Three weeks had passed since we arrived on Tython, and every day from morning until night, the others and I trained with the masters until we dropped. The planet itself seemed to breathe with us, its Force presence wrapping around our efforts like a living thing, sometimes gentle, sometimes harsh, always demanding.
The first night set the pattern for all the nights that followed, I was beaten by Depa in our duels, my body aching, my pride wounded, my determination only growing stronger. Mace had told me that only when I could land three consecutive strikes on Depa would I have completed my training, and those words echoed in my mind with every failed attempt, every bruise, every moment of exhaustion.
The others dealt with similar struggles, each facing their own impossible task. Anakin struggled to stay still and patient with Master Plo, his naturally active nature rebelling against the enforced stillness. When he asked Master Plo what they were sitting and waiting for, Plo simply said, "For a sign," and nothing more. Anakin had a hard time learning to sit still and listen for a sign from the Force, especially for hours if not weeks at a time.
He was always an active person, always liked to be on the move, so training like this tested him in ways lightsaber combat never could. I could see the frustration building in him during those first days, the way his fingers would twitch, his jaw clench, his whole body radiating the need to do something, anything other than sit and wait.
Seris made next to no progress with Masters Kuro and Shaak Ti during those early weeks. She struggled to keep a constant barrier of the Force repelling the rain around her whole body, especially since it had to be as close to her body as her skin itself,flexible and fluid, but strong and impenetrable.
It didn't help that Kuro threw harsh comments at her along with stones at places she didn't cover in her barrier, each impact a physical reminder of her failure. The point of this training was to keep constant calm and control over oneself in the worst situation, and Seris, who always liked to act like she was the model Jedi, found herself confronting the truth that she was just as flawed as everyone else.
The masters wanted to help her know when to express herself and when to be reserved, and her barrier would reflect her emotional state, when she grew frustrated, it would flicker and fail; when she tried too hard to maintain perfect composure, it would become rigid and brittle.
Derren was learning to listen to the Force with Master Fay, and in doing this he finally found a wall he could not overcome with just natural talent. The point of this lesson was not just to listen to the Force, but also not to be swept away by it, to maintain his sense of self while repelling outside and internal negative influences.
Hence why he had to repel the rain while meditating, keeping the rain away while keeping himself planted in who he was. For someone who had always excelled at everything he tried, this challenge was particularly humbling. I watched him during those first days, saw the confusion in his eyes when his usual approach didn't work, when trying harder only made things worse.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, did something different. He would spend time between each group going back and forth, learning from the masters and helping to guide the padawans. He would spar with Mace and Depa, and they helped him refine all of his saber forms. He mainly focused on Form III and Form V the most, knowing that these two were the best opponents to help him strengthen himself.
Then after pushing himself physically, he would meditate with Fay and Plo, and this allowed him to discover a part of himself in the Force. This allowed him to reach deeper into the Force more than he had before.
He felt like he was on the cusp of discovering something, but he couldn't quite figure out what yet. Then he would test his might against Kuro and Shaak Ti, not just with the lightsaber, but in how to approach difficult situations.
What drove Obi-Wan to improve so much was seeing Anakin and me achieve so much with the other younglings. He also thought back to the fight with the Sith, he didn't know his name was Maul, but he wanted to make sure that he could be the Master Anakin needed. So Obi-Wan pushed himself to improve in the areas he was weak in and surpass Qui-Gon in the areas where his former master had failed.
Each day after training, I would sneak away in the dark to find Bo-Katan. She had stayed on the planet while sending some of the other Death Watch members to keep an eye on Kamino and Fett for any changes. I had told her about Tyranus, or Dooku, and to keep an eye on his comings and goings, while another group would head to Myrkr and secure the ysalamiri.
Every night I met Bo, I was tired and exhausted from training with the other masters, my muscles screaming, my mind foggy with fatigue. She didn't care. "Good, now you will learn our ways at your worst," she would say, her voice hard but not unkind.
"As a Mandalorian, you don't always get to dictate the condition you enter a battle in. No matter if you're tired, hungry, drunk, or even if you have to shit, always fight with your all."
Each night she would spar with me either in hand-to-hand or with vibroblades, and while doing this she would tell me about Mandalore's history. The first day was on the Mythosaurs.
"Listen well, foundling," Bo said as she swept my leg and threw me to the ground, the impact driving the air from my lungs. "
The First Mandalore and his followers conquered the planet's wilderness and defeated the native Mythosaurs. They then used their bones to build the first cities. The skull of the Mythosaur became the enduring symbol of the Mandalorian people. Now stand up, and try not to fall so quickly this time. I know I told you that you can't use the Force, but that doesn't mean you're weak."
I stood up, sweat beating down my face, my legs trembling. That was the third time she'd dropped me to the ground in as many minutes. She had told me that for our training I couldn't use the Force, which was fine, I believed I'd gotten too reliant on it the past decade.
Little did I know how hard it was to fight when exhausted and fighting against a hardened veteran. I needed to make sure when I brought the ysalamiri here, I would create an area clear of the Force for training. That way this new order of Jedi, or whatever we would be, would not be crippled should we lose our connection or ability to touch the Force for whatever reason.
The rest of the lessons throughout my time with Bo were about Mandalore the Indomitable, my ancestor Tarre Vizsla, surprisingly not much was known about him personally, only his feats and accomplishments, and Mandalore the Ultimate. I knew most of what she told me, but to intensify my lessons, she said I could only speak in Mando'a.
I started picking up the habit of cursing in Mando'a, the harsh syllables feeling natural on my tongue. Bo started slapping me over the head for every curse word I said, and there were oh so many.
"Stop cursing so much," she would say with a stern gaze that sometimes shifted to one of maternal comfort. "You must really be your mother's child. You have her mouth as much as her looks."
Now that I thought about it, Bo didn't talk about my mother Selene. She hadn't even brought up my father once either. So on the third week, I asked her the hard question. "Bo? Why don't you talk about my mom or dad? You talk about our history and my family, but nothing about my parents. So why?"
Bo's eyes narrowed in frustration at my question. She put her viroblade away and paused before she spoke. Then, taking a deep breath and sighing, she spoke.
"I haven't talked about your mother for a lot of reasons. I feel like I betrayed her and her teachings, and I was so blind to it all these years. I didn't fight with honor. I didn't even know you existed. So to speak about her, I feel like it would be a disservice to her." Bo then took out the black pearl necklace, the one I had given her to hold. "You wanted me to hold on to this until you won against me and was accepted as a true Mandalorian. But I believe you should have asked someone better than me. As for your father, I didn't know if your mother had any lovers or married in secret. So I can't tell you anything about him. I never even saw her interact with a Sephi."
I saw then, she felt guilt for everything. I understood where she was coming from. A mentor figure who taught you died and had a child you knew nothing about. Then you spent probably a decade and a half doing everything against those teachings. Every time she saw me and the necklace, it must have broken her heart.
Now she was my mentor and had to teach me our ways, the ways she'd strayed away from, and ensure I didn't do the same. "Do you know what my mother and the other True Mandalorians' goals were?" I asked.
Bo nodded, her expression distant. "She wanted to build our resources and power so we could unite Mandalore like days of old and be a force that others could look to for strength and direction. She even wanted to stop the whole mercenary business our people were known for and..." Bo paused, looking down at the black pearl necklace in her hand.
"She wanted to make Mandalore the greatest empire in the galaxy. Not as conquerors, but as warriors that guided others into being the strongest and the wisest. To lead the galaxy into a new future." Bo said this with a tear forming in her eye, which she blinked away a moment later.
"I understand. Thank you for telling me this, Bo."
Bo shook her head. "No. I should have done this a long time ago, so it's the least I can do. Let me also give you a piece of advice. I've been watching your training with the Jedi, and I can see why you're stuck when fighting."
I sat up after hearing that sentence, my eyes narrowing as I focused on what Bo was going to say. "You're not weak by any means. You're tall for your age and very muscular. Not to mention your years of training shows in your blade work. Besides being in more intense battles against stronger opponents, you're missing one important thing."
"What is that?" I asked, hanging on every word she was saying.
"You lack confidence!"
"What?" I said with clear surprise in my voice. What did she mean I lacked confidence? I knew I tried to be as humble as possible and take every moment of everything in life as a learning lesson. But that didn't mean I lacked confidence. So what did she mean?
"Let me be more specific. It seems you have a lack of confidence in your own skills." My eyes widened with surprise from that statement. My skills, I knew I wasn't the strongest, but I knew I wanted to be stronger. Bo then continued.
"I believe the other Jedi see it as well, and want you to learn on your own. But I don't agree with their methods. Cain, I cannot attest to your skills in the Force, but I can tell you move and speak with purpose. When you move your blade, your movements are beautiful and polished. I can tell you put countless hours and years into your craft. I see the way you moved against the two Jedi, you had a look on your face like you were enjoying the fight. But every time it looked like you were about to make progress, there was a dead halt."
Then Bo knelt down and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Cain, I don't know if you're comparing yourself to others or trying to be something you're not. But stop it. I don't even want you to be like me, your mother, or even Tarre Vizsla. I want you to be better than all of us. So if you're comparing yourself to anyone in that order, don't. Be who you want to be, and don't ever put yourself in a box. Be your own person."
I paused for a moment, taking in everything she said. I looked around and watched the Tython forest and trees, and the long-forgotten Jedi temple behind me. Then it all came crashing in on me. Bo was right. I was stuck comparing myself to the demi-gods of the Skywalkers and characters like Revan and Starkiller. I knew I was the only one besides Darth Vitiate whose midichlorian count came close to the Skywalkers. I thought of myself as less than or a pretender compared to Anakin or Luke. I was suffering all these years from an inferiority complex without even realizing it.
I smirked. I think I knew now what I needed to do. I stood up, wiping the dirt and sweat from my body and face. "Thank you, Bo. I believe you're right about me. And thanks to you telling me this, I believe you might have helped me find what I needed to break out of this mentality."
Bo nodded. "Good. Now go back and get some rest. I will be leaving the planet tonight. I need to go check in on my people. Be well until we meet again, Cain."
"You as well, Bo." I then went in for a hug. This surprised Bo, who did not expect the show of affection. It didn't help that Bo and I were both the same height of five-eleven, so we stood shoulder to shoulder. Hopefully I could keep up with Anakin's growth to six-two or more. "You're a great teacher, Bo, and my mother would say the same thing. I know it."
Bo didn't say anything. She just embraced me in return. Then after a few moments in silence, the hug broke, and I returned to the camp with the others.
The next morning I stood before Depa, our lightsabers ignited as we were about to start another sparring session.
Windu stood to the side with Obi-Wan observing, and above us the storm clouds began to form. The wind became strong as the air around us started to become very wet. The others were in the middle of their training as well. I knew today I would have to stop holding myself back.
I wasn't Anakin or Luke, and I definitely wasn't Revan or Starkiller. I wasn't the Chosen One of the Force or the Sith'ari. I was Jasen... No, I was Cain Vizsla, and I wanted to be free in this world and thrive. In order to do that, I must become stronger, even if I had to surpass the Skywalkers, no, the Ones and Abeloth themselves. I would let today be the first step forward toward that path.
I breathed in deeply and then focused on Depa. I reached deep into the Force like never before. I felt everything, not just the Force, but the planet and everyone around me. Then I felt myself leave my body, the sensation like stepping out of heavy armor, suddenly weightless and free. I saw my body holding my lightsabers, standing across from Depa, and I was made of the same golden light I had seen in the void world.
Then I saw translucent strings reaching out from different areas, shimmering like spider silk caught in morning light. Then their colors changed instantly, one was a silverish deep sapphire blue from the base of the waterfall where Anakin sat with Master Plo. One coming from the sky was a jade emerald green, pulsing with healing energy. Another sapphire blue with a white hue came from a nearby river where Derren meditated with Master Fay. The final one was a silverish white with a golden hue coming from a cliff by the campsite where Seris trained with Masters Kuro and Shaak Ti.
I then instinctively reached my hand out and called to the colorful strings with the Force. The strings moved toward me until they all embedded themselves into my astral self, and a rush of emotions and sights came to my mind quicker than I could comprehend them at first. Then everything became clearer, like the Force was helping my mind comprehend everything.
I saw multiple places and people so clearly, from the plants and trees to the oceans and the animals of Tython. I saw all their Force lights, each one a tiny spark in the vast web of life. Then I saw the others, Anakin, Derren, and Seris. I even saw Barriss, who was back on Coruscant, her presence reaching across the vast distance through our connection.
They were all struggling with their training. Anakin struggled staying still and listening to the Force for a sign. He felt his meditation was more like a punishment instead of a chance to find enlightenment, his body tense with the effort of remaining motionless, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't quiet.
Barriss was sparring with Luminara and barely able to keep up, and Luminara was just pushing Barriss with no end. She felt like she was suffocating from the pressure her master was forcing on her, each strike a reminder of how far she still had to go.
Derren, I felt his emotions,he was struggling to not be swept away in the Force and maintain a Force barrier. He felt like he was good enough, that's why he didn't try hard enough. Why do something that others have done already, if not better? The complacency was eating at him, making him question his own worth.
Seris was struggling to maintain the Form Zero Force barrier as Master Kuro threw rocks as much as insults at her. She felt like she was going to blow up at the masters, her carefully maintained composure cracking under the relentless assault.
What was going on here? Why could I see and feel everything on Tython? More than that, I felt so powerful, like I was so deep in the Force I was basically part of it. Then I felt a powerful presence, so powerful and encompassing I felt like I was nothing compared to it. I then looked up, my golden eyes widening in pure terror. I saw something I couldn't even comprehend, an entity made of stars and the cosmos, its form constantly shifting so I couldn't understand what it truly was. It was so massive that it made the planets look tiny compared to it, a being of such scale that my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.
What the hell was I looking at? The entity that encompassed the sky and space around the planet suddenly began to become slightly more distinguishable. It became a white solid figure, though calling it "solid" felt wrong, it was more like concentrated void given shape. What looked like a head turned to me, and the face had no nose, no mouth, no eyes. There were no distinguishing features from its face to its large body, just smooth blankness that was somehow more terrifying than any monster's visage. I couldn't tell if this was an angel or a god. I just knew I was in danger if I had seen something I wasn't supposed to.
Then I heard an echoing voice ringing through the silence of this astral void, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Interesting."
Before I knew it, the entity disappeared from my sight and the space in an instant, leaving me alone with the stars and the Force lights. What the hell was that? No, no, focus. I needed to focus on the right now and this moment. The others were struggling and needed a push in the right direction. Then the feeling came to me almost instinctively. I said one sentence, the same sentence I needed to hear.
I spoke my words cool and calmly: "Let go, and believe in yourself. Because I believe in you."
Then in that instant, my golden light glowed over the color strings, reaching back into the others. Then each one heard my voice, and each one felt a rush of power and feeling. Then one by one, each person glowed like they did on Ilum. Anakin glowed a silverish deep sapphire blue aura, the light surrounding him like a second skin.
Plo noticed instantly and was astounded and happy. "Well done, Padawan Skywalker. You seem to listen really well to the Force. What does it tell you, if you can hear me right now?"
"I was told to let go and believe in myself," Anakin said with his eyes closed, his voice peaceful in a way I'd never heard before.
"Good. Now let's continue to do just that." Plo then began to levitate in the air, and Anakin followed, rising smoothly as if the ground had simply released its hold on him. Then, as if Anakin's presence brought out Plo's latent potential, Plo began to glow a bright blue with a yellow hue, the two of them floating together in perfect harmony.
Back on Coruscant, Barriss was glowing a jade emerald green aura, the light pulsing with each breath she took. Her master Luminara was surprised. "Barriss, you're glowing, and I feel your power in the Force. It seems like your training is progressing well. Let's continue."
Luminara readied herself with her saber in a Form III stance, but Barriss deactivated her lightsaber. "No, Master. I believe I won't need to spar anymore." Then Barriss got into a meditative kneeling posture, her green aura glowing brighter as others gathered around her in awe. "No disrespect, Master, but I believe this is the correct decision, and I am listening to the Force."
Luminara only nodded. "Then let me join you, my Padawan." Then Luminara knelt next to Barriss and began to meditate. Suddenly, underneath Barriss, green grass started to form on the temple stone, each blade pushing through the ancient rock as if it were soft soil. A warm healing wave then began to radiate off Barriss, washing over everyone nearby like a gentle tide. Soon more and more people began to gather around Barriss, some even kneeling and beginning to meditate near her, while the grass began to spread more and more in the temple garden, transforming the sterile stone into living earth.
As the rain began to fall by a nearby river, Derren began to radiate a sapphire blue with a white hue glowing aura. Fay didn't say a word, she just meditated, floating next to Derren. "Tell me, Padawan Derren, what do you feel?"
Derren began to levitate high in the air, not as high as Fay, but higher than where he was weeks ago. "I feel at peace, Master. But more importantly, I feel like myself."
Fay nodded. "Did it feel good to let go of that part of yourself that was stopping you from being the true you?"
Suddenly the rain fell around them, but unlike before, the rain didn't touch Derren. It slid off an invisible barrier of the Force, each drop redirected smoothly away. "It felt freeing, Master. I also believe in myself now. So I will take things a little bit more seriously from now on." Fay just smiled while saying nothing. The two just floated in the air and meditated in peace while enjoying the sounds of the rain.
Seris began to glow a silverish white with a golden hue aura around her body by the edge of the campsite cliff. Master Shaak Ti and Master Kuro were both astounded, not just by the glowing aura around Seris's body, but by how she began to dance in the rain.
As she danced, the aura around her glowed brightly like a star, each movement leaving trails of light in the air. The masters saw not only that the rain bounced off the Force barrier Seris was creating, they could tell every part of her was protected with the Force, a perfect sphere of protection that moved with her like a second skin.
Then Kuro began to throw rocks with the Force all around her body, but Seris, who was dancing like a ballerina, caught the stones without breaking her rhythm. Seris's eyes were not open, she danced in peace. All she knew around her were the words I had said to her through the Force.
Those words brought so much joy and power to Seris that in that moment, nothing could break her out of this trance. She was not training anymore, she danced in joy from that feeling, and she hoped that wherever I was, I could see her dancing. She dedicated her dance to me, and I could see every movement and every emotion she felt, and I smiled.
I saw everything and I felt everything that they felt. I could even see my physical self standing with my golden saber and the indigo shoto saber. I began to glow a bright golden light, and I then decided to try to reenter my body. In a moment I did, and I opened my eyes.
For me, what felt like minutes must have barely been seconds out here. I saw Depa, along with Mace and Obi-Wan, their eyes wide with surprise. Then they looked around, sensing the shift in the Force around the area.
"Cain, you are becoming the eye of the storm, and those around you are part of you," Mace said with a smile on his face, his normal stoic expression broken by the pure enjoyment from what he was seeing and feeling.
Deep beyond the tree line, Bo-Katan stood looking at me with a smile across her face. "I don't know what you did, Cain, but I feel the air around you changed a lot."
I then heard the thunder and lightning crack like before. Then in an instant, I sprinted and launched a strike with my shoto blade that Depa deflected, the clash of our blades sending sparks into the rain. She then countered with a cross slash, and I countered with my golden lightsaber. In the distance through the rain, our lightsabers glowed between lightning strikes in the sky, green against gold against indigo, three colors weaving together in a deadly dance. Our sabers collided with rhythm as we matched each other's strikes, each exchange flowing into the next like a conversation spoken in violence.
As I went for a vertical strike with my regular saber, Depa deflected my strike with a sliding motion and stepped beside me. "You're reading my shatterpoints well, Cain, while I can't even see yours. I can barely feel the dark side in you."
"I am in balance. I believe this is the true state Vaapad should be, a calm and controlled fury, not just aggressive and random," I said quietly, my breath coming steady despite the intensity of our exchange. Depa nodded. "Then please show me how you found this balance."
In an almost instant motion, our lightsabers collided. Green, indigo, and gold shined in the dim grassy field, the colors reflecting off the rain-slicked ground and creating patterns of light that danced across the clearing. What exchange came next was truly amazing from what Mace and Obi-Wan saw.
Depa and I were moving so quickly we could barely be comprehended, our forms blurring together. They saw steam rise from the flurry of lightsaber slashes and strikes that occurred, the heat of our blades turning the rain to vapor before it could touch us. The rain was not touching the two of us and was being vaporized by the lightsabers when it got too close, creating a halo of mist around our duel.
I didn't notice anything but Depa, her shatterpoints, and our duel. For every slash I sent, she parried and came back twice as fast and hard, her green blade a blur of motion. For every counter she sent my way, I parried and countered back, my golden blade meeting hers with perfect timing while my indigo shoto darted in from unexpected angles.
We were in a perpetual motion of constant back and forth, neither gaining ground, neither giving way. I could feel my robes sticking to me, not from the rain but from my sweat, the fabric clinging to my skin as my body heated from the exertion. I didn't know how long we went on dueling, but I knew one thing, I wasn't going to lose, because right here and right now in this moment, I wanted to win more than anything.
The first day passed in a blur of green and gold and indigo, our blades singing through the air, the storm raging around us. Lightning struck nearby, so close I could feel the heat, could smell the ozone, but I didn't stop neither did Depa.
We moved through the rain like dancers, our feet finding purchase on the slick ground, our bodies moving in perfect synchronization even as we tried to destroy each other. When night fell, we fought by the light of our sabers and the flashes of lightning, the darkness making our duel even more intense, every strike a gamble, every parry a prayer.
The second day brought exhaustion. My arms burned, my legs trembled, my breathing came in ragged gasps. But I pushed through, drawing on reserves I didn't know I had. Depa was the same, I could see the strain in her face, the way her movements became slightly less fluid, slightly more deliberate. But she didn't stop, and neither did I.
Our blades continued their deadly conversation, speaking in a language older than words. The ground beneath us was scorched from where our sabers had struck, the grass burned away to reveal dark earth. The rain continued to fall, but it couldn't cool the heat we generated, couldn't wash away the intensity of our focus.
The third day was agony. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, every nerve begged me to stop. My vision blurred at the edges, my hands shook with fatigue.
But I could see Depa was the same, could see her struggling just as much as I was. We had moved beyond technique now, beyond strategy. This was pure will, pure determination, two forces of nature refusing to yield. Our strikes became slower but no less precise, each one carrying the weight of three days of continuous combat. The steam rising from our clash created a fog around us, obscuring us from the watching masters, making it seem like we were fighting in another world entirely.
Then Master Windu shouted, "Stop!" In an instant, he was in the middle of our exchange, his purple lightsaber blocking both of our strikes and breaking our momentum. The sudden cessation of movement was almost painful, like a runner stopping mid-sprint. "You two are done sparring. You've been dueling for three days straight."
Depa's and my eyes widened greatly. "Three days?" I said, surprised, my voice hoarse from disuse. Then I looked around to see the others gathering around us, Anakin, Seris, and Derren, along with Masters Plo, Fay, and Kuro. Next thing I knew, I felt exhaustion hitting my body hard, and I wobbled, almost falling to the ground. Then Plo and Anakin caught me.
"We got you, Cain," Anakin said, his voice filled with concern. Windu and Shaak Ti caught Depa, who was already passed out, her body finally surrendering to the exhaustion she'd been fighting. I was starting to lose my ability to stay conscious, but I did my best to stay awake for as long as possible.
"You all felt that, right? How we all felt in sync in the Force?" I managed to say, my words slurring slightly. Anakin and Seris nodded. "Not only that, I could see and feel you all, even Barriss back on Coruscant. Cain, how is that possible?"
I looked to Master Fay, who just stared at me with a knowing look but said nothing. I struggled to speak, but I was able to force it out. "Force Resonance."
"What's that?" Seris asked as she held on to my hand, worry clear in her face. "It's what we did. We resonated in the Force and became one while still being many. Our strength, our feelings, they joined together like a Force bond, but we were more."
After that, I passed out from exhaustion, and my conscience drifted into the black void. Then multiple images appeared before me in the dark void, like mirrors reflecting different scenes.
To my left, I recognized Bastila Shan and Revan in different conflicts. Bastila was fighting against dark Jedi, her double-bladed yellow saber spinning in defensive patterns, while Revan was wearing his mask, fighting against Mandalorians with the precision of a master tactician.
Then to my right, someone in Jedi robes with Mandalorian armor wielding the Darksaber appeared, it was Tarre Vizsla, my ancestor, moving with a grace that spoke of perfect balance between two worlds.
The following image was an older woman with her face covered in dark Jedi robes, but she had long white hair in braids. I knew who it was, but I couldn't believe it, it was Kreia, but not her Darth version from the KOTOR game. She was with a woman and had only one hand, so probably during those events, but she hadn't revealed it yet.
All the images of long-dead characters from Star Wars Legends lore were confusing me. And before I knew it, one more image appeared next to Kreia.
It was a younger woman who wore black robes that showed her nobility. She had fair skin and was beautiful with long brown hair under a black hood. Then her yellow Sith-like eyes gave it away, I was looking at Vaylin, Emperor Vitiate's daughter. Seriously, what the hell was going on?
Behind me in the distance of the black void, empty abyss-like eyes were staring at me and the images in front of me. Jagged white monster-like teeth appeared in the void, a nightmarish smile forming at what it was seeing, releasing a dark eerie feeling behind me. I then turned and looked back, feeling a dark presence behind me.
But when I turned, nothing and no one was there. I then turned back around to see all the people in the images were staring back at me, directly back at me, as if they could see through time and space to where I stood.
"What the hell is going on? Can they see me?"
"No, I cannot see you, but I can hear and feel your presence in the Force. Quite intriguing. I have never experienced this bright feeling before," Kreia said, her voice carrying that familiar mix of wisdom and condescension.
What the hell! She could hear me?
"I don't know what trick this is, but if you value your little life, you will stop this before I find you and end you," Vaylin said, her voice dripping with threat and madness.
Yup, that sounded just like her. Too bad she was hot but psychopathic. Well, that's daddy issues for you.
"Interesting. I feel a bright warm presence in the Force. I cannot see it, but I can hear someone. What is going on here?" Revan said, his voice measured and analytical even in confusion.
I couldn't believe it. It was Revan, thee Revan, the Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader before Anakin was born. If this situation wasn't confusing, I would be amazed. This was insane. Was I flow-walking or something right now? But I'd never heard of flow-walking into multiple events and seeing them so clearly.
"Is this a message from the Force? This presence feels so warm, and I hear a voice. What is this?" Bastila said, her voice filled with wonder and caution.
Then a strong masculine voice spoke. It was deep and reserved, carrying weight like a mountain. "I know not who this is or if this is a sign from the Force, but this bright warm presence, it reminds me of the light of the Force I see and feel when I'm with my children. If you have anything to say, then say it now. You have my ears."
That voice was Tarre Vizsla. I didn't know what was going on, but I decided to speak anyway. "Hello, I am Cain!" Then the images disappeared behind a green fog I would recognize anywhere, Mother Talzin was here. Her hand then reached me on my shoulder, and I turned to face her. Her cold, stoic, expressionless face greeted me.
"Hello, my student. Here you are again, shining so bright. You must leave this place now."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"You are shining so brightly in the Force like never before. Those around you have begun to take after you as well. Especially the so-called Chosen One, he shines bright like a distant star. But you, you are like a giant sun lighting the way for others. And now you have awakened those who were asleep."
I looked at her with confusion across my face. I couldn't comprehend what she was saying. But then I thought back to the giant figure in space I saw, or Abeloth from a few years ago. I wondered what I had awakened and what would happen to the galaxy now. The only thing that came to mind was a book that was loosely placed into Star Wars Legends lore. I believed it was called Supernatural Encounters.
Then, as I was stuck in thought, Talzin placed a finger to my forehead. "Now leave before it's too late."
Before I knew it, I left the void and fell into true sleep. When I woke up, I was confused and floating in a bacta tank, the blue-green liquid surrounding me, breathing tubes in my mouth, my body weightless and healing.
Through the transparisteel, I could see Anakin's worried face looking in at me, and beyond him, the others gathered, their expressions a mixture of relief and concern. I tried to move, tried to speak, but my body wouldn't respond yet. The bacta was still doing its work, knitting together muscles torn from three days of continuous combat, healing the damage I'd done to myself in pursuit of strength. As my consciousness drifted again, one thought dominated my mind: What had I awakened? And what would it mean for all of us?