Inside the main war room aboard the Republic assault cruiser, the most senior members of the Jedi temple stood around the central projection table. Volik rotated in the center of the display, a green and blue sphere marked with terrain overlays and orbital schematics. Surrounding it were data streams translated from the transponder signature of Collan Eislo's flagship. The signal was traced directly to Volik.
Mace Windu was the first to speak. "Volik. Located deep in the Unknown Regions. We have little cartographic data and no formal records of civilization."
Shaak Ti studied the planetary readouts. "But the few survey reports that exist describe it as lush. Unspoiled. Forests, freshwater seas, and natural structures unlike any seen on known worlds."
Eeth Koth folded his arms. "A perfect place to hide something."
Cin Drallig nodded. "The transponder was clear. The Oberon is there."
Fay narrowed her eyes on the projection. "He didn't choose it for beauty. He chose it because that is where the Holocron led him. If he succeeds in whatever ritual he is doing, Darth Nihilus will return."
The table fell silent for a moment.
Mace turned to her. "What exactly can we expect when we arrive?"
"Heavy resistance," said Eeth Koth. "If Eislo has the Oberon he will have numerous resources, the moment we arrive we will be in a direct engagement. If that occurs, the cruiser will not last in prolonged combat."
Mace nodded. "If our cruiser draws their fire, we'll need to enter the drop ships immediately. No matter what happens to the ship, we continue on foot."
"Nothing must distract us from Eislo," said Yoda. "The ritual, stop we must. Delay, and all lost will be."
Shaak Ti's voice sharpened. "If Darth Nihilus returns, we face a threat we are not prepared for."
Cin Drallig looked to the others. "His feeding can kill every Jedi on a planet. What do we do if he manifests fully?"
Master Fay stepped forward. "We have studied that question. Myself, Master Yoda, and Master Nu believe we may have found a temporary answer."
She closed her eyes and raised her hands.
The Force condensed around her.
The air thickened. Light burst from her skin in slow pulses. It was not blinding, but bright enough for everyone to wince. A ring of white-gold encircled her, holding for several seconds before fading.
"The Force," she said, opening her eyes. "Drawn around the body and condensed into a protective layer and anchored to the self. It does not repel the drain. But it appears to delay it, before the drain starts to truly affect you."
Shaak Ti stepped forward. "And you believe this technique can be taught to everyone? Even the Padawans?"
"I believe it can," Fay said. "It will not grant immunity. But it may allow one Jedi to resist the drain long enough to either escape or distract Nihilus so that others may strike."
Mace Windu glanced at Yoda.
Yoda closed his eyes and nodded once. "True, it is. Risk, there is. But hope also."
Mace looked at each master in the room. "Then the remainder of this journey will be used to instruct every Jedi on this technique. Whether it works or not, we go prepared. If Nihilus awakens, we strike as one."
Cin Drallig gave a firm nod. "We will teach it quickly."
Eeth Koth stepped forward. "We'll master it before we reach orbit."
Shaak Ti placed her hand on the console. "He must not rise. Not again."
Master Windu looked around the table.
Every master nodded.
"Then this session is adjourned," Master Windu said. After which every master started to file out of the room. All except one.
Master Fay stayed inside the room, her eyes gazing up to one of the ventilation shafts that ran across the room. "You can come out now," she said loudly. Master Fay kept her gaze fixed on the upper ventilation shaft. The metal grille quivered slightly, then fell open with a soft clatter. A second later, three young figures dropped from the ceiling one after the other and landed on the floor in silence.
Scout landed lightly and stepped back in embarrassment, her shoulders hunched slightly as she tried to disappear into the background. Aubrie caught herself with one hand and straightened up quickly, brushing her robes as if to look presentable. Zule landed last, her arms already crossed before her boots even touched the ground. She said nothing and looked at Master Fay without shame or hesitation.
Master Fay slowly turned to face them fully. She folded her hands in front of her and tilted her head. "You could have asked to sit in. If you had, I would have let you. There was no need for this."
Scout rubbed the back of her neck and offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Master Fay. We didn't mean any harm."
Aubrie stepped forward with a sincere look on her face. "I only wanted to know if there was any word about Jaden. We've all been worried."
Scout nodded immediately. "That's why we came. We didn't mean to intrude."
Zule remained where she was. She didn't nod or look away. Her arms stayed crossed as she spoke. "I didn't come to listen to Council talk. I came to hear whether he's still alive."
Master Fay's expression softened slightly. "I understand," she said. "I am worried about Jaden as well. We all are. But fear helps no one. Have hope. He is not lost yet."
Zule's eyes narrowed. "Hope doesn't tell us where he is."
Master Fay exhaled quietly. "No. It doesn't..."
"When exactly will we arrive on planet Volik?" Zule asked impatiently.
Master Fay sighed. "The Unknown Regions are chaotic. There are gravitational anomalies, unexplained currents in hyperspace, and gaps in our mapping data. Our astrogation team has to recalculate with nearly every jump. We do not know exactly when we'll reach Volik. We must continue adjusting course to remain on trajectory."
Zule's lips tightened. "So even getting there is a guessing game."
"A dangerous one," Fay said. "It's why the unknown regions are just that."
Zule's arms remained crossed but her shoulders had stiffened. She didn't speak again.
Fay took a step closer. "The others have gone to prepare. And so should you. That technique you just saw... it may be the only thing that stands between you and death, should Nihilus return."
Aubrie straightened, and nodded eagerly. "We're ready. Please teach us."
Scout stepped forward too. "We'll learn it. Whatever it takes."
Even Zule gave a small nod, though she didn't speak.
"Then let us begin," Master Fay said. She gestured toward the open corridor. "The meditation chambers will give us quiet. Follow me."
___________________________
Jaden opened his eyes as he looked to Padmè again attempting to get out of the cell. He didn't know how many times she'd attempted to do so, but he had already healed most of his critical injuries and she was still going. The broken bones would take a lot longer to heal, but Jaden was able to force them into place and hold them together with the force—a little trick he learnt on Jabiim.
"EAHH!" Padmè grunted as she once again tried to hit the stone door open. Something Jaden knew to be a useless endeavour; these walls were strong, but not just that, whatever Sith sorcery were carved into the walls stopped him from effectively using the force. While he could focus it internally whenever he tried to interact with the environment he felt his control get zapped away, or perhaps drained.
Either way they wouldn't be getting out of here.
"Jaden you can't just give up!" Padmè cried out. "There are people that need us, if what Collan says is really true then he will truly be a threat to everyone..."
"I tried to stop him Padmè," Jaden said in a quiet voice. "I gave it my everything and I failed..."
"That doesn't mean you should give up!" Padmè said as she came to kneel next to him putting her hands on his knees. "We can stop him I know we can, there has to be others coming I can feel it."
No one else was coming; Jaden destroyed the ship and that's where the signal was coming from. And it wasn't like the prisoners he rescued were going to come in armed to the teeth to fight for him. They wouldn't even fight for themselves if they had to.
Jaden didn't say anything more. His eyes remained fixed on the floor, his body half-slumped against the wall. The strain of holding his shattered bones in place with the Force was beginning to wear on him, he'd already exhausted his mind so continuing to use the force was difficult.. Every moment spent focusing was a moment further drained.
He glanced toward Padmè. She was still pounding at the door. The skin on her knuckles had reddened, and her shoulder movements had become slower and stiffer with every attempt. Jaden had stopped counting how many times she tried. It wasn't just physical determination. He saw it in her expression—she had to do something, even if it was pointless. He admired that part of her. It reminded him of how she had taken his case despite everyone who was against it. She'd done it because she truly believed in the right thing to do.
Such people were rare in the galaxy.
"EAHH!" she cried out again, slamming her shoulder into the frame. The stone didn't even creak. Her breath came in short bursts, her forehead damp with sweat.
They weren't getting out. Not unless someone opened the door from the other side. And no one was going to do that.
Padmè gave a final half-hearted punch to the door before pulling back with a sigh. She stepped to the corner of the room, picked up the water flask they had been left with, and drank deeply. Then she sat, cross-legged, her breath steadying again. For several minutes, she said nothing. Then she looked over at him. "How are the others?" she asked softly. "Did... did everyone get off the Eternal Horizon alright?"
The question hit him harder than he expected. Jaden's hands curled slightly, and he stared ahead for a moment without blinking. His throat felt tight. The words came, but they scraped on the way out.
"Most of us did," he said.
Padmè's head tilted. Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Jaden looked away. He didn't want to say it. He couldn't say it without reliving the moment. He hoped he'd never have to speak about it again yet he knew that Padmè wouldn't drop the subject.
"Velea," he said. "She didn't make it."
Padmè froze. Her lips parted slightly. "No," she said. "No, that's not... how?"
Jaden's jaw clenched. He could still see it, like a recording on loop. Her fingers on the hatch. Her eyes through the glass. His hand pounding against it.
"It was Vaylin," he said. "She was the Sith Lord who was hunting me in the undercity. The one who attacked us during the escape. The one who was always just out of reach."
Padmè blinked slowly. "Vaylin? That's not possible. She... she was my assistant. She's—"
"It was her," Jaden insisted. "It was her. I didn't see it until it was too late. She waited for the right moment. Someone had rigged the ship's power system to overload. Velea and I went to fix it. We were in the core chamber. Then Vaylin showed up. I tried to fight her off but I couldn't do both. I couldn't stop her and help Velea."
Padmè listened, but she looked like she wanted to disappear.
"Velea had to go into the reactor core manually. The hatch sealed behind her to contain the radiation. She knew it would kill her, and she did it anyway."
Padmè covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm so sorry, Jaden," she whispered, and without thinking, she scooted closer and wrapped her arms gently around his side. "I'm so, so sorry."
He didn't respond right away. His hand twitched once, and for a second he looked like he might push her away. But he didn't. He let her hold him. They sat that way for a while. Then Padmè pulled back slightly, though she didn't move far.
"What happened to Vaylin?" she asked.
Jaden stared at the door. "I found her," he said. "She was sent to Republic prison. I went there to kill her. I was sure she was working with Eislo."
Padmè's eyes widened. She leaned back a little, searching his face.
"I didn't kill her," he said quickly. "When I found her, I discovered... it's not that simple. Her mind had been tampered with. Warped. Whatever person did it, they created a second self—another identity. The Vaylin you know is real. That's who she is. But she's sharing her body with a Sith Lord."
Padmè stared at him in disbelief. "That's..."
"I didn't want to believe it either," Jaden said. "But I've seen it. First hand. Her mind has been broken, split in two."
Padmè looked down. She didn't speak right away. She looked like she was trying to piece together everything she had heard. Vaylin, who had served her loyally. Vaylin, who had brought her coffee and held her datapad and checked her calendar. Vaylin, who was one of the sweetest kindest people, she held such a weight on her shoulders.
Their conversation was interrupted when a low hiss echoed through the cell. The stone door, unmoved for days, shifted slightly and began to grind open. The mechanisms behind it groaned to life. Dust fell from the seams. A sliver of light bled through the crack. The moment that it opened a person stepped through, though neither Jaden nor Padmè could see their faces as their hood hid their identity.
"The ritual is almost ready, Lord Eislo wishes for you to be present, to witness him ascend," they said while pointing at Padmè.
"I'm not interested in anything to do with that psycho!" Padmè spat out, her fists clenched so tightly that her palms nearly bled.
"It was not an offer," they said before gesturing to some guards who came inside and lifted her up, all while another guard had a rifle trained on Jaden.
"Let go of me! Let go!" Padmè screamed as she fought their grip, but she was unable to fight back and she was dragged out of the cell while Jaden watched.
He felt the slight stirring of his anger return, though with his numerous injuries and the cell draining whatever force he could use; he was helpless to do anything. The moment Padmè was dragged through the door, her screams still echoing down the corridor, the man in the cloak turned back toward Jaden. The light from the hallway caught the edge of his cowl, but his face remained in shadow. He stood there for a moment, quiet, the hem of his robes swaying gently as if stirred by the wind. Then he laughed.
"So," he said, "has Lord Eislo broken your spirit now, as thoroughly as he has broken your body?"
Jaden didn't reply. He didn't even look at him. He just sat there, his legs folded, his back pressed against the cold stone. There was no point in speaking. The man stepped closer, as he did Jaden could see the smile etched across his face. "You Jedi never learn," he said. "Always clinging to the past. Always worshipping a force that never cared for you."
He took another step. His hand drifted down to his belt.
"But that time is over. The age of prophecy, the age of chosen ones, of balance and imbalance, that is finished. The Force will no longer pick its favorites. We will pick. This is our era now. Those strong enough to seize power will wield it. No more temples. No more councils. Only will."
Jaden remained still. The anger and annoyance within him started to grow, his fists started to clench.
The man nodded as if satisfied with Jaden's silence.
"Collan wanted you to witness his ascension," the man said. "He thought it poetic. You would see the future unfold and then duel you again with his new power. But I can't risk you interfering. We're too close. And you're too dangerous."
He reached down and unclipped his lightsaber. A crimson blade burst to life with a snap-hiss. The red glow lit up the dark folds of his hood and revealed a young face marked with tattoos—symbols Jaden didn't recognize.
The man stepped forward and thrust the blade toward Jaden's chest.
(AN: Cliffhanger 👍🏻)
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