The U-Wing touched down on the planet Tython. Jacen and Zelios walk out of the ship followed by DZ-23.
Jacen: Okay that artifact should be around here somewhere, I suggest that we split up and search for it. I will take the path up this mountain, whilst you take the one that leads you down to the caves.
Zelios: Any idea what it is?
Jacen: Not really but if it’s that strong in the force then we will know it when we see it. DZ stayed with the ship.
The two go their separate ways.
Jacen starts to wander up the mountain path looking at the strange markings and drawings etched into the rock wall. They depicted the first ever Jedi constructing the lightsabers and then a darker drawing of a cloaked man igniting a lightsaber covered in red paint to emphasise the first dark side user. Then the drawing next to it was of a strange mask which had glowing eyes and the cloaked man was being sucked into it.
Jacen: These drawings are definitely strange. Probably best to not read into them too much I remember hearing the tales of Darth Nebunie, a Jedi who became mad with power after staring at an ancient transcript and fell to the darkside he declared war on the Jedi and was swiftly executed. I really don’t think I want to end up like that.
Jacen Skywalker continued to go up the path.
Meanwhile Zelios Kenobi approached the entrance to the first cave. All of a sudden a quiet voice almost like a whisper called to him from inside the cave.
Voice: Come to me. Come to me Zelios Kenobi.
Zelios: Who said that?
Voice: I have been in your head before you were even born. Come inside the cave and fulfill your destiny
Zelios wondered whether he should contact Jacen via hologram; he decided against it as he didn’t want to concern his friend with the fact that he had been hearing voices. He entered the cave. Alone. He explored for a while until he thought he found the artifact in the centre of a spacious circular room in the cave. The mask lay on the pedestal. He approached it with anticipation and went to grab it but suddenly a field of purple energy erupted in front of him causing him to be thrown back across the cavern.
Voice: First you must prove yourself to gain access to the hidden knowledge deep inside this artifact.
All of a sudden, five magnaguards entered through the five corridors they ignited their Electro Staffs and charged at Zelios.
Zelios was ready for them he dodged the first attack and ignited his lightsaber into the head of the second droid darting in to attack him, the droid shuddered and Zelios pulled his lightsaber out of the magnaguard causing it to collapse onto the ground. Zelios charged at the others, force pulling one of them into his lightsaber and then force pushing the unlucky droid into one of the remaining two droids. The other magnaguard had memorised his attack pattern and managed to block all three of Zelios’ strikes. It began to press it’s attack and Zelios found it difficult to parry it’s attacks. The Magnaguard launched its Electro Staff into Zelios’ chest forcing him to be launched back near to the pedestal. This gave him an idea. He stood up and waited for the droid to charge at him and the Magnaguards took the bait it sprinted towards him and Zelios rolled out of the way at the last possible second and the Magnaguard thrusted it’s weapon into the force field and was zapped with lightning causing the droid to explode. Zelios turned around to face the force field.
Zelios: Okay so how do I get past this?
The voice: Now that you have proven yourself you must reach in to be presented with the knowledge you seek.
Zelios put his hand slowly into the force field and the lightning zapped around his body, he bit back cries of pain and continued pushing his hand in until he managed to grab hold of the mask. He suddenly was transported to the ruins where the mask lay on its ancient pedestal.
The voice: Come and seek me here, you will know where to find me, trust your instincts, leave the foolish Skywalker behind, come to me and learn true power.
Zelios was transported back to Tython and his eyes glowed a malevolent darkness in the cavern and reverted back to his normal colour. The mask had disappeared into darkness and Zelios was now under its control. He stood up and walked out of the cave at a brisk pace.
Meanwhile, Jacen stood on top of the mountain and saw no artifact. He suddenly felt a great disturbance in the force and looked down the path to see Zelios in a trance-like state quickly walking to the ship.
Jacen (shouting): Zel where are you going?!
Zelios made no reply and continued walking to the ship. Jacen sprinted down the path using the force to speed up his descent. He made it to the U-Wing as Zelios began to climb inside.
Jacen: Zel where are you going?
Zelios (In a monotone voice): To seek power, you are not needed.
Jacen: Zel. Zelios!
Zelios’s eyes flash back to their normal color. He wakes up from his trance.
Zelios: What happened?
Jacen gives him a look of pure shock and terror.
Star wars Guardians of the force
Homecoming
The Slave one flies from above hovering over a lush swamp planet, the planet of Dagobah. Jacen and Zelios sit inside the cockpit fiddling with the various buttons and switches.
Zelios: Aayla said to bring it back in one piece, the way you're flying, we won’t even have a ship to give her.
Jacen dips the wheel to the right causing the ship to do a barrel roll.
Zelios: Hey watch it.
Jacen smiles. Suddenly a red light starts blinking, sounding an alarm.
Jacen: What is that?
Zelios: you know this ship hasn't seen repairs in ages, I doubt it’s anything but your little maneuver you just performed.
Jacen hops out of the seat.
Jacen: Take over for me.
Zelios climbs into the main chair and grips the steering handle tightly.
Jacen: Zel run diagnostics on the ship will ya!
Zelios: On it.
Zelios taps several buttons, an image of the slave one appears on a screen with multiple numbers and percentages beside it. A line passes through the ship checking for damage. When the line passes all the way through a yellow triangle lights up right on the nose of the ship.
Zelios: Something’s wrong with the main guns. You better get there fast or well be blown to bits before we even make it to Dagobah.
Jacen: On it.
Jacen flies down the ladder making his way above a short narrow tube jam packed with crates and other various cargo.
Jacen: I got a bad feeling about this.
Jacen makes his way down the nose of the ship climbing around and through the cargo like a krayt dragon slithering through the sand. He gets to a part where the path is jammed by a large blue crate.
Jacen: It’s worth a try.
Jacen reaches his hand out in the air trying to move the box out of the way, the box begins to shake as Jacen struggles to move it until suddenly halting to a stop.
Jacen: Hopefully this wasn't too important.
Jacen ignites his mothers purple blade slashing through the box. Jacen falls even further down the nose as the sirens blare on.
Zelios: How are you doing?
Jacen: Almost there!
At the bottom of the nose is a small hatch. Jacen opens the hatch revealing a bundle of wires and a small cylindrical tube glowing a fiery orange.
Jacen: The energy cell is overheating. I'm going to need to replace it, can you throw me one.
Zelios: Hold on.
Zelios opens up a hatch near the cockpit revealing many spare parts and objects. He grabs a spare energy cell which glows a bright blue.
Zelios: I found one!
Jacen: Throw it down.
Now in the main deck, Jacen drops the cooling cell down the nose as it bounces off of multiple different crates.
Jacen: If that thing breaks we are all dead! Be careful with it.
The cell lands on top of a crate just above Jacen. Despite being cramped inside of a small space Jacen is able to kick his legs against the wall trying to make the cell fall off the crate and down into his hands.
Jacen: This would have been a lot easier if the ship was in landing position!
Zelios: There is nowhere to land in space.
Jacen: Oh wow I didn't notice.
Jacen continued kicking the wall of the ship trying to make it fall down but the energy cell did not budge. Jacen takes a deep breath and outstretches his hand.
Jacen: Don’t fail me now.
The energy cell begins to twitch until finally rolling off the crate and dropping right into Jacens hand. The siren begins to wail even faster.
Zelios: Jacen there isn't much time!
Jacen: Working on it.
He pulls out the old energy cell quickly replacing it with the new one. The lights begin to flicker on and off for a brief moment.
Jacen: Got it!
Zelios cheers. Jacen looks deeper into the panel looking through the intense web of wires. Suddenly DZ-23 pops his head out.
Jacen (sacred): Ahhhhh!
DZ-23: Wirrp dee dee.
Jacen: You know we almost died. Where have you been?
DZ-23: Trill dee doo.
Jacen: Relux transmitter my ass.
The scene shifts to the slave one slowly beginning its descent towards the planet of Dagobah. Just before entering the atmosphere the energy core is released from the docking tube only for it to explode moments later. The Slave one lands beneath the thick canopy of leaves and dense swamp life.
Jacen: This place brings back memories.
DZ-23: Wirrrr.
The ramp opens up as Jacen and Zel walk outside surveying the surrounding wildlife.
Zelios: So what are we looking for?
Jacen: It’s a dark side force nexus. See if you can find a collapsed cave or something.
Zelios: Collapsed?
Jacen: Back when Ben fell to the darkside he... Destroyed the cave.
Zelios looks to Jacen who makes an explosion gesture with his hands.
Jacen: C’mon, lets go find it.
They walk through the forest climbing through the thick vines. Jacen climbs onto a rock and jumps off. Just before falling to the ground Jacen grabs a nearby vine and swings to the other side. He smiles.
Zelios: Are we getting any closer?
Jacen: I think so.
After passing through several more trees they reach a large lake. The two walk around the lake. They pass by a rock engraved with a picture of a young man and a small droid.
Zelios: Anything yet?
Jacen: Why are you asking me? I can barely even feel the force anymore.
Jacen brushes away a large branch of leaves revealing a small hut embedded into a tree. He stops.
Zelios: Jace. You okay?
Jacen: I-I’m fine. It’s just I have a lot of memories here.
Zelios looks towards Jacen meaningfully.
Zelios: C’mon, we gotta be close.
They walk past the hut carefully stepping over the thick vines and roots. Jacen glances at a large stone with aurebesh writing engraved into it. He freezes again trying to hold back his emotions.
Jacen: Zel, why don’t you go on. I’ll meet you there.
Jacen smiles at Zel trying to hold back his tears.
Zelios nods, continuing forward towards a pit surrounded by broken shards of rock. He slides down into the pit inspecting the surrounding area.
Zelios: Hello?
Zelios: Anyone there?
Zelios hears whispers and noises all around him.
Zelios sits on the stone cold ground, meditating, he closes his eyes finding inner peace. The leaves lift off of the ground and begin swirling around him as Zelios begins to float in the air. His two lightsabers disattach from his belt and float in the air in front of Zelios. The pieces of both sabers spin off the hilt until nothing is left but two corrupted kyber crystals alongside several lightsaber pieces.
Bo Katan: Zel.
The crystals and lightsaber pieces fall to the ground as Zelios opens his eyes to see his aunt Bo Katan standing before him. He loses concentration and falls to the ground confused.
Zelios: How?
Bo Katan: Hey kid.
Zelios: That’s impossible.
Bo Katan: I am a memory, your memory.
Zelios lets his guard down, he walks closer to Bo until finally embracing her in a hug.
Bo Katan: I missed you.
Zelios: I missed you too.
Zelios looks at Bo Katan who starts to crumble into a pile of black dust.
The Beyond (cackling): Ha ha ha.
Zelios turns around to see the Beyond, Despite only being a vision he appears very realistic.
Zelios: No, it can’t be.
The Beyond: Oh but it is.
The Beyond moves closer. Zelios looks on as this walks closer to him. Zelios stumbles over a branch and falls on the ground between his two corrupted kyber crystals. As the Beyond moves closer he begins to change form flickering between himself and Bo Katan.
Zelios: No!
Zelios crawls backwards as the Beyond slowly walks towards him ready to kill Zelios. The Beyonds eyes begin to glow a bright purple and multiple small golden veins appear all over his body, A brief flash of color over the man with a body of space itself.
As a last ditch effort Zelios grabs his two kyber crystals. He points them both at the Beyond panicking. A brief bolt of colored light appears from both crystals cutting a hole through the Beyonds chest. Moments later the Beyond burts into a flurry of glowing purple ash. Zelios looks down at the two kyber crystals in his hands which have not reverted back to their normal white core.
Zelios: What the?
He uses the force to put the two lightsabers back together, He ignites both which now have their original white core instead of their corrupted black one. Zelios smiles.
Zelios: Just like old times.
Jacen kneels before the stone, the gravestone of his mother Mara Jade. He digs his hands in the dirt clenching it in anger. He stands up lightsaber ignited and begins cutting through the surrounding trees in anger.
Jacen: It just isn't fair!
He drops the saber realizing that he has accidentally cut the stone in half with his mothers blade.
Jacen: I trained my whole life for this and now what am I supposed to do!
Jacen (speaking softly): Please.... Help me.
Mara: I can’t you, only you can do that.
Jacen turns around to see the force ghost of Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker.
Jacen: Mom.
Jacen: Dad!
Luke (smiling): I missed you too kid.
Jacen: Please help me, what do I do.
Mara: Jacen, the answer has been there all along. The Beyond wiped away much of your strength but he didn't wipe away your mind.
Jacen: What do you mean?
Luke: You're strong in the force, Jacen, stronger than I ever was. It means that even though you may not have these powers anymore you still understand and know them.
Jacen gives them a look of confusion.
Mara: It means that you may be able to relearn what you have learned from Jacen. It won’t be easy but you are strong, I know you are.
Jacen: So your saying that there is a chance?
Luke: That is up to you to decide.
The two force ghosts begin to fade away.
Mara: Good bye my starlight.
Jacen smiles softly. He looks to his lightsaber which lays on the ground. Jacen outstretched his hands calling to the force. The lightsaber does not move.
Jacen: Relearn what you have learned.
He takes a deep breath letting the force flow through him and closing his eyes. The lightsaber begins to shake until it is called right into Jacens hand.
Jacen: Yes!
Zelios: You ready to go?
Jacen turns to see Zelios walking towards him.
Jacen: Yeah I'm ready.
Jacen rushes to Zelios hugging him tightly. They walk back to the slave one to see DZ beeping excitedly near the ramp.
DZ-23: Wirr trill bee.
Jacen: Dagon eels! Aayla’s gonna kill us.
They board the ship only for it to take off moments later.
Jacen: Next stop, Yavin four.
Zelios: Alright!
The slave one leaves Dagobah’s atmosphere and jumps into hyperspace.
End of season 5
The Slave one flies through hyperspace. Zelios sits in the lower deck looking at his two lightsabers. He looks around the room feeling a presence lurking from beyond.
Zelios: Jacen?
Suddenly Zelios is lifted against the wall being almost choked by this presence.
The Beyond: You may run as far away from here as you want Zelios, but you will never escape me. I will always be a part of you.
The Beyond materializes only to disappear once again like a static hologram. Eventually the Beyond disappears for good and Zelios drops to the ground.
Zelios: And I… Will always be a part of you.
Zelios smiles reassuringly.
Credits
Written by:
Marco Brnardic (the_senate.squad)
David King (fascinating_films)
Jackson Vanzil (Obi Ani memes)
Edited by:
Ellis Pickering (ellis___pickering04)
Creative Consultants:
Richard Ched (Kavon52398)
A Sith Squad creation