Talon narrowed her eyes, then exhaled slowly, centering herself. She raised her hand and stretched out with the Force. Her staff wobbled for a second—then smoothly lifted into the air, hovering in place.
Jin-Woo didn't move. He simply slid his hands into his pockets and smiled quietly, watching her with the patience of a mountain.
Then came the first blow.His own bo staff—held aloft purely by telekinetic force—lashed out with speed and precision, cutting through the air like a blur.
Talon's eyes sharpened. She shifted her footing and brought her staff up defensively, guided by a fusion of Form I: Shii-Cho and Form III: Soresu. Each movement lacked polish, but the intent was pure. A staff meant to defend, not overpower.The two telekinetic staffs met in midair, sparks flashing. Jin-Woo's assault continued. His strikes were fast, almost lazy, like he wasn't trying—yet somehow still pressured Talon like she was fighting a storm. Another staff swing surged toward her head—Talon gritted her teeth, twisting her wrists mid-motion—barely deflecting the blow aimed straight for her forehead.
Then— "Elena Daru, reporting in!" a voice called playfully.
A second bo staff spun through the air. Talon turned just in time to see her sister toss it to her with a grin. "Catch that, my sister!"
Talon caught it with the Force—dual staffs now hovering, one on each side of her. "Oh, you're in trouble now," she whispered with a mischievous smile.
She attacked—one staff clashing head-on, the other darting around Jin-Woo's flank in a wide arc. It was clever. Jin-Woo's focus shifted just slightly, enough for Talon's second staff to sneak in.
But just as the blow came— Jin-Woo's own staff split in midair—clean, elegant—and the two pieces moved like extensions of his will, intercepting both of Talon's weapons with practiced ease.
A parried strike. Then another. He tilted his head, still hands in his pockets. "Close," he said quietly, "but no cigar."
Then, without so much as a twitch, Jin-Woo's bo staff split apart—five segments now hovered around him, rotating in orbit like blades circling a star. In the blink of an eye, they shot forward with unrelenting precision.
WHIP—WHIR—CLANK—CLANK—CLANK!
Talon's eyes widened as the air itself trembled. The five segments moved like living serpents—one struck low, battering her knee, the next swept her staff aside, while another grazed her temple in a whirling curve. It merely to teach. To humble. Talon slid back on her feet, breath ragged.
My master is incredible… she thought, blinking away the sting in her eyes. But that doesn't change the fact—I'm overwhelmed. What must I do?
Then she saw it. Just for a flicker—on Jin-Woo's belt, half hidden beneath his cloak—a Jedi lightsaber. Not his signature one. . A stolen blade from some fight. And something in her instincts roared to life. Without thinking, she stretched out her hand. CLIK-KSHHH! The saber snapped to life—violet light bursting forth. Talon's form shifted, eyes narrowing as she flowed into Form II: Makashi—the graceful, duelist's style. Precision. Control. Elegance. She didn't think. She moved. Each of Jin-Woo's hovering staff segments fell in pieces, clattering to the floor in perfect symmetry.
And when it ended— The tip of the green blade hovered five centimeters from Jin-Woo's neck. A bead of sweat trailed down Talon's temple. Then reality snapped back in. She gasped—eyes wide—as the saber deactivated and fell from the air.
Talon dropped to her knees, bowing her head deeply. "Forgive me, my master. I—I almost struck you. I'm ready to accept any punishment you deem fit."
For a moment, silence. Then— Clap. Clap. Clap.
Jin-Woo applauded with a faint, proud smile.
Behind him, Morgan le Fay followed with her own slow, approving clap.
Rey tilted her head, giving a rare nod. "Not bad."
Elena blinked from the sidelines, confused. "Forgive me… but what just happened? If it's her mistake, I'll take responsibility for my sister."
Morgan smiled faintly. "No mistake, Elena." She crossed one leg over the other, chin raised. "She passed the test. In battle, cheating is also a form of brilliance."
Rey, lounging nearby, let out a low hum. "Also, Talon, Elena…" she said with a teasing lilt, eyes narrowing, "if either of you ever want to kill my Jin-Woo…"
SNAP-HISS! Her blue lightsaber flared to life—and with a sharp, sudden motion, she swung it straight at Jin-Woo.
Neither Talon nor Elena had time to react. But Jin-Woo didn't even look. He raised one hand lazily, caught the saber mid-swing with his bare arm—and CRACK! The blade shattered into sparks against his skin like glass against stone.
Talon's mouth opened slightly. Elena's eyes widened, stunned. "…What…" Talon muttered. "He broke a lightsaber. With his arm."
Rey deactivated the ruined hilt and shrugged playfully. "You'll need a superweapon to put him down. Maybe one of those planet-killer ships he keeps mumbling about."
Jin-Woo glanced sideways at her, amused. "What's your beef with lightsabers , Rey? This is the second one you've shattered."
Rey winked, leaning against a nearby crate, her tone smug. "Just proving a point, my husband—that nothing can kill you."
Jin-Woo smirked faintly, his voice casual but layered with weight. "Unless the universe itself is on the brink of collapse… maybe that could be a problem. But that won't happen. This galaxy—full of Jedi fossils and leftover Sith remnants —they've never built what the Forerunners did."
He paused, gazing out toward the distant wall "They were architects of galaxies. Played with civilizations like toys. What's here… is primitive in comparison."
Morgan, seated nearby with one leg crossed, leaned back with a sly smile. "Still going on about the Forerunners, are you? Even after you killed the Didact last month, stole his Cryptum, and took the Mantle Approach for yourself?"
Jin-Woo didn't bite the tease. Instead, he smoothly shifted focus, walking over to the workbench., he placed the lightsaber parts across the surface and turned to Talon. "Now… like I promised," he said, eyes steady on her, "you get your own lightsaber."
His hand hovered over the parts, then lifted slightly. "But first—what color do you want?"
Talon stepped forward, her red skin catching the light, lekku twitching with focus. She glanced at the components, then met his gaze. "Master Jin-Woo… I think I've found how I'm going to fight," she said confidently. "I'll wield three lightsabers—my own style. Two red. One purple."
Jin-Woo exhaled faintly, unsurprised. "I knew you'd say that."
With a flick of his wrist, more lightsaber parts emerged—rising silently from his shadow like fragments of a long-buried arsenal. The array expanded across the air around her in a slow, weightless orbit.
"But…" he continued, "I'm going to increase the difficulty. This next part will define how you fight moving forward. You'll construct all three. Here. Now. Using the Force."
Talon's eyes widened slightly, but her expression remained steady.
Jin-Woo stepped back, letting the components hover freely around her.
"If you want to wield them all at once like Darth Traya, you must learn to build them as she would—through will, not fingers."
Talon closed her eyes, hands at her sides. The first hilt came together swiftly in the air—clicks of metal and crystal aligning through invisible precision. The red crystal bled power as it sank into place, humming with dark resonance. The second saber followed with equal ease, another red shard finding harmony through her natural affinity with the dark side.
But the third… the one meant for purple, refused.
The pieces resisted her pull. The crystal itself trembled in place, rejecting her. Her brow furrowed as she strained harder, trying to force it. The longer she tried, the more it slipped—until finally, with a frustrated growl, she raised her hand to destroy the entire saber.
Before she could lash out, Jin-Woo was there. His hand gently touched her shoulder—steady, grounding."Don't," he said, his tone low but calm. "You're angry… and rash. I've seen this before."
Talon's eyes burned, still glaring at the half-formed lightsaber. "I'm not angry."
He arched a brow slightly. "You're not? Then why are you upset?"
She clenched her jaw—hesitating—then slowly, the words came."…I want to be better," she admitted, barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be discarded. Like my parents did to me and my sister. I… I probably can't be like Morgan. Or Rey. They're stronger. Older. More everything."
Jin-Woo was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. "A scarred past," he murmured. "Then maybe I've been too pushy with you." He stepped in front of her now, meeting her eyes fully. His voice carried the weight of ages, calm as a quiet star. "Success. Failure. Expectations. Rejection. You keep worrying about what was… and what might be.But there's a saying. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today… is a gift. That's why it's called the present."
Talon furrowed her brow. "But… Rey said if you can't do it, just brute-force it."
Jin-Woo exhaled through his nose, a wry smile tugging at the edge of his lips. "That's her style," he said. "She also has a very troublesome EQ… no offense, Rey—since you're always experimenting with my stuff."
Rey, lounging nearby with a faint grin, raised her hand and replied playfully, "Still love the Force Buster armor. Jin-Woo, am I getting that Forerunner armor next, or what?"
, Jin-woo kept his gaze on Talon. "Rey's circumstances are… unique. Think of her as a very cheerful person who accidentally Mary Sue'd her way through the Force. I don't expect you to understand all that right now."
Talon blinked, confused by the phrasing, but stayed quiet.
Jin-Woo stepped closer and lowered his voice again, more serious this time. "Your affinity leans toward the dark side. That's not a weakness—it's a mark of how powerful you'll become when you wield it fully. But when you try to tap into the light…" He nodded toward the struggling third saber. "It clashes. That's okay. You'll get there—later."
He placed a hand gently over hers, guiding it to rest again. "Like I said… take it easy."
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
The lounge of the Defender Light Corvette was modest—military-efficient, with clean angles, soft white lighting, and enough seating for eight. The hum of hyperspace framed everything beyond the wide viewport, streaks of blue and white light bending endlessly as the ship surged toward Coruscant.
Jin-Woo sat with Morgan le Fay, both sharing a rare moment of calm. He leaned back with one hand resting on the armrest, his other idly tapping his knee. His eyes were fixed on the hypnotic blur of hyperspace outside.
Morgan sipped from a steaming cup of caf, her lips quirking. "So," she said lightly, "any surprises you might want to reveal to your second wife?"
Jin-Woo didn't turn. "If it's a surprise," he replied with a dry smile, "it wouldn't be any fun if you knew about it, would it?"
Morgan chuckled at that, but her attention shifted a moment later. Her gaze narrowed toward the far edge of the lounge—toward the soft rustle of movement.
"You," she said calmly, raising her voice slightly without looking directly. "The kid hiding back there. You might want to step out. It's rude to intrude on a private conversation."
There was a pause. Then, hesitantly, a small figure stepped into view.
It was Anakin Skywalker—barefoot, wide-eyed, still wearing the oversized tunic one of the crew had given him. His hands were clasped nervously in front of him as he approached the two with surprising seriousness. "I didn't say this before," Anakin said softly, voice a little shaky but firm, "but… thank you, Sir Jin-Woo. For rescuing me. And my mom."
Jin-Woo slowly turned from the window. His eyes met the boy's. a quiet nod. "You're welcome," he said simply.
Anakin looked down for a moment, then lifted his gaze again. There was something searching in his eyes—something old, despite his youth. "Sir Jin-Woo," he said carefully, "you know… you ignored it, but deep inside, you felt it too. I did." He took a step closer. "We're opposites. It's like… someday we'll fight each other. I don't know why. But I feel it. So why… why did you still rescue me?"
Anakin didn't know. Not yet. But Jin-Woo did. The boy standing before him was the Chosen One, the fulcrum of fate for this galaxy. And Jin-Woo… he was the invader, the anomaly, the walking contradiction. They were antithesis incarnate—destined to collide.