Fallen Not Forgotten (Adventures!AU Book 6)

Ch 9. Realm Reveal: ARC Edition

Fives and Echo think they're prepared for the truth about Shadow's origins. They are very mistaken.

Wordcount: 4.4k

Rating: Teen 15+ (Themes of death/war, language, O66 indirect mentions)

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"So," I began, resting my ankle on my knee and leaning back against the table as I faced the pair of ARCs. "You two already know I'm a Realm Walker."

"Yeah?" Fives said. "I mean, I know some others may have been shocked, but we've met another Realm Walker before. On the-"

"Rishi Moon Base," I finished.

Echo tilted his head. "The commander tell you?"

I laughed softly and shook my head. "Not exactly." I turned to Tech as I stood. "Have that footage from LoSa?"

Preoccupied with his salad construction, he just nodded and pointed inside where it sat atop the pool table without looking up at me.

Extending my hand, I hovered it out to me and pulled up the recording. My eyes lingered on the screen, an ember of dread flickering to life in my gut as my finger ghosted over myself.

If the Jedi Council somehow got a hold of this, what other parties had? Sith? Bounty Hunters? Others? Were they looking for me this very moment, wanting to get the likes of a Realm Walker on their side? Not that I'd ditch my boys, but that was just it. How long until I brought trouble to my boys because I'd been so careless as to not dismantle any cameras before cutting loose and letting my abilities show?

How long until Palpatine himself got his grubby little mitts on this footage?

"Shadow?" Fives asked, concern filling his gaze as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "You alright?"

Noting from the corner of my eye the way Crosshair stiffened, I nodded and shrugged Fives' hand off. "Aye, just wonderin' who else got their paws on this," I sighed, handing them the datapad.

Echo took it. "What's so bad about it?"

I crossed my arms as I sat beside Crosshair. "Press play and find out."

Giving me weird looks before exchanging a glance with each other, Echo and Fives hovered over the datapad. As the footage played out, both ARCs' eyes widened and Echo covered his mouth in shock. Fives gasped, presumably at the segment where I started tossing bits of molten rock everywhere.

Tail tip twitching, I glanced at the others. Was this the reaction the Jedi Council had when viewing the footage? Was it worse? Was there anger? Horror? Concern? Did they now see me as a danger just like they saw Anakin as one? It wasn't like I was the devil incarnate, but after watching the playbacks a few times I could definitely see how the rather... brutal massacre could be cause for worry.

At least it was only droids guarding the Skakoan scientist. Not that I would have held back against organic guards either, they knew what they signed up for, but I had a very real concern that the Jedi Council would try to restrict me even more if they saw me tear through organics like I tore through the droids.

Surely, hopefully, the footage from inside the ship hadn't been leaked.

After the video finished, Fives handed me back the datapad. "That... that was you?"

I lifted my tail. "Known anyone else with a tail like this?"

Fives glanced at Echo. "Well, we do, actually."

Echo nodded, still a bit wide-eyed. "And it's incredible. You move just like Scar did."

"You sure you never met them?" Fives asked. "I get it may be hard to talk about since they're... gone, but we can-" He stopped as Wrecker started to snicker along with Crosshair. "Hey! What gives?"