3rd Person

Jedha was no ordinary desert moon; for many pilgrims there was no moon more sacred. Scattered across the wintry dunes were ruins of an ancient civilization, one that had almost no written history left. Some believed Jedha to be the birthplace of the Jedi Order, though most scholars defaulted to Coruscant. Regardless, Jedha City was a hotspot for all denominations of force-believers. The city itself had ancient history, but its main attraction was the massive temple situated in the center.

Zevon

It was refreshing to be in a more... natural environment for once, to say the least. It's not that I didn't like Coruscant, but eventually you wanted to get out of the smog and breath some fresh air. I could do without all the sand though, a few trees and I'd be a happy padawan.

Jedha City was breathtaking. As I walked beside my master and the four troopers, the city's rich culture was put on display for all of us. Dozens of pilgrims shuffled past us, all draped in bright-colored robes. If you took away the colors, they'd fit right with the order. My master marched onward with purpose, eventually leading us into a dimly lit bar dubbed "The Evening Star."

"Act normal, and don't discuss anything I revealed earlier." my master ordered as we sat down in a circular booth. Ten minutes passed, then three guests arrived. The trio were fitted with silky white cloaks, and wore masks similar to that of a Jedi Temple Guard. The one in the middle proceeded to unmask, revealing himself as the elderly man we'd viewed during the briefing. 'Leene Donnall,' was it? His hair was pure white and wispy.

"Jedi Master Adi Gallia, it's an honor to be in your service." echoed the three, kneeling before my master.

"There's no need for that." my master corrected, motioning them to stand. "Priest Donnall, you reported possible CIS activity at the Temple of the Kyber. Am I correct in that assessment?"

"Hm, it's a bit more complicated than that." the priest lamented gruffly.

"Priest Donnall!" one of the priest's aides cried out in objection.

"Hela, please allow me to speak." the priest requested calmly.

"Forgive me." she apologized. Then Priest Donnall spoke, seeming extremely troubled.

"The transmission you received was from one of our members, though I was unaware of the report until recently. There has been frequent thieving of kyber at the temple, something I'm deeply ashamed of. As of yet, we've been unable to catch the culprit. However, there is no sign of separatist activity. Jedi Master Gallia, I'm deeply sorry. I've wasted your time, and sullied the name of the Jedi by failing to stop your temple's desecration." At this point, the elder was again on his knees. This time, the frail old man was begging for forgiveness.

"As I said before, there's no need for that." Master Gallia repeated. "Surely we can still inspect the temple? We may yet catch the perpetrator."

"Of course, Master Gallia! You don't need my permission to inspect your temple." the priest chuckled nervously. Without hesitation, we left for the temple with the church members as our guides.

The temple was close in proximity to the tavern, though we encountered an issue while trying to pass through the great wall. The large, ornate gate that connected the old city and the new city was obstructed by a violent brawl.

Three white-robed members of the Church of the Force were locked in combat with two black-robed individuals. Though the latter group was outnumbered, they each held their own spectacularly well.

"Chirrut, look out!" yelled a dark-robed man with long brown hair and a beard. 'Chirrut' swerved away from a boot just before it could slam into his back. The attacker was left off balance, at which point Chirrut struck him on the head with a wooden staff. Needless to say, that guy wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

"Savages!" snarled 'Hela,' the aide from earlier. She unsheathed an ornate silver dagger before lunging toward the bearded man with murderous intent.

"No!" screamed Priest Donnall to no avail as his second aide also leapt into action. With two more assailants joining the white-robes, the dark-robes quickly became overwhelmed.

"Baze!" Chirrut cried out as his bearded companion was nicked by Hela's silver knife. At this point, the scuffle was beyond deadly. I could see the clones' hands twitching for their blasters out of the corner of my eye. My eyes darted to meet my master's. She nodded. Knowing exactly what she meant, I ignited my green lightsaber in unison with her own sapphire laser sword.

No words were required. The activation of a Jedi's weapon was enough to halt the melee instantaneously.

"That's enough." Master Gallia commanded, turning to face the Church. I stood opposite to her, facing the dark-robed duo.

"Surely we can be civil about this." I said coolly. The combatants were still speechless, still in awe at our appearance. I'd spent almost my entire life at the hub of all Jedi activity, so it seemed normal to me. Only now did I truly realize what a 'Jedi' meant to the rest of the galaxy. Eventually though, the amazement faded and the resentment returned.

"They instigated this!" roared one of church members.

"We Guardians would never do such a thing." Chirrut scoffed at the accusation.

"Enough! What's the meaning of this?" I chastised.

"These 'Guardians' have been pillaging the temple, right under our noses!" Hela spat with venom.

"Hela, again..." Priest Donnall began.

"Priest Donnall, you know it to be true! How long are we to do nothing?!" Hela shouted, fed up.

"It is you faithless fakers who have been robbing the temple of its treasures!" Baze roared.

"Silence! We don't have time for this." Master Gallia instructed. "Commander Neyo, stay here with Link. Keep the peace."

"Yes, General." Neyo nodded. General Gallia then pointed to four separate people, me included.

"Burst and Slipstream, come with me. You two, the one called 'Chirrut' and the one called 'Hela,' you come as well." she decreed. She then simply pointed to me and nodded, a wordless exchange. Chirrut and Hela bowed deeply to the Jedi Master before reluctantly joining her side, exchanging hateful glares with one another. Bidding farewell to Priest Donnall, the new group of six set off for the Temple of the Kyber.

"Master, what was that about?" I questioned.

"Something not of our concern, padawan. The order can't solve every skirmish in the galaxy. Don't let yourself become invested in every single conflict, we're here for CIS activity and nothing more."

"Oh..." I trailed off. She was right in a sense. The Jedi couldn't be everywhere at once. Still, something didn't sit right with me. Best not to question it.

Now my master was conversing with Chirrut and Hela, presumably obtaining some valuable intel. At first I had been confused when she elected to bring them along, but it made sense the more I thought about it. With the two factions so bitterly divided, it was fair to assume they didn't share information. Therefore, taking the best (or worst) of both to the temple was the best option.

"A credit for your thoughts." Burst commented, pulling up beside me. I opened my mouth to respond before he beat me to it. "Just kidding, I don't have any."

"He thinks he's funny, just let him pretend." Slipstream snickered, setting off Burst.

"You know what Slipstream, for as much as you love to take shots at me it never seems to translate to your shooting skills." Burst spat.

"Okay, DAMN. Didn't see that one coming." I cracked up at the sidesplitting smackdown Burst delivered.

"Alright, that one was good." Slipstream acknowledged, laughing it off.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" I requested, changing my tone to be serious.

"Sure, commander." they both welcomed.

"Earlier you guys seemed so uncomfortable around me, same with my master. I guess I want to know why? My friend serves with the 501st, and from the stories she told they always had an amazing relationship with their legion."

"Oh... well, it's not anything too deep." Burst expressed, realizing my bewilderment.

"General Gallia treats us fine, and her orders and tactics are spot on. It's just that she's very... distant to us clones. My inner circle tells me a lot of Jedi are the same. We didn't know what to think of you first, that's all."

"Oh, I don't think it's just to you. She's distant to everyone." I sighed with a hint of relief, now knowing the cause of the clones' hesitancy from before. The three of us had a good laugh, and all throughout the rest of our journey Burst and Slipstream told all about their previous exploits throughout the war. I gave them my full backstory. I told them about my unending quest to knighthood, and about my previous failings. Eventually though, the sharing of memories would come to an end.

Towering over me was a colossal structure composed entirely of hazel stone. It dwarfed the temple on Illum. The bygone temple was spectacularly ornate, despite its age. My gaze shifted to the right, surveying the cracked sculpture of an ancient Jedi Knight. I wondered what the ruin might have looked like a millennium ago. What would it have looked like in its glory days?

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Master Gallia interjected, taking me from my thoughts.

"Yes, master." I agreed. "But... we have work to do, don't we?"

"Of course." Master Gallia affirmed with an inkling of a grin. It was gone in a flash.

We made our way through the temple sanctuary and corridors quickly, with the clones and I in awe of their extent. Chirrut and Hela bickered nonstop, but they showed us the entrance to the catacombs nonetheless; a mangled spiral staircase.

"Don't expect your commlinks to be reliable down there." my master warned before starting her descent.

Each step down the staircase pushed us further into the darkness, resulting in Chirrut and Hela lighting a couple of lamps. Slipstream and Burst opted for their trooper torches. The staircase seemed to go on for infinity, until we finally broke through to the cavernous depths. Long porous tunnels that spanned in every direction... it felt so familiar.

No! I'd put that weakness behind me. I was no longer the same scared, pitiful child.

"This way." Hela called out, waving her lamp.

"No! It's this way." Chirrut argued, indicating an adjacent tunnel.

"There's no need for pointless quarreling. We'll simply divide and conquer." my master intervened. "Padawan, you're with me. Burst, I trust you'll keep these two from strangling each other."

"Yes, General. You can count on me." Burst yelled with a salute that Slipstream duplicated.

"Meet back here after you've finished your investigation. Be on alert for evidence of separatist meddling." Master Gallia instructed before taking the rightmost of the two tunnels. I waved to Slipstream and Burst, which they reciprocated. Then I trailed after my master. After a few minutes, we saw the first kyber crystal. Then several. Then the tunnel walls might as well have been the night sky.

"Only a bit further, padawan. I sense it." Master Gallia remarked.

"What do you sense, exactly?" I inquired curiously, to which she obliged.

"It's difficult to say for sure. My senses are... clouded by something dark. However, I can feel the crystals' pain. Someone has been tormenting them." she hummed whilst concentrating.

As if on cue, we progressed to a section of the labyrinth that was obviously tampered with. Entire portions of the jagged rock had been removed. There were also empty cavities in the walls that had once been occupied by crystal. Someone was looting the kyber, but who?

"Check every crack and pore for any evidence, such as tools or machinery." Master Gallia stated. We each inspected every nook and cranny, but the fruits of our labor never materialized.

"There's nothing master." I mourned, sitting back in defeat. Master Gallia persisted, brushing her hands across the smooth surfaces of rock that had been carved out of the cave sides. Suddenly, her hand stopped.

"Are you certain?" she asked, to which I jumped up and scurried over to her position.

"What is it? What did you find?" I excitedly blurted out. She shook her head.

"Padawan..." she started, replacing my her hand with my own. "Do you not sense anything?"

Oh... she was testing me.

"No." I confessed, disappointed.

"Remember your training. Focus, concentrate. Become one with temple, if only for a moment. I know you're capable of that."

"I'll try." I muttered, unhopeful. Nevertheless, I didn't want to fail her. No, it wasn't about that. She took me on knowing my limits, if she said I was capable then it was so.

'Focus...' I demanded internally. I cleared my mind, allowing the force to flow throughout my body as I always had.

Nothing. Nothing, as per usual.

Wait. No, there was something. It was faint, but I felt a hollowness throughout the space beyond the wall. Peculiar.

"Master, does this temple contain hidden tunnels?" I queried.

"Excellent, Zevon. Yes... yes it does." she praised, using the force to pry open a slab of stone embedded in the wall. Behind the slab was an opening large enough for a person to climb through. "You'll find that within temples, nothing is as it seems." she commented before vanishing into the gap.

The secret tunnel was a tight squeeze, but manageable.

"Master, what do you expect to find?"

"I'm not sure, but keep your guard up. My senses are growing more clouded." she revealed, sending shivers of nervousness throughout my body. If my master was concerned, should we really press our luck?

The tunnel finally ended, and the sight before us gave way to nothing but truth. Strewn across the cavern floor were dozens of laser drills, a gasifier, along with several other types of mining equipment. My master clasped one of the drills, inspecting it carefully. Her eyes then widened in realization. I was having my own epiphany simultaneously.

"Master, take a look." I announced, holding out an E-5 blaster.

"Those blasters are only manufactured by the trade federation." she confirmed. "And this drill contains materials commonly found on Geonosis."

"Then, the separatists really are involved?" I asked, distressed.

"Yes." My master uttered, solidifying the worst of our fears.

"Isn't that fascinating?" hissed a serpentine voice, to which my master ignited her saber in a split second. Illuminating the cavern with blue light, the source became visible. Perched atop an elevated rock face was a female figure donning a dark hood and cloak. The blackness of her attire accentuated her pale skin. Despite the limited visibility, I knew exactly who she was.

Asajj Ventress.

Flashback

"Wanna hear about my last mission?" Ahsoka badgered me while I tried to read my book.

"I'm sure it was thrilling." I shrugged, turning the page of Force Fundamentals Volume Four.

"Oh, come on!" Ahsoka whined, levitating the book out of my grip.

"Hey!" I sputtered, annoyed. "That's from a friend's personal collection, handle it with care."

"So anyway..." Ahsoka continued, ignoring me. I rolled my eyes and just sat there, listening.

"So Master Luminara and I were guarding Nute Gunray..." Ahsoka started, her face quickly taking a more serious tone as she recalled the events. "We were attacked and boarded by separatists, that's when she arrived."

"Who?" I asked, my interest piqued.

"Asajj Ventress. She's Count Dooku's Sith assassin." Ahsoka clarified, shivering a bit.

"Oh yeah, her. Isn't she just a small fry? She's not a Sith lord."

"That's what I thought too." Ahsoka confessed. "I fought her briefly on my first mission with Master Skywalker; didn't think much of it. This time though... it was different."

"How so?" I pressed.

"She's dangerous, extremely dangerous. Master Luminara faced her, and if I hadn't intervened I don't think she would've survived." Ahsoka explained, pausing. Then she continued.

"Her anger, her hatred. I felt it. She's not someone a normal Jedi can take on. Not alone."

End Flashback

I turned on my jade lightsaber, terror creeping down my back.

"Master, what do we do?" I demanded, resisting the urge to panic.

"Ignore the fear, padawan. Stay behind me." she ordered.

"But master, you..." I started, but was cut off promptly.

"This isn't a game, Zevon. You can't face her. This... wasn't part of the plan." my master asserted with unease.

"Your master is right, you know." murmured the assassin, descending from her perch. "If you fools hadn't gone sticking your nose where you shouldn't have, you might have left this place alive."

Ventress subsequently summoned two curved sabers from her belt. Upon activation the blades radiated a deep crimson, casting a brilliance upon the assassin that made her even more sinister.

"Who wants to die first?" she cackled.