C10 Into the Depths…

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A/N: I added 130 words to chapter 7. Someone commented that it was a perfect moment to add some background of the Galaxy and I agreed. Here it is so you don't have to go back and read:

For example, Peter learned that the Galaxy was mainly split between 3 separate Governments. The Galactic Republic, which controls a whopping 60%, mainly making up the center of the galaxy.

The remaining big players of the galaxy are the Kree and Nova Empires, both of which seem to be on the brink of war with one another other.

The Kree empire just finished a war against the Skrulls as well. They even got into some trouble for trying to commit genocide. The Galactic Republic came down on them pretty hard, but still, they decided to go and start another war with the Nova Empire after digesting all of the Skrulls land, erasing their nation completely.

Of course, there are other, much smaller nations as well, such as Centaurians or the Sovereign, but they tend to populate extremely minuscule portions of the outer rim of the Galaxy.

'Why isn't Asgard mentioned?' Peter wondered…

That's all I added. Now on to todays chapter. It's a long one too. Enjoy 😊)

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-TimeSkip-

Two years passed in the relentless rhythm of Jedi training, transforming the once 9-year-old Peter into an 11-year-old youngling. His physical growth marked not only by his height but also the elongation of the padawan braid, which now draped over his right shoulder, leaving the rest of his hair buzzed short.

The Padawan braid is a symbol worn in the hair or head that marked the rank of a Jedi Padawan. Puzzled by this, Peter questioned why it was called a padawan braid when he was forced to start growing it during his youngling years.

Peter didn't know the answer, but he couldn't wait to become a Jedi Knight so he can finally cut the damn thing off and grow his hair out again. The military buzz cut just wasn't doing it for him.

'My mom would cry if she knew I let these monks shave my head…' Peter thought, distinctly recalling how much she used to faun over his perfect hair.

…

Despite a delayed start compared to his peers, Peter's unique connection to the Force and his adult mentality propelled him to the forefront of the Bear Clan. His swordsmanship reached a level where sparring with fellow younglings became obsolete. Instead, masters like Yoda chose to engage with him directly, providing superior training but humbling Peter as his ego collided with the formidable skills of seasoned Jedi.

In the realm of the Force, Peter excelled in tutaminis, the art of absorbing energy. Though he wasn't able to use the ability much in combat, as he wasn't a master just yet. At most, he could absorb a few blaster shots in a row if he needed to.

'I need to get to the point where I can absorb the energy of Lightsaber blades…' Peter thought, knowing that disrupting his enemies weapon in a duel would be extremely advantageous for him.

As for Curato salva, the art of self-healing through the Force. This ability became second nature for Peter.

During a training spar accident, Peter showcased his mastery when he used curato salva to heal a deep cut across his chest in a matter of seconds, leaving the attending masters in awe.

And lastly, altus sopor, the ability to enhanced his focus on the Force itself. Peter was probably the best in the universe at this skill, though he wasn't very sure as it's hard to compare.

Peter could use this art to merge into the force and basically become invisible to others senses, but most of all, he was able to use it enhance his senses. In fact, he used it on his first day on Coruscant, when he sensed the entire planet before even landing.

…

Returning to his room after another day of intense training, Peter shook off Aayla, who has been clinging to him since she fixed his Walkman two years ago, constantly begging for more music.

While he grew accustomed to her presence, even welcoming it on most days, he maintained distance from the rest of the younglings, finding babysitting one to be more than enough.

Settling into his room after a quick shower, Peter admired the transformation of his body in the mirror. From a starved, scrawny kid, he had become muscular and toned through relentless training and a healthy, yet bland diet.

'Man… I'd turn to the darkside for a McDonald's quarter pounder meal and some nuggies right now…'

As he dove into bed, dreaming of tasty foods, he initiated his nightly meditation, a ritual that persisted despite the temple's frequent group sessions. The two years of meditation seemed to have an impact, though Peter couldn't discern if it genuinely tempered his dark side outburst or if the temple's inherent peace kept him calm and in control.

'I guess I'll find out sooner or later…' Peter thought as he delved into meditation, an underlying darkness tinging the tranquility of the Jedi temple.

Sensing it since his arrival, the darkness beneath the Jedi temple now manifested more clearly. The more he honed his meditation and Force control, the more palpable the hidden darkness became, hinting at an ominous force lurking beneath the serene surface.

'What is that…?'

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The next day, sat at his usual breakfast table, Peter hoped he would be able to eat in peace, but sadly, a little blue-skinned alien girl took a seat in front of him as usual. It was Aayla, his only friend in the Jedi academy. Everyone else is just an acquaintance, and that's by Peter's design.

Because he didn't want to babysit children, he made sure to keep most of them at an arm's length. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't nice and cordial, but he still made sure that he wasn't very approachable, creating an image of an aloof boy who didn't talk much.

It also helps that most of the Younglings are used to getting their a*ses kicked in training spars, so they began to see Peter with a small bit of fear, which helped keep them away as well.

'Though they might be losing that fear nowadays…' Peter thought since he was only sparing with Knights and Masters these days.

The only reason that Aayla was able to sneak into his company, and even a bit into his heart, was because she knew his secret about his emotional force outbursts and his Walkman, so he sort of had to appease her and keep her close so that she wouldn't blab to the Jedi overlords.

But that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy her company. Of course, at first, he was annoyed with babysitting, but after two long years of attending classes together, Aayla began to grow on Peter and become a sort of annoying little sister.

'Great… Another one…' He scoffed as he recalled his sisters Britany, who was probably homeless by now.

As Aayla got comfortable in her seat and began to eat her breakfast of brown slop, Peter couldn't help but ask a few questions since he knows she's been here longer than he has, even if she was younger.

"Hey, Aayla," Peter began, poking at his own breakfast. "Do you know when this temple was built?"

Aayla paused, looking thoughtful. "It's thousands of years old. I don't know the exact date… sadly, the archives don't allow us younglings much access. We can only check out stuff related to our studies."

Seeing Peter frown, she asked, "How is the history of this temple not related to our studies? We have a history class, you know…"

Aayla simply shrugged. "I don't know. I've read a lot of the history books that we're allowed access to and I can't remember any of them mentioning history past around a thousand years ago, I think…"

"It sounds like they're hiding something…" Peter muttered as his expression turned suspicious and thoughtful.

Raising a brow, Aayla asks, "Why do you need to know this anyway?"

Peter realized that he might have spoken too much and put up a fake smile, "Oh, it's nothing. Just curious."

Aayla didn't believe him. Having spent far too much time with him over the past years, she could tell when he's lying fairly easily. But instead of pressing him for an answer, she shrugged it off and changed the subject, "Can we listen to music before class today?"

Sighing, Peter reluctantly agreed, "Sure."

Finishing their food, the two younglings got up and left the cafeteria, heading towards their secret storage closet where they met all the time. Peter with his music and training, and Aayla with her mechanical studies, which she was hiding from the Masters for some reason.

When they first met, Aayla only wanted to listen to music because she was addicted to the feeling of Peter's light side outbursts, which was still the case. But now she also liked his music, and she even made a speaker that he can plug his Walkman into, so they can both comfortably listen without huddling around his old headphones.

Of course, that meant they had to also soundproof the room, which took some time and effort, but they managed to get it done with old rugs and blankets that they stole from around the temple.

"Which song do you want to start with today?" Peter asked as he plugged his Walkman into the makeshift speakers.

Smiling, Aayla excitedly replied, "The one about the Mountain!"

Peter scoffed as he picked the song, knowing what she meant. "It's not really about a mountain, but whatever…"

🚨Play Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell🚨(A/N: I won't put all of the lyrics, but you can listen in the background if you want.)

🎶 Listen baby… ain't no mountain high 🎶

🎶 Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby 🎶

🎶 If you need me call me, no matter where you are 🎶

🎶 No matter how far… don't worry, baby 🎶

…

..

.

After listening to a few songs while meditating, Aayla got her daily dose of Peter's overwhelming light side power, which always brought a smile to her face. And when they were finished, the two left for a long day of classes, rushing out of the room and through the halls since they were running a little late.

As they left, rounding the corner and off to class, a certain green-skinned Grand Master appeared from the other side of the hall, heading to the same destination as the two younglings.

As Yoda passed the storage closet, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head as he walked off.

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After going through his usual classes and training, Peter caught up to Yoda in the hallway and asked the same question that he asked Aayla.

"Master Yoda, I was wondering... How old is the Jedi Temple?" Peter inquired, his eyes meeting Yoda's wise gaze.

Yoda seemed confused as to why Peter wanted to know this and even asked as such. "Curious, you are. Why this knowledge you seek?" He questioned, his ears twitching in a display of curiosity.

Peter shrugged and made up an easy excuse. "I'm just curious and I couldn't find anything about it in the history books I've been reading."

Thinking about it for a moment, Yoda decided to answer his question, "Around 5000 years ago, the temple was built." He revealed, before asking. "All you needed to know, is that?"

Shaking his head, Peter posed one more question, which actually alarmed Yoda quite a bit. He asked, "What was the temple before then? What was here in its place?"

Yoda stared at Peter, a hint of concern showing on his face as he asked, "Why ask, young Peter, hmm?"

Realizing that once again, he might have asked too much, Peter stuck to his earlier excuse, "I was just curious about the history of the Jedi Order."

Yoda, clearly seeing that Peter was hiding something from him, didn't push him to say anything but simply stated, "Troubled, you seem… Share your concerns, you can. Your teacher, I am. Guidance and help, I offer," Yoda assured, his small stature belying the depth of his wisdom.

Seeing that Yoda was taking the soft approach to get him to talk, Peter felt relieved and gave him a respectful bow, "I'll be sure to talk to you when I need help, you don't have to worry."

Although he made the minor mistake of asking a bit too much, one thing was for sure, the Jedi were hiding something. After all, they couldn't answer such a simple history question, which left him curious, 'What was here before the Jedi order?'

Without another word, Peter walked off down the hall, leaving a worried and curious Grandmaster behind. And as the hall emptied, leaving only Yoda stood there, the small Jedi seemed to make a decision as he tapped his cane on the floor two times.

A split second later, a figure in white armor that covered their entire body, even their face and hands, appeared beside him, kneeling down on one knee, silently awaiting orders.

Yoda spoke, his voice much more commanding than it was only moments ago, "Watch over Youngling Quill, you will. Report only to me, hmm..."

"Yes, Grand Master…" The figure in white replied loyally before disappearing once again.

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Days after his meeting with Yoda in the hallway, Peter had felt the weight of the new presence stalking him. His force senses, far more powerful than anyone else, easily picked up on the constant surveillance.

Regret gnawed at him, realizing that his talk with Yoda had prompted the assignment of a silent guardian. 'I should have just kept my f*cking mouth shut…' He truly learned his lesson.

But it wasn't just his big mouth, but also his paranoia that got the better of him. 'I should have just explained a little better…' Peter realized.

The regret amplified as Peter considered the exposure of his Walkman and other small secrets, like Aayla's mechanics studies and their use of the storage closet. But surprisingly, Yoda or any other Master didn't swoop in to confiscate anything, leaving Peter to wonder if Yoda was intentionally letting it slide, which he appreciated.

The realization that the Jedi were hiding something fueled Peter's inner detective. After all, how could only a few questions like that warrant constant surveillance? 'They're definitely hiding something, but what could it possibly be? Everything I asked was pretty basic…'

Of course, Peter wouldn't let this hold him down. Soon enough, he managed to compile a schedule for his new stalkers movements, finding all of the windows of freedom. The biggest of which was during the night, when he'd usually be asleep, his stalker would leave and probably get some sleep as well.

With the night being his only time of freedom, Peter started staying up late, maneuvered through the temple after his stalker left for bed. His force signature became virtually invisible, allowing him to sneak past patrolling guards and follow the dark side energy without detection.

Night after night, he explored the vast corridors, searching for some sort of basement where the energy could be coming from.

Almost a week into his covert investigation, Peter had searched the entire temple, yet the entrance to the mysterious source of dark side energy eluded him. He pinpointed a single location, a meditation room deep in the temple, feeling it was closest to the dark side energy beneath, but there wasn't a door or staircase to go any lower.

Late at night, Peter stood in the dimly lit meditation room, scanning for hidden mechanisms. Frustration grew as he found nothing physical. 'Where is it? There's always a secret button or lever somewhere in the movies…'

Suddenly, an idea sparked, what if it wasn't a conventional mechanism but a force-activated one? Peter considered this possibility, sitting in the center of the room to meditate.

Closing his eyes, Peter delved into the force, seeking any anomalies. His instincts guided him to a corner, where he felt a subtle force signature. Walking over, he placed his hand on the exact spot, channeling force energy inside.

'Come on… Give me something…' Peter hoped as he looked around, waiting for anything to happen.

A moment later, a soft click resonated through the room as the meditation platform in the center descended, morphing into a spiral staircase leading downward into an inky black darkness.

"Yes!" Peter's heart quickened with anticipation as he pumped his fist in victory, staring at the revealed entrance with stars in his eyes.

Quickly covering his mouth, Peter realized that he shouldn't have screamed like that. 'Sh*t…' Peaking out into the hallway, he waited for a few minutes before sighing in relief. It seemed like no one heard him.

Returning to the newly formed staircase, Peter stared down at the pitch black, shadowy depths. 'I don't think it's smart to go down there alone…' He began to wonder, his mind debating the pros and cons.

On one hand, there was probably all sorts of loot down there. Maybe even some dark side relics or techniques that he could use to study the dark side of the force, which he's certainly interested in studying.

'Though, I'd have to do it carefully and secretly, which would be hard with my stalker following me everywhere…' Peter thought, regret welling up once again.

Of course, he knew from the movies how dangerous the dark side truly was, but Peter still wanted to study it. His dark side outbursts may have stopped, but Peter didn't believe that was because of hard work. It was all thanks to his music, which calmed him down considerably, as well as the serene nature of the Jedi Temple.

Peter couldn't help but wonder if his dark side outbursts would return once he leaves the safety of the Temple. After all, just one stressful situation could easily trigger him.

Staring down into the depths below the temple, Peter thought, 'Maybe I'll find an answer down there…'

On the other hand, going down those steps could very well get him killed. At the end of the day, Peter may be an adult at heart, but he's still a child everywhere else.

'Yeah, I should wait until I'm ready for whatever's down there…' Peter thought, valuing his life more than anything else. After all, this was his second chance. He can't just waste it and get himself killed.

Just as Peter contemplated sealing the mysterious staircase and postponing the perilous exploration, an unintelligible voice resonated from the depths below, "…"

The unfamiliar voice, sounding like a hushed whisper, echoed up the darkened stairway, freezing Peter in his tracks. His heart pounded, and the hairs on his neck stood on end.

Whispering into his ear, the voice sent a shiver down Peter's spine, causing his eyes to momentarily glaze over. "…"

A strange compulsion took hold of him, and in a robotic trance, he descended the spiral staircase, vanishing into the inky darkness below.

Moments later, the stairs sealed themselves shut, leaving the room to return to its normal state, devoid of any indication of the secret passage.

A/N: 3000 words :) Long chapter today, plus I will be releasing two chapters tomorrow, so look forward to it! Ps- Gimme stones pls!!!

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