sparky // a padawan story

chapter 54. the lost ones.

"Our records definitively state that Master Sifo-Dyas died on Felucia. In the fifth quarter, a small skirmish broke out between the native Felucians. Master Sifo-Dyas was assigned to negotiate peace talks between the tribes," Madam Jocasta tells us as a hologram profile of this Sifo-Dyas guy is pulled up in front of the planet map on a holotable. "The negotiations failed, and Sifo-Dyas was killed.
"What became of his body?" Master Plo's hologram, next to Anakin, questions.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that," Madam Jocasta says as she pulls us a restricted files on Sifo-Dyas. "Any further information on this incident has been sealed."
"On whose authority?" Master Windu asks.
"By the office of the Supreme Chancellor," she answers.
"Thank you, Madam Jocasta," Master Windu replies as she walks out the room.
"To Felucia, Skywalker, Kenobi, and Padawan Arlo will go. A trail, long, cold, it is, yet lay hidden there, a clue might be. Question all who were present the day of Sifo-Dyas' death, you must," Master Yoda says.
"And what of the sealed file?" Master Windu questions.
"Speak with the Chancellor personally, I will, to see what part in this the politics of the Senate have played." I gaze at the hologram one last time before exiting the war room behind Obi-Wan and Anakin.
—
"So this is the village? I ask as we walk though the gates of a small Felucian town.
"Looks like it," Obi-Wan replies.
This settlement looks much different than the farmer's village we came across that one time, now years ago. Rather then a more advanced settlement like the farmers, it's simple and secluded. Teepees and tents are replacements for actual houses, and surround the bonfire pit, not currently burning, in the center. Members of the Felucian tribe, supposedly some of the leaders, as they wear fancy headdresses unlike some of the other villagers, lead us into a large tent, then say something in a foreign language that I don't understand. And, seemingly, neither does Obi-Wan. His face scrunches as he tries to make out what they had said.
"What did they say?" Anakin questions.
"They speak an ancient dialect, so I'm not completely sure," Obi-Wan tells him, then addresses the tribe's leaders once again. "Can you all tell me what happened to the man Sifo-Dyas?"
The leaders probably don't understand Obi-Wan either, but they do recognize the name Sifo Dyas. They go into some spiel about this Sifo-Dyas man, and Obi-Wan concentrates, stroking his beard as he tries to figure out what they're saying. When they finish, Obi-Wan nods and bows in thanks as he turns to leave. Anakin and I do the same, then follow close behind.
"So? Are you gonna tell us what they said?" Anakin asks.
"I believe they said something about the skirmish... and was killed after his attempts at negotiation failed... but he wasn't alone."
"But his file never said anything about someone being with him," I say.
"Perhaps it was part of the hidden files, though I don't understand why it would be. We should contact Master Yoda," Obi-Wan suggests as we enter our ship. We go to the cockpit, and I stand to the side of Obi-Wan as he tries to get ahold of Master Yoda. His hologram appears just a moment later. "I have spoken with the tribal leaders on Felucia," Obi-Wan informs him. "They use a very ancient dialect, which is hard to understand, but from what I can make out, when Master Sifo-Dyas died, he was not alone. There was a second Jedi here with him."
"And the name of this second Jedi?" Master Yoda asks.
"Either I don't understand them or they won't say. It's hard to tell. This is a primitive people we are dealing with. After his death, they cremated Sifo-Dyas' body, and I'm afraid the trail goes cold there. Did you have any success with the Chancellor?"
"Hm, as much success as usual, I am afraid. Pointed in another direction, I am now. To speak with Valorum, I go." We nod at the old Jedi Master as he ends the call.
"I'm going to try and speak with them again. You two can stay." He exits the cockpit, while Anakin sits in the pilot's seat and I sit behind him in my chair.
"I just think he's just having fun trying to talk to these people," Anakin tells me.
"Well, you know our master. He could talk to a wall."
Anakin chuckles. "A wall that speaks a hardly-used language. And still find a way to hold a conversation."
"I don't understand him sometimes."
"Neither do I. I guess we should just let him be."
"I guess so."
We wait for a while for Obi-Wan to return. He comes back a few minutes later, and Anakin fiddles with the com frequency after he asks him to get in contact with the temple. We see the file of not Sifo-Dyas, but some other man, and some masters standing around a holotable. I zone out most of the conversation, until it actually starts to get interesting. I actually observe the profile in front of us this time, and read the name of the man. Silman.
"The Felucians know nothing of this Silman," Obi-Wan consults the masters as he looks at the file. "No one there seems to know anything about him."
"What's that symbol he's wearing?" Anakin questions as he pulls up a zoomed in picture of a necklace that the holopicture of the man wears.
"The symbol of the high Chancellor before the war, Chancellor Valorum," Master Yoda answers. A planet map appears of the Felucia system.
"So we have one dead Jedi with no physical evidence of a body, a second Jedi who appeared on Felucia that we have no record of, and now this Silman, personal attaché to the Chancellor, is missing?"
"Yet now we know Sifo-Dyas and Silman were both on Oba Diah, according to Chancellor Valorum," Anakin states.
"The crashed shuttle I found was located on a moon which orbits the Pyke planet," Master Plo tells us as the holomap zooms in on Pyke and its moon.
"Hm. To the Pykes you must go, to Oba Diah, yes," Master Yoda says. We nod and end the call. Obi-Wan takes the copilot's seat while Anakin sits in the pilot's and begins to chart a course for Pyke.
—
We fly into the blue-grey, foggy atmosphere. This place gives off an unsettling aura. We land on a platform in front of some sort of cathedral and walk out of the ship, me behind Obi-Wan and Anakin, and into the grand building while being escorted by guards. We enter and throne room, one with a bunch of crime lords lounging around, and stand before the Pyke named Lom, sitting on a throne.
"I cannot remember the last time a Jedi came here," he says to us. "Many years it has been."
"Funny you should say that. We're looking for a Jedi that got lost here. His name is Sifo-Dyas," Obi-Wan tells him.
"Oh, the Jedi Sifo-Dyas was here, but that was a long time ago."
"Master Sifo-Dyas' ship was found crashed on a moon orbiting this world," Anakin says.
"What you found, we know nothing of." A servant hands Lom a martini glass with some sort of green liquid inside. "Would the Jedi like to join us for a refreshment?"
Anakin opens his mouth to object, but Obi-Wan quickly cuts him off. "The Pykes' offer is kindly accepted." Lom snaps his fingers, and a twi'lek servant brings a tray with three of the same glasses. Obi-Wan takes mine and his off the tray while Anakin takes his own. He hands me the glass behind him. I take it and sniff the green liquid, and grimace as the smell of the alcohol burns my nose. "Don't drink that," he mouths to me as he turns back around to face Lom.
"To friendship," Lom says with a laugh as he raises his glass. We do the same.
"Friendship," Obi-Wan agrees, or at least pretends to.
"Friendship," Anakin repeats skeptically.
"...Friendship?" I tag along, slightly confused at the mixed reactions. I don't drink the strange liquid, rather, I keep my attention on the mysterious Pyke. He chugs his drink down is one large gulp. I notice something on his neck... isn't the symbol of the high Chancellor? I tap Obi-Wan on the shoulder as he lifts his glass to take a drink, but he puts it down as he turns back to me. I discreetly point to the necklace that Lom wears, the same one on the picture of Silman. Obi-Wan nods.
"What an interesting necklace that is," he tells him. "May I have a look?"
Lom puts down his glass. "Perhaps the Pykes have taken enough of the Jedi's time."
"Oh, no, no, it's no bother at all. The Jedi are happy to know all the Pykes' secrets," Obi-Wan says as Anakin uses the Force to yank the necklace from Lom's neck. The guards, who stand behind us, step closer to us threateningly.
"We have no quarrel with the Jedi," Lom tells us.
"Maybe you should tell us why you're wearing the crest of the Chancellor's personal advisor," Anakin says as he throws his drink on the ground, shattering the glass. I notice Obi-Wan drop his, too. Anakin holds up the necklace to Lom.
"I am confused," he says as he stands from his throne and walks towards the end of the small platform his grand chair sits on. "Is the Jedi looking for a Jedi Master, or someone else?"
"Stop playing games," Anakin demands. "Sifo-Dyas was traveling with an advisor. They were sent here to negotiate with you."
Lom laughs. "Well, it looks like you have finally put the pieces together. The man you are looking for is here."
I hand my glass to the servant that gave me my drink before we're led out of the throne room by Lom and his guards. "Sorry about them," I say quietly as I follow behind them to when Silman is being held.
—
We walk down a dark corridor of a prison nearby. I stand close behind Obi-Wan and Anakin, while they follow behind Lom.
"The Pykes wanted to gain an advantage over the other crime families, so alliances were made," he explains. "One alliance was with a man named Tyranus."
"I've heard that name before," Obi-Wan says. "Jango Fett mentioned it during my Kamino investigation."
Lom continues his explanation. "Tyranus wanted Sifo-Dyas dead. The Pykes were well paid to shoot down his ship. However, any man that is willing to pay to have a Jedi killed is dangerous and unpredictable. The Pykes inspected the crash to retrieve the Jedi's body for proof. But with the dead Jedi, the Pykes found another, still alive."
"Silman, the Chancellor's aide?" Obi-Wan asks.
"The Pykes gave Tyranus Sifo-Dyas, but the Pykes did not tell Tyranus of Silma. The Pykes needed insurance." We stop in front of the door to a cell.
"Insurance?" Anakin questions.
"Yes, and now the Pykes can bargain. We give you Silman, you forget about the Pykes' treachery against the Jedi." The cell door opens, and a couple of rats scatter out. I jump and move to the side right into Obi-Wan's side, grabbing his arm for balance as a rat scurries away across where I was standing.
"Gross," I mutter. Obi-Wan chuckles at me softly as I let his of his arm and start down the small hall to another door, keeping watch for those nasty rats. The second door opens into a spacious cell. We don't see anyone inside.
"Hello?" Obi-Wan asks as the three of us look around.
"Who... who's there?" we hear a voice question.
"We are Jedi sent to find you," Obi-Wan tells the voice.
"Jedi?" The owner of the voice, which I can tell is this Silman we're looking for, though much older than in the picture, peeks out from behind the half sphere of the base of the deactivated constrainment device, littered with abnormally large grubs. "To find me? Why me? I was betrayed, forgotten, long ago."
Obi-Wan, Anakin, and I all share a look, then look back to the strange man crawling behind the machine.
"No one knew you were alive," Obi-Wan tells him.
"Quick," Silman says as he peeks out at us from the side again. "Maybe you have some food. Have you... have you any food?"
"...Of course," Anakin hesitates as he pulls out a ration stick from a pocket on his belt.
"Ooh, ooh!" He crawls towards us like a wild animal. I jump into Obi-Wan once again. Anakin flinches. He crouches before us. His now white hair and beard are long and untamed with bugs crawling throughout it, and he's abnormally skinny, face hollow, eyes wide. "Oh, oh, oh! Oh! Thank you, my friend!" He bends over backwards to examine the bar in his hands. "A supply bar! Mm, mm, delicious." He bows as he takes the ration from Anakin and crawls back towards the machine in the center, inhaling the scent of the food.
"What the kriff happened to him?" I ask Obi-Wan quietly, now squeezed between him and Anakin.
"He's probably gone mad," he whispers back to me as we observe the man.
Silman continues to ramble as he climbs up the sphere. "You see, I was so frightened I would have nothing to serve. Oh, oh, oh! Oh, oh!"
"Serve?" Anakin questions.
"My... my babies, they get so angry when I have nothing to serve," Silman tells us.
"We might have a problem here," Anakin mutters to Obi-Wan and I.
"Well no shit," I whisper back.
"Language," Obi-Wan scolds.
We approach Silman, atop of the sphere, carefully as he nibbles on the ration. Anakin speaks to him. "I think you've been cooped up in here too long, old man."
"We've come to take you home," Obi-Wan adds.
"Home? No, no, this is my home! I can't leave my friends!" He gestures to the grubs on the machine.
"You were traveling with Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Tell us what happened to him," Obi-Wan says.
Silman cackles maniacally. "Sifo-Dyas? He— he— he died. Died, d'died, d'died, d'died. Tricked, we were! The Pykes are not to be trusted. Oh, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But the Pykes were not the ones. No, no, the Pykes were not the reason."
"Who was responsible?" Anakin asks him.
"Someone powerful," Silman says. "Someone who... who wanted to be Sifo-Dyas."
"Why?" Obi-Wan asks.
"All is deception," Silman says through chuckles. "Can't you see? Because... because—" Suddenly, he begins to choke. He grabs at his throat as he is suspended into the air and falls down, limp, not breathing. The three of us share a look, then I notice a presence behind us. The three of us turn to see a hooded Dooku ignite his red lightsaber.
"Dooku," Anakin sneers as the three of us ignite our lightsabers. "For once, you actually came to do your own dirty work."
He shrugs off his cloak and points his lightsaber at us. "Sometimes things are just that important."
"Yeah? And how well did that work for you on Batuu?" I ask him.
"Always with the pleasantries, my dear. Your father sends his regards, by the way," he taunts.
"Oh, don't make me laugh, Count," I retort. Anakin charges at him first and parries with him until we're out of the cell, then Obi-Wan and I meet him outside. Dooku swings at Obi-Wan, who blocks it, then at me, and I do the same. We alternate swings at him as we exit the prison. You would think that he would be overpowered three on one, but he's just so powerful for some reason. We near dangerously close to the ledge on the platform outside as we continue to parry. Obi-Wan gets kicked to the edge, barely balancing on one foot. Anakin and I hold him up with the Force. He swings at me and I duck just in time, but I lose my focus on holding Obi-Wan up. He stumbles slightly. Dooku then clashes his saber with Anakin, who also loses focus on Obi-Wan. He manages to grab onto the ledge before he falls. I leave Dooku to Anakin as I rush over to Obi-Wan to help him. I put my saber away for a moment as I kneel down and hold my hand out to him. "Don't bail on us yet, old man," I joke as he takes my hand with an eye roll, and I use both of my arms to pull him back up. I muster up all my strength and fall back onto my bottom as I drag him back up onto the platform on his stomach. He sits back up, and I hand him his lightsaber that's on the ground next to me. "This weapon is your life," I mockingly lecture.
"I didn't lose it," he tells me as he rolls his eyes once again.
"Almost did."
"I was about to thank you," he jokes as he takes his lightsaber and stands up.
"You're welcome, Master," I quip back as I take his arm and he helps me stand up. I pull my lightsaber back out and ignite it. Obi-Wan does the same and we run back to help Anakin with Dooku. He ducks under a long swing, then clashes his blade on mine, then sends me flying onto my back with the Force. Obi-Wan follows close behind, and we both scammer back up quickly, Obi-Wan holding his arm into his stomach in a position as if he had hurt that arm. I give him a concerned look, which he shakes off. The three of us begin to alternate swings at Dooku once again, Anakin in the front and Obi-Wan in the back, Dooku between us. Anakin swings at him low and Dooku flips over it, then Obi-Wan hops over Anakin at Dooku and swings down, only meeting the tip of Dooku's saber on the ground. I then use Obi-Wan's back, who's still slightly hunched over, as a boost up. I leapfrog off of him, flipping high in the air over Dooku and landing behind him. I slash up at his back, which he manages to block. He then swings horizontally close to my neck, which I dodge by somersaulting under his legs, right back in between Anakin and Obi-Wan, lightsabers on guard. Suddenly, Lom and the Pykes come out the door on the opposite side of Dooku. More come out from our side. They all point their blasters at him.
"You have no business left with the Pykes, Tyranus," Lom says. The three of ours eyes widen in shock as we share a brief glance with each other. Dooku isn't just a rogue Jedi, Separatist mastermind. He's a Sith Lord.
"Tyranus?" Obi-Wan questions. "You are the man called Tyranus?"
"I told you everything you needed to know on Geonosis all those years ago, Kenobi," Dooku tells him. He points his saber at the three of us. "You should have joined me. Sifo-Dyas understood. He saw the future. That is why he helped me."
"You lie," Obi-Wan sneers. "Minister Lom, if you are going to help us, now is the time."
"Kill Tyranus!" Lom commands his men. They begin to fire at Dooku, who blocks the blasts with ease. He Force pushes the Pykes on our side onto the ground, but the three of us use the Force to shield ourselves from being slung back, too. Meanwhile, Dooku charges at the Pykes on the other side, continuing to deflect the blasts. The three of us use the Force to push the Pykes back to safety as Dooku flips above them. He lands in front of Lom as he stands and stabs him straight through the chest with his saber, killing him instantly. We begin to creep towards Dooku again as he gets closer to the edge and turns off his lightsaber, then steps down and falls. We run to the ledge as he is lifted up and away by a ship. We turn off our lightsabers.
"I'll give you two a push," Obi-Wan says to us.
"Will you be okay? You were—" I ask.
"I'm just fine," he assures. "And I'll be right back to get you all." I nod, and Anakin and I get a running start as Obi-Wan uses the Force to push us through the air and onto the top of the ship Dooku stands on. He dodges our swings as he pulls out his saber once more, behind his back, and swings back at us. He locks blades with Anakin and Force flips backwards onto a higher level of the ship. I jump after him as he cuts through the engine, causing the part Anakin is still on to collapse, and he dangles from the edge. I hold my saber out towards Dooku, holding an arm out for balance as the ship rumbles below my feet, fire erupting behind me, the black smoke blocking my view of Anakin and the ship begins to turn. 
"It would be wise of you to surrender this time, my young friend," he tells me.
I debate it in my head for a moment. "Probably. But I'm still not going to."
"I don't want to hurt you. Truly, I don't. You don't realize that we are more connected than you think."
"You don't know a damn thing about me, Count."
"But don't I? Our pasts are identical, my dear. We were abandoned in the woods, left to fight for ourselves until the Jedi saved us. The people in our clans at the temple despised us for being so much better than them. We distanced ourselves from them. We then trained under some of the most powerful and wise Jedi in the Order. And you, just as I did, see the flaws in the Jedi Order. You question yourself on the daily, whether you should stay or not. And I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't."
My eyes widen. "How... how do you know that stuff?"
"That matters not. What matters is that we are the same. My training resides in you. I trained Qui-Gon Jinn, who trained your beloved master, who then went on to train Skywalker and yourself. I'm not too fond of Skywalker, but you... there's too much of myself in you to truly dislike you."
"We may be similar, Tyranus, but we are not the same."
"I see the fear in you. The anger. Oh, so much anger. Join me, young Arlo, and I can teach you to use that anger. Use it to make you more powerful than you could ever imagine."
"I don't want power. I have everything I need already. I'm not leaving the Order because they gave me the father and the family that I've always wanted and needed. I don't just abandon people as you do. There is anger in me, yes, but I will not embrace it. I know that the dark side is a path for the weak. And I, of all things, am not that."
"Then you are a fool. We could have done great things."
"Like orchestrating a galaxy-wide war where thousands have died on both sides just to fit your own agenda? That doesn't sound great to me."
"I'll give you one last chance to reconsider. Join me, or die."
"Well, that's a couple of lousy options," I mutter to myself. I stumble for balance as the ship begins to tilt even more. I turn off my saber and put it on my belt, then I suddenly feel Obi-Wan's presence come up behind me. I look down, but I can't see him through the black smoke coming from the damaged ship. It tilts even further as I continue to try to balance.
Dooku points his saber at me, the tip close to my neck. "Have you decided, then?"
"Yeah, I'm going with the third option."
"There was no third—"
"Maybe I'll come visit you in the nursing home soon!" I stick out my arms and let myself fall backwards off of the rotating ship, through the thick black smoke. I can see absolutely nothing. It burns my eyes and lungs. But I don't panic. I just soak in the feeling of free falling. Because I know Obi-Wan is gonna catch me in three... two... one...
I feel the Force begin to slow me down as I fall out of the smoke and land gently into Obi-Wan's arms, who stands on the still-open ramp of the ship. I rub my eyes and cough.
"You okay there, Sparky?" he asks.
"Mhm. Nice catch," I tell him with a grin as the ramp begins to close. He smiles and shrugs. "Where's Anakin?"
He sets me back on the ground carefully as the ramp closes completely, and we're back in the ship. "I already got him, he's piloting."
"And you're okay?" I feel the ship enter hyperspace.
"I'm fine, little one. I just landed on my arm funny, twisted my wrist. Nothing that ice can't fix."
I give him a skeptical look, then nod when I realize he's telling the truth. "I'll go get it, then."
Anakin jogs out from the cockpit to us. "Dooku got away."
"I figured," Obi-Wan says. "We need to contact the Council immediately." Anakin nods in agreement as the two of them go into the cockpit, while I go over to the small kitchen to make a bag on ice for Obi-Wan. I wrap it in a rag as I walk back towards the cockpit, where they already speak to the Council. I sit the bag of ice on Obi-Wan's chair, and he smiles appreciatively as I move to stand beside him.
"Know now, we do, that guide the creation of the clones from the beginning, Dooku did," Master Yoda's hologram says. "Hm... our enemy created an army for us."
"If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Jedi, and the Republic would vanish. There would be mass chaos," Master Windu says.
"Cover up this discovery, we must. No one, not even the Chancellor, may know," Master Yoda tells us and the Council members. "Valiant men, the clones have proven to be. Saved my life and yours, they have, many times. Believe in them, we must. Win the war swiftly, we must, before our enemy's designs reach completion, whatever they may be."
"Are you sure we are taking the right path?" Master Windu asks him.
"Hm... the right path, no. The only path... yes. Designed by the Dark Lord of the Sith, this web is. For now, play his game, we must." We nod as the call ends and we take our seats. I sigh softly, which is immediately followed by a cough.
"Do you want a glass of water?" Obi-Wan asks.
"I'm okay," I say as I clear my throat. "Though I'm starting to think I should've held my breath and closed my eyes while falling."
He chuckles, then turns to Anakin. "Will you go get her one?" Anakin nods and pats my shoulder as he leaves the cockpit.
"I told you I was okay, it's not like I'm turning into General Grievous or something," I joke.
He laughs and runs his head with his hand. "I know, I know, but your throat probably hurts now. And I wanted to ask how you felt."
"I just said I was okay—"
"Not about that, Arlo. You know what I'm talking about."
I sigh. "Yeah, yeah. It's just... a bit unsettling to know that some of my best friends were created by our enemy. But in the same breath, I trust them completely. I mean, they've saved my slightly rash self on countless occasions, there always there when I need them. They've never let me down, and I'm not expecting them to do so now."
"I agree completely. Like Master Yoda said, we just have to play along... and hopefully, hopefully, this will all be over soon."
—
sorry it took so long to update, i had a lot of work to do and i still have a bunch but oh well 🤷‍♀️ i've been having online classes for a week now because of all the ice on the roads here and for some reason i like to procrastinate when i'm not in-person. not a good idea, don't recommend it. but anyway. i think this is a longer chapter, so i hope that makes up for it a little bit :)
thanks for reading! -a 🪐