Destiny Eclipse: Corner Stones

Xander Vos · Destiny Eclipse: Corner Stones

Dramatis Personae

Hexer (Defel Male) (Jedi Counsellor)
Ben Vos (Human Male) (Jedi Knight)
Lykken (Quarren Male) (Jedi Grand Master)
Lysa Vos (Human Female) (Jedi Knight)
Tyler Vos (Human Male) (Jedi Knight)
Vikro Vos (Human Male) (Jedi Knight)
Marq Yiyar (Human Male) (Jedi Counsellor)

Xander Vos

Destiny Eclipse: Corner Stones

You expect me to sit here, to stay on Pacis, when our father lies dead, amongst the charred carcass of our old Temple, and the Sith responsible still roam the Galaxy?-Ben Vos to his siblings, Lysa Vos, Vikro Vos and Tyler Vos

Chapter One

** 86 ABY – Invasion of Bakura **

Bakura – Outer Rim

Fires raged on Bakura, as the turbolasers from the orbiting Star Destroyer rained down upon the innocent planet. What had begun as a raging inferno of heat and flame around the old Jedi Temple – a place the inhabitants of Bakura had never known about much less visited – had spread fast, engulfing the entire forest around the temple, and chewing into the outer suburbs of Thespis, the closest urban environment to the Jedi Temple.

A once proud and noble planet, Bakura had endured much in its long, rich history, the site of many historic events, but had never endured something as terrible as the merciless bombing it was now suffering from the mindless, cruel Sith of Kroprulu. The Jedi – those that remained – were long dead, their spirits joined with the Force in eternal rest, and now all that remained of the temple was a charred mess of granite and sandstone, crumbling as each successive laser slammed into its target, toppling into the valley beneath the Temple.

The turbolaser fire, inaccurate as it was, occasionally struck a lone glade or field, igniting into fire the dry grasses that were a result of the recent drought Bakura had been suffering in the region, starting wild fires that bit hungrily into the fuel laid out for it, joining as one, intense inferno, before gathering its strength and launching an attack on the city of Thespis. Try as they might, the inhabitants could not hold the blaze back, and many begun to evacuate the city, and even then, the turbolasers did not halt.

It was said that a man had been seen near the Temple shortly before the blasts had begun again, that he had disappeared as the sky was lit once more from the heavens by the deadly blasts, but the hearsay was ignored largely, as there were more pressing concerns to the civilians of Bakura than a lone man who could in fact be in danger.

What had begun as an act of extermination by the Sith, intent on wiping the Jedi from the face of the Galaxy, had transformed into an act of war, an act of aggression against the Republic, in one swift stroke. The Jedi Star Defender that had been in orbit of the planet hours before was long gone – having evacuated in the midst of the climax of the battle between the Jedi and Sith, when the inhabitants of this fragile, innocent world had still believed there was hope for their survival – and in its place, the meagre Sith fleet – the mere fact they had not bothered to send a large fleet added insult to injury – was pressing forward, all batteries blazing away at the planet.

Within hours the planet would be burnt to a crisp – the Star Destroyer had widened its firing pattern to encompass other continents, and now flocks of ships fled the world – left floating in space as a mere husk of the rich, beautiful world it had once been. Has each bolt hammered the surface, another life was extinguished, another mother, another daughter, another father, another son, another sister, another brother. As those fleeing their former home world paused to ponder the fact that the Sith had been able to defeat their peaceful world so easily, why the Republic had not been more pro-active in defending potentially its most important world outside the Core, they realised the truth: the relationship between the Republic and the Jedi was splintered, fractured, tensions had been rising between the two for years, and the horrible truth had been revealed at the worst possible time.

Finally, after what seemed like days, and in reality had been an hour, two, the giant turbolasers fell silent, the Star Destroyer and its escort turning slowly, tiny specks in the infinite plane that was space, and in a flicker of pseudo motion disappeared, fleeing with their tails between their legs, garnering strength to confront their Emperor as to why they had exceeded their orders.

And the planet burnt itself to death.

Pacis - The Core

Grand Master Lykken stood, his mouth tentacles waving slightly in the wind, tasting the salt in the air of this strange, foreign world. He surveyed the work that had begun on the new Temple – in a much more secure location than the Temple on Bakura – and of a much more durable material than the sandstone and granite of the ancient Temple.

Around him, hastily constructed sleeping quarters housed the entire Jedi Order gathered on Pacis – those Jedi who had been on Bakura, the others, spread around the Galaxy, would be gathering at Bor, the Jedi emergency rendezvous point in case of troubles at Bakura.

The planet itself was beautiful, almost as beautiful as Bakura, though nothing rivalled it for beauty – it had been known as the gem of the Outer Rim amongst the Jedi and with good reason.

The Temple was being constructed in a geographical point of interest that the Jedi scouts had named The Overwatch. The Overwatch was a large bluff located at the foothills of the Kaor Range – one of the largest mountain ranges on Pacis - providing more than adequate natural defence for the Jedi Temple when it was finally constructed.

At his back stood several of the other Council members – Nekris, Hexer and Marq – who shared Lykken’s tension. It had been over a standard day, and still no news from Bakura. The ORS had sent scouts to the system, but they hadn’t returned yet, and there were murmurs about whether they ever would.

Lykken stiffened his back, whether there was news from Bakura or not, the Jedi Order would forge ahead. Abba had given him her confidence, and he would not fail the woman he had grown up adoring his entire life. The Jedi Order would see a period of peace and prosperity under his short reign.

Lykken knew Abba had chosen him as her successor for a reason, but he doubted that reason had been long term. It was common knowledge that Lykken was a quiet observer, having been tortured during the Darth Miedo Conflict to the point where he had caved in upon himself, seeking solace in the Force. In that position he was far from a charismatic leader, but a leader that those in a time of tragedy could turn to with the knowledge that he would guide them safely through to the other side, where peace and prosperity lay.

Turning, he glanced at Marq, who had a silent tear sliding down his face, not bothering to conceal his emotion. Those who had remained behind had sacrificed their lives so that those who had escaped could live on, and Lykken would not fail them.

Xander Vos

Chapter Two

**86 ABY**

Campsite Near Temple – Pacis

Pain. Pain was interesting. Some said you could never get anywhere without it. They said exercise without pain held no point. Muscles required pain to grow, to strengthen. Pain was integral. Without pain, you would never learn hard, cruel lessons in life, like not to touch the hot caf-maker. If you never learnt those lessons, you’d never get anywhere in life.

But while pain was necessary to teach these cruel lessons, it had the strength to undo every single other lesson a person has learnt in their life. Pain, much like fear, led to anger, which would in turn lead to hatred. And for a Jedi to therefore feel pain was a very dangerous thing.

Ben Vos was in pain. The solemn official Crako Starr, leader of an ORS mission to Bakura to determine the outcome of the battle with the Sith, watched on as Ben, bent double trying to suck in air without letting tears spill forth, shuddered in anguish, his father’s death at the hands of the Sith confirmed.

Around him, other bearers of the same bad news watched on as their recipients also bowed their heads in pain. Many had lost their lives to ensure that these lucky few could live on. But none was hurting more than Ben. He had hated what his father was all his life. Finally he had relented in that hatred and had become his father’s Apprentice. The pair had grown closer during this time, and had finally formed some sort of working relationship. And, by the will of the Force, just as this had happened, Xander had been snatched away from him.

His sniffs of sorrow quickly turning into snarls of rage, Ben straightened himself. He nodded at Crako, then without speaking, turned, and gathered together his closest possessions, stuffed a few more into a bag he could carry with him easily, and walked briskly off, leaving a bemused Crako standing in the middle of the tent. Finally with a sad sigh, Crako turned, and left the small, humble tent to continue his gift of bad news, to the other Vos siblings.

Crako worked for the ORS through choice, even though he knew many were forced to work for the organisation, perhaps through debts to his leader, or numerous other reasons. Crako didn’t like that side of the business, but respected its aims to be a neutral third party mediator between the Sith and Jedi. These two powerful organisations – for that was all they truly were – must work in common if peace in the Galaxy was to ever be achieved. Neither could truly destroy the other, and so all this fighting, bloodshed and pain was for nought.

Ducking under the tent flap, Crako surveyed the scene. Hundreds of rows of tents were set up in concentric circles around the construction site. The Jedi Temple was well on its way to completion, and at the rate they were working would surely be completed in a few months. The construction had begun before the refugees had arrived, and would soon be a safe haven once more for all Jedi in the Galaxy.

Crako watched as Ben marched through the rows, to where several of the Council Members were standing. He shook his head sadly. Crako was one of a few non-Force Sensitives who had been given access to Pacis, though he had been blindfolded on arrival and exit, with a Jedi accompanying him whenever he came or left, with his navigation records erased so that he couldn’t return. Glancing at the sky, however, which was thick with stars, made it fairly obvious the world was somewhere in the Core, making it a cunning choice for hiding from the Sith.

All this hiding… all this pain… all this death… all this suffering. It had to end, and end soon. The Galaxy needed peace.

Council Gathering – Pacis

Ben Vos felt pain. Pain and anger. A Jedi should never feel these things.

Lyyken turned towards him as he approached, sensing the broiling emotions in the young Knight. He smiled sadly at Ben, clasping his shoulder. “The Council’s thoughts are with you, your mother and siblings during this hard time. We’ve all lost someone close to us in this terrible time, and it is through our shared experiences that we can collectively grow stronger.”

He’d obviously said the wrong thing. Ben knocked his hand from his shoulder rudely, and glared at the Grand Master. “How dare you,” he snarled, “No one knows what I’ve been through, what hells I have faced, and what I feel right now at this moment, knowing that the man I cared most about is dead.”

Lyyken bowed stiffly, apologetically, “Of course Ben, I meant no offence, and I was merely trying to-”

“Save it,” Ben said, shortly.

Marq stepped forward, glaring at Ben, “Young Vos, how dare you speak to the Grand Master like that. I don’t give a damn what you’ve been through, you will show respect where respect is due. Your father understood that more than most others, and you will respect his memory. He would be quite ashamed of you.”

Without warning, Ben launched himself forward, striking Marq hard on the cheek, throwing him to the ground. Standing over the stunned Council Member Ben glared at him for a moment, two. The moment passed and he strode off, leaving a stunned crowd behind him, as Marq struggled to his feet.

Racing towards him through the crowd, came those three people, who had always sided with him, but now looked at him as if they didn’t know him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shouted Lysa Vos, gripping his shoulder, stopping him.

“I’m doing what I need to,” Ben said, not looking at her.

“Father would have been ashamed of you! What you’re doing is wrong! Please, stop now! It’s not too late!” Tyler said.

“You expect me to sit here, to stay on Pacis, when our father lies dead, amongst the charred carcass of our old Temple, and the Sith responsible still roam the Galaxy?” Ben snapped at the pair.

“No, we don’t expect you to do nothing,” Vikro said calmly, “But all the same, lashing out in anger, when the pain is still raw is not the answer. The Sith will be brought to justice, all in good time.”

“All in good time?! Listen to yourself Vikro! This man was our father as much as you tried to disown your family, your heritage, he made you who you are! I can’t let them get away with this, I just can’t!” Ben screamed at the three, breaking free of Lysa’s grip, and storming off leaving them in his wake.

That moment defined Ben Vos. That instant in which he had lost control, had snapped, and hit the Council Member, had marked him forever as one who would not follow the Jedi way willingly. Along his path towards greatness, he had stumbled. His father had stumbled, but never so hard or so quickly, as his son. His father had recovered after every small stumble along the way, throwing those moments of pain into lessons, showing him how to become stronger, wiser. His son, whose pain had come differently, all at once, had fallen, and fallen hard, onto the path towards the Dark Side.

Hangar Bay – Pacis

It was still there, just where he had left it. Vos slunk towards the Swift Eagle, keeping to the shadows. He knew that by now that they’d all be looking for him. Them. Him. How quickly sides had been drawn, when only hours before he had been the picture-perfect Jedi Knight.

His father’s death had changed it all.

The pain, so fresh and raw, was cutting into him sharply, making his thoughts jumble together, indecipherable. He could barely see, barely feel, barely think. He felt in his pocket for the key card to access the Swift Eagle. The ramp slid down in recognition and he stumbled aboard, throwing his bag roughly into the corner of the cockpit.

Sitting at the controls, Ben flipped each switch rather harsher than need be. Firing the repulsorlifts into life, he shot out of the hangar bay, glancing down momentarily at the shocked faces below him, that could do nothing but watch as he sped out, into orbit, and then into an intricate battle with transitory mists surrounding Pacis.

The mists, as thick as those in his mind, took hours to traverse, but finally he was through, and his destination, Fondor, set into the nav-computer. This craft that had been his father’s had been left to him. He remembered that conversation with his father, where Xander had urged he take it if anything ever happened to him. He’d never imagined anything would. Somehow his father had seemed the type who could go into battle against an unstoppable army on his own, and come out unscathed. He’d done it often enough in that long-forgotten war against Darth Miedo, but his luck had seemingly finally run out.

Taking one last glance back at where he’d come, at all he’d been, Ben threw the lever, and watched as the stars streamlined.

Xander Vos

Chapter Three

**86 ABY**

Campsite Near Temple – Pacis

“Your father, Xander Vos, has been killed in action on Bakura defending the Grand Master from the Sith,” Crako Starr announced to Tyler, confirming only what he had already suspected.

Tyler examined his reaction, as if from a distance. He felt pain, of that there was no doubt, but at the same time, he felt acceptance. His father had been old when he had died, he had led a long, happy life, and was now one with the Force. Whilst his own selfish demands would have seen his father never leave this life, he had always known that this day would come, and whilst he was not ready for it – one could never be ready for a tragedy such as this – he was able to accept it for what it was.

Others, however, seemed unable to do that. Rising from his tent after what seemed an eternity but was more likely only a few minutes, Tyler was drawn to a commotion that had broken out in the centre of the camp site. He glanced to his side to see Lysa and Vikro also drawn to the scene, and with a sickening feeling suspected who had instigated it.

Marq Yiyar, Jedi Master, stepped forward, glaring at a man confronting, Grand Master Lykken, “Young Vos, how dare you speak to the Grand Master like that. I don’t give a damn what you’ve been through, you will show respect where respect is due. Your father understood that more than most others, and you will respect his memory. He would be quite ashamed of you.”

Tyler sighed despondently, knowing instantly who the young man was, none other than Ben, his younger brother. Stepping forward to break up any possible violent acts, he cringed, as he was proven too late.

Without warning, Ben launched himself forward, striking Marq hard on the cheek, throwing him to the ground. Standing over the stunned Council Member Ben glared at him for a moment, two. The moment passed and he strode off, leaving a stunned crowd behind him, as Marq struggled to his feet.

Tyler nodded to the other two, and the three of them raced through the crowd, stopping Ben in his tracks, although it was Tyler’s twin sister, Lysa, who reached him first.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Lysa shouted, gripping his shoulder, in an attempt to shake some sense into their brother.

“I’m doing what I need to,” Ben said, not looking at her, attempting to break free of her grip, but Tyler stepped in, drawing Ben’s gaze to him.

“Father would have been ashamed of you! What you’re doing is wrong! Please, stop now! It’s not too late!” Tyler said.

“You expect me to sit here, to stay on Pacis, when our father lies dead, amongst the charred carcass of our old Temple, and the Sith responsible still roam the Galaxy?” Ben snapped at the pair, marching out of their way, but Vikro grabbed his arm, stopping him once more.

“No, we don’t expect you to do nothing,” Vikro said calmly, “But all the same, lashing out in anger, when the pain is still raw is not the answer. The Sith will be brought to justice, all in good time.”

“All in good time?! Listen to yourself Vikro! This man was our father as much as you tried to disown your family, your heritage, he made you who you are! I can’t let them get away with this, I just can’t!” Ben screamed at the three, breaking free of Lysa’s grip, and storming off leaving them in his wake.

Tyler growled in frustration, and jerked his head towards his tent, signalling for Lysa and Vikro to follow him. As the three reached Tyler’s tent, a loose datapad from within rose unwillingly and smashed against the wall. Tyler flopped into a chair, ignoring an admonishing look from Lysa.

“We already have one brother walking a dangerous path, a second wouldn’t help us out of this tight spot,” she quipped, cautioning him.

Tyler raised a hand apologetically, “What are we going to do?” He moaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly. In the space of an hour the trio had learnt of their father’s death, and now their brother’s quickening pace towards the Dark Side of the Force.

“Well, the only thing we can do,” Vikro said casually, fiddling with the datapad that Tyler had thrown across the room. The other two looked at him questioningly, and he rolled his eyes, “Bring him back?” He said, placing the repaired datapad back on the small wooden table that served as the only desk space in the room.

“But how will we know where he’s gone?” Lysa said, “It’s not like we had time to place a tracer in the Swift Eagle. Come to think of it, why did he get Dad’s old ship? It’s not like we got to vote on it, and I mean, each of us has an equal right to own that old hunk of junk.”

“Not the right time,” Tyler said quietly. Suddenly an idea leapt at him, “Where did Ben always like to go, back before Father took him on as an Apprentice? You know, back when he really hated the Vos name, and wanted nothing to do with it?”

Vikro shrugged, “I know he used to take walks in the forest, but I doubt he’d go there. I know he went to-” He broke off, his eyes shining in understanding, all pretence of uninterest gone in a moment.

“Fondor,” Lysa said excitedly, “I remember he told me once that he’d rented out an apartment on Fondor. He always went there when he’d had enough of Dad, the Order, or being a Jedi all together.”

“Then that’s where we start the search,” Tyler said, determinedly, rising to his feet.

“We’ll need the permission of the Jedi Council, a craft that’ll be able to get us there, and can also transport someone against their will, and -”

“Wait a minute, against their will?” Lysa said uncertainly, “I don’t much like the sound of that.”

Vikro’s eyes hardened, “If Ben falls to the Dark Side then he is no longer our brother, but an enemy to the Jedi Order, who must be taken into captivity to save the rest of the Jedi from the threat that he could become. If he told the Sith of the location of our new home world, and led a fleet here, then it would doom all that our father died for.”

Lysa nodded, resignedly, “You’re right, of course. I only thought, I mean, he can’t be that far gone. We’re leaping to conclusions just because he hit Master Yiyar. Can you blame him? Our father had just died, and Master Yiyar can be a little… well… in-your-face at times, and I don’t really blame him for snapping.”

“Yes, but did you hear what he said after that?” Tyler reminded her, “‘I’m doing what I need to’. Sounded like the words of a man on a mission to me. Not the words of a calm, reasonable, sensible, Jedi Knight. Nor even a Jedi at all. The way he said those words,” Tyler shivered, “He sounded lost, dark, and alone. He needs our help Lysa, whether he wants it or not, he needs it. Now, more than ever.”

Lysa nodded, a bitter look coming into her eyes, “Oh Dad, why’d you have to go and die now,” she said, looking away from the other two, shaking a tear from her eye, “Anyway Vikro, what did you say we’d need?”

Vikro looked at her, concerned, then continued, “The Jedi Council’s approval, a capable ship, supplies to last us a while, a tracking device in case we do find him but he manages to escape, weapons to deal with any threat we encounter, whether it be Ben, or anyone else, and star maps to be able to get us back to Pacis on the way back.”

Tyler nodded, “I should be able to rustle up most of those things within the hour, Lysa, you can work on getting Master Lykken’s permission, and Vikro, try and find the star maps for Pacis.”

Vikro nodded, “Shouldn’t be too hard, I think I keep a set stored with my datapad collection.”

Lysa turned to leave the tent, “Lykken should be pretty eager, what with the threat of the Sith and all that. If Ben’s gone to kill them, they aren’t going to be too happy with them, and if they found their way back here… well let’s just say Lykken wouldn’t want that as the notable achievement of his tenure as Grand Master of the Jedi Order.”

Tyler smiled, “Meet in the hangar in two hours, and if everything has gone right, we’ll be hot on his tail.”

Lysa nodded, “He won’t be able to get away from us for too long, and the quicker we find him, the less damage he’ll be able to do.”

“To others or himself,” Vikro added, gravely.

Xander Vos

Chapter Four

**86 ABY**

Campsite Near Temple – Pacis

“Xander Vos was killed in action defending those that he loved,” Crako Starr said, solemnly, his deep eyes endless pools of brown sorrow. He leant forward, as if to embrace Lysa Vos in a hug, but hesitated, and pulled back, as if sensing the awkwardness of the manoeuvre.

Lysa rocked back on her heels, her worst fears, her darkest nightmares confirmed. “Why did he have to go,” she managed to choke out, as the beginnings of tears began to escape from her clenched eyelids, as she clenched her hands into fists, banging them uselessly against her small table. “Why Dad, why did you go,” she muttered helplessly.

Shifting on his feet slightly embarrassed by the situation, Starr nodded to her, muttered “My condolences,” and stole out of the room to notify the final Vos sibling.

Sinking to her knees, Lysa finally let out a choked sob, the tears flowing more freely now as all the memories of her father during her childhood, the highs, the lows, the ups and downs, the turbo-coaster ride that had been their relationship. At the end of the day, she had loved him dearly, he had been her Dad, always there to keep an eye out for her and to scare all those boys in her life away.

She smiled sadly, and grimaced slightly. As soon as he’d said he was staying on Bakura, she’d known something would happen. She’d known it. After all, he wasn’t exactly young, and hardly up for the heroic romps of his more youthful days. Shaking her head, her sadness and regret dissolved, leaving behind a hardening mass of anger. The selfishness of her father, assuming that he would be able to take on the Sith single-handedly and live to fight another day, not giving a second thought to the family he now had to look after. It wasn’t the kriffing Outer Rim Sieges anymore, not even the Miedo Conflict, they were all adults now, and looked to him for guidance in their day to day life as much as they had when they were younger, with the addition of the gift of understanding now bestowed upon them.

“Stang Dad,” she growled, batting away a tear, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a ruckus outside, and she slipped out of her tent to investigate.

Council Gathering – Pacis

“You must listen to me Master,” Lysa implored, “We’re the only three who’ll be able to find him. We know where he’s likely to have gone, and he’s most likely to listen to us. If you allow Master Hexer to track him down, it could all end up terribly wrong.”

Hexer stood to the side, silent as always. A good friend of their father, he had expressed his disgust in Ben’s behaviour, and his eagerness to track down the young man and teach him a thing or two about respect, something his father had known a lot about.

Marq, nursing a swollen cheek, glared at Lysa, “You think you’ll do better at bringing him in than a fully qualified Jedi Master? With all due respect, Knight Vos,” he said, inflecting a note of scorn as he pronounced her name, “Master Hexer will be more than prepared for anything than Ben will be willing to try to evade capture.”

“You say that as if all hope is gone,” Lysa said, dismayed, “He is my brother. I will be able to bring him back, without any trouble, without any problems, and you’ll see, this was all just a mistake. You touched a nerve right after Dad’s death, how do you expect him to have reacted?”

“Like a Jedi Knight,” Yiyar retorted.

Lykken raised his hand, “Enough of this,” he thundered, “I will not have this meeting descend into the squabbles of children.”

Marq and Lysa bowed their heads in embarrassment and muttered their mutual apologies.

“Now, I have full confidence in your abilities to bring him in,” Lykken said, inclining his head towards Lysa, including Vikro and Tyler in his appropriation. “However,” he continued, “Master Hexer has proven his abilities in the past, and is more than willing to take up this assignment. I am willing to allow both missions to go ahead, and it will just provide a greater motivation for the three of you, for I fear that Ben will not react as kindly towards Master Hexer as he would towards the three of you, and I fear what could result from such a confrontation.”

Lysa opened her mouth in frustration, but Lykken cut her off, “Be thankful I am allowing your siblings and you to go ahead with this foolhardy mission as it is. This Order has seen the deaths of many respected members in the last few weeks, any more casualties going by the name of Vos would surely undo us at our seams. You four are our future, our corner stones, as we build this order back towards its former glory. Yo each represent such different sides of the Order; Ben, representing our desire to vanquish our enemies whilst protecting the week, Tyler, representing our need to educate the young, and train future generations of Jedi Knights to take our places, Vikro, representing our need to keep a record of all that we know, so as to better equip later generations in the task of defending our Galaxy, and you, representing our need for those who can aid the sick, and heal those who are surrounded by nothing but darkness. Without one, or all of you, our Order is left with no guiding lights. This Council may be considered the leaders of the Order now, in the present, but the four of you represent what this Order will become in the future, and for that reason we need each and every one of you to do what you can for the Order.”

Lysa nodded, caught unawares by the powerful speech Lykken had just given, “I had no idea you viewed us in that way, Master,” she mumbled, “We’ll do our best to bring him in, and if we fail, we’ll notify Master Hexer immediately.”

Lykken nodded in gratitude. “Thank you Lysa that is all I ask. May the Force be with you, and your siblings.”

“Thank you Master, may the Force be with you too.”

Xander Vos

Chapter Five

**86 ABY**

Campsite Near Temple – Pacis

His father was dead. Vikro rocked back on his heels as Crako Starr delivered to him the worst possible news that he could have received at that moment. His father was dead. He had never been that close to Xander, but he was flesh and blood all the same, and he felt as if a part of him had been cut away, never to be accessed again, like a datapad that had its access channel to a particularly interesting piece of information permanently disabled. It was still there, but now he would never be able to reach it again. It was a part of him he had only been able to go when he had been with his father, around his father, talking with his father.

Taking a deep, calming breath, he drew his emotions within him, concentrating on them, focussing on all the pain and regret that he felt, focussed it into a single point, so small that it could fit on a single chip of data, and then, it just disappeared.

Nodding his thanks, he turned his back on Starr, who, his difficult chore behind him; felt a heavy weight lifted from his back. Each of the four had reacted in such a different way, but he had felt the same pain and regret at the expression on each of their faces after he had delivered the news. He glanced at Vikro again, who was calmly setting aside a datapad and examining a holo of him and his father when he was much younger. Shaking his head in dismay, Starr left him to it, walking briskly from the camp site, passing Ben, who was arguing rather loudly with a Jedi Master, and, thinking nothing of it, hurried to the hangar, where his ship lay, its hot metal still ticking slightly from its recent landing.

Vikro gazed out of his tent as the small ship shot out into the air, headed back to Eriadu, far away, where things were surely a lot simpler. Fathers weren’t dying, children weren’t left alone, with no one left in the world that they could love…

Raised voices in the Council clearing distracted him from this thought, and he set out to investigate, puzzled at what could have caused such an argument.

Aboard the Knight Hawk – Outbound from Pacis

Vikro glanced about the cockpit as Tyler smoothly piloted the small craft out of the hanger bay, and after navigating through the transitory mists set course for Fondor, their first stop on what would hopefully be a short journey to track down their missing brother.

Glancing down at his datapad again, he flicked through several holos he had stored on it: him and Xander, when he was ten, practicing to levitate small rocks; him and Xander when he was thirty-four, finally becoming a fully fledged Jedi Knight; him and Xander upon his initiation into the Jedi Archives.

Lysa reached over to squeeze his shoulder, causing him to jump suddenly, and switch off the datapad.

“It’s ok,” she murmured, “We know you care about him, even if you did show it in a different way to the rest of us.”

Vikro nodded silently, gazing steadily ahead. “I guess I just can’t believe he’s really gone,” he said suddenly. “During the War I devoted my time to being a Healer. I saved lives, instead of ending them. If I’d been there, maybe there was something I could have done. Maybe I could have-”

“There was nothing you could have done,” Lysa said, gently cutting him off. “For all his stubbornness, Dad knew a thing or two about fighting. He did all he could, and if it cost him his life to protect our Order from the Sith, then I guess we’ve got to live with that, no matter how hard it would be.”

Vikro nodded, “I guess you’re right. All those years of seclusion in the Archives make all of this feel that much worse, you know? I haven’t really had anyone die on me before. And for the first person to be Xander, it just comes as a bit of a shock I guess.”

Lysa nodded, “The pain will go, with time, but the emotions will always be there, just waiting to be ripped open again, like an old scar. I guess that’s why those mad Coruscanti Jedi never allowed attachments. Sometimes it just gets so hard to separate yourself from your emotions, that it makes you little better than a Sith.”

Vikro looked at her sharply, “Ben’s no Sith.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lysa said, looking startled.

“Good, because for a second there you started sounding like Yiyar.”

“I don’t like the guy any more than you Vik, but he is a Master, and he must be respected. Thankfully Ben had already hit him or I would have done something similar. He basically called us the Vos brats, you know? When I went to them to get permission to come to Fondor looking for Ben.”

Vikro nodded, “I’ve encountered him before, and I don’t get it. He respected our father, and I know the respect was mutual, but there must be some sort of resentment at the fact that he’s brought up four Force Sensitive children who one day will most likely take his place on the Council. Maybe he feels threatened.”

“Maybe,” Lysa mused, “There’s something there… I guess we’ll find out one day.”

Tyler glanced back, “We’re coming up on Fondor now guys, let’s see if our call was the right one.”

Simery City – Fondor

Vikro glanced around uneasily as the three of them attracted plenty of glares of suspicion. This wasn’t exactly the upmarket end of town, in fact he doubted many people living downtown would think of living here. The place Ben had was undoubtedly cheap, as he’d continued to fund it over the years, but Vikro hadn’t thought it was this cheap. Probably only a handful of credits every year sustained this place. But then again, what did a Jedi really need for a place they weren’t going to be spending much time at anyway?

Tyler nodded at Vikro, “Like we planned,” he murmured, and slipped off into the crowd, as did Lysa. Vikro walked cautiously forward, careful not to touch any of the dirty populace brushing past him, wishing to the Force that for a second he was a Philinx and could just absorb oxygen through his pores rather than having to breath in this horrendous smell.

Rushing up the few corroded steps at the entrance to Ben’s abode, he rapidly knocked on the door, noticing in dismay that it buckled slightly at just his touch. Slow steps from inside filtered out through the flimsy door, and finally the door swung open – on a hinge, Vikro noticed, disgusted further by the state that Ben was living in.

The slightly bearded man who squinted through the sudden burst of light closely resembled what would happen if Ben were stranded on a forested world for a month, then dumped into a tank of manure, slowly rotated for about an hour, then removed and given a slight hose down. He smelt that way too.

“How’d you find me?” Ben growled suspiciously at Vikro, glancing around.

“I just came to talk, Ben. I came alone,” Vikro said, spreading his arms to show he meant no harm.

“Come in,” Ben said, grabbing Vikro’s arm and pulling him sharply inside.

“Do I have to?” Vikro mumbled hopelessly.

Xander Vos

Chapter Six
**86 ABY**

Simery City – Fondor

The dank, brooding room matched Ben perfectly at that moment in time. The disgust and self-loathing drenched the walls in a profane smell, that Ben, who had spent much time in this hell-hole, still wrinkled his nose at. He glanced at his visitor up and down, an intruder from another world, another life. Another life, that had been his, up until a few days ago when he had left that place.

“What do you want?” he mumbled at his brother, Vikro, who stood before him. He’d only let his brother in because he knew Vikro wouldn’t go running to the other two. Vikro barely talked to them as it was, and he’d always been able to confide in Vikro, such as when he’d gone to him for advice on become his father’s Apprentice.

“Look, Ben, you need to come back. What you did was wrong, but the Council won’t hold it against you with circumstances as they are.”

“I can’t,” Ben snarled, “The Sith are still out there, sleeping in their beds, eating their food, living their lives as if nothing happened. As if they didn’t kill our father. There is a man, out there Vik, who opened his mouth, and sentenced our father to death, and that doesn’t bother you?”

“It’s bothered me every day since I heard the news, but that doesn’t mean we go after them. We’re Jedi, we’re-”

“Don’t you dare say we’re better than that,” snarled Ben, pointing a finger in Vikro’s face, “Don’t you dare say that. Our father died valiantly, protecting the ones he loved, and we can’t repay that love? The Jedi Council are nothing but a pack of cowards, can’t you see that? They run, and run, and run, to get away from the Sith, to hide from the Sith. If they stopped, and fought, they could destroy the Sith once and for all, and bring peace back to the Galaxy.”

Vikro let a wry smile slip onto his face, “Yeah, look how successfully that’s gone in the past.”

“But this time could be different. Just because you lose your first three hands of Sabaac doesn’t mean you won’t win your fourth. Palpatine’s Sith are gone, Miedo’s Sith are gone, all that remain are Paxis’. We know where they are, Kroprulu. We bring in our fleet, we take them down, they’re gone once and for all.”

The smile vanished, “Listen to yourself Ben. Doesn’t that sound a little familiar? Fleet shows up, Sith palace stormed, Sith Lords and Emperor killed? That’s what they did to us. If we invaded Kroprulu that would make us no better than the Sith themselves. Then where would the Galaxy be? We’d just be cutting off the Nexu’s head, only to become the Ackley that takes its place.”

“I see there’s no hope in convincing you,” Ben said coldly, “What I must do, I must do alone. Now get out of here.”

Vikro turned, sighing, “If that’s the way you feel…” He broke off.

The door to Ben’s apartment, already struggling to hold up against the slight breeze outside, finally collapsed sending up plumes of dust from the ground, influenced by some outside source. As Ben blinked to rid his eyes of the grains of dust, his mouth tightened in fury. In his doorway stood Tyler, hands on his hips, gazing solemnly at Ben.

“How could you bring him here?” he hissed at Vikro.

“I did what I had to,” Vikro said, stepping slowly towards Ben, “If you won’t come with us voluntarily, we will be forced to apprehend you.”

Ben laughed hysterically, “Now who’s sounding like the Sith Lords,” he snarled, taking a backwards step. Then, without warning, he leapt up the small flight of steps into his upper quarters, sprinting down the corridor towards the fire escape. As he reached it however, he was forced to stop in his tracks as his eyes rested upon another one of his darling siblings.

“I just can’t seem to get rid of you, can I?” He sneered at Lysa, taking a step towards her, and glancing back over his shoulder as Tyler and Vikro caught up to him, “I run half-way across the Galaxy to a place I haven’t used in years, and you still manage to find me, with little trouble it seems.”

“We just want to help you,” Lysa said, taking a step forward.

“I don’t need your help!” screamed Ben, forcing her to step back just as quickly. “I just want to kill the men who killed our father, is that so much to ask?” He said despairingly.

“They are dead. They lie alongside our father on Bakura. Those on Kroprulu cannot be held accountable for their actions, anymore than the Jedi Council controls you. And we all know how much control they have over you?” Tyler said with a smile. “Just come back with us, and we’ll make this all right.”

“Nothing can make this right now,” Ben’s eyes flashed dangerously. His hand crept down to the hilt of his lightsaber.

Lysa glanced down and shook her head, “You’ve got to be kidding me Ben, are you out of your mind? We love you! We don’t want to hurt you!”

“I know what this is,” Ben snarled, “The Council sent you here to arrest me. Damage control is it? ‘Stop the Rogue Knight before he causes too much damage on our behalf,’” he sang out, imitating Marq’s royal tones.

“That’s not it at all,” Lysa shot back, “He dislikes us as much as you. That’s his problem to deal with, not ours. Now, come back with us, we won’t fight you.”

“No?” Ben asked, to which Tyler and Vikro shook their heads, “Then you can chase me.” Igniting his lightsaber in a flash, he spun it in a circle through the roof, drawing the shard of metal down with the Force, he threw it at Vikro and Tyler, landing a kick squarely in Lysa’s chest, knocking the breath out of her as she stumbled backwards. Leaping through the roof, he took off along it, lightsaber in hand, leaping from building to building.

Finally reaching the city square, he leapt down, breathing heavily, and extinguished his lightsaber. Turning back the way he came, he glanced back towards his building, but couldn’t see anyone coming after him. Suddenly, he heard the ignition of a lightsaber behind him.

“Managed to catch up to me did you?” He panted, turning to face his siblings, but froze, when he was met with a ruby bladed lightsaber pointed at his throat, and a particularly menacing looking Sith standing behind it. “And who might you be?” Ben growled at him, his lightsaber still in hand, finger hovering over the activation stud.

“Lord Leumas,” the man snarled, “And I know a Vos brat when I see one.”

Ben smiled menacingly, “A Sith Lord. All the better. You see, I don’t know if you know this yet, but your cronies had a little operation going at a backwater planet, Bakura. You know of it? Good. Well, you see, the thing is, they killed my old man out there, and ever since I’ve been looking to get my revenge on someone. Then you stumbled along, right on time. How fantastic is that?” He said, with a twisted smile.

In a flash, his violet lightsaber blade was ignited, clashing with Leumas’ red blade. Around them people screamed and ran, knowing what it meant to be caught near a Jedi and Sith duelling. The pair paced eagerly, gazing deep into each other’s eyes as they circled one another.

Leumas leapt high, and Ben raised his blade, taking Leumas’ weight and rolling with it, forcing the man to the ground, as their blades locked once more. Ben feinted left before flicking his blade to the right in a test of Leumas’ defences. The man flicked his blade left, battering away Ben’s blade, and hammering in a strike of his own, forcing Ben to back away.

In an instant, Ben began to realise he had gotten in over his head. This man was a Sith Lord, highly trained in the art of duelling, and Ben wasn’t his father. He’d been a Jedi Knight for eight years now, but still had a lot of learning to do. His blocks were hasty, clumsy, he could feel the sweat on his brow. Despite being years older than him, Leumas has a much higher level of stamina and agility. This was all so ridiculous. Ben was forty-five, and he was acting like a seventeen year old.

His late Apprenticeship to his father may have had something to do with it, he hadn’t experienced what a lot of other boys had at the age of sixteen, but at the age of thirty-five. But now wasn’t the time for reminiscences. He growled fiercely as Leumas swung low, and leapt over the man’s blade, striking at his neck. Leumas rolled to the side, easily dodging the blow, and sweeping Ben’s legs out from under him.

Hitting the ground hard, Ben moaned slightly in pain, as he landed on his right shoulder. Bracing himself for the inevitable brief flash of pain, Ben was surprising to hear Leumas’ blade strike resistance, and glanced up to find Tyler standing over him, lightsaber drawn, the emerald blade casting a glow over Ben’s face.

Ben struggled to his feet as Tyler clashed with the Sith Lord, the two battling back and forward fiercely as Lysa and Vikro made it to the scene, out of breath. It seemed they had made a wrong turn somewhere, and the bashful look on Lysa’s face suggested who had made it.

Laughing maniacally, Leumas screamed, “All four of you at once! My, Paxis will certainly be pleased when he hears that not only is that wizened old fool Xander dead, but his children too!”

Ben screamed in rage at this comment, and raised his hand, jets of blue lightening shooting from his fingertips. Leumas’ laughs quickly became screams of pain as, unable to defend himself, Ben’s lightening struck him full blast in the face, driving him backwards and onto the ground.

“Ben, stop this!” thundered Vikro, rushing towards him.

Paying him no heed, Ben continued the torture, until Leumas’ sickened screams finally choked off into sobs, then rasps of pain and then nothing more.

Xander Vos

Chapter Seven

**86 ABY**

Simery City – Fondor

A scene, commotion. People running hysterically. The Jedi Master surveyed the setting below from high above, watching it play out without feeling the need to step in. The violet clashed with red, over and over. The violet slipped, fumbled, the emerald stepped in to help. Then something unexpected happened. Violet got angry. The Force Lightening produced, enough to kill the red, splashed the scene in shades of blue-white. A frown creased the Jedi Master’s face, and he knew now was his time.

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he landed gracefully in front of Ben Vos, a look of shock on his face only matched by the equal looks of concern on Tyler, Vikro and Lysa’s faces. The Defel curled his snout into a sad smile. Hoping he wouldn’t have cause to make a scene, he gestured roughly at Ben.

“What are you doing here?” The middle-aged Jedi Knight said, “Yiyar couldn’t come clean up his own dirty work so he sent the help?”

Hexer’s smile turned quickly into a frown of disapproval. He placed his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber warningly, the other on a pair of stun-cuffs at his waist. Xander had been a good friend. The best. His memory should not be tarnished by the behaviour of this disturbance that held claim to the right to be known as his son.

“In case you didn’t notice, I just took care of that Sith Lord. He didn’t stand too much of a chance, what makes you think you will?” Ben said.

Again, Hexer refused to rise to the bait. He merely stood waiting, knowing that in his state of mind, Ben would have the patience of an immature old womp rat. A Jedi Master should not fear confrontation, nor fear a potential fight. Whilst they are guardians of peace and justice, a Jedi must still arm himself, for even the closest friends can become the gravest of enemies. In a single instant a potentially harmless situation can turn deadly. And for that reason, a Jedi must never shy away from a fight, but instead meet it head on, with full might, for any less than full commitment could lead to a deadly mistake.

“Ben…” Tyler managed, the shock of what he had just witnessed barely sinking in.

Ben turned to him, “You got something to say? Wouldn’t take much to lay you out of a fight either, bro. So how about you step back a bit and give me some space!”

Hexer reached out in an attempt to reassure the man, but as generally happens when an offer of peace is extended to one in Ben’s position, Ben merely snapped away from Hexer’s claws, glaring at him with indignation.

“You want to fight me, fight me wolf man. Or leave me alone.”

Sighing in frustration, the first noise he had made upon sighting Ben, Hexer withdrew the stun cuffs from his waist and threw them to the floor. A symbol, he hoped, that he wished not to have to use them on Ben. The symbol didn’t exactly work as he had hoped. Activating his lightsaber, Ben stabbed down, harshly, on the cuffs, breaking them into two. Keeping his blade activated, he withdrew into a ready stance, looking on at Hexer, beckoning him forwards.

Knowing he had no choice now that Ben had that foolish human adrenaline pumping through his veins, Hexer paused for an instant, and only an instant. He slowly reached down, unclipping his lightsaber. Activating it, he threw out his other hand, pushing Ben backwards, and bounding forwards, his turquoise blade flashing in the dying sunlight as he struck at Ben’s lazy guard, hammering it backwards. Unrelenting, he reversed his grip, pushing the blade away from Ben’s body. Drawing his lightsaber back, he smashed the grip hard into Ben’s skull, dropping him like a rock.

Deactivating his lightsaber, he turned back to the three siblings, the sad smile returning to his face. “Ben’s coming with me,” he said, in his gravely, oft unused baritone, as he picked Ben up and slung him over his shoulder.

“How’d you know where to find us?” Lysa asked, curiously.

“Tracking beacon aboard your ship, wasn’t too hard to slip it in while you prepared for the trip,” Hexer smiled, “I’m not the dumb hired help your brother seems to think I am.”

“Yeah, about that…” Vikro said, shifting uncomfortably.

“No apology is necessary my friend,” Hexer said, “Your father’s memory lives on in all of you, unfortunately it will take some effort for it to be reawakened in young Ben here,” his eyes hardened, “Our methods may have to be stretched to the limit to accommodate him.”

“Nothing too extreme,” Lysa put in nervously.

“You saw what happened here, I don’t think Master Hexer will leave anything untouched,” Tyler said, nodding in approval. “Ben has fallen further than we realised, in a startlingly short amount of time. This doesn’t bode well for the future of the Order.”

“It is why the Coruscantis forbade relationships,” Hexer added, “But where’s the fun in that?”

“Master, I had a question I’ve been wondering about for a while now,” Lysa asked nervously.

“Go for it.”

“Why is it that Master Yiyar dislikes us? Did our father do something to him or was it us?”

“Master Yiyar has long been concerned with the idea of Jedi Dynasties. As you may know your father and he greatly respected one another, but they always came to blows over a Jedi’s right to children. He is worried that the Vos family is becoming too powerful and influential within the Order, and could present a threat if, as Ben has demonstrated, one of you were to fall. The others would be hesitant to help in killing a relation, and the Order would come to a standstill. Lykken’s comments that you four are the future to the Order concerned him especially considering his pre-existing concerns.”

Lysa and the other two nodded in understanding, “Thank you Master. I believe that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at once,” she said with a smile.

“Any time my dear, just don’t tell anyone,” Hexer said with a wink. Turning serious again, however, he motioned to Ben, “I’ll need to take him with me, or else Yiyar will become more agitated by the fact that you three are running around the Galaxy brandishing your lightsabers everywhere. Which, even if not true, he will take to be the assumption for how Ben became unconscious.”

Tyler couldn’t help but feel Hexer had taken the course of action he had purely to orchestrate events in this manner, but nodded in agreement, and the five split off to return to their ships, Lysa agreeing to pilot the Swift Eagle back to Pacis, with Vikro and Tyler heading back to the Knight Hawk.

Aboard the Knight Hawk – Outbound to Pacis

After setting in the co-ordinates, Tyler lay back to catch some much needed shut-eye. It had been almost a week since news of his father’s death had reached him on Pacis, but the pain was still fresh and raw, and the shock of Ben’s fall to the Dark Side had certainly not helped matters.

Glancing over at Vikro, he watched him for a moment. “You know, it’s been a while since I’ve actually done anything with you Vik. It’s been good. Even with the whole brother falling to the Dark Side over recently deceased parental figure stuff, it’s been nice being able to talk to you like we used to, before you stuck your nose in every datapad you could find.”

Vikro smiled, “If that’s you way of being nice to me, thanks, I think. It has been good. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything besides work, and it’s been nice getting out and breathing in some nice fresh air. Though,” he added wrinkling his nose as an afterthought, “The place where Ben was living? Not exactly what I’d call fresh air. Not even the Dark Side could save him from that place.”

The pair shared a laugh before sobering up at the thought of what their brother had in front of him. “Do you think the Council’s rules regarding fallen Jedi are too strict?” Tyler asked hesitantly, “I mean, imprisoning him and essentially torturing him? Not what I’d call the Jedi way.”

“If it works, then I have no issue with it,” Vikro shrugged, “And they have the data to support their claims that it will work, but sometimes it feels like the Jedi have lost their way. Our destiny was always to serve the Galaxy and help those in need of it. We were to defend those who needed it. But recently, and certainly since Xander died, that destiny seems to have been eclipsed by instead a need to destroy the Dark Side. In Ben at least. I only hope that the eclipse passes, as it would with a moon and a sun, and our destiny is restored to how it is meant to be.”