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

[TheFallenJedi66]

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

 

[Pax Humana]

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

 

[USSExplorer]

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.

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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.

… …

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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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For those wishing to join the Discord for the story, the server link is:
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(Those on the story server who engage in chat can earn access to a chapter ~3 weeks before it goes public).

For those who wish to support my writing, and get access to drafts and completed chapters anywhere from 1 to 4 months earlier head to one of the links below:
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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.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always​

 

[Neverlucky SMILE]

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

 

[USSExplorer]

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

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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]

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

 

[cosmicfox]

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]

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

Click to shrink...

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]

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]

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!

Click to shrink...

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]

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

Click to shrink...

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.

 

[LuciferBael]

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.

Click to shrink...

Um what; Cam has generic sabers and training sabers; he's certainly not slacking on his or Anakin's saber training; he's just got an ego and so doesn't want to use a generic sabers in true combat

 

[ClassHole]

Um what; Cam has generic sabers and training sabers; he's certainly not slacking on his or Anakin's saber training; he's just got an ego and so doesn't want to use a generic sabers in true combat

Click to shrink...

Well thats good.... felt like we haven't gotten any indication he's been training up his lightsaber skills at all, if I missed that, I apologize.... though if he has been training and has a training saber, why can't he spar with Dooku? Either way, that solves most of the issue I had..... except his whole ego thing, which is beyond dumb, and you'd think after he lost Anakin he'd have been focused on being as combat prepared as possible, but he's not immune to stupidity and arrogance I suppose.

 

[LuciferBael]

why can't he spar with Dooku

Click to shrink...

Because he hasn't regained enough of his stride to be comfortable doing so

but he's not immune to stupidity and arrogance I suppose.

Click to shrink...

No one is