Dantooine and the Council
Steven’s vision was blurry, like he was looking at the world through a very dirty window. He was in a dark, stone room and somehow he knew it was underground. There was light, but not nearly enough and he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. The room’s design was distinctive with bulbus, intricate carved pillars holding up the ceiling. Steven turned around and jerked back in shock. He wasn’t alone in the room.
Two people had been behind him, one shorter and pacing back and forth. A human man, talking to himself softly. He didn’t speare more than a glance for the human because the woman with him was far more interesting to look at. She was at least 7 feet tall and covered in scales. She spoke in a deep, calm voice that echoed in the space.
“The Dark Side is strong here… I can feel its power.”
The human man grunted in agreement and went to a heavy door in one end of the chamber, pressing a gloved hand to it.
“The ancient Jedi sealed this door. Let’s find out why.” His voice is so familiar but still somehow unknown.
“If we pass beyond this door, we can never go back.” The woman doesn’t sound too worried by the prospect. She was only stating a fact.
“It doesn’t matter if the order banishes us. The power of the Starfordge is worth the risk.” The door opened and both of them walked though. Steven’s gut twisted in apprehension. Whatever was in there was definitely not worth the risk. He should’ve told the man that before he opened the door, but it hadn’t occurred to him to speak. There was the sound of machinery and a bright light poured forth from the door. Despite himself, Steven walked forward, wanting to see what they’d found.
“So you really do know…” How does he keep missing the other people in this room? He looks over and up. And up. No wonder the voice had set his teeth on edge. Konshu had somehow walked in here after the two people had gone and was decidedly too close for comfort.
“Told you so.” It came from Steven’s mouth, but he didn’t remember deciding to speak. He’d also never told Konshu that he knew about… well, anything.
“We shall see how far this can take us, I suppose.”
“We should go in.” Steven decided to speak that time, pointing back to the open door from which light and murmuring conversation still came.
“We shall. When we are awake.”
“I beg your pardon?” He frowned up at the Jedi who, without explanation, reached out and tapped him hard on the forehead with two fingers. Steven recoiled from the touch and-
Smacked his head on the wall behind his bunk. He’d been lying, curled up on his side, and straightened out so suddenly he’d hit himself on the metal of the Ebon Hawk’s interior. Ow.Good job. I think what we really need is more brain damage. He thought, inner voice somehow sounding more grumpy than he felt. Steven actually felt okay. Mostly because he’d opened his eyes to Layla putting her boots on while sitting on the bunk across from him.
“Bad dream?” She asked with a wide, catlike yawn.
“No, just a weird one.” He sat up and she glanced away with a grin. “What?”
“You look like you tried to lick the engine power core.”
Steven sighed and ran his fingers through his hair a few times. “Better?” Maybe we should get a hat.
“Less vertical, at least.” She stood. “Mission woke me to say we’re almost there.”
The smaller sentients crowded into the cockpit, Konshu and Zaalbar staying in the hallway. Steven privately thought that was for the best; he wouldn’t be surprised if the Jedi had taken someone’s eye out with that beak of his in a crowded space.
Dantooine was mostly green and beige from space. Mission was bouncing in the co-pilot’s seat, firing off rapid questions about the planet. Steven was able to answer her basic questions and describe some economic factors and settlement patterns that she flatly said she did not care about. He thought the planet looked beautiful and, even from the air as they passed through the atmosphere, he thought it seemed peaceful. He felt wistful for some reason.
“Steven Grant.” He bit back a groan, wanting to keep enjoying the view. “We must discuss your dream of the underground chamber, from last night, before landing at the enclave.”
At the words, Steven gasped, choked on his own spit and Canderous had to pound his back as he coughed violently. Layla was focused on flying but Mission was watching them curiously.
“Are you in my head?” He snapped, once he could talk. It was the first thing he could think of.
“Not by choice and not all the time.” Konshu tilted his head, looking even more like a bird than usual. “Is this where you want to talk?”
Not really, but he didn’t want to be alone with the Jedi either. “Why were you looking at my dreams?”
“It was my dream as well. A shared one.” Konshu sounded almost as unhappy about this as Steven felt. “I recognized the two individuals in the dream. Marc Spector and Ammit. I assume you have not met either one previously.” There was a touch of sarcasm in that statement. “Which means the Force is working through your mind as well as my own in some way.”
Mission turned around in her chair, up on her knees so she could see over the back of it. This was even more interesting than approaching her first new planet. She hadn’t forgotten Steven’s discomfort at the implication he might be Force sensitive and wanted to see if he would recreate his strange behavior now.
“That makes… no sense.” Steven said slowly. “Since I’ve never seen them, or that room, in the real world, then it must’ve been just your dream. Maybe you were sharing it by… by accident?”
“I didn’t have any weird dreams last night.” She piped up. Zaalbar growled in agreement. “So he couldn’t have been sharing it with everyone, right?”
Steven sighed, shaking his head. “Even if it was my dream too, not just you… projecting, I don’t know what you want me to do or say about it. Weird looking dream about two evil people in a room I’ve never seen. So what?”
“So,” Konshu’s voice was a growl. “I will be telling the council about the dre- vision and asking for their opinions.”
“Oh, so it’s a vision now?” Steven jammed both hands into his pockets for want of something to do with them. He didn’t like having all of them looking at him, aside from Layla.
“I’ve had more visions than you, wo- Steven Grant, and I recognize them. It is likely that the council will want to meet with you personally. When we land, do not go far from the ship so that I may find you easily.”
There was a shiver of discomfort at the prospect of meeting the council. It felt too intense to just be the prospect of meeting people in authority, Steven thought to himself. I’ll have to hide… In case they look… Why would I have to hide? Who would look for what? He wondered before shaking his head. He was just overreacting as usual.
“Alright. That doesn’t sound too bad.” So long as they’re nicer than you are .
“Landing. Mission, turn around and buckle your safety belt.” Layla had listened to the conversation, but not contributed. Mission complied with a grumble while the others braced themselves on various surfaces. The ship touched down with barely a bump and Layla allowed herself a satisfied smile. “This is a good ship. Hope I can keep it after the war.”
“It isn’t like Davik will want it back anytime soon.” Canderous muttered, going to find his gear.
***
Konshu stood before the council and tried to think calming thoughts. It had never been a skill of his. To these masters, he was considered only slightly less distasteful than the Jedi who had followed Spector and Ammit into battle. In the messages he’d received after the fight with Spector, when the Dark Lord had been so terribly wounded, all the members of the council thought his decision to save the man’s life had been ill advised and unnecessary.
Now they were arguing back and forth about the plan Jake Lockley had come up with, which Konshu was taking credit for using the dream as evidence rather than the word of one of Spector’s alters. He felt a little guilty about lying to the council that only one of Spector’s alters remained, but it had to be done. This war had dragged on too long already and he was sure that the Starforge, whatever it might be, was the key to ending it. They had acted too slowly during the Mandalorian wars, and look how that had turned out.
“And you are sure that Spector is truly dead?” Master Vrook directed the sharp question his way.
“I found no trace of him within Steven Grant’s mind when I touched it.” He replied, trying not to think about Jake Lockley’s phrasing of ‘unavailable.’ The council had no reason to try and read his mind, but paranoia had sunk deep into his heart after Ammit’s betrayal. He did not want any flicker of doubt in his Force presence to inspire them to try.
“I worry he will become suspicious at the offer of training. What if he should remember and attempt to continue Spector’s agenda.”
At least that one was easy. “His memory is fragmented and… altered. Possibly beyond repair. Attempts to question him at the medical facility were unsuccessful because he seems to… forget anything that challenges his perception of himself too greatly. Some traces of Spector’s training remain, but the memories around developing the skills are gone, as they were never his.” Spector’s condition was not fully understood by the Jedi. It was not a thing of the Force and, as the boy had grown to a man, it had become less prominent.
“Then we shall speak with him.” Vrook sounded like he had just taken a bite of rotten fruit. “Hopefully this will not be a waste of time or develop into a threat.”
***
Steven did his best to keep still as he stood before the council. He couldn’t help but fiddle with his own hands a bit as he met four sets of unreadable eyes. Konshu stood to his left, either looking out the window or just avoiding eye contact. It was hard to tell which way his eyes were pointed. He wished the others could’ve come too, but they were tending to their own various businesses or exploring the settlement.
“These are Masters Zhar, Dorak and Vrook and I am Master Vandar.” One of the two humans said. Steven raised a hand in a slightly awkward greeting and allowed a half smile.
“Good to meet you all.” It was probably his imagination, but he thought Master Vrook’s face had hardened.
“Konshu has informed us that you and he shared a vision after the destruction of Taris.” Vandar said slowly.
“According to him, yeah.” He still wasn’t too sure about that.
“Now that we are meeting you, it is clear he was not mistaken. Between the two of you, you were able to witness a vision of the past which… neither of you were present for.” Why’d he pause there? His mind provided no answer and, for some reason, he suddenly felt lonely. “You are Force sensitive.”
He felt a shiver of discomfort then smiled slightly, imagining Mission’s face when he admitted she’d been right earlier. “Well, that’s, um… news. Not sure what to do with that information.”
“We are considering you for Jedi training.” The human man looked like he'd bitten into a lemon as he said it.
“Beg your pardon?” He managed to keep his voice from squeaking, but only just. He’d read plenty of holos about Jedi and he knew they only took children. “I’m a bit old for that, ain’t I?”
“There have been exceptions before.” Vandar glanced away, as if deciding what to say next. “The war is taking its toll on our order. More Jedi leave every rotation to join Ammit’s cause. Those of us who remain are hunted like animals or lost in battle.” The others nodded, reluctantly. We need every Jedi we can muster, which brings us to you.”
This all sounded like such a bad idea. Joining the Republic fleet, wanting to make a difference in any way he could, was very different from joining some ancient religion, no matter how academically interesting it was. He’d had his fill of new experiences in the last week.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of commitment.” He told them slowly. Konshu made an odd noise that was almost definitely a muffled snort and Steven shot him a glare. “Plus, aren’t we a bit short on time?” Or maybe this was a way for Konshu to get rid of him so he wouldn’t get in the way once he went back to his mission.
“There is time enough for this. If you are to aid Konshu in his search, you will need some training. And he will need you in order to gather more visions.”
“Why does he need me for that?”
“You and he share a powerful connection, both to the Force and each other. Such connections often form between Master and student.” The Master paused. “It is unusual that a connection forms so quickly.” He admitted after a moment.
The idea of being connected in any way to Konshu was unpleasant. “Well, he’s not my teacher or anything, so-” He trailed off. Please don’t let Konshu be my teacher on this …
“Which leads us to believe that the Force is working through you. Konshu’s original mission was to retrace Spector and Ammit’s path, hopefully to discover what they found. The vision shared with you has given him a better starting point than he had.”
“Ruins.” Konshu spoke for the first time since his original greeting of the council. “There are ancient ruins on Dantooine. Our vision was underground. In a room made of the same type of stone on those monuments. Once, we thought they were graves, but now…”
Steven couldn’t help but perk up with interest; the idea of going into ancient ruins on some great quest was definitely attractive, though he told himself it was also unrealistic. He did also really want to help, he just had serious doubts that this was the way to do it.
“There is little choice in this. For you or for us.” Vandar admitted. “This is the most meaningful way you can help the Republic.”
“... I can try.” Steven said. He didn’t feel sure and didn’t sound it either.
“I can only hope you prove up to the task. Of training and resisting the darkness that lies within yourself. Within all of us.” Vrook said, crossing his arms and glancing at Konshu in a decidedly meaningful way. Steven decided he liked the other human even less than the bird-like Jedi.
“Can we tell Layla and the others what’s happening?”
“Of course. You will be very busy for the foreseeable future. “The path you have chosen to walk is difficult. Intensive training will prepare you physically for the demands of the order. Meditation will teach you to channel the power of the Force. To truly understand the ways of the Jedi, you must open your mind to knowledge. Return tomorrow morning and we shall begin.”
It felt like he was being told to say goodbye and he didn’t like it. The expectations being given felt a little too high for him as well. As they left the big, bright room, he could feel the council’s eyes on his back.
“Don’t think they much care for me.” He muttered, half to himself and half to the towering Jedi walking in front of him.
“Do not take it to heart. They do not like being so low on options that they are openly forced to act.” He started. That was the nicest thing Konshu had ever said to him, even if it was taking the form of a jab at the council.
***
What surprised Steven the most was how quickly he adjusted to life at the enclave. He liked Dantooine a lot. The landscape and weather were very pleasant and, once he got the hang of feeling it, the Force was a comforting presence all around him. The routine of training was reassuring, the studying beyond interesting and even the physical training was tolerable. He’d never thought of himself as being in particularly good shape. Meditation was pleasant, but he had a bad habit of falling asleep during it. Everything else was draining him.
The first time he called a datapad to him with the Force, he got so excited that he dropped it, cracking the screen. No one had seen, but he felt guilty enough to tell Master Zhar, who assured him as long as it still worked, he wasn’t in trouble.
Fighting was the hardest part. When he was just practicing forms, it was fine, even a little relaxing. As soon as he was sparring, he would get overwhelmed or clumsy. Whenever he had the opportunity to land a strike on his partner, he either hesitated or pulled the hit so it wouldn’t hurt the other student. He had to quickly get used to getting his ass kicked by people decades younger than him.
As he settled in, Steven realized he was lonely. He wasn’t alone, he knew. The Jedi were invested in community, for all it felt a little stiff and he didn’t have the same life experiences as everyone else. In the few spare evenings he had, he would go meet up with Layla and the others at the Ebon Hawk for dinner and talk, which was nice. But he still felt lonely. The meditation must have been working because these days his thoughts were very controlled. Quiet, for want of a better word.
With the exception of combat practice, he improved quickly. Master Zhar told him it was incredible and Steven turned red. He wasn’t used to being recognized for things he was good at, since most of the things he was good at were not important to others. Something about the way the Masters spoke to him, looked at him, still felt off. He supposed they were just being extra watchful, since he was so old compared to other apprentices.
He did his best with the code, but very much doubted he’d be able to live up to it. T here is no emotion; there is peace. He felt emotions all the time, unless deep in meditation. And even meditation didn’t feel quite like peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. He was getting a lot of that, devouring it and sharing it with Layla whenever he had the chance because she actually listened and had not heard it all before like the other Jedi in the enclave, but there was always more to learn, meaning there would always be some ignorance. There is no chaos; there is harmony. He didn’t feel particularly chaotic, but harmoney felt like too strong a word for what he felt most of the time. War was still on his mind and he felt like he was holding others back from doing what needed to be done. There is no death; there is the Force. He’d never died, so how would he know? That was just something he would have to assume until he actually died.
Thinking about the code, trying to meditate on it like he’d been told, just had him feeling more lonely. He wanted to discuss it with someone, but worried his questions would be considered flaws in his character. He had plenty of those to worry about.
Bizarrely, his fighting improved after Konshu began helping him practice. Maybe it was because he still subconsciously saw the Jedi as a threat after that first, painful encounter, but he was able to focus when sparring against him. When Konshu hit him, it hurt like a son of a bitch and left long, dark bruises which he became very invested in avoiding. The first time he landed a returning hit of similar strength, he’d heard the taller being muttering grumpily about ‘muscle memory’ as he rubbed his side gingerly.
Despite himself, he was very excited when the time came to construct his lightsaber. He often lost his battle against acting like an idiot in front of others when enthused about something, but he tried anyway. Zhar told him to go to a cave outside the enclave, watch out for the large, gross insects that lived inside, and choose a crystal. Apparently it would just ‘feel right’ when he saw it.
Leaving the enclave alone, for the first time in almost two months, Steven let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Picking his way through the grass and rocks, eyes peeled for krath hounds, he turned recent events over in his mind. This still all felt like too much, like people were putting too much faith in him with no assurance he could live up to their expectations. Maybe if there had been more time… What would life have been like if he’d been picked up young, like the other apprentices? Not as different as you might think. He jumped, looking around wildly. No one. No sound but the birds and the wind. Weird. Returning to his original line of thinking, he dismissed any wishes that he’d been found by the order before now. He’d had a good life so far and wanted to get back to it once the war was over.
Huh. He hadn’t given any thought to home since Taris. Steven felt a surge of guilt. He should’ve sent a transmission to his mum. Did she know he wasn’t dead? News of the Endar Spire’s destruction had definitely reached the Republic. Would they have informed everyone’s family? She must be so worried- It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Even his mental voice sounded strained.
Mental voice. That he hadn’t heard since arriving on Dantooine. Something was very wrong. He started to reach for the Force, taking a deep breath as if he were getting ready to meditate, but a thought stopped him. Later. You- we- *I* have a job to do, right? Of course. They’d be waiting for him when he came back with the final piece for his saber.
He found the cave without further trouble, a black, jagged gash in the side of a hill. Looking at it made his stomach twist. He had a flashlight, but didn’t want to turn it on in case some kinrath were nesting inside. He had to calm his emotions to avoid disturbing them and just… trust that his senses would keep him from tripping and cracking his head open. It’s alright. You can handle this.
Squaring his shoulders, he stepped out of the sunlight. For the first time in weeks, he didn’t feel quite so alone.
***
Marc became aware, really aware, for the first time in what felt like months. The last thing he could remember was a flash of consciousness on what Jake had told him was Taris. He’d argued with his protector, patched a hole in Steven’s increasingly perforated memory and passed out again. Now he was awake and he wasn’t in his little corner of their headspace. He was watching the world through Steven’s eyes. The world was dark, apparently, almost like a…
Why are we in a cave? We hate caves.He could feel the other alter, keeping an eye on things like he’d asked. Marc felt a little bad for leaving him alone for so long. He could feel the other man’s mental exhaustion through their mental and Force connections.
You’re up! How do you feel? Can you-
Why are we in a cave, Jake? He cut the other off harshly. He would apologize later.
… Steven needs a crystal to finish his lightsaber. Jake said it very quickly, his consciousness withdrawing slightly. The mental equivalent of leaning away from Marc.
His WHAT?
Lightsaber. You remember those, right? Hot, loud, bright? The sarcasm was unwelcome, but at least it meant he hadn’t hurt Jake’s feelings by not returning his enthusiastic greeting.
Why the hell does he need a lightsaber?
Instead of a verbal answer, Jake shared snatches of memory. Steven sitting in the Jedi temple on Dantooine, Steven sparring with a Jedi- fucking hell that was Konshu- and finally Steven talking to a beautiful woman with curly hair and a warm smile. They were back with the Jedi. Not just helping Konshu find the Starforge, but back in the Order. Steven was back in the Order without Marc and, from the patchiness of the memories, without Jake most of the time as well. Marc’s temper spiked wildly and he was debating using what energy he had to drag Jake back into their headspace and beat the metaphorical shit out of him.
Who gave you the right-
You did, asshole! Jake could feel Marc’s displeasure and was on the defensive. And it was his choice- not that they gave him much of one, mind you, but still-!
He doesn’t know what he’s doing!
And whose fault is that?
Don’t you-
“Be quiet!” Someone hissed. Out loud. They’d been so preoccupied with each other and the building argument that they hadn’t noticed when their body stopped moving. Both of them turned their attention back to the outside world. Their eyes were looking at a cluster of faintly glowing crystals, the light illuminating their own reflection. Their expression was very intent, eyes wide in the low light, but gaze still fixed, almost like- “Who are you and why are you in my head?” Steven asked, voice low and urgent as he regarded his reflection, doubled by the surfaces on the crystal cluster and still somehow not showing Steven his own face.