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Force Exile III: Liberator/Part 3

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“I’m here for you.” Selu awoke to find himself lying in his bed aboard the Hawk-bat. He blinked twice in surprise. Reaching over, he flicked on the small glowlamp and confirmed that he was in his cabin. Had the entire cavern adventure been a dream? Selu reached down to probe his ribs with two fingers and found them completely bereft of pain. He felt fully rejuvenated and decided now was as good a time to get up as any. “Morning,” Milya said. Selu rolled over and realized that she had been standing in the cabin the entire time. He frowned at her. Milya shrugged. Selu grunted in exasperation.

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“I’m here for you.” Selu awoke to find himself lying in his bed aboard the Hawk-bat. He blinked twice in surprise. Reaching over, he flicked on the small glowlamp and confirmed that he was in his cabin. Had the entire cavern adventure been a dream? Selu reached down to probe his ribs with two fingers and found them completely bereft of pain. He felt fully rejuvenated and decided now was as good a time to get up as any. “Morning,” Milya said. Selu rolled over and realized that she had been standing in the cabin the entire time. He frowned at her. “Do you normally stand in the captain’s quarters while he’s sleeping?” Milya shrugged. “Only when I need a quiet place to sharpen my vibroblade.” Selu grunted in exasperation. “You know, sometimes, I don’t know when you’re being serious,” he muttered. Milya smirked at him, and Selu sighed. “So . . . why are you here anyway?” he asked her. “I’m the one who woke you up,” Milya said. “You were in some of Jedi super-sleep. The ghost said to repeat the same phrase you said before you went out.” Selu sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Stang,” he muttered. “Then the whole creepy cave and ghosts adventure wasn’t just a dream.” He suddenly directed a suspicious glance at Milya. “How do I know I’m not still dreaming?” he asked. “How do I know you’re real?” Milya shrugged and slugged him in the arm enough to sting. “Feel real enough?” she asked. “Ow!” Selu protested, rubbing his bicep where she’d punched him. “Yes, I think that confirms it.” He sighed. “Which means that we did find a weird haunted temple.” “That’s right,” Milya told him. Selu glanced up at the ceiling, trying to collect his memories. “Then how did we get back to the ship? We were separated from it by those rockslides,” he remembered aloud. “Spectre climbed the crater walls and brought it down,” Milya said. “We’ve been busy while you were out. Mostly with repairs.” “How long was I out?” he asked, dreading the answer. “Three days,” Milya told him. “The spirits said you’d be fine.” Selu was astonished. “I was unconscious for three days and you guys thought that was okay?” Milya shrugged. “They said it was normal for you to be in a hibernation-like state. We kept you monitored.” “Very comforting.” Milya’s expression softened for a second. She almost told him that one of the crew had been with him almost the entire time. She almost let slip that she had been the one spending the bulk of her time in the cabin, keeping an eye on him. But she saw that with Selu’s restored health, his emotional barriers were also raised, and she didn’t want to take a chance at agitating the prickly captain. “How do you feel?” she asked him neutrally. Selu stretched experimentally. “Pretty good,” he replied. “Actually, better than I’ve felt in a long time.” Milya smiled fractionally. “Good,” she told him. “You might want to grab a sanisteam and some food before the meeting.” “What meeting?” Selu inquired. “Remember those spirits?” Milya reminded him. “They wanted to talk with all of us once you were awake.” “What about?” Selu asked. Milya shrugged. “Something about a prophecy and destiny,” she answered lazily. “Jedi stuff.” Selu rolled his eyes. “Wonderful. I’ve got a better idea. Can the ship fly?” “Selu,” Milya said disapprovingly, knowing where he was going. “They healed you. The least you can do is hear them out.” Selu sighed, though he was grateful to the apparitions. He couldn’t even feel a trace of the punishment he had suffered on the Imperial ship, or in the subsequent spelunking. “I have a really bad feeling about this,” he muttered, trudging off in acquiescence. An hour later, Selu emerged from the Hawk-bat, having eaten, sanisteamed, and generally resigned himself to meeting with the spirits that inhabited this strange planetoid. Spectre had landed the ship just outside the array of sculptures that surrounded the tower, and now Selu made his way through the stone garden toward the tower. The other four followed behind him. He had said little beyond pleasantries to them after his conversation with Milya—his focus was on figuring out what these apparitions wanted, and then leaving. The door to the temple swung open again and the glowing translucent apparitions appeared as the five spacers approached. “All right,” Selu said. “You said you wanted to talk.” “You’re healed,” Revan noted. “Yes,” Selu replied, “and I am grateful, or else we wouldn’t be here.” “The first step in your journey is complete,” Revan told him. “Soon, another will begin.” “What do you mean?” Spectre asked. “Our spirits linger here to help those who will fulfill the prophecy,” Bastila said. “That is you.” “That’s up for debate,” Spectre answered curtly. “I don’t even remember what all the prophecy said,” Cassi replied. “Spectre has a point—do we even fit the description?” “It was ‘Five from the sky, five from five places. Five there will be: A leader, warrior, healer, thinker, seer. Five young will learn from twelve old to take their new roles. They must take up the light against the long night of fear, gathering the children of the Force to refuge,’” Sarth said, then he grinned sheepishly. “Hologenic memory can be useful.” “There are five of you, who arrived here by ship,” Meetra said. “And the five places?” Cassi asked. “That’s easy enough. Where are all of you from?” the grizzled voice of Jolee asked. Selu frowned as he looked around. “Spectre was born on Kamino. Cassi is from Bakura. Milya?” “Born on Leritror. Raised on Thyrsus,” she answered succinctly, preferring not to discuss her early years too much. “And that leaves Sarth and I,” Selu added. “We’re both from Commenor. We don’t fit the prophecy.” “But weren’t you raised on Coruscant at the Jedi Temple from infancy?” Cassi interjected. “Technically,” Selu said through grated teeth. “That’s skirting the line, though.” “Interpretation is key,” Revan told him. “You all came from different backgrounds and were brought together, yes?” “Yes,” Selu admitted begrudgingly. “What about those roles?” Cassi asked. “Those are the roles you will take up,” Revan said. “You may not fit them now.” “One other thing,” Selu pointed out. “The prophecy talks about twelve old. I only count eleven of you.” “The twelfth betrayed us long ago,” Meetra spoke up. “Her name was Kreia and her example serves as a lesson against the dangers of the dark side.” “Another stretch,” Selu remarked. “You can argue against interpretation; it changes nothing. The Force chose you,” Revan answered. “It brought the five of you here—the first travelers we’ve seen in thousands of years. The prophecy is real, and you are the ones to fulfill it.” “How could we do that?” Sarth asked. “Your prophecy talked about taking up the light against the night, and gathering children to a refuge. What does that mean?” “Not here,” Revan answered cryptically. “Follow us to the roof, and we will explain.” Selu and the others exchanged sidelong glances, but finally Milya shrugged. “There’s nothing that creepy up there,” she said. “Just a glowing crystal.” “Fine,” Selu replied unhappily. “I still don’t like this.” They made their way up the stairs to the roof of the tower. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the central armature that held the luminescent blue crystal. “You brought us here before,” Cassi pointed out. “Why?” “The crystal holds the key to unlocking your new roles,” Revan’s apparition explained. Selu nudged Milya. “That’s not just a glowing crystal,” he warned her softly. “What is it?” she asked. “It’s immensely strong in the Force,” Selu told her. “How does the crystal help with that?” Spectre asked. “This is the focusing crystal that we spoke of. It contains the essences of those who brought us here, seeking to communicate with us,” Meetra Surik spoke up. “Their lives are gone, absorbed into the Force, but a measure of their power remains.” “And how does that help us?” Cassi asked inquisitively. “The crystal, if accessed properly, can imbue each of you with the Force,” Revan said. “We believe that the prophecy refers to this when it speaks of taking up the light. Each of you will carry the Force.” “What exactly does that mean?” Sarth asked. “When accessed properly, this will grant each of you permanent sensitivity to the Force, and strengths in various ways to suit you. Except for Selusda,” “What about me?” asked Selu. “You already can touch the Force and have developed your strengths somewhat. For you, this crystal will amplify your abilities and connection, like a focusing array focuses a lightsaber beam into coherency,” said Revan. “Then this crystal is a capacitor for the Force,” Sarth said. “And it’s been building up charge for centuries.” “That is certainly one accurate way to think of it,” affirmed the Zabrak Jedi Bao-Dur. “Wait,” Selu said disbelievingly. “You expect me to buy that touching this rock will release a whole bunch of Force energy and make us all Jedi? What kind of knight do you think I am, that I’ll believe such a load of . . .” “Oh, a know-it-all!” chided the spirit of Jolee Bindo. “Let me tell you this, young Jedi. The Force can be stored inside places, just as much as it can center on certain people. The Jedi Temple is strong in the Force. Korriban is strong in the dark side. Inside that crystal is stored a measure of considerable Force potential, waiting to be unleashed by someone strong in the Force.” “Is this effect permanent?” Sarth asked. “Yes and no,” Jolee replied. “This whole planetoid is strong in the Force, so you’ll be able to use it with ease here. Now, once you leave, you’ll only take away with you what you brought. You won’t instantly turn into Jedi Masters, but you will be able to use the Force in areas and places you’ve already focused your mind and body on. So, if you’re really good at cooking, you’ll be able to use the Force to help you cook.” “What good would Force-enhanced cooking be?” Milya asked. “I don’t know, but it sure would taste good,” Jolee replied lightly. “Look, you’re missing the point. The Force power unleashed by activating this crystal will change your life. It will allow you to surpass all you’ve ever known in things you’re skilled at. And some things that you’re not skilled at, maybe, heh. If you’re lucky. The more Force-sensitive you were to begin with, the more you’ll retain, I suppose.” “Thanks for the dissertation,” Selu replied sarcastically. “Will we know what to do with these powers?” asked Cassi. “I’m not sure if I really want this.” “You are correct to question, Cassi,” said Mical. “Power does not come lightly, and you will not immediately know how to use it.” “So what good is it?” asked Milya. “A tool or a weapon is useless if you do not know how to use it.” “The Force is far more than a mere weapon or tool,” corrected Brianna. “If it was, it would not be so highly sought after.” “We will help where we can, but you already have one teacher,” said Revan. “Who?” asked Sarth. “He’s talking about me,” said Selu sourly. He pivoted towards Revan. “This is a lot to think about,” he told the apparition. “Prophecies and healing are one thing—but this, this seems beyond belief.” “Come with me,” Revan said abruptly. “I would speak with you—alone.” “All right,” Selu reluctantly acquiesced. The spectral form of Revan led him up to the glowing crystal. “You would discourage your companions from accessing the same power you wield,” Revan said. “Why?” “Because I have seen what damage it can cause,” Selu replied. “I never want them to know the pain and guilt that I carry.” “Yet the Force has kept you alive through every trial,” Revan pointed out. “To what end?” Selu asked. “To an end that could lead to the salvation of thousands,” Revan said. “The prophecy is true.” “Maybe it is,” Selu answered. “But that doesn’t mean I am called to fulfill it.” “Open your mind to the Force,” Revan said, recognizing Selu’s intransigence. “I would show you something.” “Just show,” Selu said. “No meddling.” “You have my word.” Selu shot a sidelong glance at the apparition but complied. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and allowed the Force to flow through him. He made no attempt to guide its currents like he would if he was using it for sensory or combat purposes, simply allowing it to guide his thoughts. He was aware of the powerful Jedi apparition’s presence standing next to him, a beacon of Force power that he hadn’t felt in an individual since standing before the Jedi Council. Nearby was the crystal, practically a nova of Force power. “What do you see?” Revan asked. “My eyelids,” Selu answered dismissively. Revan paused for several seconds and Selu felt the apparition begin twisting and manipulating strands of Force energy. “And now?” Revan asked. “Nothi—,” Selu started to say, but then suddenly he was cut off. His mind’s eye shifted, and out from the swirling darkness, an image began forming. He saw the Hawk-bat in space. The freighter was being chased by fighters, with an angular Imperial warship behind it. Green laser fire was battering the ship. At first, he thought it was a vision of their flight from Zhar, but then he realized that the gas giant was missing. “I see my ship under attack,” Selu said slowly. “Witness the future,” Revan’s voice intoned in his mind. His mind’s eye snapped to the inside of the ship, where the engine room was on fire. Sparks and fumes were obscuring it and Sarth came staggering out, coughing and gasping. The ship lurched from the hammering it was receiving. “There’s a breach,” Sarth shouted as the doors closed behind him. “We’ve got radiation leaks!” “What about hyperdrive?” Selu heard his voice shout back. “I’d have to bypass the control lines!” Sarth asked. “It’s risky!” “Do it!” Selu’s voice called. In his vision, Selu saw Milya suddenly arise from her position at a gun turret. “I’ll do it,” she told Sarth. “Cassi wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” Selu saw Sarth start to argue, Milya raise a single finger to silence him, and then the engineer nodded. Milya disappeared aft into the engine room as the ship continued to suffer from the Imperial barrage. A few minutes later, she emerged, coughing and gasping, and the blast doors sealed behind the damaged chamber. “We did it!” Selu heard his own voice shout. “Lightspeed!” Milya looked tired and faint, but she smiled as the rest of the crew cheered. In Selu’s mind’s eye, her image rippled and morphed into a new vision of her lying on her bed. She was pale and sickly, with dark circles around her eyes and a medical monitor fastened to the wall above her. Her neck was swollen and discolored. “What happened?” Selu gasped. In his vision, he saw himself standing at the entrance of Milya’s cabin next to Cassi. “How bad is it?” Selu heard himself ask Cassi. “The tumors have spread into her neck and lungs,” Cassi replied sadly. “The radiation exposure wasn’t that severe,” Spectre protested from behind them. “It should have been treatable.” “She had a tumor in her breast already,” Cassi told them. “The radiation caused it to mutate and spread aggressively. We didn’t know.” Selu watched his future self shake his head and approach Milya, kneeling at her side. “Hey there.” “Hey,” she replied, her voice a little more than a hoarse whisper. “You knew, didn’t you?” Selu asked. “But you went in there anyway. Why? Why didn’t you say anything before? That tumor was treatable.” She smiled wanly. “If you don’t have an Imperial death mark,” she said. “I didn’t have a future, Selu. Sarth and Cassi might. I didn’t have a future.” Selu squeezed her hand. “There might have been,” he said. Milya shook her head sadly. “It’s too late for might have beens.” The vision shifted again, this time to what Selu soon recognized as his parents’ house. A cadre of security officers were standing at the door way, confronting his parents. Then one of them struck his father, toppling the old man to his knees. Seconds later, they were both arrested. Before Selu could protest, the vision changed again, carrying him past that moment in time. He, Cassi, Spectre, Sarth, Jorge, and Annita were in a dimly-lit room, planning something. Their faces were somber and grim. Weapons were on the table. Just as he realized they were planning an attack, the vision shifted again. Selu realized with horror that he was now viewing the aftermath of the attack, a Commenorian roadside lined with trees. Two landspeeders were smoldering, their hulls pockmarked by many blaster shots. And all around the speeders, on the road, and the roadside were bodies. So many bodies. Many of them were wearing Imperial uniforms. Some weren’t. He nearly gagged as he saw a tousled heap of blonde hair. Cassi was dead, a peaceful expression on her lifeless face, curled up around a blaster wound in her gut. He saw Sarth leading his mother Lena past the lifeless corpse of his father. He saw Jorge and Annita sprawled out on the roadside, while Spectre’s armored form was surrounded by Imperial bodies. Then Selu looked up and saw himself, and what he saw shocked him. The man facing him was hardened, with smoldering rage in his eyes. The pain and grief that Selu expected to see was missing, replaced by a wrathful, vengeance-consumed expression. The vision transformed itself once again. He saw Sarth and Lena on a grimy urban world. Sarth was working on some piece of machinery while an angry Klatooinan berated him. Lena was attempting to sweep the floor. The Klatooinan was clearly in charge of them and they were being treated poorly. The miserable expressions on their faces showed that they had no power to resist. Lena’s face showed a bruise, likely from being struck and both of them were haggard, poorly-clothed and unkempt. Whatever had befallen them in the aftermath of the disastrous battle had clearly led to a wretched existence. The vision altered one last time, showing Selu a barren wasteland. A dark, cloud-filled sky bore down angrily on a lone figure. Lightning flickered in the clouds while thunder rippled. As Selu’s mind’s eye drew near, he saw the figure was ragged and miserable. Wind tugged at his torn clothes and the figure dropped to his knees, screaming a shocking, feral cry of pain and grief and anger. Selu barely recognized it as his voice. Energy shot from the man’s hands and rocks whirled around him as his future self’s grief and anger manifested itself through the Force. He saw that when the future Selu had screamed until he was hoarse, he picked himself and continued wandering across the desert until he reached a cliff, where, with one final scream, he threw himself off. “No!” Selu shouted, wresting away his connection from the Force. He glared at Revan furiously as his mind returned to the present. His chest was heaving—the vision had clearly upset him. He jabbed a finger at Revan. “The future is in motion,” he snapped. “Don’t try and trick me into acting based on something that might happen.” “That is a possible future, yes,” Revan answered. “But it is also the most likely if you do not act.” “No,” Selu said angrily. “I refuse to believe that. That can’t be true. That’s . . . impossible.” “Is it?” Revan asked him fiercely. “You and your companions are criminals in the eyes of the galactic government. The warship you escaped from may not learn your identities easily, but those that hunt you have many resources. They will find you and they will hunt you wherever you go. Even if Milya does not die saving the ship, a price will be paid. Either she will be unable to receive treatment, or you will be forced to sell everything to pay for it on a lawless world far from Imperial eyes. Eventually, the Empire will punish your parents for your escape—and any attempt to rescue them will only result in a slaughter, but they will die if you do not.” Revan looked at Selu with great certainty. “If you walk away from your destiny, the others the prophecy spoke of may find a way to survive the current darkness—but you will not.” Selu realized with horror that Revan was right. Even discounting the vision, the Empire would pursue them. The Imperial warship that had captured them would have sensor records, possibly even holo-recordings. If Milya was already diseased, then her life was in danger, danger compounded by the fact that they were now known criminals. And Selu knew that the Empire would logically go after his and Sarth’s parents. It wouldn’t be immediate, but they would get there eventually. “So I really don’t have a choice,” Selu said. “There is always a choice,” Revan answered. “No matter what you choose, though, your life as you knew it is over.” Selu looked back at his crewmates, who were looking at him with obvious concern. “Give me a moment with Milya,” he said. “Alone.” Revan nodded and faded away. “Milya, can you come here please?” Selu asked her. She dutifully approached. “What is it?” she asked him. “What happened?” “I want you to tell me the truth,” Selu told her. “Do you have a tumor growing inside you?” She froze, caught completely off-guard by the question. “The truth, Milya,” Selu repeated. Her eyes dropped. “I found it a month ago,” she said. “Right after that failed run to Abridon.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” Selu asked. “We were low on funds,” she replied. “I did some research—treatment would’ve been expensive and time-consuming—time and money we didn’t have. And still don’t have.” “We would have made it work,” Selu told her. “How did you know?” she asked him. “We’ll talk about it later,” he answered gently. “Go wait with the others.” Selu turned back to the crystal. “All right,” he called. “Let’s hear the other side of the story.” Revan’s apparition materialized again. “What do you wish to know?” “You said that was a future where we refused your prophecy. What’s the alternative?” “There are many possible outcomes,” Revan answered. “Don’t go evasive on me,” Selu warned him. “That didn’t stop you from showing me that little horror show earlier.” Revan nodded. “There are other groups of Force-users in the galaxy besides the Jedi and the Sith,” he said. “If you choose to fulfill the prophecy, you will bring several of those groups together in a refuge, hidden from prying eyes, and begin a new life there.” “That’s hardly a guarantee,” Selu said. “One, we’ve never even met any of these people. Persuading them to start a new life with a bunch of strangers on a strange world wouldn’t be easy. And it’s also no guarantee of safety. The Empire would destroy any refuge of Force-users they found.” “It is a difficult task,” Revan succeeded. “Yet if you succeed, you will preserve a hidden hope for the galaxy in these dark times, a last bastion of the light against the growing evil of the Sith.” “And if we fail?” Selu asked. “Then at least you will have failed while serving others,” Revan replied. “But I believe you and your companions will succeed.” “And why is that?” “Because the Force brought you here to fulfill the prophecy, and it is real.” Selu sighed. As much as he wanted to cast doubt on Revan’s words, he knew that the ancient Jedi Master spoke truth. He sensed no deception in the apparition, and having gone through the thought process of returning to known space, he knew that Revan at least was correct: his life as a smuggler was over. It had died the day they had been forced to fight their way out of an Imperial warship’s docking bay. “All right,” he said. “You’ve made your point. But why bring my crew into this? This seems like a job for a Jedi.” “All of you will be needed,” Revan informed him. “It is the only way.” “Then you’re going to have to persuade them,” Selu replied. “Summon them,” Revan said. Selu beckoned his shipmates over. The other ten Force ghosts shimmered into view, circling the crystal. “What’s going on?” Milya asked. “I’ve . . . seen some things with the Force,” Selu told them slowly. “Things that have left me with plenty to think about.” “That’s . . . vague,” Spectre answered. “Can you elaborate?” “We all know that I’ve wanted off this rock as quickly as possible,” Selu answered. “To return back to our old life. What Revan showed me is that that life is already gone.” “What do you mean?” Cassi asked. “We’re known criminals now,” Selu said. “The Empire, bounty hunters, local authorities—we’ll be hunted. It won’t take them long to match my face to my real identity, and they already know who you are, Spectre. It won’t take much to link us to Sarth and our parents. Cassi, you and Milya might be able to get away, but only if you start new lives immediately.” “I already knew that,” Milya said. “And I’m not leaving. I’ve been on the run before.” “Not like this,” Selu warned her. “It’s one thing to hide from mercenaries. Running from the Empire is a different matter.” “What do we do?” Cassi asked. Selu turned toward Revan. “Revan thinks there’s an alternative,” he said. “It’s related to the prophecy he mentioned. Judge for yourselves whether or not you believe him.” The ghost of Revan floated forward. “The prophecy speaks of five who will take up the light and gather the children of the Force to a refuge,” Revan said. “We believe that you are the five, and that your destiny is to receive the power of the Force. Together, you will use that power to bring groups of Force-users to a world where they will be safe from the darkness sweeping over the galaxy.” “Again, in Basic?” Spectre asked skeptically. “What other Force-users are you talking about? Jedi?” “There are other groups out there in the galaxy who use the Force besides the Jedi,” Selu said. “Stands to reason the Empire would want to wipe them out.” “And you think we’re the ones to save them?” Milya asked. “How?” “The Force will empower you in ways you do not expect, Milya,” Meetra Surik told her. “Have faith.” “I make no promises that this path will be easy,” Revan said. “But you will have a chance to save thousands—and make new lives for yourselves on another world. What do you say?” “That’s a lot to ask,” Spectre replied. “You’re asking us to accept whatever power you think this crystal can give and then devote our lives to some strange quest?” “I am asking you to accept a destiny greater than yourselves,” Revan answered. “You have a chance to change the galaxy.” “You believe all of this, Selu?” Sarth asked his brother. “I believe that our old lives are gone,” Selu said. “It doesn’t take much logic to figure that out. Beyond that . . . I don’t know. What Revan’s talking about may be our best chance, though.” “There’s an awful lot hinging on that best chance,” Spectre pointed out. Selu turned back to Revan. “We’re going to need some time to think this over,” he said. “You have a day,” Revan told him. “I don’t think that’s yours to dictate,” Selu countered. Revan matched his determined gaze. “Time runs short, Selu,” he said. “Your companions will need time to learn how to use the Force if they accept their destiny. Every day you delay is a day of training lost, a day that weakens them from their future missions. Consider the cost of inaction against your own survival.” Selu’s throat was suddenly much drier. “Well,” he said. “I guess we’ll meet back here tomorrow.”