Vader knew he was becoming a detriment to himself, fixated as he was on confluences and meanings he would never comprehend. He and his Master were at an impasse, himself having no interest in a subjugated galaxy he could not actively control, his Master too involved with the inner workings of basic maintenance in his Empire to delve further into the mysteries they both had sworn to unfold. He had understood long ago that he had been manipulated by the man, seeking a fortuitous kinship of sorts to explore the possibilities the Force held, but that had faded over time. Vader had maintained an unconscionable vigilance in defending perspective to shout to the galaxy that he had never wavered from his intended agenda. Sidious on the other hand was constantly elusive. From broad conversations about all manner of Sith and Jedi lore, to nothing at all for weeks on end. Arms crossed tightly about his wide chest, he simply stared into empty space from the active view port.
The scattering of stars that took up residence in a space formerly occupied by Alderaan was both pleasing and foreboding. To witness the destructive power firsthand had been quite impressive but the totality of the wrath rendered was wholly unjustified. The issue itself would never lie in what ‘had’ occurred, only in the ‘how.’ He understood Tarkin’s decision to make Alderaan the example, however he did not agree. He seemed to be the only one that understood that what they were truly up against was in fact a full-scale rebellion. The last one had lasted three years. Examples such as this would only be an effective tool against insurgency. Alderaan would prove to be nothing more than a motivator he knew, with this very station as the primary target. A combined effort from Master and apprentice utilizing the full, naked, and raw power of the Force would have been an outright statement that could not have ever been ignored, Rebellion or not. This monstrosity of an achievement was just another thing, no different than a blaster or starfighter. Tangibility is only important until it is no more. He understood this, yet his Master did not? Through his awakening he learned this and remembered it. Sidious himself was just as tangible...’no’ he thought to himself quickly. For reasons he could yet still not explain, he knew his Master still held a great deal of knowledge he had yet to learn. His patience was running thin. His failure to obtain the stolen plans may yet be a blessing, he thought.
Pausing his mind briefly, he closed his eyes behind the mask and felt for his connection to the Force. The rhythmic intake and exhalations of breath, the only sound audible to him, he quickly established what he sought after. A massive influx of energy entered him, and he brought his hands down at his sides to maintain his balance or risk falling forward. He could hear hurried footfalls behind him on the command deck, “Leave me be.” He commanded them without turning his head. The torrid current of Force energy was completely unexpected and brought with it a flood of elements he had not invited. Visions, faces, words, voices, explosions, colors, memories, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. He was not prepared for the deluge and brought his left knee down as if in genuflection and placed his hands on the floor before him.
“Lord Vader?” a voice came from behind him.
“I said leave me be, I will not repeat myself again.” His deep voice echoing through the room wildly, sounding odd to him as the reverberations found purchase.
The waves of images and other sensory triggers made no sense whatsoever to him, his mind, which he was trying to quiet, was forced into a miasma of distraction. Memories, Anakin’s memories, forced their way straight through the defensive mechanisms he had erected like a wrecking ball. The flickering images were cycling so fast he couldn’t put a face to them except for the likeness of Obi-wan. ‘Master’ he thought to himself, or Anakin thought, again laying waste to those same defensive endeavors. His image had immense clarity as it recycled through his mind. Images from when he was a child and meeting his future master for the first time, the death of Qui-gon still fresh, which brought with it a short lament of the fallen Jedi and how, even then, the man had seemed different. ‘Someday I’ll be the first to see them all,’ the words turning into an abusive inflection of mocking tribute, sounding as if in a whisper to himself. Not the words of a ten-year-old boy excitedly rambling over his own prospects for the future, but a twisted reminder of a life path that would never be. Memory brought pain, but pain was nothing more abnormal to him than food was to his former self. Pain is his sustenance. The images began cycling again and Obi-wan kept coming back to him with more frequency. Obi-wan on Vanqor. He would never forget, could never forget, the transformation his own hubris had taken within a truly short amount of time, and ultimately, the apparent reawakening of his former master.
A lone image posited itself in his mind, one of his own former padawan, not the young woman she had been but an older version of her. She said nothing, only stood before him with her eyes closed. Before he could divine any reason for her inclusion her eyes flew open, her visage adopted a true and unyielding anger, her mouth twisted in hatred and her eyes burning with rage. She ignited a deep red saber and thrust it toward him. The image vanished to nothingness in less time than he could process anything from it and cycled back to that of Obi-wan again. ‘Was that fear’ he thought. His mind routed itself toward lamenting the lost, that of time and person, but he would never allow that path to follow itself to fruition, what’s done is done, however, he would never allay that mindset to that of Padme. ‘No’, he said to himself yet again, ‘there remains a way, and I will find it, if even by myself.’ because he knew his current Master would not, had not, assisted with anything of the sort, in fact, the man had waylaid, distracted, led him astray, deceived and mis-led his every endeavor to cross over to, or confound, death for any purpose. He needed to refocus, his mind had wandered too far from his objective, yet he knew enough from the bond he had always possessed with his instinct to not ignore the messages from his mental ventures. He knew his struggle with Obi-wan was, yet, unresolved. He knew an ultimatum was on the horizon between him and his Master. He knew thoughts of Padme still distracted him completely and he also knew that this battle station was the worst place for him to be right now in the galaxy.
“My Lord” a voice had repeated itself for a third time pulling Vader back into reality.
“There are consequences for defyi…...” Vader began.
“Yes of course my Lord, we have just intercepted a YT-1300 freighter decanting from light speed….” the voice responded.
“Enough” Vader snapped cutting off the bridge officer and rose to his feet, resting his mechanical arms on his hips and refocusing on the star field before him in the view port. The black orbs of his mask reflected each star within view. ‘Finally, my old master, we can rid ourselves of this eternal conflict,’ without warning he turned and made for the turbolift.
“My Lord….my Lord?” the voice trailed after him, but he ignored it completely.
✦
Kowani stared at the still intact saber she held in both hands before her, strapped in the folding acceleration seat in the cargo bay, she had discontinued her futile efforts to open the thing and only enacted an obtuse stare as she felt the ship lurching upward. Her mind swimming with all that she had experienced over the last twenty-four hours or so, at times completely aware of her place in active conversation, at others, completely oblivious to what was being said. She had not felt excluded, far from it, simply that she had no idea what was being referenced through much of it and could pick up next to nothing through context. In reality, it didn’t matter to her. Her place in the rebellion, her role, was what was important to her. Her fondness for the Togruta was important to her and she had no idea where that relationship would take her nor how she would actively define it. Mustafar sounded suicidal to her, but she trusted Ahsoka in ways that transcended the very meaning of the word, so she had her response already prepared when Ahsoka would inevitably tell her she wasn’t coming along. Mentally prepared for that exchange she doubled down on the saber before her. ‘it would help if I knew anything about lightsabers’ she thought.
“Of that, I can be of assistance.” A deep whisper wavered through the cargo bay.
“I was wondering when you would announce your presence.” Kowani said without lifting her gaze, nor losing any concentration from the task in her hands.
“I’ve felt you since, well, since we landed.” She said in a low voice.
“Tragic to think that I may have been forgotten, but alas young Mirialan, you’ve lightened my spirits.” The whisper beginning to coalesce into a known characteristic.
“T’zar, what is it exactly that you can help with.” Kowani said directly, bypassing any formality.
“Straight to business then.” the disembodied voice said with embellishment. “Your task, although not impossible, is made quite easier by understanding what lies within. It is a task assigned to anyone be they Jedi or Sith, or anyone in between for that matter, to fully comprehend, respect and appreciate the weapon before them.” He continued.
“I could of course look inside and describe it in full detail to you, but then the lesson is lost on you.” He said, revealing a modicum of credibility to his intentions.
“No no.” She said, “I just don’t know what I don’t know. “I’ve seen an active blade of course, you know that, but I’ve no notion of what is involved. Give me a DC-15 and I’d have it apart, cleaned and reassembled in less time than a Wookie can dismember a Sullustan.” She said confidently.
“That is the dilemma then.” T’zar said understanding. “I do have the ability to assist in a more unorthodox manner but would of course need your consent to do so.” Kowani understood what this meant and was hesitant at first before thinking on both the possible danger and her ability to nullify that danger.
“I understand what you are referring too and with that, need you to understand that at any time in that condition I could cut you off from your source.” She said with all seriousness. “It would not be matter of personal retribution mind you, simply one of survival.”
“So, we have an accord.” T’zar intoned. “Ceasing to exist is not in my best interests, your Togrutan friend showed me that door and I am in no rush to step through it.” Kowani paused on that very fact, ‘why had Ahsoka not told her about T’zar’s fate...unless she didn’t know what the outcome had actually been of course.’ The thought both satisfied as an answer and created its own quandary. “She is deeply devoted to her own cause, which by the way, aligns beneficially with my own to a staggering degree. If her will is compromised, then I guarantee that I will personally shove you right through that door and obliterate the evidence.” She said with no level of sarcasm. “Yes, we have an accord.”
T’zar did not hesitate but entered and took up residence within the spirit of Kowani, the two vying for superiority for a fraction of a second before coming to an agreement of sorts, a symbiosis that neither had anticipated initially. Kowani felt the well of openness and vulnerability unnerving and was prepared to discontinue the experience immediately before feeling a sense of calm spread throughout her entire body, eliciting a craving hunger for it to continue. His thoughts melded with her own to create a disorienting but vast sense of time and space, her immediate surroundings were lost in a blur of imported knowledge and experience. She knew then immediately what was involved in not only the saber before her but in the sanctity of its very creation and how intimately personal it was.
Her mind, the portion she would never allow T’zar access, was acutely aware of the part the Force played in any saber’s construction but, more importantly, the part it played in this one. She felt desperation and anxiety but in a controlled manner, as if this blade were constructed out of defiance of principle. She felt a measure of anger but also of regret, not of anger but whatever the situation was or that had arisen to necessitate its construction. She could not read the intent beyond the emotion that was employed to give it purpose and was surprised to see so much of it deployed for a singular reason. The mechanical aspect of the device was in full display within her consciousnesses thanks to the melding of T’zar and again surprise was her first measured response at how intricate the inner workings in fact were. Conductors, insulators, power cells, energy gating, the focal points of the crystals themselves...all of it was now known to her in the same way her subconscious understood the inner workings of the DC-15. As she was unfolding certain aspects of the Force by the minute, the hard facts of reality were congealing and adhering themselves to that same understanding, creating a different perspective entirely. She began to then feel the Force itself flowing in and around each component separately, defining them individually as they resided within the housing. They, in turn, informed her of their own purpose within the whole and she understood, then, fully, what was in her hands.
She closed her eyes and continued to see the saber lying between both open palms, splitting the seams between what were two halves of the hilt itself. Ahsoka had created the grip with two separate structures but had fused them in the Force to present a flawless inviolate entity. The wires, inner housings, chambers and even the emitter made perfect sense to her and called attention to themselves in order to be maintained and cleaned properly. Kowani placed importance on every facet of the crystals first but every component thereafter to nullify her carelessness in the swamp. Each in turn responded with a pristine presentation assuring her the objective was complete in the order to which she gave it importance, until finally she reached the emitter housing and stifled a short burst of laughter as the dried mud presented her earlier efforts in undeniable reality. She physically pulled at the mud on either side of the vacancy until it was all removed. She felt T’zar’s approval that the process was both complete and skillfully executed, a shared feeling she reminded herself, he had as much, if not more, to do with the outcome she thought.
She laid her hands over the inner workings once more before viewing the entirety of it again in the Force. Satisfied, she asked the Force to return both halves to their flawless, intact state. Again, she felt the weight leave her hands and heard audible reports of the task completing itself. As the hilt settled once again into her open palm she opened her eyes, realizing then that she them closed the entire time. The saber hilt was as if brand new in her grasp as she visually inspected her work. Wrapping her right hand around it she unbuckled herself from the seat and stood in the center of the cargo bay. The emitter shroud pointed behind her, she engaged the activator and felt both the heat from the blade and a satisfying confidence wash over her as the snap hiss rang clearly through the room. She swung it slowly before her, shifting her grip to one more unorthodox for the hilt but one that would allow her to fully see and appreciate her accomplishment. It bathed the bay in its bright white glow, shadows from utilities attached to the walls spreading in contrast to the approaching light, ‘running from it’ she thought, in line with her visual perception.
“You hold a brilliant weapon before you young Mirialan, one constructed with purity and purpose, but it is so much more than that.” T’zar said to her. “They are symbols, beacons of one’s intent and willingness to uncompromisingly submit to the powers of the Force, in whatever manner the wielder sees fit.”
“Conduits of unadulterated accomplishment.” Kowani stated in the form of a question.
“Yes and no.” Came T’zar’s response in her mind. “They can be, yes, to one that is disinterested in the vises of all sentient beings, they can also be adulterated, violated and mutilated to one that views nothing as a vise.”
“I understand the truth of it.” Kowani responded in what would seem to herself to anyone else.
“Others still, can be created with pure intent, purpose of personal sorts and can thus become very powerful instruments to their respective wielder.” He continued.
“You said wielder and not creator?” Kowani said aloud again.
“No need to shout young one, I am right here. Yes, with purpose to answer your question.” T’zar said.
‘It’s going to take time to get used to this…. arrangement.’ She thought. Hearing a bellicose laughter within her own mind out of pure amusement she felt gave her the validation she needed to assure herself he could ‘hear’ her unspoken questions.
She could not take her eyes off the stark white blade as she turned herself in slow circles, dancing the hilt before her. The rhythmic hum of the energy blade displacing the air before its approach was mesmerizing and she passed it quickly in a figure eight to speed the melodic sound, excited as the ‘whoosh’ accompanied a more audible hum relative to the speed at which she moved it.
“There is more to the experience than just waving it around.” T’zar said.
‘Of course there is, let me have my peace in the moment will you please.’ She responded in thought and not audibly. She returned the hilt to a more natural grip with the blade behind her again and could not help but see herself in a new pose with blaster in her left hand, defensive stance employed and ready to take on the empire.
“Ease your impatience, there is much to learn so that you do not wound yourself, or worse, before you ever have a chance to put practice to play.” He all but scolded her.
Understanding of a light saber’s capability forced her back into the more unnatural grip and she, then, gave it a little more respect and distanced it from her body.
“They are beacons of light in the right hands but can deal mortal damage young one. Very few things are resistant to their power, but your flesh is not one of them. And right now, we both prosper with your ability to live as it were.”
The ‘advice’ was well timed she thought to herself but then quickly wondered what more advantages would be of benefit from this arrangement. ‘I know nothing of wielding this thing.’
The laugh was in her head again, “Of that I already know. In time, and with diligent practice, I will show you how.”
‘You mentioned intent when they are created, does a saber inherit additional qualities or power from its creator?’
“Although I will endeavor to remain intelligible in my responses, some will remain elusive, as I do not possess certain knowledge. Of your inquiry, I can only say yes, but the source of this information would be a better person to ask.” T’zar responded.
Kowani adopted a befuddled look, unsure how to phrase a question that would have the outward appearance of her asking herself. ‘People are going to think I am insane.’
“Until you find equilibrium within our arrangement, yes.”
‘Not helpful at the moment.’ She thought.
“I do perceive the question that is, as of yet, unasked, and it is to your master that I refer.” T’zar responded. “She has displayed a use of the Force even I cannot comprehend. In that, you are truly blessed to be learning from her.”
‘I can’t possibly know how much there is to learn, but she hasn’t stopped ‘teaching’ since she promised she would.’
“From two sources you will have counsel then. In deference to both your commitments and loyalty I will never overstep that boundary. It is a selfish motive of mine to phrase it that way, but I feel she has much to teach me as well.” T’zar admitted.
‘Providing there is approval of ‘this.’ She said, extinguishing the blade and raising both hands in the air.
“Yes, of course. And may I commend you on adopting and adhering to a certain measure of safety before decapitating yourself with that gesture.”
‘So, T’zar Ek does have a sense of humor.’
“It is not a known Zeltran trait, but one tends to find new horizons when an eternity is at one’s disposal.” T’zar said with a mildly sarcastic tone.
‘We’re going to get along just fine I think.’ She thought with a smile.
“Now reignite that thing and let’s get some simple forms in before you present our current status to your Master.” T’zar said.
‘Uh before we resume, I’m going to need some tunes.’ She reached into the small pocket within the larger one at her left knee and retrieved a small holochip and walked over to the audio console set into the wall near the manual loading ramp controls and slammed it in, keyed in track three twelve and closed her eyes. A very deep bass shook the bay followed by high tweeting electronic chirps and finally a swiftly cadenced rhythm of various percussion instruments.
“Ah, an ear for the classics. ‘Spanner wrench by the Photon trio,’ yes Ms. Y’mmat, were going to get along just fine indeed.”
Kowani tapped her wrist comm three times, stepped with her left foot to the circulating beat and reignited the saber, bathing the cargo bay in its bright white glow.
Ahsoka could feel the incursion. The Force tearing at itself in both a stoic measure of resolve but also that of a childish tantrum. Her understanding of a balanced Force was always working against her it seemed, things that should be defined or natural were as far from both parameters as they could be. “Vigilance Ahsoka.” She told herself. Her mind was a blossoming tempest of confusion, or to put it more directly, a storm of activity that demanded her attention to create a path through the chaos of action. Mustafar had held her attention and had been a priority since, by her own admission, the Clone Wars. Stealing children for whatever purpose was, and would always be, an abomination of any efforts, regardless of intentions. Yes, there were stones yet unturned on that blasted planet, and, yes, it was also the home of Vader. Why he chose that place was a mystery to her, it certainly could not have been for any reason they had both shared or experienced and most certainly not because it was the site of his ultimate failure. But then why was she so determined to explore this avenue if not to confront him? She was truthful with master Yoda in that Vader was not, nor would ever be, her intent, but Hera’s comment had not escaped her notice either. Was she positive that she wasn't being prodded through means unknown to her to force an unwanted confrontation with her former master again? If that were the case, was Anakin himself behind it, or Palpatine perhaps? These answers would begin to expose themselves there, on Mustafar. That was reason enough to begin where she was being pulled to the strongest. She had not survived this long without listening to her own instincts and advice after all. Why would either of them, or the Empire in general, be looking for her there of all places anyway? “Where they would least expect you to show.” She said to herself. Nobody would have the ability to talk her out of that, her mind was made up. She paused the bedlam within her thoughts and focused on her surroundings for the remainder of time she would be able to view them through the transparisteel. Swirling clouds, of what seemed to her, one planet encompassing a congregation of steamy mist gave way to a bright shining sun well above the treetops. A conflagration of every shade of grey imaginable broken only by the tallest of the Shohwai reflected the light in every direction, bathing distant mountains in a bath of browns and greens. “I didn’t even know those were there.” She said to no one in particular. Momentarily considering ‘getting a better look’ she stamped the curiosity back into its hole and continued her path up the well. ‘I will have to make it a point to come back at some point,’ she thought as the atmospheric blue transitioned to the inky black of space. Feeling the relief that making progress inevitably elicits, she was frozen in place by the unimaginable cacophony of sounds coming from the cargo bay and reached over immediately for the on-board comm. “Ani, what happened down there, you ok?”
There was a short pause before she heard what sounded like a malfunctioning airlock and subsequent dispersal into space of an entire load of raw metallic discs, followed by silence. “Ani?” She was truly concerned.
“Uh yeah, you don’t like my music much huh?” Kowani responded back with an electronic crackle.
Ahsoka had no idea how to respond to that. “Music, yes. That? No.” Honesty always faired her well.
“And now you know why the buds are in all the time.” Came the response.
Ahsoka didn’t answer at all, only shook her head, although she couldn’t hide the smile, she knew was betraying her.
“On a serious note, how is it going down there and what are the coords for the Liberator?” She asked.
“Uh, well...good and don’t worry about it.” Kowani responded slowly over the comm.
“Good? You’ve figured it out already? And what do you mean ‘Don’t worry about it.”
“Yes...and three...two...one.”
Ahsoka was staring out the canopy awaiting a verbal response when she saw twin streaks of blue light flash and disappear in the distance.
“Ani what the hell just happened?”
“Well, you don’t need the coords anymore, that’s what happened. R3, and the ship, are headed for ‘Zed nine oh eight Beta three.’” Kowani responded, clearly having more fun with this than Ahsoka was.
“And Yes?” Ahsoka was truly baffled. There was no way in the universe she should have been able to succeed with the task. It was meant to teach failure. She swiveled deftly to her left and activated the cargo bay cam, and felt her jaw drop involuntarily as she watched Kowani perform a flawless first form sequence with a fully ignited saber held shoto in the appropriate hand. “That should be impossible” she said audibly, hearing her own words in the cockpit. She suspended thrust and powered down the engines, leaving the hyperspace motivator on standby. She then unbuckled herself and headed for the cargo bay.