Star Wars - Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Wayside ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

The Wayside

By Gan Xingba

Chapter Seven

 

I blink for a moment, processing the weight of what had just been said to me. Rebuild the Jedi order? It makes perfect sense that she would want to do that, but why bother telling me? I'm not a Jedi. I have little to no training, and would be of little use to the order as a Jedi.

 

“Excuse me, Miss Shan, but with all due respect, I don't see why you are telling me this,” I say honestly. “I am indeed Force sensitive, but I am untrained…”

 

“Which is exactly why I am telling you this, Mical,” interrupts Bastila. “To rebuild the Order, we can't simply rely on the few surviving Jedi, we will need new trainees.”

 

By the Force, she can't possibly be saying what I think she's saying. No, I must be mistaken. That would be ludicrous. She would never actually ask that of me…

 

“Mical, I want you to become my Padawan learner.”

 

And yet she has. I cannot do anything but stare dumbly back at her, totally unable to think of a response. I can't say yes, that is right out. I am not…it would not be…well, I simply can't, bottom line. Then again, how can I say no? Admittedly, it is a lifelong dream of mine to be a Jedi, and here I have possibly the most capable Jedi in the whole galaxy offering to train me. With those two options out of the question, I choose a tactful third response.

 

“I…um…what?”

 

Ah yes, tactful indeed.

 

“I want you to become my apprentice,” Bastila repeats firmly. “You may be unrefined right, but I sense a wealth of potential within you. I believe I can help mold that potential. Besides, it isn't as if you haven't been through the basics before, am I right?”

 

Well, all of my secrets seem to have been unveiled in a matter of days. I suppose there is no stopping a determined Jedi like Bastila from finding something out, especially when she has the connections that she has. I let out a long sigh and rub my forehead with my right hand, trying to rebuild my calm state of mind physically, since mental discipline seems to be failing entirely.

 

“I had Carth find your age in your Republic Intelligence file, and then checked the holo archives for group pictures of trainees from when you would have entered the academy,” Bastila explains, answering my unasked question. “Fending off a trained Jedi mind probe is not something that is normally done without some kind of experience, so I decided to double check out of curiosity. You were very thorough. I only found one that contained someone who fit your description.”

 

“Then perhaps you understand, Miss Shan, that I have plenty of reasons to decline your offer,” I reply once I have regained a calm demeanor.

“And you also have plenty of reason to accept,” Bastila replies with a small smile. “You do not have to decide now, however. While that is indeed a key reason as to why I would like you to accompany me on this next mission, it is not the mission itself. All I ask is that you consider my offer, and when this mission is complete, you may make your decision as you see fit.”

 

I nod slowly in agreement. I have almost completely forgotten about the actual mission at this point. After all, who wouldn't be? That aside, her offer seems reasonable enough, as it shall allow me a good time to think on the issue. Although, I suppose that depends on what the mission is, exactly.

 

“As I said earlier, this mission is directly related restoring the Jedi Order,” Bastila continues, quick to get back to business. “If we are to do so, then we need to gather as many capable Jedi as we can. We will start with Vagus Machaera.”

 

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As someone who has traveled all over the galaxy, I have seen all different types of planets, both on the surface and from orbit. However, nothing quite matches Coruscant. From orbit, it looks almost like a massive work of art, decorated with a beautiful pattern of glowing lights that make the giant hive of sentient activity somehow beautiful. It almost transcends description.

 

Ah, but I have no time to admire it now, descending towards the galaxy's largest metropolis in my little shuttle with Bastila. I have a mission to worry about, a very intriguing one. As it turns out, I could have saved Bastila a great deal of explaining by gutting out her and Mandalore's…conversation back on Duxn. Apparently, according to Mandalore, Vagus had taken some Force sensitive companions under his wing, and trained them in the ways of the Jedi. While that in itself is intriguing, what's more is that they apparently progressed at an unbelievable rate, becoming full fledged Jedi in a matter of months, and powerful ones at that. In other words, whether he has intended it or not, he has started rebuilding the Jedi all on his own.

 

When they had departed for Malachor, there had been five of them. Two are human: one a man named Atton Rand, who also happens to be the pilot of their heavily modified freighter, which Bastila referred to as the Ebon Hawk, and the other a woman named Mira, an ex-bounty hunter. Another is a Zabrak male named Bao-Dur, the ship's mechanic, and another is an Echani warrior woman known by Mandalore as “The Handmaiden”. While it is certainly a rag-tag crew, none of these are as surprising to me as the last of Vagus' crew: a Miraluka woman named Visas Mar, one of the sole survivors of her species, a race gifted with the extraordinary ability known as “Force Sight”.

 

I now understand completely why Bastila had referred to this mission as being a key to restoring the Jedi order. With Vagus and with his five apprentices, the Jedi Order will be making a huge step towards rebuilding itself. It is truly of critical importance.

 

“The records of the Ebon Hawk's new ID that Can-I mean, Mandalore gave me indicate that they landed somewhere in this sector one day ago,” speaks Bastila, rousing me from my thoughts as the shuttle continued to descend. “We don't know the exact location, but this will do just fine. I should be able to sense him easily enough when we arrive.”

 

I nod at her in silent understanding. She is right, of course. Even my long abandoned Force senses flared up when I met Vagus on Dantooine. A Jedi of Bastila's caliber could probably sense him without even trying. No, finding Vagus won't be the difficult part, it's going to be convincing him to help that will be a problem. I suppose that's another reason for my presence. I know far more about Vagus then Bastila, or likely most anyone in Admiral Onasi's inner circle…which I seem to have stumbled my way into, I suppose.

 

“We have arrived at our destination, Masters,” states the pilot droid, and I confirm this with a quick look out the main view-screen.

 

I follow Bastila off of the ship, but we go no more than a few paces when she stops. She must be searching for Vagus…but it is certainly taking longer than expected. It doesn't take a Force sensitive to see that she is having a little trouble.

 

“Is something amiss, Ms. Shan?” I ask politely, hoping I am not interrupting.

 

“Yes…it seems that our friend is not here,” replies Bastila after a moment. “Either that or he has suddenly found a way to mask his presence.”

 

“What about the others that Mandalore mentioned?” I suggest. “Can you sense them?”

 

“Oddly, yes,” answers Bastila after another moment. “Or at least, I think it's them. I sense a fair number of strong Force users in the area. We should go make contact.”

 

I nod an affirmative and follow Bastila as we start to trek through the endless skyways of Coruscant. I make sure to take note of the route we are taking. Bastila's Jedi senses may be able to guide us to the people we are seeking, but getting back to the ship is another matter entirely. Besides, I have to occupy myself with something, or else my thoughts may start wandering again. That's normally not a problem, bet with Bastila's Force senses temporarily heightened, caution should be taken with my thoughts. After several minutes of travel, Bastila suddenly halted.

 

“There seems to be a larger group some ways up ahead,” she says softly as we step to the side of the walkway where we don't need to worry about being trampled on. “However, I'm sensing another strong presence coming from over there.”

 

I follow Bastila's gaze over to a cantina entrance. The place seemed fairly busy, with beings constantly walking in and out, and a good deal of noise coming from the inside. I've said before that I'm not a big fan of cantinas, and this particular one looks as though it embodied all of my reasons why.

 

“We can't ignore either presence, so we'll have to split up. I'll head towards the larger group, you check inside the cantina,” continues Bastila, causing me to shoot her a quizzical look without thinking about it.

 

“I'm sorry, Ms. Shan, but how am I supposed to find this person?” I ask hesitantly. “We don't have physical descriptions of any of them save Vagus, so how…”

 

“Simple, with the Force,” replies Bastila, cutting me off. “Consider this your sample lesson, Mical. Now, calm yourself and try to empty your mind. Closing your eyes may help.”

 

I grimace, but an insistent look from Bastila compels me to comply. Exhaling deeply, I close my eyes and try to relax like I do when I'm meditating. It takes a few moments, but eventually, the noise of Coruscant fades into the background, and my focus is nothing but myself. After another moment, I barely even take notice of my body, seemingly drifting in a peaceful void as that familiar feeling of tranquility completes itself.

 

`Good, it seems that you are used to this part,' I hear Bastila say calmly, realizing midway through the sentence that she is speaking to me through the Force. `Now comes the difficult part. Feel the Force flowing through you as though it is your blood. It is there, Mical, all you need do is acknowledge it.'

 

Easier said then done, but this is again a step I have done before. Granted, I haven't done so for years, but I can do it. I slowly try to find the follow of the force within me, like someone trying to find a pulse without knowing where their veins are. After a few moments of groping around in the dark, I find it. It's almost overwhelming, but at the same time soothing, as though I'm facing upstream in a small river.

 

`Very good, it seems you're remembering,' acknowledges Bastila's voice serenely. `Next, gently, become one with it. Absorb it, and take it on as a part of yourself, and let yourself become a part of it.'

 

Again, it is much more difficult than it appears, but everything I knew is slowly starting to return to me. Gradually, I rein it in, until at last it is no longer a river, but like a small pool of water surrounding me, unmoving.

 

`Now, reach out with it. Feel the world around you.'

 

I do as Bastila says, and within moments, I am overwhelmed. Thoughts and emotions from the countless beings rushing through my head like some crazed babble. I can't make sense of it.

 

`Remain calm. You are taking in everything at once from too close up. Take a step back. Look at the world more broadly, and then when you find the point you are looking for, focus in on it.'

 

I dull my focus, as Bastila suggest, and instead of countless things rushing through my head, I see but one image, scattered with various different points, some dull, and some bright. I see one particularly bright spot, and as Bastila said, I focus in on it. Suddenly, I open my eyes and look towards the cantina. I can feel that spot tugging me towards it. It's there, the presence Bastila was talking about. Somehow, I just know it's there.

 

“I can't believe it. I haven't done anything like that since the academy,” I say, unable to hide my disbelief. “I can feel the presence so clearly…”

 

“As I said, you have great potential,” responds Bastila with a small smile that I can only guess is out of amusement. “Even for someone who was a trainee before, you catch on very quickly.”

 

“Please don't assume that this means I have accepted your offer, yet, Ms. Shan,” I say hastily, but only after realizing that I said “yet.” “I do, however, appreciate your assistance, for the purposes of this mission, of course.”

 

“Of course,” Bastila replies with another small smile. “You should have enough of a grasp on the technique to be able to find the Force user in that cantina now. If it's one of those that we're looking for, try to bring them back to the ship. I'll meet you there.”

 

Bastila slips into the crowd of pedestrians before I can respond, quickly disappearing from view. I don't simply mean my eyes, either. She has masked her presence completely, or at least enough so one of my low level would not detect her. Probably a shrewd move, considering all the Dark Jedi Vagus and his crew have tangled with, they might get jumpy if a strong Force presence suddenly shows up on their doorstep. I have no such luxury, although it's very possible I don't need it, untrained as I am. That aside, I have a mission to complete, and I patiently work my way through the crowd outside into the large cantina.

 

The place is packed to the brim, and without my reawakened Force senses, I would have no chance at finding the force user in here. As it stands, I do have my Force senses, and they are pointing me strongly towards the bar. As I make my way over there, I scan the beings seated there. There's a group of Ithorians, a Rodian, and numerous other beings, but none of them emit even the faintest whisper of the Force. The human male sitting at the end of the bar, however, is a different story. He may as well have a neon sign over his head from all the Force power he is unconsciously emitting. Although he looks like a normal spacer, jacket, sloppy hair and all, with that kind of Force aura he must be one of Vagus' apprentices: the human male called Atton Rand.

 

Casually, I work my way over to the bar and slip down into the seat beside him. Without throwing him so much as a glance, I order a random Corellian Ale to add to the charade, throwing some credit chips nonchalantly on the counter. I take a few sips, briefly pretending to watch the speeder race on the bar's television for a few moments. One can never be too careful about blending in, because often if you stand out, you'll attract more attention than just your target. The bad kind of attention.

 

“Interesting race, don't you think?” I say just loudly enough to make sure the man hears me. “Who's your pick to win?”

 

“Shir'za The Black Falcon is levels above the other speeders, you can just tell by how it handles the turns,” he replies, apt not to draw attention by not staying too quiet.

 

“Well, that's certainly odd. I would have thought you more of a hawk person,” I return, before throwing him a quick glance with my eyes and lowering my voice. “Mr. Atton Rand.”

 

Not a moment after I've said that, I feel something hard pressed against the small of my back, obviously a blaster pistol. Atton, however, has not moved, so this is clearly his back up. Was this whole thing a trap?

 

“And if he's a hawk, I guess that would make you a sparrow,” says a female voice from behind me, confirming my suspicions. “Now keep your mouth shut and start walking towards the back door.”

 

I try to get a look at the woman behind me, but catch nothing aside from a few locks of red hair. So much for my new Force senses. I have to suppress a sigh as I stand and slowly follow Atton towards the back door. Why is it that wherever I go, I always get a weapon pointed at me?