Chapter 10
Sun sat quietly in her quarters, reading a datapad. A couple days had passed as the fleet continued the hyperspace journey to the Belloth system. The young Jedi had spent most of the first couple days after the battle resting, reading and regaining her strength. She glances up as the door opens, revealing Rend wearing his usual brown robes. He steps in and smiles lightly, “Hello Padawan. How are you feeling?” Sun returns the smile as she sets down the datapad, “I am feeling much better, Master. I have been using the down time to get through the material you provided and am ready to continue training.” Rend moves to take a seat in the chair adjacent to Sun, “We will have plenty of time for that very soon.” Sun’s features show her intrigue at the statement, “I saw the fleet is on the way to the Belloth system. I have never heard of it.” Rend nods, “Very few have. I had not heard of it either until Master Anhiel took me there for a training mission.” Sun’s master gazes at her as he finishes the statement, noticing her deepening curiosity. He chuckles lightly, “It is an interesting story, if you wish to hear it. It would be good for you to know what to expect.” Sun straightens up in her chair, nodding curtly in answer as she waits for him to proceed. Rend leans back, getting comfortable in the chair as he looks upwards, pulling the memory of Belloth to the forefront of his mind and begins retelling the story. “It was a few years ago…”
“Padawan.” Rend, startled by the sharp break in the silence, responded timidly, “Yes Master?” “I have a mission for you when we drop out of hyperspace.” Anhiel had entered the room, her icy blue eyes pierced her padawan as though he was not in front of her. “Yes Master.” His anxiety colored his words as he asked, “Will you be coming along?” As his master turned to walk out of the bridge she sighed “No, everything you need will be in your quarters.”
The chirp of a communicator broke Rend’s meditation, “Rend, we will be dropping out of hyperspace in a few moments. Your ship has been readied, report to the hangar immediately”. Rend gathered his belongings and the data pad that was left in his room, exiting as silently as he had been meditating. Nervousness permeates the space around him as he quickly strides towards the hangar.
Rend slumped down in the cockpit of the fighter and grabbed his data pad. He briefly reviews the information before completing the preflight checks and signaling he is prepared to lift off. After being guided out the hanger bay by the noisy flight deck droid he found himself hovering in space. The silence was only broken by the clicks and dings of his ship’s computer systems. He opened the mission file and began typing the coordinates into the navi-computer. As he looked back at the ship a com opened and his master’s voice filled the cockpit. Her tone was calm, even, yet weighted with authority, “Padawan, I need you to retrieve something for me. I am sending you to the planet Belloth.” “Belloth?” he thought to himself, “I have never heard of that planet before”. “There you will find an old acquaintance of mine; he can help you. May the force be with you.” With a sense of calm and newly revitalized by the tone of his master’s voice he replied, “May the force be with you, Master”. Rend finished typing in the coordinates and set a waypoint before engaging the old fighter’s thrusters to full, quickly accelerating the craft towards the planet.
Rend sat idly, only monitoring the different readouts as the autopilot brought the fighter towards his destination. He began to wonder what exactly it was that he was looking for? The brief was frustratingly vague and if it was prepared by Master Anhiel, it was unlikely that it was by accident. He began to feel a rush of angst fill up the cockpit before a red indicator light began to blink rapidly, accompanied by an alarm blaring in the air. “Getting close now”, he thought to himself. Rend disengaged the thrusters and switched off the autopilot. The young Padawan enjoyed cruising open space much more than piloting speeders in crowded areas. A slight smile crept onto his face as a small planet started to come into view. It was blinding, white like a star. As the ship approached the target he realized it was much smaller than any planet he had visited. He pressed a few buttons on the control panel for the ship to find an entry point, “There!” He guided the ship into the atmosphere and began his downward approach. “Now, where is a good spot to put her down?” He continued to scan the planet for life forms with no results. “This is odd” he pondered to himself. On the horizon he saw a small dwelling well camouflaged if it wasn’t for the small billow of smoke coming from the top. Rend circled the desolate landscape, setting the ship down well away from the dwelling and started the shutdown sequence.
As soon as the systems were down, the Padawan immediately became aware that there was a problem. Nothing sounded the same, it was hard to breathe, and an overall feeling of being unwell blanketed Rend. Alarm began to take over as he went to start the ship back up but he could hardly move his arms. Alarm spilled into panic, the feeling was apparent all over his face as he began to feel his earlier apprehension slip into fear. “Training. Remember your training.” ran through his mind as he attempted to stop the downward spiral of his emotions. He slowed his breathing, focusing on the task and calming his mind. The feeling of heaviness and disorientation were still present but he had taken control of his emotions. Sluggishly he gathered his gear and opened the canopy to exit the ship. A frigid cold rushes into the cockpit eliciting a thought as a shiver ran through the young man’s body, “Belloth, what a strange place this is.” Still foggy from the atmospheric difference, he put on his over-furs, solar goggles, and pulled his hood tight before beginning to trek to the dwelling he had seen earlier.
Deep in his own thoughts, Rend pressed forward barely able to see or hear anything because of the pressure he felt all around him. “Why did she send me here? Did Master Anhiel know about the atmosphere here? I cannot sense anything around me.” Exhausted and cold, Rend arrived at the entrance of the dwelling and pressed the open button on the side but nothing happened. “Locked”, He pressed the com link and went to speak but nothing came out. He took a deep breath and tried again, nothing. He dropped his bag in anguish from the weight and let out a yell, “HELLO!” Despite the effort, the sound was so faint he could barely hear it. “What… is… this… place?” The words in his mind were frustrated as he slumped to the ground. Rend turned himself so that he could lean against the building and surveyed the area. Belloth was a dead planet whose star had burned out long ago, but there was smoke coming from this place, “There has to be someone here.” he mumbled to himself despite being unable to hear it. Pulling himself to his feet, feeling every muscle stretch and pop under the immense weight, he raised his hand and went to hit the door. At that exact moment the door slid open and the Padawan fell into the building from the weight of his arm missing its target. Embarrassed and unable to move, Rend let out a scream right before everything went dark.
Upon waking Rend found himself in a dimly lit room full of old relics from a distant past. As he surveyed himself, he discovered that all his belongings were beside the small bed where he laid with the exception of his lightsaber. Immediately Rend began to sweat. While attempting to move he found that he still felt heavy. Through the doorway a handful of meters away a figure appeared, “Well now, who might you be?” A look of confusion fell upon Ren's face as he attempted to decipher what the figure had said to him. The figure continued to speak, but despite being asked again, and again Rend still could not understand. The atmosphere was so thick and heavy he could not make out what was being said. The individual was older and moved out of the doorway mumbling to himself in contemplation of where the young jedi had come from. For the moment Rend remained silent as he attempted to get up, to gather himself and his items. His thoughts were saturated with confusion, perhaps even disbelief “Is this who my master wanted me to find?” He gathered enough strength to stand and made his way out of the room with heavy steps, being sure to take his time and avoid another fall. Again he tried to speak, and nothing. “Why can’t I speak?” he contemplated, moving to the main living quarters where he saw the older figure moving through the area with ease. The being stopped in the light where Rend could get a good look at him. The individual was mostly bald with a few sprigs of silver hair scattered across his head and deep scars across his right cheek leading to his lip. He was human. Rend, still looking confused, raised his voice as loud as he could and asked, “Who are you?” The man turned with a surprised look on his face. With a gruff voice, tinged with sarcasm he responded “Ahh, I see you have found a way to communicate. I was beginning to wonder if you couldn’t speak”. Again, the Padawan could barely hear anything the older man said. Rend yelled once more “What are you saying?” While doing this Rend could barely hear himself and a bewildered expression materialized on his features. The older man stepped closer. He was much shorter than Rend. He pointed to the chair near the fire insinuating that Rend should sit before moving to the chair directly across from Rend and sitting down. He closed his eyes and exhaled in an exaggerated manner before opening his eyes. He spoke loudly, “I know you are a Jedi. I found your lightsaber”. The old man brandished the young jedi’s weapon where he ignited the weapon, calling forth two golden blades in opposite directions from the hilt.
The light emitted from the blades danced across the man’s scars revealing the deep caverns in his leathery skin. Rend immediately started to feel his nature creep throughout his being. “Were you sent here to kill me?” Rend, barely able to understand the mumbling twang of the man’s speech, shook his head. “Then why are you here? You don’t just happen upon this planet nor do ya just happen upon my place without meaning to be here.” Rend was now able to make out most of what the man was saying and yelled in reply, “I am looking for something my master said was on this planet. She said someone would be here that could help me find it.” A look of mock interest precedes the older man’s mocking response “Ahh. And you thought you would just walk right up to my place, and someone would help you?” More mumbling followed but Rend was not able to make out what was said. The man stood up and tossed the young jedi his weapon and pointed to the room where Rend came from. He then turned and went to a pile of large, yellow cakes that were stacked near the fire, grabbing a few to toss on the fire. Rend looked down at his weapon, bewildered by the interaction and elected to retire for the evening as exhaustion began to clearly set in.
The next morning Rend snapped awake as the blinding light pierced the skylight. “It is getting easier to move'' Rend thought to himself with some surprise, although he was still sluggish as he moved to the main living quarters where he appraised the room again in the light. He could see multiple seats around the fire with dirt collecting on almost all the surfaces of the complex. He felt a pull towards the other side of the room, there sitting on a shelf was a large hilt. The hilt had a patina color to it, old, dusty, and battle worn. Rend reached out to touch it when the door slid open and the man stepped in carrying more yellow cakes. The man appraised Rend, “What on this side of the universe are you doing just standing there? Grab your over furs and get out here!” Rend was increasingly understanding more of what the man was saying. He grabbed his garments and followed, less sluggishly than before. They went outside where the environment was blinding because of the icy covering on everything. The old man pointed at a small hut, yelling “Boy, go in there and get 2 cubes of rush and bring them over here”, pointing at a small trough. The Padawan trekked through the thick terrain still being careful to not stumble and gathered the items. There were multiple large block bundles of rush weed, heavy and awkward to hold. Rend grabbed one and could barely move it while the old man came in behind him and lifted two as if they were made of air. Gruffly, he admonishes the younger man “Hurry, we have a lot more to do before we run out of light”. Rend did everything the old man asked of him without saying a word while thinking to himself, “Is this what I am supposed to be doing?”
The light faded quickly and they moved back inside where the pair sat down for something to eat. The old man handed Rend a bowl of thick, smelly stew. “What is this?” Rend yelled. “Tauntaun stew” the old man replied, astonished that the boy was able to speak as well as he could so soon after arriving. He continued after picking up his own bowl “That is what I do, I am a Tauntaun breeder and trainer but nothing else can live here so they provide everything, even fuel for the fire”. Rend took a hesitant bite of the stew, surprised by the flavor he tasted despite the unappealing look. Thankful for the fuel, he asked “Who are you?” The man replied, “You wouldn’t be able to pronounce it so you can call me Joash.” Rend blurted out “Were you a Jedi?” Joash stopped eating, responding after a few moments “I was, many cycles ago.” Rend started to speak again and the man stopped him with a piercing glare. “Tomorrow we will do this all over again, I will answer your questions when you can perform the work just as fast as I can. Got it?” Rend nodded feverishly and finished his stew. Many local cycles went by as Rend and Joash continued to perform the necessary work to survive. With each passing moment Rend could feel he was getting better, faster, and more confident in his movements.
After many more local cycles, what felt like an eternity to the padawan, Rend was able to move swiftly through the terrain and started toting 3 cubes of rush weed at a time along with moving the tauntaun poodoo. He even took on cooking the stew. Astonished at the rate of the young man’s improvement, Joash finished his stew and said to Rend, “Boy, I tell you, you have put in some good work these past few cycles. What would you like to know?” Rend, taken aback at the almost prideful tone of Joash’s voice, he asked “Tell me why my master sent me here, what am I supposed to find on this dreadfully bleak planet?” The old man sat back, reaching for the patinated saber as he spoke “You are here to find yourself; your master is Anhiel Dulcinae, am I right?” Again Rend was shocked at how he was able to tell this, “Yes.” he replied simply. “I know this by how you performed your chores. You never once used the force to aid you although that was not a rule, your determination and your focus on completing the job, all reminded me of her.” The older man set his bowl to the side before continuing, “I could almost feel her presence here. When I knew her, she was a jedi knight, but I am glad to hear she has obtained the rank of Master.” Rend nods lightly before interjecting, “She is actually grandmaster of our enclave.”
The older man appraises Rend, giving him an exaggerated look of being impressed. “So you are the padawan to the Grandmaster herself? Let’s see how well you move, then.” Joash’s lightsaber screeched to life, the blade a deep blue hue illuminating the entire room. The blade itself was a wider beam than what Rend had ever seen before. The young jedi summoned his saber from the room where he slept for so many nights and ignited one of the blades immediately upon gripping it. Rend stood silent with both hands gripped tightly on his saber, holding it in front of him in a neutral guard. The golden blade hummed steadily as the old man stepped toward him with blistering speed. Rend raised his blade to intercept Joash’s in order to block the overhead strike. Joash’s blade clashed upon Rends hissing and popping, knocking the padawan back with the weight of the strike. Joash moved again to strike this time towards Rend’s legs. Rend leaped and parried the attack while igniting the second blade of his lightsaber. As the second blade was moving towards Joash’s wrists, Rend was pinned to the ceiling of the room. Dropping his saber as he gasped for air as the older man caught the saber and deactivated his own. Rend, still pinned to the ceiling barely able to breath, gasped for air as Joash speaks “You move well, but you are slow. You see, you are here to find your true self, what you are capable of. We will try again tomorrow after we eat.” Rend was released and crashed to the floor, continuing to gasp for air for many long moments.
After many more cycles of chores and training Rend queried Joash, perplexed by the older man’s movements, “How do you move so fast?” Joash smirked, “Now you are starting to use that skull for something. I use a force ability I have named Force Gravity. I concentrate the force onto specific points causing them to become so heavy that it appears to most that I am increasing my speed.” “Force ability?” Rend thought quietly as he stared at Joash, who walked away, ending the conversation. The Padawan contemplated their interaction while in his bed that night wondering what his own force ability was or if he even possessed one. “That is why I am here, to figure out my force ability.” The revelation brought both assurance and elation. The next morning Rend was up first with a renewed sense of purpose in his mission. He finished the chores early and grabbed his saber when Joash stepped into the room, “Are you ready?” Joash asked. With a swift nod Rend’s saber jumped to life. Joash appraised the young man before igniting his relic blade. “I want you to give it everything you have. Open yourself to the force, let it flow through you and guide your movements. Push this feeling up from the pit of your belly and out through your entire being”. Rend nodded and began his assault. The clash of their blades illuminated the room casting shadows upon the walls resembling an elegant dance. Joash’s stances were of an age long ago, rigid and powerful while Rend had glimpses of fluidity with brief pauses for corrections. A heavy cross body swing slammed into Rend’s defenses taking less toll than the first time they had sparred. Consciously Rend was pushing his physical and mental abilities to the brink, and as the battle waged Joash could feel Rend’s presence expand. “Good” he thought, “Keep pushing”. Suddenly Joash was feeling sluggish, his strikes not as strong, movements slower than they should be. “That can’t be” the old man thought to himself, “Does he have the same ability as me?” Joash felt pressure being applied to him but continued to defend and counter as Rend was seeming to get faster. A low slash toward Rend’s lower extremities sent Rend into the air, this time much more in control, spinning faster than before. His double-bladed saber moved in a blur, this time targeting Joash’s Chest. Joash, unable to apply the pressure as before, dropped his guard and expanded his presence, the blade seeming to land its fatal blow.
Yet somehow, Joash was uninjured. The pair stopped; Joash covered in sweat with a perplexed look on his scarred face. Rend dropped to his knees, gasping for air, drenched in sweat from the bout. “Young Jedi, what did you experience during our battle?” Rend recounted the session, elaborating on the particular saber techniques he employed and ended with a question. “Are you already dead?” The old man let out a large bellowing laugh, “No young man, I dropped my guard and applied force gravity. You see, I used my ability to create enough gravity on your saber emitter that it forced your blade to shrink under its pressure. What I would like to know is how were you applying the same techniques on me?” Rend responds, equally perplexed, as shown in his words and expression “I didn’t.” The older man now scowls, “Oh yes you did, you little poodoo. You mean to tell me that you didn’t know you were applying pressure on me while we were sparring? Did you not recognize that I was slowing down?” Rend stared at his elder, “I noticed this, but I assumed it was because you were becoming exhausted.” Taken aback, Joash moved across the room and placed his patinated saber on the shelf and sat down in his old chair. “I think you have found what you came here to seek. You are ready to return to your master. I would like you to meditate on this session and continue to reach out through the force to understand your ability, hone it as your master has taught you to hone your physicality. I expect you will be leaving at first light; you have grown so much in this year.” “YEAR” Rend exhaled. “I have been here for a year? Is that like a standard Year?” The old man chuckled and rubbed his scars then patted his chair, “Belloth’s gravity is so intense that time is warped here. Once you leave this atmosphere it will be just a few cycles since you left.” A sigh of relief escaped Rend as he sat up and started to gather his belongings. The next morning Joash helped Rend with his items and sent him on his way. Rend exited the atmosphere of the desolate planet and called up his way point on the navi-computer, full thrusters engaged. In the quiet of space, he contemplated the events that had taken place, unsure and anxious if he had fulfilled his mission. Landing back aboard the larger ship happened in a blur. He felt very light in the standard artificial gravity, yet tired from all of his recent exertion. Rend returned to his quarters and began to meditate on what he had learned in his time with the older Jedi. After a standard hour or so, a com link opened, allowing a cool voice to cut into the meditation “Rend… Rend.” The Padawan responded calmly, “Yes Master?” “You are needed in the Strategy room.” “Yes Master.” Rend jumped up and exited his quarters with haste, the durasteel door sliding closed and locking behind him.
As the story ends, the pair sits in silence as Sun ponders what she had been told. Many questions come to mind but she settles on one for now, “How does Master Anhiel know this Joash?” Rend shakes his head gently, “I do not know what their history is. Though I sense it is complicated, as are many things from Master Anhiel’s past.”