Chapter 71 – Grandmaster Luke Skywalker

It happened a day after Ben Skywalker and the others had returned from their... mission. The state they were in and the report he and Kyle gave to the other Masters prompted the current Council to review it repeatedly. Over... and over... and over... and over again.

On the third day, for once, the arguments had ceased at last. The story Ben had just finished recounting for the hundredth time, using even the Force to share snippets of his experience with the people present, now couldn't be any clearer than it was for him. Honestly, he was becoming a bit irritated as he wanted to be with his unconscious Padawan and not here, arguing over minor details. The windows behind his father, Grandmaster Luke Skywalker, gently filtered the strong sunlight from Yavin 4's midday sky, bathing the chamber in a golden light that fell on the backs of the semicircle of Jedi Masters, many of whom were in deep contemplation.

"And the droid?" Jaina Solo broke the silence first. Her voice wasn't hurtlingly loud, but it carried an apparent edge and authority over everyone else present. "HK-O1, yes? You said yourself it might have led you there, to that underground facility. No... It led the kids there, you know that, too. It is touched by the Dark Side. What should we do with it now?"

"It may very well be the case..." Ben nodded as he stood at the center of the room, still looking calm but clearly tired, and some of the twitches in his eyebrows were enough to show that he was holding back his temper. For now. "As you requested, it has been deactivated and locked in a secure chamber. In the fight, he defended my Padawan but got injured. We brought it because—"

"Because it might be a Rakatan puppet," Jaina cut in. "Ben, I understand your faith in people, in this case, droids too, but that thing was touched by whatever those... monsters were. You said yourself it's centuries old and already partially corrupted anyway. Now, its body itself became a conduit for ancient Dark Side entities to lead you all there..."

"But," Master Vaelin Caedryn looked up, taking Ben's side in this, always fascinated by machinery, especially one that was... this old. "It also saved Kael's life."

"It fought beside them," Master Rosh Penin added, being on the same sentiment, especially with his own past in mind. "According to Vila's debriefing, it defended the shuttle and didn't leave, even if it had its chance to do so."

"I'm not saying it's beyond redemption," Jaina replied, exasperated, raising a hand in defeat, "I'm saying we don't know what it is. What it's capable of. If that collective mind ever tries to reach out again... what makes you think it won't answer? Or be compelled to lead others to it or to any different, other hidden menaces. The Galaxy is a vast space... We have a whole part of it that we partially know nothing about. Why not get rid of it while we can...?"

"..." Ben stayed silent for a moment, then spoke with a bit more force behind his words, "Because Kael trusts it."

"..." Jaina arched an eyebrow in answer, "Kael is in a coma."

"Yes," Ben admitted, "But when he wakes up, he'll be the only person who truly understands what HK is. Let him decide. He tapped into the Rakatan consciousness all alone, and the droid was drawn to him. That is a clear sign from the Force that they are connected in one way or another."

"And if he doesn't wake up?" Jaina countered.

"Then..." Ben hesitated, "If he doesn't, then we deactivate HK permanently. Dismantle it. I won't object."

"Haaah..." Jaina leaned back, crossing her arms, "Fine. But you put him under constant watch until then. I don't want it to disappear while we wait."

Grand Master Luke said nothing throughout the exchange, sitting there on the right edge of the semicircle, arms crossed, eyes closed, looking as if sleeping. Only then, when it looked like the current topic was concluded, did he incline his head slightly, one eye opening, signaling that the conversation should move forward.

"And Vestara?" Master Vaelin asked, picking up on the prompt, "You said she vanished again?"

"Um..." Ben nodded, his expression tightening a little. It was the part that made these meetings an actual headache... "The day after we returned, as I stated. As soon as we reached back to known space, I turned my attention to Kael. She took her followers and disappeared, dropping our ship out before leading hers away from us. No goodbyes, no messages."

Just as expected, a ripple of unease moved through the Council, one that made Ben's heart twinge a little. Because... He wasn't lying, but... There was a feeling he picked up on when it happened that he didn't share with them. Vestara knew that Jaina would be on their tails if she hesitated... so she, once again, chose her people over Ben. But at least, this time, her betrayal didn't sting as much as it did before. It had... a different taste.

"You trusted her," Jaina continued, picking up on his feelings, "And this is what she does. Again."

"I trusted her to fight beside us, and she did. Without her, we wouldn't have survived." Ben argued.

"That doesn't mean she belongs here," Jaina snapped, "Into the Galaxy!"

"Enough," Luke said quietly, but the tone made everyone go still and forced Jaina to close her mouth, taking multiple breaths, forcing down the image of her brother, of the whole incident... of her killing him.

"We can find them again," Luke added, and he didn't look at Jaina when he continued, "She left of her own will; Ben couldn't have stopped her from it. Also, he had priorities. Caring for a Padawan nearly lost in the Force is not a failure."

Jaina exhaled a long breath, but she didn't argue further.

"And the system itself?" Rosh asked, trying to save the mood of the meeting, diverting the topic, "This world... the technology is still buried there... Should we send a team to study it? Cleanse it?"

"Of course." Jaina straightened up at once, "We can't let a Rakatan hive mind just linger there. Who knows how much is still buried under the surface? Was that cloud of consciousness the only one? Or are there more? What happens when some explorer finds it?"

But Luke raised his hand again, halting the recurring discussion that never reached an answer on what to do.

"No one is going back there. I will do it. Alone..."

That simple declaration silenced the room, making them look at each other, and just as Jaina was about to speak, her uncle continued.

"We cannot risk word getting out," Luke continued. "The Rakatan threat was one that ruled the entire Galaxy once. Even the idea of their return could cause panic among those well-versed in history. Even worse... It could remain unknown to most, who never realize the evil they are dealing with, thinking they are in for riches by seeking it, only to find death and suffering. No... I will investigate what remains there."

"And if there's still something buried there?" Master Katarn asked.

"Then I will bury it deeper." Luke turned to him, his eyes sharp. "In the meantime, you will speak with your Padawan, Vila. Make sure she tells no one. Not the younglings, not the archivists, nobody. Especially not C-3PO!"

"Mhm." Katarn nodded solemnly. "That is a good idea."

"This never happened," Luke said at last, standing up, ordering everyone to never bring the name of the Rakatan Empire up outside of this chamber. And with that, the meeting was gradually adjourned...

...

....

...

Above the cursed system, within the infinite swirling colors of the stars, a ripple stirred within the Force itself. It began quietly as a tremor. Not a violent one, but a more gentle pull, something that would be reminiscent of gravity, coming from a massive object entering the system... but it wasn't material. It was... Something else... Primarily because of the weight it had was that of a presence breaking through the veil.

And then, he was there... Grandmaster Luke Skywalker.

While his physical body remained far away, cross-legged in a chamber of stone and sitting in silence on Yavin IV, his consciousness, projected through the Force, had arrived. He hovered above the transformed world where the Rakatan consciousness had tried to take over people once again and escape their self-inflicted prison. And for Luke, he could tell they were still here, down below. Not all was caught by Ben... some managed to slip back down onto the planet, where the Dark Side was strong enough to feed them and protect them from annihilation.

They were weak... but, given their wretched existence, they would be back. No. He won't let them have that chance. His form shone faintly blue, reinforced by the true Force, becoming a beacon amidst the black swirls of corruption.

Closing his eyes, the Grandmaster reached out, opening his spirit to the Force, becoming a conduit, just like Ben and Kael did, but with such proficiency that it didn't hurt him. Instead, it empowered him, allowing him to become one with the Force, without giving himself over and dying. He felt the taint that still lingered here... It reacted to his presence, but it was so much weaker and disoriented than he was; they had nothing to stop him. The Rakatan will have lost its chance, and it was too late.

"You are no longer welcome in the Galaxy," Luke said, not to the planet, but to the echo within the corrupted Force that he could feel, cowering in the darkness down below, "The Force belongs to all life. Not to hunger and not for you to conquer. Time to release it from your grasp and begone for good."

And with that, he raised his hand, and the Galaxy seemed to slow down, separating the corrupted system from reality. All of a sudden, the stars dimmed and then began increasing in light, bathing everything within this hidden crevice of the Galaxy. Suddenly, there was a wind that was not wind, not in space, stirring across the system. It brought a cleansing feeling... and multiple other consciousnesses with it.

First, a woman appeared. She stepped beside Luke as if coming from his memory itself, making him smell the same, familiar scent he was missing since her departure... Her red hair flowed like actual embers in the void, her expression sharp and kind all at once, smiling at her husband.

"You always did the dramatic things alone," she said, arms crossed, "Didn't we talk about this once, far back in the past?"

"And I improved a lot," Luke smiled, turning to look at her with unchanging affection, "Sometimes, I can be a bit selfish... no?"

"Sometimes..." She smiled back and joined him in silence, her hand finding his, her light joining his... Then came another figure.

It was a tall, proud presence, tinged with a sorrowful manner, with much more serene streaks than the last time Luke felt him appear. Whenever he looked at him, he could sometimes see the mask, the cape... the black shadows... But it was only in his silhouette, and only because he accepted that he was both. He lived both lives, in the light and in the dark, and by now, the two sides had merged, making someone who was finally whole, with all the good and all the bad, finding his own balance between them.

"My son," he said, and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "You have grown old... and powerful. I am proud of you..."

"Thank you..." Luke said, looking at his face, seeing the same, proud light in his eyes, the exact ones he saw when he pulled off his mask on the Second Death Star. "Father."

"He became what you were to be." Came Ben Kenobi's voice, appearing right beside Anakin's spirit, "Ah, Mara. Hello there..." He nodded, wearing a slight smile, "I sensed the call, and it seems there is another on his way."

"Time, it is," indeed, another voice joined them, as Master Yoda appeared alongside the others. "Mmm," he nodded to the planet below, "Stubborn, the Dark is. But so is the Light. We act as one, we must."

Luke breathed in the moment Yoda finished. With them beside him, he no longer felt alone, and his wife was right. They did discuss not doing things alone, not forcing things... He had allies. That is why he called upon them. Together, they became conduits, vessels of the living Force, and through them, the tide of the Force rushed inward into the system.

It was a flood on a never-before-seen scale, arriving as pure light, a deluge of purity. It streamed through them all, through Luke, through Mara and Anakin, through Ben and Yoda, flowing and bursting out through their presence like rain upon the boiling, raging desert below.

Of course, the darkness hissed, trying to fight back, but it could do nothing. Its only option was to recoil as the remaining shadows tried to resist, to fight back, and from there... to hide.

No use.

No more hiding, waiting, biding time... not anymore. The Force flooded its oceans and roots of the jungles, its skies and broken halls, leading down to the planet's core. It was over, and the Rakatan darkness would never return as it ceased to exist, thrown back into where it belonged... to become part of the Force once more, cleansed until nothing remained.

Feeling their job being done, Luke slowly turned towards the others, sensing them gradually fading, just as he was, too, ready to return home. Mara said nothing; she just smiled at him, telling with her eyes that she would wait until they became one again. Anakin only nodded, proudly watching over his son while Ben Kenobi patted his shoulders.

"Master Yoda," Luke said, looking at his old master, who, as if knowing, stood there, leaning on his walking stick, answering without having him say anything.

"Look for him, I will." He answered without waiting for Luke to ask him for a favor. "Sensed him, I did. Bringing him back, I will. Too young to become one, he is."

"Thank you," Luke muttered, but Yoda just shook his head, holding a serene expression, disappearing with a smile.