The Force Always Says Yes [Star Wars]

[gasparr]

Great vignette! Always nice to see an inexplicably lethal janitor droid. Helpful to have around. Hope Mlaki actually got a decent payout from the Republic!

 

[Natalino]

The contrast between his inner thoughts and the people around him are fun, unreliable narrator indeed.

 

[Grimmouse197]

And in regards to the Sith Holocron, it is something of a mystery why the Jedi Order insists on keeping as many Sith Holocrons on-site as they can...

Click to shrink...

I strongly suspect that the destruction of sith Holacrons in the past Resulted in plagues and such being released. Other than that I don't see why they don't destroy them.

 

[BC1]

Just finished binging this and quite the amazing story.
Very rare to see anything set in in this era.

Absolutely loved the first scene with the high council I admit it threw me for a loop with Yoda and not being grandmaster, didn't even occur to me that we were that far back in the timeline.
I think you nailed his character though it still him but a younger and more impatient version.

Can't wait to see how this story unravels.

 

[Hyenanon]

Just finished binging this and quite the amazing story.
Very rare to see anything set in in this era.

Absolutely loved the first scene with the high council I admit it threw me for a loop with Yoda and not being grandmaster, didn't even occur to me that we were that far back in the timeline.
I think you nailed his character though it still him but a younger and more impatient version.

Can't wait to see how this story unravels.

Click to shrink...

Thank you! It's one of the most gratifying forms of feedback, to know people have binged this story. It feels meaningful to know someone got immersed in it for tens of thousands of words at a time. I'm glad you enjoyed Fae and Yoda! I've really been enjoying the character of Fae Coven, and it's quite a different experience to write a character that actually exists in the lore outside of my fanfiction. Yoda is fun too. Love getting to use his playful side along with his dogmatic tendencies, in comparison and contrast to the other Jedi we know.

I have more in the works! I will actually probably begin posting more shortly. I haven't finished the arc in its entirety yet, but I know where it's going and the narrative points it will hit, and I want to post more before I begin traveling in roughly two weeks. If I don't have too much trouble in the editing stage, you can probably expect ten chapters before the end of the month. This arc is shaping up to be...almost embarrassingly long compared to the first two. I just passed 100,000 words in the story as a whole last night, actually!

I strongly suspect that the destruction of sith Holacrons in the past Resulted in plagues and such being released. Other than that I don't see why they don't destroy them.

Click to shrink...

It is a mystery indeed. Curses of some sort or another are often rumored, but that applies to active holocrons too. I'll say this much, in my interpretation of the Order's philosophy, there's a good reason, which will be more or less revealed over time. Fae Coven is quite insistent.

The contrast between his inner thoughts and the people around him are fun, unreliable narrator indeed.

Click to shrink...

Nerim picks up on things no one else would, and is oblivious to things everyone else knows. Mostly about himself! This was a trait I wanted him to have from the beginning, and I admit I got kind of frustrated with it at one point because it means I have to leave a lot of things as quite subtle subtext that I wish I could outline more clearly for the readers. Great opportunity for the vignettes. I will have more of them over time, although I'm focusing on the 4th arc for now. The vignettes might not come out in proper order, either.

 

[Hyenanon]

Spoiler: A/N

I've decided to meet my self-imposed deadline, I should actually start uploading right away. If I mess it up, may result in me running out of polished material and leaving you guys on a cliffhanger for a couple weeks before I can finish the rest of it. How embarrassing, how embarrassing...Anyways, I hope you enjoy Arc 4: [REDACTED]

Chapter 34: Sorry Master, Yes Master, I Know Master
​

In the silent, cold chamber of the High Council, Grand Master Fae Coven's pacing steps echoed softly. "I sense a battle in our future, small in scale but great in importance. Servants of the Dark Side not only exist, but thrive under our watch. They have made a careless blunder and revealed themselves, and we must take this opportunity to hunt them down immediately, or else they will disappear into the shadows again. Our actions over the next few months may determine a great deal about the future of the Order, and the Galaxy."

Nerim shared a glance with Arwain, who looked at him with some amount of concern. "Grand Master..." He began, "I understand why you would tell Arwain this. But why are you telling me this?"

Fae huffed in amusement. "Well for one, you can't seem to stop yourself from getting tangled up in it. Remember when I said in due time?"

Nerim swallowed nervously, and nodded.

"This...girl?" Fae asked, scanning his expression. So she didn't know everything? Nerim kept his face blank and emotionless, his mind as clear as he could. Fae shook her head and laughed softly. "The one you're trying to hide from me. The one who studied from the Sith Holocron. You understand this is a matter of grave importance, yes?"

"...No?" Nerim replied, unsure.

"No?" Fae repeated, stopping her pacing.

"I don't think it's gravely important, Grand Master." He said, fidgeting. "More like an interesting footnote, really."

Fae looked at him for a long, silent moment, and slowly smiled. "You don't trust me not to hurt her, is that it?"

Nerim didn't reply, but his silence was a plain answer.

"And yet you trust her not to hurt anyone else?" She pushed, her head tilted and her nose twitching. "You trust a Sith Acolyte more than the Grand Master of the Jedi Order? Does that not strike you as a little strange?"

"With all due respect," Nerim frowned, "A Sith has never tried to kill me. A Jedi has."

The feeling of Arwain's presence tightened in his mind. His eyes darted to her face. 'Bad comparison, Padawan', her expression said to him.

Fae stared at him, her smile fading into that weathered, tired look. "Count yourself lucky, then. The Sith are entirely different creatures than fallen Jedi."

"You have to understand my hesitation," Nerim continued. "Chey-Linn also thought that Aesha was a dangerous Sith Acolyte, and in the process she caused a great deal of damage. I will not be an accessory to another witch hunt."

"The difference being Aesha wasn't Force Sensitive, and didn't have a Sith holocron," The Grand Master replied flatly.

"I..." Nerim thought for a moment, "...I don't think that makes any difference, actually."

"...What?" Fae asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"If everything else were the same, and Aesha just happened to be Force Sensitive and in possession of a Sith holocron, I still think everything Chey-Linn did would be wrong," Nerim said, his eyes dropping and gazing aimlessly at the floor. "In fact...I think that is the case, sort of. I think Aesha is Force Sensitive. And I still feel the way I do."

Fae stood still in front of him, brow still raised. She glanced to Arwain, who silently looked back at her with similar curiosity.

Nerim continued, meeting her eyes again. "You're using reasoning that I just don't think is good enough. You're targeting factors around the Dark Side of the Force, but not the Dark Side itself. I'm worried you're going to hurt someone, if you keep going like this. Like Chey-Linn."

Fae closed her eyes and sighed. "Nerim, remember your lightsaber training. The core principle, of restraint? How a single bad action on behalf of a Jedi could ruin an entire planetary system's trust in the Order for decades. Chey-Linn has committed a great error, and she will be harshly corrected. But you must not allow her to rule your perception of the Order."

"But I don't know that she has committed a great error in your eyes, you see?" Nerim said, holding his hands tighter together behind his back. "At least, not the same ones that I see."

Fae opened her eyes, her expression still weathered. "She incorrectly identified a threat, improperly rushed to action, unnecessarily escalated the violence, crossed blades with a fellow Jedi, and committed the forbidden Mou Kei strike, maiming two limbs in one swing. The circumstances under which she acted were extraordinary, and I attribute much of her failings to the inattentiveness of her Master and of Arwain, along with your antagonizing. Her very status in the Order is contingent on the results of the trial, if that is what you're asking for."

"I don't care about her punishment whatsoever," Nerim sighed, "I'm just answering your question. No, I don't think it's strange that I distrust you with this information. You are...tempestuous on this subject. You're too focused on battle for a mission that should be about fostering. For all the same reasons that I should not have been sent with Chey-Linn after our experiences in the Revanchist Temple, I don't think you should be sent on this mission."

Fae stared at him. Her eyes dropped downwards, and then back up, towards the windows and the skyline. She smiled and shook her head again. "Tempestuous! Hah! Battle! Hah!" She began pacing again, laughing under her breath. "How can I blame you? How can I blame you for your inexperience with the Sith? It is what I fought for. How can I blame you for your bad experiences with my Order? It is my responsibility. How can I blame you for your good experiences with falling in love? What child can resist? What a pickle..."

Nerim's frown deepened. "I take it you think I'm being foolish."

"Very much so," Fae chuckled. "Goodness. I feel like it's my first year with Arwain all over again. You both have such a talent at defending your mistakes. The same mistakes, even!"

Arwain smiled and spoke up for the first time in quite a while. "Perhaps they're not mistakes, then."

"Pfeh. Need I remind you how much trouble chasing girls got you in?"

Arwain's lips pursed, her back becoming almost imperceptibly more rigid. Her eyes darted to Nerim for a split second, before going back to her Master. "T-that doesn't...doesn't count. It was completely different." She said quietly, visibly regretting her decision to involve herself in the conversation.

"What?" Nerim asked, eyebrows raised.

Fae paced up to Nerim and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. "Young Nerim, I truly mean no harm to this girl you are protecting from me. I understand your trepidation now. You are wise to distinguish between the dangerous, the Dark, and the people who simply walk between the two. But perhaps not so wise to leave her alone to her own devices. In my life I have killed hundreds of Sith, but never have I sought to kill the people who became Sith. In fact, I would rather do my utmost to avoid it. I promise you that I would never hurt her, except to defend the life of myself or others. That is the Jedi way, the way I have dedicated my long life to."

Nerim looked into her eyes for a moment, feeling the calmness and light radiating off of her, soothing yet still somewhat imposing, like the cool mist rolling in from a waterfall. "I still think we have somewhat diverging views, here."

"Yes, but I still trust you," Fae said. "Can't you trust me too? I truly believe this to be of great importance. Whatever we've felt, she has felt it, too. Perhaps even with great precision, given her training in the Dark Side. If she truly isn't fallen, we can be allies."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That feeling of a string pulling on him was there. There was indeed something very important to do with Tetha, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. There was a sense that he should say yes, but not so straightforwardly. He opened his eyes and looked to Arwain, who nodded in deference to him.

"...Okay," Nerim sighed, "I'll find her."

Fae's nose twitched. "You'll find her? I was going to have a Jedi Watchman do the finding once you revealed her identity."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nerim said dismissively. "She'd reduce him to tears."

Fae slowly narrowed her eyes. "Is she that good of a duelist?"

"No. She's that bad of a driver."

"Heh. Interesting individual," Fae muttered, beginning to pace again. "It obviously wouldn't be a good idea to send you unsupervised to meet with her."

Arwain excitedly leaned forwards. "But..."

Fae shot her a glare. "I am still in the process of reconsidering your ability to act as supervision."

"You can tag along with us if you want, Master," Arwain grinned.

Fae exhaled through her twitching nose. "Are you so nostalgic? Cute, but it is impossible. Not happening."

Arwain shrugged. "Fine, then. I suppose I'll have to do."

"You are explicitly forbidden from leaving the Temple until I give you permission," Fae responded firmly. "I will meditate on how to go about this. Now, both of you get out."

The two Jedi turned and began walking towards the elevator, and then stopped as Fae whipped her head around. "And when I said get out," she added, "That was not permission to leave the Temple!"

Both Arwain and Nerim's shoulders drooped. "Yes, Master," they replied sullenly in unison.

"Disasters, every last one..." Fae muttered to herself as the elevator door closed.

They began the long, slow ride downwards, the elevator mostly dark aside from the glinting lights of the city traveling silently around them. They each let out a breath of relief, and Nerim leaned on the glass, crossing his arms. After a minute or two, he caught eyes with his Master, and they both began to break out into grins.

"Goodness," Arwain chuckled, "I haven't felt that scared in years."

"Really? You two seem to get along so well," he teased.

"She's intimidating!" Arwain defended herself, laughing.

"So what was that about chasing—"

"Please, my Apprentice, I'm an old woman now. That sort of thing is well behind me." Arwain chided as they reached the bottom, and the door slid open. Jianno stood at the exit, arms crossed with a duffel bag at her feet.

"Are we getting kicked out?" Jianno asked immediately, looking at Arwain in a way that made Nerim somewhat concerned that they had already had a conversation about the possibility of exile.

"Not yet," Arwain winked.

"Damn," Jianno sighed.

"We're actually grounded, in fact," Nerim added.

Jianno looked between each of them for a moment, and picked up her bag. "You're grounded. I'm out of here."

"Nooo," Arwain whined in a defeated tone, holding her arms out and pouting. "Jianno, don't leave me here..."

 

[TFTwink]

"Nooo," Arwain whined in a defeated tone, holding her arms out and pouting. "Jianno, don't leave me here..."

Click to shrink...

Yeah Jianno, how could you leave your shoulder loli

 

[Hyenanon]

Chapter 35: Don't Center On Your Anxieties​

Nerim's ragged breaths echoed through the chamber as he stumbled backwards, lightsaber in hand. His wrists were shaking, causing a slight distortion in the hum of his blade. Sweat ran off of his body and dripped around him, a stray drop sizzling in the yellow-green plasma. "I can't keep up," he said between sharp breaths.

Arwain had broken a sweat, but wasn't quite breathing hard yet. "Willpower, my Padawan!" She grinned, flourishing her yellow blade. "This style requires stamina, but even more importantly, willpower. You will never be so strong that your muscles stop aching. You must learn how to charge regardless. Any hesitation will result in—"

She stopped as Nerim charged her. He swung several times in rapid succession, and she deftly parried him each time. After a moment, he miscalculated a step and tripped over his own foot, falling to the ground with a thud as his lightsaber deactivated. He laid there for a moment panting.

"Hmmm," she placed a finger to her chin, looking down at him. "You're making good progress, but you need to rely more on the Force. It would significantly help with your stamina issues if you let it flow through you more clearly."

He heaved himself onto his knees, but couldn't quite stand up. "Can we please...go back to practicing Huttese?"

She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to stand up. "You speak it as well as any native. Which is to say, poorly. If you got any better it would be counterproductive."

"How about," He gasped for air, "Astrogation?"

She considered it for a moment. "I feel that would be useful, but we would kind of need a ship, and we're grounded. C'mon, we have ten more minutes to drill," she said, threateningly waving her lightsaber in his direction.

"Master, I—" He started, shakily rising, "I'll read The Jedi Path!"

Arwain's jaw dropped. "You still haven't started? Fae is gonna kill—"

The doors to the training chamber slid open, and Fae unceremoniously walked in with her hands behind her back. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, smiling softly.

"No, Master!" The two replied immediately, snapping to attention.

"It is good that you're practicing," Fae nodded, her kindly expression and playful tone belying her intentions, "After a great deal of meditation, I have decided to send you on the mission."

Nerim and Arwain shared a grin. "That's great!" Arwain replied. "Are we being chaperoned?"

"Yes, although I do hope it turns out differently for your chaperon than it did in your last mission," Fae said, turning and walking out. "Come, now, time is of the essence. We'll talk as we walk."

Nerim restrained a sigh and willed his weary legs to walk forward with her, buoyed by his excitement at possibly seeing Tetha again. They still had not traded letters since prior to the mission on Cathar, even though it had been a little over a week. They had both been very busy, and Nerim wasn't quite sure what to say to arrange a meetup yet.

As Fae lead them down the halls, they passed Master Gendi. She waved him over, and he changed course to walk with them. "Yes, Grand Master?" He asked.

Fae continued walking, eyes closed and smiling, leaving a trail of cool air in her wake. The halls became noticeably more serene with her presence, the lights almost seeming brighter. "Is The Wellspring ready?"

"Yes, Grand Master," Gendi nodded. Arwain and Nerim shared some surprise. The Wellspring was one of the most prized and ancient ships of the Order, having been donated to the Jedi by a loyal noble of Serenno in thanks to Fae Coven for liberating their world at the end of the New Sith Wars. It had been meticulously renovated in the proceeding 800 years to maintain technological relevance, having had practically every part replaced over the centuries. It boasted the fastest hyperdrive the Order possessed.

"Good," Fae nodded, "Please inform Masters Hrragra and Gi that the mission is underway. I trust that you can arrange a meeting with the girl, Nerim?" She fluidly switched focus to the Padawan, not turning or slowing as she walked. Nerim felt that fluttery feeling in his chest again at the thought.

"The girl...?" Gendi questioned, a cautious, bushy eyebrow raised towards Nerim.

"Yeah," Nerim said completely straight-faced, "I have a girlfriend. You wouldn't know her, she goes to another Order."

Arwain barked out a quick laugh. Fae turned her head slightly towards him, eyes still closed. "Pace yourself, Nerim, you are still on probation as far as I am concerned. Hop to it, Young Gendi," she said, and Gendi nodded deferentially and broke off from the group, still maintaining a close eye on Nerim for a moment afterwards. "The Council believes that the source of the wound in the Force is in the Mytaranor sector. The destination world is Saarkane, and that's where she will have to meet you, if at all."

"Short notice for such a specific place," Nerim replied hesitantly. "I've never heard of that world before."

"If it's meant to be, it will all work out," Fae said confidently.

"And if not, we'll improvise!" Arwain added, just as sure of herself.

"That's my student," Fae beamed. They exited out into one of the vehicle bays, where true to her word, The Wellspring stood.

The star yacht was large, sleek, and elegant, well fit for royalty. The polished green surface of the hull was split in the middle with a golden line, floral patterns extending from it as though the ship were in bloom. Its svelte wings were fitted with four large ion cannons, and the pointed nose of the craft glinted with the evening sunlight streaming in through the hangar doors. The entire craft whistled slightly as the Coruscanti winds rushed by it.

The three of them stood before it, and Nerim took a deep breath of the metallic air. He had a good feeling about this, but there was something else nagging at his mind. He turned to the Grand Master. "All this just for us?" He said half-jokingly, half-astonished.

"Of course. After eight hundred years, it's still my favorite," Fae sighed contently.

Arwain's expression became somewhat confused. "Wait, Master, surely you aren't...?"

There was a tapping noise as that small Jedi Master from the High Council emerged from behind a set of crates and walked through the hangar with a cane. He cast his eyes up with a quick glance to Fae. "Must you?" He asked bluntly, without stopping.

"Yes," Fae answered, nose twitching. "I believe I must."

"Great danger, I sense ahead," the Master grumbled, continuing to pass them by. "Agree with this, I do not."

"Such a downer, always!" Fae shook her head. "Pessimism is the shadow of fear! Lighten up for once, Young Yoda! Take good care of the younglings while I'm gone."

"Heh! Lighten up!" They heard the Master mumble as he walked off. "The weights on my mind, you put, old woman!" He called back, before passing through a doorway.

Nerim blinked. "Wait, you're coming with us?"

Arwain almost bounced with excitement. "You said it was impossible!"

Fae shook her head. "All this time, and you still believe things can be 'impossible'!"

"You were the one who said it!" Arwain laughed.

"Oh, so now you listen to me?" The Grand Master snorted, walking up the ramp into the ship.

As she disappeared into the ship, Nerim grabbed Arwain's sleeve and tugged her down to his level. "Arwain, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order is tagging along with us!" He hissed through his teeth.

"I know!" She grinned. They held eye contact for a moment, and then her expression turned to shock. "Oh stars. This is a big deal, isn't it?"

"Yes!" Nerim grimaced.

"Well, then, be on your best behavior!" Arwain said, standing back up to her full height and boarding the ship. Nerim sighed, swallowed his reluctance, and followed after her. The ramp raised up after him, and shut with a hiss.

The interior of the ship was nothing less than beautiful. Somewhat surprisingly, almost the entirety of the interior was green with potted plants and vines growing throughout wooden grids on the walls. Light was emitted from angled panels all over the ceiling and even the walls, leaving everything well lit from every angle and casting dozens of faint shadows in a way that reminded him of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. The furniture was minimalistic, mostly white and brown, with control panels that glowed a whitish-blue.

The main room was large and rounded, with three hallways and a hatch on the floor splitting off from it, leading to the cockpit, quarters, supply room, and engine room respectively. Nerim looked around the inside of the vessel, and couldn't help but smile. "Wow."

Fae turned and nodded to him. "Quite beautiful, isn't it? I've needed an excuse to get back in this for some time. The last time I used it was to greet the new Supreme Chancellor...whatever his name is."

Nerim sat down amid a number of vines. "Grand Master, why are we taking such a...visible ship?"

She shrugged. "We have no need to hide ourselves. Perhaps more to the point, it is untenable to hide ourselves. There's no way you can travel with the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and remain undercover. So, we might as well make this look official, rather than appear like sheepish plainclothes police officers under a spotlight."

"Well, I hope the locals are friendly to Jedi, then," Nerim remarked, pulling his datapad out. Fae and Arwain moved to the cockpit, and he thought for a while about what to tell Tetha.

Eventually, he settled on a short message explaining that his mission on Cathar had gone poorly, and that he and Arwain were moving on to Saarkane in their search. For a while he internally debated on whether to tell Tetha about Fae Coven's presence or not, but he eventually decided that he wanted to keep no secrets. He told her about the wound in the Force, and that Fae wanted to meet her. The short message rapidly became a long one, which he regretted somewhat, feeling somewhat embarrassed at the quality of his writing. He ended it by awkwardly wishing her well, and sent the message through the holonet.

He sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes and resting his head on the wooden wall behind him, worries stewing in his mind. He wouldn't blame her if she refused to get anywhere near the Mytaranor sector while Fae Coven was in it, let alone approach the woman herself. He hoped she wouldn't be mad at him for letting part of her identity slip. He wondered where she was now, what sorts of things she never put in her letters, the life she was living while he was entangled in a world that rapidly began to seem like Jedi nonsense.

What was he even doing here, on this mission? He knew nothing of the Dark Side, he had no great talent in investigation or information gathering, and despite what he was frequently told, he still did not believe he had talent in dueling. Why did he constantly get dragged along into situations he was completely unprepared for?

He looked down and saw an alert on his datapad, that he had received a message. He opened it, expecting to see Tetha's response, only to find a picture of Aesha standing on two prosthetic legs, her arms out to balance herself. Beneath it, she had written "Bet I could still beat you in a race, Jedi Boy."

He laughed.

 

[aedrik_doubletree]

I really appreciate how even though we are predisposed to agree with protagonist (and his master by extension), characters with opposing viewpoints are also real people who have traits beyond "disagrees with MC-kun".

Also, cute!

 

[Hyenanon]

Chapter 36: Be Mindful Of The Future...​

As the droid pilot made the snap to hyperspace, Arwain and Fae Coven re-entered the main area, both smiling. Now that he had a good look at them side by side, in fact, they had eerily similar resting smiles. Fae held her hands behind her back, dark brown eyes nearly closed, while Arwain excitedly tapped her foot, hands resting on her hips.

"I hope Jianno can catch up with us quickly enough," Arwain wondered out loud. "Nerim's friend, also. She could be anywhere in the Galaxy right now."

Fae very slightly raised an eyebrow. "Even you do not know where she is?"

"My student is entitled to his privacy."

"We both know you don't believe that," Fae chided.

Arwain laughed. "I am nosy, not obsessive."

"Surely you must know her name at least," the Grand Master asked curiously.

"Of course!" Arwain replied, grinning blankly at her. Fae stared back with her own small smile. They stared each other in the eye in silence for a long, stretching moment. Eventually Nerim realized they were both waiting until the other broke.

"Oh great," Nerim sighed and mumbled under his breath, "Now there are two of them."

The both of them lightly chuckled, and Arwain wagged a finger. "Now, now, my Padawan. There are three of us."

Nerim looked up at the two, brow furrowed. It was somewhat confusing, to think of himself as one of them. They were absolutely nothing alike. They were Masters of the Force, and on top of that, quite frustrating to be around.

"So what is her name?" Fae asked.

Nerim stared at her uncomfortably in silence for a long moment.

Fae's nose twitched. She remained staring at him.

"You're never gonna believe this," he started.

"Oh?"

"Her name's also Yoda," he replied with completely flat intonation. "Insane coincidence, right?"

"I'm starting to regret this already," Fae said softly, her expression still unchanged from that small saintly smile.

Arwain cracked up, throwing herself into a couch. "Okay, okay. Be serious, now!" She said, pointing to the two of them. "Why are we going to Saarkane specifically?"

Fae gently sat down upon a small chair, which fit her small frame perfectly. "Saarkane is a moderately populated planet which hosts a notorious shadowport. Unlike many Mytaranor Sector shadowports, Saarkane's criminal underworld is not primarily in the business of slave trading, largely due to a confluence of anti-Hutt criminal elements having taken power, and frequent space patrols by the Trade Federation and Wookiee systems in collaboration with local forces."

"Are we trying to avoid slavers?" Arwain asked, head tilted.

"No," Fae said, "But I think our suspects are."

"What, are our suspects victims of the slaver guilds?" She wondered.

"Good guess, but no. Rather, we believe that our suspects have picked Saarkane because they believe the criminal underworld here to be easier to...bully," Fae said, as a mouse droid rolled in with a tray on its head and three cups of tea. Fae took one. "If one were to be trying to pull off a large operation without kicking up much dust, picking a messy world in a troubled sector surrounded by bigger, badder worlds, where even the criminals don't have Hutt connections, is a good bet."

The droid rolled over to Arwain, and she picked up a cup absently. "Large operations...?" She asked, concerned. "These are users of the Dark Side we're talking about. How large scale of an operation can it be?"

"Our archivists have been attempting to ascertain as many examples as we can of what exactly might cause a wound in the Force like the one we felt. Most require death on a mass scale, beyond that of conventional warfare, let alone small scale blood sacrifices. It simply is not very likely that such a massacre occurred within this sector without our notice. And yet, the echoes emanate from somewhere around here."

The droid quietly rolled up to Nerim, and he took the cup, sipping from it. The tea was extremely subtle in taste, a light tone of earthy flavors. One might think Jedi would prefer flavorless water, but Fae had at one point explained to the class when he was a child that she found a serene enjoyment in the experience of having to focus to find the flavors. It was no carbonated soda, that was for sure.

Arwain still held her cup, obviously unaware it was even in her hands, deep in thought. "A wound in the Force is different from a nexus of Darkness. A wound is a place scoured of all Force. We can't look for the usual signs of Dark Side activity."

"Hold on," Nerim's brow furrowed, "Why would they even be trying to hide their activity? If they knew that doing it would alert all the Jedi in the Galaxy, they wouldn't have bothered trying to hide it. If they didn't know we would be alerted, why would they be hiding it?"

Fae hummed in amusement as she sipped her tea. "Well, first of all, you seem to be under a misapprehension, Young Nerim. It did not alert 'all Jedi'. Every Force Sensitive felt it, but it was identified by yourself, the Masters, and a handful of Knights."

Nerim blinked. "...I don't understand. I mean, to be clear, I didn't identify it. All I knew was that there was something wrong in the Force. Like, a sense of...distance. Loneliness. Separation from..." He trailed off, and it clicked. When he felt like he lost contact with that voice on Ilum, and everything became quiet, and stopped making sense. That was what a wound in the Force felt like.

"Most Padawans only managed a vague sense of pain and disorientation over the course of a few hours," Fae remarked. "Most Knights, even. You did not have the tools to contextualize what you felt, but you felt it with greater speed and precision than would be expected for someone your age."

Arwain nodded. "I suspect it has something to do with your feelings of distance from the Force that have followed you since childhood. Perhaps you have a natural separation, or this was a skill you unconsciously worked on constantly as a youngling. It happens with other Force powers on occasion. Most notably, some Jedi accidentally train in Battle Meditation from childhood, and they generally become the masters of the art."

"Wait," Nerim's eyes darted between the two of them, "W-what does this...y'know, mean? About me?"

Fae smiled. "There is an application of the Force known to our scholars as Force Immunity. It is an alteration of the natural 'bubble' all Force Users give off that allow them to resist other Users' manipulations of the Force. As you've been instructed, this 'bubble' can be broken by another User of sufficiently greater strength, allowing them to manipulate a Jedi's mind or body as if they were a normal sentient. Force Immunity, however, makes one intangible to the Force, allowing it to pass through their bubble, as well as their body and mind, without affecting them."

Arwain finally remembered she had a drink in her hands, and took a sip. "As you may already be intuiting, becoming intangible to the Force is very similar to being scoured of the Force. Force Immunity can be a dangerous technique, because it runs the risk of wounding the User's personal Force. Most Jedi are not skilled or powerful enough to actually sever themselves from the Force, but they can temporarily weaken themselves."

Nerim looked down at his hand, slightly flushed from holding the warm cup. "Are you saying I'm...I've been weakening myself my entire life?"

"Sort of..." Arwain reluctantly agreed, "But also, you have a unique talent at confronting Force Users of greater strength than yourself. It also helps you confront sites of dormant power, like the Revanchist Temple."

"Like the wound we are tracking," Fae added. "I agree with Arwain's assessment. This quirk of yours is not something to be ashamed or regretful of, but it ought to be understood and controlled at will, and I believe you have been making progress on this, even if unconsciously."

Nerim's head was spinning. "I don't understand. Is this a talent or a handicap?"

Arwain stood up and moved to Nerim, patting him on the head. "It depends on your point of view. It is a certain angle of attack, not a superior or inferior way of being. Don't overly fixate on it. If you want my advice, don't worry about changing what you are now, just expand the number of ways you can be," she said with a reassuring smile.

He slowly nodded, trying to take in the information, recontextualizing his entire life and finding that...nothing much changed. He had gone from having no recognizable talents in the eyes of the Jedi Order, to having one—but he had already abandoned the desire for recognition from his fellow Jedi. No, what was unsettling was to have been ignorant of such a large part of himself. He still didn't even know what it was he was doing to 'unconsciously train'.

Fae nodded in approval. "Earlier, you brought up an excellent point. Why would they be hiding? I suspect they were not trying to hide the wound from us. But that leaves us with too many questions as to what it is they are trying to hide."

He took a deep breath, and decided to continue with the mission at hand. "What is Saarkane like, exactly? What sort of players can we expect, here?"

Arwain fidgeted with the cup in her hands, her eyes cast up in reminiscence. "We visited it once a few decades ago, back when slavers still had a foothold on the planet. Most of the planet's population is in dense urban centers, with much of the planet still left wild. Saarkane itself is not very remarkable, although the system does contain an asteroid belt rich in rare minerals, so there are large business interests on the planet."

"There are also Republic-affiliated research stations, and a large medical industry," Fae added, "And the aforementioned independent criminal underworld, which is primarily concerned with corporate espionage, smuggling, and the drug trade."

Nerim put a hand to his chin. "None of these groups seem very likely to host a large group of powerful Dark Siders in secret. Where should we start, assuming my friend doesn't arrive right away?"

Fae thought for a moment. "Well, I am not a Sentinel, and I am not very well trained at utilizing mundane methods of investigation. We'll be engaging in niceties and hopefully cooperation with the local authorities, but as for where to start, I leave that decision to you, Arwain."

Arwain turned to Nerim. "I leave that to you, Nerim."

"What?!" He frowned. "Why me?"

"It's worked out every time I've done it, so far," she grinned. "You have a talent for getting caught up in Dark Side affairs."

"One would generally consider that a bad omen in a Padawan," Fae said calmly, sipping at her tea.

Nerim desperately hoped this was an 'Arwain subtly guiding him from afar while letting him take the lead' type thing, and not a 'Arwain getting in a police chase on Utapau' type thing.

___________________________________________________________________________________


Saarkane was a gloomy world. The soil was a dusty blue, and the entire planet was blanketed in constant fog, usually with overcast skies and a slight chill that wouldn't stop one from wearing summer clothing, but would occasionally make them very uncomfortable in a breeze. Its unique atmospheric conditions lead to an inverse of the "afternoon shower" phenomenon that many warm places experienced, where a predictable short thunderstorm would occur most nights.

The world only had a few hundred million inhabitants, but almost all of them were stuffed in dense urban centers filled with skyscrapers whose main color was onyx black, and whose trim wasn't so much golden as it was caution-tape-yellow. During the day, the glass was a reflective cloudy silver, and during the night they were often lit in a variety of hazy colors softly shining through the fog.

But it was mid-day when The Wellspring arrived, and rather than lightly roasted by atmospheric entry, the starship landed in the spaceport with a thin coat of condensation dripping from its descent. The three Jedi exited the starship to the astonishment of the dockworkers, who were all quickly abandoning their work to gawk at their appearance.

Before they had even made it to the security station to have their passports checked, a luxury landspeeder came to a quick stop just outside the gates, and a well-dressed Saarkanian exited and marched towards them with a retinue of bodyguards and assistants.

The Saarkanian species was humanoid in structure, covered in short fur of an unbelievably dark hue, which almost seemed to absorb more light than possible, to the point where it was hard to use one's depth perception on their bodies, as if a silhouette had stepped out of an artbook. Their large forward-facing eyes were suited for taking in as much light as possible on their dim, gloomy world, and their big triangular ears were just as keen. They stood a little shorter than humans on average, and according to Nerim's datapad, they were known for their introspective and melancholy natures, as well as their stunning bioluminescence.

And as if on cue, the Saarkanian in a smart suit approaching them began to flash with colors, stripes of blue and green expanding across his face as if his impossibly black fur was rippling water, giving brief impressions of depth on his features. He grinned, visible only by the sudden appearance of white teeth underneath his big yellow eyes. "My, my, this is quite a surprise!" He spoke in Basic, in a surprisingly deep voice for his size. "But a welcome one! The Grand Master Fae Coven herself!"

Fae stepped forward and shook his hand. They were almost the same height, Fae just an inch shorter. "It is good to meet you, Governor Irmat. I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

"I didn't expect you to arrive at all!" He replied, amused. "You could have landed at one of our private spaceports, if you had called!"

Nerim tilted his head slightly. The Governor was very friendly and forward, confident in his posture and obviously well adapted to the pressure of his job from just how he carried himself. According to his basic research, Irmat had been elected to office thirteen standard years earlier, and had won re-election every cycle on an anti-corruption campaign, emphasizing law and order and the contesting of the Mytaranor Sector senate seat, which had been monopolized by the Wookiees for centuries.

Something about the man rubbed Nerim the wrong way, but he wasn't quite sure what. He focused on the thought, reaching out with his feelings, until during their conversation it clicked. Irmat was excited. He wasn't nervous, or afraid, or in awe, or anything one might expect from suddenly coming face to face with the leader the Jedi Order. He had gotten over his surprise, and he was now positively anticipating something. Since when was it good news that several powerful Jedi arrived unannounced out of the blue?

The Governor cradled his hands together. "I must admit, I was shocked at the reports of your vessel entering the Saarkane System! What's the occasion?"

"Jedi business," Arwain jumped in. "Although, we were hoping you could help us out."

Irmat spread his hands, with a rippling flash of yellow light. "Say the word, and I'm at your service."

As they began to follow him to the luxury landspeeder, Nerim leaned in to whisper to Arwain. "Master? I think he already has a use in mind for us."

Her eyes narrowed. "I think you might be right, my Padawan."

As they reached the landspeeder, and its gull-wing doors began to open upwards, Irmat turned to the group of them, his eyes bouncing between Arwain and Nerim. "Oh! Allow me to introduce my wife! Mrs. Irmat, these are the Jedi!"

The doors fully opened to reveal another Saarkanian, a small woman only visible due to the bright white seat that her silhouette contrasted against, a slightly sparkling black dress draped around her. Her eyes opened, just as bright blue as her husband's were yellow. "Stars, I never imagined I would meet a Jedi, let alone three!" She giggled softly. "I am Shesha Irmat, First Lady, Vseyav here is my husband. And you?"

Fae turned to Arwain and Arwain turned to Nerim, so he quickly spoke up. "Um, my name is Nerim, Padawan learner. This is my Master and my Grand Master. Er—The Grand Master, that is, I mean—Ugh. She's Arwain, and she's Fae," he said, sighing and pointing with a thumb.

 

[Psyentific]

They really are making him do all the work, aren't they? Bah, what wretched Jedi! Utterly incorrigible!

 

[Hyenanon]

They really are making him do all the work, aren't they? Bah, what wretched Jedi! Utterly incorrigible!

Click to shrink...

Whaaat? Why else do we even have Padawans?! --Arwain, probably