Clouded by the Dark Side

Chapter 33 - Mortis

Anakin Skywalker

"Rex? Rex, do you read me?" I call. Where are they? I don't see the ships, though they should be here already. "We're at the rendezvous point awaiting your arrival. Where are you?"

"Sir, we're at the rendezvous point and there's no sign of you on our scanners." His voice crackles over the communicator.

"What?!" exclaims Aniya, looking like she's not certain whether to be amused or worried.

"Oh, come on. That's impossible!" I cry, "Something's wrong,"

"We're at the exact coordinates where the distress signal originated, but there's nothing here," Aniya informs the others from her place in the co-pilot seat.

"And Rex is at the exact same coordinates, and he's not here," I finish, both confused and frustrated. What in the galaxy is going on here?

"This is getting interested," muses Obi-Wan.

"Interesting to say the least!" exclaims Alema, who looks almost exasperated. "Seriously, how is this even possible?!"

"It's not possible," I supply.

"Unable to find you. Where are you, sir?" asks Rex. The hologram flickers, suddenly disappearing.

"Something's blocking the signal," Ahsoka worries. Just then, the power to the ship promptly shuts off. There is a strange ripple in the Force which I don't understand, either. Something is happening, or rather, is about to happen. Everything seems tense, and energy seems to be gathering around us and the ship unexplainably.

"Something is very wrong here," mutters Aniya as the two of us began flipping controls, trying in vain to get the power to the ship to come back on. Nothing happens.

"Not good," Obi-Wan murmurs.

"Everything's dead. Even the life support," Ahsoka realizes, checking some controls on the side of the ship.

That's when I make out a strange, glowing light in front of us, slowly splitting apart the darkness of space. "This is really strange," I mutter.

All at once, the power to the ship suddenly flashes to life again. "There. See? Nothing to be concerned about after all," I decide.

"You sure about that?" counters Alema, eyeing the strange light outside the window which is continuing to grow. The Force is flowing strangely around it, almost like it's drawing us and the ship towards it. It reminds me vaguely of a black hole, pulling in everything surrounding it.

"It's pulling us towards it," Aniya remarks worriedly.

"Everyone, strap yourselves in!" advises Obi-Wan. "Looks as though we're going for a ride." We're being drawn towards it faster and faster, the brilliant white light finally completely encompassing the ship.

The next thing I know, I'm blinking awake, and push myself up from the control panel. Glancing up, the ship is suddenly on the surface of a planet, though I know I never landed it. Nor did I see us approaching a planet. "I must have blacked out," I conclude at my lapse in memory. The next thing that filters in – it was actually the first, but only now do I register it – the Force feels... different. Too concentrated. It feels as though I am a vessel to the Force itself, only waiting to do as it tells me. It's like my battle mode, except I'm more... in control. And I feel it without even having to try.

"Then who landed the shuttle?" queries Obi-Wan from behind me.

"All I know is that it wasn't me," supplies Aniya, sitting up slowly and looking around in confusion.

"It wasn't me, either," Ahsoka agrees, equally confused.

"Or me," concurs Alema, "And what kind of place is this, anyway?"