Star Wars: Shadowbound Chapter 12 - Space Elf, Anakin Advice, Sparring & A Royalty

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Arenval walked out of the Dominator, and as he did that, he ordered the crew of Therans, under Aayla and Shmi's guidance, to take the ship into orbit. A capital ship just sitting on the ground was too easy a target. 

He wasn't alone, however. Obi-Wan, Komari, and Beldorion had chosen to stay with him, T7 included. 

They watched as a single T-6 shuttle descended, its rotating cockpit aligning the vertical wings into horizontal for landing. The ship was also a Jedi ambassador shuttle, so they expected a Jedi. However, neither Arenval nor Obi-Wan had any idea who it was. They hadn't met this person before. 

"The ship looks new," Obi-Wan muttered. 

Arenval tried to focus on the Force signature of this being. It was intensely strong, so he was certain it was a powerful Jedi Master or a Knight at least. 

“Ah, yes! I believe I know her,” Beldorion suddenly said. “So she still lives.”

Arenval glanced at the big, well-mannered Hutt. He didn't ask for a name, however. He reckoned if it was someone Beldorion remembered, then the Jedi must be very old, and most likely a name and face he couldn't have known. 

With a rumbling roar, the shuttle smoothly landed before him, followed by its ramp lowering with a hiss. It was dark that night, so only the shuttle's indoor light illuminated the exciting future. A female silhouette, feminine in figure, decently tall if it was a human female. 

Arms crossed, Arenval waited and watched and… he couldn't stop watching. An ethereally beautiful face, pale flesh, blonde hair, and pointy ears that Arenval equated to elves, but in the Galaxy, it was closer to a Sephi. 

Her attire was simple Jedi dirt-brown robes, but with a spiral pattern on the margin of her cloak over the chest. 

Arenval stayed still as the woman walked towards him. Oh, he knew who she was, possibly even older than Beldorion beside him, yet she looked no older than twenty. And as she came close enough to talk, he noticed tattoos on her left cheek and forehead, her eyes grey and lips a deeper shade of grey. 

Gorgeous. 

That was the first thought to cross his mind. 

"Master Fay." Beldorion bowed his great bulk. "It warms me to see you in good health."

Arenval watched the woman smile warmly, and unlike most sentients who just smile for the sake of it, this woman's smile seemed to resonate with the Force. It was absolutely genuine. 

“Is that you, young Beldorion? How you have grown. From a young Hutt into a powerful Jedi.” She greeted warmly, calling the centuries-old Hutt young. “It is good to have you back.”

Beldorion shook his head. He breathed out a low, sorrowful hiss. “It was Arenval Tython who drew me from that dark pit, Master Fay. Without him, Nam Chorios would have witnessed my end.”

To that, Master Fay finally turned towards him. 

Arenval unfolded his arms and bowed his head just a tiny bit, closer to a nod. "Master Fay."

Master Fay said nothing for a long time. Arenval watched her stare at his face; that smile never left her lips, but her grey eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligent calculations. He could feel the Force around her, and it touched him. It felt like a silent clash to him; her powerful Light Side alignment wasn't compatible with what he possessed. 

And then, her right hand reached for him. He didn't move away and let her do it. Her flat palm landed on the middle of his chest. 

He stared down at her hand for a moment, unsure what she was trying to do. He didn't feel any Force ability at work, so it wasn't an attack or any Force ability. 

"It was you," Master Fay whispered. "The Force led me to you, young Arenval Tython. As for why, that I must discover for myself."

Arenval’s right eye twitched at being called young by someone who looked younger than he did. “And what exactly do you intend to discover, Master Fay?”

She drew her hand back and looked up at his face. “That is part of the old mystery. The Force only guides. It is for us to follow.”

Arenval sighed. Another faithful servant of the ever-wise Force. "Do share your discoveries when they come. Since you're a wandering Jedi, and I suspect you mean to keep following me, you're welcome to take one of the prefab units in the city."

"You know me?" She asked. 

"I have read about you, Master Fay," Arenval replied, his previous interest in her fading.

"Where?" Obi-Wan chimed in. "Apologies, Master Fay. Though I must admit, this is the first time I've heard of you."

"You would've had to search fairly deep in the archives to find her. I doubt your Padawan years gave you as much idle time as mine did," Arenval said, with a trace of self-deprecation. "I'll leave her to you, Obi-Wan. I doubt my Force presence is easy to ignore."

"Wait, young Tython." 

Arenval stopped himself from leaving. “You know, adding ‘young’ to someone’s name does sound rather condescending. Perhaps I should start calling you old, ancient, or withered.” 

“Calm down, Aren. I doubt she meant anything by it,” Obi-Wan interrupted.

Arenval shook his head and drew a deep breath. Letting his emotions run free had its drawbacks. Irritation and displeasure cut a little sharper now. "I need some rest. I'll be heading up to my flagship. You're welcome to stay here, or come with me."

They all ended up joining him. 

####

Dominator, Orbit of Dodz, 

A crew of almost fifty made it necessary to have a cafeteria on the ship. And since a majority of the ship was run by droids and internal systems vetted by Arenval himself, almost the entire sentient crew would gather to eat regularly. 

The planet beneath them had already gone through a full cycle, and he had rested plenty. So, Arenval arrived at the ship cafeteria for some breakfast, T7 rolling beside him as always. Some of the Therans were still eating there, the others busy at work or learning the ways of the Force from materials he could gather. 

He saw Obi-Wan, Shmi, Anakin, and Master Fay seated at one of the tables, and joined them, choosing to sit beside Anakin rather than the ancient Jedi Master. 

“Master Aren, can I stay here? The food’s way better. And can’t you teach me the Force?”

Arenval prodded at the vegetables on his plate, glancing toward Shmi on Anakin’s other side. He kept his eyes off Obi-Wan, though he knew the man was watching. “No, you can’t. For one, what I do is dangerous. For another, I’m not a Master. I left the Order before becoming a Knight. And I can’t teach you what the Jedi can.” 

"Arenval is right, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "He left the Temple, yes, but even he knows the Order is the best place for you. Besides, he's only left the Temple. He can still visit whenever he likes."

Anakin's shoulders sank as he grumpily picked at his food. "Can I see Mom again?"

"Anakin, attachm—"

Arenval shook his head at the Jedi Knight and cut in. "That's going to be difficult. Your training will get serious once you return, and the Outer Rim isn't exactly close. But meeting Shmi isn't impossible. What about this instead?"

He pulled a small, palm-sized holotab from his pocket. "Keep this. Do well, follow Master Kenobi's teachings, and you'll be able to speak with Shmi occasionally."

Anakin held the little device in his hand. The boy knew what it was; of course he knew, the whole galaxy did. 

Woosh!

“Thank you!” Anakin chirped, hopping sideways off the chair and giving Arenval a quick hug before sitting back down with the holotab. “Is this the new model? I read about it on the Holonet.”

"The latest model. This should be the last hardware upgrade for a few years. After this, the upgrades will mostly be software."

"Software?" Anakin murmured confusedly. 

Arenval had nearly forgotten that software was hardly considered remarkable in the wider galaxy. “I mean the programs on it. Tython Tech is testing a faster, more efficient Holonet in the Chommell Sector. Still experimental, but give it time. It’ll spread across the galaxy.”

Anakin, a tinkerer himself, held the little holotab like it was something precious. “Whoa, that’s amazing. A whole new holonet? But... the galaxy’s really big.”

"True. If this goes badly, I suppose bankruptcy is next."

“But why are you making everything yourself?” Anakin suddenly asked. “I read there are lots of poor sectors and systems where the Holonet stuff is falling apart. Couldn’t you just buy those and upgrade them to your Holonet?”

"..."

At first, one of Arenval's brows was raised. Then his arms folded together, and finally, a frown formed. What his Holonet needed was hardware, and the unique mesh technology relied more on the upgraded transceivers he and Galen had built; the data centers weren't that different from the existing Holonet hubs. 

He glanced sharply back at T7. "Teeseven, have Alfred report to me outside the cafeteria at once."

"Useless droid = summoned."

Finally, he looked back at Anakin. 

"It’s so simple I’m mildly annoyed I never thought of it. You’re right, Ani. Plenty of poorer systems and sectors would sell their Holonet infrastructure if I guaranteed upgrades and repairs. Seems the simplest solution won for once. This changes the timeline by years."

Anakin smiled ear to ear at the praise. 

Obi-Wan rose to his feet. "Well, I can't wait to see this new Holonet finally connect the galaxy better, Aren. But now, Anakin and I should get back to Coruscant."

“Already? But... we only just got here,” Anakin complained.

"Which, I might remind you, was never part of the plan, my Padawan. You'll have plenty of questions to answer once we're back at the Temple."

Anakin shrank back in the seat. 

"How about a spar before you leave?" Arenval suggested casually. "Been a while."

"A proposition rather difficult to refuse." A small smile formed on Obi-Wan's lips. "I doubt the Council will object to an hour or two's delay."

"Can I watch?" Anakin jumped from his seat. 

“I, too, would like to witness it.” Silent until now, Master Fay rose as well. 

Obi-Wan gave them all a nod, then walked past Arenval and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't let the pressure get to you."

Arenval chuckled. "Since when did you learn to taunt?"

"Just now."

####

The Dominator once belonged to a Sith Lord, so it naturally had areas for training and sparring, perfectly suited for some lightsaber action. Of course, the lightsabers were put on non-lethal mode. 

By the time Arenval and Obi-Wan stood in the middle of the training field, the staircase seating around it was full. All Theran Listeners who now followed Arenval, Aayla, Komari, Beldorion, and the rest sat there. 

"The arena is fantastic," Obi-Wan said, igniting his blue lightsaber. 

Arenval just nodded, not explaining the ship's origin or the fact that most of the ship had a red theme before. Even now, the arena's flooring still had red lining. The renovation was ongoing; the droids were constantly at work. But at least the pillars now bore Tython Tech's symbol, not the Sith Empire's. 

"It's a work in progress." Arenval ignited his amber. "Let's not hold back. I'm sure the Council would be curious about my progress."

Obi-Wan just smirked and took his stance. 

Arenval did the same, holding the hilt with both hands. But he knew what Obi-Wan was training these days, and chose to unleash powerful strikes from the get-go. He rushed in and struck first. 

His saber came straight down in a two-handed cut meant to break guard through sheer pressure. But Obi-Wan caught it with ease, although his arms were pushed back.

Hissss!

Blue and amber blades crashed.

He twisted his grip, snapping Obi-Wan's defense away, and immediately drove a lethal horizontal cut straight for the ribs.

Obi-Wan swung his saber down; the two blades hissed with gritting sparks, another strike blocked.

Arenval was already moving. He didn't waste energy on mindless hammering. His Form V was focused on powerful attacks, but it flowed seamlessly from offense to defense.

He tried to land a high cut.

Kzzzzz!

Obi-Wan blocked again. 

Arenval thrust his blade. 

Obi-Wan parried, but not just that. When Arenval's strike came for his shoulder, Obi-Wan blocked again, but this time he was pushed three steps back. 

Arenval stayed on him, not giving the Knight any moment to rest. "I see, mastering Soresu?"

It was Form III, more focused on strong defense using the least motion and maximising energy efficiency to outlast the opponent. Waiting until the opponent makes mistakes. 

Obi-Wan just smiled. "Being a Jedi is a path of forever learning, my friend."

Arenval continued to unleash a barrage of body-battering blows. His greater height helped him land harder blows, shaking Obi-Wan's defenses with brute strength. 

Form V suited him perfectly, and he knew it. It dealt direct crushing pressure and offered heavy counters. Every defense Obi-Wan made was another chance for Arenval to strike harder.

He hammered downward.

Obi-Wan caught it above his head.

Hissssss!

Arenval chose to lean into the bind. "You're getting annoyingly good at it."

Obi-Wan's blade shifted half an inch.

Arenval's lightsaber slid harmlessly past Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"That is rather the point."

Arenval could see it. While this wasn't the Obi-Wan in his prime, it wasn’t far off. He'd been sparring with the older Jedi for years now, and he'd seen the change.

But now Obi-Wan's movements were much smaller, tighter, and more precise. His saber stayed close to his body. He didn't chase Arenval's weapon, conserving motion while Arenval spent energy trying to break through.

Too bad, Arenval had trained in most forms since there was nothing else to do in his time at the temple. 

Woosh!

Arenval stepped to the left, letting Obi-Wan adjust, and struck high.

Obi-Wan raised his blade barely enough.

Arenval rolled his wrists and changed the attack into a low cut instead, expecting Obi-Wan to try and block it as well.

Obi-Wan's saber snapped downward.

Arenval smiled and let his free hand move. Since using Force was allowed, he had no desire to hide all his abilities, even if they steered closer to the Dark Side. But he made sure not to overdo it.

The Force tightened around Obi-Wan's throat just enough to make the older Jedi rise on his toes.

Using that hold, Arenval pulled him closer, lightsaber ready to land a strike.

But Obi-Wan didn't reach for his neck, not even taken aback. Instead, the Jedi Knight raised his left hand and shot it out. 

Wooosh!

The Force struck Arenval square in the chest, thrusting him backwards. The almost-Force choke broke. 

The fight paused for a moment. Obi-Wan dropped his stance and just stared at Arenval's face as if to see the side effects of using that Dark Side ability. However, Arenval seemed entirely contained, just a faint smile on his lips, eyes burning yellow as they always did. Even in the Force, Obi-Wan failed to feel any shift. 

But Arenval's next strike slammed into him abruptly, leaping in and giving Obi-Wan no time to react. The Jedi Knight barely managed to block it.

"You could warn me, Aren."

"Why? You'd defend yourself."

"I am defending myself."

"Then the warning seems unnecessary."

Arenval drove him backward again, relentlessly battering him with Form V. That was until Obi-Wan saw an opening, stepped inside, and cut toward Arenval's shoulder.

But right when Obi-Wan expected his blade to connect, it stopped. There was no lightsaber, just a pale distortion that rippled through the air. 

Obi-Wan's saber bounced away as if it had struck a wall.

"When did you learn that?"

Arenval smiled proudly at his Force Barrier. "Recently."

Arenval was already turning, launching his lightsaber blade around. This time, Obi-Wan recovered too late. 

Arenval's crackling lightsaber struck Obi-Wan's shoulder.

At that same instant, Obi-Wan thrust his palm forward, and a Force Push exploded into Arenval, staggering his stance.

Obi-Wan followed that momentum as he lunged. He stabbed his blade against Arenval's ribs before Arenval regained full balance.

Both of them froze for a moment. Arenval's saber touched Obi-Wan's shoulder and Obi-Wan's touched Arenval's side.

Obi-Wan glanced down.

"That counts," Arenval said.

"So does mine."

"I wasn't disputing yours."

"Very gracious, Aren."

They separated just as they had met, and Obi-Wan settled immediately back into Soresu.

Arenval watched his opponent's feet. The stance wasn't perfect yet. Too much of Obi-Wan's old Ataru remained in him. His weight still shifted forward whenever he saw a possible counterattack.

Useful.

Soon, their clashes began to match. A long stalemate formed, their blades merely clashing in sparks over and over. 

But to change that equilibrium, Obi-Wan shifted. His footwork changed abruptly, and he stopped planting himself, letting his weight move forward onto the balls of his feet.

Arenval noticed. Ataru?

Obi-Wan flipped over Arenval and cut downward while rotating.

Arenval raised his saber behind his head and caught the strike without turning just in time.

Obi-Wan landed soon after, and by then Arenval had built some distance between them.

"Well done." Obi-Wan blurted.

"You used to fight like this constantly, Obi-Wan. So not hard to read."

Arenval rushed in again, and mixed the two forms now, just as Obi-Wan. Impactful Form V on contact, and acrobatic Ataru between the exchanges.

He landed a heavy strike that forced Obi-Wan backward, and suddenly released the pressure, spun aside, and came around from another angle.

Obi-Wan barely blocked it, starting to pant.

Arenval leapt, striking midflight.

Obi-Wan ducked to dodge it.

Arenval landed and immediately drove a thrust toward his chest, but Obi-Wan redirected it past his ribs.

Downside of emotions: his frustration started to build up, which he knew was wrong and exactly what Obi-Wan wanted to happen. But Obi-Wan's Soresu was becoming a wall, and he felt the older Jedi adjusting and improving in real time. 

So Arenval made the decision to stop trying to break the wall. He wasn't sure if this trick would work, but his experience on Nam Chorios with those Tsil crystals had left him with a deeper understanding of a Force ability that opened plenty of doors. He just didn't know which to enter.

He calmed his breath and stopped blindly rushing. He circled Obi-Wan and began to wield the Greater Force Listening. He had only ever used it to receive ideas, sounds, and images from the Tsil. But this time, he tried to spread it outwards. 

It was not the Dark Side ability, so the seductive effects were minimal, but still there. He allowed the saber hum to fade into the background, and heard Obi-Wan's breathing, his heartbeat, the shift of fabric over his shoulders. The tiny scrape of one boot, and then deeper. 

Arenval began projecting images, sensations, sounds into the older Jedi's mind through the Force. It was not a mind trick, but something entirely different. He felt it, watched Obi-Wan's right shoulder tighten; the Force carried decisions before muscles completed them. 

Obi-Wan raised his defense; his forward foot rotated slightly, preparing to retreat left, attention focused on Arenval's hip, expecting a low strike. 

It was all false, a lie Arenval had sent into Obi-Wan's mind. He did the opposite of what Obi-Wan was expecting, and struck high. Yet, it wasn't perfect. It was his first time trying this. 

Obi-Wan blocked it. Arenval thrust his blade, and Obi-Wan redirected it. Again and again, the older Knight responded immediately. 

But then Arenval tried to change what Obi-Wan was hearing, not just images. Arenval gave him a mental impression: a turn and a high attack, followed by a retreat.

Obi-Wan prepared for exactly that, but Arenval did the opposite.

Arenval's blade struck hard against the stomach, pushing the older Knight to the side.

Obi-Wan, eyes wide, stared down at it where the blade burned his robes on the stomach. Then slowly looked up. "You lied to me through the Force."

"I suggested."

"You deliberately showed me the wrong attack."

"Again, I just hinted at it."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "How? I didn't feel it in my mind."

"Just a little trick I picked up recently. Something useful had to come from that disturbance, no?"

Obi-Wan let out a long breath and stepped back, settling into his stance again. "It'll be a challenge fighting something I can't feel. But you won't catch me off guard with it again."

"I know." Arenval entered his stance. 

Then Obi-Wan suddenly shifted into Ataru again and stepped forward.

Arenval changed angle, ready to receive. And this time, there were no more secret surprises. Arenval did have more Dark Side abilities, but he didn't want to use them on Obi-Wan. Crush Opposition was something that could ruin minds; it wasn’t meant for friends. 

They collided again and again, burning edges of each other's robes. Arenval began testing other forms he'd tried before, but didn't know that well. Obi-Wan silently indulged his curiosities, not striking to defeat him. 

Both of them were learning, testing their own techniques. 

Eventually, an hour later, the spar came to an end. Arenval's saber hovered beside Obi-Wan's neck, and Obi-Wan's rested beside Arenval's. It was nothing serious; they had both silently decided to fight each other using only the forms they were best at. 

Arenval's Form V and Obi-Wan's Form IV. In the end, they were both panting, tired, and ended it with a simple draw.

Arenval raised one eyebrow, and Obi-Wan gave a small nod.

They both drew their lightsabers back and clipped them to their belts. 

"You've come a long way, Aren. That first half may well have been the most exciting spar I've ever had," Obi-Wan said.

Arenval started walking toward the side where a droid stood with towels on a tray. "And you lost that first half."

"We ended in a draw. I'd say that's what matters."

"I'd argue otherwise."

Obi-Wan followed. "You planted false intentions in my mind."

"Skill issue."

“I believe the proper term for that is cheating,” Obi-Wan quipped, keeping with the lighthearted mood.

Arenval wiped his face and glanced back, mimicking Yoda. “In the ways of the Force, wise I am, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan sighed. "Master Jinn would have found you exhausting."

Arenval smiled, and enjoyed doing it. "He probably already did."

With no time to waste, Obi-Wan fixed his robes and gave Anakin on the seats a silent nod before heading out towards the ship's hangar. 

Arenval followed, gesturing to his crew to not follow behind. He wanted to have a talk with Obi-Wan alone. 

"Master Yoda thinks of you often," Obi-Wan said. 

"He's less strict than most imagine. I… owe him my life. He could've discarded me after finding me in that sewer. Frankly, keeping me was a questionable decision."

"I have to disagree, Aren. After what I saw today, I believe you can find your own path in the Force. You used the Dark Side, and I sensed no negative change in you. That rather speaks for itself."

Arenval just nodded. He couldn't tell them that it was the Dark Side Inhibitor helping him. If he'd used those same abilities with full power, he'd have had trouble battling corruption. It was already too hard to focus and meditate these days. The voice in his head was always there, telling him to wield the 'gifts' he had. 

"About Anakin." Arenval changed the subject. "The Sith you're searching for likely knows about Anakin's status. Keep an eye on anyone trying to get close to him, befriend him, or influence him. In the Temple or beyond it."

"You believe there's a mole?"

"No, but I don't believe the Jedi Order is untouchable. That's why I saved Shmi. If you wanted to wound that child and push him toward the dark side, his mother is the obvious place to start."

Obi-Wan frowned and nodded. "I can imagine."

"Prepare yourself, Obi-Wan. Train hard, teach Anakin well, and don't blindly trust every word from the High Council. Even they fail to see certain things. Question everything, think for yourself, and find your own answers."

They arrived at the hangar.

"Where exactly is all this coming from, Aren?"

Arenval heard footsteps approaching and rested a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Take it as the concerned rambling of a friend.”

Their heads turned right, then towards the approaching small crowd. Somehow, Anakin didn't fear Hutts now, and sat comfortably on Beldorion's shoulder. Shmi walked right beside them, followed by the rest of them. 

Anakin's voice could be heard. "Master Fay, are you an angel?"

Arenval's eye twitched when he heard that from a distance. 

Does he say it to every beautiful woman? 

In time, they all stopped nearby. 

Arenval looked back at Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you, my friend."

"And you as well, Aren. Do visit the Temple sometime. I can imagine Padawan Orbe wanting a spar of his own."

"I'll make an effort to come soon."

By then, Anakin had finished saying goodbye to his mother and approached, standing in front of him, looking up, all smiles. "Thank you for helping my mom, Master Tython."

"I'm not a Master."

"To me, you are." Anakin cheekily smiled and bowed. "May the Force be with you."

"With you as well, Anakin. Take care, focus on training; I will keep Shmi safe."

"I know." Anakin blurted and waved, running after Obi-Wan onto the Eta-class shuttle's ramp. Even as the ramp lifted, Anakin stood there and waved. 

Then the boy ran into the ship's cockpit that overlooked the inside of the hangar where Arenval and the rest stood. Still, the boy waved from the cockpit, and kept waving until Obi-Wan flew the ship out of the Dominator.

Arenval stood there, staring into the dark space behind the hangar bay's force field gate. He never realised when he folded his arms, a habit formed out of copying Qui-Gon Jinn in his younger days. 

In silence, he pondered if he was doing the right thing. If he should really follow the vision he'd seen years ago. Right now, he could defeat Palpatine easily by exposing them. Yoda would likely believe him. 

And it would defeat the Sith and save the Republic. But would it really save the Republic? Would it change anything? The rotten Senate would continue to pass laws that do no good. The stagnant Jedi Order would pat itself on the back for a job well done and continue driving itself into the dirt. Nothing would change. 

No lessons learned. But for a radical change, a radical shift was needed, and Palpatine was the perfect ride to piggyback. But he feared the cost, even if he did as the vision told him and tried to minimise it. 

Saving the Republic now would lead to continued misery. Eventually, another Sith would appear and do what Palpatine failed to do. If he did nothing for now and prepared as planned, countless would die in the short term. 

I still have time. 

"Aren. Thank you so much for everything!"

Woosh!

Huh?

All of a sudden, he heard Shmi's voice close to him, and before he could fully react, he felt the woman hug him tightly, her arms warm around him. 

What is this… sensation?

He looked down, her cheek flat on his chest. He could sense a tingle in his body as he became aware of softness pressing against him. 

Is this lust?

He took a deep breath and hugged her back, one hand patting her back and the other stroking the back of her head. "I'll take ten of those meat pockets as a thank you."

She chuckled softly and released him. “Even if you said a hundred, I would make them.”

"..."

He was slightly speechless though. Below Shmi's faintly blushing face, he noticed something. Was that zipper on her jumpsuit always this low on her chest? 

Right then, Shmi seemed to realise the wardrobe malfunctions and quickly turned around, pulling up the zipper. 

Arenval composed himself as though nothing had happened and glanced back. “All of you, finish your work and meet me in the tactical planning room. Except you, Master Fay. You may stay, but you're not allowed to derail my work.” 

“I do not believe the Force sent me for that.”

"Really?" He raised a brow. "You won't stop me if I kill slavers? Because that's what I do."

Master Fay's face lost the ever-present smile. No words came out of her lips.

Arenval gave her a knowing nod and left her standing. 

####

En route to Coruscant, 

Obi-Wan had entered hyperspace after informing the Temple that he was on the way home. It was a boring, long journey, so as soon as the ship entered hyperspace, he crossed his arms and tried to rest in the pilot seat. 

The spar with Aren wasn't a breeze. He had to truly exert himself, push his stamina, and keep up. He'd seen how Aren had fared when it came to stamina, and it was far better than his. So he made a mental note to work on it. 

I doubt there are that many Jedi like him. 

He recollected the entire spar, going through it, pondering what he could have done differently. If it had been a real battle, he would have died to that Force mind ability. It was a clean strike to his stomach. A true lightsaber would have split him in half.

"Master Kenobi, can I ask you something?"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked at the seat beside him. "You may."

"Why was Master Tython let go?" 

"He's not a Master. And he wasn't let go, he chose to leave the Order himself," he clarified.

"But why?"

Obi-Wan sighed, wondering if he should tell, but decided not to. "You're still too young to know."

"Oh? I think I know why." 

Obi-Wan straightened in his seat and placed his full attention on his Padawan. "Did someone tell you?"

“No, but I can kind of guess. Master Tython and Aayla tried to make a baby in the Temple, right?”

"..."

Obi-Wan choked on his spit and coughed incessantly. 

"What? And who told you that? No, that's not true."

But his Padawan didn't seem to believe him. “It’s okay, Master. I’m ten. I’m not that young. I know those things.”

Obi-Wan was left palming his face, wishing he had a beard to scratch for moments like this.

####

Dominator, Orbit of Dodz, 

Arenval stood before the large, almost round holotable in the protected, isolated tactical briefing room. He motioned on the controls, pulling up all the needed data to brief his crew on what he planned to do next. Going after Gardulla wasn't an easy thing. 

No, killing her was easy. The true problem was the aftermath. 

Shhh!

The doors slid open, and Aayla sauntered in alone, hands behind, a warm smile on her lips. She walked around the table to his side and threw a palm on his shoulder, leaning against his shoulder while staring at the holograms. 

"So, I've been doing some reading on the Sith. At least, as much as I could get Master Vos to send me."

Arenval looked at her directly. "And?"

"Do you have one?" She asked, leaning her head in front of him, her lekku dangling. 

"I have what?" 

“The name. You know, that Darth something.”

"I do."

"Really? Who gave it to you?"

"I did."

Aayla straightened, taking a step back as she shook her head. "That's not how it works, is it? Don't you need a Sith master for that?"

"I'm self-taught, Aayla. So I gave myself one."

Aayla crossed an arm and rubbed her chin. "So what is it, then? The name?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I really want to know."

"Then swear you won't laugh."

Aayla immediately nodded. "I promise."

"Promise what, Aayla?" He took her by the shoulders, squeezing lightly as he gave her a knowing look. "Say the whole thing."

She averted her gaze. "I'll try not to laugh."

"Good enough. It's Knull."

"..."

Aayla said nothing for some time. But then she pursed her lips tightly, and he stared daggers just in case she laughed. His hands on her shoulders never left, keeping her right there, squeezed. 

"You named yourself Darth Null?"

"It's really not that bad, Aayla. And, for the record, it starts with a K."

"So it's Kh-null?"

"What? No. It's pronounced 'null.' The K is just in the writing."

He really didn't like those cute judging orbs in her eyesockets. 

"Very well, Null with a K. But what does it actually mean? Nothing?"

He nodded. "That's the point. It means nothing. Empty. A dark void, much like my Force alignment."

Aayla's eyes softened, and she stepped closer to him, her hands reached for his face. "I was just teasing you, Aren."

"I know." He smiled back. 

Shhhh!

The doors opened. Beldorion slithered in, giving a quick cough to alert them that the rest were behind. Aayla quickly moved away from him. 

One by one, everyone stood around the large holotable. Komari, Aayla, Shmi, Beldorion, and him. The five of them were the core members of their unnamed group for the time being. Of course, Alfred and T7 also joined. 

"Master, are we finally going to hunt that vile Gardulla?" Komari Vosa eagerly asked. 

"I wish we could. Unfortunately, killing her is easy. Managing what comes after is not." Arenval tapped the console, bringing up holograms of the Hutt, Tatooine, and her records. "Gardulla Besadii the Elder isn't just a crime lord. She's a member of the Hutt Council, and a prominent figure within the Besadii kajidic. Right now, we can't afford to make enemies of them."

“I agree.” Beldorion joined them, the lone Hutt in the group and their only true insight into Hutt affairs. “The Besadii were already among the most powerful clans when I trained at the Jedi Temple. Now, I fear they stand among the strongest two or three.”

"How do we avoid provoking her clan then?" Aayla asked. 

Arenval pointed a finger at Beldorion. "That's where Bel comes in. Dodz will fall under his protection, and the whole Zoraster sector will be his territory. I'll use everything I have to establish him as the hegemon here. After that, we make his name known. Beldorion may not come from some celebrated clan, but the Hutt Council can't exactly ignore an old Hutt who's a Force user and rules an entire sect—"

"A moment, Jedi Tython." Beldorion gently interrupted. "I believe there has been a small mistake. I do, in fact, come from an ancient clan. Though I readily admit, it no longer holds its former glory, nor a seat upon the Council."

Arenval went silent, arms folding. "Well, as long as it's a recognisable clan, it'll help greatly."

"Wonderful. The Hutt clans are kajidic as well, you see. So I gave up my family name when I entered the Order. In truth, my full name is Beldorion Hestilic Kamu'raa, of the Hestilic kajidic."

Arenval inhaled a very deep breath, his fingers pressed the bridge of his nose. He said nothing and turned towards the holotable and began tapping buttons on the console. He could see the confusion on all the other faces. 

"I have never heard of it before," Aayla muttered. 

Arenval had expected as much and pulled up the details. Only two names mattered, which he read aloud. “Budhila Hestilic Amura, founder of the Hutt Council of Elders. And Boonta Hestilic Shad'ruu, a famous Hutt who scored victories against the Empire of Xim. And yes, Boonta Eve is named after him.”

At last, everyone's head turned towards the big Beldorion in the room like he was royalty made of precious Aurodium. 

A/N: Beldorion doesn’t really have that much detailed history in canon. I couldn’t find anything about his past. So I’m giving him a little bit of something. There isn’t much left of the Hestilic clan anymore, so it’s just a name for Beldorion and Aren that they can use.  

Poll Question - In the shop part of the SSS-Assistant, do you guys want the offerings to be limited to just the Star Wars Legends universe, or do you want it to include stuff from other IPs as well? I guess it'll mostly be blueprints since the shop doesn't just magically summon things.