The Weaving Force: Chapter 122 (Patreon)

Chapter 122:

Taylor:

When we arrived on Coruscant the Venators docked in their orbital docking stations, Clones were given leave to spend their R&R as they wished, and I, Obi-Wan, Anakin and our Padawans boarded a shuttle, its cargo bay loaded with many physical pieces of evidence from Dathomir, including the Lightsaber, to make our way to the Jedi temple. 

Ahsoka piloted.

Obi-Wan hated piloting and I’d sooner throw Anakin out the shuttle door in low orbit, or let him read me a thesis cover to cover before letting him anywhere near the wheel.

He sulked in his chair next to Iskt and Karla.

Ahsoka was looking particularly smug. 

As we approached the temple  I leaned back in my seat; not quite ‘taking in the view’ but tha became the general effect as I peered out of the forward viewport.

The change was… stark… now that I took a second to actually see it.

Frankly it…  it almost made me suddenly feel like… well… crying.

When Vicky and I first saw the temple, years and years ago it might have been removed and distant from the populace. But it was a place that had an almost quiet… dignity. An air of calm detachment and peace that, in hindsight, probably did me more good than I ever thought it would have given the headspace I’d been in.

That temple was gone now.

What I looked at today bordered on a military camp. Clones lined the courtyards, Venator ships docked around the temple grounds. I could see target practice lanes, wings of the grounds converted into hospitals, tactical holo displays. After so many years and losses the Council had finally moved to install weapons platforms along the perimeters; marble was covered up by duracrete to make the walls thicker, bunkers, hard points and towers now created overlapping fields of fire along the Temple’s primary approach/entrance.

Intellectually; I knew these changes were for the best. I knew that they could prevent another Corellia, another Geonosis. That the risk of the still chipped Coruscanti defense force didn’t allow for Jedi to just assume their temple was secure if those command codes were ever compromised again.

I knew it was the right call.

But right this second… looking at it. I knew that something had been lost for it. 

And I couldn’t help but mourn that loss; even if for a moment.

A hand slipped into mine, squeezing with soft reassurance, and I turned to look at Karla, who watched me with a calm stoicism that told me she was using her powers, reading me again.

I smiled; half in reassurance, half telling her that she didn’t need to check up on me, and felt the small sliver of her power’s almost unknowable touch slip away from my thoughts.

Karla leaned over, her head falling onto my shoulder. She’d already read enough to know what to say. ‘It’s okay Master.” She promised.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “I know kiddo.”

Even if it wasn’t… it would be. The War couldn’t last forever. Nothing lasted forever..

I saw Iskt toss a curious look, seated at my other side, and just to not let him feel left out, I reached with my free hand and patted him on the head. He was taller than me by now, by just an inch or two. But another year… who knows.

Still, he leaned down accepting the scratch along his brow with nary a complaint. Though he probably still had no idea what was going on. 

—

Our shuttle touched down at the north of the temple, near the drill grounds for the Clone battalions. 

There were also, people already waiting for us. 

“Masters.” Obi-Wan bowed the picture of decorum and formality, even Anakin, bowed respectfully at his Master’s side both were befitting of their Council positions.

“Darlings!”

And then there’s Vicky.

In spite of my inner sarcasm, I found a fond smile tugging at my lips.

“Master-” Iskt went to bow only to get a hug before he could.

“Weren’t you at Anaxes?” Karla asked, happily accepting her own hug as Vicky rounded on her second. 

The ‘Perfect Jedi’ shrugged. “Like I said; Grievous was a no-show and with the possibility of needing to act fast based on what you found I was recalled. Master Tyvokka took over. ”

Finally she turned to me and in the… public setting we had to settle on mutual, knowing smiles. Open secret it might’ve been, but secret was still at the tail end of the words.

As if to make certain we restrained ourselves, Master K'Kruhk the Jedi Master that had replaced Master Koth after his withdrawal from the Council, stepped forward, politely clearing his throat. “Welcome back Master Hebert, Padawans.”

“Thank you Master.” I said.

The large Jedi Master nodded, gesturing for us to follow, Master Gallia, Kit Fisto and Depa Billaba greeted us and soon we were all marching back towards the temple. 

K'Kruhk was someone I’d loosely call a friend, or at least a good practice partner. Being a Whipphid he was one of the few species that could physically go toe to toe with Iskt at this point, or even Vicky with a liberal use of physical enhancement via The Force. They, in turn were some of the only individuals the Master didn’t need to hold back on, something both sides of the practice bout could appreciate.

Speaking of people who didn’t hold back in fights however; “Hey Vicky-” I called, bringing her attention back to me. “-how’s Aras?”

I hadn’t seen Hannah’s husband for a few months now, often times he took the Shore leave time to return home, visit his family. Vicky allowed it, even encouraged it. More than once I’d caught surface thoughts mingled with regret that he was missing the childhood of his children fighting this war.

He never ever complained openly, but a man cannot guard his own thoughts as easily as he might guard his expression. 

I felt bad for the man, and for Hannah. This wasn’t their War and yet- here they were.

Vicky’s head tilted, sparing a glance at me out of the corner of her eye. “He’s still here actually, saw him this morning before he headed off to have a video conference with Miss M and the kids.” She looked thoughtful. “I think an important birthday is coming up for Daryan?”

Huh? “Important?”

“I think so.” She stressed. “I think ten is when Mando boys make their first weapon. Usually a knife.”

Ten years old…

Where had the time gone?

I looked to Iskt and Karla, walking and chatting behind us.

Karla was still small, younger at twelve. Iskt was nearly fifteen; he’d grow to be almost as tall as a Wookie, and almost certainly wider with muscle. 

They’d gotten so big somewhere along the way. 

Vicky’s hand grasped my elbow. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah.” I… don’t think I’m lying. But the feeling in me is a strange one I can’t quite place.

With the Council members walking ahead of us, and only Iskt and Karla at our backs, Vicky took the chance to lock her arm with mine, leaning over to place her head on my shoulder for a second. “Yeah, I know.”

“Maybe you can explain it to me then.” I was only half joking, but she gave me a quick peck on the cheek for my efforts, pulling away before we reached the temple proper and people were once again, watching us.

—

The Holo image floated over the table, a slab of writing, taken from Dathomir. It and all other findings were, even now, being uploaded into the archives. 

“Fascinating.”

Master Eno Cordova wasn’t a Master I was familiar with.

I knew of him, of course. After living for well over a decade within the walls of the temple there was almost no Jedi I wasn’t acquainted with to some degree, even if only by virtue of local omniscience; but Master Cordova spent much of his time away from the temple, pursuing academic research with the Jedi Exploration Corps and Seekers.

I’d read some of his treatises on various histories and lost civilizations. And more than once I’d had a bug or two on him when he returned to the temple and discussed his latest findings or research with his fellow academically inclined Jedi.

But this was the first time I was interacting with him personally.

On a more positive note; he didn’t seem the type to be wary of me based on my less than sterling reputation amongst the Jedi conservatives.

“The runes and sigils- they have similarities to Sith carvings we have on record.” His apprentice, Cere Junda, I was more familiar with- largely because more than once we’d been deployed to various war theaters together, Illum being the most notable in my mind, years and years ago. Trilla, her Padawan frequently sparred with Iskt and Karla

“It’s not impossible that the Dathomiri are an offshoot of ancient Sith.” Cordova answered with a nod, almost thinking aloud. “Ancient of course, but a common school of thought that once diverged is certainly something that could have happened; it's happened more than once in the Jedi’s own history and we are not nearly as fractious I think.”

The Master smiled a bit at the joke, Cere agreed with a chuckle under her breath.

“Interesting as history might be to learn on my off time Masters-” I cut in, bringing their attention to me, along with a handful of the other Jedi scholars helping. “-I’m afraid I must ask if any of you might have additional insight on what may have happened on Dathomir, specifically if anyone escaped.”

Thankfully, at least one of the assembled Jedi did answer me.

The young wookie was probably older than me, and he growled and chuffed in Shyriiwook as he shily padded over with a datapad to show it to me.

“Yes, Padawan Gungi is right Cordova nodded before clicking on a handful of buttons on the console, shifting the image to the large, 3d map taken of the structure.

“Look here-” He said, gesturing to one of the areas that, to me, looked like little more than another rocky outcropping along the cliffs. “There are signs that it’s a landing pad.”

I raised an eyebrow. “There’s… nothing there leading to it?” I said in askance. No stairs, no halls, not even a railing.

Though… come to think of it I didn’t see railings often… anywhere really. 

“That might have been the point, but look-” Another few keystrokes and the computer highlighted certain patterns in the rock, scrapes and discoloration I hadn’t picked up on at all with my own eyes.

“The Dathomiri are an isolationist society and secretive.” Cordova explained. “It might be that many of their landing pads were placed away from their settlement, both to keep outsiders from landing and to make certain that anywhere they did land would allow them ample warning to observe.”

“Using that-” Cere commented, beginning to tap into her own console. “We can use similar patterns or markers to try and identify other locations. If the droids scanned it we can find it-”

She hit a key with a particularly hard tap, and the map shifted into a top down angle, suddenly highlighting no less than six sites, some barely large enough to fit a single personal shuttle.

I leaned forward, hovering over the image.

“We didn’t find any ships.” Obi-Wan commented somewhere to my side. “While it’s possible the Separatists took them… I don’t think it likely.”

Neither did I.

It looked like… the possibility of survivors was looking better and better.

“More than that-” Eno Cordova continued, looking over the readings. “The droids calculate that at least one location held a ship of not inconsiderable size.” He nodded, highlighting an area that looked like little more than an expansive cave hidden at the bottom of a ravine. I couldn’t imagine any ship landing there without already knowing where it was. “If that ship got off world, depending on make and model of course, there could have been at least a dozen survivors that boarded it.”

Obi-Wan straightened. “Hang on…” He stepped forward. “Please zoom out and show us where the Lightsaber was located.”

The Jedi archivist and archeologist- obliged.

The image appeared, and then a distance between it and the ‘landing pad’ written out.

Seventy two meters.

“Not far at all.” Obi-Wan breathed.

Unlike Vicky… I had self control- so I resisted the urge to comment on him being inconsiderate of a guy that probably couldn’t walk.

—

When I finally made it back to our room, it was nearly night time, Vicky still wasn’t here, attending to a Council meeting. Quinlan Vos would arrive some time tomorrow, Cal was already here, but the Council, and I, agreed that he would not be interacting with a potential Dark Side tainted artefact without Vos there to help him. 

Masters every one of the Council members might be, but none of us could help him in that process the same way Vos could.

I took a deep breath through my nostrils, debating with myself what my next step should be beore I decided to muster up the energy to cook something.

Our ingredients, luckily, were all stocked up. The Jedi always made sure that when we got back home things were as ‘prepared’ for us as they could reasonably be. I was grateful for that, at least.

It was a simple dish tonight, I didn’t have the energy for anything elaborate. A sweet potato, some vegetables and chicken breast. Or at least the galactic equivalent to all of these.

I put everything to cook quickly, and then, knowing I had at least a few minutes of grace, I rushed to the bathroom to take a shower

I didn’t need it, but I had a few bugs near the stove and oven, just incase.

To my pleasant surprise though, Vicky arrived shortly before I was done, sooner than I expected. 

“Oh!” I heard her both through my bugs in the room and with my own ears, her muffled voice reaching through the walls. “It smells good in here.”

I stepped out of the shower, beginning to towel off. “You’re early.” I called.

I felt her move towards the kitchen, no doubt checking on what was cooking. “Yeah we adjourned early. Mostly we just discussed the ongoing campaigns-”

I began to dress. “Any bad news?” I didn’t want to darken the mood… but I did have to ask.

Vicky sighed. “Yeah, some- Sarrish and Carida aren’t going well. We’re sending Aayla and Master K’Kruhk in a few days to help secure a proper retreat from both sectors.”

As I finished I thought of both engagements. Sarrish wasn’t a name I recognized, but Carida was a planet that was the key to a fairly important trade lane. The loss of it would hardly cripple the Republic, but it would be a shot in the arm, economics wise, to the separatists forces. Control of that trade lane, even temporarily would mean more money.

More money, meant more droids, more ships, more tanks and so on. 

Irritating… but not insurmountable.

Finally finishing, I stepped out of the bathroom the cold air of the living room kissing my face and still damp hair.

Vicky smiled as she saw me.

I’m not sure which one of us could be said to have ‘walked up’ to the other. When we kissed, I could taste strawberries and felt her smile widening against my lips as I coiled my arms around her waist.

“Hmmm-” I could feel her amusement. “I think I know why Anakin called for the meeting to end early.” She snickered.

I leaned down, my forehead resting on the crown of her head as I kept her close. “Bet you twenty he’s on his way to the Republica.”

“Sucker’s bet.” She chuckled before leaning up to give me another kiss.

I hadn’t meant to find out about it.

But local omniscience didn’t discriminate.

Anakin still didn’t know that we knew. Not openly at least, though he probably suspected.

Then again; it seemed like he still thought he was being subtle. 

“Thanks for cooking.” Vicky whispered, and I felt the tickle of her breath on my cheek. “I know you were tired.”

“We haven’t eaten together in… a long while.” I answered, opening my eyes. “I missed you.”

I got one more kiss, on the cheek this time. “I missed you too.”

Somewhere we’d begun swaying, like a particularly slow, aimless dance.

“I want this to be over.” I said, whispered really. “I miss my days in the creche… I miss when… all I had to worry about was what prank you got yourself in trouble for that day-”

“Trouble.” She gasped, ‘offended’ “That would imply I got caught!”

“You always got caught.” I deadpanned. “Yoda would just bail you out.”

“Excuse you!” She huffed, a smile tugging at her lip. “But it was my endless charm and absolute adorable-ness that bailed me out!”

“Endless snark maybe.” She laughed and I smiled.

But the smile soon slipped from my lips and from the look on her face, I knew melancholy had slipped back into my expression.

I felt her float up an inch or two, just enough so that her hug wouldn’t have me leaning down.

I felt her fingers threading through my hair, nails scratching softly at my scalp. 

“It can’t last forever.” She whispered a promise in my ear. “One day, it will be over. And we’ll be okay again. We’ll have our home back again.”

Sweet words. I’m not sure if they were true. But I appreciated them regardless.

She gave me one more kiss, her lips against my temple as we swayed. “No matter what; You and me against the world right?”

My arms wrapped tighter around her waist, pressing the whole of her closer to me. 

“Always.” I swore. 

(X)(X)(X)

So, fun fact, Vicky was big spoon that night. :)

Another fun fact; this chapter was meant to be Cal and Vos going into their Force vision to show what happened on Dathomir, but I realized.

'Wait... I kinda DO want to have a 'quiet moment' between Tay and Vicky and I'm not sure when that opportunity might come again' and promptly proceeded to chuck the original plan out the window...

I hope you all enjoyed it :)

I will now proceed to gather up the previously defenestrated plans for next chapter :)

Also, for those of you interested you may join us on discord to discuss the Patreon chapters :Dhttps://discord.gg/CSeCM794Also if you're able and willing the Tropes page can always use more love (It hasn't been updated since October) :(

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/TheWeavingForce