Silent Reckonings [Yord Fandar x OC]

Chapter 35

After a month of leading the Padawans, Elara had begun to grow accustomed to the routine. She had settled into her role as an instructor, though she still felt a pang of anxiety whenever she stood before the class. Master Norin and Master Sol were still on the hunt for clues about the Sith's whereabouts, leaving Elara and Yord to manage the training.

Today, however, was different. They had received a mission. Yord was to lead a small team to investigate disturbances on a distant planet. The team included Elara, Jecki Lon, and Tasi Lowa. They gathered in the briefing room, where Yord outlined the details of their mission.

"We've received reports of unusual activity on the planet near the outer rim. The Council believes it could be connected to the Sith we're tracking. Our objective is to investigate and report back," Yord explained, his tone steady and authoritative. "We leave in an hour. Prepare yourselves."

Elara nodded, keeping her expression neutral. She avoided Yord's gaze, knowing they had to maintain their professionalism in front of the others. As they prepared to depart, she felt a familiar tug in the Force—her father trying to communicate with her again. She pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

The journey  was uneventful, filled with routine checks and quiet conversations. Upon arrival, they immediately sensed the disturbance in the Force. The planet's surface was barren and desolate, with a dark energy lingering in the air.

They split into pairs—Yord with Tasi, and Elara with Jecki—to cover more ground. As Elara and Jecki navigated the rocky terrain, they stumbled upon a small encampment hidden within a canyon. Elara's heart raced. She signaled for Jecki to stay back and investigate.

This scene felt eerily familiar to Elara, something in her gut telling her they should leave immediately.

"Jecki, head back to the ship and stand by," Elara ordered. Jecki hesitated, wanting to stay beside Elara. "Go, now," she insisted.

Reluctantly, Jecki walked back towards the ship. Elara continued to investigate the objects scattered around the encampment, her eyes catching on something that looked like a holocron. She walked towards it, grabbed it, and stuffed it securely into her pocket.

A noise made her jump. She spun around, her senses on high alert. From the shadows emerged a dark figure, cloaked and menacing. He was tall, a man.

"Who are you?"

"You don't know me but I know your father. I can take you to him," the stranger said, his voice low and threatening.

"I don't have a father," Elara replied, her hand hovering over her lightsaber. When the cloaked man took a step towards her, she drew her weapon and ignited it. "Don't you dare take another step."

"Calm down, Jedi," the man snickered.

"What do you want?" Elara barked, her stance ready to strike. The light purple hue of her lightsaber cast eerie shadows on her face.

"He has a mission for me and for you as well. He wants me to take you—alive—to him," the man replied, picking up an object from a nearby table.

"I want nothing from him. I do not support his path," Elara said firmly.

"You really should just listen to me and surrender peacefully," the man said, drawing and igniting his own lightsaber. Elara was surprised to see it was not red, but a deep hue of purple.
" It'll be a shame for me to disgrace that pretty face of yours."

"You're the one who needs to surrender. In the name of the Galactic Republic, you are under arrest," Elara declared.

The stranger laughed, a sinister sound. "For what reason, Jedi?"

"Threatening a Jedi. Now put your weapon away and kneel down, hands behind your head," she ordered, but the man only laughed harder.

"Your father told me you'd be a tough job. Well, I guess I'll have to scar that pretty face," he sneered and charged towards Elara.

She sidestepped with ease, her lightsaber poised. "Did he trained you?" she asked, but the man didn't answer, charging again. They dueled, their lightsabers clashing violently. Elara was surprised by his strength and skill. Despite her exhaustion and pain from the month's rigorous training, she blocked his every strike.

Her moves became dirtier and more unorthodox, catching the man off guard. He didn't seem to know she liked to fight dirty.

Yord heard the sound of clashing lightsabers and quickly ran towards the source, Tasi close behind. Both of their lightsabers ignited and ready.

Yord saw Elara dueling the man, their lightsabers casting eerie purple glows. He joined the battle, and Tasi followed suit. Together, they managed to disarm the stranger, sending his lightsaber flying. He tried to summon it back with the Force, but Yord tackled him, securing stun cuffs around his wrists after a brief struggle.

They brought the prisoner back to the ship and contacted the Council, who ordered them to return to Coruscant immediately.

Elara noticed a sharp pain in her side and looked down to see blood seeping through her robes. "I'm fine," she insisted, but Yord wasn't convinced.

"You're not. Come on, let's get you patched up," he said, guiding her to her bunk. He fetched some medical supplies and began tending to her wound. The ship was small, with only two rooms for prisoners, two small rooms with bunks for the crew, a small mess hall, and the cockpit with two chairs for the pilot and co-pilot, plus two for passengers.

Elara winced as Yord cleaned the wound. "Thank you," she said softly.

Yord nodded, his expression serious. "We need you in one piece, Elara. Don't take unnecessary risks."

"I know," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain and the lingering fear from the encounter.

Yord's hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment before he stood up. "Get some rest. We'll be back on Coruscant soon." Without thinking, he planted a gentle peck on her cheek. Elara's eyes fluttered open in surprise, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she offered him a weak smile, her mind preoccupied with the pain and the uncertainties of their mission.

Yord turned and headed towards the cockpit, leaving Elara to her thoughts. As the ship hummed with the steady pulse of its engines, she closed her eyes again, hoping for a brief respite from the turmoil that had been consuming her life. The mission ahead, the shadowy figure they had encountered, and the strange sensations from the Force all weighed heavily on her mind.

Elara nodded, lying back on the bunk. As she drifted into a fitful sleep, she couldn't shake the feeling that their mission had only just begun and that the darkness they faced was far from over.