Distractions

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Jacen almost skidded to a stop beside her. The way she had flopped from the gate limp made his heart leap up his throat. When her eyes fluttered and she spoke he audibly sighed in relief.

One hand sweat over her head looking for an impact wound. The rough pads of his hand against the smooth of her skin. He reached to the back of her hear and was relieved that he couldn't feel her bleeding.

"You are too young to be going through dangerous magic portals first," he said. "You know where we are?" he asked, concerned about concussion from the way she had flopped to the ground.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Aela let out a groan, snapping her head up when Jacen spoke.

She frowned for a moment, glancing at the barrier that was once again standing in place. Her eyes wandered, and then suddenly she remembered what had happened beyond that odd little gate. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment and a bit of panic flowed through her.

What had the woman do-

The instant she thought about it Aela was flooded with a torrent of memories. Flashes of her life, of her future, of her past, of possibilities. Everything that she had ever thought about, everything that she had ever feared, some things that she had not ever thought possible. It came crashing down on her all at once, her breath catching in her throat and her eyes closing as she tried to quench the thoughts. She let out a choked gasp and then finally took a deep breath.

"There was a Jedi master." She spoke quickly. "Beyond the barrier."

She breathed. "Miraluka."

"She showed me..." Aela trailed off. What had she showed her?

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"She..." Jacen let his voice trail off and took his hands back. That she was tough did not make her immune to head trauma. She seemed relatively lucid but he decided to let her explain.

Concussion wasn't the only thing that could cause short term memory loss. Especially if someone had decided to do a number on her mind.

"Where did Luke go?"

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

She blinked. "I'm not sure."

Aela tried to remember back.

"He wasn't there." She was more than confident of that at the very least. Her lips thinned and she shook her head. "I was in a white...room, if you can call it that. It was like...like standing in complete nothingness."[/color[

Her head shook. "The Jedi Master spoke to me, appeared, then touched my forehead and."

Aela shrugged.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

Jacen looked from Aela to the gate and back again. He had never quite got used to the burning orange eyes she and her siblings had. In his travels he had not come across the feature before, but he'd met enough human-offshoots. Another time he'd ask the question. Off that it came back to him now.

"The rocks around us are rich with kyber," he said. He leaned back around to give her space to sit up. "I'm not sure what has come into motion here..."

"... What did she should you Aela?"

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Aela frowned, her head shaking from side to side. She found it hard to put into words exactly what she had seen, what the woman had done. A part of her felt as though the words were caught in her throat. She took a breath, her eyes closing.

The moment she did a flash of memory floated through her mind. She saw herself, bright red lightsaber in hand and she stood above a metallic throne adorned with sigils she didn't recognize. A shiver ran up her spine, eyes popping open as she tried to shake the image. "She."

Her lips thinned.

"She showed me the future." Had it been? "Or...possible futures I guess."

Aela glanced at Jacen. "It's hard to explain...it was like I saw a thousand different snippets of what I could be...what I could have been."

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"That sounds rather too close to what happened to you with the spirits Aela," he said. His voice was low and soft. There was concern in his gaze, his lips half pursed as he turned away towards the barrier.

"I should not have brought you this far," he stated. If this drove her backwards it was on him.

"Did she give you any indication of what they are doing?"

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

She frowned for a moment. Jacen wasn't too off-base, though the spirit hadn't actually shown Aela anything. Whatever the thing had been on Kraysis it had only taunted her with her own doubts. It had never shown, and it had certainly never imparted anything good upon her. This was different, though she knew exactly what Jacen was implying.

Aela couldn't help but disagree. Nevertheless she slowly shook her head. "It was different. More than just the bad. There was good too."

Another flash of images appeared as she blinked. She saw herself holding a child, standing besides a tall man with hair as blond as her own. Her lips were quirked into a smile and there was an expression of determination on her face.

A shiver ran up her spine as she drew herself back.

"No." She shook her head. "She said that we were at the Temple but...it was just endless white."

Her fingers tightened and she attempted to push herself to her feet. "I have no idea how I got there...or if the barrier even did anything."

Half of her thought Jacen was right, that it was another trick to make her doubt herself.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"I was hoping I'd worked out how to open the door," he murmured. "Seems a bit premature as I think they just pushed you out."

There was a note of frustration in his voice. Someone was on the other side of that barrier. Apparently they were in a temple of pure light. Every fibre of his being told him they were building up to do something.

By the time he might have returned Aela to the ship and returned whatever was coming might have passed. And who was to say the ship would be safe.

"We need to get through," he said firmly, turning to face her. The barrier flared. Jacen turned and drew his saber.

Luke stepped back through. He looked pale, his eyes spoke of having seen something distressing. The young Padawan walked right past Jacen as if he wasn't there and addressed Aela.

"I'm sorry," he said with a shake of his head. "I didn't think she was going to... It has to stop."

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

By now Aela no longer had any idea what was doing on, nor what to believe. She was smart enough to realize that what she had seen might not have been real, smart enough to realize that what she had been shown might have been lies.

Her experience on Kraysis, the knowledge that she'd gathered all her life and the cynicism of her father told her that she had to take everything with caution. Still, the images that she had seen, the lives that she had lived in those brief few seconds...they had been more convincing than she'd wanted to admit. Her lips thinned as Luke approached her, eyebrow raising slightly as she stared at the young man. His words cut into her, and Aela steeled herself.

She took a breath. "What has to stop?"

Confidence returned to her tone.

The Jedi Master didn't know if what she had experienced was true, if it was a lie or not, but like Jacen she could feel that something was wrong here. Her fingers tightened, and determination returned to her face. Luke peered at her, then glanced at Jacen for just a moment before he began to speak again.

"She...she's lying...manipulating us...you."​

Aela could feel her stomach drop and raise at the same time. She couldn't help but feel conflicted. The woman had shown her things filled with anguish and hate, death and destruction, but also love and family. Aela remembered it all, the sights of herself, her husband...everything.

Yet it was just another lie.

Anger flashed across her features, her eyes flashing from Luke to Jacen.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"I don't, I'm not sure how to explain."

"Try. Please." Jacen could see he should have let Aela speak first. The boy was more receptive to her prompts. But at least his curt tone seemed to focus the boy.

"She sits..." Luke circled his hands over themselves, searching for the right words. "This place is connected. It's old, it was built for a purpose a very long time ago. She can see far. So very far. But she says she can change things. Change them for the better."

Jacen looked from the bottom to the portal and back to Aela. He almost knew what would come next.

"The way she described how she would change things... I think she might hurt people. She says it's for the best. But she's becoming frustrated. Finding the right path. She's going to lash out."

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

She was growing tired of all of this, very tired. She didn't like being manipulated, she didn't like being lead by the nose, and she most certainly didn't like being made a fool of. Her lips thinned, and slowly she pushed herself up and off the ground. Her fingers scrunched into fists, and her gaze drifted to Luke as he spoke about the woman.

The Jedi Master, if that was what she had been, likely had the same talent that Aela and Jacen had discussed earlier. The ability to peer into the future was an uncommon one even among very powerful Jedi, though she had no idea if that was true for Miraluka as well. It stood to reason that the woman had this ability, and that this Temple allowed her to somehow enhance that ability. That being said...not everything that was seen would come true.

Aela herself knew that.

The young Jedi Master look at the two men, then peered at the barrier that was still holding that odd white light. She could see waves within it, though this time there was no motion to behold. Her fingers tightened again, and slowly she took a step forward.

Her body still felt heavy, muscles sore, but she could move. "So we drag her out of there."

Anger prickled her voice.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"There is no emotion, there is peace," Jacen murmured as he turned to the barrier. "And by that Aela, I mean don't lose you chit. I'll do the dragging. Unless It starts to go wrong, in which case you make sure you save me again."

As advice went, it wasn't very clear. He didn't have the time to form a different plan. It was one of those moments where her safety actually came second. If the boy's fears were any indication of what was happening then much more than all three of their lives was at stake. He just hoped that if this pushed her down the darker path that he would have the courage and focus to do to her as she once had to him. Sometimes it was the adversity you faced that actually strengthened your resolve. For Aela this was a sink or swim moment.

"Can you open the gate?" he asked Luke.

The boy nodded.

"Do it."

Luke closed his eyes and stepped forwards, placing his hand on the shimmering field. He waved them through. With lightsaber in hand Jacen stepped into the light, shielding his eyes with his other hand.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Aela grumbled.

She didn't like the fact that Jacen had quoted ancient Jedi scripture at her, even if it was the Code itself. The young Jedi Master understood the point of doing so of course, but it still irked her. As much as the ancient Jedi loved their code, she was still human, and humans got mad. She couldn't help it if she felt angry at this woman for trying to manipulate her, putting images into her head, visions of futures that could...or maybe couldn't be. Her lips thinned, shoulders setting back.

With her right hand she drew the blaster.

The weapon wouldn't really be much use to her in all honesty, but it was there and was something she could at least hang onto. Jacen stepped forward into the barrier, and Luke and She were left alone. For a moment she lingered, then motioned for him to go first. It wasn't that she didn't trust him...but caution was the best play here.

The boy seemed to understand, nodded, and then stepped through.

"Here we go again." She said softly to herself, following the two men and stepping through once more.

There was a slight skip of her heartbeat, and then once again Aela found herself on the other side of the barrier. This time however there was no grand white space, no eternal Abyss, instead they stood within the entrance of a grand marble temple, ornate stone statues lining the hall before them.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

No bright white lights as Aela had described. Either Aela had been taken elsewhere or she had been under the influence of an exceptionally powerful manipulator.

He kept his peripheral vision scanning for threats as he eyed the statues. They looked almost new. Down here could the elements reach them to age them? Or any living soul?

Jacen took two steps and stopped suddenly as he caught movement above them.

"Luke?" there was a pained note behind that voice.

Jacen looked up at the woman on the balcony. Her hers were veiled and she wore the brown robes of a Jedi. Or at least something similar.

She shook her head slowly. There was a bright flash of light and Luke was suddenly sliding across the floor away from them.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Generally Aela wasn't one for aggression.

By and large through most of her life she had fought on the defense. Whether it came to Sith Lords or regular Stormtroopers, she had always allowed them to strike first. Yet things had changed. Perhaps it was the events on Kraysis, perhaps it was the thin piece of string that were here ragged nerves, but no matter what it was this time Aela didn't wait.

As soon as Luke went flying Aela raised the blaster.

The weapon wasn't her first choice, in fact it was just about her last, but she didn't really think about it. All that she saw was Luke potentially getting hurt, she saw the flashes of the 'lives' she had lived, and she saw the woman that had caused her grief.

That was enough for her.

The blaster came up, Aela's finger falling on the trigger.

Before she could pull it however she felt a sudden yank on the weapon, and the unexpected pull saw the pistol leave her grip. She gave out half a yelp of frustration and surprise as the blaster went flying across the room away from her, clattering onto the ground with a loud crash. The young Jedi Master scowled, looking up at the Miraluka just as she began to speak.

​

"I gave you a choice. I showed you your future."​

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

"I'm sure you showed her what you want to show her," Jacen called out. He took a half step to one side to start to place himself between their foe and Aela and Luke. He was alive, slowly dragging himself back up on to all fours.

He drew back his jacket and cast a sideways glance at Aela. He hoped that a small nod would draw her attention to the Padawan's lightsaber hanging from his belt.

"You would all understand if you took the time to think about it," the miraluka said. Her voice was almost whisper quiet now. "Three lived for a billion. I can't stop, won't be stopped. Not now."

Sensing a surge of power Jacen drew a line through the Force and brought a barrier around himself. It was struck by some unseen force. It rang out like a bell, cracks almost immediately spreading across his shield. So much raw power. Again and again it struck and his barrier seemed a pitiful thing against it.

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Panic rushed through Aela.

It was all she felt in that moment. Fear, hurt, anger.

The three emotions that the Jedi abhorred the most. They were what brought you to the darkside, what caused you to fall. She had read and heard about it most of her life, had known that even the best could fall if the succumbed. The thoughts wound through her mind as she stood behind Jacen, the barrier that he had constructed between them and the woman beginning to crack and break apart. She heard the silent crack of the invisible shield, a shattering of the force more than anything physical.

Her fingers curled.

She couldn't focus.

The force seemed out of reach, her emotions ran wild. Flashes of the memories that had been implanted within her head continued to break through. She saw herself once more, sitting upon a throne. She saw her daughter running in a field. She saw Jacen's death at the hand of the Miraluka.

Her eyes snapped open, and her voice boomed. "No!"

The force welled within her, flowing out with her very breath. The ground in front of her shattered, the marble flooring cracking as a great bellow ran through the room and went crashing out towards the Miraluka Jedi Master.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Aela Talith"]

As the barrier crumbled and failed he felt her clawing at him with the Force, preparing to rend him apart with raw power.

He barely even registered Aela's defiant call from behind him before he was thrown aside by her retaliation. The wave pressed against his skin, made his eyes press against the sides of the sockets.

In full battle readiness even this wasn't enough to keep him down. With his vision still trying to spin he pushed himself back to his feet.

The columns beneath the balcony had cracked and the miraluka tumbled down in a shower of masonry. Dust swirled and parted. As if drawn up by invisible strings she righted herself and emerged without her feet even touching the ground.

"You had a choice," she said softly. Her tone was almost sad and regretful. "He was always going to die this was. But you had a choice."

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Aela's eyes flicked around the rubble.

She searched desperately for the blaster that the woman had pulled away from her and had seemingly dumped somewhere. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, her lips thinned. What the hell was she supposed to do?

The force was with her for now, but it felt as though it could slip away at any moment. "No one is going to die today."

Aela insisted as she took a step closer towards Jacen.

She had no lightsaber, no blaster, no weapon at all. She felt helpless, and that feeling caused the force to waver within her grasp. The young Jedi Master attempted to center herself, taking a deep breath as he eyes fixed upon her opposite. The miraluka seemed to stare at them, the odd band across her face holding Aela's attention just as any set of eyes. Her lips pressed together and she leaned towards Jacen, eyes still fixed upon the other woman. "We have to catch her by surprised."

Somehow.

"Like Kraysis." She told Jacen. "The Dark Lord."