do so. Especially now, when I needed Dooku's help to hide the changes that happened to me with the Force free of the Interface. That said, having her nearby, but not too close, would be a useful way to gauge how well I was doing in controlling my emotions and maintaining control when near those I'd rather not be close to.

There was a small chance that because she'd gone bat-shit crazy – even if she wasn't now – that she'd sense the darker side of me behind the shields I'd created easier than Dooku. That was a concern, but I felt she'd not react to that. Or at least I hoped she didn't.

Those thoughts lasted until I reached the top of the gantry and saw Dooku standing nearby, looking as regal as ever. "Master," I said as I approached, lowering my head slightly. "I'm pleased to see you again." Vosa was at the back of the gantry, near the hatch that led out of the bay. There was a moment as Dooku turned to face me where it seemed she was excited, but she pushed it away and remained where she was; something for which I was grateful.

"As am I Cameron, though I sense that you have undergone something of a change since we last spoke." A single eyebrow rose as he finished, making clear the question he wasn't going to ask but wanted me to answer.

"Yes. After Naboo, and handling running back and forth between here and there, I spent time in isolation on a remote world. There, with some meditation and no distractions, I understood how to overcome the limitations surrounding my ability with the Force. And now I can draw fully on it when I require."

The eyebrow rose higher. "While not perhaps how the Council would enjoy hearing you phrase it, it is an accurate description nonetheless." He took a step toward me, his eyes examining me clinically while I felt his mind press against mine through the Force, probing for changes I'd not mentioned. "Your presence within the Force is far stronger than it was before, even with your attempts to restrict that for my examination. The moment you arrived in-system, the change was obvious to myself and Komari," my eyes drifted to the former leader of the Bando Gora for a moment. "It was clear even then that you were attempting to limit how obvious the changes you've undergone are, however, you forgot to consider that those trained with the Force can sense such things for great distances. What I sense from you now is a barely sufficient barrier to hide the change, but because of what I have just said, it is for nought. Especially to one such as I who has spent considerable time around you and is aware of how you should feel within the Force. This is something Komari can also sense."

My gaze returned to the former Bando Gora leader, seeing her smiling at me, her tongue just slipping through her lips. The gaze, while lacking almost all the viciousness of what I remembered, was effective in bringing forth memories of my time under her tender mercies. Knowing I couldn't dwell upon them, as they'd breached the shroud I'd created – under guidance from Adas – to hide my power and mind, I pushed the memories, and the connected emotions back down into the depths of my mind. The lid that sat over them and other painful and enraging memories slid back into place, sealing them away again.

"Impressive." Dooku's comment had my eyes snap to him. "I sensed the residual anger you feel toward her rise, however it was soon dismissed. Still, you would do well to not allow even a fleeting memory to influence your actions in the present."

"Might I infer from your comment that you have moved on from your mistakes with Vosa and upon Galidraan, Master?" I asked with a smirk. I knew I was striking a nerve, but I wanted to make clear that unless he had done so, he wasn't speaking from high ground on the matter of moving on from past experiences.

For the longest time those two events, even though I'd never know about them until after being reborn, had been drivers in what shaped his path into, in the other timeline, becoming Tyrannus. Yet even though he had become a Sith, he hadn't, from what I knew, ever lost himself in the Dark Side, never surrendered to its insanities. Something I believed was what caused the yellow eyes some Sith developed. His mind was far too rigid and disciplined to allow any but himself to control it, even if that belief – verging on arrogance – was probably how Sidious had decided him for nearly a decade.

There was a slight movement of Dooku's lips, though that was the only outward reaction to by barbed response. Nor was there any hint in the Force of anything regarding my words. "I feel I have done so sufficiently that those events, and others you remain unaware of, no longer provide unwanted influence and impetus upon my actions. However, I do not feel you are close to achieving that, nor that Komari is ready to return to playing a larger role in galactic society."

I snorted, not bothering to hide my feelings on the matter. "With respect, I doubt she ever will be. Though perhaps that might not be an issue."

Dooku's eyebrow moved slightly. "I sense you have an idea that might provide Komari with unexpected motivation."

"I think we all agree that she'll never rejoin the Order." Dooku nodded in agreement. "Yet you can't keep her locked at your side. Eventually, she will grow to resent that, and problems that existed before, but are now more manageable, might resurface. Letting her run free in the galaxy is dangerous, and not just because I plan to mention that, along with the Sith I defeated on Naboo, the Bando Gora were involved in the attack that forced Chancellor Damask to wear the mask he now has to."

"Is it wise to reveal that to the new Chancellor? We know the Sith are close to the orbit of the Senate, so informing the Magister of this fact would soon find its way to the attention of the Sith."

"Perhaps it's not wise, but keeping it from him means sitting on information that he would want to know. The Sith targeted him for a reason, perhaps that was so he didn't become Co-Chancellor, or maybe it was another reason that we aren't aware of. Regardless, he deserves to know there's a threat toward his life." Which he'd know was coming from Sidious. It was unlikely the information would cause any friction between the pair, but it was worth seeing if it might. Plus, from an 'I knew nothing' perspective, Damask was an ally, and alerting him to the potential danger was something I should do.

Dooku took a moment to consider my words, a hand coming up to stoke his beard. "I will admit that the thought that the Sith were targeting the then Magister had occurred to me as well. However, sending any message via Holonet would risk being intercepted and traced." Dooku paused, the hand coming down. "That, I suspect, is a partial reason for why you and your Padawan have returned to this system."

"As always, Master, your insight is correct. The Chancellor contacted me directly about a week ago. A long-standing invitation to the premiere of the Fellowship of the Ring holomovie has come due."

"He and Chancellor Palpatine are aware you are the creator of this work?"

"They are," I replied, ignoring that I hadn't created anything, simply copying over the work of someone from another universe into this one. "Due to his connection to the Banking Clan, Magister Damask wished to determine the author of the series. When we spoke about it, he expressed his surprise to discover that a Jedi was the author, which was during our meeting with then-Senator Palpatine regarding the threat posed by the Vong."

"I recall you mentioning that meeting."

I nodded at his recollection. "Because both Chancellors are aware of my involvement in the project, and that Chancellor Damask is a fan of the series, I promised that when the holomovies were premiered, I'd attend the gathering alongside them. None of us expected that by that point they would be Chancellors of the Republic, and I'd have helped free Chancellor Palpatine's homeworld from invasion."

"Normally, an invitation from a Chancellor for a newly Knighted Jedi to attend such an event might raise eyebrows. However, as you mentioned, your role in the liberation of Naboo grants you a valid reason for such an invitation to be extended. Some will still question your presence, but they would question anything happening around politicians, so you should not attract undue attention. At least from those not attuned to the Force. Which, I see now, is the primary reason for your visit, along with your Padawan being the only recorded Force user with a greater midi-chlorian count than your own."

"That and, as I explained to him on our voyage here, introducing him to the Chancellors, and bringing him to the attention of people I'd rather remained unaware of who and what he is." I sighed rather loudly. "As you know, I don't place great stock in prophecy or vision, or at least I didn't before Naboo. However, I understand that Anakin, because of his potential, will have a role to play in facing, and I hope defeating, the darkness we know is gathering. The longer the Sith remain unaware of his existence, the less chance there is that they move to either remove him or Force-forbid, turn him."

"And what of the Council? Should they not be made aware of Anakin's status as your Padawan, and his possible role as the Chosen One?"

I fought back an urge to snort. Dooku's opinion on the Council was lower than mine, and he'd agreed along with Fay about keeping Anakin hidden from the Order when we'd first 'discovered' him on Tatooine, I knew he'd never agree to have Anakin trained at the Temple. And certainly not by anyone who fully obeyed the Council. "If I recall the words correctly, the teaching of a Padawan is entirely at their Master's discretion. Something you and Master Fay reminded the Council after one of my misdemeanours as your Padawan." There was a faint twitch of Dooku's lips, meaning he got the point and found it amusing. "However, disregarding that, given the changes I've brought about in my connection to the Force, and how, as you commented on when I arrived, I still have work to do on controlling that change, I feel it safer if I give the Temple a wide berth. At least for the time being. Which is one reason why I shall be leaving him here for the week or so while I return to Coruscant."

"Your Padawan has accepted this?" I nodded. "Impressive. Both that you managed to convince him, I suspect without revealing all of your concerns," I nodded again, "and that he has the wisdom to understand and accept your reasoning."

"He is far brighter than most his age. A result of his upbringing before we discovered him. Still, while he doesn't know the full details of why I am reluctant for him to accompany me this time, he had agreed to remain behind."

"It speaks well, both for you and him, that he can think rationally, without emotion clouding his judgment, and follow concepts and ideas that would normally be beyond him. How long before you must arrive on Coruscant?" Dooku said, shifting topics.

"The premiere is a little over two weeks from now, but I plan to arrive several days before so that I might speak with the Chancellors."

"Hmm. While not ideal, that should allow me time to help you strengthen your defences and hide, to a degree, the changes you have undergone from most cursory examinations by a Force user. It will also allow me to examine what effect this change has caused to your form."

"About that," I said slowly with a slight grimace, "because I don't yet feel entirely comfortable with the changes I've undergone, I hadn't yet rebuilt my lightsaber. For the time being, I'm relying on the shoto blade and the beskad."

"Has that not left you vulnerable while you have traversed the galaxy with your Padawan?"

"For the most part, it hasn't, Master. I've been hiding my status as a Jedi beneath the Mandalorian armour I have." I was wearing some currently, but as with when I was behaving more as a Jedi than Mando'ade, it was aligned with what was worn by Jedi in times of war than the full armour one would expect of the Mando'ade. "As I'm also, generally, avoiding major systems and places that might have significant Jedi presence, it's been enough to keep me safe. For the most part."

"Would the other part be related to the ripples of anger I sensed from you nearly half a year ago?"

I'd hoped to avoid this coming up, but the chances that Dooku and Fay – to say nothing of others who might know my Force presence well – not having sensed my reaction to what had happened were slim. As such, I knew I couldn't avoid the issue.

"Yes, Master. Anakin was, through no fault of his own, kidnapped by Trandoshans for a hunt." My tone was as calm as I could keep it, but I knew I wasn't doing a perfect job. When I mentioned the hunt, Dooku's brow creased, an outward sign of his distaste for the practice, or perhaps the species in general. "I was able to locate him quickly enough that he wasn't physically harmed. However, of the dozen younglings with him only three others survived; something only possible due to Anakin taking command of the situation."

"I'm pleased you didn't avoid the topic. For the record, I was aware of what happened from speaking to young Lena. Komari has taken to protecting the girl while she is here, possibly as she senses something in her that reminds Komari of herself at such an age." I gave a brief nod, not wanting to return my thoughts to Vosa. "The girl has settled well, and is currently on Gaia, learning at one of several youth houses for those children the Lokella have rescued and taken in who cannot locate any relatives."

"I'm glad to hear that. What she and the others endured is not something I'd wish on any youngling. I also suspect that Anakin will wish to speak with her while here."

"That can easily be arranged." He paused for a moment. "Returning to the Trandoshans. The, shall we say, burst of unrestrained anger that I and Komari sensed from you was deeply concerning. I feared that perhaps, you had succumbed to the madness such actions can bring forth. While I now understand what brought it on, and that you appear to have maintained your composure after the event, I would remind you that emotional displays, particularly such negative ones, are unworthy of a Jedi. Especially one that I have invested considerable time and energy toward training.

"Yes, Master."

"I shall not ask what became of the Trandoshans, only wish confirmation that they received a punishment worthy of their heinous actions." I nod to confirm that, neither of us wishing to have him fully aware of how I'd punished them. I knew Dooku wouldn't care that they'd all been executed for their crimes, as he considered such creatures, along with many others, beneath him. What I wouldn't be revealing, nor focusing on, was the methods I'd used to dispatch the Trandoshans and how I'd extracted anything useful from them before their deaths. "Excellent. Yet, while you have recovered from the incident, I can still sense the lingering after-presence of that anger. While an inability to truly let go of your emotions has been a flaw you have long since possessed, I believe that with the changes I can sense from you, you require greater work on if not removing this flaw, then overcoming it."

"I have been trying, Master."

"I can sense that. However, your improvement, while acceptable to many, is far from the standards I expect from a former Padawan. As I cannot test your resolve and progress through a spar, I will have to determine other methods while you are on the station to see where you stand, and what additional training I can offer to further enhance your defences."

"Yes, Master."

I'd known that I'd have to endure this once the invitation from Damask had come in, and been preparing myself for it. I wasn't looking forward to it, as Dooku was harsh, almost to the point of expecting perfection, taskmaster. However, outside of Adas, who I was reluctant to turn to currently, there was no one else I felt could help me sufficiently in the time I had to prepare before I came face to face with the two Banite Sith that stood as Co-Chancellors of the Republic.

… …

… …
A/N: That's the 2nd of 4 sects/groups Cam and party will visit covered. Next chapter... well, time to head to a holomovie premiere and catch up with some 'friends'.

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This story is cross-posted on Fanfiction.net, Archive of our Own, and Royal Road.
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May the Force be with you. Always

Neverlucky SMILE · Wednesday at 1:51 PM

i don't remeber but does mc have knowledge about sidous and plagueis?

USSExplorer · Wednesday at 1:54 PM

Neverlucky SMILE said:
i don't remeber but does mc have knowledge about sidous and plagueis?

Yeah, he does.
Though he only learnt who Plagueis was in civilian life in the The Warrior Reborn arc. After saving Hego Damask from Death Watch assassins.
He's even had meetings with them aware that they're Banite Sith. Including one, at the end of the The Living Planet arc with both together.

Grimmouse197 · Wednesday at 2:40 PM

You know I'm thinking at this point having the gamer part included at the start was a mistake.

cosmicfox · Wednesday at 3:10 PM

I am pondering the benefits of eidetic memory, since we only focus on the downsides.

Basking into peaceful, joyful or positive memories, if they are as vivid as the negatives memories,
they should trigger the same effects.

Meaning our hero could :
- Use them to facilitate manifesting any light side ability.
- Immerse himself into them when subject to his anger/control issues. It would switch his brain toward the associated positive emotions.

It is an ever balancing act, but would be a safety net.
Even plunging himself back into memories of emotional balance and emptiness could facilitate meditation.

USSExplorer · Wednesday at 6:38 PM

Grimmouse197 said:
You know I'm thinking at this point having the gamer part included at the start was a mistake.

Oh, if I could go back in time and restart things, I'd either pair it all the way back, ala what I've done with Game of Kingdoms, or remove it completely.
I also know far more about the EU now than when I started 6 years ago

ClassHole · 2024-09-13T23:17:54+0100

I'm a bit confused at this point on why he is still waiting to re-build his lightsaber? I know he says he is still getting comfortable with the new changes.... but isn't part of getting used to his new normal doing tasks he'd have done before....... like sparring with a lightsaber, to understand what combat will be like with his new raw exposure to the Force? At this point he's had several months of downtime, multiple different times. Not having built something by now, even something temporary for training/protection, seems very foolish to me. Also seems to be actively holding back his improvement at this point, which is a bit annoying, given he's already taken such a huge step back in the recent chapters with the whole Natural Selection thing.

I'm glad he's back with Dooku for a bit.... frankly him blindly following Adas path seemed naive and foolhardy to me. Glad he can brainstorm with a Master like Dooku and hopefully find his own way of blending everything together, rather than just apeing Ancient Sith's techniques.

Anyways, thanks for the chapter as always!

LuciferBael · 2024-09-13T23:45:05+0100

ClassHole said:
I'm a bit confused at this point on why he is still waiting to re-build his lightsaber? I know he says he is still getting comfortable with the new changes.... but isn't part of getting used to his new normal doing tasks he'd have done before....... like sparring with a lightsaber, to understand what combat will be like with his new raw exposure to the Force? At this point he's had several months of downtime, multiple different times. Not having built something by now, even something temporary for training/protection, seems very foolish to me. Also seems to be actively holding back his improvement at this point, which is a bit annoying, given he's already taken such a huge step back in the recent chapters with the whole Natural Selection thing.

I'm glad he's back with Dooku for a bit.... frankly him blindly following Adas path seemed naive and foolhardy to me. Glad he can brainstorm with a Master like Dooku and hopefully find his own way of blending everything together, rather than just apeing Ancient Sith's techniques.

Anyways, thanks for the chapter as always!

Because he doesn't trust his force prowess and is still undecided on his full path; he is not fully centered in the force and wants to do his saber correctly this time where last time he merely based it off Dooku and wrote off his saber as a tool

He's certainly not blending; but you'll see

ClassHole · 2024-09-14T08:27:45+0100

LuciferBael said:
Because he doesn't trust his force prowess and is still undecided on his full path; he is not fully centered in the force and wants to do his saber correctly this time where last time he merely based it off Dooku and wrote off his saber as a tool

He's certainly not blending; but you'll see

Right, but isn't fighting with a lightsaber part of his relationship with the Force? Especially given his combat focus? If so, he literally cannot fully centre himself until he's gotten used to fighting with his new connection... so he'll never build one, if thats the case. I get that once he's fully in control and moving forward he wants to build a saber that's unique to him and his connection with the Force, using the rare materials he has, but to not build something quickly in the meantime, for training and to tide himself over seems pretty stupid. All Jedi learn and train on "training sabers" for years before building their own, no? So its not like using a temporary generic saber would be unforgivable. Plus he's actively reducing his combat abilities for no other reason than he wants to eventually feel good and build something perfect.

This is setting aside the fact that Cam literally in this chapter, is freaking out about the limited time he has to train himself and his Padawan..... but he's fine having now wasted over a year, with absolutely zero focus on lightsaber training, again, just so he can feel good when he finally builds his perfect lightsaber..... that makes no sense to me.

He should be training up his skills, while getting used to this new force connection, slowly honing in on his own personal combat style that fits his new relationship with the Force..... then his real true lightsaber should be the final piece of the puzzle that connects him to his final and complete combat style. Knowing the piece that is missing would help him design and shape the lightsaber. The idea that he starts with his new saber, then designs and builds his new combat skills with the new connection makes little sense to me logic wise, let alone story wise.

A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

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