I've been writing a fic about a very minor character from Jedi Academy and think I'm ready to start posting it online. Alora is the twi'lek apprentice who [i]doesn't[i/] get killed at the end of the game. I really liked her and thought she would be a great character for a semi-canon story.
This is where she lives, but I changed the plot enough to make for something different, but it will ultimately be the same. Lightside Jaden, Jedi win in the end. Without revealing too much, this will have a bittersweet ending.
I hope this lives up to your expectations.
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It was strange at how my life had turned out. One moment, things were just ‘normal’ and suddenly everything I knew changed completely. I wasn’t the same person I was only a week ago. Did I decline from greatness? Did I discover that I was not so great as I once believed? Maybe everything had just been shuffled around and I was just somewhere else.
But despite having my world turned upside-down, I wasn’t alarmed. I thought it would be very difficult to have everything a knew suddenly disappear, but when it was all gone; it felt good. I felt that I didn’t have to be on my guard all the time. When one lived with the fear of death every day, I got used to it. I used to assume the power and authority I had over others was worth the risk, but it was a relief to be rid of it all. I may have been smaller than I once thought, but at least I had control of my life.
Things could have been very different, which was why I made myself relive it. I had to know where I went wrong. If I could have done anything different.
---Tavion's Ship---
It probably began when my master summoned me to her. Unlike other times, I had expected that she intended for me to join her and witness the resurrection on Korriban. It had taken weeks, but she had visited all those locations strong in the Force. The only place left for us to go was Korriban. After all my hard work, she finally would share the fruit of our efforts.
How naive I was to think that.
“You summoned me, Master.”
She had already packed the scepter away in a strongbox and checking that it was secure. She didn’t turn around to address me. “The time for Marka Ragnos to return is nearly at hand. I would like to make it to Korriban without the Jedi knowing what we’re planning, but they’re already taking measures to stop us.”
“Then we must move quickly. Our forces are gathered and can occupy Korriban before the Jedi receive...”
“Don’t work your head too hard; I’m going there immediately after we’re done here. I have a special assignment for you.” She said in a scolding manner.
Usually ‘special’ assignments were the ones that no one else wanted. I sighed in frustration and stood up from the kneeling position I was in. “What?”
She finally turned around and folded her arms to show her dominance. “Rosh isn’t as devoted to our cause as I first hoped. He is still afraid of dying and I don’t want Ragnos to sneer upon me for taking a sniveling little fool like him for an apprentice.”
“So just get rid of him.”
She shook her head with disappointment. “Simple-minded. You don’t discard something that you can still use against your enemies. Yes, Rosh will be gotten rid of, but I was always more interested in using him against Katarn. I want you to take him to our base on Taspir and then let him cry out for help.” She grabbed the case and carried it at her side as she went by me. “Try to make it look convincing.”
“Make what look convincing?”
She stopped halfway through the door and let her head drop back. That was what she did when someone did or said something so stupid that she wondered why she bothered. “You are going to use him as bait. He isn’t that stupid, but he will call for help if he is left alone. I expect Katarn will come for him, but so will Jaden... I can think of nothing better than if she were to kill Rosh. I want you to see that it happens.” She continued down the hallway and I followed.
“Are you sure? Jedi can be very stubborn. I mean Katarn wouldn’t kill an enemy and he wasn’t the ideal Jedi...”
It was then that I struck the wrong nerve. Tavion dropped the box and grabbed me by the neck, pinning me against the wall. “Katarn was a fool! There is no strength in mercy! None!” When she finally let me go, I fell to the floor, gasping for air. She took the case again and continued on her way. By about the time I got to my feet, she shouted back “Keep up!”
“I’m sorry, Master. I did not mean to question you; I was just asking a question.”
“That’s a good girl. If Kyle’s ‘good’ student should prove to be worthy, then I want you to bring her to our cause. If not, then I trust you to take care of them both. Don’t even attempt to take on Katarn; he is mine alone to kill.”
“Very well, my master.”
She reached the loading ramp of her ship and turned back to give her final words to me. “When I found you, you were weak. Now your hatred is your strength, but do not forget that you still belong to me. You will return victorious...”
I didn’t know why, but her words seemed to undermine my strength. When she found me, I was only a slave to my family’s clan. When I found myself bowing down to Tavion, I realized that I was exactly where I was four years ago. With all my power, I was nothing more than a servant to an even more powerful master. She had trained me to serve her purposes and she seemed more interested in her revenge against Katarn than anything else.
I was supposed to be like the second in command under Tavion, but I was still under her heal just like my first master. Despite all my power, I was not free. I was still a slave, only with Force training. That was the price that came with that training, but what did they serve other than my master?
Suddenly I was slapped across the face. “Fool! Pay attention! If you’re this inattentive...” she sighed and just stopped there. Then she pointed her finger in my face. “You will return victorious...”
After rubbing the side of my face, I pushed those thoughts aside and remembered my duty to her. She always had me declare that I would return victorious “Or I don’t return at all.”
---Taspir---
As my master had expected, Katarn and his apprentice soon arrived at Taspir. I originally had a plan in place to divide the two, but found they intended to infiltrate the base on both sides anyway. I took advantage of the situation and divided my resources to best deal with each of them.
Keeping Katarn occupied was easy enough with stormtroopers, so I had the majority of the facility’s troops engage him. They stood no chance, but they were the best way to slow him down while I went after Korr. To weaken her, I threw several of our best warriors in her path; she broke through them far easier than I expected.
With each confrontation, she became visibly irritated. Korr was skilled, but she became increasingly reckless as I sent more and more enemies at her. Being angry and determined was a good for someone like myself, but it weakened a Jedi’s peace of mind. I came to realize that Reborn were very effective at engaging non-Force sensitive enemies, but were hopelessly outmatched by fully-trained Jedi.
When she slaughtered the last Reborn I threw in her way, Korr had gotten distracted and I saw an opportunity for a clear blaster shot. Jedi didn’t use blasters because it was considered dishonorable or something, but I drew a pistol and took aim. Tavion probably would have scolded me for how stupid I had to be to try and shoot a Jedi, but since Korr wasn’t aware of me and her lightsabers weren’t in hand...
Well she reacted before I could pull the trigger and activating her sabers before even being aware of the threat. I kept the blaster pointed at her head, but wasn’t foolish enough to actually fire. When she finally saw me upon the ledge in front of her, I saw her brow furrow at the sight of me. “You Jedi are blandly predictable. I knew you would come for your friend.”
“Where’s Rosh?” She demanded.
It was then that I lowered my blaster and shrugged my shoulders. “What makes you think he wants to go back? He’s most comfortable here. In fact, it was I who sent that message... and then attached his name to it.”
She looked at me, confused. “Why?”
“Let’s just say that I don’t want him to be comfortable with Tavion. But for reasons that elude me, she seems to like him. If I were to do something to dispose of her favorite apprentice, she’d not be very happy with me. You on the other hand... I can’t speak for.”
“So where is he?” she demanded.
“Oh, he’s around. I just thought you might be interested to know about the kind of secrets he’s shared with Tavion; that’s why you Jedi are so pathetic. Tavion turned him to the Darkside just... like... that.”
“Where is he?!”
“I see you’re eager for blood. That’s good.” I gestured to the chamber behind me. “You’ve stirred up some trouble around here and he’s hiding away from the danger like the coward he is. I guess I don’t blame him; he has every reason to be afraid of you. I just wanted to tell you not to do anything foolish when you find him. He’s at least smart enough to know he can’t beat you, so he’ll wait until your back is turned.”
When I backed away, she yelled out. “I may not have any reason to trust Rosh, but I have even less reason to trust you!”
I turned around and leaned upon the balcony. “Trust is a dangerous thing, Jedi. You’d be wise to take that advice.” I turned around for the door. “Don’t screw this up. Kill him before he kills you.”
As expected, Korr was quick to pursue. Fortunately I was smart enough to plan ahead and took a hidden door so that she would run down the hallway, believing I was really that fast. After she ran safely past the hidden door, I went back into the hallway and slowly pursued the angry little Jedi. I didn’t have to run because I had a little surprise for her up ahead.
Okay I got the title fixed and this is the second piece of the first chapter. It clearly won't follow canon, but I think this gives the story more depth than the original version.
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I found my way to a pedestal where I could oversee whether or not Korr took my advice. I had left Rosh in a large hanger, where I wanted to make it appear as though he sought to escape. I left a ship for him to try and steal, but I encrypted the computer so that he couldn’t escape. I figured that staging another event to show his cowardice would make Korr that much more likely to kill him.
I had to admit that I was proud of how effectively I put the whole thing together, but couldn’t help but think back on what I told Korr back there. It was just a lie, but there was some truth behind it. Tavion did seem to have an interest in Katarn’s little brats, but only for the purpose of demeaning him.
Obviously there was much more disgrace in what Rosh did than if he had just died at Tavion’s hand. She wanted Korr to do the same, which was where I came in. I guess I could understand why Tavion would prefer to have Korr than Rosh, but why go through all this?
But I didn’t have time to think of that; Korr had found her friend. “Rosh!”
He had still been trying to break the ship’s encryption codes, but jumped out when he heard her voice. “Jaden...!”
“You don’t look like much of a captive, Rosh. I should have figured that you wouldn’t have the balls to fight for Tavion. You’re just abandoning her like you abandoned us when things got tough.” She declared.
“No, Jaden - wait! I was wrong! Please... help me get back to the Academy.” he pleaded. As she approached with her lightsaber active, he cringed away in fear. “Jaden, please don’t hurt me.”
“You tried to kill me! And you lured me into a trap!”
“Jaden, I was scared. You have to believe me. We’re friends, remember?”
She didn’t take too kindly to such rubbish. Clearly he wasn’t her friend and he was pathetic to try and justify himself. Korr waved her saber around as she kept approaching. “Friends?! I was always there for you when you needed help, but the next moment, you’re trying to beat me again! Why should I believe that this isn’t just another trick?”
“Wait! Listen to what you’re saying. You’re angry, but don’t give into it. That leads to the dark side, remember?”
She held Rosh by the neck and held her saber in a ready position, but struggled to bring it down upon him. “Even if you were afraid, that doesn’t... I would not have betrayed my friends. I would have died before betraying you... how could you...?”
It was at that point when I realized that she was going to fold. I saw her on the brink, but not quite able to destroy him. She just needed a little push... “Don’t tell me you buy that crap, Jedi! You know he’s lying! He’s the one who betrayed you, and he’ll not hesitate to do so again.”
Rosh raised his hands to try and protect himself. “No, please!”
I shouted down to her. “He’d sell you out to gain Tavion’s favor! It’s what he does!”
She then grabbed his robe and held her lightsaber against his chest. “No, Rosh. I won’t let you betray me again.” When her lightsaber came to life, the blade of energy seared through his flesh viscously. He let out an intense scream briefly before it died down to a lifeless final breath. Upon deactivating her weapon, Korr let the body collapse to the deck. Her breathing had become erratic, which was normal for someone in her position. She had always been so confined by her training that she was never allowed to know how good it felt to give into her anger.
“Well done, Jedi. Doesn’t it feel so much better to just do whatever you desire? The Force isn’t a shield to protect the useless, but a weapon that empower the worthy. And you’ve most certainly proved yourself worthy of joining us. Tavion did have higher hopes for you than your friend there, but she just needed to know whether you would...”
She turned herself about and screamed at me. “Tavion is exactly the same way as Rosh! I only did what my master refused to do! If he had just killed Tavion four years ago, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
“Your master is a fool, but your fate isn’t tied to his. Ragnos rewards those loyal to him and will destroy all the Jedi. Tavion is offering you a chance to be included on the winning side.” I declared.
“No! Ragnos’ scepter is too powerful to belong in the hands of someone as weak as Tavion! If she’s stupid enough to squander such power for... it belongs in the hands of someone more worthy!” She screamed at me.
I chuckled and threw my head back. “Let me guess: someone like you?”
I saw wheels turn in her head for a moment before she nodded. “Yes, why shouldn’t I take it from her? I would certainly make better use of it than Tavion ever will!”
“My, my. You certainly are an ambitious little Jedi, but you would be foolish to do so. If you don’t join us, you’ll die.”
She raised her lightsaber to me. “And you’re even worse than Tavion! If you’re the best she could muster, then it’s no reason you look to Ragnos to save your little ass!”
I recognized that as an invitation for battle. With her so angry, I expected an easy victory. “Oh really? Tavion thought that turning you would gain us an ally, but I see that it’s up to me to clean up her mistake.”
“You?” She laughed out loud, throwing her head back. “You turned headtails and ran away from me on Hoth. My power has doubled since then.”
I jumped from the pedestal to the deck before her. “Tavion’s taught me much as well, you foolish girl. Killing you should more than prove my worth to Ragnos.”
*****
Unfortunately events in life have a way of turning out very differently than you foresee. An outcome either happens as you expect, or it doesn’t. Events often don’t play out as you want them to, but they at least go as expected. Sometimes events just happen for no reason whatsoever, but could still work out in the end. I had to say that absolutely nothing happened as I expected, nor that I liked.
I had expected Korr to be a challenge, but I never expected that she could beat me like that. She lied about her power doubling since our encounter on Hoth... tenfold would have been more accurate. Instead of calm and controlled, she had become a relentless berserker. For the first time in my life, I knew that I would not survive a battle. It wasn’t as though I just made a mistake that she took advantage of; she countered my every attack and I barely dodged her every attack.
I had never encountered an enemy who mastered both sides of the Force, which made Korr very difficult to defeat. I knew how to counter Jedi fighting styles and I trained against Reborn, but I had never fought a fully-trained Jedi who could use Force lightning. If I just had to counter her lightning attacks, I might have been able to deflect them back at her. Unfortunately that power supplemented by her skill with lightsabers proved too much for me.
In a final act of desperation, I jumped away and threw both of my lightsabers at Korr, using the Force to guide them at her. My concentration had been broken when she extended her hand out and took me by the throat with the Force. To keep myself from being strangled, I diverted my concentration to resist her grip upon my neck. In breaking her grip upon my neck, I lost my own grip upon my lightsabers.
The hilts dropped to the floor and tumbled past her on both sides. Before I could pull them back to me, Korr had already taken a cargo container in her grip and projected it at towards me. Again losing the Force grip on my sabers, and despite my attempt to dodge, the plasteel cylinder slammed into me.
The impact knocked me around like a rag doll and I was left unable to stand. I had managed to get myself off the floor, but was unable to keep my balance, stumbling into the wall. Korr had advanced upon me and readied her lightsabers for a killing blow. I slid myself back, trying to get away until I had been cornered. I couldn’t summon the Force because of the trauma I suffered in the impact, so I was beaten. Korr crossed both her sabers near my neck and prepared to end it all. I was almost ready to just give up there and let her execute me, but she had been disrupted.
“Jaden, stop!” A male voice shouted.
She twisted her head around and sneered at him. “Stop what? This is Tavion’s apprentice.”
He slowed down and held his position when he got close enough to talk normally. “I know she is. Don’t do it.”
“Why? Every time you ever show mercy to an enemy, they will take advantage of you. I’m not going to let it happen again. She’s too dangerous to live and she deserves to die for what she’s done.”
“Jaden, I know that you’re angry, but you need to resist those feelings. You’re a Jedi and a Jedi would not strike down a helpless opponent. She’s not worth it.”
Korr kept her lightsabers level at my throat, but she stared at me with disgust. “I should have killed you back on Hoth!”
“Stop this, Jaden. Just let her go.”
“She’ll just go back to Tavion again and we’ll have to fight her all over again. Have you even thought of that? Why do you give a damn about her?!”
“I don’t.” He paused for a moment until he turned his head to look me directly in the eye. “In fact I would like to see her pay for what she’s done.” He looked at Korr. “But you have to stop this. Do you remember why we came here in the first place? Rosh called for help and we could have saved him.”
She stepped back and waved her sabers about. “Rosh betrayed us! This whole thing was just a deception!” She pointed one of the sabers at me, the tip only centimeters from my face. “He never called for help; she set this whole thing up.”
I had no idea why I did it, but I saw one last opportunity to attack them where it hurt. Since I couldn’t best Korr with my lightsabers, all I had left was to tell her that she had in fact murdered his friend. Rosh may have been a fool, but he was at least an honest one at least. Through his death, I may have had one last chance to psychologically cripple her forever. “Actually Jedi, it was Rosh who sent that distress call. He did want to escape Tavion’s service. I lied; I was just trying to make you angry and give you reason to doubt him. And you believed it.”
A look of shock came upon Korr’s face, which soon turned to extreme anger. Upon bringing both weapons near my neck, she clenched them so tightly that her hands started shaking. Her breathing intensified as she became more angry than ever before. Katarn softly spoke her name, trying to calm her down; but she didn’t seem moved by his voice.
That was perhaps the most unpleasant moment of my life; and I’ve had many in my time. When I spoke those words, I had hoped she would finally strike me down; but she instead left me waiting for an agonizingly-long moment of uncertainty. With my eyes closed, I heard the crackling of her lightsabers grinding against each other as they crossed near my neck. I heard the sound grow louder and louder as if they signified just how angry she was, but then it slowly died down and she lowered her weapons.
Her breathing was erratic, but it had become different somehow. It was difficult to describe, but she sounded as though gasping with each breath. “Oh god... I killed him.” she whispered. “I killed him.”
He gently took hold of her wrists and lowered the sabers in her hands. “You were angry. You were confused. It wasn’t your fault.”
She closed her eyes to hold back her tears and shook her head. “No. I did it. I killed Rosh. He was trying to help me and I...” she dropped her weapons and backed away in horror. “...my god! Kyle, please...”
He wrapped his arms around her and let the young Jedi cry on his shoulder. “It’s alright, just let it out. It’ll be alright.”
The girl’s sobs escalated into intense weeping and she clutched onto her master. It wasn’t solely for emotional support, but because she could barely stand. “Oh Rosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to...”
“I know you didn’t. It’s alright.” he rubbed her back and gently rocked her to and fro. “I shouldn’t have brought you. I’m sorry.”
As all that went on in front of me, I could hardly believe my eyes. Katarn was nothing like Tavion had described and the way that he and Korr interacted... it was nothing like Tavion and I. She had just killed his other student, of whom Katarn held dearly; and he apologized to her?
It made me think about what would have happened to me had I not lived up to Tavion’s expectations. I could almost see her beating me. I could hear her scolding and threatening me. I would have been punished for my failings. Watching Korr so willingly turn to her master and for him to accept her back... it made my heart ache to watch them.
I happened to see one of Korr’s lightsabers near my feet and that I had a clear opportunity to strike them while they were distracted, but the thought never crossed my mind. Korr had beaten me in fair combat and I felt that it would have been wrong for me to do so. I also had to admit that I didn’t want to abuse the mercy that Katarn had given me. If it weren’t for him, Korr would have destroyed me. He spared me, even if it were to save Korr, he spared me.
I struggled to stand up, clinging to the wall as I pulled myself to my feet. When Katarn heard me, he turned his attention from Korr and raised his eyes to meet mine. It was hard to explain, but having his eyes upon me seemed to concern me more than when Korr had her sabers near my neck. The way he furrowed his brow and the way he held Korr in his arms seemed to silently tell me in the most intimidating way ‘This girl is under my protection. You will not harm her.’
I cautiously moved away, as if to not make any sudden moves. He probably really wanted me dead, but wouldn’t risk the life of his student for me. That didn’t hit me as weakness; it took strength to kill, but even more to protect another. Tavion was right that receiving mercy was weakness, but that was exactly what I was. I knew that I was weak and that mercy was the only reason I was allowed to live.
When I was finally sure that I could get away, I turned around and ran as fast as I could. I stumbled upon some debris that was in my way because I had been looking over my shoulder, but Katarn just kept glaring at me as I got further away. He never made a move, as if I weren’t important enough... like I didn’t matter. His eyes followed me until I finally found a cargo container to hide behind.
I threw myself behind it and found that I had been gasping for breath. It was so great a relief to get beyond his gaze that I virtually collapsed in exhaustion. There was something that kept me pushing myself beyond my physical limits, but only because it got me out of danger. Upon finding safety, that internal energy left me.
My breathing became so intense that my mouth just hung open and I let myself hyperventilate. It didn’t matter to me that I started blacking out; it helped to ease my mind. As the numbness came to my body and the darkness shrouded my sight, I let it take me. I let myself fall into a twilight state because reality was just too intense for me to grasp.
*****
I could vaguely hear their voices in the distance for moments after I was out of sight. I couldn’t move for several minutes until I heard the rumbling of what had to be Katarn’s ship landing in the hanger. It was that which caught my attention and brought me back to reality. I kept my head down, waiting for the ship to take off again. Katarn and Korr probably knew that I was still nearby, but I didn’t want to show myself. Maybe if they saw me again, they’d change their minds and actually decide to dispose of me while I was vulnerable.
It was only when I heard the ship’s engines throttle up that I raised my head above the cargo container. I watched as the vessel hovered in the air for a few seconds before coming about and thrusting forward. The entire hanger vibrated from the noise generated by the engines and I felt the air current generated by the exhaust that blasted out of the two massive engines. The silence that followed seemed to assure me that I was alright.
My breathing had not calmed as much as I thought it would. I felt physically numb, mentally exhausted, and several other feelings that weren’t familiar to me. I wasn’t scared exactly, but I felt as though I just walked over my grave. I was able to stand and went back into the hanger, slowly progressing towards the place where I should have died.
I saw that they had taken Rosh’s body with them, but my lightsabers were left behind. I had collected them, but hesitated to sheath the weapons again. Just holding them again felt much different, which was why I was slow to put them away. I had built that second lightsaber so that I could kill enemies more quickly, but it required more skill to wield two sabers. When I first tried to beat Tavion with them in training, I assumed that I had the advantage and would beat her more easily than with one. When I didn’t, she told me that it was the skill that mattered more than the weapons.
For that reason, I stuck with just one for missions and trained until I was ready to use both. I thought by then that my skills had surpassed everyone else, but I came to realize that the Reborn I trained against were not comparable to real Jedi. I expected that, but I realized that maybe I weren’t as good as I thought I was. No Reborn could match me, nor could Tavion in lightsaber combat; which was why I expected that I could handle Korr. I felt much smaller than before. I really wasn’t as strong as I believed.
I thought of how I could explain what happened to Tavion and whether she would have been satisfied just that Rosh died by Korr’s hand. In a way, I had done what she wanted of me. Maybe I could lie or just not say anything about fighting Korr. I did turn her and I could say that Katarn would have to deal with her. That would have been the truth; I didn’t have to lie at all.
I turned for the ship and punched in the security code to unlock the main computer. I then started the preflight checks, but found myself greatly distracted. My mind wasn’t on the controls and it took me minutes before I actually punched something in. There was a feeling in my gut which had to be anxiety and it kept me from prepping the ship for takeoff.
It just seemed that I could escape the truth of what happened by lying to Tavion. She didn’t have to know the truth and I could think of many excuses if Korr were to be found alive. I didn’t have to tell my master anything. I could just say Korr went ballistic and stormed out. That I hadn’t faced her in combat. That Katarn had interfered. There were so many lies that I could choose from, but the truth of what happened to me just couldn’t be covered up.
When one lies about something and the other person buys it, there is always some nagging truth behind it waiting to be discovered. I’ve deceived Tavion a number of times and shifted blame onto someone else, but I couldn’t quite hide the truth from myself. Small matters; that’s all they were. I was faced with something that quite possibly could result in my death if I didn’t play it right.
As I began the start-up sequence, I really started to dread going back. I really found that I wasn’t content with my life anymore. All I’ve ever been for Tavion is her slave. The training she gave me was only provided so that I could serve her better. I didn’t want any of this, coming to Taspir, fighting Korr, setting Rosh up to be killed, none of it! I wouldn’t have been beaten if Tavion hadn’t put me in that position, so that doesn’t mean I failed...
No, I knew the truth and I couldn’t escape it. It filled me with anger and panic when I realized that I wouldn’t have been deemed ‘worthy’ when Ragnos was resurrected. As if my world couldn’t get any worse, I realized that I no longer had the option of escape if I wanted to leave Tavion’s service forever. I always expected that I would one day surpass her, which was why I helped her these last four years, but everything that we’ve accomplished was destined to go to Ragnos. I didn’t have anything to go back for.
I didn’t want anything to do with the Disciples of Ragnos anymore. I would rather have taken Tavion’s place for myself, but that was no longer an option. Ragnos was going to be revived and I knew that he would not care about my years of loyal service when he decided to get rid of me. I was weak... I wouldn’t get anything from him but an execution if I went back. What’s worse was that I no longer could just leave without fearing him hunting me down for the rest of my life.
I started behaving much like an angry child at that point. I slapped my palms upon the controls, rocked back and forth in the seat, screaming in anger... I was already dead! Why couldn’t my life have just been snuffed out that day? Korr killed me, but she didn’t have the decency to give me a clean death. Instead I was doomed to spend the rest of my life running in fear of Ragnos. There was no way around it. Either you served Ragnos, or you died because of him.
I didn’t see any escape for myself. I quickly went from endorsing Ragnos’ return to dreading it with every fiber of my soul. He wasn’t revived yet, but it was only a matter of time before that happened. The feeling of an impending doom filled me with fantastic terror which brought me back to the reality of where I was; in a ship and on the ground. I quickly went to start up the engines and almost crashed in my rush to take off. Every second seemed to gnaw at me, knowing that I only had a short span of time where I could act before Tavion found the tomb of Ragnos.
I had to get to Korriban to stop her! That was about all I could do at that point. While ascending through the atmosphere, I realized that I had little chance of actually succeeding, but I would rather have died taking on Tavion than waiting for Ragnos to slaughter us all.
Suddenly another idea came to me that I thought I would never consider. It went against everything I ever believed in, but it was truly the last best chance I had. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. There were no such things as friends among the Cult, as they all seek their petty ends and never trust one another, but the Jedi were another matter. Our goals were exactly the same, so they suddenly became my best friends.
Still it was not my favorite choice, but I punched in the coordinates for their temple on Yavin. It was several hours away, but maybe they could stop the Cult before it was too late.
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Question: How do you change the title of a thread? I wanted to rename the thread and the title of this fiction to 'Perfect Destiny Unravelled' Not just chapter one's title.
Reaching the Jedi temple on Yavin IV was much easier than I thought. I was surprised that I could land my ship in the hanger without fighters being alerted to my presence. I suppose the Jedi believed no one would’ve been stupid enough to innitiate hostilities with them in their own fortress. Tavion taught me that the Jedi were weak and foolish, but I knew better than to underestimate them. Even Desann tried to wage a full scale invasion with an army of Reborn and failed. I suppose that I had expected more.
Well I had to admit I felt less inclined to get out of my ship once I landed than if I had gotten some kind of warning. I would’ve felt better if I knew that they were aware of my presence. It was night on Yavin, but it was rather peculiar that they left themselves so open to an attack. Of course I wasn’t exactly an army, so maybe they just let me in... like I still didn’t matter to them. Whatever the reason, I knew I would soon find out.
A protocal driod approached. “I am sorry, but your ship is not scheduled to land here. Do you have a permit?”
I just furrowed my brow at how pathetic a question that was. “No.”
“Then I would advise you to move your ship, or it may be confiscated. If you would like to obtain a permit, then you will have to...”
“Fine, it’s yours. I don’t care.” I answered as I moved past the droid.
“I apologize Ma’m, but you cannot enter the academy without recieving proper...”
I sighed in frustration and raised my fist to crush the tin can with the Force. The crunching of circuits and mangling of metal plates effectively shut it up. “If you’re security, then we’re in real trouble.” I had little interest in wasting time and didn’t want to bother with the droid. Obviously leaving debris was sloppy of me, but I wasn’t as concerned about stealth as I was when I came to steal Skywalker’s journal. I meant to confront Skywalker directly and I didn’t mean to leave until I told him exactly what he needed to defeat Tavion. It went against everything I fought for since I was able to hold a lightsaber, so I didn’t want to leave myself a path to run away. If I could turn around, I might have lost the nerve to defect.
Walking through the temple, I attracted much attention. There were a few Jedi still awake at that late hour, and they didn’t take kindly to an enemy walking through their sacred shrine. All who had been going about their business dropped what they were doing and... hovered around me.
What did I mean by that? They turned from their jobs and came directly at me, but stayed a few meters away. They knew something was deeply wrong for self-evident reasons, but they didn’t have the nerve to attack. They held their hands upon their lightsabers, but lacked the courage to use them. No one spoke directly to me, but they spoke to one another about why I was there. They knew who I was and assumed that I could only be there to raise some hell. No one contemplated that I might have been there to help. Upon reaching an elevator, I found four Jedi standing in my way; ones who actually had their sabers in hand and ready to use them. “You’ve come far enough. I don’t know what you want, but you won’t get it.”
“I’m not here to fight. I’ve come to help.” I answered.
“You’ll understand if we don’t jump at the opportunity. We’re not stupid.” he answered.
“Why else would I be here? If my intent were hostile, coming here would be a rather stupid way to die.”
He and a few others looked to one another as if to silently debate my logic.
I sighed and looked around. “I have information that Skywalker will want and if you or anyone get in my way, he’ll hear nothing. You have little choice but to let me pass.” I then proceded to the elevator and the four stepped aside like the good Jedi they were. In all, about a dozen people had watched me make my way to meet with their Master.
*****
I made my way to the top floor of the temple, which was where Skywalker’s chamber was found. I walked through the dark hallway and towards the ‘master’ chamber when I saw an open door with light pouring into the hallway. I followed that light in the distance and quietly made my way towards it until I could hear a conversation.
“...demoralized. They’ve been one step ahead of us all this time, but it’s like they’ve already beaten us. I was hoping that saving Rosh would...” Katarn paused. “I’m sorry, Jaden. I don’t mean to...”
“No, I’m the one who ruined it for everyone.” Jaden admitted.
“What I mean is... it’s a bad time to have a funeral service, Luke.” Katarn stated.
“It’s never a good time to bury a friend, but doing a service sooner than later will give at least some measure of closure for the others. The situation with Rosh falling is like an open wound that needs to be allowed to heal. It’s important that we grieve for him now because we likely won’t be able to later.” Skywalker spoke.
That actually was the first time I ever heard the Jedi grandmaster’s voice. For one as renowned as Luke Skywalker, I found his voice to be much different than I ever expected. I had almost counted on a very deep, booming tone; but instead heard what seemed more appropriate. It wasn’t the tone of a warrior, but seemed to echo with his years of experience.
After a moment of silence, Katarn sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Did you discover anything on Taspir that might lead us to Tavion?” A moment of silence came between Skywalker and the others. “I wish that I could say we had better luck. Imperial remnants have been on the rise, but there have been no reports of Cult activity in the last few days. I don’t think that they’ve gone into hiding. Whatever their plan is, they’re close to completing it.”
“And that’s just it: we don’t know.” Katarn started pacing about. “Siphoning Force energy from the Valley of the Jedi, Byss, Dagobah, and all those other locations and we still can’t figure out what they’re going to do with it. Empowering cultists with that scepter can’t be Tavion’s ultimate goal. I know that she has something else in mind, but what?”
It was then that I decided to reveal myself. “I can tell you.” I stepped into the doorway and into the light to reveal myself to them. I saw Katarn’s back to me with Jaden and Skywalker sitting opposite on the floor. The sound of my voice was not something they expected those two expected to hear again, but it came as a shock to them.
Korr stood up from behind her master and Katarn came before me, brow furrowed. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing yourself here.”
Korr came out from behind Katarn and approached me in a threatening manner. “Actually we should thank you. It saves us the trouble of hunting you down.” Katarn grabbed the girl’s shoulder to hold her back.
I walked past the two and confronted Skywalker, who had stood up as I entered. “The situation is worse than you realize. Tavion intends to use the scepter’s energy to resurect Marka Ragnos. If that happens, no one will be able to stop him.” I could clearly hear the shock and surprise in Korr’s voice. “Is that even possible?”
She and Katarn looked to Skywalker, who answered with uncertainty. “There have been theories that if a high enough concentration of Force energy is infused into a body... it could regenerate dead cells and bring the person back to life. I can’t say for certain, but I think the scepter’s energy would be sufficient for that.”
I folded my arms accross my chest confidently. “That’s what Tavion is wagering on. She uses the staff to revive Ragnos, the reserected Sith Lord takes control. He anihlates the Jedi, and only those who are worthy and loyal would serve under his rule.”
Katarn shook his head. “One Sith Lord... that’s not a good thing, but it’s not like he can challenge all of us, can he?”
Skywalker explained the threat. “The power within the septer is enormous. If its power were infused into someone like Ragnos, he might become invincible. I can’t underestimate the danger that a revived Sith Lord with that power would represent.”
“Which is why you need to rally your forces to keep that from happening. The scepter has been fully charged, but Tavion has yet to excavate Ragnos’ tomb and recover his remains. If you act quickly, you may be able to stop them before they can unearth them.” I advised.
Skywalker turned about and looked out the window. Korr continued to sneer at me with great hostility. Katarn just shook his head in doubt. “I don’t know about this, Luke. It’s a good story, but it seems a bit too convenient that we should learn this now. I think this is just another deception on her part.”
I turned and rudely moved my face centimeters from Katarn’s. “It’s the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not. Obviously you have no reason to, but I do know you will take me seriously.”
“You flatter yourself! You’re just like your master; switching to whatever side best suits you!” He shouted in anger.
“Kyle!” Luke shouted. “Jaden.” he gently asked. “Would you please leave us? I’d like to speak with her alone.”
Jaden raised her head to look me straight in the eye, almost as if to silently tell me how much she hated me. When she turned for the door, Kyle put his arm around the girl and rubbed her opposite shoulder. “I’m sorry. This is the last thing you need right now. Don’t worry, Luke will deal with her.”
I tried not to let my eyes wander, but I found myself watching those two again. The exchange of contact comfort and those words of assurance left me with a sense of... loneliness. I didn’t know why Korr was so upset, but I wish I knew what it was like to have a master who really cared for me. I mean... Tavion did protect me from harm when she first took me, but it was my power that she wanted to nurture. It toughened me so that I would be strong, but only so long as it helped me to become a better servant. Was that really what I wanted?
Katarn had taken one last glance at me before moving through the doorway; it was the same look he gave me back on Taspir. If only he knew my motives were genuine, then he would’ve been more grateful for what I did. Not like I was doing it for the Jedi, but he could have at least been a little less hostile.
Skywalker approached and gestured me to a cushion on the floor. “Why don’t we sit down?” I silently refused, preferring to stand.
He shrugged his shoulders and sat himself down regardless of what I did. “It must have been very brave of you to come here. I was hoping to know why you decided to leave Tavion’s service.” I sighed in disgust. “Oh please. There’s nothing brave about what I did. The only reason I’m here is because I want Ragnos to forever remain dead.”
“What’s changed?” he asked.
“Look, we don’t have time to sit around and chat. Tavion is on Korriban right now, searching for Ragnos’ tomb. You have to stop them.”
“We will.” He gestured to the cushion again, trying to get me to sit down. “We will. But I would like to talk with you first.”
“About what? We don’t have any time.”
He just gave me a dumb smile and kept gesturing me to sit down. The idiot wouldn’t take me seriously, he almost seemed to mock me by showing no fear when he should be shaking in his boots. I didn’t have the time to play his game, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice.
After sitting, he continued NOT interrogating me. I mean it was the first time I ever was willing to spill information and I had to get the worst interrogator asking the least relevant questions. “Alora, why did you leave Tavion’s service?”
“Why are you asking me that? You have more important things to do. Aren’t you the least bit concerned that Tavion intends to revive Ragnos?”
“Of course I am. I know the message, but I think it important that I understand the messenger as well. Do you think it unwise that I do?”
“Well... no, but I think that you could at least confirm my story much faster if you were looking for a star destroyer orbiting Korriban. If you don’t believe me, just call one of your admiral friends and he will tell you the same thing.” He nodded and turned his attention elsewhere. “Only one star destroyer?”
“Yes. Tavion didn’t want to draw a lot of attention by dispatching a large force there. She believed one ship would be enough for the excavation. If you were to destroy that ship, an orbital bombardment probably could wipe them out.”
“It’s a good thing that we have ships in that sector as well. They could be there in a matter of hours. I intend to go there as well; I have to confirm that the scepter is destroyed. Even if Ragnos isn’t revived, we will still have to deal with the remaining remnant forces as well.”
“There’s a much easier way to know that it’s gone; the cultists will lose their power once it’s destroyed.”
“Maybe, but I would rather confirm it directly. I also would like to get confirmation that the Cult have invaded Korriban before we dispatch the fleet.”
I watched while he just sat there doing nothing. It was then that I had it with him just stalling. “What the hell are you waiting for?!” It was then that I heard footsteps in the hallway approaching. He looked to the doorway and smirked. “Waiting for confirmation.”
I suddenly realized that he must have commanded one of his servants to check whether there had been a ship orbiting Korriban or not. He wasn’t just being lazy, but waiting for his servant to report back to him. I suppose that didn’t surprise me, as powerful Force users often gave orders directly to their servants without using a communications console. It was much more efficient and I was glad to discover that Skywalker was on top of things.
Of course it turned out to be much simpler than having Force powers. Sometimes it just depended upon anticipating what people logically would do in a given situation. ”Knowing Kyle, he’d have gone to the war room to see for himself that you were decieving us. If he’s coming back, I can only assume that he’s spotted Cult forces.” He stood up and went for the door just as Katarn came running.
“Luke, I just checked recent fleet sensor logs. They confirmed a star destroyer orbiting Korriban right now.” Katarn looked over Luke’s shoulder at me. “They would’ve completely missed it if we weren’t told where to look.”
I stood up and answered his concern. “Korriban isn’t normally watched, which was why they could slip by and loiter there without attracting attention.”
Skywalker stared at me for a brief moment, still considering whether or not I might be lying. When he finally came to his senses, he went for the door. “I’m going to contact Admiral Fogel. His fleet is only a few lightyears away and should be able to deploy a task force to that location.”
“What exactly are we going to tell Admiral Fogel? You know he doesn’t exactly believe in ‘Jedi superstitions.’” Katarn inquired.
Skywalker stopped halfway through the door and turned his head just enough to make eye contact. “Who said anything about Jedi? I’ll just tell him to engage a star destroyer. If there are any ground forces... to deal with them. I don’t think he’ll argue with that.” Skywalker turned around and Katarn followed him out. “It’s a good thing that Master Horn noticed how the remnant forces were drawing the fleet out of formation. It would have left that sector virtually unprotected.”
Katarn commmented on his remark. “Well up until now, there was nothing of value in that sector. Still I wonder how that destroyer was able to get through without attracting attention.”
I wasn’t invited, but I followed the two as they made their way to their war room. It sounded as though they were on top of the situation, which made me feel a little better. I wasn’t an expert on star fleet tactics and strategies, but it sounded as though they anticipated Tavion’s plan and were ready to move on Korriban.
I remembered a time where I would have relished having the Jedi and the Republic fleet being in disarray. I had presumed they were all just undisciplined fools and imbiciles, but it seemed that there were a few among them who were clever enough to anticipate the trap that Tavion had set up. I had expected the situation to be much worse than it actually was, but if the Republic fleet acted in time... maybe they could stop Tavion before it was too late.