Star Wars: Secret of The Force

Chapter 27

"YOU DID WHAT!?" Kara yelled. We were already flying through space when I told her about Lena and what I had done. Kara must have assumed the kid was in her cabin, still angry and upset with me. I had hoped she wouldn't be this angry when I told her, but no such luck. "I gave her back to the Rebellion" I repeated. "She's safer with them than she is with us... Senator Organa will take care of her if she's not allowed to rejoin" I explained. It was the first time I had mentioned the Senator's name. "Organa as in Bail Organa?" Kara asked. She was more curious than angry now. I nodded. "Yes, Bail Organa. He runs the Rebellion in secret" I said. I hadn't had much of a chance to learn a great deal about the senator's operation, but I could tell he was playing the long game, and he was organised. He was also relying on stealth for his operations, clearly there were no plans to reveal his forces unless he had to. "Czar you should have discussed this with me..." she said. I sighed. "What would have been different? Have you forgot that we're fighting Inquisitors who hunt and kill Jedi and Force Sensitives!?" I asked. Kara shook her head. "No, I haven't, and I admire that you did what you thought was best, but that girl needed you!" Kara said. I sighed. "Kara the whole galaxy needs me, but I'm not a Jedi anymore, I'm just a guy with a Lightsaber and some force powers doing one last job... one last mission so that my Master didn't die in vain!" I said. Kara sighed. "All she knows is a few basic sword fighting moves and how to lift some objects! You could have given her a bit more than that!" she said. I nodded. "She wanted to be a Jedi for revenge Kara, I wasn't going to teach her that" I said. Kara nodded, and sighed in acceptance. I knew that she had much more to add, but she must have decided it wasn't worth pushing. "So what do we do with the Holocron? Destroy it or hide it?" she asked. "We hide it, somewhere The Empire can never hope to find it" I said. Kara simply raised an eyebrow. "Like?" she asked. I thought it through. "I know of one place, Borund Kass. It's a world strong with force energy, its just flooded with strong winds and constant Lightning storms on one side, and bright light on the other." I explained this knowing that the world held its own dangers. "So, we're heading there?" she asked. I nodded. "With all haste, hopefully, the planet will be in a forgiving mood" I said, trying to make light of the situation. I knew this trip would be anything but. Borudun Kass was a very dangerous world, and as seemed to fit my luck, The Force was leading me there as if it was all just a silly childish game. I was really starting to regret my decision to see this through. Perhaps I should have left the cursed Holocron with Ahsoka and Lena. They'd have been more equipped to hide it.

Arriving on Borund Kass was simple enough. The normal storms weren't as strong as always, and I was grateful for that as I wandered through the wilderness. As I kept moving, Kara spoke to me through my Commlink. "So, what exactly are you looking for? I know you said this was the best place to hide the Holocron, but where exactly?" she asked. I smiled. "There are some old temples, long forgotten, some historians believed they predated even the Jedi" I said. kara seemed interested. "Oh, so the Holocron is going from one derelict temple to another... is that wise?" she asked. I didn't let my own doubts creep into my voice. "The Empire were already in the vaults, they just couldn't open the holocrons, yet. Here, there's a chance that they nor anyone else may ever find it!" I explained. My friend's reply wasn't instant, or quick. "What if that Holocron could help you finish what your master began? It could help people..." she said. I had also considered that. "The risks are too great, if the Empire get it, I don't know what they could do with such power, but it still wouldn't be good!" Kara accepted the explanation. "Ok, well, I'll keep on monitoring Imperial frequencies. There's something else, while we were on Tython, Godar contacted me. The Empire have completely occupied Raxxaann and are killing people at random for the smallest offences!" I clenched my fist. "Another Inquisitor?" I asked. The fear in her voice told me no. "Not an Inquisitor, apparently this is something worse, something darker. I don't know what, but I'll bet this is to lure you back! Godar, Brody, and as many as could get away are now in hiding. Czar, they need you..." she said. I sighed. "We'll go back for them, as soon as the Holocron is hidden, and I know some people who will be willing to help us!" I said. "Alright, be careful down there" Kara said, and the transmission ended. I kept moving, avoiding fights with the local wildlife wherever I could. I was troubled by what Kara had said about Raxxaann and the situation there. The last thing I wanted or needed was to return and make things worse there. I spent time considering who, or more likely what, could be worse than Inquisitors. There were a few things that were obvious, Sith being the highest on that list. I expelled the thoughts from my mind. There would be time for that later. I looked around the rockly, vracked terrain. The world hadn't been through wars, but mining for Kyber crystals had left many parts of the world almost venting to space. The Jedi, who at the time had discovered the planet, quickly stepped in to allow the world time to heal. I saw the result of that now. It would many thousands of years more for the world to finish healing. There were still many Kyber crystals here, a deposit that could even rival Illum. I allowed myself several moments to take in the beauty, and the pain, before continuing. Eventually, I found one of the smaller temples. "I may need to go through, but this isn't where I am supposed to hide it" I said to myself and sighed. I went inside, and deciding I needed it, went and started to meditate. I had no idea how long as I had been fixed in the trance, when I heard a voice. A familiar voice. "Proud are you Padawan? Hmm? Even now, sense your troubles I can..." I almost jolted to my feet. "Master Yoda!" I said, looking around. The wise old Jedi, or at least I assumed it to be him, laughed. "Look with your eyes you should not, quiet your mind you must. Already, forgotten all of your own training, have you?" he asked. I sighed and decided to be honest. "I feel more conflicted than I ever have before Master... I am not sure that the force meant for me to be a Jedi" I explained. "Not a Jedi?" he asked. I sighed. "No... I turned away an apprentice, I refused to train her... she had too much darkness in her; she only wanted to be a Jedi for revenge on the Empire!" I explained. "The correct choice you believe you have made?" Yoda asked. "I don't know, I've lost my way and no longer have faith in the Jedi teachings, yet I still continue to act like one" I answered. "Conflicted you are, natural this is... yet more you seek?" Yoda asked. I sighed. "I seek your wisdom, and your advice, am I walking down the right path?" I finally asked the question that had troubled me for years. I imagined Yoda chuckling. "An easy question to answer you believe this to be? All Jedi struggle with doubts Padawan, an essential part of our journey they are. Without them, a Jedi you would not be..." Yoda explained. I sighed. "Then I am supposed to be a Jedi?" I asked. As usual, the Jedi Master's response was a riddle. "Believe yourself a Jedi you must... only then, your answer will you have!" he said. "How?" I asked. "Look within yourself you must, train yourself to face your challenges you should. Ready to be a Jedi are you?" I thought it over. "I don't know Master, I don't believe I am, but there is no one else to tell me if I deserve the title..." I said. Yoda's voice filled with kindness. "Approval you do not need padawan, a Jedi, you will be!" he said. With that, the voice faded, and I stayed deep in my meditation. I hadn't been made a Knight, and I felt more conflicted than I ever had. At the same time, I felt sure of myself. Perhaps I was just more certain that I was doing the right thing. I slowly released myself from my meditation. I stood, checked my Commlink, and discovered I hadn't missed anything from Kara. She must have known this mission would take a while. I wished I knew for sure what I was doing. Logically, leaving the Holocron here would keep it safe from the Empire. I got up, stretched, and started moving again. It wasn't going to be a short journey to get to the Temple, nor to get in, but I had come this far, there was no sense in turning back now. I didn't want Kara to think of me as a coward if I returned without seeing this through. As I made my journey, Master Yoda's words kept haunting me, and I had no way of stopping them from doing so. All I could do was what I had done, keep walking towards the Temple, hide the Holocron and disappear!