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Chapter Text

It was never easy in Freemaker family. The disappearance of their parents and running the shop on their own to provide a roof over their heads was hard enough for all of them. Rowan had often seen Kordi break down when they were low on credits. He had also seen Zander trying to calm her down somehow, usually with no success. He really wanted to help them somehow, but his siblings had this weird mindset to pretend that everything is alright, whenever he asked them about it. 

Maybe that was understandable. Most of the time, Rowan's help most often led to disasters. So the young boy had to always stand aside so as not to "attract more trouble".

And then Naare appeared. Someone who saw potential in Rowan. She told him that he had a great destiny to fulfill. She started training him, teaching him how to use the force, telling him that one day he would become a Jedi and really help people. 

It was all a lie.

Rowan jumped back when he saw a familiar woman with black hair, approaching him with two lightsabers: red and blue. He had no idea how she found them here, but she did and he had to come up with something quickly.

"Oh Rowan," she hissed getting closer to him while waving her lightsabers "with me, you could reach your destiny!"

Rowan looked around. He saw Roger shooting at Dengar with a blaster, but he didn't see his siblings anywhere. Finally he looked up and noticed that the N-1 starship hanging right above him, was hooked by a string held by one bolt.

"I'm gonna reach for something else!" he shouted while using the force and taking the bolt away.

This caused the ship to collapse on them, but Rowan jumped back in the last moment, although the explosion pushed him additionally. The ship also shoot from its blasters, which made a lot of mess. Rowan got up, trying to find his siblings, but he couldn't see them because of the cloud of dust, or hear them because of the loud noise. After a moment, everything fell silent.

"Get your hands off me!!"

The boy heard the voice of his sister and turned around quickly.

"I really thought I wouldn't have to do this." said Naare.

The woman emerged from the dust together with Kordi and Zander while holding the lighsabers. Dengar joined her holding Roger.

"Leave them alone!!" Rowan yelled, "Or else...

"Or else, what?" Naare asked while staring at him coldly "You're going to fight me with your bare hands? You're not a threat to me".

Helplessness struck Rowan. Even while he had her lightsaber, he couldn't do anything to her. She had years of experience. Even though it sting to admit, Naare was right.

"Rowan don't worry about us!" yelled Zander suddenly.

"Run! She won't do anything! She knows well, that you won't cooperate if we" Kordi was cut off, when Naare brought the red lighsaber even closer to her body.

"Wanna bet?" she asked her.

"Rowan, don't go!" screamed Roger "I'm collectible!"

"Roger!" both Kordi and Zander gave him outraged looks.

Rowan, however, still stood as if paralyzed and looked once at his siblings, then at Naare, once at the droid, and finally at the lightsabers. Kordi told him to run, but he couldn't just leave them here. He couldn't let them die.

"What if I make it easier to you?" asked Naare suddenly with a strange, calm voice " I have an offer".

"What offe... OW!" Zander tried to ask, but got cut off, when Dengar punched him on the shoulder to shut him up.

Naare rolled his eyes and looked at Rowan again. The boy stared at her distrustfully, but listened to what she wanted to say.

"You have two options." she continued "There's only one crystal left. You can kindly show me where it is. Or..." She then again brough the lightsabers closer to boy's siblings "you can say goodbye to your family, forever".

There was a silence for a moment. Rowan started to think about his options. Or more accurately, option. After all, he wouldn't let his siblings get killed.

"Don't even think about it!!" yelled Kordi." Run this instant! You hear me?!"

"The clock is ticking, Rowan" threatened Naare

"What clock?" asked Dengar.

Naare just growled, losing her patience she raised both lightsabers to swing them at the brother and sister of the youngest Freemaker.

"Alright, alright!!" yelled Rowan suddenly " Fine, I'll show you where is the crystal... just... just please don't hurt them..."

Naare smiled, satisfied with the answer, then used her powers to pick up Kordi, Zander and Roger and tossed them behind her.

"You've heard your brother." she said to them while walking to the youngest Freemaker "He doesn't want you to get hurt. So you better stay out of our way".

After these words, Naare used the force again and collapsed the ceiling and making a wall between them.

"You said you had the perfect plan, so I take it the demolition of the Emperor's museum was also part of that plan?"

It was Graballa, who appeared behind them.

"Don't worry, my dear Graballa" Naare said standing next to Rowan "The next crystal will be much easier to find now".

The Hutt looked at the boy.

"Hey, you're the kid who can sense them, aren't you?"

Rowan didn't answer, but then he felt Naare's hand tightening on his shoulder.

"He is" said Naare with a mean smile "He will find our crystal. Let's go".

After those words, they all went towards Graballa's ship. Rowan wanted to turn around to maybe see his siblings one last time, but Naare held him by the arm and prevented him from doing so. However he had the impression that he heard the screams of his siblings, but with every step he heard them less and less.

When they got there, Rowan just looked grimly around the main room which Dengar had led him into. The man finally stopped pushing him and went to his place on one of the couches.

"Don't try anything, kid." he said indifferently "I've got my eye on you".

"Yeah I wonder what I could to" said Rowan to himself while looking at handcuffs on his hands.

"It suits you".

Rowan jumped when he saw Naare right beside him.

"What?" he asked surprised.

"Your new outfit." answered Naare. Was there... pride in her eyes? "If you're on the dark side, you need to wear something appropriate. It's much better than your thrashy Freemaker clothes".

"I still have my 'thrashy Freemaker clothes' on me!" Rowan shot back while trying to throw off the dark cloak, which was impossible because of the handcuffs. "And I'm not on your side!!"

"You're not?" asked Naare approaching him. "You just betrayed your siblings".

The boy stepped back.

"Betrayed them? You didn't give me a choice!!"

"If you really were on the light side, you would've found other solution" she said while circling around him. " You would have saved yourself, your siblings and maybe even the crystal" Naare gave him a pleased look. " But you chose easier way. One of the options I gave you. Not very Jedi like".

Not wanting to hear any more, Rowan threw himself at Naare angrily, but she simply moved away, causing the boy to fall over.

"You should be grateful!" she hissed looking at him while he was getting up. " I am the only one who sees potential in you!! You could do great things!!"

"Hurting other people is not a great thing!" yelled Rowan. " I do not belong to the dark side and I never will!"

At first, the boy thought that the woman would give up, but he yelped when she suddenly grabbed him by the collar of the cloak and lifted him with unimaginable ease.

"You don't belong to the light side either, you brat!" she snapped, while her white tattoos turned red and her eyes became yellow. " There's nothing waiting for you there!!"

This actualy made Rowan a bit scared. Naare released him and he quickly backed away. She then waited for an answer, but got none.

"Perhaps we got off the wrong foot." her voice softened, although Rowan was determined to avoid eye contact with her. "Why exactly do you think your destiny lies on the light side? Can't you see that you have more features associated with the dark side?"

"Last time I checked, I don't threaten innocent people, like you do" Rowan's voice was quiet now, but he wasn't giving up.

"Ah, but the dark side has so much more to offer than you think" Naare ignored his snarky remark. "Aren't you quite destructive? Don't you draw trouble to yourself? Doesn't Kordi call you a magnet for trouble?"

Rowan looked at her, not understanding what she meant.

"What? But those are..."

"Jokes? Don't be naive" Naare started walking towards him while the boy started to back away. "Then why your siblings never want your help? When you're going to look for... junk or whatever you do, why do you always stay behind?"

"Kordi says..."

"That it's for your safety? Or maybe they don't want to have more problems with you than they already have?"

Rowan went silent.

"Don't you see you're just a burden to them?" asked Naare "You can't build like them. When you try, something always goes wrong. You're not a Freemaker" she then put her hand on his shoulder "You're more like me".

"Stop it! Stop saying that!!" Rowan screamed and broke free from her grip "I'm not like you! I don't believe any word you say!"

Because he wasn't, right? Him not being as good in their job as Kordi and Zander were, didn't mean anything. His siblings told him so many times that he's capable, but he needs to concentrate. Thanks to that he managed to save Cloud City. He defended his family against the Varactyls. Kordi even said that he's a special kid. He couldn't be special in negative way, right?

However, the thing that hurt Rowan the most was that he actually felt like a burden to them sometimes. He couldn't lie. He was quite destructive. Whenever they were in trouble, most of the time it was his fault. How many times something exploded when he tried to help? How many times did Kordi scold him for doing something wrong? And everything that has been happening recently? He was to blame too. It was his fault his family was in constant danger so many times. And it was his fault that Naare had almost all Kyber crystals.

What if she was right? What if he didn't fit in his family? But his destiny couldn't possibly lie on the dark side. He wasn't evil. He wanted to help people, not hurt them.

"Your stubbornness is getting on my nerves" said Naare turning around and walking deeper into the room. "After finding the last crystal, we're going straight to Coruscant and I'll take care of your training. This time in my style".

Rowan looked after her, not understanding what she meant, then suddenly came to his senses and followed the woman.

"Coruscant? Training?" he asked confused. "What are you talking about? I was only supposed to show you where the crystal is!"

"We agreed that you would show us where the crystal is and I'd leave your family alone" Naare replied. "But I never mentioned that you would come back to them".

The boy stared at her, not understanding what the woman was talking about. There must have been a lot of confusion in his voice, because Naare actually stopped and stood in front of him. She smiled again.

"You see, I always wanted to have my own apprentice." she said approaching him. "Someone to whom I can share all my knowledge of the dark side of the force. And you are the perfect candidate!"

Rowan felt dizzy.

"What?! No way!!" he yelled. "I won't be your apprentice! That wasn't the deal we made! I'm not showing you the way to that crystal, then!"

After those words, he turned away.

"So you want your siblings dead?" Asked Naare.

Rowan got tense.

"You don't even know where they are".

"Of course I know." said Naare. "Did you already forget, I've been following you through the whole galaxy?"

"But how...? Star Scavenger didn't detect any..."

"It doesn't matter how. I have my ways." the woman answered as if she was getting bored. "So I advise you to cooperate".

Rowan just shook his head in complete shock while trying to say something. Anything. His anger at Naare was now covered by fear. He knew that he was getting into trouble by agreeing to what Naare offered him, but he didn't expect that there was a second bottom to it.

"N-no you can't do this..." his voice was trembling now. "I... I'll find you that crystal! I won't try to do anything! You'll get your Kyber Saber, I swear! Just please let me get back to them!"

Naare, however, just looked at him, unmoved, but after a while her face showed... sympathy?

"Oh Rowan, you really think that after all of this you would be able to get back to the life you had? Do you think they would want you back?" she asked softly while narrowing her eyes. "Do you think they'll want anything to do with you after the Emperor gets the most powerful weapon in the galaxy? All thanks to you?"

Rowan wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He hadn't thought about it. He didn't think about it at all when he agreed to Naare's offer. He remembered how Kordi yelled at him to run, and he hadn't listened to her. Naare was right. It was possible that his siblings didn't want to see him after all of that. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a touch on his shoulders.

"I just want you to understand that it's for your own good." she said that with such a twisted, nice tone, that Rowan felt sick. "Your siblings won't want to see you after this. You'd be all alone. But I want to give you this opportunity to do great things as my student. You'll have it good with me if you just accept my offer".

Rowan tried to breathe deeply and not listen to woman, but he felt trapped. Whatever he did now would be pointless. Naare was prepared for his every move. And even if he managed to escape her, would Kordi and Zander be able to forgive him?

"I'll understand if you need more time to sort it all out, but you'll see that everything will be okay." Naare smiled when she saw his miserable face "Welcome to the dark side, my apprentice."

Chapter Text

Rowan stood lost in thought, while Naare and Graballa were still talking in the main room about something before starting up the ship. It would be a lie to say that the boy wasn't bothered by what Naare had just told him. His situation was hopeless. He remembered being in the same room a few weeks ago after finding the Kyber crystal by himself in Graballa's mines. When he and Roger had been captured by him, his siblings saved him, but now there was no chance for that. Besides, he didn't want his brother and sister to try to save him now, knowing that Naare was ready to cut them into pieces if they tried. But there had to be a way out of this. Kordi always had a plan, even in the worst-case scenarios. Rowan couldn't just give up and let Naare pull him to the dark side. He was desperate to protect his siblings, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life hurting innocent people, like his 'mentor' did.

Wait a moment. He was desperate.

'Child, the quest for the Kyber Saber crystals is a worthy pursuit. But if you get desperate, and you will get desperate, seek out the Maker of Zoh.'

The Maker of Zoh. Of course!! That was what he had to do now! The only hope! He wasn't sure how this Maker was going to help him, but Maz must have known what she was talking about. Especially that she knew about the Kyber crystals.

Also she was old. Like, really old. And old people have the experience when it comes to this galaxy.

"Set the course on Hoth!" said Naare suddenly.

That was his chance.

"Wait, Hoth?" asked Rowan, while pretending he was confused. "There's no crystal on Hoth".

Naare and Graballa stared at him at the same time.

"What do you mean?" she asked frustrated. "I heard every word you said in Star Scavenger. You said the crystal was on Hoth."

Rowan wanted to say something, but Naare suddenly approached him. Her tattoos turned red again.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked, there was a threat in her tone.

Come on. Think, think.

"I must have got it wrong," Rowan began to say. "I don't know that much about these planets. I get a lot of names wrong, and I don't even know half of them."

Naare looked at him suspiciously for a moment. Eventually her tattoos turned white again. She grabbed the boy's arm tightly and led him towards her galaxy map. She turned it on. Planets appeared before Rowan's eyes. He could see Hoth and sense the crystal, but he couldn't let them know it was there.

"Your siblings really didn't teach you anything." she scoffed.

"Hey, I'm twelve! I'm not an adult, I don't know everything!" Rowan defended himself.

Naare just sighed with frustration.

"So? Where is the crystal, then?"

Rowan stared at the planets for a while, pretending to focus on sensing the crystal.

"The crystal is on Zoh."

"Huh, I know this planet." said Graballa. "It's full of salvage and junk. Very stinky, not gonna lie".

"Salvage..." Naare pondered and then gave Rowan an angry look. "You think I'm so stupid, huh?! I told you not to even try to contact your siblings!"

"Hey! Just because my siblings are scavengers doesn't mean they will be there!" Rowan started to defend himself. "Kordi and Zander don't know that I was wrong about the planets! They think we're going on Hoth!"

Naare stared at him coldly for a moment. But finally she turned to Graballa.

"Excellent. Set the course on Zoh, then."

Rowan sighed with relief. He jumped suddenly when he saw that Naare was looking at him again.

"But if it turns out that the crystal isn't there..." she threatened him. "...there will be consequences".

They got to the planet quite quickly thanks to hyperspace. Graballa's ship was now flying over huge mountains of junk. Many of them were arranged in various strange shapes.

"And here is this powerful crystal?" Baash asked.

"On a planet full of garbage?" Raam joined in.

Naare gave the boy a suspicious look again.

"I work in the junk business." he said innocently. "You have no idea how many valuable things people just throw away!"

"You mean, worked." corrected him Naare.

Rowan felt a sting in his chest, but he recovered quickly. There was no time for that now. This was his chance to make things right. The Maker of Zoh was his only hope.

"The crystal is close. I can feel it." said Rowan.

Graballa's ship soon landed in a large spot surrounded by mountains of junk. After a while, everyone went outside. Rowan began to worry. There was not a living soul on the planet. Could someone really live here? Or maybe someone once lived here and left it all behind? What if Maz was wrong? She did say, she didn't know what she was talking about because of her age.

"Come on." Naare urged Rowan. "Lead to the crystal. You said it was here."

Rowan felt dizzy, but he had to keep his cool. He had come too far, he couldn't just give up here. So he began to lead them all forward. The boy just wondered what he should do if he finds the Maker. After all, Naare was by his side all the time and kept an eye on him.

What if coming here was a mistake?

"Intruders!!" yelled a robotic voice.

They all turned around to see a whole group of droids in behind them. Was it possible that the Maker of Zoh was one of them? They didn't look very friendly.

"Great, I knew it wasn't going to be easy." Graballa said disappointed. "They're probably guarding that whole crystal thing."

"You're treespassing." said one of them.

"You're not welcome here." Joined another one. "Leave".

"No droid will tell me what to do." Naare hissed.

That was enough for the droids to attack. Many of them had blasters, and those that didn't, just threw random scrap at them. Naare took out her lightsaber, while Dengar, Baash, and Raam drew their blasters and began firing at the droids. A fierce battle began. At first, Rowan didn't know what to do with himself, but then he realized that this was his only chance. Naare was actually too focused on the fight right now. The boy slowly backed away, then turned around and ran as fast as he could. The sounds of the blasters were getting quieter as he ran, passing mountains of scrap metal. But he couldn't give up yet. He had to get as far away as possible so Naare wouldn't find him. At least not so fast.

He didn't really know how long he ran. But he knew one thing. He was slowly getting tired. He finally stopped to catch his breath. He hoped he had left Naare far behind, but he had the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Who's there?" suddenly a voice spoke up.

Rowan turned around quickly, even though the voice was not Naare's. A man was standing a few meters away. He had a beard and gray hair. He also had goggles on his face. But the most visible was his electrical, left arm.

Was he the Maker? Rowan wanted to speak, but then surprise appeared on the man's face.

"Hey, you're just a kid." he said now approaching Rowan. "How did you get here? Are you here with your family?"

"No, not really..." replied the boy, trying to ignore the longing for his siblings. "But I have to ask... are you the Maker of Zoh?"

"The Maker's more a title than a name." the man said. "My name is Jek. Tell me, how did you get here and what are you looking for? And..." Jek looked at the boy's hands in surprise. "Why do you have handcuffs?"

Rowan wanted to answer, but Jek suddenly used the Force and actually pulled the handcuffs off his hands.

"It's... a long story" replied Rowan. "But I came here because I need help with mastering the Force."

"I came to Zoh to get away from all that." said Jek, but then he saw the boy's disappointed face. "But please continue."

Rowan took a deep breath and started explaining the whole situation with the Kyber crystals, how Naare had lied to him saying she was a Jedi, but turned out to be a Sith. He explained how he and his family were chased by her across the galaxy and how she blackmailed him into showing her the location of the last crystal.

Jek listened carefully, and when Rowan finished speaking, he began to think.

"As I said, I came to Zoh to get away from it all. From all this war," the man began to say. "But I too, was once tricked by a Sith.

"But it's not just about the galaxy, there is something else..." Rowan spoke up. "This Sith, she..." He hesitated. "She wants to force me to be her apprentice. To be evil, like her."

Jek looked at him.

"Huh, you're actually dressed like a Sith." he admitted.

Rowan suddenly came to his senses and looked at his free hands. He grabbed his cloak and quickly ripped it off, throwing it to the ground. He was relieved to see his everyday clothes again. That made him feel a little better.

"She forced me to wear it." Rowan explained quietly, seeing Jek's surprised face. "I don't want to be one of them, but if I don't master the Force, I won't have a choice".

There was silence. Jek started thinking again. Finally, he looked at the boy.

"Is she here somewhere?" he asked quietly.

Rowan didn't answer, but nodded. Jek looked around and then began to lead the boy somewhere.

"I'm not a Jedi. I can't train you to be one." he said. "But I can teach you what I know of the Force. Now, what is your name?"

The boy actually managed to smile.

"I'm Rowan. Rowan Freemaker."

Once they both found a suitable place, Jek began teaching Rowan what he knew. He used the Force to lift one of his structures.

"The dark side, with all its hatred and rage, destroys." with these words, he made a movement with his hands and the structure fell to pieces.

Rowan remembered what Naare had told him. The boy wasn't filled with anger and hatred. In this, he was no match for the dark side, that's for sure.

"But the light side..." Jek continued, picking up more pieces of scrap and stacking them to form an ever taller structure. "It builds. It creates. It protects."

"Wow." Rowan was impressed as he looked at the Maker's work. He just hoped that wherever Naare was, she hadn't seen it too. But he couldn't think about that right now. "Don't know what that is".

"Now you try" said Jek.

Rowan stepped forward and used the Force to pick up four small pieces of scrap. It was much more difficult for him than for Jek, but he was determined. He finally put the pieces together into... something.

"Sorry. It's barely anything." he said disappointed.

Jek, however, approached the small structure.

"I disagree." he said fixing it a bit and sitting on it as it looked a bit like a chair. "It's a start".

Then Jek showed a new exercise. The one that Rowan probably needed the most.

"The key to mastering the Force is focus." Jek said as the boy tried to build with his powers. "Can you focus?"

"I think so." said Rowan with his eyes closed.

However, he jumped back, when he noticed that Jek sent a piece of scrap metal towards him. His structure fell apart.

"But not if you distract me." he said confused.

"There will always be distractions." explained Jek. "I ask again, can you focus?"

"Yes." said Rowan, again trying to build.

"Can you?" asked Jek again.

"Yes!" there was more enthusiasm in the boy's voice now.

"Can you?!" asked Maker one last time.

"Yes!" Rowan closed his eyes again, trying to focus the best he can. "How'd I do?"

Little Freemaker actually noticed that he had accidentally built his creation around Jek, trapping him there.

"Not bad." he said, hanging upside down.

Rowan couldn't help, but giggle a little. Jek was a much better teacher than Naare. He was much more understanding and patient. Naare, on the other hand, was too easily annoyed and could not properly explain to the boy what to do.

How had he not noticed before how suspicious she was?

Rowan and Jek continued their work. The boy didn't know how much time had passed exactly, but he felt a much greater improvement in his skills. And most of all, he felt more confident.

However, Jek wasn't done yet and suggested another exercise. He told Rowan to build again. This time, however, he had to actually build something useful, not combine elements of random scrap.

"Don't picture the pieces you're using to build." said Jek. "Picture what you're building. Focus on where you're going. Ready?"

Rowan nodded with his eyes closed.

"Then reach out through the Force and build."

"Picture what I'm building..." said Rowan to himself and started doing what Jek told him.

He had to build something. Something useful. Something that would actually work. Just what?

He thought suddenly of his brother and already knew the answer to that question.

"Huh, not bad!" said Jek.

Rowan opened his eyes and saw the speeder bike. Very similar to the ones Zander loves. He couldn't help, but smile.

But then, Jek lifted his structure and then disassembled it, which surprised Rowan. He used his powers to build something completely different out of them. Something much bigger. The boy stared, trying to understand what it was. Suddenly he saw it.

Jek built a small ship, about the size of a Mini Scavenger.

"Why did you build it?" asked Rowan.

"This is where I finish my training." Jek said. "There are more things I would like to teach you, but there is no time for that."
Rowan was actually surprised. Fear appeared again.

"But... I don't know if it's enough!" there was doubt in his voice.

"It doesn't matter now." Jek replied. "You need to get off this planet before that woman finds you. I built this ship to be easy to use even for someone as young as you. Run away and find your family as fast as you can. And if this Sith finds you...let's I hope what I've taught you is enough".

The boy did not expect that his training on Zoh would end so quickly, but he knew that Jek was right. He had to run away from here. Naare must have been looking for him. He didn't know how his siblings would react to his return, but... he didn't help Naare find the crystal, so maybe it'll be okay.

"Thank you so much for teaching me all of this, sir." Rowan said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"You're welcome." Jek replied smiling at him. "Now go. And be careful".

Rowan nodded and started going towards the ship. However, when he was close, the ship rose into the air. The boy looked at Jek in surprise.

"Is this another exercise?" Rowan asked not understanding what's happening.

Jek, however, stood just as surprised, then an expression appeared on his face that told Rowan everything.

Naare was here.

The ship was torn to pieces by the force. They both started looking around.

"You're pathetic to think you could escape me." suddenly Naare spoke, while she appeared from behind scrap mountain. Her tattoos turned red and her angry eyes, yellow.

"Stay behind me, Rowan." said Jek standing in front of Rowan and protecting him. "I'll take care of her".

The boy didn't answer. However, as terrified as he was, he felt a little better knowing he wasn't alone. Plus, Jek had more experience. Maybe he was even able to beat Naare.

"And I see you've found yourself a friend." Naare smiled sadistically. "The failed experiment. Jek-14, is it? I've heard of you. Although I never knew you were here. That's disappointing".

"Better a failure than a pawn of evil." said Jek. "You call this boy pathetic, while you're the one manipulating a child".

Just then, they both used the Force on each other and both were pushed by it as well. Rowan jumped aside. Naare and Jek stood up, both ready to continue the fight. The man raised his hand and, using the Force, began to build under Naare's legs, lifting her into the air.

"Anything you build, I can break!" she screamed, then used her power to tear his structure apart.

But Jek didn't give up. This time he started building a huge wall out of scrap, then guided it towards the woman. It looked like it was going to work, but Naare didn't budge. She used the Force to take control of the elements and hurled them straight at the man with unimaginable force. This made Jek stagger, and Naare decided to take advantage of it. She used her powers again. A whole lot of scrap began to emerge from the ground around Jek. Rowan actually understood what Naare was doing. She was burrying him alive.

"Jek!" yelled Rowan.

"Trust in the Force!" Jek shouted to him with the last strength. "Be a builder, Rowan!"

"Jek!!" Rowan shouted again, but it didn't matter. The man got buried under the salvage.

The boy stood and stared at the mountain of junk in shock. The man didn't appear. Naare, on the other hand, turned around and stared at him with her cold eyes. She started walking towards him while Rowan was backing away.

"You... you killed him..." he said, his voice trembling.

"You're wrong." she hissed. "You did it".

The boy felt furious.

"Stop blaming me for your actions!!" he screamed and then used the Force and threw a piece of scrap at the woman.

Naare, however, easily deflected the attack. She continued talking.

"You knew someone dangerous was after you. But you chose to endanger another person anyway by asking them for help. And look!" she gestured with her hand towards all the junk" Your friend is dead now! And all because of your selfishness!"

Rowan tried to be strong but covered his face with his hands. It wasn't happening. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Everything had just been fine. He was supposed to leave this planet and look for his siblings.

And now Jek was dead. Thanks to him.

He suddenly felt a weight on him and yelped as he was knocked to the ground. He didn't even notice when Raam and Baash landed their ship nearby and pounced on him.

"Got him!" yelled Baash.

"No, I got him first!" argued Raam.

"Neither of you were first, you imbeciles" Naare rolled her eyes and lifted them off the boy with the Force.

Rowan got up and then heard the sound of ships. He looked up and saw Graballa's ship and a smaller one, presumably Dengar's. The ships landed and indeed, Graballa and Dengar came out of them.

"You found him?" asked Hutt.

Naare raised an eyebrow and nodded at the boy.

"Okay, good." Said Graballa. "I thought we're never going to leave this planet".

"But... But how...?" Rowan asked. "How did you find me?"

Dengar approached them suddenly, holding the familiar black cloak.

"You left something behind. Although I have other methods, too" Naare said with a smile, taking the cloak from Dengar. "That wasn't very smart, you know".

Rowan wanted to say something, but then the woman threw the cloak at him.

"Now put on." she said crossing her arms.

"What? I'm not going to..."

"I said... put it on!!" Naare shouted, taking out her lightsaber. "Or I'll stop being so nice!!"

Rowan actually shuddered in fear, then obediently put on the cloak. His casual clothes disappeared again under the black color.

"See? That's much better!" she spoke in a gentle voice, her tattoos now turning white. "You'll thank me anyway, you'll see."

"You know, I'm starting to feel kinda sorry for the kid. Am I the only one?" whispered Baash to Raam.

Rowan ignored him and looked at Naare again, not understanding what she meant.

"Everyone to the ship!" Graballa shouted excitedly. "We're going to Hoth to fulfill my... I mean, our dreams!"

After these words, Dengar put the handcuffs on Rowan's hands again and they all went to Hutt's ship. Despite the fact that Naare held his shoulder tightly, the boy managed to look at the pile of garbage, under which was Jek's body. He looked at Naare with fear in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Rowan." she suddenly said, "I told you that if we don't find the crystal here, there will be consequences."

Chapter Text

"We'll be on Hoth in a few minutes!" announced Graballa.

Rowan knew that he should think of a plan. They were on the way to the last crystal, after all. And if Naare gets it, then... no one will be able to do anything to stop her. She'll take him to Coruscant, the Emperor will get the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, and Rowan will be forced to do bad things for the rest of his life. He'll never see his siblings again. Or they'll hear about him when he actually becomes famous.

As a Sith.

But how was he supposed to think about the plan with Jek's death still flashing before his eyes?

"Trust in the Force. Be a builder".

How was he supposed to trust in the Force when everything was going so wrong and his only option to escape ended tragically? The more he dug into all this, the more he felt that Naare was right. He wasn't on the light side. Because if he was, his power wouldn't get him into trouble all the time.

If his powers were on the light side, Jek wouldn't be dead right now.

However, Jek's death made Rowan realize one thing. Even if by some miracle, he managed to escape from Naare and protect the crystal from her, returning to his siblings would be too risky. If Naare found them again, she wouldn't care. She would have no reason to blackmail him again. She would just kill Kordi and Zander, take the crystal from Rowan, and force him to join the dark side.

Unless he stood up to her. That's when she'd kill him too. Because what would she have to lose? She couldn't care about him being her apprentice that much. Naare had her limits.

Anyway. Seeing what Naare is capable of, Rowan could not imagine returning to his siblings. They would both end up like Jek. Roger too. And the boy couldn't let that happen. So if he actually thought of something, he'd have to run off to who knows where, all alone.

The funniest thing was that Naare told him that he would end up all alone. Rowan didn't know then, that this also applies to the situation where he wouldn't help her find the last crystal.

"Why are you so quiet? Aren't you happy?" Naare asked enthusiastically. "Our quest for the Kyber crystals is going to end soon!"

Rowan didn't answer this time. He didn't even want to argue with her. He just wanted her to leave him alone.

"You know what, I think I liked you more when you were still excited about searching for those crystals." Naare said angrily.

Again, the woman did not hear any answer from the boy. Naare apparently wanted to say something again, but then Graballa's ship emerged from hyperspace and flying towards Hoth.

"So? Can you sense that crystal or not?" the woman asked changing the subject.

Rowan, however, didn't answer again. Instead, he looked away and ignored her.

"Great, you broke his powers." said Graballa.

Seeing the ship enter Hoth's atmosphere and descend lower and lower, Naare began to lose her patience.

"Are you deaf?" she hissed. "Don't mess around. You just saw what happens if-"

Suddenly, Rowan flinched as he sensed the presence of the crystal, and his eyes lit up for a moment. He stiffened all over his body seeing that Naare understood what was going on.

"We're landing." she announced. "The crystal is near."

'Trust in the Force'. Yup, Rowan's Force powers couldn't be trusted. It was only asking for trouble. Graballa's ship landed and Naare pushed the boy towards the exit. Graballa followed them, then turned to his employees.

"Dengar move your butt!" Hutt shouted again. "Baash, Raam, you too! Let's go!"

"Is it necessary boss?" Dengar asked without moving from the couch. "There's definitely no one there to fight. I don't want to walk through layers of snow, just to look at some glowing stone".

"Really? No one expected trouble on a desolate planet full of junk too, and we all know how that ended." said Graballa angrily.

"Too cold." argued Raam.

"Leave them! I don't want to waste any more time!" Naare said coldly. "Let's get that crystal before-"

She suddenly received a hologram call. There was a frustration on her face now.

"Told you."

Naare took out her hologram and walked a few meters away from Rowan and Hutt.

"Naare! Report!" it was the Emperor's voice. "Have you found the last Kyber crystal yet?"

Rowan stepped forward to be a little closer and hear the conversation better.

"My Lord, good news!" Naare announced with optimism. "I'm on my way to the last crystal right now!"

"What?! You just said the same thing!" the Emperor was not pleased. "How have you not gotten it yet?!

"Uh.. forgive me, my Lord..." she began to explain. Rowan was actually surprised at how less scary she seemed when she was talking to the Emperor himself. "There have been minor complications and..."

"Ugh of course!" the Emperor snorted. "I should never have given you this mission! It takes you forever to find a single crystal! You are useless!"

Naare wanted to say something, but he didn't let her.

"I advise you well." he threatened. "Hurry up, or there will be consequences".

The Emperor hung up. Naare stood still for a moment.

"Oh no, it's happening again..." Graballa spoke quietly.

Rowan looked at him not understanding, then actually jumped when he heard a loud scream. Naare raised her hands in fury and, using the Force, started throwing objects all around her. Rowan actually had to bend down to avoid getting hit in the head with something. Graballa, however, wasn't that lucky when he was hit in the face with a mug.

"Hey, but can you not destroy everything on my ship? We're on the same side, remember?" said Graballa.

Naare turned around furiously. She used the Force to pull Rowan and Graballa to her.

"I said let's go!" she hissed again, pushing the boy forward while Graballa followed her.

The three of them went outside. Almost immediately they were struck by the white color of the planet. Hoth was an ice-covered planet. Snow was everywhere. They saw snowy mountains all around. They noticed the ice under their feet. Graballa's ship landed on a huge frozen lake.

Also, it was unbelievably cold. Now Rowan understood what Naare had meant earlier, when she said he would thank her for making him wear the black cloak. He would freeze in his casual clothes. The cloak maybe wasn't that warm, but it gave extra protection.

"So? Which way?" Graballa asked as he put on his hat.

Rowan looked around and stared at the place where he sensed the crystal. There was a cave. The cave with the last Kyber crystal. Naare, seeing that the boy was looking in that direction, ordered to go there and everyone moved forward. The weather was unpleasant. It was snowing and a strong wind was blowing. Rowan shivered.

"Believe me, you'd be better off if you put on the hood." Naare said to him.

"I'm not cold." The boy persisted. Honestly, even now he wanted to take off that stupid cloak.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman get angry. He thought she was going to raise her voice at him again, as he had only just seen how irritable she could be. However, for some reason, Naare held back.

"Fine. But don't blame me if you get a frostbite." she said calmly.

They finally reached the cave and went inside. The ice cave leed deep into the mountain. At least it wasn't as cold here as outside, so maybe Rowan won't get that frostbite. They began going through the ice tunnel. Nobody spoke. There was only silence. Eventually the tunnel got wider, until finally the cave revealed a huge ice room. Rowan noticed in shock, that the ceiling was covered with icicles. They looked very similar to Kyber crystals. And one of them was Kyber crystal.

But which one?

"Is this some trick of yours again?" Naare glared at him. "Haven't you learned anything from last time?!"

"It's not a trick!" Rowan defended himself. "This crystal is really here!"

"Then tell me which one it is!" Naare ordered him.

"How am I supposed to know that?" Rowan asked. "I sense the crystal, but I don't know which one it is!"

"Then find out!!" Naare screamed and actually used the Force on him. The boy just felt that he can't breathe. "I don't have time to search this whole cave right now!! So either you make an effort or-"

"Leave him alone, now!!"

Rowan already started to black out, when Naare actually let go of him. He fell to his knees and grabbed his neck while taking deep breaths.

"You again?" hissed Naare.

The boy didn't know who she was talking to. But he looked up and felt his heart beat harder.

Kordi and Zander were standing at the tunnel exit. They both seemed determined. But what were they doing here? Rowan had betrayed them, hadn't he? The boy's heart ached remembering the situation from the museum. Why did they come back for him?

"I could have pressed Dengar more." Graballa admitted. "If only I had Boba Fett instead of him."

"No need." Naare just said casually, then looked at Rowan's siblings. "What are you doing here, Freemakers? You can't possibly be that naive to think you can stop me?"

"We don't care! We're here for Rowan!" Zander yelled.

"You got what you wanted!" Kordi joined in. "Now give our brother back!"

The youngest Freemaker, however, did not speak and watched the whole situation tensely. He's seen what Naare is capable of. After all, she could kill Kordi and Zander without even trying. Even someone as powerful as Jek couldn't defeat her.

But to Rowan's surprise, Naare did not attack. Instead, she just laughed.

"You amuse me." she admitted. "You came all the way after your brother, not knowing he's no longer on your side".

"What are you talking about?!" Kordi asked with frustration in her voice.

Naare smiled then turned to Rowan.

"Come on, Rowan." she encouraged him. "Don't you want to tell your siblings about what you did?"

Kordi and Zander looked at their brother, not understanding what the woman was talking about. Remembering what had happened earlier, Rowan looked away. But he saw that Naare expected him to answer. Her expression began to change drastically, which made the boy understand that something bad would happen if he didn't speak.

"I... I won't go with you." he began to speak with difficulty. "I'm... on the dark side now."

"What do you mean? Kordi said surprised.

Rowan hoped the woman wouldn't force him to keep talking. Especially about what happened on Zoh. He hoped what he said was enough for her. But she continued to stare at him. Her tattoos turned red. Her hand began to reach for her lightsaber.

Rowan knew what she wanted him to say.

"I killed someone." he finally said, quietly.

Kordi and Zander jumped at that, but both didn't seem convinced by what their brother had said. They exchanged looks between each other.

"Nah, I don't believe it." Zander suddenly spoke up, crossing his arms and looking at Naare. "I've known this kid for 12 years. You have to try harder."

"You think we're stupid?" Kordi joined in. "I can see you're making him say these things! Now let him go!"

"So are you going to do something with them or should I start wishing I'd brought Dengar with me?!" Graballa spoke impatiently.

Naare was silent for a moment. She looked at Rowan while thinking about something, then suddenly took out both lightsabers and turned them on. The boy thought she was going to pounce on his siblings right away, but she didn't.

"Maybe you need more motivation." she said suddenly. "If you don't find a way to get that crystal out, I'll just kill your siblings now".

Rowan shuddered hearing this. The very thing he wanted to avoid was happening again. Naare was threatening his siblings again. This time, however, there was nothing Rowan could do. He had no clue which of the blue elements was the true Kyber crystal, and Naare was beginning to lose her patience.

Or maybe... that was the solution. Maybe he should piss her off. He had just seen on Graballa's ship, how out of control was Naare when she was furious. Especially after talking to the Emperor. Even just a moment ago, she almost strangled Rowan, even though she hadn't tried to physically hurt him before (at least after she decided to take him as her apprentice). She was currently targeting his siblings.

But maybe he could change that.

"I honestly can't believe I'm saying this," Rowan began, "but the Emperor is right. You are useless, Naare."

Kordi and Zander were practically stunned, surprise on their faces. Graballa, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop himself, because he actually laughed.

"Hah... Sorry, I laugh at stressful situations... sometimes." the Hutt said.

Naare, however, was not thrilled. She looked at the boy now as if in shock that her apprentice actually agreed with her boss.

"What did you say?" she asked disturbingly quiet as her tattoos began to change.

"What you heard!" young Freemaker continued. "I don't understand why were you even chosen to search for these crystals. You found each one, only because of me! You did absolutely nothing on your own!"

Naare didn't answer. She started slowly approaching the boy while her tattoos were getting more red. Rowan could see that she was shaking with anger, but he couldn't show that he was afraid. Not now. This time he didn't even flinch.

"Rowan, what are you doing?!" Kordi yelled.

Rowan, however, did not listen. He let Naare come close enough that now she was actually standing over him.

"Maybe you should rethink your idea of making me your apprentice." Rowan said looking straight in her yellow eyes, then actually smiled. "I mean, I'm already better than you at your own job."

That was it. Rowan himself did not expect how effective his idea was. Naare screamed in rage and swung her lightsabers straight at the boy.

But he was faster. He raised his hands, jumping back a little. The blue lightsaber actually hooked on his handcuffs and cut through them, freeing Rowan from them. With his hands free at last, and remembering everything Jek had taught him, Rowan used the Force on Naare and pushed her away. Completely not expecting it, the woman bumped into Graballa, dropping her lightsabers in the process. One of them, a blue one, rolled on the ground and stopped right in front of Rowan. The Sith, visibly furious, lifted Graballa by force, throwing him aside, and began to slowly get up. The boy looked at the lightsaber and grabbed it. He was about to turn it on, but hesitated.

No. It was not a good idea. He's not going to beat her like this. He already tried it on Naboo, and it hadn't worked out. So he hid the lightsaber and actually looked up at the crystal-covered ceiling.

"Rowan quick!!" Kordi screamed. "Now's your chance!"

"No!" Rowan protested. "She'll find that crystal sooner or later! I'm not leaving without it!"

"You won't find it now!" Zander joined in. "You can't just call out to it! Come on before it's too late!"

Wait a minute. Who said he couldn't do that? Rowan had never really tried, and Zander had some good advices when it came to the Force. Even if he wasn't Force sensitive himself. Rowan focused and actually sensed that the crystal was somewhere above Naare. Speaking of Naare, the woman turned on her red lightsaber. There was no time to think. Naare began to run until she finally jumped towards him. Rowan, on the other hand, seized the opportunity and slipped right beneath her. In the blink of an eye, he was where he wanted to be and raised his hands while using the Force.

Zander's advice actually worked. The crystal actually appeared and flew straight into Rowan's hands.

"I knew you were lying, you-" Naare started to say, but she was cut off.

To everyone's surprise, the entire cave began to shake. The last Kyber crystal must have been some important element that held it up, because now the chamber was starting to collapse.

"Rowan!!" shouted both Kordi and Zander standing at the entrance to the tunnel.

It was now or never. Rowan used the Force on Naare and Graballa, again throwing them back into the room so that they wouldn't try to stop him. He then ran, shielding himself from falling icicles. He managed to reach Kordi and Zander at the last moment. The three of them fell into the tunnel while the cave got got buried.

"Haha! Take that you Sith!" said Zander celebrating their victory.

"It's not over yet!" corrected him Kordi. "I wouldn't be surprised if they survived it. Let's go!"

With these words, the three of them rushed through the ice tunnel towards the exit.

"How did you find me?" Rowan asked, trying not to turn around. He really didn't want to see the familiar angry face, covered in red tattoos.

"You said the last crystal was on Hoth," Zander replied breathlessly. "So we've been waiting for you!"

"You didn't think we'd leave you like that, did you?" Kordi added with a smile.

Rowan felt almost guilty, because he hadn't expected that his siblings would actually come back for him. Not after all this. Not after he left them on Naboo. But he tried not to think about it. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Roger, get the Star Scavenger ready!" Kordi said, suddenly taking out her communicator. "We'll be outside soon!"

"Roger?" asked Rowan, surprised.

The Freemaker siblings finally made it out outside. The cold hit Rowan again, but this time, not for long. Star Scavenger led by Roger suddenly appeared in front of them. The ship landed gently in front of the cave, and the three of them ran into it as soon as the door opened.

"Roger, get us out of here, quickly!" ordered Zander.

"Roger, roger!" answered droid.

Star Scavenger began to rise higher and higher. Rowan went to the window to take one last look at the cave. He actually froze when he saw Naare and Graballa coming out of it. They were too far away to see Naare's face, but the youngest Freemaker knew one thing: she was furious.

But before Rowan could even blink, the ship jumped into the hyperspace.

And Naare was left far behind them.

Chapter Text

Rowan didn't know how long he stood staring at Star Scavenger's window, but a touch on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Haha! That was pretty smooth Rowan!" said Zander putting his hand on his shoulder.

Rowan jumped uncontrollably, breaking free of his grip. Zander's expression changed almost instantly and his older brother was now staring at him in surprise. Just like Kordi.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

It wasn't Naare. Naare stayed behind on Hoth. He was with his siblings now. He didn't have to be so tense anymore.

"Y-Yes! Yes, everything is fine! Just spaced out a little." Rowan said pretending that nothing had happened.

The boy himself wasn't prepared for how quickly Kordi, Zander and Roger rushed to him and hugged him tightly. Although he kinda expected that reaction from them, because this time, the touch did not bother him. So he hugged them too. He felt the tension easing from him and his body allowing him to relax in the arms of his siblings. And Roger of course. It was such a great feeling to finally feel safe.

"Did she hurt you in any way?" Kordi asked, pulling out from the hug to look at him. "We saw that-"

Rowan grabbed his neck, remembering the terrible feeling of not being able to breathe. He didn't know how it would have ended if his siblings hadn't arrived on time. But he had to keep it together for them.

"It's fine." he said. "Most... Most of the time, she didn't even try to hurt me. In this cave, she was just... very impatient."

"Yeah, and you pissed her off even more," Kordi said, crossing her arms, but she looked almost proud.

"Did you see how desperate she was?" Zander asked laughing. "Please! She tried to convince us that Rowan had killed someone."

Rowan looked away as he saw Jek's death before his eyes once again and remembered Naare's words.

"You knew someone dangerous was after you. But you chose to endanger another person anyway, by asking them for help. And look!Your friend is dead now! And all because of your selfishness!"

The silence made his siblings immediately understand that something was wrong.

"Rowan... why aren't you saying anything?" asked Zander coming closer to him.

The boy didn't answer for a moment. He didn't know what to tell them. He didn't know how to say it. He just felt himself shaking again, despite the fact that Naare wasn't there.

"What I said then... in that cave..." Rowan began to speak without looking at his siblings. "It was... partly true."

Again, there was silence for a moment. Rowan couldn't see Kordi's and Zander's expressions, but his heart pounded as he waited for their reactions.

"Rowan, I don't believe you," Kordi said suddenly in a firm but still gentle tone. "There has to be more to it. Something you're not telling us. You won't convince me that you suddenly became a bad person, just because you're wearing black."

Rowan finally came to his senses and wanted to tear off the cloak, but-

'I said... put it on!! Or I'll stop being so nice!!'

But he didn't do that.

The memory of Naare standing over him, after she killed Jek, paralyzed him again.

"Rowan, what did she do?" Zander asked standing next to him.

Rowan just felt his eyes fill with tears. He tried to breathe because he really didn't want to break down in front of his siblings. Not after they saved him. He looked at them though, and their worried expressions made him give up immediately. Without answering the question, Rowan jumped at Zander and burst into tears while hugging him.

"Rowan! Hey, what's going on?" there was a shock in Zander's voice now.

But the boy didn't answer again. His legs buckled under him and he fell to his knees hugging his older brother, who crouched down, still holding him. Rowan didn't want to think about anything right now. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. He wanted to go home. To the Wheel. And, together with his siblings, continue the fight to pay the rent. Deal with Wick Cooper every day. Try to keep Zander from getting his hands on some nice ship. Everything was better than the current situation.

But he knew it was too late for that. It was already too late when he met Naare on Nal Kapok. And none of this would have happened if he'd stayed on the ship like his siblings had told him to. Naare wouldn't chase them now. His siblings wouldn't be in danger so many times. Jek would be still alive. Everything would be fine.

If it wasn't for him.

"Rowan, what's-" Kordi started to speak, visibly worried, but Zander cut her off.

"Kordi, don't. Let's give him a minute." he said while hugging his little brother gently.

The girl did not answer, but apparently she understood. After a while, she also joined the hug.

"It's okay. She won't hurt you. We won't let that ever happen again." Kordi said.

"We're together now and it's all that matters!" Roger joined in.

But Rowan still didn't answer. He clung to his brother tightly. What his siblings said to him didn't matter to him now.

"Maybe you'd like to rest a bit?" said Zander suddenly with quiet tone. "I know it's not really your style, but..."

"No... it's fine." Rowan finally spoke, pulling out from a hug and wiping away his tears. He was silent for a moment, then finally sighed. "Something... bad happened before Hoth."

Kordi and Zander exchanged glances.

"You know you can tell us anything." Kordi said. "Whatever happened, we'll understand."

"Exactly." Zander joined in with an encouraging smile. "Freemakers fly together, right?"

Rowan didn't really feel better after hearing this. He only remembered Naare's words when she said he wasn't a Freemaker. And the situation that the boy wanted to tell his siblings about was not so trivial. But he couldn't just back off. His siblings deserved to know. He was the one who left them behind on Naboo after all.

So he took a deep breath and began, with difficulty, telling the story from the beginning. About how Naare decided to force him to become her apprentice. That after finding the last crystal, he would be taken by her to Coruscant. He talked about how according to Naare, Rowan's Force is closer to the dark side than to the light side and that she even compared him to herself.

Kordi wanted to say something, but Zander stopped her. Seeing this, Rowan continued.

Finally, he began to talk about how he tricked Naare and managed to escape from her on Zoh. He explained to his siblings what he heard from Maz back on Takodana and how he actually managed to find Jek. About how he taught him about the Force and helped him master it more.

And then it was time for the worst part.

Rowan's voice broke more and more as he talked about how Naare had found him just as he was about to flee from that planet. How Jek actually tried to defend him and how Rowan watched him get killed.

The boy finally finished talking and looked at his siblings. Kordi and Zander stared at him with wide eyes. It was obvious that they were shocked by what their brother said. Even Roger was now staring at him without saying a word. Rowan looked away again, waiting for their reactions. He suddenly felt someone grab his shoulders.

"Rowan, please tell me you don't blame yourself for this!" Kordi said it so loudly that she almost screamed.

The boy flinched, not understanding what she meant.

"How can I not blame myself, if this happened because of me!?"

"But how was that your fault?" Zander asked, obviously trying to understand.

"Because I put him in danger!" Rowan shouted suddenly. "I knew Naare was looking for me and I knew what she's capable of, and I did it anyway!"

His siblings wanted to speak, but Rowan didn't let them.

"A-And maybe this proves that Naare was right about me! Maybe I'm not welcome on the light side! I draw trouble to myself, I ruin everything, I put others in danger, constantly! I even agreed to find that last crystal for Naare!" Rowan hid his face in his hands to hide the new tears. "Maybe I really am just a magnet for trouble."

"Wait, magnet for troub-" Kordi spoke in surprise. "No, Rowan, it's not like that! You don't think I was serious back then?"

Rowan got lost in his thoughts again. He didn't really know what to think anymore. On the one hand, he knew that he should not trust Naare, but on the other, he had the impression that what she was saying made a lot of sense.

"Rowan, whatever happened in our workshop, whatever mistake you made," Kordi began to say. "that absolutely doesn't mean you're destined to be a bad person."

"You are still a kid, you have the right to make mistakes." Zander joined in.

"But not mistakes like on Zoh!" shouted Rowan.

"Let me guess." Kordi said. "Naare told you that? That it's your fault?"

The boy looked down but nodded. Kordi obviously wanted to say something, but stopped herself.

"It wasn't a mistake, and what happened wasn't your fault." Zander started to speak, seeing that his sister was looking for something to say. "Your situation was... really tough."

"We don't blame you for what you did on Naboo." Kordi said. "I know I told you to run, but you stayed and decided to protect us. If you want my opinion, I don't think this behavior fits the dark side."

"But Jek..." Rowan started to say.

"It was Naare who killed him. Not you." Kordi interrupted him. "And he was your only option back then. Maz obviously knew what she was doing when she told you about him. She must have known something about this whole quest and the Kyber crystals. By getting on Zoh, you saved the entire galaxy from destruction. It was thanks to Jek that you stood up to Naare. "

"And you kicked her butt." Zander added with a laugh. "Besides, if by Naare's logic, one thing is enough to tell if you're a good or bad person, then there's no way you're destined for the dark side! After all, who saved Cloud City? Who helped the Wookiees find hope? And who saved us from the Varactyls by talking to them? This guy!

Rowan finally looked at them. Until recently, the boy was sure that his siblings would hate him. Kordi and Zander, however, were looking at him with understanding and did not blame him, even a little, for what had happened.

"Also," Zander said again. "that cloak really doesn't suit you. So dark side can't be your destiny."

Rowan felt the tears in his eyes again, but this time he stopped them and threw himself into his siblings' arms, again hugging them tightly.

"None of this was your fault, kiddo. Jek was the one who decided to protect you. He didn't have to do that, but still did. And I'm sure he would be glad knowing that you're safe." Kordi said, embracing him. "We're sorry that we weren't there to protect you from Naare and her manipulation."

"But we're here now. And Naare is far behind us." Zander said laughing and ruffling his brother's hair. "She can kiss a Sarlacc, now!"

Hearing this, Rowan actually laughed. He felt all the tension draining out of him again. He was so happy to be with his family again.

"And I just wanted to say that I really appreciate that you didn't follow Kordi's advice back on Naboo." Roger interjected suddenly. "It was nice to not be ripped apart again. Especially after those Varactyls."

"Heh, thanks guys." Said Rowan, wiping away the last tears.

"Honestly? If I ever see Naare again, I'm going to strangle her with my bare hands." Kordi said crossing her arms.

This made Rowan shudder suddenly. He reached out to his pocked and pulled out the Kyber crystal. Anxiety seized him again. Kordi and Zander apparently noticed that something was wrong.

"Rowan, what's up?" Zander asked.

"It's just..." The boy hesitated. "Everything seems fine. But it's not. We have the last Kyber crystal. Naare will definitely not give up that easily and will continue to chase us. We still can't go home."

"She can try. We removed and disabled everything she could track us through." Zander said. "You have nothing to worry about!"

Rowan, however, had reason to be worried. Naare had killed someone as powerful as Jek. So she would have no problem doing the same with his family. It was too risky.

"As long as we're together, that's our home." Kordi called back with a smile.

The youngest Freemaker still wasn't convinced. There's been too much going on lately to just say that everything will be okay. Rowan understood that the longer he stayed with his siblings, the more likely Naare would be to hurt them. Rowan noticed that Kordi wanted to say something regarding to his worried expression, so he prevented her from doing so.

"Maybe I should rest after all." Rowan said suddenly. He had to think and he needed to be alone for that.

Kordi and Zander seemed surprised, but apparently understood.

"Alright then, take your time." Zander said, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry! We'll decide where to fly next."

Rowan just nodded, then went to the back of the Star Scavenger, leaving his siblings and Roger in front. After everything his brother and sister had told him, he felt well enough to finally take off that black cloak. He looked at it once more, and then, not knowing what to do with it, he just threw it on the floor next to his bunk. He then collapsed onto the bunk and sighed deeply.

He felt a little better, true. His siblings helped him understand that everything Naare said was just manipulation. They helped him understand that he is not a bad person and the dark side is not meant for him at all.

However, his family was still not safe. He knew that Naare would kill them if she found them and Rowan didn't hand over the last crystal. And the youngest Freemaker couldn't do anything. Even though he learned a lot about the Force, he was still not as skilled as Naare.

Suddenly something caught his attention. He noticed a Mini Star Scavenger parked in the main cargo section. He stood up suddenly, a drastic idea popped into his head. What if-

No, that was a terrible idea. Would he just run away after all of that? All alone and who knows where? If Naare found him, even if she couldn't hurt Kordi, Zander, and Roger, she would still have taken the crystal from him. He wouldn't be able to defend himself against her. He wasn't a Jedi.

But he knew someone who had seen the Jedi in action.

Roger had fought against Jedi in Clone Wars, and remembering all of his stories, he must have met more than one. Maybe the droid could help him with that? Show off their fighting techniques? Roger, after all, had everything stored in his memory. If Rowan took the droid with him, he could hide somewhere and train until he was ready to defeat Naare.

Still. This plan meant that the Rowan would have to part ways with Kordi and Zander again. That hurt him the most. They just reunited. He didn't want to leave them again.

But he also didn't want them both to end up like Jek.

Rowan sighed heavily. It was decided. While Kordi and Zander were too busy choosing a planet, Rowan would just quickly grab the bare essentials, convince Roger to his plan, and they both would fly as far away from Kordi and Zander as possible.

They will keep them safe. They will keep everyone safe.

However, before he went to prepare everything, Rowan allowed himself to lie in the same spot for a few more minutes and listen to his siblings talking in the front.

He allowed himself to imagine once again that everything was fine. That Naare is gone. That she never met the Freemakers. And now they return to the Wheel after a long salvage run. Freemakers fly together.

But this time, they were flying together, for the last time.